Maddie - Aussie NTV Member

[Maddie]

Hi to the lucky few that own a Honda NTV650, I have owned mine for the last five years. Its a 1990 model in pretty good nick for its age and its never missed a beat!
I use my NTV for work everyday and take off on the weekends if I get the chance.
I have a great little trailer that I load up and go camping around Queensland here in Australia. I have been looking for a forum for a while, so say gidday if you wish. I enjoy reading about NTV's that go away on tour and any hints and tips that making touring a bit easier and more fun!
Cheers Michelle B

[Maddie]

Hey everyone, I thought I would tell you all about my most recent trip away on the NTV.
I haven't been able to get away on the bike for quite some time, so it was with great anticipation that I started to sort all of my camping gear and load up the bike trailer.

I was ready to head off up the Sunshine Coast Hinterland here in Queensland, hooked up the trailer, (which I should have done heaps earlier) went to start the bike and got nothing at all.
Somewhat perplexed as to why the bike wouldn't start when it always does, I checked the fuses and discovered a couple had blown.
The trailer wiring had a fault and me not being terribly good with electrics I decided to leave half the gear at home and just load up the bike as I was running short of time.

In the end it was the best thing I could have done as I wouldn't have been able to navigate many of the bush tracks I encountered on this particular trip.

I had been into 'Tyres for Bikes' at Albion on the Friday earlier to buy a new Yuasa battery as the one I had collapsed. (Not bad for five years though!). The owner Rob Turton runs a trail bike adventure touring company and even though I don't ride a trail bike he invited me up to the Overlanders Xmas bash on the Saturday night. I thanked him but said no as I had something else in mind.

With the bike fully loaded, top box, panniers, swag etc, I took off at 5am on the Saturday morning to avoid any motorway traffic.
I was feeling a bit worse for wear as I had been to a Fourex (XXXX) beer luncheon the day before and could have slept a bit longer, but was pretty happy to be under way.

The weather was perfect for riding, I soon lost the jacket and flew up the coast, I can't tell you how much I needed this ride, work, study, kids and life in general was getting the better of me, so it was definitely time.

I turned off at the Beerwah-Landsbourough exit about and hour into the ride and headed for a small really quaint little town called Maleny where I stopped for some fresh food for later the night. This area is all rural country roads, most of them good with only a few gravel roads along the way. The people around here are really friendly and loads of bikes come through Maleny on day trips up the coast, its a grate place to pick up supplies if you are heading inland.

After coming through Landsbourough and Connondale, rolling Australian country side at its best, I turned off and headed into the Booloumba State Forest track looking to camp next to Booloumba Creek.

The road in is perfectly ok for all bikes except if your the kind that really worries about a bit of dust and the back end flipping around a bit. Lots of cattle grids and larger rocks to avoid but all in all a bit of fun. The NTV handles it all, I have never been afraid to take the bike virtually anywhere, I bought it after reading heaps of touring stories where the revere was used to travel long distances in all conditions and the owners had very little repairs to make.

I found the perfect spot next to the creek bed, (Australia is experiencing the worst drought in 100 years so there was no longer a creek!) oh well, lucky I bought in my own water. There are amenities at this campground so it was all good.

My camp set up took all of half an hour and I was laying on my sway reading a good book in no time. After I good 3 hour cat nap I decided to get back on the now unloaded bike and and checked some of the more interesting back roads in the area.

I headed up to the Booloumba look out spot, the sign said beware steep grade and not giving it too much thought, (really I didn't think at all) I took the bike up the steepest roughest track I have ever been on. OH nuts.

There was no way of turning around and this was definitely a road for well seasoned four wheel drive enthusiasts. Large rocks and loads of ruts and wheel traps later the 6 ks to the top took me nearly an hour to navigate, all the time thinking I hope I don't pop a tyre or slide of the edge.... at last I reached the top and I have to tell you it was totally worth it, the view was amazing to say the least. I checked the bike out and all seemed ok so I headed back down which wasn't quite a harrowing as the trip up. A few mountain bike riders flew past me like a pack of lunatics, scaring the pants of me.

After this little adventure I decided to head back to camp and sample a couple of cold beers I brought in Maleny, I felt I needed them about now.

Well, I love camping but after a while being by yourself for several hours and bring the wrong book (whatever) I decided to go into a small town about three quarters an hour away and have a pub meal.

This is a small town called Kennilworth, famous for its cheese and pub and thats about it, nice place though, again lots of riders come through here for the great windy roads.

I pulled in across the road from the pub and was just getting of the bike when I heard a wolf whistle and someone shouting at me, it was Rob Turton and about 20 trail bike riders. Rob told his mates that this was "the girl rider with no friends who didn't want to come to our Xmas party". Well a hamburger and a beer later it was all settled, I took off back to camp, packed up at lightening speed and headed to Robs property at Cooroy, closer to Noosa at the top end of the Sunshine coast.

