14.9.14
Rowey's Rascals
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| OK - flat foot *that*, smart-arse. |
According to the Wiki, either Oscar Wilde or Winston Churchill said, “I'm a man of simple tastes. I'm always satisfied with the best.”
I have simple tastes. It doesn’t take much to keep me happy either.
A beautiful $46k motorcycle, a ride through the Northern Rivers district of New South Wales in near perfect conditions with about ten of the sort of blokes who like zooming about on motorcycles as much as I do – for example.
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| The lineup at some of the stops along the way. |
My first ride in the Northern Rivers with Rowey was about 35 years ago.
Dateline 1979-ish: For most of us on the ride it was our first BIG expedition north. We’d all been to Araluen on a tour. (Remember me taking that new SR500 bush and you ragging me about it being a trail bike, Rowey? It was just VERSATILE. I’ve preferred owning versatile bikes ever since.) But back then it was a big ride for noobs.
I think most of us were making it up as we went. Ken had ridden from Sydney to Byron Bay before and led the way up the coast on a CB550, Rowey had a CB750 and Col and Glen had CB400/4s. I was on that SR500.
You know what they say. “Experience is a good school – but the fees are high.” I broke the SR500 on the way home - twice.
However, dragging myself back from those Glory Days, I got an email on Thursday saying the ride was on. I hauled myself out of bed at some ungodly hour on a Sunday morning. Queenslanders! I tell you. They start at friggin’ dawn.
Even so, I filled up with fuel and made muster at the Caltex servo with 2 minutes to spare. After a 50-minute freeway cruise south. The Indian just eats that stuff and the traffic was light.
‘Rowey’s Rascals’ - on a bunch of Harley’s - Dynas, Softails, Springers and Street Glides - all tres tasty, along with a big Vulcan and the Running Bull pulled out of Reedy Creek and headed south.
Into them thar hills.
The Northern Rivers district presents some of the best riding on the Australian mainland. It’s very picturesque, very green and the roads are often twisty. The early spring air about the lush rainforest that lies in the shady hinterland valleys vibrated with the sound of passing motorcycles - a lot of them. There were plenty of riders out and about today.
What a hoot.
For a the best part of a couple of thousand km, to the north or south, the Great Dividing Range can offer good riding. From Cairns to the Snowy I've found some good rides, but the combination of climate and countryside make the top of NSW one of my favourite places. The roads are great and there’s always something on.
All up I did about 300km on this very pleasant expedition. We stopped for a leg stretch in a car park near Murwillumbah, at the 'Moomoo Café' and had a farewell cordial in the pub at Pottsville.
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| Innocuous looking stop had the biggest motorcycle I've encountered and a curio display. The Pontiac Club had stopped for a feed and there were some very interesting vehicles in a row. |
Here's a slide show with some of the Pontiacs:
In between stops, we rode across sugar cane country to the cruiser friendly sweepers of the Burringbar Range, before wheeling back to the Coastal Strip and north towards home along the M1.
I was the last to exit the superslab that runs between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, 80km past Rowey’s turnoff.
The bike's stereo was blaring Rock Pile and Nick Lowe all the way back to Brisvegas. Keeping it simple of course.
It was great to revisit some of the roads that we covered on the Indian Motorcycles Australian launch, almost year ago. A year ago! I’ve covered a lot of ground on a number of Indians in that year and I'm now quite a fan.
That year has simply flown past. Just like the thirty-five years since that first ride through the Northern Rivers with Rowey. Talk about a ‘grounding’.
We had plenty to learn way back on that first ride. Today was great to be riding with blokes that had nothing to prove. On or off the bikes. No brand-snob bullshit or 'tude. Just there for the joy of it.
The Indian was a delight all day. I got it back into the garage and sat at my bench and just looked at it for a while. Longingly. I could easily have jumped back on and done it all again.
Decided to clean the day's bugs off it instead.
I put another coat of the Barrier Reef Carnauba Wax on it last night. I knew Rowey’s Street Glide would be absolutely immaculate and I wasn’t going to be out-concoursed. Shining up this paint is rewarding anyway and so far every application of the wax has added to the lustre - it looks almost like it makes the clear coats thicker.
Even the squished spring bugs wiped off the 23 carat gold-leaf-embellished paintwork most satisfactorily.
For simple tastes anyway.
9.9.14
7.9.14
Another Friday Ride
First stop was to check in with Robertino at Brisbane Indian for an availability update on stage three of the project’s hardware.
It appears the next batch of works will be done in Melbourne, as the Sports Air Filter kit is still en-route. On to stage IV then.
I told Rob how I have been trying the Surf City Garage Detailing products and was quite sold on them. I said other Indian owners might be interested. Here’s the review.
After some banter in the workshop I headed back out on to Wickham Street.
It only runs one-way past the shop; north. North it was then.
What unfolded was a most enjoyable 230km, 3.3 engine-hour ride. An example of how good this bike really is for the local conditions.
No race here - but it wasn’t exactly a slug-fest either, just a pace to take it all in and enjoy a beautiful part of Australia, on a bike that makes me feel very good to be aboard.
