This ride had two targets,
1: Be the first rider in the world to do as advertised and ride a 1400GTR transcontinental
2: Complete the difficult Iron Butt Association SS5000 which is 5,000 miles under 5 days. In this case 6,000 miles + under 6 days.
Mike Kneebone president of the IBA emailed support saying "We can make it an SS6000, but isn't Australia metric? How about a 10K?! Have a great ride Davo!"
I left the coastal town of Byron Bay NSW at 1am on the 24th August 2007 and at 10:17pm on the evening of the 29th of August 2007 I arrived back at Byron Bay on a Kawasaki Australia supplied 1400GTR where I had left less than 6 days before. I had completed both missions.
The first Transcontinental ride of 10,376klms (6447mi) in 5 days 21 hrs 17 mins from Byron Bay > Denham > Byron Bay.
Now the story of how this came to be.
This is my story of how I rode a new Kawasaki 1400GTR in stock standard trim from the most easterly point of Australia to the most westerly point and back in 6 days. I hope you enjoy the trip, I sure did.
I will start with a quote from Peter "the bear" Thoeming, editor of Australian Road Rider magazine one of the most popular bike magazines in Australia.
Direct quote as posted online:
The world's first true endurance ride on the new Kawasaki 1400GTR!
I think Davo is too modest to blow his own trumpet about this, so I'll have to do it. When Kawasaki came out with the 'transcontinental sports tourer', the 1400GTR, I thought Australian Road Rider had better test its qualities properly. So I asked Davo to ride it from Byron Bay to Denham in WA and back for us - right across the continent twice. I asked him how long he thought he'd want to take, doing it safely, and he said 6 days. That's exactly how long it took, too, in fact he did it with two and three quarter hours to spare.
Great ride, mate, and pretty conclusive proof that Kawasaki have got it right with the new GTR. Look for the full story in Australian Road Rider! Farriders rule! - Peter "the bear" Thoeming
It all started back on the 14th of March 2007 when the bear emailed me with "What I wanted to ask you was whether you'd be interested in riding one from, say, Byron Bay to Steep Point or maybe just Denham, and back."
Interested !! Am I interested.... is the pope Catholic !!
So began the secret exchanges as we wanted this to be the first ever attempted and completed. With a worldwide release of the bike it was a race against time. The bikes finally arrived and we set a firm date. So after many long nights over many months of planning and replanning we had a GO date. 24th of August it was. Leave time I had set many months before of 1am as I had to get to Port Augusta 1948klms away the first day. In fact day one and six were identical but more on that later.
The bike had to get to me so Kawasaki wisely chose another of my GTR-AUS and FarRider members Michael to ride the bike from Sydney to my home on the Sunshine Coast Qld. It arrived early evening of the 19th August. Its here, I have a couple of days to get my gear on board and be ready.
Wednesday the 22nd I rode down to Byron Bay where I met up with Peter and Lou Martin well known motorcycle photographer and we went about getting some pictures. The evening came quickly and we moved on to share a meal at a local eatery. Thursday I readied the bike and myself, getting to bed at about 5:30pm as I had to get up at midnight. I slept well, this has not always been the case with big rides but obviously I am getting used to it.
Day One 24th August 2007:
Friday 1am: As I headed west, I thought back to something I was asked once after doing the Brisbane to Fremantle ride. ‘How do you get your head around the thought that you are riding across Australia in such a short time?’
My answer was, ‘I'm not, I am riding to Moree. Then I am heading to Cobar and so on.’
Right now I am riding up through Lismore to Casino and fuel at Tenterfield, its that easy.
It’s not all that easy. This is the worst piece of road I have to ride during the whole trip. Riding up, I can't help but wonder how I am going to feel riding down again in the dark, 10,000 km and six days later.
My notes say ‘Dicy up this section, wet cold and slippery. Bike slipped sideways a couple of times’ but end with the comment ‘this is a beautiful bike to ride’. Even that early I could tell.
Stopped at Uralla, always think of my long gone grandmother or "nanna" to us as she lived here for some years. I got the bug for driving in the countryside from our family trips up here from Wollongong. It's 6 am and I take some pictures, up the street about 60 m a guy is outside the newsagents waiting for something. He yells out ‘G'day mate, bit cold hey!’ Only in the country can that happen, the country people rarely change.
12:30 pm when I get to Cobar. It’s been a good ride so far, road works near Gilgandra almost complete since I passed through here three weeks ago on the way to Border Run. It was scary then with wet dirt road and deep slippery sections of mud. Cobar is a regular stop for me and they know me here and ask ‘where you off to this time, Davo?’ Once again, people’s jaws drop when I tell them, kind of funny after a while and I tell them I will see them in 5 days.
2:35 pm - Wilcannia. I don’t usually stop here as I have fuel range to ride Cobar to Broken Hill. I have heard many stories about trouble stopping here but honestly the people at the servo are great, friendly and chatty. I have to put regular unleaded in here, my notes say better fuel consumption but it could have been me. It made no noticeable difference anyway and this is going to happen to travellers here with not everywhere having the premium.
