[JohnnySpeed954]

What kind of riding do you get to enjoy there? Are there plenty of good twisty roads in some areas? Twisty ride routes? Or is it more straight line, cruising kinda riding?? Pics would great from different areas.

Just wondering ... feeding one of my many random spur of the moment idiot ideas!!

[bladeracer]

Originally Posted by JohnnySpeed954

What kind of riding do you get to enjoy there? Are there plenty of good twisty roads in some areas? Twisty ride routes? Or is it more straight line, cruising kinda riding?? Pics would great from different areas.

Just wondering ... feeding one of my many random spur of the moment idiot ideas!!

You can find whichever you prefer. On the interstate highways there's a lot of straight stuff but there's plenty of twisty stuff around as well.
The Adelaide Hills are reknowned for bike riding and I shot some videos through there.
We've got some good stuff over here as well.
I haven't ridden much in the east but I'm sure they have plenty of twisties over there too :-)

[JohnnySpeed954]

Originally Posted by bladeracer

You can find whichever you prefer. On the interstate highways there's a lot of straight stuff but there's plenty of twisty stuff around as well.
The Adelaide Hills are reknowned for bike riding and I shot some videos through there.
We've got some good stuff over here as well.
I haven't ridden much in the east but I'm sure they have plenty of twisties over there too :-)

Excellent .... got any links to your videos you have shot out there?

What about tracks ... does Aussie have a track or two worth talking about?

[Rhojef]

The East has whatever you want.
Highway all the way up the east coast if you want to cruise and lots of twisties if thats your thing. I live in Sydney, we have loads of good roads every where. Heading down to the snowy mountains next month for 3 days of turns, turns and more turns.
If you decide to do a trip down here, there is a book called "The Australian motorcycle atlas" published by Hema. It list 100 top rides all over the country. I use it to plan rides all the time.
Good luck, if you come over let us know.

[bladeracer]

Originally Posted by JohnnySpeed954

Excellent .... got any links to your videos you have shot out there?

What about tracks ... does Aussie have a track or two worth talking about?

I used to have them online but took them down after several riders were charged using their videos as evidence.

I tend to prefer tight and rough so I found Philip Island pretty boring. Worth doing as it helps with watching the MotoGP guys there but I probably won't bother riding there again. Which particularly sucks as my girlfriend's family have a holiday home in Cowes ten minutes from the track. If you're in Victoria, I'd put Winton and Calder ahead of the Island for fun. I'm not sure if bikes are allowed at Sandown.
New South Wales have Eastern Creek and Wakefield Park and I thought another one. Oran Park is no more and I don't know if it's possible to ride at Bathurst anymore.
Queensland has Lakeside, Queensland (The Paper Clip) and Morgan Park.
Adelaide has Mallala and MacPark which are both good bike tracks.
Tasmania has Baskerville and Symmons Plains.
Canberra used to have a circuit but I think closed some years ago.
Northern Territory has Hidden Valley which I intend to ride some day.
Here in the west we have Wanneroo and Collie, and Dowerin have promised a new circuit but they're waiting for Wanneroo to reveal their planned track alterations before they finalise their layout.
There are also a few non-racing circuits around purely for fun and driver training - there are two over here so there must be more over east.

Some of our track layouts.
Australian Race Tracks — Formula Vee Australia

[JohnnySpeed954]

Originally Posted by bladeracer

I used to have them online but took them down after several riders were charged using their videos as evidence.

I tend to prefer tight and rough so I found Philip Island pretty boring. Worth doing as it helps with watching the MotoGP guys there but I probably won't bother riding there again. Which particularly sucks as my girlfriend's family have a holiday home in Cowes ten minutes from the track. If you're in Victoria, I'd put Winton and Calder ahead of the Island for fun. I'm not sure if bikes are allowed at Sandown.
New South Wales have Eastern Creek and Wakefield Park and I thought another one. Oran Park is no more and I don't know if it's possible to ride at Bathurst anymore.
Queensland has Lakeside, Queensland (The Paper Clip) and Morgan Park.
Adelaide has Mallala and MacPark which are both good bike tracks.
Tasmania has Baskerville and Symmons Plains.
Canberra used to have a circuit but I think closed some years ago.
Northern Territory has Hidden Valley which I intend to ride some day.
Here in the west we have Wanneroo and Collie, and Dowerin have promised a new circuit but they're waiting for Wanneroo to reveal their planned track alterations before they finalise their layout.
There are also a few non-racing circuits around purely for fun and driver training - there are two over here so there must be more over east.

