Re: [ST] Ride Report [long] NEW FAVORITE ROAD

["Stuart Anderson" <stuartanderson@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

This got me fired up to share my weekend jaunt.

Too many times recently I have been on Victoria's Great Ocean Road and
returned home fuming because of cars who think that if a motorcycle comes
out of nowhere and is suddenly on their tail on a beautiful stretch of
mountainous twisties they are under no obligation to use the 'slow vehicle
turnouts' every couple of kms and instead should continue to travel at
<60km/h in a 100km/h zone while making every effort not to let me past.

Not so this weekend.

I left Airey's Inlet at about 8.30am, early enough to beat the traffic, and
had a magical ride along the road to Apollo Bay, only slowing to appreciate
the 100s of bikes lining the streets of Lorne. The only traffic I was stuck
behind either let me past or happened to be in an area where I could get
around them. The police were out but other riders signalled this to me in
advance and (although I wasn't doing anything wrong) the comradeship boosted
my spirits.

On to Apollo Bay, following 44km of twisties and sweepers. Seeing the yellow
advisory 'windy road next 27km' is excellent. Stopped in Apollo Bay for
breakfast at La Bimba (highly recommended, cheap coffee for bikers) and
parked next to an ?01 RS in racing yellow, which is not as rude as my acidic
yellow (Hello if you're on the list!).

Returned home via Skene's Creek to Forrest and Dean's Marsh through the
Otway rainforest, in my opinion a better road than the Great Ocean due to
less traffic and less sheer cliffs in the event of a get off. Of course,
coming back in to Lorne and back to Airey's Inlet I had the inevitable 'why
should I make way for these pesky motorcyclists when it's MY holiday town'
drivers but the preceding 120km had been worth it.

The whole ride had reminded me why I ride - everything fell in to place. The
bike was handling beautifully, I was pulling all the right moves, I was one
with the bike and all was right with the world. I do, however, need a new
pipe. Come on tax return!

After a lazy afternoon, I rode back to Melbourne in a ad hoc group with some
HDs, an R1, ZZR and VT250 that all converged in Geelong. Although I'm not a
hog fan, one dude had the plates "KISS.1", a Kiss jacket and a beautifully
detailed bike with the members of the band airbrushed on to his tank. So,
we're riding along the Geelong road past this yellow VW beetle with the top
off and three 20-something babes inside, they start waving at the Kiss guy
and from somewhere in the car pull out a Kiss flag, which they proudly fly.
They received a motorcycle escort for the next 30km.

As my friend Pete often says to me, 'It's good to be us, Stuey!'

I heartily agree.

Stuart Anderson
02 RS Acidic Yellow
93 DT200R in an attractive blue and hot pink.


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