Klim Avalon Women’s Jacket, Forcefield Body Armour Pro Shirt X-V 2, Marrakesh Glove, Badlands Aero Pro Short Glove, Marrakesh Jacket, Mojave Jersey & Forcefield Body Armour Contakt Shorts.
Motoz 150/70-18 Tractionator Adventure Q Rear, 90/90-21 Tractionator Adventure 1.1 Front Tyre, Giant Loop Rouge Dry Bag, Giant Loop Zigzag
Handlebar Bag, Outback Motortek BMW F800GS
Crash Bars, Upper Crash Bars, AltRider Skid Plate for Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin, Giant Loop Mototrekk Pannier Bags, Givi Trekker Side Case Outback 48LT & DrySpec H35 A-Lock Waterproof 35L Side Case.
Because our aim is to make sure you’re outfitted in the right riding gear (size and fit), we offer you a simple guarantee. If your KLIM adventure gear doesn’t fit first go, we are happy to exchange it at no cost to you! Learn more on our website: https://www.adventuremoto.com.au/blog/size-guarantee/
It’s we what do
Tom Foster - Editor
It’s always thrilling to listen to pro riders tell of their racing careers. Stories of overcoming challenges, fierce battles with career-long rivals and taking the tiny, long-odds risks that win races have me spellbound. I’m transported to my world of fantasies where I dream I might be able to do such things. I sit, like all of us, enthralled as the stories unfold. When I think what it must be like to pull a fast lap of the Isle Of Man course, or to ride Dakar and seriously be a contender for a podium position, my eyes glaze over and I begin to try and envisage what that must mean.
Being fast enough and tough enough
4
advridermag.com.au
to ride at those speeds in those environments is beyond me to understand. Like all of us, I’m all but overcome by the excitement of a close MotoGP, a seriously tough TrialGP or a grinding,
in watching an amazing event, I drop back to earth. I slump down at my desk, exhausted, and pick up the next story to work on.
“I think what it must be like to pull a fast lap of the Isle Of Man course, or to ride Dakar and seriously be a contender for a podium position”
hard-fought Dakar. The riders who compete in those arenas are like mythical gods to me, probably not unlike the adulation young kids feel for their favourite music personalities.
But after investing so much of myself
That’s when the glamour falls away and I get in touch with truly amazing real-life riding. I read stories from people who aren’t gifted or talented or paid to ride. They’re ‘ordinary’ people who have the courage to grab a bike and head out to the mountains, coastlines and corners of our world, not knowing what’s there, but wanting to find out.
No-one’s built a bike specially for them, there are no marshals making sure things are done fairly and there’s no medical centre or pit if something needs to be put right. In foreign countries where English isn’t the first language it’s sometimes not even possible to simply ask directions.
But the riders go. They face the challenges with nothing more than a credit card and a love of being out there and seeing the world.
Pros are glamorous and deserve the admiration of us all, but the men and women in this magazine are the real stars of the motorcycling world.
Adventure Rider Magazine is published bi-monthly by Mayne Media Group Pty Ltd
Publisher Kurt Quambusch
Editor Tom Foster tom@maynemedia.com.au
Group Sales 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
Julian, MotoGP superfan (02) 9452 4517
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:
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BMW GS
Safari Enduro
Is there anything to compare to the feeling of being on a sensational bike in one of the world’s most devastatingly gorgeous adventure destinations and knowing every aspect of the ride has been taken care of? The riding, the catering, bike servicing, accommodation…everything?
That’s the BMW GS Safari. Or in this case, the BMW GS Safari Enduro, a five-day romp around Tasmania where the only thing more heartbreaking than the wilderness scenery were the winding roads.
The ride started with the mainlanders boarding the Spirit Of Tasmania for an overnight run across Bass Strait. It’s not easy to explain, but there’s something monumental and overwhelming about being parked on the dock and having that huge lump of floating steel pull up alongside. Riding up the ramp and into the hull is an adventure experience all on its own, and the thrill never fades, no matter how often it’s done.
With 100 or so Beemers and their riders all safely stowed, a peaceful night crossing of the Strait had everyone refreshed and ready to face a long first day.
And that was just as well, because that’s what was on offer. Psst!
From Devonport the Safari Enduro show made its way west along the north coast. The silvery beaches glittered under overcast skies and every headland revealed a new wonder. Temperatures started off at around 18 degrees and made for comfortable riding, and after the first 30km or so of tar it was time to flex a little muscle and slither along the four-wheel drive ruts past Penguin motocross track and into the forest. Veering south through towns like Edith Creek and down the Western Explorer past the Arthur Pieman Conservation area led, inevitably, to the Fat Man barge at Corinna, where many coffees were drunk and a few stories were already being told. The day had become sunny and warm and things were looking very nice indeed. Adventure
Rider Magazine’s R1200GS Rallye X had suffered a tiny split on the front tyre and Miles Davis found bike and rider parked by a stream and wondering what to do with themselves. He located the problem and plugged the split, but the tyre was still slowly deflating. A generous fellow rider awaiting the Corinna ferry donated the use of his Rocky Creek Designs compressor and the bike was off and running again, albeit with a slowly softening front Conti.
With only 100km or so of the day’s planned 400km remaining, the tyre was inflated to billy-o and the bike was scurried along the course to hopefully make it to the overnight stop at Strahan before losing all its air and bringing the day to a halt.
But wait…there’s more
But there was a bit to look forward to after the Corinna ferry, and with a handful of CO2 bottles chucked in the tankbag Adventure Rider Magazine was determined not to miss any of it.
A fast strop along some fabulous bitumen had everyone offered the chance to ride a couple of short sand sections. There were bypasses for those who didn’t like the idea, but a lot of riders took up the challenge and seemed to struggle with the concept of ‘riding’. There was a lot of burying of front ends, a lot of cussing, and even some diggingby-hand, all of which was done in fairly good humour, but it delayed progress so much the organisers decided to delete the section for the remainder of the field.
That didn’t stop everyone having a crack at the Strahan beach, though. Oh no. Just because someone had
Main: Everybody loves a good puddle!
Below: A run on Strahan beach was optional, but not many riders missed it. u
Images: BMW Motorrad
BMW Gs safarI enduro
been buried up to the gills in sand 40km ago didn’t mean they should consider they might struggle to get to the beach. Of course not.
But some did. It was a very short section and it caused more laughs than drama. Once on the firm sand everyone had a ball, so it was called a good deal. And it was optional, not part of the regular course. Anyone who’d had enough sand could stay with the arrows and find their way to luggage truck without further challenge.
Adventure Rider Magazine threw itself on the mercy of the BMW tyre crew and a tyre was on the rim before the eager staff at the luxurious accommodation had sorted a room key and coffee.
As the whole show settled in to the scenic majesty of Strahan, the BMW support staff and techs swung into action, the restaurants and taverns overflowed, and the general consensus was it had been a fantastic day that would be hard to beat.
Event Manager Grant Evans assured everyone at the evening briefing that he’d done his best to make the following day even better.
Warm ride
Temperatures stayed warm and humidity high as riders left Strahan for the second day of the 2018 ‘GSE’ – as Marketing Manager Nigel Harvey had decided to call the GS Safari Enduro. The first section was a whopping 130km of bitumen, but before anyone grimaces and makes disparaging remarks, it needs to be explained the stretch of road under consideration is one of Australia’s most famous and sought-after roadbike routes. From Strahan through Queenstown and on to Derwent Bridge via the Lyell Highway is an incredible section of winding road which could’ve been built specifically for motorcyclists. The BMWs were in their element and stretched their legs to demolish the curves and distance with obvious relish.
As a kick-off to a day’s riding and a head-clearer before smoko it could hardly have been any better.
Slip way
The curious thing about the second day was the contrast. As riders munched through breakfast at the Hungry Wombat café and servo at Derwent Bridge, stories
were already being told of heroic swooping through flip-flop bends and footpegs being scraped to almost nothing. Tyres were checked to ensure they’d been scuffed right to the edges on both sides, and riders’ chests were noticeably thrust forth as they recounted their exploits.
But from Derwent Bridge the fluorescent arrows marking the course sent riders south, and the traction and wild lean angles of the morning were traded for trembling, frightened-looking meerkat-types trying to keep bikes upright and under control as they seemed reluctant to go anywhere they were pointed. A series of hard-packed dirt roads covered with a fine coating of loose sand provided as near to a frictionless plane as science had yet discovered in the natural world. There were girlish screams and thumping noises as bikes and riders wobbled along or, in some cases, riders did their best to drag bikes from the
Top: The bitumen sections were either twisting and fun or carving through amazing backdrops like this one. Below: A full house. 100 riders and 24 staff. u
PURE GS SPIRIT.
INTRODUCING THE NEW F 850 GS.
Experience unlimited adventure. Introducing the new F 850 GS – BMW’s latest adventure motorcycle. Featuring ASC, ABS and optional TFT display, there’s never been a better time to take your adventure to the next level. IN DEALERSHIPS NOW, Book a test ride: bmwmotorrad.com.au
LIFE A RIDE.
@bmwmotorradaus @bmwmotorradaus
BMW Gs safarI enduro
scrub or trackside washaways.
That was all very well, and may have had prayers for a change floating skyward, but when the change came, it wasn’t much of an improvement. With the temperature slowly dropping there came a long, long section, mostly downhill, of shaded, moist ground. The twin wheel tracks were clay, and anywhere with actual moisture was deadly slippery. And anyone who wandered off the clay onto the green moss on either side or in the centre was pretty much guaranteed a screaming, swearing torpedo run into the trees.
The road-race heroes of the morning had had a fair layer of gloss knocked off them by the time they found themselves, mercifully near the end of the day’s route, at Judds Creek.
It was in the briefing
Judds Creek had had a bit of a surge in recent rainfall and the bridge had washed away completely. According to the briefing from the Safari crew, it wouldn’t present any problem to cross the creek itself. The quote in the briefing notes for the day said: ‘We expect to be able to get the bikes through this section, but will arrow accordingly on the day.’
Hmm.
The less said about the difficulty of the Judds Creek crossing in the 2018 BMW GS Safari Enduro the better, except that it was tricky rather than difficult. Plenty of riders had clean runs across the shallow stream, while just as many had wheels slide off the wet stones and got crossed up.
As always, everyone seemed to keep
smiling, no matter how slippery the rocks and how rutted the exit, and best of all, everyone chipped in to help everyone else. The camaraderie at these rides is one of their most amazing features.
From Judds Creek to Hobart was only about 40km of road, and the warm beds and hot dinners were much appreciated after a tough day.
Enduro
Overnight rain continued into the morning of the third day and riders set off from Hobart with slippery roads and the weather uncertain. Some opted for full wet-weather gear and some threw the dice and hoped the cloud would break up and the rain fade away.
The real excitement on the third day was in the ‘enduro’ section.
The same section in the 2010 Safari had caused some grief so riders were warned. The route sheet said, “The route today
Top: There were lots of occasions across the five days where riders clubbed in to help each other out.
Left: The ‘Convict Trail’ of the fourth day was optional. It’d caused some grief during a model release in 2010 and was a tad slippery in spots.
Above: Veering south down the Western Explorer past the Arthur Pieman Conservation area. u
The result of over five years of intensive study, development and testing.
BMW Gs safarI enduro
is a tough one.” Some of the colourful stories from seasoned campaigners remembering the 2010 Safari added spice to the briefing notes, and as the rain fell there were a few knocking knees among those awaiting a start. As it happened, the rain had subsided by the time the first riders hit Swanston Road alongside the army rifle range, apparently the home of a very large proportion of Tasmania’s rocks. For around 30km or so the Beemers picked their way through what could be fairly described as enduro-standard terrain, and the physical demand on riders was considerable. The bikes seemed to handle the abuse no worries, and in fact the overnight rain meant there was little or no dust for almost the entire route. As an added bonus, the hard-packed sand roads drained well and became quite grippy, much to everyone’s relief. The really challenging section was probably only about 30km, but it was a tough hour or more, and maybe even a
tough couple of hours depending on a rider’s skill level.
Relax
Once through the rocky, tighter trails it was back on the open, flowing, forestry dirt roads for a run to the coastal paradise of Bicheno for snacks, fuel, maybe a latte or two and a run up the Tasman Highway along the eastern waterfront. The views were heartbreakers and the misty air framed the haven of the White Sands Resort, also a brewery, and the very welcome overnight stop where some chose to camp, but most took advantage of cabins and rooms overlooking Ironhouse Point.
After a relatively short 280km-day, many a sore rider found comfort in the Brewhaus Bar And Café that night, we can tell you.
Best for last
In something of a planning coup, the GSE based at the White Sands resort for
two nights. It gave everyone a chance to unwind a little, not worry about packing up for the luggage truck, and the place was a brewery. Does any more need to be said?
The riding of the fourth day was therefore a lap through the local area and included highlights like Jacob’s Ladder and Mt Elephant pancakes. We’ve written about riding Jacob’s Ladder to the Ben Lomond ski fields several times, and if you’re not sure what we’re talking about, do some research.
As for the Mt Elephant pancakes, we can only say, “Mmm…yuuuuum.”
Thanks to BMW Marketing Manager Nigel Harvey we sat down to a Bananaand-chocolate chomp-fest and a Rocky Road rampage.
A lot else happened on the day, but now we’re thinking about those pancakes again we can’t remember much else.
Jacob’s Ladder was under heavy fog and visibility at the ski fields was down to a few metres.
The pancakes came with cream and ice cream, and the banana one had all bits
Top: An ‘enduro’ section on the final day was a highlight.
Left: Thanks to BMW Marketing Manager Nigel Harvey we sat down to a Banana-and-chocolate chomp-fest and a Rocky Road rampage.
Above: Two-time Isle Of Man TT winner Cam Donald looked to be enjoying the event.
BMW Gs safarI enduro
of chocolate chopped up in it. Mmm…
Best for last
The final day was scheduled to be a short, 200km run from the White Sands Resort through St Helens and Mathinna to Launceston and the much-anticipated final dinner. A great deal of cash is raised for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and many riders are held up to the goodnatured ribbing of the rest of the field for falling in creeks or getting stuck on obstacles at the closing function, and it’s always a high point of any GS Safari. While the final 100km was a fairly sedate run along bitumen and dirt through postcard-standard scenery, the morning offered a couple of very special sections which Adventure Rider Magazine thought the best of the whole five days. First was a run through some firm sand which quickly became a series of small
whoops. It gave riders a bit to think about before a climb which wasn’t steep, but did seem to go for a long time. And the longer it went, the more chopped up it became. The odd off-camber detour around fallen trees added a little spice to the situation and made for just the right technical challenge to have everyone grinning their brains out.
Then came an overgrown section with a wet, slimy trail and lots of very lowhanging branches and shrubs. Again, a couple of fallen trees made sure no-one became complacent.
While all this was going on, the Adventure Rider Magazine Rallye X developed another slow leak, this time in the rear, and once again the source of the leak was a mystery. On this occasion Miles Davis didn’t happen by to help, and with the leak impossible to find, gas bottles were discharged into the tyre to get the bike to Mathinna where a
couple of top blokes offered up yet another Rocky Creek Designs compressor. It was pumped up to buggery, and with the tyre just losing its shape and showing 20PSI, it rocketed into Launceston to take the chequered flag and claim the finisher’s reward – lots of coffee and a pastry arrangement stuffed with berries and custard called a ‘brioche’ – while waiting for the crew and the rest of the field to arrive. Most riders took advantage of the short distance to maybe head back up Jacob’s Ladder, savour a Tasmanian day in a café somewhere, or perhaps get stuck on a fallen tree and wait for a couple of other riders to help get them moving again.
Whatever the choice, it was a superb day’s dualsporting, and perfectly suited to the bikes.
First class all the way
The BMW Safari has been running a long time, and it’s still the benchmark for a beautifully run, superbly managed brand ride. The courses are always exotic, always ideal for the German bikes, and the staff and people associated with the ride are brilliant. No matter how many GS Safaris and Safari Enduros we do, and how good they are, we always expect the next one to be even better.
We haven’t been disappointed in that expectation yet.
Top: The final day was a little shorter to allow riders time to pack and get back to the Spirit for a run to mainland. It was still one of the best days of the whole event, though.
Left: The challenging sections were short, but testing.
BMW F850GS Rallye X
BMW’s about to set the Australian midweight dualsport class alight. The new F850GS is here, and Adventure Rider Magazine was lucky enough to get a quick ride.
The F850GS felt more dirt-oriented than the 800GS models we’ve tried.
Detail on the fourth day of the GS Safari Enduro might seem a little light on in our story, and that’s because, thanks to Nigel Harvey at BMW Motorrad, we were lucky enough to spend that day putting the only
F850GS Rallye X in Australia through its paces. What we’re sharing here is a set of overall impressions, not a focused review.
We were having far too much fun to concentrate too hard on the specifics.
Driving force
The motor on the 850 is an 853cc, watercooled, four-stroke, in-line twin with four valves per cylinder, dual overhead cams, and runs a dry sump. BMW says power output is 95hp and torque 92Nm at 6250rpm.
We don’t want to get tied up in the spec sheet here. We’ll have full coverage of the bike next issue.
What we’re excited about is what the bike’s like to ride, and believe us. We’re very excited.
Briefly
To try and put things in a nutshell, the F850GS felt more dirt-oriented than the 800GS models we’ve tried. The bike felt slimmer and lighter, and as soon as we grabbed the ’bars we were looking for a berm or set of erosion mounds to destroy. Handling is fast and precise for a bike of this size, and throttle response is sharp. It seems to us the natural comparison is to the F800GS, and that’s been our favourite Beemer since its release. We loved both the GS and GSA models, and we’ve been fortunate enough to spend
The 850 is a complete blast to ride.
sneak peak
a lot of time on both in various years.
The 850 feels more nimble than the 800, and it seems to us it barks a little harder. We jumped off a 1200 Rallye X to ride the 850, so that needs to be taken into account.
