Shoes for the beast

It was coming to that time when I had to make up my mind what sort of tyres I would fit to the bike. I'd enrolled in the BMW two day off road course and they recommended having correct tyres for this. Luckily I was due for new tyres so I wasn't throwing out half decent road tyres as some guys did. A bit of research narrowed it down to two tyres - the Continental TKC80's or the Metzler Karoo's.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-tires/continental-tkc-80/

http://www.standoutnet.com/extras/mike/motorcycles/klr650/tires/

But it's never that easy right? Doing a bit of a ring around I soon found that only the TKC's where available locally. Everyone else wanted to sell you their choice of the best tyre available. The TKC's came well recommended and where the tyres that came standard on the BMW adventure bikes and are the preferred tyre by the guys running the off road course. So in goes the bike to get two new tyres fitted - $480 thanks for coming

Now I have to say - they do look good on the bike and they definitely worked well off road even though I am a novice in this area. Definitely not as slippery as the Metzler Tourance I had on previously. Since putting them on the bike I've done around 5 thousand K's and they've worn well and are not as bothersome on the tar as I thought they might be. 

Of course the bike wasn't the only beast that needed new shoes - so did the rider. Again more research (you gotta love the internet right?) and I settled on a pair of Forma Adventure Boots. I bought them on-line from Andy Strapz and I can't believe how good their service was. You can check out his website here - http://www.andystrapz.com/index.php

My Kindle Adventure

Recently I was coming back from a trip interstate and when I got home I couldn't find my Kindle. A quick phone call to the Airline and it turns out I left it on the plane. Doh. Luckily it was found but it meant I had to make a trip back to the airport to get it. Ah well. Not a big deal on the GS and I took the opportunity to meander up the coast over the Sea Cliff Bridge on to the Princes Highway to the airport and collect my beloved Kindle.

I often marvel at the beauty of the coast line south of Sydney and it is one of the great motorcycling journeys. Encompassing the Royal National Park (Nasho) all the way down to Nowra you can follow the coastline and be seduced by beautiful beaches and there are numerous little towns to entice you to stop for lunch or a coffee. Of course it goes much further than Nowra if you like and for me it was in reverse - from the northern suburbs of Wollongong up to Otford before swinging onto the Princes Hwy and into Sydney. But still very enjoyable and I hope you enjoy the adventure via my pics.

Sweeping Bends and an awesome view

Some Wonderful old buildings

The Sea Cliff Bridge is a great Engineering feat

Follow the link if you want to know more about the bridge - http://seacliffbridge.com

Photo Courtesy of the SeaCliffBridge.com

Awesome Views from Bald Hill South to Wollongong

Mission Accomplished :)

Another 'P'ersonal achievement

Woohoo - I'm excited. Another milestone in my adventure journey has been achieved. Finally finding the time to do the NSW provisional license test I am now of my 'L's. I completed the M.O.S.T. in a clean sweep and now I feel ready to tackle more technical courses. Just need to find the time.

Kangaroo Valley - a "quicky"

Having completed our mornings 30km (or in my case - 42km and soon to be 54km) bicycle ride, we where at our favourite coffee shop, sipping the morning coffee, when my mate Dave suggested a quick lap, on the motor bikes as opposed to the push bikes, would be good today. His FZ1000 Yamaha doesn't get out much and he felt like giving it a run. And I don't need much of an excuse.

Of course, this was going to be a fairly slow lap in reality since I am still limited to 80, so I hope Dave isn't too inconvenienced lol. The 'quicky' lap consisted of going from Wollongong up Macquarie pass via Marshall Mount, over to Fitzroy Falls from Robertson and down Moss Vale Road into Kangaroo Valley over Berry Mountain to Berry and back to Wollongong. Around 150km with some very nice twisty bits.

It was a pleasant ride to Dapto and out to Marshall Mount and Dave got the chance to clean out the cobwebs while I happily trundled along eating his dust :) It wasn't too long before I crossed Macquarie Rivulet causeway, with just a bit of water flowing over it, to find Dave waiting for me. We turned right onto the Illawarra Highway and headed up the pass following a bit of traffic. 

Some interesting reading can be found here ( http://theoldbloke.homestead.com/statistic.html ) from a riders perspective but the bottom line is - ride to the conditions and your ability. I've travelled up and down the Pass twice a day for over twelve years and have seen some tragic accidents involving motorcycles. Terrible statistics aside, it is an awesome stretch of road for motorcyclists and I was keen to test my skills by riding smoothly through the bends. If you're interested in this road or the National Park, click on the links. There are fantastic walks and beautiful waterfalls to explore - it's not just about the ride :)

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/nationalparks/parkFacility.aspx?id=N0020

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macquarie_Pass

At the top you'll be greeted by the Robertson Pie shop and you can stop to have a Famous Robertson Pie, but it is just a tad too de rigueur for us so we rode past it, through Robo and its big potato and turned left into Pearsons Lane.

