I have’nt posted since returning from my USA trip, although I should have posted for the Australian National HOG Rally held in Lennox Head, NSW on the 3rd to 5th October 2008.
Anyway, the Queensland State HOG Rally was held in Rockhampton over the Easter weekend 2009.
There were a number of different groups riding the 700kms from the Gold Coast and I was with the first group, which departed around 5.30am on the Thursday morning.
It was a great ride, making good when my bike started backfiring and missing very loudly, which at first I thought may be a fuel issue as we were about 20kms from Gympie, our first fuel stop.
The bike however stalled and for some reason the battery was flat and it would not restart, thanks to Warren and Lola in the Morgan & Wacker back up vehicle, the bike (and me) was trucked to Rockhampton, arriving late afternoon, where the mechanics had a quick look and confirmed the the stator (alternator) was shot, yes they did have one in stock but that as the Friday was Good Friday, they could not tackle the repair until the Saturday morning.
I must admit that I was not happy, my bike was a new 2006 Wide Glide, but hey – so I had dinner with the Gold Coast group and many red wines to drown my sorrow, knowing that I would be walki9ng around until Saturday morning.
Got to the Harley shop soon after opening on the Saturday morning and Geoff the dealer principle and Holly the service manager took me into the “crying room” to explain that the rotor cover (goes over the stator) screws had sheared off and they had a replacement on back order, so it would be walking for the rest of the weekend and doing the Thunder Run in the back up vehicle (I am not a good pillion).
Fortunately the rally venue, the Rockhampton Showgrounds was not to far from my motel and all the walking was probably good exercise.
The Thunder Run finished at a hotel which featured bull riding as our luncheon entertainment.
Following lunch it was back to the showgrounds, then back to the motel for dinner and back to the showgrounds for the bands etc.
The Biker Games were held on the Sunday and as you can see from the photo on the left, Gold Coast HOG’s look good in their orange event T-shirts, with the Gold Coast Chapter ensignia and the words “who let the Gold Coast hogs out”.
Lethal (with the beard) and Shelley did their best to try and win some points for the Gold Chapter, but alas, having taken the National Chapter Challenge trophy in 2006 and 2007, we were not successful in Rockhampton.
A big night on the Sunday night and it was up early Monday morning for the ride (for the others that is) home.
Well, I was a car passenger for the trip home and it was not a bad option as it turned out.
It absolutely bucketted most of the way home to the Gold Coast, with quite a few riders stopping for the night in Childers as it was difficult to even see the road at times.
My bike was trucked back to the Gold Coast Harley shop and I was back min action in less than 2 weeks.
As the replacement rotor’s are now welded and not screwed, Harley came to the party as a gesture of good will and covered the full cost of both the parts and the labour.
On Saturday 16 May 2009, the Gold Coast HOG Chapter celebrates it’s 20th anniversay, with a local ride around midday and a formal dinner and partying in the evening.
