Ride Report
1st & 2nd Feb 2013
FarRide #22 - Nambucca Heads
Selected Ride FR1200 Gold
Initial Ride Plan:
Complete FR1200 Gold, check in at the V-Wall and have go for a IBA SS1600.
I had to work on Friday 1st Feb, I planned on starting at about 18:30, that meant an overnight ride to arrive in Nambucca Heads in time to complete my ride log, then head for home at about 12:30 picking up the extra Kilometers to qualify for a IBA SS1600.
Initial Planned Route:
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd399/Black9cat/IBASS1600-02Feb2013_zpsc6029e2f.jpg)
Kilometers worked out nicely for both a FR1200 Gold and a SS1600 ride.
The weather up north QLD went down hill in a big way, continuing south then into Northern NSW, Very high Wind, Very heavy rain, Floods, some Tornado's, Roads closed etc.
I decided to change my route and head south with a loop back up to Nambucca Head, then back track home to Singleton.
Again the Kilometers worked out nicely,
New Planned Route:
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd399/Black9cat/1amp2Feb2013-RideMap_zpsa59614e1.jpg)
We had some nasty storms mid week leading up to the ride in the Hunter but there was time for it to sort itself out, I hoped so anyway.
The weather was starting to clear, flood waters were going down. trees were cleared off road etc, all looked good to go.
Friday was clear in the morning, in the afternoon the clouds were rolling in and the severe weather warning was out for NSW coastal and coastal inland areas, looked like I was in for a damp ride.
I fired up the GTR to warm up before moving it outside under the side awning to pack my stuff when I noticed smoke coming up through the cowling, it smelled like wire insulation does when it burns, I immediately had an adrenaline rush and shut the bike off and started looking for the cause.
Well it was not an electrical fault.
When the GTR was in the shop getting all its damaged plastic replaced after my wildlife experience coming home from Remark, they took my fender extender off the old fender and refitted it to the new replacement fender, they were doing me a favour but only used double sided tape and some silastic and did not put in some screws like it was originally fitted.
I can only think that my extended ride through heat wave conditions cause the tape and silastic to come loose.
Anyway the fender extender came away and ended up in the headers, it must have happened when I out riding as it was melted all over the pipes.
A Couple of Photos:
Through Cowling -
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd399/Black9cat/P2010002_zps6a1d49e3.jpg)
From underneath -
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd399/Black9cat/P2010004_zpscac0558e.jpg)
The bike was packed and parked pointing out the driveway ready to go.
The weather right on kick off.
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd399/Black9cat/th_Ridetimerain_zpscc170056.jpg) (http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd399/Black9cat/Ridetimerain_zpscc170056.mp4)
My wife Bev was seriously not happy with my plans to ride in this weather and told me so, I was almost convinced to not go but checked the weather forecast and maps again and decided to go, I promised Bev if it got too bad that I would park up and wait it out, I also had strict instruction to call home periodically as well which I do on all my long rides anyway.
That said kitted up and left.
I rode through a number of thunder storms, the wind was gusty and swirled and seemed to come from all direction at once but no worse than other rides in foul weather I had done previously, for me the biggest risk was not the rain, but the wind and what stone washed onto the road.
The leg that was of most concern was the section from Sandy Hollow through Kandos and Sofala to Bathurst as it is hilly and twisty and given the storms we had there could be trees down or other road damage and since I would hit that area just on dark I would have to take extra care, Of course it poured rain as well through to Bathurst, once past Bathurst I have far to good roads and the rain did not bother me to much.
Great thunder and light show.
Ride times and fuel usage:
I rode into town and got my start docket from the ATM at 18:25 and hit the road.
I arrived in Nambucca Heads and got my Finish Docket from the servo at 09:53 got to the V-Wall, had a chat with some of the folks already there, grabbed a coffee and completed my Ride Log for the FR1200 Gold, took some photos then waited for the check in to open.
I did not hang around after check in, I wanted to have a go for the SS1600, I was up at 05:00 Friday Morning and had not slept since, I was feeling pretty good and felt that it was achievable so I picked up another docket from the same servo on the way out of Nambucca Heads at 12:24.
395km to home, I was prepared that if I felt tired along the way that I would let the SS1600 go and book into a motel and sleep.
I made it home without incident getting my Finish Docket from the servo at 17:06.
I used 101.83 litres of fuel with an average Km/Lt of 16.35, given the winds I was pushing I thought that was OK.
Got home parked the bike up, unloaded my gear, although it had not rained on the way home from Nambucca Head everything I was wearing was damp.
I had a shower and sat down and had something light to eat then the fatigue hit me, I nearly nodded off in my food.
12 hrs later I was up, feeling a little tired, but not sore.
Sat in my office and took it easy and put this report together.
I did not take photos along the way as I was on the clock but what photos I did take at the V-Wall are below.
Some riders were coming in fast as I was going out, tick tock, nothing like cutting it fine to get the heart rate up.
A successful FR1200 Gold (My First), Another successful SS1600 verification pending of course (my Second), the GTR Purred all the way, love those PR3 tires in the wet.
Cheers
Paul
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd399/Black9cat/P2020011_zps706b0763.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd399/Black9cat/P2020010_zpsa908a146.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd399/Black9cat/P2020009_zps24107e8a.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd399/Black9cat/P2020008_zps88ac10da.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd399/Black9cat/P2020007_zps4efad052.jpg)
(http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd399/Black9cat/P2020005_zpse1d4a650.jpg)
Great report Paul and judging by the photos, it seems that you eventually got some decent weather to ride in.
Who organises this type of ride and do you collect points//prizes for completing them ?
Wow...
How often do you replace your keyboard? :wacko:
That's a brilliant report - thanks for taking the time to put that up here.
Did you manage to get all that plastic off the pipes in the end? Maybe it'll just burn off after a while..
Ros
Quoteolde coney
Re: Ride Report - FarRide #22 FR1200G & IBA SS1600
Reply #1 on: Today at 07:56:39 AM
Great report Paul and judging by the photos, it seems that you eventually got some decent weather to ride in.
Who organises this type of ride and do you collect points//prizes for completing them ?
Yes the weather did clear, It did not rain on the trip home from Nambucca Heads, however I was damp when I got home.
This ride is called a FarRide, it is sort of the Australian version of the IBA, As you can see from my report I did both at the same time in under a 24 hour period
Link to the FarRiders Site:http://www.farriders.com/
THe IBA or Iron Butt Assciation is a US based long distiance riding certification group
Link to the IBA:http://www.ironbutt.com/about/default.cfm
Its not for everybody, you either like LD Riding or you don't, There are risks, Wild Life & Fatigue are probably the big ones and there is a lot of pre planning involved.
QuoteRos
Re: Ride Report - FarRide #22 FR1200G & IBA SS1600
Reply #2 on: Today at 09:00:06 AM ยป
Wow...
How often do you replace your keyboard?
That's a brilliant report - thanks for taking the time to put that up here.
Did you manage to get all that plastic off the pipes in the end? Maybe it'll just burn off after a while..
I have only replaced the keyboard on my laptop once as one of the keys came off, wearing the letters off the keys is usually what happens, although it does take a few years, by then it is time to do an upgrade anyway.
I am glad you liked it, I will post some more.
Most of my reports / Instructional's are usually pretty long winded.
I like detail, and I do not mind sharing.
I know when I first got the GTR finding good info was not impossible but in some cases the detail was very basic.
Cheers
Paul
Thanks for the response Paul, I was thinking that this was a type of Iron Butt ride ~ we have another member on here (Kevin) who is an exponent of the Iron Butt rides.