Gidday from Melbourne, Australia.....

[kiwidave]

Hello there region, and Scots and other pals who may be reading.....

Christ, it's warm down here ha ha ha - the locals moan about the 'cool temp' when it gets down to 20degC!

Tomorrow the Melbourne forecast is for about 32 and it's my first day off in about six days so I am heading out of the city on Lawnmower Mark's Road King. How do you thank a guy who lends you his Harley stashed 10,000 miles away? Stoked, mate..... he sums up the ''people'' reason I love this club.

Anyway, to sum it up, had a few days in San Francisco in early Feb, and had the great pleasure of meeting Phild who is an absolute top bloke and who at this very minute is trying to get a word in edgeways with Baza at the real ale bar near his house (yes, they do do it over there and California is the home of awesome beer in the North American continent).

I found a V-Rod I liked, in Phil's shop! Well, the handlebars fitted ha ha ha


Then had three weeks in the old home country. LOADS of great people and old times revisited that are not H-D related.

I will say though, the H-D scene in NZ appears to be the same old same old i.e. 1% clubbers or HOG and nothing like our club, which is a shame. Not too many interesting Harleys around either.......the dealerships are as you would expect and the custom shops are in thrall still to the whole Orange County Choppers look. I pass, personally. The best thing I saw was a bloke riding a lovely shovel in jandals! (er..i mean flip-flops )

Oh yeah, I got a Shovel/Evo Super Glide back tattoo that I spent five years umming and ahhing about and designing/redesigning. It includes some patriotic Kiwiana....I will unveil it at the next meeting. A lovely surprise for Mrs Swift!

Club member Tibbs aka TibbsArt was top company in Christchurch, but he is coming back to the UK shortly so i will see him again sooner rather than later and i will be sure to introduce him to some real northerners at a rally.

Find of the trip was the parts shop in Timaru, NZ, that had the rare original 82-85 Super Glide fork decal that's now on the tattoo. I had been searching for that decal on the net for about 5 years. God I was thrilled.

I have been in Melbourne for a week and a half now, tryin to hustle a job to emigrate back down under. Omens are good. Got out on Mark's bike and that was pretty exciting - first time I had ridden a touring Harley, and it had indicators and electric start and FI (no petrol tap) and a hand clutch and a fuel gauge and a screen........all stuff I have never had or years-ago binned on my own bike. God, comfortable!!!!!!!! The highway pegs are close in and high but wow the overall feel was great.



trouble with these kinda geezer glides though is they don't attract the chicks. Just nerdy blokes with cameras.....


so you gotta fit some apes and a kicker, Mark!!! (actually that's my old Christchurch punk rock bandmate Mike who lives in the western suburbs here).

Did about 85 miles on my first day on it and coming over the Westgate Freeway bridge in blazing sun, looking at the incredible architecture of the downtown skyline here, was a huge thrill. Melbourne is just an awesome city.

I will be back in two weeks, prob will just miss the March meeting. Will post later this week some pix in Virtual Rally of some of the great bikes that Tibbs and I saw at the British/Euro/USA bike racing in NZ, and also of an incredible old-style H-D shop here in Melbourne that has three floors of vintage bikes and parts.

Keep on rolling ...and good to see some new guys around.

Dave

[MacHarry]

Heja Dave

Have a good time there in Aussi land look out for the cricket balls

see ya

Harry

Nice bike

[kendo]

Nice one Dave

[lawnmower]

that no fat chicks sticker is so you Dave

[weedavie_j]

Hi Dave, sounds like yer havin' a swell time down under M8............although just can't see yae on a v-rod even though it does have apes

Like the kangaroo skin gloves thou'

[dantheman]

glad to see yer havin fun ,dave ya ferker, we are in the middle of a heat wave here, so im away oot on ma bike, seeya when yer back in gods country

[PhillSpace]

Nice to see the pics Dave. Have a great ride.

Phil....

[nicknick]

keep having fun dave, will see you soon

[richie dyna 2000]

good to hear from ya dave you jammy bugga yes we are in a heatwave frost this morning well it was 04 30am and tee shirts in afternoon bike out by teatime, you keep on havin fun see ya later

rich

[Farang]

Glad you are making the most of the time and spreading the gospel. Reasonable excuse for missing the next meeting I suppose so perhaps we should plan to come visit Whitley Bay again for a ride out in April.

Have more fun and look forward to hearing all the war stories,

Andy