OzSTOC
OzSTOC Ride Reports, Pictures & Videos => RIDE REPORTS => Topic started by: Pezzz on June 23, 2015, 12:07:26 PM
-
This Saturday was the Kookynie FarRide and after looking at the distance to get there (782km straight there) Wombat suggested we do this one as an IBA SS1600.
I had tried a SS1600 last August on the border run but bailed out as it was too cold and too much wildlife on the road so I was pretty keen to give this one go.
After a few phone calls and emails we settled on meeting at Caltex Midvale just before 02:00 for a departure at 02:00.
Of course in looking to leave at that time, I watched every hour tick past from 21:00 through until alarm due to go off at 00:45
Anyway, basically no sleep later, I got fuel at the local servo at 01:39 and headed off to meet Bill at Midvale.
We left there at 02:03 by my bike clock and headed out into the rain.
Had scattered rain and our first stop was going to be Tammin. We ended up being stopped by a freight train crossing just outside of Tammin so we called that our first stop and carried on to Southern Cross for breakfast and fuel.
About 35km out from Southern Cross I noticed that one of my Spotlights was starting to point up to the stars so we pulled over and saw that the rough road had broken the weld on the mount bracket. Luckily Bill had his gaffa tape so a short stop to fix that and it was back on the road again.
Arrived Southern Cross at 05:30. The cook had just finished making some toasted bacon and egg sandwiches so that sounded like a good deal to me.
By 6:30 we were back on the road and deciding on whether we would go to Kambalda on the way to lunch or after. Wombat had suggested if we made Coolgardie before 08:00 then we would have time to go first making the longest run before lunch. Sounded great to me. We hit Coolgardie around 07:40 so we pushed down to Kambalda for our corner docket.
From Kambalda, we went through to Menzies where we caught up to Craig on his Triumph Sprint 1050. Had a chat and a stretch then back on the road for the final run into Kookynie.
Arrived Kookynie around 11:20 and waited with start docket in hand for check in to open.
Distance so far was 890km by my Odometer.
We had planned to leave by 13:00 but Bill's food was a little delayed in getting out to us so it was closer to 14:00 by the time we actually left.
Heading back was very windy and it seemed to show on our fuel usage. Bill called me up on the UHF about 90km out of Kalgoorlie to let me know his fuel light had made a brief appearance. This was not looking good.
We backed off the speed and managed to make it to 80km out before his light came on solid. At this point my light was still not on so Bill slowed to 85 / 90 while I carried on to get fuel and loop back if required. On instructions from a "helpful" local, I overshot Kalgoorlie and was heading to Kambalda again before I realised that he may not have given me the right instructions. Pulled over and asked Google for "Fuel Near Me".
Loop around the block and about 10km back up the road I turned into Kalgoorlie and found a Caltex Woolworths. As I was turning into Kalgoorlie, Bill radioed me to let me know he had made the top of the main street and run dry. I fueled up and went to find him sitting on the side of the road near a pub. I noticed a servo just around the corner so after a little pushing he was ready to go again.
Stopped again in Coolgardie to change gloves and use the facilities then back to it.
At 18:40 we fueled up and had dinner once again at Southern Cross. This time for me was a Ham and Salad Roll. Then changed into all the wet weather gear as we ran into some rain just before we got there.
From here we set our sights on our final rest stop at Tammin.
Not a lot to report between these two stops. I really love riding at night though in the country. I feel more alert than during the day.
Got to Tammin at 21:10 and had walk around the bikes, a bit of a chat and I finally remembered to take a photo.
(http://i880.photobucket.com/albums/ac9/pezzz74/General%20Bike%20Pics/IMG-1434805884487-V_zpsatx3o5r0.jpg) (http://s880.photobucket.com/user/pezzz74/media/General%20Bike%20Pics/IMG-1434805884487-V_zpsatx3o5r0.jpg.html)
From here it was homeward bound. I waved goodbye to Bill at Great Eastern and Roe Hwy intersection and got my finishing docket at 23:17 back where I got my starting one.
