Morgan Park Track Day

It has been a couple of years since I last did a track day here. So when I noticed that Champions had a Monday ride day AND that you could bring a "buddy" along for free, I decided to jump on it! That "buddy" would be my daughter, Lucy.

This led to some frantic hunting around for tyres on both of our bikes. Mine because I wanted something more track oriented than the Michelin Road 4 and 5 that I was running on the R1 and for Lucy because her tyres were the OEM hoops that came with the Z400. She also had a plug in her rear tyre which is a no-no for track days. 

Of course, I ripped the tyres out of the bikes as my local bike shop will work minor miracles to change your tyres if they just get the wheels. Book in weeks ahead if you want them to take the wheels out of your bike though. (No Andrew, I'm not going to do my own changes...yet.)

Lucy went for a Michelin Road 6 rear and as they only had a 5 in stock, she went a Road 5 front. They will be great all round tyres for her style of riding/commuting.

I went for some Michelin Power GPs. They are touted as 50/50 road track as opposed to the GP Cup track weapons that had a ridiculously steep profile on the rear tyre. I also had 90 degree valve stems installed which is something I have wanted to do for years but with so little use, I just don't change tyres on the R1 very often.

While we were at it we changed Will's CBR500R over to a Michelin Road 6 on the rear and he took my Road 5 front which had done under 1000km on my R1. This was due to the fact his OEM Dunlops felt like rubbish with no feel when I had a ride of it. Steve backed this up on a recent visit when we rode the R1, CBR and my Desert X back to back to back on a twisty bit of road near home. I saw it as a safety improvement for Will and hence helped cover some of the cost of the new Road 6 (have you seen how much Michelin tyres are these days?!!) 

So, the $200 track day with a free buddy had turned into an ~$1500 affair once new tyres, hiring of leathers, motels, food etc etc was carried out! 

Oh well.

Lucy and I were going to head up to Warwick the night before so we didn't have to be up at 3am to do the two and a bit hour drive out there on the Monday morning. This led to Will suffering major jealousy and him pleading to come along. He wanted to chuck a "sicky" but I told him being sick on a Monday as a 1st year apprentice wasn't a good look at all. Instead, I reminded him that most of his workmates and his boss all ride. I suggested he call his boss and ask for an annual leave day. He did and his boss said "yeah, sure!" so it was the three musketeers for the track day then. Bloody glad I got Will's tyres sorted while we were doing ours!

Not a great photo but the sunset coming into Warwick was spectacular.

We were up early but not as early as if we were coming from home. I filled the jerry can while the kids got some breakfast and coffees, then we headed out to the track. It was a cold morning with quite a brisk wind blowing. I didn't mind as most times I have been to Morgan park I have sweated my proverbial off!

We unloaded and set up, then headed around to scrutineering. That done it was back to the pit. When Lucy arrived she looked like someone had pinched her puppy. She had failed scrutineering because her throttle wouldn't spring closed. She normally has bar end mirrors and when we removed them we also removed a spacer that kept them from jamming the throttle tube. Now, the original bar ends that we had refitted were jamming it. Bugger!

I had no spares but some limited tools - what to do? I know, "hey kids, look around on the ground for washers" I suggested. After five minutes of doing this we had found two suitable washers that spaced out the bar end weight enough for her throttle to work properly. She took off to scrutineering again and was back two minutes later with the all clear. 

Crisis averted!

 

We were ready nice and early so I thought it prudent to give the kids a bit of a pep talk as I could see they were nervous. I reminded them that they only have to ride around at their own pace and you could use all of the road. If they ran off I told them to just ride straight and use a little bit of rear brake to slow down, then get back on the track. Don't panic as there is nothing to hit. I also put a bit of tape over their speedo readout so that they wouldn't be distracted by looking at their speed. They used their Strava cycling app on their phones to record the top speeds that they could then look at while sitting safely in the pit.

I was pleased that when we attended the riders briefing the Champions people emphasised exactly the same points as I had. They also had an extra briefing for the first timers too, which they kept low key and was very welcoming. 

Nice.

I was in the second slowest group so went out just before the kids. It was cold, only about 14 Celsius so I took a few laps to warm the tyres but our group was so small that by going last onto the track I didn't get passed all session and basically had a clear track in front at all times. Just like a private test day!

