substitute for actually honing the specific skills and techniques of riding a motorcycle.
There’s also a narrower view of cross training which advocates practicing on a trials or enduro bike, and it’s an excellent way to improve rudimental skills. I’m a big fan of this philosophy because riders have a better chance of mastering a skill or technique on a light bike which is forgiving of an accidentally tweaked throttle or locked wheel than they do on a two-wheel mine truck with 160hp which
Cross training, training for riding that doesn’t involve actually riding a bike, is a good idea. Any exercise which increases endurance and strength is beneficial and will promote better riding performance. For adventure riders – who tend to be a little older – flexibility training like yoga or pilates can reap huge benefits. But there’s no substitute for time on the bike.
If you want to be good at crossing logs, get on your bike and cross a lot of logs. If you need to be able to cover long distances, start riding early in the morning and don’t stop until you’re exhausted. And as soon as you recover, get back on the bike and do it again. Keep doing it. Eventually you’ll build up the endurance to survive the long days and big distances.
No amount of cross training will
two-stroke with lightning-fast geometry practicing late braking and negotiating ruts, but it’s going to be a hell of shock to the system when you try those manouevres on a fully laden 200kg behemoth. And that’s the point I’m trying to make.
Make sure you do move those techniques across to your adventure bike as part of your training. Don’t get it all right in the paddock at home on the dirtbike and think it’ll all be okay when the shit hits the fan on the next ‘real’ ride. It won’t be.
“ No amount of cross training will substitute for actually honing the specific skills and techniques of riding a motorcycle. ”
threatens to tear their arms off or crush them for a split second of inattention.
But still, ultimately, the small-bike training has to be transferred to the rider’s regular bike, and I feel lately that’s a step a lot of riders are avoiding.
There’s no doubt you’ll be a better rider if you spend time on a 70kg, 30hp,
There’s no substitute for time on the bike, and there’s no substitute for time on your own bike. Load it up as you would for a normal ride, then head out into the paddock and tackle those same witch’s hats, mud wallows and brake slides you were getting so good at on the small bike. It’ll be tough, but it’s what you’ve been working for on the smaller bike, and the time to make the transition is at your home training ground where you can control the pace and the terrain. Cross training is good, and we should all be doing whatever exercise we can. But we need to learn to handle our adventure bikes, and there’s only one way to do it. It’s not watching YouTube videos or spending time at the gym. It’s riding and challenging ourselves under controlled conditions.
Tom Foster - Editor
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Main:
Bucket haul
Sometimes you have to keep looking ahead and gathering ideas so when the right moment presents you can grab your bike and go. It worked for Graeme Sedgwick.
Iwas inspired after listening to ‘mustride’ suggestions from others and squirrelled together some useful maps: Hema’s New England High Country Motorcycle Touring and Outback NSW maps, plus a Coffs Harbour Forestry map. With a plan to ride South Africa to Namibia stifled by circumstance my idea was to cover some gripping tarmac, stunning forestry and remote landscape, all linked by an assortment of secondary sealed and unsealed ways.
“ The verdict?
Fantastic! Unbeatable! Or so I thought. ”
With the plan sorted and shared, and loaded with enthusiasm, I departed southern Victoria in the crisp stillness before dawn. I was keen to miss potential four-wheeled assassins and to knock over an uninteresting, but unavoidable, few-hundred kilometres to Bellbridge. From there I’d planned a more engaging ride further north via Talgamo, Bungil, and Jingellic to Tumbarumba, then a steady climb to what must be one of our country’s biggest apple-growing regions, Batlow, and a break in Adelong.
Adelong is a peaceful out-of-the-way place with some magnificent buildings, and from there I planned to swing through Tumut to collect the first of my adventure’s bucket haul: Tumut to Yass via Wee Jasper.
High standards
All went well to Tumut and it wasn’t long before the narrow, sealed road out of that town morphed into a well-formed, small-grained gravel passage with short blue-metal sections that rose and fell between massive plantation vistas. The main road narrowed to become more of a washboard sand passage to Fitzpatrick’s campsite in the middle of the Brindabellas.
The verdict?
Fantastic! Unbeatable! Or so I thought. Having not ridden in those parts before I had no idea the narrow, sealed, wriggly ride from Wee Jasper to Yass was an equally crackerjack run. My F650GS seemed perfectly suited to the wrinkled geography that encouraged pace and a range of throttle settings for zooming entry and exit of turns.
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Words and images: Graeme Sedgwick
Beneath the colourful pastels of an endless, papier-mache sky. Author Graeme captured a spectacular selfie on his bucket-haul tour. Below: Useful maps: Hema’s New England High Country Motorcycle Touring; Outback NSW; Coffs Harbour Forestry.
Above: A narrow, sealed road out of Tumut morphed into a well-formed, small-grained gravel passage with short blue-metal sections.
Right: A washboard sand passage to Fitzpatrick’s campsite in the middle of the Brindabellas was fantastic.
Below: Concealed driveways aside, the run to Oberon traversed the Great Dividing Range’s plateau and must be one of the best, big, open-landscape rides any rider could enjoy.
Once Yass was left behind, I rode via Jerrawa and Gunning to Kenmore, beyond which my second bucket-haul section gathered momentum through Myrtleville, Taralga, Porters Retreat, Black Springs and into Oberon.
Surprisingly remote, the passage to Oberon traversed the Great Dividing Range’s plateau, with most of the places mentioned not much more than signposts. It was an almost trafficless run and
I was convinced motorcycling couldn’t get much better. Impressive, expansive views lined either side of an equally impressive ribbon of secondary tarmac that screamed, ‘Ride me!’ But if you go there beware. There are many clearly visible private driveways that enter the main run, and there are some doozies over crests that can really get both party’s attention very quickly.
Driveways aside, the tableland run must
be one of the best, big, open-landscape rides any rider could enjoy.
Memorable
But I’d signed on for more. Bucket-haul section number three was Bells Line of Road, via Kurrajong, after skirting Lithgow via Hampton, Hartley and Mount Victoria to run ‘The Line’ across to Colo Heights.
This charge along the sandstone
THE BMW F 850 GS ADVENTURE
ADVENTURE WITH NO LIMITS
The
Right: One large sucker of a tree had fallen. Traction wasn’t improved by drizzling rain.
Below & below right: Gusting wind heightened the senses for what felt like threatening weather approaching Barrington Tops National Park.
plateau hugging the northern edge of the Grose Valley and gullies running down to the Colo River, while short and sharp, was an enjoyable surprise I hadn’t expected between suburbs.
Next was bucket-haul section four, the Putty Road, and it didn’t disappoint.
Set between Wollemi National Park on the western side and Yengo National Park to the east, The Putty has no shortage of riding engagement. It quickly becomes very additive, particularly when descending through some of the tighter corners and ascending through equally demanding turns at pace. In between are straights that allow a moment to imagine how crazy The Putty could be in heavier traffic. I, fortunately, rode the section during a not-too-busy time, and as a result my Putty Road experience will be forever vividly etched within my short motorcycling career’s memory bank.
Awash with satisfaction chose a less hectic run from The Putty’s northern end and headed west via Mount Thorley and Jerrys Plains to find a peaceful place to set up camp not far from Gundy. was totally and utterly exhausted.
Concentrate
The next morning, in contrast to the preceding two days’ cloudless blue skies, wasn’t as promising. As I prepared to cross through Barrington Tops National Park it was overcast and threatening rain, and definitely not how my imagination had pictured the scene. made a couple of phone calls to check road conditions and was reassured all was open to traffic. “Just be aware you’re likely
to encounter any number of free-roaming animals, ranging from feral brumbies to cattle, and the usual bouncing and walking furry targets,” I was told. With final checks completed buckethaul five’s adventure kicked off.
on what lay in front of me.
“ Just be aware you’re likely to encounter any number of free-roaming animals, ranging from feral brumbies to cattle, and the usual bouncing and walking furry targets. ”
I was keen to conquer the section which, compared to the previous day’s riding, meant a fair degree of isolation. It was important not to be distracted by second guessing and to stay focussed
Paying close attention to the the New England High Country/BMW Safari map I’d luckily scored from Glen Innes Tourism two years earlier, and encouraged by the peaceful landscape, I toured along a clearly visible, yellowish-gravel road which twisted its way around sloping, country pastures.
I was like a kid who didn’t want to climb down from a treehouse. The gusting wind buffeted my helmet visor and heightened my senses for what felt like threatening weather as I passed into the thickness of Barrington Tops National Park, and the next 90 or so kilometres to Barrington, northwest of Gloucester, felt a monumental challenge. Each crossroad, signpost and unmarked intersection required my best navigational judgement, and I remained constantly alert for a less-attentive driver rounding any of the curves of the loose-gravel road or barrelling through the single-lane timber bridges and water crossings.
was in a heady frame of mind, buzzing at every curve ball thrown my way, but sometimes, in an instant, things change.
Under performing
In light drizzle I rounded the next downhill turn to find before me one large sucker of a tree that had fallen completely and totally across the line I was on. To make things interesting the once blue-metal road had become clay. Traction wasn’t improved by the drizzling rain.
pondered the situation. was about 50km from my target, Thunderbolts Way. Should I see if I could find a way around? Should I retrace my route? Surely I could get through? What if there’s another fallen tree? Or trees? What if the drizzle becomes heavy rain –how might one explain themselves to an SES extraction team?
Motivated by the prospect of a remaining 50km versus the best part of retracing 70km and then having to remap my plan, I dismounted and embarked upon what became a lengthy forward survey which resulted in a decision to press on.
I removed the panniers and lined the narrow passage under the fallen trunk with as much forest litter as possible, and when all was set I sat astride ‘Shultz’ (my trusty Beemer) and imagined myself conquering the obstacle. With the throttle open and cautiously working the clutch, I paddled in gear towards the underpass point where loose gravel gave way and slippery clay took over.
A moment’s intense concentration surged over my ugly face and suddenly I was enlivened and euphoric. Shultz and I slalomed under, still upright, oscillating madly past limbs and trunks before oozing to a stop!
Wringing wet in my adrenalin-soaked top-to-toe protective kit I felt my pulse spike. I’d made it. With the luggage back on the bike the remaining 50km traverse of Barrington Tops couldn’t pass quickly enough, and as I roosted clear I wondered what Frederick Wordsworth Ward – Captain Thunderbolt – might have thought of my escape.
Half-a-doz
The ride north on Thunderbolts Way, my sixth bucket-haul section, was thankfully an exhilarating giant roller coaster up the range, with many sweeping corners that quickly ensured the mass between the ears was engaged. Thank goodness it was, because I’d burnt an enormous amount of physical and mental energy in the decisions and events leading up to the run through to Walcha, where I opted for a more civilised form of accommodation which included a shower – under which I probably spent far too much time.
Exhilarating
Refreshed, the seventh bucket-haul section was a-bring-it-on-fast tarmac icon named the Oxley Highway. Having been told so much about this incredible ‘black’ run I was keen for an early start. Across and down the New England plateau the Oxley’s huge, wide, open, sweeping corners beckoned. The curves needed a very different rhythm among the more thickly forested parts where cornering momentum became almost endlessly demanding. In places it was tight and unforgiving for any rider not totally in the zone.
Right: The Boyd River boasted a spectacular backdrop.
But that wasn’t the end of the show by any stretch. The remaining eastern leg following the Hastings River was grouse, and just before Long Flat I slipped away to Beechwood.
After Beechwood my eighth buckethaul awaited: another route highlighted on the New England High Country map that squiggled its way via Bellangry, Mount Banda Banda and eventually to
a Y intersection north of Mount Werrikimbe. I sailed along between contorted hills and through forest into a rougher setting which had me second guessing myself and the reference map. Thankfully, a courteous 4WDer stopped to provide the navigational reassurance I needed near Willi Willi, and 40km or so of less-rutted gravel delivered me to my target just northwest of Willawarrin along
Left: The Old Glen Innes Grafton Road is a popular destination.
Below: Hand-cut by workers through solid rock and only just big enough to squeeze a bullock wagon through.
the Kempsey-to-Wollomombi road which runs up to Waterfall Way’s western end. At that point I pulled over and dismounted to stretch and remove the helmet to get some much-needed fresh air around my bald head before enjoying the less-demanding run to Wollomombi.
From there I skirted Armidale to the east, through New England and Cathedral Rock, to join the New England Highway at Guyra and ride on to an overnighter at Glen Innes, my most northern target. Glen Innes was important because I was keen to run the Old Glen Innes Road, having driven it with my wife in a camper years earlier. Until the Gwydir Highway was surveyed over the Gibraltar range the ‘oldie-but-goodie’ route was the only connection between countryside and coast.
Bygones
Easily accessed from the west after 28km of fuss-free tarmac from Glen Innes, ‘The Oldie’ became the ninth dimension of my bucket-haul adventure. As I descended the Gibraltar Range to ride beside the
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Boyd River, backdropped by spectacular rugged mountain views, I thought this had to be God’s country at its most elusive and irrepressible best.
There’s lots to snare a rider’s curiosity, like Tommy’s Lookout Fire Trail, a detour worth a look. A rider needs to be wary of 4WDers being less attentive and forgiving than they should be, but the sweeping views across the Mann River Gorge are stunning.
Between the 1850s and ’60s Dalmorton was a thriving, rowdy, gold-mining community of 5000 people and several pubs, and is one of those unique outof-time places. It’s a region where descendants of Australia’s wartime cavalry horses – now a breed called Walers – roam. There are so many pointers to history, like the tunnel, hand-cut by workers through solid rock and only just big enough to squeeze a bullock wagon through. It’s become an attraction, as I discovered when chatting first to some riders who’d come from Brisbane just to see the tunnel, and then another group of what appeared to be very accomplished KTM riders.
In short, I suspect The Oldie has become a perfect adventurers’ destination. Then of course there’s the locality’s
name, remembering the man who unsuccessfully guarded a stockpile of explosives beneath Britain’s House of Lords in the failed Gunpowder Plot. Major Edward Parke, 240 years later, named the Guy Fawkes River after camping nearby on the night of the 1845 Guy Fawkes Day celebration.
The Oldie behind, Nymboida beckoned. I rode into the denser forestry country that enveloped Clouds Creek and Billys Creek to the northwest of Dorrigo. There were many choices detailed in the Coffs Harbour Forestry map which allowed
me to keep track of the main route, ultimately meeting Waterfall Way a dozen kilometres before Ebor where the Guy Fawkes River plunged over two lofty rock faces at Ebor Falls.
By the time I’d reached the comforts of the Bushranger Motor Inn at Uralla I was all but cooked, and thank goodness for the recommendation of Bridge Street’s top pub for dinner. A serve of pasta with a bowl of chips and a few XXXX Golds couldn’t happen quick enough to top off another buckethaul day.
ADVENTURE TOURING
Above: Heading for Nymboida through the forestry country to the northwest of Dorrigo. Right: A tail waiting to be told?
Meet’n’greet
The next morning there was some good news. A mate, Trevor, had successfully cleared fallen trees on his property south of Newcastle and agreed to rendezvous in Scone.
Although a more experienced and travelled rider than myself, we’d ridden Royal Enfield Bullets through the land of the Maharajas and dualsport bikes through and around the Flinders Ranges. But, for no other reason than the bizarre events of recent years, we’d been unable to enjoy a relaxed ride since. Rather than
navigating a raft of unfamiliar country the next day I straight-lined down the New England Highway in anticipation of a debrief, a pub meal and a few beers at the Royal Hotel in Kelly Street, Scone.
Epic
The following day a less-adventurous ride west of Scone through the Bylong Valley to Rylstone took us into the secondlargest enclosed valley in the world, my plan’s tenth bucket-haul section. It was all very compelling because, as a southerner, I’d not had the chance to get a sense of
the Capertee Valley’s enormity. The area’s recent boast a number of places had been used as locations for the filming of the SAS Australia television series also captured my curiosity. Locations such as the Zig Zag railway line in Clarence, the Power Station – or what remains since its demolition at Wallerang – most of the buildings at Glen Davis Shale Oil Refinery ruins on private property, and the water catchments of Marrangaroo Creek and Dam fired up my interest. But what struck us most on our northern descent into, then riding across, the valley’s expansive
Far left: Notable history.
Left: A selfish re-familiarisation of Mount Panorama.
Bottom left: Enjoying The Outback.
floor was the realisation of the valley’s grand scale, dominated by sandstone cliffs and escarpments drawing into a deep chasm carved over millions of years. At once the stunning, wild beauty eclipsed the peaceful rural pastures and towering forests which encompass the valley’s pretty much trafficless passages. For the record, it was a great mix of good riding.
There was so much to absorb. Glen Davis’s history is notable because it was the first attempt in New South Wales to create a completely new community based on town-planning principles – that was after the establishment of the Oil Shale works which operated to provide fuel for essential transport needs at the outbreak of World War 2 through to 1952. It was all incredibly enlightening for a southern adventurer, who, prior, frankly had no idea of the valley’s existence nor its monumental scale.
Panorama
We’d exhausted each other’s available time and parted as we left the valley, Trevor toward Newcastle and I to the old prospecting site mapped as ‘Sofala Historic Town’, on the banks of the Turon River. It’s a curious place. The Royal Hotel offers accommodation, the general store is worth a visit for its interesting lacework and weatherboard construction, and Oddfellows Hall is a beautiful restoration.
