The Long Ride 2014 is now complete. There were a few incidents / accidents and a larger than usual number of bikes came to grief through mechanical problems (mostly Harleys), and quite a few needed new tires along the way.
The success of this event was due mainly to the efforts of all riders and of course the tireless organisers. The Police were awesome in Victoria as our trip to Sale and eventually to Cerberus was not interrupted by any Police with poor senses of humour. They were all at a parade in the City …. Yippee, so the quick twisty roads were all the more interesting.
Organisers of the Defence Riders handed over a cheque to PCFA management $318,000, although some money is still filtering and was up to $318,905 as of Monday this week. This is an amazing amount and one that every rider should be proud of achieving. This amount will be used to fund further research into prostate cancer.
For my part, the ride was right up there with one of the hardest things I have done for some time. Apart from riding the bike which was a breeze.
The Hyabusa never missed a beat and indeed hardly even noticed the weight on the back. The only time I think I really noticed it was after we left Swan Hill heading north west towards Port Augusta where we faced a cross wind gusting to 55km per hour (some of the gust felt higher). Some riders reported turning to the right but leaning to the left to counter the high wind and even higher gusts.
Tanunda Caravan park (SA) was the last time we saw grass until we set up camp at Ayers Rock and it was rather sparse there.Organisers of the Defence Riders handed over a cheque to PCFA management $318,000, although some money is still filtering and was up to $318,905 as of Monday this week. This is an amazing amount and one that every rider should be proud of achieving. This amount will be used to fund further research into prostate cancer.
For my part, the ride was right up there with one of the hardest things I have done for some time. Apart from riding the bike which was a breeze.
The Hyabusa never missed a beat and indeed hardly even noticed the weight on the back. The only time I think I really noticed it was after we left Swan Hill heading north west towards Port Augusta where we faced a cross wind gusting to 55km per hour (some of the gust felt higher). Some riders reported turning to the right but leaning to the left to counter the high wind and even higher gusts.
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| camp site at Coober Pedy |
Believe it or not this highly desirable camp site at Coober Pedy cost $16, best bit of dirt I have ever rented…!!
What made the challenge so hard as indicated above was the fact that my backside was NOT up for the challenge…. And the final assessment confirmed … it wasn’t.
So I rode MOTOGP style for at least half the ride. Each time we got to the end of a very very very long straight we’d go through a nice bend then back to very very very long straights again.
So I rode MOTOGP style for at least half the ride. Each time we got to the end of a very very very long straight we’d go through a nice bend then back to very very very long straights again.
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| Standard lean angle |
Some statistics along the way involving collective costs are quite staggering. Collectively, we spent approx. $1.6m in participating in the Long Ride.
So when you factor in such things as food, drinks, accommodation, maintenance, tyres, fuel and clothing, this amount is amazing. The youngest pillion was 8, two sisters rode behind their dad at intervals, one 8 year old rode behind his grandfather for over 8000ks, the oldest rider is 81, a family of Dad, Son and Grandson rode all the way together.
I rode all the way out there and back with a long lost Navy mate that I hadn’t seen for close to 30 years and we are now firm friends (I think I have spent more time with him than my wife over the last few months). To be honest if he had not kept going all the time (experienced long distance rider) I think I would have stopped a lot more for ‘sooky la la’ breaks and taken twice as long to get there.
So when you factor in such things as food, drinks, accommodation, maintenance, tyres, fuel and clothing, this amount is amazing. The youngest pillion was 8, two sisters rode behind their dad at intervals, one 8 year old rode behind his grandfather for over 8000ks, the oldest rider is 81, a family of Dad, Son and Grandson rode all the way together.
I rode all the way out there and back with a long lost Navy mate that I hadn’t seen for close to 30 years and we are now firm friends (I think I have spent more time with him than my wife over the last few months). To be honest if he had not kept going all the time (experienced long distance rider) I think I would have stopped a lot more for ‘sooky la la’ breaks and taken twice as long to get there.
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| RAN target towing Jindavic |
We stopped in at Woomera along the way and had a look at a former RAN target towing Jindavic (I think that’s how you spell it), my travelling mate Stu actually had a direct history with this plane as parts of it were removed by Stu to keep another one going.
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| AYERS ROCK (Ularu) |
Willmington to Port Augusta South Australia was probably the longest windy road I have ever ridden on and the best bit is I got to do it twice.
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| It’s much more twistier than it looks, all 55kph turns. |
After 8000ks on a two year old OEM tyre…..
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| It lasted til home…….. JUST |
Lorne Thurgar
