I’m looking with interest at the manufacturer-branded rides happening at the moment.
Of course I’m rapt to see adventure riding being embraced by so many, and I’m even more thrilled manufacturers judge our favourite pastime is deserving of their support.
But there’s a little niggle at the back of my mind and I guess I’m wondering why owners feel there’s a need for rides that cater specifically to their particular bike. Isn’t the adventure in getting out there and meeting a challenge? Do we believe a course specifically planned with our brand of bike in mind will offer that challenge, while a ride planned by a different brand will be…what…‘unsuitable’? Or are we in fact looking for the lesser challenge of knowing the course is planned for exactly what our bikes are designed to do?
BMW’s been running its GS Safari for a long time, and it’s a huge success. I’ve ridden a few GS Safaris, and they’re sensational. Would they be any less sensational if I did the same course on a KTM or Yamaha?
I suspect a lot of the backbone for these rides comes from rider perception.
“Isn’t the adventure in getting out there and meeting a challenge? ”
The KTM guys feel they’re being offered a tougher, more off-road course than, say, the BMW GS Safari guys. Maybe they are. The Ténéré Tragics guys I think get together more because they’re all on Ténérés than anything to do with the terrain, and there’s something really comfortable and fun about riding with a batch of people who are all,
give or take, on the same bike as you.
Suzuki and Kawasaki haven’t jumped on board yet this time around, but they’ve been there in the past. The Suzuki Sidetrack Subscriber Rides spring to mind.
Anyhoo, I see the manufacturersponsored rides getting bigger and more amazing all the time, and I start to wonder if it’ll lead to our riding splintering into brand-name groups. There are still some great rides going from groups like RideADV and Maschine, the Triumph guys have always welcomed all brands, and BMW is in fact welcoming other brands now, so maybe I’m jumping at shadows. Maybe the true adventure guy who’s up for the challenge, no matter what bike he’s on, is still out there and smashing through the big hurdles.
I sure hope so.
And I sure hope the manufacturers keep running rides. No matter what questions are in the back of my mind, those rides are fantastic, and to see so many riders flocking to these events – not races, just good-quality riding events – puts a huge smile on my face.
As long as everyone’s riding there can’t be much of a problem.
On the cover: The 2016 KTM Rallye was a huge success. Nick Selleck seemed to enjoy it as much as anyone. Image: Wilkinson Photography.
The Triumph Tiger Explorer rides new routes across new countries, but doesn’t have to stop when the road runs out. Ruggedly dependable with a powerful, torque-rich engine, extended fuel range, agile handling and practicalities such as a centrestand on all models, the Tiger Explorer also features ABS, traction control and cruise control as standard. And for even more capability on unmade tracks, the Tiger Explorer XC includes wirespoked wheels, aluminium sump guard, engine protection bars, fog lights and hand guards.
Learn more at www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au
Adventure Rider Magazine is published bi-monthly by Mayne Media Group Pty Ltd
Publisher Kurt Quambusch
Editor Tom Foster tom@maynemedia.com.au
Sales Director Marcus Hucker marcus@maynemedia.com.au
National Advertising Manager Mitch Newell mitch@maynemedia.com.au
Phone: (02) 9452 4517 Mobile: 0402 202 870
Production Arianna Lucini arianna@maynemedia.com.au
Design Danny Bourke art@maynemedia.com.au
Subscriptions (02) 9452 4517
Accounts Jeewan Gnawali jeewan@maynemedia.com.au
ISSN 2201-1218
ACN 130 678 812 ABN 27 130 678 812
Postal address: PO Box 489, DEE WHY NSW 2099 Australia
Website: www.advridermag.com.au
Enquiries:
Phone: 1300 764 688
Int.ph: +61 2 9452 4517
Int.fax: +61 2 9452 5319
Four mates (Huffy, Magoo, Rick and Gav) took on the 2015 ADV-X “Hard Route”. Over 14 days they covered 7,000 km of heavy sandy rough tracks and roads. All four bikes performed flawlessly with no fault of any kind and achieved incredible fuel range even in heavy, sandy tracks. Extremely precise, fast and comfortable, the F 800 GS Adventure was the obvious choice for this cross-continent adventure. For a limited time, the F 800 GS Adventure comes with a BMW GS Helmet valued at up to $1,000.* Book a test ride today at bmwmotorrad.com.au
Riding Blanca
If you want bang for your buck head to Huaraz, Peru, the gateway to Huascarán National Park located in the central Peruvian Andes.
Huaraz is easily accessible from the Panamerican Highway via major routes such as highway 14A or the very popular Cañón del Pato route, famous for its unique rock tunnels. Huaraz is the capital of the Ancash region, and is a large city with many services and comforts. It’s a beautiful setting and on a clear day you’re rewarded with views of the white, snow-capped mountain peaks of the Cordillera Blanca.
Peruvian culture
If you prefer to spend your nights in a nice hotel, making Huaraz your home base is a good place to start, however there are camping opportunities – both official and unofficial – in the surrounding area.
Culturally Huaraz has a lot to offer, and spending a few days exploring the city and
The Cordillera
sampling Peruvian culture will give your body a chance to acclimatise to the altitude (3050m above sea level). You can walk through a local market or sit down at one of the many restaurants serving up comida típica (Peruvian food). Take a break in the Plaza de Armas and watch the local ladies dressed in bright coloured clothing show off their llamas to the tourists who flock to the city.
Black and white
Huaraz is located in the valley of Callejón de Huaylas with the Cordillera Blanca (White Mountains) to the east and the Cordillera Negra (Black Mountains) to the west. There’s a main route, highway 3N, which is double-lane traffic and paved, that runs right through the valley and can be used to access the many points of interest as you ride the region. Huascarán National Park is situated to the east of highway 3N and is home to Peru’s tallest mountain, Nevado
South America is an adventure-riding El Dorado. Naomi and Alberto share some of their considerable knowledge and excellent photography. If you’re thinking of seeing Peru, here’s some great info to get you started.
Above: Buying supplies at a ‘tienda de la esquina’ –a corner store.
Huascarán, which stands 6768m tall.
This massive mountain can be seen while riding on highway 3N, but the best place to admire the view is the Portachuelo Pass. The summit of this pass measures 4767m and is accessed through the park entrance to reach Lagunas de Llanganuco.
Peak-a-boo
The Llanganuco park entrance is reached by dirt road starting from the town of Yungay. This road enters the park through a narrow valley with steep vertical rock walls on either side. Waterfalls can be seen cascading down these walls and the natural beauty surrounding you as you ride is surreal. It isn’t long after entering the park you reach Laguna Llanganuco, which is
Words: Naomi Tweddle. Images: Alberto Lara.
Main: The summit of Portachuelo Pass.
actually a pair of lakes, Laguna Chinacocha and Laguna Orconcocha, connected by the glacial river that feeds them. The road through the park passes right beside the lakes, which are spectacular as the water surface shimmers a brilliant turquoise colour. Along the lake shores grow the Queñual trees with their red bark and intricate branches. The road climbs past the lakes and into the mountains, travelling 15km and gaining 900m of elevation to reach the Portachuelo Pass summit. Sitting at the viewpoint provides views of Nevado
Cat’s whiskers
Further south along the valley highway 3N, the turnoff for the road to visit Chavín de Huántar is found in the town of Catac.
This nice, smooth road is paved until the summit and boasts views of the Cordillera Blanca on either side and large open grasslands before the climb into the mountains. Laguna Querococha, a glacial lake with stunning surroundings, is on the route. Pointed mountain peaks, with just a hint of white snow, guard the lake from the northern side and the shoreline is dotted with pampas grass.
Following the road further into the mountains through a series of switchbacks will have you grasping for the throttle and whooping with joy. Mind the buses and trucks though, as they tend to make use of your lane around corners.
The road summit is punctuated by the Tunel de Kahuish which lies at 4516m above sea level.
Once through the tunnel the road turns to dirt and is a bit rough from all the bus and truck traffic, however it’s not far to the ruin of Chavín de Huántar which dates back over 3000 years and was a ceremonial centre for the Chavín culture. Walking the grounds of the ruin one can appreciate the stonework and intricate sculptures of the pre-Colombian culture. Among these sculptures are temple guardians known as Cabezas Clavas, mythical humanoid stoneheads with feline features, and they can be seen up on the surrounding walls of the main temple.
Road block
Starting from the town of Carhuaz there’s an excellent paved road with plenty of smooth turns that leads to another entrance to the Huascarán National Park. The valley is more open than the entrance to Llanganuco, with grasslands supporting grazing cattle and beautiful purple flowers along the roadside. The road parallels a glacial river that runs through the valley before climbing an endless series of switchbacks to the summit of Punta Olímpica at 4890m.
The weather can change considerably through the climb, going from sunshine to snow at the pass. At the summit there’s a
u
Huascáran and other peaks in the area such as Nevado Chopicalqui, Nevado Huandoy and Nevado Pisco.
Above: Wild camping opportunities are endless in Peru. Below: Author Naomi and photographer Alberto are happy to explore Peru.
Below right: Cholita colourfully dressed and carrying a whip just in case!
long tunnel, an impressive feat of engineering measuring 1384m in length, that takes you to the other side of the mountain.
The switchbacks are just as much fun on the way down, or a quick visit to the exit of the park yields alternate views of the region.
If you’re looking for doses of adrenaline, you can take a detour near the tunnel entrance at the top. The detour takes you up to the ‘old’ Punta Olímpica pass, and is an out-of-service narrow road in rough shape that snakes up to rewarding views of the surrounding mountains. Be aware this old pass can be covered in deep snow and large rocks may be blocking the road, making it a real challenge on bigger bikes.
Mucho ass
In the Cordillera Negra lies Laguna Wilcacocha, a little-known small lake in a simple setting of grass-
lands and local houses. Camping is allowed around the lake and with incredible views of the Callejón de Huaylas valley and Cordillera Blanca it’s a fantastic place to be. The road to the lake is a narrow, rough dirt track that’s challenging in sections. Access to the road is across the Santa River from the main highway at the town of Santa Cruz. The lake is home to wild ducks, while local donkeys are scattered around the perimeter.
POIs
Take a visit before time runs out on Pastoruri Glacier, a rare site to see this far north in South America.
The walk from the parking lot to visit the glacier gets longer every year. The glacier is receding quickly and at over 5000m above sea level will have you gasping for air with every step you take. The road to reach the glacier starts from just a few kilometres south of Catac and is a single-lane dirt track. It’s in pretty good condition though, and it’s typical to see tour buses bumping along, kicking up dust, as they shuttle tourists back and forth.
With a few points of interest to check out along the way,
u
Above: Even on a rainy day the views of the Cordillera Blanca mountains are stellar. Right: Cholita walking her burros in the quiet streets of Chavín.
The Wild Side of Ducati
The world has no boundaries. Over any distance, over any terrain, the new Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro is designed to conquer with all new levels of style, performance and technology.
With the 160hp Ducati Testastretta DVT engine, 30 litre fuel tank, 19" front and 17” rear spoked wheels and 200mm wheel travel, it's time to follow the adventure wherever it takes you with no limits.
New Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro. We’ve given it everything. Except boundaries.
including the thermal waters, native art paintings and Puya Raimondi plants, combined with the mountain views, the ride is a pleasant one.
Flower power
If returning to the coast via Punta Winchus you’re in for a treat.
The road is a paved, but narrow, single-lane track filled with endless switchbacks and turns. It’s a treat for the senses and a road of pure joy for the motorcycle enthusiast.
From Caraz the road leads up into the Cordillera Negra. Views of the white mountain tops can be seen in the distance but the narrow road will demand most of your attention. Watch out for grazing livestock and pedestrians, as well as large trucks in blind corners.
At the top of the pass you’ll find one of the very few Puya Raimondi forests left.
The Puya Raimondi is the largest pineapple plant in the world. The flower, which can reach 12 metres in height, grows from a large spikey base. Each plant can have close to 8000 flowers and live over 100 years. The flower only blooms once every 50 to 75 years, so consider yourself lucky if you catch one in bloom.
From the summit you can see the tall mountains behind you as the landscape gently slopes down towards the Pacific Ocean and your return to the Panamerican highway that leads back to Lima.
Good time
There are countless dirt roads that head in every direction into the mountains in this beautiful part of Peru. Take your time to explore. If you do, you’ll be rewarded with many spectacular views of the mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes and high-road passes.
More of South America
If you’d like more of Naomi and Alberto’s insight, especially into South America, log on to www.MotoLara.com. There’s a world of information and photography there.
Above: Spectacular views of the Cordillera Blanca seen from the road to Wilcacocha Lake.
Right: Smiley lady selling her produce on the streets.
Main: With surprisingly little work – none of it mechanical – the BMWF800GS is ready to take on the GS Safari Enduro. Several shakedown rides through some rugged terrain were capped off with a cruise through the New England region on a sunny Winter day.
BMW
L F800GS
GS Safari Enduro? Bring it on!
ast issue we’d taken delivery of a 2016 F800GS, ridden it back from Melbourne, loved it, and sent it in for its first service. The idea was to set up the bike for the GS Safari Enduro running from Streaky Bay in South Australia up to Broken
Hill in NSW, and we were a little nonplussed at just how good the 800GS is in stock trim. It’s a GS remember, not a GSA, so we were expecting it to be a little soft around the edges. That turned out to be a foolish notion, and thanks to some much-appreciated help from BMW
Motorrad, the bike’s now had a few changes aimed predominantly at rider comfort and coping with a challenging off-road run.
Comfort zone
The most obvious change for an event like the GS Safari is tyres. The stock Anakees were a roadoriented tyre, and at BMW’s
and below:
suggestion, they were replaced with Continental TKC80 Twinduros – a 150/70-17 on the rear and 90/90 21 on the front. We’ve had a great results and longevity from the TKC80s in the past, especially on the big-horsepower bikes, so we’re very content. There’s a noticeable change in feel on the road of course, but the extra grip and drive off-road is exceptional, and while the new tyres were being fitted, UHD tubes were slotted in place as well.
With the tyres taken care of it was time to sort things for the individual rider, Adventure Rider Magazine’s editor, and the folks at Motorrad Garage were the first port of call. The ’bar position as delivered was very close to ideal, but with the GS Safari Enduro there’s likely to be way more standing-up time than usual, and a pair of SW Motech 20mm ’bar risers gave just a whisker more comfort when the rider’s up on the ’pegs. SW Motech also has a GPS mount which fits on the ’bar clamps and offers a steady platform with stacks of adjustment and excellent insulation from vibration, so that was bolted on. With the GPS in the desired position the tacho on the F800GS is partially obscured, but it seems a totally acceptable compromise.
Bag man
It cracks us up how the editor always goes on about how he doesn’t like tankbags, but when he has to ride a bike that
Above
Giant Loop Bushwackers protect the bike’s controls as well as the rider’s hands. Good stuff in the cold and wet.
doesn’t have one, all he does is sulk. The BMW-supplied tankbag was a sturdy and luxurious unit, but a tad too big for his personal comfort.
The Motorrad Garage guys came to rescue again with the fitting that bolts on top of the airbox cover – what would be the tank on most bikes. This is a great system because there’s no straps to deal with. The tankbag just clips in and out of the rig.
An SW Motech City bag was also supplied, but the editor prefers his Micro bag from the same company. It’s very small and is really only suitable for a wallet, phone and small camera, which is pretty much the use it will get.
The bulk of the luggage will be in a BMW roll-top bag, and it’s a cracker bit of gear. It looks super-tough, and the design
and build is brilliant. That bag will travel in the support truck during the event.
Speaking of brilliant builds, the editor’s largish toolkit travels in an Andy Strapz
Above: Motorrad Garage supplied an SW Motech GPS mount which fits on the ’bar clamps and offers a steady, adjustable platform.
Right: SW Motech 20mm ’bar risers give just a whisker more comfort when the rider’s up on the ’pegs. You’d never know they were there unless we told you.
Below: The SW Motech tankbag mount allows any bag fitted with the appropriate ring to be clipped in place. For the event the bike will run an SW Motech Micro.
Pannier Trunkz. Trunkz are designed to strap on top of Andy’s Pannierz, but it’s the ideal size and gives great protection for the tubes and tools. It straps on to the rack and makes sure that everything from Torx bits to the Rocky Creek Designs Pocket Pump are there if needed.
