6 days 2600 kms

[Moz]

My mate Dom and I headed south into the Oz southern alps on our guzzis - V7 cafe and bellagio respectively..   bikes didn't miss a beat..  we stayed at some good, bad and indifferent places - though each had cold beer and friendly locals.. weather was good, bad and even ugly when going through probably the worst storm I've ridden in - yet, enjoyed every minute ;)

Some pix:

day 1, still in NSW, heading for Khancoban, storm ahead!


Khancoban pub - roads around there are a mecca for bikes


day 2 along the Whitfield - Mansfield road






above Lake Eildon - fantastic road, so twisty we came back this way!


day 3 - along the road to Kinglake from Healesville

same spot in 2014

in 2013


going up Mt Donna Buang. After this we backtracked and went along the Reefton Spur in the Yarra Ranges


Somewhere..




View from Power's Lookout above King Valley - Harry Power was a local bushranger - wild country back in the day..


day 4 - up into the mountains proper..




along the Great Alpine Road into Omeo - a little wet but meh, still lovely riding ;)




day 5 - heading up the 'Chubby Checker' road out of Orbost - 105 kms of twist!




day 6 - homeward bound for Sydney after a big night at the Tathra pub..   :BEER:  again, a little wet but it dried up nicely for the fast burn home along the Pacific Hwy   ::)




The rejuvenative value of motorcycle touring is not to be under-estimated - get out there and doooooeeeet   ;D ;D ;D

[Penderic]

Nice!  ;-T Lots of curves and hills ...... very nice!

[nick949]

 ;-T ;-T ;-T and a bit jealous :'(

Nick

[menzies]

Very envious. Thanks for the pics, love that Bellagio and wish they were available in the US.

[Moz]

...love that Bellagio and wish they were available in the US.

yes, the last of the big block push-rods, short stroke free revving sweetness with decent suspension - a LOT of fun right out of the box and eminently customisable too  8)

[Bill Hagan]

What a great way to remember what riding is like.

None of that here at the top of Virginia just now, only snow on the found, freezing rain tonight, and frigid temps for months ahead.   :'(

But those pix were (almost  ;)) as good as riding there ourselves.

Thanks for posting.

Bill

[johnr]

I could almost smell the hot wet bitumen. That Great Alpine Rd though, is that pea gravel all over it?

[Moz]

I could almost smell the hot wet bitumen. That Great Alpine Rd though, is that pea gravel all over it?

yes in places the steam was really something  ;)  and no, the GAR is sealed nicely all along its length, if a little gravelly in some places off the edges  :-\

[balvenie]

Looks great Moz. Half your luck ;D

[Sasquatch Jim]

  Didn't Harry Power, ( his assumed name at the time) teach Ned Kelly the art of bush rangering?

[balvenie]

Well, if he did Jim, it was all for nought.

Did I miss something? :-\

[Moz]

Yes Harry Power had that claim to fame..and just down the road from that lookout is the turn-off for Stringybark Creek where Kelly killed the policemen :o

[oldbike54]

You betcha  ;-T

  Dusty

[balvenie]

Did I miss something? :-\

Yes indeed I did and thanks for pointing it out Dusty.
And apologies to Sasquatch Jim who knows more than me about my own history.
Seems I should read the captions And look at the pictures in future :-[ :-[

[Perazzimx14]

What a great way to remember what riding is like.

None of that here at the top of Virginia just now, only snow on the found, freezing rain tonight, and frigid temps for months ahead.   :'(

But those pix were (almost  ;)) as good as riding there ourselves.

Thanks for posting.

Bill

It won't be long. We are 1/2 way through January and in another 8 weeks weather will start to break. Spring will have sprung before you know it ;-T

[inditx]

Wish we could get it over here.
I believe it would sell as the "buy the biggest displacement cruiser" fad is over, imho. In fact cruisers in general are taking a beating in the USA.

inditx

[Kev m]

Wish we could get it over here.
I believe it would sell as the "buy the biggest displacement cruiser" fad is over, imho. In fact cruisers in general are taking a beating in the USA.

inditx

I do hope you're right that the buy the biggest displacement fad is over and I agree we're seeing the introduction of some wonderful midrange displacement bikes so that's a good sign.

But most people equate Harleys with cruisers (even if some like me view them slightly more broadly). And Harley still owns 50% of the US street bike market, and other brands are still selling cruisers.

So the whole cruiser thing is far from over here...

[Guzzistajohn]

Nice photos, thanks for the tour! ;-T

[oldbike54]

Yes indeed I did and thanks for pointing it out Dusty.
And apologies to Sasquatch Jim who knows more than me about my own history.
Seems I should read the captions And look at the pictures in future :-[ :-[

Bill , no idea what I pointed out , but will take the credit anyway  ;D

  Dusty

[inditx]

Yeah there will always be those Harley loyalists but even now I see a lot up for sale.
Of course there are a lot more sold, so…...

[Kev m]

Yeah there will always be those Harley loyalists but even now I see a lot up for sale.
Of course there are a lot more sold, so…...

Well again, you see a lot up for sale because most street bikes sold in the US are Harleys, so most street bikes for sale would likely be also...

[inditx]

That's what I tried to say. :~0

inditx

[lucydad]

Fantastic tour...much thanks!  Love to see a small block on the prowl.

[Kev m]

That's what I tried to say. :~0

inditx

Oops, auto-correct made me sound snarky, fixed now....

[inditx]

No worries KevM