As long as you are on planet Earth you’re not lost.
Trust in the north.
Nor den 901
the entire globe is a playground just waiting for you to explore. inspired by the north and built for the world, the norden 901 is a rugged travel machine ready to face the unknown.
Tom Foster - Editor It’s we what do
did quite a bit of riding in Asia a few years ago. I used to hire a guide and my instruction was I didn’t want to see a tourist bus or fast-food chain store. I wanted to see the real people and the real way of life in those countries.
In Cambodia in 2007 the guide pointed to a sandy trail and said I should go ahead. The instruction was for me to wait for him at the village.
Off I went.
As I rode along, wrestling the DRZ through deep sand, I suddenly came upon a clearing with little skull signs stuck on sticks. It was curious, so I stopped to get a couple of pics.
Before I knew it people had emerged from the surrounding bush and were frantically waving at me from across the clearing and the guide was bellowing at me to keep moving. It was a situation which developed in just a few seconds, and in those few seconds there was clearly something very wrong. jammed the camera in my jacket front and roosted off, leaving a loud shotgun sound behind me.
The skull signs were landmines which had been located and the shotgun sound was one being detonated.
When I arrived at the village I found myself surrounded by soldiers in camo uniforms with submachine guns. I whipped off my helmet and called, “Sok sabai!” a Cambodian greeting the guide had taught me.
One of the soldiers fired some rapid Cambodian, and when I clearly didn’t understand and couldn’t answer I was tossed onto my face and had an SMG barrel pushed hard into the back of my head. The next development was a lot of yelling and I looked up to see the guide running around with a huge hunting
“ I was tossed onto my face and had an SMG barrel pushed hard into the back of my head. ”
knife, pushing soldiers around and making wild gestures.
Then, seemingly in an instant, everyone was smiling and most of the soldiers were wandering off, leaving the guide and the main soldier chattering away with every appearance of there being no problem. I wasn’t sure whether I was okay to stand up or not.
The night in that village was one of those magic evenings only some of us are lucky to experience and probably only once in our lives.
It was the night of a big muay thai tournament between Cambodia and traditional enemies Thailand. The village had pooled all its resources to afford
enough diesel to run a generator to power the only television. The entire village, probably several dozen people, met in a central clearing to share food and watch the fight. I was treated as an honoured guest and I’ve never felt so much goodwill and excitement in any one place at one time, ever. There’s all different levels of adventure. On that day, in that place, I saw two of the most extreme.
Adventure
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The
The Gawler Ranges, north of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, was the challenge for Richard Dwyer and four good friends with a love of adventure.
After a short practice run to both Kangaroo Island and Cape Spencer on the York Peninsula, five founding members of the GOC adventure motorcycle crew where prepared to tackle a week-long challenge.
The unsupported ride required careful planning and preparation as we intended to carry all fuel, water and supplies over 2215km through mallee woodlands, sandy deserts, stony plains and, of course, the majestic Gawler Ranges.
A mixed bag of fully loaded adventure bikes included Steve’s XT660, Björn’s 701 Enduro LR, Denys’ Tiger 955i ‘steamer’, Rob’s new Tiger 900 Rally Pro and my own 1200GS Rallye.
They were all very capable bikes – arguably more capable than their riders.
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Staying at Melrose on the first night provided the perfect opportunity to test riding gear and equipment before tackling the more remote and isolated regions of the state. It was also an opportunity to ease into the ride, establish a rhythm and settle the nerves – as well as the weight in the panniers.
A short afternoon run from Adelaide avoided the blacktop and followed dirt roads and trails that weaved through endless bright green fields of wheat and yellow canola. The pastoral magnificence was punctuated by raised hilltops sprouting enormous wind turbines.
A few secret tracks took us through stunning hill passes and gorges, as well as some technical and challenging terrain on the outskirts of Melrose.
It was a good test for riders and their fully loaded steeds.
The next day had us run the blacktop twisties of Horrocks Pass and the smooth run ended abruptly when the big GS went
down and took out a Tiger. The fact the bike wasn’t moving when it fell limited damage to the pride of the author and a bent gear stick on the old steamer. It was unanimously agreed this counted for two drops and a tally began.
The next stop was the birthplace of the Australian steel industry at Iron Knob. It was there in 1894 the first iron-ore deposit was discovered. It was also where the journey north into the arid zone truly began.
The long ride northwest to Mount Ive Station included a short detour down a sandy track for a lunch stop under a large tree at the base of the Uno Range. From there we lost count of stock grids as we passed through several stations. A strong headwind meant we nervously watched our fuel consumption rise and our fuel gauges fall rapidly. The sight of a submarine breaching from the red sand at the entrance to Mount Ive Station was a welcome relief, as was the cold beer on arrival at the Spinifex Bar.
The choice was simple – we could put up our tents or sleep in the shearing shed.
The decision was quick and unanimous.
We enjoyed a comfortable night on the timber floor of the old shearing shed, and the luxury of shelter and a fridge with cold beer was an unexpected yet welcomed bonus.
A few riders also took the opportunity to lighten the load with a few reds and a wee dram of whisky to lift the spirits.
Salt lakes and desert peas
At Mount Ive Station bikes and fuel bladders were filled with 95-octane fuel, water supplies topped up, and the crew headed north to Waltumba Tank Campground on the shores of Lake Gairdner.
It was a relatively short ride north to Lake Gairdner and the home of Dry Lakes Races Australia, the organisation which conducts the annual Speed Week where u
Above: Quick lunch stop below the Uno Range. Below left: From left: Björn Sahlberg, Denys Hornabrook, Steve Scarfe, Rob Bellfield. Below: Denys Hornabrook put in many days and nights of planning to make the trip happen.
cars, ’bikes and trucks compete for land speed records. Speed Week attracts competitors from all over the world to the amazing and unique location with a surface ideal for setting speed records.
The glistening white salt of Lake Gairdner can be up to one metre thick in places and is framed by a deep-blue endless sky and set to a backdrop of the red foothills of the Gawler Ranges. It’s a truly unique and breathtaking landscape and it’s easy to understand why it’s a deeply spiritual place for the traditional owners.
Wildflowers had exploded in full bloom following good recent rains, and included fields of the illusive Sturt’s Desert Pea. Deep-red flowering blossoms carpeted the desert and crept over the road’s edge.
In gear
There was also an ongoing shameless and competitive exhibition of camping accessories and must-have motorcycle ‘farkles’. Titanium ‘sporks’, an ultra-light coffee press, water purifier and dromedary storage bladders were apparently essential items for every motorcycle camping expedition.
The next morning brought news of
Rob’s missing glove.
A coordinated search of the campsite failed to locate the absent glove which was declared an essential item. This was when we met David, a solo adventurer on a DR650 who immediately offered us a pair of his own spare gloves. David would accept nothing in return and displayed a true spirit of camaraderie with a gift to a fellow rider he’d never met.
There’s something special about the fellowship of adventure riders. David from Port Pirie who rides a DR650 and works at Indian Pacific – you know who you are – we think you’re a dead-set legend. We hope to one day pay this good deed forward.
Of course, the offending glove was eventually found and timidly extracted from the bottom of Rob’s pannier at the next campsite.
Taking Skull Camp Tanks Road, we headed further north to Lake Everard and looped back to the Gawler Ranges National Park via Hiltaba Nature Reserve.
The road south from Lake Everard to Hiltaba had a few ‘Oh God!’ moments, with savage corrugations and patches of deep,
rutted sand on tight corners that tested each rider. The bikes lurched and danced beneath us as we stood up and focused on ’peg weighting and positive throttle, being balanced and centered, and staying loose on the ’bars.
Counter steering around corners? Applying positive throttle in sand and gravel when every inch of your body wants to apply the brakes and slow down?
Why is everything on motorcycles counterintuitive?
Hiltaba Nature Reserve is run by Nature Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation that invests in conserving, restoring and protecting South Australian landscapes, flora and fauna. The reserve includes ancient granite hills overlooking plains of grass and woodlands, and as we moved through the area there was a stark contrast between the vegetation in the reserve and neighboring pastoral stations. It was clear to see the effect of removing
Above: The salt surface of Lake Gairdner can be up to one metre thick and is framed by a deep-blue endless sky.
Below: A glove went missing at Waltumba Tank Campground on the shores of Lake Gairdner.
all domestic stock and goats from the land, as well as managing the ’roos to reduce grazing pressure on native vegetation.
Water bladders were filled and fuel bladders emptied below the stunning granite boulders of Pretty Point before we continued further south into the Gawler Ranges National Park.
We weaved through the Conical Hill Track to the Kolay Mirica Falls at dusk and saw rock wallabies on the glowing orange-red rocks before retiring for the evening at the Chillunie Campground.
The day’s ride was discussed over a small fire and dwindling rations of whisky and wine.
We visited the must-see sights and explored the scenic tracks of the Gawler Ranges. Lunch was near the Organ Pipes under a quandong tree bearing red, ripe, fleshy fruit for a bush-tucker dessert. With twice the vitamin C of an orange, it was good to supplement our more recent diet of dehydrated food, tuna wraps and protein bars.
Wattle Grove Campground at the base of a majestic granite monolith.
Continuing south, we passed through stunning granite outcrops around Wudinna before making our way to the
Above: The day’s ride was discussed over a small fire and dwindling rations of whisky and wine at Chillunie Campground.
Below left: Sturt’s Desert Pea carpeted the desert and crept over the road’s edge.
Below: Author Richard Dwyer under the quandong tree near the Organ Pipes. The fleshy fruit was good after a diet of dehydrated food, tuna wraps and protein bars.
A local who saw our procession of adventure bikes passed us at mach five to lead us to the campsite. While Old Sid –the local – had all the right intentions and was very excited to see fellow adventure riders in his town, he was a king without a crown but not so good for us to have around. While very generous in providing us with a fire in a chamber made from an old boiler (and probably a new pair of gloves if we’d needed them), it came at a cost. To be fair, knowing and having an opinion on everything must be challenging, and we all learned a lot from Old Sid. We learned the V-Strom is the best adventure bike, and we very quickly learned not to challenge this or any other of his opinions which were held forth as indisputable facts. Most of all, we learned the true value of the GOC and riding and traveling with a broad and eclectic group from different backgrounds with a shared and respectful system of behavior. This delicate balance and group dynamic can be easily destabilised when an individual fails to recognise, observe and follow the laws of the group.
An early night for everyone else left Old Sid to admire his fire chamber.
Next morning we enjoyed a brewed coffee in a hollow granite cavern, watched the sun rise with a warm golden glow and avoided further contact with the outside world.
A hot breakfast in the civilized, thriving farming community of Kimba went down well before retracing some of Edward John Eyre’s sandy, dusty and corrugated tracks. We passed through Secret Rocks, which Eyre named Refuge Rocks, recognising the importance of the rock holes and springs for the explorers and pastoralists he hoped would follow. Then
it was a quick detour to the enormous Iron Baron iron-ore mine in the Middleback Range, where the landscape was stained with a thick, rich, red dust, a by-product of the extraction of millions of tons of hematite.
A side trip down to Point Lowly and Point Douglas in the upper Spencer Gulf was well worth the visit to see Mt Remarkable and the southern Flinders Ranges silhouetted against the gulf. Being unable to find an open track through to Port Augusta cost valuable time and fuel as we backtracked to the bitumen and limped into Port Augusta. After a blast back through Horrocks Pass we had time for one quick beer on the verandah of the Wilmington pub to regroup and prepare for a late dash on dirt roads and backtracks. No one had signed up to ride at night, and what started as an anxious ride with eyes peeled for ’roos in the spotlights became a highlight. All the senses were at full alert
as we weaved past the magnetic hills and gorges through to Peterborough. We were rewarded with a cold beer, shower, secure parking and a comfortable bed at the Peterborough Hotel, an establishment which specalised in catering for bikers.
Two riders missed the starter’s gun thanks to the comfortable beds and had to hightail it to Burra on the blacktop, missing some challenging tracks which included a section of fine, deep talcumpowder dust along a short stretch of the Mawson Trail.
A brief diversion to the steep slopes of Burra Creek in the adventure riders’ playground at Worlds End tested bike and rider before lunch at the Mount Mary Pub. Our team physio then performed a
Below: Brewing coffee and watching the sun rise in a granite cavern at Wattle Grove campsite. u
few manipulations to relieve the pain and trauma caused by Worlds End and 2000km in the saddle. Some cable ties were also used to aid in the recovery of a weary Swedish bike. We had dinner at the Swan Reach Hotel overlooking the mighty Murray River before retiring to The Block in the mallee scrub outside of Sedan.
Reminiscent of a small Pikey village – complete with sprawling caravans, shipping crates, bush cars and a rustic portal-frame cabin with walls made of local stone, permapine and bulletproof glass – it was comfortable and sure beat putting up a tent.
After a few beers and reds around the fire discussion turned to tour highlights, and of course, planning for the next trip. Perhaps Innamincka and Coongie Lakes?
A short jaunt into the Grampians or the Victorian high country? Perhaps we could follow the mighty Murray River from the Southern Ocean to its source?
Riding home the next morning through the dry-stone wall country of Sedan, it was an opportunity to reflect on this epic adventure to the Gawler Ranges. While it didn’t have the dramatic, rugged gorges and sweeping pounds of the more strident Flinders Ranges, the region holds a subtle elegance and beauty and rewards those prepared to travel a bit further off the beaten track to a unique, diverse and timeless landscape on a path less traveled.
The GOC will be back. We’d just touched the surface and now have a new appreciation and respect for the vast, contrasting and pleasantly uncrowded frontier of the Eyre Peninsula.
We were very impressed with Harley’s new adventure mount at the media release. But how would it stand up to a few weeks in the real world? Adventure Rider Magazine had the chance to find out.
For a 250kg, 150hp, dualsporter running at around $34,000, Harley’s Pan America is a first-class motorcycle. It has a ton of smooth, manageable drive, is incredibly comfortable and offers serious performance.
That much we knew from our one-day ride at the media release where everything was organised for the bike to look its best. What we wanted to know was how the Pan America would cope with the rough-and-tumble kind of riding adventure riders faced every day, and where things weren’t always ideal.
Harley was keen, so we lobbed in to its impressive Sydney headquarters, were briefed by an equally impressive Harley tech, and roosted off into the unknown – just like every other adventure bike has to do.
The first setback for us with the PA was the sheer amount of information we needed to absorb to try and understand where to start looking for the best from the bike.
Our review bike was an optioned-up model with
crash bars, serious bashplate, Off Road Plus mode and two user-programmable modes, and Harley had thoughtfully fitted a pair of Michelin Anakee Wilds. The problem for us, and we’ve had to overcome the same thing on all bikes in this class, was trying to get a grip on the effects and parameters of the various modes, and how to navigate the menu to achieve our aims.
Fortunately, Harley tech Dan Lesnock was a very patient bloke, and obviously had a performance level similar to the Pan America. He talked us through ‘the basics’, but we still struggled to grasp the breadth of tuning available. Dan made it all seem so natural and straightforward, but every time he finished explaining something we found our attention had wandered to a new Sportster parked in the corner or the possibility of being allowed back into Queensland this century.
Dan must’ve noticed our short attention span because he made sure we took an owner’s manual, and that proved a seriously good aid in understanding the bike.
So that’s the first thing we found with the Pan America: the tuning options available to the rider are staggering. There are huge opportunities for a rider to customise everything from power output to engine braking and everything in between.
We left HD with our eyes spinning like pinwheels and wondering how we’d ever get the thing to just ‘go’.
We shouldn’t have worried.
Right: There’s no lack of out-and-out snort, and the bike’s stability at speed is good.
Left: Turning off traction control brought the bike to life and made lairising around on the gravel a great deal of fun.
