Reefton Spur MKII Sunday 2^nd January, 2011

Tim Emons (leader)	Honda CBR1000	Yudi Iswahyudi (2^nd ride)	Suzuki GSXR1000
Ricky Chambers (3^rd ride)	Honda CBR1000	Karl Trsek (1^st ride)	Suzuki GSXR600
Gary Gilmour (1^st ride)	Honda CBR1000	Owen Rice (1^st ride)	Suzuki GSXR600
John Willis	Honda XL1000	Paul Sorenson	Suzuki SV650
Alistair (1^st ride)	Honda VTR1000	Jason Duff (2^nd ride)	BMW S1000R
Geoff Jones (rear)	Yamaha R1	Peter Fisher	BMW S1000R
Ken Goederee	Ducati 1098	Marc Marais (2^nd ride)	Triumph 675
Pierre Ong	Ducati 1098	Brett Chambers (4^th ride?)	KTM RC8 Factory
			16 bikes, 16 people

First ride of the year. After Tim’s offer to lead appearing on the Club blog site, I arrived too early at Berwick and settled in to wait on arrivals. By 10 am there were 16 bikes ready to roll, including four first timers. Not a bad turn up considering there were still members at the Club  Christmas camp due to New Year falling on the weekend. Tim gathered the names (which I trust Mr Editor will include with this article), and gave the pre-ride talk. I put my hand up for rear rider but no write-up volunteers were noticed. "First stuff up gets the gig" rule applied.

First stop Warburton on roads I am not very familiar with. Paternoster Road comes to mind as does Hoddles Creek. Then the Old Warburton Road and the motorcycle themed cafe for first break.  Tim had advised fuel top up here and most took the advice before settling in for some snack-the-snack and talk-the-talk action. Bike-wise, Honda dominated but Ken and Pierre's 1098 Ducatis added some variety as did a tasty KTM RC8R and two BMW 1000RRs.

Next leg the Reefton Spur, 80 km/h limit all the way from Warburton to the top of the Spur. No sign of police presence this day but you never know. Stories of camo clad officers came to mind. One of the first time riders on a Blade decided to leave the ride just before the start of the Spur and returned to Warburton.

John owned up to a corner mark failure at the top of the Spur but has been released from write up requirement due the Christmas camp story duties, I hear.

No regroup at the usual spot as we did the Lake Mountain run to do the ride photo among the new building work at the top car park. Fire damage up Lake Mountain is still very evident. It seems there is no regrowth at higher elevations.

Into a packed Marysville for lunch which I declined due to the length of the Bakery queue. Surely a first for me, but I had partaken of a pastie at Warby.

Tim had decided to vary the published ride route to avoid the Black Spur. The two Ducatis left the ride here as did some others, the remainder running along the river road to a fuel stop at Buxton before the Highway drone to the start of the Molesworth Road along the Goulburn River.  Bike heaven, as I recall, but rear riding with new riders ensured my carbon footprint remained very light all day. No fuel or rubber used.

Along the highway to next break at Yea and all seemed okay with the ride as Tim explained we would end the ride at Kinglake via Glenburn. After attending to my depleted calorie intake with a 
Drumstick from shop that time forgot, we moved out of Yea to take the Whittlesea road to Break O’Day, or so Tim thought

There are two exits from Yea's main street to the Whittlesea road and maybe, as this is conjecture only, the majority of the remaining riders took the turn at the swimming pool where I noted John marking the turn. As most of the ride appeared to be ahead, it seemed the correct route. Tim and one other were at the next exit and waited and waited while the rest of us headed south. The lead rider of the rear group was now one of the first time riders.

Over Junction Hill we passed the unmarked Break O’Day corner. We stopped to discuss but assumed there had been a change of plan at the front and proceeded to Kinglake West. As the rear group were keen to leave the ride from western Kinglake, it seemed a reasonable plan. Sorry Tim.

Further down the mountain I noticed the KTM and one other bike coming up; strange. They did a U-turn to catch up just in time to be breath-tested at the bottom of the hill. Once the officers had sampled our breath, Mr KTM (Brett Chambers …Ed.) wanted to know where his mate and Tim could be, as the rest of the ride had apparently arrived in Whittlesea and dispersed. I suggested he go back to Kinglake West and turn right to Kinglake where, if he was lucky, he may find the missing ride. 

A plan was devised with the remaining new riders to get home from Whittlesea. I cut and ran to Gisborne, raising my carbon footprint considerably. Later on I got a text from Tim and later still a call from Ben which has resulted in this tome. I hope it is not all fiction.

Thanks for the ride, Tim, and to all who sailed in her. Reminds me of an Ocean road ride I led for Ben a long time ago where I proceeded to lose everyone near Geelong.

Geoff Jones