Got wind
We mentioned last issue how the BMW handguards were fitted with wind deflectors, and how BMW had larger deflectors available. We were intending to fit those, but then we saw the Giant Loop Bushwackers. The editor had used something similar many years ago and thought they’d be a good alternative for the BMW deflectors, mainly because they offered such huge coverage. It’s not only the rider’s hands which are protected, it’s the bike’s controls as well, and on a wet, muddy ride that can make a huge difference.
The folks at BMW were happy for us to give the Bushwalkers a try so we punted
the company credit card details at Adventure Moto and they arrived in the mail a couple of days later, just in time for a chilly run through the New England area in the early morning.
Brrr!
Done
So that’s it. We’re calling the 800 Beemer ready to go. We know there’s not much to talk about as far as exotic upgrades go, but as we find on so many modern bikes, the F800GS is extremely capable in stock trim. There’s just no need to make a lot of changes, except to suit specific rides or tasks.
Next stop is Streaky Bay and five days of some the best, challenging and most good-fun riding Australia has to offer.
Yee-hah!
Sean Goldhawk
If there’s one name in the Australian motorcycle industry that’ll raise a smile and start a run of great stories, it’s Sean ‘Geezer’ Goldhawk. Yamaha Motor Australia’s Communications Manager is always looking for a good time, especially on a bike, and can usually find one.
At 54, Sean Goldhawk can look back on a long association with motorcycles, not only in Australia, but in his native England. His background in publishing gives him an insight on dealing with media, and his glowing love of life makes him a media favourite. Adventure Rider Magazine wanted to know a little more about Geeze and his career path.
AdvR: Give us a quick rundown of your work history so far.
Geeze: I’ve always had a love of motorcycles.
I was born in England but I spent most of my life travelling. My father was in the army, so we moved around a lot: Hong Kong, Germany, Cyprus, Singapore…places like that.
I started off on a Suzuki AP50 moped and my brother had a Yamaha FS1E. Then, in about 1980, I got a GT185 twin-cylinder Suzuki two-stroke. It was the fastest thing! It was a beautiful bike.
After finishing business studies at university in the UK in 1983 I spent a lot of time as a dispatch rider in London. I used to read all the motorcycle magazines and they were average at best. I thought, ‘I could do better than this.’ I had a bit of a knowledge of bikes, so I thought I’d see if I could be a journalist and put myself through a post-graduate diploma in magazine journalism. A string of magazines and publishing work followed and I was headhunted by an Australian publishing company in 2000.
Left: Yamaha Motor Australia’s Communications Manager, Sean ‘Geezer’ Goldhawk.
Above: One of a couple of ‘hipster sleds’ built recently. Below: Sean’s work at Yamaha covers a wide range of tasks. u
IndusTRy playeRs
I got off the plane and the next two weeks was a party for the Olympics. I thought, ‘This is it. I’m staying here’. I had my gearbag full of clothes and that was it.
AdvR: You’ve had a long run at Yamaha Motor Australia (YMA). How did you get started with the company?
Geeze: I spent the best part of two years at the publishing company and then there was a big management change. Many of the existing employees were told, “On yer bike.” I had to find a job pretty quickly to fulfil my visa requirements and I answered an ad in a newspaper. I started at Yamaha Motor Australia in September 2002. I get a lot of people saying, “How do I get a job like yours?”
I have to say, it’s the dream job. There’s a fair bit of computer driving and desk jockeying which is a little bit mundane, but at the same time it can be crazy and full-on. You have to be a master of a lot of different areas: advertising, event organisation, PR work, writing, copy writing, photography, riding, bike building. The role has everything.
That’s what makes it such a great job. You don’t get pigeon-holed or typecast in one area of the business.
AdvR: Tell us about your time at YMA so far. Geeze: It’s quite interesting, because I started off as PR and Advertising Co-ordinator. Because I had a background in journalism I kind of knew how to deal with the press, and what they wanted out of a picture and a story. I’d do all the press releases and press launches. I also handled all the advertising – the brochures, print advertising, creating ads and that kind of thing.
That role just expanded. There’s never been a marketing manager at YMA, and I kind of filled that slot over the years. I do a bit of event management, PR, I’m a bit of a company spokesperson, I write the copy and organise all the images to create all the ads. Once the advertisement is created I place all the ads in various media.
AdvR: What are the high points of a typical year?
Geeze: I’ve been involved with Ténéré Tragics since day one, and it’s a highlight of every year. Tragics is Clubby’s concept, but it needs a lot of assistance from YMA to make it the event it is. It’s a real fun event and I’ve been on every one.
Press launches are another highlight. If we organise a launch in New Zealand, for instance, we get to take the press over to somewhere like Queenstown.
If the bike suits that market, that’s what we do. Then I get to ride primo riding spots that you wouldn’t get to access normally.
AdvR: Tell us bout your XT660X.
Geeze: (His eyes light up) That’s a bike from the original 2005 launch in Sydney.
After the launch a few bikes were left in the YMA warehouse. This bike was, for some reason, left in Queensland. It wasn’t running and was covered in a thick layer of dust, so I made an offer to Yamaha and bought it. I replaced the spark plug and it started at the first touch of the button.
It was the ‘X’ motard model, and I really wanted an adventure bike, so I thought the way to go was to put a 21-inch front wheel on it. Barrett’s made a two-into-one muffler for it, and Greg Yager at RideADV put all the other bits on it with help from Steve Smith at AdventureMoto. So it’s got a bashplate, screen and a heap of other goodies. Nick Dole at Teknik did the suspension, and it ended up a very lightweight, capable adventure bike. It has the same power as a Ténéré, but it’s lighter and turns a little faster.
It’s a really good thing to ride.
AdvR: You build a few promotional bikes. What have you been putting together lately?
Geeze: I’ve been building what we’ll call ‘hipster sleds’ to highlight an emerging market segment.
Basically, we’ve a range of road bikes, the XSR900 and XSR700, and they’re kind of modular-type designs with a retro, sports-heritage look. We thought, to ramp
Above: Geeze’s adventure-modified XT660X has the same power as a Ténéré, but it’s lighter and turns a little faster.
it up even further, we’d make one look like a 1968 DT-1. It has old-school motocross ’bars, Pivot Pegz, TKC80s, we’ve matched the DT1 colour scheme and decal style and removed the numberplate, clock and pillion pegs. It’s just to get people thinking what they could do with their own bikes.
We took the bike to Throttle Roll, a banging Sydney street party and custom bike show with live music and the bike went off. People just loved it.
AdvR: What’s coming up that you’re looking forward to?
Geeze: From a personal point of view, I’ve just met a beautiful woman who’s a former champion pro mountain-bike rider, so I’m getting back into mountain biking in a vain attempt to keep up with her.
From a work point of view, I’m looking forward to being involved in Yamaha’s latest marketing initiative – the bLU cRU. It’s a community of sport-focussed punters eager to enjoy Yamaha blueand-white world activities…so that’s into road- and dirt-based fun, from kids’ bikes through YZ/WR and into our R series road bikes, and from beginners through to pro-level racers. We’ll be running activities and events under the bLU cRU umbrella powered by a strong online and social media presence.
So there’s plenty to look forward to with that.
KTM 1190/1290 Adventure R/Super Adventure TALL
SEAT CONCEPTS are comfort seats that give the rider more time in the saddle.
Designed by Riders for Riders
Available for many bikes in LOW, STANDARD & TALL Seat options in different finishes.
Seat Concepts Trail, Dual Sport, Adventure and Road comfort seats incorporate a wider seating area for the rider, which results in a more even weight distribution while reducing pressure points. Each seat model is specifically designed to increase your comfort without compromising your riding experience.
Seat Kits include a quality replacement foam and cover with many models also available as a full replacement seat. Or send us your old seat and ask Adventure Moto, as an option, to trim your new seat for you.
Available for many Aprilia, Beta, BMW, Ducati, Honda, Husaberg, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, KTM, Sherco, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha motorcycles
The solo rider looks adventure square in the eye. Mike Treloar didn’t blink when things went wrong.
There’s nothing like the feeling of taking off on a trip, stresses and last-minute chores either completed or left until the return, bike packed, kids kissed goodbye, a pat and bone for the dog.
The white sands of my home beach on the WA coast were to be swapped for the red, desert sand 14 days to the east of my home.
Settling in
There’s no greater sense of freedom than the one I felt as I rode down the farm’s drive. The bike felt sluggish under its load of gear, but we hit the road and she pulled away into the cool morning air. Tuart trees lined my path for the first few clicks, then it was over the highway and into the flat farming country which makes up WA’s south-western coastal plain.
Heading east from my corner of WA left the coast and its flat, sandy, plain before rising into a forested escarpment. At the top the Jarrah forest was left behind and the farms became bigger and dryer, and the passing traffic dwindled.
Every vehicle that did pass was a ute with a kelpie hanging out the side. We’d wave while the dog barked.
I hit the dirt again, flicked the GS into enduro mode and added a click on the steering damper. I stood on the ’pegs and enjoyed my bike bobbing and dancing under me. Slipping and sliding through each corner on the notorious south-west pea gravel left little option but to accelerate to get around turns, and every kilometre found me more comfortable and at one with the bike.
Cracked up
Within an hour I was in the coal town of Collie where grand old buildings, a sign of better times, lined the main street and peeling paint indicated a town in decline.
Shop windows gave me the opportunity to check my reflection, and all looked to be in place with nothing dragging behind.
A cuppa stop was more to do with getting rid of a wedgie than needing a break.
Not recommended
Continuing east, the farms gave way from grazing cattle to grain crops and sheep, the bush thinned to mallee and it was black-top riding for a long time. Towns slipped by as the sun climbed out of my eyes and my shadow moved in front of me.
Williams went by, as did Kulin. The roads were empty and the rolling hills were either yellow with canola or bright green with wheat.
The further inland I pressed the shorter the grain crops grew, a testament to the dry centre getting closer.
This was great riding country. It wasn’t challenging, and there were small towns with a pub or two, and in between the farms bush reserves offered plenty of camping opportunities. Just don’t expect high-octane fuel at the smaller towns.
My goal for the night was east of
Words and images – including pain-wracked selfies: Michael Treloar u
Unable to stand.
The notorious southwest WA pea gravel.
WhITe sand To Red dusT
Hyden, best known for Wave Rock, and riding into town at about 3:00pm was beautiful. The bright-orange school buses were spreading out from town as I pulled into the bakery which was just shutting shop for the day, but was only too happy to let me pull up and sample its food.
We chatted about the heavy frost killing crops the night before and I thought about how I’d be camping that night.
Next door the butcher give me a bit of his best rump – read that however you like – and I fuelled up. It was 500km to the next servo, so I filled a few two-litre softdrink bottles with petrol as reserve.
Bagged out
East of Hyden the farming country stopped abruptly just after the rabbit-proof fence.
The low scrub was split by the road to Norseman, and like all development roads out there it’s wide, straight and in good condition.
I wanted to be off the bike by 4:00pm to avoid the wildlife and it wasn’t long before a nice camp spot appeared. I had my tent up, the kettle on and was enveloped by the silence only remote desert country can offer. The heat of the day quickly turned cool. Then very cold.
I sat by the fire with my front half toasty while fingers of cold dug into my back and there wasn’t a soul on the road. The warmth of my sleeping bag had me bunked down early.
See creatures
Frost greeted me at sunrise. I could tell I’d come a fair way east because sunrise was 15 minutes earlier than at home.
Then things started going wrong.
While I was sorting out breakfast my new chair was flung into the fire by the frigid desert wind. By the time I noticed it was all but gone.
Great. Ten days of sitting by the fire in the lotus position!
Hitting the track after the ’roos had stopped moving meant a slow start and it was still cold, so I hunkered down on the bike and tried to move as little as possible.
My mind wandered. Looking at the dash I started wondering why my high-beam indicator look like a blue jellyfish. Then I noticed my heated-grips indicator looked like a crayfish.
In no time the great, open expanse before me warmed up, requiring regular stops to take off layers of clothing.
A salt
An hour later I hit some breakaway country and enjoyed an early lunch in the shade of an overhanging cliff. I still hadn’t seen a single person.
Turning north I left the dirt road for a track and the woodlands of the goldfields
started to surround me. It was beautiful country where flowering shrubs sparsely covered the ground under spreading tree branches, and, where the granite was close to the surface, meadows of everlastings grew.
No one had been on this track since the last rain two weeks before and branches swiped me as I passed. I constantly switched from one wheel rut to the other trying to get the best line. There were no more open vistas of the wheat belt.
After lunch I came across the first people I’d seen in two days, and stopping for a chat I found my destination for the night. Cave Hill Rock was only a few hours ride away.
An hour later I hit the first remains of a rail track. Prior to the pipeline from Perth to Kalgoorlie all the town’s water came from desalination, and fingers of rail headed out from Kalgoorlie to collect timber to be burnt, the heat needed to create steam and fresh water.
Going down
The track I rode didn’t appear on my GPS, but it was going where I wanted to be so I figured all was good.
The heat of the day quickly turned cool. Then very cold.
Then more tracks crisscrossed mine.
I stopped to zoom out on the GPS and found the track I wanted was behind me. As I went to slowly turn around I dropped the BMW.
My first thought was: “That didn’t hurt.”
The motor was still running, so I hit the kill switch and struggled for several minutes to get my leg out from under my bike. Without any real worry I stood and went to lift the bike, but it wouldn’t move. The bike had landed leaning down the slope.
A nice camp spot. Tent up, kettle on and enveloped by the silence only remote desert country can offer.
ADVENTURE IS EVERYWHERE. You don’t need much to find it, just get out there doing what you love most and don’t plan a thing just explore. The Husqvarna 701 ENDURO is the ultimate all-terrain machine to do just that. With its stylish modern design, high-performance engine, state-of-the-art engineering, and long-distance travel capability, this is the motorcycle designed to take you where you dare to explore.
WhITe sand To Red dusT
Not good
The track didn’t appear on the GPS.
Okay, so I couldn’t lift it. I took off my riding gear, emptied the panniers and tried again. Nothing.
This had never happened before. I sat down to take in the situation. There wasn’t a sound other than the ticking of the hot engine. No one had been on this track for weeks.
I joined all my straps together in an effort to try and drag the bike around so it was facing up, but the straps snapped. And I hurt my back. Bad. I rolled around the ground trying to stretch out the painful spasm.
I tried digging a hole to get the bike at 180 degrees, but the ground was as hard as stone.
“When in doubt, have a cuppa,” is a good rule. So I drank coffee and thought. Every move triggered spasms of sharp pain through my lower back.
I had six litres of water, three days worth of food, a great deal of pain and nothing broken. Cave Hill Rock had a camping ground with a large water reserve and it was 15km from my position. Last time I was there several campers were at its base. I needed someone to give me a lift and a day to rest my back. If I could organise that all would be apples, I figured.
Back again
I took a few painkillers and some Valium for the back spasms with my coffee, and I soon saw why they called the relaxant the housewife’s friend.
An hour of rest and my bike was still clicking and ticking. I hoped it was the sound of cooling metal and not something dripping where it shouldn’t.
An hour later I set off, GPS in hand, to look for help.
Twenty minutes after I started in I remembered I hadn’t set a waypoint for the bike. Bugger!
I walked back, pressed the button and headed off for the second time.
Walking was hard going. The back pain, afternoon heat and a sandy track slowed me down.
No help
Finally I saw the large shape of Cave Hill Rock through the trees.
Reaching the base I could see no one at the campsite, and it looked like nobody had been there in more than a week. I headed to the campsite on the far side of the rock, but there was no one there either. Even the long-drop toilets hadn’t been used for a long time.
I climbed the mini Uluru and from the top I could see for kilometres. There was nothing but bush. The remoteness was breathtaking.
I rested on top of this granite rock, munched on my last apple and thought. It was time to refill my water and head back.
Crunch time
It was a long walk back that gave plenty of time to think. Should I wait? Try to walk out? Or press the button on the PLB?
Five kilometres from the bike my GPS stopped working. It was a good thing I’d marked each corner with a bit of clothing. Back at the bike my back locked up to the
point where I could no longer stand. At least it took my mind off the blisters.
A night sleeping out followed – my sleeping gear was in the pannier under the bike – and morning found me in the same position as the night before. It was time to activate the PLB. There was no other option I could see.
Good decision
I pressed PLB button. Within an hour a plane started a grid search far off, getting closer with each turn. I lit my signal fire and threw on some green branches to generate some smoke, but the fire was too hot and burned clean.
I threw plastic on the fire and the plane saw it.
An hour later a big, red plane joined in the circling. They dropped a tub on a ’chute which had a radio and a Sat phone – but no espresso!
I could then speak to the plane.