Just ride it
To try and get a feel for things we started punting the bike about using just the preset modes. Our initial impressions were that Off Road was ‘pretty good’ and suited most of we wanted to do. Road was ‘good’ as well, but not much chop off the bitumen because the traction control and ABS were too savage. Sport was ‘OMG!’ and caused unsightly stains in the undergarments, but useless off road, and Off Road Plus was sort of ‘pretty good’, but we were more comfortable with plain Off Road.
Rain was soft in every respect, but we didn’t find a need for it. Even in the wet we selected the Road mode and were comfortable.
Having arrived at that assessment we then put the bike to our regular suspension and testing tracks and
came to a few interesting conclusions.
The first thing to hit us was the suspension was quite good.
As we’ve found so often, the electronically adjusted suspension, working to read terrain and make adjustments in very near real time, worked well. It’s not as precise as mechanical suspension tuned for a rider’s preference on specific terrain, but it’s pretty damn good in a huge range of situations.
Harley deserves a big pat on the back
Below left: The sidestand looked a bit flimsy but did the job. It couldn’t be moved to the folded position once the bike was on the centrestand.
Below right: An SAE plug as a standard fitting!
for offering such a well-sorted system.
We were working in Off Road and Off Road Plus modes during these test runs, and we have to admit we were a little disappointed with the bike’s power delivery. There was something that wasn’t quite right.
The problem turned out to be the traction control.
Traction control is backed right off in the off-road modes, but it still intervenes slightly, and that was enough to effect several facets of the bike’s feel. With the traction control turned off via a touch of the clearly marked button on the right switchblock, the Pan America suddenly fulfilled our every expectation – and then some.
Brilliant. Especially when the only power output on the dash was a USB-C port. We’re a bit behind the times and none of our accessories are running USB-C yet. u
Holy go-like-a-cut-cat, Batman! Jee-ee-zuss!
Despite several parameters looking
ideal on paper, Off Road Plus turned out to not suit us as well as regular Off Road because the throttle response is sharper, and with that much bike hurtling around at those kinds of speeds, sharp throttle response was the last thing we wanted. The suspension was firmer in Off Road Plus though, and we liked that.
If we’d listened more carefully at the Harley-Davidson briefing we’d have known we could adjust the suspension and the throttle response in the Off Road Plus mode, and we could’ve arrived at what would probably have been our ideal all-rounder setting.
A bike like this one will almost certainly be expected to demolish long distances, so the road modes are worth considering. Road mode was good. We didn’t find it exceptional in any particular area, but the traction control and ABS did their things, there’s linked braking – pulling on the front brake applies some rear as well – a
slipper clutch, cruise control totally rocks and there’s plenty of grunt. Sport mode was interesting. The Pan America doesn’t hold as tight a line as some other bikes in this category. It doesn’t run wide in corners, but it takes just a smidge more effort from the rider to keep it tight to an apex. You may wonder why we comment on that with a dualsporter, but once the Sport mode kicks in the motor chucks the ‘dualsporter’ in the shit chute and starts rocketing the bike around with really impressive acceleration. The rider finds themselves needing to make fast decisions and serious commitments, and it seemed to us the bike’s handling didn’t quite match the engine’s potential. It was awesome fun, though. Hoo-aah.
With the modes and expectations roughly in line, we punted off on the Ural Adventure Ride with the Pan America as a camera bike.
We gave this a lot of consideration, because it was likely to be a big ask for a bike like this one. Chugging along at 35kph or maybe 45kph, loaded with luggage, for an hour or two at a time, copping rain, mud, heat, dust, and then being carelessly leaned against trees or flung quickly on the sidestand creates lots of opportunities for problems and damage. But the Harley coped with it all for three days without even the tiniest valve rattle of complaint or symptom of stress.
Ambient temperatures were in the high 20s and there was some hilly terrain, and the only fault we could find with the bike was a fading rear brake. The brake didn’t disappear or get dangerous, but the fade on the long, very low-speed downhills was noticeable. It was an impressive performance for such a big bike.
The Harley’s sting when asked for, and willingness to lug and grunt through tough going at low speed, was a bit of an eye-opener, and that’s all there was to that. It’s a really nice bit of gear and very capable in a wide range of situations. But there were quite a few little things we noticed thanks to being able to live with the bike for a few weeks – things easily overlooked, but good to know. The electronics are very advanced for
Top: Real-world riding. No problem. Left: The TFT screen displays a lot of info, but it’s easy to read and use…even though we had to squint at some of the smaller readouts. u
simple adventure riders like us and allow a huge amount of tuning and personalisation. They also have some interesting ‘caring’ functions. The motor won’t rev over 4000rpm in neutral, for instance, unless the clutch is pulled in, and one we found really fascinating was ‘Transport Mode’. If you want to move the Pan America in a truck, van or trailer, it needs to be put in Transport Mode first, otherwise it’ll arrive with a flat battery (we don’t know why. It just does).
Connecting a phone via the H-D app gives access to phone functions and a nice selection of nearby ride routes, and the TFT screen, with a very detailed presentation, will display phone navigation, text messages, incoming calls and the usual phone-related info. There’s a lot of talk about the Adaptive Ride Height function, and we admit it’s a ball-tearer idea that’ll win this bike a lot of fans. The PA can be programmed to drop 25mm or 50mm at given speeds or when it’s stationary. It’s yet another good indication of the thought and research Harley put into designing and building a good adventure bike.
On a more basic level, we were thrilled to find an SAE plug peeking out from under the seat. We fit one to every bike.
It makes connecting a battery charger, compressor or just about any other 12-volt accessory an absolute breeze, and we were rapt to find it already on the Harley.
The comfort level in general is really high, and although we didn’t have them fitted for the pics, the panniers Harley supplied with the bike were excellent. They weren’t heavy, could be locked, and went on and off the bike with the turn of a key and the flick of a lever.
Allowing for riders all being different heights, weights and shapes, the bike seems to us a great platform to get things well set up to suit individuals. The ’pegs were a little close to the seat for us, but there’s a taller-seat option
Top left: The footpegs could’ve used a little more bite.
Top right: Screen adjustment was dead easy.
Just grab the spring-loaded handle, give the trigger a squeeze and rock it up or down to the required height.
Bottom left: The handguards unclip from the ’bar ends at seemingly the slightest bump.
Bottom right: We didn’t haven’t any overheating problems, but it might pay to keep an eye on the line of gunk up the centre of the radiator when riding wet clay.
available, and in a strange trick of geometry, while the pull-back style ’bars aren’t our favourite, everything was spot on when the rider stood on the ’pegs.
Speaking of footpegs, these weren’t our favourite feature on the bike. They weren’t bad, but they didn’t offer enough grip in the wet, even without the rubber inserts, and being a smidge wider would’ve added considerably to the comfort for those who stand up a lot.
And finally, something we found a little disappointing, the plastic handguards clip on to the end of the ’bars in a moderately ineffective way. It seemed like every time we climbed off the bike we had to bump one or the other back into place. It was a very minor thing perhaps, but in this class of bike we felt it a little out of place.
Nice one, Harley
We’re still a million miles away from getting the best from the HarleyDavidson Pan America, but we’re absolutely confident the bike is a good one, well ready for just about any kind of adventure riding any reasonable person would ask of a bike like this one.
We know from experience how much performance gain is available to a rider who takes the time to learn the electronics and menu, and we’ve barely begun on this bike. As things stand, working only with the preset modes and the most basic tuning adjustments, we’ll back the Harley to be an excellent dualsport option, and well capable of holding its own with its competitors.
It might even be a little better than that, but only time will tell.
Perth Adventure Riders’ Mid West Or Bust (MWOB) has just run for its sixth consecutive year. Tiger MacCarthy has the story.
MWOB 2021 kicked-off with a good mixture of riders, including many repeat offenders, but also a large selection of newcomers keen to see what all the fuss was about. Over 30 hombres left their home bases around the Whadjuk Noongar* nation (Perth) and headed for the kick-off.
The eight-day trip struck out north from Jambinu (Geraldton), took a right at Galena bridge, and then hit the dirt and headed for Murchison Oasis for the first overnighter. The destination for the second night was Gascoyne Junction and, after a night in the pub, everyone would make their way past Mundatharrda (Kennedy Ranges) on the way to Burringurrah (Mt Augustus). Day four would hit Dooley Downs Road, a perennial favourite, and head for a two-night stopover at Cheela Plains Station near Paraburdoo. After being pampered at the station, the riders would wind their way back south with an overnight stop again at Burringurrah before meeting friends at Murchison Oasis for a final night at Northbrook Farm Stay.
Main: Lined up on the beach at Port Gregory on the final day.
Top: A good mixture of bikes and riders.
Right: Mid West Or Bust 2021 was voted the best yet. u
* Gascoyne in Western Australia is home to the Yamatji people whose connection goes back millennia. As the ride travelled the midwest of WA, it seemed fitting to acknowledge Aboriginal names and landmarks in recognition of the history of the ancient land.
The recent winter rains meant riders were greeted with 40 shades of green, plenty of surface water and rivers running, or running higher than usual. Dust had been an issue on previous MWOBs, and the rain keeping the dust well under control also meant MWOB 2021 was voted the best yet – although that could’ve been down to the failing memories of the geriatrics involved. There were many highlights along the way. The Nanda Aboriginal people from Kalbarri and beyond believe mythological Dreamtime beings sculpted the land we were privileged to be riding through. We crossed a free-flowing Murchison River – believed inhabited by a serpent called Beemarra during the Dreamtime –on the first day and were greeted by a postcard scene, but a couple of unsuspecting riders took a swim due to the slimy surface of the submerged
causeway, also known as an ‘Irish bridge’. One of the victims, Lenny Hicks, was adamant his impeccable riding ability wasn’t at fault, but rumour had it he was heard mumbling, ‘Beemarra!’ as he frantically recovered his bike and his composure.
Day one rounded out with a lap of Wooleen Station and its stock of cows and kangaroos, before heading to our friends at Murchison Oasis, who always put on a top show. This year was no exception.
We left Gascoyne Junction on the third day, and the Kennedy Ranges, known as Mundatharrda to the local Inggarda Aboriginal language group, soon came
into sight. The plateau, 75km long and ranging in width from 12km to 25km, was once submerged beneath the ocean. Time, compression, faulting, uplifting and subsequent erosion have left the plateau 80m above the surrounding plain. A detour allowed a closer look and a bushwalk through Temple Gorge, not easy in motocross boots and knee braces, but well worth the effort. A wonderful day rounded out with a ride on to Gifford Creek Station, through to Wanna Station, and a winding run to Burringurrah.
Being given permission to ride the station tracks of Gifford Creek Station was a definite highlight, and we could only but wonder whether the tracks truly had been sculpted by a dirtbike rider from the Dreamtime.
Mount Augustus is known as Burringurrah to the local Wajarri Aboriginal people. The Mt Augustus Park was gazetted in 1989 and is made up of former parts of Mount Augustus and Cobra Stations, and first
sight of the early morning sun on Mt Augustus never ceases to please. For the first leg, it also signified the Dooley Downs Road section, adding extra excitement as the camp rats packed up tents and the room fairies tended to manicures from the porches of their resort dongas waiting for the off. The range of bikes on MWOB 2021 reflected the varied Australian adventure-bike market. They included, at the smaller end, Julian Pope’s unstoppable Yamaha WR250R on its second MWOB, asking and possibly answering the question ‘is this all you need?’. At the other end was Mark Lebkuecher’s spaceship, the KTM 1190R, only outdone by Ari Rowe’s Honda Africa Twin, dubbed ‘The African Queen’. Unsurprisingly the majority of the great unwashed were on 400 and 650 Suzukis, too numerous to count. New for this year were the enduro bikes displaying their adaptability: three Yamaha WR450Fs, a KTM500EXC and a Husaberg 570. There were also a KTM690 and a couple of Husky 701s, with their predecessor the Husky 630, joining that group. Just to be different, Neil Barnes was on his low-flying Tiger XCX800. The selection was rounded out by three Yamaha T7s and their ancestor, a lone Yamaha Ténéré 660. At each regroup the T7 riders would gather to giggle and
squeal like teenage girls at a boy-band concert. Their secret was never uncovered, but their smiles indicated the T7 may just be the bike of choice for the open trails of the MWOB.
All you need It all started with the planning.
For MWOB 2021, the tribal elder of PAR, Colin Bayman, handed over the planning reins to Drew Peach, and Drew did a great job under Colin’s mentorship. He’s signed up again for 2022.
PAR’s resident ‘Gero Dero’, Merv Martian, again shared his shed, property and wit as the bivouac to prep bikes, and to leave vehicles and trailers for the duration.
Mike ‘Sergeant Major’ Littlefair plotted and led on a smorgasbord of trails, ranging from the beach at Port Gregory to the rocky, red Pilbara and back.
The two support drivers, Andrew Knight and Glenn ‘Jacko’ Jackson, were kept extremely busy buying supplies, piloting
the barbeque, dispensing fuel, ferrying broken bikes and riders, and bush mechanicing, all done with aplomb and a smile. Without Andrew and Jacko’s support, it would all have turned pearshaped really quickly.
2021 was a busy year. Four riders left the tour and flew home from Paraburdoo to tend their respective injuries, and after the tour Roley Bayman did the long round trip to rescue bikes left behind by the wounded.
Many thanks to all of the above and other backroom staff who pulled the trip together with style and grace.
Over so soon?
All too soon we were having our final breakfast in the historic town of Northampton before trekking back to our respective metropolitan realities.
Northampton still bore the scars of Cyclone Seroja which damaged 70 per cent of homes in Northampton and Kalbarri. Many of the historic 19th
century buildings lost their roofs. Nic at the Shearing Shed Café kindly opened on Sunday morning for our hungry mob, and it’s safe to say Nic’s vanilla slice is the best in the land. She recounted some horror stories of the cyclone, with one poor family having to take refuge under their floorboards as their house was completely destroyed.
Please remember to get out and support these brave and resilient communities.
MWOB 2021 was the sixth year of the ride, and with MWOB 2022 places snapped up in 24 hours, it’s on the way to becoming its own historic event.
Top: Some of the crew camped at Gascoyne Junction. Maybe the tracks truly had been sculpted by a dirtbike rider from the Dreamtime. Below: Under the moonlight on Burringurrah (Mt Augustus) and ready for the tall tales of rescue-helicopter and Husaberg 570 pilot, Craig Ant.
Benelli TRK 502X
BMW F650 / 750 / 850 / R1200 / 1250A
Honda CRF 1000 / 1100, CB500X, NC750X
KTM Adventure 790 / 890, 1090
Moto Guzzi V85TT
Suzuki Vstrom 1000, 650
Triumph Tiger 800, 900 Rallye Yamaha Tracer 900 / GT, Tenere 700
You won’t stop banging on about how modern bikes’ electronics are so frigging good you never disable any rider aids. Then you hit that once-in-a-decade, scary-AF downhill where you’re committed to the descent before you realise that, even with a death grip on the front brake and the rear pedal pushed down so hard the braided line is threatening to burst, the bike is still accelerating, and accelerating fast. Screaming, swearing, soiling the riding pants and, eventually, faceplanting is the result.
Even though everyone on the ride will have made the same mistake at some stage, you’ll still be considered a bell end.
It doesn’t matter how good a rider you are, all of us, at some stage, will end up looking a bit foolish. Sometimes it’s an honest mistake, but then there’s the other times. Here’s 10 common examples.
At the servo everyone fills their tanks and containers but you say, “Nah. I’ve got plenty to get me to the next town.” Only there’s a problem before the next town and everyone has to take a long detour or ride through an unexpected 100km of deep sand. You’re left begging for any spare fuel from your mates to help you get to the next bowser.
You won’t end up looking too good, but if the others who gave you fuel run out as well, you’ll look a right ’nana. No excuses for this one. You’ll be considered a tossle.
You think it makes you look like a seasoned off-road rider who knows what he’s doing, but being up on the ’pegs when the terrain is smooth, especially on highways, just makes it look you have piles or monkeybutt.
One way or the other, everyone will certainly think you’re an arse.
