“7:00am, Macca’s, Narellan. And don’t
be late – I know what you journo types are bloody
like,” Easyrider’s Ray Northbridge’s gruff voice echoes
down the phone line. “And you better bring your wet
weather gear.”
You’re telling me. Heather has just spent a week
working overtime so she can get the extra day off
for the ride, so dragging her out of bed at 5:30am,
in a storm, in the cold, was never going to be easy.
“I’m so sick of damn motorbikes,” she moans. “We
go on a holiday to Tasmania and it’s on a motorbike.
We go to Adelaide. Motorbike. We go on our honeymoon
to England – three weeks in the rain on a motorbike.
I’m over it. It’s fiiive thirrrty for crying out loud.
You suck Jeff. Why did I marry you?”
“I love you too honey. Now get your wet weather gear
on like a good girl.”
I shouldn’t have said that. Removing Heather’s size-eight
Alpinestar from my arse really hurt. Ouch!
We’re soon on the road and despite the weather it
feels great to get out of the city. Our ‘Busa is humming
along like a gem and we’re surrounded by other ‘Busas.
Feels great. Looks great. Man, this is fantastic.
First stop is Goulbourn where we all re-group and
grab a coffee. The rain isn’t easing off but nobody
seems to mind. Heather wanders around snapping pics
and I get chatting to a few other riders. Ray offers
me his custom, extra-comfortable pillion seat for
Heather. We swap seats and Heather is stoked. So stoked,
in fact, that she falls asleep for the run to Cooma
– in gale-force winds and pelting rain!
A bite to eat goes down well and we all settle in
for the final run to Jindabyne Station Resort, our
home for the next three days. We get some dry weather
on the Alpine Way and all of us get a little fired
up and have a great run to town. It was just the thing
after such a cold, wet ride.
Once we all check in to our warm cabins it’s time
to hit the bar. There’s a BBQ fired up and the night
is spent meeting, greeting, drinking and eating. Everyone
is having a great time and the company is just tops.
Saturday dawns another rainy day but, again, nobody
seems to mind. We head off to ride the ‘Loop’ from
Jindabyne to Adaminaby, Cabramurra, Khancoban, Thredbo
and back to Jindabyne. The trip is roughly 350km and
includes some of the best roads I’ve ever been on.
After the first stop Heather and I go ahead and wait
for our chance to get a group shot. The sight of 48-odd
Hayabusas blasting through a huge set of esses is
amazing and we can’t wait to get back on the bike
and catch up.
The next 60km or so are dry and Heather and I enjoy
the ride of our lives through the National Park. It
was just sweeper after sweeper, with big third and
fourth gear roll-ons off the turns. Awesome stuff
that can only be appreciated on a Hayabusa.
We all meet up again just as the rain starts. Heather
and I start to pick our way through the group so we
can get pics of each rider and eventually we settle
in up the front for a great run with Ron Soloman from
Balls Tuning (on an R1 at that!) and a few others
on Hayabusas. There ended up being six of us up the
front, Ron, Rev on his ‘Busa, Heather and I and another
couple on a ‘Busa, and Ray and Glen. We had a great
ride in the wet and we were all drifting together
off the turns. Top stuff indeed and it was a pleasure
to ride with such company. Shawn Giles, who was on
the ride too, would have carved us all up on his beloved
Hayabusa if he hadn’t been delayed earlier in the
day with bike trouble.
Anyway, we didn’t mind at all!
Back at the resort everyone changed into warm clothes
and headed for the bar. It was great listening to
all the stories of the day and having a few drinks.
Dinner was held in the restaurant and hosted by the
event organiser, Richard deMeester. Richard put in
a great effort and should be congratulated for the
whole event. His emotional words of condolence to
the family and friends of a rider lost before the
event were very touching and the $600 raised for the
Salvo’s was, I’m sure, greatly appreciated so close
to Christmas and probably kept a lot of people warm.
There were lots of great prizes drawn on Saturday
night and in a rare burst of generosity I even gave
a subscription to anyone who’d crashed over the weekend.
Everyone had a great time in the end – even Gilesey
let loose after a tough season in Aussie superbikes!
WINNERS ARE GRINNERS
BrakeTech Rotors from Easy Rider Imports:
Shane Morgan
Pirelli Dragon tyres from Balls HPT: Bob Young
Dyno and tune from Pete’s Pitstop: Barry Gipp
HID headlight set from Pete’s Pitstop: Mad Max
Pillion peg blank from Pete’s Pitstop: Drew Martin
Dirtbags Australia packs: Barry Gipp, Franko
Mat Mladin Motorcycles packs: Mad Max, Wearlej, Heidi
Rapid Bikes magazine packs: Slong
Suzuki NSW Hayabusa packs: Greg Greenaway, Foddder,
Rev
WHERE AND WHEN
The inaugraul Snowy Hoot was held over the
weekend of the 5th/6th and 7th of November 2004. For
info on the 2005 event visit www.ozbusa.com
After a huge buffet breakfast on Sunday morning we
all split up into our various groups and hit the road.
Heather and I had lunch with Bob and Bronwyn in Cooma
and then enjoyed a dry run all the way home. What
a top weekend!
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