Post by andyh on Apr 4, 2018 16:33:02 GMT 10
Easter was kind with the weather.
I left Brisbane on Wednesday around midday and made it to Glen Innes just on dusk. I am not a great fan of night riding, if I can help it, so I pulled in.
A cup of tea was had before I attacked the bits of the bike I thought I should have a look at while there was still enough light about.
FD oil levels, 10 ml added as I didn't get the breather modification done before I left. Engine Oil, nothing to add. Gearbox magnetic plug - slightly furry so wiped clean. Gear oil visible so no need for concern, mine is full at about 3cm below the opening. Tire pressures were 40r, 30f, 27sc which was Ok with me. The only issue I had was a squeak up the front that I couldn't track down.
Sunrise start saw me heading for Armidale.
I had forgotten that they put little coats on the sheep for a reason and soon stopped to throw on my High Vis rain jacket to mitigate some of the cold. The fog was down but thankfully the road was clear. Fueled up in Armidale and hit Uralla at 8 am in time for The Alternate Root cafe to open and furnish me with a yummie Egg and Bacon Panini and coffee. With that down it was up Bridge street to see Clare and pick up a few spares. Good to put a face to a name, even got a tour of the warehouse. The 75th Anniversary model looks very good. Walked away with a set of pads for the chair and the front and a clutch cable.
Left Uralla and headed down Thunderbolts Way to Walcha, Nowendoc to Barrington then onto Gloucester and following the Bucketts Way to Stroud and finally hitting the Highway at Twelve Mile Creek. There is a teddy bears picnic on the left just before you hit the expressway which was a bit sad and creepy. Discarded teddy's everywhere.
I don't mind twisty roads, I am quite slow and comfortable on the tight stuff, but the run from Nowendoc to Barrington was horrid, potholed and nasty. I saw four different road crews pouring hotmix into holes trying to win a lost battle. Guessing that they had some serious rain recently coupled with the logging trucks.
Anyway, fair warning, the surface was not pleasant.
Stopped for coffee at a friends place on the Central Coast and then headed into Sydney on a virtually empty M1. Everyone was heading north for Easter. I hit the traffic at the Pennant Hills end and spent the next 45 minutes going 16 kilometers.
Next morning I checked the bike over, a bit of oil in the FD, a few bolts to tighten, a missing tank bolt, about 100ml of engine oil and everything else was ok.
Took a quick trip down to Lower Portland for lunch and lost pressure in the back tire about 2k's from our lunch stop. Threw on the spare and continued 30 mins later. This was going to be an issue as it was Easter Sunday and I was meant to be heading for Brisbane on Monday. Got back to where I was staying and pulled the tire off, couldn't find anything that would cause the loss of pressure so put another tube in it and it still didn't hold pressure.
Headed back to Brisbane at 80k's an hour on the speed rated spare that had the old tread from the pusher (Mr Plod would not be amused) I let plenty of people past, pulling in to let the trucks go buy but made steady progress. kept an eye out in every little country town on the way up from Calga to Broke but found nothing. Finally called it a day in Tamworth. Early start and I hit Armidale as Supermoto opened. They found that I pinched the tube (I blame myself and lack of experience not the tool kit levers
new tire on the rack I headed to Glen Innes again, checked the pressure to make sure the fix was good and replaced it. Couldn't see any point in changing it only to have it fail 50k's up the road.
All good through to Brisbane, getting in just before sundown and the rain.
Things I learned in the 2141 kilometer round trip.
Average fuel consumption was 6.3 litres per 100.
I can change a tire in about 30 minutes.
I am rubbish at replacing tubes.
My Tourist likes to sit on 93 kilometers per hour (GPS - my speedo still isn't fixed)
It just ate the miles, it was fun, it was mostly comfortable (not thunderbolts way but live and learn)
600 kilometers in a day is do-able but about 100 more than necessary.
Not sure I could do a FarRide like Rosco.
The squeak up front was the missing tank bolt. Noticed it sitting at a cafe enjoying a coffee.
Oh and one last thing, when I picked the tire up I noticed the lock nut wasn't nipped down on the rim. I asked the guys and they said it was to stop the valve from tearing if the tube moved in the tire. I hadn't thought of that before and since they are the experts I went with it. Maybe low pressure and a shifting tube were what did the first one in... ?
