Thunderbolts and Oxley, very very frightening me! Galileo, Galileo.... (verbose ride report)

Is the New England still going at Walcha?

Good that ya back out into it again.. doing similar similar shit as
you after same shit, but in a 4b this time

 

Actually not frightening at all - just frighteningly good!! Just bliss,
ridiculous smiling under the helmet and teriffic movement in the trouser!!

On Thu night, I rode to Gloucester (from Sydney) and stayed in the Golf club
motel - a feisty $105 these days. Convenient staggering distance to the
club for dinner - bloody huge steak, a few beers and a kilo of pav. The
entire kitchen and bar stayed open just for me for the last 90 mins or so...
and were a bit pissed off when I took my empty plate to them for denying
them the joyful priviledge. Thrills are big in Gloucester...

Anyway, I had planned to leave by 0700 but locals talked of womats, roos and
black ice until 0900 so I had a big brekky at Prego in town and then pointed
my large throbbing beast for the hills.

Armed with (from the bottom): 1 x pair of thick trekking socks (worn on my
feet this time), 2 x long johns, 1 x Draggin Jeans, 2 x long thermal tops, 1
x thick shirt, 1 x windproof vest + leather jacket and summer gloves (the
winters were at the ready) I remained fairly warm as you would expect. The
coldest bits were at the bottom of the mtn between Gloucester and Carsons
Lookout. Walcha was prob about 18 deg by the time I got there (at around
1000).

I had forgotten the sheer beauty of the Thunderbolts, though in my
enthusiasm, only got to see the surrounds on the damp bits where I kept
things at a more sedate level. The cool air was gulped in by the big Honda
with some zest and the beast just wanted to thrust thrust me up that
beautiful road. Having not done a long ride for some time I took it
relatively easy, only seeing the high side of 250 on a handful of
occassions... Glooorious, but the silly stuff contained to some of the 5+
km straights were there was nothing to hit and no hiding spots... The
remaining majority was contained to the German speed limit (which is safe in
Germany but apparently not safe in Oz... hmmm).

(...haven't done this for a while... sorry if it's getting tedious...)

A hot drink in Walcha, chat with the locals and then the rising anticipation
of the Oxley - the fun just keeps on getting 'funner'!! I cannot ride that
stretch too many times - the big Bird enjoying everything I threw at it
(which for a ham-fisted bloke like me isn't that special). I really didn't
go too silly but will confess to a brief moment passing Gingers - casting an
eye to the parking lot and not registering the off-camber left sweeper,
managed to keep to my side somehow!

The entire Oxley is beautiful but I couldn't help but wonder how many people
lose it there - I understand a guy died near the Comboyne turn-off a few
days ago - overtaking blind into a car. Sad but we'll never stop that.
However, the notion of speed leniency seemed appropriate on the big
stretches around Walcha - magic surface, great vis and no traffic.
Thankfully (touch wood) I seem to have made it without attention...

Today I enjoyed the Port Macq. coastal area sans baffles (oval Staintunes).
The bike does put out some noise but I'd rather be heard. Baffles back in
for the run back tomorrow.

So there it is - at last a decent run, first in almost 2 yrs and still
loving it. Perhaps I'll keep this baby for a bit longer!

Cheers,
Dave

 

A tremendous read... thanks Dave. Makes me want to get off my butt, get out there and do some
touring. Thanks again mate.

Waratah

 

Caution suggested...have twice encountered hway patrol cars recently between
Nowendoc & Walcha. Last time had just dropped back to nothing from 250+ to
allow my companions to catch up, whew!
G.

 

Thanks dude. Sorry to hear it - not a great thing eh? I've also been into
the 4WD thing - am considering buying one soonish. How about the Range
Rover Sport V8 TDi for a *serious* off-roader??? hehe

Actually, drove a new one last week - blew me away. Quick and heavy -
thunderous ball-jangling deep throbbing donk - crazy. Couldn't imagine
feeding one (or taking it off-road).

Cheers,
Dave

 

Hey W,

thanks for your kind words. Get out there - now's the time to do it as all
the soft bvstards are sitting at home reading about it - not clogging up the
roads!

Actually with a few thermal bits and pieces, there's no need to be cold. (I
*HATE* the cold and enjoyed every bit of the Walcha run yesterday).

Cheers,
Dave

 

Maaate - there are rewards in the colder months - far less traffic,
different colours and you can mitigate against the cold. Not so easy to
keep cool when it's 40 deg out there in summer!

BTW, is your nick related to you or your bike? If it's the latter - how
good is the XX?? Perhaps a bit lacking in character (OK, so maybe a fair
bit) but a serious mile muncher. Faaaark - sometimes I wonder how it's
legal!

Cheers,
Dave

 

Hehe - sounds like you were on a good blat. Like I said though - I only did
this where there were absolutely no hiding spots (you prob. can't always be
100% sure) and a damned long wide straight with perfect vis.

I've passed a number of them in the past up there as well - lucky so far
touch wood.