Get ready to discover the fourth Multistrada generation. Sportier and more touring, stronger for off-road use and easier in the urban environment. Lightweight and compact, with the new 170 HP V4 Granturismo engine for a sporty and exciting ride on mixed terrains. Ready for long journeys thanks to the navigation-system that can be viewed on the dashboard and the innovative rider assistance radar-system, it will offer you excellent riding comfort and a main service-interval after 60.000 km. And when the asphalt ends the fun will continue thanks to the high ground clearance, the electronic suspension, the surprisingly fluid power delivery and the perfect ergonomics for stand-up riding. After your adventures you will feel great ease and control in daily use thanks to the advanced electronic ride assist systems and the ability to adjust the seat down to 810 mm in height.
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Mistake the shallow line across the river
Accidentally pointing to the wrong place because you weren’t really paying attention is bad enough, but then taking pics of the result? Ah, soul!
Not carrying the tools needed for a tyre repair
It’s no good throwing out excuses about all the different bikes you ride. If you don’t have the gear needed to do a tyre repair on the bike you’re on that day on that ride, you not only look like a dick, you ARE a dick!
Finding you’ve left your tow strap at home after you have a breakdown
About
100km from anywhere, and maybe 350km from home, your engine stops and there’s no obvious reason why. You give your mate the bad news that he’ll have to tow you in. That’s when you discover you’ve left your tow strap at home in the shed. You’re a total tow rag. Seriously. Nobody will like you.
Your bike’s stuck in mud or sand and everyone chucks off their backpacks, helmets and jackets and rushes in to help. Instead of waiting, you snick ’er into gear, crack open the throttle until valves are bouncing and the rev limiter’s going mental, and spray stinking, bacteria-infected sludge or gritty, face-abrading sand all over everyone’s kit.
You’ll look a complete twatt.
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Sometimes there’s so many people trying to help they get in each other’s way, and the best thing everyone else can do is keep the area clear while the problem’s sorted. But the excuse, “I need to take a few pics!” is a sure sign of a workdodging wanker.
You pull up, and instead of flicking down the sidestand you decide to swing your leg over and spring off the bike. Or you think you may as well kick up the sidestand before you climb on because, ‘you can hack it’.
Except, even if you don’t catch your foot on the luggage – or maybe even on the seat because you’re not as agile and supple as you used to be – a big, heavy bike doesn’t have to move far from perpendicular to have everything turn to custard. The resulting crunching noise as the bike hits the deck will attract attention from a considerable distance, especially if it’s at a servo or campsite, and you’ll end up being the subject of everyone’s what-a-slapper story.
You barrel along in the middle of the group for kilometre after kilometre, pissing about adjusting your gloves, making weird hand gestures in time with the music in your head and watching the scenery, but the whole time you have your fricken blinker on! Jeezuss!
You even leave the poxy thing on when you’re stopped, finally realising as you’re about to take off it’s been on the whole bloody morning! There’s a school of thought which supports eye-gouging for riders who do this.
Brothers Tony and Frank Guymer have cruise control down to a fine art.
Based in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, MotorCycle Cruise Controls – MCCruise – is an Australian company with nearenough 25 years’ experience in designing and building cruisecontrol units.
The brothers are keen riders. Frank has a 650 V-Strom and older brother Tony, 71, is a huge fan of both his CRF250 and his KTM 390 Adventure.
“I’m not a gung-ho 20-year-old tearing around the bush,” chuckled Tony, “I just enjoy the serenity of it and no police and being able to have a coffee in the bush and enjoy the clean air.”
Although the brothers love their bikes and riding, the company’s product lines and expertise ranges through a wide variety of machinery, especially agricultural equipment.
The interest in cruise-control for bikes came about after a slow-speed fall left Tony with spinal injuries. One of the long-term problems was his fingers going numb after a short time on the bike. Throttle locks didn’t do the job, and a Kmart cruise control adapted to Tony’s VFR750 worked reasonably well…until it jammed on the way into the first turn at Phillip Island during a coaching session.
Younger brother Frank, having studied engineering and electronics, and Tony put their heads together and came up with a better design and, with a loan from their father, MCCruise came into being.
The product was good and the
brothers’ vision was as big as the world itself. The success of the company, due in no small part to a strong focus on safety and reliability as well a dedication to a quality product and customer service, has been undeniable. Companies like Kubota Australia sell MCCruise hardware and technology, and research and product development is constant and ongoing.
Above: Both brothers went to Vietnam for three weeks riding. Frank (centre left) and Tony (far right) are keen adventure riders. Below: All units are plug-and-play and can be installed by anyone with reasonable mechanical competence.
Tony has been riding since he was 17 and Frank since he was four, and both continue to ride whenever developing and refining cruise controls leaves them time. Highlights of their travels include 12,500km in three weeks around the USA in 2008 for Tony, and in 2011 both brothers went to Vietnam for three weeks riding YBR150s and a Future Neo 125cc scooter. Tony and a mate covered 6000km around NZ in 2017 and Tony went back to Vietnam with two Kiwis in 2018.
Probably the most interesting facet of MCCruise for adventure riders is the company’s success with cruise-control units for carburetted bikes like the DR650. In 1997 when they started, almost all bikes had carburettors, so they have vast experience.
“The adventure market’s huge for us,” said Tony. “It started with the BMW R1200GS, because BMW didn’t have cruise control back in 2005. Now bikes like the V-Stroms and many of the KTM and Husqvarnas are our biggest sellers. Adventure and long-distance riding is obviously where our product excels.”
There’s a KLR in the factory at the moment which is almost ready to go. All that’s needed is time away from the pressure of some important R and D.
“We bought a KLR to develop a kit,” said Tony, “That’s unusual. We usually just borrow a bike for development. All the components are designed and built, but Frank’s been up to his eyeballs in other work.
“We just have to find the time to bolt it on and go for a test ride to calibrate it. Then it’ll be available once we have instructions written.”
“We’re also hoping to build something that’ll fit the Monster and a few other throttle-by-wire (TBW) Ducati models. We tried to develop the Stelvio before we had TBW cruise, but it was just too hard and would have taken too long to install. We have an electric servo kit for the Multistrada, but clearly it needs to be
revised with a TBW kit. We just need a bike!”
Tony’s pride in MCCruise and its products is obvious.
“A lot of cruise-control companies have the approach ‘near enough is good enough’. Because we ride, and we’ve been doing this since 1997, we’ve refined, tuned and completely revised the software and controllers. My KTM 390 Adventure works down to 15kph. It’s that low-speed precision we aim for across the whole range.”
You can do it
Another important consideration in MCCruise bike cruise controls is they can be fitted by anyone with reasonable mechanical competence.
“We advocate getting the instructions from us by e-mail, we create videos where we can, and any capable home mechanic – any who will read instructions (he laughs again) – can install these things.
“They’re all plug-and-play.”
Tony says he’s ‘semi-retired’, but he clearly still has one hand on the throttle at
MCCruise as the company continues to power on.
“Our move at the moment is to autonomous vehicles and all-terrain vehicles,” he explained.
“We have six projects going on around the world, with our cruise control underpinning vehicles which don’t have a rider or a driver, mostly for agriculture. We’ve had some significant success with Kubota and autonomous vehicles. That’s moving along well, and we hope to get vehicles into retail and dealer sales in 2022.
“The Polaris UTV range is all throttle-by-wire, and we have companies in Brazil making spray equipment and using our cruise control on the tow vehicle.
“America’s the big market obviously, and that’s the one we’re working on, but it’s not easy.”
Above: “The adventure market’s big for MCCruise. The V-Stroms and many KTMs and Husqvarnas are ideal platforms. Adventure and long-distance is where the product excels.” Below: MCCruise came into being in 1997.
Main: Others followed through backroads and more slippery dirt.
Right: The author, Bevan, explained the trial to riders.
Below: Clay surfaces of the Avon Valley were tricky after rain.
From humble beginnings four years ago with 18 riders, the ADAMA 2-Wheel Trial Tour has become a three-day event attended by over 40 farmers, consultants and researchers from around Western Australia with two things in common – a love of agriculture and a love of motorcycles. Bevan Addison tells the story.
Words: Bevan Addison. Images: Sam Addison
WWhen the weather starts to fine up in September and October agricultural enterprises all over Australia host field days to showcase new products and innovations. As a market development manager for ADAMA, an agricultural company that develops crop-protection products, and with over 30 years industry experience, I’ve undertaken too many of these to count. A conversation with agricultural consultant and bike enthusiast Graham Laslett flipped the concept. As an excuse to get some riding during work hours I suggested we go for a couple of days riding, talking to farmer clients, and call it ‘market research’. Graham came up with an even better plan – a few guys, a support vehicle and a couple of days touring farms.
Before we knew it, we had multiple staff, support vehicles, trials and campsites organised and the ADAMA 2-Wheel Trial Tour was born.
All shapes and sizes
Any licensed rider with a registered bike who’s involved in agriculture and was prepared to camp out was welcome. All styles of bike were catered for, with road and dirt sections to appeal to all comers. There’s always some dirt just to get up farm tracks,
so it’s not the place to be for those who don’t want their shiny toy to get dirty.
Over time the Trial’s tour had everything from 250cc trailbikes through to Harleys and Goldwings. 2021 was no exception, with good representation from road and adventure bikes. BMW GSs of various ages and capacities, a couple of Ducatis, DR650s, Harleys, a Suzuki 1400, a sidecar and even a Hyabusa came out to play. I managed to find a low-kilometre 1200 GSA earlier this year, so my trusty Tiger 955, which had led the past few tours, became the camera bike with my son Sam on video and camera duties.
As has been said many times, adventure bikes come in all shapes and sizes.
Riders came from near and far in 2021 and gathered in the small wheatbelt town of Calingiri, population 200, about two hours north of Perth.
Camp was set up on the local footy oval and was home base for the next two nights.
Common interests in agriculture and bikes immediately had everyone in the groove and made all newcomers feel very welcome, and about half the riders were repeat attendees and made the most of catching up.
As well as the diversity of bikes there was a diversity of camps.
Some experienced campaigners had all the top gear, others adopted a more cheap-and-cheerful approach, while Laurence Carslake from Farmanco Consulting towed his camper trailer behind his Harley. The bike won the heavyweight award and there was a bit of obligatory joking about him towing his house around, but Laurence had the last laugh.
Rather than packing up camp each day we adopted a loop-out-and-back system so we could cover different routes each day and keep the bikes light. It also meant we could quickly relax with a cold refreshment when we got back after a hard day’s work.
Yes, we were working.
We had the necessary safety briefing, highlighted the map routes for the day and tucked into an awesome lunch supplied by the Calingiri community and sports clubs who provided excellent catering for the duration, then headed off on a half-day ride around the Wongan Hills area. This is a prime farming region that becomes one of the main routes into wildflower country during spring, when small towns make the most of spring tourism.
Everyone was raring to go, but some, who spend most of their time chasing sheep in paddocks, took a while to get
the feel for the open road. Trying to get 40 bikes all heading the same way was like herding cats. It certainly got a few strange looks from some of the locals, including the Wongan Hills constabulary who followed along, no doubt wondering who the motley bikie gang may be.
They must’ve decided we weren’t much of a threat as the tail didn’t last long. Before we even got to our first trial we were caught in roadworks. It’s hard enough to keep 40 bikes together without hold ups from the lollipop man.
Wet the bed
It was soon time for the first breakout on the way to Mount O’Brien, the secondhighest peak in the area, and the message to all riders was clear: if you can’t get up on the ’pegs and ride some sand, take the bitumen route.
Those who chose off-road managed to
get their assortment of bikes through the section, although it was clear some of the riders and bikes don’t see a lot of sand, especially the brand-new Pan America.
The Harley was about a week old and was the first one any of us had seen in real life. The unique front-end can be a bit polarising, but everyone seemed to agree it looked better in classic Harley black than the orange-and-white seen in so many photos. For three days new owner Perry Jasper was grinning from ear to ear and seemed pretty happy with his purchase.
We wandered back to Calingiri via dirt, bitumen or the fuel station. Staying at the local sports club and changerooms inevitably got the old footy stories going (that’s Aussie-rules football for some of our eastern counterparts who prefer to throw their footballs backwards). It’s amazing how many people become more legendary the longer they’ve been retired.
After a couple of cold ones and a great feed everyone made for an early night in a nice cosy camp. That was until midnight, when it bucketed down. The value of a cheap online tent became questionable, while Laurence was cosy and warm in his tow-along house and was heard chuckling to himself. Around 19mm of rain overnight made the local farmers grin but had several riders drying out sleeping bags and watching the radar.
For the second day the group headed towards the Avon Valley and the first stop near Toodyay, about 45 minutes away.
There we toured a landscape-rehydration site with Tierra Australia, a company which specialises in that type of environmental work. Most farmers have a strong emotional connection to their land and are keen to do the right thing environmentally, and many came away with new concepts to deal with salt and erosion that had developed over many years.
The site was certainly getting rehydrated that day. Once again the rain came down, luckily during the morning-tea stop. The barbeque trailer with gas urns provided shelter for the crew and riders to warm up and enjoy a hot coffee out of the rain.
Mission possible
A break in the weather – but with
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clouds still looming – came at just the right time and we headed off.
The Avon Valley is at the top of an escarpment about an hour east of Perth and is full of hilly, twisty roads. Our destination, York, is a regular day trip for Perth motorcyclists and an adventureriders’ paradise. It also meant gravel roads with clay surfaces, and that became a tricky combination in the rain. A quick route modification gave the option of a really slippery section for the off-roaders, or a less-slippery route for the roadies. Watching Harleys and sports bikes with road tyres pull up covered in mud made for some interesting discussion. The first words uttered from behind a couple of visors were unprintable, but everyone got through safe and sound.
We called in a favour from local research company Living Farm and were able use its shed for the lunch spot.
Amazingly we managed all our field visits without getting wet.
After our last site there was the breakout option for home. Many took the quicker bitumen route, while others followed me through some backroads and more slippery dirt. Not only did we avoid a heavy shower which got many of the bitumen crew, we were given a tour around the historic Wyening Mission Farm wine cellars by Ruth Young, who runs the property with her husband John. Wyening Mission Farm was originally part of the Benedictine town of New Norcia, established in 1847. Those Benedictines must’ve been dedicated to walk 150km through virgin bush, set up a town and later develop outstations such as Wyening. The monks left the legacy of fantastic old buildings, art collections and an interesting history.
After a quick tour it was back to Calingiri, with Ruth’s boys on the back of
a couple of the bikes. Those bike-loving farm kids couldn’t stop smiling. An awesome firepit was throwing out the heat as riders relaxed and warmed up before another great dinner and a much warmer, drier night. A few awards and special mentions were given to highlight some less-than-clever things that had occurred during the tour.
The last day saw a trip west through the township of New Norcia and on to a couple of innovative enterprises, including Moora Citrus, established by wheatbelt farmer Michael Brennan, who had a large water supply and was looking for a new challenge. It has rapidly become the premier citrus operation in the state, supplying local and export markets. As riders departed from the final stop we reflected on another successful event, more new friends, and lots of information shared about our new ADAMA products as well as other research. Plenty asked questions about where we were going in 2022.
The small ADAMA WA team who put in a lot of effort to make the tour run smoothly might just clean some muddy bikes and gear and catch their breath before planning the next one.
RideADV’s Greg Yager probably does more hard-slog kilometres on the Yamaha Ténéré 700 than anyone. Adventure Rider Magazine tracked him down for a look at where he’s up to in developing and tuning the premium, no-nonsense mid-weight adventurer.
ith a hard-working tour company and several Ténéré 700s doing duty as sweep, guide and staff bikes, RideADV has, over time, found a good selection of people and companies it can turn to when it’s time to build and tune bikes.
The principal at RideADV is Greg Yager, and after around two years with the Ténérés he has an unbeatable methodology for researching what works and what doesn’t.
