Riding from Melbourne to Sydney

I travel with Barley Sugars, in the top of the tankbag.

Theo

 

I'm riding up that way next weekend, to just south of Coffs, but I'm
giving the Waterfall Way a miss and riding an extra 200km detour to the
Gwydir Hwy, because it's been a while since i rode it and I'll be so
close it'd be a shame to miss it again.

Nev..

 

I subscribe to about 40 different podcasts I listen to regularly. I
listen to them on the bike. Certainly makes the day go faster, and
gives the brain something to concentrate on, other than just the white
lines.

Nev..

 

Try checking out peoples bikes parked in remote petrol stations, or
every single bike lined up for the start of each Iron Butt Rally... No
really, I too swear by the airhawk for long distance rides. Seeing one
(or even sitting on one) won't really help you much, because it's when
you get off the bike at the end of a 12 hour ride that you really
discover how good they are. Sitting on one for 30 seconds won't really
give you an indication of their worth. They're not cheap, but the
aussie importer will ship very fast - I ordered mine the day after I
arrived in Cairns after riding from Melbourne. Had it shipped to my
apartment in Cairns and I think it took 2 days... (mind you I think
shipping to Cairns might not be so quick this week).

Nev..

 

Aint that a bugger, I am going up there at the end of February
So sad that I will miss you Nev !!

 

Would you people without diabetes please shut up.

 

Yep; she's a beaut too! North-Eastern NSW is heaven for East-West
motorcyclists!

 

I'm disappointed no-one mentioned the need for a spare clutch
cable... ;^)

Tony F

 

I meant to ask during that thread: if clutch cables break so readily,
why don't brake cables? ...and if brake cables are so much better why
not use them for clutches??!??! :-/

- soakes

 

Does anybody have cable-operated brakes any more?
(pushbikes aside)

 

In aus.motorcycles on Sun, 6 Feb 2011 22:51:34 +1100

Dunno you can buy 'em new, but I have 2 bikes with cable operated
brakes.

Never done a brake cable out on the road, but I have helped a bloke
with a Triumph chopper who did. (Solution was to relocate the brake
lever perch halfway down the apehanger and use a wingnut found by the
side of the road as a cable nipple substitute. He reckoned the brakes
were no worse than usual.)

Zebee

 

Z50 Hondas come with cable front brake, but I have cured mine of this.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

The Ural outfit is brand new. Clutch and brakes are cable operated.
Rear pedal operates through a mechanical linkage to the chair brake.
All very primitive but works fine.

<...>

 

Most punctures occur during the last 20% of tread life (anecdotally
supported by my own flat tyre experiences).

Cheap insurance (and a plusher ride) to put new tyres on.

 

I had an S2 350 triple Kwakka with a cable drum front. I stuck a disc
front-end onto it.
My H1 500 triple had a disc but my brother had a couple of blue-models with
cable-drum fronts. They were pretty frightening to ride in traffic!

 

In aus.motorcycles on Mon, 7 Feb 2011 19:09:31 +1000

The Old Girl has a 10" 4LS front brake.

When properly adjusted it was considerably better at hauling up her
260+kg from speed than the 850T's single disk was at pulling up its
240 or so kg.

Some of that was due to de Tomaso's cost cutting leading to a twin
disk master cylinder on a single disk setup I suspect... but still
it's a damn good drum brake.

(The Yellow Devil has a smaller and narrower 4LS brake, but it also
weighs half what the Old Girl does. Main thing with that bike is that
corner speed is vital so you don't use the brakes unless you have no
choice...)

Zebee

 

My own experience is the opposite.

The only puncture I have ever had was in the first 1,000kms of the
tyre's life!

- soakes

 

They were pretty frightening to ride full stop


Cheers

 

As is the nature of a good 4ls drum unit , I raced a very quick r5 and
tried a single disk quickly , returning to the Fontana and a much more
controllable and powerful stopper

 

Once you got used to the "pucker" factor it was ok