Toowoomba & Back Again

[Shillas]

Just over a month till the ride to Toowoomba begins.

Accommodation booked for the solo trip up, as well as in the Park in Toowoomba & joining Williamson et al for the ride back down to Vic before the final solo leg home.

Picked up STevie from Bridgeland Motorcycles in Murray Bridge this afternoon after dropping her off last Wednesday to get a shopping list of items done.

Apart from the normal service items of oil change etc, needed:

• New brake disc rotors & pads
  
• Fork seals replacing
  
• New head gaskets 
  

Had a spare set of forks just laying around, so supplied them. Not a cheap exercise, but they did give me a reasonable discount all up.

On picking up the bike, I was asked if I'd replaced the dash unit as it was only reading 4000km.

 "No, the unit doesn't pick up the 200,000, just flicks over to zero again"

So my next service is down as a 10,000km one.

The ride home felt like a different bike, good breaks & revitalised front suspension made a lot of difference to feel & handling. Hopefully, good for another 100,000kms

Ready for the trip now, just counting the big sleeps.

[Williamson]

... The ride home felt like a different bike, good breaks & revitalised front suspension made a lot of difference to feel & handling. Hopefully, good for another 100,000kms

Ready for the trip now, just counting the big sleeps.

Sounds like we may be in for some spirited riding on the return ride, although I won't looking forward to the roadside waits for Nigel on the Bavarian to catch-up. 

I count the little sleeps too.

[Shillas]

The countdown is well and truly on.

Went for ride the other day, still getting used to the different feel of the post-service, new brakes & forks bike.

Stopped to refuel, put the bike up on the centre-stand, filled, paid & got the bike off the centre-stand, rode forward & ran over something with the rear tyre. Stopped, dismounted and found an oil filter wrench head unit.

Checked it out, it is one that fits the ST1300 oil filter.

Got home, rang the mechanic & asked if he was missing his wrench? Yes, he was missing his co-worker's wrench that he'd borrowed for my bike. "Well at least i know where it is now"

Oil filter still in tight, I'll drop the wrench in when I'm heading past next week on the way to Toowoomba.

[Wild Rose]

It sounds like everyone are gradually starting there trip to Toowoomba 
Stay Safe and have a fantastic ride
See you in Toowoomba

[StinkyPete]

With new brakes, suspension, and head gaskets, she should be good for another 200k.   

[Shillas]

That's what I'm hoping for 

[Shillas]

Day 1 down.

Left home at 7.30 at a chilly 7° - considering the warm minimum overnight temperatures of recent weeks.

Stop in at Murray Bridge to return the oil filter wrench, then onto Lameroo for photos of the Silo art, quick stop in Pinaroo to take photos of the wall art at the museum.



Crossing into Victoria, looks like the Heavy Vehicle inspections were underway ( Langers?).

Stop at Walpeup for more silo art, then into Ouyen for a refuel & lunch.



Into New South Wales via Tooleybuc and onto Hay by around 4.00 and checked into the New Crown Hotel. Recommended, very good value at $60 for a single with ensuite and the food was good enough as well. Interesting display of motorbikes in one of the supermarkets.





Onto Dubbo tomorrow.

[Shillas]

I've roughly finished the text for the rest of the ride, I'll post the remaining captivating details of this exhilarating excursion shortly.