There are times when I forget how long this magazine has been around. And then I take a phone call from one of the many great characters who have spent decades making the fortnightly pilgrimage to their local newsagency to enjoy the latest efforts from the dedicated team at Gassit HQ.
Graham Harris had called to enquire about his Gassit Pack after he donated a jacket to the AMCN Winter Jacket Drive but, as often happens, we were soon talking all things motorcycling. He told me about his membership to FarRiders, which requires a ride of 1000km or more to be completed in a 24-hour period. Tough, but not impossible.
It turns out Graham does this on a regular basis. He recently rode from Melbourne to the Adelaide Hills for a friend’s birthday, leaving in the early hours of the morning to arrive in time for the lunchtime festivities. But 1000km is a walk in the park for someone like Graham, who has punched out a couple of thousand kays in a 24-hour period – needless to say, he’s also a member of the Iron Butt Association.
Graham seems to love this stuff, and it’s a passion shared by his wife, who not only enjoys long stints as a pillion but the challenge of chasing the magic 1000km in 24 hours on her own bike.
Graham’s ride of choice is a Triumph Trophy, but he’s yet to forgive the British marque for dropping the model from its current range. Among the long list of previously owned machines is a BMW R 1200 GS Adventure and a Yamaha Super Ténéré, which were both good for 1600km days in the saddle.
So the next time I start to complain about long hours on the road, I’ll think about Graham. He not only rides all year round, regardless of the weather (I promised a shameless plug for his heated gear made by the Higgins family from Warm & Safe Australia), but is also 70 years old and has been reading AMCN since it was a newspaper-style publication. What a legend.
Vol 68 No 06
