It was do this, or uni work...... A quick report on my KLRRR run. I intended on leaving on Friday evening, but I was losing a battle with my brake pads. Saturday morning, I left Adelaide to get to Noccundra by Sunday night - just over 1000k away. I was doing my best to pack light. Shoes on the front, tools in the tank bags, camping gear behind me and my stuff in the panniers. The oil can was empty, but I was carrying it to fill it with fuel for a 470k bowser-less run. Day one was 500k to Broken Hill. Weather was plenty cool. As luck would have it, when I put in for leave, I get sick. No matter what anyone tells ya, helmet sneezes arent cool. I get to Broken Hill where it cools fast once the sun lowers. I get tea and notice the bikes hissing at me. Given the fast my hands are numb, Ill get to that in the morning. Day 2 My gaffer tape fix of the carb vent thingo has failed. But, I have Egg Nog, gaffer tape and Blu-Tack. Make a little weiner . Jam it in the hole, and whack some tape around it. Sorted. It was now time to head north. Milestone. Mostly dirt today for around 550-600k. Traffic. Got cheap hand mitts on the bike today. Shoulda put them on yesterday. Almost at Tibooburra .. Water out there Made it to QLD! Road got worse from here. Some pretty good corrugations (not shown, busy balancing). I didnt clean the air filter prior to going, and it was now getting clogged. Top speed slowed to 80km/h. Started getting dark. Road had some fun bits . Nice sunset, but it was getting tricky seeing I eventually backfire my way to Noccundra. Andy650 gets me a beer which is nice, and I go to setup my tent. Crook as a dog, I head over to the pub. Certainly didnt feel like being sociable, I was considering taking bitumen back to Adelaide in the morning. Yep, felt that average. Noccundas not a place Ill hurry back to, though they did let me buy fuel off them when the bowser was closed. Ate tea, forced a few gdays and put on a new filter skin. Upon setting up my tent, I again realised I forgot my tent poles. Tent was like a floppy bivvy and bloody mice crawled all over the tent, all night. Couldnt been worse, one bloke had them eat through his tent, then through the gaffer tape he repaired the hole with! Day 3 Rivers nice though (taken the next morning). Andy topped his bike up with oil. Plenty of bird life. Some packed the kitchen sink. We were off. Decided to keep going with everyone, had come this far. We left with 7 KLRs. Only one true green one . Lots of gas fields out there, got to wonder what all that fracking is doing to the water table. We went to the Burke and Wills Dig Tree. Nice little water crossing. Back into SA. We stopped at Innamincka for fuel for the 470k run to Arkaroola. Whilst there, I copped a huge wallet raping. Never, have I ever seen such expensive goods. Pub next door had a great SA beer selection. Picked up a couple for the evening. Down the Strzelecki, past a guy walking with just a backpack and a guy with camels towing a Suzuki. Found a spot to camp, a dust point. Nice little spot. My sad state of affairs. I had taken off my screen for maximum economy. Had a fire going by the time the sun was setting. Had perhaps the best night of the trip. Camped in no-mans land sitting around the fire pushing bullshit around. Pete, whos bloody well organised, cooked a mean feast with leftovers for all. Thanks, Pete. Day 4 Up in the morning to another fine day. Andy topped his bike up with oil. We were sticking with the other until the Camerons Corner turn off. There was now three. Craig did well, considering it was just about his first ride; talk about jumping in the deep end. He did well. Montecollina Bore. Water was still flowing nicely, good to warm the hands. Track to Arkaroola had some parts to keep you on your toes. Heading south it was warming up. Andy. Craig. Some brilliant riding, especially towards the end when I wasnt carrying 20+ litres of fuel. Just shy of the turn-off to Arkaroola, my bike conks out. Only around 30k to Arkaroola, great, I must have heaps of fuel in reserve. Well, thats what I thought. I had never checked how much reserve I had. Soon, Im on the side of the road with the others helping tip the bike right over to the left. Just before town it happens again, and I tip it once more. I fly into town like a jerk, not because I want to, but to keep momentum coming up the hill. Had I not made it, I reckon Andy would charged me $10 a litre for fuel. We stayed