Photo:http://guidetoillawarra.com.au

Another quiet stretch of road for Dave to stretch his legs while I played sweep for one until the Moss Vale Road turn off where Dave was patiently waiting. Moss Vale Rd winds its way down into Kangaroo Valley in almost the same way that Macquarie pass winds its way up to Robertson. Lots of twisty bits and a real challenge for us learners. But I was up for it. Another way, Meryla pass is a fire trail that takes you into Kangaroo Valley and is very popular with Mountain Bikers. Which makes me think - I wonder if I can get the GS down there? hmmmm - maybe next time. If you're keen to try follow the link.

http://doc.shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au/Displaydoc.aspx?Record=D11/112678

Kangaroo Valley is a beautiful valley and the village is seemingly untouched by todays hectic lifestyle. It reeks of a time past and on weekends is full of tourists browsing the craft shops and enjoying the slower pace. On our visit it was much quieter with few tourists and suited us just fine.

http://www.kangaroovalleytourist.asn.au

Approaching the village from Fitzroy falls you'll be met by the historic Hampton Bridge. It is single lane which slows you down and sets the mood for coming into the village.

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects/projects/south_eastern_region/hampden_bridge/documents/hampden_bridge_posters_february_2011.pdf

This was our stop for lunch at the historic Friendly Inn. Dave immediately made a friend who offered him the contact for a "special" (wink) deal on tyres to suit his bike. I don't think Dave was impressed but it gave me a bit of a chuckle. Definitely very friendly here.

That's Dave - modelling for my pic of the bikes :)

After lunch it was on to Berry and again I was left lagging behind. :) There are a few ways you can go to get to Berry - over Cambewarra Mountain to Bomaderry and up the Princes Highway, or along Wattamolla and Woodhills Mountain Road which brings you out on the northern side of Berry, or you can go the way we went - over Berry Mountain and joining the Princess Highway just on the southern side of Berry. 

This is where I found Dave and bless his soul, he remembered there is a Specialized bicycle shop in Berry which may be able to fix the spoke on my bicycle that I broke earlier in the day. In we walked in our bike gear and the young lady asked "could I help you?" and I said I had a spoke on my bike that needs to be fixed and she said "I'm sorry, but we don't do motorcycle spokes here." haha - of course they don't. What was I thinking LOL. Once the misunderstanding was sorted I organised for my "bicycle" wheel to be fixed and I also bought a new jersey for those cold winter morning rides. The staff here where awesomely good and went to a lot of trouble to help so if you need anything bicycle related I can highly recommend. Check them out

http://berrymountaincycles.bikeit.com.au

Bicycle sorted it was into the village to Berry Bakery for a quick coffee and a baked custard tart. But wouldn't you know it - they'd had run out. :( Unbelievable but true. Obviously their baked custard tarts are very popular and I can only suggest getting there in the mornings so next time - we will do the lap in reverse LOL

Onward to my next adventure - stay safe.

Maintenance 101 - Batteries

Ever notice how things come back to bite you? Here's one................

As the weather started cooling down I was noticing the starter motor struggling a bit. You know what I mean? That slight hesitation when you push the start button. The slightly longer time before the engine fires. That sort of stuff. I made a mental note to check the battery when the next oil change was due (around 3k km)and didn't give it another thought.

Well I should have known better. Miles from home and only a few tools with me (enough luckily) the bike wouldn't start. No ignition lights - nothing. No probs I thought. I'll just clutch it. Next lesson to learn. You can't clutch start a fuel injected engine if the battery is so flat the fuel pump doesn't work. Maybe it was just a bad connection? Lets have a look. To get the centre cover off you have to remove one of the side covers and a few other bits and pieces.

Yes I know - not "my" bike but same same :)

With the battery exposed it was a simple matter to disconnect the cables and out it came. And wouldn't you know it. No water in the battery. Not a drop. Another lesson learnt. The battery needs to be checked regularly. So I organised a replacement battery - thanks Battery World Top Ryde - and I was soon mobile again. Now to look for a Gel battery :)

Since they where so helpful - http://www.batteryworld.com.au/store/battery-world-ryde

And if anyone is interested here is a very useful page for sorting 650GS battery issues

http://faq.f650.com/FAQs/BatteryFAQ.htm

Beecroft

Heading south from Sydney it doesn't take long to discover some amazing beaches and beautiful seaside towns. Less than 2 hours away is the wonderful Jervis Bay with it's pristine waters, white sandy beaches and sleepy holiday spots like Huskisson. It's not unusual to see Dolphins and Whales frolicking amongst Navy destroyers whose home is the Naval base of HMAS Creswell on the southern shore.

http://www.jervisbaytourism.asn.au

A bit wobbly (gotta get the hang of this panorama thing) but you get the idea - beautiful

I have fond memories of Jervis Bay, spending many summer holidays camping at Honeymoon Bay with my cousins. While I have been back the odd times over the last 40 years this is the first time I've ridden a motorcycle here.

Setting of from home I wound my way down the coast past Bombo beach and into the vibrant seaside town of Kiama. A quick stop to have a look at the blowhole and the lighthouse, I was soon back on the bike with my sights set on Gerringong and Geroa. The day was perfect for a photo op overlooking Seven Mile beach. Who could resist?

