Firstly you must take into consideration is it is a 4 – 5 day trip, long hours on the bike.

Comfort:

Comfort is a must. I swear by my AirHawk seat cushion. I have sheep skin on both seats as well but this is more to prevent any rubbing on the seat leather from the AirHawk and the bag on the back. I pack the bike so I have a back rest. Ensure you have a throttle lock or even better, cruise control. I use a full size detachable windscreen. Believe me it’s a must when doing 130k/hr speed in the Territory and reduces fatigue markedly not to mention the road grime and bug splatter!

Remoteness:

You will be going through very remote areas. Although the longest stretch is about 256km between stops, (Coober Pedy to Glendambo) if something goes wrong, you can be waiting for hours for another vehicle to go past let alone help to arrive!

Weather:

Prepare for extreme weather. It can be hot, dam hot at times. Very dry, extreme thunder and dust storms etc. First trip I made 4 years ago the weather was 38 deg, 90% humidity when I left. It got hotter and dryer the further south I went. 50km out of Alice Spring a huge dust/thunder storm hit and literally blew me off the road. I was down to walking pace and was having trouble keeping the bike upright! Lightening was cracking around me. It definitely was a sphincter moment. By the time I hit Coober Pedy to Port Augusta the temperature had risen to around 47c. My jacket and gloves were burning my skin with every move I made. I had to ride with a full face helmet with the visor down as the heated wind was intense. The next day most of my fingers had split open and was bleeding from the hot dry conditions endured.

I wear a camelback which holds 2 litres of water and is also a good back rest/pad/protector. I was drinking 1 litre an hour of water during the ride (camelback) and large sports drink at every fuel stop. In these conditions dehydration is a real threat!

Conversely the ride one year on it was perfect conditions all the way at around 25 deg and no rain. Once I hit the Great Ocean road it was pissing down and freezing cold!! It just goes to show you must be prepared for all eventualities out of your control.

Preparation beforehand:

Ensure credit card is paid, rego is good, Auto association membership is current, Health insurance is current. Phone full charged (prepaid) Full service and check of bike and new tyres. (if needed) Better to get them before rather than during. 1^st trip I did was about 10,000km.

Check all the comms gear is working. I.e. nav, music, UHF radio.

Communication/navigation:

I have a Bluetooth set up called Bikercom. Basically wireless to the helmet. Phone, Nav gear and UHF run through this system. Everything is plugged into the main control box and sends all sound to the headset in the helmet. I like to know where I am and how far to the next stop. The Navigation unit is a Garmin Zumo 660. Also use in my car. It holds about 20,000 songs so this is also my entertainment for the long trips.

I have converted the speakers in the helmet to plug in my Earmold ear plugs. The Earmold plugs delete the bike noise (wallowing/droning sound) you get from the Harley into the full face helmet. Best thing I ever bought!

The UHF radio is for emergencies and having a chat to truckies and nomads. All good fun out there. Ever been stuck behind a road train when it’s pissing down? You can’t see past it to overtake due to spray, so this is a good time to use the radio to get past.

Packing and Loading the bike:

Packing the gear you take is an art form in itself. If you have saddle bags, ensure you don’t overload them and keep them relatively the same weight to ensure bike balance.

I have a bag on the back rack for extra fuel (5 litres) wet weather gear, basic tool kit and incidentals.

I have a waterproof bag that sits on the pillion seat and contains my camping gear, such as one man light weight camping tent, sleeping bag, travel pillow, cotton sleeping bag sheet and travel towel. Also carry an air pump for the mattress. Plugs into a cigarette light plug on the bike. (good for charging phone also) Although I have yet to use them, they are there in case I cannot get accommodation at a stop. It also doubles as my back rest.

I use one more bag which contains my clothes. All gear that I don’t want wet gets packed into garbage bags before packing into bags. This bag sits on top of the camp gear on the back. More back rest.

Clothing:

Clothing is a mixture of hot and cold weather gear. I take 4 of everything so I don’t need to wash on the way. Only a 4 day trip. Wet weather gear is also a must.

Riding/safety gear:

Riding gear is a Shoei Multitech full face helmet. (Very comfortable)  Tinted visor with tape across the top. I do take an open face with me also. Harley jacket on which I can remove the lower part for hot weather riding. Soft Harley breathable gloves. Draggin jeans. I wear a Buff around the neck area for wind burn protection. Lightweight polarised sunnies. Lightweight sunnies are a must when riding for this long. You’d be amazed at how heavy sunnies can get after a day or two on your face! Rossi boots (waterproof).

In case of emergency:

I carry a small first aid kit, 2 x thermo blankets, face mask (EAR) latex gloves(no, not what you’re thinking!) Dunny roll, cable ties, wire, tape, basic tool kit, puncture repair kit with 6 CO2 gas bottles and tire gauge, spare stand spring (if you have ever broken one you’ll know why!) hammer, gloves (for working on hot bike) bike cover. 1 litre of oil. You may ask why is a bike cover an emergency item? Picture this; you break down in the middle of know where and its 40 degrees in the shade or pissing down……get the picture? Spare Fuses. Extra two litres of water. Again, I wear a Camelback which has 2 litres of water. Nurofen (ibuprofen) makes the aches and pains go away. Remember it can be hours before help arrives!

(Wonder what the cops will think if the search the bike and find the duc tape, cable ties and latex gloves?)

Incidentals:

Reading glasses, pad and pen, money, stubbie cooler, sunnies case, bike stand pad, spare riding gloves, 2 spare Buffs, neoprene face mask, spare ear plugs, spare tie down straps, helmet locks, LED headlamp and torch (with new batteries) clear visor for the full face helmet. Both sets of FOB and key. Anti fog wipes and Rainex. Some old rags.

I think the most important part is to let someone know where you are or an expected time of contact.

I know this is a little long winded and some may find this a bit over the top with all the gear I take. Better to be prepared and be comfortable on such a long ride. She’s a big country out there!!

Hope I have enlightened you.