A huge 48hrs in Australia, 840kms in two days

Wow what a 48hrs, we rode every terrain you can imagine the tracks that I didn’t know real well were a lot rougher than I thought and took longer than I thought so we had even less time to stop than we already planned and that wasn’t much
We assembled at Chicken’s very early Saturday morning and got ready for a 5.30am start, yes 5.30am!!
The night before Chicken, Boulder and I had done some work on the trailer so everything was ready
Here’s the crew ready to go very early

From left to right
TB, Salina, Boulder, Crash (back turned), Jeffro, Dan D and Kylie D
So we rode out in the dark and let me tell you it was bloody dark, what was I thinking when I came up with this stuffing idea, it was hard work, the mental stress was incredible, we headed into the Watagans and it wasn’t long before I had my first brush with the wildlife just missing a wombat, at the time Crash was right with me and like me couldn’t believe I had missed it.
Here we are stopped in the Watagans just checking a few things early, when I say stopped it was less then 40 seconds, just checking everybody was right etc and go

From there it was out through the Watagans and into the Laguna Valley where it was bitterly cold it was the colder there then anywhere else we went all weekend including riding at Sunny corner in the sleet!
Once into Yango it warmed up and we rode non stop to Howe’s Valley where we left the bush and went up the Putty rd for 6 klm. The girls already on site and ready, and yes they had traveled 140klms with toolbox lid up and not lost a single thing, which was even more amazing as it was chocker’s full
We fueled very quickly ate something like a sausage roll had a leak and bolted,
DETAIL REMOVED AS REQUIRED
We had to find a way out onto the Putty road at the end and had to transverse a couple of sandy bits that saw me on the deck, still holding the bars, clutch in and I was trying to stand up and pick it up whilst Crash was laughing in my head and saying quick, quick pick it up here they come, I had my back to him, later I was to learn that he was waving to them to hurry and come have a look while I was on the ground funny bugger, turns out there was a few drops in the sand because of the low speed
From there we had to jump back on the putty rd again for a brief run to Colo Heights servo where Dan fueled again, we left the Putty rd and rode down a dirt rd to the Colo river, crossed and rode up to Mountain Lagoon, the track to Mountain Lagoon, it is worth mentioning is littered with rocks, sharp ledges, ruts and drains running across it waiting the ding rims and pinch tubes, picking a line was hard work. Once through Mountain Lagoon we ducked up 5kms of the Bell’s line rd to the other side of Bilpin and meet the service vehicle, the girls had the Jerry cans ready, nozzles fitted and all :ohmy: . We all fueled and left down into the valley behind Bilpin, its pretty rough and narrow in spots, we stopped on the bridge at the bottom for a quick photo and then got going again, just enough time for Dan to have a quick smoke

We motored straight up thru Mt Wilson and back onto the Bell’s line rd, 4.5kms of bitumen and back on the dirt for a short run down a dirt road and onto a disused railway service track and around a train coal loader and into Clarence, once at Clarence we rode out along the power lines for a while heading for the Black Fellows hand trail, there was a big rutted muddy hill we went up, when I say we I mean Crash, Boulder and myself, Jeffro had some trouble and well Dan struggled with his retread see photos and videos


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzHEJnip5wc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdzpiMMzUv0&feature=channel_page


