Reading members ride reports got me thinking, I should put a few words down regarding my latest venture. My last report was back in June 2022 so it's about time I did anpther.
The need for further ride fitness has been increased with the fast approaching 20th Anniversary of the first 50CC [coast to coast in under 50 hours] in Australia. Good friend Derrick Sutton was in the original group of four that did the first 50CC [Melbourne to Darwin in under 50 hours] 20 years ago. It was decided that another "group" ride would be a good idea. We may be starting together [14 riders 1 pillion] but with different ride schedules we will be apart for the majority of the ride. The old saying that "riding in a group only brings unwanted attention" rings true.
I have been doing a lot of rides of shorter distances, 400 to 600 kilometres a day and thought it was time for something larger, hence the SS1600 that I did on Thursday 3rd. August.
Trying to get ones sleep patterns to agree with an early ride start is always messy. I had been going to bed early, 5pm and getting up at 3am for a few nights prior to my start. Always difficult with my good wife's sleep patterns disrupted [10.30pm to 7.30 am] as well.
Anyway it was bed by 5pm on Wednesday the 2nd and out of bed at 11 pm to get my self ready for a 00.01am start on Thursday morning. A very light, one slice of toast with banana and honey before getting all the riding gear on. Full heated clothing, socks, pants and top before my Alpine Stars riding outfit on top. I wear a Shoei Neotec flip front helmet to make drinking and eating on the bike easier. In fact the helmet didn't come off from start to finish of this ride.
As it turned out I got my start docket at 11.58pm Wednesday the 2nd. at my local United fuel outlet, with a cherry-ripe bar, as I already had a full tank. A little earlier than planned, no big deal. A very cold morning for the first 50 kilometres to Stratford and the things turned interesting, fog, varying from pea-soup to patchy was my constant companion till about Warragul in Gippsland. From this point the ride couldn't have been better.
My first fuel stop was BP Rockbank [3.35am. 313 kms.] on the Western Highway, naturally west of Melbourne. The next was Horsham at the Ampol Foodary [6.30am. 264 kms.] as you arrive into Horsham. Interesting thing was all the early starting trades workers were inside getting cups of coffee and food. Leaving Victoria behind me it was into South Australia and my turnaround fuel up at Tintinara [9.20am. 242 kms.] The sun was well and truly up at this stage and the ride was warming up.
Returning on the Western Highway to Horsham [12.00 midday 239 kms.] I was glad I had the early start as I wouldn't have to negotiate Melbourne's hectic peak hour traffic. As expected, the early traffic buildup was of minimal worry and I was at my second last fuel stop at BP Officer [3.55pm. 348 kms.] and on my way quickly.
I had planned to finish my ride back in Bairnsdale but as I only had 1616 kilometres on the odometre [ a SS1600 kilometre or SS1000 mile] requires more than 1616 kms. I usually like to have about 1625-1645 to cover variant in the Trophy's odo reading and true distance. So it was through Bairnsdale and onto the BP fuel outlet at Johnsonville further east. No big deal as it was just into darkness. With a final fuel up and finish [6.50pm. 21 kms.] I turned back to Bairnsdale and home.
As I mentioned at the start, this ride was part of my ride fitness plan for the 50CC I'm doing on the 25th. August, in 10 days time. I carry all my food [nutritional bars ] in my tank bag and have a 2.5 litre drink jug mounted on the right pillion peg with drink hose up to the tank bag for my drinking water. On the 50CC I will also mount a drink container on my left pillion foot peg containing Hydralyte fluid to replenish my electrolytes. I didn't use a GPS on this ride as I know, as no doubt you all do, that the Trophy has a 7 kilometre variation over 110 kph. So I sit on 112kph in the 100 zone, 122kph in the 110 zones, this gives me 5 kph. over the posted speed limits we have in Australia and it keeps the "revenue raisers" off my back.
I submitted all my documentation to the IBA for certification the next day, and look forward to this ride being verified and listed in the very near future. Now to continue with the shorter warm up rides [400 kms. was done yesterday] in preparation for the big one later this month.
On arriving home after this 1630 km. ride my good wife and sole sponsor asked me how I felt. Reply, was "all good". She then said, because you have to do it again tomorrow. In other words my first day of the 50CC is 1787 kms and the second is 1951 kms. The total ride being 3738 kilomtres, Melbourne to Darwin in Norther Territory. At 75 years young this is my last chance to achieve this goal. I couldn't be on a better kilometre covering bike than the Trophy. Oh, we all wish that Triumph had continued with ongoing development of this great bike.
