Online: Humbug

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  • liamray
    liamray
    10 years ago

    Hi new to the forum, just moved to Lakes Entrance Victoria and looking for other HD riders. I'm 59 and still waiting to grow up! Have been riding bikes since i was 13yrs old, first bike a Royal Enfield 250 Crusader which I bashed around the bush on (makes me cry now when I think about what I did to that bike), next bike an Ariel Square Four that this guy had put a car wheel and tyre on the back of so he could... get this, ride it on the beach to go fishing! Next a BSA 650 Lightning that I bought for $150, two BSA Bantums all of these bikes were I hate to say it 'Bush Bashers', yeah I know! Then my first road rego'd bike was a Honda 90 Scrambler, followed by a Yamaha 250 DT1F, then a Honda 350 Four, soon followed by a Honda 750 Four that went through several style changes from Cafe Racer to full on Chopper. Had a break from bikes for several years and then one day when I was walking through a bike wreckers that was next to a mates Panel Shop I spotted an old Honda K2 750 Four, or what was left of it anyway, bought it for $50 and took it home, and over 2yrs I restored it back to original pristine condition. Then one day I was down at Frasers Motorcycles in Newcastle and Warren Fraser (I went to school with Warren) came out and when he saw the K2 he asked me to sell it to him, I didn't want to then he conned me into taking a recently traded in Suzuki GSX 1100E with just 3,500klm on the clock for a test ride. When I was leaving the shop for the test ride Warren grabbed and told me that the GSX would do 110klmh in first gear I said bullshit and was proved wrong on the test ride. Needless to say I rode the Suzuki home, had it for a couple of years and cracked the 250klmh barrier several times on it before I decided that i had to sell it before my right hand killed me! Was without a bike for another several years before I got bitten by the bug after riding a mates new bike. Went out determined to buy a HD, was living in Qld on the Sunshine Coast and drove past a bike shop and out the front they had a purple softail springer, did a quick u turn and jumped out all excited about this HD, took one look at the price tag and nearly had a coronary. Was about to walk away when the sales guy asked what I was after and I made the mistake of telling him, he said I might be interested in something he had just traded, as we walked up to the back of the shop I saw what looked like the front of HD, turned out to be a Yamaha 1100 V Star Custom (shaft drive, never liked shaft drives), anyway the guy talks me into taking it for a test ride and I'm pleasantly surprised. So I go home and tell the wife I've bought a bike, went down like a lead ballon. Anyway had the V Star for about three years and in that time did a lot of mods to the bike, in the end it looked like a HD even use to fool HD riders when I'd roll up to local bike shows with it and ride it into the middle of all the modified HD's, at least it did until they got a look at the shaft drive. Sold the bike because I had some back problems and luckily got my money back on it (girl bought and loved it, even though she could turn the bike on full lock because of the full western bars I fitted). And then my wife wanted to move back to sunny Lakes Entrance in Victoria where all of her family are (she was the only one who flew the coup), so as a condition of me leaving the Sunny Coast for the Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr Coast I insisted that I would have my long sought after HD, and here I am with what I would have to describe as my perfect bike, an 88.5' Softail Springer 85th Anniversary Model. And the real story begins............

  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    10 years ago

    Well your first mistake was leaving the lovely Sunny coast...........Welcome mate!   smiley

  • mickle
    mickle
    10 years ago
    Welcome to the Forum mate, keep ya eye out for our Snowy run around Xmas.
  • liamray
    liamray
    10 years ago

    Thanks Pauly, your dead right mate, man ain't it cold down here, already bought the long johns and leather pants and new thicker leather jacket, gloves and bloody inner gloves it's that cold on the bike, bought a full face mask as well to try and stay warm!

  • liamray
    liamray
    10 years ago

    You have to be kiddin Mickle, 'The Snowy Run'! I'm freezin my nuts off down here let alone up in the mountains!

  • Jayman6
    Jayman6
    10 years ago
    Welcome to the forum.
  • markwoumla
    markwoumla
    10 years ago
    Welcome, You want to go for a ride to Orbost, Mick the guy that owns the Orbost Club Hotel owns a couple of Harleys. They have a poker run in the area in summer time. There would be a lot of riders in the Bainsdale, Sale area.
    I live up Bega way, yes it can get chilly over winter on the coast, but if its sunny and no wind I love my winter riding. Cheers .









    p
  • sparkie001
    sparkie001
    10 years ago

    Welcome

  • Youngblood
    Youngblood
    10 years ago
    Welcome
  • McDeath
    McDeath
    10 years ago
    Welcome to mexico and polar bears and penguins :)
  • Harleynut
    Harleynut
    10 years ago

    G'day Liamray.
    I'll second the Snowy Ride. An outstanding weekend. We've been going for 12 years now and wouldn't miss it for quids. An all-bike event for everything from outfits and trikes to step-thru's. You won't find an event with happier riders all intent on enjoying life and making a difference to those affected by juvenile cancer. Google it.

  • liamray
    liamray
    10 years ago
    I know what you're sayin China, I have to admit that I like many others was ignorant of Harley's and the vast number of models and configurations that they come in, now that I own one I'm amazed by the number of differences in each of them, different years and models have so many small differences I'm still coming to terms with it, but by the same token I'm loving it, it takes me back to when I owned my first bikes, at least you can still work on a Harley if your inclined to (especially the older models) unlike a lot of the modern Jap bikes.

    The Snowy Run does sound like fun guys, and after all I've got a set of thermal long johns to wear now so I might just give it a go. Did ride to the snow one year on a Kawasaki GPZ1100 B1 that I owned, and that was just at the end of Winter, I was living in Sydney at the time and a mate was going to the snow on a bus tour, so I met him at Liverpool at 11pm to ride down behind the bus, I remember getting to Goulburn and pulling into the 'Big Merino' servo to fill up the bike with fuel and me with steaming hot coffee, the old bird behind the counter looked at me and just shook her head, I just laughed (I was still young enough that the cold didn't worry me too much). When I was about to leave I had an idea and went up to the old bird and asked if they had any old newspapers, she told me to go out the back that they were out there, so you guessed it I lined the inside of my pants and jacket with newspaper and was as warm as toast till I hit Jindabyne, then I froze, so that was my one and only experience with the Snowy on a bike.
  • Will67
    Will67
    10 years ago
    Welcome
  • Braddock
    Braddock
    10 years ago

    Welcome, nice ride...enjoy the forum.