The aircraft hung around until police from Kambalda arrived about five hours later. I told them it wasn’t essentially lifeor-death stuff, but they said they had to stay overhead.
I thought the cops would blast me, but they were great. It was six hours driving to get out, and two days later they drove me back to collect the bike, then they followed me back. They (the police) said they’d much prefer to respond to a PLB signal than do a full search. At the time this was all going on they were carrying out a search for a lost 4WD north of Kalgoorlie, and it was tying up two planes, three helicopters and over 100 people.
Thank god they don’t send out bills for the service.
PLB time?
Carese II · art. 6450
GORE-TEX® jacket
Torno II · art. 6460
GORE-TEX® pants
Crazy Kunzum Crossing
Riding one of the world’s most basic motorcycles through one of the world’s harshest environments proved no problem for Chris Shaw. He tells of just a single day out of a life-changing journey.
Right: At sea level there’s an effective oxygen content of 20.9 per cent but at 4500m it’s almost halved. Any kind of exertion results in a sensation not unlike drowning on dry land.
Words and images: Chris Shaw
Kunzum La (Kunzum Pass) is in India’s eastern Himalayas at an elevation of 4590m. Considered the ‘Gateway to Spiti’, it’s the only motorable route connecting Kullu and Lahaul to the Spiti Valley. Often impassable due to avalanches or heavy snows, the rough and narrow road hugs the banks of the fast-flowing Chenab River, providing breathtaking views of the Chandra-Bhaga mountain range and the second-longest glacier in the world, Bara-Shigri. We had to cross it.
Hurry up and wait
We were awake at 5:10am, groggy and confused by the sound of water rushing
through the shallow channel beside the guesthouse. The notion that it might be a wall of mud and slush barrelling down the mountain to bury us alive in our beds and sweep the building away briefly panicked me, but a few seconds later (and not yet dead), I reinserted my earplugs, ignored the bright shards of sunlight stabbing at my eyes, tucked my feet into a warm fold of musty-smelling duvet, and went back to sleep for half an hour.
Snorting himself awake, my partner in crime, Tim, prodded me in the ribs with what I hoped was his finger. Quickly, before the biting mountain air could steal the bed-warmth from our skin, we shivered into crusty jeans and dusty riding jackets.
We should’ve just stayed in bed. We were riding with a group of Royal Enfield riders from New Delhi – ‘The Bike Blazers’ – led by Jay, whom we’d met on a previous trip, and although we’d all agreed to an early start the guesthouse kitchen staff were so slow to commence their culinary duties that, 90 minutes later, we were still waiting for our breakfast.
However, the day’s ride promised to be gruelling and our physical reserves would undoubtedly benefit from a good shot of caffeine, toast and omelette energy. So we sat. And we waited.
Done
The ride to Kunzum Top was spectacular u
CRazy KunzuM CRossIng
Right: Cotton-wool wisps danced around the crowns of snaggle-toothed summits that rippled into the distance like sedimentary rock blips on the heart monitor of the world.
Below: The Enfields thumped contentedly.
and we were all glad to note the frightening drop-offs of previous days had mellowed into ‘gradual rock-strewn slopes’ rather than ‘sudden plunging deaths’. The air was still, warm and aggrieved by no sound other than that of our Enfields, which were thumping contentedly. They were positively purring, actually. Beneath a cloudless blanket of turquoise blue, past rippling lines of prayer flags that snapped in the breeze, we rode on barren, drab-tan coloured hills that bellied up to saw-toothed, snowcapped Himalayan peaks. I was fed, rested and riding a delightfully charismatic motorcycle in the Himalayas; there was quite literally nowhere else I’d have rather been.
Upon reaching the highest point on Kunzum Pass we circled the stupas –religious monuments – in a clockwise direction to request safe passage from whichever deity was watching, then parked the bikes, posed for pictures and took a few moments to contemplate our accomplishment. Kunzum had been the monster under the bed. It was both the thorn in the side of the trip and the key to its completion. If it’d proved impassable, reaching Manali would have been impossible and we would’ve been forced to turn around and ride back to Shimla. But after months of planning and five days of hard riding we’d made it.
Not for everyone
From Kunzum Top we rode 13km to Batal, a one-horse settlement whose horse was missing.
We were greeted by a weathered couple who graced us with steaming cups of chai and wide, welcoming smiles. For 40 years, in communal buildings constructed from river rock, stone and concrete, they’d pro-
vided emergency lodging and basic meals for travellers caught out by the conditions or exhausted from the mental and physical strain of negotiating the treacherous roads. All things considered, the accommodations were quite cozy. Interiors stained blue and yellow by sunlight filtering through coloured tarpaulin roofs were insulated from the most persistent of draughts by groundsheets draped over inner walls. Thick quilts of questionable cleanliness provided additional warmth. The scenery was staggeringly beautiful, but I couldn’t imagine living such a bleak and unforgiving existence. The long winters, lack of resources and weather-induced, pseudo-solitary confinement would quickly tarnish the allure of being in such a gorgeous location.
’S no joke
Just outside Batal we encountered our first snow obstacle. Two metres deep and 10 metres wide, it stopped us dead in our tracks. A front-end loader was busily working to uncover the road but there was no way we were getting through any time soon. The driver impatiently waved us away. We would have to go around.
The first snow crossing was our detour, a broad plain sandwiched between the snow-covered road and the fast-flowing Chenbu River. We only needed to cover 100 metres or so of the gently inclined slope, but with street tyres treaded for water displacement rather than for aggressive grip on dirty grey snow and ice, it was more than far enough. Our individual attempts were met with varying degrees of success.
When the Indian lads lost traction they tended to deliver fistfuls of throttle that spun their rear tyres, digging their bikes into narrow, slippery trenches, whereas John, Tim and I understood that less throttle would give the rear tyre more chance to grip and drive. Last up, Tim received an enthusiastic round of applause after crawling slowly, deliberately and unaided across the snow before delivering a burst of acceleration that propelled him through the ditch and onto the rock- and rubble-strewn road in a flail of elbows and outstretched flapping legs.
Getting’ high
It’s hard to adequately convey to someone who’s never done it just how hard it is to push a 180kg bike up snow- and slush-covered inclines in the thin air at 4500m altitude. Believe me when I tell you it sucks.
Shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, sweating and fatigue might be symptoms of a heart attack, but they’re also signs of Acute Mountain Sickness. That can lead to pulmonary and cerebral oedema, both of which are potentially fatal. People suffer coronaries at every altitude but AMS isn’t considered a threat until 2500m. We were almost double that.
So wrong
Snow crossing number two featured walls of snow five metres deep that framed a slushy 80-metre long corridor bookended by frigid pools of melt. Traction was non-existent. Front wheels slid one way while back wheels spun and went the other. Fortunately, Rajesh’s recently acquired passenger, Rigzig, was there to save the day. Unfortunately (for him), he failed to take into account a key consideration when attempting to push a motorcycle in mucky conditions: positioning.
Standing directly behind a spinning rear wheel will invariably
Left: Looking for where the largest rocks were hiding and plotting our routes to avoid wallowing in the deepest sections.
result in the pusher wearing whatever is bogging down the pushee. In this case, mud and slush. As Rigzig hunkered down and enthusiastically shoved, Rajesh fed in an even more enthusiastic dollop of throttle. A plume of icy mud and water spat backwards, coating Rigzig from head to toe. It felt wrong to laugh, but I did it anyway.
More of the same
The third snow crossing was la Grande Fromage of the day’s snow crossings. It was 300 punishing metres that could be neither avoided nor ignored.
A bulldozer was working to clear a path when we arrived, but as soon as there was room to slide by the heavy machinery I jumped the queue and made the first assault. No more than a couple of metres in the back tyre started spinning. Standing, leaning forward and pushing on the bars I attempted to walk the bike up the slope without losing my balance or running over my own feet. At that point it was all hands to the wheel as the guys rushed to help – pushing, pulling, slipping and falling in the slush they moved me forwards. At the top of the rise my heart sank at the sight of another, albeit slightly smaller, neighbouring slope, beyond which lay the beautiful traction and welcome stability of wet gravel.
No sooner had I started up the next hill than the Enfield began shaking its head and fishtailing wildly as the tyre sought in vain for traction. Cursing, pushing, feeling as though my heart were about to burst out of my chest and explode, my vision spotted with dancing
black dots, I coaxed the bike up, over, and down the other side. Balancing on shaky legs, I extended the sidestand before collapsing across the tank. Trying to fill my lungs, I waited for my heart rate to decrease until I was fairly confident I wasn’t having a coronary attack. At sea level there’s an effective oxygen content of 20.9 per cent but at 4500m it’s almost halved. Any kind of exertion results in a sensation not unlike drowning on dry land.
Deep breaths
Breathing almost normally, I trudged back to lend a hand and together, gasping for air like landed fish, we pushed, pulled and nursed the remaining bikes to firmer ground. As John fought his way towards the crest of the first hill he lost his footing
and toppled over, the bike trapping his ankle between the steel luggage rack and an icy rut. He screamed in agony. Carefully, we righted the bike, but he continued to lie in the snow, hands clutching his ankle, eyes squeezed tightly shut against the pain. Nervously we waited. The closest hospital was a day’s ride away. If he’d broken his ankle it would be less hassle to club him with a rock and toss him in the river than to get him to medical help.
A minute later, cursing like a sailor with
Right: Snow crossing number four surprised us like an unexpected kick in the cobblers. It was only 30 metres wide, but it was short and tricky.
Tourette’s, he hobbled to his feet and limped up the hill. We wouldn’t need to murder him and report him missing after all.
Froze over
Snow crossing number four surprised us like an unexpected kick in the cobblers. It was only 30 metres wide, but it was short and tricky.
A shallow stream ran beneath a sloping wedge of snow that tipped into a ditch preceded by a narrow ridge of uneven
Two-way traffic meant everyone could use their horns.
rocks. Jay went first, slowly, deliberately, delicately balancing throttle and clutch as he crawled across the rocky ridge and onto the snow, where his front wheel immediately began to slide towards the ditch. Having positioned ourselves accordingly, we manhandled his bike to the other side of the slushy wedge, down over some large stones and into the wide stream running down the ‘road’. The process was painstakingly repeated until John’s was the last bike remaining. Worried about damaging his already sore ankle, he asked me to ride it for him. Dropping your own bike is bad enough, but dropping someone else’s is exponentially worse, and my nerves were far from soothed by the discovery that his bike tankslapped like a wet noodle in the wind.
With some welcome helping hands, I managed to coax it without incident to safer ground and, finally, we were finished.
What an ordeal. We’d spent more than three hours pushing and pulling six bikes across four snow crossings totalling just 500 metres of high-altitude Himalayan real estate. Slipping, sliding, cursing and collapsing in damp, breathless piles, we fought to suck air into our oxygen-starved lungs. It had been pure hell. Except colder. And a lot more slippery.
But we were done.
Catch cold
By 5.00pm we’d been on the road for nine hours and covered just 70km. However, Gramphu was only 18km away. It took two more hours.
Waterfalls crashed down the mountainsides flooding the dirt tracks and gravel-strewn goat paths on which we were riding. Not far from Chhatru, we rounded a corner and were met by the sight of a truly frightening volume of water rushing across the road. Tumbling down from on high, it spewed across the narrow track in a flood of white-water before shooting over the edge and falling a thousand feet to the valley floor.
We watched carefully as Rajesh made the first attempt, looking for where the largest rocks were hiding and plotting our routes to avoid wallowing in the deepest sections. Jay made it through next with no discernible drama, but Yogi rode barely three metres before getting hopelessly stuck. Somehow, improbably, he’d managed to perch his bike atop a rock and could move neither forward nor backwards.
Now, Yogi is a lovely fella. He’s a quiet teddy-bear of a man with an infectious grin and a proclivity for wandering around sans trousers. So I wanted to help. I really did. But my boots were finally starting
NEW SOUTH WALES 14-17 October
Above:
to dry and the water looked really cold. As he struggled to release his bike from the water’s chilling grip, Rigzig waded in to help. Within seconds he was out, dancing around like a man with wasps in his undies, trying to force blood and warmth back into his freezing feet. Moments later, he ran back in to deliver a heroic Yogi-freeing shove. A staunch proponent of the theory ‘when all else fails, give it gas’, I entered the turbulence quickly. The water barrelled into me, snatching at my front wheel and trying to shove me towards the deadly drop that beckoned from a metre away. Bouncing over a couple of submerged rocks threw me off course and before I knew it I was pointing directly at the edge. Instinctively I leaned left, cranking the bars, dabbing my feet and throttling away from the danger. As my front wheel made dryer land I was aware of an uncomfortable creeping sensation and, with a sudden rush of clarity, understood the veracity of a fundamental motorcycling truth; the only thing worse than feeling cold water soaking into your boots is feeling it slowly trickling into your groin.
Hunt and gather
For most of the day the stunning scenery had been no more than an afterthought –a gorgeous distraction that made the hardship a little easier to bear. Glacial streams cascaded down from snow-covered peaks, misting the valleys with fluttering veils of spray. Cotton-wool wisps danced around the crowns of snaggle-toothed summits that rippled into the distance like sedimentary rock blips on the heart monitor of the world. It was spectacular. Stunning.
But magnificent vistas aside, by late afternoon I was thoroughly sick of water crossings and cold, wet feet. It had been a staggeringly physical day; the most
technical and extreme riding I’d ever done. Bar none. Without a doubt, we would look back on this day with an incredulous shake of the head, because it had been so unremittingly, horribly, hard.
In Gramphu, we found the only hotel that still had rooms available. A quick look around left little doubt as to why. Essentially still under construction, it boasted no restaurant, no heat, and a filthy hallway stacked with building materials. Our room had no lock, the curtains were lying in the dust beneath a plastic table, and the bed was cloaked in decidedly unhygienic looking blankets. Although there was a shower head sticking out of the wall, it produced no water. And if there was one thing I’d really been looking forward to, it was chasing the chill from my bones with a very long, very hot shower.
Grumbling at the injustice of it all I pulled on dry socks and running shoes then balled up the curtains and stuffed them into my boots hoping they might soak up some of the moisture before I had to put them on again. With no spare footwear, poor Tim was forced to suffer with wet boots as we headed out into the bitter evening air in search of food.
One down
Above and below: Waterfalls crashed down the mountainsides flooding the dirt tracks and gravel-strewn goat paths on which we were riding.
Later, back in our dingy room, we crawled fully clothed into our sleeping bags and, ignoring the scent of mould and dust, yanked the duvet over us. It had been a murderous day, but we’d survived. The bikes were still running, and even though John had given us all a good scare, there were no broken bones or significant injuries. As I drifted off, I dared to hope that the worst was behind us. The next day we would attempt the notorious Rohtang Pass, but it couldn’t possibly be any worse than what we’d just endured. Could it?
Ladies only
BMW’s recent Off Road Training Ladies Only course at Dargle, NSW, set a precedent.
Seventeen enthusiastic GS owners from wide and varied backgrounds, girls of all ages and abilities, assembled at the picturesque riverside venue. The women were guided by BMW Motorrad trainers Shane Booth, Chris Urquhart and Craig Bernard on how to become more confident, safer and skilled BMW off-road riders. Amy Harburg was also on hand to share her experience and techniques as well as tales from her trip to Thailand as part of the International GS Trophy All Female Team.
Course participants were joined by VIPs Kate Peck, Stephanie Redman and Kinga Tanajewska, all of whom revelled in the all-female training
environment and shared their positive feedback after the course.
Two-wheeled coach
Throughout the two days a sense of accomplishment and camaraderie developed among the group. A highlight for Kinga from On Her Bike was socialising with other women ‘who love to take on the world… along with the great sense of mutual respect that was shown by all.’
After safety, equipment and body positioning talks, participants were guided through BMW Off Road Rider Training’s Level 1 course over a wide variety of terrain and varied weather conditions.
The group was instructed on the theories of different techniques including acceleration, braking and cornering as well as safely
negotiating obstacles and surfaces like hills and sand. There was ample opportunity for questions and practical demonstrations followed by tried and tested drills.
The women overcame fears and self-doubt as they accelerated, slid and negotiated their way through the course. They developed their skills like building blocks, gradually
Above: Girls of all ages and abilities learned how to become more confident, safer and skilled riders. Left: There’s more ‘ladies only’ training in the planning.
Right top: The atmosphere was positive from start to finish.
Right: Stephanie Redman was all smiles.
Above: The girls developed their skills like building blocks, gradually unlocking a pathway to more difficult terrain and trails.
