They include the Mt Lindesay Highway, (photo at top of page), Cunningham Highway, Summerland Way and Pacific Highway between Woodburn and Woombah.
Police are asking all motorists to “delay all non-essential travel” in these areas.
The option is a rather lengthy ride, although that may not be a negative for riders!
For example, if you need to travel between Grafton and Ballina, you will have to add about 3.5 hours to your trip and use the Gwydir, New England and Bruxner highways.
If you want to know how dangerous it is riding in a bushfire, watch this Queensland Police video of brave officers alerting residents.
Bushfire survival guide:
Avoid bushfires!
The best survival tip for a bushfire is to avoid it.
Also check the automobile clubs’ websites for the relevant state, as well as transport department traffic sites or apps such as the NSW Live Traffic App.
Try searching the Facebook pages of local fire and police pages.
Of course, you can use your eyes to see where the smoke is and use your commonsense to gauge wind direction and potential fire direction.
However, don’t think you can outrun a bushfire. They can spread faster than any motorcycle can go, often jumping roadways, reducing your chance of survival.
Follow directions
It is not only stupid, but also unlawful to disobey a police or emergency services direction.
If you are told not to go down a road or there is a roadblock, you must not got that way.
The same goes for flood situations.
Don’t start a bushfire
Take notice of total fire ban signs and warnings as you don’t want to start a bushfire.
Fines are hefty and police have been severe in punishing offenders. Don’t expect a good-natured warning!
Riders should also be aware they can accidentally start a fire by parking their bike on dry grass or leaves.
Firefighters say about 40% of all bushfires are accidentally started by humans dropping cigarette butts, campfires, discarding bottles, sparks from machinery and motorcycles.
The catalytic convertor, which is often underneath, is the hottest part of your bike and can easily spark a fire.
Adventure riders who travel off road should take special care.
Caught in a bushfire
If you are caught in a bushfire, your phone (or EPIRB, beacon, etc) will be your best friend.
Work out where you are exactly and then contact police and emergency services to give them your location.
Park your bike behind a solid structure to block as much heat as you can.
Turn off your bike’s engine, but leave the lights and/or hazard lights on.
Stay near your bike, but not too close in case it goes up in flames.
Try to get down low, near a water source or below the level of the fire as they move faster uphill.
Also try to get upwind from a fire.
Dangers of bushfires
Riders are more vulnerable than motorists in cars because they have no air conditioning to regulate air and temperature.
The biggest dangers for riders are from smoke inhalation, low visibility and eye irritation from smoke.
Carry water with you to flush out sore eyes and to ensure you stay hydrated.
Tips to avoid dehydration in a heatwave:
Don’t drink too much alcohol the night before a ride. It has a diuretic effect which means it causes you to urinate more water than you take in which means you are losing fluid. And you can’t counteract that by drinking lots of water because most of it will go out in your urine. Obviously, don’t drink alcohol while you are riding!
Start drinking water as soon as you wake and keep sipping water right up until you get on your bike. It takes about half an hour for water to reach your muscles. Guzzling water just before a ride is not good as it can make your stomach to cramp. The Royal Flying Doctor Service which has attended dehydrated riders in the Outback, recommends carrying 10 litres of water per day! Read their Outback riding tips here.
Wear ventilated motorcycle clothing. Leathers may protect you better in a crash, but they create a “microclimate” which impairs your ability to lose heat. As a result you will produce more sweat to decrease your core temp. Instead, wear a flow-through jacket. There are heaps of options on the market. Make sure they have vents in the back so the air flows through. Also, loosen the sleeves so you get plenty of air on your wrists which have a lot of blood vessels close to the skin to effectively cool you down. However, be aware that a flow-through jacket cools you down because it is drying the sweat off your skin which can lead to dehydration. A set of Ventz up your sleeve will also keep you cool as air flows up your arms.However, don’t be fooled by your level of coolness as ventilation can also cause you to loose more water through evaporation. So you still need to keep drinking plenty of water.
Don’t be tempted to remove your jacket in the heat! Exposed skin may feel cooler, but that’s because the sweat is evaporating quicker, but that is just making you more dehydrated. And while your skin feels cool, you’ll be tricked into staying in the sun longer which leads to sunburn. That also leads to dehydration because your body needs water to repair and renew damaged skin.
Get a Camelbak or other brand of water-dispensing unit so you can continue to take small sips of water while you are riding. I’ve seen riders on GoldWings and other big tourers with cup holders so they can take slurps from a water bottle. That’s obviously not as safe as the hands-free Camelback option, but anything is better than nothing. Some people don’t like Camelbaks because the water gets hot, but the temperature of the water doesn’t affect dehydration.
Stop more often than usual and hang out in the shade or in an air-conditioned cafe. Since you are drinking lots of fluids, you will probably need to stop anyway!
While you’re stopped, have a coffee, but take it easy. No need to swear off your favourite caramel latte, but avoid excess coffee. That also goes for caffeinated drinks such as Red Bull. High levels of caffeine have a diuretic effect just like alcohol.
While having a coffee break, avoid having too many sweet cakes, donuts and muffins. Sugar can dehydrate you if it gets to very high levels in your blood. This can happen if you are a diabetic, take certain medications or have an infection or some organ diseases. Sugar causes your kidneys to produce more urine to eliminate the sugar, leading to dehydration. Likewise, don’t drink too many sugary drinks. Best to stick to plain water, real fruit juices with no added sugar or drinks such as Gatorade that replace salts and minerals lost in sweat.
We’ve talked a lot about urine and it’s important that you monitor the colour. It should be a straw colour. If it’s too dark, you are dehydrated.
Sweat also depletes your body of sodium and if it becomes too low, it can cause many of the same symptoms as dehydration. The average diet probably has enough sodium, but it’s good to have a little bit of salt on your meals or drink sports drinks that have a sodium supplement. However, beware of sports drinks with caffeine and sugar.
