MotoGP 2012 Phillip Island

[MODNROD]

Gday all.

This is a shameless plea for info on stuff about the Island this year. I've had a gutful of sitn back and wishing I was there, and since this is the last chance to see the current elected freakshow rider of the decade before he retires, I'm gonna try to make it somehow.
Can I ask a couple of dumb questions please for those that have been there before?
1. Is it possible to ride to the Island on Sunday morning raceday, find a park for the bike, then ride back to Melbourne after the race? Obviousy I expect delays, but should I allow 2hours for the trip from the Dandenongs, 3 hours, 4 hours?
2. Parking:- do I need to also allow for the time it takes to walk the 5miles from the only available bike park to the track, or are they reasonably close?
3. Lukey Heights Grandstand:- I'm hoping to end up here to watch Casey slide his way up and over the hill (as you would do! ). Will I be disappointed coz I have to watch over and through 5000 heads and won't see much, or is vision OK generally? Will I end up with an empty bottle to the back of the head from this area like I did from the top of Mt Panorama (damn, that hurt a LOT.....), or is the ambience of Lukey generally suitable for a race-fan, not a piss-head?
4: Anywhere to get a pie and sauce up there, or will I have to pay $30 for chips and sauce coz all the beautiful people hang out there, and so homemade yuppie-pies cost $50?

REALLY hoping to pull this off this year, trying to balance it up against littlest boy's 1st birthday, the $1000 fuel cost (1987 Vmax ), etc, etc. Never been to the Island, so it should be cool!

Onya peoples!!! Hope to see you there!!!

[neilaction]

Hats off to ya. Do it.
The ride across is at least 50% of the wow factor.

I'll be keeping an eye on your thread as i'm not giving up on the idea of going this year as well. Like you i've got family stuff to work through.

[AusGoFar]

Yes , Melb - PI - Melb on any race day is easy. I do it every year, sometimes the Sat as well. Parking the bike depends on a few things, i am a bit lucky and can park in the contractors carpark which is a bit closer. I think there is a secure bike park that costs about 10bucks that is close to the main gate.

It will be a big event this year - with your last chance to see Casey ride.

[ChrisCrossed]

The bike park is just near the main gate and a secondary gate. A couple of minutes walk. I've never ridden on the day but many do so they don't gamble with PI weather.

Lukey Heights grandstand is good (watched there last year ) but not well served by the big screen which is too far away. Little binocs would help.

Siberia is tops for all sorts of reasons.

Food stalls offering all sorts of stuff at the base of the grandstands. Prices are what you would expect but not deep breath stupid.

You won't get a bottle in the back anywhere.

Just go. Its a festival.

[Bluetonguejak]

Allow a couple of hours from Dandenongs.
Piss easy ride on a bike to PI, but leave early! Parking across from track(as per previous post)
Lanes are divided to allow maimum traffic flow on the return trip, add a bit of lane splitting and you can keep moing.
Biggest issue the past couple of years has been roadworks, hopefully most of these completed now.
Get there!

[MODNROD]

Got a few things to do first before I buy my ticket.

Clutch inner basket, O/P drive bearing, battery, spotlights back on, new rear tyre (I hope it lasts the trip over, normally only get 2500km.......), put on the gearsack rack to hold the jerrycan (200km range )........

Hey! Who gives a FF!!!!

I'm getn excited!!!

[BOOTLACE]

Then again, you could save yourself a shitload of money by flying over, and useing public transport.........Sure, you won't have the romance of the big ride over and all that, but having lived in the West myself for a long time, I can assure you it works out WAY cheaper!

Worth thinking about if money and time away from the family and work are considerations. (But DON"T miss it!!!)

[bully1]

Originally Posted by BOOTLACE

Then again, you could save yourself a shitload of money by flying over, and useing public transport.........Sure, you won't have the romance of the big ride over and all that, but having lived in the West myself for a long time, I can assure you it works out WAY cheaper!

Worth thinking about if money and time away from the family and work are considerations. (But DON"T miss it!!!)

+1 it does work out a lot cheaper to fly, BUT, it's not the destination , it's the journey.

I actually enjoy the Nullabor, you can do it in 2 days but 3 is a doddle. Riding through the Clare and Barrossa valleysthen down through Mt Gambier and the Great Ocean rd is truly memorable. Saturday morning in Cowes is great then head out to the track.

[neilaction]

Originally Posted by bully1

+1 it does work out a lot cheaper to fly, BUT, it's not the destination , it's the journey.

I actually enjoy the Nullabor, you can do it in 2 days but 3 is a doddle. Riding through the Clare and Barrossa valleysthen down through Mt Gambier and the Great Ocean rd is truly memorable. Saturday morning in Cowes is great then head out to the track.

Spot on Bully. The pubs on the way are value as well.

[MODNROD]

Originally Posted by bully1

BUT, it's not the destination , it's the journey.

I actually enjoy the Nullabor

I think the same. PI is just a feeble excuse to go for a ride!

I like the Nullabor too. I know a lot of people find it boring and tedious, but after living in similar country for quite a while now, I like watching the different scenery, every slight dip and curve has distinct flora/bush/trees/scrub, I could ride through all that for days on end not a few hours, I rekn it never lasts long enough.

I did the trip from Perth to Adelaide once in 23 hours by myself (*sigh* young blokes and V8 utes.......), but an extra 28 years has put a stop to that! I'm currently allowing 4 days to get to Melbourne, pretty cruisy, 4 hops of 200km each day. I'll take all the short cuts from here to Norseman, then probably head from Pt Augusta through Burra and Loxton to go south, nice part of the world through there.

Hope it comes together. Seeing the race last night was a ripper, this season is shaping up to be a good one too. I haven't seen a race bike in anger since the days of the Swann series, so I think I might be in for a bit of a shock.......

[cul8rr]

Originally Posted by BOOTLACE

Then again, you could save yourself a shitload of money by flying over, and useing public transport.........Sure, you won't have the romance of the big ride over and all that, but having lived in the West myself for a long time, I can assure you it works out WAY cheaper!

Worth thinking about if money and time away from the family and work are considerations. (But DON"T miss it!!!)

BOOTLACE... rings a bell
Didn't happen to spend some time at Brockman did ya....
PM sent

[slowbike smallpenis]

Bring a Book - traffic getting off the island will be horrendous with the crowd expected for Stoners last year

[Black side down]

Pity you can't do a few days down that way and stay somewhere closeish to the Island. Most of the fun is to be had on the qualifying days. The Sunday is just a freaking circus.

Tis all,

Cam

[KTM_Paul]

If you want a grandstand ticket buy it NOW! Even if you decide not to go later you can always sell it

[MODNROD]

OK, quick update, and another plea for help!

Looks like the whole family is going to Melbourne for that weekend, and so I'm flying (dammit!). Flying might be better anyway, I had a nightmare about riding 100m into the bush from a truck stop near Balladonia, and riding down a bloody great pit to be lost for a week, nothing but me, the Vmax and a lot of old bones..........

So now I'm chasing a ride down to the Island from Melbourne on the Sunday. I've found Garner's bike-hire online, they seem to have a good rep, but does anyone know where in Melbourne I can hire a Vespa GTS for the weekend?
Might as well be a fun ride for that bit anyway!