Rainey online - Betsy road notes


Betsy - road notes

XT225, 1996
April 2003 to Dec 2003.

Statistics
11/4/03 started our relationship and had over 4,000km wonderful rides together.

4 November 2003	Travelled: 254kms
Home – Eltham – Yarra Glen – Toolangi – Healesville – Marysville. Buxton – Healesville – Toolangi – Kinglake – St Andrews – Kangaroo Ground – Eltham – home.
Cup day ride. Fantastic day, though didn’t pick a winner on the race. Jason and I had lunch at Marysville pub. Marysville was full of motorcycles, many club rides on today. As it turned out this was Betsy and my last big ride.

23 October 2003	Travelled: 1644kms
Melbourne – Warragul – Lakes Entrance – Paradise Beach – Grand Ridge Road - Phillip Island – Tyabb – Queenscliff – Lorne – Geelong – Melbourne. Yarra Glen – Toolangi – Healesville – Eildon – Skyline Rd – Bonnie Doon. Bonnie Doon – Eildon – Healesville – Toolangi – Kinglake – home.
	This is the trip when your not in Sth America.

11 October 2003	Travelled: 264kms
To Cheltenham down Nepean to Mt Martha. Along Mornington foreshore to Dromana, up Mt Martha – Flinders – Hastings – Frankston – Cheltenham – home.
	Short ride with Jason, not a bad day. Mt Martha road caught me out a bit. I’m not too keen on the long fast sections, Betsy isn’t really comfortable for this type of riding.

4 October 2003	Travelled: 142kms
To Warrandyte – Kangaroo Ground – Yarra Glen – back road to Healesville. Chum Creek Rd – Toolangi – Kinglake down to Hurstbridge – St Andrews – Panton Hills – Eltham – home.
Run on my own. Miss having someone to ride with. Discovered Chum Creek road and do like that. Passed many motorcyclists in the other direction.

29 September 2003	Travelled: 291kms
To Mt Evelyn – Healesville – Black Spur – Marysville – Buxton – Taggerty – Alexander. Back road to Molesworth – Old Killingworth Rd – Yea – Kinglake. Down to Hurstbridge – Eltham – Templestowe – home.
Less than a month to I’m off to Sth America. This trip is to see how I can do over 250kms. Well it seems that I can do ok, though bum a little sore by the end. Molesworth and Old Killingworth Rds were great, good to be off the main roads. Found out that Betsy needs to be switched to reserve on 200kms.

21 September 2003	Travelled: 43kms
Mt Evelyn – home
Finally Betsy comes home. Has been at Mt Evelyn for last couple of months to resolve the not wanting to start issue. Turned out that the battery was getting a bit down and wouldn’t turn over. Dad put in a switch for the headlight and found this fixed the problem.

20 September 2003	Travelled: 124kms
Mt Evelyn – Monbulk – Belgrave – Heatherton Rd – Dandenong. Back again to Belgrave up to Gembrook via Cookatoo back down to again. Yellingbo – Mt Evelyn.
Went with dad to do the once over on Jason’s new bike. ZZ250- the purple thing. Got the thumbs up and so his first ride was Dandenong – Gembrook – Mt Evelyn – Belgrave – home. Big first run for him, and now I have another riding partner.

14 September 2003	Travelled: 88kms
Mt Evelyn – Silvan Dam – back road to Belgrave – Monbulk – Cockatoo – Gembrook – past Gilwell Park to Beenak Rd – Yellingbo – Mt Evelyn.
A couple of dirt roads, not long stretches. Feeling a lot more confident on the bike. Though still edgy on loose gravel corners. "Just need to add more gas" says dad. "Yeah right!"

7 September 2003	Travelled: 60kms
Mt Evelyn – Monbulk – Emerald – Paternoster Rd. Down to Cockatoo – Yellingbo – Mt Evelyn.
Short ride with dad, stopped for a cuppa at Frosty’s parents place. Sue and Dave, Karin and Paul still waking and recovering from last nights engagement party!

10 August 2003	Travelled: 195kms
Mt Evelyn – Warburton – Acheron Way – Marysville. Marysville – Black Spur – Healesville – Old Don Rd – Launching Place – Yellingbo – Mt Evelyn.
Snow has nearly all disappeared from side of the road on Acheron Way. First time on black Spur and quite enjoyed the corners. When I see dad in the review mirror, he looks so relaxed.

2 August 2003	Travelled: 246.8kms
Mt Evelyn – Warbuton – McMahons Creek – Muddy Rd to Noojee. Noojee towards Mt Baw Baw turn off for Moe and Blue Rock Lake. Followed back roads from Blue Rock Lake to Drouin (Wilies Rd & Old Sale Rd). Back roads Drouin to Longwarry – Tynong. Tynong Nth – Gembrook – Cockatoo – Macclesfield – Yellingbo – Mt Evelyn.
Dad and I did a big run today. Snow on Muddy Rd, which was icy, luckily a 4wd had cut tracks init. Dad almost sent the BMW K10 over the edge. Now that would have been interesting to haul back up on the road. Once off the mountain lovely sunny day, though do get buffeted by passing trucks on Betsy. Good day out, happy about the kms covered.

19 July 2003	Travelled: 184kms
Mt Evelyn – Warburton - Donna Buang – Acheron Way – Marysville. Marysville – Acheron Way – Donna Buang – Warburton – Old Don Rd – Healesville – back road to Mt Evelyn.
Great ride with dad, getting the miles up for the trip. Bit of snow on Acheron Way, luckily just on the edges of the road, not too sure how I would go with snow on the road.

17 July 2003	Travelled: 160kms
Boronia – Warrandyte – Kangaroo Grounds – Yarra Glen – Healesville – Old Don Rd – Badger Creek – Launching Place – Warburton. Upto Donna Buang snow road back down to Warby. Warburton – Yellingbo – Mt Evelyn – Boronia.
Dad rode to Boronia as having lots of troubles getting Betsy to start. Was a good run, though a bit cold on Donna Buang must be snow on the way!

May 2003	Travelled: 117kms
To Mt Evelyn via Warrandyte. Home via Yarra Glen / Eltham.

4 May 2003	Travelled: 137kms
To Lalor – Wallan – Whittlesea – Kinglake – St Andrews – Diamond Creek – Greensborough
Good ride, bit windy and cool. Loved the Kinglake - Hurstbridge road. Very windy. Should consider to do Kinglake – Yarra Glen roads next time.

12 April 2003	Travelled: 87kms
1^st run – to Mt Evelyn
Very exciting on the freeway. Found need to alter the clutch and wasn’t idling properly.

1^st run – TT250
Sunday 30/3/03 – 116kms
Mt Evelyn, Wandin, Warburton, Upper Yarra dam
First time on a bike for a couple of years, only stalled once. Rode with dad.

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If you don't know where you are going, you can never get lost. - Herb Cohen