This is the 2008 model R1200GS in central Victoria, on a back track between Alexandra and Bonnie Doon.
THE ROUTE
The planned route is anticlockwise around the continent, staying mostly on the bitumen. I will head west from Cairns to Normanton. There a choice will be required between staying on major highways by riding south to Cloncurry then west to the Stuart Highway at the Three Ways near Tennant Creek, or a more direct (but undoubtedly slower) route involving some bitumen and over 600kms of dirt on the Gulf Track.
The Gulf Track roughly parallels part of the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, and goes through Burketown, Doomadgee and Borroloola, to join the Stuart Highway at Daly Waters. That road was very recently closed even to vehicles with snorkels, due to high water levels at a number of river crossings. I will not be taking a snorkel with me. I plan to make inquiries about conditions when I get in the region and defer the dirt/bitumen decision until then. Apparently in peak season the Gulf Track is used by 3-4 vehicles a day. I have been advised that in checking the depth of any river crossings I should keep an eye out for crocs. I will have a can or two of 'CrocBeGone' in the panniers.
If I am enjoying the dirt roads, there is an option to leave the bitumen 110km past Borroloola and travel to Mataranka via Ngukurr and Roper Bar. This would involve an additional 350kms of dirt.
I will visit Darwin briefly, then back-track via Katherine to the highway down the west coast of W.A. and eventually to Perth. There is another opportunity to get off the bitumen, for 500+kms on the Gibb River Road between Kununnurra and Derby. Again, it will be a matter of assessing conditions when I arrive in the area.
Liz will fly to Broome to see me for a bit of local touring together on the bike. She is an excellent pillion passenger and we have done quite a few kms together. I will divert on the journey south to visit Ningaloo Reef.
From Perth, I will basically follow the coast to Albany. Then across to Esperance, up to Norseman and across the Nullarbor. Hoping for a tail wind on that leg.
I plan to do the few extra kms involved in visiting Port Lincoln, where Liz and I lived for three years in the late 1970s.
The last part of the journey will be to Whyalla, down to Adelaide, then on to Mt Gambier, Warrnambool, the Great Ocean Road to Apollo Bay, and home.
All up, I expect to travel about 16,000kms.
PEOPLE
For most of the trip I will be on my own. None of my riding friends were available for the whole trip. My nephew Brendan is going to join me for the first week of the ride, up to Brisbane.
On the return leg, my brother Noel plans to ride to Ceduna in S.A. to join me for the last week or so. My good friend Kym might ride to Port Lincoln or Whyalla for the leg back to Adelaide. Alan, my long time friend, is planning to ride to Mt Gambier to meet up and complete the trip from there with us. There could be a few more mates joining us from Apollo Bay or Lorne on the final leg.
I hope to catch up with fiends in Bendalong, Nowra, Newcastle, Bangalow, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Derby, Port Hedland, Perth, Albany, Port Lincoln and Adelaide.
Max wanted to come but he has responsibilities in Melbourne.
THE GEAR
The GS is capable of carrying all the gear I will need. In addition to the top box, panniers and tank bag, I will have two swag style bags strapped on. I will be taking a tent and sleeping bag in case I get caught out for a night or two, or choose to sleep under the stars somewhere. If I head out on the dirt in the Gulf country or W.A. I will carry a fair amount of water, extra fuel for the bike, and some dried food sufficient for a couple of days.
A Garmin Zumo 550 GPS is hardwired to the bike and mounted on the handlebars. I will be carrying paper maps for all states and the NT, and a couple of more detailed maps for the dirt road options. The GPS is a wonderful gadget, but it will be the secondary source of navigation guidance to the maps and odometer. I will also have a hand held compass on board.
I will be carrying an emergency beacon (PLB) which is registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to assist search and rescue response in the event of a life threatening emergency. The location accuracy is 120 metres. While transmitting, it has a bright strobe light which flashes. Probably useful for reading Haiku while awaiting rescue. Upon activation of the beacon the signal is received by AMSA within minutes. On remote legs, I will carry the PLB in a pocket on my jacket.
