Went for a 245km ride today [Pics + Video]

[SA14]

So today was my birthday (56). So I decided to take a ride around the Adelaide Hills and also to enjoy a magnificent spring day and test all the work I've done to the bike recently. Bike performed flawlessly. Gear indicator was a game changer and timing retard eliminator was awesome. Bike performed flawlessly and my skills increased 10 fold with all those bends, straights and corners. Was thinking about removing and blanking off the PAIRS but the popping out the exhaust is addictive. Felt a lot more "grunty" to me but I can also feel some "edginess" (a bit snatchy around 2,500-3,000) but I haven't synched my throttle blades yet or checked my TPS so that might smooth out a bit if those are off.

245km in about 6-ish hours.

For those who know Adelaide and it's amazing hills that rise above the city on one side my trip went like this...

Findon road, Marion rd, Expressway, Up Willunga Hill past McLaren Vale, left at Mount Compass, Nangkita, Tooperang, Finnis via Currency creek (saw 7,000rpm for the first time in 3rd!), Clayton Bay (stop for a rest), Milang, Strathalbyn (met Alex
who also has a GSX1400 was a highlight!), Mount Barker, Littlehampton, Balhanna, Oakbank, Woodside, Lenswood, Lobethal, Cudlee Creek road to Gorge Road, (nearly lost it around a corner that had everything, ridges, water and gravel basically I shit myself and panicked a bit - 100% my fault), Castambul, Torrens Hill Road, Paracombe road and down through Lower North East road, Exiting at Cambelltown, into the city, Memorial drive (snake around the footy), Grange road then finally home to Findon where my doggo went balistic at my return. Heading out for a massive steak and beer to finish off celebrations.

Thanks to all who have pitched in with suggestions, advice, messages and guidance. Today was all about you.

All Adelaide locals know this sculpture but for our foreign or interstate friends this is quite amazing. While I was stopped and filming a guy stops his truck and walks up to me - he also has a 14! #bikersrule

[Notty]

perfect way to spend the day 

[SA14]

perfect way to spend the day 

Thanks! It really was.

BBQ and ice cream for dinner too!

[NutR33]

There is certainly some great roads around Adelaide, I spend 10 days over there touring around the hills each January with the Tour Downunder cycling.
Each year I wish I could take my bike over and spend a few extra days afterwards but that still hasn't happened yet.
P.S HAPPY BIRTHDAY 

[SA14]

Thanks!

The tour down under is brutal! I agree, Adelaide has got to have some of the best riding roads. I got lost a few times which was cool. You find the best roads that way. I stopped short of going down a dirt road though. Couldn't do it to the old girl. Time to execute a tight u-turn I practiced. Got a bit "walky" but no one was watching so it's all good.

While I was pulled over denumbing the bum I took a look at the new tyres to see how far over I've been. More than I thought. Getting there.

[Mick_J]

Happy birthday . At 56 you'll be bringing down the average age of 1400 owners. 

[Big Phil]

Happy Birthday SA14!

At 56 your pretty much a whipper snapper on here so you've got plenty of time to work on those chicken strips 😂🤣😂

[DP1400]

Happy Birthday, you youngster ! A cracking way to spend your day - great photo`s too!

[Kiwifruit]

Happy Birthday SA14.......not a bad birthday treat.

[SA14]

Thanks to all for making me feel younger than I thought I was. I must admit to a certain cognitive dissonance while riding. My body feels old(er than it used to be) but my mind feels young and excited - brain comes close to blowing a fuse. Am I young? Am I old?...never mind that, "slow down for this next blind corner before it's your last corner ever!". When focused we're at our best. People usually associate being young as being at their best. Motorcycles disprove that theory. Riding skills are the only thing that matters. Age be damned.

When people tell me they're old I always say "you're a hell of a lot younger than you're gonna be!". That makes many people laugh and nod. But that's the thing about motorbikes and especially these planet stoppers. They demand your full attention and knowing that you're top of the brutality tree kind of gives you a power and youth injection.

Also, having had the most riding I've had in over 35 years has made me want to get straight back out there. I have the next three days off too (I work for myself and can declare any day "off") and the weather today is 30c (!) in Adelaide and tomorrow 28c so it's definitely riding weather. I'm getting back out there and ride with no plan, no destination and no GPS. Which is another thing...how good is it to just ride without any social media nonsense to remove your focus? It feels "refreshing and "other worldly". I could be in any decade of my life and I choose to feel like it's the 80s again and while all my mates are riding their "brutally powerful" Kwaka 9s and GSX 1100s I'm arriving on a futuristic "Fool Injected" GSX1400 and they're all open mouthed and "whaaaaa?!" That's right muther farquers. Who's king of the road now? Except...there's no one left. But they're in my mind.

