Byfield State Forrest ADV Ride - 3 Bikes Down (Including Goldie!)

Mick on the BMW G650GS picked Goldie (Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE) and I up for a 6am meet up at the Parkhurst Caltex. Greg on the DRZ400E was there waiting and Brayden on the KLR650 arrived not long after.

We headed off down the A1 to Greenlake Rd and Lake Mary Rd - Meeting Simon (KTM 690 Enduro R) and Brendan (DR650) at the corner of Mt Rae Rd and Woodbury Rd.

After introductions, we headed up Woodbury Rd and Byfield Rd, turning left onto a fire trail just before Stoney Creek Rd. We followed this to meet up with Stoney Creek Rd not long after - turning left towards Stoney Creek. The road was freshly graded - the Motoz GPS tyres definitely noticed the extra slipperiness as evident when we took off after meeting up with the grader.

Our planned right turn into the Byfield State Forest was blocked by a bogged 4x4, so thanks to Simon's local knowledge, we headed up to the next entrance. From here, we meandered our way around, with some excellent scenery to be enjoyed, including some beautiful water crossings - one of which we turned back from thankfully, as I noticed a section at the top of the other side that would have flipped me for sure. This is not after the KTM and DRZ crossing without issue, the DR650 crossing okay, but getting stuck on the way back, and the KLR650 giving it an awesome attempt, but alas getting stuck. It was at this point I realised the issue with the current camera setup on the handlebars, as all the action (including me heroically running into the water to help the others) was missed as the bike was facing the other way - I'm sure 2x goldfish came out of my boots when I took them off later!

After that, it was smooth sailing along twin tracks that would disappear in the long grass - gee the boys on the KTM, DRZ and even the DR were quick, the rest of us just chugging along (nothing to do with me blocking the G650GS and KLR650 from getting past). That was until we came across a section of the trail shaped like a spearhead, but had a few tracks that would cut it short - we decided to take the long way and follow the spearhead.

Goldie was bouncing around the rocky terrain like a two-year old on red cordial - that is, until she wasn't! I managed to catch it, but I was halfway up the hill with minimal traction and barely being able to tiptoe. Timbeeerrrrr! Down she went and I did a couple of not-so-graceful somersaults - wow, look at those ants being so productive! I got up, dusted myself off and the repercussions of my lack of skill was evident - the BMW was also down, only a couple of meters behind me.

We got the BMW back up, then got Goldie on her feet - Thanks lads, that's the lightest I think it's ever felt. After fumbling with the kill switch, I finally got her started and walked her to the top - that was hard yakka! The BMW DR and DRZ were next. Not to be shown up, the KLR made an exemplary attempt, but an even more spectacular stack - A slight hiccup after that and he was on his way. Last and by no means least, Simon and the KTM were up. With an excellent display of skill and agility, Simon managed to spring off the bike and save it from laying down, then a slip and slide and he was up the top like a boss!

Unfortunately, while I was trying to get the GoPro off the handlebars to film all this, I lost part of the Ram Mount down a snake hole - I figured the snake may need it more than me, so rather than risk being bitten, the GoPro went in the top box. It was a shame, as the section to follow was less steep but very rocky and I'm sure the footage would've provided a great laugh. Mick's Insta360 had also ran out of battery, so apart from some happy snaps at the Byfield General Store, that's it for this ride - Huge Thank you to Mick for sharing what he captured, I love the added angles it provided - it felt odd seeing Goldie and my fat belly from third-person POV!

00:00 - Intro
00:10 - Lake Mary Rd (Frame Grabs)
00:30 - Collecting Riders
00:46 - Introducing Riders & Bikes
01:17 - The First Trail (2 perspectives)
02:23 - Stoney Creek Rd (Slippery)
03:10 - Back on Track (or Trails)
03:45 - The 1st Water Crossing
08:20 - I Chicken Out!
12:22 - An Uphill Battle!
15:05 - Photos and Outro

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