By the time I got off my bike the kids were out there, ripping it. Well, not quite - I was pleased to see that they were taking it easy and feeling their way into it. I had been especially concerned for Will as he has only had his provisional licence for about six weeks and hence doesn't have much experience.

Will.

Lucy

As they rode back into the pit after that first session, I think I actually teared up a little. I'm not sure if it was from pride or from relief that I was going to be able to go home that night. A little of both I guess?

Anyway, they both had huge grins on their faces and I was as proud as a Dad can be of them.

The day didn't warm up much. I think it got to 18C but that was great as it wasn't hot in the leathers which made for a more enjoyable day. 

As per usual, Champions had a photographer roaming around the track and I decided to fork out for some decent photos as a memento of the day. These are all by Motothing photography.

Just checking in - yes, still having fun here.......

I changed to the kids group for two session so that I could take some video of them and see how they were going. That was bloody good fun and I must say I was surprised at their mid corner speed on the tight corners. If I'm honest it was faster than mine!

Done and dusted! We had ridden every session and outstayed a lot of people as the last sessions were almost private track days. There were only three of us in my last session! The kids had had a great time and were still in one piece, as were the bikes. 

Hell yeah!

Lucy had uni the next day, so once loaded up we headed for home. 

The only downer for the whole day is that my bike and Will's bike had a bit of a coming together on the way home with his pillion footpeg coming into contact with my pristine Staintune exhaust can and scratching it up a bit. I will see if I can get it polished out but if that is the worst that happened on the day, then I am sort of ok with it...but I really do need to buy a proper motorcycle trailer.

Cheers.

New ADV Rubber

 

With the rear Pirelli Scorpion getting down a bit in tread depth and me eyeing off a proper ADV ride soon I thought it was time to put some decent off road tyres on the Desert X. I have umm'd and ahhh'd for weeks about which tyres to choose. I liked the Motoz Tractionator Adventure on the rear of the Africa Twin but it did get pretty "buzzy" on the blacktop as it wore and while I would like to try their Rallz on the rear, it is even noisier as it wears. Then I stumbled on a tyre I had forgotten about, the Heidenau K60 Ranger. The Ranger was meant to be an 80% dirt tyre that was a bit more user friendly on the blacktop (especially when wet) than the K60 Scout. They were still quoting impressive life for the Ranger and I just like the look of it with it’s meaty, chunky tread blocks. 

So that was the rear decided on. For the front I did like the Bridgestone AX41 on my Africa Twin but I thought I might go for a more aggressive front tyre. I was torn between a Pirelli Scorpion Rally and the Motoz Adventure Rallz, both tyres I hadn’t tried before. My main concern wasn’t for their dirt prowess as I was confident they would be fine in that respect, more how they would affect my bike’s sweet road handling.

So, I decided to live dangerously and pulled the trigger on the Motoz Rallz. Better to pull back a notch or two on the blacktop than to go wanting for grip with a loaded 220+kg ADV on snotty dirt roads I reckon.

 

Tyres For Bikes has a huge selection of tyres under one roof so I grabbed the tyres there. Unfortunately I keep having bad experiences with them actually fitting said tyres so I elected to go to my local bike shop to have them fitted. If I supply the wheel sans bike they will do a change for $25 AUD per end. Worth the coin to get a professional, quality and balanced tyre fitting in my view.

So, all fitted up. Now to go get them dirty.

Cheers.

Slippery Shit

 I have been lucky enough to be doing some decent kilometres on the Ducati of late. Some of that was because I located it in Sydney at Steve’s place so I had transport to get out to Orange to visit Dad and some is because I just love riding it. 😁

What this means is that I have arrived at the half way point to the 15 000km service. Talking “oils” usually opens a can of worms on the various forums around the net but in my opinion going 14 000km (it got a change at the first service 1000km mark) on just three litres of the slippery stuff isn’t that conducive to engine longevity.

Ducati specify Shell Advance as the only oil to use. Just like KTM specify “only” using Motorex to ensure warranty compliance. Well, a mate in the industry enlightened me to the reality of this prescribed oil brand use. Apparently Motorex give a cash kick back to KTM dealers if they sell a certain amount of Motorex. I don’t know about the Ducati/Shell tie up but I would bet all of my biscuits that it is the same kickback deal.

