Philip Island GP this year - anyone riding down?

[ruscook]

This is the forecast summary from one of my mates who's into the weather:

"Weather forecast is firming up for typical PI weather at the w/e. Late showers with a change around Bombala Wed, a few showers and increasing southerly winds as we ride through eastern VIC Thurs, then scattered showers and cool southerlies Fri and Sat. Sunday is uncertain - could clear through the day or be cold, windy and showery, depending on which computer forecast model wins. All of next week in western VIC, SA and back through NSW is looking fine, though a small front going through mid-week may give us some showers on Kangaroo Island, but that's a long way off in weather forecast terms."

We'll be going down to Bombala on Wed PM (meeting at Pheasants Nest @ 4pm).

Have a good safe run to all those heading down to the island.

Russ

[Simmo]

Hello al,
Just to break the east coast monotony we have 5 that will be travelling from Warrnambool down Great Ocean Road across ferry around peninsula and then down hwy to PI. Staying in a house in Cowes. Looking forward to the weekend. Not looking forward to radar paranoir (?). Leaving Friday morning and return Monday evening.
Hopefully catch up with various fellows there.
Cheers, Simmo

[MickSprint06]

I'm taking my bike for a ride so it's going to rain, never failed so far. Sorry guys...

[broker]

No probs for me - my qantas ride is ok'd to handle anything short of fog...then our trusty rental Tarago to the Island (also not rated for fog.....)

One day i'll ride down, its a luxury to take off the time i do so i'm not really complaining - and the fact i have 2 points on my licence for the next 18mnths is a bit of an issue as well

[Smoothlennie]

A great trip down on Thursday last, with Dylan, to Eden from Canberra in great weather. The next day we passed up on the chance to see whales due to the drizzle the next morning. We bumped into MickSprint at Cann River, just when Dylan was planning to call him. Blue, Silver and Sunset Red Sprints in formation! Friday weather about 50% heavy squalls and very gusty winds - my Sprint did not fare too well, with SLR in Bagster tank bag and Ventura bag.

Racing - GO CASEY! - Great, but only the 125s gave a real spectacle.

Return - Planning to leave Philip Island at 7am Monday for an 800km return to Canberra that day. Oxford ('poxford') disk lock refused to open. Luckily I had car 'Total Care' and was loaded onto a bike trailer and towed home 800km (500 miles).

Took an angle grinder to it tonight and managed to remove it, but nicked the rim of the front wheel in the process and grazed in another spot. Words fail me for the frustration and anger at a poxy product - simply failed by the cheap lock assembly. Now I have a stress raiser on my previously immaculate front rim on a 3 month old bike.

[Dylan]

Gawd

Awful news mate.. not a good end to an otherwise great weekend. Hope you can get something back from Oxford for the repair.

[MickSprint06]

Lennie, bummer on the disk lock mate! Lost you guys after Lakes Entrance, PM'ed Dylan and he says it was all good. I had a rough weekend in a three bedroom house just off the island with a roaring log fire Just after you guys took off from Lakes Entrance this massive gale blew up, I thought poor bastards are riding in that! Must've been fun! Coming back on Sunday night I got lost in woop-woop Victoria and it was not the place to be on a moon-less night with standard Sprint headlights. I've ordered the HID kit from BallarRat just today! Lennie, if you have no joy with the lock people you might consider getting your wheels polished, if the nick on the rim isn't too deep they might be able to polish it out. I've seen a Daytona with polished rims and they look fantastic.

Guys, here is a photo of our bikes at Cann River: http://tinyurl.com/2e2moh

[Dylan]

Yeah that next hour or so after Lakes Entrance was quite a challenge, but at least the cops didn't catch us speeding, not when we couldn't see more than 20 meters ahead. I actually lost smoothlennie shortly after you as I stopped to shelter in a servo. I saw him ride past so I gave chase, not realising that he had stopped just down the road too. Amazingly we managed to find each other further down the track as I was trying to help a chap on a rather nice SS900 find his lost posse, I think that storm caused all sorts of mayhem.

Track side camping was pretty much as I imagined it would be. Apart from being threatened about where I pitched my tent the habitants where a decent lot, although all appearing to be entered into a most facial hear comp. Bands and drunken shenanigans every night and lots of muddy dust and wind - perfect. Getting the sprint in and out was fun, should have fitted knobblies.

As for the racing, watching stoner fall at Siberia was cool (sorry it was). He and his package is really on fire at the moment, the Duke sounds awesome, especially roaring into Honda corner. The Yamaha sounds timid in comparison.

After 4 days in the saddle, impressions of the bike:

• Mirrors could be more stable at speed - most of the background was a blur at anything over 100 kph really.
• Buffeting is still a slight problem even with a double bubble, but I just deal with it now.
• Engine is "slightly" vibey at 4,000 rpm which can cause some numbness in my right hand, but I was wearing thin gloves and it's really mild. Winter gloves would solve it.
• Seat was fine for me in leathers. Didn't get numb bum at all, although I think Smoothlennie was suffering from this a bit. Legs where getting cramped after a very long stint.
• My 06 bars are probably a little low for long trips like this, but I saw lots of other riders suffering coming into towns as well, so it could just be the distance.
• Fitting a throttle lock would be a real bonus and is something I would look at next time.
• Bike really needs a rear hugger, my rear shock was coated in all sorts of camp ground.
• On the whole the bike was brilliant. Handles the twisties extremely well, and munches miles without even thinking about it. This is the first time I have taken it over any distance and it performed liked it says on the box.

Thanks for the picture mate.. you can see for sure that silver is clearly the fastest