Bathurst beckoned from the north for a selfish re-familiarisation of Mount Panorama before overnighting in Grenfell and continuing my bucket-haul charge.
Endless
Away from Grenfell my passage tracked southward in a sort of zigzag fashion via Black Spring Mountain, Bimbi, Morangarell, Barmedman, Bellarwi and Tallimba, before crossing that invisible Fruit Fly Quarantine Zone line at a point immediately south of Erigolla. Onward from the east through Cocoparra Reserve I rode. I exited via Tabbita from the north before tracking south along more hard-packed, unsealed, outback gravel westward on the northern side of the Murrumbidgee River passing south of Carrathoul.
The main drag further westward turned south at Maude and I pulled over to lend a grazier a helping hand. Like many of his type, he was having to deal with the impact of COVID and the resulting shearer shortages. Yarding sheep might not sound as energising as riding, but for me at that point in my bucket-haul ride, it was a positive change of pace and social engagement. Any time spent with rural people has to be beneficial – for me at least – if only because of their ability to very quickly simplify things and bring a variety of matters into uncomplicated, sharp focus. At the same time they can open our eyes and minds to a host of broader topics that don’t get urban oxygen – like how wind- and solar-energy projects in far-flung places are actually being planned.
In all, the setting couldn’t have delivered a more relaxed space to reflect, with a cold beer at hand, listening to the adventures of others who ride daily in no less adventurous ways beneath the colourful pastels of an endless, papier-mache sky.
Husqvarna
Norden 901
Husqvarna has offered some great bikes in recent years, but the Norden is something really exceptional. We haven’t fallen for a bike as hard as we fell for this one since the 701 Enduro.
Wilkinson Photography and TF
Husqvarna has come up with a new term: ‘gravel travel’.
The idea is, bikes like KTM’s 890 Adventure R are offroad-oriented adventure bikes. They’re rough, tough and ready to smash through the really crazy stuff, from the Amazon Basin to The Sahara.
The Norden has less of an aggressive off-road edge and therefore will work best on less demanding off-road surfaces –like gravel roads.
After riding the bike for a couple of days, we believe that’s undeniably true. Our only problem with the gravel-travel concept is we feel it implies the bike’s a soft option that vastly underrates the 901’s ability.
It’s not an 890!
The Husqvarna presentation of the bike made a big point of the Norden not being a direct competitor for the 890 Adventure, so we’re going to deal with that straight away.
Left: It’s no 701, but the Norden is entirely at home off road.
Right: A very tidy-looking and capable bike, both on and off road.
The Norden’s mechanicals are the same as the 890’s. The electronics probably aren’t identical, but they’re very similar as far as we could tell. Even the prices of the two bikes are so close it really doesn’t matter much. Like it or not, potential buyers are going to at least make the comparison.
The challenge for Husky as we see it is to try and get the Australian adventure-riding community to be realistic about what they want from the bike.
We feel the overwhelming majority of potential buyers looking at 900cc twins will be better served
by what the Husky offers. The 890R will definitely be the go for Simpson crossings and Cape York trips – for those who seriously want to tackle that level of challenge on a 900cc twin –but for sightseeing in the dust and rock of The Flinders, runs along the Great Ocean Road and into the forests and dirt roads of The Otways, Nullarbor Plain crossings, and general bitumen riding, the Norden is absolutely superb.
The bare facts
Just to ensure we’ve presented the bike properly, it’s an 889cc
u
Images:
Weight is carried low. It’s hard to grasp just how light and nimble it feels. parallel twin with a very usable – and sensible, in our opinion – suite of electronics, 105hp, a slipper clutch and a seat which can quickly and easily be set at either an 854mm or 874mm seat height. Suspension is WP 43mm upside-downers at the front and a WP Apex shock at the rear, and lighting is exceptionally good. Fuel capacity is 19 litres – at the prices during our test ride about $150 to fill from reserve – and the wheels are a tubeless 21-inch front and 18-inch rear. There’s three riding modes on the standard bike: Street, Rain and Offroad, and there’s an optional Exlporer mode which gives the ‘slip’ function on traction control which we thought so incredibly brilliant on both the 790 and 890 KTMs, and which means ponying up for an extra $320. That’s the bare essentials.
What the spec sheet and the brochure don’t really convey is the beautiful look of the bike. It’s not the colour scheme we’re talking about. That won’t appeal to everybody, although we thought the bike looked schmick. It’s the way the panels and parts are shaped so there’s no edges or ledges sticking out anywhere to snag anything, and the way the cable runs are carefully thought out so there’s no loose loops or flapping ends. The Husky folks mentioned several times Husqvarna is a quality brand, and we certainly felt the attention to detail on the Norden justified all they said. Even the lighting was beautiful. The retro headlight shape housed an LED array that gave a bright, white, wide LED beam, and the spotties are integrated into the fairing. The footpegs had rubber inserts which had been removed before we arrived, and the handlebars, in a subtle way, we felt were shaped more for comfort than getting the elbows up.
One thing which did make our eyebrows climb a little was the width of the seat. It’s narrow at the front, which worked really well for standing up on the ’pegs, but wide enough to take a real barge arse at the back, and that made it the best seat in the house on long road sections. It was very comfy.
The whole bike was very comfy, actually. It’s not often we enjoy long road sections as much we enjoyed them on the Husky.
Feel good
We’re going to mix a few a bits and pieces of system detail with feel while actually riding because it’s the best way try and u
demonstrate what we want to say. The first thing is, as an overall observation, the Husky Norden is a fair fricken demon on a tight, twisting mountain road.
Seriously. We were left wondering at ourselves. Very few dualsporters will allow slicing through mountain blacktop with the speed and aggression we enjoyed on this bike. We know there are plenty of good performers, but the Norden with its slipper clutch, corneringsensitive traction control and ABS, fantastic quickshifter and a system Husky calls Motor Slip Regulation (MSR), kept inviting to us to go deeper and deeper into turns and lean the bike further and further until we honestly began to ask ourselves if we ever would find the limit. Fortunately we didn’t, which makes it even more impressive when we think back over some of sections and how they were handled. We also want to give a cheer to the Pirelli Scorpions which, once again, showed how incredibly capable they are both on and off road.
On the long straights it was a matter of flicking the cruise-control thumb button to the left, pushing it forward or pulling it back to set the desired speed, and letting the bike keep everything safe and legal. We heard a few of the other journos discussing the screen not being adjustable and not working so well with the seat in the high position, but that will depend on the rider. For us it was great with the seat in either position. The braking, no surprise, was every bit as good as the motor and gearbox. Control is superb, even with the bike leaned well over, and the confidence given to the rider from the whole set up is very strong.
Rebound
Once we went offroad we expected the bike to very quickly come up short, but it didn’t.
Naturally the Husky folks had chosen a route which showed off the bike off at its best, but even so, on gravel, loose dirt, corrugations and in some startlingly deep water crossings, the Norden still maintained its performance sparkle and made the whole experience an absolute celebration of riding. The power delivery was hefty but well under control, the standard footpegs felt great and, best of all for us, the Offroad mode was just what we wanted.
Traction control was backed off to right where we liked it, ABS on the front was controlled but not aggressive and the rear switched off, and power delivery and throttle response were everything we could’ve wished.
Husky could’ve left us in that happy place, but to the company’s credit, we were taken u
Top left: It’s a fair demon on a tight, twisting mountain road.
Above: Performance sparkle was maintained in some startlingly deep water crossings.
Left: The Offroad mode was just what we wanted. Power delivery and throttle response were everything we could’ve wished.
to a trail and warned it would likely be a challenge for the bikes. We were asked to slow down and get a feel for how the bikes coped. It was a rocky, shitty track with some ruts and erosion mounds and, sure enough, the Norden very quickly came back to Earth. Sometimes a bit too quickly. We were forced to slow things down considerably.
But still, given the opportunity to tackle the obstacles at slower speeds, as we’ve found with so many bikes in the past, the Husky romped it in. No problem at all. A little careful line choice, a judicious use of throttle and some control applied to just how far the bike was thrown skyward and the Husky skipped and bopped its way along the trail like a good’n.
Part of the point of the rough trail was to give everyone a chance to try the optional upgraded suspension which was fitted to the two sweep bikes, and holy spear us in the eye with a red-hot header pipe, Batman! The bike we rode had the top-level upgrade with larger diameter forks and reverse-cone valving, and we shit you not, it was incredible. The upgrade front and rear tallied to a whopping $7,800, but the result was absolutely astonishing.
After we’d ridden that bike we stood around drooling and were too stunned to ride the other bike which had kept the same diameter fork legs as the stocker with different internals and a few other bits and pieces as part of a less-extreme upgrade. We didn’t get a price on that set up, either. We’d ridden the best. We didn’t want to try the rest.
What was really interesting about that was, as we sulked about how the standard bike had missed out on the super-duper suspension, photographer Wilko pointed out how good the standard bike was on the road, and especially on gravel and corrugations. We realised he was right. The standard bike is excellent at what it’s intended to do. And then opinions started to float around that the upgraded suspension wasn’t as razor sharp on the road nor as steady and planted on some the flatter, loose surfaces.
That was interesting, and it was true as well. It was what Husqvarna had been trying to get through to us. The racestandard suspension is there for those who want it, but most buyers will find the standard set up on the Norden u
Top left & right: The standard forks and shock did a good job, but the XPLOR upgrade was amazing. Left: There’s not too many places off limits to a bike as good as this one.
well-suited to the bike’s intended use. We were happy again.
No apology
We’re clearly smitten with the Husky Norden 901 and we’re happy if it shows. It’s a beautifully finished, wellthought-out, stunning performer in the right situation, and we believe it’s the situation a high percentage of Australian adventure riders will find themselves in a high percentage of the time. If the rider gives the bike a chance it’ll cope with the unexpected with real confidence, and it’s an absolute pleasure to ride.
We haven’t mentioned how light the bike feels, but it’s a significant contributor to the overwhelmingly enjoyable riding experience on all surfaces. Having the fuel carried so low is brilliant, and while we’re speaking of fuel, the 19-litre tank gave us a comfortable 350km or so before hitting reserve. We didn’t run it dry, but we’d work with 350km plus reserve as a safe range in mixed terrain.
There’s a stack of accessories available of course: luggage, an Akro, phone connectivity, Huskybranded apparel, heated grips and seats, a taller windshield, lowering links and heaps more. Get on to the Husky website to find out about those things.
Better still, get into a dealer and ride one. Everyone should get to enjoy a bike this good once in a while.
Left: Excellent for its intended use.
Below: For sightseeing in the dust and rock of The Flinders, runs along the Great Ocean Road and into the forests and dirt roads of The Otways, Nullarbor Plain crossings, and general bitumen riding, the Norden is absolutely superb.
Above: Attention to detail is impressive.
Right & below right: The TFT screen is easy to read and the menu easy to navigate.
Bottom right: Panels and parts are shaped so there’s no edges or ledges sticking out.
Below: The retro headlight shape housed an LED array that gave a bright, white, wide LED beam.
Journey to the top
2021 was a year of challenges for Craig Baldwin. He faced low points, periods of darkness, anxiety, depression and hardship. But with the support of his family and Kramer, a Ténéré 660, he’s climbing up to meet the world eye-to-eye.
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Words and images: Craig Baldwin
Left: Author Craig Baldwin learned a lot on his journey. Below: Sometimes it’s hard to just sit and be, and to just observe and take in everything and be okay with that – essentially just being in the present moment.
Right: Where to next?
I’ve had a lot of time off work to recover and seek my own internal peace of mind which I’m still seeking. During the search I was fortunate enough to spend some time with my brother on what was to be a three-week ride traversing Queensland, NSW and into the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. For me it ended in tears when my XT660Z, ‘Kramer’, broke down and left us stuck in the Flinders Ranges seeking a way to ship the bike and myself back to Queensland.
After much deliberation I decided to rebuild Kramer and continue the journey to the top. I just couldn’t leave a mate behind. I wanted Kramer to ride again and seek redemption.
Aiming high
I’d listened to the amazing Colin Brady discussing his massive feats of adventure and he made mention of summiting Mt Kosciuszko as part of his record-breaking attempt to climb the seven highest mountains across the seven continents. I decided my own journey should include ascending Australia’s tallest peak. While I’d obviously heard of Mt Kosciuszko, the thought of visiting or climbing it had never crossed my mind – even though I’d spent a large part of my life living in NSW and not really a huge distance away.
I took the bike to the NSW central coast for Christmas with the family and headed off a few days later to end the year on a high, both physically and metaphorically.
Packed and ready
The Kosciuszko trip commenced with an early-morning awakening to miserable conditions. I set out at around 6.00am after trying to pick the gaps in the rain and for the first few hours it was nothing but cold and wet conditions. But I was out on an adventure and a re-set of my mind, so I was happy to take any conditions thrown at me. The morning’s challenging weather gave way to clear skies, hot sun, and the cooling, crisp, mountain breeze that blows through the Snowies, and after roughly six hours on the bike I arrived at the Adventist Alpine Village where I based myself for a couple of days. A hearty camp dinner and three-quarters of a bottle of wine set the day off perfectly. With supplies packed for the next day I settled in for the night.
On track
A 20km ride into the Kosciuszko National Park the next morning had me at Charlotte Pass to begin the journey. There were quite a lot of people, and combined with the excitement, fear and, of course, some anxiety I made ready to start. There are a couple of different routes to get to the top of Mt Kosciuszko, but I decided to take the nine-kilometre Summit Trail. It was a fairly easy hike with a gentle incline and not many real steep sections, and it overlooked some gorgeous countryside and strolled past Seamans Hut, built after two skiers had perished in 1928. The hut was built by one of those skier’s families the next
Far top left: Setting out at around 6.00am, trying to pick the gaps in the rain.
Bottom left: The rivers, lakes and streams made the walk simply stunning, while snow-capped peaks and snowy crossings made for an all-round great experience.
Top left: Seeing out 2021 on a high. The summit of Kosciuszko. Above: Built after two skiers had perished in 1928, Seamans Hut offers refuge for climbers caught out on the mountain in harsh conditions.
year to ensure that type of tragedy didn’t occur again, offering a refuge for climbers caught out on the mountain in harsh conditions.
As I approached the summit of Kosciuszko, I admit I started to well up. To be standing on top of Australia’s highest mountain peak was a spiritual feeling and one that conjured up quite a few emotions for me after a really tough year. It wasn’t just the achievement of the goal. It was a waypoint on my journey.
Reaching the top was amazing, but it was the descent that left me in absolute awe.
followed Main Range walk, approximately 11km, and it was like nothing I’d ever experienced. The rivers, lakes and multitude of little streams made the walk simply stunning, while snowcapped peaks and snowy crossings made for an all-round great experience.
When I finally made it back to the start point I was drained, excited, overwhelmed, proud, content and centred. The best feeling of all was genuine happiness. could honestly say I’d seen out 2021 on a high.
Good result
The next day took a little while to get started. After such an epic experience the day before it was tough to get back to that level again. Once on the bike I found a nice little loop around Snowy River Way and back to Jindabyne. I wasn’t very motivated, but rolled over some wide, open land which started to pick me up a notch, and after a bite to eat at Jindabyne I decided to head back out to the Kosciuszko
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Journey to the top
National Park so I could pick up a sticker for the bike.
The Flinders Ranges trip earlier in the year had started a sticker section on the XTZ to remember each trip taken, and Kosciuszko now had its own dedicated spot.
It was along Alpine Way to Thredbo I got my mojo back.
The scenery was spectacular to say the least, with kilometre after kilometre of twisting, winding roads. While Kramer wasn’t specifically built for that type of riding it was still bloody good fun nonetheless. What started out as a bit of a ‘meh’ morning ended up with some amazing riding and I was thankful I’d dragged myself out to enjoy it.
Wants versus needs
I bid farewell to Jindabyne and the
Kosciuszko region the following morning, holding close a special achievement and memories that would last forever. But it was a weird day for me. I was up, down, sideways and every which way. Most of the day was spent covering distance to get to Wombeyan Caves, just over four hours away, but I did allow time to take in Parliament House and Goulbourn’s Big Merino.
I was keen to get to Wombeyan Caves so could explore some of the caverns in the area, but as I climbed off the bike I decided to just take time out and relax in the creek with a few drinks. The caves could wait until the next day. I was met with all kinds of wildlife while relaxing in the creek, from a goanna to kangaroos and some great bird life. It almost felt I’d stumbled on a hippie commune. There were a heap of
“Kramer,
campers having a good time, relaxing in the creeks, listening to all kinds of music, fires were going and everyone was genuinely enjoying themselves. It was quite refreshing compared to what’s normally seen in the nine-to-five, and this got me thinking about what we actually need versus what we want in life. We build our castles of ‘stuff’ and then for fun and holidays we go away with nothing but shelter, food and the want for some laughs and good times with people we love.
Being alone on New Year’s Eve was what I wanted and enjoyed it, but it was a time to reflect on those I had close around me, hoping what hadn’t been the best year for me would roll over to a year of happiness and joy with those I love very much.
The following day, New Year’s Day, Bathurst awaited with some Mount Panorama fun.
A big day
The fifth day of my journey was a chilled, fun day.
I was in no rush to get started as I only had a two-and-a-half-hour ride to Bathurst, so I decided to take a wander through one of the caves before leaving Wombeyan campground. The only cave open was Fig Tree Cave, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. It was a self-guided tour, and that was right up my alley because it meant there were no crowds to deal with.
