Preparation Part 1 - The Bike

Being away for 39 days straight on the bike is a significant undertaking, particularly for someone who has only ever taken it on a camping trip overnight once.  It needs to have room for all of your gear, be reliable, have reasonable fuel range, and most importantly, be comfortable.  My bike for the trip meets all of these criteria.

The bike is a 2007 BMW R1200GS.  This bike practically defines "Adventure Tourer" - and should be the perfect bike for the job.  I bought it on recommendation from my uncle, who at the time was just about to set off on his own tour around Australia with his wife on, you guessed it, an R1200GS.

Once I had the bike, I needed to put on some extra equipment for the trip.  The first addition was a set of Hepco & Becker panniers.  These panniers, in combination with the existing BMW top box, give the bike over 100 litres of lockable storage space.  The next addition was a set of crash bars that protect the engine and fuel tank.  I got these second-hand from my uncle, along with a Remus slip-on exhaust.  Not that the exhaust was strictly necessary, but I got the exhaust and crash bars for the same cost as a new set of crash bars would have cost, and it sounds cool without being obnoxiously loud.

About to leave for my first camping trip on the bike

The photo above shows the bike as it was set up for my first camping trip (Mt William National Park).  This trip revealed the tardis-like qualities of the hard luggage (and the duffle bag) in terms of storing gear on the bike (more on the gear later), but it also revealed a shortcoming - tyres.

If you have a look at the front tyre in the photo, you will notice it is a very road-oriented tread pattern.  When I came across the long section of dirt road to the camp site, the handling was quite honestly scary.  The track had to be navigated very slowly, and grip was practically non-existent.  If the road decided you should go in one direction, it was best to follow...

A few weeks ago, I got a set of Heidenau K60 Scouts - they are still good on the road, but significantly better should you come across a bit of rough stuff.

Top of Ben Lomond - rider not freaked out by gravel handling this time

A close look at that picture (taken last week at the top of Ben Lomond) reveals significantly more aggressive tread which I can tell you made a significant improvement to the gravel handling of the bike (even with road pressures!).  Far less scary.  As a bonus, I can't really tell the difference with the on-road handling of the tyres, and because the tread is so deep, I'm told that you get very good mileage out of them too.

The last things I have added are a tank bag and a set of LED driving lights.  I don't plan on riding in the dark, but if for some reason I get stuck somewhere late, it's good to know they're there.  It was a much bigger job to install them than I first thought, mainly due to trying to do a good job of routing all of the wiring.

OHMYGOODNESS I'm naked!

The bike sure does look odd without its fuel tank.  Once it was back together with the lights on, it looked a lot better.

New lights!

All that's left to do is line the lights up so they point somewhere useful.  That will be a job for another day.

I will write up a bit more about the gear that I'm taking with me soon.  As I write the list, no doubt I'll realise I've made some frightening omissions, and I have under 6 weeks to fix it!

So, this trip then.

It's just under 7 weeks to go until this big 'Eastern Adventure'.  To be specific, 46 days, 22 hours, and around 30 minutes.  Not that I'm counting...

The idea of going on a big trip has been running around in my head for quite some time.  Probably ever since I got my current bike.  It's basically the same bike used by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman in "Long Way Round".  Various things have kept me from going on this trip sooner, but now I have the time and the bike for the trip, and it's time to make it a reality!

My trip consists of 39 days on the bike, 37 of which will be on the mainland of Australia.  The aim is to ride up to Camerons Pocket, around an hour north of Mackay, QLD, for the Wintermoon Festival weekend.  For most, this is probably the middle of nowhere.  For me, I happen to have family living nearby.  While I am looking forward to the festival, it really is just an excuse to go on a big ride, and see a whole lot of Australia while I'm at it.

For the most part of the trip, I plan to camp wherever possible.  I've got most of my gear sorted out (more on that later), but I still have a lot to get done ready for the trip.  Mostly, this will be making sure that I have everything I need, get rid of everything I don't, and that I am physically and mentally prepared.

I am lucky enough to be travelling with a good friend of mine for a reasonable amount of the trip.  Tim is no stranger to long trips, having travelled all the way around Australia on a Honda Revere.  His experience will no doubt be invaluable for me, who has only ever been away camping overnight on a bike once.  Not sure what I'm getting myself into here, but can't wait anyway!