The enthralling experience that open-air riding offers is virtually unmatched, and you can be sure that no vehicle can come close to providing it. With the popularity of these two-wheelers increasingly surging, motorbike makers are working steadily to deliver quality, functional, and practical motorbikes. But even so, what makes riding motorbikes a fantastic experience? Why can a motorcycle be a great hobby, especially if you are a student?
Here are seven reasons why motorbikes can be an excellent hobby for students.
1. Motorbike riding makes you look and feel cool and good
While some of us are skeptical about this particular advantage, riding a motorcycle can ideally make you feel great while also making you look cool. Mostly, riding a motorbike can afford you a slight edge over others, with many seeing you as a cool adrenaline junkie boasting remarkable riding skills.
But how does riding a motorcycle make you look cool? Although you may not know the perception others have about you, the reality is that they all want to be in your shoes. Ideally, this coolness comes with respect to how the fans and admirers accord you. This is not to say that you have to pull off some dangerous bike stunts to capture the attention of your fans to gain some form of respect. Rather, your coolness must come naturally. Moreover, it must be as per your expertise level or your experience.
2. It can boost your overall well-being and health:
Interestingly, motorcycle riding can positively influence your overall health and well-being. How? Typically, motorbike riding can assist you in cutting a few calories. This is a fact and which you can benefit from by turning to your beloved bike for this fantastic experience.
Generally, an individual who weighs about 180 pounds can likely burn around 40 calories within a one-hour motorbike riding session. While this may sound unreal, with determination though, in addition to some effort, this is undeniably possible!
Besides just weight loss benefits, motorbike riding also positively affects your brain. When you ride your motorcycle, you can literally boost your mental state, leaving you kinder, calmer, and generally happier and more confident than before. In essence, when you have boosted mental health, your physical health can also significantly improve because of the proper attitude.
3. It is a cost-effective means of transport
As a student, you want to cut our expenses to maintain a decent lifestyle. After all, it is the reason why you look for cheap professional essay writers for hire to help with assignments, enrol for summer jobs to get a few extra bucks, or even take the school bus to the campus to save on the transport expenses. Fortunately, if you own a motorbike, you can effectively cut down your costs.
In comparison to other means of transport, motorcycles can be significant money savers. With fuel costs significantly rising not to mention car maintenance, numerous individuals are opting for a cheaper means of transportation and motorbikes fit this bracket.
As such, you must be completely aware that each time you hop on your bike; you are literally saving yourself a significant amount of resources, you would otherwise spend on fuel. Making it a hobby, especially for a student, this would mean saving the much-needed money which you can use on other activities.
4. It helps you interact with numerous different individuals
As the old saying goes, birds of the same feather flock together, motorcycling is the same. As such, if you are yet to make a few friends through your motorcycle riding adventures, then your social skills need some refining. This means that there are only a few places where you can make friends from numerous different backgrounds like motorcycle adventure rides.
‘Brotherhood’ and ‘sisterhood’ are some standard terms used among different rider groups in establishing a connection among various motorcyclists. Besides that, there is an undeniable bond between multiple motorcycle owners as well as the makers of these stunning rides. With more individuals turning into motorcyclists, the bond gets stronger with every passing moment.
If you are social, then it will be easy to interact with other individuals and sharing exciting stories with individuals you otherwise would never have associated with. This way, you can interact with individuals beyond your religious racial and socioeconomic circles.
5. Motorbike riding affords you a unique sense of freedom
Although ‘freedom’ is a somewhat overrated word, you might understand its real meaning in the motorcycling adventure.Essentially, while you are on your motorbike, it is usually you alone with no other individual to gratify. What this means is that you are controlling your destiny. This is besides, you controlling your destiny, making you feel responsible for your decision.
This inner freedom makes your state of mind push away some anxiety concerns such as meeting deadlines or paying bills.Essentially, this distinct freedom is, in reality, realizing you fullness while doing what you delight in. This explains the reason why you feel whole when you are riding your bike. Most significantly, the freedom you get from riding your motorcycle can positively impact your interaction with your colleagues, family, workmates and other individuals.
6. It can help you connect with everything around you
As earlier mentioned, riding a motorbike grants you a unique type of freedom. Essentially, this form of freedom makes you grow more appreciative of the fine little details and things around or in your life.When you are riding your bike, you are exposed to different places and situations.
You can effectively find yourself cruising downhill or through a forest, or riding down to the main streets and back home. Each of these experiences is among the little things which keep you connected with everything around you as well as with reality. By riding your motorcycle, you get a first-hand experience of these experiences more positively and with all your senses.
7. It is a fun and exciting experience
Motorcycling comes with a unique and gratifying thrill that sparks some form of excitement, particularly for those riders who find it fascinating and fun. Just take time to imagine the exclusive adrenaline rush you get with motorcycling, every aspect of the ride including the manoeuvre ability, the speed, as well as the efficacy that renders motorcycling a popular hobby both for students and other individuals across all age divides.
While it might be a dangerous adventure, this thrill quickly helps erase the negative narratives that are associated with this activity.
Conclusion
Ultimately, riding a motorbike is both an exciting and fun experience. This is especially since motorcycling allows you to not only meet but also interact with different individuals, affords you a better connection with your surroundings, affords you individual freedom, and helps you significantly save on fuel costs among other numerous benefits.
This makes motorcycle riding a fantastic hobby, especially for students and also outlines reasons why you need to start riding a motorbike. However, it is worth noting that it can be as dangerous as it is fun and you, therefore, need to take the necessary precautions while you are on your bike.