Again I was left in awe of the beauty thrown up to us if we’d just take the time to look for it. Sometimes it can be literally right under our feet.
The road from Wombeyan Caves to Oberon was good fun with plenty of fellow riders cruising the fast-flowing twisty roads. As I rolled into Bathurst I caught sight of the Mount Panorama sign up on the mountain and knew I was firmly in the motor-racing Mecca of Australia.
The history of that place includes names like Peter Brock, Dick Johnson, Allan Moffat, Mark Skaife, Craig Lowndes and many, many more. And now Kramer and me. It was our turn to conquer the mountain.
While it was done at a steady 60kph and under the very watchful eye of a motorcycle police officer, it was still lots of fun. I even ran into the group of riders I’d met at Thredbo a few days before, and that made the lap of the circuit that extra bit enjoyable.
my mate, you did it.” u
It was a late arrival into camp, which I wasn’t pleased with, but that’s something I need to work on. I need to make sure I don’t sweat the small stuff like that when I’ve had such a wonderful, fun-filled day. The next day was scheduled to be a big one for a couple of reasons. The original campgrounds I’d booked had cancelled due to roadworks leading in, and it would also be my 43rd birthday. I was looking forward to spending the day out on the open road doing what love. You really can’t ask for much more than that.
Unplanned stop
I’m a sucker for open-field farms and rolling hills dotted with sheep and cattle, and that’s what the next day threw up. Travelling from Bathurst to what was going to be my campsite in the Warrabah National Park, I was continually met with rolling, multi-coloured fields and pastures as far as the eye could see. It was a great ride on some nice, flowing, long, twisty roads. I also traversed multiple vineyards on the outskirts of Mudgee which made for some nice riding and great temptations. don’t normally ride with music playing, but this was the day for it. It was my birthday and was in the mood for some
tunes, so Tool was locked and loaded and made for a great ride. It was a fairly long day in which I did my best to stop and take in the sights along the way. I even stopped at Frog Rock, which was okay. It was a stretch, but I could kind of see a frog carved into the rock.
My last stop for the day was Gunnedah, and when I got back on the bike I just wasn’t feeling it. I was tired and ready to set up camp and have a few birthday drinks. About an hour from where I meant to camp I stumbled across a great, open, free campsite on the banks of the Namoi River at Manilla, so I decided to stay there the night. It was a top little spot with a nice flowing river and plenty of room to spread out.
The first week was done, and I was amazed at how time flew on the open road exploring our land.
I needed to find a COVID-19 test kit so I could cross back into Queensland, but for that moment it was ‘cheers’ to another great day while I sat by the river with a drink in hand.
Ups and
downs
The next morning a guy camping just up from me started chatting and asked what
Top: A sucker for open-field farms.
Left: Time for a self-guided tour of Fig Tree Cave.
I was doing for the day. He mentioned another free campsite at Bingara that was right on the Gwydir River with plenty of open space, plenty of shade and plenty of relaxation.
Sign me up!
The decision to have a day off the bike was dashed, and within about 30 minutes I was packed and on the road. The campground at Manilla was nice, and all I can say is the guy I spoke to was not wrong. The track into the campsite at Bingara was a bit sketchy with some large rocks and boulders, but boy was it worth riding in for. I even found a site with enough firewood for close to two nights. All in all I classed the day a win and sat back, relaxed, watched the river flow and listened to the cicadas and birds singing in the evening breeze. I couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow had in store.
One of the issues with anxiety and depression is that one minute you’re okay and then the next you’re knocked on your arse and feeling extremely low. That was me that night, to the point where I just wanted to pack it all in and ride home.
Theme-park roller coaster rides have nothing on these real-life ups and downs.
Below: New Year’s Day, and some Mount Panorama fun at Bathurst. u
Sinking feeling
I understand opportunities to spend a week or so with no time constraints and set destinations don’t always present themselves, so you need to make the most of them. That’s something I’ll be working on in 2022: to be fully thankful for every opportunity and not to let the self-doubt and loathing creep in. I’m extremely lucky to have a wife who understands and is happy for me to take time out when need it.
The funny part was, the previous night I’d felt fantastic in a way I hadn’t felt for a very long time. I was happy, I’d had some music playing, food in my belly, was messing around with my photography and all was good. I’d managed to get some nice evening and night shots before the bad-feeling bugs rolled in and started to carry me away. felt slightly better the next morning as I woke to the sounds of the Gwydir River flowing quite rapidly and little kingfisher birds divebombing the water to find themselves breakfast. It was a rest day while I got COVID tested so I could cross back into my home state of Queensland. I did some laundry, seeing as my clothes were on the verge of walking themselves into town for a rinse.
think one of the reasons I started to feel so low the night before was there were no plans, no agenda and nowhere to be, which was a first for this trip. I sometimes find it hard to just sit and be, and to
just observe and take in everything that’s in front of me, even if it’s just for 30 minutes, an hour or a day, and be okay with that – essentially just being in the present moment. That’s something else I need to work on in 2022.
I did however manage to observe the river flowing....and swelling...and flowing and swelling, to the point where I wondered if I’d have a waterbed that evening. The old fire pit had to be relocated to higher ground and I’d prepped my tent ready for a quick retreat during the night if needed. I was concerned enough that I set my alarm for midnight to see if the river had risen closer to my tent.
I’m happy to report while I did have an ever-so-slightly closer water view, I was still high and dry and had no reason to be concerned.
Streaming
I moved on to greener pastures the next day mentally. And who knew? Maybe even physically, too?
As I sat in town contemplating the ups and downs of the previous 24 hours I happened to catch a glimpse of a building I’d walked past a few times but not thought too much of. It was the Roxy Theatre. Although it didn’t appear to be a working theatre, I wondered about its history. It turned out the Roxy was work of three Greek immigrants who set up a number of cafes in and around the Bingara and Barraba region in the 1920s. The Roxy
grew from a cafe and expanded into a major entertainment hub that, at the time, the local ’paper deemed the ‘dawn of a new era in Bingara entertainment history’. The Roxy was the most modern establishment outside of The Big Smoke –Sydney – at the time.
Then there was a cinema war within the town when other proprietors moved in. Over the next few years each establishment tried to outdo the other before finally, in 1936, the owners had overextended and filed for bankruptcy.
In 2004 the Gwydir Shire Council bought and refurbished the Roxy to its glory days. It now houses multipurpose cinemas, performing-arts venues and function rooms. It also houses a museum dedicated to celebrating Greek immigration to rural Australia.
It’s funny how many times we walk past these buildings in towns we visit, or even in our own towns, and never know the history behind them.
In the afternoon I decided to ride out to Copeton Dam, a rolling, flowing 40km road with various dirt tracks that darted off in every direction. I snapped my head back and forth like a kitten attacking a laser pointer.
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After a few tracks were explored continued on to see the dam. It was quite an impressive site and revealed why I’d had ever-closer water views at my campsite downstream. The flood gates were open and gushing water downstream.
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Dry Bags
The clothes were on the verge of walking themselves into town for a rinse.
Journey to the top
Above: In 2004 the Gwydir Shire Council bought and refurbished the Roxy to its glory days.
Right: Stopping to take in the sights along the way.
History
The following day was a lot of sitting around waiting to get my COVID-19 test results so I could cross the Queensland border, but I had the feeling on this day there was something in my heart and head telling me to get off my backside and explore and learn.
Whatever it was I’m very grateful.
Once I got on the bike I could’ve taken any number of roads or tracks, but I turned down Whitlow Road just out of Bingara. It was a nice, free-flowing track that weaved through some beautiful countryside. About 20 minutes in came across what I thought was just a rest stop, so I pulled over and was confronted with a stark reminder of our past. It was the site of the Myall Creek Massacre. Sadly, I had no knowledge that 11 stockman massacred 28 Wirrayaraay women, children and elderly men on June 10th, 1838.
The memorial was done in a very respectful way, snaking along 500m of trail with details and facts of the event, and which finished at the site of the massacre. By the end of it I had goosebumps and all the hairs on my neck were standing upright. I really encourage everyone to read up on the history of what happened at Myall Creek.
After a reflective afternoon and evening I packed it in for an early night. The next day was the final leg home.
A good finish
Well Kramer, my mate, you did it.
After a new engine about six months ago you’ve now taken me from the NSW central coast down to Jindabyne where I climbed Mt Kosciuszko, then through to Wombeyan Caves for NYE and to explore Fig Tree Cave. Then you carried me to Bathurst for a number of laps around Mount Panorama for my birthday, and through the quaint country towns of Manilla and Bingara for some amazing free camping before arriving back home in south-east Queensland.
You did it all without fuss and redeemed yourself from the Flinders trip that was drastically cut short in March 2021. My trip started wet and windy and finished the same way. It seemed fitting. This was a much-needed break with an agenda to finish a rather low year
on a high, and that I did. I was completely blown away by the beauty of the Mt Kosciuszko region and I now have some sweet, lifelong memories of having climbed to the summit.
I still have some things I need to work on with my anxiety and depression which this trip has taught me, but I knew these were never going to be quick fixes. The fact I’ve been able to highlight and share them is a step in the right direction, I guess.
Our country is vast and diverse and has many hidden gems if we’re just prepared to take the leap, get out there, find them and learn.
I’ve learned a lot on my journey, but I still have a lot of learning to do, mostly about myself, but also about our country and its history and hidden gems. Now the question is...where to next?
Geoff Ballard’s
BMW R1200GsA
eoff Ballard is one of Australia’s most successful off-road riders. Enduro has been his main pursuit, but he’s been a factory test rider and ridden everything from showground stunts to Grand Prix motocross in his long career. Geoff has very clear ideas about what works on a motorcycle and was influential in the design of the WR250F which took the enduro world by storm in 2006.
The build seen here is the
ongoing refinement of the bike which inspired BMW’s awesome Rally X in 2014. Hang onto your roadbooks. This is a wild one.
Front up
The bike started out as a 2014 R1200GSA, and Geoff had a very clear notion of what would be the basis of the build.
“I specifically wanted to not change the footpeg/seat/handlebar measurements. I’ve always
thought, with a BMW, whether you stand or sit, it’s perfect. It’s comfortable. It’s like, ‘Man, they got that right!’
“I said to the engineer, “That can’t change.”
Small measurements make a big difference, and Geoff liked the basis of the GSA rear suspension that offers a bit more travel over the GS. The Telelever front end was replaced with a very interesting set up.
“They’re resprung ’98 RM250
headlight is what Geoff calls a ‘Baja-type’, and the RM handlebar mount holds a set of 28.6mm ’bars of the type Geoff used in his Australian race team. Instruments, brake and clutch levers, and master cylinders are standard BMW items, and Barkbusters are the choice for handguards.
“These ’bars are about 30mm narrower overall than BMW ’bars,” he pointed out.
“It’s quite significant, but you’re dealing with a different front end. It’s not like this thing does anything weird. It doesn’t headshake, it’s not hard to turn and it’s not heavy steering.”
The windscreen was an important part of the bike’s presentation. After initially riding without a screen Geoff realised the advantages on a bike like this one.
forks,” said Geoff in his usual quiet way. “There’s followings for different forks throughout the world, and the ’98-’99 RM’s Showa fork is definitely one of them. It’s the 49mm tubes. For conventional forks that’s up there with about as big as you can get.”
The front guard is a Yamaha item, but, as Geoff pointed out, “…you can pretty much adapt anything to go on there”.
The 21-inch front wheel replaces the BMW 19-inch twin-disc set up and carries a large single disc with no ABS at present (there are plans to add that soon). The
“I’ve always been disappointed with a lot of people’s attempts at keeping wind off the rider,” he breezed, “even to the point where I don’t like the GS screen.
But I really like the GSA screen.
“I used a GSA windscreen and made a pivot for the bottom mount. Then I went down the road, doing about 100kph, and just kept moving the screen until I went,
‘There!’ It was the best spot. I could feel it.
“So there’s a bit of adjustment, but I don’t want to change it from there. If you stand up you can look over it…all the usual stuff. I wanted it to be quite a long way forward too, because if you hang over the bike it’s something that can hit you.”
Below: 1998 RM fork legs, a 21-inch front wheel and a large, single disc. No headshake, not hard to turn and doesn’t steer heavy. u
Left: Geoff Ballard and his one-of-a-kind 2014 GSA hybrid creation. He calls the bike ‘Max’.
Above: No show pony. The bike is built to ride.
Everything is rubber mounted and has a bit of flex.
Tank
The tank is undoubtedly the eye-catching feature of the bike, with its brushed-metal finish and strange shape. As with everything on a Ballard bike, it’s been carefully thought out, and simplicity is high on the list of priorities, especially airfilter access. It’s as simple as flipping up the ‘lid’ on top of the tank.
“It just sort of evolved,” pondered Geoff.
“A guy called Craig was the crazy fabricator, and he modified the tank. It started as 31-litres and now it’s 24 litres. It got cut and shut and dragged in and narrowed off, and then the air-filter system was continued.
“There’s a lot less stuff and a lot less weight.”
We thought the placement of the mirrors was interesting, but, as always, Geoff had thought it through.
“That’s the only place to really run your mirrors. There’s less vibration because they’re short, and they’re under your arms. When you have them up on the ’bars they get turned around and it becomes dangerous. They pivot as you’re trying to ride. I’ve seen plenty of people who’ve crashed because of that.”
Geoff was surprised at the weight of the ignition-key set up and wanted it off the top triple clamp, so it’s now under the tank on the right-hand side, protected, but easy to operate.
Below
Standard rear
The rear suspension is standard 2014 GSA.
“The bike’s not soft in the rear because it has the longer travel of the GSA,” rebounded GB. “But it’s also had weight taken off the bike, and that makes the suspension firmer.
“It’s very balanced. didn’t expect it to work that well, but it does. It’s really good.”
There’s a fair amount of gear cunningly stored around the bike. Under a BMW seat, held in place with straps, is a tyre-changing kit and a threeand-a-half-litre fuel bladder. There’s an old SW-Motech Jetpack tailbag where the pillion seat would normally be, under which is some of the gear running back from under the front seat and some other small bits and pieces. There’s a space there ideal for a bottle of water, too. Other small tool and accessory bags are strapped in tidy, outof-the-way areas around the bike, all aimed at managing weight distribution.
“Having the weight low is everything,” said Geoff, looking pointedly at the editor’s waistline.
Tyre choice is the result of a great deal of ongoing product evaluation, and when we saw the bike it was wearing a Pirelli Rallycross on the front and a Bridgestone AX41 on the rear. Geoff is pretty happy with both.
“The Rallycross on the front is an amazing one. It works quite well,” he u
Above: A ‘Baja-type’ headlight with a GSA screen set at just the right angle.
Below left: Less vibration because the mirror stems are short, and the mirrors don’t get knocked and pivot while riding.
right: The ignition-key set up is now under the tank on the right-hand side, protected, but easy to operate.
said, treading carefully. “I’m experimenting with rear tyres. The one on there is a Bridgestone AX41 and it’s going fine. I’ve thought of trying an 18-inch wheel on the rear, just for tyre selection, not for really any other reason, but there’s a bit of an issue with swingarm clearance at the front of the wheel. Mainly though, I think I’ll end up with the narrowerthan-stock 150 size rear. That should work best.”
Details
There are a few neat little detail items around the Beemer.
The GPS mount is nearly as crazy looking as the rest of the bike. Geoff took individual pieces from various mounts and bolted them together to end up with the placement and angle he wanted. He also fashioned his own sidestand-switch protector, and the GT stripes on the tank are an interesting touch. Geoff
Left: A collection of parts from other mounts assembled to give the correct and angle and placement.
Below: Brilliant airfilter access.
Right: Simpler the better. The SW-Motech tail bag replaces the pillion seat and sits on top of some good storage space.
Bottom right: Geoff made the sidestand-switch protector and folding gearshift lever himself.
admits the cosmetic value.
“People were saying, ‘It’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen,’ he laughed. “Well, some did. And I say, ‘Oh, yeah. I haven’t tried hard. But the racing stripe…three racing stripes! She’s fast.
“It’s amazing.”
Always
developing
Geoff’s been refining BMWs for off-road riding for a few years now, and it stems from a big impression made on him in his racing past.
“I guess you could go back as far as when I first started going to the International Six Days Enduro,” he remembered. “There was a BMW factory team and I was always a little passionate
about the fact they rode those dirt bikes. I thought, ‘I could build one of those’. I still might, just for fun and nostalgia.
“I also grew to love a lot of the newer stuff – technology, power and everything. I thought maybe I’d do it to my 2014 GSA. It’s like the next level of where I can go. I just wanted to try it.’
“But I got so far through the project and then it was over, because of different things. And then I went, ‘I have a lot more ideas, but I’m not going further with those ideas until I’ve ridden this thing.’ I didn’t know whether I’d go, ‘Okay. It’s not that good. It’ll be something I can ride to the pub occasionally, just for a bit of fun.’
“But it felt really good.
“So then I went, ‘Okay. Let’s continue.’
“It’s still quite amazing on the road. A lot of the time it depends on your attitude. We take these ‘supertankers’ – let’s call them – through the bush, and we love the fact they’re big and heavy and it’s like a challenge to get them through. Then, at the end of the day, there’s this great reward of having an awesome road bike.
