Craig Dixon and Julie Neal
If someone had told me three years ago I would be riding a motorbike, let alone a Gold Wing, I would have thought they were mad. I had never had any inclination to ride a motorbike at all.
Until recently I had been working for myself for 8 years, developing properties across Victoria and NSW (after careers in banking and Telstra). I was driving 60,000 km’s a year and at one stage I decided to look at alternatives to all that driving. That was where the flying came in. Went on a trial flight and loved it. Signed up for lessons at Moorabbin airport in Melbourne and really enjoyed the 10 lessons I had. It was at that stage I had to do the medical. My eyesight has never been the best and I was really scraping to get through the vision test. I had to go off for special tests, and was told I would have to have surgery on my eyes if I wanted to get a license, though I did meet one specialist who could help me get through the test without this (nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more). One of my neighbours is a retired Qantas 747 Captain and he was the one who convinced me to give it away. He said that it may take 10 years but a day will come when I am up there and my eyes will not get me out of a situation and I will endanger myself and anyone with me. That was the wake up call I needed (though I still look up whenever I hear a small plane go overhead!).
Flying was the first thing I had been passionate about for years so I thought that while I feel like this I need to transfer that to something else. Walking along Flinders lane in Melbourne soon after I saw all these motorbikes lined up on the footpath (we can do that down in Vic – great idea!!). I decided to just do it so rang up and booked in for my license. My family were stunned but it was one of the best things I have ever done (oh, and it is miles cheaper than flying).
My first bike was a 250 Hyosung Cruiser which I absolutely loved. I thought it was great value at only $6000 until I realised that the services were every 4000 km’s and cost over $300 every time. It is actually cheaper to service the Gold Wing, something that the guys at Jeffrey Honda just can’t get over.
In a year I had done over 23,000 km’s and was totally hooked on riding. On one trip I was staying in Omeo riding the Great Alpine Road and got talking over breakfast with some other riders, one of whom had a Gold Wing (that’s another great thing about bikes – all the fantastic people you meet). I said I loved his bike but the size scared me. He said it’s not that daunting and he had gone to the 1800 straight from a 250! I thought he was nuts (though I kept that thought to myself!).
Like most restricted riders we spend all our spare time in bike stores dreaming of “one day….” I went into Jeffrey Honda on one of those days and was just looking around. Geoff Bull asked me what I was after and I said I really couldn’t upgrade or even test ride yet, but would like something with hard panniers when I did as I wanted to do some long distance riding. He said that I could do a test ride if I wanted to, given I had already ridden so much, so he showed me a 650 Deauville and arranged to get one in for a test ride.
I was a bit nervous to ride anything bigger than a 250 so before the test ride I took my brother in laws Harley Sportster 900 for a spin and wondered what I was so worried about. I rang Geoff back and said forget the Deauville, I’ll try an ST 1300. Took that for a ride but it just wasn’t for me, though a nice bike. Geoff is a good salesman and saw me coming! Why not try a 1500 Gold Wing while you are here? No, I said, that is the long term bike. It is just too daunting. Geoff convinced me that with 23,000 ks under my belt in a year and having easily ridden the 1300 I could ride the Wing, so with great trepidation I took it for a spin.
There are some special moments in your life and this was one of those. Only a few months before my father had passed away and Dad had always instilled in us that you are better to have less things in life but those you do have should be better quality. I could actually feel Dad with me on that bike and him telling me that this is the best so you should have one of these. When I took it back to Geoff I said that I really loved it but wanted to try a new one. He arranged for me to have one the next weekend, knowing I was riding it to Albury. Not bad – a 1000 km test ride. The day I picked it up it was absolutely pelting down and I thought if I can ride it in this I can ride it in any conditions. Needed to apply the brakes hard a few times and loved the way it handled. .Actually, I just loved everything about it.
I took it back on Monday morning and told Geoff to order me one. Dad had left my sister and I some inheritance money and my sister agreed that Dad would want me to do this, so the Wing is my fathers gift to me, and I think of him every time I am on it.
I hadn’t joined any clubs at this stage and mainly rode alone or with my brother in law Darren. One day I saw a brochure for AWRA at Jeffrey Honda so rang John Gilbert up. Just my luck the only ride for the next few months was the AGM, so I thought why not? That was one of the best times I have had away. Meeting a group of strangers at some ungodly hour in the morning then going away with them for a few days was a bit daunting but everyone I met just made me feel so welcome. I absolutely loved the whole ride and every ride I have done with the club since.
So, I suppose I better get around to putting Julie in the story or I will be deep in it – again!
Back on 1 March this year I reluctantly went to my 30 year high school reunion. I had avoided all the others but since one of my best mates was the organiser I thought I better put in an appearance. I hardly recognised anyone and had to keep introducing myself to people. One of those was Julie, and I then had another of those wonderful moments in life. After just two minutes, I had the wonderful realisation that I could spend the rest of my life with this woman.
Our first date was to a Thai place we both like and I mentioned that the next day I was going out on the bike for a ride. The next morning I received a text asking if I could get hold of a spare helmet! Immediately after that I had already booked a cruise with my sister and family for ten days but seemed to spend most of my time sending emails. The AWRA AGM ride was on only a few days after I got back so I asked Julie to come with me. For those who met us on that trip, you were actually joining us on our fourth date!
I have been very fortunate to meet Julie and it is an absolute bonus that she loves being on the Wing as much as I do. Julie also enjoyed the great people we have met through AWRA. We both look forward to many rides with you all in the years to come.
