Weekend Ride

Motorcycling around Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Saturday, 9:30 am, sun is shining a pleasant 23 degrees with not a cloud in the sky. Another typical Brisbane day (ho, hum). With a hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck-erecting howl from the lights to the roundabout, Hooligan Scott arrives at my place on his Honda Hornet. 10 minutes later and we're off to meet Greg (Honda 600 CBR with a make-me-sound-faster pipe) at the Samford servo. With tyre pressures checked we're off and up Mt Glorius for mid-morning coffees. At the top there are a swag of Hondas, Suzukis and other Jap scrap. Even a few Ducatis (2 X 996's) but only one Aprilia (the Pegaso manages to attract some attention amongst the more "common" machinery. (He, he, he).

After coffees and a stop to admire the maginficent view from the lookout, we head west and down off Glorius to Lake Wivenhoe. A short stop at the bottom for the two Honda hooigans to catch their breaths and let their adrenaline levels return to normal. The Aprilia and its rider simply can't match the acceleration and cornering ability of the Jap machines but the grin in the helmet is just as large.

From there we head north to Kilcoy (famous Queensland rally country where I have had my share of adrenaline highs or more conventional machinery!) and west on the D'Aguilar highway. An interesting detour via Villeneuve is suggested by Scott. The road is windy and becomes progressively narrower until we are caught on a narrow section of tar flanked by dirt. Occasional oncomming traffic has the Hondas tip-toeing gingerly along the centre of the black-top while the Aprilia takes to the dirt without flinching. At last the Aprilia is more comfortable than the CBR and the Hornet!

We make a right off D'Aguilar and head back to Dayboro over Mt Mee. Another stop at the top of the escarpment to admire the view over the Sunshine Coast shimmering in the distance. Then the last 20km charge down to Dayboro for fuel, burger 'n beers. Again the helmets can scarcely contain the grins. The Honda boys are bragging about who has the least rubber left on the sides of their tyres, whilst I prefer to wear my rubber out in the centre first. (Sounds like something the Bishop said to the Actress, but I digress...)

Having satisfied our adrenaline addiction and relived the last 4 hours of fun, a leisurely cruise home past Lake Samsonvale and over Clear Mountain Road completes our day's 250 km ride.

Hmmm, my first decent RIDE.... I could get used to this.