Run up to Mannum and back

Hadn't been out for awhile due to time in Melbourne with family and friends - so my wife told me to go for a ride while she went to Marion Shopping Centre. I decided to go up the freeway to Murray Bridge and then across to Mannum on the Murray and then back through Loebethal. It was over 30 degrees but the Bandit ran perfectly and a fill up at Mannum worked out at 5.6 l/100 kms. [I now know that the speedo reads 6 kph light - so I was mostly at 116 on the clock.] As it was hot I ended up taking the liner out of my jacket:

It was far more comfortable - but I needed to keep the fluids up! (Water only!)
The Murray has as much water flowing as I can remember - and is far above the levels of recent years. The flood plains and off-shoots are full again:
Click to enlarge
Looks great and I have a lovely panorama I was able to put together when I got back, but it is too large to post here unfortunately.
Coming back was OK until I got into the real curves beyod Loebathol on the way to Norton Summit. Some clown in a Yaris was doing 30 to 50 kph in the 80 kph zone and would not pull over. I came upon him as I was sitting behind a slightly modified Lancer that was setting a reasonable pace [for a car]. No way would the Yaris allow the Lancer to pass - and after 10 mins or so I found a slot to pass the Lancer and got on the Yaris tail. Even with my light filling his rear-view mirror he persisted in hogging the road which is double-lined the whole way. After about another 5 mins. 4 storm-troopers arrived on their noisy, semi-knobbly tyred Dual-Sports or whatever. Two minutes after they assembled behind the Lancer behind me behind the Yaris it all became too much for these 2 wheel champions and 2 of them simply took off across the double lines around a blind 35 kph corner and passed the whole convoy doing 80 kph plus.
Why do some riders value their life so little?
I pulled to the side of the road a couple of corners later and let the Lancer and the last two riders pass me.
The other 2 at least waited until there was a tiny straight section before they took off and did the same - still across double lines and still
not back on to the correct side of the road until they were half way around the next blind corner.
Back on the road the Lancer gave me space to pass and I finally over-took the Yaris on a more open stretch which did not appear to be double-lined, but possibly was as I got beside him. Driver was not a pensioner with a hat - but a guy who appeared to be in his late 20's or early 30's. I shook my fist at him and continued on freely for the next 3 or so kilometres before I got stuck behind two massive American Classic 'tanks' being used as wedding cars. The back one was loaded with 8 ladies and the one in front (a convertible) had 10 guys in it! They weren't much interested in assisting following traffic and they were so massive that it was impracticable to expect them to pull over anyway - so I just accepted I had to tail them down to suburbia. The Buick at the back with the ladies must have eventually noticed me because when the road widened through a little village he made an effort to move to the left and I shot past him at the start of the 60 zone probably doing closer to 80. I eased off even as I was passing his bonnet, but showed 71 kph as I noticed what may have been a camera car.
I will be a little anxious for the next few weeks ..

The convertible nearly finished me off anyway as he did a late right hand turn into an old petrol station without indicating as I was about to roll past. I think it was a left-hand drive classic with rear-view mirrors obscured by the number of passengers he was carrying.
When I got back and shared my somewhat less than happy opinions with my darling wife she got upset that I didn't "ENJOY" my ride and couldn't understand that I did enjoy my ride but had some frustrations about it.
Next time will be perfect I'm sure!

Happy riding to you all!

Crossing double lines up here is common for bikes. (i dont ) I normally ride alone or with my girlfriend and its nothing to get 6 bikes
over take the both of us and then some cars over double lines. In fact if i catch up to another bike who waits like i do ,i'm shocked.
If i feel I'm in a dangerous situation ,maybe.Sometimes its better to get out of there. Like sitting behind a trailer with a fridge in it
I would hate to go for my licence again and who knows whats a cop car these days,yet alone the safety factor.
A couple of months ago i got overtaken on the LEFT then he pulled across the front of me and overtook 4 cars of course across double
lines. Didn't see him coming ,i was PISSED OFF.Just as well i hadnt decided to pull over.Guess what he was riding,hate to say it
1200 Bandit.Saw him later stopped as i was riding past and he WAVED .Felt like giving him the finger but just looked the other way.
Thongs and shorts very common.Very,very common.T-shirts common
I've given up trying to work it out .Some days (usually Sunday) i might go for a ride and only last 30 mins because there is so
many stupid things going on around me. Most of the time its good,but every now and then they let all the crazy one's out on the
same day on the Sunshine Coast.

Sounds like your area might be the same.?

Im my opinion some rides are just like that.
I have on occasion crossed double lines but its not common practice for me and I do it knowing I'm on the wrong side for 3 seconds.
Parts of the Princes Hwy between Bairnsdale and Orbost have a lane left of the fog line and are double lined for mile after mile. I'f I'm behind someone who wont move left even part way (I know they dont have too) I'll shoot past across doubles.

I'll wait for the holiday drivers and riders to all go back to work before I do serious km's. It's to frustrating otherwise.