Another Friday Ride

The photo job I had booked for Friday didn’t pan out, so I looked at the Brisbane weather web site and there was only one conclusion. 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.

The ride propper started with 40 minutes of Motorway

 From the Gateway on-ramp it was a matter of winding the Bull’s big-arse windscreen all the way up and cranking the stereo – featuring a specially selected ‘Long Train Running’ playlist blue toothed from the phone in my top pocket.

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.

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.

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.

The Bull and Bush