Seven of us met at Macca's Heathcote for the scheduled   10am   departure. It was a strange gathering! Not a single GS! That would have to be a first!   We had two RTs (Frosty and myself), two XRs (Tony and David), an FJR (Rod), a KTM (Peter W) and the massive 114cu HD (Peter G). I took the lead and Frosty kindly offered to be TEC.   Being such a small group, we opted not to corner mark and that worked well with just the occasional need to regroup as we came on and off the M1. No one was lost or left behind. Well done, Frosty!   The weather was overcast for most of the day with just some light mist on the higher ranges. Otherwise, the temperature pleasantly ranged between 18-24 degrees.   For the ride South, we firstly backtracked (North!) and turned into Farnell Ave to go through Audley and enjoy the full extent of the RNP. Traffic was light with only a couple of cars to pass all the way through to Stanwell Tops.   We took the usual back way down...

  Well , third time lucky with the weather this year meant a good turnout was possible, I counted 22 riders and a pillion .   I’d planned to skirt the west side of Lake Macquarie as the first two rides ( weather cancelled) were both to the east side .    We left and rode the well known path via the old road , Peats Ridge , down the Bumble Hill ,Yaramalong to Dooralong for smoko . No incidents so far all arriving safely.    The plan then was to head along the Mandalong road towards Morriset and turn left at the big roundabout towards Cooranbong . Andy mentioned that if we turned left at Deaves road a touch earlier it cut out the roundabouts .  Most of the crowd managed to make it onto the new route but a couple did not . After a quick call from Tec Peter ( braces ) we caught up at Freeman’s Waterhole .   Note - if you’re going to change the route  , let everyone know! Lesson learned .    On we went through the back blocks of Lake Mac...

Welcome to 2025!!!  No serious dirt riders turned up at St Ives on Saturday, just myself with F800GS and John W in his Safari Truck. Undaunted we proceeded to PITS where we met Mr Valise and proceeded to coffee and chat with other current and former UNB bods. To my surprise both our starters expressed the desire for some dust, so we travelled on to the Letter A and rode the Murrays Run Road. So nice it was so we reversed direction and rode back up to Kulnura and on to the 47 Oaks ( formerly Corrugated ) Cafe for a light lunch. Then homewards to enjoy the 2025 Dakar Prologue on the telly. Cheers Geoff W.  

 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

  The day started with us finding that our start point, Heathcote Maccas was closed for renovations and only the Drive Thru was available. We now know that Drive Thru does not accept Motorcycles or pedestrians. Some riders solved that by begging people in cars to order coffees for them and others walked next door to Hungry Jacks or BP to get their coffee. We had 8 riders which included 2 from the Sydney branch being Gary on his Spider and Dave on his Harley. They were duly welcomed and given the clap! The ride route took us through the National Park from Waterfall and then onto the Pacific Highway, exiting at Picton to Mt Keira and down to Port Kembla to join the Motorway to Albion Park followed by a brisk and traffic free ride up to the Robertson Pie Shop for Smoko. From here we went down to Kangaroo Valley and then took a back road through Wottamolla to Berry for lunch in the park. This road was new to most of the riders although a couple remembered this from many years ago when ...

  It seemed like a good day for a ride way out west, so seven of us left for morning tea at Mt Tomah Botanic Garden. Bells Line of Road has numerous sections of newly sealed road between Kurrajong and Bell and numerous signs saying no overtaking on unmarked roadworks. There were no traffic controllers and not much traffic so we could live with that. Morning tea was interesting with some riders looking at their phones to find rain. After morning tea two riders decided to make their way home after being scared off by the BOM radar storm and heavy rain pattern forming to the north and heading east. That left five of us looking for adventure continuing to Mt Piper via Mt Victoria, Bowenfels, Rydal and Lower Portland, however we lost Andrew at Bowenfels when a mammoth splat on his visor put a stop to going any further but all good when he rang me to ask where we were, he was already at Mt Piper waiting for us. He obviously found a shorter way. It was great riding on some good country ro...

