What the LT was made for... BMW...

The rain has gone. We have had weeks of it. Not that riding in the rain scares me. But with a bike that I am still learning to ride I have not taken it for a good ride. That changed today. I didn’t to get the LT out on the open road. I needed to learn to ride this bike where it is at its best, on country roads.

I headed north for the Old Pacific Hwy. First stop was Road Warriors Café at Mt White. By Brooklyn Bridge both bikes and cars are warning of cops up ahead. The Old Pac is posted at 60kmh. This is in the best sections. All the good corners. So it was a slow ride. I didn’t really mind as I was out to learn to ride the BM correctly. Brake before the corner. Set the bike up and then power through the corner. On the MuZ I could brake very deep into the corner and then crack open the throttle. Don’t ride a BM correctly through a corner and it will let you know.

So doing the Old Pac slow was good. I got to practice the above. There was lots of water run off from all the rain we have had. I rode through so much of this water on just about all the country roads I was to transverse.




So where are the cops I had been warned about? Are they hiding in the bushes in camo gear with their nasty space gun? No! Are mobile in unmarked cars with those tell tale aerials? No! They are about 500 meters up the road for Road Warriors. I get pulled over. As I am pointed at I glance at my speedo. No I am not speeding so what do they want? Oh they want me to count to ten out loud so they can test my breath. All clear. I have not drunk in over 20 years so of course it will be clear. Fancy breath testing on the Old Pac at 10am on a Saturday morning.

Road Warriors is quite. Saturday morning on a long weekend and there are not many about. Well there are a few Ducatis there. But when are they not there?









I have a cup of tea while I sit and ponder why Ducatis are only seen at Road Warriors. It is good to have panniers as you can carry all your own refreshments. These panniers are so much bigger than the ones that were on the MuZ. Good for when doing the grocery shopping as I can fit a big box of cereal in there standing up.

So cup of tea downed. More Ducati’s arrive. It is time for me to move on out. Where to now? I have a big tourer. I don’t want to go home yet. So I keep heading north. Peats ridge comes and goes. The roads around here are nice and smooth and have some lovely sweepers. Just like a super models legs. The BM is lapping up the sweepers. I can’t believe how well it holds the corner at speed. In fact I am going faster through these corners than last time I came through here on the MuZ. I must have the right about of throttle in the corners now as I am getting no weave or wobble at all. No wonder this thing is a big mile eater.

So where I am heading north to? I know. Jerry's Gourmet Kitchen at Kulnura. Road is starting to get a bit rougher now. The rain has chopped up the road and there are some nasty pot holes appearing. Gravel has been thrown into the mix as well. But the BM just keeps BMing away.

There are even less bikes at Jerry’s. I got talking to a guy on an Oilhead R1200S. He was really impressed with the bike. It was fitted with Staintunes and Öhlins rear shock. We had a good chat about bikes and the costs of servicing of bikes. After some of the figures he threw at me I am so glad I have a bike that I can do most things on. I can’t even begin to think of spending $2K to service a Ducati. You can have a good holiday for that amount of money.




We said our good byes and I headed off. Sorry we didn’t at least swap names mate. But it was good to meet you and chat. So where to now? Wisemans Ferry of course. Rough and bump road with lots of corner to test me and the BM. It was along this road that I saw the worse of the water run off. The pot holes could have swallowed a house. This road needs to be respected at best of times but even more so today. I spent most of the time in 3rd or 4th gear. The BM made me work for my ride on this road. This is a lot of bike to push along and even more so when dodging gravel, water run off and pot holes. I was getting a sweat up. Also the right hand mirror I had replaced had cracked at the mount and was flapping about. That’s how rough the road was.

The trees canopy the road in places, even through my ear plugs I could hear the Staintunes bellowing away. They sound so good even from up front. It was along this road that I really got to use the roll on power on the BM to overtake. I know it only bumps out 60bhp but in 3rd or 4th gear I could just roll on the throttle and off it would go around a car.

Up ahead I spy another bike. He is caught up with some traffic. I see him looking in his mirror as I loom up behind him. It’s a Café Racer of some sort. British too. A stretch of straight road opens up for us and he is off overtaking. Puff of blue smoke and a very deep rumble that can be heard through my ear plugs and hr is going for it. I follow suite and soon the cars are well behind us and we are at the Ferry crossing at Wisemans Ferry.



Other side of the river I take time out to removed the right hand mirror. I can save this from breaking off and repair it at home. I also have a spot to eat at the Pub and think about which road to take. Well it really doesn’t take much moving grey cells around to answer this one. River Road. But in reverse from the last time I rode it.

Water is glistening off the rock walls and then flowing across the road. In some places it is flowing fast and a few inches deep. The gravel is even worse on this road. First time today that the BM is unsettled by the road conditions. Plus I am pushing hard. Too hard at least twice as I run wide in two corners. Let this be a lesson to me. Slow down and be smooth with the bike. Some of the corners are very dark from the over hanging trees and there hides water waiting to make a bike fall down.









In no time I am at Sackville Ferry and now heading for the Putty Road. Today I won’t go up the Putty. So head back to Sydney and towards home as I have promised to cook dinner for us all tonight.

In total I did around 230kms. If Google Maps was working for me at the moment I would also post the route. I will try to do this later.

I am very pleased with the BM. It is a true mile eater. This made today’s ride all the better. I did learn a lot about the bike and how to ride it today.