Well this is the other Easter story we aren’t so familiar
with. This is not a story from long ago but a journey that would be in the true
spirit of Adventure.
The Caponord was itching to get dirty again. My partner
Karine and I decided it was time to break free from the city and do some
touring and camping.
After a quick consultation with Google maps we decided to
head for the Beecroft Weapons Range near Currarong in NSW. This area is used by
the Military to test weapons, but part of the “safe area” is among some of the
most beautiful parts of southern New South Wales.
Friday night we spent prepping up the bike and the normal
camping kit. Tents, bed and food were thrown into the panniers and top-box.
Karine developed a sore back which could have put the trip into jeopardy,
however the next morning she was ok.
Over the previous week I had
spent some time doing a re-map of the Aprilia ECU. Thanks goes out to Mike Chaplin
from California for his work in this regard. Mike did all the hard work on a
Dyno developing a state of tune that would transform the Caponord from average
to Wow! After installing the maps and asking a few questions on the AF1 forum
about Fuel trims, IFT, LTFT, etcetera, I found the “sweet spot”. (Thanks guys on the AF1 Forum)
Saturday morning we hit the road! The weather was perfect and
the traffic out of Sydney was light. Past Wollongong and the traffic thickened
so we took a break for a while.
Saturday lunch was in Berry. The only reason Berry exists is
for tourists. The lunch at the pub was not wonderful but it was better than the
$15 hamburgers the tourist sheep were grazing on next door.
Back on the road we headed through Nowra and then turned
east. The road to Currarong passes through beautiful emerald green dairy
farming areas. The ever present odours (Cow poo) of the country reminded us
where we were.
We arrived at the Weapons Range and booked ourselves in.
The road to the camp site is 9kms of dirt. I should have
dropped the pressures on the tyres a bit, but even so the bike handled brilliantly.
Once we arrived at the camp site, we set up the tent and then went for some
exploration.
The beaches around Jervis Bay are some of the quietest and
most pristine in NSW. It really did feel at times like we were the only ones
there. At one stage we came across a Kangaroo that must have been very used to
people because it followed us around for a while looking for a hand out. We
also saw a magnificent Sea Eagle searching for its nest and Kookaburras having
a laugh.
A friendly local
Another Local character
Enough of the friendly!!
Home sweet home.
The navigator, pillion and Love of my life.
Later that night we found Honeymoon Bay. I tried to take
photos to capture its beauty, but every one failed. This tiny inlet that was tranquillity
in a handful.
Serenity
And by day it was even better.
The next day we meandered back to Culburra, Nowra, Kiama and
then to Helensburgh. Later that afternoon we arrived home, tired but
satisified.
Culburra was a tad cool.
The mapping had transformed the Caponord. The Aprilia has always
been a joy to ride, but the new fuelling has made the experience even better.
If I sat on 4000rpm the motor seemed to be at its best. Overtaking is
effortless.
The only negative to the trip was my pannier rack cracked at
a weld. Anyway, this gives me an opportunity to remove the racking, weld up the
joint, add a gusset to the joint to get some strength and powder coat the whole
unit. (It’s currently painted). It’s a job that I should have done ages ago.
So that was our Easter. Relaxing, fun and enjoyable. Again
the Caponord shone and proved to be one of the best bikes I have ever owned.
