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Frogfoot

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Blog Entries posted by Frogfoot

  1. Frogfoot
    Hey, another meeting in Canberra. And hey once again, riding there seems the most convenient option (and again, the most fun!). And the weather is looking perfect, no rain predicted, well for ages. Awesome. Looking at the weather though, my lesson from last time (you know, where I didn't read the temperatures) I almost didn't learn. Hmm Canberra is going to be -3 at about the time I'm arriving. That's going to be cold. At 120kmh that's going to be downright frigid!

    The plan was a straight run down the interstate early in the morning to the meeting. Arriving early so I could iron my uniform, shower (warm up!) etc. Meeting all day, then dinner and maybe catch a movie (something that has been really hard to do whilst the kids are little), then the next day sleep in (another bonus) and a enjoyable ride back along some of the more interesting roads I've been discovering between Canberra and Sydney.

    So problem one is the cool temperatures, problem two is that I caught some kind of cold when I was on my last trip there and it's still sorta hanging around, so I'm not 100%. Problem three developed on the eve of my departure, the kids had both came down hard with the same cold.

    On the plus side, Mrs was happy to handle the kids, they were mostly sleeping anyway. I wasn't too worried about the cold as I do have some reasonable gear that I have used in similar conditions (though only for an hour or so, not 4), and my cold wasn't too bad.

    Leaving at about 3.30am I rode out in about 4C. Down the freeway out of the city I was getting cold. But it was bearable. But don't imagine a steady even drop across the journey. It basically dropped to 0 as I passed the city limits and quickly headed below that. Until I spent a couple of hours at -2 and hit -4 about 6am.

    I stopped several times, mostly to hang out in a warm building (petrol station) to eat breakfast. The worst part was the last 20 mins, when I knew I was almost there, the sun was up but my knees were cold and my little fingers felt like ice blocks.

    It was uneventful, except for the WOMBATS. Now I'm sure you all know about kangaroos and koalas down here in Australia, and maybe crocs, tassie devils, sharks and snakes too. (and spiders and sea snakes and…) Do you know about wombats? Pretty uninspiring solid little fellows about as big as mid sized suitcase. Oh did I say solid, these guys are built like main battle tanks, and have a reputation of destroying vehicles that they cross paths with, shaking it off and carrying on (not sure about the last part). Riding through the dark at freeway speed the road is suddenly smeared with black marks and at the end is a dark lump slightly to my left on the road. Looking like a large rock, I realised I was headed towards a wombat carcass. I swerved and managed to clear it - I'd rather hit a rock, it'd do less damage! This would occur twice on the way down, but the second one I moved as soon as the streaks appeared on the road.

    Sunrise happened as I rode alongside Lake George. It was gorgeous and made the insanity of the ride worthwhile.

    I spent about an hour warming up, showering etc and was still cold by the time I got to the meeting. Not my smartest idea. I'm now fairly certain I was on my way to hypothermia when I eventually got in.

    The meeting went all day and I was nodding of towards the end, so much so that the chair basically begged me not to head home that night. After the meeting I crashed into the bed, sleeping from about 5pm, to about 7am, only rising for a late dinner at about 7pm (when my eldest rang me to say hi). Mrs was struggling with the kids but I was too tired and it was too cold (and would take me about 4 hours to get home).

    In the morning I awoke to a pleasant -1 and a bike that was coated in a layer of ice. But I wasn't too worried, it was already morning, the day was warming up, slowly, and I was headed back to Sydney, which would be at least 15C or so by the time I arrived. It sure wasn't going to be worse than the ride down.





    I set off at about 7:30 fuelling up in Queenbeyan as I headed off to retrace my route from my last trip, up through Tarago, towards Bungonia and the freeway. I figured this wouldn't take much longer than getting through the city then up the Hume to about the same point. It would be a lot more enjoyable and less taxing.

    This worked well and I hit the freeway only a little later than I would have ridden past the same point. I remembered the route pretty well and my only complaint was the angle of the sun made vision ahead sometimes a difficult proposition unless I put my hand up, even with sunglasses on. This also affected the contrast between the shaded areas in some points where I literally couldn't see the condition of the road. I can see a sun visor (like dirt bike helmets or the more adventurer type helmets) being useful here.

    Also passed a couple more dead wombats. I'm no longer convinced of their indestructibility, however still no need to run into one! Anything smaller than a semi still tends to need some serious repair work or even towing from the scene of the impact.

    I hit the freeway - did some quick maths and ducked off onto Highland Way. I could make it through here and still be home as promised.

    Another hour or so of cruising along this favourite road before I was taking the shortcut out from Sutton Forest to the freeway. Avoiding the Moss Vale stretch which only adds time and not fun. Less than two hours for home, I twisted the wrist and settled in.

    Sorry no photos this time, all talk. Home safe, very sick. I probably shouldn't have ridden, though only because my gear probably wasn't quite up to the task (though not by much) and I wouldn't have had to leave quite so early.
  2. Frogfoot
    Here i am, 95km to Goulburn on the side of the Hume Highway.

    And here's why.



    Onwards to another 150,000.

    Though I did drop by the local Honda dealer and checked out the new VFR800. I quite like the look of it in the flesh. I asked about a test ride and the guy almost begged me to take it for a ride - I think he wanted the opinion of a 6th gen owner so he could use it to sell them.

    I will take it for a ride, sitting on it - it felt very similar. I'll see how it rides...
  3. Frogfoot

    O Canada

    By Frogfoot,

    Down under is currently hosting Pat, otherwise known on this forum as dunn2007. He's been here a week and already clocked up 2000km on the 2000 VFR that he procured for his time here. Go Pat!

    I spent the week trying to pick a day to take off and go for a ride with him, but work commitments made it impossible. I suggested we catch up on Saturday for a short ride up the Putty to the Grey Gums. While the weather initially was forecast as showers, I was convinced it would be clear by Saturday. I invited some of the regulars from work, but with the short notice and they didn't believe me regarding the weather, only two turned up.