I arrived amid cheers from the other riders and their families who had gathered on mass to celebrate Xmas and to basically let loose. The set up was pretty cool, you ride in on a forest road to a big clearing with to massive sheds set up with a bar, showers and toilets etc, a workshop and another shed for the band. These people are really serious about their riding, they all have a couple of bikes, their own trailer - caravan set up, many with sponsorship.

There were a few journos around documenting the event for bike mags, I am studying journalism At QUT in Brisbane so I was in good company.

Santa arrived on a trail bike of course and once the little people went to bed, the band cranked up and everyone got nicely merry. The coolest thing about the night was I was the only road bike rider there and everyone made me feel welcome. Quite a few people asked about the revere and most didn't know I thing about them. Except for one quy, Ivan. Apparently Ivan who is Robs Mechanic has a thing for Reveres and has shown an interest in helping me maintain mine. Works for me.

I got up pretty early and headed further North to Fancy tourist mecca Noosa, spent about five minutes there before getting sick of the cars. I rode all day just stopping for petrol and lunch, heading in a big arc, through Esk and Toowoomba and finally late Sunday Night I got back home, parked the bike with all my gear still on-board and crashed into bed.

What a weekend, not quite as restful as I had anticipated but an adventure none the less.
The bike never missed a beat, I felt the wind in my face and definitely blew the grumpiness out of me, I was too tired to be grumpy.

OK, it was long I know... I hope someone enjoys reading it.

Cheers Michelle, (AKA Maddie). Post a ride story if you have one!

[jaz66]

No way Maddie, for a while i felt I was right there with you. ;D

Gotto admit tho the idea of going on up the mountain took some guts,
did something like it two up a few years back on nicer roads than that ( steep drops, suicide lorry drivers!) and I still get cold sweats.

Got no ride stories,,,,yet! just getting back into the saddle after a good few years as a cager.

Agree about the bike tho, all I hear is how reliable it is and great fun for the money you pay.

Cheers for the story, hope I can add one as well once winter is over here in the UK.
Jim

[Maddie]

Hey Jim, thanks for the post, I had a great time. Now all I have to do is fix the electrics on my trailer and then I can take someone else with me for a change.

Forgive my ignorance, but riding in winter in the UK , is it just too cold
I rode around New Zealand as a teenager and that was brass monkey stuff. When I bought my revere in Melbourne it was winter, I then rode it back to brisbane. It poured with rain the whole way back, it took me a little over two days to get the bike back home. I think I got a bit hypothermic it was so cold. I had to stop and buy a couple of jerseys from an second hand shop just to get a bit dry. I also tried wearing a pair of lined rubber gloves under my so called 'dri rider' gloves, that worked quite well. I'm a bit better prepared these days.
Maybe you could tell us a bit about how you came across your NTV, does this site let you post photo's? .

Cheers Maddie Aussie NTV

[jaz66]

Hi Maddie, Yeah the winter in the UK is cold ,,, and wet ,, and windy,, and icy.

But I could ride in it IF I really wanted to, but coming back to biking after so many years I just want to get used to it all again. So don't plan any major trips until spring next year (07)

But today is dry and sunny, if a little freezing so I shall be out for a quick burst around town, blow out the cobwebs so to speak.

How did I get the bike? Well I have been talking about getting a bike for the last 10 months and when summer came and went I thought I'd leave it for next year.

I had done all my research and had come down to a Divi 600 or a bandit so although I wasn't buying I still kept looking for that elusive bargain bike you couldn't not buy at such a low price..
.( yes i know they are rarer than hens teeth)

When bugger me, the cars head gasket blew. A quick ring around scared up quotes of £300/£400 way too much and then something else could go wrong with it!!
But the olds needed visiting regularly so I needed wheels,asap!

I quick look down "Gumtree" site 2 days later showed me a

"650 full givi hard luggage system,MOT and tax,less than 40,ooo miles. 2nd gear missing ( still passes mot without it,you get used to it)hence only£400"

5 minutes away, I had to have a look!!

Ten minutes on the web told me 2nd gear was dodgy on some ntv's but the bugger pulls in 3rd from low down revs and the bike was a despatch riders dream. anyway if it was good enough for them it was good enough for me.

one test ride later, and an offer of £300 quid and the deal was done, he even delivered the bike for me next day. ;D ;D

A Few niggles tho. got a dent in tank size of your palm 2/3 inches across ( soon to be fixed/filled)
2nd gear u/s but 1st and 3rd do all the work around town fine.
had Suzuki GT250 and Yamaha 125DT before so bike feels heavier and handling is stiffer but getting used to it. So no complaints about the bike over all.
I figure if it only lasts until next summer it will still be a bargain.
and It brought me back to the joys of biking.