Speed Week 2017 - Lake Gairdner

[Andy]

Made it to Port Augusta, bone dry forecast for the week ahead so should be fine.
Borrowed a dmax 4x4 to tow the tandem enclosed trailer and have 200m of duct tape to seal the Ute and trailer from at least some dust.
Getting closer, next post will be in a week odd when we get back into service range. I'll update everyone then
Here we go!

[Yelta]

Perhaps as well as wishing Andy good luck on the salt we should wish him good luck getting there. From DLRA (Dry Lake Racers Aus) web page as at 16 Feb, "The Iron Knob - Kingoonya Road is very good. The road from the turn off to the water tanks not so much. And large patches of bull dust from the tanks to the lake." Hope his tow car is a 4WD.

And pray that it doesn't rain.

[Otago]

Perhaps as well as wishing Andy good luck on the salt we should wish him good luck getting there. From DLRA (Dry Lake Racers Aus) web page as at 16 Feb, "The Iron Knob - Kingoonya Road is very good. The road from the turn off to the water tanks not so much. And large patches of bull dust from the tanks to the lake." Hope his tow car is a 4WD.

[badbudgie]

Just read your original post Andy , coffee and bikes. I feel a bit of man love coming on lol. Too many bikes i've owned to name in this post. Current Bike, Triumph Bonneville. Good luck on the salt.

[Dimal]

Yep...

The Duke electrics were pretty sad alright.
Didn't worry me unduly though, I just rewired the bikes and used Japanese switchgear, etc. Not a hiccup after that... Don't know if the current crop of Duke electrics is any better.

Loved all my Dukes though, had four of them altogether.

Mal.

[TampIt]

Owned the forerunner to the FJ1200, the 1100...

Great bike and lots of fun to ride at any time. Imagine the 1200 was not too dissimilar...

Mal.
P.S.
My 1100 was not the forerunner as I thought, being an XS1100 not an FJ.
It was designated as an XS1.1 and sported a mini-fairing. Colour was a near black metallic paint. Looked superb.
Was a great bike...

G'day Mal

My first "real bike" was the 1973 air cooled RD350. The stories that one could tell on and off the track... I try to forget the 1973 Ducati "making mechanics out of riders" 750SS - $2700 worth of warranty work on a $1800 new bike - shudder - only on the road for 4 1/2 months in the first year then after the twentienth electrical fault I sold it on to the next sucker via the dealer. Then a few Hondas, BSA's, a Kwaka (Z9), Vincent (58 Rapide), Norton 850, Triumph (bought new, stripped it down immediately, rewired it "top to tail" and machined the engine cases - no oil leaks after that), BMWs (they actually worked reliably out of the box, pity their brakes were useless) etc etc.

My 21st and final bike (so far) is a "bought new" 1979 XS1100E with 330K Km on the clock - mostly "rapid transit" trips from the west to Sydney / Melb / Bris and back (numerous "3 days of all daylight travel per trip" from my door to my aunt's in Fairy Meadow. NSW). Due to Com Aircraft's wind tunnel in Adelaide setting up the DCP Concorde fairing (plus a few vary minor engine mods - just sorted out the inlet and exhaust breathing) it probably is the fastest streetable Yammy XS11 out there for the long haul. When the two service stations on the Nulla wanted someone to pip a Ferrari's 57 minutes for the "old road longest straight" I let it rip. Caiguna to Balladonia: 196km in 42:15 (average just a shade under 280kmh). Not too shabby for a (then) 2 year old bike carrying 6 weeks of camping gear plus ex-wife 1 returning to Perth... and yeah, she loved it. Wrecked the fuel gauge because the tach needle stayed over 11,700rpm for too long and smashed the gauge's needle and stuffed it up. Still a current record in 2006. Now the flashing blue light problem means very few will be able to have a go (unfortunately).

Andy - go for it - you only live once, so make it count. I also loved the original Z900 and those awesome 750 two strokes.

TampIt

[LFM60]

There are 3 ex police 2012/2014 FJ 1300's in Sydney somewhere, on the Pickles auction site finishing on the 24th. Tomorrow. Milperra just checked.

Bet they have had an easy life.

Bottom of the page of 27 listings.

http://www.pickles.com.au/general/it..._Type_Sequence

Interesting.........it shows the bidders initials and location next to all bids!!

[Dimal]

Owned the forerunner to the FJ1200, the 1100...

Great bike and lots of fun to ride at any time. Imagine the 1200 was not too dissimilar...

