New to ST rider here - Australia/Canada

[macdoc]

Gotta love the internet and friends in faraway places.

I ride a KLR650 in Aus 3 months of the year but wanted to do some touring. Was going to tough it out on the KLR. Then this beaut popped up.


1993 Honda ST-1100CC cruiser motor bike. Red in colour, side lockable panier bags. Rear lockable panier bags. Brand new battery, a suburban & open road windscreen, cruise control.

I ride a Suzuki Burgman 650 Exec in Canada as my 9 month ride and it's not much lighter ( 45 lb ). So looking at not much of a transition to the ST. Always wanted a Honda 4 - now I got one. Looking forward to some info from here.

Oddly my riding partner in Cairns rides the identical Burgman right down to year and colour and we have spooksy similar backgrounds ...pilots, making a living off Macs, same age....and now we even started a small venture together

My riding in Aus blog is here

http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforum/showthread.php?151439-Down-Under-on-a-KLR-650-second-season&p=1966560#post1966560

This year and last

Tweaked the ST1100 with new rotors and 1" risers. Beadrider seat really helped - bit heavy about town but superb on the highway.

One of the ST forums suggest I post here as I'm interested in having the bike ridden more and thought some riders might like to tour the Cairns area  on an ST for a modest cost instead of the long haul up here or trailering it.
Looking for ideas on that as will be 3 years before I'm here full time and I'd like to keep the bike in good nick and ridden a bit more. 

I have good storage with a former ST owner ( police rider ) and that might work out.

Anyways - hi from Cairns and Canada. 

[tj189]

Welcome Macdoc, access to plenty of information on here and some helpful advice will always be offered by somebody.  Enjoy the forum and your time in Oz when you are here 

[gaz]

G'day Mate 

[StinkyPete]

Hi Macdoc and welcome to OzSTOC.    Cairns is a beautiful part of the country, and I actually bought my ST1300 in Cairns when my Yamaha broke it's frame while part way around my lap of Oz.

[Marcus]

Welcome buddy, I'm sure you won't regret the 1100

Edit: just read your write up... awesome read

[Brock]

Welcome MacDoc, saw your post over on STOC.

One of the ST forums suggest I post here as I'm interested in having the bike ridden more and thought some riders might like to tour the Cairns area  on an ST for a modest cost instead of the long haul up here or trailering it.

A nice offer, tho the guys here are quite mad. As you will no doubt read, about 50 of us from all parts of Oz rode to Middleton SA just for an evening meal, round trip of around 4000 Ks , a week and a half on the road for a steak n coupla beers. Some even go for a ride the whole way around just for something to do, then go back the other way to unwind

[Mitch]

 Hi MacDoc and a Warm Welcome from the Wild West. 
                         

[macdoc]

Thanks all....the machine sure has legs....I can do 1,000 KM days on the Burgman Exec with the DayLong seat....not sure on this yet - wish my old bones aged as well as this bike.
Some of the longer off road rides run in the 13 hour range but include the bird watching and photo breaks. I'm a real tourist/twitcher from that aspect

Some even go for a ride the whole way around just for something to do, then go back the other way to unwind

hehe BUT - if it's feasible another rider from Ontario who I know ( I sold his dad my earlier Burgman ) wants to come over in August for a couple of months and he's an iron butt.

Got some recommended loop routes? Or at least East coast, south loop and back up the east coast. I'll get him to sign up here.

Thanks for the warm welcome.....yah ur all madmen. 

[Brock]

I'm sure the guys here can come up with a route down the coast, and back through the inland, its just a matter of how far inland, or how far coastal.

[macdoc]

K thanks - he is going to join up

[Wild Rose]

Welcome Macdoc to "Australian ST Owners Club"
I'm pleased you got a RED one as they are faster

[Poppy Dave]

One of the ST forums suggest I post here as I'm interested in having the bike ridden more and thought some riders might like to tour the Cairns area  on an ST for a modest cost instead of the long haul up here or trailering it.
Looking for ideas on that as will be 3 years before I'm here full time and I'd like to keep the bike in good nick and ridden a bit more. 

Hi macdoc,

Yeah that was me (roper5874). Glad to see you took the advice and joined this crowd of reprobates and nut-jobs. As you can see they're quite friendly, provided you don't get too close to their cages, and only too willing to help out where they can. GOOD CREW ALL ROUND.