    Of course it dawned a little cloudy, but the kind you know is going to burn away leaving only sunshine... perfect. We left Windsor with me leading. My first time leading a group and while I kind of enjoyed not playing catch up the whole time, I didn't really like it. So it was a easy ride up to the Grey Gums Cafe.



    We stopped here for a coffee break. The plan was to head back again down the Putty and home. However we pulled out a map I had brought along and started talking with Pat about where he wanted to head and what his plans were. Turned out he really wanted to head north, ending up near Brisbane.

    Well, says we, you're already a couple of hours on your way. With some of the best roads around stretching north towards Brisbane it was suggested that he head north from Grey Gums. It was only about 10am so he had a lot of (very nice) daylight to use up.


    So I bid farewell to Pat and turned to follow the others home.

    We headed almost the same way home, with a little detour to the Sackville Ferry. There's another ferry on the river, I didn't know about this one either. It wasn't really a great detour as the road wasn't in the best shape. Though much nicer than the north side of Wiseman's!





    I arrived home sometime around 1pm. As I write this, I presume Pat is winding away north, enjoying roads such as Thunderbolt's Way. I hope to catch up with him on his return this way.
  4. Frogfoot

    Off The Road

    By Frogfoot,

    Took the bike in for a service today and rolled out with bad news. The water pump and the fork seals need replacing and they didn't have the part to complete that today. So I've ridden home, with one eye on the temperature, to put the VFR in the garage and walked away for a while. So for a couple of weeks I'm going to be driving to work. The part is in stock locally, but the shop is having some staff issues as well as I have a busy calendar making it hard to drop off.
    I'm thinking about what I might have noticed that could have indicated these to me. I haven't noticed anything on the floor of the garage to indicate leaks where I park the bike. I don't remember noticing anything whilst washing the bike either.
    Did it ride different? Not that I noticed, but with my benign riding style, I'm not really surprised, especially with the simple commute up the freeway. And the daily temperatures have been cold, helping the water temp stay in normal limits.
    And I'm positive that the temperature has never spiked or overheated, so no worries about further damage. I've previously ridden a bike without coolant and the speed at which a bike will heat up is extreme and very noticeable.
    I do think I have been hearing the pump, perhaps, but the sound I occasionally hear, I put down to the CCTs needing replacing soon and I've been waiting for the occasional little sound to get constant and louder as they deteriorate. My original CCT were replaced around the 55,000km mark and I've not had a problem since. However as the current ones have over 70,000km I've been expecting to replace them sometime. Maybe the sound was the pump, not the CCT, but my lack of experience, and lack of other indications meant I assumed it was the CCT.
    Still I think 130,000 out of those is nothing to be too worried about. If it was 13,000 I'd be worried, instead I'm just sad :(
  5. Frogfoot
    A cool but sunny late autumn day dawned on the Friday for my trip back to my family in Sydney. It seemed like a great opportunity to try a alternate route that had been recommended to me. The main reason that I hadn't yet tried this way is that I estimated it would take around 6 hours - that's double my normal time, door to door, and being a new route, I would be taking it easy.


    I also had been warned that snow and ice were real possibilities on this route so weather was also a big concern. But we've had a long unusually warm autumn in South East Australia this year (barely making the single digits, let alone snow and ice temps) and several rain free days before today. A quiet week at work meant that the chances of getting away early where high - all I needed was an early knock off.

    I slipped away early and soon after I hit the road west from Queanbeyan. My route took my to Tarago, but here I turned North to Goulburn, where usually I head straight across towards Bungonia. At Tarago I deviated slightly to check on a couple of bikes I saw stopped in case they were lost. No problems there so I turned north. This road is the more well known route than my normal way, and its' not a bad ride. A bit shorter and straighter than via Bungonia. Plus it adds more interstate.


    After getting a little lost in the streets of Goulburn, I fuelled up and turned for the unknown. Again, more northerly towards Taralga (NOT Tarago or Tarana... can get a little confusing). The roads were pretty open and flowing, mostly through farmlands. Some resurfacing was underway and the low winter sun often annoying, but otherwise the ride was very enjoyable. And the kms were swiftly covered.

    The road continues north over the Abercrombie River. The descent and climb down to the river crossing were fine twisty roads, without markings, but generally wide enough.


    Up from Abercrombie you head towards the back side (from a Sydney perspective) of the Blue Mountains. Again the roads were wide and flowing, but empty. The area is obviously pine plantations and the odd logging truck may need to be avoided.

    I arrived in Oberon, grabbed a small lunch and topped up the fuel again. This should easily last me until my doorstep, so no requirement to stop again.


    From Oberon, you join up with the road from Jenolan Caves and head towards the Great Western Highway at about Mount Victoria. This stretch before the Highway is the last fun before the grind over and down the mountains. And it's a pretty good bit with some nice vistas of Aussie mountains (so really slightly bigger hills than the rest of the area - not real peaks with snow etc)


    The Highway is being expanded and sorted in a massive upgrade that has so far taken several years so there are slow speed roadworks zones, and the newer areas have reduced limits (because the tin tops can't help running themselves into barriers and off the road all over the place). And the traffic was .... well there actually was traffic, so the fun was over. Still takes about another hour to get over the mountains to home.

    A really nice ride and I think heading the other way would be nicer (get the annoying bit out of the way at the start). Pity it is so much longer than my normal route so I'll have to save it for next time the stars align.

    Of course the mighty VFR ate it all up without hesitation. It's now about 500km short of 150,000 and then only 11,000km until it rolls over 100,000miles. Its not impossible to hit that by Christmas.
  6. Frogfoot

    Post Crash Update

    By Frogfoot,

    Its been three frustrating weeks now. I hobble about the house finding it uncomfortable to sit, stand or walk for too long.
    I count my lucky stars though and know it could have been much much worse. My decision to wear all the gear saved a LOT of heart ache.
    Here is the bike.



    Insurance has today told me that it's a total loss. I'm really sad about that, but not surprised when you see the damage.
    I won't have enough to buy a replacement new VFR, though I could likely afford a second hand one. However, replacing it while I still retain the Daytona is not likely to go down well with the Mrs.
    I am considering the idea of selling the Daytona and using the money from the insurance and the sale to buy a 2014/5 VFR. I will take some time before I decide that though.
    And here is the gear.





