Cheeses Crust! Autumn in Victoria is usually the pick of the seasons. Warm clear days and mild nights are the norm. This year we've struck the beginning of winter like hitting a Wombat at 100 klicks on a 125! One hour I'm sweating my Rs off, the next, I'm diggin' out me woollies. In the meantime, some of our interstate mates have been working out where the Ark plans were stashed. And those on the West Coast have been through the longest hot, dry spell since Paddy Hannan headed for Kalgoorlie. Believe what you like, something's crook in Tallarook.
Strapz HQ has been quiet and most of the people I come in contact with, in most jobs, reckon they are also slow. Is it a COVID binge hangover, interest rates, warring hotheads, cost of living, doomsayer mainstream media or what? I suspect it's a dose of each in different proportions mixing up to an uncertainty brew.
In many ways, I feel pretty lucky (while wringing my hands at the size of our overdraught [not a typo, a few draughts helps]). Our established pozzy in the Australian landscape, our loyal customers and the fact that we aren't alone keep me turning up. My Dad (in his Yorkshire accent) used to say - "T' thing about banging yer 'ead against t' wall is that when tha stops, it' feels good."
Photo - Incite Images.
Last month I kept looking at the newsletter knowing something was missing but wasn't able to identify what it was. Doh, here it is...
Good Routes
This time we head west from the Barry Way along the Limestone Road, cutting through the guts of the Alpine National Park and popping out at Benambra. The road climbs into high country and beware, snow is not uncommon in winter. It's usually smooth, fast open dirt and as the name suggests a whitish limestone base. I love this road as it's in such a terrific Dual Sport zone.
Native Dog Flat Campground is roughly halfway between Suggan Buggan and Benambra. It's well maintained and has compost toilets. It can get busy in peak times and don't forget you're still in Brumby country. Neither biker nor horse does well out of a coming together.
There's 90% of bugger all in Benambra but the pub is basic and welcoming. Omeo is a short hop south and has most of what we need while out on the road.
North of Omeo is one of Australia's twisty heaven zones. Head Northwest along the Omeo Highway to Tallangatta but make sure your pillion has had their seasick pills before you go. I've had to stop once for my son to shout to Ralph. The surface is only about 7 years old and is in great nick most of the time. Again there is a high section that is prone to a snow dump and the impressive trees can occasionally have a lie down on the road. Kel and I rode that way after a storm had been through a few years ago and my Gourd what a mess. Limbs, sticks and bark everywhere.
Not an idle warning
Jag off out of Omeo in more North-Westerly direction and you'll end up right in amongst the Big White Bumps. We can head there for a road ride a bit later.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that there's not a better concentration of great motorcycling roads anywhere in Oz. Sure, there'll be a few better rides but not the drool inducing choice that is amongst this couple of hundred square klicks.
I saw this for sale on timewaster.com... Do ya reckon a quick tidy up should do it?
What is it about Mercedes drivers?
You never know what yer gonna get. They are the Box of Chocolates of the tin-top world! Our pilot might be a highly proficient driver, a gold chain ballasted, swarthy drug load with 'tude, a 90-year-old headed for the Bowling Club, a private school taxi parent or spoiled brat bint who's owed the world by those in the immediate vicinity.
Our Merc operator could be doing 70 in a hundred zone or a hundred in a 70 zone, holding up the traffic in the right lane with their nose touching the windscreen or ducking and weaving like a rabbit on crack through torrential rain to make three car lengths on the pesky scum around them.
Even the notorious White Van Man is more predictable.
Run Forrest! Run!
Product Spotlight – Adapta Strapz
We haven't released a new strap for more than a decade. So... A new strap system coming out of Strapz HQ is a big deal for us.
The idea was to develop a system that would have the width and stretch of our previous Strapz but increase the adaptability and rapidity of use. A 'saddle' of our 50mm, green stretch web is backed up by Ladder Loc attachments and basic adjustment at each end. Any 25mm by 3 mm gap on the bike can be used as anchor points. A rapid-release clip in the middle allows quick release of tension, instant gear access and re-tensioning.
