OzSTOC
OzSTOC Ride Reports, Pictures & Videos => RIDE REPORTS => Topic started by: Biggles on July 14, 2016, 12:14:44 AM
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After the Parkes Muster I rode down to the Canberra Airport to pick up Mrs Biggles who had timed her arrival from Brisbane for this rendezvous. I pillioned her to Tumut where our daughter, her husband and three of our grandkids live. A few days later I set off for home with stern instructions to call when I'd found my bed for the night.
I was late getting away, effectively negating my ambition to make a straight run for home. Departing from family somehow messed with my headspace, and after 160795 km on Honda ST1300s I didn't latch the topbox properly and 10 kays into the ride it left the bike at around 80 kph. I could hear it tumbling along the tabledrain. Fortunately it only hit the bitumen once and the rest of the time was on softer ground.
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e136/Pixtor/Topbox%20damage_em_zps7icivwkq.jpg)
I love all kinds of bridges (a common trait among road travellers) and stopped for this shot of the Gundagai timber railway bridge which parallels an equally long abandoned timber road bridge.
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e136/Pixtor/Gundagai%20railway%20bridge_em_zpstfklos3z.jpg)
I passed up some "gotta get sometime" photos along the way. The weather around Blayney was atrocious- 100 m viz in fog and bitterly cold. I reckon I'd have to get free rates and a big tax concession to live there. Things improved and I enjoyed the run up over Wattle Flat (gotta visit) and was intrigued to see a sign advertising a book sale in Sofala. By now I figured Tamworth would do for the night, so I had time to see if I could add to my motorcycle travel book collection, and see a little of another iconic historical town. The town didn't disappoint, with its single lane main street.
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e136/Pixtor/Sofala%202_em_zpsjq1bkcli.jpg)
The bookshop turned out to be a very old two room house bulging with books. The owner had a very broad category system which failed to produce a suitable book in the 15 minutes I was prepared to spend looking.
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e136/Pixtor/Sofala%203_em_zpsyf5mivat.jpg)
The lady and her husband live next door in this old Lodge hall.
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e136/Pixtor/Sofala%205_zpshs2ngcux.jpg)
The next stop was Merriwa for fuel, where I arrived just after dark. My son-in-law had advised me on the route I was taking and said the next town would be Scone. As I left Merriwa I saw the turn-off to Willow Tree and figured that had to be better! Twenty six kilometres later the great surface turned to gravel, and in a matter of metres I was in deep trouble as the bike proceeded to slide off the road. I urged it back with the gentlest of steering inputs and the most fervent of prayers. Figuring that was an aberration I pressed on for another 500 metres before it all happened again. At that point I shakily made a 6 point turn and surrendered to the ignominy of retracing my track. A dinner break in Scone couldn't come quickly enough.
Upon arriving in Tamworth I skipped an expensive motel and, of course, the No Vacancy ones. Just after the by-pass (Calala Lane) I saw a very inviting motel sign offering $78 beds with free brekky and Wi-Fi. I gladly wheeled in to be told by the lass that their "No" lighted sign didn't work. Disheartened, I decided to try the motel at Kootingal where I spied a painted sign beside the office declaring a vacancy. I knocked and was greeted by a shirtless youth who announced through a narrow door opening that they had no vacancies. An appeal to the blatant sign was fruitless, and so I pressed on through Uralla (No Vacancy) until I found the fourth motel in Armidale willing to ease my pain at 10:00. It should be noted that by this time it was 5 degrees and wisps of fog were gathering.
I thought I'd like to share another road story with you, since I know others will identify with my experiences. I heard from my other daughter who had left Tumut two days before me to return to Brisbane by the same route, that they had decided to drive the road from Merriwa to Willow Tree and found it exceedingly slippery in their fourby. I derived a little satisfaction from that.
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Great RR and photos, pity about the top box. How is the new STeed performing ? :like
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Nice RR. Don't ya just love nature gravel roads?
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Good one Biggles....we use that "short cut" from Willow Tree to Merriwa a few times a year and mostly in the very wee hours.....the Southern end of the mountain can be very soggy in places when its wet.
Duncan road through here a few years ago in dryer weather with a great pic up the top of his ST.
cheers
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Great RR and photos, pity about the top box. How is the new STeed performing ? :like
The bike goes great, thanks mate. Everything is working fine; just sorry it now has battle scars. The "Touch-up Guy" quoted me $300 to restore the red part of the top box to new, but there's nothing can be done for the poly-type black plastic. I shaved off the burrs but the OEM texture can't be replicated.