Below: Instructor Chris Urquhart gave a few tips.
unlocking a pathway to more difficult terrain and trails.
California Superbike School coach Steph Redman thoroughly enjoyed the environment and ‘on-the-fly’ feedback.
“From a coaching perspective, you couldn’t ask for anything better!” she smiled. “The coaching observations were accurate, the feedback spot on, they would validate when you did something well and give constructive advice when something could be improved. Their friendly demeanour and delivery was disarming which made the information super easy to take on and use.”
More to come
A number of riders commented that after attending the course, they’d be more confident to take on further rider training in a mixed group and even consider a GS Safari in the future.
MTV presenter Kate Peck was pumped with the positive atmosphere and progress of the group from start to finish.
“The number one thing for me was there were no egos,” beamed the media pro. “We were all at different levels of ability but still able to take our time and let the training just organically happen.”
The BMW Motorrad trainers had nothing but praise for the group.
“It was great to see such a good roll up of lady GS riders for our first-ever BMW ladies-only course,” said Boothy. “The whole environment had a great vibe and there were plenty of laughs and good times while learning. The improvement we noticed over the two days was massive which gives us great satisfaction in what we do”.
There’s more ‘ladies only’ training in the planning. Keep an eye on rider.bmwmotorrad.com.au/ladies-skill-up/ for dates and more info.
off-road Test
Husqvarna 701 Enduro
Husky has undergone yet another change of ownership, and if you love sharp performance and real off-road cred, you’ll be big fans of the company’s current direction. The 701 Enduro is the new adventure bike, and it’s one grunty whippet of a motorcycle.
Adventure bikes seem to fit into two very broad groups – the big, expensive, glamorous mofos on one side, and the smaller, lighter more agricultural and lowcost singles on the other – so it’s interesting to find a bike like the Husqvarna 701 Enduro. It’s a single,
and it’s light, but it’s definitely not agricultural, and whether or not it’s expensive will be in the eye of the purchaser. There’s nothing ‘cheap’ about the build, look or presentation of this bike though, and for eye-opening, near competition-standard performance, this bike will leave a lot of multi-
cylinder big bikes panting in its dust.
Crushed nuts
The liquid-cooled, fuel-injected single-cylinder motor asks a few questions of accepted modern-day norms. It’s a single overhead cam for instance, when multiple cams are
Yee-hah!
very common on singles these days. And there’s a type of slipper clutch, which is normally a feature of motards. The Enduro sits right alongside the 701 Motard in the Husky range, so it’s probably not much of a stretch to find them sharing some components and ideas.
Suspension is, unsurprisingly given the KTM relationship, WP, and offers 275mm of travel at each end. A chain drives the rear wheel and a six-speed box does the bizzo between the crank and the front sprocket.
The 13-litre tank is under the seat. Actually, the tank forms the subframe and the mount for the seat, and Husky has taken advantage of that set up to run the seat itself right up to the steering head. If you have knackers big enough to make use of what this bike has to offer, you might even find you’ll get them squashed by the fork legs in tight turns. That’s how much rider movement the seat allows.
Seat height is 950mm, and overall, the Husqvarna 701 Enduro feels like a true dirt bike. It’s slim, tall, agile and with 67 horsepower available as it rolls off the dealer floor, it begs to be let loose on…well… just about anything really. But challenging off-road conditions are where the bike really shines.
Horn
Climbing on the bike the seat made a very strong first impression.
We’ve already mentioned how the cockpit is so open, but while the bike feels narrow and seamless, the seat is very firm and has a flat top which makes it feel a little wider than we expected. It’s comfortable enough, although that will depend on a rider’s preference, but with the look and feel of the rest of the bike we were expecting a motocross-style seat that would work its way up our bumcracks if we tried to sit down for more than a minute or two. Not so. The seat offers plenty of support. Everything else about the Husky does have a distinctly motocross/enduro flavour. The motor’s very compact and the bike itself has no protruding edges or snags, the instruments are in a very minimalist display
Left: Access to the airbox is good. The seat pops off the front, then releases with a catch on the left-hand side. Then it’s two bolts to open the airbox itself.
that actually offers plenty of information once you start pressing buttons, and our test bike had no luggage frames or rack.
A touch of the button has the motor chuckling into life, and selecting first and easing out the incredibly light hydraulic clutch begins a very, very pleasant, high-performance riding experience.
Hoo-aah!
The Husky has more snort than a rhino with a sinus condition.
High point
We need to be a little careful here. We enjoyed this bike so much we’ll get carried away. Already we can imagine a stampede of riders heading to their computers to make comments on web forums about how their bikes have 100 horsepower or more, and how we don’t know anything.
We may not know much, but we know when we’re being treated to something a bit special in bike performance.
The Husky weighs in at 145kg dry, and the motor and suspension package make the bulk of the horsepower available to riders of even average ability. That translates to a whole heap of fun and a real incentive to improve.
Grabbing the Husky and wringing that motor’s neck to offer all it can will be well beyond most riders, we’d think, but it’s so damn good you just want to try. Drive comes on with a bit of lunge from fairly low in the rev range, so rather than a scary explosion of power it’s a solid drive that goes on for a quite a while. And it’s deceptive. The bike was comfortable at 120kph, but can accelerate away from that pace fairly quickly, to the point where we weren’t keen to take our eyes off where we going to check the speedo. On the road that means freeway speeds put little or no stress on the bike, and not much on the rider. There’s a light, almost buzzy vibration that makes its way through the ’bars and ’pegs, but it doesn’t cause any discomfort, and of course the wind blast comes into play once the speeds go up.
Find some dirt and start snapping open that ride-by-wire throttle and the Husky really shows its pedigree. Hang the back out in loose snot or carve a tight line through a rutted corner with the throttle open and it’s a delight. Loose sand is a gift! Dirt riding is where the Husky really shines.
Just too good
Along with a great motor the Husky offers really excellent braking, especially on the rear. The ABS lets the rider be fairly aggressive, and turning ABS off is a snap. In standard trim that’s the ABS choices: on or off. It worked great for us.
There’s no traction control, but if you’re after a bike like this one, we reckon you won’t want traction control. You’ll want to be ripping it up and steering with the rear every chance you get – and you’ll get lots of chances.
Top: There’s plenty of suspension adjustment available. One fork is rebound and the other compression.
Above: Braking is really good both ends, but we especially liked the rear. It’s a strong stopper well suited to hurling the Husky down from speed or sliding the rear through a tight turn.
Right: The Husky 701 Enduro rewards an aggressive rider with big grins and sparkling performance.
Below: The very small dash offers a surprising amount of information. The yellow triangle on the left lights up when the ABS is off.
The suspension offers heaps of adjustment, but we weren’t confronted with anything the standard settings couldn’t handle. We had the clickers set in the middle of the range and started to fool around with things, but the components worked so well we gave up. We weren’t finding the limits of either front or rear no matter what we did.
There’s three ignition maps available for those who want to craft the throttle response: Standard, Soft and Advanced, and there’s also a ‘Bad Fuel’ setting. We’re not sure how bad the fuel has to be to use that option, but we bet it’ll be handy for riders heading west of the Great Dividing Range.
Gearing up
The throw between gears is short and makes for hard-charging motocross acceleration for those who can time things right. Shifting was possibly a little notchy, and that probably had a lot to do with the bike only having done around 250km when we took delivery. It’ll probably smooth out as it beds in, and it certainly didn’t slow the bike up any. It was just a noticeable ‘feel’ more than anything.
There was only the one thing that caught us out with the 701: the turning circle isn’t as tight as we expected it to be. It’s pretty good, and it didn’t cause us any problems once we sussed it, but we thought it would be tighter and had a gusset-stretching moment the first time we went to spin it around.
Loved it
The Husky 701 enduro isn’t going to be for everyone, mainly because it has a real dirt-bike feel. It’s slim, light and powerful, and those who’ve spent their time on road bikes might prefer something a little less performance-oriented and little more built for comfort.
But having said that, we did some reasonable road kilometres on the bike and found it very easy to live with. And there’s no problem about loving that motor and the bike’s general performance, on- or off-road. Fitting luggage and a screen would no doubt make the Husky a distance hound, and we’re guessing there’ll be long-distance tanks available very shortly.
With those accessories fitted, this bike will be one scorching hot time waiting to be enjoyed.
The idea of shipping a bunch of bikes to Fremantle for an excuse to ride a short cut to Byron Bay seemed the most natural thing in the world to Andy Strapz and his newly prepped DRZ.
Words and images: Andy (Strapz) White
When publisher Kurt floated the idea of a ride across Australia it was at the worst (or best) possible moment in the rough and tumble of the 2015 Sydney Motorcycle Expo. I committed there and then!
I’d had a massive year with more on the horizon, so what a fitting end and motivation…a ‘proper’ ride, not just a stolen two-nighter.
Hang overtake
The idea was to ship bikes to Fremantle in WA, use sister mag Adventure SUV’s gig as the backup vehicles, fly in and follow the pink line on a GPS to the Byron lighthouse. The schedule included 16 blokes who were mostly complete strangers, 6500km, 12 bikes and the Australian outback.
On the first weekend in May the crew lobbed in Perth, and while some of us caught up with family and friends, we kept a close eye on the rain radar as central Australia got a serious drink. Like a threeyear-old on Christmas Eve, we could barely contain ourselves. Excitement bubbled over on the final night in Fremantle as we
all gathered, ready to leave at first light. A feed and a couple of quiet drinks escalated, ambitions and abilities soon were awash in boutique beer, and a few rather seedy units lined up the next morning for a conga ride through a Sandgroper peak hour.
POI
Looking for a jump-off point from the WA coast?
Cervantes and the Pinnacles National Park are a must – jagged chunks of rock jut out of stark white sand. It’s a vivid, surreal, other-worldly landscape that loosens up the gob-smack glands for what’s to come. We got a chance to slither about on it as we did a quick lap of the tourist drive and it was the first quick squiz of the points of interest on this rapid continental transit.
Back on the pink line we struck out across
Main: Leaving the West Petermann Ranges behind at dawn.
the north of the Western Australian wheat belt as the afternoon waned behind us. Evening light in that part of the world is unique. It’s sharp, yet full and crisp, lighting the subtly changing landscape as we chewed through a few-hundred gravelly kilometres of farm roads.
Not quite making our planned first-night stop at Paynes Find due to cat-mustering difficulties, we descended on a country pub in the tiny town of Perenjori. From the outside it looked a basic outback boozer, but inside it was pumping, primed by an international melting pot of backpacker staff. Getting our travel companions to focus was somewhat difficult – a problem that was to recur again and again on ‘The Crossing’. Teams of young, vital travellers with accents and tints from lands far and wide abounded along the way, and long
Above: Ready for the off. The first morning in Freo.
Below: Publisher Kurt at Australia’s lowest altitude –Lake Eyre South.
Right: No matter how old they are, give two boys a puddle…
gone seemed the days when travellers were greeted by cranky, bored, take-it-or-f*#k-off local licensees.
Opportunity missed
Most days started before the chooks shook a feather.
Chilly bike packing and belly laughs were common as the days clicked into gear around us, many times with breakfast at the end of the first empty tank.
The aim was to cover an ambitious and dusty 700-ish kilometres. Settling into
long days in the saddle (and on the ’pegs) took time to adapt to, and knocking over 300km or more between towns took a bit of adjustment. It’s a Zen-y sort of thing, especially on dirt. On the blacktop the mind can wander and solving the ills of the world can be done in a day. But not when over the next rise might be a patch of sand or a muddy puddle the size of a swimming pool.
So we climbed into a zone of high concentration, often in groups of two topand-tailed to stay out of each other’s dust.
We headed through Paynes Find across the sparse farming country to Sandstone and made the call to push on to Leinster. A shock was waiting for us as we entered an industrial oasis run by large multinational companies where the residents were universally clad in safety yellow-and-silver reflective apparel.
A side trip through the gold ghost towns of the Leonora district was shelved because there were concerns we were starting to slip behind schedule. It was a shame. I’d been through there in the 1970s and was keen to see what it looked like 45 years on.
High steaks
To avoid the drudge of the Great Central Road we took the Old Laverton Road and committed the first offence of outback riding: stick with thy mates. We lost a couple of hours mustering again. Support vehicles went back looking for a rider who’d been left behind as the plan turned from liquid to fertiliser.
As dark wrapped around us at Tjukayirla Roadhouse we were short a bike and two SUVs.
Anxiety rose until we involved the Laverton coppers to help us make sure our companions were safe. The SUVs had the tucker, the shop was closed, and it was pitch dark. Luckily the roadhouse owners took pity on us and opened their freezers as we opened our wallets and bought them out of frozen barbie packs. We worried while we defrosted steak and snags in the camp-kitchen microwave with an eye on the western horizon for headlights.
As it was restricted Aboriginal country we had a dry night. Our host didn’t. He couldn’t sell it, but he sure could put it away! He lobbed on our campfire and astounded us with his views.
With impeccable timing the rest of the team rolled in just as the steaks had rested perfectly, and with a huge sigh of relief we fed our new mates and made pledges to take more care to stick together and work as a team.
Pushing on
Next morning bikes started while sparras farted. Some of the crew had Uluru in their bloodshot sights and hit the road at dawn. There were now two groups with two different time constraints. Time away from the coal face was tight for some and they wanted to push harder than others.
The WA end of the Great Central Road is a broad, corrugated dirt highway that gets reasonably well groomed. It’s a very different story as it crosses into the Northern Territory to become the Tjukaruru Road. The road became rougher and less cared for as the landscape began to change from gentle, rolling desert. The Petermann Ranges grew on the horizon lit by a sun starting to put on its jim-jams. If you haven’t seen the way the sun paints the country out
there add it to your bucket list. Now. Go on, we’ll wait for you.
After camping at Docker River (Kaltukatjara) and a good dose of rain, the slower, less-driven tourist group decided an early start was smarter than pushing on later that evening. There was more sand and some massive puddles warning us to up stumps.
Riding into the rising sun with not a breath of a breeze was a magic experience. It may not have been entirely pleasant, but it was memorable nonetheless. Dust hung across the road as the sun wove it into blockout blinds. The colours! That morning will stay with me for years to come. I felt like I was riding through a painting as we picked our way around muddy puddles and sandy patches with the Olgas looming
out of the rising
It was gobsmacking!
Pushin’ the Springs
We had a tight schedule: get to the Big Boondy, have a look about, and then on to Kings Canyon by the end of that day. Even the Chinese tourists weren’t being manoeuvred on and off their buses with the same precision.
By now churning out big kilometres was becoming a lot easier, and these were on tar so we caught up with the rest of the party late afternoon in a town that had only a couple of beds left. Camping in the caravan park was a bit like sleeping on the street –my head was only about 10 metres from the main road. It wasn’t the outback camping experience I’d anticipated.
sun on our left.
Above: The riders pumped out so many kilometres they needed photos to prove to themselves they’d actually been there.
Below: Sneaking into Tibooburra after dark.
The camp oven was produced from one of the SUVs along with the tucker we’d bought in Freo. It was eat-it-or-chuck-it time. Camp chef and Adventure SUV editor Andy cooked up a hearty stew in the camp kitchen that fortified us for the push into Alice Springs the next day.
Popeye
Another dualsport treat came our way as we headed north to the West McDonnell Ranges National Park and the Namatjira Drive.
Dirt and winding bitumen mountain passes were interspersed with stunning
views, many of which were etched deep in my brain by the great man’s paintings. Riding through a Namatjira painting for real…how good was that!
From Larapinta Drive to the Sturt Highway, Namatjira Drive is one of the hidden gems of road riding. I’ll definitely be back there.
Kurt swung a deal at a flash resort in the Alice, initially for two nights, while we reshod some bikes and did some basic service on bikes and bodies. My speedo had long since given up the ghost so I dug deep into the bowels of the wiring only to find the earth wires had come off the circuit board. There was SFA I could do about that until I got home and could mount a warranty claim.
As I put it back together the majority of blokes were packing for the off.
We’d received news the road via
Dalhousie Springs had been closed, so it was decided to head for Marla, not our planned Kulgera hop-off point. A few of the guys decided to stay on a second night and make their own way from the Alice to the lighthouse. Some made it to Kulgera and others Erldunda. I waited alongside the road until the sun properly set and trundled the last 90km at a bit over 80kph with my eyes on stalks, ever alert for wildlife.
Top-end end
A quick feed, a couple of beers and another night’s sleep on the floor of a motel room followed. Barney, Robin and I settled into our roles as the Three Snoring Tenors. Throwing shoes at the offender only meant they came back later.
