I have now committed myself, verbally so far, to riding to Perth on the 25th, to be in Toodjay by the 31st to a wedding (3rd wife & 3rd family @57yrs of age), he probably should have got a Harley after the 2nd set of pain. I have a few friends in Adelaide so need to stop there for at least a night & a day & need to stop in Melrose SA, for a day. Also I think that the Ulysses club have got a AGM in Albany so I think that there may be a few two wheeled grey nomads on the road as well, any of you Uslesses??.
As I have noticed that a few people here have done the trip I got a few queries. I am going through the tool kit thread to sort out what I hope I will not need, but the RACVic & credit card sounds realistic. I am getting a windscreen fitted, got some panniers although they are a bit small but I am going on my own. I am considering between 450 & 700 km days, but have to put in some short days to get to Melrose from Adelaide. Then want to go down to Pt Lincoln & along the coast to Eucla.
See the following links
www.nullarbornet.com.au/
THE BIKE It is essential that the bike be in tip top condition and all those little jobs that you have been putting off must be done. I have made a list of items to check and while some people may consider some of them a little pedantic they are all included because I have heard of people having the problems at one time or another. It cannot be stated often enough that you cannot just jump on the faithful beast that has taken you to the coffee shop every week for the last five years and point it West and hope for the best. Well you can of course but good luck to you if you do! 1. Tyres need to be of good quality, new or near new. The run is long with few curves and the road surface over to the West tends to be coarser than in the East. This combined with the possible high temperatures and heavy loading with all your gear and maybe pillion as well will have your tyres working at full rating. Make sure you have them well inflated and check them EVERY morning! It goes without saying that a good puncture outfit and some method of reinflating a tyre is essential. Those little bottles of gas are fine to reset the beads of the tyre if needed but with the size of some of the new tyres you would need quite a few to get the pressure back up. One of those small compressors is a good thing. Also if you do have to use one of those wee bottles make sure the valve is at the top and the bottle is pointing upward. You want gas in that tyre not liquid! 2. Wheel bearings need to be checked and brake pads and fluid need to be new or near new. Soggy brakes on a hot day when confronted by one of the lumps of potential road kill that haunt these parts are not my idea of a good day out! 3. If the bike is chain driven, then how old are the chain and sprockets? They must be new or near new. Oil the chain at the end of every day’s ride. If you have any doubts about their condition, change them. Shaft oil to be replaced before you leave, let’s face it there is not much of it anyway and it is going to be very busy down there out of sight. Belt drives of course need to be in good condition as well. 4. Lights and switches all OK? That side stand switch that played up last winter; been fixed yet? I always spray all the fuses and relays with “Inox” before heading out and that way I can forget about it when the rain comes pouring down.
Carry spare globes and fuses and electrical tape. Ah yes…..and don’t forget the gaffer tape! One little detail that many don’t check is to make sure your battery is in good condition and that the earth and charging system are tight and secure. A thorough check of all the electrics just before you leave is also a good idea.
5. Now I know that this may sound pedantic but run the torque wrench over everything. Make sure all those bolts that we never go near like the brake calliper bolts and so on are up to the correct setting. I have actually heard of a brake calliper falling off on the Nullarbor believe it or not! Nearly ruined their day that one. The vibration from the road surface can loosen nuts and bolts. 6. How long since the coolant was changed? How long since those hoses were changed? How is the water pump? I can go on forever here, however I hope you are by now getting the message. Check everything and the peace of mind as you head out into the wide blue yonder is well worth it. It takes a long time to get replacement parts out there. 7. Trailers are a whole other area. If you planning to tow one for the first time have a few shake down runs before you leave and don’t overload it. Frankly, if you only think that you might need that spare pair of shoes or clothing; odds on you will not and can save the weight. The rear tyre wear when towing a trailer can be a bit of a shock too and you need to allow around a 20% increase in wear. Check all the above applicable items on your trailer too. There will be other things that you may think of and if you do then all well and good and having fixed them you will have even more peace of mind. One final thought, don’t put the bike into the dealers and get it serviced and plan to head off the next day without a really good look over it. I had a personal experience of having to leave 24 hours late because they did not complete the job correctly with missing bolts and leaking radiator drain to mention just two things. There were other things too and we were about to depart on a 11000 kilometre round trip to Coffs Harbour!
