Ride Review - Pan America from Harley Davidson v1.0

I finally had a chance to ride and delight in, the Harley "Pan America" for 80 minutes yesterday. 

(I rode the "S" model with wire spoke wheels and auto-ride height ARH - this is the ONLY model to buy, the standard is a joke - my explanation below).

And yes, it's a terrific bike and Harley will sell a boat-load of them, without question.  If they get stock.

The first and most important point is that this bike is like no other Harley - traditional Harley riders are likely to question why they need to build it at all - and that would be totally missing the point. Adventure bikes are popular for two reasons - they can theoretically "do it all" and the ride position is the most comfortable.

But any serious buyer should take a careful look at the details, plus the pros and cons, because, there are some of both. To be open about it, I currently ride a 2018 CVO Streetglide that I love, but I have also owned four BMW R1200GS "Adventure" models, ridden over 200,000 km's, so I have a real comparison point.

The Pluses; 

1. Harley has gone out of their way to get this bike right from the start. It opens with the 1250 Revolution Max engine.  Without doubt this is a huge step forward for HD, with automatic valve timing adjustment and many other useful features. At 150 HP, the power is very usable at any point, but above 4000rpm, and well over the imperial "ton" it still has heaps to give - riders will be really wanting to watch out for their licenses! This engine will soon appear in other Harley models - I just wish they had built it three years ago, because it looks like it will rescue the company's finances. 
2. Brakes, steering and suspension are all excellent, particularly compared to any other Harley Davidson - there are light-years difference when you really need to stop, using the Brembo Brakes which are just superb. The suspension has on-the-go adjustments (for road, sport, rain and gravel) which I activated with considerable succes. On this model there is a steering damper, that works well, and makes it a requirement to give a firm nudge to initiate counter steering, but allows hands-free riding if you really must.  I like.
3. ARH stands for Automatic Ride Height adjustment, which is a genuine game-changer. It reduces the height of the bike, as you slow to a stop, allowing shorter riders to get their feet down safely. It was developed in conjunction with SHOWA and is patent to them and HD for a year. For me, at 6 feet tall, the bike was too low to extend my legs, so I will need to check with my Dealer on what setting it was at?  Locked in the design labs at BMW, Ducati, Yamaha, Honda and KTM, are a bunch of guys saying "Why didn't we think of that?" and working on their competitive replacement. 
4. Adjustable Seat and Screen - unlike other Harleys you can readily adjust both the seat height and Screen within a small range - this will be very popular with some buyers for good reason. For HD I would say its about time!
5. The price is fair at $31,995. It is for a very basic bike, without panniers, topbox or rack for example, so anyone who buys the Pan America, will option it up very quickly (as I would do) to the advantage of the salesmen - but the Dealers don't currently  have a full range of accessories in stock (here in Australia, or in America) a situation that HD needs to remedy smartly before Touratech, Clearwater and many others get in, on the act. 
6. The TFT Dash is bright, modern and looks the goods. I found the core data to be very easy to read. Harley are updating their software very regularly, and need to do so. For example some of the fine details are in tiny fonts, which is an easy fix. 
7. Protection from the screen and hand guards is fair. The screen is quite low, ideal for the Sunday rider or someone riding to work - or off-road. But for those who travel the highways and byways, it is too low - but it is adjustable. HD Offer a higher alternate. The handguards are useful, but about 2 cm too low for cold weather riding.
8. The Lights are clever, with the turn-directional headlight on the S Model - which I did not get a chance to try. But this bike needs additional LED lights for me, which I would add.
9. The Other Good Stuff also includes Heated Grips, lean-angle ABS, Tire Pressure Monitoring, hill-hold, separate power-outlets at the dash, engine braking and cruise control. Basically all of this is needed to be competitive in the hotest sector of the motorcycle market today. 

The "It Depends"  Personal view of some features:

1. Visual Looks are a personal view. I love the fact that Harley did NOT copy the "Beak Bikes" but chose to go their own way. In the flesh, this bike may well be "different" but in my view it looks purposeful and overall looks great. 
2. The Sound and Feel are very different. This bike does not sound like a Harley Davidson, and nor should it. But it does FEEL like one, due to the gentle vibration from the V-twin engine.
3. The Muffler in my view is cheap, heavy junk. This bike, and certainly the S Model, should have started with the lighter, throatier and better looking Screaming Eagle pipe. But at $1,500 for the SE Model, Harley is about to learn the hard way that riders of Adventure bikes will look elsewhere for their best accessories, just as much to the Brand. 
4. Chain Drive will draw supporters and critics. Off road it will work well, and some of these bikes will see some challenging fire trails, but not "single track". It is clearly better than belt drive when on the gravel. Having ridden multiple bikes with shaft-drive, which is supposed to provide ultimate reliability - it does not! FJR's and BM's have all had failures. A chain is light, cheap and easy to repair and I like that. If you are really worried, just add a Scottoiler.
5. Weight: The Pan America is nearly 200kg lighter than my CVO! But offroade, this bike is on the heavier side compared to a dedicated dirt bike - which it was never designed to be. For any HD owner of a "Touring Model", this bike does feel VERY small and light.
6. Tank Capacity and Range is about 350km. For most riders this will be fine. For those who are used to the GSA's >500km, (with its bigger tank) this will clearly be a personal point of consideration - it is for me. 
7. No Quick-Shifter is a strange ommission, given that most bikes have one of these that allow you to "change gear without using the clutch". I do use the quickshifter on my BMW but not often, so I really dont care on the Pan Am. Others may have a different view. 

The Cons - What will Harley Be Working on Now?

