Reefton Spur�������������� Sunday 13^th March 2011

Misho Zrakic	Honda CBR1000	Joe Klopfer (2^nd ride)	Kawasaki ZRX1200
Damir Djikic	Honda CBR1000	Jason Wilson	Kawasaki ZX9
Ben Warden	Honda CBR954	Peter Jones (leader)	Yamaha R1
Pina Garasi	Honda CBR600	Drazen Zupancic (1^st ride)	Yamaha R1
Ron Johnston (rear)	Honda CB400F	Rick Van	Yamaha YZF600
Pierre Ong	Ducati 1098	Yudi Iswahyudi	Suzuki GSXR1000
Rob Langer	KTM 950R	Cindy Lee	Suzuki GSXR750
Tony Grange	KTM 1100	Heyns Ferreria (1^st ride)	Suzuki Gladius 650
Dave Chisma	BMW F800	Frank Ferreira (1^st ride)	Triumph 1050

I�ve never spent so much time checking and rechecking weather reports since taking up riding. From three different weather websites, I saw the forecast was mid 20s, morning rain, clearing. Nice! But it was chilly for a February morning and the current temperature at Yarra Glen was less than 10 degrees. I changed the layers under my jacket a couple of times before finally deciding on only one thermal top, a T-shirt and a merino hoodie. After a hot breakfast and despite my fashion frenzy, I still managed to get out of the house and on the road on schedule. For a change, I wasn�t in a panic hoping others would also be late so I wouldn�t miss the ride.

It was going to be a shortish ride of the Spurs and I knew there�d be plenty of cops and lots of traffic to deal with, but I was still keen. I�d just got a new front tyre, and, for the first time since getting back on the bike last August, I was feeling like I was the boss of the bike!

After the usual greetings and smiles, we were off!

Along the fast Old Healesville Road, I could feel the road and I didn�t feel like I was going to crash. Coooool! I was at the end of the first group of riders after Chum Creek. I lost sight of the rider in front before overtaking a fire truck and a few cars at the start of Myers Creek. From there, it was a lonely and frustrating ride to Marysville with lots of traffic on the Black Spur. I didn�t see any other club rider aside from the corner markers and it was a long while before others arrived. I wondered if anything had happened.�

During the break, I heard Misho had been pulled over by the police for a licence check, Jason had a problem with tyre pressure and Heyns, a first time rider with L-plates, was going home. Ben had rightly advised him not to continue on the ride for his own safety. So he and his twin brother Frank (who crashed the following week) left the group at Marysville.

Yudi approached and reminded me that we�d met on his first ride a year ago when we were fellow 250 riders � his was a ZZR250. Later, I recalled our first conversation where he mentioned he took note of the advice on the web itinerary highlighting rides not suitable for inexperienced riders, and that would be why he chose that day�s ride to try out his new bike.

The call for five minutes before take-off was made and there was a build up of excitement in anticipation of Reefton�s lovely corners. There was a fast climb up out of Marysville and I found myself stuck behind what turned out to be Yudi�s friend on an R1� his first club ride. His poor cornering was putting me off and influencing my lines. He was hindering me from expressing myself properly on a road I knew fairly well, but no way did he want to let me pass! Pina passed me and had the same trouble. She�d get right up alongside him in a corner so he�d clearly know she was ready to overtake, but at the exit his elbow would drop hard as he turned on the throttle and he�d shoot off again. Where�s the rider etiquette!

I cheered as Pina passed him on a corner and after a while I did the same.

The group had pulled over and stopped at the top of the Reefton before the next section. Somehow someone had got wind of the coppers on the Reefton. Pina, Pierre and I pressed on at a consistent 75km/h. Dammit! What a waste of lovely road! And then at the end, we saw our ride leader had been pulled up with a bunch of other riders by the police. What rotten luck! I telepathed messages of support as we continued on a painfully boring ride to the next stop at Warburton. I looked at the turn off for Mt Donna Buang, tempted to go for a quick fang while I was still feeling good on the bike. But instead, I kept going. At the next break I heard Yudi had crashed and broken his arm in two places. Ouch! Poor man! I telepathed more messages of support.

Ron, as rear rider had stayed with Yudi so I volunteered to be tail-end for the group. A few riders bailed with other commitments while the rest of us headed via Chum Creek, King Lake and St Andrews to Warrandyte for last refreshments and to talk about bikes and the events of the day.

Thank you Peter Jones for the lead � pity about the forces bent on spoiling our fun. But! Boy-oh-boy you turned on a perfect day for a ride! And good on you Ron for sticking with Yudi!

Cindy Lee

The police activity of for the day included the normal radar trap at the start of the Black Spur (Misho licence check), amphometer two thirds of the way down the Reefton Spur, police bikes doing licence checks at the bottom of the Reefton (looked like a training day), two speed cameras next to each other at McMahons Creek (more training?) and a bright dark green TOG car a few kilometres further on performing noise and compliance checks. Peter Jones picked up canary � noisy exhaust, blinkers, fender eliminator, etc). A trip to the RTA in the next few days, bling removed, saw him back riding legally again. Note: mudguards have to be at least as low as 30 degrees to the horizontal referenced to the rear axle. �Ed.