It was one of those days when the weather had taken a turn for the better inducing conditions favorable to support a winters outing in the southern environs. We have become use to the dry drought stricken winters where the cold dry air provides us two wheeled enthusiasts with the means for days of endless enjoyment on our twisted playground. With BOM proffering a dry cool day with light northerly winds it was too good an opportunity to miss for a few hours of tyre ripping action. It was a flexible start time waiting for the full warmth of the sun to dry whatever residual moisture that may be left on the road and the fact that we are inherently lazy when it comes to early winter starts. Desmo was first to arrive at the muster point and it was only a short time later a somewhat quieter but distinct rumbling of a red Japanese answer to Ducati’s 90 degree 600 V-twin flashed into view with baffles reinstalled in her Evo exhaust.
Some say that she is Foggy’s illegitimate daughter, often mistaken as Mrs.D’s sister bur we all know her as a born again peg scraper of the twisted playground called Steph. With the two of us ready for some tight twisties combined with the brilliant sweepers that make up the roads beyond the hills our two raiders of the bitumen set forth into light Greenhill road traffic for an asphalt assault on the hills face then south to the renowned roads of the Strath area.
It was a delightful empty run up the hill to the summit turn off and a nice amble up and over to Crafers where 98 octane was dispensed into the beasts. From Crafers our route south though the opulent suburbs brought us to narrow hills roads and some unwanted delays for road works but once that had passed the run was unobstructed. The two V-twins revved freely as the apexes passed at pace and the sun’s rays strengthened to provide a winters day of enjoyable disposition. The Suzuki’s twin powerplant torque made mince meat of a steeper technical ride though Oliphant Conservation Park to have us emerge onto the Angus River scenic drive through to Echunga and on to the Mackie road. A clear run right through to Mackie provided ample opportunity to put the twins though some fast connecting chicanes and gear shifting straights. It was a good workout for both machines and riders to build up a rhythm that is hard to obtain in the tighter more demanding roads of the hills. The pure essence of bike in synchronicity with rider and road is a dynamic expression some call art? We were just out for an enjoyable ride though our picturesque Fleurieu Peninsula.
Once the 50Kph zone of Mackie was behind us the throttle of the two fuel injected 90 degree V’s was applied and the road beneath began to flow like a black river meandering its way though verdant surroundings. Desmo was desperately in need of another rear tyre as the original that came with the bike was now worn and becoming loose in the faster direction changes, not being a Moto Gp type backing into corners is not one of my best practices. Still I had Steph’s 650S biting at the big bore’s heals and could not let the chick get the better of me on a lesser capacity machine. Throttle on I say, the passing kilometers raced past with our slowing for the turn that would have us headed to Bull Creek and a green light run that had the throttle pegged with our speedos up to the posted speed by the second gear change. It was up and over the hill for the run down to the bridge and those fine sweepers known as “The Bull Creek”. We could feel the blood in the temples as the speed increased once past Paris Creek Y junction. Then there it was a formidable denizen of the bitumen the fossil piloted 80’s Ford cage. One ton of rust infected oil burning two wheeled enemy and green light run obstruction. We hauled over the SV’s and gave it a couple of minutes so we could be certain that the relic of a bygone era would not impede our seamless run.
With the cage well and truly gone the two SVs set upon the consequent tapestry of arching sweeping curves, high speed chicanes, blistering straights and double apexes like liberal pollies looking for a new leader, well maybe not that urgent but it was a hasty ride thought to the 80 Kph sign and Ashbourne road turn. From there it was the usual on the pipe scamper pushing the slim lines of Suzuki’s V-twins into greater lean angles as the scenery blurred past on the way to Strath and a coffee at the Marylou’s southern bike Mecca the “Garage”.
Coffees were ordered as was a new rear tyre for Desmo’s blue streak. While we were waiting for the rear to be re-shod it was the usual banter and tyre kicking one does at such a place. We even took the time to look at a barn deal of a RS250 but it was in a poor state and would require much work and money to get it back to its former glory. Soon the blue streak appeared new rubber on the rear and we were keen to clock up some more time on the blacktop. From Strath it was back out the Ashbourne road with Steph on the pipe from the 80 Kph sign. It was a good scrubbing in for the new rubber of the Jap mille and the Bull Creek revisited was a hoot with no obstacles until we hit the final run down into Meadows.
eading west our course took us on a southern vector as we run down the straight towards Kuitpo then turning right into the Range / McLaren Vale playgrounds. It was a banquet of bitumen bends through some empty back roads that had us re-entering the Kangarilla / Clarendon road for the final leg back to the city. Steph took to the lead just out of Clarendon and was setting a hot lap down Grants Gully Road, Sugarloaf and Main roads slowing for the exit onto Cherry Gardens road. Providing a great flowing ride up to where the Asbestos removal truck came in to play being as painful as a cerebral aneurysm not wanting the happy bikers to enjoy their freedom of open roads and sunny days. It was not long before its unsightly rear end was dispensed with and we could breathe easy in the late afternoon air. We rode the Ironbank road back to Crafers then over the summit to Woods Hill road through to Lobie road and back to the plains with Steph heading down Norton Summit and Desmo retracing his tracks back to Greenhill for the last few kilometers of twisted playground for what one could call a great 5 hours of frivolity for two wheeled twin cylinder motorcycle devotee.
