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Will Munro Ride leader XR600
Rossi Ranyard Tailman
Pommy Mat CR500
Frankie Reefman KTM 350
Darren Lynch XR350
Paul Davies KDX200
Dustin Finch RMX250

The February Old Banger Duro was another successful AMTRA club ride with 7 of us lining up for a wet summer ride. Well dust certainly was not a problem, very damp and slippery for most of the morning catching a few of us out every now and then.
It was good to have new member Paul along with his immaculately restored KDX200. Rossi turned up thinking that it was an old farts ride not an old banger ride, but we stuck him on tail with a promise from him that he would only use his kicker to start his bike for the day. Pommy Mat was suffering from Sleep deprivation after working till 3am and sleeping in his car at Longwarry BP.
First hill was a real warm up with most of us having to clutch all the way up taking around 15 mins to get us up with Mat having to go the long way after having clutch grabbing issues with the big CR.
We then did some of my usual tracks and when we hit Bilstone there was something missing, ruts and bog holes, it had be graded which makes for an even faster track now.
We went over lots of small downed trees but had to turn around on a few tracks due to them being too big and not passable.
We eventually made our way to the other side of the forest and did a lot of tracks which we had not done before which was good. We had no rain but we also had no sun but at times we were all getting hot due to the lack of traction in places.
We took off at 8am and were back to the car park at 12.30 with 73klms under the wheels, got lost a couple of times but all was good.
We headed of for lunch and lots of laughs to the Neerim Sth Hotel.
Please send Pommy Mat some get well soon wishes as he has a few bruises to deal with.
A big thanks to all who made the effort to come along and make the day the success it was. Please feel free to add to this post guys with your thoughts. 

What a ripper of a day, no dust, it is so much more fun riding in the slippery stuff, well, it was only slippery in some places for the rest it was perfect.Having 2 bikes to ride it's good to have smokers, instead of swapping from a 4 stroke & then to a 2 stroke, each bike needs a different riding stile, after riding my KTM 2011 300 for a while & getting used to riding a 2 stroke again made it easier to ride my old 350, I had a ball today & for a change I kept the wheels up the right way this time ;D
I got filled in a couple of times by some one passing me through some big puddles, I can't remember who it was...........ah those bloody cholesterol tablets ;D
I had a ball up one of the hills we came to, Mat was behind me, I knew it was him as I could hear his cr500 on full noise, the hill had some pretty big holes to jump across, this hill was wide you could pick any line, well there was no line you just hit it & let the bike take you where it wanted to go, anyway I could hear Mat behind me, & then all I could hear was my bike, at the top no Mat, looking back down the hill I could see Rossi picking Mats bike up, I went back down to see what had happened, Mat had found a big hole & hit the ground pretty hard & broke a clutch lever, but the main thing he's ok.
Did I tell ya that there wasn't any dust ;D

A big thanks to Will for putting it on & leading & Rossi for doing the sweep, & the rest of you blokes for making it a really great day.

PS I had a Seniors meal at the pub.... roast of the day..... it was only $13.50 ;D
I don't use the Seniors card much, I forget that I've got one ;D

Got up this morning feeling like I was 30 again, no stiffness anywhere, who says that bike riding doesn't keep ya in shape ;D

Bring on the next ride :D

Most memorable moment, coming down the steep clay section on Stolls Rd after Pommy Mat, Paul and Dustin and Frankie had passed me on the flat section to find Frankie and Dustin trying to start there 2 smokers on a clay ridge and just tractoring past and down leaving them 2 it, then arriving at the creek crossing which was flowing like a river, to Find Pommy Mat dragging the CR across the log edge to avoid drowning the CR, and Paul tip toeing across with the beautifully restored KDX in I went and just tractored past them as well, and on and up the hill leaving them in a spray of XR6 crap and back to leading the way.   

i wish i didn't have so many memorable moments.Sore today from exiting the back of the cr in quite a memorable way as i remember saying to myself "LET GO OF THE BIKE" :o  as i was flying down hill on the back wheel (way out of my depth).All i was trying to do was adjust my lever and some how this turned into some ugly kind of mono.still had a great day thanks to a great bunch of mates thanks for your help and poo stirring its good to see you give it when its due. ;D

 

Bring it on mate, I'm ready the harder the better ;D
you won't hear anything swearing from me ;D

Go the 2 stroke ;D

That was an awesome get off Mat, I hope you're not to sore mate.

Thats so nice ;D it feels so good to be loved ;D

Thanks to Will for leading, Rossi for sweeping and to Mat, Frankie, Darren and Paul for contributing to what was a very amusing and enjoyable day!!
The highlights for me would have been the same hil that Frankie mentioned and Wills very graceful non-deliberate sliding u-turn that started on his bike and ended on his arse - wheres a helmet cam when you need one!!!!

Special mention to Paul and his KDX200 - it was hard to beleive that it was 20+ years old, very nice mate..

Hi guys, Thanks for a great day, I had an absolute ball. I'm really happy with the bike it performed great with the new tune suspension and only one screw came lose on the bark busters, thanks Rossi for helping me sort that out. 

It was a perfect ride for me to get back on the bike after 6+ years off. Lots of funny moments and banter with you all ripping into each other.

Props to Matt for riding the Cr 500 that thing is a beast. Thanks Will and Rossi for leading and tailing. I’m really looking forward to the next ride.  ;D
   

At your age Frankie I'm not surprised..
Another great day out with a good bunch of blokes... ;D

Well that was one hell of a good ride with plenty of laughs thru the morning with the first hill seeing Mat do a back flip just in front of me (no clutch). I also laid the old girl down that bloody lizard track is getting pretty rutted out with our wet summer. 8)
Then I laid it down again going down on that clay hill better known as sawdust with my white jersey now mucky brown grey colour, then there was Wills 180 degree lay it down quick stop that was very impressive followed by Mats I can jump this wash out with the first clutch lever for the day. Sorry Mat but you were the next one as well with your super effort mono that just seemed to go on for ever. I was very impressed even when I noticed that you were only using your right hand to hold on but then you just bailed out, that’s another clutch lever gone hope you are not too sore.(thought about bark busters) with most of the tracks nice and slippery it was fairly well paced day and lots of tracks that I have not done before. followed by a cold beer and a good feed at the local.

It was a blast ridding with all the old bikes I felt right at home with every one else having too kick start there bikes. ;D

And a big thanks to all

Will Thanks for putting on a great ride and leading the ride
Rossi for your tail man duties (I didn’t see you use that happy button once)
Mat (you can laugh at me next time) that CR500 looks like a hand full
Frankie (That left hand kick looks hard to start)
Paul very clean KDX200
Dustin that RMX looks sweet

Hope to see you all on Will’s next old banger duro

Thanks Darren you are too kind, unlike some other Princess's in our club you take it as well as you give, thats the spirit mate. I will fix ya up next time for reminding Mat of his worse AMTRA ride yet. He reckoned that he had got if litely but you have fixed him up nicely. Well done. Will

Sounds like you blokes had a lot of fun out there..
Good to see the mighty CR500 is up and kicking arse.
I know a bloke with a '85 KTM 250,so I might see if he wants to sell so I can get into these old skool rides..

yea matt's arse... ha ha !!