At the risk of re-inventing the wheel, Adapta Strapz has retained the parts of straps we know have a long and reliable track record while aiming at improving speed and flexibility.
As usual they are handmade (with a sewing machine of course) in our Seaford factory, packed in pairs and available now.
Check out our new YouTube video here or click below to go to webpage to view it.
As an introductory offer, newsletter subscribers get pups out of the first litter at the special offer of $15 off. Click the button below. Limited time only, offer ends May 20th DISCOUNT CODE - ADAPTAMEUP
As an Emergency Nurse, I soon learned that the most dangerous place is home. Sneaking out to the shed to do a quick job often involves leaving the safety brain in the fridge with the last beer.
Slipping on a pair of bogan work boots, I ducked out to continue a bit of a wiring tidy-up on the Dr. while the roast cooked. Crocs seemed close enough for a bit of cable tying and tape wrapping... until I needed to perform a quick bit of electronic surgery. A broken wire needs a quick touch of solder.
As with all shed related activities, Murphy joins in. A drip of solder left the end of the iron and passed straight through one of the holes in the bogan work boot. Yours loudly danced an Irish jig while inventing novel new swear words as the said drop of solder burnt the bejeazuz out of my foot!
Not only did I get a Croc-shaped burn on my foot, but the flash socks are now un-wearable as the solder scratches away with each step, digging a hole in my boot filler.
Struth-a-rama! Out of all the surface area of the shed floor, like a dropped nut, it has to find the most damaging place to lob.
It's been one of those months.
A couple of weeks ago, I was putting the two-way back into the roof console of the 4by. The plan was to leave at lunchtime the next day to meet mates at a bush camp. While removing the console a screw fell, bounced on the transmission console, below and fell into the tiny gap around the handbrake rubber seal.
No problem that I couldn't extract it with the magnetic snake thingo, I grabbed another from my never throw it out screw collection, made good and went indoors. Next morning Mrs Strapz called me telling me she couldn't release the friggin' handbrake.
After an RACV visit who didn't know how to get the cover off the transmission console we cancelled the trip away as the radio was to be crucial in locating said mates.
Dr Google provided the how-to on the cover when I got home and there was the screw... parked under the handbrake lever. If I'd tried to place that screw, from that height in that position... What do you reckon the chances might be?
One weekend away literally screwed up!
Ready to Go and a Gonner... Same Week
Access to bikes to make our Pannier Frame sets is always in the lap of the Gourds. Having someone generous, local and trusting enough to loan us their pride and joy for a day is always more a matter of luck than judgement.
The case in point is our new mate Anthony. Upgrading from a CBX500 to an F series Beemer, he ponied up his sparkling F900GS for us to work our magic.
The prototype worked out smoothly and the powder-coater got them in the oven within a day or so. Test fitting and photography were hampered by a bit of dismal Victorian weather but other than that... It all went swimmingly (as they say in the Olympic Village).
I'm chuffed with the results.
That was Friday. Monday arvo, our hero Anthony called asking me to furnish a quote for an insurance claim as he'd just been rear-ended. Luckily he was only clipped on a rear corner as the car continued to wreak a nose-to-tail havoc event around him.
Anthony did well not to remove Ol' Mate's mobile phone from his hand and put it on charge... in his master freckle!
We do like to see a bit of a 'kick out' on the bottom of our frame sets to support the bags that bit better. This is going too far!
We got a call from the local BMW dealer a few days later, congratulating us on the strength of the frames and how much other damage they prevented on the bike.
My shoulder is still a bit sore from self-back pats and my head has gone back to normal size, I can get my helmet back on now.
You miss out on the Hat Chat this month, Marcus is travelling the wide brown land and I was too disorganised/busy to tee it up before he buggered off.
So, that's about all I gotta write at yers this month.
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