A lap of the map

[Huzo]

Here's a beaut idea !!!
How about a lap of Australia by a bunch of Guzzies in 2018 ? April and May is pretty ideal. 'Did it in 2009 on a clockwise lap starting Ballarat and got 5 minutes of rain at Crystal brook (1000 k in), and no rain again 'till Cairns...
Sounds good, no ???

[wyno]

I'd love to go Pete, but yesterday my boss told us that he's quitting the plaster hanging business in 2 weeks and I'm going to have to find another job. Or win tattslotto. If I do find another job thay may be reluctant to let me go off on a jaunt too early in the piece.

[Clancy]

Would love to, but won't be able to.
I hope to get a life sometime before I die....

[ITSec]

Give me more than 6 months notice and I might be able to get this in the plans - I've been wanting to get down there for years!

[ridingron]

Interesting! Something to think about. Any idea of cost (in Australia)? How long is the tour? I guess I'll be renting a bike.

[Huzo]

Give me more than 6 months notice and I might be able to get this in the plans - I've been wanting to get down there for years!

You name the date and I'll be in it !

[Huzo]

Interesting! Something to think about. Any idea of cost (in Australia)? How long is the tour? I guess I'll be renting a bike.

No you bloody well won't be renting a bike !
I've got a Yamaha Diversion you can use free if you want. Not a Guzzi obviously, but goes beautifully and got top box and panniers.
I'll pick you up at Melbourne airport and stay with us before departure.
Also I went 'round in 2009 and it took 7 weeks at a very leisurely pace with a fair amount of days "off".
Count on $100 a day, so less for you American guys due to favourable exchange rate. I'll post some shots of the Yamaha if there's any interest.p

[Huzo]

I'd love to go Pete, but yesterday my boss told us that he's quitting the plaster hanging business in 2 weeks and I'm going to have to find another job. Or win tattslotto. If I do find another job thay may be reluctant to let me go off on a jaunt too early in the piece.

Shit !!!
Sorry to hear that mate, good luck..

[Huzo]

Would love to, but won't be able to.
I hope to get a life sometime before I die....

Sorry to hear that Clancy.
(Especially the second bit...)

[Murray]

Which direction are you going and how long do you intend to take?

[Huzo]

Which direction are you going and how long do you intend to take?

Flexible Murray, but I thought anticlockwise but don't really mind either way.
Last time I took it quite slowly, and it worked out to around 7 weeks.

[Testarossa]

I've heard that Highway 1 is 9,000 miles. Three weeks at a comfortable pace.

[Huzo]

I've heard that Highway 1 is 9,000 miles. Three weeks at a comfortable pace.

I do know how to smash out miles and I've lived in Australia for 59 years and I've been around it on a bike...
'Tell ya what Testa, when we go, we'll see how you feel when you've gotten home in three weeks and saw NOTHING.
It does make sense what you say though, on your sofa with a calculator.
The round Australia record sits at way under 10 days but that's never been the point.
Anyway, I'll see you at Melbourne airport. Now where's my piece of cardboard and marker pen...?

[Huzo]

I've heard that Highway 1 is 9,000 miles. Three weeks at a comfortable pace.

Testarossa.
At your148 lbs and not overly tall, I also have a nice SV650 S Suzuki that is available to you at no cost like the Diversion for Ridingron.
I would welcome some tuition on doing 5,000 km a week while still enjoying the sights and sounds of the best country on earth !
You won't get homesick though, all you're gunna see with your plan is ashphalt and it looks just like the stuff in the States.
Just got off the phone with my mate who did the Oz lap with me in '09.
He said we did 18,000 k minimum and may have been 20,000. We didn't divert much off the main Highway1, but up around Cairns we did a bit.
Point is, you will have bugger all change out of 20,000 k.
Sooo....
20,000 k in 3 weeks is a sniff under 7,000 a week, (keeping up so far?), now doing the complex math gives me a grand total of...
1000 k a day with no day off in 3 weeks. You bloody beauty !!!!

[Murray]

Flexible Murray, but I thought anticlockwise but don't really mind either way.
Last time I took it quite slowly, and it worked out to around 7 weeks.

I've give it some thought but currently the accountants at work are wetting their panties if anyone builds up much more than 6 weeks leave.

[Testarossa]

Huzo:  Thanks for the offer of the SV650.  Sounds like a load of fun.

I can see why you'd want to divert for scenic experiences and good eats. So double the mileage and time!

When I come to Oz it will be for your winter and I'll bunk in with friends at Perisher. More likely July than April. It would be great to take a week and do a loop Sydney-Melbourne-Sydney. Would that be doable and worth the time in, say, early August?

[ridingron]

Huzo-Thanks for that wonderful offer!! But ...

I looked at a map and Australia is very close to the U.S. in size. If I'm on a flower sniffing ride, and this would be one, I would be more of a 350-400 mile day (500-650 KM) mode. I can only get 4 weeks vacation so this would be a hurried affair. I doubt I would enjoy a 400 mile day after day ride. Especially on a strange to me bike.

Maybe I could do half a lap and hand off the bike to some one else to finish the second half. 

[Murray]

Huzo:  Thanks for the offer of the SV650.  Sounds like a load of fun.

I can see why you'd want to divert for scenic experiences and good eats. So double the mileage and time!