1. The Fine Details - this bike is new and somewhat raw. There are some things that will be fixed in the coming couple of months - for example, the radiator hose is too close to the exhaust, so needs attention to make sure it does not get cooked through. Mine was firmly fitted and seemed fine for the ride. 
2. Software - CX at the Dashboard - The Customer experience at the Dashboard needs work, which I am sure HD is aware of. Some of the smaller fonts could easily be increased in size by altering a few lines of code. But CX says that you check this stuff with testers, before you release the bike - Harley is now doing so, and will make progressive improvements.
3. A slow GPS - if there is one thing that would definitively stop me buying the bike today (but not in the future) it is the GPS. I ride long distances and set up complex routing programs, but the GPS is simply too slow to respond. Again, a software update is sure to fix this in the medium term. Or I can mount a second Garmin XL540 or similar indepenent GPS to the bike. That is just another cost. 
4. The Gas Tank is too small for true adventure riding IMHO. While I think that others will find this to represent Olaf's personal view, so be it. I would replace it immediately if Touratech or another company came up with an option. Or cut it in half, increase the size to about 30-35 litres, and re-paint it, creating what is know amongs the long-distance-riding congniscenti - A Frankentank.

The Coming Future and What would I add?

1. Upgrades on Purchase. Firstly, I believe that Harley Davidson Australia have absolutely made the right decision to only sell the "S" Model with ARH and wire spoke wheels. It is seriously old-world technology to be unable to plug a punctured tire on the roadside, due to the use of tube tires on the standard rims. Secondly the ARH is so clever, that it will increase the sale value of second hand bikes in the future. 
2. I would add, at commencement, the rack and black metal, lockable top-box and risers. You need to be able to store some items like wet weather gear safely. I would also add the bar-risers for my height. I would supply my own Clearwater driving lights and a second GPS Bracket, from other manufacturers. 
3. I Might Add the SE muffler, a taller screen, more drop-protection and a larger petrol tank. 
4. I need to do more research on some features - bike availabilty and future upgrades on the software as a starting point. 

The Harley Davidson Pan America will probably save the company. It's a great ride - try it, you will like it. Harley, please bring plenty of them into the country asap. And keep working on the upgrades.

The Perfect Line, Sight-Line or the Ideal Corner?

As keen motorcyclists, should we always aspire to ride the perfect line in a corner, or is there actually something better?

When I was younger, being an enthusiastic competitor and frankly prepared to take huge risks, I would have always aimed for the "Perfect Line" into, and out of every corner. This was developed from "the racer's edge" a winning concept that involved active counter steering plus the choice to use the entire road when cornering (or the entire lane). So start out wide, push down hard on the inside hand and bar (to counter-steer), drop the bike into the corner on the inside of the apex, then gently reverse the counter steer to lead you out of the corner on the other side of the road. ("Reverse Counter Steering" is the subject of a future blog).

When done competently, this will result in a very quick and much safer cornering technique, allowing a far higher average speed around that bend (if that is what you are after or course). It needs lots and lots of practise, probably more than 10,000 pratice corners as a rough guide, to become really proficient. But it's worth the effort.

This "racer's line" uses all the road,  (or the lane you are in hopefully) and has the distinct advantages, that the bike will remain super-stable, the corner is almost guaranteeed and most importantly, if a slight change is required due to gravel or a rock on the road or an unexpected pot-hole, the smallest change of pressure on the bars will enable you to avoid the obstacle with ease. Finding a series of these (as we did in Tasmania) is heaven on a bike.

This of course depends on three key things;

1. Your tyres are in good condition and inflated perfectly. (Experince says that more than 50% or riders have under-inflated tyres)
2. That you know how to counter-steer intuitively. This is easy to witness, when I follow another rider, and gives me a crisp idea on their actual competency within three corners. 
3. The surface of the road is clean, smooth and ideal across the whole lane. 

While the first two are controllable, the third is actually the key factor to enjoying a relacing leisure ride. 

Let me use an example; I was once riding with one friend to the coast, on very tall motorcycles. He was a first class rider, with exemplary skills and knew the road very well. After cresting the range, we headed slowly down the hair-pin bends and came to the less steep section where the corners open up a little, and he increased speed. I was watching as he changed from the Perfect Line, to one that was more open, and passed through the middle of the lane. In my head I was saying "Amateur! He is getting slack - just watch me cut this corner". Which I did. And was nearly thrown from my machine, by a row of corrugations in the bitumen seal. A firm counter steer saved me, otherwise I would have been heading for the Eucalypts.

So this brings up a third key element - the Sight Line. 

Rushing into a corner where you cannot see the exit, is more than a brave move. The view may be blocked by an embankment, trees and shrubs or even another vehicle. You do NOT know what is around that corner, especially if it is oil, diesel or sand on the road. Or something stationary. A good example of this type of road is the one from Thredbo to Geehi and onto Khancoban NSW, where there are loads of blind bends. 

When you DO have a clear sight-line, then you can plan the corner with confidence, and more importantly have a "Plan B", such as an escape route, if something happens. Like a big kangaroo jumping across in front of you, or a herd of cows on the road (both of which have occured to me in the last three months!). Naturally the sight-line lets us choose the best road surface to ride on, and therefore the the Ideal Corner for both enjoyment and safety. 

There are other factors too. If you happen to ride a cruiser, such as the Harley Davidson Softail (eg Heritage or Fat Boy Models) where the maximum lean angle is about 23 degrees, then you need to choose a curve that is NOT the racer's line - otherwise you will be dragging your running boards and pipes. The HD Touring models typically have a lean-angle of 31 degrees, more than enough to really get into it.

So overall, for safety, hassle-free fun on Australia's roads, the Ideal Corner does not run the racer's line. Try it, practise and tell me if I am right?