Some of our track layouts.
Australian Race Tracks — Formula Vee Australia

I had no idea Australia had that many tracks!! I'm rather impressed and very interested in learning more.

Feel free to PM me links of your videos so as not to attract unwanted attention from the flashy light guys! I'd love to check out some of the local roads! Based on your description I'd say we ride fairly similar!

That being said are there rules/laws/limitations on US bikes VS Australian bikes? For instance ... if I brought my bike over there on an extended stay ... lets say a year as a nice round number would I have issue useing my bike there?

[bladeracer]

Originally Posted by JohnnySpeed954

I had no idea Australia had that many tracks!! I'm rather impressed and very interested in learning more.

Feel free to PM me links of your videos so as not to attract unwanted attention from the flashy light guys! I'd love to check out some of the local roads! Based on your description I'd say we ride fairly similar!

That being said are there rules/laws/limitations on US bikes VS Australian bikes? For instance ... if I brought my bike over there on an extended stay ... lets say a year as a nice round number would I have issue useing my bike there?

I would expect you could ride the bike here just fine although there probably would be an inspection.
I would think it'd be a whole lot easier and cheaper to buy something wherever you land and sell it when you leave though.
In '87 I rode from Adelaide to Perth with a Dutch tourist who landed in Sydney, bought a GS1100GKE and spent six weeks riding clockwise around Australia back to Sydney where he sold it again for the same as he'd paid.
To ship a bike from the US to Oz and back would probably run somewhere around A$4000 I'd guess.

[sheepofblue]

I have also considered getting down under one day and maybe cross to NZ also. The thing that would worry me on buying and then selling would be what about plates and insurance If anyone knows that would be interesting.

[JohnnySpeed954]

Originally Posted by bladeracer

I would expect you could ride the bike here just fine although there probably would be an inspection.
I would think it'd be a whole lot easier and cheaper to buy something wherever you land and sell it when you leave though.
In '87 I rode from Adelaide to Perth with a Dutch tourist who landed in Sydney, bought a GS1100GKE and spent six weeks riding clockwise around Australia back to Sydney where he sold it again for the same as he'd paid.
To ship a bike from the US to Oz and back would probably run somewhere around A$4000 I'd guess.

Are you implying I give up my baby here and sell her for a new project over there?? Unpossible!!!

I guess I'll just have to get the bike to Europe, ride her as close as I can get and ship it from there!!!

Dang it ... you have given me enough info to make a trip/stay in Aussie completly worth while. I was almost hoping to e told it was straight line and boring where riding only happen 2 months out of the year so I could rule out of my "idiot ideas" folder!!

[bladeracer]

Originally Posted by sheepofblue

I have also considered getting down under one day and maybe cross to NZ also. The thing that would worry me on buying and then selling would be what about plates and insurance If anyone knows that would be interesting.

The only insurance required is included in licencing to protect anybody you might injure on the road. If you buy a licenced bike (from a dealer or privately) then you have no concerns about licencing other than transferring it into your name. If you wanted to insure the bike as well I can't imagine any problem with that. I would think you could probably do a deal before you arrive with a dealer in Sydney say where they guarantee to buy it back at the end of your trip.
I would always recommend having travel insurance when you're overseas in case of injuries. I knew a guy who went home to Serbia for a holiday and had a car crash that broke his leg and pelvis I think. He couldn't leave the country until he paid the medical expenses which forced him to sell his restaurant here in Perth. I have no idea if it works the same way here though.

[bladeracer]

Originally Posted by JohnnySpeed954

Are you implying I give up my baby here and sell her for a new project over there?? Unpossible!!!

I guess I'll just have to get the bike to Europe, ride her as close as I can get and ship it from there!!!

Dang it ... you have given me enough info to make a trip/stay in Aussie completly worth while. I was almost hoping to e told it was straight line and boring where riding only happen 2 months out of the year so I could rule out of my "idiot ideas" folder!!