When I come to Oz it will be for your winter and I'll bunk in with friends at Perisher. More likely July than April. It would be great to take a week and do a loop Sydney-Melbourne-Sydney. Would that be doable and worth the time in, say, early August?

I assume you are aware Perisher gets that white stuff that falls from the sky around that time of year? Which is not always associated with motor-bicycling.

[Huzo]

Huzo:  Thanks for the offer of the SV650.  Sounds like a load of fun.

I can see why you'd want to divert for scenic experiences and good eats. So double the mileage and time!

When I come to Oz it will be for your winter and I'll bunk in with friends at Perisher. More likely July than April. It would be great to take a week and do a loop Sydney-Melbourne-Sydney. Would that be doable and worth the time in, say, early August?

The weather around the mountains won't be pleasant, but he high country is always worth a view.

[Huzo]

Huzo-Thanks for that wonderful offer!! But ...

I looked at a map and Australia is very close to the U.S. in size. If I'm on a flower sniffing ride, and this would be one, I would be more of a 350-400 mile day (500-650 KM) mode. I can only get 4 weeks vacation so this would be a hurried affair. I doubt I would enjoy a 400 mile day after day ride. Especially on a strange to me bike.

Maybe I could do half a lap and hand off the bike to some one else to finish the second half. 

That's a pretty good idea !

[mjptexas]

It would be interesting to see a map of your proposed route.

[Testarossa]

I assume you are aware Perisher gets that white stuff that falls from the sky around that time of year? Which is not always associated with motor-bicycling.

Yup. The point is to ski for a week, then bike along the coast. What's the weather like that time of year at sea level? Is the ride between Sydney and Melbourne worth it?

[Huzo]

 

It would be interesting to see a map of your proposed route.

I don't usually plan much. BTW are you intetested ?
Just blast out to the North (this time) and keep the salty stuff on your right.
It's a tiny bit further around the outside for us buffalo boys.

[malik]

Whe n I went around the first time in 2012, more or less directly, with not a lot of diversions, but in a reasonably leisurely fashion, it was 16;000km over some 8-9 weeks. Then last year my cousin from the UK and I did it properly on the V7's -  by no means directly at all & no time limit - 30.000 km over 16 weeks. And there was lots we missed because of weather or whim. So how long is a piece of string? Both trips were satisfying, but I prefer the longer,

Costs - on the V7 it worked out to 7 cents a kilometer, plus services at around $100 per 10,000km, plus say one front tyre & tube and 2 rears. Food costs can be very elastic, but $50 a day should cover it, as a guide, grog extra. Accommodation? On the last trip, we camped half the time (free), paid for it a quarter of the time (from $10 a night up to the occasional $100, but more often $30-$50), and stayed with people the other quarter. Note that the faster you go, the less choice you'll have in accommodation & the more you'll pay. Consider boxing smart there, and plan on camping free as much as you can, it's good fun, you meet lots more people with time & inclination to chat, and it's cheaper.

Whichever way you do it, it's definitely worth it. Get out there & enjoy it while you can.

Mal

[Murray]

Yup. The point is to ski for a week, then bike along the coast. What's the weather like that time of year at sea level? Is the ride between Sydney and Melbourne worth it?

Stay away from the doom (hume) hwy its will be fairly cold wet and miserable especially in Melbourne/Victoria on the south coast it will improve as you head to Sydney, Ideally you want to do the great ocean road but not really that time of year. You won't get any snow or ice but the "high" country is not actually that high so there isn't a massive variation between the weather in the high country and whats at sea level like some other places. Just looked it up the peak is 7310 ft.

[Huzo]

Stay away from the doom (hume) hwy its will be fairly cold wet and miserable especially in Melbourne/Victoria on the south coast it will improve as you head to Sydney, Ideally you want to do the great ocean road but not really that time of year. You won't get any snow or ice but the "high" country is not actually that high so there isn't a massive variation between the weather in the high country and whats at sea level like some other places. Just looked it up the peak is 7310 ft.

Could not have put it better.
(Possibly not as well actually !)
Same goes for Malik...

[ITSec]

You name the date and I'll be in it !

I'll keep that in mind - 2021 I'm gonna try to save for Mandello, but 2019 and 2020 are still open! 

[Huzo]

I'll keep that in mind - 2021 I'm gonna try to save for Mandello, but 2019 and 2020 are still open! 

Whatever you want.
The Diversion is there for you free at any time, or if it goes, there's the SV 650 S. it will never be sold.
Sprockets and chain are brand new  and tyres are virtually new Pilot 4's.

[pete roper]

Yup. The point is to ski for a week, then bike along the coast. What's the weather like that time of year at sea level? Is the ride between Sydney and Melbourne worth it?

Well I'm only two hours south of our pitiful 'Ski Fields' and from my place it's only an hour to the coast. That time of year is our mid winter so it can be pretty bleak but in all honesty as long as you rug up its not an issue. Sure I don't ride as often or as far in winter but we don't have a 'No Go' season in Oz like you do in the US.

If you have a day or two I could tell you a nice run down the south coast, (Which remains just about the most unspoilt part of the SE corner of Oz.) where it will be chilly but probably mostly fine at that time of year. If you aren't a fuquetard I might even lend you the Stelvio to flog about on.

Pete

[Testarossa]

You're a generous lot.

My trans-Pacific trip depends on whether Vail management wants to export my ski school program to Perisher. Hoping.