Blessing of the bikes, riding Yea and the slippery double whip


I've been in biker heaven over the last few weeks!

Blessing of the bikes San Remo

Alex Foreman at the Blessing of the Bikes San Remo
I heard about some huge ride with 10,000 bikes in Victoria called "The Blessing of the Bikes". I had no idea what this was but thought I'd go along and find out. 

The Arch, Blessing of the Bikes San Remo
It turns out that it's literally a religious ceremony in which your motorbike is blessed. You ride under and arch and receive the blessing as you pass through. I didn't feel anything profound as my bike was blessed, but was glad to have tried something new. On the other side are a lot of bikers and stalls selling awesome but expensive accessories.


Giorgio's cafe Malvern, ride start point
To get there, I decided to ride with the Melbourne Motorcycle Riders. Doc organised the ride. We met at Giorgio'd cafe Malvern and ended up riding the long way through the hills.

Melbourne Motorcycle Riders waiting for the ride round-up
The ride broke up in the hills and quickly became disorganised. I broke away from the mess and teamed up with a group of people claiming they were not off duty cops, even though they strictly stuck to the road rules and talked about their mates at the station. I rode with the "not cops" to the blessing, enjoying the gorgeous Victorian countryside and watching my speedometer very carefully, hahaha.

Riding to Yea with EastSide riders

Jase and his gorgeous BMW S1000
The EastSider riders led by Brian let me join their amazing ride to Yea. I didn't quite know how to take these guys at first. They were very big on their rules and not shy to dish out insults. But after riding with them I was sold. They are a group of experienced, very solid and capable riders, who don't tolerate fools and are out for a good and safe time. Brian's knowledge of the roads was second to none and the ride was nothing short of a day of brilliance. The endless perfect corners, great weather, amazing scenery and good food made for the best day.

The most fun you can have with your cloths on!

Brian, EastSide Ride Captain
I ended this ride with new friends, bruised ago and a club membership. Looking forward to hitting the road with these boys again.

Slippery Double Whip Technical Touring Ride

Riding the double whip with Alex Foreman, Maverick Octane and Philip

The Double Whip was meant to be a hardcore ride for experts in corners, but God didn't give this ride His blessing, choosing to piss on us all day. Let's rename this ride "The Slip - Maverick's aquaplaning adventures" haha. Unfortunately the light drizzle lifted the road oil to the surface making for a slippery and treacherous ride. In fact I'd say these have been the worst riding conditions I've experienced, it was like riding on KY Jelly!


Live entertainment was a nice finish
Loved the route and would like to try it in the dry. Great to meet Philip and hear his stories of riding in Europe! Must add it to my list.







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