Oops I’ve had another seniors moment…..forgot all about submitting my ride report until I was awaken at 5am this morning thinking about my early onset something or other and the effects of such!   Anyway it started out a beautiful day, the sun was shinning, the Birds were singing, the Bees were buzzing and the hills were alive with the sound of music……hmmmm not really sure Julie Andrew’s is a good fit for a knarly bunch of hard arsed motorcyclists.   Anyway seven candidates rocked up to Maccas Heathcoate. Rod provided us with a 20 min dissertation on how wonderful the new BMW R1300GS is and its reliability / technical capabilities as well as his glowing remarks about Procycles!    The ride eventually commenced with a spirited lap through the national park, down the highway and upwards to the Robertson Pie shop for morno’s. We were blessed with virtually no traffic on the way up until I stopped behind a bus at some road works. This instigated a treasonous coup ...

  It is our sad duty to inform you that our great friend and fellow Ulyssean, Graeme Andrews died last Tuesday 14th April at the Northern Beaches Hospital. He had been battling cancer for quite some time.   Graeme was a generous and dedicated member of the Northern Beaches Branch of the Ulysses Club. He was Treasurer for many years and also a keen volunteer at our Bunnings Sausage Sizzles. He would donate the contents of his famous "Shrapnel Jar" to the sausage sizzle which was always a considerable sum. We had many "Maintenance Days" in his mechanics magic cave when he would help us solve all sorts of maintenance issues with our motorcycles. A true gentleman, may he rest in peace.  

               The Three Wise Men   With inclement weather in the offering,13 riders set off from McGraths Hill, with one nameless rider mistakenly ready to depart from Pheasants Nest, some 103km away. Scotty & Karen had planned to meet us at Oberon for lunch. A pleasant ride through to Oberon where the full group of 16 assembled, including Pheasants Nest Andrew! It was then a spirited ride down to Trappers Bakery at Goulburn via Shooters Hill. We then routed east to Bungonia and rejoined the main road at Tarago. At this point the dark clouds had moved in and the sky's opened up. Some stopped to put on their wets while others soldiered on to Braidwood. Suffice to say most ended up a little on the damp side.   It was then off to the Royal Hotel for a couple of 'frothy' ones and dinner. I was glad to see Bangers and Rissoles featured on the Gordon Blue menu. I had phoned Nina a week earlier to make a booking for 16. Whilst consuming a ...

  Well, that all went ok. The weather was near perfect. People thrust money into my hands as they arrived at Berowra and we went for a ride. We wandered off down the Old Pacific Highway. This is a lovely road and easy to under-appreciate because we do it so often. Lots of bends and twisty bits, and the added excitement that comes with the impossibility of riding within the speed limit, even, for much of it, if you are on a bicycle.  We are blessed, and Australia is beautiful as you wander through the trees and over the Hawkesbury and past the rich orange-red sandstone cliffs. The colour is almost Trumpesque, but I put that unpleasant thought behind me secure in the knowledge that the cliffs were there a million years BT, and will be there, provided we don’t blow the world up, a million years PT. I thought the following crowd was a bit slow, but that didn’t matter. They’d soon catch up at the multiplicity of roadworks traffic lights placed strategically to frustrate us. Quietly...

  McDonalds McGraths Hill was a hive of activity as 25 or so riders gathered for   a 10.00am   departure for this overnight ride to Scone the long way but a more interesting route. After a short briefing we managed to successfully hightail it out of Windsor and across the grasslands past a mobile camera car not far along on the right-hand side opposite. A quick stop at Kurmond to regroup and it was a nice ride along Bells Line of Road with another mobile camera car and then a lollipop stop and go at Bilpin as workman were clearing vegetation along the roads edge. Roadworks at Mt Tomah held us up momentarily and it was a clear run to Lithgow to regroup just west of McDonalds. The group of 25 bikes seem to have been split up into three groups because of the number of traffic lights getting through the railway town of Lithgow. The first stop was the very impressive Wallerawang Bakery for lunch. The Castlereagh Hwy was a good run with a 5-minute break at the Ilford Rest Area....

