08 February 2014

Pannier Fitting

Canberra - Sydney - Canberra
556 km


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I had order a set of SW-Motech Panniers from Motohansa in Sydney. They said they would install them for me if I could get my bike to Sydney.

So off I set at 5.30am to try and make it to Sydney by 9.

It was pretty dark when I set off.




 I had some issues with my bluetooth speakers sticking into my head so I stopped at the Lake George Lookout to try and fix it. It was a coldish morning and I wished that I had not worn my summer gloves, I was more focused this morning on the 37 degrees it was going to be than the temperature when I left home. I really need to get my heated gear sorted out as soon it will be cold all the time.

Some nice colours in the sky at the Lake George Lookout.



 
 

I sunrise looked beautiful, that is until I had to ride directly into it.


 
  



There was some fog off to the side of the road.
 
 
 
I stopped in at Pheasants Nest to refuel.

  Its sometimes hard to get what you want in a photo when you are riding past it at 100km/hr.
  

Welcome to Sydney, the traffic was starting to build up but wasn't to bad yet.




My GPS decided to play games it told me to turn off the M7 and Horsley Park and then to do a U-Turn to get back on the M7. It then decided to freeze up and not do anything. I couldn't get it to work so decided to go a bit further. I knew I had to get onto the M4 and head towards Parramatta. Once on the M4 I pulled over and after a bit of mucking around managed to get the GPS working again.

I arrived at 9.04

The guys (Jeff & Tony) were really helpful and whilst Tony (a fellow Tiger 800 owner) installed my panniers I had a cuppa and read some bike magazines. They had then installed with me out the door at 12.


Whoops I managed to miss the turn off to get back on the M4 so took the next turn which took me through the suburbs. 


 

I made it to Liverpool where it was extremely hot with a very slow progression with lots of stop starts. I had read on forums some people complain about the heat that comes of the Tiger motor and now I know what they are talking about. I had to keep moving my legs as there was so much heat they were burning. I was really glad to get to the other side of Liverpool and continue on as I couldn't feel the engine heat once moving.



 


 

Stopped at Pheasants Nest to refuel and have some lunch.

Looking good.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Lake George is very dry.
 


I arrived back come at 1600 I was very hot, my face looked like a beetroot it was so red.