THE RIDER AND PILLION The state of health of both the rider and the pillion needs to be considered. I am not saying that you need to be as fit as Arnie to make the trip however you do need to be able to string two sentences together and read a map. Eyesight is often a common problem, so, when were those glasses up dated last? The trip needs to be planned so that you are able to include rest days and allow for hot or bad weather along the way. If you are crossing all the way from the East coast it is likely that you will have all four seasons during your run. Rain and wind are best left to pass however the heat is my main concern. It is not unusual to use up to 6 litres of water a day or more each out there as the constant running makes you dehydrate very quickly. The effect of the wind makes your sweat evaporate without you knowing. One of the best bits of kit is the Camel Back and I strongly recommend that you get one for the rider and for the pillion. Fill them the night before and put them in the fridge the night before, if you are able. Keep them topped up and use them frequently. It is amazing to feel the sweat cooling you as you take a swig and I would never travel long distance without one. It is of course obvious that the right personal protective gear is essential. Stating the obvious I know however please make sure that you are rigged out correctly and you wear it on the entire journey. Simple things like your medical scripts, sufficient for the trip, obvious I know however I overlooked this on my first journey over. I mislaid my drugs and when I went for the spare scripts…….they were at home. So it is the voice of experience!
The distance travelled each day is up to you however whatever you do allow yourself plenty of time. Make sure that you are able to have lay days on the way. I normally run for four days and then have a rest day. I tried doing the run home from Coffs Harbour with one stop in Streaky Bay however in retrospect I should have had another one. Others may say that is not necessary, however if you are over 60 and not used to long distance riding then go on the side of caution. There are lots of things to do and see on the way over so there is no rush. Essentially, make sure you are hydrated, have your pills and don’t get tired. Also make sure that the pillion in a million is going well too.
In my view the journey over the Nullarbor starts at Port Augusta. I know that strictly speaking it is regarded as Ceduna however when you leave Port Augusta the sign says PERTH 1900 Kms! I forget the exact amount but it does tend to get your attention as you ride past! The run to Ceduna is no problem at all as there are plenty of stops however accommodation does start to thin out a little as you head out further West. Once clear of Ceduna you are heading out into the real crossing. Never pass a fuel stop without topping up fuel and your water supply. Nundroo is a spot where it is advised to keep one person watching the bike….the locals can get a little more interested than I would like. The fuel is also Ethanol 10% there however a top up will be no worry if you have filled up to Penong. Yalata is closed and will remain so for the near future however the run from Nundroo to Nullarbor Roadhouse is well within range. The runs between the roadhouses are well within the range of bikes and once again the information is on the website. If in doubt carry some extra fuel (say 5lt) in a specified fuel container.
A lot of people ask me about the trans-continental trucks and road trains. These guys are very likely the best drivers in the country and if you work with them they will look after you. If you are towing a trailer your maximum speed is 100 kph and while you may be rolling along at 100 kph sure in the knowledge that you are doing 100 kph how do you know that you are only doing 96 kph? The short answer is you do not and over 10 minutes that big rig running in it’s overdrive 18th gear is slowly catching you, he is on cruise control and I can assure his speedometer is a lot more accurate than yours. What to do? When the truck is a couple of hundred metres behind you flash with your turn indicators and wave him through. Every time I have done this and there are heaps of them the truck will move right over to the right side of the road and will pass you with as much clearance as he can. Once he is passed and clear, give him a flash on your high beam and they will slowly come back to your side of the road. You will get a flash on the indicators and even a blast on the air whistle and all returns to normal. When they are coming the other way be prepared for the wind blast. The big flat fronted rigs give you a bigger nudge than the more streamlined long nose rigs. It also depends on the wind direction believe it or not. If the wind is blowing from the right to the left you will get a blast, if it is blowing from the left to right you may not get anything. They are all using UHF radio now and some may even still have the old CB still working. They like a chat. Overtaking big rigs is a whole different ball game. There is no way I will try and tell you how to do it. I will however go as far as to say watch out for the suction as you go past and beware of the bow wave they create as you pass the front of them. Enough said.
It is not a good idea to travel in large groups. Too much dissent and arriving at a servo on the Nullarbor with 20 bikes will mean that it will take ages to refill and get going again. As I have already said this is a guide for those who those who are not used to long distance riding and who are starting to not buy unripe fruit. This is not necessarily directed at those who are used to reeling off 700 kilometre days one after the other. Enjoy the trip, it is huge fun and is not hard to do as long as you take it easy, take proper care of yourself and relax.
My $.02 worth
