zx10r_aus

Are there any motorcycle riders going to Australia or are already in Australia. Thought it would be good for people to know where there are some good places to ride in there local area. And do they know any groups of people that get together on weekends for rides.


Jim

Brissiegirl

there are plenty of clubs like this: http://www.bmwmcq.asn.au/

I have a Uncle who rides with them and they go to rallies all over Australia.. in some very remote places. It's all very sociable etc.

I think the clubs exist in various guises all over Australia, for different types of bikes etc.

C.Owen

Jim
I for one will be doing some riding for sure...when i get out there in a few months time ( hopefully,if the house sells).
I parted with my R6 Yamaha back in Sept 04 , before the winter actually set in and in preperation for my departure.... that was one sad day, walking away ... Bikeless .. even though i had a wad of cash in my back pocket, not the same ( but only other bikers would understand) !!!!

It'll be totally different to riding here in the UK i guess, no more parking it up over the winter and a huge amount of time spent riding in wet weather.... BUT then there the different elements out there !!! the HEAT for one, not sure how riding in the heat of the East Coast is going to be ( especially with a set of leathers on :scared: ) just the thought of it makes me sweat, it might be time to hang the leathers and switch to dirtbike riding ...we'll see how it goes !!
I'm heading up the Sunshine Coast to Gympie, when i was out there a few years back, i did what most bikers do as a good habit ... and clocked some nice roads whilst out and about in the car, i even had maps out having a look at some routes that might be feasible for a blast.

Anyway i guess it depends where you are heading for ( Sidney i guess ... if your Avatar is anything to go off ) i'm sure there will be several bike clubs / rideouts in which ever area you choose to relocate, do some digging on the net, find local bike shops and usually they have links for clubs etc. this is what i have done and found some useful information... also look out for any forums based in Oz ( i take it you have a Kwack ?? ) I frequent an R6 owners site and they have members in the Oz forum from all over Oz on there... i was able to ask them all sorts of questions about insurance / bike prices etc... and immediately you have contacts for ride outs when you arrive and get settled ....there might be something similar for the Kawaskaki owners.

Good luck in your search for info .

tbeb

Hi Jim,

I sold my fireblade before we went to Oz in December and have just bought a 05 GSXR750 four weeks ago. Plenty of cracking roads out here, I'm based in Sunbury, just NW of Melbourne and there are some fantasic routes through the Macedon Ranges; 500 foot drops either side make for some entertaining cornering! NE of Melbourne up through Kingslake and of course the Great Ocean Road south of Melbourne. Then there's also Phillip Island :-)

Beats the boring flats of Suffolk I came from! Not joined any clubs yet but I've seen a few groups out on Sundays, guess I'll get round to joining one sometime!

Leathers are expensive out here, so bring a set with you, and helmets need the Oz approval stickers so best to sell before you get here to save any probs if you can.

TBEB

C.Owen

TBEB

I wasn't aware about the helmet issue ... Oz approval stickers needed !!!!
I bet there isn't any difference in the helmets either.. probably same make / models etc, i have an OGK at the moment which is one of the best and most comfy i've used ... amd the wifes is exactly the same brand new.
Helmets are not the easiest thing to sell really, you just end up giving them away half the time, i guess i best unpack them eh ???

As for leathers:
First of all ... how do you find the heat with leathers on ?
I actually sold mine when i got shut of the bike as i had dropped a load of weight and they were too big... is there a great difference in the price ? what about buying them here and shipping them over when ready to
pick another bike up ? ( house will have to come first !! )

How did the price of the new gixxer compare to prices here in the UK ?? I was thinking about the gixxer 1000 or R1 prior to the migration process, still got the idea in the back of my mind for when we get settled.

zx10r_aus

Great to hear everyone enjoying there riding in OZ. I am living in Glasgow at the moment waiting for the girlfriends visa to come through. I was living Canberra before I came here. I had a zx6r, but, I sold it to come here . (the things men do for love) lol. I cant wait to get back on and annoy the cops, I meen go riding. I rode to Phillip Island in 2001, even though it rained all the way, I enjoyed the ride. Anyway I hope all you bike riders get out and enjoy the riding.
Jim

zx10r_aus

Wonder where I could get a lawn mower like this?

http://www.big-boys.com/articles/lawnfly.html

cresta57

I've never seen so many people out on big machines here with just shorts singlet and a pair of thongs. Ask most of them about leathers and they just laugh at you. When you get up here to Gympie take a walk down the main shopping street, you can't miss it there's only one clock all the ex bikies with missing limbs. I kidd you not when we first got here I thought there was a limbless convention in town
On the way to Tin Can Bay today a couple of Harley's passed us, guys in shorts and singlets, girls with just bikini tops and shorts on

zx10r_aus

I thought you mite like to see a mesh jacket, I had one when I was living Canberra. I know what its like to be sitting at a set of red lights on a hot summers day. I bought a mesh jacket for about $200, It still had all the padding, but, the material was lighter. Anyway see what you all think.