As beautiful as it was I didn't want to linger. Being a Sunday there was much traffic on this stretch and my schedule was a tad tight. So I was back on the bike again feeling a bit like being on a Contiki tour. Coolangatta came and went as did Bomaderry and Nowra. It wasn't long before I was on the road to Currarong and not much traffic to boot so I was able to stretch myself a bit, flip flopping through the sweepy bends with reckless abandon. Well........ as much as you can on a GS and it felt good to me LOL.



Just before Currarong my destination loomed as I turned onto Lighthouse Rd. High security here. Well.........not really LOL. Beecroft Peninsula is a bombing range and nowadays they want to know who comes and goes. Just a formality but make sure you sign out.

Gloves off, helmet off, get your temporary pass with a pin to get back out. Man it sure has changed.

Kitted up again it was time to hit the dirt. I remember the road in to be pretty corrugated and full of pot holes so I was getting excited. Imagine my surprise when I saw how smooth the "dirt" road was today. Oh well - that's progress for you.

Next surprise - I couldn't go all the way to the lighthouse. I had some fanciful ideas of getting a photo of the bike next to the lighthouse - obviously not.

When we used to come here for holidays there was a lighthouse keeper who lived here with his family. We made good friends with the kids who lived here and every year it got re-kindled. Since the early 90's the lighthouse was automated and now the cottages are vacant. I often wonder where those kids are today.

Lighthouse Keeper Cottages

The old and the new

http://www.lighthouse.net.au/lights/nsw/Point%20Perpendicular/Pt%20Perpendicular.htm

Time to head back to Honeymoon Bay and maybe go for a swim

OK - so what happened to my L plate?

This section of road used to be pretty bad too and I was always amazed at how people got caravans in here. I remember how we broke the rear axle of my cousins mighty Vauxhall Viva a bit further in from here but now you wouldn't break a sweat getting in. But either way - it's well worth it.

Left side

Right side

And yep - I'm definitely going for a swim. 

Yadboro Flats

A long weekend with awesome weather formed the perfect backdrop to get on the bike for a little Adventure Ride and to explore a place that I remember from my younger days. Yadboro Flats lies on the upper reaches of the Clyde River and is in (funnily enough) the Yadboro State Forest - http://www.forestrycorporation.com.au/visiting/forests/yadboro. It's a peaceful spot (normally but not at Easter) with Bass Fishing, Bushwalking, swimming and Four wheel driving very popular and obviously, during this weekend - camping.

With my bags packed I was ready to go (hmmm - there's a song in that hehe) and I slowly meandered down the coast with a little bit of easter traffic. Past beautiful Kiama and Geringong, I was soon in historic Berry. From there it was a quick run to Nowra and on to sleepy Milton for a quick stop to top up with fuel and grab a drink. I soon found Woodburn Rd and headed inland to the turn off for the Clyde River Rd. Here it turned to dirt and dust started creeping into everything very quickly. Being Easter, traffic was constant and I was a real risk of being run over by weekend 4wd warriors - or so I thought.

To most of you this obviously looks like a motorway but not to me..................

For this trip I had a new toy to play with in the form of a Contour Camera. I had a couple of mounting possies - one on the helmet and one on the side of the bike. This allowed me to be a little creative in filming some of the ride.  Add a couple of stops along the road at interesting places, setting up some different angles made for some great footage. I know right - Steven Spielberg I'm not but do I care? Last run past the cam I was getting a tad too excited and while turning the bike around the back wheel slipped of a rock. I got unbalanced towards the low side of the road, lost my footing and the GS decided to have a lay down. Gentle as you like. So much for my preconceived ideas of getting run over by the weekend warriors.

My first oops :(

The offending rock can just be seen

Not impressed Jan. Thankfully no damage. Only to my pride. And to add insult to injury my embarrassment didn't stop there. It was at this point I found out how heavy 200Kg is and with the bike also facing downhill I struggled to pick it up. Obviously this is a skill I need to master. Nothing to it but to wave down a passing car. Very obligingly they stopped to help and after they stopped laughing the bike was back on its two wheels in a flash.

Lesson learnt - hopefully. Back on the bike it wasn't long before I was running down the hill to cross the bridge over the Clyde and head into the camping ground of Yadboro Flats.

The Clyde  - or Bhundoo as the local Aboriginal people call it, is reputed to have the cleanest, least polluted waters of any major river in Eastern Australia and I can believe it. 

http://www.southcoast.com.au/clyderiver/

It meanders through 3 National Parks and 10 State Forests nearly totally uninhabited, has no polluting industries along its banks and is one of the last major rivers in Eastern Australia that remains un-dammed. The upper river valley is surrounded by rugged coastal mountain ranges with Pigeon House and The Castle standing tall in the distance. I was yearning to go and climb Pigeon House again having done it in the past but not this trip - that I will save for a quieter time. For now I was content to arrive at Yadboro Flats, set up my camp for the night and relax with a cold beer.

A little dusty but happy I made it with only a "small" oops.

Enjoying a well deserved Beer - thanks Tim :)

A quick vid can be found here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWVRxXXVwuU