Off-centre Rally - Mount Dare, South Australia

[Raider]

Greetings,

Does anyone know a bloke by the name of "Serg" or similar, who rides a DR650 and recently crossed west-to-east on the Great Central Road on a bloody bicycle? I came across him just east of Warakurna on the way out to Mount Dare. Passed him again on the way back just west of The Olgas. I would like to make contact with him.

Check him out on my latest Youtube video, Tjukayirla to Curtin Springs, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lACr0ucwJUQ

Tjukayirla to Curtin Springs was a long haul. Managed to approach The Olgas as the sun set so got some pretty good vision. Yalara to Curtin Springs was ridden in the dark. Got in to Curtin Springs quite late. Had a close-eye out for black cattle on a black night with that single "powerful" DR650 headlight.

Regards,

Raider

[DR63]

Try putting something up on the PAR facebook page i think he may have a connection to them.

[Raider]

G'day DR63, Thanks for the suggestion. Not on Facebook and not planning to sign-up. Something may turn up. Thanks, Raider

[Bozo]

Raider

Great video. Enjoyed the Olgas at sunset and your shadow reaching to the horizon. Great to have the commentary back.

Did I get it right that Serge did the trip on a DR and then decided a bicycle would be more enjoyable.

I thought the Officer Basin was intercratonic sedimentary basin with deposition from Neoproterozoic to late Devonian. It was potentially a large water supply source.

Some pretty rugged roads and a long day. Keep up the brilliant coverage of the outback.


Bozo

[spacey1]

Awesome video Raider ! and a hell of a days riding

Reminded me of the rapidly changing conditions out there and how said changing conditions all conspire to make it a crazy ride on the edge.

Your vision highlights the size of the corrugations, the bull-dust mixed with the windrows between the vehicle wheel tracks... ERRRRK

I had some insane moments on the 1200 GSA sans steering damper, looks a lot more manageable on a light machine.

Wouldn't dream of ever doing it again on a non-steering dampened bike, a lot happens in a hurry...

Keep up the great work. We should talk about wind noise...

I reckon that you need to investigate some decent LED lamps, highly recommend Denali ( 10 watt'ers ) with the circuitry that runs half power on low beam.

[Raider]

Bozo,

Serge is a champion. Thanks for reminding me that his name needed an "e". By the looks of him he probably did prefer the bicycle! I caught up with him on the return journey. He was looking a bit parched and asking when the sand finished. At that time he only had a few kilometres to go...

The Officer Basin is indeed an intRAcratonic sedimentary basin. Started in the (Neo-) Proterozoic as the Centralian Superbasin that included the Officer, Amadeus, Ngalia and Georgina basins. Sediment accumulation did continue into the Palaeozoic. I am betting that the Neoproterozoic algae from the basin's early history will have produced petroleum and that this petroleum is waiting to be found. There could easily be large reservoirs of water there too...

Thank you for your encouragement.

Raider

[Raider]

Spacey1,

My Suzuki DR650 is relatively easy to ride in the rough stuff, especially when things go pear-shape. It is more forgiving than the HP2. It is MUCH more forgiving than the R1150GSA. I am still assessing the new R1200GSA Rallye X but can say for sure the new bike is more forgiving than my R1150GSA.

Wind noise. I have a remote mike in the helmet just off to the side of my mouth. Still learning how to use it properly. When I have my neck roll tucked up under my chin and against the helmet it works pretty well. When that neck roll is not tucked-in wind noise is a major issue. That is the case with the Tjukayirla - Curtin Springs clip. The mike comes with a fur sock accessory. Will try that next. Another option is to see if the wind noise is reduced if I place the mike differently.

Glad you are enjoying the coverage.

Thanks,

Raider

[Raider]

Spacey1,

Lights. The range of LED lamps available today is extraordinary. Denali is a fine example. The R1200GSA Rallye X comes standard with excellent lights. The DR650 lights are basic. I have been tempted to replace or supplement the DR lights but have decided to make-do. My aim is to camp before dark. Haha... so long as you do so the standard lights are OK - largely because they are not needed. You know what they say about best-laid plans. Also, one less item to break off when you throw the bike away...

Regards,

Raider

[Raider]

Greetings,

I have just uploaded Day 5, Saturday 11th August 2018, of the ride from Perth to the Off-centre Rally. This day's ride into Mount Dare commences at Kulgara on the Stuart Highway goes through Finke.

Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=134h0Q2aaAA



It was a bit of an epic to get to the Rally site after the aborted effort to get there from the Border Run.

