I must say that I was a little daunted. I did not know the bike nor its history, I was not entirely sure that it would make it the 2,800 odd kilometres back home without mechanical intervention or at the very worst, a trip on a flatbed. I bought the bike sight unseen with my daughter’s partner doing the test ride and ultimately riding it back to their suburb west of the city after purchasing it.


Here’s the bike awaiting servicing and fettling prior to the journey home.
I had two days to get the bike ‘right’ so that I would trust it on the journey and two days to do the trip home (just under 1400 km per day). Hmmmm…………what could possibly go wrong?

Ed had reported a broad flat spot in the riding of the bike that could only be overcome by putting the fuel tap on prime – or applying some choke. Double hmmmm……………………………

When I arrived I had an oil filter, new K&N air filter, iridium plugs, new speedo cable and an assortment of spare globes plus a reasonably comprehensive tool kit. I started the bike and it idled fine, but soon as any throttle was applied it fitted and farted just like a well running bike shouldn’t. So, the work began.

The task list was long and comprehensive.



Starting the strip down, rear wheel removed for tyre fitment.

New tyre fitted, a Metzler ME888. The new ME 888 or Triple 8 tires represent a new Ultra High Mileage offering from Metzeler that couples long life with Metzeler's performance and handling. Supposedly 50% more distance travelled before needing replacement, baring physical damage. While the wheel was out, the bearings were replaced (front and rear).


A box of the oils, greases and parts to be fitted during the ‘service’.


Draining the rear diff. Also done the bevel gear (my goodness, I’d never seen oil THAT colour before!) and engine oil.


The rear end was then stripped down further to chase the electrical problem that caused all the rear lights to fail. New globes and cleaning all contacts meticulously remedied that, but at the cost of nearly an hour’s work. I did have a contingency plan and had purchased a pushbike rear light that was clamped to the rear carrier! J It stayed there for the trip home. Plugs were changed, new oil filter fitted, air-box cleaned out and foam glued to the top of the filter carrier and a K&N filter oiled and fitted.

Next it was tackling the ‘flat spot’. Reading I had done suggested that broad flat spots can be caused by vacuum leaks, so I intended to chase that up when I had the tank off for cleaning – that and investigate the petcock. A new petcock had been supplied with the bike so I was going to replace that anyway. Imagine my surprise when I lifted the tank to see the vacuum tube tucked in behind the carbies connected to well………………………thin air!

Further investigation showed the petcock had been disassembled at some stage and the vacuum connection point rotated 90 degrees on reassembly so that it pointed directly to the bottom of the tank. The vacuum hose couldn’t have been connected anyway. So, tank cleaned, new petcock in, vacuum hose reconnected and my hopes were up that the flat spot would have disappeared.

Final cleaning, reassembly of all the bits and bobs, panniers and a brief polish of the rims. Air pressure was also applied to the forks as they were deemed a bit soggy. I rode the bike to fill it and a spare 10 litre fuel ‘can’ up for the journey and it all worked well. The flat spot was history, the lights all worked and it purred like a 32 year old kitten. No noises there shouldn’t be though the fairing did creak a little over bumps and this like my bones creaking is to be expected in a more mature bike!

So, the bike was ready, fully loaded with fuel, tools, spares and belongings and after a beautiful meal cooked by my daughter I was ready too. I intended to get up at 3am and sally forth for the trip east.

So, you may wonder just how big is Australia…………………..it’s BIG.

Distances are measured in days for the big journeys.


Here it is compared with the United States………..

And here with Europe…………………


And this is my trip home.


Nearly 2,800 kilometres all up over a two day period.


The alarm went at 3am and I was up dressed, did the final packing and on the road by 3.30am. The screen has a slight tint so I had to see over it rather than through it until daybreak. I made good time out of the city and found a service station to top up the fuel prior to hitting the open highway. I wanted to see how much fuel I would get per tank.


Photos were few and far between on the return journey as I was on a mission to get home at the end of the two day window.