Top spec
One of the things that instantly hit us with the 850 was the TFT dash and, as the dash clearly showed, a full suite of electronics. The bike we rode was apparently the same spec as the 1200 Rallye X we’d just ridden, including the electronics, riding modes and ESA suspension. It also meant cruise control and an incredible array of parameters and settings available at the touch of a jog dial on the left-hand ’bar. The icing on the cake was a quick-shift system giving fast, smooth, clutch-free gear changes, up and down.
We’re not sure if our ride bike had an accessory dongle fitted, but we were able to select Enduro Pro and could fiddle around with parameters for each setting, like choosing the ‘Rain’ setting for the motor and turning off the rear ABS, and then having those selections remain even
The fog on Jacobs ladder was heavy…not that made any difference to the editor. Once he got hold of the 850 he didn’t wait for anyone or anything. Below: The bike was apparently the same spec as the 1200 Rallye X we’d just ridden, including the electronics, riding modes and ESA suspension.
when we turned off the ignition. And there’s another interesting thing. The 850 has keyless ignition.
Quick
We’ll have a full rundown next issue, but right now our eyes are bugging out of our heads. The 850 is a complete blast to ride. On the road we pushed it out to some serious speed and worked the brakes hard, thrashed the gearbox and settled into some sedate, cruise-controlled sightseeing, and the bike was fantastic. Off the road we gave it as right-royal a thrashing as we could, and the 850 revelled in it. It was way beyond us to drive the bike to its limits unless we intentionally held it in low gears or purposely abused its functions.
We know this is a bit of a tease because there’s so much left unsaid, but we’ll fill in those gaps for you next issue when we’ve had time to ride the bike more extensively. Right now, if you’re wondering whether or not the 850 might be the bike for you, we can only say it’s definitely a bike we’d be happy to have, and the rougher the terrain, the happier we’d be on the 850.
Strap
yourself in
There’s a couple of new trends in motorcycle luggage and we think we’re going to see more of them in the future.
As we’ve put the Checkout pages together of the past few issues we’ve been scratching our heads at the repeated references to ‘MOLLE’ and ‘CONFIGR8’. We thought we’d better find out what the names mean. Then we thought we’d better share what we learned.
Below: The Hardcore soft rack from Green Chile is almost a collection of MOLLE loops joined together. Designed for bikes without a rack, it offers incredible options for securing gear in a huge variety of ways.
MOLLE
The name ‘MOLLE’ comes from the initials for ‘modular lightweight loadcarrying equipment’.
Don’t bother sending us an e-mail. We don’t care about there being two letters from one word and none from another. Whether or not it’s grammatically correct, that’s how it is.
Anyhoo, the thing about the MOLLE system is it’s an accepted worldwide standard for load-bearing apparel and backpacks. It’s a military term, because MOLLE gear is embraced by a big swag of NATO forces, including the US and British armies.
Basically, webbing – using the term ‘webbing’ in its military context – loops are stitched on to vests, packs, panniers and all manner of things. The size of the strapping and loops is agreed and standardised, so gazillions of companies all over the world can produce clobber that fits straight on, no matter what brand they are. The military loves its acronyms, so PALs (Pouch Attachment Ladder Systems), and All Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment (ALICE), are integral to most military applications. The MOLLE system is extremely tough, lightweight and very, very versatile.
Recently we’ve seen quite a bit of motorcycle gear overseas incorporating the MOLLE system, and it means riders can use a huge range of equipment not specific for bikes, but ideally suited to adventurers of all kinds.
strap Yourself In
Get it right
Lately there’s been some rotomoulded MOLLE-compatible knife and tomahawk holders from people like Gerber, but it’s really the storage and luggage side of the deal which is of most interest to adventure riders. There’s all kinds of MOLLE-compatible packs, pockets and pouches available once you have something to add them to.
Below: MOLLE is primarily designed for load-bearing apparel and backpacks, so there’s a stack of pockets and holders available to go on jackets and vests. For bikes, a few straps allow an enormous set of possibilities.
The folks at Smart Motorcycle Accessories import Green Chile clobber, and it’s MOLLE-compatible, bike-specific gear. They were good enough to send us a few bits and pieces to fool around with, and you won’t need a lot of imagination to see how a good MOLLE rig can be a
Above: We love the way a couple of tyre levers are cunningly included in the Hardcore soft rack. They give the fabric shape, add an enormous amount of strength to the rig, and take up no space at all.
Below: A tent and sleeping bag on a bike with no rack. Simple.
Wherever the adventure takes you, now you can follow it all the way. On any terrain, in any condition, the Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro is designed to experience the journey with a new style, new performance and new technology. The 160 hp Ducati Testastretta DVT engine, 30 litre tank, 19” front wheel, spoked wheels and 200 mm wheel travel. Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro. We have given it everything, except boundaries.
strap Yourself In
huge asset to any adventure rider needing to hump gear. In this case we had a Snake Bag kit – which was a handful of different straps – and the Hardcore soft rack, designed for bikes with no rack installed. The Hardcore includes a couple of tyre levers which slip into the webbing to add strength and hold the shape of the webbing ‘rack’ and all its MOLLE loops. It’s a very clever design. With those two bits of kit we could carry just about anything.
The thing we like most about MOLLE is its versatility. Once a MOLLE-compatible base is in place, securely attaching gear in a stack of different positions is a snap. We’ve looped on a tent and sleeping bag just to show it in use, but we could’ve strapped on just about anything. The Green Chile strap kit had cam-lock buckles with elasticised ends, D-loop straps and a couple of longish straight webbing straps, all of which could be fitted to the MOLLE loops on the rack in a squillion different ways.
The possible variations of size and shape seem almost limitless.
CONFIGR8
The next luggage innovation isn’t as universal as the MOLLE gear, but we were fricken impressed when we tried it, and we think it’s worth letting you know about.
CONFIGR8 is the name given to Zac Speed’s adjustable and ‘re-configurable’ backpacks system. Using what the company calls a ‘ladder lock’, harness options can be changed and adjusted really fast and really easily.
On the gear Zac Speed sent us –the Dakar backpack, the Octane tech vest and the Matrix toolpack – the ladder lock straps have a stack of different size settings.
You’re probably thinking, “So what? All my gear is adjustable too. I pull on the straps and tighten things up.”
That’s true, and the Zac Speed gear is the same. But the CONFIGR8 system means some basic parameters can be set before fine adjustment. We hate backpacks that hang down around our
Above: Being able to choose a backpack, backpack/bumbag or backpack/bumbag/ vest combo for each ride or each day is the value of the CONFIGR8 rig.
bumcracks for example, and it seems with most gear we have to run the shoulder straps so tight to stop that happening that our eyes go slitty and everyone thinks we’re smiling at them. The Zac Speed pack allowed us to move the padded, load-bearing section of the shoulder straps to a position where the pack then sat naturally at the height we
liked, and we only cinched up the adjusters to stop it flopping around. Aside from sheer comfort, the system also allows several Zac Speed components to be integrated. They’re not just clipped together. CONFIGR8 allows the components to be built into a single unit. There’s no tools needed and nothing tricky to master. Just open the zippered flaps, pop off one set of straps and put them in the shed,
Left: The Octane vest ladder locks in place of the pack shoulder straps and has a heap of pockets and some MOLLE loops. It helps balance the weight of the backpack when the rider has to carry a big load. u
strap Yourself In
attach the alternative gear with the push-on buttons, close the flap and off you go.
Our Dakar backpack can be just a backpack, and it’s an excellent bit of kit. It has tons of pockets, good solid construction and it’s very comfortable. But thanks to the CONFIGR8 system, in about two minutes the shoulder straps of the backpack can be replaced with the Octane vest, and the vest and backpack become a single unit which can be shrugged on and off like a jacket. Storage space is huge and the outfit is as comfortable as a good vest or jacket should be.
The quick-release buckles on the Zac Speed gear are a common size throughout the range, so there’s the opportunity to customise the final set-up for individuals or even for the upcoming ride. Things can be clipped all over the place, and in the rig sent to us, the Matrix tool
Nut job
bag clips straight on the front and becomes part of the vest. With a little imagination it can be clipped on the back or in lots of different places, but the front was were we felt it worked best. There’s a few mix’n’match options available in the Zac Speed range, and it makes for plenty of carrying capacity and versatility.
Suit yourself
We’re not saying these systems will suit everyone, but we thought they were both new and offered very interesting possibilities. Have a look at the gear at your bike dealer and see if it fits your needs. It seems to us both systems have a great deal to offer.
Top left: The bumbag can be worn on its own or used as part of a bigger luggagecarrying rig. It only takes a minute or two to change.
Left: Zac Speed’s ladder-lock system is the heart of the CONFIGR8 set-up.
Our mate Matthew ‘Pottsy’ Potts – aka ‘Secret Squirrel’ – has an engineering kind of mind, and he carries a huge stack of spares, tools and luggage in a very compact set up on every ride. We handed him the Zac Speed gear and asked him to give it a run. After some savage flogging, here’s what he told us…
“For a guy who normally runs a $30 backpack from a camping store, the CONFIGR8 system has been a revelation. I thought a backpack was just a backpack. How much different can they be?
“The biggest thing about the Zac Speed gear is the versatility. It’s amazing. How they make one system that covers everything from enduro and trailriding one day to an adventure tour across Australia the next is unique. The way you can add or subtract parts of the system to suit every type of ride is the key. It’s obvious the system was designed and built by someone who rides.
“I started by transferring everything from my old bumbag and backpack to the Zac Speed rig. My normal outfit had all the gear wedged in and was bulging at the seams. The Dakar backpack had swallowed it all and still only seemed a quarter-full. Everything was easy to access, and everything had a place.
“Even better, when wearing the Zac Speed gear, the weight disappeared as the load was close to the body and supported by nice, wide, soft straps. The editor had been using it before I got to try it, and he’s a lot shorter than me. I’m a bit more…umm… let’s call it ‘well-fed’ too, and it was easily adjustable to fit me in only a few minutes.
“Build quality is also on a whole new level compared to my budget backpack. All the materials seem twice as thick, zippers more sturdy and waterproof, stitching far neater and the pack holds the best hydration bladder I’ve ever seen.
“All up it’s a great-value backpack, bumbag and everything-in-one system that I can see lasting for many years of hard abuse. Squirrel is sold on it. It gets a five-nut star rating from me.”
The
Dempster Canada’s road to the Arctic
Don Bromfield took a look at one of Canada’s newest all-weather roads.
November of 2017 saw the opening of the final 140km of The Dempster Highway from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk – ‘Tuk’ – on the Arctic Ocean in Canada’s North West Territories.
Previously this stretch had been an ice road open only in winter, but four years of construction and $320 million completed a full 850km of gravel from near Dawson City, The Yukon’s famous Klondike goldrush town, to the First Nations settlement of Tuktoyaktuk, way above the Arctic Circle. Running parallel to Alaska’s famed Dalton Highway, the Dempster has the advantage of far less traffic and the real bonus of being able to ride a bike into the Arctic Ocean, unlike the Dalton which needs a frustrating bus ride for the final few kilometres.
Sad story
The weather gods smiled on us as we fuelled our bikes.
Joe, my riding mate from Tacoma, had his 800 Tiger and I the KLR at Mile Zero, near Dawson City, before heading north on a great compacted-gravel surface. Our first stop was to be the Tombstone
Words and images: Don Bromfield
Territorial Park Interpretive Centre 70km away.
Cruising the wide, smooth, gravel road at 80kph was good practice for the 1700km we had to cover before our return to Dawson. As we’d both only just purchased our bikes and ridden up on bitumen roads, the forgiving nature of the surface gave us an easy introduction to the bikes’ gravel manners.
Above: The all-important ‘I Made It To Tuk’ stickers.
The jagged skyline of the Tombstone Range at the head of the North Klondike River greeted us at the lookout a little further up the road. This area was popular with hikers and saw quite a deal of traffic. That traffic lessened the further north we travelled.
The next section of road saw us climbing into the area of the Blackstone Uplands, known for Dall sheep and the
Buying a Bike in Canada
Buying a bike in Canada’s British Columbia (BC) is a simple process. Direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne make the Vancouver area the logical starting point. Craig’s List is then your go-to website. KLRs, GSs and KTMs are plentiful, with the odd V-Strom here and there. DRs are much harder to find.
I found my 2016, low-kilometre KLR advertised on Craig’s List at Spunkys Dealership on Vancouver Island. A deal was done and funds transferred. They then stored my bike for three months until I could get there.
tragic story of the patrol, which, in the winter of 1910-1911, lost its way travelling south from Fort McPherson. All members of the group perished.
Eyes Peeled
After 170km we arrived at Red Creek, named for the mineral-laden waters stained a rusty shade of orange. We crossed Engineer Creek Bridge
On arrival the usual transfer of title paperwork was completed. A BC address is required, but the dealer or your motel address will do. A representative from BCIC, the government’s insurance arm, was called and arrived promptly. Half-an-hour later I had the minimum three-month registration and comprehensive insurance cover for both Canada and the US. This cost $780. It could’ve been reduced significantly if I hadn’t planned to ride in the US and if I’d taken a copy of my Australian insurance no-claim bonus.
On completing the trip I purchased, again through BCIC, 12 months storage insurance costing $106. My bike is now laid up at a friend’s place waiting for my return.
the deMpster
and entered the area of the Ogilvie River, where the canoeing opportunities all the way to Fort McPherson were only too obvious. The long climb of Seven Mile Hill out of the valley to the Ogilvie-Peel lookout provided a sobering panorama of the enormity of The Yukon wilderness. Apart from the road, there’s no evidence of any intrusion by man for as far as the eye can see, and the backdrop of the Ogilvie and Peel Rivers running through the valleys framed by the Ogilvie and Richardson Mountains was a truly stunning expanse to ponder.
Be prepared
Our stop for the first night was at Eagle Plains, a speck in The Yukon wilds, with the odos showing 370km.
Eagle Plains was an interesting stop. It has a motel with a bar and café, a gas station and repair workshop, and I’m told an emergency medical facility. It’s not
cheap, with rooms that can sleep four costing $170. However, when you see the permafrost tent-site option it’s easy to find the cash. It’s best to book early as rooms fill fast if the weather closes in. While none of that was especially different or interesting, we wondered why anyone would build a motel and service station on the top of an exposed ridge in The Yukon wilds. The weather howling through there in winter must be horrific. It’s bad enough in summer, with rain, sleet, snow and temperatures well below freezing a common occurrence. At least you can be prepared. You can see the weather approaching for kilometres.
Berm shot
The next morning saw us helping right a GS and trailer which had gone wheels
up in the first mud patch of the trip, and then, after a further 35km, we arrived at the Arctic Circle.
This was a popular turnaround point on the Dempster, but the improved road to Tuk now saw far more travellers continue heading north. It was also where we saw the courtesy of the truckers on the northern roads as one waited patiently for us to finish our photos before following us north, thus not forcing us to pass on the gravel.
Cloud and misty rain slowly encircled us as we climbed towards the North West Territories border. The muddy descent from this pass was tricky, with three Canadians on BMWs leading the way. The nature of the ride in and out meant a tendency to meet up with the same riders along the way. Thus, after descending on to the Mackenzie lowlands and riding to the Peel River ferry crossing, the five of us were together again. We bypassed the small First Nations settlement of Fort McPherson and rode on to the Mackenzie River crossing where the ferry traced a leisurely triangular circuit servicing the Dempster and the Gwich’in village of Tsiigehtchic.
From there a two-hour ride across loose, new gravel saw us arrive at the next overnight stay in Inuvik. This road across the lowlands was built on a flexible berm of gravel, in places many metres high, thus avoiding the frost heaves that plague conventional roads in the Arctic.
Inuvik, with its population of 3500,
Camping in the Canadian wilds
Canada has an extensive Provincial Parks system. Typically a campsite will have an RV pull-through or back-in area, a wooden picnic bench, a fire pit and toilet facilities. Fresh water may also be available. A BC site costs $21, Yukon $12, while Ontario is the dearest as it requires a one-day vehicle pass as well and may cost up to $45. Popular areas may need bookings, but usually first in gets the spot. Your money and details go on an envelope and into the collection box and the receipt on the post at your site. A KLR and a one-man tent on an RV pull-through site looks quite amusing.
When looking for a wild campsite it’s best to pull up at a nice lake or stream, take off your helmet and check for black flies, mosquitoes or midges. Next, walk around the area and look for bear signs such as prints, scat or fur on bushes or trees they’ve rubbed against. Then ignore all this and pitch your tent because at least one of these buggers is going to eat you anyway.
Seriously take the time to read up on bear safety. You’re sure to see bears, and the grizzlies of the north are massive. Canadian Tyre, your go-to place for bike consumables and camping gear, has bear spray for $50 on proof of identity. They also do a great line of bombproof dry sacks.
Above: Author Don and offsider Joe celebrate arrival in Tuktoyaktuk, a small village on a peninsula jutting into the Arctic Ocean. Right: Queued for the ferry.
the deMpster
is the centre for the Western Arctic. It has a couple of motels, a campground, a couple of bars and a great yellow schoolbus café tucked away on a back street.
Blind luck
Day three saw us ride the new road to Tuk and return.
This section of road had caused all sorts of problems for riders already, with horror stories of broken bones and bikes, and even bikes being abandoned leaving riders to fly out. Such horrors are very much weather-dependent as the road is still a work in progress with only a lightload rating.
On the way in a 20km stretch was newly gravelled. While harder to ride, we got through with few issues. What we didn’t know was that the gravel had been turned during the day and not rolled. We hit the soft, rutted
mess at 70kph and I did what all riders do: crossed my fingers, closed my eyes and hung on as the KLR was launched all over the road.
That I managed to stay on was due to luck, certainly not talent.
