4 day ride on rHonda

[muskrat]

G'day Fellas.
Carried over from https://www.a7a10.net/forum/index.php?topic=18334.30 reply #43
I made it, over 1800Km in 4 days. The rHonda is now an honorary BSA (Bl@@dy Sore Ass).
Day 1 rode down to Batemans Bay with a mate to meet up with the rest of the club so 15 in total. The weather was great except for the pea soup fog at the top of the Clyde Mountain. I jumped ahead to lay some rubber on my favorite stretch of bends then settled into a nice almost legal speeds to Bega for the night.
Day 2 Bega to Corryong. Great ride up the hill to Jindabyne for lunch. Then some more great twisties for a beer stop at Khancoban. A short ride to Corryong for the night.
Day 3 Corryong to Wangaratta. I'd been tod about the Omeo road but never ridden it. Wow 160Km of constant corners. A quick stop for fuel and catch my breath then more twisties and on to Bright for lunch. A nice easy ride to a club members place at Wangaratta for a BBQ (read pith up).
Day 4 Most of the riders are heading to Tassie for a week but I have to get home for work. So riding alone I could set my own pace at an average 130KPH on the boring flat country back roads but better than taking the freeway. I hadn't done a 600Km ride in a day for many a year and my butt was letting me know.
The bike was faultless and the others were surprised at how well we went on a 40 year old bike with a 62 year old rider. I was at the pointy end of the pack and got comments on the sound and smell of the Castrol R in the fuel. Most of them were on newish big HD's with a couple of BMW's.
Now it's back to the shed to twist spanners on the HD and Cafe.
Cheers

[berger]

nice one musky , BUT isn't it amazing , you do all that on 40 year old rhonda and get home to spanner the other two, that is why i like my 40 year old yonda it's like the advert in uk that says let the train take the strain if your going on a looong journey . worty enjoyed his on the kwaka up to scotland even though he got wet. WOW 7 hours in uk would get you the full length of the country on rhonda

[Kickaha]

That's an awesome ride, I did some of the country a year ago on my way through to Cairns, I have fond memories of Mt Hotham to Omeo and went through Jindabyne from Barrys way and came back down through Bright on the way back to Melbourne so can still picture some of the area you're talking about

If you're ever back in Bright it is worth the trip into Mt Buffalo and up to "The Horn" for an amazing view

Must be time for you to start planning another

[Worty]

Perfect Musky, nice going!  Apart from the wet weather up to Dundee, it was pretty cold for July.  Didn't notice how much you tense up when its cold, so by the time I got to Dundee and went to get the gear off, I wrenched a muscle in my back.  Over the course of the week, it improved a bit, so took some painkillers and eased myself onto the bike for the return journey.

600k is about 370m - which is a good day's run by anyone's standard.  I imagine that the difference between Oz and the UK is that we have far fewer straight, remote roads that we can dial in 80mph on and watch the distance disappear.  In summer, I once managed 220m on the Beeza, and about the same on the Kwacka - could barely walk after the Beeza run but just a bit of a sore backside on the Kwaka - the high bars help A LOT with the Kwaka, whereas my neck suffers a bit on the Beeza.

Which would I be on, as Berger once said, the Kwaka will do everything easily, competently, reliably, confidently and efficiently, leaving you with a sense of satisfaction and no stress.  The Beeza rarely does any of these things, but it does put a very, very big SMILE on yer face

TBH Musky, I sometimes dream of being in Oz - plenty to explore.  Maybe in my younger day, I might have taken a year or so out to travel round the coast, but 16,000 odd miles is a lot of time and money.

[muskrat]

G'day Fellas.
Bit of a shock yesterday. While hunting for some rego papers I found a letter from the RMS saying I needed to renew my drivers/riders license.
It expired the day before the 4 day ride  . Very lucky (the way I ride) not to have had a mishap and flew under the cops radar. God knows what sort of fine and hassle that would have been.
Won't be able to renew till Monday so now I'm a passenger in Deb's car 
Cheers

[Worty]

G'day Fellas.
Bit of a shock yesterday. While hunting for some rego papers I found a letter from the RMS saying I needed to renew my drivers/riders license.
It expired the day before the 4 day ride  . Very lucky (the way I ride) not to have had a mishap and flew under the cops radar. God knows what sort of fine and hassle that would have been.
Won't be able to renew till Monday so now I'm a passenger in Deb's car 
Cheers

As far as bureaucracy is concerned, if you don't get caught, you've done nothing wrong.  Musky proves the point here

[berger]

i was driving my old vauxhall midi not so midi high roof long wheel base van for about 6 months before i realised it had no mot or insurance , apparently the insurance company had a change of rules once my van was 30 years old and wouldn't insure it so never sent a renewal. they did phone me one day when i was off the planet and i forgot or didn't understand what they were on about  . a bit like present day  .  i got away with that one but was in a bit of shock when i realised and got dvla things for tax and back tax. it took a lot of explaining to the gestapo dvla where it had been parked untaxed and un insured and no mot. but as you can see i told them on private land at my abode and got away with that one , PHEW !! .

[olev]

Riding without a licence!!
That's illegal!!
Musky, I'm scandalised.
The moral thing to do is to hand yourself in to the nearest cop shop and confess.
We'll miss you.
cheers

[Joolstacho]

Yes I agree... I'm also absolutely scandalised by Musky's unlicensed meanderings! 

[muskrat]

G'day Fellas.
I'm legal again. Paid $150 for 3 years.
The only cop I saw on the whole 4 days was a Highway Patrol at Cowra. I came up behind him and he stopped, did a U'ey and headed back to town! He must've known he didn't stand a chance 
Cheers
From the RMS web site.
If you are caught unlicensed driving, the maximum penalty is a fine of $2,200.00. If you are caught driving whilst never licensed, the maximum penalty is a fine of $2,200.00 for the first offence and a fine of $3,300.00 and/or six (6) months imprisonment for any second or subsequent offences.

[Worty]

Jeez!  Mind you, the UK mostly goes into driving bans and lower fines.  Perhaps they become too inundated with trying to collect fines from people who can't/won't pay?

[groily]

G'day Fellas.
I'm legal again. Paid $150 for 3 years.
From the RMS web site.
If you are caught unlicensed driving, the maximum penalty is a fine of $2,200.00. If you are caught driving whilst never licensed, the maximum penalty is a fine of $2,200.00 for the first offence and a fine of $3,300.00 and/or six (6) months imprisonment for any second or subsequent offences.

Harsh penalties, Musky, for what seems to be basically an administrative 'non-renewal' oversight of a fixed term licence with a mugshot on it?
When in the USA (Ohio) I had to renew my photo-card job at 5 years maybe, but here in France I still have a 'forever' paper one. I've lost some vehicle categories I was granted when I swapped my original UK licence (keeping my freshly-renewed US one for emergencies natch) as I haven't done the medicals for HGVs and 4-wheeled braked trailers that were included for some reason - even though I had never had a heavy goods licence in any country in my life. I don't even have to do anything when I get to 70  . . . I don't think  . . .
I imagine there are possible insurance issues as well, if a driver's licence expires - any excuse suits those people I have found.

[muskrat]

G'day Fellas.
I have a HR (heavy rigid, tri axle twin steer 35Ton ) and R (rider) license. When the young lass was doing the paper work I told her I went for a 1800Km ride not knowing my license had expired. She laughed and said buy a lotto ticket.
Cheers