“Anyway, I just wanted to build something that was a little bit more off-road, and that’s how this thing came about.”
Nowra, Batemans Bay and Cooma
Hopper scored an invite to a threeday ride on the NSW south coast.
Gary (Eyebrows) and I were to meet Ron and Peter in Penrith, and they were to lead us via backroads to Nowra. Scott and Bruce were to make their own way after work.
I’d knocked off at 11.30am for lunch with She Who Must Be Obeyed and had started packing when a phone call came in from Gary. His bike wouldn’t start due to a flat battery caused by leaving the GPS on all night (that’s why mine is wired through the ignition). The one-hour delay meant making our own way to Nowra, leaving Freemans Waterhole at 2.20pm in the rain for a good run to Sydney and through the new NorthConnex
tunnel, but finding the M2 totally gridlocked. Many clicks of lane splitting finally cleared us of the traffic and we left the highway at Mittagong for what’s usually an awesome ride through Kangaroo Valley. But not on this day. The cold, heavy rain, fog and near zero visibility made the tight hairpins not enjoyable.
We’d planned to detour through the much better Bugong Gap trail to Nowra, but conditions kept us on the blacktop.
At that night’s accommodation we found Ron and Peter had arrived just before us with Bruce and Scott not far behind, and it was a bit of a drama finding a feed.
In the end we had to settle for KFC, but we enjoyed a good catch up before turning in after a chat from the owner (the other guys were making too much noise).
Nowra to Batemans Bay
Heavy rain fell all night and continued as we loaded the bikes. My vote was to head straight to Batemans Bay, believing it far too
wet to head bush, but everyone else was more hardcore and keen to stay with the planned ride. It was a good selection of capable bikes and riders. Scott was on a 1090, Bruce a 690, Gary and I on 890s, Ron a Triumph 900 Rally Pro and Pete on his T7, so tough going shouldn’t have been a problem. A few clicks of tar took us out of town before we headed towards the HMAS Albatross navy base and onto the slippery clay tracks. A pecking order was soon established, and it was awesome, but also a wee bit frustrating. Everyone passed me with ease, sliding round the slippery corners with full control.
Down through Yalwal State Forest we charged, then along Deans Gap Road to the first major challenge: a large tree down and the track totally washed away.
Thankfully we’d taken a wrong turn, but it turned out the original route wasn’t much better. Gary was out in front and had managed to get down a nasty muddy drop and was waiting on top of a steep, slippery, snotty climb. Ron and Peter were next, and they managed to get down the muddy descent, but we all realised it would be
quite a challenge to get up the other side. With difficulty we got the three bikes back out and detoured to our lunch stop at Milton, having covered just 110km in 3.5 hours.
Dry break
As usual, the food at the bakery was awesome, but it was card only, so thankfully one of the flash, credit-card-carrying riders paid for mine.
As I was the slowest rider it was suggested I head off first, and that meant I arrived at a decent crossing of the Clyde River before everyone else (maybe I was set up?). I had a quick look then rode straight across, keeping my feet dry. Gary was next and very lucky to keep it upright. Peter followed but stalled in the middle, only just managing to stay on, but propped at an angle. As I was the only one off my bike I had to run in to assist, filling my boots in the process.
After that incident we walked the other bikes across.
Onto Cattlemans Firetrail we roared, crossing the Bimberamala River, which was deeper and flowing faster than the Clyde, so all bikes were walked across.
We then had a challenging climb up from the river, and several steep, slippery hills kept us focused.
At 6.00pm we still had plenty of challenges ahead, so a sensible call was made to detour to the bitumen and make a beeline for Batemans Bay. We were all soaked through and soon after arriving at the accommodation had the air con cranking and boots stuffed with newspapers.
At the start of the day a few had commented, “What? Only 230km for the day? We’ll be there before lunch!”
How wrong they were.
It was a big day but a good day in the rain, and the local Soldiers Club provided
a top feed and refreshments plus the mandatory war stories. As we bunked down for the night the rain finally stopped.
Batemans to Cooma
We woke to clear skies, a positive forecast and a respectable 8.30am start. Ron and Peter opted for an easy day on the tar and agreed to meet us in Cooma.
Words and images: Hopper
Above: Two close calls.
Left: Author Hopper now carries a small bush saw. Although ridiculed by the others due to the saw’s size, it cut its way through.
Top: Teamwork was the watchword of the ride.
Right: A three-metre-wide section of the whole road was missing with no way around.
Left: Ron and his Triumph 900 Rally Pro and Pete with his T7 at Nowra.
noWra, BateMans Bay and CooMa
We were soon on a good dirt road heading towards Moruya and onto Larrys Mountain Road, a nice loop coming out at Kiora. It was amazing how much everything had dried out overnight, and the terrain ranged from open, flowing, wellformed tracks to unused overgrown trails with plenty of debris. It was at the bottom of one such we encountered our only river crossing for the day. It was wide, deepish and very rocky. Scott, our fearless trip leader, was on a mission to avoid getting his feet wet again and ploughed straight in. With several unplanned directional changes and anxious looks from us onlookers he managed to keep the bike upright and his feet dry, but it wasn’t pretty. Bruce, Gary and I walked our steeds across, figuring wet feet were better than a drowned bike.
More great riding followed on a big loop southwards, passing several small tourist towns and stopping at Cobargo for fuel with lunch at the bakery where it was my turn to pay.
We pressed on, all having fun with everyone having a go at leading and sweeping, until the small township of Nerrigundah, when Gary had a big off and was mildly concussed. Thankfully he tumbled right opposite where an emergency nurse was having a day off. She was super helpful and professional, an ambulance was called, and two-anda-half hours later Gary was on his way, trying to get another ‘green stick’. Thankfully he was all good except for a broken wrist, and he hopes to be back riding soon.
The three of us pressed on at a more subdued pace. There was great scenery,
plenty of switchbacks, and after about 50km a ‘road closed’ sign, and it definitely was. There was a three-metre-wide section of the whole road missing with no way around, and our trip leader found another option which obviously hadn’t been used in a long time. A huge tree across the road meant there was no going through that way either, and it meant a very long ride to backtrack out. Fortunately, following a recent experience I now carried a small bush saw. Although I was ridiculed by Scott and Bruce due to the saw’s size, we were able to cut our way through and join Baja Forest Track to return to the purple line.
After a big 350km day we rolled into Cooma at 8.00pm, just on dark, fuelled up, and sorted accommodation. The only food option was a bottle shop and
Cooma to Sydney
We enjoyed a really good sleep due to the accommodation being off the beaten track with no trucks going past – it had nothing to do with the large spend at the bottle shop the night before. Breakfast was in Cooma along with many other bikers, and we were away at 9.00am. Ron and Peter again took the blacktop, keen to get home at a respectable hour.
Great backroads took us to Shannons Flat then Boboyan Road and onto Angle Crossing Road, but the long crossing of the Murrumbidgee River was closed and looking quite scary. That meant a detour into the outskirts of Canberra, and we missed a turn to Michelago, so continued on the Kings Highway toward Braidwood, picking up the route at Mayfield Road. There was plenty of water on the roadside and the normally dry crossings of Sandy Creek Road were the deepest I’d seen them. We blasted on to Bungonia then Marulan for fuel in both bodies and bikes, then covered more backroads and dirt to Sutton Forest.
That was where we said our goodbyes and joined the Hume Highway. Scott and Bruce headed to Sydney while I lit out for Newcastle. All up it was 1505km and three days of solid adventure.
Above: Several steep, slippery hills kept everyone focused. Left: Tough going shouldn’t have been a problem.
KLR650 (Pearl Sand Khaki)
KLR650 Adventure (Cypher Camo Gray)
KLR650 ADVENTURE
delivered pizza, but that got us through a good debrief with Peter and Ron.
Maidenwell
There were no big objectives or hallmark destinations set for this ride. It was all about getting away for a couple of days and enjoying some old-fashioned freedom.
ueensland’s Bunya Mountains
National Park is a lazy riding paradise. Small towns and villages are scattered through majestic pine plantations and primeval rainforest, and with a tank of fuel and some camping gear the whole region offers superb scenery and a brilliant weekend escape.
Steve Douglas of AMX Superstores set up a couple of loops and four riders set out to forget about work and the pressures of life for a couple of days.
Best-laid plans
The rendezvous was set for Dayboro in the Moreton Bay Region of Queensland, gateway to Mount Mee and a network of winding mountain roads and trails. The terrain ranges from tough enduro to scenic forestry and is a popular destination for riders on bikes of all kinds.
The group’s three KLRs and one Ténéré 660 sat comfortably against the kerb as everything from Himalayans to Super Duke Rs came and went. Coffees and meet ups obviously accounted for a huge percentage of bakery trade on a sunny Saturday morning.
Adventure Rider Magazine’s inclusion came about because
Damien Irwin,
u
Main: One of the best things about the ride was, if there was a good view, everyone took the time to stop and enjoy it. Above: Most of the weekend’s water crossings were
brand manager for Shoei, Dainese and Sidi at McLeod Accessories, had just taken delivery of a Gen 3 KLR and ride leader
Steve Douglas was thought to be on a Gen 1. With the editor’s Gen 2 Touratech KLR it was a great opportunity to put the three generations head-to-head and see how far things had developed.
But when Steve rolled in he was on a schmick-looking Gen 2.
The ’generation gap’ idea was abandoned in and orgy of coffee and breakfast treats, and everyone agreed it was such a perfect morning and such a fabulous place, things like stories not going to plan shouldn’t bother anyone.
It certainly didn’t seem to bother Adventure Rider Magazine’s editor, and Ténéré rider Christian Walter, a free spirit if ever there was one, peered out between locks of long, unruly hair and seemed to be wondering what the hell the Kawasaki riders were talking about.
No problem
With introductions made Steve gave a very thorough rundown – complete with extravagant, but very descriptive, hand
and arm gestures – of the day’s planned route, and the crew set off at a sedate, two-coffee pace to cover a stretch of bitumen through places like Woodford and Kilcoy.
“ An absolutely glorious run through beautifully lush rainforest and some devastatingly sparse, flood-ruined lowlands. ”
Top left: Damos made short work of the sandy riverbank. His Gen 3 KLR roosted through like a good’n.
Top right: $68.02 and the tank wasn’t even on reserve.
Below left: There were a few closed roads after recent heavy weather, but the Queenslanders took it all in their stride.
Below right: Maidenwell offered fuel and a very friendly pub with huge chicken schnitties. Nobody went hungry.
After a quick fuel stop it was onto the dirt for an absolutely glorious run through beautifully lush rainforest and some devastatingly sparse, floodruined lowlands.
As the forestry road wound its way through the gently sloping foothills there were a few small causeways and creek crossings, but nothing to cause any alarm or slow progress. There was one murky, rutted approach which gave pause for thought, but it was dealt with out of hand and the ride continued.
The first ‘road closed’ sign appeared early in the piece, but it didn’t slow anyone up, either. Steve had his navigation well sorted and all three Queenslanders seemed to know where they were and what alternatives were available. That was a comfort to Adventure Rider Magazine’s editor, who, after being slugged $68 to fill the 32-litre Safari Tank on the Touratech KLR, wasn’t quite sure where he was or what his name was. Kindly enquiries from the other riders all received the same whimpering reply as he peered into his empty wallet: “It wasn’t even on reserve.”
To pub, or not to pub
The day continued its very pleasant way to an afternoon stop when the sidestands went down at the Maidenwell pub. A few stories were shared as dehydration was manfully fought off and controlled, and it emerged the pub had free camping.
Steve’s original choice of campsite was Burtons Well, about 30 minutes up Bunya Mountains Road.
While Steve did make Burtons Well seem like an attractive proposition, there were some very enticing features which made staying at the pub seem a good idea as well. Another round of cold, frothy enticing features was organised as the pros and cons were discussed, and it was decided to mount up and stick with the plan.
It was the right choice. Burtons Well Camping Area turned out to be an absolute winner. The grass was soft, the amenities –including hot showers for anyone who wanted to cut firewood and heat the outdoor boiler – were clean and well-maintained, and, best of all, the campsite was in a hollow surrounded by tall, dense forest. It was an exceptionally comfortable and pleasant place to bunk down for the night, and it was no surprise the place was very popular.
After setting up camp the foursome rolled back down the mountain to Maidenwell pub for dinners so huge they almost needed wheelbarrows to serve the schnitties, then shivered and trembled their way back up the mountain to enjoy a cold, quiet night in absolutely idyllic surroundings.
The wind howled through the trees with cyclonic force, but in Burtons Well all was calm and sheltered.
Show me yours
The next morning kicked off with Steve setting up his ‘full-service’ coffee bar. He’d not only carried a tent, bedding and chair(!), he’d also brought milk, a china cup
Above: Burtons Well Camping Area was a superb spot to snug down for the night.
Left: Top tip from Steve: a drink bottle full of water makes an excellent diffuser. Place a head torch against the bottle and it’ll light the whole camp table. u
and small stove, ground coffee and what looked like an old-fashioned percolator.
Needless to say, the editor became Steve’s best mate.
Christian and Damien had also packed sensible breakfast essentials, and all three enjoyed a nutritious and pleasant start to the day while the editor wandered around with a manky cardboard cup he’d wogged from a service station and hoped someone would share.
They were good blokes. TF ended up with a coffee and all went well.
Once the breakfast comparisons were over there was the checking out of each other’s camping rigs, and while Damien’s free-standing tent was given high praise, and Steve’s folding chair was considered a wonderful and amazing thing, no one could figure out how the hell Christian managed to fit a
tent, mattress, sleeping gear and food in what looked like a small tail pack strapped to the rear of his Yamaha.
Everyone just politely refrained from commenting on TF’s scruffy, weatherbeaten swag. It was a good match for the bike and rider.
Sad
With breakfast and packing dealt with, the whole show hit the road for smoko at McCoy’s Café at Cooyar.
Descending the mountain was a glorious pantheon of heart-stopping
Top left: A misty start to Sunday morning. The campsite was in a hollow and well sheltered from the howling wind.
scenes and swooping road. As a start to a lazy Sunday morning there can’t be any better.
Unfortunately, McCoy’s Café had been vandalised the previous night, and while the star GP rider himself, Gary, was in the parking lot talking to hopeful customers, he could only wistfully explain that, until police visited and ‘processed the scene’ he was unable to touch anything and the café remained closed.
It was the only dark cloud on an otherwise fantastic morning.
Not quite done
Rigs’n’riders
Damien impressed everyone with a free-standing tent and a very neat pack on the new Gen 3 KLR.
A very tidy pack on Steve’s KLR included a chair!
Undeterred, the intrepid crew set off for Blackbutt, where medicinal quantities of coffee were consumed and Damien shouted a ‘bruffin’ – a breakfast muffin –which had a surprising dose of hot sauce hidden among the egg and bacon.
Top right: Steve’s ‘full-service’ coffee bar. Below: Enjoying a quiet moment on the way down from Burtons Well Camping Area. u
Chris’ pack on the Ténéré was like something from Doctor Who. How did he fit that tent and sleeping gear in there?
Adventure Rider Magazine’s editor rocked with a good ol’ swag and saved room by bludging food and hot water off the other riders instead of carrying his own. Pack and rider both looked a tad scruffy.
The resulting boost in heart rate proved beneficial when, after the Queenslanders were sure the forecast terrifying water crossings were so much gossip to scare tourists, one ball-tearer appeared right at the end of the track. With a sandy approach, a fast-flowing watercourse, and a reasonable stretch of deep sand and big river rock on the exit side, it called for a little discussion and a vote for who should go first. While Steve sensibly
checked the water depth and strength of current TF had a rush of blood and hurled himself and his mighty KLR into the maelstrom, almost causing Christian to raise an eyebrow.
With an explosion of power the KLR burst onto the far bank where TF managed to bog it deep, much to the amusement of a couple and a dog in four-wheel drive who’d stopped to survey the crossing themselves.
four riders convoyed down a twisting mountain road to find themselves in Esk, where Adventure Rider Magazine’s editor left the group and headed back to NSW. The remaining KLRs and Ténéré set out to run along the edge of Lake Wivenhoe before separating to make their own way back to the real world.
Steve wandered up and hefted the back of the bike out of the ditch and over the rock, then all the remaining three riders sensibly and quietly torqued their way across both water and sand with no fuss whatsoever.
Time, gentlemen
Another road closure called for the abandonment of the planned dirt-road run to Toogoolawah, and instead the
Top: Gary McCoy himself was in the carpark at McCoy’s Café in Cooyar.
Left: Chris Walter on the main street of Blackbutt. A free spirit for sure, and an example to us all.
Below: It took the editor a couple of days to work it out. D’oh.
While it wasn’t a death-or-glory adventure, it was a superb ride in excellent country and, more than anything else, easy, stress-free fun.
There can never be too many rides like that.
Above: Not only was the road closed, it was washed away and there was no way through. The sign said so. No run to Toogoolawah on this day.
Below: A quick game of Damienoes at Crow’s Nest.
Death or glory
There will be an occasion in every man’s life when he swings a leg over but can’t get it up. When that happens, don’t stress. Rod Taylor explains how he coped with the situation.
The first time this happened to me I was on my way to meet friends at Hattah Lakes in Victoria and had stopped on a steeply cambered country road to do a map check. The DR650 wasn’t as heavy as some of the big lumps we ride offroad now, but it was fairly tall and I’d loaded up it up with panniers and strapped a pack to the pillion seat.