I will also be carrying a SPOT satellite GPS messenger. This is a new gadget which uses the existing GPS technology. If interested to find out more, go to http://www.findmespot.com/. It’s a small device which will fit in the palm of my hand, and is powered by three lithium AAA batteries. Its main use is to send a signal including a pre-worded message (either by email or SMS) via satellite to contacts chosen in advance by me. Typical use will involve sending an ‘All OK’ message to family each night I am out of mobile range. It also has a ‘Help’ function, for emergencies which are not life threatening. I intend to use this to summon the BMW Roadside Assist service or the nearest bloke with a truck (these could turn out to be one and the same) in the event that the bike ceases to be rideable.
The recipient of a SPOT message will get information including the latitude and longitude of my location, a link to a Google Earth map with my exact location and the nearest settlement pinpointed, together with the date and time the message was sent. The device works anywhere on the face of the earth.
My helmet has mounted in it two speakers and a mike, with wireless bluetooth connection to my iPhone and the GPS. It all operates hands free.
The trusty Nikon D70S digital SLR camera will be on board, and will hopefully provide a few good snaps. Yes, many photos will have the motorbike in them. This is a motorbike trip. I’ll have to learn to take photos without taking my helmet off, otherwise constant removal and replacement of the helmet will see me returning with ears like Chopper’s.
My iPhone will be used mainly for listening to music of an evening, and for the occasional game of Flight Control (only on straight roads). I expect to be out of mobile range for most of the trip.
THE BIKE (only of interest to bike riders)
I bought the GS new in late 2008, and started riding it in January 2009, when the capacity restriction on my new motorbike licence expired.
Prior to that I owned a Honda VTR 250 for a year and clocked 25,000kms mostly on weekend trips. Last year on the GS I did a solo trip to Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges in S.A., and another solo trip up the Barry Way from Buchan to Jindabyne. Many kms have been logged on the Great Ocean Road. I have also had three excellent days of tuition at Phillip Island racetrack doing levels 1-3 of the cornering course run by the California Superbike School. To complete my preparation I recently lined up for a couple of hours one-on-one tuition in off-road riding techniques for the GS.
I would like to deny that I owned a 250cc scooter in 2007. I admit that I own a 50cc bike with a motor, used for checking the surf and for trips to the bakery and newsagent in Apollo Bay.
The GS will have 50,000kms on the clock on 17 July when the trip commences. It will need one service on the way around, probably at Perth. It will need new tyres at various points during the trip. Hopefully, it will not need anything else.
It is powered by an air (and oil) cooled four stroke engine, with two horizontally opposed cylinders. The engine will develop 105bhp (78 kW). It redlines at 8,000 RPM. The engine capacity is just under 1.2 litres. The bike is shaft driven.
It has electronic suspension adjustment, ABS and an automatic traction control system. These combine to produce a safe and very comfortable ride in all conditions.
The tyre pressures (adjusted for temperature) can be read at any time on a display which is integrated in the bike instrument cluster. I will receive an amber then red light warning if tyre pressure drops. I have had a puncture at highway speed on the GS and it is nice to get a warning when the pressure drops the first couple of psi, rather than when the deflated tyre parts company with the rim on a corner. Tyre pressures on bitumen will be 36psi in the front and 42 in the back. On dirt, 25 psi front and back. I will be carrying a puncture repair kit, and enough tools to remove either wheel.
The fuel tank holds 20 litres, which depending on the manner in which the throttle is managed, can deliver as much as 400kms, or as little as 275kms, but typically around 300kms. To achieve 400kms would require uncommon restraint and speeds which would permit long conversations with pushbike riders. I will be carrying 20 litres of extra fuel on the remote sections.
The bike with full fuel weighs 229kg. It can carry an additional 211kg payload (rider and luggage). The luggage has to be carefully distributed to avoid doing the whole trip with the front wheel in the air.
After-market extras on the bike include a larger side-stand foot (for parking on soft soil and sand), a poor man's cruise control (friction device on throttle twist grip), an oil cooler protector, and wider foot rests to make standing up on rough roads more tolerable.
The bike is a delight to ride, and at speed it is very nimble and agile. It has wonderful acceleration up to 100kph, and some say, beyond. I can think of no better machine for the planned trip.
