Some of you may remember the thread about a cheap ST for sale in Devonport. The thought of having a bike that I could ride around Australia in stages, leaving it at various points, flying home and then resuming the trip after maybe six weeks has always been in the back of my mind. So when the cheap ST thread appeared it got me started but I ended up buying a 1988 GL1500 Goldwing with 50,000 kms on it in Launceston instead. This was due to a few things, several thousand cheaper than the ST, the wife saying she would like to join me for some of the trip and already having an ST in the list of toys.
Turned out that a friend, Steve and his brother (who had owned a GL1500) from Victor Harbor where going to Tassie on bikes soon after I started looking at the Goldwing. A quick phone call organised for them to inspect it. Having passed inspection, I purchased the bike with the intention of flying to Tassie and riding it home as soon as it fitted into the diary. It turned out that the seller lived 850 meters from an old work mate, Richard, in Launceston . So the money was transferred and the bike delivered to Richards. Flights and boat then booked.
I flew into Launceston on the Tuesday afternoon, Richard picked me up from the airport and it was then to his place to check out the new toy. I rode it around the block and it passed inspection except not being able to release the cover on the audio system.
Next morning I packed all my gear into the panniers and top box bags that came with the bike and headed south. On the open road the bike wallowed around a little and I thought maybe one should fill up with petrol and check the tyre pressures. So my first stop was at a service station in Perth (the one in Tassie of cause) after about 20 kms . An extra 10 psi in both front and rear tyres bought them up to hand book pressures and improved the ride immensely.
Next stop was Ross about 60 kms down the road for morning tea with Kev who had ridden up from Hobart. Kev then escorted me into the centre of Hobart where we had lunch with Simon, (thanks Simon nice to put a face to another name). Showing the bike to Simon I managed to get the cover off the audio system by accident but not until a later stop did I manage to remove it again and discover how it should be done. Kev then set me on my way further south to Cairns Bay and my cousins house.
Before arriving in Cairns Bay I stopped at Huonville for petrol and inserted my "Hot August Night" tape in the audio system. 46 mpg from Perth to Huonville mostly sitting about 100 kph.
So first real ride 270 kms and the bike was fine.
Two nights at Cairns Bay allowed time to figure out how to check the oil, use the audio and correctly set the air pressure on the rear shock.
I woke Friday morning to showers/drizzle so on with the wet weather gear and headed for Devonport. The skies cleared before Hobart then I had a nice ride to Devonport to catch the evening boat to Melbourne. Another 357 happy kms.
Saturday morning saw me ride off the boat early and a few kms down the road to have breakfast with my niece in Sth Melbourne. After breakfast I headed about 30 kms west to Werribee to join two of my fellow R66 riders at their Saturday morning Ulysses gathering. Here I passed out one OzSTOC card and saw a fairly new Goldwing fitted with Wedgetail Outriders.
Leaving Werribee I headed for the Western Highway to head home. I had lunch in Beaufort with another two fellow R66 riders who had ridden down from Horsham. They escorted me to Horsham where we were joined by a third R66 follow rider for a cup of coffee at Maccas. I left Horsham a little later then I had planned but reached Keith in SA by about 8pm and with rain threatening and it being well past dark booked into a motel. 550 kms since leaving the boat.
Early Sunday morning saw me head off to meet Steve (who had inspected the bike in Tassie for me)for breakfast at Tailem Bend just east of Adelaide. Steve was very glad to hear the bike was performing as expected. From Tailem Bend I travelled through Adelaide and on to Ceduna to stay the night. 1015 kms with some showers threatening but nothing significant.
Another early start from Ceduna saw 1217 kms travelled to reach Norseman on dusk. Travelling west all day certainly gives you some extra daylight. Just west of the SA/WA border there a was a lot of road kill, glad I was passing this area mid day and not sunrise or sunset.
At Norseman stayed at the old Norseman Railway Motel which was by far the cheapest accommodation I had, included toast and cereal for breakfast and I was invited to lock my bike away in the back yard overnight. Across the road was a pub that served a great steak sandwich.
Tuesday saw an easy 734 kms to Willetton with the worse part being the four changes of lights it took on Roe Highway to get over Tonkin Highway in the afternoon peak hour.
All up 4104 kms, 298 litres at a cost of $544.39 and an average of 39 mpg. The Goldwing was more than happy to cruise anywhere between 100 and 120 kph.
Photos below are me leaving Cairns Bay, Norseman Railway Motel and the Goldwing in Perth.