    My boots aren't here as they are barely scratched. My Kevlar jeans aren't here as they were cut up by the paramedics. There was a hand sized tear at the knee where my injury has occurred.
    Weird footnote - when my sister arrived at my place with my ruined gear last week, my wife commented (and she's a theatre nurse in a major city hospital) that she "always thought I was overdoing it with all the gear I wear riding" and that it was a bit silly and over the top really.
    She's certainly changed her opinion now!
    ATGATT saved my butt (literally, you should see the scuffs on the back of the jeans!)
  7. Frogfoot
    My previous post talked about how confused I was when I stepped off the Ducati. I am now thinking that it wasn't the kind of bike I was looking for.
    This afternoon I stepped off another test ride, this time something a little less exotic - a Suzuki GSXR-600. This was a 2012 version, I have also ridden a 2006 version a few years ago (that wasn't a test ride, it was a loaner bike), and the feeling I had on that was sort of the feeling I expected on the Ducati, but didn't.
    The 2012 bike gave me more of that feeling that I was looking for and I stepped off the test ride today with a big grin and a happy contented feeling. A promising start.
    I'm actually interested in the GSXR-750, but the shop didn't have one to ride. However they did have the 600 and that and the 750 are physically the same size (from a riders perspective), so it was a good place to start.
    Much smaller, and felt like I could throw it about a lot easier. I'm sure that kind of comment is no surprise to most. The seating position was very different, however I felt confident as I had good grip with my thighs, not much weight on my wrists and whilst the pegs were far up by comparison I normally ride the VFR with my toes on the pegs not my instep, so sort of the same. The lack of anything to grip with my thighs was one of the real down points on the Duc.
    Engine was good and brakes were fine. The 2012 has Brembo stoppers, like the Duc. I really enjoyed the test ride as I rode places I knew, so I could concentrate on the ride and the bike.
    I half feel like I should give the Duc a second chance, but sort of not. I may have a second option at the Duc instead.
    As I don't really want a 600, there aren't a lot of choices, but the Ducati 848 is a clear option to consider. I can't think of any other 750-850 sized sports bikes, oh actually the MV Agusta F3, but that's even more exotic than the Duc. The Triumph 675 is a bit less than I want. Open to suggestions.
    Something else that put these two (the GSXR and the 848) high in the running as there are excellent examples of both up for sale at work. Second hand, but great condition, both with a bunch of extra goodies (bags, exhausts etc) included.
  8. Frogfoot

    Report Card Time

    By Frogfoot,

    This week I took my VFR in for a major service. I've been after a "second opinion" for a while. It's not that I'm not happy with the place I normally take it, but I've never heard anything good about the place, though no one can give me specifics.

    A mate offered to pick me up and drop me off so I booked her into a smaller workshop that has a very high reputation. The bike has 116,000km on it and it has been a fair while (time wise) since it's last major service.

    Late afternoon the shop called. I don't know about others, but I always get a little nervous when the shop calls in, you never know what they will say. Though normally if its late afternoon, its all done with nothing to report.

    So it was with a little concern that I answered. The shop guy asked what I've been doing to maintain it. I was honest and told him that I do little more than lube the chain and check the tyre pressures. I am totally lost mechanically so I just make sure that it's clean and serviced regularly. He replied, well keep doing what your doing as your bike is fantastic shape considering its age. I was very happy with that comment.

    He said it had been in need of a tune (as expected), the pads will be due about the next service or a little before but otherwise all good.

    I got to the shop and was taken aback at how the guys couldn't stop raving about its condition. They said there is often a little trepidation when test riding a bike with this amount of kms on it as you never really know what shape its really in. Apparently the main mechanic got back from the test ride and told the boss he should have a ride.

    If that's not an endorsement of my bike I don't know what is. I have to say I am still chuffed at such glowing praise of my bike and even the way I've been looking after it.

    Now hopefully after a long period of ride absence (apart from the commute) I'll be able to report again in a fortnight or so following a ride. My wife's been filling in for some broken staff at work the past weekends, so it's been a month or more of chasing the kids about instead of riding. I'm in two minds whether to join a short city fund raising ride or to go for a solo proper one. I'm starting to think the second.


  9. Frogfoot

    Riding Solo

    By Frogfoot,

    The weather has been a bit wet over the past week so the group decided that a run down Kangaroo Valley and Macquarie Pass was probably not a great idea unless it had had a couple of days to dry out. Both of those have a lot of overhanging bush keeping the raods slippery and wet long after any rain. They also mean there is a lot of fallen leaves, again making the road treacherous.
    I still had Saturday off though and decided to head in that general direction. I left earlier than I would have with the group, and was well on my way by 0800. I've included the route, which was initially going to be a run to Picton and back. But getting there at about 0830 I decided to keep heading along the old Hume. This was the main road between Sydney and Melbourne until the dual carriageway interstate was built. Would have been a terrible road with the amount of traffic that must have used it.
    Google Route
    So the roads are quiet and a lot of the towns along the way have shrunk. Some haven't though and there are plenty of bakeries to stop at!
    I made Mittagong about 0930 and stopped for breakfast. Seeing how far I had come I decided to head towards Kanagroo Valley and just check it out. I hadn't ever seen it and it is a popular run from Sydney. Decided to stick my nose in there and check out the road.
    Cruising along I realised I was covering a lot of the roads I covered many years ago when I rode my little ZZR250 to Canberra. The odd railway bridge or street intersection was remembered.
    Eventually I found my way to Fitroy Falls, just at the start of the Valley. The road was starting to show some really damp patches which had me cautious. I then passed another rider coming the other way who gave a series of very odd hand signals. Still no idea what he was on about, though a few corners later I took a guess. A ute parked up in the bushes near the road with very dark windows. Seen highway patrol using these to police some of the popular bike haunts.
    Well with the wet road my speed was well under what would grab his attention.
    A few corners into the valley as the road steepened and narrowed and got wetter I decided discretion had its place and turned around (have you ever tried that on a mountain pass!) and headed home.

