OMEO, NOT OREO! ADVENTURES IN VICTORIA WORDS STUART WOODBURY features a TEAR-OUT MAP #10 This month we head to Eastern Victoria to explore some wonderful countryside around Omeo. Some of these dirt roads can be challenging (depending on the time of year), so make sure your skills are up to it and that you check the road conditions before setting off. OMEO Originally a pastoral area, the discovery of gold in 1851 saw the town boom, however things ultimately declined as the gold ran out, and cattle and sheep grazing took over as the town’s major industry. Remnants of the town’s gold mining history can be found at the Oriental Claims Historic Area, located a few kilometres west of Omeo. All major services are available in Omeo, so make this your “base camp”.

Welcome to a new section of Australian MOTORCYCLIST, highlighting some of the products and services that are new in the shop sure to interest you. Manufacturers and distributors: if you have something that you think may interest our readers, just send in a photo and a few words – it’s a free service. CRUSH ’EM! Crusher Maverick 2-into-2 Full Systems for H-D Price – US $579.99-$599.99 [/mepr-show]

PLUGGED, RACKED, SHOWN AND SHOCKEDSOUNDS WEIRD, DOESN’T IT? YAMAHA MT-07 FRAME PLUGS Yamaha really has thought of everything when making the MT- 07 look amazing. This month we fitted the Gilles Tooling frame plugs to cover up those holes in the frame that look a little “bare” to create a cleaner look. The colour we chose is titanium to match a number of other accessories we’ll be fitting. There are four plugs – two each side for the frame tube and the pivot of the swingarm. A matter of a few minutes was all it took to fit them and wow, what a super-dooper look! Priced at $98.75 per set, they are well worth the money.

The BEST of the WEST with AMM Editor Peter “The BEAR” Thoeming Guided USA Tour • 15 – 30 August, 2015 We’ve lined up some of our favorite places, thrown in some ideas (and surprises!) from Peter “The Bear” Thoeming, Editor of Australian Motorcyclist and together we’ve created a once-in-a-lifetime riding experience that’s tough to beat – anywhere on earth – and you’re invited to join us! Our adventure starts and ends in Los Angeles and includes Grand Canyon, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Death Valley, Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks.

OPTION ZERO SOFTLY, SOFTLY… IT’S THE LAW! Better watch out,perps. This bloke looks quite tough enough without his Zero… Usually, if we use press releases at all, we rewrite them. Usually. Sometimes, however, they are really pretty good – and this one from Zero Motorcycles was good enough to run with only a few minor changes.

MINISTER OF TRANSPORT PRESS RELEASE BY KEITH BOSLER Recently it was brought to my attention that there has been some difficulty for motorcyclists with their electronic toll passes. I can assure you, nothing annoys us in the Ministry more than people having problems paying us money. I immediately initiated a round table discussion, in between the degustation courses naturally, we aren’t heathens. One suggestion was that, given motorcycles do less damage to the roads and environment as well as ease traffic and parking congestion, we should allow them an exemption from road tolls. Boy how we laughed!

SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S LIMESTONE COAST DOWN AMONG THE STALAGMITES THEY’RE THE ONES THAT POINT UP, RIGHT? WORDS/PHOTOS MICHAEL WALLEY Kingston SE is famous for Larry the Lobster, who greets you as you enter from the north. Standing 17 metres high to apparently advertise a restaurant, he’s perfect for a photo. I read his history with some amusement; when he was being built, the measurements were supposedly confused between inches and metres, which explains his size. I’m not sure what use a 17 inch crustacean would be, though…

BOMBALA AWAY OUR COLUMNIST SHOWS US HOW TO ENJOY A SHOW WORDS BORIS MIHAILOVIC PHOTOS THE BEAR The only… err, vehicle at Bombala with its own postcode. This was certainly Bombala. The sign said so and I had been here, or through here, many times before.

PART 7 – JACQUI & POSTIE BIKE MO CHECK OUT SOME MAJESTIC CHARM WORDS/PHOTOS JACQUI KENNEDY Under a thousand words he says… how the heck am I going to keep it under a thousand words? Does he know where I am? Does he know what I need to cover? One month in the south west of WA needs THREE thousand words! Oh dear – what to include and what to leave out? Well I have to mention the Tin Horse Highway. The community has gone to so much trouble to attract the visitors with 20 kilometres of 44 gallon drum “horse” sculptures, how can I just skip over it? One simply MUST stop at the Kulin Museum to see the Sunbeam motorcycle. And Wave Rock is notable even though Gorge Rock has a much better campsite and swimming hole.