Sunny Corner 1999

Ride Report #1 - Andy Heard

Well, what can I say? Sunny Corner? Bloody brilliant! Riders for the weekend were Steve Griffith's and myself, Daniel Thomson and his mate Steve were also present but we missed them in the crowd on the Sunday. With a guesstimated 500+ riders on the day it's not surprising we didn't see them on the day. Steve and I arrived to the camp ground about 9.30pm after a couple of beers with Daniel and Steve in Lithgow (on route) and set up the tent. Once sorted several more cleansing ales were consumed around the campfire with a few hundred other likeminded individuals. Awoken at about 6.30 to the tune of one silly Pratt revving the nuts of his 2 stroke whatever? I thought it had been cold overnight but on emerging from the tent we were greeted to a white blanket of frost! Bloody hell it was cold last night! Bacon & egg rolls and a couple of brews saw the heads cleared and we were off to scrutineering, no dramas there and we parked the bikes in the park ferme ready for the off. First bikes were away at 9.00 and were being sent off in groups of 4 or 5. Steve and I were away about mid field and in to it straight away. The riding was unreal, the forest sections were fast with plenty of sweeping bends, both uphills and downhills. I don't think there were many there on the day that didn't over run a corner or 2, Steve seemed to be going for some kind of record in that department! We were about 12Kms in when we had our first problem, Steve suffered an impact puncture on the front so we found a convenient tree that acted as a perfect bike stand and proceeded to do a quick tube change. No problem apart from the time factor, see the ride was set so there was just enough time for most riders to complete each loop with half an hour to spare. Well 2 blokes, all the gear to fix it and well, 15 mins later and one pinched and we were starting to swear a bit. Another 15 mins and we were away, long after the last riders had been through. We got on the gas big time to make up a bit and not be the last poor buggers in at lunch time. This riding was awesome, it had a bit of everything, wet, dry, tight, open, up, down, rock, loam, you name it and this ride delivered. At about the 30kms mark there was a cut off point for us tailenders which pointed us back towards the camp ground and put us in amidst the pack again. The last 20 odd kms back to the camp were fast and flowing. Half hour and a greasy uncooked burger for lunch and we were off again. The  XR and I got to the second corner and the old girl died? "Bugger it, I hpe it's not terminal?", A quick once over and a plug change and we were off again trying to catch up with Steve. He had realised I was not behind and waited a few Kms further on. Off again and hammering when Steve had a big moment. A Fast marbly sweeper was the one that caught him out, wit everything locked up, he just ran out of track, went sideways down the drain and got slammed against a 3 meter high bank. As I was following I thought "ouch, that must of hurt". We dragged the WR out with not a scratch on it and Steve claimed he was fine, Ok lets go again. The next 20-30 kms were a dream, both in the groove, passing a few people and being passed by a few real quick boys. Now up to this stage we hadn't taken any of the 'HARD' sections, preferring to not take to the risk and take the pussy route. We arrived at a checkpoint and in the confusion Steve took the 'HARD' route, O.K. cool, lets see how we get on? No problem all the ay through until we got to a mother of a hill and there as carnage everywhere. Guys all crossed up and guys taking a little rest under their bikes. Well the good old XR just chugged her arse all the way to the top with only a couple of moments. The biggest problem was negotiating the fallen riders without riding over them. Excellent fun and on arriving at the top I met up with Steve who was grinning from ear to ear, "bloody great eh?" "to right mate" The top of this hill was a perfect spot for smoko and about 20 others decided the same. It was a fantastic view over the pine forests and down in to the valley. We got on the gas again and were going really well until I decided I had had enough of siting behind a slower rider, pulling out to gun past, what I thought was a wear rut turned into a foot deep erosion gulley "Shit" bang, on my arse, "you right mate?" said the slower rider, "yeah no worries, keep going". Where is Steve I though? Over the other side of the track taking my bloody photograph "thanks mate and by the way, do you want to come and lift this thing off me?" Slightly bent bars and a bit of gravel rash was the only damage. We got moving and hadn't gone to far when we came across a guy who had had a big off, the Ambulance was on it's way, so we decided a smoke break was in order and waved down the riders while the Ambos loaded him up and away. After he was carted off we got going again and it as only another 10 kms or so to complete the loop. Back at the Ute, loaded and down to the raffle and what does Steve do? he only go's and gets drawn out of the hat for a brand new rear tyre. He was happy but not really showing it as his ribs by this stage were giving him to much grief. A great ride, I would recommend it to all of ya, so lets see you there next year. Regards Andy Heard. P.S. A word of thanks to Geoff Ballard who supplied the case saver on my XR, as it prevented the chain coming off when the front sprocket had lost all it's teeth (and I mean all). P.P.S. Thanks to the organisers who did and excellent job with course marking and everything else.