It’s easy to see why local authorities have a hair trigger when it comes to closing roads. For a large part of the Oodnadatta
Track a single vehicle had left a tortuous skidding track for 100km. A truck could trash the road in two shakes of bogey trailer. With a snaking set of hard-dried, muddy, wheel ruts ready to flick a rider over the ’bars in a millisecond, concentration was at a premium.
Time was called at Maree. We’d had enough of after-dark finishes and Barney’s 690 had developed a top-end death rattle by Lyndurst and needed to be sent home in disgrace.
Cornered
Before hanging a left onto the Strzelecki we calculated we had 437km to ‘The Corner’. Filling every available container with fuel, the plan was to ease off the right hand and sit below $1.00, which turned out to be just as well.
From Lyndhurst to the Merty Merty turn off the road was a mess. There was only one set of paired wheel tracks and the rest was rut after parallel rut of dry mud. The road hadn’t been closed soon enough. Dealing with oncoming traffic often meant almost coming to a complete stop in the tram tracks. We all had seriously anxious moments as our bikes went wherever the tracks decided as we let by dozens of 4WDs on a charity run. Like a dust-wrapped millipede they snaked at us in a conga line from the horizon. The dentist – we’ll call him ‘Rob’ – reckoned he was gone for all money, but somehow his Tiger clawed its way back upright and straight.
From the Merty Merty turnoff to Cameron Corner the up-hill, down-dale rollercoaster had a surprise over every ascent. Mud, puddles and/or sand spoiled the chance of getting air over the humps. Some made it to The Corner
while others pushed on to Tibooburra and another after-dark finish.
Only the depth varies
As if I hadn’t had enough of DRZs and friggin’ water!
We’d been told there was a big water crossing to negotiate on the road to Tibooburra. What I didn’t get was there was a sidetrack some 150 metres before the crossing.
It was late in the day as a bloody lake appeared ahead of me. I was mesmerised by the colours, light and sky while looking for the exit. I found myself staring at a track emerging from a lake. I kid you not, it was a f@rk!n lake!
There were tracks leading into it, and none of my mates were about ’cause I’d been taking photos as usual and getting further and further behind the group.
Not seeing any other option but to ford it, in I went.
It was only 30cm deep but like riding on grease. After 20 or 30 metres I was more tangled up and twisted than a Trump rally. Out went the outriggers and the good ship Strapz sailed for the opposite shore like a water snake.
Fifteen minutes up the road I came across the crew tending to Ken Dark’s flat rear tyre. I’d had enough time to get steamed up about getting left behind…again! So I stormed up and announced they were a packa khans. Nonplussed, they gently pointed out that there was a sidetrack. Ten points for hero cancelled out by 10 of dickhead.
Rim job
KD’s flat proved unpluggable and needed sorting, so we had a chance to regroup
two of the three packs the next morning. That left time to wander Tibooburra with a tourist map, and it was very welcome after the intensity of the last few days.
While Kurt dealt with a terminal SWM and roadside assist at Wanaaring, info about the road conditions didn’t go around the whole group and some set off for Thargomindah and Hungerford, unaware the police had just opened the Wanaaring Road. Sadly, Kurt climbed into a support vehicle, and echoing Arne, vowed, “I’ll be back!”
A few set off up the road to Wanaaring and Bourke. As we closed in on Bourke we started to come across ACP Rallyers. Some of the poor buggers were a bit confused as adventure bikes came in the opposite direction. We were stopped a couple of times and asked who was going the wrong way.
The Marlboro Man, always one to put his 990 into ‘interesting’ places, sacrificed a rim for the camera on a sweetly placed cattle grid.
Detour
Another caravan park, another RSL club and another tense evening followed as the SPOT trace of the other group was doing odd things. There had definitely been an
Above: From left: The Judge, Rossco, Marlboro Man, Strapz and Rob.
Below: The good ship DRZ Strapz 2.
Right: Tiger Box and Strapz get the been-there-donethat pic.
incident around dusk sometime, but how significant it was we didn’t know. KD’s SPOT had stopped but the others were back on the road. This did not look good. We hoped it was just an 1190 breaking down.
It turned out it was a fall and a trip to The Big Smoke for the rider, with at least a broken scapula and a bang on the head.
A phone call to a mate who grew up in the area convinced us to take a detour from the pink line of the get-lost box. We headed via the Narran Lakes and Cumborah to Lightning Ridge and back to the pink GPS line to Mungandi and Goodawindi.
The Alice Springs group was still a day behind and Frequent Father points were rapidly expiring for some members of the group. It was becoming obvious the expected finish and party night was going to fizzle rather than sizzle.
Once more…with feeling
Robin ‘Tiger’ Box and I cast ourselves on and off the pink line. Our last day wound us along the Queensland/New South Wales border into country that was by now very unfamiliar to us. Rolling green mountains, tall trees and steep, winding dirt roads surrounded Texas, Mole River and Tenterfield. The top end of the New England tablelands putting on its winter pyjamas was a bit of a reality check. There’d been no sign of it when we left home two weeks earlier.
We found our own way to the Byron Bay lighthouse, two days ahead of schedule and bumped into Rob, two of the SUVs and their passengers. The requisite photos taken, we buggered off to Lennox Head as Byron was infested with beautiful people – tourists pretending to be locals, locals, tourists, real hippies, fake hippies, rich pretenders…it was waaay too much of a culture shock.
My trip home is another yarn for another time. It took a week for the trip to start to gel and find a place in my life. It was 10 days and roughly 6500km through country dripping with water and amazingly green. I’ve seen water in the interior before, and great swathes of wildflowers in places usually bone dry. What a rare, once-in-a-lifetime privilege this madcap coast-to-coast dash was. To see it so green and with water by the road almost everywhere we went…wow!
Much of the time I felt a bit disappointed I was passing important landmarks and not stopping. I missed what I consider the real outback – the part that can only be experienced by camping in its remoteness.
Having had time to think about it from my armchair, it’s a big thing to take to the Bank Of Experience. I now have a clear idea of where I want to go next time!
Tour of duty
Three
days in
In issue #16 Darin Rowley had set a glorious fourday course for a NSW Tour Of Duty download. This issue he sets out to peel off a lap of premium sightseeing in Victoria –the Education State.
Kurt Quambusch (publisher of Adventure Rider Magazine, aka ‘The Boss’) was on the phone with his orange-tainted KTM exploration sunglasses on. He was looking at maps spouting a plethora of geographic names and licking his lips at the thought of a cold Coopers green beer to wash the dust out of the throat at the end of a day’s ride. I (Darin Rowley – owner of Adventure Motorcycle Equipment) was looking at my WR250R parked in front of my store under a blue sky ready to go by simply throwing a set of clean clothes into the saddlebags and could feel the tug of an adventure ride! I verbalised what we both needed to hear.
“Kurt, why don’t we head to Melbourne and prepare another beginners-level Tour Of Duty ride?” I blurted.
Kurt must’ve been in his riding gear. He grunted a “yes” then the line disconnected and we were underway the next day.
Pre-dawn start
I woke up before the birds and I was grinning. All I had to do was make myself a coffee, have a little breakfast, pour myself into my riding gear, kill the mobile phone and board my loaded and prepped bike.
The birds were starting to stir, but all I could hear was the dependable burble of the little Yammy as I unhinged from my domestic life and headed out from Canberra. My path southward was illuminated by a couple of bright-white spotties and the adventure-rider smile was plastered on my face as horizons came into view with the rising sun. I was meeting Kurt and Melbourne-based Keith Jobson at Warburton in Victoria, and from there Keith was happy to help Kurt and I map some quality riding in his backyard.
Range finder
At this stage of a ride I always reflect on past rides.
The one that came into mind was during a time where I spent a couple of years in Borneo. My favoured mode of transport was a Suzuki TS125 and I rode with a machete, nails, hammer and hand saw on my back to repair bridges along the route. The bridges were burnt out due to an El Niño-induced drought causing big bushfires. It was a desperate-feeling landscape instead of lush jungles. I laughed and thought, “Adventure riding should be called mis-adventure riding.” Real adventure starts when the plan does not go according to plan.
The ride to Warburton was about chewing up miles and everything went smoothly. Keith, Kurt and I met bright and early the next morning at the Shell service station and, fuelled with bacon-and-
Main: Kurt showing how it’s done in the water.
Above: The author’s WR250R ready to roll.
egg rolls washed down with strong coffee, we were decidedly spritely for middle-aged gentlemen. Caffeine-induced excited chatter about each of our motorcycles ensued. Kurt was glowing orange with his thumping V-twin KTM 1190R, Keith loved the feel and growl of his Triumph Tiger XC triple, and I appreciated the light weight and dependability of the little WR250R single. We laughed as we put our helmets on and agreed it doesn’t matter what motorcycle you’re on. Just get out there, ride and enjoy the adventure unfolding.
We fired our distinctly different mounts into life and Keith took the lead for a spirited and flowing southerly run through the Yarra ranges.
Rooster tales
The Yarras were a mixture of rolling green hills and towering mountain ash forest. The bikes hummed in different tunes along well-formed dirt roads having us feeling completely at one with our surrounds. We turned east and followed the power-line trail through Bunyip State Forest. I always like power-line trails as there are open views and you go across a variety of topography. I wasn’t disappointed. Ear-to-ear grins were plastered under our helmets and we twisted the throttles into the unknown, leaving rooster tails of dust in our wake under a clear blue sky.
Road island
After a spirited run along the flowing power-line trail we followed the Tarago
River to the Tarago Reservoir – part of Melbourne’s water supply – before winding south towards the reputable, motorcyclefriendly Inline 4 Café in Mirboo North. The Tarago River run had us working the controls through tighter trails in a shady forest. Those trails opened up to the picturesque, patchworked agricultural country of the Latrobe Valley, before climbing into Mount Worth State Park for a refreshing run with some choice photo spots overlooking the Latrobe Valley. At one of these photo stops it became evident the three distinctly different motorcycles were being ridden by three distinctly different characters. Kurt, ‘the ideas man’, was trying to convince us he looked like George Clooney. Keith, stoic, calm and focused, looked at me with a slightly raised eyebrow and said, “He’s dreaming.” I cracked up laughing, barely being able to walk to my bike and get going again. This only cemented Kurt’s steely resolve to prove to us he actually did look like George Clooney.
Above: Keith smelling the roses near Morwell in the Latrobe Valley.
Below: Paths crossing with like-minded adventure riders on Grand Ridge Road.
Right: Kurt enjoying the Grand Ridge Road on his Kato 1190.
We remounted and connected with the Grand Ridge Road, meandered into Mirboo North and parked our dirty adventure motorcycle mounts next to some shiny, really red road bikes in front of the café.
Goes both ways
While eating my Hole Shot dog at the Inline 4 café, Kurt stubbornly continued trying to convince us he really did look like George Clooney. I thought, “If you look like George Clooney, I may bear a resemblance to Vin Diesel.” Keith looked on in slight dismay as our antics ratcheted up. Thankfully a congenial waitress came along and explained we were man-children, that
Kurt looked nothing like George Clooney and I would have been better off being a Mini Me stunt double. All we could do was nod and finish our meals.
Our resemblances to famous people were forgotten as Keith gave a slight shake of his head. We quickly focussed on the next leg of our journey along the iconic Grand Ridge Road that dissects the Strzelecki Ranges.
We cruised through rolling green hills to the forests of the Strzelecki. Lush ferns and tall hardwood trees lined a pleasant dirt road that had us snaking through clean air and encompassing scenery in a relaxed fashion. We happened upon some like-minded adventure riders going the opposite way, and they were as excited as us to be out on their bikes.
Seeya!
From the Strzelecki ranges we headed north through Traralgon and the Latrobe Valley to the foothills of the high country.
Latrobe Valley is situated on the edge of the Gippsland basin, one of Australia’s prolific hydrocarbon provinces. Power stations situated near brown-coal deposits allow Melbourne and surrounds to brown their bread and keep their beer cold among other things.
The power-line trails we’d followed the previous day were the extension cords for these big generators. Logging and timberprocessing plants are also major industries in this part of the world. We rode north through some fun trails to the Erica Hotel where we rehydrated with golden beverages and talked a lot faster than we rode.
A nice meal and a good night’s sleep were had. Keith headed home to Melbourne via the main roads. Kurt and I motored on.
Swap meet
Kurt and I departed Erica bright-eyed and bushy tailed, keen to see what the countryside had to offer.
We started with a beautiful, winding bitumen run into Walhalla with our knees a long way from touching the bitumen through apexes of the smooth corners.
Walhalla is a tourist town that retains the look and feel of the 1860s gold rush that the town was built upon. It’s quaint, with historic buildings and an interesting cemetery on a steep hill. The style of gold-rich veins which underpinned Walhalla can be found in a number of locations through the high country. The quaint little mining towns built near these resources are testament to gold fever and the excitement of the find.
We fired up and headed east along the Old Coach Road. u
Don’t let yourself be stranded with a flat battery! This little lithium jump starter is pocket-sized, light, packs a real punch and will easily tuck into a tank bag, top box or pannier.
Our mini jump starter comes with a recharging plug suitable for both BMW (merit) sockets and normal car type accessory sockets. Comes in a compact bag with all accessories including USB port and cable so you can recharge your phone, ipad or GPS.
www.rockycreekdesigns.com.au
It was a beautiful run with fog in the valleys and sweet motorcycles to spirit us through the scenery. Before we knew it, we’d been through a couple of nice river crossings and were having a tasty coffee at a bakery in Heyfield. We plotted an ongoing route through a network of backroads, back lanes and pine forests before we started to head north into the mountains. Kurt and I swapped bikes for a section of riding, and Kurt couldn’t help but giggle at my little WR250R which felt like a child’s toy. I started to get the ‘orange crush’ associated with the mad rush of the ‘ready-to-race’ KTM 1190. Both of us were giggling at the totally different-feeling bikes which cover certain sections of the adventure-riding spectrum, but most importantly get us out here for a laugh.
Cold comfort
Our route turned north and we started to get into the high country. Forestry trail runs provided the blue skies, enticing horizons and the great feeling of freedom that adventure riders crave. We pulled up for a staple meal of pies at the Dargo general store and summed up this section of the ride as ‘invigorating’. We geared up, looking forward to a run across the spine of the high country and a cold beer at Myrtleford.
Bright outlook
We left Dargo and headed north to Bright. The road took us across the Dargo High Plains and then we followed the Alpine
Way for an iconic road ride into Bright. We stopped and had a look at the museum in Harrietville, and it was interesting to note the majority of the Ovens River Valley had been turned over by massive dredges in the great hunt for gold and wealth over a millennia ago.
Bright is a chic little town with plenty of restaurants and, notably, a brewery on the river.
Well fed
We headed back into the beautiful Victorian mountains for a run up to Mt Porepunkah. The cheesy one-liners were flowing thick and fast at the lookout of Mt Porepunkah and we relished that we were out exploring this great country.
From Mt Porepunkah we headed into Myrtleford, the venue for the Adventure Rider Magazine Congregation in November.
Above: Smooth, flowing country lanes.
Below: Starting to get some relief in Victorian mountains.
Right: Keith enjoying the view of the Latrobe Valley.
Kurt and I rehydrated with Coopers Green beer and found nourishment in large, rare-cooked steaks.
Kurt showed the contentedness of a man who has had his appetite satisfied. The ride had helped him relax from his hectic Sydney life.
Home and ready to go
Kurt had to head home and couldn’t complete the return leg to Warburton. However, John Taekema (another Melbourne-based rider) came along for the run from Myrtleford to Warburton on his KTM 1190. The weather had changed from
blue skies to pouring rain and I just chuckled. There’s nothing like a bit of slippery weather to bring some mis-adventure into the ride. John could definitely handle the KTM1190 but the tubeless tyres could not handle John. Two flat tyres in the pouring rain had us in true adventure-riding spirit – solidly dealing with the problem at hand to get to the destination.
Once the tyres were inflated, John was getting them up to a metre off the ground. Watching him launch with gay abandon had me in stitches.
The run to Warburton was fine. The Goulbourn River and towns along the way – such as Kevington and Woods Point – are hidden gems with a bit of history and character that warrant further investigation.
John and I parted ways near Warburton and I began the ride home to Canberra. I camped on the side of the Kiewa River at dusk. The next morning, I ate up the kilometres to Canberra and arrived home to slam straight back into work and domestic life with the next ride already planned.
