welcome dinner. While there were groups
that had registered together, there was a
sense that we were, in fact, all one group
and we suddenly had 82 new mates. The
goodwill among riders and pillions was
palpable and it didn’t really matter where
you sat for dinner – you were among
friends. This feeling got better as the ride
progressed and it’s common for Safari
participants to keep in touch with each
other long after the ride.
My job keeping Ms Julia relaxed was
made much easier by the provision of
a K 1600 GT. The big six-cylinder will
never win a MotoGP but is capable of
being ridden in a ‘spirited’ manner with
the pillion being so comfortable that she
hardly notices. Win-win.
The route all the way from Windsor to
Kingscliff took in the best riding roads
available in NSW and it was a route I’d
never be able to work out for myself. It’s
one of the benefits of an organised ride.
We missed a few of the arrows on the
first day but it quickly became obvious
we were heading in the wrong direction
and we could correct the mistake. As
far as I could work out, I was the only
one who got lost on the entire trip. I’d
underdressed slightly for the occasion
but a quick visit to a St Vincent de Paul
shop in Rylstone saw me with a new
jumper, which I’m coincidentally wearing
as I write this story. Good ol’ Vinnies –
saviour of many a cold rider.
There’s enough time each day to
digress from the route if the mood takes
you. Day Two went so close to the Nabiac
Motorcycle Museum that it would have
been criminal to avoid it. Hardly anyone
seems to know this but it contains Phil
Vincent’s very own Black Prince among
hundreds of other fascinating bikes. It’s
also just a short walk to a pub, another
win-win.
The fact that not all dinners are
included provides an opportunity to
explore the towns the Safari stops in.
We wandered into the food hub of Port
Macquarie to reacquaint ourselves with
the local seafood and, of course, bumped
into plenty of other Safari participantsMOTORCYCLE TRADER 41
ABOVE RIGHT: For BMW
Australia, the Safaris are
a matter of great pride.
After 25 years, they’ve
learnt to put on a very
professional event that
reflects the image of
their products.BMWBMW
~ TS~ TS~~
SAFARISAFARI