10 minutes later I was home.
Slept very well for 8 hours solid and woke up feeling fine.
Total distance by Odometer was 1701km. By Google maps (not taking into account backtracking) was 1657km. All done in 21hrs 45 mins.
Now to get all the paperwork sent off. I am looking at using the new online method so will see how that goes.
Anyway, Thanks for reading.
Pezzz
-
Well done Pezzz - you made that sound easier than it surely was.
You must have had flashback when you rode out into the rain again! :eek
Well done on a great ride and great read for us. :thumb
Cheers, Diesel
Interested to know about your experience in lodging the IBA paperwork electronically too pls. :CB--
-
Great to read. Well done Pezzz.
-
Well done Pezzz, it took a while and a practice run but you finally got there. ++
-
Amazing trip. Pezzz. Great report. Congratulations on your achievement.
Sent from my iPad
-
Well done. Nice report.
-
Awesome effort chaps..... :thumbsup
-
Well done Bill and Pezzz. More interesting if things don't go totally to plan :thumbs
-
Pezzz and Bill, a great ride report for a wonderful achievement. Congratulations :clap
-
Awesome RR mate, thanks for sharing the adventure with us, and congratulations on finishing :thumbs
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
-
Well done Pezzz - you made that sound easier than it surely was.
You must have had flashback when you rode out into the rain again! :eek
Well done on a great ride and great read for us. :thumb
Cheers, Diesel
Interested to know about your experience in lodging the IBA paperwork electronically too pls. :CB--
Lodged all quite easily except for one thing .....
They ask for Paypal transaction ID (if already paid) but do not mention their Paypal account email address.
Maybe they will ask me for payment when all is approved instead of pay before like in the cheque method.
Now it is the waiting game I guess ....
-
TJ might be able to confirm your conundrum for you - he (with others) is well versed on all things IBA.
Might pay to PM him with that query. ++
-
Cheers. Will do.
-
Great ride report :thumb
So many times in the past that I have done rides like this, but in those days, there was no such thing as google or IBA or GPS tracking.
My last coastal lap of Aus with Jeff, way back in Dec '75, we covered 15,200 km in 11 days, but did not go north of Cairns because of weather conditions. What do I have to show for it?... just memories.
I think this is close to the course we took, except google map cannot be further altered to include Port Lincoln, which we visited at the time.
(http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y352/kjm47/guesstimate%20map%2075_zps48nwwcls.jpg)
-
That's a hell of a ride. Not much sight seeing doing those amount of kms per day.
-
It wasn't for sight seeing, as we had been there, done that, in the 4 years preceding this trip.
It was just about the trip, as Jeff and I were parting company after many years as travelling mates.... he was moving in with his lady in Sydney, and I was returning to the Army in 1976
-
Last trip to let the turbo's loose on the highways :grin
-
I am about to do that trip in August, hope to get to Cooktown. Last did the WA and southern WA leg back in the early 80s on my Suzuki GS1000 (still have it) but just came back east the short way. 15,200kms should mean a set of tyres will last the trip.
-
I only wish that I could get my hands on my photo albums of early trips, but the ex has them, and I have had no contact with her since 89. There's things in there that I really wanted, like the erection of the statue of the Red Dog at Dampier in the early 80's, and pictures of a ship on fire on the slipways during construction at Whyalla, (Amanda Miller, 1970), Photos of a bus driver doing his nut at Jeff and myself because we were parked on a bus stop (3ways intersection, NT, 1972... we thought the bus stop sign had been erected as a joke!)...photos taken of York and Eborac Islands from the very tip of Cape York (1973)
-
Well done Pezzz - you made that sound easier than it surely was.
You must have had flashback when you rode out into the rain again! :eek
Well done on a great ride and great read for us. :thumb
Cheers, Diesel
Interested to know about your experience in lodging the IBA paperwork electronically too pls. :CB--
Lodged it 24/6 and received confirmation of ride and request for payment on 15/7. Forgot to respond to you on this until just now.
Quicker than I expected, painless, but best of all ..... certified :-) :runyay