Manshed day in Nowra

[Bones]

Drinking that VB shit will make you pull a face like that.  Still, looks like that wombat was VERY excited to see you Noel.

[Troyskie]

Here are some more photos fellas...

[Troyskie]

Great post Noel. Looks like we're all going to be shrinking our chicken strips at the rally.
Once I get this arm out of the sling I'll be using the 'Join me for a ride section'!

[ken65]

Looks like a good time was had by all.  Pity our country is so big.

Thanks for the pictures.

nothing wrong with cold VB ya big ox.

[wainot]

Hi  Noel   . Thanks for posting the great photo's. Pleased to see that you had a sweet ride  home.
I must say , I do like the look of those Roads up in the high country.
At this stage , I am unsure as to  which way that I will be traveling to Harrietville in March.
Would you be able to please tell me  what road,s you traveled on and the approx time it took you to get to Harrietville and what stops you had along the way etc. 
thanks for the info ,,cheers Phil 

[TexasDave]

Thanks for the great pictures Noel. Looks like Oz has some fantastic roads to ride. If you like dragging pipes that much I have a Harley I'll sell ya.    Dave

[ribbert]

Thanks for the great pictures Noel. Looks like Oz has some fantastic roads to ride. If you like dragging pipes that much I have a Harley I'll sell ya.    Dave

Thanks Dave, but I like dragging them in the corners.

Noel

[ribbert]

........Still, looks like that wombat was VERY excited to see you Noel.

Very funny.

Noel

[ribbert]

I have recently re tweaked the steering with even shorter dogbones after fitting new suspension a year ago and the quick steering has returned.

Mike Ramos has previously suggested (in response to my earlier photos of similar scrapes) that this could only happen with crappy suspension and the RPM set up, even with standard bones, would prevent this. Hmmm?

Noel

Noel, I know this is not the proper thread for this, but lets start with the Hmmm...

I see in the top photo you have attached, by the looks of it, a whole lot of luggage from the pillion position all the way over & past the tail section.

How much does all of that weigh?
What is your combined weight of you and all of your gear you wear?

Now the two combined?

If it is more than or near 275# (125kg) then the rear spring is too soft. Now when I say near, here is what I see in the photo. The weight is rearward more than a pillion riding position and based on the leverage it also multiplied the rear weight percentages.

Based on the photos, it appears the front suspension is good as the dragging is occurring to the rear of the bike. So, if you would please, let me know all of those weights and we can work on resolving your issues of dragging your bike.

Randy - RPM

Randy, I may not have put that very well. My reference to Mike Ramos comments and the rim/tyre combo was to debunk them. Yes you can scrape everything with the RPM shocker, you just have to lean over further, and, in doing so use all of the "pinched" tyre.

My bike would previously scrape on the lower section of that angled part of the belly pan and to the rear. As you can see, it now scrapes at the top and front which clearly shows the bike is now standing taller and leaning further.

I don't think the marks suggest a bias to the rear end sagging but rather reflects the shape of the belly pan.

The extent of tyre use would also confirm the bike is standing taller and leaning further.

The luggage weighs a total of 20 kgs (44lbs) including bags. The forward bag sits on the pillion seat and has the heavy items placed at the bottom, the rear bag only has loose packed clothes and can be lifted with my little finger. The bike feels no different, even at carpark speed and U turns with this set up.

Those bags always draw similar comments but they look worse than they are.

Noel

[racerrad8]

Randy, I may not have put that very well. My reference to Mike Ramos comments and the rim/tyre combo was to debunk them. Yes you can scrape everything with the RPM shocker, you just have to lean over further, and, in doing so use all of the "pinched" tyre.

My bike would previously scrape on the lower section of that angled part of the belly pan and to the rear. As you can see, it now scrapes at the top and front which clearly shows the bike is now standing taller and leaning further.

I don't think the marks suggest a bias to the rear end sagging but rather reflects the shape of the belly pan.

The extent of tyre use would also confirm the bike is standing taller and leaning further.

The luggage weighs a total of 20 kgs (44lbs) including bags. The forward bag sits on the pillion seat and has the heavy items placed at the bottom, the rear bag only has loose packed clothes and can be lifted with my little finger. The bike feels no different, even at carpark speed and U turns with this set up.

Those bags always draw similar comments but they look worse than they are.

Noel

No, I guess you didn't and your comments are still confusing.

How about the foot pegs & brake pedal, they have to be just about ground away if the lower fairing is rubbing.

How about the left side is it doing the same thing?