Viking Olly

The views in this article are those of the author only. Feel free to make your own decisions on the road. We Ride. 

Why Ride Alone?

While my preference is to ride my motorcycle with a couple of good friends, I am equally happy to ride completely alone. I regularly do that without compunction or doubt. Yet friends have said that they can feel guilty about it, so here are the reasons why I ride alone, with pleasure;

1. On any Sunday; If I am riding alone, I can choose to go NOW or later, or not at all. It's my choice. I don't need to confer with anyone to decide on the date and time of my travel.
2. Thinking Time; Once I have eased onto the saddle and made it out of the city streets to the open road, I hit the cruise-control and let my thoughts try to solve my problems, if not the worlds' problems! In 150 km, I can sort out my plan for anything!
3. Peace; Everyone needs some "me time", including my family. This is a time of total relaxation, without any external pressures. I know my wife desires a couple of hours once per fortnight too - so she can do nothing, watch box-sets or whatever, and I will not be there to interfere! So we arrange just that, together. 
4. Go or Stop; there is no pressure to keep riding or not. If I choose to ride 20km to the local cafe, or across the State, then that is my choice, entirely. I can choose on the basis of how I feel on the day, and make my own decision. I can also stop any time I wish for a pee or a drink. Any time. 
5. Alter the Route at a Whim; Around my city, I have over 100 different rides to chose from, covering a few kilometres or 1000. And its my choice. Alone, it is also my choice  should I choose to change direction, mid-ride. One evening I rode south towards Cooma, and the night was so fine, I texted my wife I would be late, and road home via Tumut - a distance of over 500km for the evening. It was just perfect for that particular evening.
6. Entertainment; Additional to just riding and thinking, I also play Podcasts and music of my choice. One day it is Heavy Metal, the next Classics. Or if I really wish to get into the background of the COVID-19 discussion, I can do just that with a bunch of learned podcasts.
7. Safety; The risk of an accident rises as the square of the number of riders in a group. Frankly, the range of competency of riders in any group is, and will remain, very wide. If I am riding with say 20 others, there will be about three really competent riders, maybe 8 others who are safe, six that are a little dodgy on the day and three beginners or genuinely un-safe riders. Reducing the numbers reduces the risk of an accident, it is just that simple.
8. The Road Less Travelled; I have found that in clubs, (noting I am a member of three of them), most riders want to ride somewhere they have been before, just becuase they know what to expect. About 5% are happy to explore options. And some REALLY like to try something different! For example, it is a rare Harley rider who will ride on gravel, even for a kilometre or two, but some of the finest rides around my State, include less than 10km of gravel. Frankly I prefer to explore. 
9. Speed and Distance; Like some very good friends, I aim to do some much longer rides when I get the chance. I'm a full member of the Iron Butt Association (IBA #517) and some friends think that I ride very fast to cover the vast distances. Nothing could be further from the truth - the secret to covering long distances, is to keep the wheels turning, rather than sitting in a pub for hours. When I ride alone, I can choose the speed and distance, which maybe stop each 100km, or ride out 450 before the next gas stop. That is my choice. 
10. Stress-Down; Life and work is demaning enouigh, and now there are very carefully researched papers from HD and universities, that confirm that you will be 28% less stressed riding a bike. For the nine reasons above, that will likely be more so if you ride alone.

So don't feel guilty. Get out and ride when you like.

Olaf.

PS please note that this was written during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Some States now have "Stay-at-home" regulations. Please comply with the Law as it stands, in your State at any given time. 

Dad's Workbench

The year was 1959 that my Dad built his workbench.
Despite me being a tiny toddler, I remember his excitement. This was the start of something big.  In 1960 we would move to a yet-to-be-completed house in Sandy Bay, Tasmania and clearly he was counting every penny (as it was prior to 1966). He had decided to build all the key furniture in our house, starting with all of our beds, for a family of six, followed by cupboards.

Today, you might consider the bench to be fairly modest.
But, everything was done by hand, with hand tools - no power saws or drills then. It is built of Mountain Ash, Eucalyptus Regnans which is very hard wood. Every cut, and each hole drilled was painstakingly done. Each joint is held through the end of the timber with large iron bolts, and the solid baulks of timber that make the top deck, held with long screws, and a few iron nails.

Almost sixty years later the bench is still in fine form. The decks are marked by a thousand saws, chisels, screwdrivers and sharp knife cuts. Everyone of my family has done their best on it. As I think through the things done, they are many and varied. Dad sharpened tools on it, built furniture, painted odds and ends. Keith and I built billy carts on it, many of them, repaired and repaired. Ian and Kathy did the same, but also built picture frames as Mum did. Mum set up her pottery there, and some film gear too. I also built boats, or repaired and painted them, both model and real racing yachts. We even split shingles and firewood on it. More recently mum cut mattes for her paintings and built frames there too, as it transferred from one home to another.

Now it is in Canberra in my basement shed, home number four. I have re-assembled it after transporting it from Canberra to Sydney then to here, with help of my brothers. Now in its 60th year, it will go back to being the bench, on which motorcycle parts are repaired, rebuilt and put back into use. And probably get used for a hundred other things as well. Long may it reign!

Review - Benelli TRK 502 Motorcycle

For 14 days, I rode this Chinese-made, Italian designed bike from Kunming in SE China, to the base of Everest and back to Lhasa (almost 4000 km) giving ample opportunity to test this machine to the limit. I had originally planned to ride a BMW F800, a true "Adventure Bike" that was a promised rental. Having previously owned one of these, I knew it would do the job.

The Benelli was a last minute replacement (as BMW decided not to let me rent an F800 because "We know where you are going"!) However, despite long sections of the ride being in Tibet, the "tour organiser" had planned all sections to be on sealed roads. This proved to be somewhat of a misnomer, with long very pot-holed sections, and short passes of gravel where storms had overflowed the rivers, or the road was under repair.