AUTHOR’S BIO:
Susan Wallace is an accredited Professor at the University of Nottingham Trent. She has also authored multiple bestseller books. Besides being a college Professor, Susan has also formerly worked as a local authority advisor on post-16 education.
Harley-Davidson has pulled out of the Walcha Motorcycle Festival due to the current bushfire threat, but the event will still go on from Friday (15-17 November 2019).
Walcha Royal Cafe owner Toni Keable says HOG members from Perth have already arrived and many more have said they are still coming.
“There’s no change at Walcha. We’re still going ahead with the festival,” she says.
Earlier this week Walcha Tourism said the event would go ahead despite the current bushfire situation.
Harley pulls out of festival
However, late this afternoon Harley-Davidson Australia issued this statement:
The bushfire situation across New South Wales and the progressive dangers across the state has meant that Harley-Davidson Australia has made the difficult decision not to attend the Walcha Motorcycle Weekend this coming weekend, 15-17th November.
Harley-Davison Australia have been monitoring the bushfire situation and have been in ongoing contact with the Walcha Council and NSW Rural Fire Service to understand if it is safe for Harley-Davidson and our H.O.G. members to attend.
Since Tuesday 12th November 2019, the NSW Premier has declared a State of Emergency with dangerous conditions across New South Wales, advising motorists to delay all non-essential travel with many highways and motorways closed.
All H.O.G. members planning to attend the event have been contacted.
From everyone at Harley-Davidson Australia, we ask all riders to remain safe and alert.
Toni believes the statement is a “safety precaution”.
“It is probably for insurance purposes not to leave themselves in a position of danger if something happens,” she says.
“We’ve had people arriving all week. We’ve also had people ring and say ‘we’re coming, we’ll get there, we will find a way’.
“Some of the roads are closed but some are still open. Everywhere there is a closed road, there is an alternative route.”
Riders should check www.livetraffic.com.au and www.google.com/maps for road closures before attempting to ride to Walcha.
“We met some Harley riders who said they had to ride 400km further than they expected.
“If they had rung us we could have told them about a safe shortcut.”
The Royal Cafe number is (02) 6777 1117.
Oxley closed
Just abit of the Oxley this morning, don’t see it being open this week.
Publiée par Gingers Creek sur Lundi 11 novembre 2019
Meanwhile, the main attraction in getting to Walcha is the Oxley Highway which remains closed, not by fires but the high risk from falling burnt limbs after fires earlier this week.
Official advice is that motorists should avoid unnecessary travel and be prepared for conditions to change quickly and roads to close suddenly.
Riders should make sure they have water, food, supplies and a full tank of fuel. Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged before you set out.
If you’re already travelling when a bush fire starts, follow the directions of emergency services personnel.
Harley was planning to bring its truck of merchandise and demo bikes including a LiveWire electric motorcycle for “demo rides” on their Jumpstart Experience.
Harley offers non-licensed people a demo ride with their JumpStart
However, there is still a host of other entertainment across the three days, including stunt shows, a rodeo, guided rides, Harley demo rides, a Steampunk motorcycle gallery, markets, music, food stalls, a billy cart derby show and shine and more.
Moto Guzzi Australia has confirmed we will be getting the new V85 TT Travel unveiled last week at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan.
The V85 Travel simply features formerly optional accessories as standard fittings. They are panniers, extra LED lights, a higher windshield, heated grips and phone connectivity.
It also comes in a unique Sabbia Namib colour and graphics with a grey frame and matte chassis.
There is no word yet on arrival or pricing, but expect to pay more than the V85 TT at $18,890 (plus on-road costs).
Travel accessories
Moto Guzzi unveil the new Touring V85 TT at 2019 EICMA
The screen has a 60% larger surface protection area than the standard screen.
The lightweight plastic panniers with alloy inserts have 37-litre capacity on the right to hold a full-face helmet and 27.5 litres on a the left as it sits over the high exhaust pipe.
Pannier locks use the same key. They come with discrete frame mounts to retain the bike’s lines.
The heated hand grips and additional LED lights are controlled by buttons on the left switchblock.
V85 Travel also comes with the Moto Guzzi multimedia platform that allows riders to connect their phone and extend functions of the instrument cluster.
The V85 Travel is powered by the 853cc air-cooled, OHV, transverse 90° V-twin and is shod with Michelin Anakee Adventure tyres.
Moto Guzzi V85 TT Travel
ENGINE
Type
Transverse 90° V twin, two valves per cylinder (titanium intake).
Cooling
Air
Engine capacity
853 cm³
Bore and stroke
84 x 77 mm
Compression ratio
10.5: 1
Maximum power
80 HP (59 kW) at 7,750 rpm
Torque
80 Nm at 5,000 rpm
Fuel system
Electronic injection; Ø 52 mm single throttle body, Ride-by-Wire
Fuel tank capacity
23 litres (including 5 litre reserve)
Emissions compliance
Euro 4
Consumption (WMTC cycle)
4.9 l/100 km
CO2 Emissions (WMTC cycle)
118 g/km
TRANSMISSION
Clutch
Dry single disc
Transmission
6 gears
Gear ratio values
1st 16/39 = 1: 2.437
2nd 18/32 = 1: 1.778
3rd 21/28 = 1: 1.333
4th 24/26 = 1: 1.083
5th 25/24 = 1: 0.960
6th 27/24 = 1: 0.889
CHASSIS
Frame
High strength steel tubular frame
Front suspension
41 mm hydraulic telescopic USD fork, with adjustable spring preload and hydraulic rebound
Front wheel travel
170 mm
Rear suspension
Double-sided swingarm in box-type aluminium with a single shock on the right side, with adjustable spring preload and hydraulic rebound
Rear wheel travel
170 mm
Front brake
Double 320 mm stainless steel floating discs, Brembo radial-mounted callipers with 4 opposed pistons
Rear brake
Ø 260 mm stainless steel disc, floating calliper with 2 pistons
A Victorian couple on a dream riding holiday through Europe are now fighting for their lives after being crushed by a tractor trailer on the Stevio Pass in northern Italy last month.