  I have just had a phone call from Geoff's wife Joan to say that Geoff passed away this afternoon. He'd had a mini stroke on Wednesday and was on life support. The family decided to turn off that support today as there was no hope of recovery. There will be a private family funeral but Joan intends to have a memorial celebration in approximately three weeks when we can all celebrate/share our experiences of Geoff's fascinating and interesting life. He was an enthusiastic supporter and tireless worker for the Northern Beaches Branch of the Ulysses Club. I have many happy memories of riding to all sorts of strange places with him. He will be sorely missed. Regards Alan Bateman

  Armidale Rally Report  Day 1  Sunday 23 March 2025 Departing  9am  from 7Eleven Berowra there were 11 bikes. We took the old Hwy to arrive at Jerry’s for morning tea and meet up with another rider from the Central Coast. Now we had 12 bikes and 1 pillion. It rained all the way to Jerry’s. We were looking forward to a coffee, but we found Jerry’s closed. After a disappointing stop at Jerry’s, we rode straight through to Maccas Singleton for a light lunch then it was onto East Gresford, Dungog to the Bucketts Way Motel Gloucester. On arrival at the Bucketts Way Motel we caught up with more people joining our group. The Bucketts Way Motel is currently charging $120 single & $140 double. We all met up at the Roundabout Inn for drinks and dinner. We booked the function room for 20. Nothing stays the same. The menu for dinner and the food was good, better than the last time I was there on an overnighter with the Thursday Riders.    Day 2  Monday 2...

  Including 5 brave ladies, we had 20 participants join us for the ride. Day 1 took us from Pheasants Nest to Tathra via Tarago for morning coffee and  Moruya for lunch. On day 2, we were guided around the great roads in the area by a local rider, Rob Armstrong. 370 kms of dream roads for riders. I managed to pick up an award for the most corner marking duties for the day! At the ride briefing, Rob reminded us all to get a calcium scan on our hearts.  Despite not having any symptoms, a calcium scan at a health check-up resulted in him having an urgent triple bypass operation! On day 3, we headed up to Bombala via the mountain road through the forest. After coffee in Bombala we headed across the high country to Cooma. Great open flowing roads through the hills and past the wind farms. After lunch in Nimmitabel we headed down Brown Mountain to Tathra via a detour through Candelo. On day 4, we headed for home with the usual break offs as varying riders made their own way hom...

This is not an obituary. It’s a memoir; a ride down memory lane with Phil.   Phil was quintessentially English, of Welsh heritage of which he was proud. He said he was a blitz baby, born in the early part of the war as the bombs rained down on Coventry. He was his own man, never unfriendly but with a certain poise and an individual that did it his own way. You knew he was close to his family. He was smart. Classy sometimes like James Bond, but without the malevolence. Occasionally he could remind you of Inspector Morse, silver-grey hair, smooth and particularly so when he went through his Jaguar period.   He was a very good rider; experienced, tidy. He liked fat touring bikes, like the Yamaha FJR and the BMW RT.   I can recall following him up through the Murray region. You go up through Yackandandah and the Keiwa Valley. There is a very nice long cut up through Granya State Park which eventually gets you, via some wonderful roads, to Walwa and Corryong before you tour in...

 The 2025 UNB First Half Ride Calendar is now up and running on the RIDE CALENDAR page. NEW FOR 2025 RIDES AND EVENTS -  NEW monthly ( last Saturday of the month ) PITS DROP-IN social gathering at Pie In The Sky at Cowan 10am till 12midday. Join us under the big shade sail for a coffee and chat. and RETURN of Ride Leader contact details on the Calendar Event tab. and please, SMS the Ride Leader  to advise you're coming on the ride. See you there! .

