The long awaited return of the Bushpig

Friday was my RDO, and I had organized a special ride out. Of course what happens when you plan something like this when your married? The missus decided that I would be doing other things, like attending my eldest daughters state rep shot put tryouts. Pfft, I thought, but I'd better turn up least divorce starts knocking at my door.

So with the shot put out of the way and a quick call to Bushpig I met him at McGrath Hills for our first ride of the year and on his new to him bike as well. We took a short ride across the Sackville Ferry which I did on last months ride and then on into Wisemans Ferry for a spot of lunch.

I must say the XDiavel certainly looks good and it gets along pretty good too especially seeing as it has a 240 section rear tyre.

Here's a few pics from the ride of Geoff's new bike. He was pretty excited to be out riding that's for sure.

Geoff briefly thought about driving off in this Ferrari Spyder

Looking chuffed

You may be wondering why it was Geoff's first ride out with me this year and why he sold the MT-10 for the XDiavel. And they'd be some very good questions.

The story started back on new years eve last year, when Stu, Rick, Dave and Geoff went out on a 3 day dirt bike ride through the forests near Nowra, 2 hours south of Sydney. All was proceeding well until the last day where Stu(Husaberg570) decided to swap bikes with Geoff(WR250). Well needless to say this didn't end very well. Geoff apparently tried to lift the front over a log across the track, according to Geoff is was like a Californian Redwood. Seems like the wheelie went a bit too high a bit too quickly and then next thing the bike and Geoff wrapped around the nearest tree.

Things turned to shit pretty quickly and an ambulance was called. Four hours later the Toll rescue chopper was winching Geoff out of the forest bound for St George Hospital. I found out later that night as I was on a family holiday in the NSW Snowy mountains on a Mt Kosciuszko summit walk..

The end result was a broken femur, shattered knee, busted ribs and a punctured lung. No wonder they had to airlift him out. His x ray looks a lot like a motogp riders with more screws and plates in him than a terminator. He's almost more machine now than man.....

The end result was that Geoff can't bend his leg enough to get back on the MT-10 so it had to go, in favour of the forward foot controls on the XDiavel. Needless to say Geoff was positively glowing about being back on the bike and riding. All things considered it's a miracle he's even riding at all.

It was fantastic being able to get out riding again with my wing man. Looking forward to more rides in the future.

Nabbed by the bushpig

On our recent High Country ride I was nabbed by Bushpig on the Omeo Highway between Mitta Mitta and Omeo.

Slaying Arthurs Pass, New Zealand 2014

Ahh good old New Zealand it just keeps giving and giving even though our trip was months ago(feels like years now). I had some unused footage that I captured laying around doing nothing so I managed to cobble this together. If you love rock music turn it up real loud(unless you live in Germany and YouTube has blocked the song so just put on Motley Crue's Kick start my heart).

What have I gone and done now?

As I mentioned in my last post there hasn't been much riding going on lately and I have just had my R1 serviced ready for the spring weather which has just rolled in nicely. It was 26°C here today and the weather ahead has been forecast for warm and no rain for the rest of the week. Woo Hoo motorcycling weather at its best. To top that off I've also just taken 3 weeks annual leave. Sounds like a match made in heaven for planning a motorcycle trip. I haven't been out for a ride in over a month.

There have been a few other developments around here of late as well which has hampered getting out for a ride. I have Phillip Island MotoGP coming up in about 7 weeks time which should be good and I have already organised leave with the Minister of Finance for a 4 day/3 night overnighter in November with Bushpig and a few friends. We will be riding down into the NSW Snowy mountains and Victorian Alps along some of Australia's best motorcycling roads with some like minded bikers and I am really looking forward to that ride as it could be the last for a little while.

Bushpig and Steve on the Bonang Hwy

 

Bushpig rang up a couple of weeks ago about a weekend ride coming up next weekend and asked if i'd be in. The conversation went something like this;

 

Bushpig: We got another overnighter coming up going to Rylestone again for the first ride of the spring. You coming.....

Chiller: When is it?

Bushpig:  The first weekend of September.

Chiller: Crap it, I can't make it.

Bushpig: HAHAHA that's right your f*cked now mate. Then lots of laughter down the phone.

 

Yeah thanks for that ya bastard, it's like you planned that just for me. So getting to the reasons why the riding around here has been pretty lack luster of late and is looking pretty bleak into the immediate future with the noted exception above.

 

Have I sold the bike? Am I giving up riding? Is the world falling apart?

No to all of the above with the exception of the last one, maybe.

One of the best things that has ever happened in my life happened last friday which is also the same reason for the death knell of my immediate riding future. At 12:33 our second daughter Olivia was born into the world weighing 3.5 kgs and 50cm long. Both mum and bub all doing well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Georgia & Olivia



I have read a lot of other peoples blogs about how they got into motorcycling, and there were a lot of those riders that got out of riding when they had kids only to get back into it later on after the kids had grown up and moved out. I am really determined to not let this happen to me, as I really love riding and don't really know what I'd do without it. Yes there are family responsibility's now that needs attention especially with 2 little ones, 4 and under. Is it going to change how I ride. Well maybe it will.

 

Definitely there will probably be a lack of riding to start with, I'm ok with this as that's what happened with our first child, but I still will keep the bike and ride it when I can. Since our first daughter its always been in the back of my mind to take it a bit easy now and to a large extent I have done that. I think I have slowed myself down considerably when out riding. Am I still having fun? HELL YES is the simple answer. When I can't ride I can be enjoying all the fantastic blogs out there.

Does this mean I'm going to sell the R1 and buy a cruiser or tourer? HELL NO! I still have the inner hoon in me just waiting to get out. It's a bit like the Jekyll and Hyde thing. I was hoping to look at getting a new bike by next year for my 40th birthday but that is looking to be as shaky as Christchurch at the moment. I think I'd have a better chance of winning the lottery. Looking at all the new bikes in the dealers last week was very painful knowing what was coming. That second ball and chain will slow me down considerably.

 

Lets hope I can sneak in at least one ride whilst I am on annual leave to alleviate the frustrations. Stay safe everyone.