Well the 08 River Rampage is done and dusted.
I had a ball this year, both on the road and in the company of other great members.
Here are some snaps. If you click on them, you will get full size.
The majority of the Newcastle crew travelled via the Buckett's Way up to Gloucester and then the Thunderbolt's Way up to Walcha.
This is at the Casson's Lookout on Thunderbolt's Way
[attachment=2703]
We had a fast food lunch (after a fast transit) in Armidale and then zipped off down Waterfall Way to the Motel in Nymboida where the usual get to know you drinks session got under way.
[attachment=2704]
Some late leavers from Newcastle and the Northerners started drifting in a couple at a time and by dark, everyone had turned up. A big dinner and drinks followed the period of R & R that everyone enjoyed in their spa rooms and then we hit the road early on Saturday to join up with some Queenslanders in Grafton.
Together we blasted up the Gwyder Hwy in small groups, taking in the great scenery and lack of traffic, that allowed some really spirited riding. By the time we all gathered up in Glen Innes for fuel, the atmosphere was electric with exuberance.
[attachment=2705]
We waited a short while for Gaz57 (Turtle) to turn up for the ride down to Armidale for the scheduled lunch at the St Kilda Hotel but eagerness got the better of us and we hit the road in a train of about 20 bikes. Not far down the road a lone 99 Red&Black crested the hill towards us and arms waved and lights flashed. Turtle did a uee and joined on to the pack for the run back into Armidale.
As we pulled into the carpark, the unthinkable happened, one of the bikes failed to make the turn into the carpark and was ingloriously shunted up behind a parked 4 x 4.
The bolt that holds the throttle side clip on to the tripple tree had snapped and the whole hand grip fell off, leaving poor Ford and Linda with no control of the front end.
If this had happened anywhere in the previous 300klm it could have been an absolute disaster. As it happened the location and timing could not have been better for such a catastrophe.
We had the local knowledge and the mechanical whizzes to get the bike repaired in about 2 hrs total.
The extra time at the pub gave the crowd a good chance to check out some more locals bikes when Slipstream08 and his partner came to have lunch with us.
[attachment=2706]
We got back on the road in smaller groups and rode back to Nymboida with a stopoff at Ebor for fuel and to clean visors etc.
[attachment=2707]
(to be continued)
I had a ball this year, both on the road and in the company of other great members.
Here are some snaps. If you click on them, you will get full size.
The majority of the Newcastle crew travelled via the Buckett's Way up to Gloucester and then the Thunderbolt's Way up to Walcha.
This is at the Casson's Lookout on Thunderbolt's Way
[attachment=2703]
We had a fast food lunch (after a fast transit) in Armidale and then zipped off down Waterfall Way to the Motel in Nymboida where the usual get to know you drinks session got under way.
[attachment=2704]
Some late leavers from Newcastle and the Northerners started drifting in a couple at a time and by dark, everyone had turned up. A big dinner and drinks followed the period of R & R that everyone enjoyed in their spa rooms and then we hit the road early on Saturday to join up with some Queenslanders in Grafton.
Together we blasted up the Gwyder Hwy in small groups, taking in the great scenery and lack of traffic, that allowed some really spirited riding. By the time we all gathered up in Glen Innes for fuel, the atmosphere was electric with exuberance.
[attachment=2705]
We waited a short while for Gaz57 (Turtle) to turn up for the ride down to Armidale for the scheduled lunch at the St Kilda Hotel but eagerness got the better of us and we hit the road in a train of about 20 bikes. Not far down the road a lone 99 Red&Black crested the hill towards us and arms waved and lights flashed. Turtle did a uee and joined on to the pack for the run back into Armidale.
As we pulled into the carpark, the unthinkable happened, one of the bikes failed to make the turn into the carpark and was ingloriously shunted up behind a parked 4 x 4.
The bolt that holds the throttle side clip on to the tripple tree had snapped and the whole hand grip fell off, leaving poor Ford and Linda with no control of the front end.
If this had happened anywhere in the previous 300klm it could have been an absolute disaster. As it happened the location and timing could not have been better for such a catastrophe.
We had the local knowledge and the mechanical whizzes to get the bike repaired in about 2 hrs total.
The extra time at the pub gave the crowd a good chance to check out some more locals bikes when Slipstream08 and his partner came to have lunch with us.
[attachment=2706]
We got back on the road in smaller groups and rode back to Nymboida with a stopoff at Ebor for fuel and to clean visors etc.
[attachment=2707]
(to be continued)
"If time catches up with you. You're going too slow!"
Regards BUSGO
Regards BUSGO