Day 1.
We woke at 5:00 am to a light drizzle, so after a cuppa and I had put some wet weather pants on we left my place at 5:44 am and speed at the local BP, for me to put my ear plugs in, and for Johnny to top off both tanks.
The plan was for me to take point all the way to Tamworth.
An accident just south of Anzac Ave slowed us down for a little bit, but then we got going on fairly heavy traffic to the Gateway Motorway were it cleared up a little.
The drizzle brave slightly heavier showers for most of the Gateway and not long after getting to Beaudesert Road, it was back to a light mist, or just spray from wet roads.
I forgot to turn on Bluetooth on the phone, so we had no comms other than hand signals. (The Cardo Freedom 1 doesn't support intercom, at all) *insert grumpy face here.
As we approached Beaudesert we saw a couple of hot air balloons coming in to land. We thought one was gong to hit powerlines and trees.
By the time we approached Beaudesert, I was ready to recycle some coffee so we stopped at Maccas for a top up and drain.
Next was the Lions Road, with the weather steadily clearing and the road starting to dry. This is where I got a good fell for the Spyder and how to ride it. Still a bit gingerly, but more confidently.
There's now only two wooden bridges on Gradys Creek Rd, the rest have been replaced with 2 lane concrete bridges and there are still 2 single lane concrete bridges.
Some of the road surfaces were motorway grade smooth.
We stopped for a short break at my primary school and chatted to a local. BEEstY attracted some attention.
Onwards to Kyogle and Dave's Bakehouse for a Pie!
Here I decided to remove the wets, including the jacket liner, as it was clearing and looking quite promising. As I was about to put my helmet on, realised I'd again forgotten myb earplugs and pulled the Henley back off, johnnyYTED noticed stuff on top of my head. :wotha? It turns out the foam in the lining over the top of the head has rotted away infer the last 3.5 years and there's no padding on the top of my forehead. Ouch.
Next planned stop was Tenterfield, and this meant driving up the Bruxner. A coupe of patches of road works put us begind a Nissan X-trail who must have thought he was as quick as bikes, but I kept having to back off into and out of corners and was desperately hoping for a safe overtaking opportunity before the fun corners up the range.
Eureka, it happened and both of us sailed past a few kms from the base of the Range. Tis really taught me a lot about how to really feel comfortable on BEEstY and ride it well.
Coming into corners, tapping the downshift with the index finger, once, twice, brace/straighten the leg on the outside of the corner as I leaned my body into the corner, simultaneously pushing with the hand on the outside of the corner and pulling towards with the body with the other. GRIP! Galore! Wonderful feeling. Coming out of the corner open the throttle and just thumb tap the shifter up, up, up.
I'd forgotten how just much I really enjoy corner therapy.
That meant the 1/3 tank at the bottom of the Range as now only 2 bars on the gauge, so we decided on a top up at Tenterfield. After we pulled up, and johnnyYTED was filling the bikes, I went in search of my OzSTOC beany to use as padding between me and the helmet, as I was starting to be in sharp pain from the hard pressure.
This eased the pain on the top of the head, but added pressure to the tips of the ears. Not the best, but better than before.
Now for the run down the New England, pretty much the usual with traffic, roadworks, a farmer with Santa Gertrudus cattle grazing on the edges of the road with no warning signs, a Maccas stop in Glen Innes, where we meet 2 lady bikers who were heading to Narrabri, and we mentioned that we'd come down Lions Road, and the response was, I'm from Kyogle. I didn't recognise her or her name, but as she's only been there 28 years, she's almost a local.
That was the last stop before the Motel in Tamworth.
I've been to my cousins place and had beautiful home made pumpkin, pesto and chorizo and feta pizza and a good catch up. (This is the cousin who visited me in hospital and drove me to the Tamworth airport after my accident)
A nice hot shower, a catch up with johnnyYTED to make plans for tomorrow and now bed.
Zzzzzzzz
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