Food. Fast
The ride to Tuk passed lakes still with their coating of ice and pingos – mounds of earthcovered ice – pushing skywards from the tundra. At one photo stop a car of Tuk First Nations researchers stopped to ask if we were okay. A pleasant conversation followed where the consequences of climate change on traditional lifestyles was discussed. One elder opined that although the season of sea ice was shortening and new animal and fish species appearing, the most worrying aspect was the time it was now taking for
Diversions
I lived in Canada for 12 months back in the mid-1980s and revisited in 2015 so didn’t have the need to do the iconic routes such as the Icefields Parkway or the Alaska Highway. Most first-time visitors would want to see those. Indeed, much of the latter is a mere shadow of the adventure route it once was, now more akin to riding the Hume Highway on a ’Wing with a trailer.
Always keep in mind Canada is a big place with massive distances to cover.
As an alternative route to Whitehorse try the Stewart Cassiar Highway which runs 870km north from Kitimat to its junction with the Alaska Highway near Upper Liard. It was on this remote road, which parallels the coastal mountains, I came upon three black-bear cubs playing on the road. No, I don’t have a photo, as I wasn’t stopping to find out where the mother bear was. If riding this route, be sure to drop into Hyder Alaska and then ride the 30km of gravel to the Salmon Glacier overlook. The spectacle of a huge glacier pouring from the mountains and performing an elegant right-angled turn is never to be forgotten.
The Yukon’s Dawson City is worth a few days to visit. It’s full of character and eccentricity best displayed by the line of people keen to do the sour-toe cocktail. Of course, it’s also the starting point for the Top Of The World Highway and all points to Alaska.
Heading south from Dawson, I’d recommend a run down the Robert Campbell Highway. This remote road has a 360km stretch of gravel running through the wilderness. Joe and I saw one other vehicle when we rode the 290km section below Ross River. Ross River is also the starting point for both the North and South Canol roads. The North peters out in rugged wilderness near the NWT border, while the South traverses wild terrain to eventually meet the Alaska Highway. I drove the South Canol in an SUV in 2015 and can highly recommend it.
Top: The road is still a work in progress with only a light-load rating. Below: Apart from the road, there’s no evidence of any intrusion by man for as far as the eye can see It’s best to book early as rooms
fast if the weather closes in.
the deMpster
the sea ice to freeze to a sufficient depth to be safely traversed.
To say the Inuvialuit hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk is pretty would be a stretch, but let’s say it had a certain rustic, ramshackle, weatherbeaten charm as it sat on a peninsula jutting into the Arctic Ocean. I suspect local residents had been surprised by the number of visitors with the opening of the all-weather road. Prominent among them were the adventure-bike riders, who were there in their droves, relishing the challenge of the ride in and the opportunity to put that front wheel into the ocean. Luckily the sea ice, although easily visible, had moved offshore the previous week.
Tuk has little in the way of tourist facilities but has a general store for food, fuel and the all-important ‘I Made It To Tuk’ stickers. Entrepreneurial locals had already set up a barbarque fast-food tent on the gravel foreshore carpark which also doubled as a campsite. Burgers, hot dogs and cold drinks made up our lunch menu.
Big
Day four saw an uneventful ride back to Eagle Plains where we learned how truly fickle conditions can be, and why adventure travel in the Arctic is never to be taken lightly.
Overnight rain turned the road out of Eagle Plains into a nightmare. Calcium chloride is used as a dust-reduction and
Logistics
compaction measure on northern roads. Unfortunately it retains moisture for prolonged periods. Thus, when wet, this muddy gloop offers traction roughly similar to ice. With that in mind we made an early day-five start on the ride south. We were fortunate in being early as the road hadn’t been churned up by too many vehicles, but even so the bikes were all over the road with the front and rear ends rarely doing anything remotely similar.
After tiring of this I decided to run on
Fuel for the Dempster is available in Dawson, Eagle Plains, Fort McPherson, Inuvik and Tuk. Joe and I each carried extra fuel in case, after 300km, we were turned around by the weather and had to make our way out. Food is available
the verge where no one had been, only to do constant Jason Crump impersonations as the rear came around. Who ever heard of a KLR overpowering the conditions? At least the front end ran relatively straight.
Conditions continued like this until we dropped to the Ogilvie where the harderpacked gravel provided some relief. However, it was on this section Joe had a sphincter-tightening close encounter of the moose kind. A full-grown female charged out of the scrub on his left about 10m in front of his wheel and into the scrub on his right. His comment after he stopped and his heart settled was, “It was as big as my garage door.” He wasn’t exaggerating.
Recommended
An easing in the weather led to improved road conditions as we approached the Tombstone area.
While we’d struggled on the way south we passed other riders heading north. The next day, while cleaning and servicing the bikes in Dawson, stories began to emerge of riders stuck at Eagle Plains, unable to head either further north or south.
The Dempster is a great adventure ride. However, as it’s five days of remote gravel road, much of it above the Arctic Circle, it’s not a casual affair.
Would I recommend it?
Too right.
at Dawson, Eagle Plains, Inuvik and Tuk. Don’t rely on Fort McPherson as supply is very limited.
I highly recommend full-on dirt tyres. I purchased TKC80s from fortnine.ca and had them shipped to Yukon Yamaha at Whitehorse at a very reasonable cost. I then contacted Yukon Yamaha about holding the tyres and booked workshop time, as summer is their busy season, to have the tyres and heavy tubes fitted and an oil change. I can recommend both these businesses.
As a safety precaution Joe and I each carried a tent and sleeping bag, extra food and water along with the usual range of tools and first aid gear. I didn’t carry a SPOT tracker as I felt the roads would be fairly well travelled. In hindsight, and after travelling on remote forest service roads later in my trip, I’d revise this and will carry one on my next Canadian-US foray.
Finally Joe and I highly recommend The Bunkhouse in Dawson City as the biker place to stay. It’s reasonably priced, kept meticulously clean and has a free pressure washer which you’ll definitely use. Each of our bikes needed an hour of washing to clear the concrete masquerading as mud after our return from Eagle Plains.
Above: The Arctic Circle was a popular turnaround point on the Dempster Highway.
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Tom Tom Rider
GPS is possibly the best thing to happen to adventure riders since Captain Kirk discovered Australia. But using the damn things can be as frustrating as buggery. TomTom lobbed its newest model into the Adventure Rider Magazine office and there’s a few things about it we really like…especially how easy it is to use.
First up, to outline the story so far, TomTom contacted us out of the blue a while back and asked if we’d like to try the Rider 450 GPS. It was new at the time, and we said we’d give it a run. Spending hours and hours trying to learn new menus and operating systems when we could be out riding isn’t our favourite thing, but we have a responsibility, right? We figured we couldn’t work out a new GPS while we were trying to read terrain, so we grabbed the unit, fitted it to a road bike and off we went.
We did the easy stuff first. We selected ‘search’ on the
Left main: It’s easy to read, day or night, and if you’re a Bluetoother you can have the turn-by-turn route directions, music, phone and all kinds of audio running inside your helmet.
Left inset: The Rider 450 has been a stack of fun. A new 550 with wireless capability showed up in the mailbox and we can’t wait to try it.
touchscreen, punched in an address, hit ‘ride’ and we were in business. No problem. A nice big blue line kept us on the straight and narrow, and although we didn’t have a Bluetooth rig in the helmet, we could hear it calling out the turns and directions. The speed limit was displayed down the bottom of the screen and changed colour if we got close or ran above it, fuel stops and points of interest (POIs) were displayed down the side, speed-camera alerts popped up and we were happy. As a big bonus, the touchscreen was really nice to use, even with gloves on. It didn’t once drop a waypoint when we were looking for the menu or adjusting the zoom (Grr! We hate that, Mr Garmin! Hate!). It turned out the screen’s sensitivity to gloves can be adjusted. At one extreme you wave your finger over the icon and it’s done. At the other you can poke it like crazy and not much happens. After a few tries at various settings we got it just how we liked it. We came back very impressed and with no GPS-induced anger or frustration.
Then came the part we dreaded: the instruction manual.
Straightforward
It was a fairly skinny manual, and we found something amazing straight away.
There are a couple of icons on the menu screen that show mountains and squiggly lines. The rider can select how ‘thrilling’ and twisty a route he – or she
Right top: TomTom’s MyConnect software was really easy to use. Right middle: It seemed we were planning tracks in no time. Here’s a sneak peak of the loop for the 2019 Congregation.
Right: The menu on the 450 was really easy to navigate. We especially liked the ‘Plan a Thrill’ section for routes.
– wants the GPS to use. Punch the mountain icon three times and the TomTom will make the route as hilly as it can. Punch the squiggly lines three times and it’ll make the route as winding as it can.
Awesome!
We chose a town about 40km up the road, selected mountainy and twisty, then spent a couple of hours loving life as we wound our way through backroads and around hillsides to get somewhere we could drive to in about 30 minutes, almost in a straight line.
It was brilliant.
There’s a great deal the Rider 450 can do, and you can look it up on the web and see for yourself. There are some especially good tutorial videos on the Youtube channel. We were rapt because, with very little time or effort on our part, we were on the bike and enjoying ourselves, leaving the navigation to the TomTom, almost without even trying.
Another win
The other aspect of GPS ownership that drives us crazy is the software.
Normally we need to do some yoga and take sedatives before we plug a GPS into the computer to try and achieve anything. If we’re trying to work out a track and load it back to the unit drugs and meditation aren’t enough. We’ve been dealing with BaseCamp for about seven years and we’re still at a loss with it. We know some people who are really good with that software, and we tip our hats to them, but we find it as frustrating as hell.
We clenched our teeth and logged on to TomTom’s My Drive Connect, only to find it seemed…well…easy. We fiddled about a bit, made a few errors, scratched our heads and were very quickly plotting simple tracks.
It’s true!
Left: Tracks come up as a thick blue line that’s easy to follow. This is the 2019 Congregation loop track before we zoomed in to ride.
Bottom right: Not being able to load aftermarket maps is a bummer, but the supplied maps seemed good.
If the dirt road had a name, it showed up on the Rider 450. So far, anyway.
And then we plugged in the Rider 450 and…nothing. The bloody track was supposed to load automatically when we connected. It said it would, but it didn’t.
Once we worked out the unit needs to be logged on independently, even though the computer’s logged on, everything suddenly went smoothly again. The track loaded, came up on the GPS and was good to go.
Just to be sassy we hit the ‘share’ button and the track appeared as a GPX file on the desktop and we transferred that to our regular GPS, just for fun.
We don’t think we’ve ever successfully planned and transferred a track from BaseCamp. We tried often enough, but we don’t recall ever getting it right. The TomTom went first time, and we were so comfortable with it we went and plotted a track for next year’s Congregation loop as well. Just like that! A bit of dirt, and bit of asphalt, Green Valley Farm, Copeton Dam, Bundarra…boom. Done.
We’ve only just scratched the surface with the Rider 450, of course. The My Drive Connect set-up is amazing and has heaps to offer, including users being able to share routes. The GPS unit comes loaded with 100 routes around iconic locations throughout the world, and a lot of the clobber we had to pay extra for with our Garmins seems to be included with the TomTom – like a powered mount and lifetime updates for different things.
There were couple of areas we felt the Rider 450 maybe gave a little away to our regular GPSs – we have a box full we’ve
TomTom Rider 450 main points
There’s way, way more to the Rider 450 than we have room to tell you.
If you’re keen to know more, log on to tomtom.com. Here’s a quick list of some of the good points
v Lifetime world maps
v Lifetime TomTom Traffic
v Lifetime speed-camera alerts
v Offline routes and stops
v Ride challenge level
v Bluetooth hands-free calling and route sharing
v Smart screen sensitivity for gloves
v Black spot and jam tail warnings
v Universal, powered RAM mount supplied.
accumulated over the years – but not many, and we need to work with the unit some more before we make any sweeping judgements.
Next
Just as we were congratulating ourselves on our TomTom success and getting ready to take on the world, TomTom Australia dropped in and said, “Hey. We’ve now got a Rider 550. Want to give that a try?”
You bet we do. The sooner the better.
Granite Sleet Snow
between the
lines Read KLR Riders Rally 2018
A keen Kawasaki cavalcade headed to Stonehenge, Queensland, for the 2018 KLR Riders Rally. Adventure Rider Magazine correspondent Mac Eggins and a truckload of hardware made the journey…just.
KLR owners are a loyal and sturdy breed, and there’s a Facebook group of particularly hardy adventure riders who celebrate Kawasaki’s singlecylinder adventure workhorse. A high point of the year for these owners is the annual KLR Riders Rally – the KLRRR – which heads to a different destination each year. In 2017 Adventure Rider Magazine tagged along to Tottenham,
the geographic centre of NSW, and enjoyed a great weekend.
For 2018 the KLRRR headed to Stonehenge in Queensland, and while Adventure Rider Magazine’s editor cruised from the east coast across to Roma, the distance between coffee stops from there had him sulking so he headed home. That left only the intrepid, serious riders to complete the mission.
How serious? How intrepid?
We’ll let you judge for yourself. Here’s a couple of stories in the riders’ own words. If you’re an experienced adventurer you’ll be able to read between the lines and catch a glimpse of some of the drama and achievement behind the brief tales.
Top: The KLR Riders Rally hit Stonehenge in Queensland for the 2018 event.
Left: Adventure Rider Magazine’s editor made excuses about ‘work commitments’ and bailed at Roma.
Images: Mac Eggins and Richard Bell u
read BetWeen the lInes
Richard Bell
As it happened, 17 bikes and 18 riders went the distance and enjoyed a social evening at the Stonehenge pub. Why the extra rider? Richard Bell, a mainstay of the KLR Facebook group, and a very committed KLR campaigner through some of Australia’s toughest territory, had a couple of problems on the way out.
The pics of the first problem and repair were interesting.
Once he was on his way again the hardworking Kawa had another problem. Richard posted to the group:
‘Yesterday on our leg to Blackall the KLR
dropped a valve or holed a piston. RACQ picked me up and took me to Blackall and put me up for the night. I’m now on a bus to Longreach to get a car and head to the rally.’
We told you he was committed to the group.
When we asked the still-smiling Richard about the bike and he told us, “The bike has been abused for over 80,000km now, and the failure was most likely from work carried out by me. The repair I did at the time was done knowing a future failure was imminent. We covered about a 1000km before it happened, still riding hard trails. I’ve sourced a low-kilometre replacement engine for $1000. How awesome are these bikes!”
Top center: Richard Bell, mainstay of the KLR Facebook group and a bloke who works his KLR hard. Far left: Crikey.
Left: A bit of Knead It and it’s good for another 1000km.
Mac attack
Meanwhile, Mac Eggins, without the editor, made his way through Mitchell, Morven, Augathella, Tambo, Blackall, Barcaldine, and Longreach. He was starting to relax when the chain snapped about 40km short of Stonehenge. Fortunately, Mac’s 18kg of tools and spares – weighed before he left –included a couple of spare joining links. With some patience he effected the repair and rolled into The ’Henge just as the sun was setting.
Here’s Mac’s story of the return ride in his own brief words: v Sunday rode with John Murrell and Graeme, from Brisbane, on his Suzuki cruiser (a former KLR owner who wants to buy in again). Left at 7.00am and headed to Windorah
v Fuelled at Windorah where KLR Kel had broken the clutch on his Gen 1 KLR and wasn’t going anywhere. His brother rode with us to Quilpie where he headed south. Could only get unleaded at Quilpie, so my bike rattled and detonated all way to Charlieville. It doesn’t like 91RON
v Made Roma just after dark
v Monday departed Roma at 6.30am, headed home via main roads
v Over halfway to Warwick another chain link went west (ha ha) resulting in a 100m walk back to pick up the chain. The chainguard was jammed in the back wheel so it was removed and exited stage left. Refitted another (my last) joining link without the O-rings as I couldn’t compress the link enough with only pliers. Another hour had gone by the time I unloaded everything, fixed the chain, tested the link and repacked the tools and bike
v Headed to Deepwater where I found mate Brett was in his bike shop – motoretro.com.au – and I scabbed two extra joining links from him before heading home (near Grafton) to arrive at 5.20pm.
Above left: Mac Eggins. An eternally cheerful KLR owner.
Above right: Bugger. A broken chain…the first one for the trip.
Below left: Mac’s 18kg tool kit.
Long way
Silvano Sclippa, a new member of the KLR group, travelled the longest distance to attend. Silvano’s post to the group read: v ‘I travelled 6500km through the following towns enroute to Stonehenge: Dimbulah, Georgetown, Croydon, Normanton, Burketown, Hells Gate, Booroola, Roperbar, Mataranka, Katherine, Nhulunbuy, back to Katherine, then Three Ways, Barkley Homestead, Camoweel, Mt Isa, Cloncurry, Winton, Longreach, Stonehenge. It was great to catch up with fellow riders and exchange stories and ideas over beers. Looking forward to the 2019 KLRRR.’
Above: Silvano Sclippa covered some serious distance. Inset: A well-deserved memento of a big ride.
Locked Gates? Maybe for a good reason.
The folks at DSMRA had a few thoughts about Alex Kelly’s Locked Gates article in issue #29.
By the DSMRA National Committee
Alex Kelly’s article in issue #29 of Adventure Rider Magazine raised a hot topic we’re sure we can all relate to: locked gates. As our sports’ adopted title suggests, our interests extend beyond just riding for the pure enjoyment of it. We want to ‘go somewhere’, which is what being adventurous is all about, and ideally join up a few ‘somewheres’ into a larger loop. Dead ends and retracing our steps don’t fit that bill.
Who’s locking the gates and why?
There are only two basic land tenures, ‘public’ and ‘private’. Public land includes National Parks, State forests, crown
land and myriad other names for land controlled by the government. Private land is owned by individuals, companies or other non-government organisations. It gets a bit foggier when government land is leased by a private entity like a railway, and almost pea-soupish when a private-land owner leases a road easement. Each State also has its own differences in legislation.
