“The Ride” – March 2019 – its happening

Hey everyone,

After 10 years of dreaming, wishing and hoping, “The Ride” kicks off in March. The original January date was changed due to the busy holiday tourist period, but now on March 17th, I fly to Melbourne, climb aboard a Triumph Bonneville, and head off for a week on the Great Ocean Road.

In the time I’ve been planning the ride I have secured the right a to use a song by Danish rock band Silvera for the soundtrack to the intro of the documentary, I’ve partnered with visitvictoria.com and am in the process of organising a magazine feature with “Iron & Air” magazine from the USA.

Life is exciting, and thank you to everyone who has encouraged and supported me and helped make this project a reality!

See you out there,

Anthony

The Ride….coming soon…

Its been a long process to bring this project to life…just like it’s been a long time since I updated this blog.

There are moments when ideas become reality, when dreams come to life and our lives go from average to awesome….from mediocre to Epic!

The thing to remember is that we all possess the power to make things happen through desire and faith that it will, and must happen.

So for me, making dreams come true has occurred several times in recent months and now the process of bringing to life a project I have desired since seeing “Long Way Round” starring Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman for the first time.

And so in January 2019, the opportunity to see the world from the seat of a motorcycle begins.  Episode 1 of the documentary series will start in Australia, featuring the Great Ocean Road, followed by a circumnavigation of the island state of Tasmania and travelling some of Australia’s other great biking roads.

 

After Australia, the global documentary will take me to New Zealand, Norway, Italy, Germany and the USA, travelling some of the most famous and exciting motorcycling roads the planet has to offer.

 

The chosen bike for leg 1, is the Triumph Bonneville, a bike I’ve never ridden before, but one that I’m excited about travelling on.

And so, the planning continues, as does the tale of a man with a dream to see the world on two wheels and to inspire others to get out and create their own magic and share their story.

When we envision something in our mind and show gratitude for it having already happened, and we get to see it unfold in our mind, there is nothing that we cannot achieve and that is so very true for this project.

See you out there,

Anthony

Chapter 2…The Ride will go on.

Last Friday was a day that I wasn’t fully prepared for……

The morning began as they often do, and then about 9:30am I headed off for a bike test ride.  The destination was Lawrence Drive, Nerang….the home of motorcycle dealerships on the Gold Coast.   The bike to be ridden was a Yamaha XSR900, and I have to say that even though it wasn’t a Harley, this bike was a seriously fun bike to ride.

Unlike the Softail with its relaxed seating position, high bars and thundering 1600cc V-twin, the XSR is an 847cc “Sport Heritage” motorcycle, with an upright seating position, a much quieter 3 cylinder engine, as well as 3 riding modes, 3 levels of traction control and some serious fun-factor thrown in.

So why was I riding a Yamaha?  Those that follow me on Facebook may have seen that my Harley was up for sale…..yes, the one bike I swore I would never sell was available for a new owner for Christmas…..and in the back of my mind I was thinking that maybe its replacement would be something other than another American v-twin.

The Joy, creativity, freedom and unbridled happiness that riding my Harley generates is not limited to just that one motorcycle….The bike is an extension of the feelings and emotions that riding generates….it becomes a catylist for the amazing feelings that riding produces….and it is often said that its not what you ride that’s important, just the fact that you do!

The sale of the bike hadn’t generated much interest online where it was listed, and it was actually the conversation with the Yamaha sales guy that lead me around the corner to Gold Coast Harley Davidson…..I had actually received a call the previous day from Chris, one of the GCHD sales people, and after walking into the showroom and seeing him again, and then spending about 2 hours there…..thoughts of riding a Japanese bike slowly began to fade…..

So where is all this going?  Oh yes thats right…..So Gold Coast Harley bought my bike that day, I got a lift home in their delivery van and now I’m preparing whats going to replace it in the garage.   I love the big softail, and would also love a Street Glide…..but I’ve always been a fan of the Iron 883.  Yes I know its generally considered to be a bike more suited to female Harley riders, but now they have the Street 500, and I’m thinking an Iron 883 with clip-ons and some Cafe Racer styling would be seriously fun for carving through the hills out the back of the Gold Coast.   I’m already scouring the HD and Roland Sands Design catalogues for bits to add to an Iron, and looking forward to the day when I have an awesome customised bike ready to bring home.

It will be an amazing ride to let me express my creativity and provide not only a vehicle to get me from A to B, but it will help to bring forth a new chapter in my riding career, a new page in the story…..The Ride will go on, the path may have changed, but the destination is still the same!

Don’t ever take those moments in life when you are challenged for granted.  Instead, turn your expectation into appreciation, take that moment by the hand and run with it, you may be surprised where you end up going!

Ride safe, Ride often.

Anthony.

 

 

German Engineering is sexy….

Hey there everyone…..

I must sincerely apologise for my lack of contact.  But here I am, back again and promise to keep up with the posts.

