Watching me climb onto the bike were a few of the crew who had turned up for a little wander around the countryside and a good coffee or tea along the way. Warren was on his XJ900, Gary A on his BMW, Dave J on his TransAlp, Rich on his Vstrom, and Stuart out on his Waterbus, Ray on his new Trumpet and yours truly on the GSR. A very eclectic bunch, but a spin around the Stanway loop seemed to suit everyone. We headed out through Colyton and onto our first stop at Stanway. It was here that Dave and I swapped keys and I got to hear up close the infamous rattly tappets up close and personal. This was preceded by what seemed like a struggling battery or starter motor turning over two rather large 500 cc pistons. Once fired up she settled into an even idle.
Blipping the throttle at rest introduced a gentle side to side swaying motion and with clutch pulled in first gear was engaged with a clunk and then we were off. The first sensation echoed the what the Two Wheels magazine said all those years ago. That was the unfussed and lopping engine and as I went through a few more corners the easy handling. For a bike of this vintage the brakes weren't to bad either. As I settled into the bike those two big pistons revolving at just over 3000rpm had the speedo reading close to 110 kmh and with its comfy seat thoughts of relaxed hours in the saddle riding to far off places crossed one's mind. A shaft drive out the back also adds to that thought. All to soon it came to an end as we pulled up to the Woolshed Cafe in Sanson and Dave and I swapped over our keys. Thanks for the ride Dave.
The Woolshed Cafe was a busy place and it is so good to see these businesses back up and running after the Covid lockdown. They have great quality food and beverages and after the body refuel it was time to head home with a small diversion to Manfeild. Dion and Kim were making their first foray back out onto the track so some of us thought we might pop over and see how things were going. Dave decided to seek another Guzzi convert and handed his keys over to Warren for the run from the Woolshed to the track. By the time he dismounted the bike he was eloquent about how different it was to his XJ900. When I left them Warren was still processing it. In the meantime we headed off to find the lads only to find Jamie by himself in the pits.
He said he had been having a great morning on his VFR400, but not so the lads. Tales of nipped up and seized pistons had questions being asked about lawnmower fuel being used mistakingly? Jamie had his own tale of woh around electrical meltdowns on a new bike(new old bike), miles from home, on your own, no cellphone coverage and trying to get a lift from the locals. Safety in numbers, especially on old bikes! It was also great to see Max out enjoying the ride day on his RZ250. He said he was having a great time and the edges of his tyres would attest to that!
Reflecting on the ride I was thinking about Stuart who has only just sorted out the restoration of his 1972 Suzuki GT750J. It was running beautifully after fettling out a few problems with the motor. His bike is exactly the same as one I had back in the seventies and it was as the GT in its name suggests very much a grand tourer. I loved its smooth motor and luxurious wafting down the road. I didn't like its weight and limited ground clearance. However, at the time it was for me the ultimate touring motorcycle and it carried me to many great places around the country and now its wonderful riot of chrome and candy colours speaks of a different time when Japanese bikes began to dominate the market.