Benelli promote this machine as an "Adventure Bike" for those looking to start somewhere adventurous. It is not. The engine is a twin cylinder 500cc model with 360 degree crank (meaning the pistons rise and fall together, but fire alternately), bringing 37kw to the wheels. For me this was inadequate, and I dreamed of something with 80-100 hp. However, the tank at 22 litres was sufficient, and suitable for this type of travel, and I regularly out-distanced my colleagues with a full tank of fuel.

The ride position is upright and generally comfortable, especially for shorter riders. I am six foot tall and weigh 97 kg, both of which put this bike under strain, despite me not carrying any real additional load (my bags were in a support van). For a shorter or lighter person, say under  5 foot-eight (common in China) the seat would be excellent, but for me, even a four-inch increase in seat height would not have been enough. This is important on a longer ride to allow our legs to stretch, either by dropping them down off the pegs but also off the road, or standing. To make matters worse, the screen and screen-lets are actually very good, but also more suited to person of shorter stature. The seat is VERY low at 800mm.

On my model, the front wheel had a diameter of 17 inches and both wheels were fitted with hard road tyres (of Chinese brand). On a smooth sealed road they were fine, but truly hopeless in the gravel, mud or bull dust, all of which were crossed with some care. This bikes needs a 19 or 21 inch front wheel and mid all-terrain tyres. These are offered in some areas as an extra on the bike.

One of the key measures of a true adventure bike, is the suspension, always long and compliant. While this model has better suspension than a pure touring bike, it is not sufficient for an Adventure Bike. To be fair, the conditions were very demanding on some days, and a ride up Leaping Tiger Gorge found some truly deep potholes that had the front suspension bottoming-out on four occasions. The challenge for these front "crashes" is two fold - real damage can be done to the machine, and it is particularly hard on the wrists of the rider. The rear suspensions was better, but would have had challenges with any extra load carried.

The bike was reliable in challenging conditions and high altitude. Electrics for example worked well, with one USB connector to the left of the handlebars (not sure how this would go in heavy rain), but the head light was very poor. Luckily I had some excellent driving lights fitted which did the job very well. The dash is tilted further forward than it should be, (even when I was standing on the pegs) and so became covered in dust and mud in tough conditions. There are no heated grips or cruise control, both becoming more important to many who ride around the world.

Could this bike be made into an Adventure machine? Possibly - you could change the tyres and fit a larger rim to the front. You could add good driving lights and even upgrade the suspension. Maybe even add cruise control and heated grips. But this bike was built to a price point (AU$8700 in Australia). It is not an adventure bike, more suited to the streets around town, especially with the low power. 

If I was asked for advice I would recommend a second-hand Adventure bike from Honda (Africa Twin), Kawasaki (KLR650), BMW (F700, F800 or F650), KTM 690 or Yamaha Tenere.

Ride the Wilds of Tasmania

Paradise on Earth.
Could such a perfect place actually exist?
Where the air is the cleanest in the world, the water is completely pure, food and wine are beyond superb, the scenery is breathtaking and the people are gentle and helpful. Well this is the island state of Tasmania, sometimes referred to as "The South Island of Australia" and some years ago, chosen by National Geographic Magazine, as one of only seven places rated as "Paradise on Earth"!

Or possibly you have heard the other side - filthy weather, constant rain, deadly snakes, wild tigers, in-bred residents, appalling mobile phone coverage, gravel roads, horizontal scrub, limited accommodation and a rough trip to get there?

Well all of those are true. At least in part. And this is what makes the island state of Tasmania so attractive to visitors. Its diversity is simply incredible. Add the amazing twisted roads for motorcyclists, and well - it is perfect for a riding holiday!

Our trip was to take 10 days (Plus an additional  2 for me), and so I went a couple earlier to spend time sampling the wonderful restaurants of Tasmania with Sheryle.  Planning started with a first class HEMA Map, obtained from their excellent website, https://shop.hemamaps.com/
So here is the story in brief;

DAY 1: On Thursday 22 November 2018, I rode my Harley Davidson Street Glide from Canberra to Melbourne to catch the ferry, "Spirit of Tasmania" to Devonport, a ride and boat trip that I had done twice before. The distance is 677km and takes 7 ride hours. I left at 7.30am leaving plenty of time to dawdle and coffee-up at the submarine town of Holbrook and other places. At Station Pier in Melbourne (nearest GPS Street is Waterfront Place), I sat on the grass, in the sun with a bunch of other riders from across Australia, talked motorcycles and drank more coffee from the local stores.

After 5.30pm we then uploaded the bikes to Deck 5 (of ten in total for the ship) but the highest one for vehicles, allowing us to exit first at the other end. We were preceded by the heavy trucks on the lower decks (earlier in the day), and we had to ride up a long ramp, to our allotted parking spots. There is a short 20m of steel at the top, but it is covered by non-slip paint and is to easy transverse. Loading is painless and efficient. You leave your FOB on the bike, and the deckies strap the handlebars or crash bars to tie-down points on the deck. Easy. The car decks are locked while the boat sails.

Upstairs there are booked seats to sit in on Deck 8, and restaurants on Deck 7, also 10. Cabins are either two or four berth with windows or not, and shared. Less beds and more windows cost proportionally more! We took one bag on, and my share-buddy turned out to be a fly-fisherman, so we talked rivers and lakes.  I purchased the $27 all-you-can-eat meal from the buffet and explored the info desk for the all-Parks National Park Pass for motorcyclists at about $25 for a fortnight. Then slept through a very calm sailing.

