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Where to ride next?

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By Wom Battle

It's the start of a new financial year and only 7 days until my 2009 Harley Davidson Road King is 1 year old and I didn't quite get to 20,000ks but got close.  The salary sacrifice has ticked over for this financial year and I'm thinking about my second year of ownership of the new Road King and what Harley Davidson adventures that year might hold.

In less than an month I'm heading to Mt Isa for the Queensland State HOG Rally then across to Townsville and probably back down the coast as this year's "main event". Beyond that plans are hatching and there are some options I'm considering.

  1. The National HOG Rally at Mt Buller VIC in December
  2. There's interest among my mates for a NSW Big Things ride, approx 4 nights 5 days visiting as many of NSW's Big Things listed in Wikipedia.
  3. My mate Kel Bear suggested recently a big loop around Sydney which looks like a good two day-er

These shorter rides are fun but where to go as next year's main event is starting to become clear.  The Harley Owners Group run an annual competition called the ABC's of Touring.  HOG Members score points by riding to and having photos of them/their Harleys at locations beginning with a letter of the alphabet.  There's a point for each letter, points for each state and a couple of other ways to earn them, this isn't the forum to recount the rules in detail. 

My son and I are keen to have a crack at it next year and the standout requirement to achieve a perfect set of letters is Xantippe W.A., the only X in Australia, 281k's North Eastish of Perth. So plans are forming for July 2011, when he has three weeks off school.  Our goal,  to get as much of the ABC's done as possible in one trip but also not to go over roads we saw when riding to Perth across the Nullarbor last year.

So the rough plan hatching, home to Mildura, touch Victoria, slide across into South Australia to Port Augusta, turn right to Cober Pedy, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Uralla to get in Northern Territory.  Then turn left and head down through Kununurra, Fitzroy Crossing to Broome, on to Xantippe finishing in Perth.  The shortish way, by not going to Darwin and heading down through the middle of WA to Xantippe is about 7,000kms.  Going via Darwin and down the coast of WA adds a good chunk to that.

Sadly on that route we'll miss Queensland, which would be a weekend to get ticked off, and Tassie..mmm Four days and a Ferry Trip, to get a perfect score, more thinking on that required.

So that's it, it's announced.  I wonder how many of my riding mates can get sufficient nuts, or permission, to come.  Our Nullarbor companion Heffy (formerly known as JP is keen). I guess I'm going to need to learn the Alphabet.

Here's the current mud map.


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2 comments

Wom..I,m headed to Urunga on the weekend and I HATE the cold..What do you recommend for cold weather riding? I took a run down the Putty Rd this morning and froze my backside off!! I wore three layers on top including thermal bottoms, latex gloves under cotton liners under my winter gloves..Still got frosty fingers. I even wore my black full face helmet!!

Posted by Rob, 02/07/2010 2:20:33 pm

Hi Rob.. I really like polyester neck warmers and I've got d decent pair of thickish wet weather gloves. Other than that long boo ts, long socks, my draggin jeans, a tshirt, long sleeved tshirt, a cheap tracksuit jacket and my leather jacket is as far as I usually go. If it get's really cold wet weather gear over the top and on very rare occasions I drag out my very old but in great shape Bellstaff quilted jacket and put the leather one in the pannier.

Posted by Wombattle's Harley Davidson, 02/07/2010 9:33:18 pm

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.


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