Richard Hogg, 65, and wife Lorna, 62, have only recently started breathing on their own as they recover from induced comas in an Austrian hospital.
A GoFundMe page has already raised more than $30,000 to help fund their medical bills, but more is needed for the extensive costs.
The recently retired couple and seasoned riders were on a “dream holiday” with a motorcycle tour group when tragedy struck, says son Paul who rushed to Austria to be by their bedsides.
“They were riding on the Stelvio Pass in Italy and were approaching a left-hand corner when a tractor and trailer came round the corner and rolled, crushing them and injuring others,” he says.
Richard and Lorna riding a KTM on the Stelvio Pass about an hour before tragedy struck (Image supplied by Paul Hogg)
The couple was airlifted to a nearby hospital, which wasn’t equipped to handle the severity of their injuries.
They were then rushed to University Hospital in Austria where they have both since been in induced comas while in and out of surgeries.
Both suffered leg and pelvis injuries, Lorna had a leg amputated and Richard has suffered a ruptured aorta.
Richard also suffered a minor stroke but due to his heavy sedation the impact is not yet known, says Paul.
“When they will be home is very uncertain; possibly a minimum of two months before we are home,” he says.
“Mum has another surgery on her leg tomorrow to hopefully close the wound and dad has his major pelvis reconstruction. We are also still waiting on his MRI results on his spine.”
Fund raising
Their nephew, Riley Cox, has set up the GoFundMe page to cover their enormous medical bills.
“Lorna & Dicko have spent their whole lives caring and looking after others and now they need us,” Riley says.
“They are two of the most caring, kind, determined and positive people, that even during retirement, live life to the fullest, travelling to the other side of the world on a dream holiday.”
Riley says all funds donated will help cover medical costs and repatriation to Australia, as well as ongoing rehab costs.
“Due to the severity of their injuries we don’t know how long it will be until we can bring them home, but we do know it will be a long recovery in Austria away from family and friends, followed by a long healing journey back home in Australia,” he says.
Writers are always filled with a sort of wanderlust that always keeps them moving from places to places to calm their exasperating inside. They create lines while moving between dwellings and capture ideas of their head in a better way. If you intend to write down your ideas while moving around, there is nothing better writer companion than a motorbike. A motorbike ride takes you in the air without an air ticket, but the big question is, how one can you write while being on a bike as both hands are busy in handling the balance of the bike?
No, you do not need another person to drive the bike while you sit at the back and write. There are two problems in this situation; first of all, it’s hard to get thrilling ideas and secondly, no one is will always be free to take you on a bike ride every time you need to write. So what do you do?
No no, you also don’t need to give up riding a bike for writing when you can do both things hand in hand. How? Here are some ways by which you can write while riding a motorbike
The first thing that comes handy is your smartphone. All smartphones have recording features that can be used with or without videos. ? I am not asking you to make Vlog, my point is, record your thoughts, word to word, in your smartphone. These will later come handy to draw the picture of your story on paper. You need a hands-free or earpieces, a well-working mic, fully charged battery, and a holder tool to put mobile phone while riding a do not. These recorded pinpoints will help you, and you will not forget the actual bike ride story you were struggling to write.
2 Take Pauses on The Way While Driving a Bike
Keep your eyes on the road and do not flow too profoundly in your words while recording and riding a bike. It can cause accidents. Therefore, you need to use your eyes to see, drive with your hands, and your voice will be your writer for the day. When you also find a place that is will not be comfortable, stop your bike and record the things you want to write. Try to find a place that’s less noisy for voice recording. If you want everyone to feel that you were writing while exploring the world on your bike, you can get help from professionals at Bid4Papers.com..
3 Talk To Your Writing Partner on Phone during Bike Ride
Being a writer,it is always essential to have people in your acquaintances who write or simply your writing colleagues. Whenever there is something more exciting on the way, call your writing partner and tell them about the things you are seeing. Tell them to write down your ideas in their own words to give your story a new and fascinating script. You will be able to create a masterpiece in this manner and that also while driving a motorbike. Get the best essay writing services from Bid4Papers.com.
If you haven’t taken some time out from life to explore the vast expanse of our world, you’re missing out. There’s something extraordinary about packing up some essential belongings, jumping on your bike and cruising off into the sunset.
OK, that’s slightly too romantic a setting, but can you see how relaxing an adventure on the open road can be? Sure, switching off and taking a digital detox can be incredibly relaxing.
But, you can still balance having a relaxing trip with staying in touch with the world. Since we’re all so connected thanks to the smartphone surge, connecting with our loved ones is only seconds away through the likes of Facetime, Skype, WhatsApp and the addictive social media channels.
Hell, there’s also new betting sites you can try while you’re on the move if betting is your thing. With mobile networks and WiFi hotspots stronger than ever, placing bets and watching live streams online is much easier now.
The fact is, apart from the rigmarole of daily life pressures, you can explore the likes of Mary River Valley without feeling stressed about putting life on hold.
How? That’s for us to know, and for you to find…
No, we’re kinder than that!
Work Flexibly
We understand that not everyone can be mobile when they’re working. However, with such a massive shift in employers’ recognising that staff want more flexibility in working hours and work locations, how much is there to stop you from working on the road?
Imagine a world where you can cruise around on your bike, stopping off in a coffee shop to attend a conference call and catch up with the team while supping on your favourite bean-brew of choice. It’s possible, it really is.
How? Well, people are already doing it, so follow them!
Bloggers Are Leading the Way
Freelancing and blogging sit in their isolated niche away from the office and factory-binding jobs that make you feel like you can’t ever break free. Even if you can’t take your work away on your bike, perhaps you can extend your work so you can entice your employer to be more flexible.