DAY 2: There are two ferries, one that sails at night, and another during the day when the Summer season commences. I take the night ship so that I get more ride time, and it arrives in East Devonport and births at the Mersey River terminal at 6 am. They unload very efficiently, and I was off the boat in 20 minutes, after the call at 5.45am. I rode straight out to the main road, and SE to Deloraine and then the short cut via Longford. I had decided originally to take the road due south from Deloraine to Miena, but am told that some of this is still gravel, so chose the alternative via Cressy and the Poatina hydro-power station. Ride time to Hobart is about two and a half hours over the 255 kms, but includes a terrific route up the Western Tiers to Great Lake, around some incredibly tight curves. Avoiding the log trucks coming the other way, on hair pin bends was one challenge (which involved stopping the bike on one occasion), but the sheer cold at altitude was another. Still, I revelled in a few flakes of snow blowing around me as the Harley charged through the alpine countryside. I actually stopped for a few minutes to take in  the scenery around here, as it is simply breathtaking. I followed the road south Bothwell and via Bridgewater to Hobart. We stayed at the Maq01 Hotel on Sullivans Island, expensive but truly amazing, then dined at Dier Makr, a very unusual but well recommended "alternative" restaurant. We will return to Maq01 but not the restaurant.

DAY 3:  found us in the rain, but we visited Salamanca Market, then with Sheryle driving a hire car to Launceston, we took the back road via Richmond and Colebrook, to avoid the road works on the main Midland Highway around Bagdad.

This central highway goes almost straight to Launceston in quick time, and we stayed near to our favourite restaurant there, called Stillwater at 2 Bridge Road, Launceston to be found at https://www.stillwater.com.au/. This was our third visit, and we will return. Service and food was exceptional, in fact excellent on a global scale, as were the wine and cocktails.  (Try the Tasmanian Pinot's). The outstanding foodie feature of Tasmania, is the quality and freshness of the produce, particularly the lamb and seafood. You can see the photographs of each dish on Facebook!

DAY 4: I had agreed to meet up with Carl "Rebore" and David "Chainsaw" at Sheffield, more than an hour away. Sheryle and I agreed to do breakfast back at Stillwater which was another good decision. The weather had fined up, but looked very doubtful over the coming week, to the North East, so I planned to go to the west on our first few days ride. Sheryle headed to the airport at Evandale, to find that Jetstar had once AGAIN cancelled her flights, and so she booked (only) on QANTAS with their help.

I rode south to Prospect and the Harley Dealer. I know Richardson's well, and love their store and museum. I knew it would be closed on this day (Sunday) but took that all-important ABC's of Touring photograph! Then I headed on the dual-carriageway to Sheffield via Railton. Dave and Carl had been on their own tour for the morning to Barrington Dam, as they had arrived on the day-boat on Saturday and stayed overnight at the Edgewater motel near the dock, which they recommend for price and convenience.

Sheffield is know for its murals on the buildings in the main streets, and for a particularly good coffee shop, but they were keen to get onto Paradise, a small town nearby. Alas, the town no longer has a town-sign that I could find, so I chose to ride towards Deloraine, with the aim of getting to Cradle Mountain during the day. The back road west of Mole Creek was one of the very best we have ridden, with a perfect hot-mix surface, and rates in my top three rides for the trip.

Everyone really got into it, counter-steering and dragging running boards around many corners until Carl wandered off a 15km/hour corner into the gravel and gave the approaching cliff a "close geological inspection"! Luckily he hit nothing but was heard to say "I learn something new every corner"! 

Eventually, we took the turnoff to Cradle Mountain NP, and stopped at the Visitors Centre. Frustratingly, during the day it is not possible to drive all the way to Dove Lake and the Cradle view, as it used to be in my youth. You must take a bus, so we paid our fee and took the ride with a wide variety of international tourists. For the 35 days a year when Cradle Mountain is visible, it is one superb and classic view - which we were lucky enough to see. On our return we gassed up and remounted to ride to Wynyard, north on the Murchison highway and stayed at the Waterfront Hotel, right on the beach in the CBD. It was simple, with plenty of rooms and safe parking, plus a restaurant next door.

DAY 5 had us excited to get to the west coast, but we had a real issue - Chainsaw's rear tyre was worn through to the canvas. This was not an un-expected discovery as we had been pushing the traction limits around hundreds of delightful corners, and Tasmania's seal is rather harsher than we are used to, so tyres wear fast. The two options were to a) ride to Richardsons or b) stay here and find another motorcycle store that had tyres. We chose b) and headed for Honda, who laughed but were very helpful and called their wholesaler who arrived in a leisurely Tasmanian-hour, with a new Avon tyre which was fitted professionally - and more importantly for a much more reasonable cost than a Harley dealer may have done it for!

The plan had been to ride to Stanley then to Marrawah and south on the 92 km gravel "West Coaster" to Zeehan, but that now needed some modification. As it happened we headed for Mawbanna, and Dip Falls plus the Big Tree, places I had never visited before (52km return). The two kilometres of gravel were super-easy and well worth the tradeoff to see the unique falls and a truly huge Eucalyptus obliqua. 

We also did make it comfortably to Stanley for a late lunch and took the cable car up "The Nut" to a wonderful view over Bass Strait. Chainsaw even walked to the lookout. On our return we found a ubiquitous fish and chips shop, and proceeded to buy bulk flake (shark) and a ton of chips and eat them in the local park. The seagulls found us too, and shared at least 3 kg of the chips amongst squawking mayhem!