Me, bike, pocket camera and a lookout for photo ops were the main orders of the day from the moment the work gig fell through.
Along Wickham Street, onto the Gateway Motorway and north to connect with the M1.
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| The ride propper started with 40 minutes of Motorway |
Then it’s over to the right-hand switches to dial in the cruise control to ‘fast lane’ pace - and watch the world go by.
The on-board thermometer was reading a pleasant-in-leather 23c and I was just ferkin' digging the bike with the bling-o-meter set to 11.
I tend to use the highway pegs one at a time. Being able to sit comfortably in a number of different positions makes Freeway so much more pleasant. Even so, the sooner it’s crossed the better and the run to the Woodford turn-off was tres pleasant - if not particularly noteworthy.
On the weekend it’s not unusual to see some sort of convoy of interesting vehicles making their way north out of Brisbane. I’ve encountered big groups of Muscle cars, Panel Vans, Brits, MG’s even the Volkswagen Club out on the weekend runs.
Not so on a Friday morning. Lot’s of big rigs though and they make for interesting reading occasionally too.
I had quite a clear run over the 20km of rural main road to the Mt Mee turn off. (Yes, it would be a turn-off.)
The road over the uniquely named hill quickly becomes much more interesting with a series of smooth 30 and 40kph bends separated by nice side-to-side sections between sweepers on the ascent.
I stopped at the lookout for a shot of the distant Glasshouse Mountains and crossed the green plateau to the descent into Dayboro.
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| Looking NE to the Glasshouse Mountains and Coral Sea |
The ground clearance on the Chieftain is pleasing. I didn’t touch anything down across the mountain and the bike corners very reliably. Having the correct air pressure in the rear pre-load is important (duh), but it is quite sensitive. Too little and it actually feels like the front is dragging.
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| Rear suspension pre-load is air adjustable. The side cover takes a little 'winkling' to remove and replace with the rear crash bars fitted - but the pump and gauge included in the tool kit make it easy to set accurately. The owners manual has a table of correct pressure for various payloads. |
Correct wind in the tyres took me a little sorting too, but once you get the pressures dialled in, the way it side to sides and deals with the hairpins is very tidy for a mega unit.
The torque of the 111cube is in the mega category too. The bike has 4,000km up now and it’s freeing up nicely. It purrs along in top gear more sweetly with every km under its belt – or on its belt drive.
At Dayboro the next most pressing of the day’s decisions presented itself. Left and back to the motorway home. Or hang it right and head for Samson and make another ascent to Mt Glorious and a coffee at the biker’s haunt on the plateau.
It’s another really nice climb. A couple of sweet hairpins present the opportunity to move some weight around and occasionally push it or counter-steer it around a fallen limb or pot hole. The bike is rewarding to do that on. Same with other obstacles you encounter in day-to-day use – manhole covers for example. Changing lines mid stream and hauling it back is very easy at most speeds. Fun.
It wouldn’t be bad in a slow race either. I’m guessing it has a reasonably low COM. It balances at the traffic lights pretty well if the change is imminent - and you can’t be arsed putting a boot down.
I pulled in to the Mt Glorious café and ordered a flat white and by the time I got back to a table there were 3 blokes asking me about the bike.
The best comment was from the rider with the Ural and chair. ‘What is this? 4 minutes old?’ He asked.Well we’re going to Surf City (Garage Detailing Products) and it’s two to one.
His Ural was very tidy too. My pal Vege in NZ has one with two-wheel drive. When that Russian bug bites – it bites hard.
A few other riders at the caff asked me about the paint. I’ve got that story well rehearsed by now.
After pleasantries I downed a flat white caffeine hit and turned for home.
The run back down the mountain was most enjoyable. It’s speed limited and I’ve passed highway patrols on a weekday before - so it was just purr time. The noise the machine makes – particularly on deceleration is very sweet and I think it’s getting sweeter the more it’s run in. I just sat on the speed limit and enjoyed the ease with which the bike dealt with everything.
There were plenty of bikes making the run up the hill on a flexi Friday too. It was a top day for it.
In through The Gap and back into the urban areas the bike was still dealing. Around town the engine is soo relaxed. It matches pace with the tin tops while running just off idle. 1,800 of thems cc’s dontchaknow.
As mentioned in other posts – it’s an engine that benefits from short-shifting and riding on the torque rather than seeking max power. I haven’t gone anywhere near red yet. You just don’t need to.
It putts along in traffic effortlessly. Turn up the Cold Chisel and cruise again.
Then back down the M1 a bit, and out to home base in the east. I even beat the afternoon crawl across the city. After 3pm on Friday (most week days actually) it’s a shitfight. With the highway pegs fitted it’s probably the widest bike I’ve tested so it cuts down on some heavy traffic err … options. Which is the probably the only environment the bike doesn’t deal with very comfortably. But that’s a universal bagger thing anyway - and fitting those pegs was my idea.
230km, 3.3 engine hours. I forgot to scroll through for the average speed and fuel consumption data. I’ll get that next ride.
I don’t need much of an excuse.
Here is the list of the latest Stage III additions to the bike.
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| The Bull and Bush |
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