    Fitroy Falls rd
    Following almost the same way back, though diverting through Yerrimbool to stay off the interstate I made Picton about 1130. I stopped for lunch as the clouds darkened and the temperature dropped. Home was starting to look mighty attractive. So headed straight for the Interstate and home, getting there just before 1300.
    Overall a good ride. Nice to be out there again. I will definitely head that way again, and probably solo. Think I'll give the group rides a miss unless they're going somewhere I really want to. I enjoyed setting my own pace and picking my own route.
    Attached are a few pictures that give a good indication of what most roads in this state really look like. And remember, much of these used to be the main highway!

    Old Hume Hwy - Mittagong I'm sure the HP used to sit near this crest and fill their quota.

    Road to Bowral from Kangaroo Valley

    Road to Yerrimbol
  10. Frogfoot

    Riding To Rylstone

    By Frogfoot,

    My wife has made a couple of new friends over the last couple of months through her gym. Turns out that one of the girls husbands also rides (he has an 03 CBR1100XX). Last week he invited me on a ride this Saturday. The plan was to ride up the Putty to Singleton, then the rough idea was to head west, before coming back over the Blue Mountains to Sydney.

    Wife had no objections but I did have a couple of concerns. First up is that the proposed route looked pretty long, like more than 8-10 hours away from home. Second is that I was supposed to be on call at work that weekend. To actually get called out is pretty rare, so I figured I could do part of the ride and then head home. I figured I could head up and back the Putty for a shortish day trip. Killing two birds that would also mean I'd only be away 6 or 8 hours.

    I rode to his place where we waited for the third guy to arrive. He turned up on his BMW R1100 and after a dash to the petrol station for a top up and tyre check, it was off to Windsor to start the Putty.

    Yesterday was the hottest day on record for Sydney. I think it made over 45C in the city, and parts of the suburbs were almost 47C. Today was not. Overcast and only 20C when we started, the forecast predicted rain later in the west. I gambled and didn't take any rain gear. I also wore my leathers and not my summer jacket.

    The Putty was in good shape and the weather stayed even as we found our way to the Grey Gums about 1000. We stopped here for some breakfast (none of us had eaten before we left). I recommend their pies, the bacon and eggs looked pretty good too.

    A bit of a chat watching various bikes come and go, before we set off ourselves. We rode north to Singleton to fuel up before backtracking slightly to turn onto the Golden Highway. This was all new territory to me, the Highway being pretty straight and a little busy. It was warming up now, clear and 30C. I was starting to regret not wearing my summer jacket.


    We turned left just before Sandy Hollow, towards Bylong and Rylstone. Up to Bylong was okay. The seal had gotten a bit rough and each had unsettled moments on various lumps and bumps along the way, thankfully no one came off. A small shower just before Bylong was a bit worrying as we stopped for a break and to figure out lunch. I was feeling a bit worn out, I think it was mostly dehydration. I drank a bottle of water and munched an ice cream for some quick energy. A sit down (to finally stop the bumping…) helped immensely and we decided to head to Rylstone for lunch, only about half an hour away. More than one choice there.


    We left Bylong and climbed out of the valley. This was a really nice patch probably the second best part of the ride. Once up top though, the rain arrived. I got wet and the locals (and my mates) had a little laugh when I arrived in Rylstone for lunch, looking a bit damp :)

    Lunch at Number 47 Gallery was tasty (we had thought it was a cafe, and it is, but also a Gallery) and the others debated whether to put their wet weather stuff on. I think they were just doing it to tease me :) The rain had lessened a fair bit when we headed off. I wasn't going to get much wetter, but I wasn't go to dry out either.

    We headed for Lithgow in the rain, taking it easy. In the dry this would have been a swift flowing ride until we hit the busier Castlereagh Hwy. By the time we got to Lithgow it had cooled down to 14C, so we were getting a taste of all kinds of weather on this ride. Now I was happy I had worn my leather

    We fuelled up in Lithgow, and said our goodbyes as didn't plan another stop on our ride down the mountains before we split off to our homes. The ride home was a crawl thorough traffic and roadworks. Made even worse by the fact that the Mountains were in cloud, so a good chunk of the ride was peering through the gloom. At one stage I found a traffic light and realised that I was halfway through Katoomba and hadn't even noticed I was in a town, the cloud was that thick.

    It wasn't raining though and the road was dry so the riding was okay, just had to watch the visibility. Eventually the hwy turned into the M4 and I was on my way home, arriving a little after 7pm, covering about 600km. I'd been away for 12hours and was expecting to be sleeping on the couch that night.

    But no, I wasn't in trouble as I had been led astray by the other husband. I figure me not in trouble with my wife, him not in trouble with his meant it was all ok.

    I've attached a map, though if you find Lithgow, I've created the map to loop back to Windsor so it goes down the Bells Line. We actually headed back towards Penrith so went down the Gt Western Hwy.

    I spent much of the ride far behind the others as our pace were quite different. If you're not careful there's a lot of pressure in this kind of situation to ride faster than you're are practiced at and get into trouble, something to watch out for. But if you ride your ride (as one said at a stop… race yourself, not us) you will be fine.

    I think (and the ride turned out like this) I really enjoy starting of with a "We'll meet at XXXXXX" and everyone just rides and there's no pressure to stick in the group. It does mean that if you get into trouble, your friends might not notice as quickly, but with everyone riding their own pace, trouble is less likely. So that's my plan for the next time I go out in a group.

    Sorry for the lack of photos, I didn't want to hold them up more by stopping for pictures. I do reckon I need to get a GoPro or Drift camera, to show you guys the Aussie roads better. Any suggestions on which might be better? I really like Drift's Video Tagging option.