We continued to Wolgan rd where the support vehicle was waiting and found the girls had been wondering about some dude in a car, that was where Salina had put into Kylie’s head the guy was ringing his friends to come murder them when actually he was looking for 5 bikes as well, I spoke with him when we got there and we saw him again at Capertee still looking for them lol. Dan fueled here only and we continued to Capertee it was in this section we really wound them up and everybody screamed through this 32klm section and I can tell you now Jeffro there are some nice lookouts and stuff we flew past, but it wasn’t a scenic tour
We got to Capertee and found the girls had ordered our lunch, what a support crew! We fueled all the bikes and ate lunch reasonably quickly and left for Dark Corner, we at this stage were right on time, into the forest behind Capertee and down Tracy Hill, at the time I was chatting with Crash as we had been talking the whole trip using the blue tooth bike to bike communication devices and we both said how tough Tracy is having fallen on that rocky hill and still rode all day afterwards on a previous ride. We completed all the creek crossings without drama, also everyone rode on the track so no one fell in Mick’s hole, man that hole must be a long way of the track because I looked and couldn’t find it. Crash had a minor drop whilst negotiating a muddy section but other then that we pushed on quickly through the Capertee run, we still planned on making Bathurst but knew the last half hr into Bathurst would be in the dark.
It was here the ride folded, debate rages, was there man tears? Did someone hit the wall? Or did we just lose our Mojo? Only those there really know, but it went like this. We hadn’t stopped since we left Capertee, the 2nd section of this track is rocky, I mean you can’t see the dirt in sections its just rock, the other sections have tree roots, and rocky sticking out waiting to puncture a tyre or dent a rim. Crash, Dan and I pulled up at a intersection on top of the range, the area is full of those grey gums the wind was blowing through and it had started sleeting it had been alright while we had been riding but was becoming ordinary sitting there waiting. Crash went back and Dan and I waited, the wait was becoming to long for just a flat so we rode back and found them.
It turns out that Jeffro had got a rear flat, he pulled up and Boulder had pulled up behind him, Jeffro turned to tell Boulder he had a flat and before he could speak Boulder said “I have a front flat” So there we have both bananas with flats at the same spot!



After changing the flats everyone was cold and the Mojo was gone, the decision was made to head to Lithgow for the night. We kept going through the Capertee run and into the pine forests around Sunny Corner, we did some single trails and found the first of two very slippery up hills, pine needles and wet clay just don’t work without good tyres and even good tyres are a struggle anyway, Crash and I made it up the first hill 1st go, Jeffro was going OK but cleaned up a tree and then was in struggle city as his tyre was worn before the trip started, Crash dragged him up, Dan struggled and had to be helped up (thought his new retread may have been better lol) and Boulder was lugging the super tanker and required a little hand. We left and continued through the forest and came to a favorite hill we always have a play on, I have never ridding this hill when wet and was first to have a go and only got about a 3rd of the way up when I ran out of drive. Crash had a go and only made about the same and Dan’s 1st go was not good. I videoed the rest from the bottom, Crash and Dan kept trying, Crash was the only one to make it over the top, Dan made it further on Crash’s bike then his own and that wasn’t because it was a Yamaha Honda thing either

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcwLvoaVEBE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTmje2Ol13Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLL2Kc_0gFQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIrBhHlcosk

We left and I tried to work a short cut to Wallerawang and became geographically challenged for a little while and we found a local in the forest which gave us some directions and it was all good. We rode into Lithgow and meet the girls at Maccas, Kylie then surprised us all including Dan by not only knowing every Motel in town but I think being on first name terms with everyone that worked at them, what’s doing there Kylie??
We booked into the Zig Zag Motel and I can recommend it http://www.zigzagmotel.com.au/ if ever you’re stuck in Lithgow it’s the place. Everyone was quick to have a warm shower and we went up to the motel bar, sat at the lounge watched the footy on the plasma and had some rums. Mal 5.1 and his lovely partner Donna came in and had dinner with us, we had a great 3 course meal and some more drinks it was a great night thanks to all
Next morning we had a 8am start, chains lubed, air filters, some laughs about last night and group photo for day 2

We left there fueled at a servo and rode out about 6kms and got back onto the dirt, up along an old air strip and onto a gun twin trail that reminded me of the snow country type riding conditions, we ended up at the Zig Zag railway which we went straight through, we stopped for a minute at Moto’s corner and saw where he crashed, and went up and got on the power line track to head to Bell, it was here Crash out the helmet cam out and chased me for a while

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF7BHe2kHvI

We continued to Bell via power line service track and an old disused railway service line track, at Bell we had to ride up the Bells line rd for about 7klms and about here I tried searching some trails for future rides and must have come up with 1001 U turns, thanks guys appreciate your patience. We turned in and rode to Mt Wilson and had our first stop of the morning at the lookout for Jeffro lol

We left there and Boulder got his 2nd flat of the trip, the front again, while here Crash was seen chatting up an old boiler! (seemed funny at the time)

