Honda Adventure Tour 2010 – Part Two

NOT SO MUCH
•    Varadero's thirst
•    Transalp's five-speed gearbox
•    Wild cattle charges
•    Errant emus

Honda Adventure Tour 2010 - Part One

With four blokes saddling up for the motorcycle leg between Mildura and Coober Pedy – and not the short way round – few had any idea what to expect. The Oodnadatta Track and other unsealed roads could be dicey after the heavy spring rains, but the journey had to go on, come rain, hail or shine.

The Honda Adventure Tour started in Honda passenger cars -- check out part one -- with fellow scribe Matt Brogan at the wheel, scaling the heights of Mount Kosciusko, the highest point in Australia, and finished at Lake Eyre, the lowest point in the country, on Honda motorcycles.

To spice things up a little, current IndyCar world champion Dario Franchitti was along for the ride, a 2800km expedition organised by Honda as a novel way to show how suited its products are to the Australian continent.

Honda sells around 23 million products worldwide each year, the majority being motorcycles, and we rode the 1000cc V-twin Honda Varadero and 680cc V-twin Honda Transalp models. Indeed, the almost 3000km journey saw everything from generators, outboard motors and lawnmowers in use, all of which bore the little 'H' logo.

As Mark Higgins, Honda's public relations manager, put it, "The idea is to get out there and rough it with only Honda product."

Day Five: Mildura to Broken Hill (363kms)
The black Varadero looks menacing in the wan morning light, its hulking silhouette dwarfing all who wandered near. The pelting rain outside the Honda garage only adds to the apprehension of the journey ahead.

Better yet, the big 1000cc adventure bike with my name on it has a brand new set of unblemished tyres, complete with dusty layer of release agent. Gulp.

We trundle out of Mildura on damp roads, but after 50km I’m feeling better about the situation and with tyres semi scrubbed on the coarse chip roads, I crank up the throttle.

Out on the open road the Varadero is awesome, with a comfortable riding position and great cushioning support from the seat. With a tall screen increasing wind protection, I experience slight buffeting at triple digit speeds, and the Honda gearbox is about as smooth as you'll find on a bike of this size. Indeed, chewing up big kilometres is what the 'Dero is designed for.

The 996cc V-twin engine (borrowed from the VTR Firestorm sports bike) makes high speed cruising effortless, and with a half twist of the throttle I can leave my riding pals behind -- and I don't mind saying I overtake an Indycar world champ on a couple of occasions. Aussie rival Will Power would be stoked!

After more than 300 relatively boring kilometres - nothing but straight, flat roads - we arrive at Broken Hill. But the day is still young so we cruise about 20 clicks up the road to Silverton, where the original Mad Max movie was shot. We come across some props and cars used in the film, not to mention a few wild brumbies, after which I proceed to drop the Varadero in some mud.

Oddly enough it is the first and only time I drop the Varadero on the week long journey, its 270kg mass proving tricky to extract from claggy mud. But it isn't all bad, as the big trail bike is well balanced, and proves to be a winner on the Oodnadatta track.

Day Six: Broken Hill to Wipena (478km)
After spending the night in the Royal Exchange hotel in the heart of Broken Hill - a stunning art deco establishment - we rise early and I get to know Dario a little better over a bowl of cornflakes.

Things I learn about the Indycar champion: he's married to actress Ashley Judd, splits his free time between residences in Scotland and the USA, and has a penchant for classic Porsches. And he's got a private jet. I have a remote control helicopter I bought for 30 baht in Thailand, so we get on well.

Mr Franchitti is remarkably down-to-earth and very personable, always happy to chip in gathering firewood, setting up camp and never puts himself before others. In short, he's a top bloke and an asset to the riding group.

But back to the journey. I jump on the Varadero again (mainly because the two, much lighter Transalps are in high demand) and we head west towards Peterborough, on yet more tediously straight roads.

However the scenery is getting more interesting and we feel like we’re in the bush now - flat expanses as far as the eye can see, covered in scrub, sand, a few tree copses. And zero traffic. It’s also a lot greener than we were expecting, the recent heavy rains bringing verdant renewal to the land.

The Varadero strides along effortlessly at 110km/h, ticking over at 3700rpm in sixth gear, and after almost 280km cruising down the Barrier Highway, we arrive at Peterborough, a small town originally settled in the 1870s.

After a quick yiros at a café for lunch, we head around the corner to the Peterborough Motorcycle and Antique Museum, run by Ian and Belinda Spooner. What a fantastic place! I've never seen a Bultaco road racer before, nor an Ossa (sans fairing).

We set off after our brief rest in a north westerly direction with the Flinders Ranges our destination, and goats, emus and a very long train the attractions. After 353km we pass Eurelia, at 422km we hit Hawker, and 'lo and behold, mountains!

Finally some corners, and my first chance to test the Varadero's dynamics. By and large it behaves well and tracks neatly through the kinks, disguising its heavy weight with aplomb. It's no sports bike with its soft suspension though, but still surprisingly agile for its size and has masses of torque to punch out of corners.