 Thanks to all the UNB regulars and irregulars who came on the Christmas Lights ride last Friday evening. However news has been received that one of the assembled multitude has today tested positive to Covid. So please guys, all go and get a RAT test. Asap! Ho Ho Ho, Merrrry Christmas!

  Fourteen happy campers!! Fourteen people turned up for the annual GONBUC Christmas breakfast at the H2O Cafe in Narrabeen. The numbers were a bit fluid for a while and our hostess Mia managed to seat everybody together. John W honoured us with his $8 special Christmas T-shirt which was universally admired.  There was a massive rain squall during the breakfast. We were fine inside but the poor sods outside admiring the lake views got drenched. The company was great, food and service was good,  and the books balanced. What else can a you possibly wish for??? Thanks to everyone who came and to Chris for the photo. Have a Happy Christmas and all the very best for 2025. Cheers Alan

 Today's ride early start didn't happen for various reasons, so we missed our window of opportunity to join the 10am massed ride from Narellan to Cordeaux Dam. Instead we took a more leisurely route over the Harbour Bridge and down the Bay to join the Princes Hwy to Engadine for a coffee stop, then on to Waterfall, down the Old Princes Hwy to Bulli Tops, then the Mt Ousley Rd to Picton Rd and to Cordeaux Dam, arriving just after the Memorial Day speeches and just in time for a rissole on a roll. About a hundred Ulysseans there, lots of familiar old faces, bit of a catch-up, good to see you etc. etc.  Thanks again to Macarthur Branch for hosting and food. A lovely spot for a picnic lunch. Home through RNP and that was a lovely ride as well. Temp. around 22 - 24 degrees, light traffic, no hold-ups other than road closures in the CBD. Ah well, pay the toll this time, home by 3pm. Cheers!

Well, another successful Nerriga ride. Depending on who’s weather chart you looked at, it could have been either a very wet day, patchy rain throughout the day, or cloudy but fine. Seven riders turned up to do the ride, and it turned out to be a beauty.    Given that the national park was still closed, we travelled down the old Princes Highway to Albion Park, then through Jamberoo to Kiama, around the juicy Kiama bends and into Gerringong for morning coffee in the Main Street. A brief senior moment by the ride leader had us turning off the M1 one ramp  too early, and so we had to come into Albion Park by the back way to get onto the Jamberoo Road. The countryside around there is looking fabulous at the moment.   We then followed the coast road through Geroa, Shoalhaven heads and on to Nowra, and then took the BTU Road across to HMAS Albatross and on to the Braidwood Road (the one we call the Nerriga Road) to the Nerriga pub for lunch. As we left Albatross, we faced a...

  3 riders gathered at Berowra on an overcast deary day The roads were wet and the clouds ominous Paul donned his wets and led to Jerry's for Morning Tea I put on my thermal layer as it was cold, as Rob took the lead is to Millfield via Wollombi   Lunch at the Central and I led us home, via  Freemans waterhole, Hue Hue, to Yarramalong , up Bumble hill and the old road to The Pie. Great ride, yes I know we do this ride regularly, but great roads and the destination is really unimportant, when you are riding, the road in front of you is the only thing that matters Shared, lead, TEC and pack duties Enjoyable day I did 352k, those that stayed home, missed a good days riding Peter (Tracer) Take Care Peter

 Today's ride to the MMM Club at Central Mangrove was a prime example of what happens when yours truly the Ride Leader pikes out.  Muddle and indecision prevailed, and my abject apologies to those who ventured forth despite the persistent band of showers Huey had positioned above the Northern Beaches at 8am. THE RIDE LEADER ALWAYS TURNS UP. That's THE RULE. So. Wet gear on, I leave my warm dry garage at Allambie Heights and head off.  St Ives was also dreary and drizzly, so my pre-ride coffee stop with MTC and John W was occupied watching the rain falling, fielding texts and suggesting you stay at home today, and then deciding I'd do just that.  Nevertheless Suitcase had already departed sunny Cucumber and arrived at PITS warm and dry and with justification accused me of piking. And then John O texts me from warm dry Mangrove Mountain saying he was sitting at a big empty dinner table so where were we? I grovel. I examine my metaphorical navel and consider that I must...