  Frazer Beach ride report. It was a beautiful sunny day with a cool breeze, perfect riding conditions. Twenty-three bikes, two Harleys and a hysterical Honda gathered  at 7-Eleven Berowra. We had one virgin, Dave riding one of the Harleys. He was duly given the clap!! Wayne of the “Long White Cloud” turned up on his new green R1300 GS. Very smart (the bike, not Wayne). Mark volunteered for TEC duties and I stipulated that corner marking was to be observed. Morning tea was to be partaken of at Jerry’s establishment in Kulnura. As a number of the men in blue and iridescent cars were spotted on the way to Berowra I surmised that there wouldn’t be any on the old road to Jerry’s so a brisk pace was taken. At Calga we took the road towards Somersby and regrouped at Wisemans Ferry Road. The hysterical Honda was overheating so the Dud Cheque took off to cool it down. Andrew of the Tenere said there was some sort of holdup with the riders behind so we all took off and left Kim of the ...

  As I travelled towards Berowra on a wet and drizzly morning I thought I wouldn’t be surprised to see no-one there. Then the phone rang and it was Paul, already at Berowra, saying there was no-one there and where the hell was I? It’s nice being right occasionally  😜 Anyway, 5 mins later there were two riders at Berowra with no expectations of any more arriving when, to our astonishment, two more riders arrived so now there were 4 👍🏻 As it was fast approaching  10am  we consulted the Oracle aka BOM Radar and decided inland was the best direction so we agreed to head for Ebenezer Church for morning tea and to reassess there for the next leg. I was all set to lead when Paul bent the ear of the other Andrew who then courageously roared out in front so good on him. The trip down to the ferry was cautious given the wet roads and a sudden burst of oncoming traffic flagged the ferry’s recent arrival on our side. As we turned the last bend we saw the barrier coming down b...

  We started out with 19 takers for this ride. Unfortunately we lost Rocket due to a sore neck, and Wayne due to a delayed flight from some where else in the world, so 17 of a set out from Pheasants Nest at 9. 30   on Monday morning .   Do you think it will rain???? We rode the main highway through Marulan and, then turned left to Bungonia and then Tarago for morning coffee. From there it was through Braidwood, down the amazing Public Service Highway to Batemans Bay where we fuelled, and then lunch at Moruya. The afternoon run took us along the Princes Highway until we turned off to follow the coast through Bermagui and Tathra to our destination at Merimbula. Drinks and an excellent dinner  at the RSL club.   Tuesday morning saw us departing Merimbula without Scotty. Something that he had eaten or drank the night before caused him some severe stomach anguish and he felt it would be better not to try the mountain ride. He ended up spending the next night in the s...

RIDE REPORT Let’s Swan off to Swansea, 20 or so Riders gathered (all champing to get away) at the Berowra Servo. The weather looked “iffy”, but that didn’t deter. Knowing that, with my Motoguzzi Italian Stallion, everyone would overtake me, the executive decision was made – meet at Jerry’s (Kulnura) for coffee – and almost immediately the weather improved and Suitcase took the lead – thanks for that. On arrival at Jerry’s, I felt a frisson of friction – our Hills Rider (A) was being harangued by an irate Hog rider for “daring” to block his exit and, despite an apology and (A) moving his bike, the Hog Rider proved to be the ‘perfect gentleman’ by ignoring the apology, and literally spitting at A, before spluttering off to his next confrontation. Excitement over, we farewelled Jerry and Mrs Jerry, with Tony leading us down Bumble Hill to Yarramalong past the Pink Elephants, then to Hue Hue Road, Rutley’s Road and Pacific Highway, past the Monster-Prawn, along some familiar sweeping bends...

  I received a call last night from a very ill Al Scott.   Mate, he said, I am due to lead the ride tomorrow, I don’t want to let the troops down but I am just too ill to lead. Can you fill in for me. It seems he and his new flame have been having fun in the bush and he is now on deaths bed with Man flu. I hope you get over the sniffles soon Al.   I considered heading north and to St Albans via Spencer but opted for the simpler more relaxed route via Berowra Ferry. No need for corner marking and Mark, our capable TEC, made sure that none of the 15 got lost.   Smoko at Les Shore Oval at mere 23 klms ride meaning we arrived a little after 10.30. The BS was allowed to flow a bit longer than normal as it is a relatively short ride so off again at 11.00. Peter W and I went via Wisemans Ferry and everyone else Webbs Creek ferry. I was informed the road from Webbs Creek to St Albans was in very good condition, the road riders arrived and were well into lunch before Peter an...