That was mistake #1.
As I climbed back on the bike I realised the combination of luggage and sloping road meant I couldn’t lift the bike off the sidestand.
Then I came up with a brilliant plan (not). I hopped off the bike, walked around to the high side and
pulled the bike upright. That was mistake #2.
At that point I should’ve realised it wasn’t going to end well, but as much as I’m shouting at my past self, wasn’t listening. I swung my left leg up over the pannier until it hit the pack sitting on the pillion seat. That was mistake #3.
I can still see myself, standing with a tall bike precariously balanced on a country road while looking like a pork chop. If I’d dropped it I’d have been in all sorts of drama. I would’ve had to unload the bike so I could get it upright again.
Luckily I’m quite flexible and, despite some nervous wobbles, managed to wriggle my boot over.
Chastened, I fired her up and rode on.
Nobody was there to witness any of this (or help me if I’d dropped it). I tell you this as a form of group therapy.
Pressure pack
Years later I was able to achieve some kind of resolution after my earlier trauma.
I was riding with a bunch of people over Mt
Hotham and we’d made the obligatory stop at the Omeo bakery. It was fairly busy, with bikers sitting outside drinking coffee and eating cakes. At the pub opposite were a bunch of other bikers, Harleys and tar screamers.
Everybody scuffed around in heavy riding boots, eyeing off other bikes as they came and went. Each were scored with an admiring nod or a derisory ‘humph’ according to whether or not they’d made a good impression.
We were camping that night up near Benambra, so the bikes were again heavily loaded. When looked at my 800XCA, realised it was leaning over a long way and I’d have trouble getting it up. Long suppressed memories of those fearful
Left: Mounting a loaded adventure bike on a sidestand can be a challenge.
Above: Author Rod Taylor believes riding has taught him every life lesson.
Right: There are a couple of unorthodox ideas floating around, but try pulling the ’bars full lock to the right before mounting.
moments on my DR came flooding back. This time I could not afford to fail. I would not fail.
Dropshort
A great shaft of golden light appeared and a voice boomed out (nobody else seemed to hear it, but I could).
“Rod,” it boomed. “This is your day. Remember the double jump. And don’t cock it up, ya great galah.”
did remember.
was transported back to the first day on my new enduro weapon, a Suzuki PE400. Quite a beast, it was, with gobs of torque and power right through the rev range. We picked it up from the dealer in Nowra and headed south to a supercross track to see if I could ride the thing. I zinged over jumps and around berms, having a ball, then pulled over to where friends Anne and John were sitting.
About 50 metres away was a double jump. Leaping effortlessly over the gap was a bloke on a 250 motocrosser, demonstrating that, with the right attitude, the jump was achievable.
“Go and jump that one,” John goaded. “Jeez. I dunno,” I said. “It looks a bit serious.”
“Don’t give me that, yah big flaccid wuss,” retorted my friend. “Garrrn.” Well alright. Honour was involved. rode over and inspected the jump. The ramps were tall…like, really tall. They had to be at least 312-metre-high pyramid-shaped piles of dirt. But there was no backing out. I hit the first jump in third and, as the bike launched into
the air, I realised I wasn’t carrying enough speed. I was going to spear straight into the second jump.
BANG. OOOFFF.
The front of the bike smacked me in the chest, but somehow I managed to bounce over.
High flier
John was unimpressed. “Go do it properly, yah fairy floss,” he encouraged.
I couldn’t let that go. I headed back and lined up the first jump, this time hitting it in top.
The bike leapt skywards with me attached, trying to calculate how long it would be before the descent stage commenced.
As I passed through the cloud layer I saw a passenger plane shooting past. I’m pretty sure there was a passenger, face pressed against the window, no doubt wondering what a motorcyclist was doing up there. Maybe he was musing, ‘Hmmm. PE400. Nice. Running a bit rich on the top end. His landing will be interesting.’
Looking down I could see the curvature of the Earth and the second jump approaching. A voice came through my helmet, “Please return to your seats.”
And then it was over. I landed smoothly on the other side. I’d just perfectly executed the double jump.
Overjoyed, I spent the next hour doing it again and again, just because I could.
One small step
Back in in Omeo my heavily laden bike was leaning over too far on its sidestand and I knew getting it up would require something special.
“Jeez, I dunno,” I muttered. I thought no one was listening, but the golden voice replied.
“Garrrn, Taylor,” it echoed. “Wrap ya limp, floppy wrist around that throttle and wring its neck. And don’t use that language around me.”
‘Right, then,’ I thought. ‘That sounds like an order.’
I put on my helmet and gloves and sidled over to the bike with what I hoped was a confident air.
Standing beside the bike, I put it into neutral and started the motor. I had to lean quite hard on the bike to get it upright before flipping the sidestand up. Now it was time: death or glory.
I grabbed the clutch, snicked the bike into first, then, with my foot on the left ‘peg, I eased out the clutch and, as the bike pulled away from the kerb, swung my right leg over the seat.
A failure just then would’ve left me sprawled across the road to the cheers of the many bystanders, but this was my day and everything went exactly as I’d hoped. Triumphantly (literally), I rode the 800 up the hill as the crowd roared in admiration. Well, not really. While I was feeling pretty pleased, nobody noticed.
All or nothing
Looking back now, I realise riding taught me every life lesson. In granting a person’s life, God does not count days spent riding a motorcycle.
While there are plenty of things in life you can do half-arsed, there are others you do properly or not at all. Watch any old crap on telly, but never drink cheap whisky. More importantly though, remember you can’t half-do the double jump.
PS: When the bike’s leaned over, try this simple trick: pull the handlebars to full right-lock. You’ll find the bike is much easier to lift.
Words and images: Rod Taylor
Age shall not weary them
Trevor Gerdsen reflects on the meaning of adventure for the oldies.
It was ‘the adventure of a lifetime’ – or so the story went for the thousands of healthy young men who flocked to enlist and set off to war in 1914, 1915 and conflicts thereafter.
Now, every April 25, we pause as a nation to reflect on those brave young men and women who followed and how their adventure turned out. For some it was the ultimate sacrifice. For others it was an irreducible memory that often defined them for the rest of their lives.
For those of us fortunate enough to have visited the war cemeteries at Anzac Cove, Flanders, the River Kwai or elsewhere, it’s sobering to see the graves of those who were little more than teenagers and to envision, or try to, the magnitude of their experiences. It’s easier now for me, having seen those battlefields and burial
sites, to understand the passion of those who survived, to respect their memories, but also to understand that for many, the silence and stoicism they carried throughout life was born of hellish circumstances. For most of us, looking back on those first ANZACs and the generations of men and women who followed through subsequent conflicts and engagements, it’s always comfortable to adjudicate with hindsight and with the benefit of never actually being put in the line of fire. The adventures and thrills we seek are more hedonistic and generally far less risky.
And I know many who read this magazine will be ‘veterans’ in all senses of the word; of war, turmoil or peacekeeping, and of life more generally and of adventure in all its forms, including quite obviously, the two-wheeled sort.
’Fessing up
I’ll admit up front I’m not one of those people who, in pursuit of the adventure or thrill of extreme sports or daredevil exploits, will step out of a perfectively sound aircraft with little more than an oversize silk hanky strapped to my shoulders. I’m quite happy to stay belted in and wait patiently for the thing to land. Safely. Nor will I contemplate leaping from a bridge at some scenic spot with nought but a rubber band around my ankles. I can get to the bottom and back again via the stairs without losing my eyeballs and still take in the view.
But what am on about here?
I’m well into my seventh decade on this planet and I often seek – and more lately just ponder – further adventures of
one sort or another, and not just of the two-wheeled type. I can reflect on some great rides in the USA, NZ, Sri Lanka and India, and across six states and territories. Equally, I’ve done my share of hiking and mountain trekking in the NT, Victorian high country, Tasmania, Nepal, Africa and Europe, lugging everything on my back rather than in panniers and a top box. And it was every bit as challenging as anything I’ve done on two wheels. What is it that spurs some of us to seek the thrill of the unknown, to take the risks (albeit quite modest in my case), to get away from the ‘great unwashed majority’ and to just want to do that
Left: Adventure doesn’t mean you have to be the thrillseeker, extreme sportsperson or risk-taker. Bottom left: It’s sobering to see the graves of those who were little more than teenagers and to envision, or try to, the magnitude of their experiences. The Australian cemetery at ANZAC Cove.
one thing out of the ordinary?
I think I’ve come to the realisation that adventure doesn’t mean you have to be the thrillseeker, extreme sportsperson or risk-taker. Quite often it’s the most modest, unassuming and perhaps mundane experience we pursue, but for each of us in our own way it offers a richness of life equal to anything experienced on two wheels or even four,
or leaping into the wide blue yonder or similar daredevilry.
Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve
That brings me to an interesting observation from many years motorcycling and camping. Many of us have been in this situation: we arrive late in the day at the free campsite or caravan park, thirsty, dusty, and saddle-sore, our ears still ringing from the engine and helmet noise. All we want to do is rest, pitch the tent, clean up and refresh before the sun goes down. Surrounding our modest tent site are motorhomes and vans of all dimensions and sizes with an assortment of accessories that beggar belief, including, dare I say, portable picket fences. But we have piqued the interest of the grey nomads, and over they wander. They’re harmless, and given my age, baldness and state of blissful retirement I can hardly claim not to be one of them. But after all these years riding out west and outback, pitching my tent in the bush or in a more ‘formal’ free campsite or campground somewhere, I’ve
Right: Author Trevor Gerdsen can reflect on some great rides in the USA, NZ, Sri Lanka and India, and across six states and territories. u
Words and images: Trevor Gerdsen
Right: Just passing and saw you in trouble. Below: The thrills we seek are generally far less risky.
discovered there are really three types of characters who, upon spying the adventure motorcyclist riding in, will wander over for a chat and a sticky beak. Basically, I would define them as those who could’ve, who would’ve or who should’ve.
Having wandered over and offered the quintessential Australian salutation –‘Giddaymatehowareyaallrite?’ – the conversation usually covers one of three laments:
v “Yeah, got one of those in the shed,” v “Yeah, had one of those once;” or maybe just v “Yeah, would love to have one of those.” Regardless of the opening salvo, the conversation (one-sided at this stage) tends to meander through nostalgia or remorse. Being of a similar vintage to my newly acquired BFF I can claim partial deafness as an excuse not to hear the middle part of the story. Mind you, deafness is only part of my distraction. The tiredness and residual thrumming in my ears from the day’s ride, the background ticking as the bike cools and the clack of the rock I use as a hammer to drive in the tent pegs doesn’t help either. No offense intended to my inquisitive BFF. But they get to the end of the story and invariably offer the reasons they couldn’t, wouldn’t or didn’t. It might be the dodgy knee (I’ve got at least two of those), the vagaries of ‘the ticker’, the new hip, ‘the arthuritis’ or myriad others. More often are references to the absence of permission from a life partner before such an adventure could even be contemplated.
Let’s not judge others
I should be honest and note that, as a lone rider on many occasions, I’ve been the recipient of some wonderful hospitality, and some welcome refreshment and assistance from this very same grey army. The offer of a cold beer or a campfire chat and just having someone to share tall stories with can be a wonderful way to end a long day on the bike out west. The generosity of Australian travellers and their willingness to help is wonderful. Most particularly, I recall a lovely couple at Meadow Glen campsite out of Cobar on
the Barrier Highway who – after watching me struggling unsuccessfully to position the bike on the kick stand in the soft red earth by moving a flat rock or crushed can to lean it on – brought over a plastic cutting board to put under the stand. Problem solved and I use it to this day. On more than one occasion I ‘ve been driven to the next town after running out of fuel, and then back to the bike by someone who was “…just passing and saw you in trouble.” On one of those trips I can thank the boys in blue from the Queensland police out of Roma. Even if their colleagues had booked me the day before on another matter (I never held that against them).
I think what I have come to appreciate
is that it matters not what your form of transport is – adventure bike, road bike, 4WD or sedan, or even just two feet – or your standard of accommodation – tent, caravan, motorhome, motel – an adventure is just that: an adventure. But it’s your adventure and whatever that means to you.
So, as approach my dotage, I no longer (if I ever did) think heading off on the bike makes me somewhat superior to, or more adventurous than, someone else who hitches the van to the sedan or 4WD and heads out west or up north along the blacktop. Getting to the top of the mountain, or just taking in the scenic view of it from down below, are one and the same to me now.
And I think back on those ANZAC Day marches I recall as a kid or young adult, with the old soldiers marching along festooned with medals and militaria, and what their adventures were to them.
I remind myself it wasn’t the tired oldsters of ANZAC Day parades who were flung onto the beaches of Anzac Cove or the Kokoda Track. It was youngsters in the prime of their lives. And thinking of that it’s easier now for me to understand the passion of those who survived it and subsequent conflicts.
And maybe by the time you’re finished reading this old bloke and his life partner might just have wandered down to the local dealer and checked out a caravan for the next adventure in life. Not that the bike won’t continue to occupy pride of place in the garage, mind you.
Rocky Mountain High ride
Tim Stolz of the MADCAT ride committee likes to name his rides after musicians and songs. No matter what heights were achieved by the John Denver Rocky Mountain High Ride, it was always going to be hot.
Iuse the Goldilocks Classification for riding weather: Papa Bear is 25 degrees plus; Mama bear is 11 degrees or less; and Baby Bear (just right) is 16 to 24 degrees. With temperatures predicted to tap out in the mid-30s for both days, the forecast for the Rocky Mountain High ride was definitely in the Papa Bear class. The solution?
Get some altitude.
The higher you go, the lower the atmospheric pressure, the air mass expands, and voila!, the air gets cooler.
With that in mind the route was designed to get some height quickly to avoid the ‘sunburnt country’ stuff.
Nine riders were slated to take part, but club secretary Rob Haines
(aka Guru Bob, Robbo, and The Robster) was a last-minute inclusion. He’d nicknamed his DRZ ‘The Chicken Chaser’ – because he keeps chickens – and it had been serviced that week and returned to him at the last minute. He decided to sneak out and ride the early stages of the first day despite risking the displeasure of his wife who insisted he had family commitments.
Also a late inclusion was founder and president, Ian Ribchester (aka El Capo, El Presidente, Rib, or Ribeye) who joined the ride until lunch on the first day to extract the last bit of wear from his rear tyre before replacing it for an upcoming 12-day trip around the backroads of Tassie.
So it was 11 who climbed into
the sauna suits and hightailed it out of Yarra Junction, 55km east of Melbourne, just as the temperature was getting into the lower end of the Papa Bear range.
Easy start
The opening part of the ride covered the first two-thirds of the ‘some-of-us-have-done-it-somany-times-we-could-do-it-in-oursleep’ Acheron Way, onto Feiglins Road, then wound its way through to the liquorice strip of Marysville Road. At Marysville itself we jettisoned The Robster, then ran north along the east side of the Cathedral Range. This was intended to be part of the route for a ride several months beforehand, but had been aborted when Mother Nature
Top
wreaked havoc and laid a bunch of soon-to-be-firewood over the road at far too regular intervals. On this occasion it was an easy ride on an essentially twowheel-drive dirt road in temperatures that sat snugly in the middle of the Baby Bear category. So far, so good. Ze plan, she voss vorkink!
Hot & spicy
The Thornton pub crooked its finger at us with leafy shade for the bikes and a
A dusty road out of Jerusalem Creek had a steepish and rocky section which gave a few of us racing-heart moments, but eventually led us back to the EildonJamieson road which was negotiated handsomely by everyone. A delay halfway up to fix a bent gear shifter underscored how hot it was as we
Below: Craigs Hut, built in 1993 for the film The Man From Snowy River, was a truly speccy find. u
hearty lunch. A blast of heat as we walked out couldn’t dampen our spirits and we headed for Eildon and Jerusalem Creek, while president El Capo sidled off home.
Words: Tim Stolz. Images: Damian McGrath
Above: Corn hill Road, just below Mt Buller village.
right: From left: Darren Foster, Dean West, TIm Russell, Stephen Coop, Graham White, Damian McGrath, Bryan O’Donoghue and Ben Hercus.
swore and cursed our way through what should have been a much easier task. By this time the temperature had moved emphatically into the Papa Bear range.
Ze plan, she voss vorkink not!
An uneventful trip to Jamieson on the squiggly black line ended with a dash to Mansfield Holiday Park at around 4.00pm, and we arrived more fried than a piece of KFC.
Light wait
A plunge in the pool was the curtainraiser to a fine evening, and a desultory approach to setting up camp on a beautifully manicured grassy area was followed by a rush to the microbrewery next door for beer and pizza. Damn fine pizzas they were too, even down to the jalapeño one which had diners feeling the sun was coming up in the backs of their throats.
A balmy night, too hot and too early for bed, saw Tim (not the author, the other one) and Ben blast into town and return with topboxes laden with beers, red wine, ice, chips, and various other glow-in-thedark confectionary. As we settled in, a fair maiden, with a lamp she’d just purchased and couldn’t get to work, descended on our group to enlist our help. To no avail.
Sir Galahad (heavily disguised as Dean West) examined it, mucked around with it, pronounced it ‘mort’, and administered the Last Rites.
We went to bed soon after, separately and severally…in case you were wondering.
Short circuit
Hot sun on the tents ensured early risers the following morning.