in Arkaroola that night, with Chris (BMW F650) meeting us there for the return ride. Quite a view from up the mountain. Caught Chris coming into town. That hill is where the shots were taken from. Beers by the fire after a feed. Day 5 Arkaroola to Blinman, Parachilna and down to Hawker is todays plan. Andy topped his bike up with oil. Great riding. Blinman for the best bacon and egg roll Ive had in years. Glass Gorge. Up the lookout. Oh yeah, Thanks to ADV inmate Mike F for the free set of Dunlop Trailmax tyres. I used the rear on the trip without a drama. Chris came down the hill in style and managed to lose his top-box. Through to Parachilna for a quick beer. Then, we came across an accident. They came off the road and managed to flip their 4x4. Two of the older men werent doing too well. Police and ambulance were called from Parachilna and our afternoon was gone. Nice view though. Others stopped and made us coffee, which was nice. When the SES arrived, they tried to right the car by pushing and it almost rolled back and crushed them. Why they didnt use the vehicle and tow strap is beyond me. By the time they left, it was just about dark, so we took the bitumen to Hawker. The pub there was too dear so we crammed in a cabin at the caravan park. Day 6 It was time to get home. Andy topped his pink bike up with oil and his water pump started leaking coolant. Bike used around 7.5l to 100k on the highway which almost made me get undesired exercise. Knappstein for a quick beer. This was good, they can sell a 4 pack but wont sell me just one. I explain that I dont have room for 4, but would like one. They pour me a pint on the house which is nice. Took bitumen back to Adelaide for a cleansing ale or two at BrewBoys. A good little trip!
Hi Turborob, great RR and Pik's, I love the country side in the photo's, thats one reason I still live in Alice Springs as it's quite similar. I want to get over that way and see more of outback Oz too. Makes me want to get another KLR, I have had 3 and now everytime I see a RR with one in I want to race down to Kawasaki and get me another one . Thanks for sharing your story. Geoff.
Not quite right Rob, the water pump started weeping prior to departure for the 3,200km round trip, managed to get around without adding coolant, OR OIL thankyou. I wasn't the one who left with a 5 litre bottle of oil Too bad you didn't have the same luck, remember I still hold the photo of your empty oil sight glass at the servo in Hawker, I will use it if push comes to shove. Oh and it's not pink, it's just a bit faded Nice pics though Cheers Fester C aka Andy
Griff & me passed through Noccundra on the way back home from the first KLRR (2008) (He was shy then too!)Note other side of my fairing jambed up top after a spill in the mud earlier.:eek1
Maaaaate. I'll concede the water pump one, after I wrote it I realised it was Craig's which leaked coolant. But, didn't add any oil? No chance, I remember you tipping in half of Exxon in pinky at Arkaroola!
Not too bad Griffo ----- KLRR "pioneers" we were. I must do another KLRR sometime. Remember this????--a little bit slippery A laydown where the footprints start/end. (Near Santos) Sorry about the hijack ROB------incedently--talking abought fuel economy---I was getting terrible km,s per ltr, (forgotten the figures) on that trip,with the old TENGAI.--Later found the fuel tap was faulty,and fuel was being sucked down the vacume hose ,directly into the intake.---This was after takeing the carb apart countless times to try & get it more economic..
Great ride, as usual, mate! You never cease to amaze me with where you guys duck off to on these runs. Must have been a worry with it playing up/backfiring riding into Arkaroola. Do you carry air filter oil on your usual trips? Castrol used to sell little two stroke oil bottles of about 50ml capacity for lawnmower/scooter tank fills that'd be perfect to carry it in. Bloody mice will be a big problem all summer - same with the snakes. Makes it hard to sleep without a tent. Even harder without poles. Anyway, great stuff.
G'day, mate. Bike seems to choke itself quite regularly. I've taken to running pool skimmer filters over the air-filter - KLR riders' filter skins! They seem to catch a majority of the dust, just a PITA to put on. Still, they're far easier than removing the air-filter and risking getting dust past the filter. One more RR to go (another Flinders run with Kath) and I've caught up!