    Bike wise, I am going to book in for the CCTs to be replaced, at some points the VFR sounded like a Ducati with a dry clutch rattle! The original ones last 50,000km and these have lasted 80,000km so not too bad.
  11. Frogfoot
    I put the VFR in for its service today to the usual shop. I had also booked the loaner, a old, but smooth running CB250, that is a bit of fun. 124,000km - a minor service as I got out of sync a bit by doing my last major about 3000 early.
    The loaner was still out with one of the other mechanics and not due back. They were apologetic but the service manager set off to find another bike. He came back with...
    "How are you with larger bikes" - the VFR is pretty much the biggest bike I've ridden, with only the Streetfighter 848 any bigger in capacity and nothing heavier. I was a bit concerned as I expected him to rock up with a Boulevard or something.
    "Uh.. ok... I guess", trying to figure out what he meant - higher capacity just means being sensible with the right wrist. A cruiser or something means a whole different style.
    He led me out to the lot, "Because I was going to let you take this" He pointed to a 2002 Suzuki Hayabusa.
    I swallowed ... that's a lot of bike. "Ok, I should be fine." I must have been convincing, but I have heard that it's a pretty nice bike to ride, makes a great sports tourer and I figure its about the same weight with a lot more go, and that just means sensible with the wrist. I can do sensible :)
    So without further ado (well ok there was still the copy of the licence, sign away my life on the paperwork etc) I was away.
    Work is about 5 mins from the shop, so by the time I was rolling in the gate it had likely barely warmed up. I came back out at lunch and set off for a short ride.
    I rode down the freeway for several kilometres playing with the gears and roll on accelerations. Pretty nice pickup and a great sound from the Yoshi pipe that seems almost derigeur for most Suzuki sports bikes.
    I turned off and headed back into the local shopping precinct, to see what its like through traffic. On the less busy back streets I found it pretty docile, but ready to roar with a small twist. But a nice linear pull away.
    After several blocks of first gear slow riding it started to warm up. Whilst the temps didn't climb much my legs were starting to get very warm as the fans blew the air from the radiators over them. Uncomfortably warm actually and I was glad to roll up the on ramp (passing a bunch of cars as I did, grin) and get the airflow. Back to work.
    Overall, I did think it was a nice bike. A lot more power than my VFR, very rideable though and easy to control. I don't think I'll rush out and buy one though. Still nice to say I have ridden one and happy to ride one again. Just didn't step of it with the silly grin that I did with the -600.
    Might have to look into pipes for the VFR though.
    Oh, the service ... found out my licence plate globe holder has burnt itself out. I've been suspicious of this for some time as the last 2 registration renewals have commented the globe was out and I was testing to see if it was bulb life or something worse. Bit strange, perhaps related to either the wiring recall work or the alternator failure. The part is on order.
    Here's to the next 125,000 :tour:




  12. Frogfoot

    Seventh Gen

    By Frogfoot,

    I was in a local dealer a couple of weeks back and they mentioned they would have a couple about now, so with an early release from work (due to Easter coming up) I accidently found myself riding past the dealers, not really sure how that happened. Parked there, got off the bike. Left my helmet on promising that it wasn't there I wouldn't stop.
    It was parked in the doorway.
    It looks a lot nicer in the flesh. That pipe doesn't seem to stand out as much, and it is a lot smaller than I thought. Asked if I could ride it... sure... if I was seriously looking at buying it.... I asked the price. Close to AU$26,000 on road (includes govt charges etc) I told him I wasn't that interested anymore.
    They did let me sit on it and I found it very comfortable and it didn't seem heavy. The position seemed a lot like my sixth gen. They have a gray/silver one and a red one, so I presume that's our choices here. Like the gray one actually a lot more than I normally like gray bikes.
    So overall I am more interested than I thought I would be, but at that price I can't.
    Then after I get home, the Mrs says she'll buy me one...... what's the catch!
  13. Frogfoot
    Well January is almost finished and since the work ride I haven't had a chance to go for a ride. Sure I've done my normal commutes, but no recreational rides.
    Christmas Holidays wasn't really a good time, my Mrs worked most of it, so I was looking after the kids... they are several years from being old enough to be left on their own. Secondly, the police runs a double demerit point system in most holiday periods so whilst the chance of a ticket is small the way I ride the repercussions are severe in the holidays.
    So I stayed home.
    Now well into January we've been having a most peculiar summer. It's been wet and not just the odd rainy day, we've had weeks of rain, showers, drizzle, overcast, high twenty temps. Normally we're having sun, bush fires and mid thirties and forties. The long range outlook is the same.
    So no rides. So no posts for you all.
    On then to a goal I have set myself. I'm considering getting a second bike. Mrs says it will replace the VFR, but I'd like to keep it. And in reality selling the bike would get me very very little money and trading it in would get me even less. With 120,000kms, two crashes (albeit minor ones) a heavily scratched top box, ridden and left out in all weathers (though normally garaged at home, at work or away it misses out) it doesn't sound like a great buy for anyone shopping.
    So my second bike - I have a very short list (currently a leading contender with a couple of reserve choices). It won't be a VFR12 - bigger than I want, way too expensive here, and really much the same style of bike as my VFR8. No I want something different. And about the same size (capacity) as my VFR. There aren't a lot in the 750-850 range to choose from.
    Hopefully by about late in this year I'll be able to purchase it. Just in time for next summer which I hope, is a lot nicer than this one.
    .... which probably means we'll have no end of bush fires next summer :(
    Oh, here's a little tease of the leading contender....

  14. Frogfoot

    Six Figures

    By Frogfoot,

    Well a small event in the bikes history took place as I rode to work last week. As you can see from the picture I've hit the 6 figure mark. 100,000km. I can't say they've been trouble free, but its been pretty close to that. So here's some pictures of the event from my phone.
    one km to go

    There it is 100000km

    The location!

    Will it be around for another 100000, who knows.
  15. Frogfoot
    Well the big reveal has finally taken place at work (on a week when it seems most of the other riders are away, lol) so I'll reveal it here too.

    I have a new bike, after suggestions from the Mrs that my VFR was too old. As silly a statement as that is, I wasn't one to argue. One condition is that I put the VFR up for sale, which I dutifully have, but have had no interest, no surprise there.

    I had been considering the GSXR750 for several years and it was top of the list, having ridden it and the 600 a couple of times over the past years. I focused on the 700-800cc, just personal preference, it limited the choices quite quickly. I decided that I wasn't interested in a dirt/trail bike, or an adventure/dual-sport bike. I did want something different from the VFR, and previous experience with the Ducati Streetfighter and later the Triumph Street Triple eliminated the street fighter style. So the list was really short. So short, I rang around the various brand dealers looking for something to compete with the GSXR. The Ducati 848 Evo was out of my price range and so was the MV F3. The supersport 600s and the litre bikes were just not what I was looking for.




