Delivery ride

[Old Steve]

Flew up to the next city and picked up my white 2002 ST1100 this morning and set off on the 400 km (250 mile). Had a breakage after about 80 km (50 miles). Not the bike, but the screw on the side bar on my glasses dropped out. Luckily I was only a km or two from the first township on the way home, so I rode up and down the main street looking for an optometrists. There were two optometrists in town, and both are closed on a Satruday. But in the main street was a Jewellers, and the jeweller put in a slightly longer screw that fitted and on I rode.

It was a lovelly day for a long ride, overcast and cool - in the low 20s. I had to stop now and then and hydrate. So I took some photos too. Having trouble downloading photos, will add tonight.

Loved the ride, cruised most of the way on the open road ten km/hr above the speed limit at 110 km/hr but did have one problem, she creeps! If I didn't keep an eye on the speedo, before I knew it she'd be doing 120, 130 and once 140 km/hr. I'll have to watch that or else the real police might take more of an interest in me and my girl.

Oh, and I got 18.97 km/L (53 m/gal), not bad for my first ride. Thats a range of over 500 km (300 miles) on a tank.

[skinman]

nice

easy to go fast on tourers
much less sensation of speed & much more comfotable doing it too
I always felt I was riding the c50 quite hard when on the open road
How are you finding the gear change after the cruiser?
I have found its taken a while to get used to the different shift points & the more responsive motor

[G4L4XY]

That is some real good milage, and for a bigger bike I would've thought it would eat it hardcore. Glad to hear about your ride though!

[Madness]

I'll have to watch that or else the real police might take more of an interest in me and my girl.

They probably won't be too happy if you decide to ride around with your headlights on full beam all the time either. Just saying.

[Old Steve]

Took some photos of my ride home.


MAMOBSC is a shot of the road side crops, miles and miles of bloody sugar cane, you can see where a small strip has been harvested and next year's crop has been planted.

Officer Steve shows my white ST1100, just like QLD police rode, and me in my black ATGATT, fluoro hi-viz vest and white helmet, just like the QLD Police wore. The driver of a Police car coming the other way just south of Bowen, gave me a wave- must have thought I was on his side.

[Smifffy]

Took some photos of my ride home.


MAMOBSC is a shot of the road side crops, miles and miles of bloody sugar cane, you can see where a small strip has been harvested and next year's crop has been planted.

Officer Steve shows my white ST1100, just like QLD police rode, and me in my black ATGATT, fluoro hi-viz vest and white helmet, just like the QLD Police wore. The driver of a Police car coming the other way just south of Bowen, gave me a wave- must have thought I was on his side.

Awesome!

Around here it used to be Miles & miles of bloody pine trees. Never thought I'd miss the bloody things, but all ripped out for erosion prone dairy farm now.

[rastuscat]

White ST11? Ex-Popo bike?

[Old Steve]

White ST11? Ex-Popo bike?

Yeah, I think so. It has some very complicated switch gear on the right handgrip, looks like switches for flashing lights and warp factor 9. Only done 125,000 km, so in terms of an ST1100 its barely run in. Smooth as (after my Hyosung GV250, bless her) and though she's a much bigger bike than I'm used to, once underway she's so easy to lean as the centre of gravity seems so low (V4 and low fuel tank). And the panniers and top box, I've never had so much storage space before. I'll have to buy a kitchen sink! I paid $A4000 for her ($NZ4500) and I get over 500 km on a tank of gas - 27L though but it's cheaper here, $A1.57/L today as I drove to the airport.

[rastuscat]

Yeah, I think so. It has some very complicated switch gear on the right handgrip, looks like switches for flashing lights and warp factor 9. Only done 125,000 km, so in terms of an ST1100 its barely run in. Smooth as (after my Hyosung GV250, bless her) and though she's a much bigger bike than I'm used to, once underway she's so easy to lean as the centre of gravity seems so low (V4 and low fuel tank). And the panniers and top box, I've never had so much storage space before. I'll have to buy a kitchen sink! I paid $A4000 for her ($NZ4500) and I get over 500 km on a tank of gas - 27L though but it's cheaper here, $A1.57/L today as I drove to the airport.

Cool bike. Bit of a classic.

I had an ex-colleague who resigned from the job when they told him his ST11 patrol bike was being replaced with a Cherman RT1200.

Truth is, he was going anyway, but the bike just prodded him into it.

Smooth as silk. Nice, if you like that sort of thing. I had a ride on an ST1300 at one stage, couldnt get used to the high pitched engine whine.