I saw a G'day from Australia, so I figured I'd localise mine a bit more. :grin2:
I'm just getting back into riding, after a 20 year layoff. Got hit by a drunk driver (I'm assuming - he didn't stick around), back in the day, which wrecked my bike (Virago 920), and took the shine off riding for a while. Let the motorcycle license lapse, so I had to go through the learner program here in NSW, and just passed the written test, so I have my learner license, and am looking at a Versys 650. Here in Australia, they have a learner version on which the throttle locks out at 3/4. I've researched most of the bikes in this class, and the Versys seems to fit me the best. I'm 187 cm (6'2"), so a taller bike suits me.
You hit the worst part of living here on the nose. I've only been here a few years (New Jersey is my indigenous land), and there truly are a lot of great things about living here. But I'm a cyclist, as in I ride a bicycle. I often ride the 20km's to work on my bike, and Sydney is worse for close calls than any place I've ever lived.
One area that it's particularly bad in is people tailgate like crazy - it's not terribly unusual to be driving along at 80kph, and have someone sitting less than two meters off your rear bumper. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of police enforcement against things like that.
We're moving to the southern part of the Gold Coast, soon, and I'm very much looking forward to it. We've spent some time up there, and it seems to be less of a "rat race" area, people seem a little more interested in being considerate to other people, and I'm hoping that carries over to how people handle themselves on the road.
Don't get me wrong - Sydney has a lot going for it, and I'm probably just a cranky old man (49). The older I get, the farther away from cities I want to be, so it's probably me, not Sydney. :grin2:
I have a Daughter that was in Eldon, then Monbulk, now in Taz near Hobart, works doing outdoor education. yes I was in the Hunter Valley area, in Cairns and Newcastle , did the great Ocean road Before the fire. Altogether I drove 2000 KM, my intent was to go back and do some riding with my Daughetr and Son in law last fall, however my Knee injury has held me up, so now I need to see if my daughter is coming back to OZ or staying in Taz. Should Know by September, still looking at buying a bike then selling it when I am done, renting is about 30% of a new bike for 9 days.
Sorry to hear about the knee, and wow, that is a crazy amount for bike rental.
I reckon Tazzie would have some great roads! I've not been there yet, myself, but I'm looking forward to getting there, eventually. If you end up coming to Sydney or the Gold Coast, shoot me a message - maybe we can get a ride in!
Welcome from Port Macquarie. Right at the start of the Oxley Highway, still the best motorbike road in Australia. So far, only limited restrictions, after big protests a couple of years ago. And really nice on the Versys.
Come up and share a ride.
Welcome from Port Macquarie. Right at the start of the Oxley Highway, still the best motorbike road in Australia. So far, only limited restrictions, after big protests a couple of years ago. And really nice on the Versys.
Come up and share a ride.
I am 6'3" and it suits me nicely. Have made some mods, as per my profile.
Good choice of bike.My only bike experiance in Sydney was getting drunk with 2 off duty cops in Kings Cross.
They asked where Im staying,I say North Sydney,they say follow us.
We go to the closest cop station,into the garage and grab 2 cop bikes and off we go,
So no helmets or anything,lights flashing,sirens on,weaving in and out of traffic over the Harbour Bridge!!
They drop me off and shoot off wjth lights etc still going.I didnt even know their names,just good guys.
Tihis was 1982,wont get that now.
Happy riding!
Hahaha yeah, I have plenty of friends back in the US who have similar stories from the 70s and early 80s, but things are definitely different now - I will smile at your adventure, and not look to repeat it. Glad it worked out for you, though, and gave you a great story!
Hi from yet another Aussie.. Melbourne based and very rarely get up to Sydney.. Similar to you - Had bike learners 30 years ago - let it lapse then had a midlife crisis and decide to get licence and bike 6'5" tall - so Versys actually fits me perfectly (well I lowered the pegs and raised the bars using motowerk bits). Just waiting to get off restrictions so I can swap the 2013 Gen II for an unrestricted Gen III - yes - plan on buying anther Versys. Have fun - I beleive you are making a good choice re: bike.
Yeah, that's something I've been wondering about, trading in the LAMS bike for the unrestricted one. But I have two years to worry about that, so in the meantime, I'll just accept that 3/4 throttle is all I need, for now. :wink2:
I was really hoping that my partner and I (she's an Aussie gal, which is why I moved here) would end up in Melbourne, and after spending some time there, I still wish that could have happened. I'm still not a city guy, but if I had to live in one, Melbourne feels much better to me than Sydney does.
Glad you got back on the bike - hopefully we can do a ride together, someday!
Versys LAMS Bike has both a throttle lock and a different ECU mapping. Apparently Gen 1 and 2 are easy enough to de-restrict. Gen 3 not so much.
I bought a Gen 2 originally as it was within budget and I knew that being a new rider - I would probably lay it down at some stage Much less heartbreaking on a 5K bike rather than 11K...
Probably will upgrade to Gen 3 when I get to that stage - but not in a huge hurry.... Bike already has more go than I can handle.
Yeah, I'm not against going with a Gen 2, if I see the right one at the right price. I did have a fair bit of riding experience when I stopped riding, back in the day...grew up riding and racing dirt bikes, rode a road bike (Virago 920) for years. I have no interest in de-restricting whatever I get, though. I'm a bit of an old lady (no offense to any old ladies reading this) when it comes to things like that...I won't do any mods that my insurance co wouldn't approve of.
:welcome: from SE Queensland. The best riding is always within the great dividing range, or a coastal road.
The LAMS versions are in reality very little different from the full power versions for every day riding. They just knobble peak HP, not midrange so much.
I have abandoned the big city for a much quieter and more relaxed lifestyle. If you can manage it income wise, look around the area you fancy at some of the larger, out of the way towns, then good riding is at your front gate and not 40kms down a motorway. Cheers.
Thanks Brockie - my job is actually being pretty easy to work with on this; when we move up to Queensland (my fiancee is a Queensland gal), I'll be working remotely 3 days a week, and commuting to Brisbane the other two days...I reckon those two days will eventually get phased out. But the ability to work remotely does give us a lot more flexibility.
Then unless you are a nightclub aficionado consider abandoning the rat race of the large cities. My nearby town has a hospital, dentists and all medical facilities, hotels, supermarkets, and all essential shopping, and I cannot even see the town from my hillside just 7 kms away.
Brisbane is 70kms away and I can get to the international airport in 1 hour 15 minutes.
The type of living that you're describing is exactly what I'm looking for. My wife wants to be close to the ocean, which complicates things slightly (it sure raises those property values), and as a remote worker, I pretty much have to have NBN. But I'm sure we'll find the right place before too long. The first step is moving up to the Gold Coast area...we'll probably rent for a year, and explore, and find just the right spot.
Welcome to the forum and enjoy your new ride. Some of the best riding I’ve ever done was when I visited Cairns. Rented a kinda beat R1200GS and rode the coast, through the mountains to the Tablelandsand back again. The roads were like billiard tables, smooth without a blemish. Hope you share some sights when you ride around.
I can't wait to get up to Cairns...probably won't happen for another year, but maybe we'll find a way to get up there this July, when my wife is on break from Uni. I will definitely share the sights of the rides, and look forward to seeing yours and other members rides, as well.
I don't actually have a ride yet! :surprise: I've decided on the Versys 650, but haven't found the right one, yet. I reckon that will happen sometime over the next month. I'll definitely be letting everyone know when it happens. :wink2:
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