Here's some pictures from the Motorcycle Expo...
Monday, 28 November 2011
Monday, 21 November 2011
36. Blue Mountains and Surrounds
When: Saturday after Ps Practice.
Route: Sydney - Sydney Olympic Park - Richmond - Lithgow - Oberon - Edith - Jenolan - Katoomba - Penrith - Sydney (430km)
Road: If there is no traffic, Bell's Line Road is good fun. Watch out for the 15km/hr downhill hairpin turns along Jenolan Caves Road if you're coming from Edith. Nothing too sinister but don't ride the back brakes. I did just that and boiled my brake fluid which resulted in air in the system and a rear brake failure. I will be needing to adjust my front brakes to a more comfortable position so I can start to use it more effectively.
Scenery Along The Way:
Route: Sydney - Sydney Olympic Park - Richmond - Lithgow - Oberon - Edith - Jenolan - Katoomba - Penrith - Sydney (430km)
Road: If there is no traffic, Bell's Line Road is good fun. Watch out for the 15km/hr downhill hairpin turns along Jenolan Caves Road if you're coming from Edith. Nothing too sinister but don't ride the back brakes. I did just that and boiled my brake fluid which resulted in air in the system and a rear brake failure. I will be needing to adjust my front brakes to a more comfortable position so I can start to use it more effectively.
Scenery Along The Way:
Just for Fun:
Mr P trying to clean bugs off his visor...
With short legs and a bag on the pillion seat means having to walk over the bike to get on...
35. Ps BABY!!! YEAHHHHHH!!!
Yesterday, Mr P and I attended our Ps training and testing at Clyde and we both made it!! :) YAY!! (Also Congrats to Sam. We met her during one of our training sessions!!)
We celebrated our new Ps with good food and some fantastic view!!
Monday, 14 November 2011
34. 5 day Snowies Ride
Participants and Bikes
Mr T aka Tweet on his Blackbird
Mr PM aka Paul M on his Blackbird
Mr B aka Browny on his Blackbird
Miss H aka Harmony - Mr B's pillion
Miss M aka Sharon on her Suzuki SV650
Me aka Suzy on my Honda VTR 250
9th November 2011 - Wednesday (460kms from Sydney to Jindabyne)
This trip was my first big ride out of town and my very first visit to the Snowies. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about how excellent the riding and how beautiful the scenery would be so you can imagine how excited I was. I was out of bed by 5.30am - 3 hours before my alarm was set to go off and 6 miserable hours before Mr T would rock up!! Anyway, I started the morning by praying to the rain god to reverse his rain and storm forecast through Sydney, Queanbeyan and Jindabyne and for no rain while we were at Jindabyne. This took all but 2 minutes... I had another excruciating 5 hours and 58 minutes to go. At 11ish am, Mr T finally decided to rock up on his Blackbird and we made our way down to Pheasant's Nest to meet up with Mr PM. We continued on our journey with Mr PM leading the way and Mr T at the tail. About 1 hour ish into the trip, my stomach decided it was time for another stop so I signalled for Mr PM pull into Goulburn for lunch by crazily waving my hand while trying to safely overtake him. We had some MacDonald here before we continued on to Jindabyne. We arrived at the accommodation at 6ish pm and had dinner at the Banjo Patterson Pub. Mr B and Miss H were due to arrive later during the night at 10-11pm so the three of us hung around and chatted. Before we knew it, it was close to 12am and there was still no sign of Mr B and Miss H. Both Mr T and Mr PM agreed that if they did not roll up by 1am, they would be launching a search party in case something terrible happened in that downpour. Luckily for all of us, the couple arrived safe and sound at 12.30am.
10th November 2011 - Thursday
We had some morning rain in Jindabyne which cleared by around 11am. Everyone was quite happy to have abit of a sleep in and honestly, I was just glad the rain stopped. We had a pretty small day today and rode a total of 320kms - Jindabyne to Adaminaby to Cabramurra to Khancoban to Jindabyne. I followed Mr PM for a good portion of the trip and managed to keep up. I particularly enjoyed the road from Cabramurra through Khancoban however, my favourite for the day was the stretch on the Alpine Way through Thredbo. I believe this was also one of Mr PM favourite run!! On this road, there was no one on our side of the road and maybe only 1 or 2 cars from the opposite direction. Here, the 3 Blackbirds decided it was time to have some fun and all zoomed past me like rocket launchers! For the first part, all I smelt was smoke! I did however get to test run the limits of my baby bike!! I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised by what the little VTR 250 can do and she even managed to continue riding the tail of Mr B and kept him in sight! Miss M also arrived today as she was not able to get a day off on Wednesday.