Private gates
Private landowners lock gates on their property boundaries to keep people out, pure and simple. Although, whether the gate is on their property boundary can be an area of debate. If it’s a private road (even if it’s a continuation of a public road) they are quite within their rights. It’s no different to you and I locking a gate where our driveway meets the street.
Some of the apparently grey areas are where a designated road easement marked on a shire map may never have eventuated into a road, or the road may now only service one property and be of limited public use. If the adjacent property owner has applied for a lease over the easement then they become the tenant and the land
Image: DSMRA
Left: This National Parks gate in central Queensland is generally left unlocked. It’s probably there to allow traffic control during hazard reduction.
Below left: Alex Kelly shared his frustration at locked gates and restricted access in issue #29.
Right: Why do we see these gates being locked?
effectively becomes private. Again, it’s no different to renting public housing. The government may own it but the tenant can lock the doors.
The illegal example is where a gate may get erected on a public road and locked by the adjacent property owner simply to keep the public out. As the urban sprawl encroaches on the bush and more and more lifestylers want their piece of wilderness, the tension escalates.
To add to the confusion, just because a road is marked on a map does not mean it is a public thoroughfare. A good example is regional fire-service maps. They’re a very good adventure-riding resource, but the roads shown are all the roads a fire truck can traverse, a lot of which could be private.
Trespassing on private property is illegal, but what really annoys landowners is the actions of a very small minority, such as leaving gates open, track damage, riding off-track up hills, hunting without permission, dumping rubbish, excessive noise and scaring stock. One of our members has had a long-term relationship with a neighbour whose property links his place directly into a network of National Parks tracks.
Recently the gates closed because some idiot dumped asbestos on the property.
Another example is Martindale Trail below Denman in NSW. It was closed after a complaint by the adjacent
landowner who alleged some trailbike riders chased steers and scared 12 over a cliff to their death.
Public gates
Government departments close areas for the same reasons. Of all public-land tenures, National Parks is the most prominent gate locker. National Parks has very limited manpower for the area it has to manage, and this is not helped by successive governments pandering to the urban armchair green voters at election time, and extending the park areas further without equivalent additional management resources. The result is management by exclusion: if the resources aren’t available to maintain a track, simply close it or restrict access.
So in Alex’s case, the Halls Peak camping area in Oxley Rivers National Park is accessed by a locked gate, for which you can get a key from NPWS in Armidale. The very friendly and helpful staff at NPWS Armidale And Walcha explained the situation in a phone call. The reason this particular area is locked is because it’s a very rough, steep track and also very remote. To prevent illprepared visitors getting stuck and requiring rescue, the permit-and-key system is to ensure vehicles going in there are suitable (high-clearance 4WDs, no trailers) and the land managers know who is in there. Being a declared wilderness area, it also has a restriction on how many vehicles can be in there (restricted to six at any one time). This system has been in place for over u
loCked Gates
a decade, so it’s nothing recent and is obviously working and sustainable. At least it’s still accessible and not permanently locked.
What can you do?
So, yes, there are a lot of gates locked by angry individuals (sometimes illegally) and by under-resourced government departments. But a lot of tracks are closed for good reason. Before getting angry and ranting to the converted, take the polite approach and ask why. A few phone calls to government departments can explain the reasons why some areas are locked up, and a lot of landowners will lower the shotgun muzzle and calm down if you take off your helmet and explain who you
are and why you would like to continue through their gate.
Reporting people doing the wrong thing and confronting unregistered and noisy riders will all add to the cause. Join a club that promotes responsible riding. Nothing will improve while we are fragmented individuals.
Do something positive for your local community. DSMRA Sydney carried out two rubbish clean ups in Meryla State Forest, collecting over seven tonnes of illegally dumped rubbish, which resulted in a heap of kudos from the local area and forest rangers.
The turning tide
For a positive example of areas completely
The Dual Sport Motorcycle Rider’s Association
The DSMRA was founded in 1995 to represent riders and maintain access to riding areas. It has over 1000 members and is run by volunteers. Over the past 23 years the political involvement has varied, but the current committee recognises that a greater presence is necessary in this area. Funding for more concentrated efforts on land-access issues is a focus this year, along with a major update of the clubs’ policies and procedures. For more information visit www.dsmra.asn.au
off limits being opened up to responsible user groups, the Sydney branch of the DSMRA has negotiated access to Martindale Trail and Womerah Range Trail for an annual ride over the past few years. Approvals had to be gained from local landowners to pass through their properties on the park’s boundaries, and then those approvals taken to National Parks to meet their requirements. The responsible reputation of the DSMRA and the insurances the organisation carries enable all landowners involved to have the confidence to allow access.
The DSMRA’s been around a long time. Are their ideas good ones? Will you be joining a responsible club? Have you found farmers and landowners reasonable and approachable? Send your thoughts to tom@maynemedia.com.au
Above: DSMRA president Tim Clarke at the entry to Martindale Trail in NSW. The DSMRA has gained exclusive access for an annual trail ride through negotiation park with managers and land owners.
Image:
DSMRA
Ural Adventure Ride 2018
“If you asked some, the creek was ‘easily over a metre deep’.”
Australia’s biggest, most starry-eyed Ural enthusiast, Rocky Creek Designs’ Greg Jansen, loaded up his winch and hit the trails with the sidecar adventure crew.
What a ride it was.
This year the ‘Master Of Routes’, Comrade Jon Taylor, laid out a perfect trip that included a little bitumen and then a bucket load of off-roading. Everyone was smiling from the time they left till the time it ended.
Warned
During the rider briefing at Walcha, Comrade Jon told everyone they’d spend most of the day above 1000 metres on forestry roads which included a couple of deepish creek crossings and a few steepish hills.
u
Words and images: Greg Jansen
ural adventure rIde 2018
The emphasis was on the ‘ish’. Then, in a hushed tone, the Comrade mentioned to the attentive throng, “Much of the track is clay, and as you can see, it’s raining and it’s going to get wetter!”
‘Damn.’ I thought. ‘Why is everyone looking so happy? Haven’t they ridden a bike on wet clay before?’
Hill start
Mount up was called. Everyone put on wet-weather gear and, as we pulled away, it stopped raining!
Forty-one kilometres down the Oxley Highway we turned left onto the good stuff and removed our wet-weather gear. Of course it started raining…
Funny. That’s never happened before.
The road surface was great, with no dust, long sweeping corners and beautiful countryside. On into the forests we went and came face to face with our first ‘steepish’ hill and, yes, it was raining. And the hill was clay.
Momentum was the name of the game, and after a couple of false starts everyone congregated at the top and stories abounded of how, “I just rode up this slick hill and it was incredibly steep.”
Several ‘steepish’ hills were to follow, and by the last one there were no false starts.
Of course, by that stage, the hills were said to be ‘near-on vertical’.
Fa’ crying out loud
Our next challenge was a ‘deepish’ creek crossing.
It had a rocky entry, rocky bottom, and slippery exit. If you asked some, the creek was ‘easily over a metre deep’. Yes indeed. The crowd on the far bank swelled as each crossed over, as did the number of cameras. Who was going to be the first to fail? Alas, all got through without an issue, and in fact, one show-off even pulled a wheelie on the exit. A sidecar wheelie involves lofting the front wheel, bulging the eyes and forming a, “Ph...!” with your lips and screaming something, followed by telling everyone, “I did that on purpose, you know!”
Any Port
After all that excitement, Comrade Jon guided everyone to the lunch stop, a quaint shelter with open fire and tables and chairs. Out of the sidecars came refrigerated Eskys full of food and cold drinks. Delicious home-baked cookies were handed around, wet-weather gear was removed…and it started raining again.
After an hour, wet-weather gear was dragged back on, everyone departed, and it stopped raining.
The ride back to the Oxley was just as good as the morning’s ride – up and down hills through beautiful rainforests and over creeks. All this riding was on lovely, wet, slippery roads…the kind of roads that strike fear into the hearts of many adventure riders who wish they were anywhere but there. The last five kilometres flashed past in a feast of fast, sweeping, cambered roads and joined the Oxley again for a sedate ride into Port Macquarie and the overnight stop.
Off the track
The following morning everyone rode on to the Hibbard Ferry for the crossing to ‘The Other Side’. The Comrade’s briefing was…well…brief. Riders were promised a little bit of bitumen followed by a big bit of gravel and a largish, steepish uphill
Top: Bellbrook made a nice stop for morning tea. Below left: The road surface was great, with no dust, long sweeping corners and beautiful countryside. Below: Compared to two wheels Urals aren’t fast. They’re military vehicles designed in 1939 to drag men and equipment around the battlefield.
ural adventure rIde 2018
it’d been pouring all night. It can’t be said a cheer went up, but there were some very happy smiling faces.
We went straight onto dirt and, after a
fast run – Ural ‘fast’ that is – arrived in Kempsey for fuel.
One thing about riding a Ural is when you hit an 80 zone, you can look down at your speedo and find you’re doing 75kph. You need to speed up to the 80kph limit! Compared to two wheels Urals aren’t fast. They’re military vehicles designed in 1939 to drag men and equipment around the battlefield. Most Ural riders will sit between 80kph and 100kph whether on the black top or gravel. Once you understand how to handle them they’re huge fun on the gravel and are exceptionally capable off-road adventure bikes. Have a partner, son, daughter, or maybe the family pet who you want to share your adventure ride with? It’s just so easy in a sidecar. Yes, you need to have your wits about you all the time, but I find riding a ‘hack’ relaxing and more exciting than a two-wheeler. For some strange reason I feel a lot safer on a hack and no longer worry about riding into deep sand or slippery clay on a 230kg, fully loaded adventure bike. Maybe I’m getting old and slowing down a little. I still enjoy riding my two-wheelers, but given a choice of two or three wheels I’ll take three any day of the week.
But I digress, back to the adventure.
Their fault
Bellbrook made a nice stop for morning tea and the refrigerated Eskys spewed forth tea with cake, home-baked biscuits and other delights. They’re very
Top left: For the second year in a row there were no breakdowns or problems with any of the bikes.
Above: Bellies full and ears ringing from heroic tales of the previous day’s ride.
Below left: Riders were promised a largish, steepish uphill climb, and that the road was clay.
Top right: Talking excitedly about the trip up the hill. Bottom right: Urals are huge fun on the gravel and are exceptionally capable off-road adventure bikes.
civilised, these Ural people, and don’t they know how to survive in style in the wild?
After tea the ride saw us travelling on some excellent roads, racing through beautiful countryside following the Macleay River. It was there we had our first unscheduled stop. A puncture in a German-made tyre…those damn Germans!
At the lunch stop the spare was taken off the boot lid of the offending bike and the wheel replaced, all in 10 minutes.
For the second year in a row there were no breakdowns or problems with any of the bikes except the puncture, and that mishap was blamed on the Germans.
So inclined
Puncture fixed, bellies full and ears ringing from heroic tales of the previous day’s ride we departed for the ‘largish, steepish uphill climb’.
As we departed a gentleman in a Kombi made sure he got out in front of us. Don’t you just love that? We let him go. Someone made mention of where his car was manufactured and everyone glared suspiciously at the punctured tyre. When we did take off we ended up on what has to be one of the most exciting rides I’ve been on. We slipped, slid, laughed and smiled our way up the hill. It was epic! We regrouped at the top in the pouring rain with everyone smiling, laughing and talking excitedly about their
trip up the hill. It was an amazing ride and one that I would never have attempted on two wheels…okay, maybe the first 100 metres. I can’t wait to go back and do it all again, no matter what the conditions.
Try it
For the record, Mr Kombi struggled along, finally succumbed to the conditions and had to turn around and return to the bottom…don’t push in front of bikes. Karma will get you!
From there we rode on to Armidale and then to Ural HQ in Uralla, and sadly the end of this year’s Ural Adventure Ride. That evening we enjoyed an excellent meal at the Uralla top pub and people told huge lies about how they nearly came to grief on the ride and how if it weren’t for their skill in riding a sidecar they would probably not be here to tell the story.
It’s all true you know.
I, and I’m pretty sure all the others on the trip, are already looking forward to next year’s ride. Twenty-one outfits left on the adventure and 21 returned without incident. Given the conditions the bikes performed exceptionally and for the second year in a row there were no breakdowns.
If you think this is something you might enjoy give Clare and Mat a ring at Ural Australia on (02) 6778 4673. They have Ural test rides, and I promise you’ll have a blast.
SriLanka
Trevor Gerdsen
Left: Tight and twisty roads abound in Sri Lanka’s high country. Passing is for the brave and the laybys are the only option when confronted by an oncoming bus or truck.
What had I got myself into?
It was mid-morning in Colombo and I’d just swung my leg over a dirt bike for the first time in my life. I was set for 14 days riding around Sri Lanka. I blamed my riding partner, Albert. Last time we rode overseas it was New Zealand, and I’d chosen that destination and the traffic there had been nowhere near as frenetic. At least Kiwis used their indicators (well…mostly) and tended to stick to their lanes (again, mostly).
In Colombo, anything goes.
Still, this was no ordinary dirt bike I was on. Unlike me, the bike had enormous experience, so much so that not much worked anymore.
There was no tacho, speedo, fuel gauge, warning or blinker lights, and the whole headlight and instrumentassembly points were pointing in a different direction to the rest of the bike. But who needs indicators when the horn works? And I forgot to mention the brakes. They worked, sort of. But more of that later.
There were just two of us and our guide, Dayan, from Ceylon Tusker Tours, atop Baja Honda 250R twins.
A coastal idyll
After 15 minutes on the bike in the Colombo traffic, noise and dust I’d turned liquid in my riding gear through adrenalin, fear, heat and humidity. As the days progressed, the first two subsided a little, but not the latter.
Thirty minutes riding north of Colombo we emerged onto an idyllic, coastal scene – golden sand and the azure-blue of the Indian Ocean to our left, with villagers hauling a drag net out of the breakers onto the sand, and palm trees, thatched huts and rice paddies to our right.
Off-road along the channels and dykes between rice paddies and ‘tanks’ (the local term for reservoirs) we went. There wasn’t a lot of room, but the bikes soaked up the road and all its corrugations, potholes and agricultural litter. Locals on 125cc Hero Hondas and step-throughs insisted on keeping up, or, much to our chagrin, overtaking us.
Turning inland we rode a combination of gravel and bitumen to the ruins of Anuradhapura with its massive stupas – shrines – and stone temples dotted all over the landscape.
After overnight rain, the dirt north to Madhu was soft and slippery. Apparently the Pope visited the Catholic church there several years back, but I suspect His Eminence took a different route.
On reaching the far north of the island the causeway into Jaffna stretched away, but we were stopped at a military checkpoint and Dayan had disappeared inside. Fifteen minutes, then 30 minutes passed. Passports, visas and bike documents were checked. We waited, and sweltered, and checked out the AK47s.
Years of war had left a strong military presence across the north of Sri Lanka, and burnt-out buildings reminded us of the conflict. But the people were friendly and generous, as always. We settled in at our ‘French’ hotel to a dinner of spiced butter cuttlefish that would surely score a 10 on MKR. The beer helped of course.
The pirates of Kokkilai
Riding down the east coast toward Trincomalee the island wasn’t as lush, green or hilly as the centre had been, but the roads were good and the riding fast.
Several hours out of Jaffna, hot and dusty, we arrived at Kokkilai lagoon.
Dayan instructed us to ‘ride into the water beside the boat’. With the help of local fishermen (pirates in disguise, really) we hoisted three very hot bikes into two tinnies. There were no tie-downs, so, holding on firmly to the Hondas, we set off across the lagoon, supposedly to avoid a 20km, hour-long trip around, all for a few hundred rupees.
By mid-lagoon, as expected, the price had gone up to 1000 rupees. But it’s a tough life and who could refuse these guys the price of a few beers? Certainly not us…not when we were a kilometre from shore in the middle of an isolated lagoon.
They smiled. We paid. There were laughs all around.
Riding on, bike maintenance was called for, and a simple roadside lean-to was the
Top left: An I-phone speaks all languages between the reservoir and the rice paddies.
Above: Unloading the hot bikes needed all hands. Below left: Dayan on the causeway into Jaffna, all smiles once visas and papers had been checked. Below: Whipping a few links out of the chain at the local bike ‘service centre’.
service centre. Wearing local safety boots (thongs) the mechanic knocked out a link or two from the chain, everything was pulled back together and we were away.
Ah. Sole.
Sri Lanka is a land of kingdoms, each with its own distinctive style in the ruins and sites that remain. Sigira Rock – a city carved atop a rocky prominence – was astonishing, as was the ancient kingdom of Polonnaruwa, with stupas and temples to rival sights anywhere else in Asia, and the nearby Dambulla caves.
Exhausts
Sri Lanka
In search of the perfect photo, I did the full circle around the stupas. Respectfully, I removed my shoes as instructed. I removed my socks also for good measure, but that was a big mistake. The dark, stone paving surrounding the stupa was hot enough to cook on. My feet roasted as I darted from shade to shade and the soles of my feet continued to stew in my riding boots throughout the day.
Local contact
To Kandy, via Matale and the Knuckles Range, a narrow, winding highway (the B274) emerged on to a gravel road wide enough to be a real main road. It was fast and flat for several kilometres, and
monkeys constantly scampered across. Well…it was wide and flat until we got to the hilly, washed-out and rutted section.
I did mention the brakes earlier, and Kandy was just the place to test them. I came into town with a little too much speed, trying to catch sight of Albert and Dayan who’d darted ahead.
‘Oh shit!’ I thought as the back of a Toyota van reared up. ‘Brakes!’
I wobbled and swerved toward the edge of the road. Thwack. The left-hand Barkbuster met the rear of the van. There was lots of noise but no damage and I was upright.
I will forever maintain it was superior riding skills on my part that avoided the fall, but more likely the contact righted
the bike. The Toyota driver tooted and yelled, and I kept riding and took off hastily into town. It certainly wasn’t the moment for a polite chat with a local.
