Homeward Bound

Saturday late evening

I was dreaming of the next day’s adventures when I heard a vehicle close by. For a moment, I was nervous. It was 11.30pm and I was alone, in the middle of the bush and without any radio or phone communications.

I popped my head out to of the tent to see a trio of guys getting out of a 4x4. What on earth??

My nerves were soon calmed when I saw the fishing rods. Damn, late night poachers!!

The only thing I could do was relax and keep an eye out. As it turned out, they couldn’t care less about me. All they wanted was a load of fish and a few rums.

By 1.30am they left and I returned to my dreaming!

Sunday early morning

I had forgotten all about the change from daylight saving and woke up at dawn. 5.00am

I gulped down a couple of cups of hard black coffee and wandered down to the lakes edge.

I was standing on the shore of heaven. The lake was like glass, the air was clear and the air crisp. And the best part was it was all mine.

As I stood on the shore I could see low fog rolling into the valley. It was almost like smoke drifting in. A wind came up out of nowhere and the lake changed from serene to chaos. It then hit me that this could turn into rain, which meant I could end up being damp for the day and that was something I didn’t want.

I packed up the bike and left my private piece of tranquillity.

Before leaving, I checked the Sat Nav and discovered that there was an undiscovered trail leading to the main road. It looked good and wasn’t too long, so it was worth the risk.

The new trail was actually a lot easier than expected, however a heavy fog made the riding slow. The layer of fog was from ground level to about 500 feet in altitude, so at times as I rose above the 500 feet I would pop out into a ghostly expanse of cloud. I almost felt like an angel dancing over the clouds.

Once I reached the main road I switched the Sat Nav to home mode and progressed to Bowral. (The birth place of one of our most famous cricketers, Don Bradman.) Bowral was still asleep when I rode in at 7.00am, however I felt satisfied that I had already enjoyed the best part of the day.

The rest of the trip home was quiet and uneventful with the exception of a police car chasing a speeding driver. This gave me a good chuckle as I rode past and saw the face of the driver. Lunatic!!

It was good to be home, even if my trip was a short one.

Epilogue

The Caponord performed flawlessly with the exception of the tyres failing to cope with some of the trails. Since then, I have purchased some new Michelin Anakee 2 tyres, which I hope will make a difference.

I have come to appreciate the Caponord more and more, whilst respecting its limitations. The Capo is not a trail bike, it wasn’t designed to be one. It is however a true Adventure bike which allows a rider to go places that the average driver will never see.

I encourage all Caponord riders to have a go. Start with an easy trail and then progress to something more challenging. You won’t regret it for a second!

Born Free

These were the first couple of words of  a song that described the letting loose of a captive lion. Last week end, I let loose my lion.

With my partner going away for the weekend, it was a good opportunity to pack up the Caponord and try the Aprilia in some slightly different terrain. The plan was to ride to a place called Kangaroo Valley, turn left and find a campsite in the Australian bush.

 Preparation - Friday night
The night before the ride, I chose to pack up the Caponord, ensuring I was ready for a early morning departure. Into the panniers went food, water, a change of clothes and camping gear. Once I was satisfied that I had everything, I checked again and again. Only 15 kilograms of gear was not a bad effort.
I could hardly sleep that night and for two very opposite reasons. Firstly, I was excited, nervous and had drunk way too much coffee.  But mostly it was the dinner I had eaten. Unknown to me I had consumed some Pate' that was a little past it's best date. It certainly didn't feel very good. (Read, I was really really sick)

The Beginning Saturday Morning
The grin on my face the next morning when I fired up the Caponord was huge. The illness from the night before had gone and it was time to hit the road!
Travelling out of Sydney was fairly uneventful; the traffic was light and easy. Around 45 kilometres from home, I came to a turn-off that led to a town called Helensburgh. However the reason I turned off was beyond that sleepy town.

I was heading a local hangout of like-minded bikers. Stanwell Tops is a car park that looks out over a gorgeous beach landscape. Sure enough when I arrived, around thirty five bikes were parked. As per usual, riders from every walk of life were hanging around, talking shit and gawking at each other’s bikes.

