I love this bike.
Riding around during this last month on a variety of machines has been fun but its always good to get back onto the Tenere. So I did.
After a sleep in from the Tiger ride the day before I rolled into my local Newcastle West servo for a two-tank fill, starting pic and a docket (all dockets at the end) at 10:12hr with 67589km on the odo.
Straight out west for a half an hour or so, then I turned south down the Putty Road. Not much traffic for such a nice day and no moving obstacles in the twisty 'Ten-Mile' section either. Nice.
I stopped for a drink at the Grey Gums International Cafe (12:12hr, 155km) half way down, checked out a few of the many bikes parked-up at this popular motorcycle cafe but was soon off again. Even though I knew where I was going I have a GPS up on the bars. The GPS suggested I take a shortcut onto the Upper Colo Road and soon I found myself in the dirt.
This road has a few sections that look like they date to around the period when convict labour was used for the 'Great North Road' from Sydney to Newcastle.
The road zig-zags, rolls up and down, crosses the Colo River at one point and after about 30km I passed through Mountain Lagoon and onto Bells Line of Road near Bilpin. That was a fun little short cut indeed.
I turned left a bit later and took the road across to Mount Victoria, then down the big hill for the turn-off to Oberon. From here I had fun meandering about on the undulating hills then I picked up a bit to eat and a drink in town (Oberon 15:01hr, 343km) and headed or Goulburn on the Abercrombie Road
So frequently in these parts I've ridden in the dark before especially this road....It really was like a new road to me on a warm and sunny summer afternoon.
Down through the couple of hamlets to Goulburn (17:06hr, 489km, 26.7L). Not quite back-tracking, I started heading west again aiming for Blayney. The road to Crookwell I've only ridden once before: with TigerBill after the FarRide to Young a couple of years ago. That time I had a minor eye injury and spent the ride whinging, moaning and weeping too much to appreciate where I was going. What an incredible road it is. Very smooth for the most part, relentlessly interesting, a few nice villages to pass through including Crookwell itself and on that note devoid of traffic west of Crookwell. Excellent.
Although I was heading west toward the setting sun I was protected by a beautifully cloudy sky by the time I reached the top of the range.
Back to civilisation at Blayney (19:29hr, 659km). I had a break in my usual fashion here to allow the sun to disappear, then headed north. A left at Bathurst and into the full-dark for the climb up the short and punchy bends to Wattle Flat, down the dipper to Sofala and I popped out onto the Castlereagh Highway briefly at Ilford.
Unless you're Skidoooo heading for Dubbo or something, there's not much of a reason to be on this road. So I quickly turned off for the real road: the Bylong Valley Way. Always rough, always entertaining, this time actually dry and oh so much fun. Like most of this ride so far there has been no other vehicles around. Far from being lonely, its nice to just set a comfy pace and not have to be interrupted by head nor tail lights for a couple of hours. I pulled up just short of the Golden Highway just to look up. The sky was clear and the stars out in force and I was surrounded by nothing but silence and the tinking of the resting Tenere. Lovely.
A short hop east, then north through Muswellbrook (23:37hr, 954km) for a steady and uneventful run up the New England Highway to Tamworth (01:32hr, 1110km, 33.86L). Not much wildlife around, still great conditions and a half an hour later I turned onto the Ox at Bendemeer. I feel a bit neglectful of this little 50km stretch. Like the crossbar on a letter 'A' I usually find myself bypassing it unless I'm heading for Nevertire or something. Anyway, I'm soon on the main street of Walcha.
Its greedy I realise, but this is my fourth ride on this road this month. I've had a few good ones, too. At this time of night I knew there would be nobody around so I settled in for a couple of hours of private road riding on my favourite stretch of bitumen
.
I followed the Oxley Highway all the way into Port Macquarie for a little look around. As a teenager I lived here. The skeleton is the same, but the town has grown and I think it has done well.
Absolutely just heading home now. Unfortunately I seem to know this section of the Pacific Highway all too well. I stopped for a powernap and a drink briefly at Coolongolook
The Buladelah bends on the Wotton Way were a nice diversion, then I simply rolled home with the other early morning motoring enthusiasts.
Newcastle West (08:25hr, 1631km, no fuel).
##################################################################
So with this ride I've completed the IBA Piston Diversity challenge by riding a 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 cylinder bike each 1600km+ in 24 hours within one month.
