This was a day for old bikes so I was hopeful of a good turn up. I drove in fog to the Ferntree Gully start point wondering if club members would be put off and found about fifteen keen type people were already there at 9.30. There were Vincents, Triumphs, Velos, AJS, BSA and Nortons as well as two Indians! I think the Indians really add something special to the day. Connor said that there will be at least a dozen Indians at the Brass Monkey to be held in Maryborough in July so I will look forward to that. Then in came a fabulous Laverda 1200 that  I had to drool over. By the starting time there were 21 Motorcycles with the earliest a 1926 and most were pre 1980.
See the Gallery for photos. Click HERE to watch video action of this ride. After a quick explanation from Graham we were off up to the Skyline Restaurant/Park at the top of Mount Dandenong. Jack was the tail rider and the road was pretty free of traffic as we enjoyed the windy road. There was a big American 1940’s sedan behind us and I bet the driver and passengers enjoyed the sight of all the bikes in a line ahead.
At the top the motorcycle count showed that we were six short but after a few minutes the rest came in. Seems turn was missed but they found us OK. We all enjoyed coffee and a good natter although the view was obscured by low white clouds. I bet if we had gone mid week, as Graham did to check the route, it would have been perfect.  We had a reminder from Graham about corner markers and set off with Richard taking photos as we went down the hill....no waving to the camera please was the order. A late model Jap bike was desperate to pass Jack so he pulled over and he made a show of sticking his knee out and leaning over but I bet he was surprised to find another 20 bikes in front of him.
There were more American cars on the road and they were 1950’s Ford Futura’s, two door and open topped. We went via Monbulk then Emerald, Cockatoo, Gembrook and Upper Pakenham. There were about ten trikes parked there and quite a sight it was too. I was behind Elaine on the mighty Hondamatic  and Jack’s late model Thruxton.  Hope that Jack gets past the warranty period and sticks a drill in the exhaust to make it sound better! I had to laugh when Derek told Elaine that the mighty Hondamatic was never used a police bike in the States but it was used by parking inspectors!
At Upper Beaconsfield we stopped at the cafe owned by Barry Gates family and sat on the new decking outside to enjoy lunch and a yarn. Thanks for the hospitality it was very nice. This part is the best bit as you have a chance to look at bikes and learn from the conversation. Most of the committee were there, and there were heaps of great bikes to check out. As a BMW owner myself it was good to see only two there. It was a toss up as to the best sounding bike on the day between Tom’s R100CS (top speed 118 MPH) has a great rumble from the twin Staintunes but I think the MSS Velo sounds great.
Just before Ferntree Gully we said our goodbyes after a most enjoyable day for all heritage riders. All went very smoothly with no one having a “mechanical event” and plenty of good road to enjoy.  I think the rider list for the back up driver is a great idea. I certainly felt better knowing that I could contact a family member if the worst happened. For those people who do not know lots of club members the list is a great idea as it can help with getting to know other riders. Thanks to Graham for a most enjoyable and well planned day.

List of Participants

Graham Boulter    Triumph Bonneville    1973
Wayne Killingsworth    AJS 16MS    1956
P Kinleyside    Triumph Bonneville    1977
Burger Drake    Vincent    1950
B Hale                Vincent    1950
Richard  Haughton    Honda FT500    1982
Tom Myers                      BMW R100CS    1981
Conor Murphy    Indian Chief    1926
Jack Youdan    Triumph Thruxton    2009
Alan Kelly                      Velocette MSS    1955
Gad Kolsky    BMW R65 Cafe    1982
Ian Mair                      Yamaha XJ550    1980
Zane Morrison    Indian Chief     1947
Ross Dickson    Norton 650ss    1965
Alan Whitaker    VTR 1000F    1997
Ted Lhuede    BSA B33    1953
Derek Pritchard    MZ ETZ300    1984
Steven Smith    Honda GL1100    1980
Rob McHugh (and daughter)    Laverda 1200    1978
Elaine Watson    Hondamatic    1976
Barry Gates    Norton M18    1949
Jol Dunn                      Holden + trailer

Jol Dunn