Waking up in Young, slightly regretting the mini bar attack last night it was time for a quick motel breakfast and to get to Wilders Motorcyles for my one week old Yamaha Super Tenere’s 1000k service. It’d only done 992ks, but that was close enough. I felt a bit bad that I didn’t get the service done at the dealership I bought the bike at, Chris Watson Motorcycles in Cessnock, but the trip back would have taken it too far beyond the 1000k’s for my comfort. Chris knew Darren Wilder and provided a recommendation so I was happy.
I arrived right on 9am and was told the service would take 2 – 2.5 hours. Darren directed me to a local Bakery, recommending it highly and I had a big laught when I got there and saw that it was “Wilders Bakery”. Darren told me later that it was a distant relative. I drank coffee and ate cake, heading back to the dealership about 10.45am and getting away from Young about 11.30am after fuelling up.
It was later than I had hoped, my original plan was to head to Stockinbingal for a FarChallenge pic then down towards Wagga for a pic at Ladysmith with a perhaps at Adelong on the way back north. After a call from my very understanding and highly loved wife I decided that I would shorten the day and try to get home for dinner.
So I left Stockinbingal and headed towards Yass, riding through Harden where I saw the signs to the Harden Showground which brought back fond memories of dog shows in this area many years ago. The weathe was vastly improved on the last two days, and I’d started to get to know the Super Tenere and settle into it a bit.
I’d determined I was going to need some bar risers to sit me more upright. I had got over lamenting the absence of an electronic cruise control and hoped I’d learn to like the Kaoko Throttle Lock more as time went by. Today’s ride was to be about 770ks, not a long one but a good indicator on how it was going to work for me. I would also be doing a bunch of freeway k’s, which seemed strange to me on this bike, but nice manners on a freeway are really important for an IBA “ride”.
I stopped at the Macas/Service Centre at Yass to fuel the bike and the mind, my first McChicken meal for the trip, which is usually my staple diet when I get to eat and ride. Back on the freeway heading north to Goulburn I needed to drop into Taralga for a last FarChallenge pic for the ride. I’d not been on that road before, it was scenic, windy, a bit rough and with perfect weather I gave the Super Tenere it’s head, WOW! While it’s no sports bike, I wouldn’t have like to have done what I did on the way to Taralga and back on one. On that stretch of road I became properly impressed with my new toy.
Back on the freeway, a transport leg from Goulburn, a fuel and pit stop at Pheasant’s Nest, the familiar territory of the M7, Pennant Hills Road, the F3 and home without any more stops.
The Super Tenere was very nice to ride on the freeway. Again the lack of cruise control is something I have to get used to, there was a propensity for my speed to creep up, and sometimes down, both of which can cause unnecessary delays when you are on a strict time schedule that is often required to complete and iron butt ride.
I was home by 7pm and got off the bike like I’d just ridden around the block. The stock seat was reasonably comfortable, no sign of Monkey Butt, and I didn’t need to put the airhawk back on at any point. With 677 plus k’s ridden for the day and a touch over 1600k’s for the three day trip (which is often a single day’s ride for me) I felt comfortable with my choice of new bike and looked forward to making the Super Tenere mine with some specific farkling in mind.