    Then I rang Triumph and things changed. The new 675 was about to be released and the price was similar to the GSXR. It wasn't far from my 700-800 range, and I expected that the triple would be more rideable than an inline 4 600. It also came with a lot of stuff that the GSXR didn't. With the interest in them building, I put a holding deposit on one simply so I could get a look in. It was subject to final decision and I expect if I turned it down, someone would get an early present, as the guy who paid a deposit the day after me is still waiting for his to arrive on the ship.

    In preparation I rode the GSXR a couple of times, to make sure I would be happy with that style of bike, as well as testing it in city traffic and highway, finding it comfortable. I also rode the new Street Triple which has the same engine as the Daytona. This gave me some idea of the new bike. The GSXR sat as a very strong second choice, and I had a happy grin every time I rode it.

    When 675 finally arrived in the shop it was an easy decision. I still had to wait for my money to be ready and just before Easter I rolled out on my new bike. Yes, on a 600cc equivalent supersport, lol. But its 675 and a triple.




    And a month later I still have that silly grin on my head.

    A totally new bike for this year, it shares almost nothing with the older Daytonas. It is my first bike since I bought my VFR in April 2004, As its the R, it comes standard with ABS, Brembos, Ohlins and a quickshifter as well as some carbon bits. I've put 800km over a couple of rides in the past week or so and I am very very happy with my choice.





    It is quite different to my VFR. The seating is more aggressive, but I don't find it uncomfortable. It's about 80kg lighter and about 20% more powerful than my VFR, so its quick and easy to steer. The Ohlins and the bike feel very positive and I find it very confident in corners and over rougher roads. A little harsher ride than the VFR but much more confidence that it will stay where I point it. At the rev limits enforced in the break in, its actually very economical and I can get around 300km from a tank. That was a surprise.

    It sounds great even with the standard pipe. I'm still running it in, so I haven't had a chance to really let it loose, but the sound is really nice. There's even a little popping, crackling on closing the throttle that sounds very cool.

    I haven't decided what to do with my VFR though at this stage it will continue to be my main ride. The VFR is much more suited to the commuting and poor weather riding, and is better at distance (though not by much) and two up. The Daytona is mainly to be a fun bike for weekends and sunny days.


  16. Frogfoot

    Somethings Wrong...

    By Frogfoot,

    The VFR spent most of the last few weeks in the shop waiting for a water pump. It started the afternoon after getting home, I popped back into the garage and noticed a small puddle of coolant on the floor. Not a good sign.
    I rang the local bike shop, a new one as I'm in Canberra now. The guy on the phone said something about "Don't worry, they'll do that when its hot and the overflow tank fills. No need to bring it in."
    I sat back after hanging up. I've had this bike for ten years and 140,000km. I've ridden in hot weather, sat about in hot traffic and parked it when it's been much hotter. It's never done this. And certainly not with an almost empty overflow tank. I decided to head to the shop. Somethings wrong.
    Up the road is another shop, so I dropped in and asked to grab some coolant. I topped a little in the tank and it immediately ran back out. Yeah, nothing wrong huh*. I carefully rode on to the local Honda dealer.
    In the end they decided it was in need of a new water pump. Spent a couple of weeks waiting for the part. I guess a good thing about the VFR is that 12 years later, Honda are still making the same bike (and even now, it's going to be basically the same bike in the new one). So parts are easy (though as they always seem to need to order them from Japan, they don't break often.... but we all knew that)
    Got it back and headed up to Sydney for my normal weekend at home. That's when I noticed that the speedo was all over the place... it was like speed roulette.
    It has been sort of liberating, riding without speed limits, so to speak.
    So I'll have to take it back to the shop. Maybe the speed sensor is out (has happened before about 6 or so years ago) or the shop nudged or bumped something. They can take a look and fix it.
    Not sure about the shop though. I'll give them this chance.
    * to be fair, the tech was trying to diagnose over the phone, that's never easy.
  17. Frogfoot

    Spring Is Here

    By Frogfoot,

    Oh dear, it's September and I haven't posted for months. Yes I have been riding, I am back to commuting everyday due to some child care changes :) And we've had this crazy warmish, sunny August (and really Winter was pretty tame even for here).

    The VFR gets ridden most days, but I make sure the Daytona gets out once a week. That new bike has been kind of a pain as it's had several factory recalls - great they're proactive about fixing things, annoying as its been in the shop several times.

    While the weather has been nice, my wife's schedule has not been so well timed, so getting out for a ride other than a commute has been problematic.

    I did get the VFR up the Putty, where I spent the morning practicing my photography on passing bikes. Need a lot more practice.








    The Daytona is proving a really sweet ride. Initially I was starting to think I would actually get rid of the VFR but the VFR comes into her own on the commute, and about town far better than the Daytona at that. I'll also be doing lots of Sydney Canberra trips next year and she will shine on that too. So happy to keep them both.

    However, get the Daytona on the open winding road and she is just fantastic. I have managed one full day ride of about 350km trip and had a ball. Definitely no regrets there.









    I've upgraded my gear as well, with a jacket and pants from Berek, new boots to fit. Never had full leathers and they are way more comfortable than I expected and kinda confidence boosting too. Still it may be a long time before the knee sliders get any scratches, I just don't ride like that.

    In other news, my 70 year old dad has dug up his licence and bought a KTM 690 Duke in order to get some practice in - I think his idea is that next time he comes over (he lives in NZ not AUS), we can go for a ride together. He'll ride my VFR and I'll take the Daytona. What a cool idea. (oh and if you're worried about his age... he took up mountain biking at 60 and last year completed a 100km single track mountain bike race so he's no slouch)

    I may get out this Sunday and can post after that. Are you interested even if it's not VFR rides?

  18. Frogfoot

    Starting out....