Download and go
If you like the sound of this ride and would like to cover the same ground, log on to www.advridermag.com/rides and you can download the entire trip as a GPX file with extra track notes – like section distances, accom and where to get fuel. Just load the GPX file into your GPS and lose yourself following the Adventure Rider Magazine team’s route from start to finish. Navigational stress and route-planning drama not included.
www.centralwangarattamotel.com.au
KTM Rallye
2016
Putting on a quality ride to equal or even surpass the many ride options available at the moment was always going to be a massive task. KTM Australia headed to the Snowy Mountains in NSW and staged a ride for KTM owners that turned out to be as good as the bikes themselves.
Words and images: Craig Hartley ‘Main image: Wilkinson Photography.
Recently, KTM Australia enlisted the services of Rosie Lalonde as Marketing Coordinator. Once Rosie settled in to the KTM family the initial planning stages for the first ever Australian KTM Adventure Rallye started to take shape.
The Victorian High Country and Snowy Mountains seemed the best places to run the event. They offered great accommodation, scenery and massively mountainous trails running forever. With the help of KTM Brand Managers Brendan Roberts and Ray Barnes, a solid handful of knowledgeable riders with tons of experience in the high country were selected with the likes of Nick Selleck, John (Sprocket), Glen Hough and Grego helping coordinate the 1500km of tracks and lead the way early every day.
The organising factor
A very thorough dossier was sent out to the riders explaining luggage didn’t have to be carried on the bikes, and a small overnight bag would be allowed in the support vehicles starting from the Rydges Horizons Snowy Mountain Resort on day one. The support vehicles included the hard-working team of Rob and Anja Turton with the Tyres For Bikes truck, with tyre changes an ongoing part of every day.
A photographer and videographer were signed up, and there’s sure to be some great pics and footage with a lot of riding with, and around, Toby Price.
Rosie didn’t leave a stone unturned. From the support vehicles through the accommodation and on to the free overnight dinners included in the entry fee, the organisation was superb. In total there were
Jeff
Angus
and Colin Ross, as well as six support vehicles carrying probably another eight crew.
At the riders’ briefing on Sunday night, Jeff Leisk opened the event and thanked all the riders for coming, with Nick Selleck as main course coordinator and Rosie Lalonde going over the proceedings of the days ahead.
It was explained the course was broken daily into two routes, the first being the main route which was like the easy way, and the second being what was named the ‘Breakout Route’, or the hard way.
The thought before the event was that approximately 30 per cent of riders would take the Breakout Route with the rest taking the easier option. There was no doubt a bit of shock and horror for the organisers at the riders’ briefing when, not surprisingly for KTM riders, nearly 100 per cent wanted to do the Breakout Route.
Not to dampen anyone’s enthusiasm, it was calmly announced that the first day’s riding would not be as hard as the following days, and basically riders
Top: A gathering of 1190s await the start at Jindabyne.
Left: The sign says it all.
Right: The track down to McKillop’s Bridge.
The heat factor
Temperature conditions were well above the average and this was confirmed reading a paper in a store in Bright. It appeared there had only been a handful of two- and three-day hot spells since the early 1900s, and the current excessively hot u
Grabham,
Leisk,
Reekie
would work out which course was best suited to them as the event went on.
spell had been ongoing for between seven and nine days. It’d actually broken a record in being the longest and hottest spell since the 1890s – just great for a fairly full-on, five-day ride.
No wonder people were thirsty at night.
KTM Factory/KISKA staff
In somewhat of a first for the Austrian KTM Factory, two KTM representatives in the form of Reno and Anita attended the Australian KTM Rallye as a research project. The idea was for them to gather information from this Australian event that
may be utilised to create new models and future KTM products. They want to build a bike for riders with the assistance and feedback of riders, so the fact the Australian KTM Rallye was a part of this, and will continue to be in the project going forward, is very exciting.
The course
Not only was the course fully set up on GPS for each rider, there was also a full set of route sheets and notes with a wealth of track information. To back this up, the zero riders went out between 5:00am and 6:00am every day to check the course and make it foolproof for the GPS-challenged by sticking either green ‘Breakout’ or orange ‘Main’ arrows on every corner.
Great work Nick, Huffy, Sprocket and Grego.
It would be impossible to mention the number of track names we traversed. It actually surprised me that every track we rode on actually had a name.
The start
Day one started from Jindabyne and had the main route at 302km and the Breakout route at 297km. The routes traversed the Barry Way and Snowy River Road through Ingebirah State Forest, took a detour to McKillop’s Bridge – which was as spectacular as the ride to get there –then returned to the Snowy River Road, only to go either right for the Breakout route or left on the main track heading towards Omeo.
To the credit of the organisers everyone arrived well and truly before dark, with no real injuries to speak of and only one mechanical breakdown. The breakdown turned out a couple of days later to be more of a self-induced wiring problem than a part failure.
Above: Dargo after a hot day.
Left: The KTM boys getting serious at Omeo on Yagermeisters.
Below: A Lucky rider and his 625SXC after it was pulled back onto the road after hitting a tree down the bank.
Above: A few riders waiting at the dreaded hill that turned others back just out of Dargo.
Below: Grabbo doing the tough hill easily.
Second day
Day two, with 262km for the main route, and 193km for the Breakout route, saw riders on dirt 100m from the Omeo Hotel and straight on to dirt roads traversing the Omeo Bushland Reserve, the edge of the Cassilis Historic Area, through Wentworth, McDonald’s Hut, Marthavale and the Lower Dargo-Tabberabbera Road to Dargo itself. There was even another loop leaving Dargo for anyone who took the easier main route and wanted some more riding for the day.
Due to the super-hot conditions, and the reasonably challenging riding on the Breakout route, most riders were happy to do some bike maintenance and laze on the grass around the Dargo Hotel while doing whatever form of rehydrating they thought was appropriate. Once again there were only minimal body and bike failures for the day.
brands of equipment available ph. 1300 883 908 info@adventuremotorcycle.com.au Fyshwick, Canberra
On the third day
Day three was a casual start from Dargo heading towards Bright, with only 121km on the main route and 247km on the Breakout route. This track had probably the most challenging hill, and quite a few riders elected to turn back towards Dargo to rejoin the course further down the track. Basically it was just one very long hill with well-spaced erosion woo boys, a couple of eroded gullies and a few loose
rocks. Most people could’ve ridden up if they either didn’t get psyched out, or if they waited and had a clear run at it.
Aside from this the riding was once again classic gold, with a variety of tracks that were nearly single lane, gravel roads including the amazing Blue Rag Range Track, a seven-
Rider stories
R A rider dropped his phone out of its holder on the handlebars into the Murray River. With its black case and the fast current he thought it was gone, but 10 minutes later someone pulled it from the river and, lo and behold, it still worked. Long live LifeProof cases
R Glen Ingram on a 990 had a small side-impact crash with another rider, resulting in a broken radiator and broken fuel tap. Yours Truly pulled up and asked what he needed, then casually replied, “Yeah. We might have epoxy to fix that. The fuel tap? Yep. Should have a spare one of those.” Halfan-hour later he was riding on
R Scott and Clint Gralow from Bullet Bikes bought down a handful of their customers like John Trovato and John Teske. Scott grabbed a new 1050 off the showroom floor, slapped an 18-inch and 21-inch wheel set on it, rode it and said it was a great bike. Good food for thought for the future
R Father-and-son team Bruce and Alex Bolton from Bolton Motorcycles brought along the sales manager Fred Butterworth and several of their clients.
R Father-and-son team Scott and Lincoln Pukallus made the trip from Queensland. Scott rode a 950SE with Lincoln on an 1190R. Until Toby Price turned up, Lincoln was probably one of the fastest riders there
R The boys from Action Motorcycles on the Gold Coast were there with Colin Duck leading the team
R A load of Queenslanders came down in an F350 Dual Cab, probably getting all of three kilometres per litre, with a massive trailer full of bikes. The likes of Greg Poole, Jeff Mawston, Terry Staib, Scott Summerville and Stuart ‘Woodsie’ Woods tagged along. Woodsie enjoyed the more casual pace after the trials John Hudson puts him through with the recce rides for the APC Rally
Above: An 1190 on the bad hill. Below: Toby Price about to start.
kilometre-each-way ride traversing the Blue Rag Range summit.
From Blue Rag we had another 160km of following narrow little 4WD tracks, as well as some of the largest continual up-anddown mountain riding with massive woo boys. This definitely would’ve tested the suspension on some of the big V-twins if anyone thought they could jump them.
From there we turned left on to the
picturesque Buckland Valley Road and rolled into Bright.
Toby Price
The third evening was when Toby Price made his appearance and rode into the Bright Brewery on his Dakar-winning 450 Rallye. With the bike parked centre stage, Jeff Leisk and Toby did a Q and A, then the floor was opened up for the riders to ask a few questions.
I think the question and the answer that I liked the most was when Jeff asked Toby, “At what time during the Dakar did you think you had won? ” and Toby’s response was, “When I was within about one kilometre of the finish line, and knowing the lead that I had over second place, I was pretty damn sure I could push the bike over the finish line and still win.”
Toby rode the next
Top: A nice gaggle of 1190s at a lookout.
Left: The stop at Mitta Mitta store.
Right top: The Dinner Plains pit stop.
Right: All these bikes had tyres off at the same time at Dinner Plains.
Family groups
two days of the Rallye in and among the riders on a an 1190R, usually with Adam Riemann somewhere close handy with one of his cameras.
Overall, Toby is just a laid-back, knockaround sort of a bloke with no tickets on himself. The biggest difference with Toby from mere mortals is, he just happens to be one of the fastest cross-country and rally riders on the planet.
Day four
This was a different style of loop with the 287km main route finishing at Dinner Plains, except along the way we traversed two different loops which travelled through Mount Beauty and
You could nearly say the KTM Adventure Rallye was a family affair. In total there were seven family groups with: long-standing adventure riding brothers Clive and Brendan Carre on 990s; Kieran and Liam Pelly; Simon, Andrew and Drew Mitchell; Tyson and Cody Walker; Scott and Lincoln Pukallus; Bruce and Alex Bolton; and Scott and Clint Gralow.
ASIA MOTORCYCLE TOURING
Experience
For more information please visit www.twogethertouring.nz
Email: info@twogethertouring.nz
Phone: +61 417 417
Lincoln and Scott Pukallus from Millmeran.
Wayne Coulson fueling up at Omeo u
Mitta Mitta. At Mitta Mitta riders could either make the decision to head back to Bright and then on to Dinner Plains, or they could take the Breakout route which then offered great riding on trails that would have been nicely suited to a dirt bike, but was still really flowing on an 1190.
After this loop we flowed into Bright, refuelled and ate, then traversed the last 87km with spectacular views of Bright and the surrounding country. This was followed by more great trails that perfectly suited any
form of adventure bike. Every day just presented great riding and spectacular views that mere mortals just don’t get to see.
Once again at Dinner Plains, Rob and Anja Turton and the Tyres For Bikes truck were kept absolutely flat out. I think at one stage I counted 17 bikes with the back wheels off, lined up waiting for Rob to change tyres.
The accommodation, food and organisation at Dinner Plains was once again outstanding.
Day five was to be a different day, as it rained that night.
Stats
Some interesting statistics:
R Two riders under 25 years old
R 10 riders between 25 and 35
R 32 riders between 37 and 46
R 59 riders between 47 and 56
R 19 riders between 57 and 67
From a home-State point of view, 31 per cent of riders were from Queensland, 27 per cent of the riders were from NSW, 22 per cent from Victoria and three per cent from SA, WA and Tasmania (not including the KTM staff).
Finally
From Dinner Plains back to Jindabyne and the finish was 374km on the main route and 392km on the Breakout route.
The last day wasn’t a casual ride back to the finish. Some of this was due to the rain the evening before which created nice, slippery, challenging riding early in the morning, and which did see a few people tasting the local dirt. But overall the rain made for better riding with no dust, fresh air and lots of great and picturesque creek crossings.
This section was finished off with the king of creek crossings – the Murray River –where many bikes and riders went down in the water, and many photos were taken of the misfortunes of drowned bikes and riders. I think at one stage there were
Top: Waiting for a clear run on the big hill out of Dargo.
Left: One of many creek crossings.
around 100 riders on the far bank helping dewater bikes and viewing the demise of oncoming victims.
Of course Toby Price rode the 1190 across as if the crossing wasn’t there, and Ben Grabham doubled Anita from the KTM factory across on the 1290 without so much as putting a foot down.
After the Murray River it was a fairly casual ride back to Jindabyne for the finish, but as was expected, the actual finish time of the event ended up being around midnight, with pretty much all the entrants staying for the usual final-night debrief.
For its first event the KTM Adventure Rallye was a full-blown success. There were absolutely minimal injuries and a very high finish rate. The overall mix of short days combined with the easier main route and harder Breakout route proved completely successful, and what was better
was everyone was getting in early to be able to socialise and do bike maintenance if needed.
There’s rumour the 2017 KTM Rallye may be in and around the northern or central coast of New South Wales, so stay tuned for information. I’m pretty sure everyone who attended this year will be back for more next year, so if you want a spot for 2017 make sure you enter early.
Top: Line up after the Murray River crossing. Below: How to cross the Murray: on the ’pegs and on the gas on a 625SXC.
Right top: The Queensland team dewatering a 990. Right: Rosie Lalonde looking pretty happy with Huffy in the Murray River.
Right bottom: The best part of the track-marking crew from left: Sprocket, Huffy, Angus Reekie, Nick Selleck and Grego. The other ol’ mate wasn’t a track marker.
Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro Domestic bliss
Last issue we’d ridden the Ducati Multistrada Enduro in Europe and loved it. We said we needed to ride the bike in Australia before we could be confident of our assessment. Now we’ve ridden it here and it’s every bit as good as we thought. Maybe even better.
Australia is a unique continent in lots of ways. We have beaut animals and insects that can be lethal to foreigners if they just look at them, and to most of the rest of the world, the distance some of us travel on a weekend ride would have them needing passports and an interpreter. Another unique thing about Australia is the harsh environment. For adventure riders that’s mostly heat and dust, and the problem with other countries not understanding conditions here is that they make bikes that don’t last a day when, by Australian standards, it’s ‘a bit dusty’ or ‘frigging hot’.
That little waffle is to set the scene for our ride of the Ducati Multistrada Enduro here in good ol’ Aus.
We covered the technical ins and outs of this bike in issue #17. There are a lot of them, and compared to what we’re used to they’re very advanced. We suspect the high-performance road-bike guys are probably familiar with some of the systems on the Multistrada Enduro, but for us they’re high-end and exotic, and we tried to outline them on our first ride.
So now we’re going to give seat-ofthe-pants impressions of riding the bike in our own back yard. Grab last issue for tech. This issue we’re going to be a little airy-fairy and talk about our ‘feelings’.
No limits
When we rode the bike in Europe we were impressed, but we’d been kept behind lead riders, coached in what settings to select and even given a lecture on how to ride off-road. In Australia the Ducati folks placed no limits at all on us. They grabbed a truck
Main: It’s hard to imagine a better way to see the world than on a bike like this one.
full of bikes, a planeload of motojournos, and let them loose on the NSW mid north coast.
Dust ready
Enough gibber. How did we feel about the Multistrada Enduro?
Pretty damn hairy-knuckled and full of testosterone, that’s how.
We didn’t hit any deep water or extreme heat, but we saw enough dust to satisfy us. The Ducati very likely has its air intake well sorted and is dust-free. Not only that, as we write this Ducati is within an ace of having a foam filter available, made here in Australia, to replace the stock paper filter. That’ll be a big bonus to those of us who like to take a spare oiled filter or two in a plastic bag when we head out on a long ride.
Performance enhanced
We managed some reasonable time on the bitumen and in Sport mode the Enduro hardens up – quite literally.
The suspension becomes noticeably firmer, the engine is set free to deliver its full 160 pants-creaming horsepower, and the ABS, traction control and other systems are configured to deliver best lap times.
And doesn’t this bike deliver.
Holy screaming-in-our-helmets, Batman!
On the mountain roads with the subtropical palms and ferns providing a radar-proof canopy – we hoped – the Multistrada Enduro made us feel like superstars. The smooth, slightly ferocious power delivery was kept under control by the electronics, and the incredibly comfortable geometry meant terrifying corners were negotiated at seemingly impossible speeds with smooth, fast, safe attitudes we know for a fact should’ve been well beyond us.