What if they let you have some time out over and above authorised leave for a trip on your bike, in exchange for you to blog about your employer?
Or, in exchange for snapping some photos of your travel, the company can do a spotlight on their employees and what they get up to in their spare time?
This is just one example of how breaking the status quo can lead to a life more open and explored.
Stagnancy is the route of all Evil
You know that feeling of doing the same thing day in, day out? It’s awful, isn’t it? If McGregor and Boorman can inspire millions, why can’t you? If you want to make a drastic change, it’s up to nobody but you.
The thing is, you don’t even need to do it alone. If your spouse, ankle-biters or mates fancy a trip with you, memories could be created for life for all involved, not just you. That way, you won’t feel like you’re being selfish for packing your saddles and riding off.
Just because you’re on “holiday,” it doesn’t mean that you step out of one life and into another.
Take your iPads, smartwatches and phones. Crikey, even take your portable games console if you want to.
Plan way in advance and tell people what your intentions are. That way, there’s no surprise factor when it comes close to your trip.
There are very few things that you can’t get while on two wheels. The exception to this, of course, is if you head out into the true wilderness. Even so, with a boost to 4G coverage in the outback, you still might not be as isolated as you once thought.
What Are You Waiting For?
For some, it’s not so simple to pack up and ride away. Life commitments get in the way, and it’s not good to sack off your mates for a better option. But, if your boss says it’s no dramas to take some holiday at short notice, and it’s a feasible option otherwise, what’s stopping you?
We know, it’s you! We wild humans tend to find a reason to NOT do something instead of going wild and just doing it.
Even if you’re looking to grab your first motorbike or need an upgrade, start to look for a new one before you get the opportunity to go away. That way, you remove the barriers before they begin to imprint in your life and stop you from channelling the open road.
Make a plan, and it’ll become more of a reality than a dream.
After the recent bombing tragedy in Sri Lanka, security has been stepped up and it’s now deemed safe to ride this gem of a destination for motorcyclists. Who better to give us a guide to riding in Sri Lanka than Rohan Sourjah who has written a book about it called “Motorcycling Adventures in Sri Lanka” and recently returned from a ride around the country. Here’s his story:
Rohan’s book
Background
The island of Sri Lanka is shaped like a teardrop and the people in that nation have shed many tears over the years. There was hope in their hearts because the three decades civil war had ended almost 10 years previously.
But on Easter Sunday this year, fundamentalist suicide bombers blew themselves up in three churches and three luxury hotels, killing more than 250 people and injuring about 500, including many innocent children.
The aftermath has been devastating as tourists stopped arriving. Tourism is the livelihood of more than a million people who suddenly had no way of earning an income and feeding their families. In just a matter of seconds, their lives had been devastated. Almost five months later, their situation remains dire because only a few tourists are visiting the island.
I grew up in Sri Lanka and some of my most wonderful memories are of riding a small Yamaha YB90 two-stroke motorcycle to many parts of the island with school friends on their own machines.
Rohan and friends in the ’80s
Fast forward to 2014 and I bought a Royal Enfield 350cc “Classic” bike in Sri Lanka. My plan was to ride around the island and once again visit the beaches, mountains, historical sites and wildlife sanctuaries as well as experience the different cultures, religions and diverse landscapes that the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean” offers. This took four years to complete and I published a book about those travels in June this year titled “Motorcycling Adventures in Sri Lanka.”
One of the reasons for publishing this book is to attract motorcyclists to visit Sri Lanka because it does offer some wonderful riding experiences in an exotic and tropical land. And I hope readers of this article would consider travelling to Sri Lanka, whether to ride a motorcycle or travel in a vehicle, to help the people of the island. Whatever money you spend over there would benefit families who are suffering and more importantly show terrorists that their senseless and inhumane actions don’t scare us motorcyclists.
Ride for Sri Lanka
The Easter Sunday bombings took place after I had booked my airline tickets for the launch of my book. I didn’t change my travel plans, but I was very shocked when I landed in the island because hotels and tourist businesses were virtually empty.
It was during this time that I hatched a plan with some of my school friends about planning a “Ride for Sri Lanka” to show solidarity with the people and encourage tourists, particularly motorcyclists, to visit the island. The plan was to entice journalists of motorcycle magazines from around the world to come to Sri Lanka, ride on a planned tour, and then go back and write about their experiences. However, the planning for that event takes months and that ride is planned for around February 2020.
I was acutely aware that the Sri Lankan people urgently needed to entice tourists back to the island, and that they wanted those tourists NOW! With that in mind, I sent messages to some of my friends about joining me for a cause which I titled “Riding for Sri Lanka” to occur in August 2019. One of my school friends from Melbourne, Robert “Bob” Peterson, said he would join me even though there were only a few weeks to plan this ride.
Sri Lanka, being an island, experiences two monsoonal seasons every year. These bring rain to different parts of the island at different times during the year. In August, the monsoon affects the south and west of the island, bringing rains to Colombo and the western slopes of the central mountains, but also strong winds that are a delight to kite surfers in places like Kalpitiya and Mannar in the north-west areas of the island.
I initially planned a three-day ride even though Bob said he was free for at least a week. The rains were causing landslides and flooding in parts of the island, so we decided to stick to the west coast and travel north of Colombo, leaving our itinerary flexible.
Bob (left) and Rohan prepare for their tour
Colombo to Eluvankulam
Normally I leave the busy town of Colombo before 5am but Bob had to travel to meet me and collect his motorcycle. We left at 8.30am and got bogged in the office rush hour which meant it was a slow and tedious affair to get out of Colombo. There was traffic all the way to Negombo (near the international airport) but we kept moving without too much hassle.
