Contact Us
28-08-2006, 05:35pm
I have been given publisher's OK to post my unedited story up in full.
So here it is without the photos. I hope you enjoy it.
The Ultimate Sports Bike Tour. Words by Ray Buscombe (aka BUSGO)
Dateline: 31March – 02April 2006
The Suzuki Hayabusa (GSX1300R) was released onto the Australian public in 1999 and apart from annual colour changes and a very few minor modifications, it has remained unchanged since. It was cutting edge technology when it hit the market and there are few contenders to replace the beast as the best big bore true sports tourer.
I say “onto” because once the big birds talons have grabbed you, you are captivated for the rest of your riding days. It is billed as the “Ultimate Sports Tourer” and my plan for this trip was to take the Ultimate Sports Tour.
Some bikers like it in the dirt, some like to drag, some bling it up and head for the café, while others head for the track for their thrills. I like to get out on the road and spend a few days with some good friends. We ride all day, we stop, drink and tell tales, we rest and then the next day, we do it again. Life can be good.
There are a lot of bikers like me, I know because I pass them on the road and chat to them at the petrol station while we clean our visors.
We leave on our trips early after a restless night, regardless of the weather and usually, after a few weeks discussion with our mates about the route and the stopovers.
I’ve done this most of my life and met some wonderful friends along the road. For this trip, I invited lots of friends to share the fun, on roads that I knew would be popular but also a challenge. After all, it’s the thrill of the ride that keeps us going, is it not?
Mike Rogers and I have done many thousands of kilometers together on trips like this and it was while we were stopped for a cold drink at the Nymboida Coaching Station Inn a year or so ago, that I decided to put a dream ride plan into action.
And so it happened: - Some of the best riding roads in Australia are always just a bit too far away from where you live. To get the most out of a journey a stopover is required and the Nymboida location is an ideal one for such a trip. Forty kilometers South of Grafton, it is situated smack in the middle of some of the best riding roads in eastern Australia, Waterfall Way, Gwydir Hwy and the Oxley Hwy, just for starters. For the sports touring enthusiast, it is like heaven on earth.
Having decided on a resting place, the next step was to lock in a suitable date with the motel and then tell everyone about it. Rob and Diane Rioall, the proprietors of the Inn, were only too happy to book the motel out to me as long as I released any unconfirmed rooms two weeks before the date and this seemed to work well. We only had two free rooms after a late cancellation or two and other travelers keen to get a top location to spend the night quickly snapped these up.
Roll call for this trip was 7 x Hayabusas, 1 x ZX-12R, 1 x ZX-9R, 1 x Rocket III, 1 x VFR800 and 1 x BMW K1200S. Another busa and an FJR1300 had to pull out at the last minute unfortunately. We also had the benefit of a 4 x 4 and bike trailer but thankfully it wasn’t required to assist.
The group descended on Nymboida from both North and South. My plan was for a 3 day ride starting from Newcastle.
Day 1 – Friday - 550klms. Buckett’s Way to Gloucester, Thunderbolt’s Way to Uralla, a short skip up to Armidale and then down Waterfall Way to Nymboida. Those of you who are familiar with these roads will know all too well of the challenges they pose. There are obstacles all along the way. The Buckett’s Way is littered with small country towns, potholes and cowpats but has some delightful rolling hills to make the ride a thrill. On the other hand, Thunderbolt’s Way graduates from tight bumpy hairpins and creek crossings to long flowing continuous arc bends and long stretches of smooth tarmac where you can see 10 kilometers ahead. A conscious effort is required to ride sensibly in this country because hazards can pop up anywhere. On our way up the mountain on this day, the road was literally smeared with liquid cowshit all the way from Bretti Reserve to Casson’s Lookout. We later passed the offending truck on the side of the road near Nowendoc. He may have thought we were waving but I assure you, we were not!
The Waterfall Way descends from Armidale to the coast and you have the choice of taking a turn off through Dorrigo to Bellingen or continue on via Nymboida to Grafton. Either way the road is blessed with rolling hills and smooth sweepers. Although there are of course the forest sections that wind seemingly endlessly through the bush. The hazards around here are of the furry type and sometimes a logging truck owns the road.
While the Newcastle group headed north, the Brisbane group are divided and head south in two groups. They’re route, Yatala, Murwillumbah, Uki, Kyogle, Casino, Grafton and then Nymboida. Unfortunately, they copped some rain along the way and a flat slowed them down but the rest of us enthusiastically greeted them just after nightfall and in time for a hearty meal at the Inn.
We gathered for the aforementioned beer and bragging session, a spa and a good nights sleep.