Missed
We rode the A26 from Kandy to Mahiyangama and Dambana and back. The 18 hairpin corners down to the plain were legendary and the road was excellent. A big touring or road bike would have been just the thing.
We carefully passed a Tata twin-axle truck with an elephant rhythmically swaying to its own tune in the back, and the overloaded truck swayed more than the animal.
The tea industry dominates the mountain region around Kandy.
Twisting mountain roads ascend and descend through tea plantations, tall eucalypts and terraced fields with the Tamil tea pickers and their colourful temples (kovils) peppered throughout. It’s fantastic motorcycling on any bike.
The ride up to Lipton’s Seat (yes, of the tea) twisted through mountain villages along extremely narrow, broken roads. There was barely room for a bike to pull over to allow vehicles to pass, let alone a bus or overloaded Ashok Leyland truck.
Lipton’s Seat sits atop an escarpment of 2000 metres and the view across the
Top: The author (right) and Albert, on their way through the Knuckles Mountain Range to Kandy. Left: Lipton’s Seat sits atop an escarpment of 2000 metres. u
Sri Lanka
country is spectacular. Well, so I’m told. Rain, mist and fog shrouded the landscape when we were there.
A wildlife encounter
The road plummeted from the hills down to the south coast at Tissamaharama, traversing a national park where we encountered a family of elephants along the road. Traffic stopped. The locals, God bless them, had brought several hands of
bananas for just such an event.
To proceed past the bull elephant we were told to huddle behind a 4WD like ducklings behind the mother hen.
A hand of bananas hurtled out the front window of the 4WD, Mr Pachyderm was momentarily distracted and the convoy took off.
I could digress here with a discourse about cause and effect, chickens and eggs (or bull elephants and bananas
Above: Sri Lankans get fantastic value out of their road investments.
Far left: The iconic image of Sri Lankan pole fishermen. They caught the riders, if nothing else.
Below left: We survived 14 days riding with all the colour, noise and traffic.
Top right: The twin perils on Sri Lankan roads: wandering cows and anything with ‘Lanka Ashok Leyland’ on the grill.
Below right: Adventure completed! Where to next year?
for that matter), but it’s probably too late for that.
A little further on Albert played matador to the charge of a water buffalo and, in classic style, he flourished, the animal just missed, and both survived. Albert was slightly the worse off for emotional wear and tear, but the buffalo resumed its nonchalant swagger beside the road, apparently unruffled.
Talking of roads, Sri Lankans get fantastic value out of their road investments. A double white line is, of course, sacrosanct and not to be crossed. Nonetheless, between that line and the road shoulder it’s often
possible to cram an amazing array of vehicles in line across, all competing for their share of bitumen.
To Galle
With the lush green hills behind and the southern coast on our left, we headed to Galle and its historic fort.
A beautiful coastal city which was once a Dutch trading centre, the old town with its merchant buildings, churches, Dutch colonial houses and barracks reflected a different era in Sri Lanka’s long history, and shouldn’t be missed on any tour –organised or disorganised, two-, four- or more wheels.
Along the way the classic Sri Lankan image of the fisherman atop a pole caught our eye, gently swaying with the breeze and the tide, bringing home the days’ catch.
We stopped and dismounted, cameras out. A local approached. Ah, yes.
A little matter of the ‘photo fee’. We paid of course. It’s quite likely there was no hook or bait on the line and it’s years since they caught anything other than western tourists, but what the heck.
Barely 15 minutes out of Galle and heading back into the hills we were in lowland tea plantations on one side of the road with banana and coconut palms on the other. It was hot and humid, the mountains were bathed in mist and we sashayed through the corners, over the ruts and into heavy rain on our final day.
We survived 14 days riding with all the colour, noise, traffic and wonderful food that Sri Lanka offered, along with a history that was unique and captivating.
Off the bikes, we enjoyed a beer at Negombo Beach as the sun set over the Indian Ocean. Thoughts turned to where our next overseas ride would be, and this time it’s my turn to choose.
The best job world in the
Ever dream of being a motorcycle tour guide?
To be paid to ride some of the world’s most exotic locations?
To help others achieve their dreams? It can happen. Right here. Right now. You can be a professional sweep for Australia’s longest-running tour operator, riding and guiding one of the world’s great adventure locations.
Cape York Motorcycle Adventures (CYMA) is looking for a new sweep rider.
Yes. Some lucky bloke or girl is going to wake up each day of the coming tour season and have to check their calendar to find out where they’re heading that day. Maybe Cape York? Leading a group chasing barra through FNQ? Maybe a quick run to the Daintree for a group of visiting internationals? Or maybe the sweep will climb out of the swag and remember it’s between tours and on this particular day the stunning and incredible tropical paradise is theirs to enjoy.
Riding with Cape York Motorcycle Adventures is the real thing. The crocs
are real, the journey to the northernmost edge of the Australian mainland is a most life-affirming adventure, and while the riders are lost in the incredible beauty of Queensland’s tropical wilderness, a sweep needs to ensure everything is going smoothly. He needs to keep his mind on the job no matter how amazing the world around him.
Ah.
The job.
That’s what this is all about.
Apply yourself
It’s simple.
There’s a job going with Cape York Motorcycle Adventures as a sweep rider, and Adventure Rider
Magazine is going to help find the right person.
Actually, the editor thinks he’s the right person, but after having ridden with CYMA many times, main man Roy had far too realistic a notion of the editor’s shortcomings.
So, here we are. An Adventure Rider Magazine reader will get this job. All you have to do to be in the running is phone Renae on (07) 4055 0050, or email: adventures@capeyorkmotorcycles.com.au, and ask for an application form. Fill that puppy out, send it back to Renae, then sit tight while CYMA works through the selection process.
That’s all there is to it.
Inset: It’s not all barramundi and sunsets. The winner will have to earn his or her keep in situations like this one. u
Main: A quick run through the Daintree for a group of visiting internationals? Every day is different, and every day is awesome.
the beSt job in the worLd
The fine print
It’s not really fine print, because we’re running it the same size as all the other print, but it’s important you know what will be expected of the person who wins the position.
So here goes. The successful applicant will
v Move to Cairns to begin work no later than the first week of May, 2019, and will remain employed until midNovember 2019. The exact dates will be confirmed later
v Receive a Zac Speed CONFIGR8 rig to suit the task
v Receive a new set of Klim riding gear
v Write a column for Adventure Rider Magazine for each issue during the employment term (possibly the best bit) AND
v Generally be the envy of everyone in the developed world. Once entered in the selection process you’ll be supplied with more exact details, and you can contact CYMA for any specific enquiries, but that’s the essence of it.
Naturally you’ll need to be healthy and a competent rider. CYMA will provide all the instruction needed on the job, but if you’re comfortable doing basic mechanical tasks on bikes, that’ll be a big plus. If you can write a bit that’ll count in your favour (but won’t be a high priority), and if you normally carry around a packet of spare seals for the clutch-actuating arm of a DRZ, you’ll be batting a thousand.
See you soon
So get on to Renae at CYMA and submit your application. Roy and Renae will whittle the list down to a group who’ll be invited to ride from CYMA headquarters near Cairns for a few days and strut their stuff. Adventure Rider Magazine will be on the ride as well, watching what goes on and seeing who ends up in the country’s most desirable hotseat. How frigging awesome is this!
Above: The crocs are real. The riding is some of the world’s best. Below: CYMA will provide all the instruction needed on the job.
Zac Speed
Zac Speed gear is as tough as a saltwater croc and far better looking. Adventure Rider Magazine’s editor has become a huge fan, and we’re rapt the folks at Zac Speed are going to rig out the competition winner with a set of appropriate gear. There’s probably no tougher test for a backpack, tool bag and similar gear than a season riding shotgun with CYMA, and we’ll be keen to see how the Zac Speed gear copes.
We’re betting it’ll be just right for the job.
Pics are for illustration only. Actual gear supplied may differ from the items shown.
Klim
Klim is a specialist adventure brand, and Klim gear is the real deal. The generous folks at Adventure Moto will kit out Cape York Motorcycle Adventures’ new sweep with a set of clobber that should see them comfortable in all the extremes of tropical far north Queensland, but still comfortable and ready to deal with all the challenges of a season of tough riding. With this gig there’ll be plenty of challenges.
Pics are for illustration only. Actual gear supplied may differ from the items shown.
Wet
Words and images: Graeme Sedgwick
Main: The ruins of Waukaringa township’s Gold Rush Hotel. Below: Former grader operator, orchardist and house painter, Jeff Morgan is a Hawker resident and prominent artist. He’s also a keen adventure rider.
The Goyder Line runs roughly east-west across South
Australia joining places with an average annual rainfall of 250mm. North of the line rainfall is usually too low to support cropping. The Line marks the change between mallee scrub to the south and saltbush to the north.
Graeme Sedgwick set out to ride the divide, and although the forecast was chancy, he wasn’t going to be deterred by the possibility of rain.
Mildura was the perfect rendezvous.
Victoria’s largest Sunraysia river settlement is a major horticultural centre, supplying some 80 per cent of Victoria’s grapes. It was as good a place as any to meet a Tiger-riding mate and we departed to roughly follow Goyder’s Line. At the end of the ride our objective was to enjoy some beers and burgers at, of all places, the Palace Hotel in Broken Hill. We expected that would deal with any mid-year doldrums.
Remembered
Nestled within the relaxed surrounds of the Bald Hills, Burra was our first landmark. Regarded as one of South Australia’s best-preserved towns of the Victorian era, the settlement began as a single-company mining township in the 1850s. When the copper ran out it shrunk dramatically to become a service centre for agriculture.
Gentle terrain and the largely trafficfree roads encouraged a brisk run to
wet arSeS
Peterborough, from where we steered northwest to Orroroo.
Believed to mean ‘Place Of Magpie’, Orroroo, like many other townships north of Goyder’s Line, has become a streetscape of fading prosperity.
As we journeyed through the deserted thoroughfares the afternoon sun punched out a magnificent pallet of reds, oranges, mustards and saturated greens under a near-perfect cloudless and equally vivid blue sky. It was hard to imagine the enormous heartbreak and bankruptcy of earlier times.
Crumbling remains of walls and stone chimneys stood testament as we
There was a strange motivation to throttle on between the contrasting fields of wind-turbine generators, decaying buildings and fading localities before our day’s final blast up to Hawker in the Flinders.
Celebrated
South Australia’s Flinders Ranges stretch some 430km from Port Pirie northward to Lake Callabonna northeast of Arkaroola. Callabonna is considerably smaller than Lake Eyre and is named after the first European explorer to walk through
Above: Author Graeme Sedgwick surrendered to the Flinders’ scenery.
Bottom left: The arid country’s mood was serene and windless.
Below: A coldie at the Craddock Hotel.
Top right: Standard tanks on the bikes meant refuelling from containers carried for the longer sections.
the Flinders Ranges. Some might say Callabonna was comparable to an equally adventurous South Australian motorcyclist, Kevin Rohrlach, the first to reach Lake Eyre by motorcycle. Rohrlach later set 27 land speed records across its salt flats in the 1960s. That was in between drag racing on the Marabel quartermile, stunt riding at country shows and scrambling.
As darkness closed on our day’s lazy 500km or so, we celebrated our circumstances free of wet bums inside Hawker’s pub as nature unleashed a downpour outside.
Avoided
Surveyed in 1880 as part of the Great Northern Railway, Hawker is the southern Flinders’ major service centre and home of artist Jeff Morgan.
A former grader operator, orchardist, house painter, and blessed with the ‘gift’ of dyslexia, Jeff’s unique artistic skills
show amazing 3D effects and panoramic works. Jeff’s also an enthusiastic adventure rider. His latest mount is an Africa Twin, which he reckons has the best suspension and through-the-gears acceleration of any bike he’s ridden. Judging by the glint in his clear eyes he’s ridden more than a few over many years throughout the ranges he knows so well. With blue skies beckoning, and charged with Jeff’s infectious energy, we headed out to localities east, south, north and west of Hawker. First we found Willow Plains Settlers Monument, then the country east of Niggly Gap in the lower reaches of the Druid and Black Ranges. Southward lay Craddock and a chat with a modest publican, then we retraced our passage via the Moralana region and west to the main highway and Leigh Creek. It was a fuss-free gravel ride through waterless creeks surrounded by more wildlife traffic than one could reasonably be expected to count, and highlighted why travel after dusk might as well be a death wish. The abundance and size
of the moving wildlife targets, if hit, guaranteed to bust and bloody the most robust of men and machines. We took the highway’s safer return passage to Hawker pub.
Dined
Back in Hawker we acted on advice from the pub’s staff and got our dinner orders in early, and it was lucky we did. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the bar and dining rooms were chockers. The crowd was made up of nomads and allsorts in spotlighted, bull-barred 4WDs hitched to all types of off-road camper trailers and caravans. The outpouring blur of colours, shapes, sizes and storytelling ruckus muffled cracks of lightning, thunder and the arrival of more rain on the corrugated iron. We couldn’t believe our fortunes. We’d escaped the indignity of wet backsides again!
Pounded
We started early next morning to take advantage of the night’s rain gluing together the dirt-road surfaces, a phenomenon we’d discovered during u
wet arSeS
previous Flinders’ rides. Starting early also gave us time to experiment with Trevor’s neat new iPhone lens kit.
The Struman lens set attached easily and simply to expand the versatility of his latest iPhone’s camera. The total size of the lens pack, inclusive of carry bag, three lenses and an adaptor, was less than an average fist.
We headed toward the best-known feature in the Flinders: Wilpena Pound. Although to this day it’s not clear who discovered the Pound, it became a national tourist resort in 1945 when government bought its lease after many pastoralists who’d invested heavily had
failed. Two years later that enabled Bond’s Tours to seize the moment and build Wilpena’s first chalet.
Our ride to Wilpena took many deviations, exploring anything and everything that looked like an adventure, before ending another wet-arse-free day.
Gorged
Another cloudless blue sky kickstarted the next day and Bunyeroo Valley was first on our list. Its sheer size offered any amount of trails and tracks to enjoy.
The gorge’s ups and downs immediately got our attention and every change of direction needed care.
Left: Might have to wait a while.
Below left: Coffee and snacks in Parachilna before heading to Blinman Gorge.
Below: Outback signwriting.
With Bunyeroo’s razorback country behind us we entered Brachina Gorge, more or less following the creek bed in the wandering valley. It was picturesque, with plenty of rocks, and punctuated with more camping spots than one might think. Brachina is loaded with options and notoriety. Its rocky passage hosted the first of the world’s more-recent transcontinental rally adventures in 1968, and when the water is flowing it becomes an even more interesting ride.
Wedgied
Emerging from Brachina, we turned north up the bitumen and weaved between road-kill carcasses on our way to the Prairie Hotel at Parachilna. Wedge-tailed eagles of all sizes enjoyed the fresh pickings, and after our safe arrival we recharged with coffee and snacks before hitting the Parachilna to Blinman Gorge route, once used as a commercial passage to cart copper from Blinman mines. Eleven kilometres into the gorge it seemed as if we were riding downwards through layers of sediment in the order they were deposited more than 500 million years ago. There were plenty of camp clearings to kick back and enjoy some stargazing.
A little further on was Angorichina, established to accommodate
wet arSeS
tuberculosis sufferers. The climate and surroundings were claimed to be perfect for treating TB, and while we didn’t put that to the test, it was also our last chance to refuel before our next day’s aridcountry adventure.
Brewed
Gammon Ranges National Park, also referred to as The Northern Flinders, grew from an amalgamation of pastoral lands acquired from the Yancaninna pastoral lease and a large portion of the Balcanoona plains. Joining the park with Lake Frome made an area of some 128,000 or so hectares which is home to heaps of yellow-footed rock-wallabies and many interesting birds and flowers. There’s also spectacular geological features and significant aboriginal art. A 28km deviation via Glass Gorge that’s technically more demanding offers a number of high points to view the Gammon Ranges, but we didn’t take that option this time.
We rolled into Blinman, a town named after shepherd Robert Blinman, who found copper. The locality was mined for some 30 years with mixed success, and it’s now a quirky outpost with a pub that offers the broadest of beer choices and good tucker. We were unexpectedly given
a treat by a quite personable lone traveller, who introduced himself as Ross, and enthusiastically knocked tops off bottles of his home-brewed ginger beer varieties. I hasten to say the brew hit the spot perfectly after another rainless day in the saddle.
Holed
Keen to commence the next day’s run east into the arid country, we departed under threatening grey skies carrying extra fuel in case either of our standard tanks fell short.
Just outside Wirrealpa we had the opportunity to turn to Mount Chambers, a place aboriginals named in the belief a mythical person threw a boomerang which cut a fracture through the mountain, in the process creating a knob atop as it spun back.
Next was Wearing Gorge, flanked by trees either side of the road, before the open landscape known as Tea Tree Outstation where we turned southward.
The smell of rain was all around and, compared to previous warm days, we were feeling some wind chill. The question, we agreed, wasn’t if it would rain, but how big would the drops be? And would they make the ball-bearing surface a little tacky?
Or would the rain, in a heartbeat, morph the surface into swimming pools of glue? Either way progress demanded our fullest attention amid freshening wind. The partly graded, deep, heavy, loose-gravelled surface provided plenty of handling entertainment and allowed little rest unless one stopped to spot landmarks like the State’s vermin-proof fence tracking its way across the flat, bland country.
Several cattle grids later, ironically over one which had caught a ’roo, things changed and allowed us to lift our pace. We hauled in sights like Lake Frome Down Station’s sheds, homestead and stock yards before Coondappie Ruins and Erudine Woolshed.
By this stage it seemed as if we were riding below the hole in a doughnut, only this doughnut’s ring was made of dark, grey, rain-filled clouds.
Abondoned
Curnamona came and went, lost within increasingly gentle hills. Toolab faded to the east and features such as Black Hill,
Below: The threat of rain didn’t deter the riders.
