Grand Ridge Road MK II Sunday 4^th April, 2010

Paul Southwell	Honda CBR1000	Cliff Peters	Kawasaki ZX10
Misho Zrakic	Honda CBR1000	Michael Srb	Kawasaki ZX10
John Rousseaux (rear)	Honda CBR1000	Dave Ward	Kawasaki Z1000
Ben Warden (leader)	Honda CBR954	Damir Djikic (4^th ride)	Kawasaki Z750
Pina Garasi	Honda CBR600	Chris Pointon	Suzuki GSXR1000
Kurn Bridgeman	Honda CBR600	Tamzin Brundrett (2^nd ride)	Suzuki GSXR750
Paul Coughran (1^st ride)	Yamaha R1	Rod Boulter	Suzuki DL1000
Rob Langer	KTM 990 Motard	Geoff Shugg	Suzuki DL650

Damn, what a great day’s riding around the Strzelecki’s/Grand Ridge Road yesterday (Easter Sunday, 4^th April); just excellent!

This was my second journey with the Melbourne Sportsbike Riders and, although I have no idea where the heck we went, it didn’t matter. The roads were amazing and quiet, and the ride well organised (as was the first) so I couldn’t get lost. Not only was the riding fabulous, but what a great, welcoming, friendly lot you are. My apologies to those of you who were at the receiving end of my hyper excited rantings caused by the amazing roads that we rode on.

I have spent the past seven years fighting my way for hours out of Sydney to reach decent riding roads. Last November I moved to country Victoria and since then my baby, Fina (a GSXR1000), and I have not been able to get the grins off our faces. In fact, I’m sure that each time we go out, Fina is increasingly taking off on me because she’s loving it so much!

Since I moved to Victoria, I have been reluctant to find a motorcycle club for two reasons:

1. I spent six years with a club in Sydney where we had good organisation and riding procedures and the best riders who were everything from my teachers to my trusted riding-at-distance-and-pace pals to a wonderful, social, bunch of very dear friends.

2. Unfortunately, during that time I saw disruption and poor outcomes from a few people with too much testosterone and a lack of maturity (despite their age), who wanted to ride with us. I also observed this in a couple of other clubs we rode with occasionally. I have been left with an ability to see trouble coming from a mile off and strongly dislike it.

So why did I choose the MSR to start my Victorian club riding? Well, in a Google search I found the MSR website which showed good credentials and a similarity in organization, procedures and social cohesion to the club I had come from. On the two rides I have attended, I have seen this is in practise including the maturity and experience, without testosterone, I was so hoping to find.

Your two rider corner marking system is excellent (we had a single person corner marking system in Sydney) and I am so impressed by how everyone participates. On a few awkward or unclear turns on the Strzelecki ride I noticed that more than two people would stop. That is team work.

Boy, oh boy, can you all ride too! I am very happy and thankful to have found you.

Particular thanks to Dave, Ben and Paul. It was great to meet all the rest of you who were there yesterday too, either for the first or second time. I look forward to seeing you all next time.

Tamzin Brundrett