I know I would also miss my bikes if I were overseas but I'm sure I could have fun on a foreigner as well :-)
You can ride all the way down to the Phillipines and "island hop" down to PNG which is only a few hundred kms from Australia I think.
Here in Perth we don't really have seasons although some winters can be quite wet, but it rarely gets really cold. I think July is the coldest where we might get a couple of nights close to 0C but January sees some 45C days.
My girlfriend is from country Victoria and she doesn't miss their totally random arctic weather at all. I believe we actually have higher rainfall here than there but she says we get it all over and done in a few solid blocks whereas over there it just drizzles for weeks and weeks - and it's cold rain as well.
Australia is _big_ though, particularly once you get out of the Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane area. It took me 30 hours to ride non-stop from Adelaide to Perth and there's not much to see or do along there at all. And I think Adelaide to Melbourne was another eight hours. It's even more desolate riding from Adelaide to Darwin straight up through the deserts. Perth to Darwin is a more populated route as you follow the west coast but it's a lot longer.
Tasmania is just one big country town but it has some terrific riding. Whether it's worth the eight hour(?) ferry ride to get there though I can't say. My brother and my girlfriend have toured Tassie over the past few years and both found it to be like stepping back in time.
I haven't done Queensland (too many Queenslanders for my liking!) but I think up north it gets very humid so I don't know that full leather would be very comfortable during the summer.
I would tend to think the best way to see most of the country most efficiently would be to ride/drive around just the southeast taking in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide and just fly to Perth and Darwin for a few days each.

[JohnnySpeed954]

Originally Posted by bladeracer

I know I would also miss my bikes if I were overseas but I'm sure I could have fun on a foreigner as well :-)
You can ride all the way down to the Phillipines and "island hop" down to PNG which is only a few hundred kms from Australia I think.
Here in Perth we don't really have seasons although some winters can be quite wet, but it rarely gets really cold. I think July is the coldest where we might get a couple of nights close to 0C but January sees some 45C days.
My girlfriend is from country Victoria and she doesn't miss their totally random arctic weather at all. I believe we actually have higher rainfall here than there but she says we get it all over and done in a few solid blocks whereas over there it just drizzles for weeks and weeks - and it's cold rain as well.
Australia is _big_ though, particularly once you get out of the Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane area. It took me 30 hours to ride non-stop from Adelaide to Perth and there's not much to see or do along there at all. And I think Adelaide to Melbourne was another eight hours. It's even more desolate riding from Adelaide to Darwin straight up through the deserts. Perth to Darwin is a more populated route as you follow the west coast but it's a lot longer.
Tasmania is just one big country town but it has some terrific riding. Whether it's worth the eight hour(?) ferry ride to get there though I can't say. My brother and my girlfriend have toured Tassie over the past few years and both found it to be like stepping back in time.
I haven't done Queensland (too many Queenslanders for my liking!) but I think up north it gets very humid so I don't know that full leather would be very comfortable during the summer.
I would tend to think the best way to see most of the country most efficiently would be to ride/drive around just the southeast taking in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide and just fly to Perth and Darwin for a few days each.

With that being said what would you say the best central living area would be with access to a good amount of decent twisty riding roads and a few tracks?

Weather is what is as far as I'm concerned ... I've lived in prett much either extreme and just about everything in between.

[Selva]

Adelaide is very good for the twisties, the most bragged about place is a road called the chain of ponds, it raps up and round the water reservoir is a very ride. but really, Pretty much all of the Adelaide hills are extremely nice rides/drives, whether you're into going too fast or just for a nice look. There are some awesome roads that are a bit far out of the way for most people, but still not far in my concerns, I found one unintentionally when i went back for a friends wedding, forgot how to get out of the hotel, threw up the GPS and it sent me through some extreemly fun looking roads, shame i had to get back to the highway to put fuel in the car... oh and i was in boat not my fun car ahhh well. Where ever you go in Australia you will find what you want to ride/drive, that's the best thing of Aus, it was made for us rev heads.

[dicknose]

Originally Posted by JohnnySpeed954

I had no idea Australia had that many tracks!! I'm rather impressed and very interested in learning more.

What did you think we would have?