Below right: Beers and burgers at Broken Hill’s Palace Hotel to celebrate a successful ride.
Nillinghoo Hill, then Gordon Hill to the west and Mt Victor to the east passed before Koonamore also vanished as we rode by Bickmore Hill to our east.
We were surrounded by the enormity of Melton Station when we stopped to refuel from our supplies, and the arid country’s mood was serene and windless. Ahead were the remains of the former town of Waukaringa. It had been abandoned in the 1950s and the most significant remaining structure was the hotel.
Standing defiant, the pub ruins honoured those halcyon gold-mining days when some 750 people populated the area and approximately 1427kg of gold was mined between 1873 and 1969.
It was tough to grasp the hotel had operated until 1970, merely 48 years ago, and was just 34km from Yunta on the Barrier Highway.
Finished
In Yunta our arid-country crossing was complete and marked by yet another cloudless, bright-blue sky. We’d chanced it and made it without wet arses.
The sun, now behind us, highlighted the vivid colours of the landscape and we cracked open the throttles to make Broken Hill before dusk. That final and brisk run couldn’t have been more exhilarating. Cresting the railway flyover before the outskirts of Broken Hill with the sun on the horizon was a spectacular image to hold over burgers washed down with beers at the flamboyant Palace Hotel. Built as a coffee palace in 1889 at a cost of £12,190, the Palace is now an icon, thanks to its featuring in The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert. It was the perfect chance to quench a thirst and ponder another adventure.
to a great start with...
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Yamaha tracer
Tracer
Yamaha markets the Tracer as a sports tourer, and it’s definitely happiest on the road. There’s a dualsporter lurking around under that aerodynamic panelwork, though. With a motor as good as this one, we doubt there’s much this bike couldn’t do.
Yamaha has two models of the Tracer in 2018. The Tracer GT has panniers, a TFT dash, adjustable forks and a few other tasty features and has had a lot of media attention. The bike we have here is the ‘base’ model. It’s mechanically the same spec as the GT, but doesn’t have some of the up-spec options. There’s compression adjustment only on the front, an LCD dash and no panniers. It still has the three riding modes, slipper clutch, an 18-litre tank and a centrestand, all as standard fittings, so at $15,799 plus on-roads it’s a tidy package at a sharp price.
Hidden talent
After a very brief ride on the 2018 Tracer we were left scratching our heads.
The bike is clearly a road bike. On the bitumen heading out to a dirty little location not too far from Yamaha Motor Australia’s headquarters in western Sydney, the Tracer shone. It purred its way through city traffic, whistled along freeways without putting in any effort, and when we felt a little uppity, it revelled in being asked to take low-percentage options exiting turns or choosing tight, fast lines.
We also loved the way the screen could be
Left: The Tracer’s happy enough on dirt roads. With more aggressive tyres we reckon it’d be a capable dualsporter.
Above: The screen and body shape around the front of the bike keep the rider out of the worst of the wind blast.
Below: Crikey. The pipes look a little funky, but they stay above the bottom of the engine, so aren’t as vulnerable as they appear at first glance.
adjusted by just grabbing a big clip arrangement and sliding it up or down, even while we were riding along.
So that was all clear enough.
But when we did hit the dirt the bike didn’t throw up its hands and surrender. It seemed just as keen to shimmy its way through the dust and whoops as it was to launch from the lights at a main-road intersection.
All about the motor
Keen the Tracer may have been in the dirt, but the tyres – Dunlop Sportmax front and rear – which had encouraged lively riding on the road, were a severely limiting factor in the sand, dust and, worst of all, the mud we found during our ride. It was a little frustrating really, because the heart of the Tracer is the threecylinder, 847cc, DOHC, four-valves-per-cylinder motor, and it’s a sweetheart. Drive is very smooth. In the lower rev range, up to about 4000rpm, it’s fairly restrained, making it perfect for managing the fully fuelled 214kg bike when grip and feedback
Yamaha tracer
is low. From about 5000rpm up though, response becomes sharp and the bike slingshots away, leaving a rider to hold on as best he can.
While we’re thinking about it, the clutch on the Tracer is a pearler. It’s very light and progressive, and it’s cableoperated. Nice.
With a set of even 50/50 road/dirt tyres the Tracer would be a very capable dirt-road mount. With more aggressive tyres front and rear it could be a real goer.
Mix’n’match
There are three riding modes to choose from: A, Standard, and B.
Mode A gives the sharpest, sportiest throttle response, B is the rain or slippery-surface option and Standard is, well…standard.
Along with the modes is the option to turn off the traction control, and fiddling around with different combinations of those things allowed a considerable shaping of the bike’s character. That purring powerplant could be a wildcat or a pussy cat, depending on which combination of settings was in use.
There’s ABS front and rear of course, and it seemed to us it worked well. We didn’t feel it interfered with anything during our time on the bike.
Versatility plus
The Tracer is a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing in our view.
If the one bike in the shed has to cop the daily commute, cover distance on annual leave and be happy on dirt roads, the Tracer is a shoo-in. The motor’s a delight and should have any owner busting to ride, no matter what he has planned for the day. With a set of tyres suited to the terrain the bike will cope with healthy doses of dirt road, no problem. We scraped the frame rails and centrestand quite a few times, and the suspension bottomed fairly hard when things got a little chunky, but we were purposely aiming at terrain we thought was a little unreasonable for a bike of this type. It coped.
To set it up for adventure it’d need some luggage, and there’s Yamaha OEM gear available. The pillion gab bars around the rear of the seat give plenty of possibilities for strapping things down as well.
Luggage and tyres. That’s about all we’d need to get us started heading to far horizons on the Tracer.
Below: Menus are easy enough to use once you work them out, and the LCD screen does the bizzo.
Below right: Screen up, screen down. Just grab that big clip and put it where you want it.
Fuel capacity: 18 litres
Oil capacity: 3.4 litres
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres and parts
Colours: Nimbus grey
Congrega T ion
2018
There was only one Congregation this year, but it was an absolute belter.
Adventure Rider Magazine’s Congregations have been gaining momentum since they kicked off in 2015.
That first event was at Moredun Ponds, near Tingha in NSW, and it was a cracker weekend.
For 2016 the adventure-riding annual summit meeting moved around the corner to Green Valley Farm, still nearenough in Tingha, and, if possible, it was even more of a raging success than the first one. In an effort to try and make more riders happy, there was a Victorian Congregation as well.
In 2017 Green Valley Farm continued its incredible support of the event, and, now called ‘The Northern Congregation’, rain before and after the day’s festivities made for a perfect adventure ride in, out and during the weekend. The weekend itself was sunny with blue skies and even more awesome than the year before.
The Southern Congregation moved
Top: Miles Davis’ skills demo was as popular as ever. Above: Over 300 riders and still heaps of room.
to Dargo where the weather was perfect and the weekend well-attended.
In 2017, thanks to the superb and tireless work of Motorrad Garage, a Western Congregation was held at Nannup, about three hours south of Perth. It was an awesome gathering and an absolute credit to Motorrad Garage and the 130-odd riders who streamed in from all over the Wildflower State and all points east. The Loose Goose Chalets turned out to be a great venue and the West Aussie adventure riders top blokes and girls.
For 2018 it was decided to run just one event.
Green Valley Farm has become the undisputed home of the Congregation, so on a perfect September weekend it all happened again.
The skills demos, the speakers, the amazing atmosphere, the perfect weather, the great campground…it was all there, better than ever.
Something like 350 riders took part in a happy and trouble-free reunion…well…except for the fella who was helicoptered out after breaking his leg on the way in to Green Valley Farm. It wasn’t happy and trouble-free for him, obviously.
If you weren’t there you missed the high point of the adventure-riding year. Keep your eye on www.advridermag.com.au for the announcement of the 2019 dates.
Yes. ‘Dates’.
If we can possibly swing it, and can manage the resources, there’ll be more than one Congregation again next year.
Meanwhile, here’s a round-up of 2018, and we’re going to let the pics tell the story…
Left: As always, the Vickery family worked long and hard to make the Congregation a success.
Above: A cold ale or two at the end of the day. Nice.
Below: Riders started rolling in on Friday arvo.
Inverell Suzuki dealer Vince Strang held an excellent session on DR maintenance.
The folks from Ural Australia were on site and had plenty of interested onlookers.
Image: Steph/Green Valley Farm
There were plenty of reunions. Lots of people clearly hadn’t seen each other since the 2017 Congregation. Miles Davis was happy to see Ol’ Mate ‘Shiny’.
Adventure Bike Australia had a great selection of gear for sale at Congregation prices. Nice new awning, Mal and Karen!
Publisher Kurt Quambusch and Dave ‘Ramdog’ Ramsay shared a moment or two during the presentation.
Darryl Belcher, from Richmond in NSW, had a couple of mascots on board.
Green Valley Farm’s excellent cabins were booked out long before the event.
Top: A gymkhana was a crowd favourite. You can bet it’ll be a Congregation regular from now on.
Main: The atmosphere at Green Valley Farm is pretty much unbeatable.
Below: Columnist Karen Ramsay cruised in to meet husband Dave and a group of 28 he’d brought down from the north.
Bottom: Cody Burgess, still on his Ls, not only won a T-shirt for being the youngest rider, he also scooped the Klim jacket in the random prize draw. Adventure Moto’s Jen Smith was on site to do the fitting.
Bumot’s been a strong supporter of The Congregation and was set up and spotlighting its excellent luggage for the whole weekend.
Could there possibly be a better venue than Green Valley Farm?
DARE to be different! The Ducati adventure training outfit attracted plenty of interest and gave riders the chance to experience the Italian performance machinery.
Above: It wouldn’t be a Congregation without Fast Ed Brown. Ed hasn’t missed a single event, even riding across to WA last year. He’s a dead-set champion. Good to see Ed back on his KLR for 2018.
Main: Sunset on another awesome Congregation.
Bottom right: The Adventure Moto Africa Twin was one good-looking bike.
Adventure Moto’s Steve Smith gave away a swag of prizes.
Vince Strang looked after the jabillion or so DRs that showed up.
We didn’t have PLBs in those days
Warren Jack remembers a tough day that underlines the importance of a reliable location beacon.
It was a two-day ride from Batemans Bay to Cobargo and back on the NSW south coast and all was going well until midSaturday afternoon. Up until then we hadn’t even had a flat tyre among the 40odd riders in the group. Suddenly, we had serious problems indeed.
Too much talk
The rider behind Chris came around a bend on the fire road to see Chris’s KTM on its side and no sign of the rider. This track was travelling across and down a mountain with a very steep drop on the left hand side.
The KTM’s front wheel was over the edge but the rest of the bike was on the track, and it was pretty obvious where Chris was. He was over the edge about 25 metres down and not feeling too good.
Every time he shifted his weight he would slide a little further down the slope, and we soon had a few of us at his side, bracing him. Chris was conscious but suffering from neck pain. That’s never a good sign. He wanted to take his helmet off, but he was a fireman, and with all the emergency training they get he should’ve known better. Some of us told him to leave it on, some said let him take it off, and while this discussion was taking place Chris removed the helmet himself.
Next he wanted to get back up onto the road, but the slope was too steep to try and carry him. Another discussion ensued about waiting for the emergency services to arrive with the relevant rescue gear. While we argued Chris rolled over onto his hands and knees and started crawling. All we could do was to try and support him so he didn’t slip backwards.
Slippery slope
One of our number had a mobile phone – this was back in the days when not everybody had one – but he had to return to the top of the mountain to get a signal, and it was patchy at best. Then he had to describe where we were so the first responders could find us. A PLB with GPS location would’ve been a godsend.
The ambulance eventually arrived, and by that time we’d made Chris as comfortable as possible and tried to immobilise him the best we could. It’d started to rain and he was going into shock, so we’d erected a cover and lit a fire.
When the ambulance finally found us it couldn’t turn around on the narrow road, so the ambos drove slowly to the bottom to find room. At the bottom they then made a call for a helicopter as the trip down had the vehicle slipping and sliding, and it was only a two-wheel-drive unit.
Words: Mike Tank
Close call
It was getting late and as the rain clouds gathered, it got a lot darker as well.
The chopper found us, but it was low on fuel as it had been on its way to refuel after another job when it had been diverted. Initially the chopper crew suggested everyone just camp in the bush for the night and they’d refuel and return in the morning.
The chopper crew were the only ones who thought that was a sensible suggestion.
By that stage the police had arrived in a 4WD Toyota, but didn’t have the room for a stretcher patient. So that wasn’t an option.
There was a small clearing over a creek at the bottom of the track before it started climbing again and the chopper crew only had time for one attempt at a lift. Chris was put in the litter and winched up, only to be swung through the tree branches as the helicopter had drifted slightly. He told us afterwards the low-fuel warning buzzer had been going off well before they landed at Moruya airport to refuel, and the Paramedic had lost her balance and sat on his head when disengaging the litter from the winch after they’d lifted him out of the bush.
Good result
The police gave the ambos a lift home and they left the ambulance at the bottom of the track, which was very muddy by then. An RFS truck towed it out the next day.
Luck was on Chris’s side that day. At the hospital it was discovered he had a broken neck and he now has some fused vertebrae and pins in his spine.
All’s well that ends well, but so many things could’ve gone wrong that may have left Chris with far worse than restricted neck movement. If PLB’s had been available back then we’d have probably had the right kind of help a whole lot faster.
A PLB is on its way to Mike
KTI, Australia’s leading producer of quality PLBs, is offering a PLB to riders who share their rescue stories with Adventure Rider Magazine’s readers. In an emergency situation where minutes count, a PLB can mean the difference between timely help and something much worse, and KTI wants to see Adventure Rider Magazine’s readers properly equipped. Do you have a good rescue story? If so, send it to tom@maynemedia.com.au to see riders carrying emergency beacons they’re going to give a free PLB to a rescue story we publish. It doesn’t have to be a story using a PLB, but it should preferably have usable pics. If you’ve been in trouble once, you should know how important a PLB can be. Share your story and make sure you’re prepared if it ever happens again.
Sahara Sunraysia From the to the
Words Peter Whitaker. Images: Sunraysia Media and OK Photo
2017 champion, and two-time Australian Safari winner, Rod Faggotter took second on a Yamaha YZ450F cunningly stickered as a WR450F.
40 years of extreme adventure riding
If there’s an historian of cross-country rally riding in Australia, it’s Peter Whitaker. He’s written extensively about desert rally racing in The Land Downunder. This issue he has a look at the evolution of Australia’s newest rally, The Sunraysia Safari.
The original ‘rally raid’ was an adventure like no other before. An eclectic cohort of champagnefuelled Froggies framped across the Sahara Desert in a race against time to celebrate the new year on the French Riviera. Certainly the motorcyclists taunted the crews in the dilapidated Peugeots who, in turn, scoffed at those in the rudimentary VW-powered buggies. But the real challenge was the terrain, not each other. And by all accounts there was a great sense of camaraderie as the participants overcame the trials they faced.
Wynners
The inaugural Wynn’s Sydney To Darwin Safari had similar attributes; the challenge of surviving
a 7000km odyssey across Australia’s most remote regions.
The first event proved such a trial that, had it not been for a change of heart by the organisers, three out of every four participants would have been eliminated on the very first day. As it eventuated, less than a quarter of the riders made it to Darwin. No matter, the adventure continued each year for the best part of two decades, although on each and every occasion less than a handful of riders were actually competing against one another. The majority were there simply for the adventure – to overcome the difficulties thrown at them in Australia’s unforgiving outback. And, for some, there came the satisfaction of receiving a Safarifinishers’ medallion.
Tough times
Times change, and when the Safari was rebirthed in Western Australia it was a series of cross-country sprints linked by regular service points and overnight rebuilds. For sure, it was serious cross-country racing, but the arduous 10-hour marathons out in the mulga with only a spare tube and a bumbag for company were long gone. To cater for those riders lacking the skills or the deep pockets to
From the Sahara to the SunraYSia
field a dedicated competition bike, the organisers introduced a tag-along Safari Adventure Ride which was almost immediately oversubscribed. This clearly demonstrated scores of riders were prepared to cross the continent to enjoy the Safari experience without the pressure of competition. Then, after eight years of sponsorship struggles, the escalating cost of insurance and the logistics of running an event with a million-square-mile footprint, the Westralian Safari folded its tent. On the east coast the Condo 750, itself spawned by the Australian Safari, was the sole surviving navigation event.
A new era
Bless Troy Bennett who, against all odds, revived cross-country rallying in 2017 with a four-day event based in Mildura. Troy wasn’t killed in a stampede of entrants, but the Sunraysia Safari provided the impetus to up the ante for 2018 when, with considerable enthusiasm, Wentworth Shire Council provided the essential infrastructure with full access to the showgrounds for use as event headquarters. Perfect. Not so the weather. Despite high winds, deep sand, suicidal wildlife and, on the fifth and final day, a heavy shower
of rain that didn’t break the drought – but did turn the mallee desert clay pans into skating rinks – Honda CRF450mounted Jake Smith won the 2500km event ahead of 2017 champion and two-time Australian Safari winner Rod Faggotter on a Yamaha YZ450F (cunningly stickered as a WR450F).
The KTM 500EXC of Finke Desert Race veteran Luke Hayes filled the podium after winning the final day, while Toby Hederics and Beau Hederics, sons of 10-time Australian Safari Champion John Hederics, completed the top five. Both chips off the old block, the Hederics lads demonstrated they had the pace, taking the quinella on the first day on a pair of immaculately prepared KTM 500EXCs. Faggotter won the second day and Smith the third; moving into the overall lead and hoping to get clear air at the front of the field on day four.
But, having won the lead, Smith – a two-time Australian Safari winner himself – became the first to experience the 70kph headwinds which quickly raised a dust storm and cut visibility to less than 10 metres.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever led a Safari at less than 40kph,” said Smith, “and I just had to ride blind, trusting the route chart to avoid the barbed-wire fences.”