Hope your easter was as much fun
I left Brisbane on Wednesday around midday and made it to Glen Innes just on dusk. I am not a great fan of night riding, if I can help it, so I pulled in.
A cup of tea was had before I attacked the bits of the bike I thought I should have a look at while there was still enough light about.
FD oil levels, 10 ml added as I didn't get the breather modification done before I left. Engine Oil, nothing to add. Gearbox magnetic plug - slightly furry so wiped clean. Gear oil visible so no need for concern, mine is full at about 3cm below the opening. Tire pressures were 40r, 30f, 27sc which was Ok with me. The only issue I had was a squeak up the front that I couldn't track down.
Sunrise start saw me heading for Armidale.
I had forgotten that they put little coats on the sheep for a reason and soon stopped to throw on my High Vis rain jacket to mitigate some of the cold. The fog was down but thankfully the road was clear. Fueled up in Armidale and hit Uralla at 8 am in time for The Alternate Root cafe to open and furnish me with a yummie Egg and Bacon Panini and coffee. With that down it was up Bridge street to see Clare and pick up a few spares. Good to put a face to a name, even got a tour of the warehouse. The 75th Anniversary model looks very good. Walked away with a set of pads for the chair and the front and a clutch cable.
Left Uralla and headed down Thunderbolts Way to Walcha, Nowendoc to Barrington then onto Gloucester and following the Bucketts Way to Stroud and finally hitting the Highway at Twelve Mile Creek. There is a teddy bears picnic on the left just before you hit the expressway which was a bit sad and creepy. Discarded teddy's everywhere.
I don't mind twisty roads, I am quite slow and comfortable on the tight stuff, but the run from Nowendoc to Barrington was horrid, potholed and nasty. I saw four different road crews pouring hotmix into holes trying to win a lost battle. Guessing that they had some serious rain recently coupled with the logging trucks.
Anyway, fair warning, the surface was not pleasant.
Stopped for coffee at a friends place on the Central Coast and then headed into Sydney on a virtually empty M1. Everyone was heading north for Easter. I hit the traffic at the Pennant Hills end and spent the next 45 minutes going 16 kilometers.
Next morning I checked the bike over, a bit of oil in the FD, a few bolts to tighten, a missing tank bolt, about 100ml of engine oil and everything else was ok.
Took a quick trip down to Lower Portland for lunch and lost pressure in the back tire about 2k's from our lunch stop. Threw on the spare and continued 30 mins later. This was going to be an issue as it was Easter Sunday and I was meant to be heading for Brisbane on Monday. Got back to where I was staying and pulled the tire off, couldn't find anything that would cause the loss of pressure so put another tube in it and it still didn't hold pressure.
Headed back to Brisbane at 80k's an hour on the speed rated spare that had the old tread from the pusher (Mr Plod would not be amused) I let plenty of people past, pulling in to let the trucks go buy but made steady progress. kept an eye out in every little country town on the way up from Calga to Broke but found nothing. Finally called it a day in Tamworth. Early start and I hit Armidale as Supermoto opened. They found that I pinched the tube (I blame myself and lack of experience not the tool kit levers
new tire on the rack I headed to Glen Innes again, checked the pressure to make sure the fix was good and replaced it. Couldn't see any point in changing it only to have it fail 50k's up the road.All good through to Brisbane, getting in just before sundown and the rain.
Things I learned in the 2141 kilometer round trip.
Average fuel consumption was 6.3 litres per 100.
I can change a tire in about 30 minutes.
I am rubbish at replacing tubes.
My Tourist likes to sit on 93 kilometers per hour (GPS - my speedo still isn't fixed)
It just ate the miles, it was fun, it was mostly comfortable (not thunderbolts way but live and learn)
600 kilometers in a day is do-able but about 100 more than necessary.
Not sure I could do a FarRide like Rosco.
The squeak up front was the missing tank bolt. Noticed it sitting at a cafe enjoying a coffee.
Oh and one last thing, when I picked the tire up I noticed the lock nut wasn't nipped down on the rim. I asked the guys and they said it was to stop the valve from tearing if the tube moved in the tire. I hadn't thought of that before and since they are the experts I went with it. Maybe low pressure and a shifting tube were what did the first one in... ?
Hope your easter was as much fun