Cheers, stay safe out there.
The need for further ride fitness has been increased with the fast approaching 20th Anniversary of the first 50CC [coast to coast in under 50 hours] in Australia. Good friend Derrick Sutton was in the original group of four that did the first 50CC [Melbourne to Darwin in under 50 hours] 20 years ago. It was decided that another "group" ride would be a good idea. We may be starting together [14 riders 1 pillion] but with different ride schedules we will be apart for the majority of the ride. The old saying that "riding in a group only brings unwanted attention" rings true.
I have been doing a lot of rides of shorter distances, 400 to 600 kilometres a day and thought it was time for something larger, hence the SS1600 that I did on Thursday 3rd. August.
Trying to get ones sleep patterns to agree with an early ride start is always messy. I had been going to bed early, 5pm and getting up at 3am for a few nights prior to my start. Always difficult with my good wife's sleep patterns disrupted [10.30pm to 7.30 am] as well.
Anyway it was bed by 5pm on Wednesday the 2nd and out of bed at 11 pm to get my self ready for a 00.01am start on Thursday morning. A very light, one slice of toast with banana and honey before getting all the riding gear on. Full heated clothing, socks, pants and top before my Alpine Stars riding outfit on top. I wear a Shoei Neotec flip front helmet to make drinking and eating on the bike easier. In fact the helmet didn't come off from start to finish of this ride.
As it turned out I got my start docket at 11.58pm Wednesday the 2nd. at my local United fuel outlet, with a cherry-ripe bar, as I already had a full tank. A little earlier than planned, no big deal. A very cold morning for the first 50 kilometres to Stratford and the things turned interesting, fog, varying from pea-soup to patchy was my constant companion till about Warragul in Gippsland. From this point the ride couldn't have been better.
My first fuel stop was BP Rockbank [3.35am. 313 kms.] on the Western Highway, naturally west of Melbourne. The next was Horsham at the Ampol Foodary [6.30am. 264 kms.] as you arrive into Horsham. Interesting thing was all the early starting trades workers were inside getting cups of coffee and food. Leaving Victoria behind me it was into South Australia and my turnaround fuel up at Tintinara [9.20am. 242 kms.] The sun was well and truly up at this stage and the ride was warming up.
Returning on the Western Highway to Horsham [12.00 midday 239 kms.] I was glad I had the early start as I wouldn't have to negotiate Melbourne's hectic peak hour traffic. As expected, the early traffic buildup was of minimal worry and I was at my second last fuel stop at BP Officer [3.55pm. 348 kms.] and on my way quickly.
I had planned to finish my ride back in Bairnsdale but as I only had 1616 kilometres on the odometre [ a SS1600 kilometre or SS1000 mile] requires more than 1616 kms. I usually like to have about 1625-1645 to cover variant in the Trophy's odo reading and true distance. So it was through Bairnsdale and onto the BP fuel outlet at Johnsonville further east. No big deal as it was just into darkness. With a final fuel up and finish [6.50pm. 21 kms.] I turned back to Bairnsdale and home.
As I mentioned at the start, this ride was part of my ride fitness plan for the 50CC I'm doing on the 25th. August, in 10 days time. I carry all my food [nutritional bars ] in my tank bag and have a 2.5 litre drink jug mounted on the right pillion peg with drink hose up to the tank bag for my drinking water. On the 50CC I will also mount a drink container on my left pillion foot peg containing Hydralyte fluid to replenish my electrolytes. I didn't use a GPS on this ride as I know, as no doubt you all do, that the Trophy has a 7 kilometre variation over 110 kph. So I sit on 112kph in the 100 zone, 122kph in the 110 zones, this gives me 5 kph. over the posted speed limits we have in Australia and it keeps the "revenue raisers" off my back.
I submitted all my documentation to the IBA for certification the next day, and look forward to this ride being verified and listed in the very near future. Now to continue with the shorter warm up rides [400 kms. was done yesterday] in preparation for the big one later this month.
On arriving home after this 1630 km. ride my good wife and sole sponsor asked me how I felt. Reply, was "all good". She then said, because you have to do it again tomorrow. In other words my first day of the 50CC is 1787 kms and the second is 1951 kms. The total ride being 3738 kilomtres, Melbourne to Darwin in Norther Territory. At 75 years young this is my last chance to achieve this goal. I couldn't be on a better kilometre covering bike than the Trophy. Oh, we all wish that Triumph had continued with ongoing development of this great bike.
Cheers, stay safe out there.