Despite the warm evening, there was a heavy dew which vanished, ghost-like, as the temperature rose. We broke camp and motored the two kilometres to Brew for an epic brekky.
Brew has been an institution in Mansfield for at least 45 years. I recalled hungrily smashing hearty and healthy fuel there after a weekend’s skiing during the late-1970s. While it may have passed through several hands, it remains outstanding to this day.
We rolled out of Mansfield in a tight convoy to the foot of Mount Buller, and
then took the dirt of Stirling Road up to what the locals affectionally call TBJ (Telephone Box Junction).
The temperature was 18 degrees as we headed onto Circuit Road which runs around Mt Stirling to Mt Buller and becomes Clear Hills Track. The sun was shining, the air crisp, and all agreed there really was a god. The well-maintained road is access for both fire and forestry, and it led to a photo opportunity mentioned by The Robster when I got him to run his gimlet eye over the route.
Craigs Hut, built in 1993 for the film
The Man From Snowy River, was a truly speccy find. Blue hues filled our vision as our gaze wandered north over the ridgelines of several ranges, and the hut, small in stature and hardy in nature, was set in a meadow above the snowline and surrounded with summer daisies, granite boulders, and tough and tortured snow gums. It was pure, unadulterated magic, well worth the sphincter-tightening 10-minute side trip off the main track.
Hot stuff
We rejoined Clear Hills Track and the loose gravel disappeared. The corners flowed, the camber was perfect and the pace quickened. Suddenly everyone was Toby Price…if only. By the time we reached the Mount Buller village, Baby Bear was sated. He put down his spoon and let out a satisfied burp. But what goes up must come down, and where Mt Buller had been at 1600 metres above sea level, we bolted back
to Mansfield – at 321 metres ASL – for lunch. The mercury rose sharply, and after a hasty pic we were back on the bikes to at least give evaporative cooling a chance, no matter how hot the air.
Papa Bear was getting angrier by the minute as we departed for Bonnie Doon and Skyline Road, now at 34 degrees, with no breeze, and the dust hanging heavy in the still, hot air. Our skins were wrinkling like anaemic prunes inside our suits.
There was a truly breathtaking view over Lake Eildon from very high up, but stops were kept brief because of the enervating heat.
Exhausted
We arrived at Eildon just before 3.00pm, and with the prospect of another couple of hours of heat and dust back to Yarra Junction via Snobs Creek Road, the soft option won everyone over and we blacktopped it to Healesville via the Black Spur, where icy-cold drinks in frosted glasses were enjoyed at the iconic pub.
After a farewell kiss and swearing undying love to each other we dispersed to our respective warrens, Papa Bear incandescent with the mercury at 36 degrees.
Thanks to Damo for an outstanding job leading his first ride and congrats to all the MADCAT first-time riders: Brian O’Donahue, Graham White, Tim Russell
and Darren Foster. If success has many fathers, and failure is an orphan, then everyone’s contribution to this ride ensured it was never going to be the latter.
Casualties:
v One bent gear-shift lever (soon fixed), AND v One heat blister when one Tim handled the hot exhaust on the other Tim’s bike (a painful rookie mistake I’ve made more than once).
MADCAT comes from Motorcycle ADventure CAmping and Touring, and is a Melbourne club which tries to fill the gap between full off-road and road-based clubs. MADCAT tries to explore Victoria on as many backroads as possible among some of the most breathtaking natural environments and scenery Australia has to offer and is looking to organise interstate trips.
Left: Lake Eildon, from atop Skyline Road. 34 degrees with no breeze. Bottom left: Leafy shade for the bikes during lunch. Above: Bryan, using his two-day growth as an air filter.
Right: The fast and flowing Circuit Road.
Alice springsand back
Carl Bennett spent months preparing his Transalp and himself for the solo trip of a lifetime. Then it was time to go.
Words and images: Carl Bennett
For safety reasons I purchased a SPOT tracker, PLB and handheld CB radio. I also purchased spare tubes, bolts, bonding-repair stuff and zip ties. A tomahawk which doubled as a hammer was zip tied to the swingarm, a home-made alloy bashplate was fitted in place of the stock plastic guard and a fuel bladder was zip tied into a special frame in front of the top box.
I left a day later than planned, but there was no rush, and the first stop was Lithgow Bike Stop for a couple of last-minute items.
Countdown
It was a very nervous ride up Bells Line of Road as I was grossly overloaded. I wasn’t absolutely convinced of my determination to do the ride, or even that I could, or should, attempt this adventure to the Never Never. Straight away three things conspired to end the dream I’d had for so long.
The first was only an hour from home when oil began leaking from a rocker cover. Dave and the crew at Lithgow Bike Stop very kindly dropped all they were doing and sorted the problem, leaving me very thankful for the excellent service and allowing me to continue to Orange for an overnight rest at a cousin’s house.
The second problem was the weather. Snow greeted me the next morning. It dampened my spirits, but had disappeared after smoko – three cups of coffee – at 11.00am. Then a storm at Eugowra on the way to Condobolin for my first camp left me freezing and wet. I stopped at Forbes’ Macca’s for warmth, food and a hot drink, then pushed on to Condo and set up camp to enjoy the first night of my trip to be spent alone.
Right: Blissful silence and solitude. Above: Author Carl, living the dream. Below: The truck show at Alice Springs had some great displays, including this one driven up from Victoria. u
Condo was my make-or-break point. It was my last chance to back out before I was fully committed to a solo tackling of the unknown – the real Australian outback.
The third test was at Condobolin itself while packing up an hour before departure.
saw I had to prevent the nylon straps getting get cut or rubbed through on the home-made brackets, and I decided some six-millimetre rubber fuel hose fitted neatly around the aluminium edges would do the job. I proceeded to slice the fuel line lengthways, and as I thought, ‘I probably shouldn’t have my hand there,’ the Stanley knife sliced into my palm. Were the three negative events a sign to not continue?
could easily have headed home, but my brain said, ‘Suck it up, princess! Trust your God and your instincts’.
The lovely receptionist from the caravan park supplied a Band-Aid and I finished packing, tied all my bags onto the bike in what I hoped was a good and orderly fashion, and set off for Cobar.
Get the picture
It was the start of the real test for me. The truckie part of me felt I should be able to tie things on so they didn’t fall off, and the riding would test my limited bike skills on various dirt roads to reach Alice Springs. Thankfully became more proficient as time went on.
Cobar was a chance to fuel up and check for lost cargo. The road had been rocky but reasonable on dirt sections, and the luggage was all still in place, so it was all good.
Tilpa pub, about halfway between Cobar and Wilcannia, was my target for an overnight stay. It meant riding a fairly long section of road which was under
water and I was surprised I didn’t get an unscheduled bath.
I’d set off with a brand new phone and was learning how to operate it on the fly.
A kind lady showed me, in simple terms, how to send a message and pictures home.
Blessed
The next day I continued on and crisscrossed roads to the Silver City Highway and Milparinka pub where I found lots of guns and people. A large clay-pigeon shooting competition was being held out the back of there somewhere, and after a stay in the pub, although a bit noisy, I rode on to Tibooburra for more fuel.
From Tib I covered a scary road to Cameron Corner. There was so much sand!
I was not happy, Jan, and nearly didn’t make it. I asked God to please help me not crash. ‘Please Lord,’ I prayed, ‘Make up for my lack of ability and keep me upright with divine intervention.’ Thankfully he answered my prayer and the bike and I made it unscathed.
Trainer
With two nights in good accommodation at ‘The Corner’ I enjoyed a rest day and checked out a group of army vehicles also on route to Alice Springs, but via different roads to mine.
With no one keen to accompany me I was a little uncertain about the Strzelecki Track. It was a total unknown for me and I’d gathered as much information as possible. I first encountered and crossed 100 sand dunes, and it was a bit like a boat ride in slow ocean swells. It was awe inspiring, but not too difficult to ride.
At Merty Merty I turned left for Lyndhurst, and a smooth road surface quickly deteriorated into rocks and corrugations. My bones were rattled enough after 300km, so I found an old creek bed to get a fire going and enjoyed a hot coffee and a rest, sending a SPOT signal to my family and friends to reassure them I was okay. By the time I’d drunk my coffee and eaten some cake an hour had passed.
My wife understood I was camping there for the night under the million-star accommodation, and oh! What a memory! No fancy five-star motel luxury could ever compete…until a road train on the way to Mooni Mooni gas fields shattered the blissful silence and solitude in the early morning.
was enjoying myself immensely and living the dream.
Relics
A beautiful sunrise began the next day as I boilled the billy and fuelled up from the bladder. I needed to be sure I could complete the 500km between the Cameron Corner and Lyndhurst servos, and I set off filled with wonder.
Lots of rocks and vibrations later I arrived at Lyndhurst, and after refuelling and a snack, detoured to Leigh Creek for a gander at the town that was built solely for people while they worked at the local mine. I also saw the train that had supplied coal for power stations, but I don’t think the train or coal mine is operating anymore.
Maree is the start of the Oodnadatta Track and a town full of ruins.
A very famous film was produced in the area in late 1960s about the Birdsville mailman, Tom Kruze. One of his old trucks is on display near the old railway station and the old engine train carriage. I don’t know if will ever be able to ride the Birdsville Track, so I rode 10km up and
back to be able to say I’d at least been on it. It might be good for a skite around a campfire sometime.
Sleeping in a motel felt good before I continued my journey north towards The Alice.
Somewhere near Coward Springs, at an old railway watering point, I had a most blessed experience when two Brolgas danced not more than six metres away. There are lots of creative arty pieces that have been made and erected and put on display along the Oodnadatta Track, including the Pink Roadhouse at
“ My bones were rattled enough after 300km, so I found an old creek bed to get a fire going and enjoyed a hot coffee and a rest ”
Oodnadatta itself, and the interesting remains of an old rail bridge over some watery swamp. It was a little oasis in the middle of nowhere.
A look around the town revealed a pub which offered good food and a sleep before the last of the Oodnadatta Track.
Ant acid
I continued to the Stuart Highway and over the border into the Northern Territory.
Yeah! I’d made it!
The Erldunda Roadhouse, a very busy place for trucks, busses, caravans and bikes of all sorts offered a great camping
spot and I pulled in to find the Black Dog Ride for suicide prevention was in full swing and on its way to Uluru and The Alice. There was plenty of phone service so I made calls to family and mates, and was informed by my son he intended to ask his girlfriend to be his wife. Yee-hah!
My tent was set up but the ants decided to invite themselves in, and a defence against the invasion was needed. Ajax powder sprinkled around tent site got rid of the unwanted guests who took the hint. I wasn’t bothered for the rest of the night.
Soft touch
I went looking for dirt roads to Kings Canyon and chose Giles Road. It was full of sandy sections I wasn’t happy about and I almost came a guttza. Fortunately there were no GoPros to record the unsightly event. God held me upright and God and I are the only ones who know how close I was to coming off in a big way.
At Kings Canyon campground I found the allocated campsite, but, unfortunately, it would’ve needed an impact driver to screw in mining pegs for the tent ropes. A look around revealed the middle of the site was green and grassy with lots of dirtbikes. I asked if I could join them so my tent pegs would be able to be put in place with a normal hammer and was told, “No worries!” Some interesting conversations were had that night. Theirs was an organised coast-to-coast ride from east to west and was supported by a Nissan Patrol and a large trailer with plenty of spares, tyres and fuel. Each rider was on their own bike and there were some wild and unusual set ups.
Above: Nearly 7000km without a problem, not even a puncture.
Below left: Dancing brolgas. Awesome.
Below right: The Pink Roadhouse at Oodnadatta is definitely unique.
Opposite page: Ajax powder sprinkled around the tent site got rid of unwanted ants.
Caning on The Canning The next day ended up being a short ride to Stuarts Well Roadhouse and Caravan Park.
On the way was a group of full-on dirtbike riders who looked battered and bruised after just having done the Canning Stock Route, and who were looking forward to a shower after nine days without one. They’d carried all their own food and water, and fuel was dropped at various sites for them. I want to congratulate all who ride or drive that amazing historic stock route.
I was ahead of time on my own trip and paid for a room at the roadhouse. Some other travelers on their way to a truck show were good company.
Brothers
We had arranged for my two abledbodied brothers to fly with our disabled brother to land at Uluru, and I hired a minivan and drove to meet them at the airport. I was very excited to see familiar faces and overjoyed at my safe arrival to the middle of Australia. It was a long way from home.
We spent two nights at the rock and amazingly hired a helicopter for the disabled brother to look at the rock and the Olgas from the sky. It was real buzz. Back in an Alice Springs motel, we went to the transport hall of fame celebration
for two days to soak up the transportrelated displays and many memories were brought to life by seeing them. What a great time we had!
A sign
I put my brothers on the plane for their return home and found a dentist for a bit of root-canal drilling and was relieved of much pain and a sizable wedge of funds. A grocery shop topped up supplies for a camp at Jervois, on the Plenty Highway on my way to Queensland, where I found a couple of other truck-show people also camped. They were on their way home and lived not very far from me in
u
Left: Two nights at Longreach allowed a good look at the
Right: Kings Canyon campground had lots of dirtbikes with some wild and unusual set ups.
Main: The trip of a lifetime.
Top: The Bennett brothers flew into Alice Springs to share the experience. From left: Paul, Mark and Carl. Front: Darrell.
Stockman’s Hall of Fame.
Windsor, NSW. We chewed a bit of fat that evening.
Near Tobermorey on the Queensland border my tomahawk parted company with the bike. I should probably have fitted new zip ties while I was on my break at Alice Springs. Oh, well.
Buelia was my next planned stop. A friend had advised me NT roads were well maintained while Queensland roads were rough, but I found the opposite. I congratulated myself on making a great choice as I headed for Winton through a dot on the map called Middleton, a pub in the middle of nowhere that served up a beautiful salad sandwich made by a lovely elderly lady. A sign on the way indicated there was fuel available at Middleton, but methinks that was many years ago. I used the fuel bladder again to top up for the stretch into Winton.
Fed up
I had a good look at the truck museum in Winton then cruised around town and stayed in a pub before heading off and finding my next-door neighbour in his V8 Inter Acco at Longreach on his way home from The Alice.
didn’t want to cut short my time in Longreach and I had nobody to argue with except myself, so I always won. I stayed two nights to allow a good look at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame and the Qantas Museum. lost my pocket Pentax camera somewhere as I left Longreach. I’d been putting the camera in my coat pocket so I could reach it quickly to get photos, and I’d got in the habit of not doing up the zipper. I was very angry with myself and had
to give myself a good uppercut – with another one just now – for my stupidity. Blackall had another pub with good accom which set me up for the run to Charleville, where I couldn’t decide where to stay. I was feeling a bit crook, so got some food supplies and headed out of town in the direction of Diranbandi on Bollin Road. After about 100km I pulled into the bush near the road to set up camp. I’d got lazy and was feeling a bit sick so couldn’t be bothered putting up the tent and I had never in my whole life had so much wind exit my body from both north and south.
Due to the drought there was plenty of dry fuel and fires were easy to start. I didn’t sleep much that night and had nothing to eat the next morning, and it was only when I got to Bollin I realised a full 18 hours had passed without my seeing a single vehicle or person. A big feeling of remoteness engulfed me, but didn’t bother me. I was just amazed. At Diranbandi a vegemite sandwich and black coffee was all I could stomach.
I asked a truck driver at Diranbandi, “How are you going, mate?” He replied “I’m sick and tired of being tired.” It’s an ongoing problem for all truck drivers.
Inspired
Hebel turned out to be a relic of a town with two old timers giving me different advice and directions for Lightning Ridge.
I found the best caravan park in Australia, with screens on the showers to stop
clean, dry clothes from getting wet, and a rest in the hot artesian bores opposite the caravan park was most rewarding. The temperature was only just bearable. The allotted camp spot was again on very hard ground. No tent was required and I was still a bit off in the tummy, so I spent the night in the open air. It was amazing.
Next day the underground Chambers Of The Black Hand mine was the biggest eye-opener in the town, with lots of carvings of all sorts of celebrities.
I rode past lots of relics of trucks and machinery on the road to Dubbo for an overnight stay with relatives, and much further down the road for another night’s stay at a mate’s place where a few stories were told, and then Lithgow Bike Stop to say thanks.
The bike and I had made it through nearly 7000km with not a problem or even a puncture. A worn-out rear brake pad I’d blindly overlooked before leaving was replaced by the Honda dealer in Alice Springs.
To my heavenly Father: thank you. And to my and wife and family for their encouragement to make this trip of a lifetime.
And thanks to Dom Bromfield for those few words I read in the Adventure Rider Magazine issue #49 story Down The Rabbit Hole. Dom said I would be surprised at how many blokes, like me, would like to read other people’s bike stories and adventures in this amazing country we call Australia.
Below: The Qantas Museum at Longreach.
Top right: The Strzelecki Track was awe-inspiring, but not too difficult to ride.
shop bike2
It’s very early days for Adventure Rider Magazine’s new Yamaha Ténéré 700 but development is well under way.
The first thing on the agenda for any new bike is to ride it. It sounds like a funny statement, but the number of times we hear people say they’ve bought a new bike and spent a gazillion dollars on suspension or accessories before they’ve even ridden it is astonishing.
How do they know what modification the suspension needs, or whether particular accessories suit, if they don’t know what the bike is like standard?
