100CCC Attempt - 4 February

Tele

Premier Member
Just catching up after a day without technology. Wonderful Dan is back safely after such an amazing and momentous personal challenge and adventure. To think some people visit Australia just to see Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef. I daresy Scenic or Trafalgar tours will be reluctant to engage him as a tour guide. Sincere congratulations Dan.
 
Rested up a bit at accommodation here in Brissie....just now catching up with reading.

What a beautiful country Australia is, even in the sunburnt summer season.

Friends, thank you all for the massive efforts you took in intercepting me. You're all legends in my book, and I'd quite happily return the favour.

The single regret on this ride I have is not being able to spend more time chatting with everyone who made an effort to meet me out on the road this week. Sadly, being on the clock forces me to be a bit abrupt & on the unsociable side, where otherwise I would not be!

Gus and Lindsay were waiting there in the suburbs east of Perth, where I knew they would be, as reliable as a hammers in a toolbox, engines idling, lights on waiting for me to roll past. Gus was insisting I don't muck around and get myself to sleep ASAP (and he was right). I then got myself so completely lost in the carpark in Scarborough at the Rendezvous hotel it was ridiculous - took me 20 minutes walking around to find where I parked the bike the night before.

Grey...very sorry to hear about the smash-up with the roo after you left Pt Augusta!!

Skidoo...mate what a treat to have a handshake finally. I pulled up next to you because from behind I couldn't see what you were trying to kick off your bike...haha.

OX...I look forward to meeting up with you next time! Thanks for trying to make it out.

Daisy you're a bloody good rider! Took an effort to keep up with you in the twisties on Horrocks Pass...

Having Ian, TJ and Clint sign for this ride as witnesses at 2am at the Port of Brisbane really set the tone for the ride....and I didn't want to let their generosity for that effort go to waste by mucking something up. Sincerely appreciated, guys.

My 2009 GSA (purchased from Martin Little) ran like a champ. I had it fully serviced at BMW Motorrad in Brisbane (including new tyres) just days before leaving. The bike was quite heavily loaded - much more so than I would have liked - as I had all my holiday gear packed in the panniers including 30kg of crap I absolutely had no need for on this ride (thongs, clothes, swimming trunks, etc etc)....plus enough tools to repair a 1975 Ford Mustang.

I had no auxiliary fuel (just carried a 5-litre jerry can), although I needed every last bit in my 33 litre front tank between Pt Augusta and Ceduna.

No real close calls with wildlife...a few brake checks after the rain in western NSW brought the roos out to the road well before dark, but nothing serious.

Doing IBA cert rides here in OZ is so very different than in the states, where having a credit card terminal & receipt print out right at the pump browser is available everywhere, and walking inside to pay is almost unheard of. As a result, I foolishly packed 10's of kilograms of water and food for the entire trip from the start, not thinking I would be taking a walk inside anyhow to pay for petrol. So I spent 4 days drinking hot water from my panniers rather than cold water from the fridge inside :)

By Goondiwindi I had a pretty good idea what overall average was going to be realistic for the next 4 days. I had a goal of 100 kph OA, and by Southern Cross I was up to 107, and was quite pleased with things, and intentionally slept in a bit into Leg 2 (and even treated myself to two beef pies at Border Village). This was another thing I had to get accustomed to here, as rides like this in the states are much easier....(just set the cruise at 130/140 for hours on the 4, 6, or 8-lane interstate, with fuel available at almost every exit). Much more challenging here.

Heat over 38-40C really wears on me - I'm just not acclimated to it, and got sleepy as a result (hence the short naps here and there). Opposite that, I had only summer mesh gear with me, and the nights across the Eyre Highway got down to 14 and it was a bit chilly!

Am here for another several weeks, and plan to do more riding in SA / WA & NT throughout Feb & March at a slower pace for now.

Brissie > Perth & return is definitely possible, albeit with a slim margin for error. Would love to see this done again...
 
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jeffrey gebler

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
Congratulations Dan on the massive ride.

It was great to watch your spot for the four days. Unfortunately the super bowl and work commitments kept me away from any interception in South Australia.

On your travels through S.A. in the following weeks and you need a place to stay near Adelaide please let me know as we always have room for riders,

I hope to meet you next June in Greensville or Kennewick.

Looking forward to the report.
 

Brookester

Premier Member
The single regret on this ride I have is not being able to spend more time chatting with everyone who made an effort to meet me out on the road this week. Sadly, being on the clock forces me to be a bit abrupt & on the unsociable side, where otherwise I would not be!
Trust me when I say on behalf of all those that ride to intercept that they are fully appreciative of being 'on the clock'...most if not all do this to keep you in the game, motivate you & to give your mind and body that little injection of happiness to keep you alert and break up the monotny of never ending tarmac and white lines....but true to the character of the man you are I fully understand that quote....Happy and Safe travels Dan.
 

