"Zig Zagging the Sth Aussie Tothill Ranges along a Dotted Line" the Sequel's Sequel

[masterbrewer]

Moving on from "Zig Zagging the Sth Aussie Tothill Ranges along a Dotted Line" - The Sequel

The box can finally be ticked after 5 attempts, despite adversity on the day

more to come ........................

[Aussie Trev]

Looks like this might be my breakfast entertainment in the morning...

[Sol Erzenberg]

I look forward to reading the Ride Report..

Still not happy that I couldnt make it but got a lot of jobs done at home..

[DustySnow]

Now that you know the area you could come up here & give us a guided tour.

[Arek Kontrol]

MB did a great job in planning the route for all abilities within our group

A big thanks to everyone for a truly fantastic and unforgettable experience.


ps MB, Im Looking forward to your ride report.

[Valleyam]

Thanks to MB for a great day out. Long ride on a little CRF250X but got through ok. Best part was the detour through the sign posted sandy track! I'm sure Master Brewer will explain. Lets just say it involved a Nisan Patrol

[masterbrewer]

Well! .... what can I say? ......... are there some great tracks out that way or what



The weather was perfect, except when riding down wind, but as soon as I noticed the troops were disappearing in a cloud of dust behind, I changed the route as best I could on the run, to benefit from the dust clearing cross winds

Not sure whether the April Fools ride date made some of our regulars shy or not, but those that turned up were in for a treat Strange how there were "13" riders too



The gremlins however struck early, even before we started the ride in earnest but wishful thinking was on TonyRDR's side.



..... along with a little actual physical help


The culprit



Before long we were off on the dirt within 3kms of Gawler.

Unfortunately another gremlin struck Backonthebike's Transalp, but with true grit (from the dust actually) & determination he forged ahead, leading the climb into the ranges

But if you look carefully .......... should that front brake calliper be actually in his hand?



but he soon engineered a solution ................. "bungy it to the handlebars" as he raced to the summit























But he must have forgotten in all the excitement .................................. what goes up ..... must come down



"Follow me guys ......................... at least there's a decent run off if I can't make the corner & the shit hits the fan"

[masterbrewer]

Successfully making the intended corner, Backonthebike & his riding partner Phil decided to pull the pin & headed for home as he wasn't confident he could pull the big beast up in time following in the all the dust.

We continued on, only to find: when water + dust mix you get mud ....................................... but aren't we all tuff "adventure riders"





Enjoying the varied tracks, it wasn't long before Valleyman's "baby" needed its bottle.



and finally the actual zig zagging began around, over the top & through the gaps of the Tothill Ranges





A short time after decending the Web Gap track, the mighty TDM started to hang its tail out on corners usually more styled for lighter dirt bikes.

Not really a problem, but after near enough to 5kms or so of having more fun than usual on a 340kg bike with rider

I thought I'd better check ................................ less than 5psi in the rear Heidenau.



Thank god for tubeless tyres, but it is always a worry when you first push the spike in to clean the hole.

........................ "have I actually got the right hole or have I just created another?"



10 minutes later, back forging new tracks



By now, after all the dramas to date, we were well behind schedule & the troops were getting restless, so 1WD was smokin' the big KTM to get to the The Little Red Grape Bakery & dust quenching fluids in Sevenhill asap





The dilemma? .................... Bakery first or Beer first ? ..... well! you can guess which won

[masterbrewer]

After rider & bike were sated, it was decided to hightail a route home as direct as possible, so down the Spring Gully Conservation Park track & south past the Port Henry Arms Hotel again



Waiting for the camermen to get into position, Sundowner was getting excited like a highly wound clock spring & didn't waste any time launching into action when given the word.





Unlike more civilised riders



























Unfortunately one particular irate farmer didn't appreciate us riding an RAA approved "dotted line" through his property & made his presence felt, firstly trying to run us down & when he couldn't get close enough as the track deteriorated through a steep ravine, did a uturn & rushed around the block to head us off getting out of the track. Luckily we were faster than him & had made our escape.

......................................... all agreed, the track was great fun never the less but what were all those dwarf size sign posts scattered throughout the scrub





However there were unsuspecting trackside dangers ........ three corner jacks which soon exploaded TonyRDR's front tyre at speed causing some rear end muscle contractions before getting under control.



By now all we could do was relax while he replaced another tube.



and "the baby" was fed again



Every thorn that was protruding on the inside of the tyre had to be individually removed to guarantee not repeating its deflation.



"Are you going to tell him or shall I?"



All in all a lot of dotted lines were joined & another great day (read long) with great mates & great terrain, even despite the dust .

I think the smile says it all.



cya again soon.

Special thanks to Wild Dog for sweeping.

Cheers


PS if there are anymore photos, please feel free to add

[Aussie Trev]

Well, maybe not over breakfast yesterday, but certainly good reading over breakfast today!!!

Well done MB. You seem to have managed photographic duties quite well.....you're coming along nicely..

[PeasantFarmer]

Thanks for the RR & pics.

I went through Sevenhill on the FJR at about 3:30pm yesterday on the way to the office, would have called in to say hello but was very pushed for time.

Putting my farmer hat on, it is possible that you were actually on private land when old mate chased you. As good as they are, those maps can not be expected to be 100% correct, and it is a common practice for farmers to either rent a road, or to purchase them from the local council and incorporate them into the farm as lane ways or grazing land. We have a few such roads on our place, they date back to an earlier time when farms were much smaller.

I'm not saying that is the case in this instance, but it is a possible explanation. If I found a dozen or so people on bikes/horses on my land unannounced and without permission they may well see what 0.1+ tonne of angry farmer looks like!

Flat out with study at the moment, about to start lambing & seeding and trying to get organized for the reliability trials series so my ADV rides may well be infrequent for some time.

Cheers,

PF

[Backonthebike]

Thanks for a great ride Kym.
Can anyone explain to me how the Jedi Knight of SA ADV finds his way through those tracks without GPS? It all a bit too 'Wolf Creek' for me.
By the way, this arrived from Glendale California via eBay on last Friday.

What do I do with it?????

PS: Thanks also to Wild Dog who as sweep, spent a lot of time sweeping up after me. Much appreciated.

[masterbrewer]

Originally Posted by Backonthebike

By the way, this arrived from Glendale California via eBay on last Friday.

What do I do with it????? .

I thought that would be obvious Tim ........................... tighten your bloody front brake calliper bolts

[Valleyam]

Originally Posted by Backonthebike

Thanks for a great ride Kym.
Can anyone explain to me how the Jedi Knight of SA ADV finds his way through those tracks without GPS? It all a bit too 'Wolf Creek' for me.
By the way, this arrived from Glendale California via eBay on last Friday.

What do I do with it?????

PS: Thanks also to Wild Dog who as sweep, spent a lot of time sweeping up after me. Much appreciated.

One would suggest that you might apply the other said end to the newly purchased fasters and apply the quoted Newton Metres to them to avoid the lack of stopping ability on your last excusion. Application of Loctite to the thread of the newly purchased fasteners may also help in retaining them.

[Aussie Trev]

Oh No!!!! Backonthebike, did you have loose nuts again??