“We’d be close to 200,000 accumulated kilometres across our fleet,” said Greg. “We’ve tested a lot of things, and everything we’ve tested we’ve paid for. Some stuff we get discounted, but we pay for it. That’s so we can say what we think.
“If someone gives us something I feel like I have to say something nice. If I’ve bought it I can tell the truth.”
We’re looking here at Greg’s personal bike, so although there’s some discussion of the other RideADV bikes, keep in mind there are some personal preferences on this specific unit, and some of the components are currently being tested.
Bashplates have well and truly been under the magnifying glass. In the pics here Greg’s bike is wearing a Motoes, and it’s a nice bit of gear, but…
“We tested Camel, Outback Motortrek, B&B, Yamaha genuine and Botas,” Greg remembered. “The pick of them would probably be the B&B, which is Australian made. We didn’t like the black, poly coated B&B one because rocks’d hit it and it’d fray.”
There were quite a few footpegs given a workout as well, and after some serious real-world running all the bikes are fitted with genuine Yamaha YZ/WR ’pegs.
“All Yamaha’s F range use the same footpeg as well,” stomped Greg. “You can buy them individually, they’re inexpensive, a good size, they have a nice level platform with good grip, and they fit straight on.”
Starting with the wheels, a set of billet hubs are laced to Exel rims.
Greg pointed out there were no problems with the standard wheels on any of the RideADV bikes, so we wondered why the change?
Greg shuffled a little and mumbled, “No great reason…I…um…like the colours.”
We quickly moved on.
Tyres are a 90/90-21 Pirelli Scorpion Rally on the front, and the rear is swapped from the stock 150 Pirelli Scorpion Rally to a 140.
“It’s a lighter tyre,” said Greg, treading carefully, “and you can notice the lesser gyroscopic effect in corners.”
Greg doesn’t have crash bars fitted to his personal bike due to his clutch set up, but after testing several other brands uses Yamaha genuine on the fleet bikes, finding them a good balance between simplicity, weight and protection. There were others with strengths in different areas, but the Yamaha bars suited the overall purpose best.
Barkbusters are a no brainer for hand and control protection, and while the fleet bikes all run standard ’bars, Greg’s own bike runs Wyndham-bend ProTapers. He finds the taller ’bars help ease his tendency to develop tendonitis (Tennis Elbow).
We were a little surprised to find all the bikes, including Greg’s, run standard lighting. The set up on the Greg’s WR250R
looked like it’d been done by the same people who lit the MCG, but on the Ténéré 700 the standard lighting is exceptional. Braking is standard, but Greg felt the rear was a touch wooden and fitted pads from Yamaha’s XT660. It’s the same shape as the sintered pad on the 700, but being organic it bites a little harder, and of course, doesn’t last as long.
A Camel five-litre rear tank fits nicely out of the way on the rear of Greg’s bike. Over time the tank has stretched a little to where capacity is now at about 5.4 litres, and Greg points out the placement works well.
“The bike will pull the fuel from the rear tank before it empties the front tank,” he
explained. “The rear tank has a lower centre of gravity than the front, and about 100mm of it is behind the line of the rear axle. We run with Rotopax on all our bikes to support our customers, and you just don’t notice the Camel tank is there.”
At the time we were looking at this bike a 22-litre Acerbis front tank was on its way for trial.
A Camel high exhaust does the bizzo on Greg’s bike, and in an interesting result, running without a catalytic converter caused a drop in performance.
“We tried open headers, and we felt, and the dyno confirmed, the loss of back pressure without the catalytic converter absolutely destroyed the bike,” revealed Greg. “We could get a lot of power high in the rev range, and it’d rev to the bejezuss, but it lost its low-down grunt. We’ve gone back to the standard headers with the cat converter, and the fleet bikes all have Arrow slip-ons.”
Seat and front tank are standard, as are most of the controls, the exception being the Yamaha after-market hard-part levers and the Camel One-Finger clutch actuating lever. It’s this lever on Greg’s own bike which fouls the Yamaha crash bars.
RideADV was involved in the development of the ADVWorx luggage, so it’s no surprise the soft panniers are that same brand.
“They have valves you unscrew so when you roll them up the air escapes, and they have everything the best bags we’d used offered, but all in the one bag,” said Greg.
The Camel sidestand is a bit stronger than the stocker, and the dash is reinforced with Camel anti-bobble brackets. Greg actually runs his pair of GPSs on the handlebars, and one of his favourite fittings is the AltRider dual-stage brake pedal which allows comfortable braking, sitting or standing, without twisting any pedal fittings.
Always a favourite for big-money customisation, suspension received plenty of attention.
“We tested Öhlins, Andreani, Rally Raid, TracTive and K-Tech…we tested the lot,” sagged Greg. “Nick Dole at Teknik just kept throwing them at us and we kept trying them. We tried them at standard height and we tried them at 30mm higher because everyone said it needed more ground clearance, but the taller setting ruined the bike.
“After all that work we’ve ended up with the standard components and Nick’s settings.”
So there it is. The Ride ADV Ténéré 700 is a well-sorted, hard-working and reliable unit… much like Greg himself.
RideADV was
in the
of the
and
Above left: Yamaha YZ/WR footpegs: inexpensive, a good size, they have a nice level platform with good grip, and fit straight on.
Above right: It’s a wild-looking bit of gear, but the AltRider brake pedal works well, both sitting and standing.
Below: Phwoar. That’s one good-looking bashplate being evaluated on Greg’s bike. B&B is the plate of choice on all the RideADV Ténéré 700s.
Some dream of leaning against tree, far from anyone or anywhere, sipping an exotic tea or coffee, nibbling on a muffin and watching the crystal-clear water of a mountain stream tumble by. For Ural owners, that’s just another morningtea stop on another adventure ride. It’s probably not even the highlight of the day.
Adventure Rider Magazine always feels a little privileged to be embraced by the Ural crowd.
The editor hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory during his short but torrid Ural adventures, and yet the group always seems incredibly welcoming and happy when the magazine shows up.
That’s a good thing, because a Ural adventure ride is a glimpse of a dreamlike, happy world where people are friendly and can’t wait to help each other, the pace of
travel is almost whimsical, and the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful.
Not only is the scenery and terrain stunning, it seems part of an unwritten Ural creed that every scene must be enjoyed. Pull up. Break out the thermos and a bakery treat, maybe lean on the bike or the chair and just…look at it. Take it in. Enjoy.
The 2021 Ural Adventure Ride was like that. The weather was perfect, the people as friendly and welcoming as ever, and the riding? It just doesn’t get much better.
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Clare and Mat of Ural Australia, as always, were at the centre of everything, and after a few false starts with border closures and openures and closures again, it was decided to go ahead anyway, no matter what. On a warm, sunny, fabulous New England morning
the train of 12 Urals, led initially by Rocky Creek Designs’ Janice and Greg Jansen, hit the road from Uralla and headed for Kentucky, Mulla Creek, Woolamin and Nundle.
The irrepressible Chris Barnden threw his spare leg in somewhere and climbed into a chair, and Ian Bray tried to
Above left and above: Michael Taylor and daughter Nina made the most of every opportunity. Ending up drenched on a hot day was just part of the fun.
Top right: Jon and Vicki Taylor were there to help out, as always. Jon’s expertise and coaching experience with Urals is gold. Below: Stopping to enjoy a great view is mandatory for Ural riders. There were plenty of them on the 2021 route.
camouflage his sidecar being empty, fearful the editor may want to ride passenger again (see issue #38).
Supercoach Jon Taylor and wife Vicki tagged along and shared lead duties with the Jansens.
Other rigs included happy and friendly faces from previous rides, and quite a few recognisable rigs.
As the parade of steady, mature machinery, handled by steady, mature people, made its way through the day, things could hardly have been any better. There were no breakdowns or flat tyres, no rain or heavy mud as had been seen in 2020, and aside from some dust and a few unkind words about Ural suspension on corrugated roads, it was about as good a day’s adventuring as anyone could’ve hoped for.
Nundle, as always, welcomed the group into both the motel and the pub, and a cheerful and sedate
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evening was spent in those very pleasant surroundings.
For the second day of the planned threeday run the crew puttered off into a Nundle morning drenched in sunshine and under clear blue skies.
Greg Jansen was in full swing with his new drone and flew the buzzy little bugger up, down and around everyone and everything, much to the amusement of all. It was a little disappointing the drone didn’t run into anything, but it wasn’t for Greg’s lack of trying.
The story so far
The well-known Crawney Pass came and went, and Ellerston received a few unflattering remarks after a previous visit hadn’t endeared the security staff of the property to some of the Ural crew, and skirting the Barrington Tops National Park had everyone rolling into Gloucestor in the later part of the afternoon.
Once again there’d been no breakdowns or drama, the countryside was some of Australia’s best, and some ridiculously huge dinners at a Gloucester pub put a very nice finish on a very nice day. But then the storm hit.
Adventure Rider Magazine started tagging along on Ural rides back in issue #29.
In general we’ve really enjoyed the journey of discovery that handling sidecars has been…well, most of it. There have been some hairy moments that weren’t a lot fun at the time, but thanks to the goodwill that seems to permeate the sidecar scene, things have always worked out well and we look back on every ride as a good one, and, more to the point, a true adventure.
Left: Just for fun.
Above: Willawarrin’s Ian Bray was ready for another adventure. His contribution was a new type of tea: Lady Grey. It’s a refined, high-class option….just like Ian.
The final day dawned warm and clear, but only after Gloucestor and the surrounding area had been smashed by a thunderstorm of almost biblical proportions during the night. Fair dinkum. It was difficult to hear the MotoGP commentary there was so much rumbling and Armageddon weather going on. But, being an adventure ride, everyone coped in their own way. Some snuggled down deeper under the doona, some rigged shelter over their sidecars and bikes to avoid a wet bum in the morning, and some – maybe only one – fitted earbuds to the phone and continued watching MotoGP, more than a little annoyed at the inconvenience.
If you’ve thought about having a go at a Ural, we can’t recommend it highly enough. Get in touch with Clare and Mat at Ural Australia in Uralla and organise a ride. Better still, get on to Jon Taylor at uralofoz.com.au and get a really good understanding of the riding techniques and mechanics before giving it a go.
The social side of things, and the hundreds of different ways to carry gourmet foods, pets, great places to go and all the other fun stuff, will all be made clear the first time you turn up to a group ride.
On the plus side, the damp ground meant almost no dust for the final day.
The cavalcade set out for Krambach and Mount George, stopping for a smoko at a truly sensational and magnificent tree-shaded riverside, before trundling in to Nowendoc, where the first few peeled off and followed the tar to their own destinies.
After some cheerful farewells and maybe even a few sad goodbyes, and a stirring couple of words from Paul Whelan, the remaining riders headed for Walcha and the end of yet another superb adventure run.
Adventure Rider Magazine is fortunate to ride with lots of different groups in amazing and exotic locations all over creation, but no group is friendlier or more fun to ride with, and no route or terrain more enjoyable, than those we find on the annual Ural Adventure Ride.
We’re already looking forward to next year.
Above: There were no breakdowns, just some maintenance here and there.
Below left: Rocky Creek Designs’ Janice Jansen is a top gun!
Below right: Last time we rode with Mark Budden he took the prize for a great hat. This time it was his T-shirt.
At 1800km the Canning is the longest stock route in the world and winds through the Gibson, Little Sandy and Great Sandy Deserts. Ewen MacGregor was keen to tick it off his bucket list, and 2021’s Desert Raid gave the opportunity he was looking for.
Words: Ewen MacGregor. Images: @MacGregor_images and Ralph Weiss
Iheard about Desert Raid over a decade ago from a member of the Perth BMW motorcycle club, so when received a late call from an old friend, Ralph Weiss, inviting me to join him on the 2021 event I jumped at the chance, especially when I learned the meet location was Well 5 on the Canning Stock Route.
Alfred Canning surveyed a 1500km stock route from Wiluna to Halls Creek in the early 1900s and commercial droving along the route began in 1910. Nowadays the Canning Stock Route is a high-priority destination for Australian 4WDers and riders, with the remote, harsh countryside attracting seasoned adventurers.
The biannual Desert Raid was conceived by Robin Morritt and Chris Grice back in 2008 on a return ride from the Off Centre Rally at Lorella Springs in the Northern Territory. The idea was put to the BMW Motorcycle Club of Western Australia and the inaugural event was at Carnegie Station, WA, in May, 2009.
The event has no formal organiser. A location is decided, the event is promoted, and self-sufficient riders make their own way to the destination.
The aim of our ride this year was to cover as much dirt as possible to the Desert Raid. Three of us – Ralph, Jorge Araque and myself – headed off for what
Above: Steve ended up dropping it nine times on the track. Below: Six days and 2500km. u
turned out to be a unique adventure ride via Northam, Paynes Find, Sandstone, Wiluna, and Granite Peak Station to our final destination, Well 5 on the Canning.
It was obvious my new Husky 701 wasn’t going to be ready in time, so my good friend Lee said he’d help get it sorted.
Sporting a new Lee camel-toe sidestand extender, new Michelin tyres and a few other upgrades, I rode home to hastily pack and sort food (I’m known for my last-minute ride preparation).
Meeting in Mundaring, east of Perth, and starting with a good coffee, we rode to Northam via the Great Eastern
Highway. As soon as we headed north from Northam the roads became much quieter and the fields greener, and the pungent aroma of the brightyellow canola fields filled my nostrils.
The rolling, almost empty roads encouraged an over-enthusiastic right wrist at times.
We hit the dirt of Maroubra Road as the sun dropped to the horizon and I noticed Ralph’s speed suddenly decreased and he pulled off the road into the bush. A ’roo had poked its head out and crossed in front of him, so we decided to call it a day.
We set up camp in the bush surrounded by wildflowers, gathered firewood and debriefed the day.
drought forcing them to sell a lot of their stock, so the few dollars track fee were most welcome.
The superb – no, sublime – tracks were twisty and open, and encouraged us to stand on the ’pegs and open up the throttles. The Killers’ The Man lyrics rang loud in my head: ‘I got gas in the tank, got money in the bank’.
I was surprised at the number of bikes as we rode into camp. There were tents pitched everywhere in small groups around firepits and I later learned 62 riders had made their way from as far afield as Alice Springs and, within WA, from Albany to Port Hedland, a recent Raid record.
Fired up
That first night was absolutely freezing, and as we woke at daybreak to the sound of birdsong I simply could not believe the frost on my bike and helmet. The cold killed Jorge’s WR250 lithium battery and Ralph had to tow start the Yamaha. This flavoured the rest of the ride and we ribbed Jorge mercilessly.
Starting later than planned due to Jorge’s bike issues, we arrived at the outback town of Wiluna after a 500kmplus day, fuelled up and headed off to the campsite.
It was almost dark when we rolled into the ‘oasis in the desert’, Gunbarrel Laager Travellers Rest, just outside Wiluna. The good news was the meal for the night was fish and chips and the property used to be a vineyard, so the owners always supply a glass of wine with meals. This lifted our spirits and we quickly put up our tents, showered and headed off to the dining room.
Around 25 to 30 riders were already camped at Gunbarrel Laager, all heading for the same destination: Well 5. We were warmly welcomed to the big campfire where we sorted out the world and renewed old friendships. It was an excellent way to end the second day.
We decided to ride into Well 5 via Granite Peak station, an easy 265km while we had a heavy fuel load. The farmer told us they’d had a very difficult five years with
Several unusual sidecars had ridden in via the Canning, and this turned out to be a hard-core group of homemade outfits using Suzuki GSX1400 donor bikes. With a comfortable ride, plenty of carrying capacity and the ability to have cold beer at the end of the day it started me thinking…perhaps one day.
But not yet.