Oddly, a biker friend called me on my mobile phone just as I shut the Caponord down and so I gave him a running commentary of what bike was what. Harley’s, Ducati’s, Yamahas, MV Augusta’s in fact most manufacturers were represented. It was all good until a bus load of Japanese tourists came along and scared everyone away; me included!

From Stanwell Tops, I rode the coast road through the various seaside villages to a place called Gerroa. A quick nature stop and then time to head inland.

Saturday, Early Afternoon
The road to Kangaroo Valley is completely insane. There is no other way to describe it. Sharp “U” turns that are almost at 40 degree inclines, blind corners and cars driving in the middle of the road. I was certainly glad to get to Kangaroo Valley about 45 minutes later. I stopped for a relaxing coffee.

After asking for some clarification on my destination, I headed off toward Yarrunga Lake. Around halfway along the road, I noticed my fuel gauge and it was about half full. Oops! A major oversite if I wanted to do any serious bush riding. After thinking about the remainder of the trip, I decided to return to Kangaroo Valley and get some fuel for the bike and some spare fuel, just in case.
I paid way too much for a 5 litre container of fuel, but felt more secure knowing I had a backup if anything went wrong.

At around 2.00pm, I arrived at Tallowa Dam on Yarrunga Lake. The area is a designated State Forest which contains a lot of trials, scrub and animal life.
I checked out the dam, but this was not what I was really there for, I wanted to hit some of the fire trails and check out the off-road capabilities of the Caponord.


Saturday late afternoon
The trails were pretty easy at first, but then got harder, a LOT harder. Some trails were loose shale which meant I had to keep my wits about me, but then other trails were sandy and these took even more concentration. I travelled about 20 kiomoetres in parts of heaven.

Along the way, I met some over 50’s on dedicated off-road bikes. We stopped, had a chat and they asked me if I was lost! I said "no" and asked if I could tag along. The guys seemed amused at first, but said “why not, if you can keep up”. I kept up, for around 15 kilometres. It wasn’t until I realised my tyres weren’t up to the task that I called it a day. The other riders gave me a bit of a friendly cheer as I rode off in the other direction.

On returning to the Dam area it was time to set up my tent and get some well-earned food down. A couple of local goannas kept me company and the some stunning wallabies joined in. At first I felt a bit nervous with the goannas considering their size, (well over a metre long) but they seemed to be at ease with people so I let them scrounge some food and they then left me alone.
The start of the night was fairly uneventful and I did enjoy taking photos of the area, the vast array of stars and some shots of Mars.

A Friendly Local?? Well sort of. This is a very pregnant female goanna

A shy but adorable Wallaby.

This type of scenery was everywhere. Looking across Lake Yarrunga from my base camp.

Next blog, the late night antics, and the trip home……..

Caponord Is Italian For Community

I've ridden quite a few bikes over the years, and been involved in the motorcycle fraternity for a long time, and the one thing that makes the difference between owning a bike and loving a bike are the people.

This post is to say thankyou to the guys on the www.Apriliaforum.com  From all over the world we come together to support and encourage each other with owning the Caponord. Theses guys come from:

Australia, Albania, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Turkey, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA and probably some that I have forgotten.

Each of these guys has their own take on things, each has their own style of humour, but all have a common passion for the Aprilia Caponord.

Thanks to all of you (and you know who you are) for your help and assistance of the last year or so.

Ride well, ride long and ride free

Things That Go Bump In The Night

The Caponord is not the best in the bounce department. The rear shock absorber is fair, but they have been known to blow the seal in the height adjuster. So far mine is ok, it works, and works well. I think we can leave this alone for now.

The front suspension is technically good and beefy at 50mm, but the spring rates are way way too soft. Most Caponord owners state that front suspension is on the top of their wish list for Capo improvement.

I did the obligatory look around and thought about installing Hyperpro springs. They seem to fix most issues, but not everything. Combined with a Ricor Intiminator adjustable valve the suspension is spot on. The trouble with this is the outlay is around $600 AUD for the two items, which to me seems a lot of cash to sort out an issue that isn't that bad.

I even thought about trying to source some White Power forks from a KTM 950Adventure. I know these babies are top shelf, but they are also highly sort after and can be anywhere from $1000 to $1500 second hand. OUCH!

