Hotham ride - 7th December

[Beestroyer]

Heres the game plan:
Meet at Queens Park in Healsville 9:00am Saturday 7th - Follow Maroondah Hwy through Healesville and turn onto Badger ck rd. Parking is pretty much at the corner (Melways 270 D12)
Leaving by 10:00, ride through Black Spur, Narbethong, Buxton, Alexandra, Yark, Merton to Mansfield. Fuel and regroup at Mansfield (139km)
Mansfield, Tolmie, to Whitfield where we will stop for lunch and a regroup (63km)
Whitfield, Moyhu, Oxley, Whorouly South to Myrtleford for fuel and regroup (78km)
From Myrtleford I would like two options:
Straight through to Bright, Germantown, Harrietville (55km) for those with sore arses; or
Myrtleford, Ovens, Running Ck, Tawonga, Germantown to Bright for fuel and regroup (89km) then to Harrietville (25km)

At Harrietville we stay over. Its basically a pub with units about 20 metres away. They have a couple of beds, and their own bathroom. We will book them twinshare so you get to bunk with your buddy. Dinner and Breakfast is included for $55.

On Sunday its from Harrietville at 10:00 to Mt Hotham for a regroup (31km)
Mt Hotham to Omeo for fuel and regroup (55km)
Omeo, Tongio, Swifts Ck, Ensay to Bruthen for a regroup (96km)
Bruthen, Sarsfield, Bairnsdale and down the hwy to Sale for fuel and lunch (93km)
From Sale its a cruise back down the Hwy Pakenham (167km) where I expect people will start peeling off.

So thats pretty much it. I will have maps on the day with the above list on the back. There will be regrouping stops at most intersections that will be only a few minutes stop. The regroups mentioned above I expect will be 10 minutes or so. Hopefully there wont be any incidents so all should run smoothly with heaps of time to spare. Worst comes to worst and you get lost, you will have a fair bit of time to catch us at the next stop.

So far there are 10 bikes confirmed. From the club I have:
Deemester +pill
Scott W
Macka + pill
Les + pill
Slong

Im waiting for confirmation from:
Fodder2002

Anyone else please contact me quick so I can make sure we have enough accom booked. Of course, one or two last minute additions wont be a problem.

[foddder2002]

sorry guys can not make it on them date's working unless bye chance u guy's can swap to the 21 & 22 thats the thing about working 4 on 4 off........

[Scott W]

Brendon, back in July I said I was 90% chance of going and I'd know by October. I've not said anything since then so I wouldn't put me down as a definate just yet.

But I know you need numbers, so I will let you know in the next few days (a few things have changed since July).

Cheers, SW.

[Slong]

Hey Brendan,

I had a thought that I might just come up past Whitfield with you all and then visit my folks and friends - I haven't been up in a couple months so a visit is due.

-jon-

[Beestroyer]

Cmon now Slong... Im was up to 15 bikes on this ride then Les pulls out and now your gonna chicken.
You can make it. Theres 2 250's going, so you wont be at the back! I know your not that slow anyway... Ive seen you dragging that gsxr1000!

If more of you are wavering, dont leave it till the day to decide, let me know so I know im going by myself.

Any extras can still join the ride... real riders only please.

Actually I know what it might be, since its only busas that are folding... maybe busas cant go around corners? Is that it?

[Macka]

Sorry all,

It looks like I am going to have take a raincheck on the Hotham ride. I am in between bikes at present, having just sold my old 99 and am in the process of aquiring another.
The timing on this transition wasn't how I wanted it so my apologies to you in particular Beestroyer.
If I can pull a miracle and attend afterall I will advise ASAP.

Apologies again,

Macka.

[Beestroyer]

No worries Macka

Good to hear from a few more interested parties. Looks like we'll have a few over 10 bikes.

I will be ringing all those expecting to go tonight and tomorrow, so if you think your going and dont get a call, give me a ring on 97900032 or turn up at Healsville early, so we dont leave without you.

Thanks guys. See you on the ride.

[busababy]

sadly i was not able to go on this weekend ride due to other commitments, but i met up with the group in healsville just before the ride,,

i left home at 7.45 am hoping to ride with richard and jo but they being unaware that i was coming long, had decided to leave just a bit earlier and i missed them by minutes,,

as soon as i headed off it started raining and it rained non-stop almost all the way to healsville, where the road was bone dry,,

in healsville i had breakfast with the group before bidding them farewell,,

hope to read a full ride report on their return..

here are some pictures i took at the meeting point,,

regards
les

community.webshots.com/sc...D=57042526

[demeester]

Hey Les, the webshots album is not viewable. "You must be logged in", or some shit like that...

Anyway, brief report from my perspective.

Did not see a drop of rain after leaving Healseville until back in Melbourne. The weather just got better and better the whole weekend.

At the meeting point were six Busas, a 1200 bandit, and a Yamaha Genesis thingy... I think the rain in town dampened a few spirits last minute, and they should kick themselves now if anybody let the rain put them off.

The run to Healseville was fairly standard, with some restrained riding interspersed with some exhilarating spurts.

Run to Whitfield is magnificent, now that it is sealed all the way through. The Yam came to mechanical grief and did manage to limp to lunch. It is still there awaiting a trailer ride back to Melbourne.

After lunch we stopped at a winery (in Milawa?). The pillions indulged a little more than the riders, and we ended up at Harrietville at a reasonable time. (Note for next year - we can leave later in the morning - there is ample time to get there....)

A few drinks were consumed that evening...

Glorious start to the second day, up and over Hotham, with some stops for photos, and one stop where I had to peel the remains of a magpie from my left hand mirror and sleeve...

Nice roads down to Bairnsdale, where we lunched. (Light lunch, after biiig breakfast). I don't know what the town was we went via just out of Bairnsdale, but there were some nice Busa-type stretches there, and nobody exceeded the speed limit by even a little bit...

As it got darker, we got closer to Melbourne, and everyone peeled off where appropriate.

Speaking for Jo and myself, we had a ripper of a weekend, and would definitely be in for some sort of repeat performance next year. Thanks, bee, for organising it.

[Scott W]

Excellent. Glad you guys had a good time and free of incident too. Sorry I couldn't go for a variety of reasons, but I was thinking of you guys as I was painting my pergola yesterday.

Maybe next year.

Hey Richard, can't see your gif thingy.

[demeester]

Hmm, don't know why...

[busababy]

try this

cards.webshots.com/cp-407...2526zncCOH

les

[demeester]

Better... thanks... no photos of the photographer, and some shockers of me!

[Beestroyer]

Not my beautiful scratches, you cant show that!
Nice pics Les.

[busababy]

but it ads character...............