Always good to get home unscathed and hopefully with the same points you
started with!

Cheers,
Dave

 

For Sure! 18 months & 30K up on the 'bird (mostly well over the limit on
interstate trips) without loss of a point so far...can't believe my
luck...touch wood also, lol.
G.

 

Exacary the same here - just on 31K now, mostly a bit above the posted and
sometimes at German speeds... Not a point (touch wood again).

Was done in Qld the other day between Port Douglas and Cooktown for 115 in a
110 zone though. Being in a red convertible didn't help my cause I do
believe.

Life is funny sometimes...

Cheers,
Dave

 

What a lovely read, Dave - I could feel your excitement from here! (That's

I was up that way in March, and nearly got skittled on the Oxley on the
second day of my holiday - same deal, with someone overtaking on a blind
corner. Here's an excerpt from the ride report I wrote:

Betty is tired. She's been awake since 2am, and the Oxley Highway is the
next of "Australian Motorcycle Atlas's Top 100 rides" that we just have to
do.

From Bendemeer to Walcha is fine - big sweeping curves, nice road surface,
no nasty surprises or steep drops. When we refuel at Walcha, Betty guzzles a
can of Red Bull, hoping for an injection of energy and alertness, and
overhears the others mumbling something about "steep" and "twisty". They
promise to wait half-way through the twisties, at Gingers Creek, just in
case poor novice Betty needs a break.

When she sees the sign, just past the Yarrowitch Valley, that promises 45kms
of winding road, her heart literally sinks. And it sinks even further when
she sees the steep drop along the side of the mountain. Her heart is, in
fact, in danger of falling out through her bum until 2 cars appear around a
blind 45kmh corner, taking up both sides of the road and leaving her nowhere
to go except over the edge. Who the **** overtakes on a blind corner, for
god's sake? So anyway, her heart is in her mouth by this point. She rolls
off the throttle, veers towards the edge of the road, gets ready to brake or
fall off or something, and the overtaking dickhead accelerates past the
other car and misses her by about 20 feet, max. She slows down even further
and fights back tears until she get to Gingers Creek, white as a ghost. The
others are cheerful - they're having a ball on the twisties. It's Betty's
idea of hell.

Twisty roads are NOT best handled at race-speed. A faster rider wouldn't
have had time to react on that blind corner. They'd have been inside the car
with the idiot driver before they even knew he was there.


It wasn't a good intro to the Oxley. Fortunately I did that bit of road
again (and again and again and AGAIN!) during my holiday up there, just to
exorceise the heeby-jeebies that threatened! (Get BACK, you damned
heeby-jeebies!)

What a fantastic way to reacquaint yourself with the Bird and the road - and
thanks for sharing it!

betty

 

Its a long time since I rode these roads but will definitely do it this year
again

 

Hey Betty,

thanks for your kindly words! I'm back in Sydney now (see latest ride
report). My only close shave on the Oxley was when a semi took half our
lane heading west (we were heading east). For us it was a 35km right hander
with drop on the left. The truck needed his lane and half of ours to make
the corner. Easy solution - fvck the hell off and find a road you can drive
up in your own lane. Luckily Lisa had just said her bit.... something about
I should stop trying to kill us and so I was keeping it down for a few
minutes until she got bored with that lot and found something else to rant
about...

Had we been in a car, blondie and I would have gone *bing* into the semi and
*bash biff blam whack boom* etc. down the hill to our early graves (well,
you get the idea).

Glad you went back and had another crack at it (and another and another...)!
Damned magnificent stretch of road - but IMHO much better away from the
weekends when all the mighty road warriors are doing something else.

Coming back on the Pac Hwy today was certainly not the inspiration of the
north-bound trip. Had a lot of time to ponder the great wisdom of our
leaders and for everyone's sake, will rant about that stuff (road laws, zero
tolerance etc.) at another time... for now - I think I'll have another
beer!

Cheers Betty,
Dave

 

When doing the Oxley, have you included the loop from Walcha - Gloucester -
Nabiac?
A good circuit starting & finishing at Port Macquarie.
G.

 

I did that on my Triumph Daytona and after a big night at Pt Macquarie
started early. Didnt have any problems with cars but going around one tight
corner came a cross a cow standing in my way.
Well I missed the cow ( maybe a steer or bull but I didnt look that
closely ) due to fantastic riding skills...... ok, due to pure luck and
nothing else. Must admit it slowed me down for the rest of the trip

 

Thanks dude. Sorry to hear it - not a great thing eh?
fuckin lawyer cunts.

you have too much money..

You still have too much money

 

Yup - don't get me started. Managed to avoid those bastards but a few mates
have *really* been through the mill.

It's free to dream.

It's still free to dream.

Also free to put the boot into some dealer's vehicle... faaarking awesome.
It would be cheaper to feed than the ex though...

Cheers,
Dave

 

<snip>

Thanks for the report. Hopefully with some good weather this weekend I'll be
something very similar.

Fraser

 

Twice eh? From Melbourne?

Theo