Youtuber Roz Veersma dopped in on her way back to Perth after her ’roundAustralia adventure. She told us her bike rode so much better and more like a trailbike should as she’d left 10kg-15kg of her luggage at Granite Peak station! Several WA adventure bloggers and Youtubers attended so all the action
Top left: Maroubra Road, start of the dirt. Bottom left: Deciding to call it a day.
Top right: A nice, clean 701 in Payne and feeling no pain.
Below: The Port Hedland group arriving at dusk.
and colourful characters were sure to be captured.
The well was fully functioning and the water sweet, and with the camp shower set up we washed away the sweat and dust from the day’s ride. Riders continued to arrive until well after dark and were welcomed as we checked out each other’s bikes. A tasty looking 701 Rally replica caught my eye, as did a classic 640 Adventure and a smattering of DRs and bigger adventure bikes. It was noted the BMW riders who provided the inspiration for the event were riding more dirt-capable DRs, not their big Beemers.
The third day dawned and we set off southwards down the Canning Stock Route – having bump started Jorge’s WR 250 again.
After the previous night’s campfire
advice regarding our proposed route, I had to admit to being a tad nervous. I wasn’t sure what to expect and I’m not the biggest fan of sand. Sandy riverbeds were tough work on a loaded adventure bike, and as the rest of the Canning was closed due to the pandemic, the section we were on had seen increased use in recent months. That was without considering the numerous bikes, including several fully laden sidecars, that had ridden up the track to Well 5 the day before. I was wearing my KLIM Gore-tex jacket, and as the temperature hit 28 degrees, and with me working hard in the deep sandy sections, rivers of sweat ran down my face into my eyes and the inside of my jacket was soaking. The Husky needed another rest, so I took a moment under the shade of a tree to cool down before righting the bike and getting back on track.
and downs
We caught up with Werner on his BMW HPN and Steve on his 1200GS, both of whom had left over an hour before us. Werner was repairing a punctured fronttyre. As we headed off I saw Werner in my mirrors and waved him on. He came flying past and binned it right in front of me. Yes, the 701 ABS works. Luckily he was uninjured.
Tread lightly
Down the track, with my bike taking another rest, we heard the sound of Steve approaching at speed. Then the sound suddenly stopped. His bike also needed a rest, apparently.
He left his bike on the track on its side and went to find shade while he waited for Werner to help him pick it up.
The three of us made light work of righting the big bike, but Steve ended up dropping it nine times on the track. I was incredulous he was riding at all, as his front tyre had hardly any tread.
Well deserved
What a ride. It had to be the toughest but most rewarding ride I’ve done to date. It had everything you could wish for, from wide-open sandy, firm tracks where you could powerslide the corners to hard, rocky river crossings and boulder fields reminiscent of Mars. You couldn’t afford
Left: Ralph at Well 3 on the CSR. Never pass a functioning toilet or fuel station! Above: Camp and debrief.
Below left: Werner was repairing a punctured front-tyre.
Top right: Several fully laden sidecars had ridden up the track the day before. Far top right: Fuel at Wiluna.
to drop your concentration for a moment and look at the scenery as a washout or gotcha would suddenly appear.
The deep river sand and washed-out creek crossings churned up by the sidecars and other riders made me realise how hard it must be at the back end of a Dakar Rally field and why some riders headed off at first light.
This was like the best rally stage you could imagine, with constant challenges, holes, washouts and tricky drop offs. If there is a track in Australia that could be called adventure-riding Nirvana, then this has to be it.
Several riders elected to ride up the Canning on the way to the event and Roland broke his ankle. On the Sunday ride out, Roz came across Shane on a 690 with a fractured T5 vertebrae and broken fibula. Several riders stayed with him overnight until an RFDS helicopter rescue could be arranged.
Kudos must go to Rick, a paramedic rider who looked after both injured riders at the expense of his own ride, and the others who helped. It was true adventureriding spirit. Both incidents stressed
the importance of having two-way communication on remote rides and some remote-area first-aid training.
After six days and 2500km, and my first big ride on the 701, I have to say it ticked all the boxes. The bike handled extremely well, was stable at speed, oozed confidence, and I felt at home
right away. I know we’ll share many future adventures.
This was my first Desert Raid and I hope it won’t be my last. If you’d like to share the adventure, camaraderie and pure riding pleasure, ensure you make plans to be at the next Desert Raid in 2023. I’ll look forward to meeting you there.
To celebrate the completion of a ninemonth stint building new premises for Queensland’s Dalby Moto, dealer principal Craig Hartley jumped on board with some mates and tackled a 13-day ride to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Left: Author Craig Hartley took the new KTM 1290 for a run through some tough territory.
Above: A 13-day ride to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Right: An 80km round-trip to Etta Plains showed earthmoving contractors building a massive irrigation block.
Iarrived home at 9.30pm Saturday from a final 15-hour day, went to the shed to do the bike, and the red-dust haze settled over the eyes as I snapped the lid off a beer.
At 1.30am, after just sitting and thinking of what we’d achieved, and looking at and half planning what prep I had to do, I finally went to bed. was excited, but far from ready.
The plan was for brother Tony to ride up from Brisbane Sunday morning. He had a wedding Saturday night so a casual start of ‘about lunchtime’ had been set.
As it turned out, this was the least setup bike I’d ever taken on a decent trip in my 27 years of riding this adventure stuff. Thankfully the new 1290R didn’t need much doing to it. It’d been at Dalby Moto for a month and I’d had a set of racks built a couple of weeks earlier.
Anyway, at about 10.15am, with only a couple of hours before blast off, I set to work.
A set of lower and wider rally pegs went on. KTM decided to put a mini circlip in the footpeg pin rather than the normal split pin and I just about destroyed the
circlip getting it off. A trip to the usedparts corner in my shed yielded a standard set of ’pegs with split pins which went on.
If you’re looking at changing footpegs, I’d get an old set of pins ready to go before you make the attempt.
Next up were the saddlebag racks, a fairly straightforward fit apart from recessing a
“ I may have broken my record with a total bike-and-self prep time for a 13-day ride of under three hours. ”
couple of slots in the black plastic subframe cover where the rack brackets bolt to the subframe. There are predrilled and threaded holes there already.
The Akro muffler and KTM tank bag hadn’t turned up, so the standard muffler was fine, and the tank bag off the 790R went straight on. I then strapped on the saddlebags I’d used on my last trip on the 790R nearly 12 months earlier. The good
thing about that was all my standard adventure gear – tubes, tools, repair gear and a pump – was still in the bags ready to go. Likewise the 790R tankbag. I basically sifted through it and repacked the 790 tankbag on the 1290 and was good to go. I had a quick look inside the swag and strapped her on as well. Brother Tony and Dalby local Dave Winton turned up ready to go, so they did the finishing touches by fitting the folding mirrors, not that the standard ones are bad, and bolting on the Quadlock phone holder. The bike was good to go.
At Rob Turton’s advice I left the standard tubeless tyres on.
Rob said I’d be surprised how good they were and he was spot on. normally fit a Rally Raid rear and Michy H5 front for more aggressive intermediate use, but these Bridgestone Adventurecross AX41s really work in all conditions. I had new tyres on the trailer and UHD tubes in the saddlebags, though.
I ripped upstairs and threw in the bare essentials: small toilet bag, jocks, socks, one pair of shorts, a pair of trackies, two
u
shirts – one for day, one for night – light shoes I never wore and a set of sandal things. Wife Robyn received a bit of a hug and I was outta there. I may have broken my record with a total bike-andself prep time for a 13-day ride of under three hours.
It rained and was windy and freezing for the first 85km to Chinchilla where a coffee set us up to head as far as we could get towards Quilpie, the meeting for the official start the next day.
The pace went up a bit as we approached Roma, and with a cracker headwind the fuel reserve light blinked on at 265km. That was to be expected with the conditions and the bike being new and all.
At Roma we called it a day. There were too many dead ’roos on the side of the road.
The run to Quilpie continued the next day with a brekky stop at Mitchell and we spoke of our worst fears: that the other blokes would pass us in the cars after we left the day before. It didn’t happen.
The first impressions on the new 1290R revolved around how comfortable the bike was in all areas, ride position – and I hadn’t even fitted ’bar risers – wind turbulence, tight U-turns and slow manoeuvring were a breeze. The standard seat is a cracker for comfort, especially since I hadn’t ridden a bike for
nearly 12 months. There was a distinct lack of engine heat making its way to the rider thanks to the new radiators and cooling ducts, and an exciting spread of power, even with not revving it past 5000rpm for the first 1000km.
The thing’s a rocketship.
Then there’s the lower seat height. Most bikes I’ve ridden are fairly tall, and that can make for awkward moments occasionally, but this bike is just so manageable going slow. After less than a day with the 1290 it was looking like I was striking up a bit of a love affair.
We arrived at Quilpie, booked in and headed to the local for a couple of beers while waiting for the rest of the crew.
It was a diverse crew of 11. First up were Jamie Grant, a cotton grower on the
Above: Relaxation in the fresh water of the Gregory River.
Below: Berrick had a stern yarn to the rooster in the bar of the Gregory Hotel.
Jimbour Plain, his neighbour St John (Sinjo) Kent, and Brett Wilson, owner of a few grain properties around Meandarra and Walgett. I’d accompanied the three to India on Royal Enfields, and they’d ridden Cambodia.
Next up was John Cameron, a Dalby cotton grower, Dave Winton who has a tile-and-glass company in Dalby, Lachie Winton – Dave’s real-estate-selling cousin from Toowoomba, Andy Page who’d flown helicopter missions from Antartica to China, brother Tony Hartley an agronomist, and support driver Berrick Wagstaff. Berrick had managed stations across Australia.
When they were young blokes, Pagey, Sinjo and Berrick had often worked together as stationhands. Man! Are there some loose old stories that come out of them at night.
Berrick took control of cooking when we pulled up while the rest drank beer and bench raced. Most of the boys took big swags because they could put them on the trailer, but Tony, Dave and myself carried all our gear, except food and beer.
Of course we did have the Stone’s Green Ginger Wine on board…it’s hard to break old habits.
The downside was we three had to carry smaller swags, but it kept most of the self-contained adventure theme intact for us.
We’d planned a fair few nights camping out, and to do it in style
we had Sinjo’s Toyota wagon as a backup vehicle, complete with Jamie’s purposebuilt heavy-duty adventure-bike trailer hauling fuel, a spare bike, cold beer, food and cooking gear.
Short of a sheet
A casual breakfast and a bit of supportvehicle organisation kicked off the next morning before we headed off on the Diamantina Development Road for Windorah.
It was a good first day of about 400km with a bite for lunch at Windorah pub, and which finished off with some handy open gravel roads. Camp was on some of the first channel country on Farrars Creek between Windorah and Davenport Downs, and it was a fairly quiet night except for a massive number of flies just before dark.
Brett Wilson found his swag was basically bare of all sleeping gear, and talk about whinge about what a cold and average night it was!
There’s nothing like good preparation, but these things happen when you’re busy.
short
There was a bit of a wait to start the second day as Tony had a flat front tyre and Sinjo’s bike had a power problem. Sinjo grabbed Jamie’s spare 950 from the trailer and we headed through Davenport Downs and in to Diamantina Lakes National Park for a look at Diamantina Choke, just past the ranger station, where at least seven creek and channel systems from the north filter between two ranges
before dropping south through Birdsville to Lake Eyre.
As for the new 1290, after a lunch break
I decided to give her a bit of a run for the last 280km or so into Winton through Old Cork. The bike didn’t disappoint and gave a super-smooth and comfortable blast over the different loose road conditions. It was the longest section for fuel at about 600km from Windorah to Winton, and as was living out of my bladders and not the jerry cans on the trailer, the tank wasn’t quite full of fuel from lunch and I paid the penalty, running out about three kilometres from Winton. I would’ve made
it if I hadn’t had to go back 10km from the Choke to pick up my cap. Bugger.
Day three was a slow start. Half the crew did the tourist thing to The Dinosaur Stampede while a few of us pulled Sinjo’s 1190R apart. A coil wire had come off, so it was released from the trailer compound.
Jamie led after a quick counter lunch, and only a few kilometres out he turned right on to some tracks that weren’t showing on my maps. We were definitely in adventure mode from there through Werna, Dimora, Tarbrax and Yorkshire Downs.
contractors building a massive irrigation block between the Cloncurry and Flinders Rivers. It was interesting to watch halfa-dozen big scrapers and graders work in unison.
From there we went through Millungera, Arizona and Myola towards Normanton. Jamie and I were doing the side-by-side thing out front, and when we pulled up for lunch and no bikes came through, we knew there was a problem. Some fencing contractors stopped and said one of the boys had hit a pig and was up and sitting in the car.
When the support vehicle pulled in with Tony in a rough state in the passenger seat his first words were, “Bro, if I’d been on the 1290 I would’ve missed it.”
Off to Normanton Hospital via Milgarra he went and managed to walk slowly into the hospital to be met with a wheelchair – not bad for a basic highside at over 120kph.
The crew went on to Karumba while I stayed for a while to make sure all was good.
Normanton was unreal and had him diagnosed with five broken ribs and a couple of chips off the wings of vertebrae, and before I left he’d been booked to fly
to Mt Isa that evening. I wonder how many ribs people have broken with the elbow? We need side-rib protection, I reckon.
I headed off to Karumba, unfortunately on my own, and thought I was cruising at about 115kph on the safest straightest road you could ride. Suddenly an
“ Normanton was unreal and had him diagnosed with five broken ribs and a couple of chips off the wings of vertebrae, and before I left he’d been booked to fly to Mt Isa. ”
approaching car came alive with lights. There went six points. They weren’t real happy as the boys in front of me had cruised past them a bit unexpectedly, so they did a youey and chased down the tail bike – Cowboy – and busted him for a quick four points. I tried every trick in the book, but to no avail. Her last comment was, “I think you all need to chill a bit.”
It wasn’t cool from a 20-something-old to a 66-year-old. Grrrr.
The worst part was I thought cruise control had stopped working, but I later found if ABS is switched off in Off Road the cruise control doesn’t work. We’ll have to talk to KTM about that one.
Day five was a rest day, with prawns for lunch and a generally slack day while looking over The Gulf. We really should do that more often. Dave Winton had to leave and hightail it back to Dalby for family reasons, so he had a lonely, boring trip home. It’s a wonder he never picked a points gift as well, judging by his times.
On the sixth day we headed on dirt back to the dreaded Normanton, then on to Leichardt Falls, and it was a great ride. Next was Burketown for food and fuel, and with storms looming to the northwest we slipped out of town. The rain was a nice change and we were dry again by the time we did a quick detour through Doomadgee before heading on to Hell’s Gate Roadhouse.
The only downside of the trip from Burketown to Hell’s Gate is it’s basically all bitumen now. Last time was up there it was all gravel, and it’s a bit
u
After Yorkshire Downs Tony jumped off the old 950SE and on to the new 1290R and that was the last we saw of him. There was only a dust haze disappearing into the distance all the way into Julia Creek. For some reason Brett thought it was me, so chased and momentarily passed him. He was peeved when he saw it was Tony, and offered some dribble about how he wanted to say he’d passed me – poor, hopeless child.
That night Tony phoned wife Penny and got the nod to order a new 1290R. His argument was the 1290 was so much safer than the 950SE in all ways to do with stability, handling, comfort and brakes.
Grunter bunter
Day four found dirt through Alva Downs, Dalgonally and an 80km round-trip farm-tour detour to Etta Plains, where Jamie knew of some earthmoving
disappointing if you chase the dirt roads.
John and Jenny Hall have owned the roadhouse and station for six years now, after selling up their Roma property and moving north. The improvements they’ve made to the roadhouse are a credit to them.
Day seven was another rest day – we do it easy, eh? – with a casual morning wandering about talking choppers with Pagey and a half-day tour in a couple of Landcruiser wagons around a small corner of the property where the clearing and fencing was going on.
The next day we slipped back to just past Doomadgee and turned south to Lawn Hill. A few of the boys went in for the walk around Adels Grove, but Jamie and I banged on to the Gregory Hotel and picked a campsite behind the pub.