Left: The bike’s stability on loose and rough terrain is impressive. u
We know for a fact because we flicked over to the Enduro mode and had a bit of a fang on the bitumen to see how we’d go. We figured with the engine limited to 100 horsepower we could cope with less help from the on-board systems. The Enduro mode allows a little rear-wheel spinning and locking. We sort of coped. In the split second that separates good riders from the rest the whole thing went all Iannone – look him up – on us, and with a rather large stain in our jocks we called it a gypsy’s warning and backed off.
We were right. We can’t ride that fast. But in Sport mode were doing it, and doing it with relative ease.
We have to ’fess up to ‘the moment’ because, like the true professional photographer he is, Greg Smith of iKapture was hiding behind a bush and managed to photograph our experiment.
The Multistrada Enduro was making us look way, way better riders than we actually were.
Off road
The off-road sections made up about 90 per cent of the ride, and a mix of hard-packed forest roads, rocky trails, sand wallows and the occasional shallow water crossing had us revelling in the bike’s obvious suitability for the terrain. It swooped, slid, jumped and rorted its way through every challenge, always feeling it wasn’t really challenged at all, and always making us feel far more confident than we thought was right… except, the faster we went and the more confident we felt, the more the bike rewarded us.
The suspension surprised us the most. It won’t cop being jumped off erosion mounds or being pancaked into G-outs, but we think that’s fair enough. A 1200cc ‘maxi enduro’ – Ducati’s description – isn’t designed for that kind of treatment. To be fair, we were impressed with the way the bike handled that kind of abuse, but still, it’s clearly outside its design parameters. Hurling the bike at rocky slopes and shallow sand sections had our eyebrows shooting way up in our helmets. The stability of the bike was a big surprise for us. It tracked straight in what we knew to be some very shitty terrain. We knew that because we’d ridden these same sections on plenty of other bikes.
The bad news
The bad news is…well, there isn’t any, really. Our rear tyre was very second-hand after about
300km, but we freely admit we made no attempt whatsoever to look after it. Anyone who buys a 1200cc bike of any kind has to be ready for short rear-tyre life.
One of the media bikes holed a radiator right near the end of the ride, underlining the wisdom of the Enduro Pack for those heading off road, and one of the bikes went down in the rocks and showed the benefits of the aluminium protective side panels. Other than that there were no problems and there were no DNFs.
Summing up
We’re really keen on the Ducati Multistrada Enduro. It’s a smooth, high-performance, long-distance tourer that’s very capable off-road. It’s in a tough market, up against bikes like the big BMWs and KTMs, the Aprilia Caponord, Triumph’s Explorer and maybe Yamaha’s Super T and Suzuki’s big V-Strom, depending how you look at it. That’s a bullring of very serious, hardfighting competitors.
For out-and-out big-dualsport performance we’re pretty sure the Ducati will hold its own in any company, on or off road, in Europe, Australia or anywhere else.
Above: Ducati Australia CEO Warren Lee (left) rode his own personal Multistrada Enduro and offered journos some expert insight. Below: Forestry roads beg a rider to let the bike loose. Right: Without getting too extreme, the Multistrada Enduro is very capable off road.
Reader ride
The Flinders
Shaun Rudd and some mates spent a weekend in the Flinders. As weekends go, it was a good one.
Port Germein Caravan
Park in South Australia is set on the waterfront, and it’s an excellent starting point for exploring the Southern Flinders Ranges. Apparently the jetty out front of the park is the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. Who would’ve guessed?
It was the rendezvous for our April weekend away, and the group was made up of 12 blokes and one female. Bikes included one F800GS, a Sertão, a KTM690, a KLX450, two DR650s, five DRZ400s, a WR450 and two KLX250s. We gathered on the Friday night for a barbeque and tea a few bevies to ready our group for the next day’s riding.
Capacity crowd
It was still very dry in SA, so dust was expected to be a little problem. But, hey…you put up with it, right? We set off aiming to run via the Bridle track, Port Germein Gorge and the survey road, then from Melrose to Quorn via backroads and the Old Gunyah Road. Richmans Gap and Altmann Camel Track were set to take us into Quorn for lunch at Emily’s Emporium and to top up the fuel tanks – some of the bikes only being equipped with their standard tanks holding between seven and nine litres. A few riders carried a little extra fuel, just in case.
Early to bed
We barreled through Quorn and
Top: An iconic Flinders Ranges view with a very dirty BMW spoiling the location.
Right: Author Shaun and the only girl on the ride tried to appear adventurous overlooking Bunnyeroo Gorge at Razorback Lookout.
Left: At the lookout near Probys Grave. The weather was so nice that protective gear was a bit light on.
rode Arden Vale Road lookout, Proby’s Grave, Simonsen, Bobby Creek Road, Partacoona Road, Barnes Road and into Hawker Hotel, our headquarters the following two nights. With the dust problem throughout the day there wasn’t a minute to waste. I bolted to the bottleshop for a carton of ale and a bag of ice. I also asked the attendant if I could borrow a chip bucket from the kitchen for a makeshift Esky. This, I believe, is one of the contributing factors to a great
Words and images: Shaun Rudd
adventure ride – the bench racing with a cleansing ale in hand. Does it get any better?
We enjoyed tea at Hawker Pub and headed off to bed for an early start the following day.
Telly time
Sunday saw us ride north to Bunyeroo Gorge, Brachina Gorge and some lookouts. We then hit Leigh Creek railway line into Parachilna, rode along the gorge to Angorichina to refuel, then back to Glass Gorge and Blinman for lunch.
The arvo was a glorious run back to Hawker for the night via the gorges, railway line, Lake Torrens Road and Hookina.
I grabbed another armful of dust-cleaning fluid before joining the others in the Hawker Hotel for dinner and to watch the football on TV.
How good was this!
One off
Monday morning we found the town was having its ANZAC Day Service on a newly
developed site at 8.00am, so it was decided to get up, pack up and show our respect. It was a great plan.
After the wreath laying and Reveille we headed back to where the cars were stored at Port Germein, carving through Hookina to Top Bore Road, Bobby Creek Road, and into Quorn again for lunch. From there we hit Gunyah Road to Wilmington, Horrocks Pass to Nectare Brook Road and some 4WD tracks back to the caravan park.
There was only one off to report. One of the DR650s was flying along when the rider decided to adjust his jacket. With only one hand on the ’bars and a road full of large rocks it was inevitable something would happen. It did, and the bike careered straight off the road. There was some minor bike damage and a few scratches to the body, but probably the most damage was to the ego.
Other than that everyone had a great long weekend of adventure riding at its best. What a fantastic three days of riding. The Flinders Ranges has some spectacular scenery you have to see to believe.
Above: At Richmond Gap Road, ride leader Charlie was left wondering where everyone was.
Below: Regroup at the start of Brachina Gorge. It’s truly magnificent countryside.
Bottom: Lunch at Blinman general store. It was a lot easier finding the way out of the store than out of the pub.
ONE YEAR $55
v 12-month subscription v enews
TWO YEARS $98
v 24-month subscription v enews
v 12 issues v Free delivery
v 6 issues v Free delivery Haynes, 100 per cent cotton T-shirt
SAVE $24.50 For a two-year subscription receive the new Beer, Food or Fuel shirt!]
Screen-printed in Australia Seamless design for a great fit
Karen Ramsay
Karen Ramsay
And so, there I sat at the computer, having paid for not just a beginners’ riding course, but a trials-riding course. And not just a trials-riding course, but a five-hour one.
Suddenly the pack mentality and risktaking behaviour of teenage boys (and middle-aged adventure riders) made sense. The only saving graces were: R It was a ladies-only course, and R I was doing it with two completely wonderful friends and riders, Meg (aka Liladv) and Lianni.
Start up
I knew very little about trials riding other than the bikes don’t have seats…that and I’d had a couple of people recently tell me how good trials riding was for improving riding skills in general.
Trials and tribulations
Karen Ramsay and some friends take the toughest skills test of all.
I
t always starts innocently enough – friends having a joke with each other…a bit of harmless teasing, maybe. Then you start to egg each other on. Daring each other. Before you know it you’re not only agreeing to something way outside your comfort zone and ability, but you’re upping the ante way beyond common sense.
My biggest concern before the day was how we would actually get going on the bikes. No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t figure it out. Did you put a foot on, give a few hops then throw your leg over? Did someone hold you like a kid with training wheels? Do you start in some sort of holder?
Be prepared
As we’d booked months in advance there was plenty of time to get fit before the course. We all agreed five hours of standing up on a bike was going to require some degree of stamina. Lianni embarked on a gruelling routine of daily hikes with a 15kg backpack. Actually she was training for an upcoming trek, but it was ideal training for the course, too. Meg and I each managed a session of squats a couple of days before. At her place she gave me coffee in a mug with the quote, “You can’t fatten a pig on market day”.
Hmm.
Who you know
We found out there was another lady doing the course with us. Rachel turned out to
Words and images: Karen Ramsay
Main: Karen showing confidence riding in a straight line. This exercise is way more difficult that it looks.
Below: Author Karen with Lianni, instructor Paul, Rachel and Meg.
Above: Lianni perfecting her log jumps.
1: Initial concerns that it was all taking place on the side of a hill soon faded.
2: Paul and Lianni demonstrating the need for balance and knee placement.
3: The lack of a seat didn’t cause a problem.
4: Rachel showing control over the obstacles.
be an amazing pocket-rocket who’d ridden in various places around the world. We were already in awe of her for driving some six or seven hours that morning to get there, and even more awestruck when she turned around after the course and drove home again.
It wasn’t long before her naughty sense of humour shone through and we were all laughing and encouraging each other. As it turned out, she was a lady I’d spoken to a number of times on social media.
It truly is a small world.
Curses!
I rediscovered how small the world was recently.
We fuelled up at the general store at Drake and were telling the owner we’d met a friend of theirs. She disappeared inside as we moved the bikes, then reappeared with the very same friend.
On that same day Dave suggested we go up Sugarbag Road – a road that, a few years ago, filled me with fear and highlighted my poor riding skills. Subsequently I met a lady who lives along that road who said she ‘puts a curse on all those awful bike riders’ that come past her place.
Anyhow, when Dave came up with this idea, I told him I wouldn’t ride there and then ashamedly told him why not (somehow I thought saying I wouldn’t ride because of a curse seemed less embarrassing than saying I was scared of the road… go figure). While we were
standing around chatting, who should turn up at the shop but the same woman! I had to share the story with her and she said we were welcome to ride along there and please drop in for a cuppa.
Environmental impact
The trials course turned out to be fun and well-paced for us trials newbies.
Initial concerns that it was all taking place on the side of a hill soon faded as we concentrated on learning as much as we could. Although none of us will be called up for the Australian Trials des Nations team any time soon, we all came away with achievements (and one good bruise to prove it was a big fall – good work, Meg).
Each of us found some strengths: Rachel’s was embarrassing the instructor and climbing rocks, Lianni’s was wheelies and log jumps and Meg excelled at perseverance and figure eights. Mine was riding in a straight line along boards. Each of us developed some skills and awareness that we will be able to use in our everyday riding.
As we rarely get to ride with other women, we also really appreciated the opportunity to share our experiences and take part in some training in a girls-only environment. I was delighted that I was able, on some level, to do all the activities. Now that I’ve done it, I don’t know how I couldn’t work out how to get on a trials bike.
R Sometimes the hardest thing to overcome is your own fear
R Stupid decisions aren’t dependent on gender or age
R I now know how to get started on a trials bike
R Embarrassment is all a matter of perspective
R When you push yourself, you often find your limits are a lot higher than you thought
Dunns swamp
Bob Wozga wondered if the name of the destination was chosen to keep the place secret. He and few friends went to find out what was at the unglamorously named NSW location. On the way he discovered a few great stories and some amazing settings from Australia’s past. It made him go all arty with his camera.
After the longest summer since records had been kept, autumn arrived overnight.
I enjoyed clear blue skies and a chill in the air as I rode along the Northern Road. I’d arranged to meet a mate at Mt Victoria on the western side of the Great Dividing Range, about 120km west of Sydney.
As you glance at the pictures while flicking through these pages, you might think, “Oh God…another DR650 versus KLR piece.” But you’d
be wrong. We already know the DR is a far superior bike and there’s no need to go further with that.
Hot coffee and a ham-and-cheese croissant made the Mt Victoria coffee shop a convenient meeting place before heading to Dunns swamp, just outside Rylstone. We’d made plans to catch up with friends at the lake for a spot of fishing, and to generally get out of Sydney before the Easter rush.
Deep down
A few kilometres along the Darling Causeway a side lane snaked into the valley below and brought us to Hartley Vale. It’s amazing what you find down lanes. The Comet Inn, built in 1879, is an impressivelooking establishment with ironwork and old-world charm. It was too early for the doors to open, but I made a note to check the place out one day.
The road led us through to the Vale of Clwydd (pronounced Clyde – those crazy Welsh) and into Lithgow. If you have the time and are old school, the Small Arms Factory is worth a visit. It’s interesting to see what used to be produced there.
Taking the Mudgee turnoff at Marrangaroo, we passed Wallerawang power station. On a foggy night this place still reminds me of a 1980’s James Bond film set, with flood lights eerily glowing through the mist.
Riders are often forgotten about when roads are upgraded, but this time they got it right. The roads are wide and grippy, bends are nice and the scenery is great. I think the designer was a rider. It’s a popular road today and we were overtaken by parties of road and adventure riders. A group of KTM riders was helping a mate with his bike at Ben Bullen station and waved us on, saying they were just checking the bikes before
Words and images: Bob Wozga
Above: An impressive place to camp. Left: Ready to follow the sun.
heading into The Gardens Of Stone. Further along, Pearson’s lookout gave a 180-degree view of the Capertee Valley, the world’s second-largest enclosed canyon.
Overlooking the Gardens Of Stone and Wollemi National Park, it’s larger than the Grand Canyon in the US, just not as deep. It holds towns like Glen Davis and Glen Alice, and pictures don’t do it justice.
Royal treatment
Capertee makes a convenient rest stop. Henry Lawson wrote about it in Song Of The Old Bullock Driver. It was a Cobb And Co stopping point and major rail terminus.
The pub was the original Cob And Co stop before it moved across the road, and the chimney from the stables still stands. Originally, the pub was a single-storey timber establishment, but it’s been burnt down twice: the first time by wives upset their husbands were spending too much time there, the second time by a salesman that accidently left a candle alight and the curtains caught fire.
Maybe it should have been named the Phoenix Inn, seeing as it keeps rising from the ashes. It’s been rebuilt after both fires.
Karen, the publican, is doing a great job of restoring the Royal Capertee Hotel.
Open five days a week with a shed out the back to keep bikes safe overnight, single rooms are available from $55 a night. There’s a large, comfortable eatery at the rear, an open fireplace in the library with motorcycle magazines on the coffee table and a piano with a sign saying: PLEASE DO NOT PLAY THE PIANO. Underneath, written in a child’s hand is the postscript: ‘unless you can play properly’. It gives the place a warm atmosphere.
Graham behind the bar is a bike rider himself and understands the needs of riders. He’s a great source of information about tracks and roads to explore in the area. The Royal Capertee Hotel is well worth a stop to break up a ride. Give them a call on (02) 63590172.
People power
Heading west, we turned right at the old roadhouse in Ilford. That linked us to
Above & right: The lake is stocked with trout, Murray cod and golden perch.
the Bylong Valley Way and brought us into Kandos.
A stationary flying fox over the road heralds the entrance to Kandos, a company town famous for Kandos-brand cement. The cement plant closed in 2011 and the coal mine closed in 2014, and empty shops and a melancholy atmosphere surrounded the main street as we rode through town.
In contrast, at Rylstone the wide streets were surrounded with colour as locals have opened coffee and gift shops in defiance. The people are to trying to encourage tourism to keep their town alive. The streets were filled with cars, and looking at the architecture of the buildings, this must once have been a wealthy settlement. We were glad it appeared the locals’ activity was paying off.
Tyres that bind
After filling up at the corner service station, we headed to the swamp.
The road flowed into the valley, black-
and-white cows dotted the fields, long grass made patterns in the paddocks as it blew in the wind and the bikes glided along.
As the valley narrowed, bitumen became gravel and fantastic rock formations peeked from the hills. The road was in good condition and road tyres would probably cope just fine in the dry.
Nestled between the lake and rock formations was the Dunns swamp campsite.
Perch with a rod
Designated campsites have been provided, and some have fire pits. Firewood was also provided. Hole-in-the ground toilets were dotted around with easy access to the campsites. It’s a first-in-first-served basis and camp fees are six dollars per person per night. Payment is left in an envelope at the information billboard.
