First decent ride on new (to me) REX!
Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 9:00 pmWent for a ride from Bathurst to Lithgow via the old Tarana/Sodwalls road and home via the highway. Good scratching road (not that I'm up to scratching yet after a 20 year lay off, still blowing the cobwebs away).
The first half of the ride was awesome, but after 30ks the road was mostly covered in dirt, which slowed me up some and there was one stretch that was gravel only. Mega hard base with fine loose stuff on top. It would be a great ride on my TT600R, but REX was a bit of a handful.
The amount of power on tap is insane, at one stage we went through a small village, I was behind a van and as we left the village we went over one of the numerous bridges that cross the railway (the road follows the old railway roughly). After clearing the bridge trickling along in first, I saw I had a clear run for about 600yards, so I gunned it past him, as soon as the revs got up the front wheel came up and I blasted past him, what a buzz!! I don't know what he thought as the front wheel passed his window
Unfortunately I went over a bridge a bit further on and didn't notice the drop off and jarred my very fragile old back (too much showing off as a big strong'un when I was young and going through my silly truck driving stage, groannnnn!
). The rest of the ride was a bit tender and I was standing on the pegs in the rougher sections to save the old back.
Even if you are not fanging the bike everywhere, it is very nice to have so much power on tap
I was going to have a beer at the Donnybrook pub, but when I got to Lithgow, the sky was black, it was turning cold, so I pulled on to the highway and cranked it up for home. Missed the rain and ended up having a drink in Bathurst. I didn't end up having a beer, I saw some Green's Ginger Beer (4% alcohol), very nice drop.
As I turned the bike around at the bottom of my steep driveway, I rubbed the front guard up against the bricks, bugger! A few scratches, which really show up against the black. Everyone will think I fell off
I'd forgotten what a lot of fun going for a ride on Sundays was. Give me a couple of weeks and I will be able to keep up with others.
The first half of the ride was awesome, but after 30ks the road was mostly covered in dirt, which slowed me up some and there was one stretch that was gravel only. Mega hard base with fine loose stuff on top. It would be a great ride on my TT600R, but REX was a bit of a handful.
The amount of power on tap is insane, at one stage we went through a small village, I was behind a van and as we left the village we went over one of the numerous bridges that cross the railway (the road follows the old railway roughly). After clearing the bridge trickling along in first, I saw I had a clear run for about 600yards, so I gunned it past him, as soon as the revs got up the front wheel came up and I blasted past him, what a buzz!! I don't know what he thought as the front wheel passed his window
Unfortunately I went over a bridge a bit further on and didn't notice the drop off and jarred my very fragile old back (too much showing off as a big strong'un when I was young and going through my silly truck driving stage, groannnnn!
). The rest of the ride was a bit tender and I was standing on the pegs in the rougher sections to save the old back.Even if you are not fanging the bike everywhere, it is very nice to have so much power on tap
I was going to have a beer at the Donnybrook pub, but when I got to Lithgow, the sky was black, it was turning cold, so I pulled on to the highway and cranked it up for home. Missed the rain and ended up having a drink in Bathurst. I didn't end up having a beer, I saw some Green's Ginger Beer (4% alcohol), very nice drop.
As I turned the bike around at the bottom of my steep driveway, I rubbed the front guard up against the bricks, bugger! A few scratches, which really show up against the black. Everyone will think I fell off
I'd forgotten what a lot of fun going for a ride on Sundays was. Give me a couple of weeks and I will be able to keep up with others.