So, my mate, who I trust very much, is a Maxima agent (yes, I see the potential conflict here but I trust him) and as such I can access Maxima fully synthetic for a very attractive price. Obviously with this offer on the table I went ahead with a bottle of Maxima’s finest and a genuine Ducati oil filter. I read somewhere that the genuine filter has a pressure switch in it (ala a thermostat I guess) while the engine warms up, hence the genuine purchase there.

Lucy gave me a hand with the change as I had given her a hand changing the oil and filter on her bike last week (yes, she is on Maxima 10W50 as well now). The little Z400 only holds 2 litres so we will change hers every 5000km in future.

I was a bit surprised at how black the Shell Advnce oil was after just 7000km. I would be horrified to run it to the 15 000km mark! I was also amazed at the torque on the sump plug. Admittedly, Ducati use some sort of sealant on the plug but I reckon it was a 40+nM undo. I didn’t have their sealant when reinstalling so went with some Permatex Blue and used the “elbow feel” 20nM “click” when tensioning it up.😉

She comes with a magnetic sump plug, which I think every bike should come with. Like, how much could it cost? Anyway, It looked pretty clean with just some very very fine swarf on it.

So, it was a very straight forward job and the apprentice Ranga did the refilling honours for me. I am really enjoying showing her how to do these jobs as she is very keen to learn and as an electrical engineering student she is showing me a thing or two with her knowledge. Yes, proud Dad moment here.🤗

So, I am done until the 15 000km service, which I will let Ducati complete so that my warranty remains unblemished. I did stress a bit about mixing the oils put through the engine during it’s lifetime but surely getting fresh fully synthetic oil every 7500km has to be better than letting the Shell stuff run for a full 15000km? I guess time will tell.

Next job will be fitting the Unifilter when I have some spare time.

Till then, Cheers.

DDX Steg Pegz

 

Last week I was perusing the Ducati Desert X Owners Australia FB page and came across a post from a bloke in Sydney who was wanting Steg Pegz for his DX. He had been in touch with Steve, the owner of Steg Pegz to tee up a bike for a measure up and fitting. I had a couple of days free so volunteered to ride the 150-odd kilometres up to the Sunshine Coast to be there at 0730 and have my bike measured. 

Steve thought it might take all day so I organised to catch up with a mate who lives up this way for a coffee at 10am. I was surprised then when Steve rang at 0945 to say the bike was done! 

After a leisurely coffee with Deano I Ubered it back to Steve’s workshop where my bike was waiting. It hadn’t taken long to make the brackets up as they are very similar to the Africa Twin’s brackets. 

I think they look pretty good and blend in with the overall appearance of the bike.

I guess I could always paint the brackets black if they start to hurt my eyes.

The first set of Steg Pegz for a Desert X in the world. Trail blazing! 😎

So here I was, in the middle of the Sunshine Coast with my bike done and a cracking, clear afternoon at my disposal. What to do?

Best I head out west and try these Pegz out on some dirt! I have never ridden a bike with Steg Pegz but those who do, swear by them. Heading west to Yandina I stood up and was instantly a believer! The Pegz support the back of your boot, behind your calf so you go from 4 points of contact on the bike to 6. This not only feels far more stable but it takes all the load off of your hands and arms, especially on uphill sections.

I decided to climb the range up to Mapleton, then head out to Kenilworth and Jimna, via Conondale Forest. It had rained this morning so the roads were damp, yet grippy. Perfect conditions for the Pirelli Scorpion STRs that come standard on the DX.

I stopped briefly at the Ghurulla (pronounced Cheerulla) trail bike area for a look. I hadn’t been here since about 2006 on my XR400R and was excited to be reminded of it’s 18km one way loopy goodness. I must bring Will and his SWM out here.

I continued through Kenilworth for a splash of fuel then headed off for the 40-odd kilometres along Sunday Creek Road. My last visit here was in 2013 on one of my first bikepacking rides.

Sunday Creek road is a great ride through beautiful lush bush land but it does get quite rocky in the centre of the forest. This looks to be man laid as the road would be red clay otherwise and probably slippery as hell because it is often wet.

I had a couple of slips in clay puddles but just let the bike track, then corrected when I came out the other side.

😳

 These STR tyres aren’t so good in the slippery stuff.

I stood up for most of the dirt sections of the ride and must say I love the Steg Pegz. I will be grabbing a pair for the SWM now as well.

