Mr. Cob, goes for a ride-about, down under.........

[leethal]

Originally Posted by TouringDave

Hey "John" , coming to the Fish Holes rally next weekend?

TD. (prick) Perth this weekend, but should be back in time for Coldflame Rally 17 th nov.

John"....aaaah no. Lee.

[Mr. Cob]

Originally Posted by leethal

I stop to visit with John, he is the Ural rider that was the first to pilot a Ural to the tip. John may have beat me to the tip but I think I actually rode further north as I rode a longways out onto the beach, still I congratulate him on his accomplishment.





Hi Dave, Super report. Sorry I got to the tip before you.....but an aussie had to be first.....by the way, It is Lee not John.

No idea how you remember half of the people you met......

Lee

Howdy Lee,

Sorry mate, I lost my notes where I had written down the names of riders and their machines so I was going on memory which in my case is next to nonexistent. However, I did go back and edit in the proper names.

[Mr. Cob]

Howdy All,

Day twenty of the rideabout, would take us from Bramwell Station the site of the OCR to Cooktown. The days ride was to prove to be one filled with a couple of minor inconveniences and one major disaster, the first hold up of the day, just a few miles from the OCR Zac has a flat tire.


This fellow stopped to see if we were OK or needed any assistance.




Take note of the "outback jack".


Another rider stops to see if we are OK.






A new tube in place, the tire and wheel being reinstalled.


Checking the tire pressure before we roll on to our next stop.


We stop for a quick snack and gas.


Whilst at this gas station, our second stop of the day, I look over the rig and can see that the rear tire on the rig is badly worn, I am hoping to make it to Cooktown before having to change it.


I didn't make it more then 20 clicks from where we stopped for gas and the rear tire literally blew out I was hauling arse down a good stretch of gravel road doing about 105-110 kph when the rear of the rig started to violently move from side to side. It was a very good thing there was on other traffic on the road as I was from one side of the road to the other a couple of times before being able to get the rig under control and safely off to the side of the road. I have had many flat tires while riding on a Ural but never one that blew out at speed on such a loose surface, this is an experience I do NOT wish onto others.


The tire had worn completely through and the tube had blown, we put the spare tire on and continued the journey.



Many miles later we stop at this ranger station to plan the next leg of our route.


AND THIS, is why I wanted Jock to be able to participate in this ride report, the photo I took while at the ranger station is the last photo I was able to take on this day of the ride. My camera battery went dead and I had no way of recharging it. Later that day we were to ride through a large national park that held THOUSANDS of very large ant or termite mounds that went on for as far as the eye could see, we traveled over dry river beds some covered in rock making passage very difficult, we did three water crossing one quite deep, and to top it off the timing chain broke on Jock's Yamaha which had to be left along side of the road to be recovered the next day.

I don't have any photos of these events and the ride report is much poorer because of it. When the Yamaha broke down we took all of Jock's gear from it and loaded it into and onto the Ural, it was getting dark, the road was nasty. We started out with Jock riding behind me on the bike, this was causing handling problems so we rearranged stuff in the sidecar so that he could sit on top of the loaded gear in the sidecar and so we made it into Cooktown when it was quite dark.

Oh I might add there was a stretch of road covered during the day that was absolutely the WORST I was to ride on during my entire trip in the land of Oz. This road was southeast of the national park, I honestly couldn't tell if the surface was badly broken pavement or super hard packed dark gray clay that was eroded into ruts and bumps that left one feeling like they were driving over sharp edged drop offs more like driving over a curb along side of the road.

The suspension on a Ural heavily loaded as was the one I was riding doesn't have enough travel to soak up such sharp drops by the time we had endured this lenght of road my lower back was killing me. I tried to stand on the pegs for the worst bumps but every now and then I'd miss one and the resulting slam to my tail bone made it feel like someone had hit me in the spine with a sledge hammer. YES, by the time we made it to Cooktown, I was beat, I had had just about all the fun my old body could stand in one day. To be continued..................

[SmellyGoatBoy]

Mr. Cob,

I'm loving this ride report. I have an old friend who just moved to Oz a few weeks ago for work. Now I know what I'm gonna do when I go visit.

And you are the first and only American Ural rider to ride to the northern most part of Oz

[UralBerger]

Originally Posted by Mr. Cob

While Jock and Zac were working on their bikes, I went across the street to the bakery and had a GREAT brecky. This photo just reminded me, when I first got to Oz I thought it strange that when ever you were seated at a table to eat the only tools provided were a knife and fork. In the USA we are used to eating with a knife, fork and spoon. The other thing that at first struck me as odd was that in Oz the fork is held in the left hand to not only cut what is being eaten but also to eat the food that was cut; in the USA we hold the fork in the left hand whilst cutting the food but then put the knife down and using the right hand to hold the fork then eat the food. It wasn't long before I got pretty good at eating the Aussie way and have continued to do so now that I am back home. Its little things like this that make travel to different places so neat for me.

