Ham and Cheese Toastie – BMW R1250GS

With a time sensitive bigger ride coming up I thought I’d better get to know the fuel range and my BMW R1250 GS a bit better. It also seems a good opportunity to stretch the legs a bit. It was a last minute decision and I didn’t feel like putting any effort into planning it so I picked a straightforward route I’ve ridden before.

Up at 3.15am after a good sleep I went down to the 7-Eleven at Lambton for a start docket at 4.12am. The weather was cool but comfortable but fortunately there wasn’t any fog about as I meandered up through Jerry’s Plains, Denman and Merriwa. By the time I reached Dunedoo I was surprised I didn’t encounter the thick that’s often about this time of year and thought that now the sun was up I was all good.

I shouldn’t have had that thought. I wasn’t far up the road towards Mendooran when I rode into thick fog which stayed with me in varying degrees up to full pea soup to about 10k’s from Gilgandra. Gilgandra Truck Port was my first fuel stop (369kms). It’s worth noting that the odometer on the GS always reads a bit under.

I had a hot chocolate to warm up a bit then jumped back on the bike towards my next stop, Cobar. The crops between Gilgandra and Nevertire are ever changing with more cotton being grown now. The road is also ever changing and needs more work every time I ride there. The almost straight road between Nevertire and Nyngan passed quickly and I pulled into the Ampol at Cobar (665kms) about 11:18 after an obligatory stop for a pic at the Cobar Mine. I love riding out west!

My next stop, and the turn around point, was the eclectic Emmdale Roadhouse (822kms). Normally I’d have a bacon and egg roll there but today’s goal was a ham and cheese toasted sandwich washed down with a chai latte on soy. I had a bit of a chat with the owners, it takes a bit of effort to engage them but it’s usually worth it. Back before covid the Emmdale Roadhouse was a mecca for working backpackers but it seems the post covid visa rules make it harder to attract them back to the remote outpost. That’s a shame.

Toastie devoured and receipt acquired it was time to head home the same way. Fuel at Cobar (979kms) and again at the Truckport at Gilgandra (1274kms). A plain burger and soy flat white were also the order of the evening there. I enjoy a shot of caffeine leading into the final leg. I changed my glasses, gloves and did some zips up ready for the darkness that was looming.

It was an uneventful ride from there back to Lambton where I topped up the fuel and scored a Cherry Ripe twin pack as my reward for the day’s effort. 1643kms for the day and an open country fuel range rhythm for the GS developed. I’m always happy when a bike can get me between Newcastle and Gilgandra without topping up. That’s all I need to know for the upcoming ride.