The day brought both good news and bad for Smith. At the conclusion he had marginally increased his overall lead, but on the final liaison stage back to the bivouac his engine was making very ominous sounds. With a tow from his main adversary, Rod Faggotter, he managed to coax it home for an engine swap which allowed him to protect his overall lead throughout the final day. Any chance Faggotter had to bridge the gap was undone with coils of fencewire around his rear wheel, “Which is why sidecutters are always on top in the bumbag,” said Rod.
All class
So, up front the results were much as expected. With umpteen Safari and Condo 750 podiums between them, Smith and Faggotter were pre-event favourites. Dakar veterans such as Paul Smith, Dave Schwarz and Allan Roberts could, at the very least, be expected to navigate their way around a relatively small patch of rural Australia. But how would the rookies fare? Particularly those in the Troy Bennett-inspired ‘Adventure class’.
Competing on a big bore trailie is nothing new. Allan Cunynghame won the 1986 Wynn’s Safari on a Ténéré. u
Left: Fewer and fewer riders have the means or the motivation to build up a dedicated cross-country rally bike for a sport that receives little recognition. Below: Competing on a big bore trailie is nothing new.
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From the Sahara to the SunraYSia
He didn’t do so well a few years later on a Moto Guzzi or the Cagiva Elefant, though the term ‘adventure bike’ hadn’t then entered the lexicon. But it had by the time Craig Hartley rode a KTM 950 to a top 10 finish in 2003.
Troy Bennett’s open invitation to adventure riders was to promote the recreational aspects of cross-country rallying and, while pre-event publicity was low key, it attracted Paul Bannister down from sunny Queensland on his KTM 1190R, Gary Monaghan from Victoria on his Kato 690 Adventure and Conrad Fairhead all the way from WA on a 2005 Kato 950. Also entered in H3 (over 450cc) class was the Paul Rooney-built BMW airhead; a 1982 R65-powered special in a bespoke frame with, among other ‘production’ parts, a DRZ400 front end.
To my mind Ant Diener’s SWM RS and Travis Gow’s 2004 Honda XR650 were also there for the adventure rather than the race.
Truck off
Paul Bannister, a bike mechanic who grew up in the Riverina before moving to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, was elated he made the decision to bolt a borrowed nav tower onto his two-year-old KTM 1190 and make the long drive south. “I’ve done a lot of riding over the past 40 years, including Finke, and I’ve always wondered how cross-country riders can go so quickly while reading a map,” pondered Bannister. “The atmosphere at Wentworth was so laid back. We camped next to Don Lark, who went out of his way to help me interpret the route scrolls and set up the nav gear. Everyone was really helpful.”
Starting 22nd, Paul finished his first day of navigation only a few positions down.
Right: Troy Bennett’s open invitation to adventure riders was to promote the recreational aspects of cross-country rallying.
Below: When you’re out there all alone your imagination could take you anywhere. Far right: Scores of riders were prepared to cross the continent to enjoy the Safari experience without the pressure of competition.
From the Sahara to the SunraYSia
“I was feeling quite satisfied with myself” said Paul, “and figured I could only improve.” On the second day he did, a real confidence booster, but day three turned to dust.
“I was riding around in circles and had no idea where I was in relation to the course,” recalled Paul, “but I got to a point I remembered from my early days and knew I could ride to the Gol Gol pub then take the blacktop back to the bivouac. It was very tempting but I continued on in circles.
“Then the Racesafe told me to ‘STOP’. So I did. Then it told me I was lost. ‘Tell me something I don’t know,’ I thought. And it did. And directed me back on track. I later learned Racesafe made a few of the auto competitors aware of my situation. The last thing you want to see is a six-litre Trophy Truck headed your way.”
Race safe
Observing Don Geyer at work monitoring the progress of both riders and auto crews made the benefits of Racesafe so obvious in keeping competitors apart. Maybe in the future sophisticated electronics will enable riders to avoid emus, strainer posts and radiator-piercing ironbark tree branches. This would have been of great assistance to: Joel Spoor, who broke a collarbone and a few emu bones on day two after breaking into the top 20 from his 38th starting possie; Simon Jenner, whose Husaberg burnt
to a crisp after hitting something immovable; and Ant Diener, who’d just climbed into the top 10 before puncturing the SWM’s radiator on the final day.
Big call
Conrad Fairhead – a bloke who has found several ways to traverse the Nullarbor – made the long journey from Western Australia to Wentworth with younger brother Dan in search of a new adventure. “We didn’t know anybody when we arrived, but everyone was inclusive from the start. I had a problem with my ICO and asked the nearest person who looked as though they knew what they were doing. He inspected it and decided it was beyond repair and, in his next breath, gave me his spare to use. Turns out it was Don Lark.”
Don Lark, Condobolin’s Honda dealer, was in the Over 45 class, in which he’s been competing for about 45 years. He finished in the top 20 and will be back for his third Sunraysia in 2019. “It’s a really well-run event,” said Don. “Great tracks, great route notes and a great atmosphere.” Clearly Don typified the camaraderie in the Safari bivouac.
Conrad started 36th and found the pace faster and less technical than expected. “It was a big learning curve,” he admitted, “and it felt strange being out there alone. During the first day I felt I’d been completely forgotten by not
sighting anyone, but I did okay at the end of the day. My 950 was never going to be competitive against the smaller bikes, but it felt as though it was built for this event.”
Anyone can do it
Gary Monaghan, a supporting sponsor of the Sunraysia who competed in 2017 on a KTM 500EXC and switched to a 690 Adventure, agreed the bigger bikes have one advantage: “They may be a bit of a handful on the competitive stages,” he said, “but they’re a little more relaxed on the transport stages.” Gary, who scored a top-10 outright in winning the Adventure division, reckoned the class will ensure the growth of cross-country racing in Australia.
It’s difficult not to agree. Fewer and fewer riders have the means or the motivation to build up a dedicated cross-country rally bike for a sport that receives little recognition. Conversely, it’s easy to fit a nav tower and ICO to your regular ride and participate in a timed adventure ride. It doesn’t matter who leads or who knows the course or who takes cornerman duty. There’s no pressure to perform. Plus there’s the reassurance that Racesafe has your back and there’s quick medivac should you need it. And a beer back at the bivouac if you don’t.
And when you’re out there all alone your imagination could take you anywhere.
A Paul Rooney-built 1982 R65-powered special in a bespoke frame with a DRZ400 front end roosted through the H3 class on the first day.
riskManaging
Miles Davis looks at some key adventure-riding risks and how to best handle them.
askilled rider has more control.
Remember when you first rode and how out-of-control you were some of the time? It’s scary to think learner riders get a licence in Australia with such little training. I wish I had a dollar for every time a mature rider with 10 or more years of experience said to me at a training course, “I can’t believe how much I learned. I wish I’d done this sooner.”
Unless you’re a guru both on- and off-road, consider training and keep improving your skills. You’ll have more fun and ride better, smoother and possibly faster.
Fitness and fatigue
Riding off-road can be extremely physically and mentally fatiguing. Being less skilful ramps up the fatigue drastically. I’ve seen it many times. Riders get tired, lose concentration, precision and end up crashing. I’ve also seen fitter riders in challenging situations simply keep going and going and come out the other side.
Not enough adventure riders take this seriously. It’s much more important than the bike you ride or the tyres you use. Have a think about it. Stay
hydrated and snack regularly. Personally I find it difficult to ride without a hydration pack. Sipping small amounts of water regularly is the key.
What if?
Some of you ride like you’re indestructible, while others are so cautious they struggle to get some flow. I like to use the ‘what if?’ theory, rather than the ‘assume everything will be fine’ approach. You can use this for all decisions made on a bike. Should I overtake? How fast should I go into this corner? I can’t see because of A, B or C, should I slow down?
Your question in all these situations should be should be, ‘What if..?’, and then take action to avoid the possible bad outcomes.
It’s a similar concept to ‘plan for the worst and hope for the best’. A lot of the time it’s this mindset that separates riders who get to the end of each day from those who don’t.
FOMO
Fear Of Missing Out can be a massive trap. Sometimes you make a decision, deciding to go with the A team or the B team. For some it’s clear.
They have what it takes to take on the sand, the hill, the rocks or whatever. For others it’s clear they shouldn’t, and they’re totally fine with it. For others it’s not so clear. They may be in the middle and have to make a call based on what they know and how they feel. But for others, FOMO puts them at massive risk. They may not have the skills and/or experience and/or fitness to take on the challenge, but they just don’t want to miss out. And for them, sometimes they also get an ambo, helicopter or RFDS ride as an added bonus.
Be realistic about your stats and know how important it is to have a beer in your hand at the end of the ride, rather than a green whistle in the ambo.
Wildlife
If you’ve never hit an animal, you probably don’t know how easily and suddenly it can happen.
Left: Riding off-road can be extremely physically and mentally fatiguing.
Below: Not having the skills and/or experience for a section, but not wanting to miss anything, can put riders at risk.
Personally I think this is possibly the biggest risk for riders in Australia. I hit a big emu on the road at over 120kph. It was messy and quite scary. Since then, when the bush screens my vision, I bring the speed down and cover my brakes as if I’m expecting something to appear. Often at those times a rider will go past me at pace, and I can tell who has and who hasn’t had a wildlife incident.
Be aware of your surroundings and try to be at a lower speed when the shit hits the fan.
Head On
It really freaks me out how so many riders apex blind right-hand corners. On the road a white line down the middle makes it pretty clear what side to be on, but offroad, or on smaller country roads without lines, it’s up to the rider and driver to figure it out, which doesn’t always work.
Keeping left is something so simple and so obvious. You’d think riders would strive to keep left considering the consequences. It’s simple: on blind righthand corners, ride the left tyre track.
For sure you might need to slow down to achieve this, but it’s better than
miLeS daviS
becoming part of a bullbar. Once you get used to it you realise how much better and safer it is. You get to see around the corner earlier, and when a ute appears you feel pretty good about it. My tip is to imagine a Landcruiser appearing at the apex of every blind right-hander and to be in a position, and at a speed, where you can deal with it.
The kitchen sink
A fully loaded bike can be a dog to ride off road.
If your adventure is more highwaybased or if you have a pillion, panniers
miLeS daviS
might be an option. But if you’re planning riding off-road with the occasional spicy section, a bike with less luggage is much easier to handle. There are things you definitely need, so make sure your priority list is in the right order. If you’re riding in a group, try to share some items like tools and spares.
Adapt and overcome
It doesn’t matter who you are, you need to be aware of the weather and general conditions and consider adjusting your ride to suit. Some tracks and terrain are not so affected by rain, while others can become unrideable with even a small amount of moisture. Be prepared to adjust when required.
The good gear
Don’t get caught out with the wrong type, or cheap and nasty, riding gear. It can be tempting to wear the lightweight, comfortable gear in summer, or cheap riding gear to make a budget.
But if you come unstuck on the road for any reason you might lose skin and get unnecessary injuries. The things to consider are abrasion resistance and impact protection. The good gear costs, but it can make a huge difference if you have an accident.
Vision
Make sure you have a solid plan when it comes to vision. There are lots of choices, but I always see riders get caught out and not be able to see well.
Things to consider are visor versus goggles, clear versus tinted and anti-fog systems, especially in colder climates.
For most riding my ideal set up is an adventure helmet with a peak for sun protection, a clear visor for wind protection and a retractable, tinted sun visor for easy adapting to light and shade. In colder climates the clear visor would have a Pinlock fitted which makes it virtually fogproof. On top of this I always travel with a pair of
lightly tinted goggles in case it gets very hot or dusty.
Good vision in challenging conditions is a major advantage. When you can’t see, it sucks.
On top of this, when riding in dust you need to manage the gap to maintain clear vision. If you ride too close in dust your risk goes through the roof. Riding in clean air is much more fun and much safer.
Finally
Don’t get caught out trying to keep up with faster riders. Ride at your own pace and you’ll be much safer. Don’t stress about holding up your group. They would much rather wait a few minutes to regroup than wait for an ambo because you were riding outside your comfort zone.
Give yourself challenges, but make sure they’re realistic. Build up gradually, gain confidence and experience without too many mishaps along the way.
Left: Managing risk is a challenge for adventure riders. Top right: Unless you’re a guru both on- and off-road, consider training. Middle right: A bike with less luggage is much easier to handle.
Right: It can be tempting to wear the lightweight, comfortable gear in summer.
andy Strapz
Thinking big?
Start small
Andy’s only got a little one.
Words:
Charlie and Ewan have a lot to answer for. How many riders decided to get into adventure riding and went straight out and bought a big bike with chunky tyres and all the fruit? They then hit the road (often literally), had a huge moment very early on and sapped what little confidence they had and decided to sell the bike.
Luckily for this little black duck I’d stepped onto the dirty side well before those two wellsupported ‘adventurer celebrity gents’ stepped off into the wide, errr…known. A Cagiva Elefant 750 was a big daunting bike for a ‘transitioner’, but I needed a
You reckon…
Readers have had plenty to say about Andy’s columns. We’ve passed them on, Andy’s answered every one, and we felt we should share your thoughts. Here’s a few examples typical of the opinions on past columns so you can see how other readers have been reacting. We’ll try and publish a few responses to each column from now on. If you have thoughts on something Andy’s written, let us know.
Distractamania – issue #30
I’m with Andy on this one. Having ridden bikes for over 30 years, British, Russian, Japanese and through to an Indian Enfield (sigh), then finally a DR650. I’ve ridden road, dirt, and farm bikes all over Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.
100 advridermag.com.au
Left: A Cagiva Elefant 750 was a big, daunting bike for a ‘transitioner’. Right: Dr Z should’ve been the starting point.
road-mannered bike as well as one that was dirt capable.
Looking back now I made the learning curve far steeper than it needed to be. Dr Z was the place I should have started. In fact it was my first-ever chooky. I don’t care if I drop it ’cause I can pick it up… packed! Scratches only make it look more authentic and it can be skull dragged out of trouble. Hill recoveries are a doddle and it does real nice skiddies.
Hindsight
Looking back, I wish I’d gone small from the outset. The learning curve wouldn’t have been as steep. After applying for the Seniors Card while waiting in line for a bag
I’ve never ridden one of these new-fangled, high-tech machines. I went on a ride with the boys from Inverell and Vince Strang was there on his DR650 with no ABS or riding modes. Vince rides as most of us old farts do, using the ride-mode selector on the right-hand ’bar –it’s called ‘the throttle’.
Ken Joyce
Technology has its place and that place is under the rider’s control, not the other way around. ‘Intuitive interface’ actually means the overriding of your decisions by a programmer who may never use the end result of the work in the real world.
Richard Arnold
The Art Of Compromise – issue #28
Andy’s theories in issue #28 hit the nail on the head. Back in the 1960s we would put flat handlebars on our roadbikes and ride to Bathurst for the Easter races. Later we would put wider ’bars on for club runs and trail riding.
Andy Strapz
check at ‘The G’ on Boxing Day, it dawned on me that the three-metre-tall-andbulletproof days were well and truly behind me. As silly as it might seem though, I reckon I might never have ridden better than I do now. Dr Z’s prescription of low weight and purposebuilt off-road manners has been efficacious therapy. Why the hell has it taken me so long to work this out?
Despite training with a Dakar star, my Tiger XC still puckered the master freckle and progress was slow, so it got sold. Feeling that fine control starting to come was a joy on a smaller-capacity bike –Dr Z’s front wheel in the air while the rear crested a contour bank, then gently kissing the deck at the bottom as the whole plot made admirable progress in the direction intended – woo-hoo!
If I’d had the chance, or probably the kahunas, to go on an intercontinental adventure years ago I know I would have taken the wrong bike. A 180cc Honda in Vietnam was a ‘big bike’ and riding at 80kph was certainly thrillseeking. The Elefant in the Swiss Alps was one thing,
but nipping between real pachyderms or dodging rampant buses in Iran would’ve been done best on a DR of some description.
I’ve noticed the longer hard-core international travellers wend their way around the soon-to-be-stuffed orb of ours, the smaller their bikes tend to get. The other group of riders I see working their way down the cc food chain are experienced and older riders.
Size of relief
The old adage, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” applies to us riders. Motorcycles were developed to blur vision and stretch riders’ arms soon after they were invented. The phwoar factor is the essence of motorcycling and gobs
Except for racing, one bike did all.
I currently have a Suzuki V-Strom and a Yamaha DT175. At my age I don’t bounce as well as I used to, so I avoid scary hill climbs and suspect water crossings. However, I’ve toured every state in Oz and still love dirt roads and forestry trails in this amazing country of ours.
Andy’s last couple of paragraphs say it all. I still get a rush every time I throw the leg over. It’s a way of life.
Ivan Brown
Looky, Looky – issue #27
Andy has it right. Being a physio myself I’d have witnessed many of the sorts of consequences Andy refers to. It’s amazing we ride bikes at all, but like most guys I get carried away with the fun and take risks such as the blind-corner issue or dismissing the possibility of wildlife collision. But flashbacks of myriad gruesome consequences keep me a bit more cautious than many, and now I’m nearing 60 my anatomy takes hits more like glass than rubber. I don’t want to dampen anyone’s fun, but just putting
andY Strapz
of grunt is what underlines that. I’m convinced that’s why Harleys have such a strong following.
A big Kato, Tiger or Africa Twin on the pipe is sensational and it does my heart good to get the occasional go on them. But I know I’d never have been able to appreciate what they can serve up without the progress I made on a user-friendly small bike.
As we’ve discussed before, it’s all about the compromise. It’s not how big it is, it’s how you use it.
Have you moved to a smallercapacity bike? Is Andy missing the point? Do adventure riders need big bikes? Let us know what you think.