Dave, you didn't need to go to Oz experience the knife and fork bit, just travel a few miles North into Canada!!

Great report, as usual! Some of those roads and definitely the dust, remind me of the Trans Lab. Thankfully I didn't have the stock airbox installed.

[Mr. Cob]

Howdy All,

Please excuse my lack of attention to this ride report, things have been kinda busy around the Casa del Cob and building and shipping Ural skid plates has been occupying much of my time.

Having arrived late in the evening at Cooktown we found and arranged lodging at a hostel. This is where we were to stay for a couple of days.


Day twenty one of the ride about, would be spent arranging recovery of Jock's busted Yamaha, touring Cooktown and catching a bit of a rest. As Jock was finding a tow truck and arranging to retrieve the Yamaha Zac and I set out to see what we could see in Historic Cooktown. The first thing we did was find and ride up to the top of hill on which was built a lighthouse to guide ships into the harbor of Cooktown.


From this hill top the views of the surrounding area were quite spectacular.


Zac and the lighthouse


Cob being a tourist










On the way back down the hill and into Cooktown we came across this little foot trail, I couldn't resist and took a short ride.


Over looking the river that flows from the mountains to the sea.


Me and a Roo.


The tide was out when we visited the harbor.




An interesting story behind the cannon.






Zac and I do a bit of shopping, I got a new hat, some polarized sunglasses and a dog fix.


We stop for lunch.


I had a cold Coke and a really good chiledog.


Zac and I our touristing finished head back to the hostel to see how Jocks recovery mission has progressed. Jock had found a guy to go out and bring the bike back to Cooktown, he then arranged for the bike to be picked up in Cooktown and transported to his home MANY miles to the south. We spent the rest of the day just doing laundry and kickin back. Had a good dinner, some beers and hit the sack.

Day twenty two of the rideabout, started by rearranging the gear on the sidecar so Jock could sit comfortably, we gas up and head south toward Cairns.


Loaded with all of my gear, Jocks gear, Jock and myself the Ural was carrying quite a load, we pulled third gear going up a lot of the hills but we still averaged around 90-100kph. Jock snapped some photos from the tub as we rambled down the road.


















We stop for gas, its getting late in the afternoon.


We ride along the coast for many miles.








Heres Jock.


Cob


That evening we stayed in Cairns, Zac and Jock talked and it was decided that Zac would leave us and continue on his own. Zac wanted to get away from us old coots and spend the last few days he had in Oz chasing girls and having fun in other ways. So this was the last evening the three of us would spent together, Zac would take the train south, Jock would ride the KLR and I would have the Ural to myself. Stay tuned, theres still more of the story to share.

[madeouttaglass]

I'm glad to see another chapter of your trip. You are a hell of an ambassador for the brand in spite of your crustiness.
Keep 'em coming!
Maybe Zac will chime in with some pics of his last day there?

[gunnabuild1]

Good it's still going on ,so a Ural can maintain 100k cruise?
Depends on who you talk to I suppose but reading various reports there seemed to be some doubt.

[Mr. Cob]

Originally Posted by gunnabuild1

Good it's still going on ,so a Ural can maintain 100k cruise?
Depends on who you talk to I suppose but reading various reports there seemed to be some doubt.

Howdy gunnabuild1,

On level ground and not bucking a strong headwind the Ural will easily maintain 90-100kph. Loaded as it was there were times when I climbed hills in third gear but the Ural will run at 75-85kph in third mile after mile if thats whats needed to maintain speed on hills. At other times when needing to pass I would ride in third gear up to speeds of 95-100kph before shifting into forth gear. A properly run in and setup Ural in the hands of a skilled rider is not as slow as some folks think they are.

The Ural I rode on this trip had just over 3,000 klicks on it when I picked it up and a tad over 12,000 klicks when I turned it back over to Jon at the end of the trip. During the ride the Ural continued to run better, get better fuel mileage and gain in speed, in short the rig ran better after the trip then when I picked it up a month earlier. This is common for the Ural's, thats why it is so important to have a competent dealer set the rig up to begin with a competent rider to drive and maintain it until its fully run in, which usually takes about 10-12,000 klicks to accomplish.

[Apple Jam]

Hey!! Nice to run across this RR!!!
It was also nice to get an oportunity to meet Jock at WetFest

Good Story

[Putts]

Late, but in! Thanks for reminding me Cobby, you old geezer.

[n16ht5]

keep em coming

[502MAD]

Fashionably late.....

[Mr. Cob]

Howdy All,

Sorry for neglecting this ride report, I just finished up the last of the skid plates that I have been building and selling to help support my Ural addiction. The last one will be shipped to a bloke from Oz, this will be the first one I have sold to used on a rig with the sidecar on the wrong side. I'll post more of the down under sage soon.

[enduro0125]

Late for the show.