After a spirited ride up over Mt Mee, I bashed my way through afternoon peak hour traffic but I had had a great day out on the bike. 425km was a pretty decent effort and I was home before dark. (I hate these short winter days)

The hashed section depicts dirt. 

For my  trouble (getting on the road at 5am) I was given the gift of these Pegz and the dubious honour of being the first owner in the world with a set! 😎

Thanks to Steve of Steg Pegz for hooking me up. It is an amazing business he has built, operating out of a small unit in an industrial complex. You would never suspect this is where the worldwide supply of Steg Pegz comes from!

I look forward to putting them to good use with some leave I have coming up in August.

Cheers.

Dad

 Note - This post is a bit personal and mainly for Steve and I. It has been hard to write and I am still at odds with myself about what or why to post.

My Dad, Robert George Hoswell, passed away on the 19th of April 2023. 

Steve and I were able to spend quite a bit of time with him by his bedside over the last two months. For this I am eternally grateful to work for giving me all the time off that I needed and to my family for doing the same as well as being there for me.

Orange, NSW with his father, Gordon and mother, Blanch ~1942

Dad was born in 1940 and grew up in a small country town in central New South Wales. He left school at 14 years of age, as many did in the day, and worked hard all of his life. As a mechanic he WAS the guy they got the idea from for the shirt that says “ I fix stuff and I know things”. He was an old school mechanic who could look at a problem and come up with a fix to get the show on the road, working with almost nothing. We had a vague awareness but the stories that have come out about Dad helping people out who were in a pickle, back in the ‘50s and ‘60s, have been heart warming and sometimes eye opening! They certainly make us feel proud.

Marrying Mum, Forbes NSW, 1969.

Dad loved his fishing, shooting and camping which he did much of before marriage and kids slowly put a stop to that.

Mum and Dad - sometime in the '80s.

Myself, Steve and Dad ~ 1980

Dad fostered my interest in flying by supporting me into radio control model flying when I was a teenager. He built a model, paid $699 in 1983 dollars for a radio control set!! and drove me to flying lessons 40 kilometres from home. After I learned to fly Dad joined me in learning to fly himself. Not a bad effort at all in his mid forties. He went on to build and fly many more model aircraft over the years.

Dad with his much loved Sig “Kadet” in our sheep paddock airfield ~ 1985.

My interest in aviation continued as I went on to learn to fly gliders, then powered aircraft and while Dad wasn’t directly involved in that, he was the bedrock that provided the family with a solid foundation that saw we never wanted for anything.

Once I moved to Western Australia for work I bought my first motorcycle. Dad (and Mum) hated bikes but respected my choice (I think)(and later Steve’s) and helped us with our bikes whenever we asked, no questions asked.

Myself, Mum and Dad - January 1991 with that first bike..

Dad and I, March 1992. Bike number 2 about to head back to Western Australia.

I can still remember vividly Dad teaching me to use a dial gauge to set the points on my T250 post classic racer. He also spent hours with me trying to fit badly aligned header pipes to my ZZR600, which also sticks vividly in my memory. Then there was the time he used the crowbar to straighten the rear sub frame on Steve's CBR600 after he crashed it at a track day at Eastern Creek. No, Dad might not have liked bikes but he always helped us, no questions asked. 😞

During his retirement Dad turned his hand to restoring old bicycles and motors that he had been holding on to for decades. Of course, they were amazing because he knew those old motors inside and out.

But the thing he loved most during retirement were his grandchildren. Lucy, Will, Georgia and Olivia were the light of his life and I am so glad he got to spend so much time with them, despite the vast distance that separated us.

Dad and Lucy in 2004.

Dad, Lucy and Will ~ 2005

Dad with Will ~ 2006

Dad and Lucy ~ 2012.

Dad and Will ~ 2015

Olivia, Dad and Georgia in 2021.

Dad and Will 2021.

Will, Dad and I, July 2022.

Dad (and of course Mum) were great role models for both Steve and I. They worked hard, they lived their lives with discipline, honesty and integrity, traits that I think (and hope) has been ingrained in both of us. 

Over the last few months I find myself going to pick up the phone to call him to see how he is, then remembering.....

Dad 2022

Rest easy Dad. You have certainly earned it.

But shit, we are going to miss you. 😢