 Ride report #2 - Daniel Thomson 

Got the application form in the post a few weeks ago and the memories flooded back. Mud, hills, broken bikes and 6 hours to cover 40km.  That was Sunny Corner '98. This is 1999; a year later, wiser, with more time to prepare. How much trouble could we get into? Such was the dedication (stupidity) to get there, when Steve Brown's boss (wife) claimed dibs on the car we hired a Ute and set off on Saturday afternoon, armed with every bit of riding gear we could gather, and a copy of 'Ralph'. Tomo's trail-bike tips (1) - As you walk through the house for the last time before leaving, check the laundry to make sure your riding boots aren't still there. The trip to Lithgow was highlighted only by experiencing the world's 2nd largest burger (Mighty King Burger, Old Northern Rd) and knowing we had the world's slowest Ute. Unload at the campsite we started getting into the mood. Scrutineering and discovering that I remembered to bring my bike keys this time, mean this year's got to be better than last. OK, back to check into the Hotel (yes, I know, but there's a lot to be said for a shower and a coffee in the morning), a shower and a feed, possibly a 'cleansing ale'. We managed to meet with Andy Heard in Lithgow for a beer on his way out to the camp site. He and his mate Steve were keen. With an XR600 and WR400F, nothing was going to stop them. Tomo's trail-bike tips (2) - All riders should have a 'Steve' along with them. They're very useful for all things from buying beers, providing lifts, and using as trail indicators; when they fall down, you either back off or use them for traction. Lithgow at night is marginally less exiting than scraping your toe-jam. Sunday morning, and while the birds sang and sun shone, I tried to remember how a gorilla broke into our room, trashed it and used my tongue to scrape his toe-jam. Tomo's trail-bike tips (3) - Helping the barman close up at 'god-knows-what' o'clock does not count as rider preparation. Tomo's trail-bike tips (4) - Starting a multi-stage navigation / trail rid with a hangover is a BAD thing. Open trails, up on the pegs, loosen up get some fresh air. This is better! Don't stop and look at the scenery, keep it flowing. The pain comes back when you stop. Pork-Chop Hill (about 20k's in and the scene of last year's disaster) came and went. Wet clay and mud replaced by good loam and rocks for grip. Erosion banks launched you and the corners begged for those feet up power-slides. My dak-dak ('90 TT250) was plugging away and I was being zapped by WR400s, XR600s and every KTM in NSW, but I didn't care. This is why I ride. About half way through Loop 1 we took a break and watched the styles of those who passed. Big Bore thumpers with guys wearing pink tutus and hanging on for dear life, 2-smokes screaming by in a flash of orange. 4-stroke 250s being thrashed like red-headed step children. Towards the end, just as we're starting to feel tired, the road turned into heaven. Third gear, open turns, soft corners. Button on, touch brakes, turn, repeat. That brought us into lunch. No falls but some near misses. Loop 2 was just as much fun. Where Loop 1 started with some moderately open stuff, allowing you to warm up, the afternoon session dumped you into it. Some tight single-track stuff through the pine forests meant my dak-dak was just as good as the big bores. The tight work puts a strain on your legs and by about half way in, I was cramping up in both legs. The solution was not to stop because that meant having to restart your bike and you know you cant. The hills were bigger and seems to go up forever. That meant the hills went down forever. Tomo's trail-bike tips (5) - Brakes are good thing. A back brake should have more than 2 settings, on / off. A front brake should at least have the power to lock up on a loose downhill. Half way through this, we came across one bloke having a bad day. He'd been belting along an open section on his XR and had a fit / seizure. His one piece of good luck was that a rider not far behind him was a trained nurse. By the time we arrived, he was awake and new his name, but not a lot else. She'd sent word forward and by the time we got to the next control, the ambulance was already attending to him. As the track wound down from the hills we began to recognise places. By then we were both stuffed and this helped to put in the last effort. The rough single-track pieces were heaven to ride and hell on the legs. When the course found its way back to the same great roads as loop 1, it was on. The last rough section was shot through in 3rd gear with the throttle dialled on. This goes to prove that a '90 TT250 can keep pace with a '99 TTR600 when you're too tired to care. So, that's it. We had fun and didn't fall down. I'm told that means we weren't trying hard enough. But as this is my first real ride after a collar-bone, and there's a girl who'll hurt me if I'm not fit for holidays later, it's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Bring on next year. The dak-dak and I will be waiting.

Daniel Thomson TL1000S and the Dak-dak ('90 TT250)