We wish we were so clever, but we’re not. We grabbed the bike, told The Boss we were off to do something terribly important and ran a few trails to see what we had to start with.
It was interesting.
First things first
The suspension on this particular Ténéré 700 is really good. As we reported last issue, we couldn’t believe it was stock, despite Yamaha’s assurance that was the case. It actually doesn’t matter a damn to us whether it was bone stock and worn out or stolen from a factory racer. However it came to be, the suspension needs no attention as far as we’re concerned.
It’s really good.
There are Teknik stickers on both shock and fork legs, and sure enough, when ad man Mitch phoned, Nick at Teknik confirmed he’d done a thorough set up when the bike was first put into commission with Destination Yamaha. The result is front and rear are both firm but compliant, and we’re pretty fricken rapt with it just the way it is. On the road the engine is smooth
and there’s little vibration of any kind. It’s well capable of devouring long stretches of bitumen, seemingly with no effort at all. Cruise control would be a huge bonus, and we see MC Cruise has a unit on offer. We’re very tempted, but we have a few more pressing things we need to get sorted first.
After a bit of a blat around some forestry trails we thought the bike in general handled offroad really well, although the feel from the front isn’t quite right. We suspect the front tyre doesn’t suit the bike and will look at that situation ASAP.
The bike’s pretty much bare bones and as a priority we needed some way of carrying the tools and luggage which are an integral part of nearly all our rides.
RideADV
Pannier racks were our first port of call, and after a great deal of research we opted for the units made by tour company RideADV. We’d featured Greg Yager’s Ténéré 700 in issue #50, and one of things that caught our eye was the way his own pannier racks stayed snug and close to the bike. We gave Greg a call and he
Above: A STEDI light bar under the headlight highlights close in front of the front wheel.
Below: SW-Motech’s GPS mount is a neat unit.
said to bring the bike to RideADV headquarters and he’d fit us up a pair. So we did.
Greg’s workshop was about 300km away down the highway, and that gave us a chance to see how the bike would handle a bitumen slog. It did it easily. There and back in a day, piece of cake.
Effortless.
Fitting the racks took all of about 10 minutes. Greg grabbed a cordless-screwdriver-thing, went braap! Braaap! Braaaaaap! and the pillion ’pegs and little strap knobs behind the seat were gone and the racks bolted in place. Done.
Below left & right:
Right: The pillion ’pegs had to go to fit the pannier racks.
Below: It allows the rider to swap between the two heights for sitting or standing with no adjustment. It’s neat and very effective.
They’re strong and fit really close. We like them a lot.
SW-Motech
Another high priority for us is a GPS mount.
The editor’s been using Garmin Montana 650Ts for a lot of years, and just upgraded – at long fricken last – to a Zumo XT, another piece of equipment he spied on RideADV’s bikes. The Ténéré has a 12mm bar above the LCD dash which is ideal for a GPS, but the RAM-type mount supplied with the Garmin is for handlebar mounting. There were no fittings for the Yamaha bar.
Motorrad Garage had the answer with an SW-Motech unit that clamps neatly to the above-dash bar and doesn’t stick out or flap around. It bolted on in a minute or two and is very unobtrusive.
Excellent!
While we talking to Motorrad Garage, it emerged SW-Motech has a stack of gear for the Ténéré 700 and we were offered quite a range of accessories to try out.
The one we were really keen on was the ‘EXTENSION FOR BRAKE PEDAL’ – that’s what it’s called on the box if you’re looking for it on the Motorrad Garage website. It’s actually in this issue’s Checkout so you can get all the info there, but it’s basically a stepped brake pedal. It allows the rider to swap between the higher and lower
section of the step when standing or sitting without having to change anything on the pedal itself.
Flash, or what!
It’s a beautifully made unit and fits really nicely. We had to fiddle around getting the height of the pedal just right, but once we had it we were sold. It’s a great accessory.
So much to do
So much to do, and yet not so much, either.
The bike, as we received it, is a pretty bloody good adventure bike, as we knew. Reliability is always our biggest requirement and the motor on the Ténéré 700 has done service in several Yamaha models over quite a few years and is known to be rock-solid reliable and trouble-free. Performance isn’t eyepopping, but it’s far more engine than our
humble riding talents can seriously use, so that’ll stay pretty much as it is. We still need to look at carrying extra fuel for long trips, tyres, and we think a rack behind the seat would get plenty of use.
We fitted a STEDI light bar under the headlight to highlight in front of the front wheel. The standard lighting on the bike is really good, but for those odd times we’re caught out off-road after dark, we really want to see what’s right in front of the front wheel, and the light bar throws an extra beam right in the middle and up close. It fits in a really nicely made pair of mounts from ADV ENG – that’s what it says on them – and the bloke was really good to deal with. Look him up on the web if you’re chasing a set. For now we’ll run with what we have and see what develops.
Above: Greg Yager himself fitted the pannier racks. They went on in a few minutes.
Above insert: Supplied with all necessary hardware.
The RideADV pannier racks are tough, look good, and don’t stick out like an American footballer’s shoulder guards.
Really?
Tour leader and head honcho at RideADV, Greg ‘TB’ Yager, has seen and done pretty much all there is to see and do in the trail-touring world. He’s been pivotal in Yamaha Motor Australia’s development of a couple of generations of Ténérés and the WR250R over many years, and he’s a bloke with an enquiring and engineering frame of mind. We’ve been chatting a bit with Greg lately and invited him to share a few thoughts and ideas. Here’s what he’s been thinking about this issue…
IIn my spare time, because of my business, I tend to cruise a few forums and cast my eye over social media. I mean, every day’s a school day – there’s always something to learn. But sometimes I honestly do just shake my head and do a double take after reading something where I say to myself, “Really?”
‘It runs lean from the factory’
I love hearing how a bike is too lean straight from the factory. It was all I ever heard about WR250Rs, for instance. If you fitted a slip-on exhaust, it supposedly became even worse.
A lean mixture means a high combustion temperature which
If these internet claims are questioned the response is normally, ‘I read it somewhere,’ or, ‘A mate said so’. The reply is never, ‘Here’s a dyno sheet. Look at the air/fuel lambda readings (air-to-fuel ratio readings)’.
Remember, rich doesn’t produce the best power.
But that’s for another time.
‘I need a steering damper for sand riding’
Sure, a steering damper will help you in the sand – if you’re skipping over the ruts like Toby Price.
What does a steering damper do?
A steering damper slows down highspeed deflections. It works on that tree root, rock, or anything sharp-edged that will deflect the steering.
Imagine lifting your bike under the bashplate so the handlebars can go side to side with the front wheel off the ground. If you were to stand beside the front wheel with the steering straight ahead and kick the leading edge of the front tyre, the steering would go banging from side to side with no resistance, right? That’s a high-speed deflection.
When you have a properly adjusted steering damper and you kick it at the same point it will barely deflect. That’s because the high-speed deflection is ‘dampened’.
A quality steering damper won’t have that resistance at slow speed for normal riding. Riding in deep-sand wheel tracks – in The Simpson, for example – you need the bike’s steering to be able to move unimpeded. You need to feel the bike’s behaviour so you can shift your weight and change your direction according to the feedback received from the machine. The last thing you want is a mechanism dictating what your steering is doing. It will only end in tears.
Adventure boots
can result in a piston-to-bore seizure. No manufacturer in its right mind would make a bike run lean. They’d make a bike run rich. Why? Because it’s safe. A rich mixture works everywhere. It doesn’t give the best performance, but it’s safe. By ‘safe’ I mean it doesn’t seize or blow up. Manufacturers don’t want that.
like rocks, ruts, wildlife, clay, water and so forth.
Ultimately, you want a boot that’s comfortable and offers the best ankle protection you can afford. I wear Gaerne SG-12s. They’re a fairly rigid boot with hinges on both sides, so the ankle is pivoted. Some days I wear those boots, with knee braces, for 14 or 16 hours while pre-running, with no discomfort at all.
In my opinion, protection is the major consideration. If you want to walk, pack some shoes.
Fun fact: in the last 10 years of running RideADV I’ve seen 12 broken ankles. Of the 12, 11 were riders wearing soft boots.
‘You can’t run ultraheavy-duty tubes’
This really makes my blood boil!
I often see people write, ‘You can’t run ultra-heavy-duty tubes on adventure bikes because they get too hot.’
Yeah. Maybe when Noah built the ark that used to happen.
RideADV partner Crash and I have run ultra-heavy-duty (UHD) tubes for as long as I can remember. We’ve done plenty of high-speed cross-country racing over the years, like Condo and Yellow Mountain and the December 21 Longest Day rides, and you can’t even touch the tyre during some of those events because of the heat.
And yet I’ve never had any flats in a UHD tube due to high temperature.
Fun fact: The RideADV fleet of six bikes cumulatively cover approximately 200,000km per year, and we’re lucky to see two flats in that time.
Keep left
I don’t know how often I sit and watch some YouTube motorcycle person (and don’t start me on that topic) in a video, flying along, hugging the right-hand side of the track, cresting rises and rounding blind corners.
I sit there watching and screaming at the screen, “KEEP LEFT!”
I lead a lot of rides, and being out front I deal with a million things trying ruin the day. The last thing I need is some clueless missile taking someone out at Mach 3 because they were too lazy and thoughtless to stay on the left-hand side of the track.
RideADV is a huge advocate of keeping left, and complacency is everyone’s enemy. I personally know of three people who have been involved in head-on collisions in the six weeks prior to my writing this piece. Nothing ruins a ride or your health more than having a headon with some Bogan-drivin’, SouthernCross-tattooed, bullbar-and-spotlightaccessorised GU Nissan Patrol.
Remember: every day’s a school day!
My favourite quote with adventure boots is, “They’re really comfortable to walk in!” We’re not going for a walk. We’re going for a ride…on a dirty big adventure bike with a mass sometimes twice your bodyweight, experiencing numerous unplanned occurrences along the way,
shop around
Karen’s shares a store of knowledge and a knowledge of stores.
Shopping for suitable, well-fitting bike gear can be a bit hit and miss. There doesn’t appear to be anything uniform between brands in the way of sizing. Add to that all the variations in arm, leg and torso length, chest, waist, bust and head sizes, foot width, desired colours, materials and features… locating gear that’s ‘just right’ for you becomes as difficult as finding that unicorn adventure bike. The closer you are to the extremities of the bell curve with your body shape and size, the narrower your options for finding gear to fit. This was the catalyst for a
girls-only shopping trip to Brisbane, suggested by my friend Kylie Connolly, who is heading towards the shorter end of the curve for height.
No laughing matter
Something I hear quite a lot is the challenge for shorter adventure riders – for a start the mods they have to make to their bikes just so they can touch the ground on tiptoes. Or how difficult it is to find pants that fit. The last pair of bike pants Kylie bought, she had to cut almost 30cm off the length and make a few alterations to get the armour into the right place. For any
petite riders out there, going to the kids’ section to find clothes, boots or helmets is often the only option, and finding any adventure-specific clothing is next to impossible. It then becomes a matter of compromise or expense to buy gear and have it altered to fit. Having the option to buy pants in regular, tall or short in a greater range, (including women’s) would be a good start. Trying to buy a helmet in a store when you’re an XXS is a feat. I know people who’ve taken to buying helmets (and other gear) from overseas just to have access to a larger range that fit.
That was why the shopping trip to The Big Smoke with Kylie and a few of our friends came about. There’s nothing like a girls’ weekend hitting up the bike shops to generate a few laughs.
Growing market
You really can’t beat going into a shop and trying on gear. The range is limited where we live, and that’s understandable. Buying online has its own issues. One of the most annoying is how inconsistent and inaccurate sizing is on pants and jackets – even when the measurements are clearly stated in the sizing guide. There’s probably not much more humiliating than trying on jackets or pants, convinced you’re a particular size, only to find out in bike clothing that translates to double (scrap that. There’s plenty – like dropping your unloaded bike in a car park and not being able to pick it up, or getting caught with your pants down on an isolated track). Add to that most bike clothing appears to be tailored for men. “Fair enough,” you say, “most riders are men.” However, ignoring women is ignoring an ever-increasing section of the market.
According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, ABS data indicates there were 800,000 motorcycle-licence holders in Australia in 2013. By 2020 that number had risen to 2.2 million. While data isn’t kept on the gender of motorcycle riders in Australia, the best estimates suggest around 12% of Aussie motorcycle licence holders are female. This matches
Far left: Around 12% of Aussie motorcycle licence holders are female.
Above: Kylie Connolly, who is heading towards the shorter end of the bell curve for height.
Left: There’s a big range of motocross or road gear available. Adventure gear not so much. u
karen raMsay
trends around the world showing a doubling of numbers in the past 20 years. All businesses that ignore this trend and don’t look for ways to tap into to this section of the market are pushing women to shop online or overseas. Asking shops to always stock a full range of sizes isn’t feasible, but it’s probably time for them to start thinking about how they can overcome this and get people buying locally.
Something that’s starting to emerge is women designing gear for women. This ranges from individual pieces of body armour to clothing that’s not only safe, but is visually appealing without being ‘girly’. Thankfully, even larger brands seem to be moving away from simply adding pink or flowers to jackets and calling them ‘women’s’.
Shop around
I guess having seven women striding through the doors of your store could be a bit intimidating.
We had all the usual reactions from
complete ignoring to full-blown, “Let me check the boxes that haven’t been unpacked yet to see if we can find your size.” We visited a stack of shops over that weekend. For anyone looking for motocross or road gear, there’s a big range available. Adventure gear not so much. Some of the issues we as women found when trying to find jackets and pants
(that will probably resonate with men) were things like jackets with too much or not enough room at the bust (chest), lack of options to position armour, and pants coming in only one standard leg length. Finding something that fits your body shape well can be hard. Here’s some key points to look for when trying on pants and jackets:
R If it has armour in it, bend your knees and elbows. Kneel or squat to make sure the armour is where it needs to be. If there’s no adjustment to get it to the right position, it’s not going to help you when you fall
R While you’re doing all the bending take note of anything that’s going to annoy you, like clips, zips and buckles that might dig into elbows, knees or collarbones while you’re in your riding positions
R Try your helmet on with the jacket. Can you still move your head freely? Or does the jacket impede movement anywhere?
R Look for gear you can loosen or tighten (depending on how many burgers you eat at lunch or if you grab it out of the cupboard after a long lockdown break and realise you’ve ended up with more COVID kilos than you expected)
R When you find something that fits, buy it from that shop. We want them to stock stuff for us, so let’s support them.
Success
Above left: Ness found some women’s pants to fit.
Above middle: The option to buy pants in regular, tall or short in a greater range, (including women’s) would be a good start.
Above: Trying to buy a helmet in a store when you’re an XXS is a challenge.
Bottom left: A girls-only shopping trip to Brisbane. What happens on a girls’ weekend, stays on a girls’ weekend.
Our shopping trip was, on the whole, very successful. Kylie managed to find jacket and pants that didn’t need any adjustments for her height. Ness found some pants in the women’s section rather than the kid’s section. It was a bit strange being together and not riding, but we talked bikes and gear. Information was shared about where to buy extra-small helmets, and what people wear under their bike pants. We reminisced about rides and planned new rides for the future. Of course there was the pillow fight and scooter ride, but, what happens on a girls’ weekend, stays on a girls’ weekend.
R All the gear, all the time
R It’s possible to find gear to fit most people, but the further you are from ‘average’ the harder it is to find it
R When you find a good store, keep supporting it
R Regardless if it’s ‘men’s’ or ‘women’s’ gear – if it fits well, get it
R Pillow fights are better when you’re all wearing helmets
Above: Women are an ever-increasing section of the adventure market.
Right: If it fits well, get it.
Led me astray
ast issue ran off at the keyboard and included a reference to an adventure of earlier days involving a WLA Harley and a ride through the front bar of a pub.
I included that reference to give my stepfather and great mate a bit of joy during the last days of his life. Unfortunately, the magazine arrived a few days late. Bugger!
Chillax, dear reader. No cards or flowers are required. It was his time, he woke up dead and circumvented a few months of ugly. He wins.
‘What does that have to do with adventure riding?’ I can hear you ask.
Okay. Slow down. I’m getting to it.
Many years ago, he gave me $20 to buy a new pair of gloves (for my 21st). I bought a pair of lairy orange-and-black mitts.
While I was at it, I tried my luck with the sales guy. “Can I take that Ducati for a test ride mate?”
I ventured. He responded by throwing the keys at me and replying, “No worries.”
Gasping with the 1970’s equivalent of OMG, I breathlessly told my stepfather of the glorious yellow beast that night at dinner. By then, however, I’d talked myself out of such an ‘irresponsible purchase’.
“Yer a f’k’n idiot!” he suggested (that was nothing new. I was young). “Go for it. I’ll go guarantor for the loan.
“Get it out of your system,”
last year and started talking myself out of it, I heard those words ringing in my ear. “Yer a f’k’n idiot. Go for it.”
Getting back to the story of the ‘Walla”, it actually happened. After sufficient idiot juice and a dare from equally primed mates, he took the bet that he wouldn’t ride the recently acquired (ex-US Army, wink, wink, off the back of a truck) Harley through the front bar.
andy strapz
He duly toured the front bar and emerged onto the verandah to see the Old Bill arriving. Ambition and red mist fogged out his better judgement and, in the tradition of the day, he ‘did a runner’.