    By Frogfoot,

    A big part of my life is motorbikes.
    When I first got my licence I hadn't actually planned to get a bike. I had gone for the learners test on a whim, booked only the day before. Once I had the licence I basically decided that I may as well use it. I quickly decided that I wanted a new bike with full fairings, my choices appeared limited to Kawasaki GPX250, ZZR250 and the Honda NSR150. There may have been others but a bit of research didn't really uncover any. I eliminated the NSR immediately: a 150 two stroke. That left the GPX and ZZR. The same bike in different clothes. I choose the ZZR by appearance and it has larger brakes (my sole technical consideration!)
    This was my first bike. And not a bad learners bike, since then I would probably recommend a Honda VTR250 if you have to stay on 250s. The rules in many states here have changed and there are far more options, and the ZZR isn't too bad to look at. I say that as it's one of the reasons I bought it. At the time I knew very little about bikes. I did know that I preferred new stuff and I liked the guarantee of support you get with a warranty.
    It proved a good choice. The bike hasn't changed in about 15 years by all accounts, so it's rock solid. I enjoyed riding it and quickly built up my confidence. Two years and 47,000kms later I earned my full licence and traded it in.
    A good bike, but nothing when compared to the bigger bikes.
    My second bike is my Honda VFR800. Now I put a lot more effort into this choice. I read articles on various bikes for about a year. The VFR was quickly shortlisted, along with Kawasaki ZX6R, ZX9R, Honda CBR600RR and the Suzuki GSXR750.
    So what was I looking for… firstly a commuter, that was bit more fun in the weekends but wouldn't kill me on a long trip. I simply decided that I didn't want to bust the 1L size, it was probably a lack of confidence on my first bigger bike. I preferred fuel injection and I'm a technology fan (can you see where I'm headed). I also wanted something less than $20K
    The '03 6R was uncomfortable even in the showroom. The 9R was the end of the line and had carbs. I actually went for a couple test rides to make this choice, unlike the first bike as partly I figured it'd be about the last bike I would ever buy (my wedding was imminent)! I rode the VFR800. This was my first time on anything bigger than my ZZR. I wobbled off down the street from the dealer but I settled in pretty quick. Later I rode the 600RR. This was a test case. If I had felt comfortable on the RR I would have looked more seriously at the GSXR. I rode it and the VFR back to back.
    I bought the VFR. I find a great bike. It suits my bumbling along daily rider style, allows me to keep up with the hyper sports on the day fangs through the twisty stuff. Well it would if I could ride it to it's potential! I also rode away for the weekend and found it a comfy trip. As they say it's a great all rounder. My wife has actually been on it a few times. She's enjoyed the rides but the hassle of all the gear bothers her (she's a squid at heart) and it messes her makeup/hair whatever. It's very competent when two up.But she's happy to let me disappear for a day on a ride.
    It's about 5 years old now, done almost 97,000kms and is great. I sometimes consider getting a weekend fang bike (like the GSXR) but to be honest it would be wasted on me and would be more about the image. I certainly wouldn't consider a replacement.
    Observations:
    * My riding style at mostly 80s-90s km/h has an endurance of about 320-330kms on about 17L. It's a 22L tank so that reserve must be pretty big or the display a little inaccurate. It actually increased as the bike passed 12,000km. Pretty usual for VFRs apparently.
    * Don't let sap drip on the plastic, that stuffs it right up.
    * Fitting the top box for the first time – the trick is knowing when to switch from the bracket instructions to the box instructions. The next time, it's a five minute job to swap the whole lot for the grabrails.
    * The fact that there's no sticking out indicators etc is great, I found out that when it falls over (bugger) there's very little to break off. The mirror folds up, and the bike rests on the fairing (dammit) and the center stand. Only cosmetic damage.
  19. Frogfoot

    Warm enough for ya

    By Frogfoot,

    A couple of hot ones here with more on the way, and summer is still officially two weeks away. 42C on the way home. Equal hottest I have ever ridden in. Luckily the dramas from last week seem to have gone away (see here) and made it home safe & sound.
    Been an interesting couple of days on the commute. Traffic blocked up on the way in with a truck parked at an angle across two lanes. Driver digging through his toolkit beside it. Hit the onramp to change freeways as normal, only to have to avoid someone reversing back up it (just go to the next off ramp!!). The day before I caught up to a guy towing a racecar on a trailer. Was alongside when I realised there was people riding in it!! Oh actually no, he has two manikins sitting in the seats. Bit of laugh to brighten the day!
    Even passed a fire engine. His lights and all were on but he wasn't speeding. Sat behind him for a little bit, but figured as long as I don't speed who can say I'm in the wrong. I think he was a little surprised and sped up. Then there was a red light and that was all his...
  20. Frogfoot

    Winter is over

    By Frogfoot,

    The weather has been really mild this winter, but the Mrs has been putting in a lot of shifts over the weekends, so no opportunity to ride. However today was different and she took the kids to the gym, whilst I went off for a ride. I wasn't actually sure where I wanted to go. I didn't feel like an all day one, so the Putty/Wiseman's was out. I was torn between riding somewhere new, or picking somewhere close and staking out a photo spot to catch whoever might come past.

    I decided to head to somewhere new, and a loop from home down Mt Keira and then back up the (famous) Macquarie Pass, both of which were new to me, seemed like a good idea. Mrs headed to the gym about 8am and I was on the road shortly after. I headed south on the freeway to the Picton exit. Instead of turning north to Picton, I turned south to Wollongong.

    Not long before the descent out of the tablelands, I hit the turn off for Mt Keira and headed down. The road here was very much a third level road (and quickly turned into a paved one and half lane one). I immediately felt unsettled. I had been struggling all morning with turning the bike and the narrow technical road I was on only made it worse. Of course, I really hate down hill too! One thought is that having spent weeks hundreds of kilometres on a straight run along the freeway the front was probably very square, which would't help turn in. But at this stage I don't really know what was happening I was just feeling a strong lack of confidence in the bike so I took it real slow.