Further up the road we’re almost at Wilpena, our camp site for the night, but not before stopping ahead of a blind lamb wandering the road in circles as its eyeball hangs loose like a pocket watch on a chain. Poor little blighter.

After almost 500km, we set up camp at Wilpena, pitching tents and admiring the vast Flinders Ranges that surround us, including the amazing Wilpena Pound, a natural amphitheatre the size of suburb.

While dinner is cooking on the gas stove, I show Dario how to kick an Aussie rules football, drop punts to start with, and he’s actually pretty good for a Scot. I also ask him how he got involved in the Honda Adventure.

"We talked about it early 2009, and Higgo [Mark Higgins] asked if I could do it. I said it might be kind of difficult with my racing commitments. Then it got postponed,” Franchitti says, before mistiming a drop punt and hitting a tent.

"But we chatted about it again this year, and I came over to drive in the V8 Supercars on the Goldcoast and the timing was perfect. Higgo asked me to come over to do the Adventure and it was a no brainer,"

Suffice it to say we sleep like logs, the four-stroke Honda generator barely making a sound. But then the snoring starts. It sounds like Dario is doing a bit of late-night shrub-clearing with a Honda brushcutter, such is the racket. But I digress...

Day Seven: Wipena to Wilpena (120km)
We’re all up at dawn, as the sun rises (some more rested than others), and our destination today is the Bunyeroo Gorge. This is our first (and only) day of staying put, with another night in Wilpena – and our first taste of dirt roads.

We make our way deep into the Flinders Ranges, stopping here and there for photos, and it’s hard not to be distracted by the jaw-dropping scenery. What a place! It's like going back in time to a hidden valley filled with prehistoric flora and fauna.

The Varadero's front end initially feels vague on the dirt tracks. There's a lot of weight up front and it amkes the Honda feel ponderous, but after about 20 minutes I learn to work with the bike rather than against it. That said, the rear end feels good from the beginning, and a few clicks on the rear pre-load to soften it up make it even more pliable.

With water crossings, plenty of tight turns, and a few dry riverbed excursions, we tackle some interesting terrain. It’s also my first chance to jump on the Honda Transalp, as Dario Franchitti’s happy to try out the more powerful Varadero.

Wow! What the Transalp lacks in power and fuel capacity (17.5 litre tank compared to 25 litres) it makes up for in finesse and flickability. It pumps through corners with far more aggression than its top heavy Honda cousin.

Powered by a smaller 680cc V-twin engine, the Transalp is a joy to ride on the dirt, its front end clearly communicating what the front tyre is doing.

The rear end is too stiff, even when set to its softest rear pre-load setting, but with such a confident front end it matters little, and its 177mm of ground clearance give it enough scope to head off the beaten track.

After exploring Bunyeroo Gorge we head for Sacred Canyon in the late afternoon, a place held in high regard by local Aborigines, and understandably so when you experience the millennia old rock formations.

The sun moves lower in the sky and we see more and more kangaroos and emus on the ride back to camp, yet the Transalp continues to impress on the uneven dirt roads, nimbly dodging the odd errant emu.

Day Eight: Wilpena to Coward Springs (503km)
Rising early we leave Wilpena and head north, hammering through nice sections of asphalt that feel effortless after yesterday’s dirt excursions. Arriving at Blinman, a small town nestled in the Flinders Rangers, we head west and hit dirt again, plunging onto a deep valley with river crossing after river crossing, yet more signs of the recent rainfall.

In total we slam through a 40km off-road section in some of the best dirt riding of the journey. Then we leave the Flinders Ranges behind and hit dead straight dirt roads -- dust plumes in our wake -- the Varadero more at home on the straight stuff than the Transalp.

Faced with more boring straight tarmac, the temperature is starting to bake us into our boots as we ride. I can only imagine what it would be like in the middle of summer...

Back on the open road the Transalp sits on 5000rpm in fifth gear at 110km/h, compared to the Varadero's 3700rpm in sixth gear at 110km/h. If the Transalp had a sixth ratio, it would probably be more efficient, with better fuel economy. We pass through the coal mining town of Leigh Creek and then arrive at Maree after 300km for a lunch stop.

Maree really expanded up in 1870s to support the Overland Telegraph Line workforce and was also a trade centre for the Afghan camel drivers. It then became a stop for the Ghan train line but in 1980, when the Ghan was moved 200km to the west, Maree lost population. It's still a great place to visit.

We have a few ginger beers and a tip-top BBQ lunch at the Maree pub and then make our way along the Oodnadatta track, a famous dirt track that runs between Maree in South Australia to Finke in the Northern Territory.

As we head down the 'Oody track, evidence of the rains is ever present, from parts of the track crumbling away to sections that have been churned up by overzealous 4WDs zigzagging across its surface. Once dried, it makes the grooves hard as rock and navigation proved tricky at times.

The most effective way to get through is to gun it as fast as possible with light hands on the bars, allowing the minor tank slapping moments to come and go.