11th November 2011 - Friday
On Day 3, we clocked a total of 540kms. We rode from Jindabyne to Dalgety to Bombala to Delegate through the Bonang to Orbost to Cann River to Bombala and back to Jindabyne. There was some dirt road on the way to the Bonang but nothing too sinister. We all made it through in one piece. Apparently the road which the logging trucks used were also less corrugated than before making it a much more pleasant ride. In particular, the Bonang was an awesome ride!! Mr PM was up front, with me next than Mr B, Miss M and Mr T. Eventually, Mr B found me too slow and overtook me. I lost him shortly. After some distance, I saw Mr B and Mr PM pulled over on the side of the road presumably waiting for me but they waved me through so I continued my merry way along to Orbost. Mr B eventually caught up with me again and overtook me. I arrived at Orbost after Mr B followed by Mr PM and than Miss M and Mr T. We took a break at Orbost before moving on. Shortly after we left for Cann River, Mr B decided to wave me forward again and for a good portion of the way, I was leading the way and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was travelling at a decent pace too which was a surprising change and very very fun!! On the Friday night, every one decided to take it easy and had quite a few drinks... being the only non drinker, it was quite funny to watch tipsy and drunk people. My favourite part of the night was Mr PM showing Miss M and myself his very awesome and cool dance moves and Mr B with his magic card tricks!
12th November 2011 - Saturday
Mr PM has to depart today to see his family in Oberon. After saying our goodbyes, we started our final riding day with a 320km loop from Jindabyne to Thredbo to Khancoban to Cabramurra to Adamindaby to Berridale and back to Jindabyne. Today, riding the opposite direction on the Thredbo just did not feel the same. For some odd reason, I thought the road looked abit skinner than it was on Friday. I wonder why! We also took today a bit slower given Saturday usually has more traffic on the road. Throughout the trip, I saw a number of cars and motorcyclist driving on the wrong side on the road and it paid to be that little bit more careful.
13th November 2011 - Sunday
This morning, we all woke up and left around 8am for home. Lucky for us, the weather held out. Miss M left us on the M5 while Mr T and myself continued our way closer towards Sydney.
Conclusion
Overall, it was a fantastic trip. The rides were really fun and the company was great! I collected my biggest bug on this trip and I'm sure there's many more to come. Also adding to the collection is 2 dead bugs in the tummy.
33. Royal National Park and Wiseman's Ferry
Not too long ago, Mr P and I did a couple of rides... one through the Royal National Park (RNP) and the other through Wiseman's Ferry.
When we worked out where to go, we stopped by the local pub for lunch before continuing our journey. As evident below, the ride through Wiseman's was very pretty.
As always, the ride through the Royal National Park was quite fun!! I am definitely getting slightly better with those corners. When we arrived at Bald Hill, we were treated to a spectacular sight overlooking the sea cliff bridge and Wollongong. We also saw a couple of paragliders take off!
The other trip was a ride to Wiseman's. We weren't 100% sure which direction to go and ended up taking the ferry 5 times. While on one of the rides, we met a dude with two Go Pro cameras attached to his motorbike and he also got a video of Mr P on his bike.
The other trip was a ride to Wiseman's. We weren't 100% sure which direction to go and ended up taking the ferry 5 times. While on one of the rides, we met a dude with two Go Pro cameras attached to his motorbike and he also got a video of Mr P on his bike.
When we worked out where to go, we stopped by the local pub for lunch before continuing our journey. As evident below, the ride through Wiseman's was very pretty.
On the way home, we also went though Kurringah Chase National Park where we stopped to do some paddle boating. It looked really fun initially, but it was very very hard work! We were treated to a very nice scenery though! =)
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
32. 3 Months Progress And Thank You
Time files! I've now had my bike for 3 full months! I've gone from not knowing how to ride to riding almost every night and most weekends. All thanks to some incredible people who helped me with the bike purchase, who taught me important riding skills, who accompanied on every ride and who provided me with all the much needed encouragement! =) This has been my progress over the last 3 months...
AUGUST MONTH
First three weeks of August (perhaps the most testing time):: During this period, it was all about a couple of carpark sessions, trying to ride the little loop in my estate and testing my newly found skills on the main road. It was also trying to learn how to turn within my own lane (yes, I was a big danger to other road users - I'm better now), stopping at traffic lights and taking off without stalling.
Last week of August:: Continued riding on the main roads and in traffic with the unlucky few who volunteered (THANK YOU!!). Conducted my first night ride and being taught how to defend my lane and knowing where to position the bike. Learnt how to do uphill starts on the steepest hill.
SEPTMBER MONTH
Early September:: Did my first "big" ride to the National Park and clocked 154km. Started going on weeknight rides and also doing more and more weekend rides. Rode my bike to coffee for the first time.
Mid September:: Attempted another big ride only to find out I didn't know to change gears according to the situation and hence during uphills, my bike can't keep up. The next weekend, I attempted another big ride and it turned out slightly more successful. This was a 350km ride with a couple of hairpin turns!
End September:: Progressively doing more weeknight rides and more weekend rides through the national park. Rode on my own (return trip) in very heavy traffic due to road blocks, learnt to manage and shift my weight while at a standstill in a wind tunnel, rode on my own (return) for the first time to run an errand. Continued practising gear change.
OCTOBER MONTH
First half of October:: No riding as I was away on holidays.
Second half of October:: Discovered how to control the bike using friction point, throttle and rear brake. I FINALLY understand what people have been telling me. Continued with more weeknight and weekend rides. Started to do more riding on my own. Started practising cone weaving, emergency braking and U-turns.