PadPal Berowa  7/11 9:30am  just one Peter and Andy I was then Robbed,  5 riders left  at 10:00am  for The Australian Army Infantry Museum, at the Singleton Army Base Very close to last week's destination, Luskintyre Airfield Andy, 3 Rob's and a lone Peter. Very used to there being a surfeit of Peters, never been out numbered before Lovely ride to Wollombi for morning tea, Then on to the museum, the road between Wollombi and Paynes crossing, is still atrocious, but after that very little traffic and a great ride. Sunny but not too warm. A new destination? The Lone Pine Cafe is open and has clean Toilets, we sat outside for lunch, before giving the Museum the once over.  Thank you to everyone for the company, an enjoyable day, we lost two Robs on the way home via the Pie. Losing one was unfortunate, Losing the second was careless.   The Lone Peter

 Here follows my Report for the ride to and from the Rally. There will no doubt be lots more to say about the Rally itself, which overall was a great success for the town, the organising committee and the participants. I understand there were well over 800 registrations with around 15 from Northern Beaches.  Weds 3rd May  Off to Lismore. Four 9am starters from St Ives - Geoff, Kevin Hardy, Peter Walsh and Keith Bourdon. Picked up Erica at Berowra and headed up the Expressway to the Peats Ridge exit, and on to Wollombi for a leg stretch. Then through to Broke for a non-coffee stop.  On via Mt Thorley onto the Golden Highway and up through Jerrys Plains, across the Edderton Road and to Muswellbrook for fuel. Beautiful day so far but the breeze picking up. Up the New England Highway, round the Scone bypass, and arrived at the pie shop at Murrurundi with 5 minutes to spare. After a pie and a chat we added a layer or two and headed up through the Liverpool Range into cold...

Venue: Kemp’s Creek Sporting and Bowling Club, Elizabeth Drive, Kemps Creek. Branches attending: Eastern Creek, St. George, Northern Beaches, Wollondilly, Nepean and Hills District. There was no set agenda. Tim Shelton reiterated the reason for the meeting was to develop ideas to increase the membership of the Ulysses Club. Each attendee introduced themselves and spoke of ideas their branch had to encourage membership: (1) More combined branch rides as they were seen as being very successful. More than seventy riders to the last ride to Grey Gums Café. St. George branch are going to organise the next combined branch ride to Woronora Dam, date to be decided. (2) Create a combined ride calendar Facebook page where the Ride Co-ordinators from each branch can add their rides. It would have ‘public’ access but only the ride co-ordinators would have admin rights. (3) Combined branch overnighter to Mudgee on June long week-end. Nepean branch to organise. (4) There is still a strong p...

My mother had a pillion on a Harley when she was 17. Went to the Dam up in the Watagan Range, got home with virtue intact but decided she would not be able to trust herself on a Harley Ride again. Met my dad years later & had 2 babies during WW2? Maybe thought her clock was ticking too fast! Fast forward to Sandra, another WW2 child who pillioned at 14 & wanted to relive that for 80th birthday. Her kids found GONBUC & Alan B's details to arrange fantasy ride on a suitable carriage such as behind Spyder Man. Arrangement involved donation to UCARF only. Too many laws around taking paying passengers for me. A little help needed to throw the leg on & off to Estuary for coffee. Perfect spot at Brooklyn overlooking Hawkesbury River. Onwards to Terrigal Skillion via Old Hwy, another dreaded double demerits weekend, lunch with views of The Haven. Very humid day so straight back on Freeway. Excellent days riding with appreciative company. If you have friends needing to “thro...