Yes I’m still riding, yes I’m still making movies and yes I’m still obsessed with Motorcycles…

The Harley is still in the garage, but last Friday I had the privilege of test riding something different.

For a long while now, since I saw the Roland Sands “Concept Ninety R90S” and BMW’s “Soulfuel” videos, I’ve fallen in love with the look and style of the BMW R Nine T.

Two weeks ago I organised a test ride of the R Nine T, via the BMW website, and was due to ride the bike at Team Moto BMW Gold Coast at Nerang.   Unfortunately, their demo bike got sold two days before the test, so I wasn’t able to ride one until their new bike hit the showroom floor……and here it is in all of it’s brushed aluminum glory….

This particular bike had not been ridden but any one at the dealer, other than the service manager, and of all the bikes in the shop, this was the one that everyone wanted to ride out the door and take home……and this was the one that I was going to ride, and I was the first person on the entire Gold Coast to do so!!!!!

The test ride was undertaken with salesperson Matt, riding an S1000RR .  Despite the superbike’s racing cred and sleek lines, even he said I was on the much sexier looking bike.

So how does it ride?   Well it’s definitely not a Harley….not even close.   I’m used to my feet and arms outstretched, a heavy clutch, clunking gears and a rumbling, loud v-twin…..the R Nine T on the other hand has a very light clutch, lower bars, upright riding position, and feet tucked underneath me.  The gearbox was quiet, the shifter movements small and very precise and the sound was unbelievable.  Impeccable attention to detail,

The ride route took us from the dealership in Lawrence Drive, out to the motorway, north to the Smith Street Exit, before heading left onto Smith Street, before hanging a left onto Banyula Drive for a winding backroad to Nerang.  Sadly a L-plated truck driver was driving that road at the same time so I didn’t get to experience the turns with as much enthusiasm as I hoped, but the ride was still fun and after experiencing the refined German engineering, would I have one in the shed beside the Hog,……in a heart beat.

So that’s it for today, if there is an opportunity to have this beauty in the garage soon, you’ll all be the first to know!!!

Have an awesome week everyone, keep the rubber side down and have a good one!!

Cheers,

Anthony.

 

Out of Nothing

Anticipation: defined as “the act of looking forward; especially : pleasurable expectation”.  

I have been waiting and anticipating the release of “Out Of Nothing” for a long time…..its the true story of four tenacious men who risk everything to win world records for motorcycle land speed racing on the salt flats of Bonneville, Utah.



Today was the day the film had its Australian premiere at the Byron Bay Film international Festival, and there I was in the audience to witness one of the most unbelievable cinematic experiences I have ever had the pleasure of seeing.

It had humour, emotion, excitement, incredible cinematography, awesome sound and epic music…..it was everything a movie should be, and as a motorcyclist and filmmaker, it was a brilliant 90 minutes that will live with me forever.  Not only do I want to make films like that, but I want to go to Bonneville and experience everything that the salt flats of Utah have to offer…. 

If you get a chance to see this film, please do, you won’t be disappointed,

Cheers, Anthony 

Over the hill…..

No, I’m not feeling old….

Last week I had another awesome early morning ride to Canungra again.

The intended route was to detour off the main road and go up Henri Robert Drive, then down the “goat track” to Canungra. But the calling of food, and a need for fuel made me rethink that idea and head straight to The Outpost.

After a relaxing feed, I mounted my “steel horse” (yes, “Wanted: Dead or Alive” is one of my favourite songs) and rode out of town and decided to go via Mt Tambourine from the Canungra end. This was the first time that I had ridden the Harley that way, usually I tackle the goat track downhill, but it was refreshing to see the mountain from the bottom to the top.

It’s a relatively slow, yet exhilarating climb, and there are times when I find myself singing Patty Griffin’s “On Top Of The World” as I make my way up the mountain, the views, and winding corners are awesome….

These two shots blended together give you a sense of the type of corners that wind their way up the hill….

As with any ride on the Softail, it was fun, a great way to clear my head and then fill it with creativity, and once again ended with a smile.

It’s one of my simple pleasures…what are yours?

Have an awesome week, and who knows, someday I may spot you out on the road,

Cheers,

Anthony

Its back!!!

For me, riding my bike puts me in my “happy place”

That unique location where mind and soul join together as one….to create, to meditate, or just to be in the moment.

The purity, clarity and emotional release received from riding a motorcycle is something I cannot obtain from any other part of my life.

Even my music which is an outpouring of pure emotion doesn’t elicit the same feelings as riding my Harley.

