It hadn’t rained properly for close to 2 years and the roads sure showed it. What an introduction to the desert! The bitchi slab to Thargomindah had been uneventful and the dirt on the way to Innamincka, on my first desert ride, was a great introduction. I had lots of ‘moments’ but had kept it together and was feeling strong. We were heading for Birdsville and the Cordillo Downs Road continued the pattern of atrocious conditions – dust, deep sand, flies, heat, dry creeks, bulldust and rocks. Lots and lots of rocks. My first off was just before smoko in the morning – some bruising, a cracked tappet cover and a bit of a reality check. However, by afternoon, I was well back in the groove – prophetic words! It was a long, long sandy sweeper with a nasty creek in the middle. I was on the pegs, but inexperience was going to dictate the outcome and taking the wrong line, with the sand really starting to bite, led to more and more speed. The edge of the track was drawing inexorably closer, but I was just about through. Then the front wheel crossed over the lip of the berm and ….. highside! My mates later joked that my ‘fifth’ off for the day was my best. Who was I to argue – the concussion, broken ribs and the near written off R1200GS certainly suggested as much. Am sure it was only ‘two’ though! The next few days were a blur of pain, not helped by an air mattress that went flat every few hours – blowing that up 3 or 4 times every night was probably the worst part of the experience, other than getting on and off the bike. I limped back into Toowoomba 3 or 4 days later, battered, bruised and very sore, but a lot wiser for the experience. Incorrect tyre pressures, a 19 inch front wheel, less than ideal packing, poor weigh distribution, not enough preparation and, most significantly, over confidence. Yup, it was always going to end one way!
There is some iconic riding in Australia and over the next 3 or 4 years (after a bit of a hiatus) I saw a fair bit of it. Once it’s in your blood, adventure riding starts to consume you. I rode a lot of dirt and experimented with a number of bikes. I listened to my mates but, more importantly, I got out and did it. It took a while to get my confidence back, but as I clocked up the miles, it got a whole lot easier. The experiences, good and bad, made me a very different rider.
The idea of a bike that could handle the miles held a lot of attraction but, more importantly, I needed something that could handle dirt (make that sand) and unexpected conditions that are invariably thrown up on any long distance ride. Weight is such an issue, as is where and how it’s distributed. Add manoeuvrability, power when it’s needed, a stable platform, decent fuel capacity, some comfort and you’ll get the idea of what I was looking for. Of course, it also had to look good!
Enter the 2015 KTM 1190 Adventure R.
While I’d learned a lot since my Cordillo Downs experience, I still had a nagging disquiet, a sense of unfinished business. I looked back on my first and last trip to the desert and knew I needed to have another crack. With a new, dedicated, off-road bike I wanted to put a big trip together. Having heard a lot about Cameron Corner and the Flinders Ranges, Central Australia in August / September 2015 seemed a really good option.
It was also to be a shakedown ride. I had another objective. I’d been planning a trip to the United States with the goal of riding a couple of Back Country Discovery Routes, as well as Death Valley in California. This would entail a lot of pretty serious trails and sand, so testing myself a little closer to home seemed to make sense. I had a couple of weeks available to me and I was also keen to meet a bunch of mates at the Moredun Ponds Adventure Riders Rally in central New South Wales later in the month. I posted my route on Facebook, suggesting I was going to take a ‘bit of detour’ and would meet them there. Lucky beggar (or words to that effect) was the common response.
The plan was to ride out to ‘the Corner’, down the Strzelecki Track and into the Flinders Ranges from the east. From Hawker I’d head across to Broken Hill on as much dirt as possible. I had on old college mate that owned the Tilpa Hotel, so detouring down to Wilcannia before following the Darling River to Bourke fit into the route perfectly. Lightning Ridge had also long held a fascination for me and would give me another opportunity to find some sand before getting back into the mountains heading into Armidale, the jumping off point for Moredun Ponds.
It was a memorable couple of weeks – awesome roads, remote camping, generous people and experiences that cannot really be described. You kind of had to be there! I made some great new mates, did some soul searching and, unsurprisingly, discovered a lot about what made me tick. It was a 6,000 km round trip and I did test myself. I had plenty of luck as well – you can’t discount that.
I think there are more adventures on the way.
Adventure USA 