Boulders tyre change, why he is the super sweep

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lie9DOWWwBc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aipVjIJQAI8

We left and rode down into the valley, which is pretty rough in spots and to the bridge from day 1, the trip in and out is rough enough that whoever I was talking to couldn’t believe that Salina and I had been through here on the NX two up. Dan had run into the valley with Crash and I, we had a little go on the way out of the valley when watching the video you can see Crash hit a big rock and a quick view of the drop into the valley, it doesn’t do justice to how rocky and rough it is and how good those 650’s are in the 2nd and 3rd gear work again Crash Chasing me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0H5_A86Uhg

From there we rode down the Bell’s line a couple of kays and meet the girls for Breakfast and then back over through the rocky rutted rim denting run to Colo Heights servo where for the first time the whole trip we had to wait for the girls which was only fair as they waited all weekend for us!
Once fueled we left and got into it Crash doing a good job in the dust

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJpozi2Piqc

We meet the girls at Putty Rd House fueled and left into Yengo for a real quick blast, I had stopped with Crash and the others had gone ahead, we got going and I found myself in the zone, so when I came up upon the others stopped at a corner I kept going, sorry Jeffro, Crash stopped with them as he had a stick jammed into his gear stick / swing arm that they had to remove (that’s his excuse, it was the pressure that got to him) we all just basically kept going the Laguna general store / pub where we had a beer / rum and waited for the girls, man they did some miles. It was here that Dan walked into the bar and ordered a drink, the woman at the bar said to him “You are not the lead rider are you?” very funny, he had the dustiest face!

We left there and the final words spoken went like well we have made it this far without a drama its just a cruise home, WTF it became a free for all between Dan, Crash and myself, I backed down the inside of Dan only to run wide on the next we slipped and slid everywhere, Crash and I banged bars and we screamed through to the top of the valley whilst talking to one another about how we cant believe we rode through there in the pitch black! The ride pace slowed to something sensible we rode through the pines and onto the track around the wishing well it was here Jeffro had a moment that had Crash in my ear saying I cant believe Jeffro didn’t crash and then he went into the same hole / rut lol
Done and dusted back to Chicken’s just under 800kms done. We rode some rough tracks, tracks you wouldn’t associate with a marathon mile effort style ride and everyone handled themselves like the pros that they are, not one complaint, really no man tears spilled and no one hit the wall.
The boys at the end
Boulder

Dan

Crash

Jeffro

Tyres after the weekend
My Bridgestone ED78 1380kms old now and going to Nundle

Dan’s Retread just under 800kms old, Dan said going in the bin
DanD wrote:

[/quote]The same can't be said about my MX Retread:unsure: (but I was warned:dry: )[/quote]

Crash’s Pirelli Scorpion 1300kms old

The riders
Crash in my head all weekend, its really good chatting and talking the trail whilst riding, tracks can be discussed, choices discussed, lines picked and laughs shared thanks for that plus so much more
Dan you are a gun, he rode the wheels of the WR all weekend, was always there and always smiling, you are the man thanks mate, just get a decent tyre eh? Nice wheelies to mate
Jeffro aka Cousin It from the Adams family, mate you are the quiet achiever, you are the EverReady battery you just keep on keeping on, you and the DR just poke along at pace all day, sorry to hear about the magic sunnies though, have you checked inside your helmet lol
Boulder there is nothing I can say about you mate that does justice to you, nothing at all
Chicken and family, thanks for the use of you home, and all you did as usual you know what I mean
Kylie you go girl, should you want to take up interstate truck driving now you are a mile maker and can back a trailer let me know I will get you a gig, you and Dan are amazing people thanks for the laughs and everything I haven’t remembered because there is so much more to the weekend
Sal, she knows
This is the longest ride report I know, but I have reread it twice and realised it is missing so much, so many laughs so much detail, as Dan said so much has happened in 48 hours!

Good Stuff, report, photos and video enjoyed the lot.
Thanks

top stuff tb650

great stuff trailboss,
we'll have to go riding sometime, sounds like you're just up the road from me. I ride the watagans regularly.

Seems a lot like So Cal with all the variety of terrain.

Very choice!

Excellent report Greg....

Great pics