Take care and happy riding

Poppy Dave                                                             

[Bikebear]

Welcome macdoc....   Hmmmm.. I haven't seen that red ST around town????  Of course it's not as nice as  but we can't all have pretty ones..  .   Guess I'll see you around somewhere, sometime.. I should have the Goldie on the road again by this weekend 

If you need any help just let know, I'm getting pretty good at working on these things.. 

[Wombat]

welcome from west os

[macdoc]

A nice offer, tho the guys here are quite mad. As you will no doubt read, about 50 of us from all parts of Oz rode to Middleton SA just for an evening meal, round trip of around 4000 Ks , a week and a half on the road for a steak n coupla beers. Some even go for a ride the whole way around just for something to do, then go back the other way to unwind

cute but I'm thinking 10 days for 4,000 km is pretty low daily average given it's sweet spot seems 130 kph 

I put just about 500 on in day before I got the seat, brakes, touring screen and cruise control sorted and was new to the bike.
Long day timewise because of breaks and slower loop around Mission beach watching the aerial show. Was napping and noticed people looking up


Made for some good shots tho


Maybe not the right place for the question but how do some of the older riders feel after a +500k day ( I'm 65 and ride steadily all year - some off road - mostly looking for interesting photo ops  with a few longer trips.)

I keep thinking I should be able to do 7-800k easily on that machine without feeling hammered the next day with aches and pains. ( gotta love Celebrex )

[Brock]

I did (and so did a few WA guys) a trip south for lunch, 360ish Ks, and same back. worst part was the boring freeway riding. I pulled up fine, I,m 60.

The problem with doing long distance here, isnt the abilty of the rider or bike, but the road side judges who hand out sizeable performance awards for exceeding 100/110 Ks. The ones that really hurt are the lazy buggers who just take a pic and send the award in the mail. At least if face to face, you may be able to talk your way out of one...  At least here, youi dont get shot for getting out of your car or off the bike. Its considered a bit impolite if you dont.

[macdoc]

Thanks

Yeah - even cop buddy warned me against the picture vans. Was lucky the other day on the KLR was really rubbernecking so going slow and did not realize there was one lurking. Do people flash their lights as a warning? 

What's the rule on tickets if it's a different state?

[Gavo]

At least if face to face, you may be able to talk your way out of one... 

Brock ide like to know what good excuse would get you out of the infringement

[Brock]

What's the rule on tickets if it's a different state?

, pay up, the states are mostly linked up on puter these days. There was a time when out of state was too hard..

Gavo,

Brock ide like to know what good excuse would get you out of the infringement

Never used an excuse, just talked politely and receive a telling off, some times the white bike helps as well. Of course the ticket can depend on how fast you were going, and how soon you pulled over.

Smiling sweetly doesnt work these days, unless you are a cute blonde chick.

[Shiney]

Welcome Macdoc

[Biggles]

Do people flash their lights as a warning? 

Some people will flash, but there are too many cage captives who don't hold bikers in very high esteem who wouldn't flash for when when they might for another cage.  You get the occasional false flash.  Maybe they're friendly bikers stuck in a cage or they are cagy cagers wanting to slow you down for a while.

There are precedents for coppers taking a very dim view of people spoiling their fun by flashing warnings, despite pleas that you were helping save lives by slowing people down.

[Gavo]

Do people flash their lights as a warning? 

[

There are precedents for coppers taking a very dim view of people spoiling their fun by flashing warnings, despite pleas that you were helping save lives by slowing people down.

That because you have lost them their revinue

[alans1100]

Do people flash their lights as a warning? 

There are precedents for coppers taking a very dim view of people spoiling their fun by flashing warnings, despite pleas that you were helping save lives by slowing people down.

Depends......I have heard on talk back radio over in SA (Police media rep) that they don't have a problem with us using lights to warn of speed trap. It's about "safety" and if it slows them down all well and good.

However, with all the hype about speed cams as revenue raisers what else could he have said.

[Brock]

I have even had the Cops flash their headlights at me....





Shortly followed by the roof lights, and a wagging finger

[Marcus]

I had Hand gestures from the police to slow down... I guess there's not too many spots for them to turn around and go after me along the Great Ocean Road