Still it sounds like we need to get your RPM suspension dialed in properly.

What is the combined weight of you, your gear and the luggage?
What is the rear sag setting loaded like you were for the trip?

Randy - RPM

[X-Ray]

Thanks Dave, but I like dragging them in the corners.

Noel

Oh how I am chortling, that is a classic, 

Great pics Noel, and that rear tyre photo of yours to me it looks like you have gone OVER the edge onto the sidewall looking at the rub marks, could that be right? Anyway, yep can't wait to get back to that part of the country. One thing that did sadden me on the Jindabyne trip was the number of dead wombats on the side of the road, poor buggers don't stand a chance. Hopefully this trip I can stop to take more photos, thats what I really miss from the first trip.

[ribbert]

One thing that did sadden me on the Jindabyne trip was the number of dead wombats on the side of the road, poor buggers don't stand a chance.

The wombats sit around their campfire at night saying the same thing about motorcyclists.

I was late travelling from Khancoban to Jindabyne because of a puncture and ended up travelling at 50 kph for the latter part of the ride into the night. I had abandoned any hope of getting there at a reasonable time and was just grateful to arrive in one piece, I did not see a single vehicle for the entire trip, the locals know!
It was like all the wildlife in the state had congregated on that road, wombats, kangaroos, deer and just when you think the animal population couldn't get any thicker, bloody brumbies running across the road.
The bloke at the motel couldn't believe I had ridden through there unscathed at that hour of the night.

Hopefully this trip I can stop to take more photos, that's what I really miss from the first trip.

You know Ray, it took me 45 years to learn to do that. Most photo ops involve doubling back, having caught a fleeting glimpse of the shot as you whizz past. This sometimes involves travelling some distance before a U turn can be made and then overshooting the spot when backtracking for the same reason, but it's worth it.

Great photos usually go hand in hand with great roads and the last thing you want to do is interrupt the flow. However, if you're riding hard, a mini stop gives your brain a break from the intense level of concentration and it only takes a few corners to get back in the groove once you start riding again.

Richard (Rover) and I discussed this very thing last weekend, we were in absolute agreeance, go back and get the shot, every time.

This is one of many reasons I like riding alone.

,.......that rear tyre photo of yours to me it looks like you have gone OVER the edge onto the sidewall looking at the rub marks....

Modern tyres are truly amazing. Even at those angles you can nail the throttle at 6000rpm in second coming out of the corner and while the rear might slide a little, mostly it just slingshots out of the corner. The thought of doing that on road tyres a few years back was unthinkable, let alone ones that give great mileage. On trips alone that tyre has 9500kms on it.

On the last night of my trip I had a great motel room overlooking the mountains, big screen TV, foxtel, netflix etc but opted for a comfy chair outside my room with a bottle of red staring at my bike, reflecting on all the places it had taken me over the last 4 days and the manner in which it had taken me. I don't ever recall a trip where the old girl has been flogged so mercilessly for 12 hours a day.
I almost felt if it didn't want to start in morning I wouldn't blame it.

However, come the morning the engine sprang to life almost before I could hear the starter engage, as usual, and immediately settled into a steady purr with nary a hint of the thrashing it had endured the day before. What a machine!

I was back in Victoria now (you know, bike confiscation if they can prove you were thinking about speeding) and decided I had pushed my luck and the bike enough on this trip and would just cruise home, then this set of corners came up........

Looking forward to meeting you at the Rally Ray, roll on March.

Noel

[FJools]

I had a "pleasant" (not) surprise in the mail on Friday - A demand from the state revenue theft department suggesting i had traversed a fixed speed camera above the stautory snail pace demanded by our uber zealous local state department responsible for removing the fun out of life.

$112 and 1 point for 72kmh in a 60 zone on the Princes Highway from the Sunday ride home. its interesting that if had been a mobile constabule unit it would have been 3 points. Go figure...........??

[ribbert]

I had a "pleasant" (not) surprise in the mail on Friday - A demand from the state revenue theft department suggesting i had traversed a fixed speed camera above the stautory snail pace demanded by our uber zealous local state department responsible for removing the fun out of life.

$112 and 1 point for 72kmh in a 60 zone on the Princes Highway from the Sunday ride home. its interesting that if had been a mobile constabule unit it would have been 3 points. Go figure...........??

Jools, be thankful your were in NSW, south of the border that would cost you $303/3 points

[Troyskie]

Jools, where was this? In Nowra the only fixed cam is in a 70 zone.....