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You can check out some of Dave's photos from the following decades:
April 2006: Another ride day at Phillip Island, and we had some Melbourne branch members (Ulysses Club) riding, each one on Triumph Daytona 600s hired for the day. When I registered on the hire bike for the Medium Fast group (like last year), they looked at me dubiously and said "Are you sure?". I didn't figure that I'd be slower than on the BMW, so I stayed where I was. As I found out on the track, the bike was certainly capable of running with the superbike and racer crowd, even if I wasn't.
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The bike was plenty quick, much faster than my GS, but the $3500 damage bond really helped to keep my speed down. Even so, I scraped the pegs in many of the fast bends (Phillip Island Circuit is the fastest of all the MotoGP circuits). Some 'corners' are good for more than 200 km/h (maybe not with me on board). This is one place that requires a good 'hanging-off' style for the best corner speed, and I was reluctant to see how fast I could go — on someone else's bike. I saw a number of people come to grief, and I'm sure they all thought they were being really careful.
January 2005: The first big MC event for me in 2005 was to do an Australian Superbike School ride day (along with several friends) at the Phillip Island Circuit. The next big event was to nominate "Medium Fast" as the pace I could run with, and then not get "demoted" to a slower group. I'd been on the circuit a few time before, and I figured that would count for something. As it was, a few sport bike riders could only shake their heads in disbelief. I told one Ducati rider that the secret to going fast on a GS was to cut across the infield after everyone else was out of sight.
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May 2004: I've been slack this year, riding my bikes instead of updating the web site. At least I have my priorities straight. Check out the new jacket — I lashed out just in time for my son's visit from Canada (so he could wear my old hand-me-down).
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At the end of May, I took part in the Ulysses Club ‘Ice Run’ up the Great Alpine Road, overnight at Howman’s Gap. It was a brilliant ride and the amount of ice was perfect: none! (I didn't move from Canada to Oz in order to ride in icy conditions.) Here are some photos from the ride.
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December 2003: Another Ulysses ride, but this time in the dirt. Joining up with the Westernport Dirt Riders SIG, we headed north-east of Melbourne to the Toolangi forest. It was a fun ride with a few interesting challenges. At one point, I opted to avoid trying to climb the embankment to go around a fallen tree. Instead I went the long way around and fell over in the mud instead. Later we had a picnic lunch at the Murrindindi Reserve. On the way back we came across another fallen tree, but with no way around, just a very small gap below. The BMW was the biggest bike, so we tried to put it through first, minus the windscreen and the luggage: no problem. It had to be wiggled around a bit to get it through, but wasn't as bad as it looked.
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September
2003: People are impressed on a Ulysses ride at how fast Dave can take
corners on the 250. Dave has a smile for over a week remembering their reactions!
May/June 2003: Check out the photos from our MotoGP vacation (where we went to the MotoGP races at Le Mans, Mugello and Catalunya, and dropped in at the Ducati factory as we drove past).
November 2002: The BMW Motorcycle Club of Victoria held a ‘GS Ranges Venture Meet’, which is a good excuse for lots of people to go out and get dirty together. There was a couple of dozen GS-series (tar and gravel) bikes from 650cc to 1150cc capacity. Big beasts like these don’t like to be thrown around like a true dirt bike, BUT they are great fun on roads that give true road bikes the shits. It was a most excellent ride! Here’s some photos from the weekend:
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November 2001: Gail and I participated in the BMW
Safari. Including the initial trip to Sydney, we covered roughly 3,500 km
in 8 days riding over some of the country's best motorcycling roads. This is
us on the Great Ocean Road.
June
2001: I sold the GoldWing and bought a new BMW R1150GS which I named
'Bill the bike' because of the uncanny resemblence to Bill
the cat (at least in the eyes). The beemer may be (may be?!) a bit funny
looking but it sure works great.
April 2001: Gail and I attended the World Superbike Championships at Phillip Island. The event was pretty much a washout with the second race cancelled due to a flooded track. Unlike the unhappy campers at the track, we enjoyed the hospitality of Holmwood Guesthouse.
The only problem with Eric and Serena's hospitality is that it can go a bit far at times. Like when some other guests recognised that the Goldwing was looking a bit out of place at a Superbike race, Holmwood temporarily became a used bike shop. Sadly, we didn't get any offers, so had to return to Melbourne in the pouring rain on the wing. (I would advise that Holmwood Guesthouse stick to running a great B&B instead of a trying to be a bike shop.)
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One of the other guests 'helping out' by putting my
bike up for sale (for $100 OBO)
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Feb 2001: Gail and I take the GoldWing for a blast around the Phillip
Island GP circuit.
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My 12 years at Honda is best summed up by this photo of me at a Dealer Show somewhere. I shouldn't complain: I had a free motorcycle to ride every summer (not the one pictured). And they paid me heaps. They even sent me over to the Honda factory in Japan for training to be an engine specialist.
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My first bike was a 125 Honda, but I soon graduated to bigger and faster bikes. In due course, I went through a 650 Triumph Bonneville, a 650 Yamaha, a 750 Kawasaki, and 750 Honda. In 1976 I started working for Honda Canada and didn't have to worry about buying bikes for the next 12 years (Honda let me ride theirs).
The photos are:
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