http://motorcyclecruiser.com/accesso...-Rocket-lg.jpg

jjonboy

Yeah, i ride to and from work everyday and it can be hot in traffic. Also the lanes in sydney are much narrower so not easy to do the old fast filtering a lot of the time. If your biking is purely for pleasure then you'll be fine

I've got a mesh jacket, which works well but only showerproof not waterproof....

For new and 2nd hand bikes www.bikesales.com.au

Also you'll find that a lot of bikes that are unpopular in Uk are popular here, but all the old favourites are here too...

Cheers
Jonboy

tbeb

I have a UK Doohan Quantum F but went out and bought a new helmet as I didn't want any hassles of the cops, still, it gave me an excuse to buy one to match the new leathers and bike! An Arai Condor cost me $549 which is about £230, so not too bad. Dainese leathers cost me $1200, £500. It can get hot with the leathers on, it was 33c today on my 25 mile commute home, but I'd rather that than ride around in shorts and t-shirt like most of the Oz riders do out here, amazingly stupid if you ask me.

I think the bike market is bigger in the UK so they have to compete a bit more on prices, so leathers tend to be 25% more over here than in the UK, where sales and bike shows are more common. Although bike prices are miles cheaper so thats my theory out of the window then! I got a 2005 GSXR750 for $15000 on the road, that's £6250 and I'm sure they are a bit more than that in the UK! R1s/GSXR1000 and Blades are around $18-19k, about £7500. Insurance for me was $450, £188 and that's with protected no-claims, but I'm an old git and 37 :-)

Cheers,

TBEB

C.Owen

TBEB

Thanks for the info on the prices... i'm presuming you kept copies of your NO CLAIMS docs from the UK for when you got your insurance ???
I had (65% full no claims bonus and protected ) up until i sold the bike, i'm hoping this will stand me in good stead for the insurance, as long as you have evidence ... Plus your not that much of an old git yet i'm gonna be 42 by the time i get out there :scared: ..... But hey !! who said big boys can't have fun too !!

I agree about the stupidity riding without the protective gear on also ... It's a big no-no for me, i always wear the gear even on a short ride ....my mate came a cropper on his R1 just nipping to his parents on a hot day, wearing trackie bottoms / no gloves / fleece and trainers he flew down the outside of some cars and a nice woman in her wisdom decided to throw her car into him as she had almost missed her turning ...wot a mess, gravel rash wasn't the word he learnt the hard and painful way and won't do it again... People think it'll never happen to them, it's sunny / warm and they have the skin of a Rhino ... how wrong they are .

Enjoy the new bike ( i'm envious now .. i need to sort the house out before i get one ) and keep those leathers on too

above all .. RIDE SAFE .. but don't forget to have some fun .

tbeb

Yeah, make sure you bring proof of no-claims, which they will recognise in Oz.

I always ride safe, but sometimes these aussies think their V8s are fast and you just have to show them don't you? ;-)

Cheers,

TBEB

cadman

Just seen this thread, I have a 98 Blade and a 91 EXUP RU at the moment but am selling them before we go to Oz (got visas but not going for another 2 years at least - looking increasingly like Brisbane).

Going to get a bike when we get there though, maybe a gixxer 750 (had a GSXR750Y here a few years ago which was v.fast, handled great but build quality = shite), maybe an R1 (might be able to afford the 04 model by the time I get there!, smashed a 2001 model to bits here a couple of years ago).

I have a cousin in Sunbury (visited last year), she says that there is a lot of off road opportunities there, so much space in the bush and there are some NP forests that have specific trail bike trails.

Speaking of Melbourne, I used to frequent www.r1-forum.com and they have a Oz section where you can get in tough with mostly people from Melbourne, trips up G.O.R. early on Sundays and such like.

Cadman

tbeb

I usually stick to Honda's because of build quality and reliability but the GSXR750 was so cheap, and we don't have to worry about salt out here! So far I have been very happy with it. My last bike was a 2002 blade and that was just awesome, but I guess I just wanted a change from 4 years of blades.

Looked at the R1 but they get very hot under the seat, with this latest fad of underseat exhausts, although they are very popular out here so they can't be that bad! Kwak was also a consideration but no local dealers near me.

Cheers for the R1 forum link, I'll take a look at that.

TBEB