    I stopped at a lookout at the top, taking this series of photos

    (Of note, this shows the place where I joined up with the Charlie Boorman ride several years ago)




    (I also suspected the front for being slightly overinflated, so made a small adjustment here)


    I got back on the road and felt a bit better. I wandered slowly down the hill and reached Wollongong before long. At this point I was really not interested in continuing to Mac Pass, but still had to get home. I fuelled up, turned around and headed back up the hill.



    I explored a couple of other roads briefly as I headed back up the hill, before eventually picking one and heading to intercept the Princes Freeway rather than the Hume Highway for the leg home. I managed a stop before I got onto the major roads for a little photo session.







    Coming home on the freeway it was clear that I wasn't riding right. I struggled with confidence even on this flat top and was slower than much of the traffic on several parts of the freeway. I was feeling very unhappy.

    After a total of about 3 hours I arrived home safely. And to be honest after the way my ride went, that is probably the high point of the day.... making it home safe and sound.

    So what happened in the ride? Apart from the idea of the square front with a little overinflation (I'm talking a single psi or two) I think my own state was a major player. I realise that I'm actually really tired, I didn't feel it when I woke up, being fresh and awake with a good breakfast. Its also been several weeks since my last ride, so some skills perhaps a little stale. I'm glad I cut it short, but I probably shouldn't have left in the first place.

    Still haven't ridden Mac Pass!
  21. Frogfoot
    Once again, work had sent me to Canberra and once again it works out a lot more convenient for me to get myself there... and that means a ride. And once again, the weather was doing its crazy thing. Summer here was complete washout, but Autumn had been pretty nice. Warm, not hot, not much rain... perfect. But of course the weather changed as the ride drew closer.

    I left on Tuesday. On Monday they were warning us about flash flooding and downpours for the next few days. If it rained, whilst I could still ride, it wouldn't be as much fun and I may be tempted to slab it. I was already planning to slab it home anyway due to time constraints again. If the weather meant slabbing both ways it would be a real disappointment.

    As I had all day and generally it takes me about 5-6 hours to get to Canberra the scenic route, I planned to leave about 9am. However 6am the dark clouds were getting ominous and the weather radar was starting to show lots of pretty colours. I hit the road.

    The rain was costal initially, the opposite way to Canberra. A dash from the city limits was decided, and then from there I would take it as it comes. My routes to Canberra do generally give me an option to change to slab about every hour or so.

    Down the M7, then the M5, which becomes the Hume Highway (31) and rolls all the way to Melbourne. I arrived a the Picton turn off, still having avoided the rain and decided that it was time for some fun. I followed the road up into Picton, then a pleasant 30 mins or so along the road, headed towards Mittagong. This eventually lead me back to the Hume.




    Now my previous few runs down here, I've turned off at Mittagong and wound my way through the small towns, before reaching Moss Vale and eventually turning up towards the good bit along the Highland Way. Over the years these towns have grown so that they almost merge together and the ride becomes a stretch of slow speeds, traffic and towns. Not a lot of fun.

    So something I planned last time, but missed the turn. This time, from the other direction it was a lot easier. I slabbed along until the turn for Sutton Forest. This got me back on the back roads, but skipped Mittagong - Moss Vale. I'd been on the road for something over an hour and hadn't even had breakfast so I stopped to take a break and eat the sandwiches I'd packed. As I stood around munching away, the rain slowly started. I geared up and headed off. A few shaky moments as I settled into the wet roads, and my wet gear again. I'm sure the car caught up behind me was shaking their head.


    In Bundanoon I stopped for fuel and the shop owner described the wet weather chaos I had left behind, third hand from callers to the radio station. Sounded like I got out of there just in time as the rain was only light here. On the move the rain swiftly dissipated until and for the remainder of the ride I had a mix of overcast or broken clouds but no more rain. The wet weather gear stayed on for a long while just in case.

    I cruised along what was fast becoming one of my favourite rides, the Highland Way. Nearly no traffic, mostly 100 limits, good condition road, though not always a full two lanes of seal. An hour or so later I arrived back at the Hume. Another quick bite and took off.

    This time for something new. I had been browsing Google Maps a few days back and hit on a new route, which I asked some other trusty explorers I know about the condition. It came as a recommended option. Turning at Jerrara Road, towards Bungonia (don't you love Aussie place names!) then on through Windellama (or Windy Llama!) before turning west again towards Tarago, Bungendore and eventually Canberra. That was the plan.

    And I almost stuffed it. Whilst on the short stretch of Hume towards Jerrara Rd I came across road works where they were building a new overpass/on ramp. The signs read "South Marulen Rd" but as I passed the new overpass the old road appeared just past it. I spotted a sign down the road JERRARA RD. Crap, the turn off. Luckily we're still in the construction zone so I braked and veered into the cones. in the relative safety of the cones I did the most insane thing, turning around and heading the wrong way up the freeway. Inside the cones or not, any copper gong past would certainly come over to have a quiet word. About 5 metres later I turned up the road.




    This road wasn't as quite the same build standard as the Highland Way, but it was in good shape and flowed nicely at 100 (or a little more) So another hour or passed smoothly as I wound my way south and then west. Eventually I passed through Bungendore and into Queenbeyan and finally Canberra.






    Overall several pleasant hours winding away at a brisk and not usually licensing worrying speed through the countryside. I even arrived in Canberra in time to catch a movie on cheap Tuesday (Tuesdays the cinemas traditionally have almost 50% discounts)

    The route on Google

    Day Two

    My meeting was scheduled for the morning, and it turner out that the drizzle and rain finally caught up to me so Canberra awoke to some light rain. I wasn't too disappointed as the return trip was always going to be Hume Hwy the whole way.

    Gearing up I was on the road with about 90mins of extra time up my sleeve. The rain though got steadily more constant and steadily heavier, until I'd been riding in rain for about 3 of my 3hrs and 30 min trip. My visor completely lost the plot when I hit the city freeway traffic, no idea why, but it made for a very nervous rider as cars appeared out of the gloom. Sadly my rain gear didn't quite live up to its own previous standard and I was very wet in some areas. Though I'm not sure any rain gear would have held up, I was wet, but not cold so it was alright.

    But slabbing is absolutely no fun at all!!!

    I have to go back to Canberra in May too..... hmm
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