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Thunder Ride and Starting Home

Date:
By Wom Battle
Category: Rides

Thankfully racehorses don't seem to train on Sunday and given a couple of big days along with a touch of sleep deprivation I managed a 5am emergence from the tent of doom.  Like yesterday, there was no-one to be seen, so it was time to have a long, dark shower and get ready for the Rally activities for the first half of the day.  We intended participating in the Thunder Ride and then beginning our trip home, straight up the boring old Hume.  So either side of breakfast the bikes were packed all but a couple of odds and ends.

At 8.30am we were lined up near our Chapter sign, all three of us, ready to be escorted into town where the Thunder Ride was officially starting from.  After about half an hour there, a few photo ops and lots of chatting the Thunder ride kicked off with four hundred or so Harley-Davidsons® taking part. The route took us down the coastline south through Mornington and then further.  We then found ourselves on a freeway and then a main road heading up to Frankston where we gathered in a pre-arranged cordoned off car park.  The usual crowds of people lined the roads, lots of waving and lots of fun was had.

In Frankston coffee was in order and some final socialising before it was time to make tracks back to the Rally site to pick up the rest of our gear and start heading north.  We didn't have a clear idea of how far we would get, that would be dictated by traffic and the whispers of bad weather coming our way.

The Tom Tom Rider gave us a trouble free route around Melbourne on to the Hume Freeway.  We stopped for fuel and a bite to eat 60 or so k's north of Melbourne where I took some time to call my wife.  I recall vividly telling her I had to go because the weather was closing in on three sides... It was closing in on four and I regret not taking some time to put my wet weather gear on there and then.

About 50ks up the rode it fair pizzled down.  A mad roadside rush to get the wet weather gear on resulted in wet clothes inside wet weather gear that got we inside while trying to put it on. By the time we got to the BP at Glenrowan the familiar but disconcerting sensation of water sloshing around the butt crack was present.  A decision was made at that point to stop in Albury for the night so I called our usual haunt there, secured a big room and for a while marvelled at the exceptionally well quoiffed girls that work in the McDonalds at the BP.  Seriously, perfect hair, perfect makeup and clearly did not overindulge in the food they served. Very incongruous given we were in the middle of nowhere.

The other unusual event is that as we were heading north we found ourselves in a locust plague. So the petrol bowsers and ground were covered with them!  Back on the road the rain just got heavier as we headed north and we finally arrived in Albury about 5pm and set about finding hanging space for everything we could try to get dry for the morning.

My Draggin Jeans were soaked and from experience I know that the denim and kevlar weren't likely to dry out and that using the room's hairdryer was a waste of time so I decided to wear them dry.  Heffy and I went to our favourite local pub, The Bended Elbow and settled in for Guinness, Steak, Gin and a good few hours. I slowly dried out a little but still left a puddle on the seat, but it was sufficient to let the aircon in the room finish the job overnight ready for the final leg of the trip home tomorrow.

 

Disclaimer: This non commercial website and its content is not affiliated with or associated in any way with the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Harley-Davidson Australia, the Harley-Davidson Owners Group® or any Harley-Davidson® Dealers in Australia.  The use of the terms Harley-Davidson, and Road King® are unavoidable because that's what I own and ride.  This website,  called "My Harley Davidson" , and any opinions or comments expressed herein are purely about my Harley-Davidson Road King ownership experience, a truly great experience at that. I have no intention whatsoever to infringe on any trademarks or copyright ownership of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company or anyone else.


March 2024
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