Touring Numinbah Valley on a 1948 Ariel Red Hunter
by Peter Ariel
On Saturday 20th of November in 2004 a group of British motorcycle enthusiasts
(British Singles Motorcycle Club) set off on their annual journey with the destination of Casino in the Northern
End of New South Wales, Australia. Their starting point was Stimson Park,
Moorooka, Brisbane in the southern end of Queensland.
This run is organised
by "The British Singles Motorcycle Club" (BSMCC Inc) and has
been run for at least ten years at around the same time every year. Its
entire distance entails riding country roads the long way through some
of the best scenery that the Gold Coast Hinterland has to offer. The stop-over
for day one is Casino where they usually pre-book hotel rooms for the night.
They journey back the following day is by a different route often decided
that night.
The riders arrive and then gather for the pre-ride briefing
:
BSA thunderbolt owners compare notes on identical builds
The Machines from another time lined up ready to go
A few adjustments and preliminary checks before start time of 8am
As the club photographer for its bi-monthly journal (Kickback), I had
the job of providing photographs for our hard working editor. Also a new
opportunity has arisen with webring to publish some of our adventures to
the world of historic motorcycle enthusiasts to which they are ever increasing.
I just happened to have the oldest bike attending this run and knew that
it was probably out of condition to keep pace with the later generation
machinery through the winding and bumpy country roads. I have renamed the
rear suspension on my Ariel "Unstay" unlike the inventors name
Anstay. It is rumoured that this suspension was patented in 1929 and was
still being used on 1959 square fours, you could only ask why.
It was prearranged that I would accompany this tour into the Numinbah Valley
and peel off and photograph the scenery that they would have barely had
a glimpse of. Hence the title "Touring Numinbah Valley on a 1948 Ariel
Red Hunter" and I tell it as it is, warts and all. To me I am riding
a history book that was left behind in the changing of technologies, in
today's case the swing arm hydraulic rear suspension would prove why it
evolved to take over the suspension stakes. The bike is my first ever motorcycle
purchased when I was still at high school and I then met an old friend
who showed me all he knew in putting it back on the road as a restored
riders motorcycle. That all began thirty five years ago and this machine
has done so many miles that it is on its third motor and second gearbox.
It is soon to have its rear suspension re-bushed and the steering head
bearings replaced after its poor handling on this trip.
It's starting time of 8am. and we all follow the leader on one of the thunderbolts
only to have him snuff the bike at the first intersection and we all coagulated
behind him not expecting this sudden stop. A few of us gave him some room,
by passing to the other side of the road and watch him try to kick it back
to life. Lucky this happens on a hill and he clutch starts it and does
the block again. All of us then rumble through the shopping centre of Moorooka
very slowly before heading down Beaudesert Road collecting two more riders
after a few miles on this road. We had not seen a comet for fourteen years
and we were now seeing one accompanied by an electric start bonny.
We were all heading for Beaudesert when a fuel stop was announced, so it
was time to get a closer look at the comet and compare petrol prices with
the rest of the world.
This comet needs fossil fuel for energy and now ready to re-orbit
World fuel price comparison, lucky we don't have V8s to feed
At this point we are close to the Beaudesert Steam Train crossing. We did not get to meet it on this trip but I will put in a photo of when we did meet up with it on a previous trip. I wonder how much coal prices have risen by.
Beaudesert Steam Train Turning Point at Logan village
We headed for Mount Tamborine and most likely end up in a cloud. The road up the hill is extremely bumpy and windy and those with good suspension enjoy it to the maximum. Of course they came across a low loader with a big tractor going up the mountain. This split the pack up considerably. I waited for ample room to overtake and we were at the top a while before we saw the low loader pass again.
Arranged meeting point on Mt Tamborine, a little foggy today
The downside of Mt Tamborine, both gearbox and brakes needed
Mt Tamborine is usually such a scenic place on a fine day and when you
ride across the top of the range you can see a huge valley below and lots
of hang gliders filling the sky above and below. No such viewing today
so it's the downhill run towards Nerang that is taken next. The Ariel front
brakes got too hot almost immediately and I ended up in first gear for
most of the down hill run letting both brakes cool off a bit. At the bottom
of Henry Roberts drive I saw "Tail End Charlie" waiting to round
me up to report to the next meeting point. That being the Turnoff to Natural
Arch. I told him to go ahead and I will catch up if I can, I wanted some
more photos and the pace was too quick for my poor handling bike. The next
photo is all I saw of them for the day but my mission was to have a chocolate
coated frozen banana at the shop at Chillingham pictured after.
Parting Signals for the rest to continue on their merry way to Nimbin
Turnaround point for my friends on the AJS single after taking this photo below
This is what the mission was really about, a delicious Frozen Choc Coated Banana on a Stick, commonly known amongst us as "yes you guessed correctly" but don't ask for it by that name or a cold reception is guaranteed.
Time for the return trip .. continued