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Awesome RR Biggles, thanks for sharing mate :hatwave
Try this guy for a quote on your top box (he did the repaint on mine for $100)
Steve's Motorcycles
86 Old Toombal Road,
Northgate, QLD, 4012
Ph. 0401 616 780
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Awesome RR Biggles, thanks for sharing mate :hatwave
Try this guy for a quote on your top box (he did the repaint on mine for $100)
Steve's Motorcycles
86 Old Toombal Road,
Northgate, QLD, 4012
Ph. 0401 616 780
I thought you might have had a better solution. That was an awesome job they did repainting my old top box from blue to white.
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Nice bike and a good write up , shame about the box
There is a red Honda one on gumtree for $200 in bris may be worth a look..search vfr800
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Nice bike and a good write up , shame about the box
There is a red Honda one on gumtree for $200 in bris may be worth a look..search vfr800
Thanks Dallas. It looks similar- different base-plate. I might stick with mine and see if I can get a better price for a repaint.
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86 Old Toombal Road,
Northgate, QLD, 4012
Top recommendation, Shiney & Gary. He quoted me $150 to repair the whole top, not just the damaged area. The other guy wanted $300 and wouldn't have touched the tiny scratches in two other places. He also removes all the badges etc whereas Touch-up Guy only masks up the local area.
I reckon Steve should go in our list of Preferred Suppliers, even though he doesn't do a specific OzSTOC discount. His regular prices are already excellent. And he's a really nice guy.
You wouldn't pick the place from its nondescript exterior.
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I'd be inclined to get him to match the colour to the bike rather then the existing top box colour. I believe there is a diSTinct colour difference ie the top box is a lighter faded looking red candy by comparison.
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I'd be inclined to get him to match the colour to the bike rather then the existing top box colour. I believe there is a diSTinct colour difference ie the top box is a lighter faded looking red candy by comparison.
Given your eye for detail, I'd trust that comment. It could be a trick of lighting though.
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I'd be inclined to get him to match the colour to the bike rather then the existing top box colour. I believe there is a diSTinct colour difference ie the top box is a lighter faded looking red candy by comparison.
Given your eye for detail, I'd trust that comment. It could be a trick of lighting though.
I tend to agree with Brian. I've always felt that the colour of my topbox was not as rich as the colour of the rest of the bike.
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I'd be inclined to get him to match the colour to the bike rather then the existing top box colour. I believe there is a diSTinct colour difference ie the top box is a lighter faded looking red candy by comparison.
Got it covered- he's using the Honda colour code from the frame sticker.
I'm happy that my topbox matched the bike, but then I mostly ride it rather than polish it. :p
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After 25yrs in the automotive paint induSTry I tend to see things in a little more detail......it's a curse
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Thanks for sharing that story Biggles, nice read.
:thumbs
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I'd be inclined to get him to match the colour to the bike rather then the existing top box colour. I believe there is a diSTinct colour difference ie the top box is a lighter faded looking red candy by comparison.
Given your eye for detail, I'd trust that comment. It could be a trick of lighting though.
I tend to agree with Brian. I've always felt that the colour of my topbox was not as rich as the colour of the rest of the bike.
I found that my new ST didn't have the paint code sticker under the seat :||||
So I gave Steve one of my mirror covers to match the paint code with and he did an AWESOME job WOW:
He even removed the backrest and Honda stickers while he painted and replaced them after he had finished :thumb
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160714/baca813e24f28f0103fce815b7c1cc29.jpg) (http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160714/76cc817079f9fcbcafd26b3c75315fc3.jpg)
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160714/d1f3cd3285f2684492c56d370fce477d.jpg) (http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160714/2929d5d0c5c9b20a56160a32612586be.jpg)
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160714/140f7ff2b6ffde64d098ee5ecc26ceb1.jpg) (http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160714/629c53ef73b6c9b67a167c57549c65be.jpg)
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160714/3e0f68fe66e27cb55b73b5328ecda6bf.jpg) (http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160714/b7d4399ebd2db259995b93fb542d7109.jpg)
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160714/a6f96a97e250b87f91200c3bd8008dc7.jpg)
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The Merriwa - Willow Tree "road" was a great run on the old jigga.
Cosmetically flawed beforehand,i couldn't notice any difference to the bike after the caning it copped :grin
(http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k633/greeneyedmonster1/IMG_0652-1.jpg~original)
(http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k633/greeneyedmonster1/IMG_0656.jpg~original)
(http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k633/greeneyedmonster1/IMG_0664.jpg~original)
(http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k633/greeneyedmonster1/IMG_0660.jpg~original)
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Well done on overcoming that gravel. My only excuse must be the fact it was so wet I couldn't keep the bike on the road. The pitch dark wasn't helping, but that was mainly psychological.