Keeping it shiny side up,
Desmo
Some say that she is Foggy’s illegitimate daughter, often mistaken as Mrs.D’s sister bur we all know her as a born again peg scraper of the twisted playground called Steph. With the two of us ready for some tight twisties combined with the brilliant sweepers that make up the roads beyond the hills our two raiders of the bitumen set forth into light Greenhill road traffic for an asphalt assault on the hills face then south to the renowned roads of the Strath area.
It was a delightful empty run up the hill to the summit turn off and a nice amble up and over to Crafers where 98 octane was dispensed into the beasts. From Crafers our route south though the opulent suburbs brought us to narrow hills roads and some unwanted delays for road works but once that had passed the run was unobstructed. The two V-twins revved freely as the apexes passed at pace and the sun’s rays strengthened to provide a winters day of enjoyable disposition. The Suzuki’s twin powerplant torque made mince meat of a steeper technical ride though Oliphant Conservation Park to have us emerge onto the Angus River scenic drive through to Echunga and on to the Mackie road. A clear run right through to Mackie provided ample opportunity to put the twins though some fast connecting chicanes and gear shifting straights. It was a good workout for both machines and riders to build up a rhythm that is hard to obtain in the tighter more demanding roads of the hills. The pure essence of bike in synchronicity with rider and road is a dynamic expression some call art? We were just out for an enjoyable ride though our picturesque Fleurieu Peninsula.
Once the 50Kph zone of Mackie was behind us the throttle of the two fuel injected 90 degree V’s was applied and the road beneath began to flow like a black river meandering its way though verdant surroundings. Desmo was desperately in need of another rear tyre as the original that came with the bike was now worn and becoming loose in the faster direction changes, not being a Moto Gp type backing into corners is not one of my best practices. Still I had Steph’s 650S biting at the big bore’s heals and could not let the chick get the better of me on a lesser capacity machine. Throttle on I say, the passing kilometers raced past with our slowing for the turn that would have us headed to Bull Creek and a green light run that had the throttle pegged with our speedos up to the posted speed by the second gear change. It was up and over the hill for the run down to the bridge and those fine sweepers known as “The Bull Creek”. We could feel the blood in the temples as the speed increased once past Paris Creek Y junction. Then there it was a formidable denizen of the bitumen the fossil piloted 80’s Ford cage. One ton of rust infected oil burning two wheeled enemy and green light run obstruction. We hauled over the SV’s and gave it a couple of minutes so we could be certain that the relic of a bygone era would not impede our seamless run.
With the cage well and truly gone the two SVs set upon the consequent tapestry of arching sweeping curves, high speed chicanes, blistering straights and double apexes like liberal pollies looking for a new leader, well maybe not that urgent but it was a hasty ride thought to the 80 Kph sign and Ashbourne road turn. From there it was the usual on the pipe scamper pushing the slim lines of Suzuki’s V-twins into greater lean angles as the scenery blurred past on the way to Strath and a coffee at the Marylou’s southern bike Mecca the “Garage”.
Coffees were ordered as was a new rear tyre for Desmo’s blue streak. While we were waiting for the rear to be re-shod it was the usual banter and tyre kicking one does at such a place. We even took the time to look at a barn deal of a RS250 but it was in a poor state and would require much work and money to get it back to its former glory. Soon the blue streak appeared new rubber on the rear and we were keen to clock up some more time on the blacktop. From Strath it was back out the Ashbourne road with Steph on the pipe from the 80 Kph sign. It was a good scrubbing in for the new rubber of the Jap mille and the Bull Creek revisited was a hoot with no obstacles until we hit the final run down into Meadows.
eading west our course took us on a southern vector as we run down the straight towards Kuitpo then turning right into the Range / McLaren Vale playgrounds. It was a banquet of bitumen bends through some empty back roads that had us re-entering the Kangarilla / Clarendon road for the final leg back to the city. Steph took to the lead just out of Clarendon and was setting a hot lap down Grants Gully Road, Sugarloaf and Main roads slowing for the exit onto Cherry Gardens road. Providing a great flowing ride up to where the Asbestos removal truck came in to play being as painful as a cerebral aneurysm not wanting the happy bikers to enjoy their freedom of open roads and sunny days. It was not long before its unsightly rear end was dispensed with and we could breathe easy in the late afternoon air. We rode the Ironbank road back to Crafers then over the summit to Woods Hill road through to Lobie road and back to the plains with Steph heading down Norton Summit and Desmo retracing his tracks back to Greenhill for the last few kilometers of twisted playground for what one could call a great 5 hours of frivolity for two wheeled twin cylinder motorcycle devotee.
Keeping it shiny side up,
Desmo