Mal.
P.S.
My 1100 was not the forerunner as I thought, being an XS1100 not an FJ.
It was designated as an XS1.1 and sported a mini-fairing. Colour was a near black metallic paint. Looked superb.
Was a great bike...

[DesigningByCoffee]

Scrap the plates, start a project, hot it up and come racing!

I feel a street-fighter coming on

Apparently the FJ1200's are popular with the stunt/hooligan brigade, but for the life of me I can't see why. It weights almost 300kg!
Amazing that in 20 years they've doubled (or even tripled!) the power of the FJ and halved the weight. What a terrifying thought! Launching mine from 5000rpm and taking to redline is enough to clench the cheeks

[LFM60]

Hell yeah! I could put my money into super to pay someone to wipe my bum in 30 years or I could spend it now on life-long memories and experiences, sell the bike later and cop a 15-20% loss. As a small business I'm not forced into putting money into super so I can "invest" it how I want. I do have some "real" super from a previous life and may or may not ever get to use it but for now, this is a better option.

I promise I'll "grow-up" sometime soon and then I can sit there an watch a 7% annual growth on a bit of paper before they blow 50% in a bad year (been there already!)

Good idea. You only live once.

[LFM60]

Just had a look on Bikesales. Keyword H2R. Thinking, leave it in a term deposit or...........

Too fast for me anyway. I'd sneeze or something at the start of the straight on Phillip Is. and end up sliding the rest of the way.

Last time I looked a few months ago, they were early to mid $40's. One in SA for $90K and one dealer Get Price.

Some speculating going on there, I think.

[Smee]

Hell yeah! I could put my money into super to pay someone to wipe my bum in 30 years

DONT DO THAT!



I promise I'll "grow-up" sometime soon


DONT DO THAT! PLEASE DONT MAKE ME GIVE YOU A THIRD WARNING.



Scrap the plates, start a project, hot it up and come racing!

THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT. NOW YOURE TALKIN!

My comments above are in CAPS & yes, I was shouting at you.....now go ride the big bike fast & remember to post a photo for decrepit old farts like Mal & I !

[Smee]

Who says I didn't...


Would if I could mate...
A series of strokes over the last few years have put paid to that idea though. Can't even sit on a bicycle these days without falling off.

That's a lovely Trumpy Yelta...
Used to own an original (from new) Bonneville back in the late 60s through to about the mid 70s when I bought the Duke 900SS Desmo. Loved the Bonny (not the oil leaks though )...

Mal.

Sorry to hear this Mal, being a newbie here & thick as two short planks I didn't realise.

Ive been bugging my wife for the last 12 months about getting a new bike however she rejected my application on the basis of 2 reasons, 1. No bike until our house is built & 2. Not until my health improves.

At the present time, aim in the process of obtaining legal advice on whether to appeal her decision or wait out the mandatory 3 month waiting period before applying again.......marriage is a wonderful institution....

An old friend of mine told me to Man-up & just by it BUT the other 28 times I did that resulted in all sorts of sanctions which make USA/North Korean relations look good.

So I wait.

[Andy]

...because the new RD400 was coming out.

My first registered road bike was a the RD400 (with 250 side covers and bore labels). Far from new in 1985 but cheap and lots of fun to learn on.

...wondering if you (Andy) thought that money in an H2R was better than money in super

Hell yeah! I could put my money into super to pay someone to wipe my bum in 30 years or I could spend it now on life-long memories and experiences, sell the bike later and cop a 15-20% loss. As a small business I'm not forced into putting money into super so I can "invest" it how I want. I do have some "real" super from a previous life and may or may not ever get to use it but for now, this is a better option.

I promise I'll "grow-up" sometime soon and then I can sit there an watch a 7% annual growth on a bit of paper before they blow 50% in a bad year (been there already!)

...pull my FJ1200 off the road...

Scrap the plates, start a project, hot it up and come racing!

I'm in the same boat, 3 kids 12,15,17 and the 15yo is coming with me as pit-crew... great family entertainment.

[Dimal]

You don't need a race face like Andy to enjoy a bike.....

Who says I didn't...

go on, you know you want to

Would if I could mate...
A series of strokes over the last few years have put paid to that idea though. Can't even sit on a bicycle these days without falling off.

That's a lovely Trumpy Yelta...
Used to own an original (from new) Bonneville back in the late 60s through to about the mid 70s when I bought the Duke 900SS Desmo. Loved the Bonny (not the oil leaks though )...

Mal.