We headed west into the Tarkine Wilderness and Marrawah, and I took them down to the beach that looks to Cape Grim, where the CSIRO collects the purest air in the world and on-sells it to other countries to test beside their Beijing or Tokyo pollution! We then rode south on superb new roads to Arthur River, where accomodation was available but no gas, so we continued around the Tarkine loop (with its very good sealed roads, but annoying ripple strips at intervals) and back to Smithton and a country resort, where we ate, then slept very soundly. Hotel Tall Timbers is well recommended has a pool and heaps of rooms!

DAY 6 found us really getting into it now, with fine weather and a few clouds, but at a wee stop just before the Murchison Highway south, Carl received a message saying that his father-in-law was gravely ill in Queensland. We discussed the options, but he had made a clear decision to return to the Dealer at Launceston and fly home to Canberra. We wished our good-byes and Dave and I continued south to Waratah. Carl organised his bike to be shipped from Richardson's to Canberra and it almost beat him home.

Waratah is a small, strange mining town, with an even more strange double-intersection just before it, that lead me astray. It was a worthy detour, as we sat enjoying a first class coffee, pie and a long chat with the locals about the quality of roads hereabouts, and down to Corinna which is now back on my "must do again" list. (I have ridden a Harley down the Westcoaster many years ago on very good white silica gravel, and recommend it, for those who want the adventure and the ride across the Pieman on a barge!). The highway then goes through Tullah often recognised as Australia's wettest town, then onto Rosebery and Zeehan, the archetypal roaring mining town of yesteryear with 36 pubs, but now almost a ghost town. The highlight was the road from Zeehan to Queenstown, smooth, no vehicles and worth a strong ride! We did not ride along 90 mile beach, but you can and it was SO tempting. Maybe for next time.

In Queenstown we tried to negotiate a private trip out to Sarah Island Penal settlement for the next day, but both boats were out of action so with rain looming we decided to press on. Many motorcyclists rate the road to Queenstown and beyond to Derwent Bridge as the best in the State with hundreds of tight corners, but as the rain had become more insistent, we had other things on our mind - like finding accommodation.

There was nix in Derwent Bridge available, but a helpful pub lady suggested we take a cabin at Tarraleah or Bushy Park, so we pressed on and took the exit to the high country. I was concerned about hypothermia, as Dave was wet to the skin, (and I not much better) but when we found a fishing cabin with two rooms, a great view and a full fire, we had a delightful evening drying out gear, eating lamb knuckles and bullshitting about the world. We could not have been in a better place, despite me incinerating one pair of gloves on the very-hot chip heater!

DAY 7: I had three things I really wanted to achieve on this trip and one was to ride to Strathgordon and the huge arch dam there in the South West. We headed south from Bushy Park and took the back-way (again) via Ellendale to Westerway, where Dave demanded we stop for fresh berries for breakfast. It was a great call because they had been picked the day before. A breakfast of champions. We then proceeded on to Maydena, and some of the best roads we had ridden on, with few truck marks and great corners, so this made it to the second place on my "Great Rides of Tassie" list.  But to distract us further, the weather was perfect - warm and incredibly still. So the scenery was jus idillic and we stopped often to take photographs. When I can get those off my good camera I am sure we will have some perfect photos.

I had been to the Gordon Dam soon after it was finished in 1974 after a huge controversy over the flooding of the original Lake Pedder. For me, this was a travesty, and I was one of the original walkers to Lake Pedder and campaigners to save it. While the new lake is beautiful, the original was definitely my preference. My first visit to the dam was in 1977 and this was my second, so it was quite an emotional pilgrimage. The concrete arch dam is the largest in the southern hemisphere and is more than impressive. If you wish, you can abseil down it on a tour!

We returned to the Strathgordon village and had lunch in the Wilderness Lodge with a perfect view - and more of the rain storm that came down on us as we ate.  I had booked a hotel room in Hobart at the Ibis Styles, and Dave was none too sure of my sanity as I dragged him out into the storm again! Nonetheless we soon out-rode the squall, and arrived in Hobart where Dave enjoyed his first Constitutional Dock seafood bonanza for dinner.

DAY 8: We had decided to stay in Hobart for three nights, and circle out from there, but Ibis (Accor) did not want to find us a room (Note to self - Accor Plus membership is a waste of money) and so after breakfast, we walked into the Grand Chancellor (previously Sheraton) and asked if they had any rooms - even facing the mountain which are cheaper - and they offered us a better rate for a large room! (plus undercover secure parking) so we took it, and then rode south. We had made a decision not to go to Port Arthur or Do Town, as we had both been to the former before, and did not want to wrestle with the increasing numbers of Asian tourist crowds (following the successful visit of the Chinese Premier a few years ago).

First we headed south via Howrah (where Princess Mary of Denmark was born and grew up) and stopped at the 1850's Shot Tower for a shot! Then we wended our way south to Huonville and onto Franklin a tiny village famous for its wooden boat building. Dave is a wood fanatic with all the tools and so we took the guided tour. When you enter, the smells of Huon Pine, shellac and glues assail your nostrils and Harry enthusiastically told us all about the place. You can do short courses (eg to build a kayak) or longer ones (to build a clinker skiff) or simply restore your Couta boat - all of which were underway in their cavernous sheds. I love this place and the hours passed very quickly. The photos were also fantastic on a still and stunning morning by the river.

Further south, we passed through the timber town of Geeveston, devastated by the 1966 bushfires, but now a nice hamlet and then took another very good road out to the Tahune Air-walk, once owned by the Tasmanian Forestry Commission, but now privately run. For $27 you can hang on the walking platforms over 180 feet above the forest, in the Celery Top Pine (and other) tree tops. There is also another short walk amongst some Huon Pine trees.  Thereafter we returned, via another big tree, and headed south to Dover, but the weather was about to close in, so we returned to Hobart and an enjoyable fish and oyster meal at the Drunken Admiral, a hearty bar of ill-repute that has been there for - decades!

