This year MRA offered bike clubs a place as leaders of the ride. About 15 clubs took up the offer. I contacted as many CA members as I could and managed a small group of 6 including myself. Seemed a good opportunity to present choppers to a large gathering of bikers and the public, especially with us riding together as a group. On the run we were also joined by Dennis from the Long Riders on his Evo chopper, giving us 6 choppers in total and one member on his sporty.
My week was flat out getting Tracy's chopper rewired, the rear guard remounted (which required a whole lot of other work) so she could ride it on the run. So it was a real effort to get up early Sunday morning!
So final jobs to do. Tracy's Honda was still not charging. I'd tried a new rectifier with no luck and a check on the alternator showed a fault that I could not fix, so I loaded my ute battery on her back seat (See Muster ride explanation) with connections to the Honda battery. As an extra safety measure, I put their newly purchased car battery on my back seat as a back up and to finally get them home.
A quick oil top up and tyre pressure check on my shovel. I'd planned a full service on Saturday but had run out of time. The shovel missing a beat under acceleration suggest it definitely needs a new set of plugs. Will pick some up today (Monday).
Anyway back to the day. Matt rolled up early, as did Martin and Tracy who wanted to give the Honda a good clean. I chased up some tinsel for myself and Tracy and Martin. Matt was already well decorated.
We left five minutes late and then dropped into the McLaren Vale servo to top up. Unleaded was $1.42. I mention this because when we hit the city it was selling for $1.82!
We pulled off the expressway and met up with Darren and Henry at the Reynella Shell 10 minutes late. I think they were getting ready to head off themselves.
Tracy, DOHC CB750...
Matt, SOHC CB750...
Martin, sporty...
Henry, Shovel...
Darren, big inch HD, I can't remember what the motor is, sorry...
Ride into the city was uneventful except that I got my wires crossed and we did an extra five minute detour! But we still managed to make to Vic Park by the required 10.15 and rode through and found our designated spot...
We got quite a few admirers. We had 40 minutes before leaving so most went off for a drink. Matt rode off to a distant toilet without a lid and I hoped one of the cops present didn't see him and book him. He got back unmolested!
Crowd of bikes was large, this shot just a small part...
Then time to get ready to move off...
Moving slowly out of the Park...
Darren in the spirit of things...
Dennis's chopper rear brake jammed on 5 minutes out and we pulled over as a group. He got me to release the pressure into the caliper and that did the trick. Seems the master cylinder needs a service. So for him it was the front brake only the rest of the day...
We stayed together as a chopper group the whole way up the Freeway with Darren and Dennis mostly in the lead with me sitting at the rear a lot of the time. A few times I accelerated past them to get photos and video clips then dropped back again, happy for someone else to be in the lead...
Matt...
Martin...
Tracy...
Tracy and Dennis...
Darren...
All arrived at Callington without a hitch. Temperature was definitely up there in the 30's. And it was a slow five minutes once off the freeway to get onto the oval area. Those of us on HD's really felt it especially when stopped with that rear cylinder inches from our right thigh and the exhaust not much further away!
Toys were dropped off and we CA folks then found some shade and parked.
On the oval the ashes of a lady rider who recently died were distributed after a brief service conducted by Dennis and attended by Tracy and Martin who knew her.
Henry, Darren, Matt and I decided to forgo a further ride and head home. Darren and Henry headed straight down the Freeway. Matt had seen a wooden dining table for free at Meadows (I am chasing some table tops made of Aussie Oak for cupboard fronts) and offered to ride back there with me. He suggested a route back to Mt Barker through Woodchester and off we went. He sets a cracking pace on that Honda whereas I like to chill and enjoy the scenery! We followed a Harley trike for a while and I was surprised at the way the rider hooked it through the corners at the speeds we were doing...
Turns out the table had already appealed to someone else, but my stomach was feeling very empty, so I decided on a chocolate milk at the Pick a Pie. Matt decided to join me and have some lunch. That we did and then parted ways.
An excellent day. Will call Martin and see how they got on.
Perhaps Big Brother will have had his grasping fingers burned by next year's Toy Run and some freedom and common sense will be with us again and we can enjoy a full Toy Run.
See you then with perhaps a dozen chops to show the world.