We had some refreshments at a roadside restaurant in Negombo and after that, the road narrowed, the traffic was almost continuous, and it was a bother until we passed Chilaw. From there onward it was a pleasure riding on a smooth road with not much traffic with some large lagoons on the left.
Part of the large Mundel Lagoon on the road to Puttalam
We were stopped by police before Puttalam but they just wanted to check our drivers’ licences, motorcycle registration and insurance papers. This is a common occurrence and nothing to be worried about. As a foreigner they won’t hassle you, but I always recommend you have an International Driver’s Licence. Please don’t show your original drivers’ licence! We spoke to them in English (although we can speak the Sinhalese language) and they became our friends.
Bob and his new policeman friends
The Royal Enfield bikes rumbled along the road, their distinctive beat echoing around the countryside. People on the road heard this “Doof” “Doof” sound and looked at us and our bikes along the way. We passed Puttalam, where much of the salt in Sri Lanka is made, and then travelled along a wonderful motorcycling road to a small hamlet called Eluvankulam, which is 28 kilometres north of Puttalam. This is only a few kilometres south of Wilpattu, the largest and oldest national park in Sri Lanka.
We arrived at “The Backwaters” resort which is managed by Tarique Omar, a school friend and motorcycle rider. Tarique was in Colombo but we were greeted by his second-in-command, Rizvi, who also loves riding motorcycles. The resort was so pleasant that we decided to stay an extra day because I wanted to take a boat trip to visit an ancient Baobab tree planted by Arab traders in ancient times as well as visit some historic ruins within Wilpattu National Park. While on the safari we saw elephants, deer, birds, wild boar and crocodiles but not the elusive leopard and bear. To our dismay, a family that was staying at The Backwaters showed us photographs they had taken of a leopard only a few minutes after we had passed that very spot.
Ancient Baobab tree in Wilpattu National Park
Eluvankulam to Mannar
There are two routes to travel from Puttalam to Mannar. The most direct is through Wilpattu National Park, which is a dirt road that is passable during the dry season. I have been on that road on a motorcycle and I was pretty scared as the jungle closes to the verges of the road in many places and there could be wildlife just next to you. I didn’t want to end up as leopard shit or trampled by an elephant.
The other road skirts Wilpattu National Park to the east and that is what we took. We travelled along some small roads through villages and joined the main road to the ancient city of Anuradhapura. A little further on is the large Thabbowa Wewa (lake) which was partially dry. I have seen this beautiful lake when it is full with water as the road passes through the southern end of it and it’s fascinating to see water on either side with lots of birds. The road then passes through jungle which is an elephant corridor and it’s not advisable to ride or drive along that section in the night. You certainly don’t want to meet a wild elephant while on a motorcycle!
We didn’t have to travel all the way to Anuradhapura, instead turning north to Tantirimale, an ancient Buddhist monastery which has beautiful old rock carvings of a reclining Buddha and other images. It’s best to visit this historic site in the morning because it is built on a large rock outcrop and can get extremely hot from around 10:30am.
The road to Tantirimale is also through small villages and is a motorcyclist’s dream. My plan was to stop and take a look at the monastery but a high-ranking politician had arrived for a function and we weren’t allowed to park our motorcycles near the temple. The policemen were extremely polite and were interested in our motorcycles but we only bought some bottles of water and proceeded north along a somewhat bumpy road until we came to the Mannar road.
We turned west and rumbled along the flat and parched countryside which hadn’t seen rain for many months. Bob was setting a hectic pace, well over the maximum speed limit in Sri Lanka, which is just 70 km/h. One of my reasons for travelling along this road was to see an ancient reservoir called Yodha Wewa (Giant’s Tank). Nobody yet knows when this engineering marvel was constructed and the British engineers considered it a failed construction works because they couldn’t understand how the whole system worked. There is absolutely no signage or information about this reservoir along the road, except for a huge bund that accompanies you on the right when travelling towards Mannar. I stopped the motorcycle, climbed the bund and was amazed at the expanse that I could see. There wasn’t much water but I couldn’t even imagine what it would look like when the rains came.
Apparently, this reservoir gets its water from a river far away and the gradient of the slope is so small that it’s almost impossible to recreate in modern times. And the reservoir feeds a number of lakes (called “tanks”) that have been silted up over the 2000 plus years when these civil engineering works were first constructed. Even today, the full extent of the irrigation scheme is yet to be understood which shows how advanced that ancient civilisation was when Europeans at that time were living a subsistence life.
Giant’s Tank (Yodha Wewa) is gigantic
About 25km later we reached the causeway that connects the island of Mannar to the mainland. It’s an amazing feeling riding along a road about a metre above the waters of the Gulf of Mannar on one side and the waters of the Palk Strait on the other. In ancient times, this was the main passage for vessels sailing from the Indian Ocean to the Bay of Bengal but over the years the waters have got very shallow due to silting and now only small fishing boats can use the passageway.
A bridge takes you over the last part of the causeway and you will see the Mannar Fort, first built by the Portuguese, expanded by the Dutch and then taken over by the British. The purpose of the fort was to control and levy taxes on shipping though the passage but sadly the fort is now abandoned and not maintained. If you are interested in history, the fort has the remains of an old Dutch church and a number of engraved tombstones on the floor.
The next thing you will notice in Mannar are the donkeys roaming all over. They were brought by Arab traders in ancient times and used to transport goods inland and bring back items that they took overseas. When modern transportation was introduced, the donkeys were let loose and now roam wild.
Our journey continued along a bumpy and narrow road to the Palmyrah House which is located in the middle of the island. It’s a hotel that is environmentally friendly and has ponds that attract birds and wildlife, especially during the drought that had been experienced for many months. The General Manager, Udaya Karunaratne, is a school friend and has ridden his Honda Africa Twin to all parts of the island. He is more than happy to welcome motorcyclists and offer advice and suggestions.
We consumed chilled beers and relaxed in the quiet and peaceful hotel. The weather was warm and humid, but we had been buffeted for many kilometres by the “trade winds” that blow inland at this time of the year. It was so relaxing that I didn’t want to travel the 28 kilometres to the end of the island to see “Adam’s Bridge” (also called “Rama’s Bridge”) which is a row of islands and sand bars that partially connect Sri Lanka to India. The owners of the Palmyrah House have a property adjoining the first of these islands called “Vayu Resorts” which is a popular kitesurfing place at this time of the year.
There are a couple of stories as to how these names came about. The ancient “Ramayana” epic states that a king in India called Rama, enlisted the help of ape people (“Hanuman”) to build the bridge so he could cross with his army to Lanka to free his wife who had been kidnapped by a king called Ravana. The second story is that Adam and Eve used this bridge to cross from India to Sri Lanka after they were driven out of the Garden of Eden. In fact, at the tip of Mannar island are two extremely long graves, measuring 40 feet and 38 feet, that are supposed to be the tombs of Adam and Eve respectively. I haven’t seen them, but I definitely will on my next visit.
Mannar to Jaffnar and back
My plan was to ride to Jaffna and stay the night there which would have given us time to visit some of the historic sites as well as ride to some of the nearby islands. Bob, however, was very happy staying at the Palmyrah House in Mannar and wanted to ride to Jaffna and back the same day. The distance to Jaffna was just 130 kilometres so that wasn’t be a problem as there isn’t much traffic on that road.
We set off at 8:30am and once again Bob set a cracking pace as we zoomed along the smooth road at around 100 km/h, well over the speed limit. Fortunately we weren’t stopped by the police and we reached Pooneryn in about an hour and stopped to buy some iced drinks and get the circulation going again in our bums. The landscape is flat, the road is generally straight and there isn’t anything interesting to see, but it’s a good ride.
Rest break at Pooneryn
A short time later we were crossing the long causeway which connects the Jaffna peninsula to the mainland. This was built only after the civil war ended in 2009 and is a lovely stretch to ride with water on either side. However, a blustery crosswind was moving my bike around although Bob’s weight had his bike planted firmly on the tarmac. We were soon in Jaffna town where the traffic was chaotic and we stopped in front of the massive Jaffna Fort. This huge and ancient structure was damaged during the civil war, with the beautiful Dutch Church completely destroyed by the terrorists.
We didn’t go inside the fort, but instead I wanted to look at a couple of historic ruins. Our bikes rumbled to life and soon we were completely lost in the maze of streets that meander throughout Jaffna town and the surrounding area. I eventually gave up in disgust and we found our way back to the main road. I asked Bob whether he wanted anything to eat, but he said we should travel back to Mannar and have lunch at the Palmyrah House.
Causeway connecting the Jaffna Peninsula to the mainland
The time was around 11:45am when we left Jaffna and we were soon travelling fast in a southerly direction with the crosswind knocking my bike about. All good things have to end as a policeman jumped onto the road and signalled for Bob to stop. He had a radar gun and it showed that Bob was travelling around 80 km/h in a 50 km/h zone! The policemen were very polite and decent when they saw our white faces and we spoke to them in English. To add to the drama, Bob only had a photocopy of his Australian drivers’ licence which wasn’t adequate.
However, the policemen soon became our friends and after a surreptitious exchange of a small amount of money, we got back on our bikes and travelled the remaining 20 kilometres to Mannar and were back at the Palmyrah House where Udaya Karunaratne was so surprised to see us back that early that he asked us whether we had actually travelled to Jaffna.
My bum was aching and I walked around for some time, downing chilled beers while the kitchen rustled up some sandwiches and French fries for us. The time was around 1.15pm and Bob decided to relax in the swimming pool after lunch.
Swimming pool and pond at Palmyrah House
The dinner was delicious, especially the fried crab and we went to bed fairly early. It had been a great day riding and then relaxing in the hotel.
Mannar to Eluvankulam
Bob and I were sad to leave Palmyrah House because we had really enjoyed our stay and especially the friendly and helpful staff who had looked after us so well. They were almost all from the island of Mannar who have had the chance to learn new skills and the opportunity of having a career in hospitality. This was our reason for “Riding for Sri Lanka.”
Ready to leave Palmyrah House
Udaya wished us goodbye as the Royal Enfield bikes rumbled away and Bob stuck to the speed limit. It was frustrating travelling along those empty roads at 70 km/h but I did get a chance to survey the countryside much better. We were soon back at Tantirimale where we parked our motorcycles in front of the historic monastery and drank some chilled drinks.
A local lady had brought some of the most beautiful Lotus flowers to sell to visitors to the temple and the deep purple hues of those flowers was really astounding. Sri Lankan people in the villages and small towns are the friendliest on this earth and will go out of their way to help you if needed. They are generally shy and reserved, but all you need is to strike up a conversation, even if they don’t know English, and they will become your friends. And it is very rare that they will try to extract money from you.
Beautiful Lotus flowers at Tantirimale
Our bikes rumbled back to life and we enjoyed our ride back to the main road to Puttalam. From there we maintained the speed limit because there were many police, but nobody bothered us.
We then turned off to Thabbowa and enjoyed a peaceful ride through remote villages until we arrived at the road to Eluvankulam. The time was 11:00am and I called Tarique Omar to have the beers chilled and lunch prepared as we would be at The Backwaters in a few minutes. The staff at the resort are lovely people from the local village and go out of their way to make your stay something to remember. And the food they cook is really great.
