Trip to the Tip of Australia

[Tony Smith]

Just over a week ago the wife and I set out from Cairns heading for Bamaga. Sylvia was on her newly purchased Suzuki DR200 and I rode her now discarded (too tall and heavy for her) G650GS.

Cutting a long story short we made it to Bamaga 3 days later after experiencing some of the worst roads either of us have ever seen. The little DR200 just waltzed over the corrugations and danced through the sand. On the other hand I found the G650GS more than a little edgy and ultimately fell off twice in sand, fortunately at low speed and suffering only (bad) bruising.

In my opinion the 650GS is a great road bike but not a competent  GS type tourer. It handled corrugated gravel OK albeit that the 19"/17" wheel combination required higher speed to "plane" over corrugations than the 21"/18" combo on the little Suzi required. I also think that the fork rake is too steep resulting in insufficient trail to generate the self-centering required in soft dirt/sand. If I was going to keep it I would fit a 21" front wheel and a steering damper.

Anyway, Sylvia has thrown down the gauntlet and declared herself "Queen of the Peninsular Development Road" (PDR) and reckons that at 66 years old she is the oldest woman ever to ride it. She may be right....

We are now safely home and planning to do it again next year - I am buying a DRZ400 this week so I will have a year to prepare

There was a problem attaching photos from my phone - will post some shots shortly

[Tony Smith]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/UWjnSsqD9JacsFPu9

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CnuchmQvHsmdu6nF9

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NFyygqJMt36kL2xQ7

https://photos.app.goo.gl/uboUjPRF8sDAWRXU8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/gUucQU2vALtrNDrX7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/o1yEzkpexkAaqu3P7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/dSEaBMqKVD3yfW1Y9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/pNTEDHqTKw2oVZuA7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/bzWe1M22hD9bgqTaA

[dogshome]

 

Some rough roads there! And falling fruit bats 

[Tony Smith]

The corrugations have to be experienced to be believed...... Imagine 6" half cylinders cut into the road side by side.

Then imagine that continuing for 100s of Kilometers at a time. At least on a bike you can run at a speed that smooths them out (90-100kph) caters sometimes do not have that option and just have to gut it out

[Justin B.]

So, you wouldn't recommend taking the trip on a "cruiser?"

[skippyc]

I went up there in 1980 using the old track. It was much slower but didn't have the corrugations then.
I also think the heavy adventure bikes would be hard to handle in sand.

[Tony Smith]

No I do not think a cruiser would be a good option, however we did see a guy on a Hond C90 stepthru. Poor bastard would have felt every bump.

And yes the road was much harder the first time I saw it in 1985, then the only real maintainable it got was during the annual army exercises, but then there were not thousands of tourists in 4Wds tearing it to pieces.