Namagi - Bulls Head, Bendora Dam

In an earlier post I mentioned the ride to Uriarra Village (Feb).  Continue past Uriarra Village until you reach the T junction with Brindabella Road then turn left.   The first section of this road will take you past the Lower Cotter Catchment Reserve I mentioned previously.  A great section of twisty road in good condition follows.   

The bitumen eventually gives way to dirt.  On this particular ride I had no destination in particular other than seeing what condition the dirt section was in.  It was during this part of the ride that the right side pannier decided to part ways and bounce down the road.  It had been damaged previously and is okay for smooth roads but obviously the compromised mount cannot cope with rough surfaces.  Fortunately I did not have anything in the pannier that was breakable.  A bit of fine turning at home should fix this for the future.

Prior to Brindabella I noticed the turnoff onto Mount Franklin Road and decided to take a look.  This takes you to the Bulls Head picnic area that looks like a great spot for a BBQ and family type activity with toilets, shelter and an open area.  

From here you can take a side trip to Bendora Dam.  The road in is rougher than what is experienced to date but nothing to be too concerned about.  Unfortunately you do not get to see the dam unless you walk in the last couple of km.   

By the end of the day I was getting more confident with riding on the dirt.  Stand up when on rougher surface, press the knees into the tank and generally keep the revs higher than when on bitumen seems to be the recipe. 
  

New Bike - take 2

The R Nine T always brings a smile to my face when I see it in the garage and a bigger grin when I take it for a ride.  However, my parameters for a bike changed to include riding on the dirt or adventure riding as it is currently referred to.  Not necessarily a strength of the R Nine T although the BMW Scrambler makes a claim in this area.

Although I had a small dirt bike early in my riding life I have primarily been a road rider.   Touring around the country on a road bike meant I inevitably put up quite a few miles on dirt, but not necessarily by design or choice.   In my case a change to an "adventure bike" does not mean moto-crossing on a 250kg plus bike but actively looking to include some dirt road adventure touring.

I still enjoy road riding and that will be the prime role of the bike although it has to be tough enough to withstand the stress of traversing over rougher terrain.   I wanted to stay BMW but the R1200GS/A was not my cup of tea and I'm not a fan of the 800cc motor.   In the end I settled on the 2016 Suzuki V-Strom 1000.

 One of my early dirt adventures at the

Lower Cotter Catchment Reserve

The V-Strom has great balance and the 1000 has plenty of poke (for me) when I go to California Superbike School courses.  I guess if you were to say 95% road/5% dirt I would not necessarily argue but there is no doubting this is a sturdy bike.   Adventure bikes by nature are tall in the saddle, great for leg comfort while riding but can take a little getting used to when stopping, which takes a little more consideration regarding where to place the supporting foot.  I'm about 176cm  and can get reasonable flat foot purchase on flat terrain.

On my first dirt adventure at the Lower Cotter Catchment Reserve I tested the Strom's lying down charateristics!  A sharp uphill switch-back saw me in too high a gear (2nd) with too little speed.  The subsequent stall and sharpish falloff of the road meant my right foot was too low for me to be able to hold the beast up, and over we went!

The good news in all this was that the Strom did not receive any damage, the blinkers etc are placed to be clear of contact points should this type of event occur.  I have seen lesser bikes receive more damage than what they should in these circumstances.  Plus I learned an important lesson re being in the right gear for the demands of the moment.