So, my mind was made up, I had decided on a 3 wheeler and I was now on my way to Wooloongong to pick it up. It had already been paid for, cost a shit load, but, what the heck, you only die once right! If you are wondering why I bought a bike so far away. Well, we only have a few shops in Oz where they can be bought, and I definitely wanted to learn how to ride this thing, but I had heard it takes a few days to get used to it.
I had taken a week off work and other drivers were looking after my clients,(I hoped). I also had the taxi booked in for a warranty repair, so I drove it to the workshop first thing Monday morning, and they dropped me at the airport 🙂 Things went well, I arrived in Wooloongong just after midday and was met at the airport by the chaps from https://www.ccpowersport.com.au/ A bit of paperwork first, then my introduction to my new debt, I mean love 😉
I was 1500+ kms from home,(as the crow flies) and I had about 15 minutes to get used to it in the carpark, before I headed away and that was a crazy thing. A new bike, with a totally different riding characteristic and I basically headed out of the carpark onto the Princes Highway, heading north!!!
2 lane then 3 lane traffic all doing 100kmh+ and I am trying to work out what lane to be in and working out how to use(where are they) bloody indicators! All this time I am thinking, cool photo there, but zero confidence in actually grabbing my camera and trying to use it just yet!
[So, just for the record, I had done some study on these bikes. I knew it could guide me if I “connected” my phone. But I had read some conflicting reports about connectivity between iPhones and the bike] So, I chose to use my Garmin Montana for directions. I had pre-purchased a handlebar mounting kit and we installed that prior to leaving the shop. The maps on the Montana were dated a bit, around 2011. But how far wrong can you go from south to north right? I mean I am near Sydney, head to Rocky right?
Anyway, I was away and the bike was a handful!
Honestly, amongst traffic at 100-110kmh, it was all over the place. Not between lanes or anything but just the constant tracking between wheel ruts within the white lines on the lane I was in was crazy. It was twitchy as a witches twitch! But, I had read about this, I also had seen a few videos online and they all described the same thing. Until you let go (what!) the handlebars and let the bike do its thing, it will be twitchy!
So, anyway, for the next hour or so I headed north, and that took me into the late afternoon traffic of Sydney, which was not fun. I had sort of planned to be a lot further by this time. But, I had forgotten the Blue Mountains, so there are only a few ways over and through there apparently, and it meant I basically had to head to Newcastle, and hang a leftie. Which I did.
Hmmm, so now it is late afternoon and I am heading into the setting sun(no photo’s, ohh, already said that right) and for the next hour I am slowly relaxing into the bike. Cant see shit in front of me, but hey I am getting the feel of the bike 🙂
So, it was another hour or so of the run westwards and I eventually arrived in the town of Bathurst, just on dark. I had already, about an hour or so back, pulled over and done some research on a motel, that was close to Mt Panorama, was cheapish and had brekky included 😉
I managed a quick snack and a couple of thirst quenchers at some pub, can’t remember which sorry, and being a Monday night it was as dead as a dead dingo’s donger anyway.
Tomorrow I was thinking about getting to Toowoomba, but Mt Panorama beckoned first, except the forecast was *&^%ing cold overnight and might be foggy with some weather, crikey!!!!