The day that his new owner came and picked him up, I waved him goodbye, went back upstairs to my little flat and promptly bawled my eyes out. Seriously. It was like a huge break up!
Fastforward 18 months, I'm in the house now and I found another ZX7R on the internet, but it was in Bundaberg. Turns out there is a FarRider in Bundaberg so he went and checked it out for me, gave it a thumbs up so I bought it (Thanks Eddie!). The dealership delivered it to Springwood Suzuki and I flew up to the Gold Coast on the Thursday night.
Friday morning bright and early Jen and I headed up to Springwood and I took collection of the ZX7R II.
He is so beautiful! I had forgotten just how wide these bikes are, I can get my heels on the ground - just - but I cannot put weight on both of them at the same time. So after a final check over, off I went. I found my way back to the M1 and started heading south back to Jen's place (Jen had to go to work). I saw a sign that said Tamborine and Beenleigh and I almost turned off there for an adventure but decided not too. Got to the Oxenford turnoff and instead of turning right at the lights I went straight and headed out to Canungra. The 7 purred along beautifully though the brakes are seriously lacking in comparison to the 6. Found my way out to Tamborine which is a challenge location, but I couldn't find the right spot. I decided to leave it and headed towards Beenleigh but not far up the road I changed my mind, chucked a u-ey and headed back to Tamborine for the photo.
I had also forgotten just how far over the 7 sits on it's side stand. Putting it down here was quite scary and getting it back up quite difficult! and his dainty little foot... LOL
Anyway got my picture and headed back towards Canungra. I decided to just go back to Jen's place as it was getting quite warm and I was a bit sleepy. Rolled back through Maudsland, thought about going up Tamborine Mountain but decided not to as I was still getting used to the brakes (or lack thereof) and also all the extra weight. I then spent a few hours playing with Jen's puppies and chilling out in the sun and had a nanna nap before heading over to my aunty's place for dinner.
Jen had work on Saturday morning so it was early to bed and early to rise.
We had breakfast together on Saturday morning, and all too soon it was time to get on the road. I waved bye to Jen (and had a pat of her belly, bye Dinobaby! See you in January!).
I had a plan for the ride home that saw me getting a few challenge pictures as well as the spelling word VALLEYS. I headed out on the M1 looking for the Varsity Lakes turnoff - and I never saw it. Oh well, too much riding to be done, I'm not going to stuff around trying to find it! I crossed back into NSW (boooo) and turned off for Murwillimbah. Rolled through Condong and thought that was where Charlie lived so a big mental hallo as I passed through, then out the other side of Murwillimbah and on the road to Nimbin. The road was in pretty poor condition, very windy, bumpy and shadows hiding the potholes! There were also a few stretches of roadworks, including one coming into Nimbin behind the watercart... so much for the clean shiny bike LOL.
Headed out through Casino and had a good run through the twisty bit of the Bruxner Highway. Coming into Tenterfield I decided I was going to stop for some lunch, once in town I saw a sign for "world famous pies" so I found the shop and purchased a very expensive steak and bacon pie. And it was TERRIBLE! The casing was overcooked, at my first bite the lid fell off, it was full of PEAS (Ewwww) and the chunks of meat were floury. Didn't spot any bacon either. So I only ate half of it (and the lid - the tomato sauce made that the best bit). Had a drink and headed up the road for fuel and continued on down the New England Highway to Deep Water for the Emmaville turnoff. This is a nice alternative to the highway, even if it only saves you about 40km of highway (I think).
I had originally found Emmaville while out hunting spelling towns over summer. This time there was roadworks, roadworks everywhere! The entire town was pretty much dirt LOL! Anyway, snapped my challenge pic and headed out for Glen Innes. The road from Emmaville to Glen Innes is very nice, gently winding its way through the countryside :o) All too soon it was back on the highway.
A quick stop at Llangothlin for spelling.
and into Guyra for the next Challenge pic. It got really cold around here! Was missing my heated grips and had to make do with swapping the summer gloves for winter gloves (didn't add any other layers though). A decent break here while I warmed up a bit in the sun.
I was meant to stop for a spelling picture in Armidale but didn't for some reason, so just got fuel and kept going, hoping that it would get warmer as I dropped down to Tamworth.
