no rules...no politics...just ridin'

Gold Coast Bike Week

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Fark time flies - can't believe that it's 12 months since the last one!! Looking forward to checking out all the bikes and the associated bling-bling!! And can't forget those scantly clad babes that make us old codgers feel so . . . well. . . . make us feel SO bloody old!!

Don't think I could have timed my intimate meeting with the road much better - just so happens I need some more shiny bits to cover the road rash on the X, and there are plenty of vendors offering their wares. I'm sure I'll find what I'm after.

We are planning to do the Memorial Ride on Saturday which starts at 9am at Mt Cootha in Brisbane and ends up at the Carrara Sports Complex down on the coast where it's all happening. Also thinking about heading down to Cavill Ave on Thursday night to check out the Ride In Show & Shine but will wait and see on how the weather turns out.

So if your local come and join in, otherwise I will post as much as I can of what I see so make sure you come back and check it out!

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Cool Cruiser



Coool - maybe this is what I need?? At least you can't do too much damage by falling off one of these and you will always have a drink with you!! Check the specs out here.

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Eating Road

Last Tuesday night I experienced what all of us hope to avoid - hitting the bitumen for the first time.

The day before I had finally received forward controls from a guy in the US for Snappa's VTX. After seeing them fitted to Angry's bike and then sitting on it, I decided that I would also like a set and so I told Snappa that if he no longer wanted them I would be more than happy to take em of his hands. We agreed that I would fit them and see if I liked them.

Got home from work on Tuesday and removed the floorboards from the bike and then fitted the forward controls - took me about an hour and was really simple. I did a couple of other minor things on the bike that needed to be done and then had something to eat. After that I decided to take it for a test ride to make sure all was ok - last thing I needed was for anything to happen in the traffic on the way to work.
I decided to ride around the school which is about a five minute ride and then call it a night - it was getting late. Coming up to the last corner before heading home I was going a little faster than I usually would when coming up to a corner - mistake 1. I applied the front brakes and then went for the rear brakes. The brake pedal on the forward controls was set further down than what I was used to with the floorboards and when I couldn't feel the rears working I pushed a little harder on the pedal - mistake 2. Instead of coming on as expected the brakes grabbed and as I had a new rear tyre, the arse end of the bike just slid out from under me. I came down on the left side and slid along the road for a bit, stopping just before entering a tee intersection. I immediately jumped up and ran over to the bike which had slid across the tee intersection and stopped at the top of a household driveway - a metre or two further and it would have slid down the short driveway and into the garage door of the house. I righted the bike, had a quick look then started it and rode home.
On arriving home I put the bike in the garage and went inside to sit down - it was then that I realised what had happened. I was in a little bit of pain, but all I could think of was the damage to the bike. I immediately rang Kat and as she lives about an hour from my place she rang one of my daughters who stil live with their mother around the corner from my place. My ex-wife and eldest daughter arrived about 20 minutes later and decided to take me up to the hospital to get checked out.
I was very lucky. The only really deep cut which was on my calf required just 3 stitches - this was from the left side peg and you can still see the impression of the end of it on my calf!! As I was wearing an open face helmet, jeans and no gloves I lost a bit of skin off my hands and face and also lost a bit from my knees. My left shoulder which took most of the force when I hit the ground was sore but no skin missing. I also lost skin on my elbow even though I had my leather jacket on. A bit sore and hard to move around for a couple of days but fortunately nothing broken.
The bike suffered a lot less than I thought it would. A few scratches down the left side - luckily not the pipe side. The front fender lost a bit of paint but the tip protected it from serious damage. The peg on the forward controls scraped a bit and it was bent inwards but I was able to straighten it up. My left mirror and crankcase cover suffered a bit - some deep scratches in both but I should be able to hide them. The swingarm area was also scraped pretty heavily but luckily this is only painted and I will be able to buy some chrome covers for it. The pillion peg - new ones just fitted - also suffered some scratches as well as being bent a little to the rear. I don't want to go on and list everything, but I really am very fortunate that the major damage isn't that bad.
The one single lesson learnt from this?? If I ever modify anything to do with either steering or braking I will always make sure I test it or familiarise myself with it on a straight bit of road at low speed.

Damage to bike - luckily not too bad

Some of the damage to me - again very lucky

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Sunshine Coast Poker Run

Kat & myself rode the 200 odd kms from Kingscliff up to the Ettamogah Pub for the Sunshine Coast Poker Run on Saturday and it was definitely worth it. Met up with a few of the crew at the Burpengary BP and we then continued up to the pub for sign on. Caught up with Angry in the car park and had a good look at his VTX with the apes - man they are comfortable and I am seriously considering them for my bike.

The ride itself headed to Imbil, where we had lunch, then to Kenilworth and finally back to the Black Uhlans clubhouse at Eumundi - and what a clubhouse it is!! Was a great day's ride and ended with some entertaining burnouts, especially from Angry on his VTX - anyway, instead of me going on about the ride, I thought I would post some pics for you to look at......


Sign on at the Ettamogah

Angry's VTX with apes

Another shot of the apes

Beautiful springer - easily the best bike there

Bright!!

Cool orange with Maori mural

Leaving the Ettamogah for the first leg to Imbil

On the highway

Grizz behind us

Look - it's the Flying N...I mean Grasshopper

Turning

This won Best Bike - nice front wheel

Great looking Katana

Imbil pub

Purple x 2

Imbil pub again

Purple chopper

Panda, Grizz & Angry

Grizz bike

Nice Norton

Angry on the X

Horse checking out all the bikes flying past

Green on left, burnt on right

Riding into Kenilworth

Kenilworth pub

Queue for fuel

Me & my wooden gal

Kenilworth pub again

Some of the crew

Riding into Eumundi

Our Jappas - 3 x VTX, 1 x Warrior & 1 x Kwaka

Indian power

Hold him there boys....

Round & round & round he goes....

Go the sporty

Adding some art to the road

Angry did his bit for the Jappas....

...180...

...360...

....and startin all over again!!

The evidence

Smokin....

Where is everyone??

Me thinks it's time for a new tyre

Where did he go??

Lots of people pulled over to watch the action

Bit of rubber on the road

The melted asphalt

Best Paint for Betty Boop

Nice work and award

Spokes won best Jappa with his Warrior

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