Day 2 – Saturday - 430klms. Grafton and the great climb up the Gibralter Ranges via the Gwydir Hwy to Glen Innes. This is another of Australia’s great motorcycle roads although because of it’s remoteness from most of the major cities, it is not raved about like the Oxley. Believe me, a ride from Grafton to Moree and back has it all. The surface is like a black ribbon trimmed in white and has perfect grip. We turn left at Glen Innes and travel back along the New England Hwy to Guyra and what appears to be the crest of the Great Dividing Range. The road is marked at 1410 meters of elevation and you can see down the western slopes and the eastern slopes from the one spot. There is a shorter route back to Ebor from Guyra, however we had arranged to meet some latecomers in Armidale, which we did and then had lunch. We continued our trip along the Waterfall Way back to Nymboida for the 2nd day in a row but this time the road was dry and the trip much shorter. Another bout of story telling ensued and a chance for everyone to finally get together and also meet the less fortunate riders who could not leave home on Friday.
Day 3 – Sunday – 600klm. With a workday on Monday for most, it’s an early start for the ride home but the group numbers are swelled by the addition of the later arrivals. Our trip back to Newcastle allowed us to climb the mountain back to Armidale from the opposite direction and this was even more enjoyable. For some reason, I prefer to climb hills on a bike rather than descend them. I think it is a love of torque generated by the mighty Busa engine. The return home was varied to take in the Oxley Hwy from Walcha to Wauchope instead of Thunderbolt’s Way. I must say that on this trip the surface was the best it has been in my memory and I’ve been at this caper for a long time. The return route had the double bonus of also being able to tackle the Wootton Way. This is the old Pacific Hwy between Coolongolook and Bulahdelah. Before it was bypassed, this stretch of road was known as O’sullivan’s Gap and was infamous for it’s dangerous curves. It seemed to be forever blocked by overturned trucks. Nowadays it is a seldom-used road that services the small township of Wootton and a few farms. It is sometimes closed and used as a hill climb venue by the sports car fraternity. Often littered with sticks and leaves, due to it’s infrequent use by cars and trucks, it has a wonderful surface and is only spoilt by the small trickle of water across the road in some places for a day or two after heavy rain. On this day though and late in the afternoon, there were no such problems. It was a tremendous climax to three days of the best riding imaginable.
If you would like to take the trip, you can check out the Nymboida Coaching Station Inn’s website at www.coachingstation.com or telephone Rob or Diane on 02 6649 4126 and to keep up to date with what is happening with the Australian Hayabusa Club, our website is www.ozbusa.com.
The participants of this adventure were unanimous in their decision to DO IT AGAIN.
Rgds BUSGO
"TAKE MY ADVICE"
I'm not using it anyway!Edited by: BUSGO at: 28/8/06 7:39 pm
So here it is without the photos. I hope you enjoy it.
The Ultimate Sports Bike Tour. Words by Ray Buscombe (aka BUSGO)
Dateline: 31March – 02April 2006
The Suzuki Hayabusa (GSX1300R) was released onto the Australian public in 1999 and apart from annual colour changes and a very few minor modifications, it has remained unchanged since. It was cutting edge technology when it hit the market and there are few contenders to replace the beast as the best big bore true sports tourer.
I say “onto” because once the big birds talons have grabbed you, you are captivated for the rest of your riding days. It is billed as the “Ultimate Sports Tourer” and my plan for this trip was to take the Ultimate Sports Tour.
Some bikers like it in the dirt, some like to drag, some bling it up and head for the café, while others head for the track for their thrills. I like to get out on the road and spend a few days with some good friends. We ride all day, we stop, drink and tell tales, we rest and then the next day, we do it again. Life can be good.
There are a lot of bikers like me, I know because I pass them on the road and chat to them at the petrol station while we clean our visors.
We leave on our trips early after a restless night, regardless of the weather and usually, after a few weeks discussion with our mates about the route and the stopovers.
I’ve done this most of my life and met some wonderful friends along the road. For this trip, I invited lots of friends to share the fun, on roads that I knew would be popular but also a challenge. After all, it’s the thrill of the ride that keeps us going, is it not?
Mike Rogers and I have done many thousands of kilometers together on trips like this and it was while we were stopped for a cold drink at the Nymboida Coaching Station Inn a year or so ago, that I decided to put a dream ride plan into action.
And so it happened: - Some of the best riding roads in Australia are always just a bit too far away from where you live. To get the most out of a journey a stopover is required and the Nymboida location is an ideal one for such a trip. Forty kilometers South of Grafton, it is situated smack in the middle of some of the best riding roads in eastern Australia, Waterfall Way, Gwydir Hwy and the Oxley Hwy, just for starters. For the sports touring enthusiast, it is like heaven on earth.
Having decided on a resting place, the next step was to lock in a suitable date with the motel and then tell everyone about it. Rob and Diane Rioall, the proprietors of the Inn, were only too happy to book the motel out to me as long as I released any unconfirmed rooms two weeks before the date and this seemed to work well. We only had two free rooms after a late cancellation or two and other travelers keen to get a top location to spend the night quickly snapped these up.