Speaking of riding with others vs solo...I was just cruising along at my own gentle pace (for the most part) and hated when some knob head in a Corolla wants to be all up on my arse putting pressure on me. I could feel my riding focus shifting away from where it should be (riding at my own pace according to my current skill level and instead found myself feeling pressure and (yep) fear that I'd come into this corner a bit too fast. I was almost going to just pull over and let the cretin past but usually I'd find a straight and just reduce them to a speck of their former selves but sure enough as soon as they could they'd be all up in my mirrors again. The 56 year old in me was saying "just pull over and let it go" but the 80s me wanted to "show who was boss of the road". It's funny how your mind is in charge be it for the better or the worse. No need to lose face I guess, just pretend that was your turn and pull off at the next opportunity but what if there's traffic. Lesson: Control your mind!

Forgot to mention...how freaking good is counter steering?! As mentioned, I have watched a tonne of MotoJitsu online motorcycle riding lessons and paid particular attention to cornering. Especially, where to be looking, what speed to be entering, start wide, move through the centre of your lane and exit wide but NEVER be on or near the centre line! These things are going through my mind on every single corner. He's literally commenting on every moment and decision of my ride. We never had that in the 80s. My main instruction from my mate when he was trying to inject me with skill was "careful you don't kill yourself". But without doubt the biggest surprise was how much better I was going through corners when I used counter steering than when I tried to lean through a corner. Leaning now feels like head shake and counter steering now feels like head nod. Have I got that right? It feels right.

Counter steering isn't intuitive (to me anyway) so when he was telling me "to go right, push right" I was all  . But man, not only does it work, it's graceful physics in practical action. Towards the end I was definitely cornering much better and faster and felt that if I was going too hot into a (say a) left corner just push more on the left hand and around she'd go. I was stunned and by around the 150km mark I was getting really good at it and when alone even took the opportunity to practice high speed emergency swerving (a bit). Also did a few emergency high speed stops using mostly the squeeze and escalating pressure technique. Counter steering will get you out of a situation where leaning wouldn't have a prayer. In fact, leaning is mostly only useful in long sweepers, which were a lot of fun! I hope some of you are smiling and nodding right now because you're witnessing the waking of a dormant rider and I hope you all still have these feelings even with all your massive riding experience.

I'm not even 10% the way to how good a rider I want to be but it's better than being 1% and scared and I'm escalating fast. Yesterday injected more confidence in my riding skills than I've ever had. I feel like I tripled my skills. I left being fearful and hyper respectful (especially with timing retard delete eliminated) and by the end I felt like the bike was more of an extension of my mind and my mind being limitless in it's ability to improve I felt like I couldn't wait until I could race this bike on a track and be "not bad". I even felt it squirm and wallow (just) a little in a corner and instead of being worried about why it was doing it I felt a bit of joy that I was pushing it that far. Can't wait for new and sorted suspension, a checked fuel delivery system and my advanced riding class later this month. I'm definitely going to get this bike onto a track at some point this summer. That's my goal anyway.

I topped up (maybe 3/4 of a tank) with BP98 too. I know a lot of you have said "it's not needed" and I'm even getting a feeling it's not even desirable but I wanted all the power. Am I or is 98 Octane fuel at worst "harmless"?

Here's a just a couple of "Fast Eddie"s video that have helped me a lot.

[Snapey]

I was just cruising along at my own gentle pace (for the most part) and hated when some knob head in a Corolla wants to be all up on my arse putting pressure on me. I could feel my riding focus shifting away from where it should be (riding at my own pace according to my current skill level and instead found myself feeling pressure and (yep) fear that I'd come into this corner a bit too fast.

You missed a great opportunity there young fella. There's nothing better than letting boy racer pass to give you the chance to harass him through the bends. He'll be so busy checking his mirrors that if he doesn't bin it he'll go bloody close.

[SA14]

You missed a great opportunity there young fella. There's nothing better than letting boy racer pass to give you the chance to harass him through the bends. He'll be so busy checking his mirrors that if he doesn't bin it he'll go bloody close.

Haha, I did think of that but was more focused on improving my own cornering and could do without the pressure. As my skills improve it won't be a problem but as MotoJitsu says "what other people are doing is none of your concern unless it's a safety issue and if it is, let them ride away or let them pass". This is especially true when riding with others. "Don't let them pull you into a corner faster than your skills can handle. Ride your own ride. Those words echo in my head constantly. "If you want to go slow, go slow."

[Snapey]

 MotoJitsu sounds like a ride organiser with the Ulysses club. You'll be wearing hi viz soon.

[SA14]

MotoJitsu sounds like a ride organiser with the Ulysses club. You'll be wearing hi viz soon.

Yeah, he is a bit like that. He's an ex Marine. I ignore the hi-viz stuff (you're right - he does say to be hi-viz) but his riding tips are the best I've come across. He's the voice I have in my head while riding. Saved my life more than once for sure. I wish I'd had that level of advice in the 80s.

[VladTepes]

Awesome mate - thanks so much for sharing.   Roads look like fun!

I'd like to see a lot more reports like this from members !