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K & N Wet Weather Guarantee
We woke Monday morning to the forecast torrential rain and by the time we’d met up with Watto and Greeny we were all saturated and we were only 30 minutes into our trip.Torrential rain was to hound us for the next four days.On the climb up to Falls Creek my front master cylinder,which I’d rebuilt a mere 15 years previously , started to lose pressure,so now I had almost no front brakes but even better was to come as we rode in to Falls Creek we ran into a pea-souper fog.How lucky can you get in what should be the hottest week of the year.At the speed we managed fuel consumption wasn’t going to be an issue!We reformed at the bottom of the mountain in clear weather on a dry road.Sadly for Greeny he forgot you have to put your foot down when you stop so he recorded our only crash even though he was actually stationary.The 40km into Omeo was great fun in the dry but true to form the rain started as soon as we pulled up.Tuesday morning we left in the rain and during the course of the day we endured torrential rain,heavy rain,light rain and a brief period of no rain but wet roads.I can’t recall much about Tuesday.On Wednesday the rain gods showed some mercy and we rode the 80ks from Thredbo to Khancoban in perfectly dry weather on perfectly dry roads and for me it was the highlight of the trip.The Dirty Old Pig was able to set a good pace even without any front brakes.The rain gods decided to have some more fun and we spent the rest of the day honing our wet weather skills on the way to Tumut.Torrential rain greeted us Thursday morning but it didn’t matter because we had our first problem.Greeny couldn’t see!Due to the weather we were often forced to ride with our visors up and Greeny had got something in his eye which had caused a Lesion which evidently can be quite serious and so we were forced to leave him behind to get treatment and catch a bus home.Thursday was a bad day,it was the first time I’ve ever left someone behind and after 3 days of rain and despite being saturated before we left we had to endure 3 more hours of torrential rain to reach Tallangatta.The pre ride plan had been to dump our gear at our motel and go exploring the back roads but that idea was quickly abandoned and we spent the afternoon trying to dry our gear.I woke earlier than the others on Friday morning and though it wasn’t raining it was blowing a gale and so I made the decision to leave the others and ride straight home which is only 3 hours from Tallangatta.We said our goodbyes and left the motel and immediately after that the wind stopped and some blue sky started to appear.When the boys turned to head through the hills I decided to follow them for a while.This wasn’t one of lifes great decisions!The ride through Myrtleford,Whitfield and Mansfield was sensational and when I left the boys at Gobur I was in high spirits.Through Ruffy to Longwood and up the freeway to Violet Town and I was nearly home.Just south of Yalca I encountered water running across the road but it wasn’t deep so I was slightly amused but not worried,however,this was about to change rather quickly.Although our part of the world is flat it’s not dead flat and the next water was probably 100mts long and also obviously deeper so with some trepidation I edged TDOP in for a bath.The water was lapping the bottom of the points and alternator covers and with my feet down in case TDOP wanted to fall over I had water going everywhere and was waiting for the motor to stall but this is a GS1000 and they’re made of stern stuff and it didn’t give so much as a hiccup.For the next 5ks there were more trickles running across the road but nothing serious until I got to within 5ks of Katamatite where I was faced with a 500mt stretch of fast flowing water.I stopped and watched 2 farmers coming through in a tractor and they thought I should be able to get through but I’d be stopped at the Katamatite bridge.They also told me that this was just the start and things were going to get a lot worse very quickly and the authorities were expecting a once in 100 year flood. I decided to push on and the water quickly reached the top of the covers and with the splashing off the front wheel,the motor and my feet the motor was barely visible.Amazingly TDOP ploughed through this for about 100mts till it cut out.I now had no option but to push him to high ground.Amazingly TDOP fired up and we set off to Katy where another wall of water waited.The water here was deeper and fast flowing and I decided to wait for help.I had to wait about an hour because most people were busy trying to save the town and didn’t have time for an idiot on a motorbike who shouldn’t be there anyway.My saviours were Two Guns,a member of The Outlaws Motorcycle Club and his mate Mike who were sandbagging their clubrooms.They were in a 4WD and had a rope so off we went.This time the water was over the points cover and the motor was absolutely flooded and yet TDOP fired straight up and idled perfectly.I was stunned.After shouting the boys a beer I rode home and TDOP ran just as well as it did 7 days previously.I can therefore state categorically that K&N filters will work in torrential rain and even in a flood.In the year since I got my licence back TDOP has done 14,000ks including a 2 up 1200km 1day ride home from Coffs Harbour and 3 1000km days but Friday will be the day I will remember forever.I’m always asked why I don’t buy a new bike but if you own the best bike ever made why would you sell it.Can’t wait till next years trip,we’ll set off each morning and funny things will happen.
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