Email tom@maynemedia.com.au and we’ll make sure Andy reads your thoughts.
out there my revelation of advancing age: I’d rather keep riding glorious dirt roads and tracks forever at six-tenths than for a couple of years at eight-tenths, then never again and spend years in rehabilitation.
Don’t kid yourselves, it happens a lot.
Pete KTM 690, Sydney
Turning 50 this year, mate, and I do one major ride each year. Last year was nine days, 5200km on big-tank DRZ400s: Mudgee NSW, central SA, Birdsville Queensland and back. We ride to have fun and survive. Andy’s last five lines sum things up perfectly for us.
Chris King
Mine’s Bigger Than yours – issue #26
I read Andy’s article over the Christmas break and think he hit the nail on the head. I based my opinion on having spent four years riding around the world with my wife on the back of our BMW R1200GSA. If you are interested our blog is at www.offexploring.com.au/michaelcc
Image: Tomaselli
karen ramsay
A taleprecautionary
Karen Ramsay tells of a close call.
t’s hard to believe I know, but there are times when I let husband Dave go riding on his own. Sometimes I feel compelled to stay home and catch up on domestic duties. It seems to be more often these days now the kids have more or less left home and there’s no-one there to do the housework or mow the lawn.
Dave recently had an incident when he was alone on his BMW F800GS. It all turned out okay so I’m sure he won’t mind me sharing his story. It’s also a reminder of how quickly things can go badly wrong, and how a really innocuous situation can turn quite serious. He acknowledges if he’d been somewhere isolated, the story could have had a very different ending. Here’s what happened in his own words…
Dave’s story
There’s something very confronting and seemingly rather pathetic when you finally accept you’re so trapped that calling for help is the only option.
What led to this ridiculous situation was a moment’s inattention on a slow, tight, first-gear turn just off the Cangai Bridge on some slightly rough, hard-packed river
rocks. As I rolled through a slight dip I dabbed my right leg down and was instantly grabbed by the rear ’peg, spinning the bike around my leg and pulling me viciously down into the river rocks. My boot was firmly wedged under the sharp centrestand pivot and carrying much of the bike’s weight. The pain was intense, and as much as I tried, I couldn’t move my foot or even rock the bike. I shut down the motor and removed my helmet and gloves to cool down and try to reason a way out on my own.
Shout out
I was in a slight hollow on the downhill side and unable to get my left leg over and into a position to help me push. There was no way to lever it and I wasn’t able to push the bike up with my hands. Fortunately I was only 100m from the Cangai Bridge where I’d just said hello to a lady walking
Top: Ramdog Dave rides alone a bit, and that has its risks. Top inset: A dramatic re-enactment of how the boot was caught. Left: Dave and a possible new ride.
Words: Karen and Dave Ramsay.
Images: Karen, Dave, Wilko,
Meg L.
across, plus I’d seen a couple of women swimming in the river, so I knew potential help was close by. But the river had a gentle gurgle up and two blokes on the far bank had been cutting firewood with a chainsaw, so calling for help may well have been futile. My SPOT tracker was on and pushing our designated message to say: ‘Need help, not life threatening’ would’ve had Karen looking for someone local to come find me, but with the pain in my leg getting worse, and knowing the longer I lay there the more serious a crush injury could become, I began calling out for help…quietly at first, then gradually with more gusto and intent. It seemed like ages, but thankfully the lady on the bridge heard me. When her friend arrived too they were able to lift the bike enough for me to get my left leg over to help kick the bike upright. I couldn’t thank them enough and I kept apologising for the ridiculous situation I’d found myself in.
Back with Karen
You’d think a tough adventure rider would’ve taken matters into his own
hands. He’s got a small saw attached to the bike, but he never considered sawing off his leg. Another option would’ve been to get his ‘poo shovel’ – a trowel attached to the bike for times he’s caught short in the bush – and dig himself out.
In all seriousness though, having been in the same situation myself, and having once found a bloke who’d been pinned under his bike near Tilpa in far-western NSW, I realised just how critical this can be. Most riders would have their own story or know someone who’s been caught in similar circumstances.
I don’t know about you, but I reckon having to call out, “Help!” when you know you’re not seriously hurt, but there’s no way you can get out on your own, would be the ultimate embarrassment. And of course, when he told me, I was the loving, sympathetic wife and walked around the house mimicking his feeble cries for aid.
Fortunately he had the courage to yell for help,
meaning his leg wasn’t badly injured and he could walk away rather than listen to me making fun of him for the rest of the evening.
What I’ve learned
R The kids must have done a fair bit of housework when they lived at home
R The potential hazards of riding solo should never be underestimated
R It takes courage to ask for help in any situation
R Riding is unpredictable
R If I’d been there I would’ve taken a photo first
Checkout
Raw material for the Christmas wish list.
Warp 9 Dr650
billet oil-filler cap
Function and bling!
R Takes a 12mm spanner or a quarter-inch ratchet drive in the centre
R Predrilled hole for safety wire
R Available in blue and black
R Includes a new O-ring.
RRP: Summer special $24.95 plus postage
Available from: Adventure Bike Australia Web: adventurebikeaustralia.com.au
briDgeStone battlax aDventurecroSS ax41 tyreS
Bridgestone’s new trail off-road tyre. A mix of Battlax and Battlecross technology.
R Ingenious block design
R High cross-section area and small pitch length
R Anti-irregular wear technology
R New block profile
R Increased compound rigidity and strength
R Available from January, 2019
RRP: $TBA
Available from: Your local motorcycle dealer Dealer enquiries phone: McLeod Accessories 1300 300 191
Helinox SunSet cHair
A full-size camp chair with a high backrest.
R Carry bag doubles as neck pillow
R Packed length: 47cm
R Packed weight: 1.47kg
R Capacity: 145kg
R Colours: red, tan, and black/cyan
RRP: From $178 with free delivery
Available from: helinox.com.au
airoH commanDer aDventure Helmet
Particularly suited for an all-terrain, all-round riding experience.
R Two different configurations: with or without peak and visor
R High-performance composite (HPC) shell in two sizes
R Extra-wide visor with integrated Pinlock lens
R Three-point ventilation system
R Aerodynamic peak
R Retractable sun visor
R Opportunity to connect Bluetooth systems
R Available in sizes S-XXL and colours: matt black; carbon red gloss; carbon yellow or carbon orange
RRP: $599.95
Available from: Moto National Accessories Web: motonational.com.au
forma terra evo loW bootS
A variation of the popular Terra Evo boots.
R Low-cut, oiled, full-grain leather upper
R FCS external ankle-support pivot system
R Drytex waterproof and breathable liner
R Adventure, dual-density, anti-slip, replaceable lug sole
R Integrated mid-sole with stainless-steel shank
R Unbreakable alloy buckles
R Optional stainless-steel toe caps (included)
R Suitable for men and women
RRP: $379
Available from: Forma dealers from January 2019
ukka rougHroaD jacket anD pantS
Gear that stands up to the rigours of life and Mother Nature.
Detachable, waterproof, Goretex inner liner with Outlast temperature regulation
Eight zip ventilation openings
Eleven pockets, four of which are completely waterproof
Plenty of storage space
Stretch inserts and width adjusters
Rukka D3O Air limb protectors: shoulder, elbow, all back, hips and knees
barrett proDuctS
africa tWin footpegS
Suits up to model year 2017. 2018 available soon.
R Made from 7075 T-6 aluminium
R 57mm width
R 304 stainless-steel teeth
R Available in black or silver
R Other models also available
RRP: $99
Available from: Barrett Products Web: barrettproducts.com.au
RRP: Jacket $1070. Trousers $855
Available from: Innotesco Web: innotesco.com.au
m8 Saver toW Strap
Made from polyester seat-belt restraint, so there’s a bit of elasticity to stop jerking and snatch.
R Attached to footpegs (looped or wrapped) applying a good centre of gravity
R Both riders cover the same terrain together, eliminating backlash and corner cutting
R Keeps riders in a safe position and allows good riderto-rider communication
R Enables good rider-torider vision
R Avoids rope crossing rear wheels
R Comes in its own bag attached to the strap
R Can clip on to handlebars or back pack
RRP: $16.95
Available from: Pro Accessories Web: proaccessories.com.au
new productS
mox 10-Watt leD ligHt kit
Compact, super-bright LED for trail and adventure motorcycles.
R Mounts up high near handguards to remove ground shadows
R Makes you visible during the day and turns an unplanned night ride into a bit of fun
R Laser-cut, stainlesssteel, universal bracket
R Two lights give a combined output of approx 1800 lumens (around 100 metres of useful lighting)
R Kit includes two lights, two brackets, wiring and switch gear
RRP: $175
HelD tropic 2 textile jacket
A lightweight, ventilated sports jacket.
Available from: Adventure Motorcycle Equipment
Phone: 1300 883 908
Web: adventuremotorcycle.com.au
bumot DefenDer evo pannier SyStem
Handcrafted in Bulgaria from two-millimetre aluminium.
R Available in 35L, 40L or 45L systems
R Stainless-steel quick-release locking mechanism
R 3M reflective logo decals for safety
R Available in black, Frozen Grey or raw aluminium
R 100-per-cent waterproof/dustproof
R Symmetrical from the centerline of the bike
R Galvanised and black, powder-coated steel pannier rack
R Optional tool box, pannier liner bags and organiser bags
RRP: From $1979
Available from: Bumot Australia Web: bumotaustralia.com.au
108 advridermag.com.au
R Heros-Tec 600D outer shell
R Two external and internal pockets
R Cool mesh material in front, back and arms
R EN 1621-1 CE approved soft protectors at shoulders and elbows
R Reflective detailing
R Arm adjustment
R Sizes 48 to 62 (XS to 4XL)
R Mesh liner
RRP: $300
Available from: heldaustralia.com.au
mitaS e-07+ tyreS
Successor to the highly popular E-07 adventure tyre, designed for 50/50 road and off-road use.
R Increased performance to exceed expectations from larger bikes and demanding riders
R A slightly modified tread pattern delivers improved riding performance
R A bigger knobby design provides plenty of open space to displace sand, mud and water
R Rear can be combined with an E-07 front
RRP: Fronts from $159.95. Rears from $179.95
Available from: All motorcycle stores Web: mitas-moto.com/en
new productS
pirelli Scorpion rally Str tyreS
Combines the best performance of a rally competition tyre with that of an enduro street tyre.
R Compound high in silica content provides excellent grip and high mileage in any conditions
R Street-type profiles and structure guarantee top-notch handling on the road
R Innovative tread pattern provides both traction on dirt roads and stability on asphalt
RRP: Fronts start at $169. Rears start at $219.
Available from: All leading motorcycle dealerships Web: linkint.com.au
alpineStarS toucan goretex boot
A technical and durable touring boot ideally suited to long days in the saddle.
R Innovative lateral ankle protection system
R Medial side structure is contoured with reinforced polymer sculpturing
R Wide-entry aperture for convenience with combined hard polymer
Zac SpeeD exotec cHeSt protector
WitH Sprint r-3 backpack
A chest protector designed for short, fast rides.
The Sprint R-3 is a fourth-generation pack.
R YBS water-resistant zips with rubberised all-weather pulls
R Molded EVA back panel
R Nine-litre capacity
R Removable waist belt and shoulder harness
R Four storage pockets
R CONFIGR8 ladder lock adjustment system (tool free)
R Source three-litre hydration system
R Weight 1.5kg (with pack shield and hydration system.)
Available from: www.zacspeed.com Email: info@zacspeed.com
110 advridermag.com.au
R Velcro closure
R 100-per-cent waterproof
R Fully CE-certified.
R Sizes: 8-13
RRP: $569
Available from: All motorcycle stores Web: monzaimports.com.au
k&n air filter for HonDa’S crf1000l africa tWin
Ideal for extended use in dirty and dusty off-road riding.
R No fuel management modifications required
R Filters are washable and reusable
R High air flow with excellent filtration
R Multiple layers of woven cotton gauze media offer excellent filtration
R Fits directly into OEM air box with application-specific sealing bead
R Washable and reusable
R One-year limited warranty
RRP: $199 (two filters per box)
Available from: All leading motorcycle dealerships Web: ctaaustralia.com.au
touratecH StainleSSSteel pannier rackS for HonDa crf1000l
Designed to take Touratech ZEGA Pro, ZEGA Pro2 and ZEGA Mundo cases.
R Fits both the CRF1000L and the Adventure Sports models
R Made of 18mm stainless-steel tube
R Also suitable for tough off-road use
R No restrictions to pillion
R Blends elegantly with the overall look of the Africa Twin
R Easy to fit and remove
R Overall width: 54.5cm
RRP: $630.20
Available from: shop.touratech.com.au
Web: touratech.com.au
Denali 2.0 Dr1 trioptic leD ligHt kit
The unique oversized reflector in the DR1 creates a 300m beam distance from a single pair of 10-watt LEDs.
R Two 10-watt CREE XPL HI LEDs
R 1.6-amp power draw
R 300m beam distance (spot)
R 22.5m beam width (spot)
R 2190 raw lumens
R Single-intensity harness
R DataDim compatible
R 12-volt DC operating voltage
R Pod Size: 9.4cm round x 9.65cm deep
Available from: Your local motorcycle dealer Web: www.whitesmoto.com.au
lS2 mx470 Subverter
An ultra-light, high-performance, affordable helmet.
R Kinetic Polymer Alloy (KPA) shell available in three sizes
R What is KPA? Find out on page 37
R Dynamic flow-through ventilation
R Double-D strap
R Emergency quickrelease cheek pads
R Safety sliding structure
R Weight 1390gm (± 50gm)
RRP: $299
Available from: LS2 stockists
Web: LS2Helmets.com.au
motoDry aDvent tour jacket
A tough touring jacket made from heavy-duty, 600D, abrasion-resistant material.
R CE armour safety kit (elbows and shoulders) and HDF back protector
R Hand-warmer pockets
R Adjustable magnetic collar closure
R Long, two-way zip forearm vents and ‘elastic-hold ram-air’ vents
R (DLS) Dual Liner System
RRP: $349.95
(detachable) – one waterproof and one thermal liner
R Rear shoulder hydrationpack pocket and shoulder hose loops (hydration bladder not included)
R Zip for attaching to pants
R Colours: Black (Sm > 5XL), and Black/Light Grey (Sm > 5XL)
Available from: Moto National Accessories Web: motonational.com.au
ADVENTURE Rider
new productS
raD guarD ktm1090
raDiator guarDS
Essential aftermarket equipment.
R Minutes to fit
R Bolts to existing mounting points on the bike
R Allows adequate airflow in the radiator’s core
R Made from aircraft-grade aluminium
R Available in black, orange and polished alloy
R Three-year worldwide warranty
R Australian made
RRP: $195. On special for $159
Available from: Rad Guard
Phone: (02) 6658 0060 Web: radguard.com.au
neW formula grip puppieS
Industrial chemists in the Old Dart have re-engineered the formula.
R Now with a five-year warranty
R A high-tech, UV-stable foam sleeve slips over existing hand grips
R Provide a barrier that reduces vibration
R Increases comfort
R Still work with heated grips
R One size fits nearly all
R Coat the inside with a bit of soapy water, slip them on, let them dry
RRP: $31.50 per pair, plus postage
Available from: Andy Strapz
Phone: (03) 9786 3445
Web: andystrapz.com
glovetactS
Stay connected with your gloves on.
R Easy to use and washable
R Quality AX suede material
R Removable
R Works on any glove
R Made in the USA
RRP: $16.99 with free delivery in Australia
Available from: Smart Motorcycle Accessories Web: smartmotorcycleaccessories.com.au
klim aggreSSor cool: SHort-Sleeve top
Made using a chemical-free, cooling, moisture-wicking fabric.
R Four-way stretch fabric throughout
R Low-profile stitching and seams
R Athletic, contoured patterning
R Breathable, moisturewicking fabric
R Fast-drying
R Non-abrasive neck and arm holes
R Flat lock stitching
R Available in sizes Small to XXXL
RRP: $75.
Also available in a sleeveless version for $60
Available from: AdventureMoto Web: adventuremoto.com.au
motoZ tractionator rallZ front tyre
A 90/90-21 rally adventure tubeless front.
R The most aggressive off-road adventure tyre in the Motoz range
R A mix between a desert race tyre and an adventure tyre
R Provides outstanding durability, grip and feel
R Self-cleaning and self-sharpening tread pattern
R Motoz tested and proven construction and compound
R Designed for Australian conditions from outback desert to coastal forests and fire trails
RRP: Front $159.95
Available from: Your local dealer Web: jtr.com.au
rocky creek DeSignS 400a mini jump Starter
Some serious grunt in a small jump starter.
R Will start motorcycles, watercraft, ATV/UTV, snowmobiles and petrol car engines up to six-litre, and diesel automotive engines up to three-litre, capacity
R Will also charge a phone or tablet through either of the two USB outlets
R Has a built-in LED light
R Comes in a carry case with a 220v wall charger, 12v accessory plug, battery leads and a combo micro USB/lightning charging cable
R Complete kit weighs 1035g
R Size packed in the carry case is 205mm x 140mm x 80mm
R Battery capacity is 13500mAh with a starting current of 400A and a peak of 600A
RRP: $168 plus postage and handling
Available from: Rocky Creek Designs and all good motorcycle stores Web: rockycreekdesigns.com.au
klim marrakeSH jacket
Engineered to provide the highest degree of comfort and durability.
R Excels in a wide temperature range
R An excellent combination of ventilation and abrasion-resistant materials
R Four external pockets
R Four internal pockets
R One inner chest pocket
R Available in sizes S – XXXL
R Available in grey or black
R Klim’s most comfortable motorcycle jacket
RRP: $545
Available from: AdventureMoto Web: adventuremoto.com.au
Motorrad garage BMW F850gS
We thought we were special because we’ve ridden the new Beemer 850, but Motorrad Garage is way in front of us. They’ve already got everything needed to kit out the new bike for serious adventure. See more at motorradgarage.com.au