SPECIAL THANKS!
In particular, a special thank you and lots of credit to Mr M2 who's accompanied me on almost every ride. He somehow managed to convince me to go out riding almost every weeknight which in turn allowed me to practice each newly found skill, who only ever encouraged me to keep riding, for keeping me positive despite all my negativeness and skepticism and who never pushed me beyond my limits! You are one very very patient man Mr M2! and did I tell you You're the Best too!! =)) THANKSS!!
AUGUST MONTH
First three weeks of August (perhaps the most testing time):: During this period, it was all about a couple of carpark sessions, trying to ride the little loop in my estate and testing my newly found skills on the main road. It was also trying to learn how to turn within my own lane (yes, I was a big danger to other road users - I'm better now), stopping at traffic lights and taking off without stalling.
Last week of August:: Continued riding on the main roads and in traffic with the unlucky few who volunteered (THANK YOU!!). Conducted my first night ride and being taught how to defend my lane and knowing where to position the bike. Learnt how to do uphill starts on the steepest hill.
SEPTMBER MONTH
Early September:: Did my first "big" ride to the National Park and clocked 154km. Started going on weeknight rides and also doing more and more weekend rides. Rode my bike to coffee for the first time.
Mid September:: Attempted another big ride only to find out I didn't know to change gears according to the situation and hence during uphills, my bike can't keep up. The next weekend, I attempted another big ride and it turned out slightly more successful. This was a 350km ride with a couple of hairpin turns!
End September:: Progressively doing more weeknight rides and more weekend rides through the national park. Rode on my own (return trip) in very heavy traffic due to road blocks, learnt to manage and shift my weight while at a standstill in a wind tunnel, rode on my own (return) for the first time to run an errand. Continued practising gear change.
OCTOBER MONTH
First half of October:: No riding as I was away on holidays.
Second half of October:: Discovered how to control the bike using friction point, throttle and rear brake. I FINALLY understand what people have been telling me. Continued with more weeknight and weekend rides. Started to do more riding on my own. Started practising cone weaving, emergency braking and U-turns.
SPECIAL THANKS!
In particular, a special thank you and lots of credit to Mr M2 who's accompanied me on almost every ride. He somehow managed to convince me to go out riding almost every weeknight which in turn allowed me to practice each newly found skill, who only ever encouraged me to keep riding, for keeping me positive despite all my negativeness and skepticism and who never pushed me beyond my limits! You are one very very patient man Mr M2! and did I tell you You're the Best too!! =)) THANKSS!!
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
31. Breakfast Torque
On Sunday, Mr M2 and myself went to check out Breakfast Torque on Loftus Oval.
We started the morning with a free sausage sizzle and some tea and coffee. After which, we walked around and checked out all the stalls. Mr M2 bought himself a Kawasaki iron on sticker which looked pretty cool. During our walks, I also (reluctantly) signed up and got to ride on a (well stationery) Harley Davidson. It was quite fun! And very very loud!!
As the day progressed, more and more bikes rocked up. There were some really funky and cool looking bikes... one with a massive rear wheel and some with the longest and highest handle bars I've ever seen. Oh! and one bike had a steel seat... Ouch! I have to admit I was thoroughly impressed seeing those guys maneuvering the bikes.
Another highlight was the re-enactment of an accident scene. They simulated a guy coming off his bike and explained what to do as a bystander e.g. who to call, what to do when emergency services arrive etc. I think it might actually be worth while doing a first aid course just in case.
We left Loftus around 11.30am and headed to Ikea to do some shopping. Mr M2 than escorted me to the Homebush Ps practice ground. I tried my hand at the cone weaving, manuveruring around cones and tennis balls, 90 degree left turns, emergency stops and U turns. I struggled during the cone weaving... it was a hit and miss exercise for me and I got quite frustrated doing it. The U turns were initially ok but got worst as I progressed through the day. I didn't find the remaining items too difficult. Looks like more practice is required.
Overall a productive day
We started the morning with a free sausage sizzle and some tea and coffee. After which, we walked around and checked out all the stalls. Mr M2 bought himself a Kawasaki iron on sticker which looked pretty cool. During our walks, I also (reluctantly) signed up and got to ride on a (well stationery) Harley Davidson. It was quite fun! And very very loud!!
As the day progressed, more and more bikes rocked up. There were some really funky and cool looking bikes... one with a massive rear wheel and some with the longest and highest handle bars I've ever seen. Oh! and one bike had a steel seat... Ouch! I have to admit I was thoroughly impressed seeing those guys maneuvering the bikes.
We left Loftus around 11.30am and headed to Ikea to do some shopping. Mr M2 than escorted me to the Homebush Ps practice ground. I tried my hand at the cone weaving, manuveruring around cones and tennis balls, 90 degree left turns, emergency stops and U turns. I struggled during the cone weaving... it was a hit and miss exercise for me and I got quite frustrated doing it. The U turns were initially ok but got worst as I progressed through the day. I didn't find the remaining items too difficult. Looks like more practice is required.
Overall a productive day
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