I
’ve never been a big fan of riding in
large groups. I’ve always found that the
larger the group, the slower and more
cumbersome the ride is. I understand
why some riders enjoy it; it’s just never been
my thing. I’m more than happy to ride with
a few mates but my preference is usually the
freedom and purity of the solo ride.
I went on a ride recently however that
transcended all that and I thoroughly enjoyed
the experience. My mate Frosty organised a
memorial run to honour and remember a few
of our fallen mates from the central west of
NSW, so I headed west on the Cagiva to join
them. Nineteen bikes turned up for the ride
and they were a pre y diverse bunch. There
were a few big Jap bikes but there were also
several Harleys, a few Beemers, a lone Guzzi
and Harpo and Seddo on their Ducatis. Most
of the riders were veterans of the road but we
did have one teenager (Talon) who gave a very
good account of himself on his 450 Yam fi ed
with road tyres and gearing.
I only knew about half a dozen of the riders
but there was a positive, friendly vibe around
the group for the whole day. Basically, the ride
turned into a series of quick blasts between
various cemeteries and country pubs. We
started at Orange before heading to Stuart
Town, then on to Wellington for a counter
lunch. A er more tasty backroads, we ended
up at the Manildra pub for one last toast before
spli ing up and going our separate ways.
We nearly lost one of the crew early when an
errant car driver coming the other way decided
to turn right into a property — right in front
of a low-slung Harley doing about 120km/h!
The Harley rider locked the back brake with
the back wheel sliding to the le then, at the
last second, let go of the brakes, which squirted
the bike to the right, just missing the back of
the car. I was si ing two bikes back watching
the whole scene unfold and I’m still not sure
whether it was a great bit of riding or plain
good luck! Thankfully, the result is the same.
I knew three of the guys we were
remembering on the day: Feggs the amazing
Guzzi three-wheeler pilot, Tim the guitar wizard
and, of course, the indomitable Crappy. They
were all great characters and I’m sure they
would have approved of our antics on the day.
Yes, there was some speeding involved and wehad a couple of responsible beers along the way,
but if they were still with us they would have
been at the pointy end and loving every minute!
We only did about 200 kays on the day but
everyone enjoyed the ride and paying their
respects. Frosty did a great job of rallying the
troops but the ride was informal enough for
everyone to ride at their own pace. I must be
mellowing with age because I didn’t look for the
front once — I just enjoyed riding back in the
pack checking out the diff erent bikes. These guys
could all handle their machines so I could ride in
close company with them with confi dence.
There was none of the usual niggles of
riding in a large group: no overorganisation,
no particular riding order on the road, no road
captain to stay behind and regulate everyone’s
speed etc. It was more about a group ofindividuals all doing their own thing but
united as brothers for the day in their respect
for the fallen. It was a unique experience.
It may seem like a strange theme for a ride
but in many ways it made perfect sense. Riding
motorcycles meant a lot to those guys, so it was
a fi ing tribute to honour them in that way. The
day may have been tinged with sadness but it
was much more about the celebration of life and
motorcycling. We are the ones lucky enough to
still be here doing it, so it’s our responsibility to
enjoy our motorcycling and live life to the max!
There is talk of making the run an annual
event or going on a diff erent ride. Either way
would work, but for now it’s all credit to Frosty
for bringing us together this year and making
it happen. Well done, mate.
GREGORCOMPANY POLICY
GREGOR REYNOLDS“If they were still with us they would
have been at the pointy end and loving
every minute!”
28 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDERGREGOR
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