Charlie's WorldSunday blast
My friend Pete had been planning a Sunday ride out on the bike with his Dad and I was invited along. The plan was to ride up to the hills through Serpentine and Jarrahdale and then into Pinjarra and onto Mandurah for a late breakfast.
The sun was shining, it was already warm out, Jay was still in bed and little ‘un was fast asleep when I set out at 8:30am on the little red Ninja 250 to meet up at Pete’s house.
We headed out to Serpentine, Pete on his deafeningly loud Harley Night Train, his Dad on a 1940’s Indian Chief and me on the little Kawasaki. Talk about the odd one out!
The Chief can’t go very fast, so it was a steady 70-80 out to Serpentine and then up into the hills through Jarrahdale. The old General Stores was packed with bikers, so we decided to have coffee at the Cafe on the Dam up by Serptentine Dam. It has excellent views and good food, but the flies were really annoying!! That’s the country for you. If you’re planning to come to Oz or head out to the country – get fly repellent! Those cork hats from the stereotype Aussie country farmer – well, they have them for a reason!!
The Harley, the Ninja and the Chief at the Cafe on the Dam..
Curious and unafraid parrot.
Views across the dam
Pete on his Harley Davidson Night Train.
The little Ninja!
We rode off down the twisty road past the Karnet Prison Farm and through the Serpentine forest. There are gorgeous views from the top of the scarp down over the plains to the ocean and as far as Perth, but we shot past the lookout before we realised it was there and it was too late to stop – d’oh!
Watching out for copious amounts of gravel on the road from the recent heavy rains, we descended the hills onto flats and down the tiniest narrow little roads and made our way out towards Pinjarra. I zoomed off and waited for Pete and Rolf to ride on by and get some photos and video too.
Totally love those back lanes – perfect bike riding country.
Rolf turned off down a little track by the railway in Pinjarra and we gingerly followed, bikes skipping on the gravel. We rode into the old railway yard to see the old locos that form part of the Hotham Valley Railway . Note to self, must go on that one day!
So many cool old locos and unused rail tracks – this yard is now a mostly disused now from the heyday of the railway, but the Perth the Bunbury Australind passenger and freight service still runs through it.
The place was awesome and I really have to come back and take more shots with the big camera when I have more time. It was getting towards lunchtime now, so we headed into Mandurah and parked up on the foreshore and hung out under the shade of a huge tree, had lunch and talked shit about bikes until it was time to head home.
And that was that – so many photos that I couldn’t take as I was on the bike, but it was still very productive! An awesome day – 150km of riding and good company.
Tomorrow I start my new job – oh, I didn’t mention that yet did I?
I have a new job, looks like a really good one too – starts Monday for a few days and then again in the New Year. I’m looking forward to it (but I have really enjoyed my 5 weeks off – I could totally get used to that!!) and besides, I need the money!!
How was your weekend? Did you do anything exciting?
Charlie's World 
The Chief, Hog and Ninja… you’ve found your bikie names I reckon.
That Indian Chief is magnificent, and Pete’s Dad looks like he was born in its saddle 🙂
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I love the look of the Indian, its a very cool bike. Hard to ride tho with a left hand throttle, right hand stick gear change, left foot clutch… Rolf is a very nice bloke who lives and breathes bikes and resonator guitars..
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That railway yard looks great
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it was cool – I had no idea it was there either!
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The Indian looks great! Glad you’re getting out and about and seeing places – EVERYWHERE looks so much better from the back of a bike :-))
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Its a beautiful bike. He has a Scout as well as the Chief, but it’s really just for pottering about – too slow and fragile for a big run.
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what a bike ride with the thin roads and the rail yards and the chief on its nylons
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Thanks Jeffrey – it was perfect – the countryside begs to be explored with those little back lanes – there are millions of little unsurfaced roads too that I can’t do on my bike, but maybe one day I’ll have a bike that can! Rail yard was a real find – there’s a wealth of stuff in there – I might have to do a bit of research on the locos. And the Chief – what can you say – classic Americana!
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i rode a honda xl350 enduro on backroads till the front forks caved in years ago and loved it
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