The normal bar-related festivities carried on later in the Gregory Hotel, and Berrick talking to the rooster in the bar was a crack up.
For the ninth day we headed south through Kamarga, Thorntonia and Undilla to Camooweal, then dropped further south through Barkly Downs and Headingly to Urandangi.
The loose road conditions were a bit more challenging for some, and it was here I dodged one rock at a bit over 100kph and smacked straight into an even larger planted gibber that bent the rim and instantly deflated the standard tubeless tyre. It was definitely time to ditch the standard tyres anyway, as at nearly 4000km they were occasionally getting a bit sketchy.
We had the front wheel off by the time the support vehicle arrived, bashed the dent out of the rim and fitted a Michelin H5 and ultra-heavy tube. The standard lower-profile front tyre really had surprised me how it hung on, and that was running at 35psi. I normally only run 25psi with higher-profile tyres and UHD tubes, so I reckoned the rim damage wouldn’t have been as bad with my normal combo. Having said that, I’d be
happy to use the standard tyres with UHD tubes fitted to run them out. I did think of doing that before I left Dalby, but thinking was as far as the idea went.
I fitted the Rally Raid Dunlop rear in Urandangi, and for another first, Jamie said, “I’ve been running Rally Raids and Michelin H5s tubeless for ages with no problems. That way I can use the tyre pressure monitor.”
It’s probably not recommended, but it worked for him and my rear is still tubeless now. I had fitted my TyreDog tyre pressure monitors before I left Dalby as I knew I’d be on tubes eventually, and they still work, even on top of the standard TPMS.
up early in the day at the bore, dragged a bit of firewood in with the bikes, had a swim in the bore – which is highly recommended – then, as it was the last campout night, attempted to drink all the remaining beer, wine and spirits in the fridges and eskies.
It was another great evening.
1290 love
Next up was a 700km day with fierce crosswinds on a lot of loose, wide-open gravel roads and bitumen from Cluny Bore to Quilpie. It was sad as it was basically the end of the trip, so a carton was destroyed while the bikes were loaded for the boring 750km trip on radar-infected bitumen back to Dalby. Last-night fever kicked in for another bewdy evening.
In closing on the casual 1290 story, it appeared the 2019 and 2021 1290R are very close in fuel range. Jamie and I usually ran out within 20km of each other. Dave Winton and I have since been out to the Braemar Forestry on his 1190 and the new 1290, and one of his comments that stuck after he’d ridden the 1290 was,
“Getting off the 1190 and on to the 1290 is like getting off an old 520EXC on to a modern EXC.”
Without a doubt KTM has brought this new 1290 a very long way in comfort, as well as making the new bike feel like a much lighter and more manoeuvrable, manageable package.
“ Getting off the 1190 and on to the 1290 is like getting off an old 520EXC on to a modern EXC. ”
Don’t get me wrong. The older 1290s and 1190s still go like cut cats, but it’s the finer details I mentioned at the start of the story that stand out on the new model.
I rode Dave’s 1190 a lot in the forestry, and I’d ridden one fully loaded across Australia and The Simpson as support rider for the 2016 APC Rally and loved it.
But there really is a massive difference in handling and weight when bouncing off erosion mounds and in tighter riding, even doing U-turns. Plus, I’ll say it again, the low seat height of the 2021 1290 is an absolute winner, even when just pulling up and parking and flicking the stand up and down. To back that up, Dave and his two sons-in-law rode the 1290 the next day and at this point two new 1290Rs have been ordered.
Fuel range will change for different riders for sure, but on our ride, with full saddlebags, extra fuel and a swag, we were getting between 13km and 16km per litre. I guess that’s why the licence is hanging by a thread, but I have no doubt that 17km to 19km per litre and even better is totally achievable.
I was totally happy with the standard screen, although I did occasionally trial my Touratech quick-release screen extension. It probably improved things marginally in some conditions, but it’s not a necessity.
In finishing, it’s hard to say in words how good the new model 1290R is, but have one ride and the decision will be made.
We camped on the green grass out the rear of the Urandangi Hotel, a secure spot which also had showers. It was an entertaining night when you added some of the local’s antics.
On day 10 we followed the Georgina River south. The track was a bit hairy for some in the loose spots, but it was great riding. It was so good Jamie and I should have swapped 1290s to compare, but Cowboy was on mine from Urandangi so we stuffed up that test.
The track continued through Garandotta, Linda Downs and Roxborough Downs to the Donohue Highway into Boulia.
After a fuel up we headed south to Bedourie, which, unfortunately, is all highway-quality bitumen. Anyway, it didn’t take long and we were in Bedourie for more fuel and then headed south to the Cluny turnoff heading east. We pulled
Everyone’s heard of the Finke Desert Race. Whether you fancy yourself as a future King Of The Desert or more a weekend warrior, the team at Outback Motorcycle Adventures has you covered with a choose-your-own Finke adventure along the famous track. If you can ride a dirt bike, you’re in.
From the moment you arrive in the heart of the country, Alice Springs, the red dirt, rocky ridges and sandy ravines scream, “Get me on a bike!”
And that’s when you’ll meet the team from Outback Motorcycle Adventures. They’ll set up your custom ride and your epic twoday experience.
Dream come true
Capped at 18 riders plus a lead and sweep rider, the Finke Desert Race Experience tour is the only way to do ‘There And Back’ if you don’t fancy swallowing the dust of 600 or more bikes during the actual race days, held every year since 1976 on the Queen’s Birthday weekend.
The two-day tour departs from Outback Motorcycle Adventures headquarters early on day one to make the most of the unwritten Finke law – ‘south before midday, north after 12.30pm’ – and the team will have you hitting the start/finish line at the Alice end before 8.00am.
From there it’s you and the track, fully supported, with all the whoops, sand, bulldust and boulders to conquer on the way south to the camp and lunch stop at around the 170km mark.
After refuelling with a delicious carb-loaded lunch you’ll continue down the old Ghan line road running
alongside the track into the Finke (Apatula) community before heading north back on the Finke track itself, rolling back into camp around 4.00pm.
There the beer and bullshit begins, war stories abound and blisters are busted. You’ll roll into a comfy swag after an epic feed, gleeful (or glum!) about what lies ahead the following day.
Well planned
Thankfully a sleep in is factored in to the second day and you’ll hit the saddle around 9.30am for some play time – think ancient dunes, rivers and historic landmarks – to warm up those muscles before hitting the track north to Alice at around 12.30pm.
After another awesome run on the track itself you’ll roll into headquarters around 4.30pm, having completed one of the most challenging rides in the country, at your own pace, in your own style, with the full support of a desertloving crew, experienced advice and plenty of encouragement.
Everything taken care of With a perfectly set up fleet of 2022 bikes, the ride caters for all abilities and ages. In fact the crew at Outback Motorcycle Adventures has welcomed riders aged from 17 to
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72, with the only prerequisite being riders hold a minimum of a Learner’s permit. Each bike is customised to suit individual riders’ weight and preferences, and with 40+ years of desert racing experience between the owners, Michael ‘Vroomy’ Vroom and Damian ‘Damo’ McGrath, you can be assured your ride will be spot on.
After checking into your centrallylocated four-star accommodation, the crew hosts a beer and briefing the afternoon before departure where you’ll have a chance to jump on your rig and let the on-site mechanics know if any adjustments are required. It won’t be your first or last chance to tinker with the setup. Full mechanical support and spares (including an entire spare bike should all hell break loose!) are provided over the two days.
Fuel for both bikes and humans is in abundance on the trip. In fact some reports of weight gain have been circulating – which is not surprising really, considering the top-notch catering from the minute you ride out from headquarters to the minute you return. Of course, it couldn’t possibly be from
those icy cold beers…
This truly is a chance to do the Finke track without dealing with logistics like bike transport, luggage, accommodation, catering, refuelling and camping, just to mention a few. The support team and vehicles are there for your every need. Leaving on a chilly morning? Go ahead, wear your jacket and thermals. You’ll be able to throw them in the ute the minute you warm up. Have dietary issues? No worries, all dietary needs are catered for. Reckon you might feel like a frothy one after a hard day in the saddle? The team has you covered with glacial iceboxes waiting for your favourite brew. With quality camping equipment provided at the overnight stop all you’ll
need to bring is some warm threads and comfy footwear to wear around the campfire. And don’t forget a towel to dry off after having a luxe warm shower pumped from the support truck – known affectionately as ‘The Mothership’ by the crew. The 12-tonne desert beast carries all the supplies and gear you could ever need while camping under the luminous desert stars, including docks to recharge phones (not that the camp itself has signal, but you’ll pick up Telstra signal once or twice during the trip) and the all-important Go Pro – perfect for capturing your fellow riding mates eating dirt! All first aid, drinking water, cold drinks, snacks and supplies are found on both the truck and LandCruiser support ute.
Tall tales
If you have any luck you may just find yourself riding alongside a Finke legend, with previous local lads often joining the crew to stretch their legs and talk all things Finke around the fire – in fact they recently welcomed the current number one, David Walsh, and firstever winner from 1976, Geoff Curtis,
on tour together. Geoff recollected a time when he had to physically wait for the Ghan train to go by to continue riding mid-race! Times have certainly changed. Walsh’s average speed was above 130kmph in 2021. And of course with Vroomy and Damo having both raced many times (in fact Vroomy won in 2001) there’s always plenty of race
yarns around the campfire to be had on this exceptional tour.
So why not start your own adventure early by planning a trip to Alice Springs? Get there by bike, bus, train or air and get yourself on a bike with Outback Motorcycle Adventures to see what the Finke Desert Race Experience is all about.
facing the other way and we both understood why.
Through Karuah we idled, once a bustling stopping point on the highway but now bypassed and a lot quieter. Branch Lane and Nugra Lane followed the Branch River onto Booral Road where we enjoyed a fun blast on the twisties and rounded up a few Harleys.
Old Inn Road took us past Bulahdelah and on to Manning Hill Road through Bunyah. Then a short, technical single track into Wallamba Reserve gave us both a laydown in the mud. A quick glance at the GPS showed we’d strayed from the purple line, but we could see it wasn’t far ahead.
It was a Friday morning in late July when a text message from Cobar sand-riding legend Gary ‘Eyebrows’ Grey lit up my phone.
‘Just moved to Newcastle,’ it said, with no amusing spelling or little symbols at all. ‘Keen for a ride’
With ‘The Boss’ working I’d planned on escaping the confines of the city, and inviting a friend along was no problem. Travel restrictions prevented us going south or north, so Nundle, an old favourite, was chosen. A call to Drew at the Peel Inn soon had
accommodation sorted.
We kicked off with a quick ride to showcase Newcastle beaches to the man from the bush, and I was a little concerned at his query, “Does this have water in it all year ’round?”
I felt it prudent to explain traffic lights and roundabouts before heading to Medowie to commence the ride.
Gary set a high standard with his highly polished KTM 890 Rally and
dry-cleaned full Klim riding suit, but my trusty, standard 890 and slightly worn KTM jacket dripped cred, I was sure.
A brief blast on the blacktop towards the Pacific Highway had us at the turn on to Old Swan Bay Road. It’d been 12 months since I last did the route, and straight away the track was a lot rougher than expected. There was a large boghole to navigate, then a very dodgy entry to the bridge over Twelve Mile Creek. As we left the bridge we saw a road-closed sign
The track became a lot rougher and seriously steep, becoming the aptly named Purgatory Trail, and I was only metres from the top when I got spat into the bush. The bike stopped, but I rolled quite a way before becoming stationary myself.
managed to claw my way back up to the bike, wrestle it upright and clutch it back down the hill. Meanwhile, Gary had started to climb up to assist.
Left: No way through. A U-turn and 50km or so back to the road.
Above: A brief stop at the New Country Swamp camp and picnic area allowed the author to warm the frozen fingers.
Below: Three degrees and the ice warning was flashing on the dash.
Right: The aptly named Purgatory Trail.
(we might’ve seen the editor but didn’t have time to drop in for a game of polo).
There were two options from there: Crawney Pass, a winding, dirt road, steep in places with a large stand of grass trees; or the more adventurous route through Glenrock then Barry Station with 20 crossings of Schofields Creek. Of course, with Gary wanting to show his prowess on the mighty 890 Rally, Barry Station was the only option.
All in
Back at the bottom Gary was keen to show me how it should be done, but we opted to stay on our designated route. The riding still needed care as the ground was very wet, causing a few sphincter moments, but we were finally able to relax a little when we popped out on Dargaville Road.
A great dirt run on Titaatee Creek Road through Firefly and Tipperary brought us out on Bucketts Way and into Gloucester for bike fuel and much needed body fuel.
Station hand
We roared onto the well-known sportsbike haven Thunderbolts Way for a short blast before turning at Rookhurst towards Woko National Park. A stop at Curricabark RFS for a scenic picture was made a little unpleasant by a howling wind which made it hard to stand up, and from there an awesome, tight, twisty run along the Carters Road ridgeline was in the best condition I’d ever seen it.
As we climbed up to Tomalla Station the temperature dropped considerably before we descended back to the lowlands and the sprawling Packer estate of Ellerston
Water was flowing fast and a lot deeper than normal due to recent snow melt, and there were some anxious moments, but we both stayed upright and dry and a huge deer caught our attention on the side of the road. It took off with such power up the steep slope.
Normally after ‘the gate’ on top of the hill the track is quite good, but not on this day. It was very muddy and chopped up, apparently from all the P-platers going to ‘see the snow’ on the previous weekend (even though the road had been closed). The climb from Barry Station hits an elevation of 1300 metres and it was bitterly cold and a total whiteout from thick fog as we crested the top. It was very slow going as we passed the popular camping spot of Sheba Dam, quickly followed by Hanging Rock Lookout. The fog cleared on the descent to Nundle and we fuelled up before booking into the Peel Inn at 5.30pm. We’d done just shy of 400km for the day, and a great evening at the pub followed. We enjoyed the food, ale and the company of various groups ranging from Newcastle’s respected MG club
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members enjoying Christmas in July, to others drinking beer from ladies’ boots and having a real good shindig.
The room fee at the Peel Inn included a fully cooked breakfast, but not till 8.00am, which was fine by us. It was a great way to start a cold winter’s morning in Nundle. Thankfully the bikes had been undercover so there were no wet or icy seats, and we managed to get away at 9.00am. We trundled past Chaffey Dam to Woolomin and it was good to see heaps more water in the dam than 12 months earlier. Dungowan Station then Ogunbil flew by and we chased a couple of sports bikes up through the twisties of Port Stevens Cutting before getting back on the dirt towards Weabonga and then enjoying a great run through Niangala and onto Thunderbolts Way. The temperature was two degrees with a bitterly cold wind and neither of us had heated grips, but the Cobar Boy had been smart enough to bring some winter gloves.
The cold also made me glad I hadn’t judged him when he was putting on stockings in the morning.
A few kilometres of Thunderbolts Way let us head towards Riamukka State Forest on Hells Creek Road.
Recent storms were obvious as the track was quite wet and required a steady approach. Lots of trees had been cleared, but a large Eucalypt right across the road meant we had to navigate thick virgin bush to make our way around, and just
after we struggled through and back on the trail National Parks turned up with a chainsaw.
The purple line disappeared into a recently logged area which showed zero evidence of any track, so we stopped at the junction with Brackendale Road to take stock. The wind was howling, the ice warning was flashing on the dash and sleet fell.
We were soon back on track and onto Mummel Forest Road, a good dirt thoroughfare but quite wet, before a brief stop at the New Country Swamp camp and picnic area at the junction with Enfield Forest Road allowed a sugar hit and warming the frozen fingers.
Under done
Enfield Forest Road was dry and allowed a much more aggressive riding style, and several hard-to-see erosion mounds caused some airborne moments.