  - a Perfect Day at Wangi Wangi It was a beautiful day, perhaps the most beautiful day of the year. A few fluffy clouds, a steady 23 degrees dipping to  a freshening 21 degrees as we ascended up to Peats Ridge and - Life is Good. You know the feeling! There were an indomitable dozen of us. Actually a couple more who left at morning tea, but not before they paid their dues to UCARF, who had arranged the perfect weather which ran contrary to the misleading, dire and deceptive representations from the weather bureau and the ABC. I was amused at the way, in almost perfect (sorry to use that word again, but it was that sort of day) formation the dozen followed me. Swooping up the old road at precisely the speed limit, if the speed limit had been the one I thought appropriate. A quiet coffee at Jerry’s, swooping and tweedling down Bumble Hill and a lovely run through Yarramalong, Dooralong, Mandalong and along the Lake to Chez Wangi in Little Wangi Bay. Rob Toshack did a perfect jo...

Bright and early on Tuesday morning the day held lots of promise, that was until it was time to leave for our meeting place at Sutton Forest. Just as leaving time arrived, so did the rain. Soon it was heavy, and then it was torrential. I stopped for ten minutes at Shell Forestville to clear my visor, and to wait for a break in the deluge. When the rain steadied down a little I was on my way again, joining the slow traffic. By the time I reached the M2 the sky was only offering a sprinkle, and that didn’t last long. My gloves were soaked, inside and out, so by the time I reached the meeting place, my fingers were slightly blue, as I had forgotten that I had grip heaters. With the help of some extra Watts the gloves soon dried out. We had perfect weather and sunshine for the rest of the trip. There had been a couple of late cancelations, so our day one group was John W, MTC, Geoff, Keith, and myself. MTC and John were in their quadbikes; MTC rode with us until  lunchtime, and then re...

  Australian Infantry Museum Ride The weather lately has been all over the shop and as a regular motorcycle rider one tends to keep a close eye on the weather forecast and this week more so for me. When my name pop’s up on the ride calendar to lead a ride, one invariably has a sense of duty to see it through, if it is to be its up to me.    On checking my weather apps including the BOM radar I wasn’t completely satisfied so looking out the window blurry eyed to double check I was convinced that it was going to be a good one and more than likely would be greeted by thirty or so overzealous riders at 7 Eleven Berowra. Sadly, this was not the case although easier to manage with only thirteen mildly enthusiastic riders on various makes and models of expensive petrol guzzling powerful machines, however nobody ever seems to complain about little things like that, it would only demoralise the pleasures of life we take for granted.   There were no newbies to welcome just the...

A perfect day greeted 26 enthusiast riders at Berowra heading out to Pokolbin via Jerry’s and Wollombi then to Pokolbin Park. Newby Sil was given the customary clap much to his surprise.    All started well with relatively clear roads until, while stopped at the Brooklyn Bridge Frosty noted a constabulary vehicle two cars ahead. Some cat and mouse unravelled as it appeared they sped up then slowed down as if to tease us. Eventually they disappeared and we continued merrily onto our coffee fix.    Jerry’s was a popular venue with like minded riders enjoying the open roads and coffee in the sun. We turned at Wollombi to enjoy the vineyard valleys and with some additional help from Richo we found our mark. Noted that the lead rider did take a wrong turn at one point!    Lunch and a leak was enjoyed by all before setting off in a variety of directions towards home. I did not pass go and went straight home to prepare for a Tassie adventure starting the next day....

  Six riders gathered at Berowra looking for a ride and 3 of them made the same suggestion. “Given the Luskintyre Ride got scrubbed last week why don’t we do that?” Who was I to disagree?   So, mindful of the fact time was a’tickin’ we set off a couple of minutes shy of  10am  for morning tea at Wollombi with Peter of the Braces in TEC role (thanks Pete) and with no corner marking nor regathers as everyone knows how to get to Wollombi!   Four riders arrived together, then another after 10 mins and then Pete after another 5. Again, cos it was now after  11:30am , Pete had to chug his coffee so we could get going again.   With corner marking in full swing now we set off for Cessnock and the Old Maitland road. After Bellbird we consolidated the ride group for the only suburbia portion of the ride, trawled through Bellbird Heights and Cessnock before forking left of the Old Maitland road. The first part was AOK and pace was brisk but after a few k’s we hit...