Enter Dave Ward from Moto Italia in Emu Plains NSW. I have dealt with Dave with a few issues on the Capo and he always left me feeling confident that I wasn't being fed a whole pile of BS. Dave advertized some Genuine Aprilia Upgraded fork springs that he thought would do the trick. The price was good, and he suggested that these would solve most of my issues with the front end.
(NB if you need good honest help for your Aprilia, Ducati or Moto Guzzi, go to www.motoitalia.com.au)

I visited Moto Italia on Saturday and his colleague John fitted the springs fitted them in half an hour. I paid the man and left for a lengthy ride in the Blue Mountains of NSW.

WOW!!! what a difference. More stable in cornering, more planted on bouncy corners, fork oil now working, and most importantly the front end dive is gone. One thing that bugged me more than anything was under heavy braking the front of the bike would go down faster than a balloon with a hole in it. Now the bike is controlled when under braking conditions and the brakes are actually doing what they should instead of fighting the suspension.

My Partner also noticed a huge difference. No more banging of helmets on a quick stop. Her thigh muscles say thankyou for the new springs!

So suspension changes make a difference, a world of difference; and it doesn't have to mean you have to put up a second mortgage to do it. $200 later, I am a happy suspension sorted Caponord rider.
Loving it!

The China Syndrome

I mentioned in a previous post the late supply of some panniers from China. Well they turned up the other day, much to my surprize!

To start off the quality of these boxes is rubbish!! Plain and simple! The shell is ok, it's just the way everything is put together. Mis-aligned latches, different size rivets. Paint, not powder coat, etc etc etc.

So, if you are in the market for panniers, then forget these guys. Pay the extra and get yourself some quality.

I did fit the panniers today and they look "ok" but I'm dubious about how long they will last. Time will tell.

I Have A Dream

The Caponord is starting to look like a real Adventure bike now, however it has taken a while.

So far I have installed or modified the following:

• GPS unit, (from Aldi, a really decent unit that is purpose built for bikes.)
• Genuine Aprilia high seat, (cause I have long legs)
• H&B Racks, both side and for topcase
• Aprilia topcase. (Unfortunately arrived a bit damaged, but is fixed now. The nutter in Greece that sold it was a pain in the neck as well.)
• Genuine Aprila heated grips. (You have to be comforatble right?)
• Aprilia stone guard, from Alby in SA. (Good on ya Alby)
• Ceramic brake pads. (A lot more progressive than the original)
• Rally Raid, bars and bar mount. (This has transformed the overall feel of the steering)
• Aprilia crash bars
• Yamaha hand guards. (fitted, but now taken off, I need to modify the mounts a bit)
• Dorsoduro indicators (The original will snap off if you look at them)

On the drawing board:

• Carbon fibre sump guard. (I will have to build this myself)
• Aprilia uprated fork springs. (Ordered, but not collected yet)
• Possibly a camera mount.

You Gotta Ask Yourself....

It's time to go back in time for a moment and explain a few things. Why an Adventure bike? Why not a sports bike?

For most of my adult life, I have ridden Ducatis. Talk about a Love/Hate relationship. When they are on the boil, there is no other bike that gives quite the same joy. BUT, when you need that particular little part that costs enough to fund a Central American country, that's where the hate comes in. Still, sports bikes and particularly Ducatis have always been my passion. So why the change?

Ok, blame those two English guys, Charlie and Ewan. Blame my insane passion for the Paris Dakar. That however is only one side of the story. The other side is a parachuting accident that I had some years ago. My back was not coping with sports bikes any longer. But riding is in the blood, there must be an alternative? There is, An adventure bike. They are more upright for a start. The power tends to be less raw edged and the springs just a tad (read a lot) softer.

The idea of jumping on a bike, doing 400 to 500 kms a day, going places cars can't, seeing the world from a different perspective, this is what I call appealing. I had done this on a Ducati a few times, but on dirt roads a Duc is more than a handful. I need a purpose built bike for the job.

In addition, my first bikes before I could legally ride on the road were all dirt bikes, so there was some experiance with a "softer" style of bike.

My first ride of a big powerful adventure bike was a KTM 640. For anything on the dirt, this bike is a beast. On the road, hmmmm, too lumpy. Then the 640's big brother came along, the 950 Adventure. Love at first sight.

So there you have it, the reason why.