And so the point of all this is that sometimes this feeling had disappeared…….riding my bike was still fun, still brings a smile to my face, but in my head I was often thinking of things that I needed to do or organise, or basically spent that mental time thinking and focusing on anything that wasn’t creative or helping me to reach my goals…..and then this week I went out for an early morning ride once more, out on the road to Canungra, and once I had the traffic and busyness behind in my mirrors, it suddenly hit me…..and I began to realise that the feeling never left, I just didn’t focus on the right things….didn’t begin my rides in the right frame of mind, and as I’ve learnt recently, “where your focus goes, your energy flows”….

So with a renewed focus, I set off down the road, my mind flooding with ideas…..everything from games to play and activities to try with the kids, fresh ideas for the book I’m writing, more plans for my documentary that I’m going to film in the USA……suddenly the happy place was overflowing with an immense feeling of joy and creativity, just as it should!

Wherever you are, whatever you are doing……shift your focus in the right direction and watch a smile appear, and who knows, your renewed mental state may prompt someone else to do the same!

Have an awesome week,

Anthony.

Destination: Coffee!!

Perfect weather, gorgeous riding conditions, and a quiet, empty road ahead of me…..what more could a rider want? More time, more roads perhaps? …..no, the pot of gold at the end of this rainbow was Coffee!!!!!

Destination: Canungra QLD, location: The Outpost Cafe.

The Outpost is a popular spot for riders of all types, with bikes lining the streets on a Saturday morning as their riders flock to this cool cafe in the heart of town……..but on this quiet weekday morning, there were only 5 bikes, so choosing a table was easy, and after ordering, I sat and began to feel myself unwind…….the ride out was great….I began a bit after 6:00am and loved every kilometre of straight and curved asphalt as the bike and I smiled…finally free to turn and rumble….the thundering v-twin propelling me down the path to a strong and much needed caffeine hit……

The moments spent sipping my coffee, listening to some music and reflecting on the great life that I have were sufficient to recharge me and prepare me for a great day….

What simple pleasures do you have that can help turn a great start to the day into something memorable?

And so as I finished my last mouthful of liquid heaven and prepared for the ride back home, my mind was clear, focused and ready…..

Safe riding, and have a great weekend,

Anthony

September HOG Chapter ride

Hi everyone,

Sorry for the long delay in posts….been busy!

Last weekend I was lucky enough to get away on Saturday and head north to my brother’s place to catch up with him.   It was great to get out on the road.   So I made my way up the freeway, heading off out to the northern suburbs and made my way to Gavin & Kate’s place at Griffin.

The ride was great for a freeway trip, and the afternoon and night with Gavin and Kate was great fun.  But it was the riding on Sunday that was going to be great…

I was woken by a knock on the bedroom door at 7:10am…..I was planning on leaving to head to the Gasoline Alley dealership around 7:30am so I was a bit behind but after getting ready and enjoying a cooked breakfast and awesome coffee (thanks Gav for getting up and doing that for me!) I was on the road back down to Springwood to join up with the HOGs for a ride.

After the usual pre-ride briefing we were on the road by 9:00, heading west on a 215km ride out to Dam country, past Wyvenhoe, Somerset and Atkinson Dams.   The weather was spectacular and perfect for getting out on the road with a great group of riders.

I wasn’t familiar with a lot of the roads so I wasn’t sure where we were going but it was great fun.

 

Here’s a shot from the morning tea stop at Haigsea State School.  The people there put on a massive lot of food for us, it was great.

After the stop we made our way through the hills towards Esk for the fuel stop for Sportsters and some of the bikes with smaller tank capacities

 

And here’s a shot of some of the bikes at the lunch stop at Tarampa hotel….

it was a great day out, and i covered close to 400 km on sunday, and over 100 on saturday so it was an awesome weekend out on the bike….

hope you enjoy this weekend and get to ride and experience all the things that we love about motorcycling…..

cheers,

Anthony

 

My blog post was featured on The Dawghouse

Hi everyone,

One of the followers of my blog from the USA, Warren from Ijustwant2ride.com is one of the hosts of The Dawghouse on NTNradio in Virginia, and he featured my “Things You Didn’t do before owning a motorcycle” post on this weeks show. The link to this weeks episode is here

I was listening to it in the car and the kids heard my name…..”were they just talking about you?” Was the question…..”yes they were, all the way from the USA!”

I emailed them to say thanks and that I’d love to get on the show or call in when they air live when I’m over there, and got a reply from Ken saying they would love to have me on the show!!

So that was my brush with fame this week….

On a non-bike related note…..
Sharon Anyos (who’s children I care for, is 5 time Women’s World Boxing Champion and after a 7 year break, she is heading back into the ring, and relocating her family to Las Vegas. Her motivation for this is to show that anyone can be the best, then after raising kids they can shed excess weight and return to being fit and strong and win more world titles, and motivate the world to move and bring an end to diseases associated with excess weight…..so to do this she is asking the public to help support her journey, and you can show your support by donating to her journey via her campaign on indiegogo. Check it out and be inspired by this truly amazing woman.

Have a great weekend everyone,

Cheers,

Anthony