DAY 9: after our third night in Hobart we decided on a short-ride day and headed out to Richmond, once the key staging post on the highway to the East Coast, and visited the Richmond Bridge, built by convicts and by far the oldest bridge in Australia. We then had a scallop pie ($8.40) and worth every penny and connived to return to the Gaol, where $15 allowed us to be chained and flogged around the yard (well that is the story anyway). The history was quite fascinating and we took time to absorb, as life must have been very tough for the first convicts and even for their gaolers. We returned via Sorell and settled on Hogs Breath for dinner, Dave's favourite. I am still trying to determine if the attraction is the price, the waitresses or the burgers - or all three!

DAY 10: found us about to escape the big city, but first we had to visit the Salamanca Market again, where Dave purchased a bunch of gifts, and proceeded to fill his carry-bag on the bike (which started about a third full and ended up VERY full for the ride home). We walked the full length of Salamanca Place and back again, then headed up Mount Wellington amongst some truly crazy drivers, to enjoy a perfect view all the way down the river to the Iron Pot and beyond. I am sure that other bike riders glanced at our white ACT plates and thought we were locals!

We then proceeded to ride the East Coast via Sorell and stopped first in Buckland to visit the Church (as I had promised to take Dave "outside his comfort zone - OHCZ" at least three times on this trip). The Buckland Church was built about 1827 and contains some of the finest stain glass windows I have ever seen. They are Cromwellian and made about 1350 and brought out to Australia from England around 1835. They are simply stunning and well worth the visit. We then stopped at the coastal town of Orford and were assailed by the summer "scenery". Another scallop pie was good too.

We rode onto Bicheno and visited the Motorcycle Museum, about to have its 10th birthday, but this was not of such interest to Chainsaw, however the crayfish shack and the Blowhole were more to his liking. Once we had checked into the Bicheno Cabins we rode back, were sprayed by the sea at the Blowhole and walked up the lookout rock (OHCZ 2). Dinner that night on the edge of the Gulch was sensational, with very fresh oysters, even fresher fish, and my "last meal before I die choice" - crayfish.

DAY 11: we rode south again, just to take the magic road, and my favourite "blatt" route in Tasmania from near Swansea to Campbelltown, via Lake Leake. The surface used to be very good and is not quite so now, but still fine for a fast run, where there are no villages and fewer drivers. I then took Dave to OHCZ#3, an Art Gallery! It is run by the father of a girl who is married to my wife's sisters son, and Dave was particularly interested in the wood framing, all hand made by Luke. It is called "Gallery 81" and features a set of paintings from the 81 instructions of the Tao.

We then proceeded along superb roads NE to Fingal, where we made friends with Keith Hereford, local junkman and historical expert, while we explored his delightful emporium full of old videos and other useful, or not so useful, junk! Dave was in heaven. I also perused the huge and ancient Council Chambers opposite, now for sale for a snip at $250k and a "renovators delight" - commence with bulldozers!

From here I made a call to my favourite hermit, Richard and his wife Heather. They live in "the hills" just south of St Mary's and truly off the grid. They grow their own vegetables, produce their own power and heating and manage their own waste. But that is not the reason to visit them - both have a neat small collection of particularly collectable motorcycles including MZ's and Laverda's. Richard has not one, but two VERY large "mens sheds" - each cost more than $80k just to build the shells! While there, they offered us a farmer's lunch prepared and served by Freya, one of their daughters.

We then rode north to St Helens and found a great motel on the way into town (Queezy's), but walked to a resort for, you guessed it, yet another glorious seafood dinner!

DAY 12: was intended to end at "The Pub in the Paddock" but as it was Sunday and closed, we visited them at Pyengana after riding up the Elephant Pass, and then rode on, into an increasing gale. For some reason we stopped at the Weld Pass and took the short rainforest walk, laced with dripping moss and massive myrtle trees.

I then thought it was time to take Dave to OHCZ#4, a cemetery, at Branxholm, while we decided which way we would ride given the wind and possible rain. We spent a good hour exploring the headstones, and wondered how people had managed when their children died young, or father was killed in an accident at 33. Dave took one particularly good photo of our bikes behind the headstones, my favourite shot of the trip.

We headed north via Pioneer and Gladstone, knowing that there would be a few kilometres of gravel before we reached Bridport, but were un-prepared for the torrential downpour that fell upon us just as we arrived at the gravel section. Dave was materially un-impressed, and the road maintenance workers just chided me by saying "picked a good day for it"! Rotters. Anyway we did make it to Bridport despite the rain and a full gale blowing horizontally, and so decided to retire to a good view for lunch. As you do.

I owed him, so we rode into Launceston, and I checked into a Suite at Peppers Hotel on the Tamar River. To say it was palacious would be an understatement. The main bedroom was so large, the king-sized bed appeared small, and the main room (where I had a bed made up for me) had a full size dining table and a kitchen. We washed our clothes, used everything from the robes to the tea service, stole the chocolates and used all the coffee pods. When in Rome, enjoy.  Oh, and to truly slum it, we went out for very large pizzas at dinner. Carl would have approved.

DAY 13: I had a dream. It was to return to a place of my childhood, Ben Lomond and Legge's Tor, both mountains to the east of Launceston. The problem was, that this would include riding up 18 km or gravel - really gnarly and steep gravel, into the National Park. But the view would be worth it. Dave was on it, as he is a pretty good rider in the dirt, so once we had reached the base of "Jacob's Ladder" the zig zag road to the top, we stopped and he muttered "holy sheet" or words to that effect.