As we progressed there were more and more tree limbs to avoid until about 20km in a huge monster of a thing was sprawled right across the road with no way around. We spent far too much time trying to
clear a way through. We thought if we could get our bikes to a particular point we could lay them down and drag them under. But when we got a bike into that spot it was obvious it wouldn’t work – plus we didn’t know how many more trees would be down. We opted for a U-turn and 50km or so back to Backendale Road, which we followed to Nowendoc.
At 2.00pm it still hadn’t got above three degrees. Thankfully the one-stop shop was open and Max looked after us with a huge egg-and-bacon roll, hot chips and coffee – just what we needed before venturing back out to finish the day.
Wait and see
Along Thunderbolts Way to Gloucester we bolted, fuelled up and then jumped straight back on our mounts, both keen to get off the tarmac.
Monkerai Road took us to Dungog and some backroads had us in Newcastle at 6.00pm after a 450km day and 850km for the weekend.
The boy from Cobar seemed to enjoy himself – but the proof will be if he texts me for another ride.
The imaginary hard wall separating regional Victoria from its metro cousins had burst. Graeme Sedgwick and a few mates rode regional Victoria before it was inundated with recently liberated city dwellers.
Our urgency to get among Victoria’s best north-eastern sealed and unsealed roads before the Melbourne Cup long-weekend’s anticipated surge of revved-up thirsty freedom seekers was definitely selfish.
But, hell. Why not? Premier Andrews’ opening the sluice gates to so many fellow Victorians was sure to cause a huge spillway rush come Cup-time long weekend.
We were keen to have been and gone before the flood.
Tarmac-oriented Bennie, Dale and Olie had lit out the day before, and we dualsporters – Wayne, Steve and myself – aimed for the rendezvous at Beechworth.
The Mountain View Hotel sits immediately south of the tiny hamlet of Whitfield and its T-intersection in the King Valley. It marks one end of one of the best, super-smooth local tarmac ribbons any biker could ever hope to run, irrespective of the direction, and planning a late lunch there made for powerful motivation to attack the final run from Powers Lookout.
Our chase of unsealed-road adventure was punctuated with some fast tarmac running via the likes of Tawonga Gap, The Great Alpine Road, Bogong Hill Plains Road and Mitta Mitta Road. Steve’s desire to hit less-familiar, unsealed territory, together with Wayne’s sixth sense for dialling up directions, had us tackle Rose River Road. It dived south before sweeping back from Cheshunt near
Whitfield to Dandongadale and was a good afterlunch heartstarter. Several black snakes sunning themselves didn’t give a hoot about us.
Given we burnt most of the day heading north from the Surf Coast we needed to keep moving, and Wayne concluded the best fun from Lake Buffalo’s expansive waters toward basecamp at Beechworth would be to head up and over Mount Stanley. It was a choice that didn’t disappoint. Beechworth, like many regional places, at first appeared to have been enjoying the travel restrictions and COVID life’s less-frenetic people invasions. But of course that wasn’t entirely accurate. The ‘less-is-more’ tranquillity side of the equation rubbed hard against the loss of economic input from the travellers.
The next day the heavens opened and it was obvious from the start the rain had set in. Even though bad weather’s part and parcel of this adventure-riding thing, and I know there’s no substitute for time in the saddle to increase knowhow and confidence, the prospect of riding through what was ahead sent cold shivers down my spine. The consternation crept into my body’s every cell and the depths of my mind as we sloshed into Yackandandah and the day beyond. It wasn’t helped, I hasten to add, by the mass between my ears being unfairly awash with wanting the day done before it had begun. I battened down my hatches, very much unsure as to what might, or could, unfold.
It definitely wasn’t a time for negativity. It was a time for thankfulness to the creators of the Pinlock clear-vision system. I pushed on, even though at various times I felt I was amid a sort of nuclear waste within an airtight canister that could, in a flash, turn my existence upside down. I progressively gave it my all and slowly got into the flow, encouraged by tips from the experienced riders I was with. Even though I felt I was almost drowning, I somehow seemed to relax into letting the bike roll. I stayed loose, looked ahead with greater sharpness – sometimes not knowing how, but I did – and definitely felt and rode better as the day went on. In sharp contrast to the style of the others with a gazillion years of wetweather motorcycling experience under their belts, I was often behind. But I made it!
At the end of the day we caught up with our road-rider mates for pizza, beers and a laugh at the day we’d had.
With blazing sunshine the next morning I was keen for a run to Hotham. I’d survived a wet day, dodged between heaps of resting wombats, ridden Granya and enjoyed much-needed tucker at the Mitta Mitta Pub. Nonetheless, I felt I deserved some indulgence. Besides, I was keen to squeeze in a return run to Dargo, together with some unsealed roads in and around Sunnyside, Carboor, Edi and less-travelled ways like Sand Track and Fletchers Track to Greta and Byawatha, and from there drifting back to Beechworth through the
I don’t mind admitting the fair-weather ride restored my confidence after the beating it’d taken the day prior. We flew over what unquestionably ranked as some of Victoria’s most exhilarating twisties, all well understood by the more experienced roadies, and at the end of that sunny, exhilarating day were more pizzas and beers, complemented by even more bike talk thanks to Andy, another of the road riders. Andy, I learned, put bricks together at a pace unmatched by even his immaculately restored Norton and Triumph classics – something I found hard to believe until I shook his textured hand. He obviously knew a bit about fast trowel work as well as the camaraderie and enjoyment of riding.
Our return trip wasn’t loaded with unsealed surfaces as some of us may
have hoped, and that was possibly due to time being short relative to the distance which had to be covered. We progressively crabbed our way southward, and between refuel and bakery stops tossed around future possibilities.
As regional dwellers in these abnormal times we’d been lucky to seize a moment to enjoy what makes motorcycling so intoxicating – riding in the elements, scooting around, over and across landscapes and never really fixed in any one moment. It’s the adventure that’s a powerful force. There’s no choice. You have to be involved, and daydreaming’s not part of the gig.
When it’s done, whether it’s been short or long, you’re straight away looking for another invitation to saddle up and ride again.
Top: Alpine serenity. Below: Rendezvous with the road riders.
Miles shares some thoughts on a big danger for adventure riders
It’s an unfortunate story that’s not uncommon: a rider hits an animal and ends up in hospital with a list of injuries. It can happen on the road, in the bush, with skippies, emus, cows and now, more commonly, deer. As if bikes didn’t already have challenges, hitting wildlife seems to be a bigger issue now than it ever was.
For many years rode totally oblivious to the potential dangers lurking just out of sight. Sometimes it was on a road bike coming back from a Phillip Island MotoGP to Sydney and I’d push on into the night, just to get an extra 100km covered. Other times I’d punt along in a carefree way on my enduro or adventure bike, on seemingly safe gravel roads.
Life changer
I recall nudging a small ’roo on my first roadbike. I was 20 and it was somewhere near Guthega or Perisher Valley, and I was riding at low speed, so it was really a nothing. I’m sure the ’roo thought a front wheel in the arse wasn’t nothing, but neither of us got skittled so it wasn’t too bad.
My next encounter was probably around 2010. I was riding with Daryl Beattie and a couple of
others doing a Hattah Desert trip. I’d swapped bikes with Darryl and on the sandy Scorpion Springs track doing between 40kph and 50kmph a medium-sized skippy mistakenly took on the 1200GSA and came off second best. It jumped out at me from between two scrubby bushes and I didn’t have a chance to brake or back off. Darryl, who was riding close behind, reckoned he almost hit the ’roo again as it was doing a flat spin through the air. At that time my experiences hadn’t been too crazy. Then it happened. I had a scary encounter with an emu that changed my riding forever.
No crash course
I stayed on the bike, but I was pretty lucky. was cruising on a typical two-lane country road at ‘remote-highway speeds’ near the small coastal SA town of Venus Bay and heading towards Port Lincoln. From memory there was a thin strip of small, scrubby gum trees surrounded by flat farmland, so it wasn’t somewhere I was expecting a huge emu to appear out of nowhere and run at speed straight in front of the bike. basically had no time to react to the impact, but
luckily, with my off-road experience, my instinct was to hang on tight, squeeze the bike between my legs and twist the throttle. That reaction made the bike more stable on impact. I didn’t have time to think about it, it was just an instinct. On a small bike, if you’re going to come up short on a jump, or overjump, or in any type of impact situation, you grab on and add a burst of throttle for stability. Without that experience I imagine many riders might shut off the throttle or grab the brakes, which makes sense, but creates instability. The impact was savage, but the bike only gave a bit of a wobble. The big emu exploded into two pieces and made a mess all over me and the bike. I was on a 1200GSA, which was a good thing, as impact was on the large tank area and
Left & above: After and before. The GSA was surprisingly okay, just the spotties dangling from the cables, the beak cracked and the crashbar bent.
crash bars which provided a lot of leg protection. The bike was surprisingly okay, just the spotties were dangling from the cables, the beak was cracked and the stainless-steel crashbar on the left side was bent back about 60mm.
If the situation was different and I had more time I believe I may have grabbed the brakes hard to try to wash off some speed. But just before impact it would make sense to get off the brakes and add a burst of throttle. That’s what I would do instinctively if the threat was a washout or erosion hump hadn’t seen.
Lesson learned
What’s really important, and has probably saved me from more situations like that one since then, is that I’m now somewhat supersensitive to potential threats from wildlife. In situations where I would once base my cruising speed on the road conditions, one of my deciding factors now is the potential threat from wildlife. Things like:
v Whether trees are dense on the roadside, or if I can see through them somewhat
v How much traffic has been on the road recently? Constant traffic can push the wildlife back, but doesn’t always
v The time of the day. Dusk can be worse for wildlife on the road, but there’s no guarantee
v How much roadkill do I see? Another one with no guarantee
v I ride with a finger over the front brake and my foot set for the rear brake, ready to wash off speed if required
v If I’m riding at night I sometimes like to follow a car and use them as a shield. It’s a strategy, but maybe Skippy will miss them and get me anyway. Or if the car hits something, will it just launch out from under the back of the vehicle?
As you can see, I think about this quite a lot, and I’m not immune to hitting wildlife now. But the fact I’m thinking about it means I’m much more prepared than I was ‘pre emu’.
These days I’m happy to reduce my cruising speed if I feel the threat is high. Often when I’ve done that some rider passes me at warp speed, obviously not having the same concerns.
It’s nice to be lucky, but you don’t want to push that luck.
Other countries
It’s amazing how different the ride experience can be in countries where wildlife threats are low. I feel so much more relaxed. I still focus on the typical dangers and focus strongly on riding, but I can reduce the focus on hidden wildlife dangers. Riding for two months in Mongolia was an example. There are thousands of wild horses, camels and sheep running around everywhere, but with basically no trees to hide behind you can see them from a long way away and adjust your speed or line accordingly. NZ is pretty good too. The Kiwis don’t have much to worry about…although I thought I was tripping when I saw my first wallaby there, both as roadkill and alive. I didn’t know that in a few areas they have wild wallabies.
Spread the word
At some of the many riders’ briefings I do I tend to bring up wildlife. I know lots of riders don’t even consider the danger and it’s nice to bring it to their attention.
A simple, “Who’s hit an animal before?” usually brings up a few hands. And for the others who haven’t, it hopefully gets them thinking about it.
How do we minimise the risk? Obviously there are many traps for adventure riders. Road conditions, technical terrain, weather, traffic and many more. But just because you haven’t had a serious wildlife issue yet doesn’t mean it can’t happen.
Of all the risks we face as riders, wildlife can be the most unpredictable and dangerous.
Below: It’s amazing how different the ride experience can be in countries where wildlife threats are low. With basically no trees to hide behind you can see animals from a long distance.
Bottom: It’s an unfortunate story that’s not uncommon: a rider hits an animal and ends up in hospital with a list of injuries.
Right: Dense vegetation on the roadside should have riders reducing their pace.
Andy hones his tech-nique.
I’ve just read about bike manufacturers working on Active Emergency Braking, Radar Cruise Control and other whiz-bang techno stuff. Car manufacturers are playing with Autonomous Driving, and they’ve got Lane Departure Assist (LDA) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). European governments are trying to get Intelligent Speed Assistant (ISA) as mandatory equipment, meaning Big Brother will sit on one
shoulder and cut power if speed limits are exceeded.
The new Kato has a dash that’s more like a flat-screen telly than the couple of dials I grew up with.
The digital control of ride-by-wire throttle response, ABS and traction control is astounding, but will it go too far? Sure, the old Ducati instruments had the nickname ‘vague liar’, but the world was different then. You got booked for 20 klicks over the limit, not two.
The new company van is both smart and as dumb as a rock, all in the same beep. It warns me about school zones at midnight, and ducks, weaves, and swerves on narrow roads as the LDA kicks in. When I open the doors with the keys in the ignition it whinges like a randy tom cat. Some treacly, smarmy bint somewhere in the dash kept telling me, “Obey all road rules!” until I found the STFU button deeply hidden in a
Left: Road markings are only a guide for picking the best lines
Bottom left: Old school Ducati ‘vague liar’ instruments.
Bottom right: The new Kato has a dash that’s like a flat-screen telly.
list of acronyms. Much of that techno stuff seems to have been designed by a millennial on their third Red Bull.
The dash on both the bike and the van plays up as it goes from light to shade thinking it’s night-time. Geez, the chooks put themselves to bed at night and they don’t have a clock in their software.
The new Kato has a quickshifter. Is it a valuable addition to a dualsport bike or a matter of keeping up with the Joneses? Will that be a cornerstone of the marketing department’s pressure on the design team in years to come? If Yamhontrimki fit a certain technology, will others feel the need to follow suit to ‘stay in touch’?
Somewhat cynically, we think adventure bikes in Europe, the cradle of all things auto-tech, rarely find a place to get dirt between the treads. What use will all this tech be on a mountain road or snotty track? ACC might be a good thing for Hell’s Accountants’ Sunday coffee runs, but I like to travel a tad faster than the rest of traffic. I reckon it’s a little safer to hold the initiative – call it ‘positive defence’.
Heaven help us it they fit LDA on a bike. It defaults ON when the ignition is turned off in the van and so far I can’t find the ‘off’ setting (the dealer tells me it can’t be done on a HiAce). A bike ducking and weaving on a narrow road is all part of the fun, but struth, not when a moron of an algorithm decides to have a hissy fit and take over. On a stretch of twisty mountain road, the road markings are only a guide for picking the best lines anyway.
The key to technology on an adventure bike surely must be rider control.
It was bad enough when I had to fit an isolator switch to the Bumblewee so I had the option of turning off the ABS pump. The essence of motorcycle riding is a visceral immersion in the bike and surroundings. I don’t think we need little lights flickering in the mirrors as we pass trees, the dash changing from day to night every time we hit a shady patch, the computer letting us know it’s confused about the speed limit on a singletrack, and certainly not lurching and diving about as it gets balked by white lines (snakes, maybe).
Message to manufacturers (as if I’m not pissing in the wind here): fit the tech wonders you like, but make sure I can turn them off and leave them off. I started riding dualsport bikes to get away from Nanny. Allow me to decide what I need or want to use to help my riding…not interfere with it!
And please, please, work out when nighttime comes along! The chooks can.
Hopefully, as you sit down to read this latest edition of Adventure Rider Magazine, you’re one of the people who decided if they came out the other side of all this abnormality of division and restrictions, you’d buy a bike and take up adventure riding.
If that’s the case, then a decent ride and a spot of camping is sure to be on the bucket list.
People are always curious about what to take and not take when camping, and it leads to almost as much discussion and opinions as someone asking what tyres and tyre pressures they should run. Here’s a guide which may, at least, give a starting point to a long and adventurous journey.
It’s all about the basics; somewhere to sleep, and something to eat and drink when you’re on your adventure.
There’re a few different options for getting a good night’s sleep on your ride, but for simplicity, let’s stick to hammocks, swags and tents. The place to look is usually anywhere hikers or cyclists shop to get ultralight gear.