Our hero was making good ground on the local copper until he lost both the front and rear wheel at the same moment on a fast-sweeping dirt bend. Luckily the bike slid one way as he tumbled another at considerable pace up an embankment, hitting a barbed-wire fence. He described the fence as stretching, creaking, then breaking with a musical twang and gently seating him on the ground.
For a few moments he sat pondering the rows of holes in his ex-army greatcoat that were oozing body claret. The copper near wet his pants laughing, before cuffing him under the ear and sending him home with warnings about large, heavy books being thrown at him should he continue to be a dickhead.
he added.
Within a fortnight I had a Ducati 750 Sport, cementing a lifelong adventure on two wheels. I never did ‘get it out of my system’, quite the contrary. Mario (what else would you christen an Italian bike?) still holds pride of place in my shed.
After a trip around Tassie on Mario a few years ago I decided I was no longer going on a serious bike trip without being comfortable sneaking down 30km of dirt road to see what was there. At the time many of the really interesting roads had 10 or 20 klicks of dirt in the middle, which kept both the revenue raisers and numpties away. When a Kato 890R Rally seemed to fall from the skies into my lap
After a number of wild, country-boy adventures, the bike was sold to buy a car to chase a bride. His motorcycling career came to an end at the (well, some way away from) controls of a peaky, nasty little 250cc two-banger. His right elbow ended up liberally scarred and held together with mixed hardware. As a result, he never went too close to a bike again but lived many of my adventures vicariously.
I’m sure he’ll be riding a Pan America in Heaven, but would have enough sense to avoid a burnout in the front bar of the Pearly Gates Arms.
Then again….more beer…stand back, Pete!
Rider training with Miles Davis
2022 dates and venues announced soon!
Register your interest and be the first to receive the schedule.
Courses taking place at the following locations: v Bright, Victoria v Tasmania v Toowoomba, Queensland v Dargle, NSW (Sydney) v Krusics, Sale, Victoria (sand course)
Private courses can also be arranged. If you have a group of 8-12 riders and would like to have your own course, contact Miles and let him know.
Email: advriderskills@gmail.com and provide the following details: v Name v State/city v Mobile v Bike
With 20 years experience in off-road rider training
For
Old advice is still good advice.
Words: Andy ‘Strapz’ White. Images: Janette Wilson
Below: The Ducati 750 Sport cemented a lifelong adventure on two wheels. Top left: How things have changed.
Held Mojave jacket
About a year ago we showed you the Held Mojave jacket and highlighted what a feature-packed summer garment it was. It still is, and we like it so much we thought it was worth reminding you about it.
Clever
We gave the rundown on the Mojave in Checkout issue #44, and things like a waterproof phone pocket, reflective panels, pockets galore and a system for holding a drink bladder – part number Art:41941 –were all interesting enough, and, being Held, it’s a beautifully made bit of kit. Fit is superb, even for the fuller-figured man – like the editor – and with all the zips done up and vents closed it leaves the rider as snug as a bug in rug.
With the vents open, it’s a breezy summer delight. But there are great detail features, too, like the interior markings so the armour can be removed and replaced in the same position. It makes everything so much easier putting the thing back together after a wash.
But what we found really first class was the way the outer sleeves can be removed, leaving the inner mesh sleeves, with their attached armour. It means a rider can enjoy the jacket’s protection while still getting
plenty of airflow around the upper torso. But wait. There’s more!
The entire inner sleeve can be removed as well! And the shoulder armour can stay!
So when it’s really boiling – when the rider, as they say, is ‘on heat’ – it’s a fantastic option.
Lots more
Removing the sleeves and stowing them in the big back pocket is probably for extremes. There are a few alternatives for handling less stressful temperatures.
There’s a couple of big flaps on the front which unzip and fit into space between the outer jacket and liner. That opens a couple of mesh panels and, as always on Held, all the pocket and panel flaps have magnets in the corners which keep them in place in the open position. We were sceptical because it looks like there’s a liner of some kind there, but those vents let in heaps of cooling atmosphere, swirling away those high-temp woes. So do the huge ones on the sleeves. They’re almost full length, cuff-to-armpit, and we’d rather open those vents and keep the armour protection, but each to his own.
We also like the red zippers inside the front of the jacket that allow the main zip to be left open, but a mesh panel to run collar-to-waistband on the front of the jacket. It’s more airflow without compromising the structural integrity and protection of the jacket itself.
The Mojave is a very well thought out jacket.
It’s a wrap
All the vents are lined and hold their shape, and we’re seriously impressed at the how this jacket is specifically built to keep the rider cool and safe. The zippers are high-quality items, pockets for things like a mobile phone and a drink bladder are everywhere, and, like all the Held apparel we’ve used in the past few years, the quality of manufacture is exceptional.
You can get all the specs and tech info at mig.bike, and if you’re really keen, phone the guys on 1300 916 916.
1: A waterproof pocket for a phone or powerbank, provision to attach a chest protector and an access point for a drinking tube.
2: Even the pocket for the optional back protector looks high-tech.
3: Clever design allows the main zip to be left open, but a mesh panel to run collar to waistband on the front of the jacket. It lets in plenty of cooling air and keeps the jacket’s protection in place.
4: Sleeves can be unzipped and removed, leaving a mesh inner sleeve with the armour still in place.
A
Below: Markers inside the jacket allow the armour to be replaced in the wearer’s chosen position.
Right: For the really hot days the outer sleeve and liner can be removed, but the shoulder armour can stay.
Images: Marty Blake
Seriously comfortable and self-confident in the Held Mojave jacket.
Above:
thumb loop stops the mesh liner from riding up.
Touratech Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 special
Checkout
AlPinestArs hAlo drystAr JAcket
A premium multi-season jacket designed to take on any conditions.
R Fully foldable mesh front and back ventilation panels
R Packable, waterproof and breathable Drystar rain jacket
R Nucleon Flex Pro armour
R TechAir ready
R Removeable sleeves
R AA Class CE certified
RRP: $699.99
Available from: Leading motorcycle stores Website: monzaimports.com.au
mosko moto BAckcountry PAnniers
Designed for long-distance adventure touring, hardcore enduro-style riding, and camping from your bike.
R Two bag system – dry bag inside, tough bag outside
R Six layers of crash protection where you need it most
R Heavy-duty universal locking bar
R 5L Aux Pox bolt-on waterproof pocket/harness system for additional storage
R Beavertail stash spot and multi-purpose camp tool holder
R Burly injection-moulded, glass-filled nylon hardmount system allows quick on/off
R MOLLE expandability –both sides and bottom
R Six external compression straps – with new custom-moulded zinc Alloy G-Hooks
R Available kits include: 35L, 25L, and Offset
35L x 25L combination
Available from: Mosko Moto Web: moskomoto.com
eldorAdo esd e30 helmet
Combines the comfort and protection of a full-face helmet with lightweight ventilation and functionality of a typical off-road helmet.
R Size: XS – XXL in Matte black, Gloss white or Fluro graphic
R Approved for use in Australia under ECE-R 22.05 standard
R Integrated sun visor
R Interchangeable clear visor with multiple positioning
AtlAs Vision Premium neck collAr
The anti-compression collar for those who find it hard to wear
a full-frame brace.
R 50% greater reduction of impact forces
R 66% more range of motion
R 45% lower weight
R Adjustable height
R 7075 Aluminium Easy Open
R 2nd Gen Hybrid Strap
RRP: $249.99
Available from: Leading Motorcycle Stores
Website: Monzaimports.com.au
ABA dr650 centrestAnd with oPtionAl low ’Peg mount
Ideal for DR650 riders travelling with luggage.
R Makes chain maintenance, tyre changes and bike cleaning a breeze
R No chance of the DR being knocked over in the shed
R Low footpeg mount system can be purchased as an option (approximately 40mm lower and 30mm rearward)
Pirelli scorPion trAil ii
New revolutionary tread pattern.
R Patented 0° steel-belt technology in radial sizes
R Maximum stability and excellent handling in all terrain, even when fully loaded
R Latest generation of materials for a new compound which provides maximum grip in all weather conditions
R The ideal balance between mileage and grip for dual-purpose bikes
gear, right here, give a cheer! Pod k4 cAmo limited-edition knee BrAce
R Four inlet vents and two large outlet vents
R Comfortable, fully interchangeable and washable sweat-wicking liner
R ABS shell
R EPS high-impact liner
eldoradohelmets.com
R Manufactured in SE Queensland and exclusive to Adventure Bike Australia
R All necessary hardware is included
RRP: $289.95 - $429.90 plus postage
Available from: Adventure Bike Australia Web: adventurebikeaustralia.com.au
RRP: Front $179.95. Rear $259.95
Available from: Your local motorcycle dealer Web: pirellimoto.com.au
Can you see yourself in CAMO?
R Designed to blend right in
R Tones drawn from moto’s natural environment
R Built on POD’s bestselling K4 2.0 knee brace
R Stealth protection
R Available in five sizes: youth – 2XL
RRP: Youth $499.95 (pair). Adult $799.95 (pair)
Learn more: podactive. com/CamoLE
Where to buy: monzaimports.com.au/ brands/pod/ u
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 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
Available from: Adventure Bike Shop Phone: 0428 536 519 Web: adventurebikeshop.com.au
sw-motech BrAke PedAl rePlAcement
Stay in control when you need it most!
R Ideal for off-road riding
R Provides more traction on the brake lever in wet conditions
R Wider surface area compared to OEM pedal
R Adjustable step to 22mm or 27mm higher than brake-pedal surface
R Made from milled aluminium and stainless steel
R Available for a range of bikes
RRP: $176
Available from: Motorrad Garage Web: motorradgarage.com.au
mc cruise cruise control for gen 2 klr650e
All components supplied with mounting hardware to suit the bike, no customising or fabrication needed.
R Purpose-built switch with backlights
R Sophisticated, LED-driven, built-in diagnostic and troubleshooting features
R Built for motorcyclists by motorcyclists
R Waterproof computer module and harness connections
R No cutting or splicing of wires. All connections to the bike are ‘plug-andplay’ using the same connectors as the bike
RRP: Check the website Available from: mccruise.com
2022 klim rAPtor gtX oVershell JAcket
Wear over your jersey or off-road padding. R 3-layer Gore-tex performance shell
R Guaranteed to keep you dry
R Superfabric® on shoulders and elbows
R Reinforced Cordura® internal high-wear elbow area
R Front zipper storm flap
R YKK® Vislon® Aquaguard® front zipper
R CE B rating certified to EN 17092-5
R Adjustable velcro cuffs
rAd guArd Bmw r1250 gs/gsA 2019-2022 rAdiAtor guArd
An essential aftermarket part.
R For the hardcore adventure rider
R Easy to fit
R Fitting instructions available
R Lightweight and doesn’t restrict airflow
R Made from 6060 T1–T5 aluminium
R Available in black or polished aluminium
R Three-year worldwide warranty
R Australian made
motoz trActionAtor duAlVenture tyres
The most versatile front tyre in the Motoz line-up.
R Off-road performance with on-road manners (70/30 dirt/street)
R Unique reversible tread pattern
R Designed to handle the toughest terrain
R Stronger construction than most adventure tyres
R Self-cleaning and selfsharpening tread pattern
Available from: Adventure Moto Web: adventuremoto.com.au
RRP: $279.
On special for $199
Available from: Rad Guard Phone: (02) 6658 0060 Web: radguard.com.au
nomAd AdV rAlly tower for ktm 790r/890r with BAJA designs squAdron lights
Made in the Netherlands.
R Rally proven construction
R Custom designed for the 790/890
R Easy plug-andplay design
R Solid construction from marine/ aircraft-grade aluminium
R Solid connection to headstock
R High-quality Baja Designs lights (not pictured)
R Better wind protection
R Optimised hybrid natural/ synthetic compound
R Superior block and profile design
R More tread depth than most adventure tyres
RRP: From $169.95
Available from:
All good motorcycle shops
Web: motoz.com.au
shAd terrA toP cAse 37-litre Alloy-BlAck edition
Designed, engineered, and made 100% in Barcelona
R Made from hardened aluminium alloy
R A reduced cross section gives minimum weight with maximum resistance
R Finished with scratch-resistant powder-coated paint
R AISI 304 stainless-steel hinges and patented (pending) ‘TERRA Lock system’
R Includes a retractable carrying handle
R Keys and lock cylinder are the new premium version from SHAD
R Cover stops dust from entering
RRP: $615
Available from: Moto National Accessories Web: shadaustralia.com.au
RRP: $2495
Available from: Motorcycle Adventure Products Phone: 1300 898 560
Web: motorcycleadventure.com.au u
monimoto sm motorcycle trAcker
A smart GPS tracker for motorcycles, mopeds, scooters and other vehicles.
R Smaller and easier to install than ever before
R GPS tracking
R Notifies in one minute
R Location updates in the app
R In-app support
R Key fob included
R Runs on two lithium AA batteries (included)
R Comes with two months subscription, then $79/AUD for 12 months
RRP: $299
Available from: Leading motorcycle stores Web: whitesmoto.com.au
rk 520gXw chAin – gold/BlAck scAle/nAturAl
Each chain pack is supplied with a rivet-type joining link. There is no clip-type joining link available for this chain.
R Made in Japan with the best Japanese technology.
R Suited for road racing, sport and touring motorcycles up to 1200cc, and off-road motorcycles up to 750cc
R Extreme performance XW-ring chain
R Will enhance acceleration and reduce horsepower drag losses
R High tensile strength components
R Quad lubrication pools and six contact seal points
R Outstanding wear life compared to standard or basic O-ring chains
RRP: $199
Available from: All leading motorcycle dealerships
Web: linkint.com.au/
rocky creek designs ziPPylok
From the designers of the original HELMETLOK.
R Ultra-lightweight and strong enough to secure both helmet and jacket or luggage to a bike
R Water resistant
R Strong – hard to cut through
R Anti-scratch
R Three-digit resettable combination
rtech hP3 AdVenture hAndguArd
Flexible and adjustable handguard made specifically for adventure bikes.
R Made from an impact resistant, yet flexible, technopolymer
R Micrometric height adjustment of the removable polycarbonate shield
R Excellent protection, durability, lightness and stability
R Brake and clutch hose protection
R 10 colours to match OE
RRP: $39.95 plus postage and handling
Available from:
Rocky Creek Designs Web: rockycreekdesigns.com.au
kouBAlinks motorcycle lowering links
Lowering and performance linkages for off-road and dualsport rear suspension systems.
R Provides better front-end stability by lowering rear-suspension geometry
R Machined from billet aluminium
R Stronger than OEM
R Assembled using OE bearings and seals
R Replace linkage like its OEM
R Includes all required bearings and seals for assembly (excluding dog-bone styled linkages that do not include
Available from: Leading motorcycle stores Web: koubalinks.com.au
Specific mounting kits for the most popular adventure/ rally bikes sold separately
RRP: $89.95. Bike-specific mounting kit $59.95
Available from: Leading motorcycle retailers Web: JTR.com.au
sw-motech Pro cross strAP-on tAnk BAg
When waterproof means waterproof.
R Perfect for most bikes, even bikes with narrow tanks
R Robust strap system and carry handle
R Easy removal due to quick-release fasteners
R Water and dust proof
R Welded body made from TPU without seams
R Reflective details for better visibility
R Underside made from anti-slip material
R 5.5 litres
RRP $254
Available from: Motorrad Garage Web: motorradgarage.com.au
2022 klim oVerride Alloy JAcket
Extra installation at the front and less bulk at the back.
R High-performance breathable mid-layer
R 20D Ripstop nylon overlays in elbows, chest and shoulders
R 60g 3M™ Thinsulate™ insulation in front and arms
R DWR treatment for shedding water drops
R Grid-back fleece body for extreme breathability and low bulk
R Stretch properties
R Stretch-fabric chassis
R Available in four colours Available from:
Web: adventuremoto.com.au
held tendA sr tAil/tAnk BAg
Can run as either a tankbag or a tail pack.
R Part number art:42031
R Water-repellent nylon fabric outer shell
R Nylon straps with click-fasteners
R Optional magnets, art. 4427, size S
R Shoulder straps included
R All-round zip for volume adjustment: four litres or six litres
R Hard plastic shell
R Cable ducts for navigation system, headset and so forth
RRP: $180
Web: mig.bike
Phone: 1300 916 916
dAinese d-eXPlorer 2 JAcket
Iconic waterproof, thermal and ventilated all-season touring jacket.
R Gore-tex membrane with Duratex fabric and Trixior technologies
R CE level-2 elbow and shoulder protectors
R Exceptional ventilation
R Available in three colours: ebony/black, grey/black, grey/black/orange
R Adjustable neck, arms, waist and wrists
R Matching pants and gloves available
RRP: $1449
Available from: Leading motorcycle retailers and Dainese Store, Melbourne Web: mcleodaccessories.com.au
Good Aussie (Australian) product for another good Aussie (Austrian) product
R Accommodates most throwover saddle bags (Andy Strapz Avduro Panniers are best)
R Ensures both rider and pillion have plenty of luggage space
R Constructed from Aussie mild steel
R Run with or without pillion-’peg brackets
R Supplied with a bolt kit
R Easily removed when not travelling
R Strong but light
R Frame weight just a smidge over 900gm per side
RRP: Frame set $395. Avduro pannier set $475. Frames, Avduro and liner package $920 (all prices plus freight). Available from: Andy Strapz