I asked him to lead, which he took to like a duck to water. Little did he know that he was the "test bunny" for me on my heavier bike. With rear wheel fish-tailing up the gravel, and deep counter steers in the very tight corners, he made it look easy. So we stopped at the top lookout, and the resort and took photos. He was later to tell me this was the absolute highlight of the trip for him, but frankly I was too breathless to listen at the time. The ride down was even more dramatic but overall it was a fantastic experience. We dare you!

We then returned through Launceston and travelled up the east side of the Tamar River to George Town, where we finally had a huge killer breakfast, then onto the light house at Low Head. Here I could have a holiday cottage! We rode across the Batman Bridge to the town of Beaconsfield famous for a mine disaster a few years ago, then took the back road through Hellyer and south to Railton (so I could get another ABC's of Touring Photo! )

We just made the ferry at East Devonport, and rode on, exhausted but exalted to our own cabin and a very quiet trip across Bass Strait at night.

DAY 14: But it was not over yet. In the morning I was supposed to have a job interview but instead that was cancelled and I took Dave to meet my great-aunt Doreen and her husband Tim, who live in Port Melbourne, so close by to the ferry terminal. She made us breakfast, while we talked of family history, illegitimate children and English spies. I have not idea what Dave made of all that!

We then rode home via the Hume Highway. As I expected, Dave struggled at times to keep all his purchased gear on his bike, and so we made some extra straps and other arrangements, but we stopped often and did make it to Canberra over time.

At a traffic light in Canberra we knocked knuckles, great companions after a truly super holiday.

Expelled from CHOG! (Canberra Harley Owners Group) 13 October 2018

In Australia, we laud and support Freedom of Speech. It is the basis of a true democracy.
It is not a crime to speak one's view, provided it is not threatening or abusive to another person.

If you have landed on this page in my Blog, you will know that, after fifteen years as a HOG Member, I was terminated or "EXPELLED" as a member of CHOG, Canberra Harley Owners Group. on Saturday 13 October 2018, by the Dealer Principal. He was acting in that role (Not as the HOG Director, a position he currently has taken in addition), under Clause 16 of the CHOG "Articles of Association". Under that clause, I have no right-of-reply, whereas if the Committee (or the Principal acting in his current role of Director of CHOG) had ejected me, then I would have reasonable capability and process to appeal the action via Mediation with and to Committee Members.

In that letter, there is no reason given, no "cause" if you like.

So, some will ask Why? 
Even Committee Members have already asked me that question.

Over the last year or so, many CHOG Members (past and present) have come to me with questions about the operation of CHOG management. The level of un-happiness across more than 30 people who contact me, is palpable and continues. With a past catch-cry of "Ride and Have Fun", fine as it was, Members actually wanted more. They asked to move forward. Collectively they have been crying out for basic respect as members - and building more towards "Community" of common interest and enjoyment. I couldn't agree more.

So my actions, along with five other Members, was to ask for these elements aimed at one goal, to:

Build a more Active Engaged HD Riding Community in Canberra, via increased democratic involvement of all CHOG Members. 

To this end we asked, politely, and persistently for the following

1. Ask for, and run some General Meetings, where all members could be involved - ACHIEVED.
2. Fill all Committee positions (including non-executive) so that a full range of views and interests could be heard, including the Safety Officer, Head Road Captain, Editor and others - ACHIEVED.
3. Actively encourage new members to both join and be Welcomed - PARTLY ACHIEVED
4. Devise and publish to all members, a full year's Calendar of Events & rides - PARTLY ACHIEVED.
5. Allow and encourage the General Membership to run general, and annual elections for ALL Committee positions, official and casual. (Note; I recognise completely, that the Dealer Principal has some rights in this regard, via the "articles of association" as HOG is owned by Harley Davidson, but that in most of our 51 HOG AU locations, these rights have been rarely used, and then on a "last resort" basis).

Some comments on these;
First, most Members don't care much for the processes and activities of the Committee - and they should not need to, if all runs smoothly (Despite considerable volunteer work effort!). Members care most of all about the Calendar of Events - what rides and activities are on offer and will be in the future, so that we can all plan to fit a good selection of these amongst our other work and family commitments. And then of course, doing the rides! That sounds fair to me, BUT the current system is to hide many of the rides from Members until the actual quarter that they are in, or make them "Mystery Rides". Moreover, we use TeamApp quite well, but the HOG-AU preference is Monkey Jungle!

Secondly, for our Chapter unlike most others, we have a set of additional rules, created a few years back. In our view these could be cancelled or removed completely without any meaningful disadvantage. In fact they ensconce power in a few individuals - let us leave that thought where it sits for the moment, without further comment. The current "Rules of Association" alone, are appropriate, approved by Harley Davidson, and more than adequate to run the Chapter efficiently and fairly.

Third and most sensitively, key members of our executive committee are NOT actively riding with CHOG. My final removal from CHOG was probably due to me "telling the truth" on this matter!
Without frills, in our Executive Team there are two Members (including the shadow director) who do not ride with the Chapter at all (or recently), two members, (one the HRC) who are on a four month holiday (whichis fine BTW but reduces their communication with members) and one member who is rarely present in Australia due to his work. How can this group actually run CHOG effectively if they are not part of the Community? (But do control 3-of-4 of the official votes on the Committee). In addition, what is the official role and capability from a practical and legal position for the Shadow Director?

Fourth, I was accused of contacting Harley Davidson direct. I did and I do (mostly for things like the ABC's competition.) I was unable to contact Gaz Luxmoore, as I did not have his details, and he was in the USA running a tour. I did also contact the Regional Director, Ken (from 14 Sept 2018). I am still unclear why this is a "crime"? It is the natural escalation point.

These questions were clearly too close to the truth. Until they are resolved openly, CHOG may continue to have major issues of presence and operation, and stagnant membership.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke.