The 2014 Harrow Vinduro thread!

[the stig]

This was my first Harrow and l must say it was an amazing weekend.

l arrived Friday afternoon to a cool wet camp ground and got set up. It rained on and off but the weather forecast for Saturday was for a fine sunny day. It was fairly quiet until later in the night when a lot of riders arrived to set up camp.

Saturday and the sun shone through. The course opened at midday so the morning was a easy one. There was a fuel truck going out on the course and setting up at the 35 km mark. l was thinking the course was around 90 km long at this point so sent fuel out.

There was a real mix of land that we rode over from tight slippery boggy sections, sandy treed sections, open paddocks with outstanding views of the surrounding farmland, plenty of creek crossings and a swampy area finishing off with a crossing of the Glenelg river. The course ended up being about 50 km so l didn't need to send fuel out Sunday as l could easily do it on less than a tank. Sunday was more of the same with some sections better for the traffic and others....not    There was also some road riding between sections.

Many thanks to the Harrow community. We had dinner in the hall on Saturday night after the VERi meeting and it was a great feed ! The local police were in attendance both mornings spectating at the start and there was a Troopy ambulance there also. To the locals that opened their land to me for the ride l thank you sincerely for the opportunity, its really beautiful country you have there. l had a great weekend and was worn out 

Great job to the blokes who set the course and did all the work there too. It was well signed but l did find myself off course a couple of times in the paddocks admiring the views, just sort of riding along distracted until wondering 'where did everybody go ?'.

See you next year at Harrow 

Cheers

Geoff
           Good little write up Geoff just got Home myself sore and tired so into a nice Hot Radox Bath...
           What sections did you enjoy the most mine was  1 and 4  .
           Nathan  you missed the  BEST Vinduro yet buy a long shot...

           The Stig

[80-85 husky]

enjoyed every section except the first! it just frustrated me until after the creek crossing then it wasn't to bad...just seemed to be greasy all day long and no matter how slow I went through the puddle at the start I got water in my boots!

[kdx Geoff]

           Good little write up Geoff just got Home myself sore and tired so into a nice Hot Radox Bath...
           What sections did you enjoy the most mine was  1 and 4  .
           Nathan  you missed the  BEST Vinduro yet buy a long shot...

           The Stig

Thanks Stig

My least favourite part was the tight stuff in the trees though that said it was the scene of my almost perfect impression of Superman when l misjudged a log and parted company with my trust steed 

[80-85 husky]

well what a ride... stupid bike filled up with fuel and took 20 kicks on full wick to light up got a bootfull of freezing cold water 50 metres from the start...grrrr then I catch up to ol mate on the klx 300 and go for the pass as we went into that first boghole... he caught a rut and went sideways... opened her up with the back wheel pointing at me and filled me in!!

rocket rod was a distant spec by this time and the faster I tried to catch him the slower I went.
got to the creek crossing and discovered the left hand side was deep! a bootfull again! got out on to the sandy track and settled down and hit the paddock! I could see the xr heading up to the gate so I had the 400 wound up and tried to haul him in.... (yeah right!)  by the time we hit the last gate I was sitting at a nice distance and hangin on for dear life..just had to watch the roost ( which was pretty constant) and if it stopped...hit the skids!!. once we hit the blackboy country... I lost him totally... came to the first creek crossing and a bloke had his kdx lying on the far bank while he tried to push it over!! so I pulledup and grabbed the front wheel and dragged him over the bank.

just as we did that a guy on a big xt yammie pulls up and plunges into the deepest part of the bog and dissapeared the guy on the dx suggested I keep going while he started the salvage operation. Struggled through to the big down hill ski jump section where I spotted johny maclean powering up the thunderdog after the creek crossing. I passed him going down the hill and thought " I'll impress him with a big jump down the hill..." he was impressed allright... the 400 didn't take kindly to that at all and tried hard to get rid off me! last time that happened!!

I limped up toward the first closing gate and Rod appeared behind me... he had stopped to help Luffy who had turned the kato into a costa cordia impersonation in the creek and was behind me the whole time I was trying to catch him. We motored onto the fuel dump and sailed through to the creek section just after it. heading up the fenceline, I took the high line at the dam and was confronted with a canyon which I just bounced through straining every muscle in my body trying to avoid going over the bars. I took the low road after that exercise.
Rolling up the road and across the paddocks was a blast, just great fun.

Crossing the fence "bridge" to the start of section 5 was an exercise and rolling down the far side just sent the shocks to the bottom out position and fired another shot through my spine I didn't need. I stood up after that.

what about the swamp! such a blast getting through the sand then all that mud was great fun especially around the edges..speedway city! then finally the infamous river crossing... I took the bridge!

Did that a couple more times and I was ready for a nap!

on the last lap I lost Rod (he was jutting getting to his stride) and ended riding back with EL Presidente who had purloined shoeys auto... at a particularly nasty bog just after the fuel stop, I had a nice line using a stump just under the water to ensure good traction when I heard a loud noise next to me signalling the approach of the auto under hard throttle followed immediately by a sound similar to the Titanic. by the time I found a stick to put under the stand the auto was vertical and being manhandled in an effort to get it free (still running) eventually Steve popped it out the good and got moving again... when we got to the swamp, he took a hero line through a patch of water on the inside of the main line and found a long log which he spectacularly flicked out of the water about 4 ft in the air while he did an "oh sh*t" dance on the  bike which did the usual husky thing and self righted itself... after that great save he drowned it in the river crossing (while I went around the road again).

so a fab ride and a sensational weekend put together by the team and the harrow folk. 12 months of story's to follow.

[Tex]

My least favourite part was the tight stuff in the trees

That was my favourite bit! My least favourite was the first half of section 1, you know that slimy bit around the river and under the bridge.

guy on a big xt yammie

Which one? There were three XT550s entered this year!

Hurts worse if you were on the LOSING ORIENTALS TEAM. Suffer in ya Mawashi's, suckers!

Well, yes. I would like to humbly accept the umpires decision, and... ah, stuff that; we wuz robbed! Wait 'til 2015!

this is where you're supposed to be telling us how BAD it was, and how those of us that didn't go, didn't really miss out...

Sorry mate, but it was the best one ever in my opinion. Maybe I'm just saying that because the weather was great, and I just happened to have a particularly awesome weekend. I didn't fall off once, but came bloody close when I strayed from the path, directly against Shoey's advice at the riders briefing, and struck a slippery log. My mate following behind yelled even louder than I did ("Oh shitttt!") as arms, legs and bike flailed madly in all directions. Somehow the little DT righted itself and I continued on my merry, albeit slow, way.

I didn't really get bogged either and I just magically seemed to be able to pick a good line through the worst of the crossings, whereas last year the exact opposite was true!

The weekend wasn't without mishap, as the slightest hint of water had the bike cutting out until I made up a shroud for the plug cap. Still caused me a few hassles after that. Having Canam370 parked beside me, tooting his horn every time I kicked the thing while Wombat laughed his head off was another, er, highlight. That's what I get for giving them the "salute" when I passed them earlier I suppose... 

I bent the brake pedal on a rock, and lost a bolt from the clutch lever too. Thanks to Alex & Canam370 respectively for assisting me with fixing these little issues.

I had so much fun on the little DT on Saturday I took it out for the first lap on Sunday. When I came back to get the XT250 I discovered it had a flat tyre, so the DT was pressed into service again.

One lap on Saturday, and two on Sunday earned me a gold medal, all on a twin shock DT125, so I was stoked.

Everywhere you looked there were smiling faces. Campfire banter kept people in stitches all night. The VERi AGM was conducted and we got through all of the club business just in time for dinner to start. A certain team from the ACT decided to pour some extra money into Harrow via the pub, and so were too sick to mount their machines on Sunday morning! After some extra sleep they were able to hit the loop before lunchtime. Top effort guys.

Hats off to the Green & Gold team member who came across from WA to ride the event too.

The Barossa Photography team award went to the inimitable Tolmie Beards.

Jeez, I could go on all day about it, it really was that good!

Tex

[GMC]

Hurts worse if you were on the LOSING ORIENTALS TEAM. Suffer in ya Mawashi's, suckers!

Well, yes. I would like to humbly accept the umpires decision, and... ah, stuff that; we wuz robbed! Wait 'til 2015!

Yes I think we were robbed too ( I will be sure about it when I work out which team I was actually on )

The result apparently relied on the mistaken belief that a Hodaka was a Euro bike when in fact it is part of the 'big 5' from Japan

[80-85 husky]

you could be doing that for some time Geoff...

[The Wombat]

 
[/quote]

Yes I think we were robbed too ( I will be sure about it when I work out which team I was actually on )

The result apparently relied on the mistaken belief that a Hodaka was a Euro bike when in fact it is part of the 'big 5' from Japan
[/quote]

Technically I would call it a draw.

Nathan u missed out big time!!!!!!!!!!

This was my return to Harrow since the 1st and it was awsome, Had it rained I may not be saying that, but for me rain is a no no at any event!

I am still recovering after finding a log behind a large tuft of grass at around 50kph ( Wombats tip stay on the track )

*******Special Thanx to my Sponsor Canam from Discount Motorcycle Wreckers for keeping me motivated and getting my entry in and all the shit I forgot.*******

Another Shout out to the friend of Peter Dunlop from AMTRA who sorted me out with a clutch cable are after breaking it on sat.

The only down side was changing gears in wet boots & leaving a spot on the trailer & taking extra tie downs for when I won the raffle to get the KDX home. Then actually using the tie downs & spot taking the KDX home for someone else 

The layout of the track was brilliant, the metal bridge freaked me out at 1st but was a gr8 touch.

More thanks to Tex & Canam for dragging me up a crossing 

Yes Tex when u came hooking past us on the DT I thought Bloody hell!!! then to find u in the marsh stopped dead hard not to laugh, yr right tho Canams bloody horn obsession never helps 

I was speaking with Lochie & the lady who owns the land at the fuel stop, she was so happy we were so happy. So thats a good sign for the future

Well done all.

[odd1]

After our meeting with the land owners last night if you think this year was bri?liant you aint seen nothing yet going down to scout new course in November  . John  what you saw on the course stays on the course sitting here with Shoey  getting the 3rd degree at what I was doing to his bike

[the stig]

After our meeting with the land owners last night if you think this year was bri?liant you aint seen nothing yet going down to scout new course in November  . John  what you saw on the course stays on the course sitting here with Shoey  getting the 3rd degree at what I was doing to his bike

      Got to agree there   So can the Riders that made the effort this year have
      the first 135 places next year   

      The Stig

[Nathan S]

Tex, you're not helping!
  .....

[oz555ktm]

WOW   Now thats was Good ..

This is the the Cream of events in Australia .
Harrow has it all .   The Land on it was run . The Town and the Pepole in and around the town .
You can Not Beat this event  .
Well Done to the Veri Team ..
I did not get to take a lot of photos and the Gopro F%#k up .

And Some one gave Me a Very Bad Parwn and I did get out to around Lunch on the sunday .
But I did get the Laps I needed .

I wll try to give you all a Look at Harrow

    Wednesday night  .
   All Packed ready to Leave ... 12 to 13 hours driving in front of me ..
    Join up the the rest of  the Blokes  at yass  at 8.00 am ..   ! !

 


The road trip Dinner in the Car park at Horsham on Thursday night at 9.00pm arfter going shopping for food ..
a Good spot to start the Party



Harrow in the  Morring
 


Bike Checking and sign in



Steve B Yelling out How to start a Honda



Steve Help did not Help This Bloke Bike to start  and it was Befor the Cold start test ..  And Who is this Man ??



Is that Bike Going to Pass

[oz555ktm]

The Boys from the A.C.T. all Passed the Bike test



 The A.C.T  and the N.S.W Bikes ready to go
 


Staring to Fill its only 8.30 am



Some are just geting up ..      Come on Shoey Mate     Get ready to Kick sume  Big 4 Jap bike  .. Ass 


Duncan is ready to Go Nice KTM Mate



 Bill C telling Luffy .  Mate !  you just dont go and do that .!  put the Union Jack flag  all over a  KTM  ...

[oz555ktm]

No way the Big 4 will Bet the Euro s Thay allwayworking on the Bike 



 Ekka with the so called Euro Killer ..Ha that did not happen . did it Mate



 Thanks to  The Great  Euro Bike Makers 




 Well I Got my Harrow Gold and The Euro Bikes Won the Best  Enduro Bike

[80-85 husky]

great piccys, sums up the event beautifully....