Unfortunately we come across a four-wheel drive whose occupants we saw back at Maree, which had rolled several times and was trashed beyond repair. Thankfully they escape with minor cuts, but it is a timely reminder that the outback can be a harsh mistress.

We arrive at the southern tip of Lake Eyre and the mood lifts with celebrations all round. After all, the Honda Adventure was plotted to travel from the highest point in Australia to the lowest, and it’s a bittersweet moment for all involved as it is mission accomplished.

Though we can’t see water it’s an astonishing sight, the bright white salt flats making us squint as they stretch away in the distance, merging with the horizon. We get the footy out for a kick and I try to ride the Transalp across the flats and nearly get bogged, such is the softness of the sand.

We push on and after a 503km ride we arrive at an oasis in the middle of the baked desert, Coward Springs. The camp site was originally a Ghan railway station set up in 1888 and was abandoned around 100 years later. Today, it’s one of the most amazing camp sites you'll find in the desert, thanks in large part to its natural spa.

Fed from the Great Artesian Basin, the natural spa is a godsend after a hot, dusty and sweaty day in the saddle. The water is naturally heated to around 25 degrees, perfect for sore muscles, and we recount tales of near misses and feats of heroism over a few brews. We even heard a few of the native Clamourous Reed-warblers in the rushes. Ahhh, the serenity...

We tuck into a hearty meal of steak, snags and salad, and are then treated to one of the most spectacular star-scapes this scribe has ever seen. Awe inspiring is an understatement.

Day Nine: Coward Springs to Lake Cadibarrawirracanna (170km)
We rise late from camp, about 8.00am, and I forgo the usual sausage and fried eggs for something a little more healthy, muesli and apple juice. Gotta give the arteries a break! Chatting to Dario I ask him about the trip and he chuckles: "I like the Transalp. I don't have a vast knowledge of those bikes, but every kilometre I rode it felt like it shrank around me. In a good way.

"I like the sound of the V-twins too - bit different to an Indycar!"

Heading west, we leave the desert oasis behind and after a rapid-fire 67km of Oodnadatta dirt tracks, the Varadero reveling under open throttle on the smooth sections, we arrive at William Creek. Light aircraft are abuzz at a small airstrip as tourists clamour for a joy flight over Lake Eyre, which is full of water in what is usually a once-a-generation event.

The rains are becoming ever more prevalent, with small pockets of water and lakes appearing everywhere. The road is also getting choppier again... What was once red mud is now baked and rigid and not ideal for single-track vehicles like the humble motorcycle.

However the Varadero is in its element, its relatively long travel suspension and brutish power allowing it to reach 100km/h in seconds, skipping over the top of minor ruts.

We make a detour about five kilometres off the 'track and arrive at Lake Cadi Bore 170km later. Turns out Cadi stands for Cadibarrawirracanna; say that five times with a mouth full of chips!

Bang in the middle of an arid desert, Lake Codi is astonishly tranquil, so much so we decide to set up camp there and then. As the group watches the sun set over the thin strip of water that was the lake, we all relax in our camping chairs, beers in hands, tall tales the order of the evening.

Day Ten: Lake Cadibarrawirracanna to Coober Pedy (85km)
The final day of riding before we reach our destination at Coober Pedy is a sad one, as we’ve all become great mates and will soon be parting ways. There’s also a sense of "real life awaits" and being in the bush for so long you dread heading back to the stress and complexity big city life.
In the bush it's just you, vast open spaces and the stars, with a trusty motorcycle to explore wherever your heart desires.

Yep, we’re all filthy, covered in dust and grime (I’ve worn the same old shirt seven days straight!), but in the end grinning broadly as we cover the last few kilometres into Coober Pedy. Interesting to note that "kupa piti" is roughly known to mean 'white man in a hole' in the local lingo.

The opal mining town is in stark contrast to the surrounding land, almost appearing as a raised white sandstone mound in the middle of nowhere upon approach. It’s at this moment, barely minutes away from stepping off the bike for good, that I realise how comfortable the big Varadero really was. Sure, it's essentially a seven-year-old design, but after six days in the saddle I have no complaints. No dead bum, no sore wrists, no back complaints - and that's impressive.

It’s a successful journey in more ways than one: no injuries, no bingles and the bikes were ultra reliable.

As we sit in the underground hotel in Coober Pedy, exhausted but elated, Mark Higgins like all of us is philosophical at the end of the journey, but clearly stoked that his employer's wares performed flawlessly:

"We've just travelled 3000km and had not one fault or breakdown. It shows the reliability [of the products] – you can trust Honda even in the outback. And to have Dario along, who has won all his IndyCar races and titles in a Honda – and of course a bunch of good blokes – is amazing."

Asked what the best part of the trip was, Franchitti said in this Scottish accent: "When we left Wilpena and did the long day that was just an amazing ride through the Flinders Ranges. I've never seen anything like it in my life. And then coming over the hill and finding a hidden camp site next to Lake Cadi a few days later. Wasn't that just spectacular?"

Yep, no argument there.