People who have hammocks appear to swear by them. Roz Veersma, who recently completed a 450-day ride around Australia, used one extensively throughout her trip. Many people choose a hammock as a lightweight, compact solution, while others are put off by the need for suitable trees or structures to
fix it to. Roz had that sorted by tying one end to her bike, and before you start panicking, she made up a stand to attach to the bike when using it like that to minimise the risk of it falling over. According to Roz, you need to set it up to have a ‘flat sleep’. Her advice is, “Tie the foot end at least 30cm higher than the head end and also make the hammock
stretch across tight, not loose like a saggy banana!” She has made a number of minor alterations, borne of experience, to allow adapting the hammock to most places she encounters.
The setup is completed with a bivvy tarp over the top when it’s wet. Inside she uses an air mattress, air pillow and sleeping bag.
Above: Camping is all about the basics. Shelter, and food.
Below right: A super-lightweight bivvy tarp tied over two bikes allows leaving stinky jackets and boots outside the tent and under cover.
It’s also shelter if the weather turns.
Below left: Roz Veersma isn’t locked into needing two suitably spaced trees for her hammock. She made up a stand which attaches to the bike to minimise the risk of it falling.
Swags seem to be favoured by those who want to run light. When I think of a swag, I always visualise the old canvas tarp with some sort of bedding that rolled up and was secured with leather straps. It was useless in the rain as you tried to pull as much of the tarp over you as possible, and it was useless camping somewhere like Dalhousie Springs in full mozzie season where the ravenous insects see you as their own personal dinner wrap. Modern swags have fancy zips and fly netting, but ultimately, in my opinion, it’s a glorified body bag. I’ve only slept in one once. It was at a place we jokingly called ‘Camp Granada Without The Happy Ending’. It was a rundown former campground where we were charged a fortune for the privilege of staying the night. It was late and we were particularly desperate. It’s probably a good thing it was dark when we arrived so we couldn’t see the full horror. Anyway, the trauma of the
accommodation was exacerbated by the buzz of a billion insects.
We must have been running fast and loose with swags on that ride. I was using a fairly basic one while Dave was using one with a mozzie net. Being the thoughtful and considerate husband he is, he offered me his luxury swag for the night so I could escape the marauding insects that were trying to carry us off and as hypothetical protection from scary-looking owners. Not one to skimp on self-preservation, I gratefully accepted as I wondered if the mozzies or the owners would get to him first. I now know I get claustrophobic quite easily.
No sooner had I zipped myself into the sarcophagus than had it unzipped to put my head out. Immediately, the insects realised there was fresh blood and
u
For my money, the best option is a tent. In choosing which is right for you, it really comes down to thinking about what features are must-haves, what would be good, what you can do without and how you plan on using it.
attacked mercilessly. I spent the night alternating between two equally undesirable outcomes while wistfully wondering how murderous the owners could actually be.
Swags do offer the advantage of speed, and, if you’re not too fussy about comfort, can be fairly light.
With either swags or hammocks privacy isn’t an option, which is possibly why the people who use them either travel solo, camp remote or aren’t bashful about changing their undies in the middle of a campground. If this sounds like you, all power to you.
We’re onto our second tent now, and they’ve both had a separate fly which we feel is essential. This gives the option of just using the tent in good weather and also keeping out the mozzies, or we can add the fly when we want some privacy or respite from the weather. Plus, it gives a vestibule for some gear. The inner tent is free-standing so we can pitch it in all sorts of places, like the rock shelf at Hell Hole NP in Queensland, without needing pegs. That probably wouldn’t work in windy conditions.
We travel at all times of the year and in most weather apart from snow, so a three-season tent was another essential for us.
chose our current tent based mainly on the waterproof rating. Without spending a fortune, it means we’ve ended up with one heavier than I’d like. However, the fact we’ve stayed completely dry in torrential rain means it’s worth the extra weight. We go for a three-person
size which, with the two of us using the tent, gives enough room for whatever stuff we bring in without feeling cramped. The height of the tent is also an important consideration. I like to have plenty of headroom without touching the roof when I’m half standing to get dressed. If I was that way inclined, it would be tall enough that I’d be able to pull off some yoga moves.
like to have a tent with two openings.
Although we generally only use one end, it’s handy if you’ve got gear under both vestibules. That way you can get to it without leaving the tent.
Recently we’ve added a super-lightweight bivvy tarp to our kit. Tying it down over our two bikes allows us to leave stinky jackets and boots on the bike at night knowing they’ll be dry in the morning. We can also sit under there if it’s the weather’s turned.
Another of our essentials is a reasonably heavy-duty silver tarp as a ground cover.
Even though our current tent has a good base, I like to put it down if there’s any nasty little prickles around that
might pierce it. We also have a small piece of light canvas we use at the ‘front door’. It gives us somewhere to stand and get our shoes off before entering the tent. The canvas is always packed at the top of the duffle bag carrying our camping gear so I can lay it out first, then sleeping bags and everything else can go on it without getting dirty while I put the tent up.
Ultimately, whatever you choose is going to have to be fit for your purpose. Do your research. Work out where you’re prepared to compromise. And if it all sounds too hard, you can always tap the plastic and get a bed for the night.
R You can sleep flat in a hammock
R Swaggies wouldn’t recognise modern day swags
R I’m a mozzie magnet
R Adding the prefix ‘hiking’ or ‘motor cycle’ to any gear dramatically increases the price
R I’m long overdue to go camping
Essential for all off-road adventures.
aNchor poiNts
R Super heavy-duty ratchet straps in working loads from 530kg to 2000kg in varying lengths and packs
R Medium-duty ratchet straps in working loads from 350kg to 450kg in varying lengths
R Light-duty ratchet straps in working loads of 270kg in varying lengths
R Light-duty cam-buckle straps in working loads of 270kg in varying lengths
R Flat bungee straps with carabiners or hooks in varying lengths
R New removable ute anchor points for all dropside trays with 80mm side rails
RRP: Rachet straps and cam buckle straps from $14.95. Flat bungee strap hooks and carabiners from $4.95.
Ute removable anchor point pack of four $29.95
Available from: Most automotive stores Web: hpplunds.com.au
Nitro MX730 helMet
Tailored for adventure riders looking to travel distances in comfort.
R Latest ECE 22.05 standard compliant
R Adjustable DVS (dual visor system)
R Fully adjustable chinbar and top ventilation with open and close positioning
R Dual rear exhaust vent
R Injection-moulded 3D visor with antiscratch coating
R Ultra comfort fit, fully removable and washable liner
R Anatomic luxury fitted cheekpads and comfort lining
R Micrometric buckle for ultimate adjustability and perfect tension
NelsoN-rigg rg-1045 trails eNd adveNture taNkBag
Rigg gear has a lifetime warranty.
R V-shaped base to suit off-road and adventure models
R UltraMax™ polyester
R Convenient side pockets
R Adjustable shoulder/ tether strap and waterproof rain cover included
R Protective base material prevents slipping or marking
BuMot XtreMada paNNiers aNd rack
Luggage set includes:
R Two soft panniers
R Rack to suit bike eg: BMW, Suzuki, Yamaha, KTM, Husqvarna, Moto Guzzi, Honda, Ducati and Triumph
R Pannier constructed from mild steel and galvanised, then powdercoated black for a smooth but durable finish
R All mounts are four-millimetre aluminium plate
R Stainless-steel, lockable, quick-release mechanism
R 35-litre and 31-litre (notched for exhaust) plus external storage of four litres each pannier.
R Each pannier also has two two-litre pockets for carrying fuel or water
R Two dry bags (one for each pannier)
RRP: Panniers and rack $1575. Panniers for BMW OEM rack $1150
RRP: $169
Available from: Your local motorcycle dealer Web: nitrorider.com.au
R Clear map pocket is touch-screen-device friendly
R Fully expandable
R Holds 12.4 litres. 16.5 litres expanded
RRP: $149.95
Available from:
All leading motorcycle dealerships
Web: nelsonrigg.com.au
held
Available in Black 01 and Blackgrey-red 09.
R Highly abrasion-resistant and tactile kangaroo leather palm
R Hard-plastic knuckle protection
R Colourfast and sweatproof
R Spandex (95% polyamide, 5% elastane), leather detailed back
R Perforated finger side walls
R Unlined palm
R Sizes 7-12
R SUPERFABRIC® reinforcement on edge of hand
R Velcro adjustment at cuffs
Available from: Adventure Bike Shop Phone: 0428 536 519 Web: adventurebikeshop.com.au
RRP: $145
Web: mig.bike
Phone: 1300 916 916
Two units ideal for keeping all your 12V and 6V lead-acid batteries in top condition.
R RC-2000 outputs a constant 2000mA for charging batteries with a capacity from two amp-hours to 60 amp-hours and maintaining all battery sizes
R RC-750 for 12V and 6V lead-acid batteries, WET (flooded), GEL, MF (Maintenance-Free) and EFB (Enhanced Flooded Battery)
R Protection against reverse polarity, short circuit and overcharge
R Built-in intelligent microprocessor
RRP: RC-2000 $75.95, RC-750 $46.75 plus postage and handling
Available from: Rocky Creek Designs Web: rockycreekdesigns.com.au
iXoN kassius Boots
An excellent choice on all terrains.
R Specialised and comfortable
R Lightweight
Ultra-waterproof
Designed to ensure comfort and performance
CE Level-2 certified IPA-approved protection
R Atop opening/closing system is lined with a fully protected zip on the side
RRP: $329.95
R Reinforced areas at the toe, heel and around the gear shifter
Available from: All good motorcycle retailers Web: ixon.com
R Available in sizes 41-47 (7.5-12) u
iNtuitive cuBe haNdleBar MouNt a+
A phone mount for Intuitive Cube phone cases.
R Compatible with all X-Guard Cases , Universal Mount and Infinity Lock
R Suitable for side-mirror bolt size M8/M10/M12
R Machined 6061 aluminium
R With safety fastener for dual fixing
R Adjustable for any viewing angle
R Dual fixings for stem and side-mirror mount
R 110mm x 65mm x 32 mm
R Weight: 86gm
RRP: From $74.95
Designed for medium-sized enduro and adventure bikes.
R A great alternative to the pannier system
R Two x 20-litre capacity
R Allow weight-optimised loading
R Low centre of gravity
R Roll closure
R Strap fastening allows mounting on almost every bike
RRP: $629
Available from: shop.touratech.com.au
Web: touratech.com.au
rottweiler perforMaNce ktM 790/890 adveNture power plate elite editioN
A budget alternative giving intake protection without the power increases of the full Rottweiler Performance intake kits.
R Installs in about 20-30 minutes
R Shields entire intake inlet system with 100% oiled filtration
R Allows bike to breath virtually dust free
R Better than power-robbing foam snorkel inserts
A tyre that’ll get you home again.
R Designed for 20% on-road and 80% off-road use
R A good choice for the 690-701 market and larger bikes
R Off-road adventure tyre with extreme traction
R Guarantees directional stability of the motorcycle
R Selected sizes available in the Dakar version (yellow-stripe marking)
R For higher loads, longer adventure trips and extreme conditions
RRP: Fronts starting at $129.99. Rears starting at $179.99
Available from: Leading motorcycle stores Web: monzaimports.com.au
oBr adv gear high BasiN taNkBag
All OBR ADV Gear products are designed and proudly made in the USA.
R High-strength and water-resistant 1680D ballistic-nylon construction
R Bottom of bag has a vinyl-coated non-slip panel
R Heavy-duty, dust-resistant, #10 coil zipper with storm flap
R Trapezoid front profile to improve the bag interface with riders’ legs
R Secure attachment through bike’s frame/subframe with supplied adjustable ladderlock straps
R Main compartment with front mesh slip pocket
R Interchangeable zippered stow pocket and map pocket snaps onto top panel
R Internal D-ring for clipping keys or other important items
RRP: $189.95 plus
Available from: Adventure Bike Australia Web: adventurebikeaustralia.com.au
pod kNee-Brace sleeves
Enhance comfort, performance and recovery.
R Moisture-wicking fabric
R Flatlock stitching
R Compression sleeve
R Anti-slip silicon grippers
R Extra length to fold over braces
R Available in five sizes: Youth – 3XL
Comfort, ventilation, and sensitivity
R Mesh structure for optimum ventilation
R Leather palms
R Superior abrasion resistance
R Rigid inserts on knuckles and micro-inserts
R SmartTouch technology
R Convenient visor wiper
R Available in sizes S – XXXL
eNduraNce click (pair)
RRP: $189
Available from: All good retailers Web: mcleodaccessories.com.au
füsport siMpsoN X Motoz aNd giBsoN X
The Simpson is a full-height boot while the Gibson is a mid-height boot.
R A great collaboration between two proudly Australian brands
R Exclusive Motoz Tractionator RallZ sole
R Available in Black or Brown
R Larger footpeg interface
R Waterproof and breathable lining
R Internal moulded plastic protections
R Shin and ankle TPU moulded plastic protections
R Extra soft polymer padding with memory foam
RRP: Simpson $219. Gibson $189
Available from: All good motorcycle dealers Web: fusportboots.com/
Quick on – quick off, and just the right size. These are among the editor’s favourites.
R Super lightweight and waterproof soft luggage
R Suitable for all common luggage racks
R Durable and completely waterproof
R Capacity of around 28 litres
R Adapts to any standard bike rack with 18mm tube diameter
oXford MoNtreal
4.0 jacket
aNd paNts
High-spec adventure apparel.
R Dry2dry waterproof and breathable membrane: 10,000/20,000 water proof/breathability
R High-density polyester outer-shell construction
R Six waterproof vent zippers: dual chest, dual forearm, dual back exhausts
R Upper arm hookand-loop adjustment
R Webbing waist adjusters
R Drawcord hem adjustment and Intelligent cuff adjustment
R Accordion stretch panels for increased rider comfort
R Five external pockets
aNdy strapz Moto guzzi v85tt luggage systeM
An Aussie luggage system for the new V85TT.
R Accommodates most ‘throw-over’ saddle bags (Andy Strapz Avduro Panniers are the best choice)
R Designed to support throw-over bags that have the weight of the luggage taken on the seat
R Strong but light
R Fitted in minutes (it takes longer to unwrap than fit them)
R Run with or without pillion-peg brackets
R Frame weight: just a smidge over 500 grams per side
RRP: Frame set $370 plus freight. Avduro pannier set
$475. Frames, Avduro and liner package $900
Available from: Andy Strapz
Phone: (03) 9786 3445
Email: info@andystrapz.com Web: andystrapz.com
coBrra NeMo chaiN oiler
High-quality, long-lasting materials and special foam cushions.
R Great for bikes without a centrestand
R Lubricates and cleans the chain at the same time
R The process takes about two or three minutes
R Optimal and even lubrication of the chain
R Small dimensions for storage in the motorcycle
R Recommended to use with cost-effective 80W-90 gear oil
R Significant extension of chain life
R No permanent mounting on the motorcycle
RRP: $69.95
Available from: Adventure Moto Web: adventuremoto.com.au
Mosko Moto NoMaX taNkBag
Inspired by the hydration packs for backcountry skiing and mountain biking.
R Seven-litre storage capacity with a two-litre hydration reservoir with insulated hose
R Comes with a rain cover
R Quick-release mounting system
R MOLLE expandability
R External beacon pocket (inReach or SPOT)
R Fleece-lined sunglasses pocket
R Cable passthrough port
R Transforms into a fully functional backpack
Available from: Mosko Moto Web: moskomoto.com
fibreglass composite shell. R Plush, technical fabric interior with 3D laser-cut cheek pads
R Ultra-wide eye port with optically correct Class A polycarbonate shield
R Built-in drop-down sunshield
R The peak is designed with large ports for maximum air flow
R Ported ventilation is fully adjustable
R Three shell sizes
R Advanced EPS liner
R DOT and ECE 22.05
If