Only 17km to The Backwaters at Eluvankulam
Tarique Omar was at The Backwaters when we arrived and we were greeted by Rizvi with chilled cans of beer which lubricated our parched throats. Tarique joined us with some beers, even though he hadn’t ridden with us. He was supposed to have joined us for the ride to Mannar on his Honda CB400 but had to go to Colombo for a family function and was jealous of our escapades.
Bob Peterson and Tarique Omar have beers. The third glass is mine!
The Backwaters is a place where you can chill out and that’s exactly what we did. In the evening we walked down to the placid waters of the Uppu Aru and watched the sunset. The property has a resident wild elephant who roams around when everyone is asleep but hasn’t harmed anyone or damaged any property. It’s unbelievable how such a large animal can walk around so silently.
Eluvankulam to Colombo
The ride back to Colombo meant battling with traffic and I planned to reach the city after the morning rush hour but before the schools closed. That meant getting home between 11:00am and noon. The journey is approximately 3.5 hours by car, but motorcyclists aren’t permitted on the motorway that runs from the airport to the outskirts of the city.
We left The Backwaters at 8.30am and had a peaceful ride until we approached Chilaw when the traffic increased considerably. Like a pair of gladiators, we battled the tintops. The road only has one lane in each direction which makes overtaking difficult.
We didn’t stop until we reached Negombo where the road widens into dual-lanes in each direction. The traffic now moved more smoothly but as we approached Colombo we ran into heavy traffic and ultimately a traffic jam. However, after some horrible minutes, we turned off onto backroads and arrived at my friend’s house around 12:15pm which wasn’t a bad run. We pulled off our riding gear and immediately attacked the beers.
Bob has sunburn on his face as he was wearing an open-face helmet without a visor
It had been a wonderful ride up the west coast of the island over six days and the weather gods had been kind to us as we only had about two minutes of rain. While we were enjoying ourselves, Colombo had been experiencing a lot of rain. Such is the nature of a tropical island that experiences monsoonal conditions and it’s always good to carry wet weather gear regardless of what time of the year you travel around the island.
We were determined to prove that it’s safe to travel in Sri Lanka and both Bob and I never felt unsafe at any time during our trip. And there’s no better way to explore the island than on a Royal Enfield motorbike which has a remarkable presence on the roads of Sri Lanka as it’s not a common bike and its distinctive sound always attracts attention. You certainly make friends on a Royal Enfield.
If you are interested in riding a motorcycle in Sri Lanka, please contact Rohan by email at [email protected] or on 0438264632.
If you want to see photos of this ride, and other previous rides, please visit his Facebook page.
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman are expected to do their third travel documentary, Long Way Up, from South America to Los Angeles on Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycles.
They are also expected to be supported by electric Rivian R1T pick-up trucks which are likely to carry DC fast chargers.
Mobile DC fast chargers at work
South American press have already spotted the trucks and speculated on the Long Way Up electric adventure.
While attending a recent electric grand prix race in Rome, Ewan said:
In twenty years we will not use fuel, everything will be plugged in.
If they are planning to ride from the bottom of South America, possibly as far as Alaska, it should take some time on electric bikes.
The Rivian truck has 650km of range, but the LiveWire only has 150km of highway range and 235km of city range.
Rivian electric pick-up truck
Charging times will certainly make it a long trip.
However, the trip may just do for electric motorcycles, particularly the LiveWire, what Long Way Round and Long Way Down did for adventure riding and the BMW GS range.
Long time coming
The long-awaited third Ewan and Charley travel documentary has been a long time coming.
Charley has been telling us they have been planning their Long Way Up America trip for about 10 years.
The problem has been that Ewan has been so busy with Hollywood movies he could not afford a few months off.
There was also the fact that Ewan is ambassador for Moto Guzzi and Charley is ambassador for Triumph.
The pair rode BMWs in their 2004 Long Way Round and 2007 Long Way Down.
Charley told us last year that Ewan’s relationship with Moto Guzzi would not necessarily foil their plans:
We’ve been talking about it a long time and if the stars align we will do something like a Long Way up from Tierra Del Fuego to Alaska in the next couple of years. It really is close now. Ewan’s always had a loose relationship with Moto Guzzi so there’s no conflict there.
But rather than Moto Guzzi and Triumph, it appears the pair have opted for the new Harley-Davidson LiveWire.
While it was thought they would go all the way to Alaska, Charley recently said the ride would go from Argentina to LA.
Maybe they don’t want to cover the same territory through Canada and Alaska that they did in the Long Way Round.
Long Way Back
It’s been a long time between trips for Ewan and Charley.
From 14 April 2004 to 29 July 2004, they rode across Europe and the USA in Long Way Round and from 12 May to 4 August 2007 they rode from the top of Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa for Long Way Down.
With Ewan becoming increasingly busy with Hollywood movies, Charley squeezed in the 2006 Dakar rally for his series, Race to Dakar, and has produced several other travel shows.
However, they should also be alert to the bushfire conditions.
Fire and Emergency Services have specifically asked all motorists to stay away from Lamington National Park Road, Illinbah and Upper Coomera Road in the Gold Coast hinterland.
They say motorists “rubbernecking” are putting their workers’ lives at risk as well as the lives and properties of the public.
Bushfires can spread rapidly and even outrun a vulnerable rider, no matter how fast you are riding!
Riders are also in danger from smoke inhalation, low visibility and eye irritation.
Rural fire services also point out that fires have been sparked by motorcycles in the past.
They say about 40% of all bushfires are accidentally started by humans dropping cigarette butts, campfires, discarding bottles, sparks from machinery and motorcycles.
Most riders who accidentally spark these blazes are off-road and adventure bikes riding in the bush and on forestry tracks.
However, there is also the possibility of fires being started by road bikes if the rider pulls over to the side of the road where they may be long, dry grass.
The bike’s engine, exhaust, or catalytic convertor can be hot enough to set dry grass alight.
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