Through Uralla and I almost stopped to take a photo of the horsey in the daylight (instead of the dark and fog like in the rally) but didn't. Had a good run down the hill :D
Thankfully it had warmed up again by now. Heading into Tamworth I started thinking about where I was going to spend the night. I generally don't do the New England Highway south of Tamworth but there was the Scone picture to get... I really wanted to head for Coolah but in the end decided to stick to my original plan and go to Scone so I rolled straight through Tamworth. As the sun started to go down it got cold again and as I lost the last of the daylight I started thinking it was time to stop. I had picked Murrurundi as my next fuel stop and that was the first place that I found accommodation as well.
$45.00 saw me a room with a queen bed (and two singles) so I parked the 7 round the back and lugged all my gear upstairs. I thought about a shower, but decided dinner was more important so headed back downstairs. The pub was quite... 'posh' I guess, if a pub can be posh, anyway I sat in the corner and ate my steak (quite good) had a quiet drink and then just headed upstairs, had my shower and crawled into bed at a stupidly early hour.
Which meant I woke up at a reasonably early hour and it was pretty cold. My phone told me it was 6 degrees so I took my time getting ready, I was just putting the last couple of things in my bag, I had left the door open and then someone appeared in the hallway LOL a dude in his undies... obviously he, like me, didn't realise there was anyone else there! I assume that because he looked a little bit embarrassed (so did I, I am sure). Anyway he said gidday and so did I, he disappeared and I lugged all my stuff downstairs only to find that the door was locked and I couldn't get out. Went back up and got my key and tried the spare key on the door, nope won't unlock. Back up and tried to find some other way out, nope. I ended up going down a hallway, round a corner, through another room and then I finally found a door to the outside that I could unlock from the inside. Was beginning to think I would have to wait for them to open up.
I had been a bit worried about leaving the 7 out overnight, as the old 7 used to have problems starting if left uncovered on a cold night, but this one he started first go - YAY! So loaded up and warmed up we headed out... and I remembered that 6 degrees in other places is not like 6 degrees in Canberra, there was a noticeable absence of ice from the wind.
My phone had also told me that overnight a new spelling word had gone up - plateaus. Hmmmmm. Next town along...
I still hadn't got fuel but wasn't on reserve yet so headed down to Scone where I filled up at the BP and then copied the Harley riders group I met there on the Rally and rode the huge ride to Maccas next door :o) A rosti wrap thingo and a coffee later, we were both filled up and ready to roll.
My original ride plan had me turning off at Scone and heading over the lovely road to Merriwa, then over to Wellington and Cudal for challenge pics. I changed my mind over breakfast, continued south on the NE HWY a bit more for...
an "A" and then I took the road from Muswellbrook over to Sandy Hollow... and didn't stuff up this time (last time I came this way I misread a sign and ended up on a dirt road through paddocks complete with creek crossings LOL). Saw the first alive wildlife along here, I think it was a pig??? it was a fair distance ahead of me anyway.
Across the Golden Highway and onto the Bylong Valley Way... spectacular scenery along here... and I started seeing plenty of bikes. I had a really good ride along here, apart from a rather hairy moment crossing some railway lines in which I thought I was going to go over the handlebars!
Pulled into Rylstone for fuel and an Ambulance came screaming through town, out the way I had come :o( the guy in the servo said over summer the ambulance is up there once or twice ever weekend for bike accidents :o(
Continued on and stopped for a bit of a break at Ilford for a drink, etc. It was just a perfect day for riding now :o)
I had forgotten to clean my visor at Rylstone.
Back on the road and headed over towards Sofala. Had a really good run through here with no traffic. Stopped at Wattle Flat for another challenge pic
And then it was on to Bathurst where there was some kind of Event on which had people running and the SES stopping traffic to let the runners through. Eventually I made my way through to Mt Panorama for the next Challenge pic :o)
No Micky to take my picture this time!
On the first lap, just when I reached the top of the hill, a car pulled out in front of me and then the rest of them had to give way to me - it was a huge line of Holdens. I pulled over to let them all past once I got down the bottom of the hill and decided that seeing as I was there I had better go round a second time :D I am still too chicken to go down the hill without braking though! lol.
Found my way back out to the highway and onto Cowra where the little evil voice inside my head convinced Sensible Mel that KFC for lunch was a really good idea... so food for me and fuel for the seven and then it was the final stretch home through Boorowa. Got in about 4pm and tucked the 7 up next to the 6 <3
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