We have 2 tracks that have hosted Motorcycle GPs in recent years (Phillip Island and Eastern Creek)
We also have tracks that are regularly used for car and bike racing (including the v8 supercars and national superbike/supersport) and many of these are open for track days.

Sydney is a large city - until a few years ago it had 3 race tracks, but is about to be down to 1 (plus a drag race track)

Australia has a history of motorcycle racing on track, dirt oval and dirt track.

Also most of our cities retain a fair bit of nature around them, so lots of windy roads through national parks.

[bladeracer]

Originally Posted by JohnnySpeed954

With that being said what would you say the best central living area would be with access to a good amount of decent twisty riding roads and a few tracks?

I'd probably go with Melbourne.
From there you can do a day ride to Adelaide, Sydney or Brisbane.
To Adelaide you can ride the Great Ocean Road and stop over in Mount Gambier to ride MacPark (about four hours south of Adelaide) before heading on to Adelaide and Mallala (about one hour north of Adelaide). I managed to organise a week in Adelaide once that gave me a track day at MacPark, a week of riding the hills and a trackday at Mallala the following weekend :-)
Philip Island is maybe three hours south of Melbourne and does track days every day I think(?) and you have Winton and Calder close by as well. If Sandown allows bikes it's inside Melbourne metro area.
Is Broadford (two hours northwest of Melbourne) still operating?

[bladeracer]

Originally Posted by Selva

Adelaide is very good for the twisties, the most bragged about place is a road called the chain of ponds, it raps up and round the water reservoir is a very ride. but really, Pretty much all of the Adelaide hills are extremely nice rides/drives, whether you're into going too fast or just for a nice look.

I haven't ridden the Adelaide hills on weekends as I'd assume they're heavily travelled and Policed but weekdays and middle of the night (dodging cats, dogs, rabbits and roos) are great times. But you will still come around a blind turn (lots of them) to find a car doing 20kph in first gear with the driver tootling along in his own little world. The hills _demand_ respect and will severely punish mistakes from exceeding your talent or lack of concentration. Even a cruisy pace can kill you along there. One side is generally a vertical granite wall right along the edge of the road and the other is a 20 metre drop into the river :-)

[bladeracer]

Originally Posted by dicknose

Australia has a history of motorcycle racing on track, dirt oval and dirt track.

And don't forget street circuits which we were still doing over this side of the country until '95 :-)
They are badly missed and there has been some attempt to organise another street circuit here recently. I believe the country towns did very well out of the street racing but insurances killed it off.

[macca9540]

Originally Posted by sheepofblue

I have also considered getting down under one day and maybe cross to NZ also. The thing that would worry me on buying and then selling would be what about plates and insurance If anyone knows that would be interesting.

Originally Posted by JohnnySpeed954

What kind of riding do you get to enjoy there? Are there plenty of good twisty roads in some areas? Twisty ride routes? Or is it more straight line, cruising kinda riding?? Pics would great from different areas.

Just wondering ... feeding one of my many random spur of the moment idiot ideas!!

Make sure you let us know when you're coming over and I'm positive between us members on the west, east, south and north parts of OZ we'll keep you amused.

[sheepofblue]

One day maybe. I would want to get to Adelaide to say Baa to my buddy Baccus and after that go free range and see the place. Then maybe drop to Taz for a bit then off to NZ to check on the sheep army's prep for world domination



I figure I would need a month and a decent amount of $$$. So far my lottery and marrying money plans have not panned out so I am still saving.... slowly

[Destructo]

When I was on Oz I noticed mainly sports bikes and cruisers. I was expecting to see a lot of Adventure bikes over there but I hardly saw any. I would've thought Oz was the perfect Adventure bike country - road riding mixed in with some dusty trails - is this the case or am I imagining the wrong type of biking?

[bladeracer]

Originally Posted by Destructo

When I was on Oz I noticed mainly sports bikes and cruisers. I was expecting to see a lot of Adventure bikes over there but I hardly saw any. I would've thought Oz was the perfect Adventure bike country - road riding mixed in with some dusty trails - is this the case or am I imagining the wrong type of biking?

