Club Laverda NSW Tour de Tasmania 2019

[martymoose]

3 amigos tucked up nicely in Tumbarumba pub. 3 t bones downed all is good with the world. Big thanks to Hooksey for leading us out of dodge city, brekky at king lake was huge. Funnily enough was hungry again when we got to Rutherglen (go figure).  Had an awesome run through Granya, walwa, Jingellic, Tumbarumba. Looking forward to Cabramurra tomorrow after a good nights sleep. Fair bit of firewood was cut up last night on the ferry.....

[Brett]

[Brett]

Hot off the press the final day of tour down to 3 remaining adventurers 

at least Vince's girl will be happy he has stopped in for a big brekkie... she was oh so missing him last Monday when TC and me were there 
Safe travels guys bring it home

[Reunited Chris]

Big thank you to Cam, Serge and Anthony for helping this poor old sod and bike get back to the mainland.
To Vince, sorry mate I didn't mean for you to FO when you asked for my name at the side of the road, I knew who I was. Good to know that you were doing the right thing mate.
The good looking nurse who wanted to take my pants off wouldn't even offer me a drink first, can't remember her name, bugger.
Joints and ribs are still sore, just gotta do my time on those.
Got to Sydney last night, daughter picked me up at airport.

Must have looked weird to those watching the antics of getting me on and off the bike at the ferry, thanks mates.
Sorry couldn't make the trip from Melbourne to Sydney.

[Vince]

All back to smoky Sydney and well above 30c, I gradually removed the winter gear as we went north. It was 6c and raining in King Lake yesterday where we left Hooksy, he graciously lead us out of Melbourne to the start of some great Southern Victorian roads in again pretty crap weather. Thanks for that cold wet fern show. We did some great roads yesterday and today we gritted the teeth and ground out the remaining distance on the DOOM, boring as batshit expressway. So what i take away from this experience is just how fantastic the Laverda Comunity is and how they came to help when Chris and the tree came to meet. This was probably the toughest ride I have ever done. We were so lucky the way it turned out. It will be remembered that for sure.

[TC]

Yeah it has sounded like a mission once the weather turned on you, Good to have Chris back and by the sounds of it his bike might be getting back pretty quick too.
You can dine out on this run for a very long time I reckon.
 

[martymoose]

Im glad everyone is home safe.  Hell of a trip, i was very under prepared for gear, new jacket and gloves where rubbish.  Jota performed flawlessly, apart from a broken speedo cable.  Thanks again for all the help scooping up John and Chris. 

Marty

[Vince]

Bike report on my 3C from the run. I lost a fairing mount bolt, Marty had a replacement. My left handlebar mount came loose, 3 half turns on a 17mm fixed that. My starter motor stopped working and needed a bang to work but only for one day, thankfully after leaving the ferry. And it came good today again firing on the button. Probably needs brushes. I wanted to go up one on damping with the shocks to No3 but the saddlebags prevented that.It went 100% better than me. I need a full rebuild.

[Dellortoman]

I reckon some of the riding the guys did in Tassie was more of an endurance test than a pleasurable motorcycle tour. I was fortunate that the weather was reasonably benign on the one day I rode with them. I'm glad to hear that everyone got home safely.

I'll write a strongly worded letter to the Bureau of Meteorology suggesting they lift their game regarding the quality of weather they've been delivering in Tasmania lately. It's not good enough for this time of year.

[Vince]

While you're at it get them to tow it about 1000ks further north.

[Piranha Brother 2]

Tassie can turn it on at any time of year. You can be lucky. I've had at least four trips to Tassie on bicycles and in campervans and even doing a (6-day multisport race with Mark Webber!) and have had really nice weather pretty much every time. No doubt the first time I venture there on a moto it'll turn to shaez!

Yes, your trip is one of those that will stick in the memory for sure. Well done guys ... something I would have enjoyed in my younger years but no doubt a test of will and determination at our age. The big positive is that you all came home in one piece ... could have been a tragedy.

[Andy J]

Bike not too bad. Major damage is that the forks are slightly bent. But you can expect that from hitting a tree at speed. They're not built for high-speed trials riding over logs. Other damage is a bent muffler on the right side and the right rear passenger footrest is smashed off. It's the mounting on the aluminium hanger plate that's busted. There's some other minor stuff like bent footrest, levers, busted indicators and road rash on the fairing.

Really glad to hear you are on the mend Chris, definitely not something you want to do too often!
As for the bike, hopefully easily fixable. I have a spare RGS hanger plate, the only thing is I can’t remember for which side and I am away from home for a few days. However, if it’s for the ‘right’ side and you can’t get sorted with a replacement or a repair in Aus, I will be happy to help you out.

[martymoose]

What a dramatic 10 days we had!  I am still in love with my 120 Jota, what a machine it is, but it didn’t start well with a shake down run to Bellingen ending in a broken gearbox selector spring in Walcha, resulting in a 1000km round trip rescue for my cousin Ross in his Ute. Thanks mate I owe you one for that. Owing turned out to be a major service including valve clearance check on his Suzuki bandit 1200. And a beer or 3.....

Shakedown run number 2 showed a much quieter clutch after I disassembled and cleaned the clutch plates and sorted the small burrs on the basket. The new 4 spot brake calipers courtesy of Neil Trillo proved quite powerful as well.

All was ready when I spoke to John Kokany and he told me of his Jota failing to proceed on his shake down run. 5 days to go is not a good time to need a complete ignition rebuild! 

Friday night saw a small gathering at the fibro palace for beer and pizza plus a bit of storytelling.  The Jota was packed and ready so with John on his Jota we headed off to the start at Heathcote. A quick run the to Macquarie pass and down to Nowra for a coffee saw fine weather and John finding the Jota was playing up. Peter and John headed back home to swap bikes but the Jota came good so they decided to turn around and met us at Batemans Bay. We had a great ride from Nowra to Braidwood, with a good counter lunch, followed by a spirited run down the Clyde Mountain. Next stop was rhubarb gelato at Bermagui, then the twisties down to Tathra, then on to Eden and a well deserved beer.

Day 2 and with a deadline to meet the ferry an early getaway was followed by a stop at Cann river for brekky. We made it to within 50 km of the ferry when Johns Jota threw in the towel. On the side of a freeway with no hope of getting it going, we had no option but to leave him with a phone number for Serge in the Victorian club. Luckily Serge and Anthony where home and could perform the rescue. A spirited ride to the ferry ensued, hoping there’s no photographs......  we actually got split up, Chris on his own, Peter and Sasha on the BMW’s, and me following vince. We made it and managed to get to the bar, phew!

[ngiles]

Chris' bike on its way back to Sydney after Maurice brought it up to Wodonga on the Victorian border I took it from him along with the 1200TS for the dull run up the Hume.  Looks like it should make a full recovery!

[Dellortoman]

How's Chris doing?