One photo only during day one, and that was toward the end of the day at the western end of the ’90 mile straight’. I traversed the straight and stopped at Caiguna to fuel up and have a bite to eat and was sitting under a shelter when a trucker stopped for a chat. It had been raining on and off all day, and as I was in wet weather gear and had been behind a big fairing and screen all day it had been a pleasant enough ride at 110km/h. The truck driver asked if I was continuing east and after I said “yes, I’ll go on for a couple of hours” he gave me a warning! As it had been raining out this far, many kangaroos were coming down to the edge of the road to drink from the puddles and in the last 100km he’d seen quite a few big ones that had been struck and killed by vehicles. He basically said it would be foolhardy to continue into the dusk. So intending to live to ride another day and as Caiguna had rooms available at the truck stop, I booked in for the night – it was only 5.30pm.

It was however, going to make it a very big day tomorrow as I’d only travelled a little over a 1000 km of the 2,800.

I set the alarm for 3am again and after showering and repacking was on the road a little before 4am. Starting off slowly I could see the dead ‘roos and was carefully watching for those still on the roadway. Hitting one at 100 plus kilometres per hour even when it was dead on the road would still be disastrous. Eventually the sun came up and I felt safer, and as the rain had stopped was less likely to have ‘roos on the side of the road. It did bring up another minor problem though. With all the road-kill that had happened overnight you get a ‘Murder of Crows’ covering the corpse usually with one of these, slightly bigger birds, in the centre………………….


The Australian Wedged Tailed Eagle. Like Australia, they’re BIG. And with a full belly of ‘roo meat they can be a little slow to take off - meaning that a few times I had to duck behind the screen as I thought they were a little close!

So, after ducking a few Wedgies, I eventually made it to the South Australia/Western Australia border to be greeted by Rooey, another manifestation of portraying everything in a larger size that occurs here.


Rooey! There’s an annual Border run which I have done previously where riders from all over Australia congregate at Border Village – usually in August. And a riotous event it is.

At my first fuel stop, the proprietor informed me that the Eyre Highway was closed after the border due to a fatality, but as this was 2 hours up the road I thought it would be reopened before I got there. Turns out I was wrong.




The line-up of parked trucks was impressive in its length but sad for the reason. On discussion with the drivers who had been stopped from about 9.30pm the previous evening (it was now about 10.30 am on the Thursday), it transpired that a 4WD with a 47 year old Queensland lady driving had barrel rolled causing mayhem and death to her and the vehicle. She was partially thrown out of the rolling car!

Photobucket is playing up so I’ll finish this in the morning

Cheers, SB

Edited to reattach photos

 

Nice one Seb, is this number 35 in the line up of bikes that you have never sold?

And look what I found today.

You know you want to come back here, don't you ? I'm sure there are some views in this , that you recognize.

 

Nice write up (even if I can't see photobucket files in work (due to IT dept issues)

 

I'm with Teeks. How many is it now?

But Man, oh, man what an adventure!

Envious

 

lovley seb and adventure and a half

 

Quite a trip. In comparison:



Finland is something like 1200km from the southest point all the way to the tip of lapland (as the crow flies) so that would take you from Hanko to Nuorgam, back to Hanko and probly still would have enough left to ride to my house for some beer n barbie a wee bit north of Lahti. Jeepers.

And another thing:



Exactly WHERE did you dig up this map? Last time I checked both Checkoslovakia and USSR had long since broken apart

 

Exactly WHERE did you dig up this map? Last time I checked both Checkoslovakia and USSR had long since broken apart

It's indicative only Matti!

And I would've well and truly driven off the edge of Finland if I did the mileage there.

Cheers, SB

 

Other than the occasional palm and the lack of people. That could be Washington State.

My highlight was the 'Zook Stinger. Neighbor had one when i was about 12

 

Great job, my wife was pulled over on that straight but only cautioned for doing 115kph


in a 110kph zone, the uniden radar detector had just paid for itself as it gave her warning to slow just in time!


Is that huge windscreen stock?

 

Not sure about the screen Jarvid, but it was a bugger to look through and a stretch to look over at night! The bike however, I can tell you is a USA import as the indicators work as running lights when the lights are switched on.

I had a GPS and throttle lock and for 99% of the time sat at 110 km/h. I so dislike giving the Government money, it only encourages their poor behaviour.

Cheers, SB