Couple of Longride pics

[pave_spectre]

For those that haven't heard of it, Longride is a mass ride from all parts of Australia to a single destination to raise money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. This year the ride Finished in Darwin.

About 30 or so defence members from Darwin, including myself got together and rode down to Katherine on Friday, to join up for the final leg into darwin on saturday. We took the scenic route down via Jabiru, then straight back up the next day via the Stuart Highway.

Fridays Route


Keeping in mind I am no author of any stripe, here is a bit of rundown of how that ride went.

The Group was quite a mixed bag of bikes, from s1000rr, HP2 Sport, GSX1000R, through Triumph Tiger, Sprint ST, Ducati Monster, my GS500, to Harley's and Suzuki Boulevard.

Left Darwin in 3 groups, the fast group consisting of the BMW sports bikes, GSXR, R1 etc, headed off first, followed by the medium group of Triumph Tiger, Triumph Sprint, Ducati Monster, ZX9, myself, and initially at least, a Piaggio x9. Then the cruiser group followed us, then a support rider with GPS, first aid, and sat phone right at the rear as support .Plan was for each group to stop at the designated fuel stops, until next group showed up before moving on.

We lost the Piaggio to electrical problems about 40ks out of darwin, before even the first fuel stop, leaving me as tail end Charlie. He was recovered back to darwin. After a fairly brief stop to make sure everyone was happy with their ride, and to grab any extra water or breakfast, we continued on to Jabiru.

We passed a single cop car on the way, who must have wondered what so many bikes were doing heading into Kakadu National Park on a friday. He showed up after the medium group had refuelled at jabiru, and we had a bit of a chat, he had been relieved when he realised we weren't displaying any colours.
Once the cruisers caught up, and we checked in them, it was off again, headed 200ks towards Pine Creek before our 'final' fuel stop at Pine Creek before heading into Katherine. Our group did have a brief extra stop for the monster to refuel from a 5 litre jerry he was carrying due to lack of premium fuel between Jabiru and Pine Creek.


This section contained what passes for twisties in the NT. Long sweeping bends, taken at speed and moderate to high lean angles. At this point I was quite glad to be at the back, as it was here I fell quite a ways behind the others in my group, not because the bike couldn't keep up, but because I couldn't. A few misjudged corners on my part slowed me down, one of which I ended up running wide into the gravel. With the rest of the group out of sight, I concentrated on trying to get my line right, and just be comfortable, slowly building up my speed again.

Caught up to the monster, who had slowed to make sure I was ok, and with him taking the lead, I soon got into a rhythm in the corners and we eventually caught the rest of the group and stayed with them.

At Pine Creek, we met up with the fast group who were taking lunch, and waiting for a recovery vehicle as the R1 had a de laminated rear tyre. There was quite a wait for before the cruisers to turn up,  , but turn up they did, and once they had fuelled, both bikes and bodies, we prepared for the final short push into Katherine, and on to RAAF Base Tindal, where we would be staying the night, meeting up with The Chief of Air Force, who would join us for the ride back on Saturday.

As we were leaving Pine Creek who should turn up, but the Piaggio X9. After recovering to Darwin, the fault was found to be a spark plug cable vibrating loose, so with judicious use of cable ties, he was on his way again, this time solo, straight down the shorter Stuart highway route to try and catch up with us. 3 riders stayed behind with him as he refuelled so he wouldn't be alone for last stretch. I went on ahead with the Tiger and Sprint, as they hadn't seen the x9 arrive as they pulled away.

This last segment, was rather uneventful, fairly straight, and monotonous. I got separated from the other two, by a ute who couldn't make up his mind to overtake a slow moving van. Once he eventually did it was quite a slow wait before I was able to. Once I did pass my ride became a little surreal, as for about 40k, literally the only traffic i saw was going the other way, and there was not a lot of that. So there were stretches of seeing no other vehicles, just empty highway in front and behind. But at 130km/h that passes by quite quickly, and I passed through Katherine on my way to Tindal, and saw a lot of the riders who had come from around australia heading in the other direction to their accommodations.

Arriving at Tindal, met up with the rest of the riders in front of me, to collect room keys, and then it was just a matter of waiting for the stragglers, before getting changed and heading to the Sergeants mess for dinner, and meeting the CAF.

[pave_spectre]

Saturday started bright and early. 0630 was the planned start up time to head into Katherine to meet up with riders we had done the long journey up, and hopefully grab some breakfast.

Most of our group lined up ready for the day ahead.


My bike second form left, between a Harley and a ZX9


A quick speech by the CAF on behalf of Katherine's Lady Mayoress to all the riders gathered there, and our little group went to fuel up before heading off.

Saturdays Route


This time rather than heading off in 3 groups of like minded bikes/riders, we travelled more or less as one big pack in formation people slotting themselves in wherever, led by the CAF.
They journey to Hayes Creek for our next fuel up was uneventful, the Stuart Highway not being the most exciting road to travel on, a few overtaking manouvres being the most exciting thing.

Tanks were topped up for the final time, those who needed it adding octane booster, of which there was plenty to go around, then on to Adelaide river for a quick bite of lunch and a drink, and a chat with a few of the other riders. It was here that the CAF left us with another rider to go catch a plane.

On to Coolalinga to form up with all the other riders for the mass ride into the Darwin Greyhound track.

On this stretch I found myself between a Repsol Honda CBR in front, and a Hayabusa behind. A rather interesting position to be in.

Coolalinga was awesome, all those bikes lined up in rows, and the police waiting there to close the road for us for that final short stretch. A few more interesting bikes to be seen, a supercharged Harley, and and old Triumph. I think the only thing I hadn't seen, was a Can-Am Spyder.

Enough time here to get a bit of a drink and a bite to eat before engine start. And what a sound. 300-400 bikes all starting there engines in a short span is a sound to behold. Even with my earplugs is was incredible. Didn't help that the bike I want was right next to mine, a Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport.

Then with the road closed, we all slowly made our way onto the highway, and roughly in formation made our way to the Greyhound Track, with people on the side of the road, cheering and waving to us. At one point I was even passed by a GS500F with what looked like vic plates. I was almost tempted to move over and get in formation with the rider.

Once at the track the bikes were lined up again, and the official photo of riders and bikes was taken. Here too I found the Can-Am Spyder.

After the speech by the organiser and the photo, it was home for me, to get changed and get ready for dinner and the various presentations and events at the Trailer Boat Club.
.

At the Darwin Greyhound Track

[Worm]

Looks like fun! And I just watched a show on High Def Theater yesterday about Kakadu! That is one beautiful place!

[pave_spectre]

It was a blast. Even managed to get some video footage from the handlebars, though not sure how good it is yet. The camera looked like it was vibrating like crazy above about 100km/h

[Caffeine]

I've actually been along that route, in 1997.   I was visiting a friend in Oz and our road trip started in Darwin, down to Kakadu then on to Katherine.   Kept going south...Broome, Port Hedland (enormous piles of salt), half a dozen tiny towns and through a few cattle stations to Perth.    Amazing scenery between Darwin and Kakadu.  I'm jealous! 

[mister]

Our bike club has a handful of riders on The Long Ride. This is a couple of them...


And a bit of the scenery they saw...


And this is the website he gave us for us to find out more about it http://www.freewebs.com/longride2010/

Michael