Metzeler Tyre Test — Suzuki GS550E

First, a bit of history... hey, life isn't all just fun you know!

When the old GS came to me, that fateful morning in 2012, I knew it was going to change my life. It sat there for a long time, mournfully looking to be put back out there, to race around on the mountain roads, to show what it was really capable of.

But I had a GSXR1000 and a DRZ400 supermoto for the fun stuff. This one would wait. However, it kept looking... and I kept ignoring. 

Until, one day, it was reassembled enough to run under its own steam. The excitement was building. The little GS felt proud, there was potential and we could both see it. She was ready to go out and try the roads for the first time in years. The front tyre, however, was looking a bit lame. So I bought a secondhand Dunlop on eBay that was originally fitted to a Harley, the little GS wasn't happy about that, but it meant we got to ride. The rear Barracuda (the what?) had plenty of tread left so she was good to go. And for years she rode around on those old tyres, the front now being seventeen years old 😱.

Suzuki Bandit 1200 — Suspension Upgrades.

The Bandit is pretty damn awesome!
Especially considering, for the last couple of months, the shock absorber has been breathing its last and dumped its oil. Not bad for a 24 year-old bike.
Hustling it along was ok as long as you didn't force it. Maintain pace and keep things smooth and it handled most roads perfectly. But while I've been off for the Christmas break, I figured it was time to sort it all out. With a GSXR1000 K8 shock ready to slot in, it was time to upgrade.

Pirelli Diablo Rosso 2 Review

I want new tyres for every ride!
With about 150 km's on the new boots, I'm impressed. The bike feels like its awesome self again. It's probably the same thing we always feel when new tyres are fitted, but today I'm happy!

Pirelli Diablo Rosso 2

Tyres don't seem to need running in anymore.
Back in the nineties, the magazines warned you everywhere "Take it steady for the first hundred miles as the oil in the rubber is forced to the surface."
Hmm, whatever's going on in there nowadays doesn't seem to matter because these babies just work from the off. Knee down no problem ten minutes from the shop. Of course, it's always in the back of your mind that you'll slip on the first bend, but not once did they cause any grief.

Bike Designated Parking at Laurel Cottage, Lower Beechmont, QLD

Laurel Cottage's Motorbike Parking


At the top of one of the best biking roads on the Gold Coast, QLD is a cracking cafe that now has a section devoted to motorcycle parking. Lower Beechmont is a small village just 15 minutes from Nerang (turn off the Nerang-Murwillumbah Road), and each weekend the incredible, winding road is packed with all kinds of cruisers, supermoto's, sports bikes and classics.


Mike and Karen Beer, owners of Laurel Cottage Cafe and Restaurant, have now made a small section outside especially for motorbike parking - how welcoming is that? Now you can have a brew while your pride and joy sits safely just metres from your table.

So, when you're looking for the ideal spot for breakfast or lunch, and want to ride one of the best roads out there, plan a ride through Lower Beechmont soon. The coffee is great, the food fantastic and the prices perfect - highly recommended! You'll find them on Facebook here.

How to get there
From Nerang, head out on the Nerang-Murwillumbah Road and take a right onto the Beechmont Road. You can't miss this junction, you'll see the first couple of bends and a broad smile will appear on your face. Ride for about 7km's through beautiful forest and you'll be in Lower Beechmont. Continue past North Road (great lookout area just up there, and to the left) and, after about 500m, on the left hand side you'll see the sign for the cafe. Open on Thursdays thru to Sunday evening with an impressive menu.


For a great ride and unbelievable views, incorporating part of The Scenic Rim, carry on through to Beechmont and down to Canungra for the chance to try out the "Goat Track" which takes you up to North Tamborine. Tight hairpins all the way up! Take a camera, there's lots you'll want to remember.


See you there soon.

Ride out (Murwillumbah)

It's 8.00am, and it's hot! 
And we're about to go for a blast. Leathers are way too much for this climate but I won't risk it any other way. Alpinestars one-piece, GP plus gloves, my old Sidi Vertebrae's and my Arai Vector lid. 
Each to their own, but shorts and T-shirt just don't offer the same protection when you're sliding along the road to eternity.

The Gixer has had a quick check over, chain tightened and we're both ready to rock. Hopefully a few pictures will appear along the way. Three others to share the ride so onwards and upwards!