I'm planning to take my GS on a mammoth 3 week trip to the north of Queensland via the Gold Coast to Cairns and the Daintree, (few days rest)

then back to Townsville, out to Mt Isa, Across to the Threeways, up to Katherine, then up to Darwin (few days rest), then back down to Alice, then to Uluru, then to Cooper Peedy and Port Augusta. Then across to Broken Hill, Dubbo and back to Sydney.


Hope my little girl can make it!!!


I'm camping all the way so I'm carrying a tent, small sleeping bag and blow up matress.

Travelling light with just
- a couple of changes of clothes
- a small can of WD-40
- a hand pump
- tyre repair kit
- tyre gauge
- 2litre water bottle
- spare headlight globe and fuses
- small first aid kit
- tool kit
- chamois
- cigarette lighters
- mobile phone charger with battery adapter
- sunscreen
- aero guard
- deodorant
- tooth brush
- tooth paste
- cup plate knife fork spoon
- razor
- bar of soap
- hat
- thongs

I think that's it. and I'm out of room!!!

I have fitted one of those cheap "Roo Whistles" to the front of the bike in the hope it does something to deter the roos from jumping out infront of me. Only cost $6 so if it is just a gimmick no real harm done, but if it does work 


Probably need to look at gett5ing a small torch.



Am I forgetting anything fundamental?

Any tips or advice?

Camera, chain lube...
If you take any sockets, make it a 3/8 set. Smaller & lighter than 1/2 inch.

Thats one hell of a trip. You worked out the km's all up?

>galahs:
how do you manage to pack on the bike the stuff you need?
we want pics

(BTW, I'd like to make a little trip too, when season comes again. I'm interested in soft saddlebags for storing things. )

looks like a good list    can only suggest... camera? ipod? spare bike key, cash or spare CC (you never know!)

any idea of your timetable? could possibly meet you at Pt Augusta and ride to Broken Hill 

Camera, I'll use my mobile phones.

Chain lube = wd40 every stop.

I have done a test pack. I'm taking a plastic tub on the back seat, ratchet tied down (nice and firm), with my tent strapped on the top of that.

I'll get a pic next time I test pack.



Spare bike key. Not a bad idea. My cuz is going with me on a 07' ZX10R, so we should take a key each for each bike.

P.S. I'm not taking a back pack, after my day rides to Melbourne and Gold Coast proved it to be much more comfortable without anything on your back. 

I'll post up the whole adventure here so others can learn from my mistakes.


Also plan on doing an oil change half way at Mt Isa. The entire trip is just shy of 10,000kms. Getting a new rear tyre before the trip, and think I will need one once I get back!!! I assume I'll have the biggest chicken strips ever seen on a GS500!!!


As for my eta at Port Augusta I have no idea!!!Just going to make plans as we go. If you are really keen, PM me your number and I can call you from the trip when I know my arrival day. Problem is it could be a week day, weekend, who knows 

Pack Spark plugs, a hand full of them.

A handfull of spark plugs!!!!

Why's that? 

Ya don't want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere with dud plug's, bike runs badly, or not at all. Happened to one of us on the snowy ride 

1 spare spark plug packed 

Quote from: galahs on November 22, 2007, 05:57:44 PM
Camera, I'll use my mobile phones.

Chain lube = wd40 every stop.

I think once you get back and view the photos from the phone, you"ll wish you'd taken a camera.

Not a big fan of wd-40 & like products as chain lube. Even though they have some lubricating qualities, there all kero based & thats whats used to remove oil & grease. If you plan on using it at every stop, wouldn't it be easier to just use chain lube at the end of every days ride. Anything less than 1000km a day & it shouldn't be a prob.

Might be worth the time to research where all the bike shops are located at all your major stops.
That reminds me, take some cable ties or glass tape in case things start falling apart.

mmm... what else... let me think...

Sheep skin cover. Do your butt the favor.

When do you plan on leaving?

I always carry cable ties with me  Best invention in the world.
My cuz is going with me, he'll have a real camera. 1 will do, I hope! 



Finding out where bike shops might be a good idea.



I have no concerns over using WD-40 with O-ring chains. Would never use it on non-O-ring.


Leaving boxing day morning. Gonna join us? 

Quote from: galahs on November 26, 2007, 05:10:14 AM
Leaving boxing day morning. Gonna join us? 

Mate, if i thought could get the time of work, I'd be in the shed loading up the bike now.
My holidays for 08 & 09 are already planed out but if your willing to wait till 2010 ....

You Nutbag! 

Looking forward to the pics and updates, Have a safe trip.

Old man

I've had a few non GS500 owners question the ability of the GS to make it.


I laugh at them. They obviously don't know how tough these bikes are!


(knock on wood, probably just jinxed myself)

Quote from: galahs on November 22, 2007, 05:57:44 PM

As for my eta at Port Augusta I have no idea!!!Just going to make plans as we go. If you are really keen, PM me your number and I can call you from the trip when I know my arrival day. Problem is it could be a week day, weekend, who knows 

how's the trip prep going? you'd be getting itchy feet by now 

mate I won't be able to meet with you guys at Pt Augusta after all... had a head on car smash couple of weeks ago (other driver fell asleep at the wheel, crossed into my land, nothing I could do) and the Doc said no bike riding for at least 3 months... apparently hitting another car head on at 80km/h does something to your neck    car is a write off also....

have a good trip tho, look forward to hearing all about it and seeing the pics

.