4:25pm Broken Hill. I have become good at managing myself and pacing the days, and am about an hour ahead of schedule. I call my wife and tell her I am heading to Maccas. I don't usually eat during the day when I ride but I may skip dinner this way as it will be late when I get into Port Augusta. Feeling good still, bike is humming along just nicely.
Just west of Broken Hill I have a fuel stop at Cockburn. I had phoned a few months before to confirm opening times, but when I get there and she has no pump working. Regular unleaded is available in a 20 litre jerry can. Hmm… interesting development. I can't go on without fuel so I have no choice but to hoist the jerry onto the dead bowser and we run a hose into the bike.
Just east of Wilmington it’s cold, I am busting to go to the loo and I just want to get into the cabin at Port Augusta. You go through moods or feelings like this and it will happen a few more times. I go from happy to let’s get home feelings quite quickly at times.
Sweeping through Horrocks Pass I notice how much better the bike handles through here than my older GTR1000. Turns into corners really nicely, smooth exits and heaps of power. I don't think I have ever ridden through Horrocks in the daylight, I really must do that some time…
When all you want to do is get showered and to bed you know you have a schedule. That means fuel at the BP Port Augusta, another regular stop for me. They also know me. In early August they let me sleep a couple of hours in the truckers lounge.
9:30pm or thereabouts, I am in the Big4 caravan park for the night and so starts my evening routine. Unpack needed gear, set phone and camera on charge. Unpack laptop and download the day’s pictures, get everything set for a quick takeoff in the morning, shower and off to bed. I sleep well and am able to drop off to sleep quickly, I also never use an alarm.
Day Two 25th August 2007:
Saturday 4:35. I am 35mins late as I looked at the cabin clock that said 3:30 am ,but it was really 4am. Time differences, I should be used to this but got caught. No matter, it’s a good day; as I said to my wife later ‘easy ride across the bottom today.
Just after 5am I spoke to my wife on the mobile. ‘I just started singing Six Days on the Road’, I told her. I often sing older songs, sometimes Elvis.
Port Augusta to Ceduna is also a section I often ride in the dark. There are signs for roos here but I have rarely seen any. Different story on the way back. I told my wife ‘this bike handles mushy roos better than Griff’, the old GTR. I had ridden over a roadkill, sometimes they are in a shadow and you just don't see them. The bike has excellent stock lights, good range forward and to the sides. I do not feel concerned at all for lack of light.
Across the bottom I ride. Pictures at the sign just outside of Penong which is also a regular thing I do. To me this is where I really start the long run across the bottom. I was only here three weeks ago and someone has already cleaned the graffiti off the sign. Fuel at Nundroo.
Bike just keeps covering the distance smoothly and soon I am at Border Village, home of the most expensive fuel I know of along here. I could go over the border to Eucla but I get fuel here as it’s got everything.
Temperature is fine although its been normally windy across the Nullarbor which affects fuel consumption. Anyone who has crossed the desert knows this. It’s greenish right now as there have been rains.
I get fuel at Caiguna and Balladonia. Balladonia was not on the plan but plans change as I had been getting better distance from the tank of fuel than I had thought I would. While getting fuel at Balladonia a guy says ‘I have a GTR, its in the trailer. I’m heading to Perth.’ I say that’s funny, I run the GTR-AUS group. He busts out with a huge smile and says ‘you must be Davo, hi mate, I’m a member!’
Small world at times.
So at 8:40 pm I am at Norseman and ride straight through, heading north to bed at Coolgardie for the end of day two where I arrive at 10:30pm.
>> Next
Bruce Peters
Kawasaki Australia National Sales & Marketing Manager said:
Thanks for your very comprehensive planning for the Project and also for the very professional manner you have handled everything since our involvement commenced . . . it’s a pleasure to work with you !
Davo and Bruce Peters at Kawasaki National Dealers Meet Sydney 2007
Taken later in the evening after earlier presenting me with a stunning glass trophy for the ride.
Online Discussion and more pictures for now.
Along the way I decided that "the bike" was to be named ROKU
Roku means six (6) in Japanese. Six days on the road.
Total distance - 10,274 klms ( GPS ) 10,367 klms ( odo )
Total Time - 5 days 21 hrs 17mins
Overall Avg = 72.4
Moving Avg = 108
Time moving = 94.46hrs
Timed stopped = 46.31hrs
24th Aug 2007: Byron Bay - Port Augusta SA - 1946 klms - 21hrs 08mins
25th Aug 2007: Port Augusta SA - Coolgardie WA - 1844 klms - 18hrs12mins
26th Aug 2007: Coolgardie WA - Denham WA - 1352 klms - 14hrs 40mins
27th Aug 2007: Denham WA - Norseman WA - 1505 klms - 15hrs 45mins
28th Aug 2007: Norseman WA - Port Augusta SA - 1685 klms - 16hrs 35mins
29th Aug 2007: Port Augusta SA - Byron Bay - 1948 klms - 20hrs 42mins
ROKU and Davo
Australian Motorcycle Expo Brisbane 2007
|
|