Trust you enjoy it.

Day 4, Curtin Springs to Kulgera, was a disaster but in case you are interested...

Here: https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=vBAil53P9zQ



Regards,

Raider

[spacey1]

Raider,

Click 'Edit Post' on your post and review the phpBB forum / YouTube embed code.

Just copy and paste the YouTube video identifier (alpha-numeric) into the aforementioned embed code. Only the identifier changes.

Catch you soon...

spacey... out

[Raider]

Spacey, Wondered how that worked. Will give it a go for the next one. Thanks, Raider.

[Bozo]

Raider
Enjoyed your Day 5 video and did not realise that it takes a few kilometres to turn your vessel around given how tight you have the steering damper set.

Your comment that you could land a jet at Finke should not be an invitation to 747 Pilots to use it as an emergency runway when faced with disruptive passengers. The 1200 metre runway, recently sealed with the Federal Government chipping in $750,000, just about lands and allows for take off a light jet depending on ambient conditions. High temperatures dramatically impact jet performance. I was involved in the Kununurra Airport operation which was 1,800 metres long and on hot days that was tight for F28 jets to take off with full load. The F28 had a sea level take off length of 1,676 metres at 15 degrees C. Some other examples:

Aircraft Type Take Off Field Length Landing Distance
Britten-Norman Islander Piston 1,218ft (371 m) 980ft (299 m)
Twin Otter DHC-6 Turboprop 1,200ft (366 m) 1,050ft (320 m)
Pilatus PC-12 Turboprop 2,600ft (793 m) 2,170ft (661 m)
King Air 350 Turboprop 3,300ft (1,006 m) 2,692ft (821 m)
Citation Mustang Personal Jet 3,110ft (948 m) 2,380ft (725 m)
Phenom 300 Light Jet 3,138ft (956 m) 2,621ft (799 m)
Challenger 300 Mid-Size Jet 4,835ft (1,474 m) 2,710ft (826 m)
Gulfstream 450 Large Jet 5,600ft (1,707 m) 3,260ft (994 m)
Falcon 7X Large Jet 5,710ft (1,740 m) 2,070ft (631 m)

The comment that Digger was by the green tent seemed to be a challenging search that it seemed that every second tent was green.

Sympathies to the poor 1200 GS Rider who was just stopped from the physical exhaustion of keeping the thing upright in conditions that looked very challenging for heavy bikes with two wheels.

Impressed that you can ride and commentate without expletives when the bike starts to wander.


Bozo

[Raider]

Bozo,

Glad you enjoyed the Day 5 video. Thank you.

It did indeed take a while for the “vessel” to be turned around. It is after all, a DR and not an America’s Cup contender. If it took much longer I would have had to top up the tank at Dalhousie in order to make it back to Mount Dare!

The GS rider you refer to was on a Triumph. He did look a bit shagged but nevertheless resolute. Anyone know him? Maybe he should tell his story about the ride-from-hell out of Finke?

Now, about the effects of pressure and density altitude on various aircraft performances at take-off and landing. The aircraft to which you refer may well need those distances to clear a 50 foot obstacle on take-off but landings are a different story. If, on short-final, a careless pilot allows a wing to stall then I would bet that landing distances are way shorter than those you suggest. My money would, nevertheless, be on the Pilatus PC-12 to recover and exit in style.

Err… some commentary deleted. Just got to do something about that wind noise. Hopefully you will hear improvements with the videos that come after the Off-centre Rally.

Many thanks,

Raider

[Raider]

Greetings,

I have uploaded Day 6, Sunday 12th August 2018, of the ride from the Mt Dare Off-centre Rally site homeward. This afternoon ride into Alice Springs commences at Finke, heads west to the Stuart Highway at Kulgera and then north on the Stuart Highway to Alice. The morning ride is the subject of an earlier video post.

Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOU1X-mNm8U



Also uploaded to my Youtube channel is Day 9, Tuesday 14th August 2018, the day I commenced the homeward journey. Alice Springs to Curtin Springs through the Macdonnell Ranges via the Mereenie Loop. If you have never seen a “LIFT UM FOOT” road advisory sign this is where you will see it for the first time. For those not in the "know" all is revealed in the video.

Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1rnXTEyTFg



The intervening days were spent luxuriating (?) in Alice, sorting my phone issues and getting the bike serviced. Yep, another set of tyres too...

Regards,

Raider

[Raider]

Spacey1. Help! Can't decipher your distructions... Raider