Roll call for this trip was 7 x Hayabusas, 1 x ZX-12R, 1 x ZX-9R, 1 x Rocket III, 1 x VFR800 and 1 x BMW K1200S. Another busa and an FJR1300 had to pull out at the last minute unfortunately. We also had the benefit of a 4 x 4 and bike trailer but thankfully it wasn’t required to assist.
The group descended on Nymboida from both North and South. My plan was for a 3 day ride starting from Newcastle.
Day 1 – Friday - 550klms. Buckett’s Way to Gloucester, Thunderbolt’s Way to Uralla, a short skip up to Armidale and then down Waterfall Way to Nymboida. Those of you who are familiar with these roads will know all too well of the challenges they pose. There are obstacles all along the way. The Buckett’s Way is littered with small country towns, potholes and cowpats but has some delightful rolling hills to make the ride a thrill. On the other hand, Thunderbolt’s Way graduates from tight bumpy hairpins and creek crossings to long flowing continuous arc bends and long stretches of smooth tarmac where you can see 10 kilometers ahead. A conscious effort is required to ride sensibly in this country because hazards can pop up anywhere. On our way up the mountain on this day, the road was literally smeared with liquid cowshit all the way from Bretti Reserve to Casson’s Lookout. We later passed the offending truck on the side of the road near Nowendoc. He may have thought we were waving but I assure you, we were not!
The Waterfall Way descends from Armidale to the coast and you have the choice of taking a turn off through Dorrigo to Bellingen or continue on via Nymboida to Grafton. Either way the road is blessed with rolling hills and smooth sweepers. Although there are of course the forest sections that wind seemingly endlessly through the bush. The hazards around here are of the furry type and sometimes a logging truck owns the road.
While the Newcastle group headed north, the Brisbane group are divided and head south in two groups. They’re route, Yatala, Murwillumbah, Uki, Kyogle, Casino, Grafton and then Nymboida. Unfortunately, they copped some rain along the way and a flat slowed them down but the rest of us enthusiastically greeted them just after nightfall and in time for a hearty meal at the Inn.
We gathered for the aforementioned beer and bragging session, a spa and a good nights sleep.
Day 2 – Saturday - 430klms. Grafton and the great climb up the Gibralter Ranges via the Gwydir Hwy to Glen Innes. This is another of Australia’s great motorcycle roads although because of it’s remoteness from most of the major cities, it is not raved about like the Oxley. Believe me, a ride from Grafton to Moree and back has it all. The surface is like a black ribbon trimmed in white and has perfect grip. We turn left at Glen Innes and travel back along the New England Hwy to Guyra and what appears to be the crest of the Great Dividing Range. The road is marked at 1410 meters of elevation and you can see down the western slopes and the eastern slopes from the one spot. There is a shorter route back to Ebor from Guyra, however we had arranged to meet some latecomers in Armidale, which we did and then had lunch. We continued our trip along the Waterfall Way back to Nymboida for the 2nd day in a row but this time the road was dry and the trip much shorter. Another bout of story telling ensued and a chance for everyone to finally get together and also meet the less fortunate riders who could not leave home on Friday.
Day 3 – Sunday – 600klm. With a workday on Monday for most, it’s an early start for the ride home but the group numbers are swelled by the addition of the later arrivals. Our trip back to Newcastle allowed us to climb the mountain back to Armidale from the opposite direction and this was even more enjoyable. For some reason, I prefer to climb hills on a bike rather than descend them. I think it is a love of torque generated by the mighty Busa engine. The return home was varied to take in the Oxley Hwy from Walcha to Wauchope instead of Thunderbolt’s Way. I must say that on this trip the surface was the best it has been in my memory and I’ve been at this caper for a long time. The return route had the double bonus of also being able to tackle the Wootton Way. This is the old Pacific Hwy between Coolongolook and Bulahdelah. Before it was bypassed, this stretch of road was known as O’sullivan’s Gap and was infamous for it’s dangerous curves. It seemed to be forever blocked by overturned trucks. Nowadays it is a seldom-used road that services the small township of Wootton and a few farms. It is sometimes closed and used as a hill climb venue by the sports car fraternity. Often littered with sticks and leaves, due to it’s infrequent use by cars and trucks, it has a wonderful surface and is only spoilt by the small trickle of water across the road in some places for a day or two after heavy rain. On this day though and late in the afternoon, there were no such problems. It was a tremendous climax to three days of the best riding imaginable.
If you would like to take the trip, you can check out the Nymboida Coaching Station Inn’s website at www.coachingstation.com or telephone Rob or Diane on 02 6649 4126 and to keep up to date with what is happening with the Australian Hayabusa Club, our website is www.ozbusa.com.
The participants of this adventure were unanimous in their decision to DO IT AGAIN.
Rgds BUSGO
"TAKE MY ADVICE"
I'm not using it anyway!Edited by: BUSGO at: 28/8/06 7:39 pm