TRAVERSE Issue 12 - June 2019 | Página 5

EDITORIAL TRAVERSE: Hitting The Road! H itting The Road! A heading I've used prevously, it seems a little more pertinent this time. And it's something we've all done. Riding with Dave at Mount Buller Motorcycle Adventures in Australia's Alpine region everything seemed perfect, a great mix of riders and skills, the little CRF250 was a dream to ride. Everything was perfect. Then it happened, a log on the track, some might even call it a small branch ... bugger ... too late ... hit it at a slightly wrong angle. Goes without saying the rider went over the bars. It happened first thing in the morning, so of course the next seven hours were painful, but it's Australia's high country ... I would never throw in the towel. Turns out it's a broken hand, the scaphoid no doubt ... Bugger! It's the nature of the beast, we ride, we come off, but here's my questions. What idiocy have you done to ensure you keep riding? Do you carry some sort of emergency kit? And what of the riding? Australia is certainly a diverse environment TRAVERSE 5 and the high country is a magical place to explore, throwing in all sorts of track. The little Honda is a foregiving bike that relishes the tight, twisty hills around Mount Buller ... it's all fun until someone breaks a hand. No regrets and it will be done again ... and with the MBMA guys led by Dave ... As we go to press sad news has come through with the deaths of two riders on Australia's Great Central Road. The riders were part of a group taking on the road that forms part of the Outback Way, Australia's longest shortcut. Much will be said about the road and the dangers of outback riding, I'll say nothing, it's not the time. The thoughts of the whole Traverse team is with the families and friends of the riders involved. Leigh