Fatman

Well-Known Member
Lynne the Pillion and I had a blast catching up with you Dan at Cobar. You cut our sleep short on Thursday morning when I noticed you didn't stop long at Ceduna and I knew if you leave Port Augusta prior to us leaving Melbourne (same distance) that I had no hope of meeting up with you at Cobar. But we did and it was our pleasure to see you there, "Is this Brisbane" was the first words you spoke as you pulled up at the servo, with us all laughing and us replying "you wish".

When we came to the floodways flowing east of Cobar my heart sunk for you, I thought the second deeper one where we said "you keep going" was going to be the second of many more but I hear that was the last deep one.... Bugger, but I also didn't want to hold you up on your plan, so although we were disappointed not being able to follow you to Gilgandra I feel we made the right decision at the time.

If you are coming this way south (into Mexico as we say here, no wall to climb either there is always a bed here as well).

Sounds like you have some more riding to catch up on, good luck and have fun in Oz.
 
All understood for sure Fatman!! I felt horrible just leaving you and Lynne there like that - that's why I turned around and ran back through the last crossing, to see if I could help you in any way get across (the three of us pushing your bike actually came to mind).

But yes, that crossing we parted ways was indeed the last deep one! The current was pretty strong in the middle of that last one.

I was operating on a "do not fail" frame of mind, so wanted to be absolutely sure I could make at least some destination on the east coast, that is why no firm plans were made until Pt Augusta (although I had a pretty good idea Brissie was going to work all along).

Thanks kindly for the offer - much appreciated. When and if you're both in the states, please know you're both entirely at my place in Pennsylvania anytime.

I love those four matching Erica lights you're running on the front of your bike. And yes, it was a treat to ride a short distance with you.

Cheers, Dan


QUOTE="Fatman, post: 38610, member: 286"]Lynne the Pillion and I had a blast catching up with you Dan at Cobar. You cut our sleep short on Thursday morning when I noticed you didn't stop long at Ceduna and I knew if you leave Port Augusta prior to us leaving Melbourne (same distance) that I had no hope of meeting up with you at Cobar. But we did and it was our pleasure to see you there, "Is this Brisbane" was the first words you spoke as you pulled up at the servo, with us all laughing and us replying "you wish".

When we came to the floodways flowing east of Cobar my heart sunk for you, I thought the second deeper one where we said "you keep going" was going to be the second of many more but I hear that was the last deep one.... Bugger, but I also didn't want to hold you up on your plan, so although we were disappointed not being able to follow you to Gilgandra I feel we made the right decision at the time.

If you are coming this way south (into Mexico as we say here, no wall to climb either there is always a bed here as well).

Sounds like you have some more riding to catch up on, good luck and have fun in Oz.[/QUOTE]
 
Excellent Jeff. The four of us talked about you briefly at the end here in Bris. Looking forward to meeting you this summer at any of the spots you mentioned during the IBR (I'm a rookie this year).

Much appreciated on your offer. Keep my number in case you're in Pennsylvania and need a place to stay.

Cheers, Dan


Congratulations Dan on the massive ride.

It was great to watch your spot for the four days. Unfortunately the super bowl and work commitments kept me away from any interception in South Australia.

On your travels through S.A. in the following weeks and you need a place to stay near Adelaide please let me know as we always have room for riders,

I hope to meet you next June in Greensville or Kennewick.

Looking forward to the report.
 
You're a rockstar Lynne...thank you. And we DID ride together - just less than we all wanted :)

No doubt I'll be back here less than infrequently...we'll do this all again I'm sure. Next time it might be me meeting you and Fatman somewhere on your own ride.

Dan

Dan, I've said it once if not many a time before, Congratulations on your ride.

I think Fatman summed it all up, we were so looking forward to riding with you but the weather had other plans, BUGGAR it! :eek:

Enjoy your time here in Oz land, i'm sure you will. ;)
 

Daisy

Premier Member
Daisy you're a bloody good rider! Took an effort to keep up with you in the twisties on Horrocks Pass...
Thank you for the compliment. Given that its the only decent twisties within a hundred kilometres I get a bit of practice on it.
I felt like we we'd been holding you up prior to that while we were looking out for the hoppers.

We completely understand the constraints of being on the clock and I feel privileged that I got the chance to chat for more than 30 seconds.