During the warmer months canoe hire is available and you can take a tour of the lake or explore on your own. Numerous walking tracks are marked out and NSW Department
Above: The Royal Hotel at Cullen Bullen is a great place for a pie and an ale.
Left: The Capertee Valley is the world’s second-largest enclosed canyon and holds towns like Glen Davis.
Of Primary Industries has stocked the lake with trout, Murray cod and golden perch. You can still catch a decent perch on a lure –but don’t forget a fishing licence.
It’s an impressive place to camp. Sitting by the river with a rod or just relaxing by a fire with friends, it’s a brilliant way to end a day’s ride.
Water, boys
Overcast skies, a light layer of fog over the lake and the squawk of birds heralded a new day.
After a filling breakfast and packing up camp we bid farewell to our friends and headed out. The route back to Sydney was set to take us through the Capertee Valley and the turnoff to Glen Alice was a few kilometres from Rylstone onto a road used predominately by farmers. We only saw a few cars as the road meandered from one valley to the next, and sandstone rose from the ground and hid us from the outside world.
We stopped for coffee at Glen Alice and a couple of KTMs rode past and gave us a wave. I decided to count the cars while drinking my coffee to gauge how busy the road gets. I started: “One…”.
That was it.
We hit gravel closer to Glen Davis, a company town built in 1938. It was created to extract oil from the shale in the area. Once the major employer in the region with 2500 staff, the industry collapsed and the town was abandoned in 1952. Remnants of shops remain in the town centre, but brick
Above: As a relaxing weekend ride from Sydney with good camping facilities, both Dunns Swamp and Glen Davis are ideal.
Right: Another DR650 versus KLR piece? Nope.
steps and chimneys are the only indicators of how busy the streets once were.
You can no longer walk freely through the factory ruins, but tours can be organised by The Poplars at Glen Davis. Phone them on (02) 6379 7380 to book in. Tours are at 2:00pm on Saturdays.
Free camping is available at Coorongooba campground about five kilometres out of town, but you need to bring your own water. The road back to Capertee is sealed
and a pleasure to ride.
Something for everyone
As a relaxing weekend ride from Sydney with good camping facilities, both Dunns swamp and Glen Davis are ideal. There’s ample watering holes along the way for the weary rider to pull up, stretch the legs and have an ale and a
pie. It’s not much for a rider to spend, but it keeps these small towns alive. Road conditions are good, so you don’t need to be a hardened rider with state-of-the-art adventure bike.
If doing a trip with a group of hard riders, just let them do their thing and meet them at the next major intersection while you take in the scenery.
adventure-riding tips
Learn to wheelie. Really!
Miles Davis looks at a great skill that’s a lot of fun.
Above: There’s a lot goes into a wheelie – throttle and clutch control, timing, body position and vision.
Words: Miles Davis
Wheelies are cool, ask anyone! They’re also handy at times, whether you want to loft the front wheel over an obstacle or style it up for a crowd crossing the finish line, it’s something a lot of people just wish they could to do. I don’t know many people who were born with the wheelie gene. I’m sure there are a few, but like most things, wheelies are something learned with lots of practice.
Highs and lows
There are lots of different types of wheelies. Here are a couple most of you will know:
R Low-speed lofts – where you lift your wheel over an obstacle like a fallen tree with a blip of throttle and quick-butcontrolled release and re-engage of the clutch;
R High-speed loft wheelies – where a rider may simply add a dose of throttle to loft the wheel over a dip to keep the bike tracking nicely over uneven ground.
Then there are the trickier versions:
R Low-speed balance-point wheelies –usually reserved for enduro or motocross bikes. At walking pace, the rider lofts the front wheel very high, straight to the balance point, slips the clutch and drags the rear brake to maintain the height without increasing any speed;
R High-speed balance-point wheelies –the rider gets the front wheel quite high, clicks a few gears and uses throttle and balance to keep the front wheel high for a significant distance at speed.
Left: Slide your bum back on the seat. This will give good traction and make the front wheel lighter and easier to get off the ground.
Above: Simply pulling in the clutch might not be enough to bring the front wheel back down, but the rear brake will.
Below right: It can be invaluable if you can instinctively pop the front wheel without fuss.
There is one thing for sure, until you have it dialled, it can all go pear shaped in the blink of an eye. That being the case, it is very advisable to gain confidence with the slow-speed variations before you go for the higher speed options, so when it does go upside down it’s more likely that you will get up and have a laugh and not a helicopter ride.
Basics
It definitely helps if you have some balance, but there’s quite a bit that goes into a wheelie – throttle and clutch control, timing, body position and vision to name a few. We’ve covered all these in previous columns and they’re vital skills when it comes to pulling off a sick wheelie.
The right equipment helps, too. Learning how to wheelie is best done on a low-output, small-capacity, lightweight trailbike. Once the skills are learnt they’re quite easily transferred to bigger bikes. Bikes like Yamaha’s TTR 250 are perfect, but anything similar will do the trick (I had my wheelie breakthrough on a KLX300). Four-strokes are handy as the engine braking can save some unnecessary loop outs. Two-strokes aren’t as forgiving because when you chop the throttle the
MIles davIs
front doesn’t drop as quickly, or at all. You can practice on a bigger bike, but you want to take it a bit easy as the challenge is bigger, as are the risks.
The right place
The right location helps too.
A gentle uphill is ideal and a consistent surface helps a lot – like a basic sloping hillside or paddock. When you decide it’s time to put in the practice, find a good spot, practice wheelies up the hill and stoppies or rear-brake skids down the hill. This can bring hours of entertainment and huge gains in skills and confidence.
Before you start
It will really help if you’ve learned how to manage the throttle and clutch relationship before you start practicing wheelies. Things like slow riding and hill starts are perfect. You want to be able to add power precisely without stalling and have some good clutch feel.
Stage 1: low-speed clutch-pop wheelie, seated
Goal – to use the throttle and clutch to raise the front wheel moderately, then get it back to the ground in a controlled manner. The key is to progress very gradually, with lots of repetition. If you get too excited and jump a step you’ll probably end up on your arse.
1. Slide your bum back on the seat so you put your weight bias over the back wheel. This will give good traction and make the front wheel lighter and easier to get off the ground. Make sure your right foot can access the rear brake. Once you’re in this position it generally does nicely.
2. Ride along in first gear at low speed and low revs. Be relaxed and comfortable on the bike with a nice grip on the ‘bars, and on the frame with your legs.
At this point, with one or two fingers pull in the clutch, add a small amount of throttle, then release the clutch as the revs increase. You want to get the timing right so the clutch engages and the back wheel gets drive, not spin. Lots of riders will get a big free rev and add the clutch as the revs are dropping, or drop the clutch too early and stall. It’s important to get the timing right.
3. Once you get the timing right and the front wheel is coming off the ground a little, you want to pull the clutch in to bring the wheel back down. Don’t go for extra blips of the throttle to keep the front wheel in the air yet. Having the control to pull the clutch back in when the front wheel is still on the way up gives you control and confidence.
4. As you get more comfortable with this and can reel off controlled lofts backto-back you can consider going for a bit more height. This is when the rear brake becomes important, because as your front wheel gets very high, simply pulling in the clutch might not be enough to bring the front wheel back down. But the rear brake will. Work on this process until it becomes second nature and you’ll gradually feel more comfortable as the front wheel gets higher and higher.
5. Try not to use lots of power and acceleration to keep the front wheel in the air as this can go upside-down before you know it.
Stage 2: low-speed, clutch-pop wheelie, standing
1. Similar to the seated wheelie, but in a comfortable and balanced standing position, ride along at low speed and bounce on your suspension a few times to ensure you’re relaxed and balanced.
2. Look ahead and pick a spot to wheelie (imagine a small log), lean back very slightly and bounce on your footpegs to compress the suspension. At the same time pull the clutch in, add a small amount of throttle and release the clutch as the revs increase. If you get the timing right, the drive should begin as the forks are at the low point of the bounce, and this will help the front wheel rise. As the front wheel lifts, bend your elbows slightly and let the bike come towards you without leaning back too far. Pull the clutch in to put the front wheel back down. This technique is what you need to get over small logs or up ledges.
3. Once you get the hang of it, practice a
small, rear-brake skid turn before you pop the clutch. This is perfect for when you have to raise the front wheel over a log across the track on an angle, so you cross it at 90 degrees.
4. Again, repeat until you get more comfortable, and as the front wheel gets higher start using your rear brake to bring the front wheel down.
Upping the pace
Whether it’s potholes, washouts or raised obstacles, it can be invaluable if you can instinctively pop the front wheel without fuss. Your wheel doesn’t have to clear the obstacle. The lift combined with your suspension will help the bike glide over things that used to put you on the deck or scare the bejesus out of you.
Next issue we’ll cover faster wheelies, but this slow stuff is what you need before you start going for gold.
Happy Trails!
Left: Low-speed lofts will lift your wheel over an obstacle like a fallen tree.
Right: A gentle uphill is ideal and a consistent surface helps a lot.
NSW Wisemans Ferry 10th & 11th August QLD Maleny 24th & 25th August VIC Toolangi 14th & 15th September
Outer shell goatskin palm and Taslan, leather-detailed back Lining 3M Thinsulate
R Reinforced rubberised gaskets in lid
R Fitted with stainless-steel handles and mounting points
R Panniers available in 37 litre or 48 litre
R Top box available in 42 litre (fits one helmet) or 58 litre (fits two helmets)
R Optional extras include waterproof inner bags, homologated 2.5-litre jerry can and holder, 500ml thermal flask and stainless-steel support, polyurethane backrest
kTI plb
Don’t leave home without it.
R 66-channel receiver
R Global coverage
R Three-metre GPS accuracy
R Strobe light
R 10-year battery life
R 10-year warranty
R Waterproof and self-bouyant
RRP: $299
Available from: Adventure Rider Magazine e-store Web: www.advridermag.com.au/store
jns enGIneerInG dr650 FooTpeG loWerInG Moun
Made in the US.
R Choose between straight 40mm drop or 40mm drop with 25mm rearward offset
R For use with stock ’pegs or any compatible ’peg
R Heavy-duty steel construction
R Powder-coated black
R Mounting bolts included
RRP: $124.95 – $134-95
Available from: Adventure Bike Australia Web: www.adventurebikeaustralia.com.au
cobrra neMo 2 chaIn oIler
High-tech approach to an old-school job.
R Easy NEMO 2 control mounted on handlebar
R Simple and fast installation. No messing with bike electronics or construction
R Made of light aluminium alloys
R Continuous oil displacement under pressure gives uniform lube and maximum chain life
R Continuous lubrication of NEMO 2 internal parts delivers high reliability and long service
R Ideal for off-road use
bMW roll baG
A universal, waterproof luggage roll. The editor’s choice for the
GS Safari Enduro.
R Heavy-duty TPU-coated polyester fabric (tarp), bottom in textile look
R Waterproof finishing with welded seams
R Removable, three-dimensional EVA bottom panel
R Simple fastening with length-adjustable straps with plug fasteners
R Roll closure in combination with Fidlock magnetic lock and inside zipper
R Large access opening for easy packing
R Small outside net pocket and small, waterproof inside zipper pocket
R Removable, adjustable shoulder strap and padded carrying handle
R Reflective material on side and front
R Volume: approx. 50 litres
R Dimensions: Width approx. 40 cm, Length approx. 65 cm
R Color: Dark blue
RRP: $230
Available from: From all BMW Motorrad dealers Web: www.bmwmotorrad.com.au
TracTIonaTor Gps Tyre
Designed to go anywhere on the globe and back home again.
RRP: TBA
Available from: AdventureMoto Web: www.adventuremoto.com.au
R Reversible – either 50/50 or Mostly Off Road
R In 50/50 direction the GPS is a well behaved street-able tyre with smooth cornering transition from centre to cranked all the way over
R In Mostly Off Road direction the aggressive straight line hook-up and cornering drive is engaged
R 25 per cent stronger carcass construction than other adventure tyres
R High resistance to punctures
R Unique compound for long mileage
R Dependable traction in a wide variety of conditions
R 30 per cent more tread depth than most adventure tyres
RRP: Front $139.95. Rear $249.95
Available from: Your local dealer Web: www.jtr.com.au
barkbusTers bbZs
A huge favourite with the Adventure Rider Magazine staff!
R Stylish fabric handguard design lined with a waterproof membrane
R Can be fitted to almost any handlebar set-up
R Flexes around fairing and windscreen at full steering lock
R Ideal for faired motorcycles
R Anti-flap design is self-supporting under wind pressure
R Leaves controls free of interference
R Maximum cold-weather protection
R Can be fitted independently or over Barkbusters backbones
RRP: $119.95
Available from: Your local bike shop Web: www.barkbusters.net
MoTopressor MInI puMp
A brilliant innovation in a great product.
R Connect the MotoPressor Mini Pump to your motorcycle battery or a mini jump starter
R Select a pressure scale in either PSI, BAR or KPA
R Select the pressure you would like to pump your tyres to
R Switch the pump on, stand back and let the pump do the work
R Once the pump reaches the pre-selected tyre pressure, it switches off automatically
RRP: $85.95 plus postage
Available from: All good motorcycle stores Web: www.rockycreekdesigns.com.au
TouraTech overGloves
A great alternative to packing a second pair of gloves.
R Pack small to save space
R Fit over regular gloves to keep hands warm and dry
R Sizes S-XXXL
R Made from waterproof Oxford fabric
RRP: $48
Available from: shop.touratech.com.au Web: www.touratech.com.au
For riders looking for optimum
R Hexagonal silencer
R Perfectly suited to the sharp lines of the Husky
RRP: $1699.99
Available from: Husqvarna dealers Web: www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com
R Compact, waterproof waist pack for carrying essentials See more at www.triumphmotorcycles.com.au
DuAlsport AustrAliA
Discs one, two
AnD three
Thousands of kilometres of premium dualsport and adventure riding on route sheet and as GPX files. Disc Three is out now. Check the e-store for availability.
subscriptions & bAck issues
Have your copy of Adventure Rider Magazine sent to your front door.
Motorbikin’ DVDs
Phil Hodgen’s almighty range of hard-core adventure-riding DVDs. The most exciting, raw and entertaining adventure riding to ever hit your TV or computer.
ADVenture riDer MAgAzine t-shirt
Tell the world who you are and what you do. Strictly limited edition. Get ’em while you can.
ADVenture riDer Multifunction
JuMp stArter
Super light (221g) multi-function jump starter is an extremely useful tool and emergency power backup for your car, iPhone, laptop, tablet, camera and many more. Perfect for emergency jump starts.
Was $129.00 Now only$89.00
kti - the ultiMAte ADVenture-riDing Distress beAcon
Provides SIX independent means of rescue:
n 406MHZ transmission
n 121.5MHZ homing signal
n GPS location
n Visual strobe
n Signal mirror
n Whistle on lanyard Manufactured in Australia
10 Year battery. 10 year warranty.
$299
On sale October, 2016
next issue
v Triumph Explorer
v BMW GS Safari Enduro
v Congregation updates
v Rides from Australia and around the world
Sharing life outside the comfort zone.
Motorrad Garage
KTM 1050
KTM’s 1050 isn’t getting anywhere near the attention it deserves…except from Motorrad Garage. Those guys have topshelf equipment for the bare-bones KTM adventurer. Have a look at this lot…
AMAZINGLY LIGHT, INCREDIBLY TOUGH.
TRAX ADVENTURE - THE BENCHMARK IN ALUMINIUM TOURING CASES.
Built without compromise. TraX Adventure are designed to be extremely tough and made from 1.5mm aluminium, further strengthened by lid and side wall ribbed contours. Weighing between 4.6 and 5.4 kilos, the TraX Adventure is one of the lightest cases available in it’s class.
Side cases are available in 37 and 45 litre sizes, the top case has a 38 litre capacity and the range starts at $621.
So whether you’re taking on an off-road challenge, touring the open road or just beating the rain to work, get a case that’s 100% adventureproof.
• 1.7 KG LIGHTER ENABLING QUICKER HANDLING
• NEW, MORE POWERFUL ENGINE FOR FASTER LAP TIMES
• SLIMMER SHROUDS AND FLATTER SEAT ALLOWS EASIER BODY POSITIONING
• SLIMMER ALUMINIUM FRAME WITH IMPROVED RIGIDITY
• AGGRESSIVE NEW FACTORY STYLING AND IN-MOULD GRAPHICS