Adventure bikes?
Is that like road/trail?
There's a bit of it but I think most are put off by the long treks out to the adventuring areas :-)
I often ride bush trails on my road bikes though. The hills around Perth are buried in pea gravel (small roundish stones of around 8-12mm that like to cover the road through turns) which is great fun, but it's not conducive to group riding as whomever is behind is showered with stones. A mate and I when we hit roadworks where the roads are covered in pea gravel will take off in a battle to get in front to spray the other with stones :-)

[Destructo]

Originally Posted by bladeracer

Adventure bikes?
Is that like road/trail?
There's a bit of it but I think most are put off by the long treks out to the adventuring areas :-)
I often ride bush trails on my road bikes though. The hills around Perth are buried in pea gravel (small roundish stones of around 8-12mm that like to cover the road through turns) which is great fun, but it's not conducive to group riding as whomever is behind is showered with stones. A mate and I when we hit roadworks where the roads are covered in pea gravel will take off in a battle to get in front to spray the other with stones :-)

OK maybe Adventure Bikes are a UK term... they're also referred to as big trailies over here too. Basically I mean the BMW R1200GS or the KTM 990 Adventure (the Japs haven't really got a creditable alternative as yet!).

So road/trail as you say, but with enough performance to keep the road bit fun!

They's probably be good on the pea gravel roads, I was following a KTM Adv on a ride out once and we went through some gravel, the chunky tyres were throwing up loads of the stuff, like big handfuls of gravel being thrown in the air. Seems like this could be your type of bike!

[bladeracer]

Originally Posted by Destructo

OK maybe Adventure Bikes are a UK term... they're also referred to as big trailies over here too. Basically I mean the BMW R1200GS or the KTM 990 Adventure (the Japs haven't really got a creditable alternative as yet!).

So road/trail as you say, but with enough performance to keep the road bit fun!

They'd probably be good on the pea gravel roads, I was following a KTM Adv on a ride out once and we went through some gravel, the chunky tyres were throwing up loads of the stuff, like big handfuls of gravel being thrown in the air. Seems like this could be your type of bike!

Nope - I enjoy riding the bush tracks on my GSXR, ZX6R or 929 because of what they are :-)
I do know people with the big road/trail bikes but I think they rarely go off-road with them. I know one does some big enduro rides with a club but I don't know details. He's just bought some new BMW 450 Chookchaser but I don't know anything about it.

[JohnnySpeed954]

You guys rock!

Lots of info to process and more planning to think about!!!

[dicknose]

Originally Posted by sheepofblue

then off to NZ to check on the sheep army's prep for world domination

You know Australia has a lot more sheep than NZ.
China has the most, then Australia.

But Australia and NZ are the ones that have more sheep than people (and NZ its something like 20:1 ratio!)

[Selva]

velcro gloves are big seller in the home country

ehem... what????

[Destructo]

Originally Posted by JohnnySpeed954

You guys rock!

Lots of info to process and more planning to think about!!!

It'll be an awesome trip if you make it

Originally Posted by dicknose

You know Australia has a lot more sheep than NZ.
China has the most, then Australia.

But Australia and NZ are the ones that have more sheep than people (and NZ its something like 20:1 ratio!)

Originally Posted by Selva

velcro gloves are big seller in the home country

ehem... what????

Velcro gloves.... you'd better get yourself a pair for your trip Johnny!

[JohnnySpeed954]

Originally Posted by Destructo

It'll be an awesome trip if you make it
Velcro gloves.... you'd better get yourself a pair for your trip Johnny!

Don't need em' ..... sheep know better then to fight me!!!

Wait .... I may be sharing too much with you all ......

[sheepofblue]

Originally Posted by dicknose

You know Australia has a lot more sheep than NZ.
China has the most, then Australia.

But Australia and NZ are the ones that have more sheep than people (and NZ its something like 20:1 ratio!)

Think Black Sheep without the mutations. Then Canada has to fall so there is a sufficient supply of Maple syrup

[Too Fast]

You would be crazy not to ride the Tassie roads if your in Melbourne. Well worth 12hrs on a ferry.
Might be like stepping back in time but that can be a good thing. For starters its not over policed ,lots of mountain rides ,its not too hot & no water restrictions what so ever. I dont even have a water meter at my house.
Every one I know has a 1000cc sports bike tucked away.
Its sports bike heaven (as long as its not winter)