Geez, that sucks!! Glad you're alright mate 


Yeah I have knorred my feet off they are so itchy 



I will endeavour to get some photos of my bike loaded up.

hey galahs,

thought this might whet your whistle some. This dude, Davo Jones, has ridden his Kawasaki 1400 GTR from Sydney to Perth and back again.

http://www.davojones.com/roku.htm

he's actually the founder of FarRiders.com. the site has a couple of forum links there too - might be worth a read.

bd.

Quote from: backd00r on December 28, 2007, 09:13:29 PM
hey galahs,

thought this might whet your whistle some. This dude, Davo Jones, has ridden his Kawasaki 1400 GTR from Sydney to Perth and back again.

http://www.davojones.com/roku.htm

he's actually the founder of FarRiders.com. the site has a couple of forum links there too - might be worth a read.

bd.

He was planing on leaving on Boxing day so he's already on the road. Wont see that till he gets back in around 3 weeks time.
Lets hope all goes well for him.

Well I made it!!!   


I loaded up my 2005 Suzuki GS500F motorbike and my cuz's  2007 Kawasaki ZX-10R. Probably not the best choice of bikes to do a long trip but we were confident we'd be fine.



We both did oil changes before we left, refreshing the bike with a new batch of Synthetic motor oil. Tyre pressures beefed up to compensate for the loads we were carrying. And an alcohol less Christmas day (first for a long time) in preparation for the hard slug.


DAY 1 = Penrith --> Gold Coast
We left at a miserable 3am
My cousin lost his wallet between Ryde and Newcastle (forgot to zip his pocket up). He cancelled his credit cards ASAP
I agreed to cover his costs until he could re-reimburse me. That meant our budgets had to tighten, and tin food (tuna and tins of fruit salad were a favourites) became the order of the day.
Slower ride than we would have liked. Was actually very cold and foggy during the morning and my balaclava came in handy.
We stopped fairly regularly making the trip comfortable. Crossed the border from NSW into QLD late in the arvo.
Stayed at another cousins house who lives in the GC


DAY 2 = Gold Coast --> Mount Larkam
My cousin got on the phone the first thing in the morning to try and sort out some issues with the banks about getting access to a new credit card. Got completely stuffed around by the local branch as they wouldn't issue a cash advance as he had no id (lost his license as well). When they cancelled his card they also cancelled his internet banking. He would have infact have been better if he didn't report them missing... transferred some money first, then cancelled them!!!

We were certain this thing must happen all the time and that the banks would have a procedure to deal with it. Seems the Commonwealth Bank didn't!!!

We were content that they would send the credit card to his parents, who could then forward it to me (as I still had ID) to pick up from a post office at Cairns, Mt Isa or Darwin depending on how long it would take.

Rang the police to report loosing the license. NSW police said "tough luck, you can still get booked". Qld police said "Only a prick of a cop would book you for no license now that you have officially reported it"

Left at 11:30am, way later than we would have wanted too. Hoped to get to Rockhampton. Road through the night ending up at a little town called Mount Larkam (a little over 100k's short of where we wanted to be. Not a bad effort considering the late start)

Set up our tent in a local playground. Rained all night but we remained dry. Our tent (dubbed Mega Tent did its job)



DAY 3 = Mount Larkam --> Prosepine
We copped it!!! After passing through Rockhamptom, on a long boring stretch of road, 100km's from the next town it POURED!!! We got soaked right through!!!
Very very uncomfortable riding conditions.
Ended up having to make a makeshift raincoat for my cousin out of a garbage bag and some electrical tape.
We pushed on to Prosepine (JetStar fly's there!!!) through sporadic showers in fear the roads were about to flood.
We were hoping to make it to Townsville but the bad weather slowed us right down! We stayed in a carvan park due to the wet conditions.

Asked the locals about an impending cyclone building of the coast, but they didn't seem that concerned.

"Meh, we always get cyclones up here"

Right.... that's great but we are on MOTORBIKES!!!!




DAY 4 = Prosepine --> Cairns
Again we were subjected to sporadic showers.

We started shopping on a tight budget.

Purchased a mid size packet of cerial ($3), poured it into our cups. Purchased some "reduced to clear" strawberry milk (40c). Purchased a ring pull can of two fruits ($3). Ate breakfast with our splades infront of the supermarket. Got some strange looks as we did it too.
Purchased a few bread rolls and some cans of 99c tuna for lunch.
Our final push from Inisfail to Cairns was through a monsoon style rain storm. We were told we had 30 minutes before the roads would be flooded.
Cousin had a scary moment on his ZX-10R when his rear wheel spun up on him on a straight section of road causing an interesting tail flick/wobble.
Made it to my cousins mates house where we were going to stay. They were awesome people and I have to thank thank thank them for their hospitality.


DAY 5 = CAIRNS + Reef Dive
Visited the Great Barrier Reef.
the 2 and a half hour boat ride out through a rough sea had nearly everyone hurling including my cuz. I managed to keep it all down but wasn't feeling the best either.
The reef was awesome. Only did snorkling but you are so close to the reef and fish it's spectacular.

On the boat rise back we had dolphins jumping out of the water behind the boats wake. Very cool. The older bigger dolphins were very graceful at it. The baby one tried his best but only managed to splash and crash his way along. Very funny and cute.

good to see you back in one piece mate - looking forward to the rest of the story.

bd.