Waking to the sounds of heavy rain, the rest of my group chose to wait it out and ride straight down the freeway. Freeway riding is the antithesis of what I look for in motorcycling, so I set off alone in the pouring rain to ride through the forests of the Royal National Park. Sometimes, you’re rewarded for your efforts and this was one of those times. After around 30 minutes, the rain cleared for a sensational ride through the park to Stanwell Tops.
After a stop to admire nature at is most moody and magnificent, I rode south to Berry in the on-and-off rain. As I wiped water from my visor, I reflected on the fact that ‘bad’ weather in no significant way reduces my enjoyment of motorcycle riding. As long as I have decent gear, it is almost as fun in the rain. A pitstop at the Berry Sourdough Cafe and I set off towards The Machine Show in Braidwood. The higher elevation of this area—643 metres—provided blustery, 13 degrees temperatures and rain squalls.
Arriving at The Machine Show and it was as good as ever, bringing together motorcycle enthusiasts for a show and shine, swap meets, camping and other associated activities. On display were an assortment of pre-1989 motorcycles marques including Vincent, Douglas, Ducati, Indian, Harley Davidson, Triumph, Norton, Sunbeam and a wide variety of 1970/80’s Kawasakis, Yamahas and Hondas. The most unusual motorcycle of this year’s event was the Merlin V-twin. Built around a 5,000 cc 1942 Rolls Royce aeroplane engine, the noise it made when fired up was impressive; exactly like being up close to a 1940’s aeroplane engine. Below are photos from this year’s event.
On the way back, we took the rode down the mountain to Bateman’s Bay, along the coast to Callala Bay, Gerroa and Coledale for lunch at Earth Walker, then back through the Royal National Park.