Riding around during this last month on a variety of machines has been fun but its always good to get back onto the Tenere. So I did.
After a sleep in from the Tiger ride the day before I rolled into my local Newcastle West servo for a two-tank fill, starting pic and a docket (all dockets at the end) at 10:12hr with 67589km on the odo.
Straight out west for a half an hour or so, then I turned south down the Putty Road. Not much traffic for such a nice day and no moving obstacles in the twisty 'Ten-Mile' section either. Nice.
I stopped for a drink at the Grey Gums International Cafe (12:12hr, 155km) half way down, checked out a few of the many bikes parked-up at this popular motorcycle cafe but was soon off again. Even though I knew where I was going I have a GPS up on the bars. The GPS suggested I take a shortcut onto the Upper Colo Road and soon I found myself in the dirt.
This road has a few sections that look like they date to around the period when convict labour was used for the 'Great North Road' from Sydney to Newcastle.
The road zig-zags, rolls up and down, crosses the Colo River at one point and after about 30km I passed through Mountain Lagoon and onto Bells Line of Road near Bilpin. That was a fun little short cut indeed.
I turned left a bit later and took the road across to Mount Victoria, then down the big hill for the turn-off to Oberon. From here I had fun meandering about on the undulating hills then I picked up a bit to eat and a drink in town (Oberon 15:01hr, 343km) and headed or Goulburn on the Abercrombie Road
So frequently in these parts I've ridden in the dark before especially this road....It really was like a new road to me on a warm and sunny summer afternoon.
Down through the couple of hamlets to Goulburn (17:06hr, 489km, 26.7L). Not quite back-tracking, I started heading west again aiming for Blayney. The road to Crookwell I've only ridden once before: with TigerBill after the FarRide to Young a couple of years ago. That time I had a minor eye injury and spent the ride whinging, moaning and weeping too much to appreciate where I was going. What an incredible road it is. Very smooth for the most part, relentlessly interesting, a few nice villages to pass through including Crookwell itself and on that note devoid of traffic west of Crookwell. Excellent.
Although I was heading west toward the setting sun I was protected by a beautifully cloudy sky by the time I reached the top of the range.
Back to civilisation at Blayney (19:29hr, 659km). I had a break in my usual fashion here to allow the sun to disappear, then headed north. A left at Bathurst and into the full-dark for the climb up the short and punchy bends to Wattle Flat, down the dipper to Sofala and I popped out onto the Castlereagh Highway briefly at Ilford.
Unless you're Skidoooo heading for Dubbo or something, there's not much of a reason to be on this road. So I quickly turned off for the real road: the Bylong Valley Way. Always rough, always entertaining, this time actually dry and oh so much fun. Like most of this ride so far there has been no other vehicles around. Far from being lonely, its nice to just set a comfy pace and not have to be interrupted by head nor tail lights for a couple of hours. I pulled up just short of the Golden Highway just to look up. The sky was clear and the stars out in force and I was surrounded by nothing but silence and the tinking of the resting Tenere. Lovely.
A short hop east, then north through Muswellbrook (23:37hr, 954km) for a steady and uneventful run up the New England Highway to Tamworth (01:32hr, 1110km, 33.86L). Not much wildlife around, still great conditions and a half an hour later I turned onto the Ox at Bendemeer. I feel a bit neglectful of this little 50km stretch. Like the crossbar on a letter 'A' I usually find myself bypassing it unless I'm heading for Nevertire or something. Anyway, I'm soon on the main street of Walcha.
Its greedy I realise, but this is my fourth ride on this road this month. I've had a few good ones, too. At this time of night I knew there would be nobody around so I settled in for a couple of hours of private road riding on my favourite stretch of bitumen
I followed the Oxley Highway all the way into Port Macquarie for a little look around. As a teenager I lived here. The skeleton is the same, but the town has grown and I think it has done well.
Absolutely just heading home now. Unfortunately I seem to know this section of the Pacific Highway all too well. I stopped for a powernap and a drink briefly at Coolongolook
The Buladelah bends on the Wotton Way were a nice diversion, then I simply rolled home with the other early morning motoring enthusiasts.
Newcastle West (08:25hr, 1631km, no fuel).
##################################################################
So with this ride I've completed the IBA Piston Diversity challenge by riding a 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 cylinder bike each 1600km+ in 24 hours within one month.
