Our KLR Mods...

The bikes we bought, though being our pick for the trip they are not perfect and definitely can do with some add-ons and mods to make them a whole lot more rugged. The good thing about the KLR is that there is every possible mod or add-on available on the net. Here are the ones we did…

SW-Motech Centre Stand from Twisted Throttle – bound to make maintenance a whole lot easier.

Superbrace Fork Brace - just felt like buying it. Have since discovered that it makes cleaning the fork seals a pain in the ass as you need to remove the fork brace every time you want to give the seals a good clean…only a 5 min. job though.

SW-Motech Crash Bars from Twisted Throttle – first day out on some dirt with the bikes Matteo dropped his bike and cracked the front fairing…they are definitely not designed to take the weight of the bike so crash bars are a must if you are going off-road. This mod also upgrades the sub-frame and foot peg mount bolts.

Barkbuster VPS Handguards from Twisted Throttle (…it is cheaper to buy them from the States than from any dealer here in Aus, this was back with $0.97 exchange rate) peace of mind not needing to carry spare levers.

Protaper SE ATV High Bar Handlebars – cheap, much like the original handlebars in shape and less likely to bend than the originals. The Barkbusters also work well with the Barkbusters as there are no clearance issues with the fairings – handlebar risers would be nice though.

AMHP Headlight Protectors – at $50 it is a whole lot cheaper than having to replace the headlight lens.

SW Motech Highway Pegs from Twisted Throttle – bolt straight on to the crash bars.

Sheep Skin seat cover is a good idea for the long rides in the saddle.

Caribou Cases as our panniers. David has the 35L Pelican Case System and Matteo has the 36L Hardigg Case System. These cases are very strong, secure, waterproof and dustproof as well as having a bit of flex in them. These cases are really easy to install too as they come with custom bolt on frames.

Wolfman Enduro Tank bag.

Metal Footpegs from KLR650.com – the stock ones are rubbish when you get some mud on them.

12V Socket from Twisted Throttle.

SW-Motech Handle bar Camera Mount.

Staintune Exhaust – the stock bikes sound like a 4HP lawn mower so the Staintunes are a must to transform the bikes into respectable thumpers.

Freight …

Organising transport for our bikes from Sydney to Santiago (Chile) was a major step in our trip. Air freight seemed like the best options as the sea freight would take up to 60 days to get to our destination in Santiago. The only draw back with the air freight being the cost at A$2115 per bike. However this meant that we could ride our bikes over from Perth as well as getting it straight up once we arrive at the other end…a small price to pay for the trip of a life time.

A company call Freightnet International who is based out of Sydney helped organise all the fine details and we would recommend using them if anyone else is considering a similar trip.

Sydney…

We rode in through the southern suburbs on route to Dave’s parents (Peter & Bernie) place in Hunters Hill, on the northern side of the harbour. We were immediately hit by the traffic and got our first taste of inner city pressure. I’m certain we’ll experience similar navigation difficulties over in some of the larger cities in South America…which to be perfectly honest I think we’re looking forward to. After all it’s an adventure right!

The day after we arrived we took of down the harbour with Peter and Bernie on their new Fleming 55 pulling up in Sugarloaf Bay for a couple nights…pure luxury after two weeks on the road. We had a few weeks in Sydney now which was a great opportunity to catch up with some friends who had moved here from back home. A weekend visit from Liv was a highlight for Dave, as was the arrival of Kate for Matteo. Kate would now join us on our journey on the back of Matteo’s bike.

Along with relaxing, Sydney was our last chance to get the final bits and pieces organised before we took off at the end of the month. The biggest thing of course was getting our KLR’s fit and ready to fight. And this was going to take a bit more effort with one of the bikes! Over the 4700km from Perth Matteo’s bike worked through 1L of oil which raised some concern. We soon found out that new a piston head and rings were required, but due to the lack of parts and time our options were running short. The only parts we could get our hands on in time were a larger piston head (first oversize +0.5mm), which meant reboring the engine! Not the most ideal scenario one week before we jump on the plane to Chile. But thankfully the chaps at Sydney City Motorcycles managed to sort out the bike with minimal fuss. Luckily the warranty sorted this cost out for Matteo. Now we just have to see if the bike holds up!

There rest of the work and preparation for the flight was done by a mob called Northside Motorcycles who were very helpful. They sorted us out with a lot of our spare parts and a thorough final service before the bikes get on the plane. They also hooked us up with two old aluminium Triumph crates to put our bikes in for the flight over. Our next major service will be in Buenos Aires…so hopefully nothing goes wrong in between. Our next report will be from somewhere in South America! We can’t wait!

The Architecture…

Since commencing our studies of architecture in 2003, it has been a desire of ours to travel overseas together on completion of our course. We were always drawn to the idea of travelling to South America due to the sense of adventure which it posed. Not only is it a continent of many cultures but also one rich in history. As we have learnt though this course, architecture is an integral part of the understanding of cultures and their history.

Our desire to travel to this region of the world was further fuelled through studies that introduced us to the work of Oscar Niemeyer, in particular some of his earlier projects which were greatly influenced by the work of Le Corbusier. In recent years we developed a keen interest in the contemporary architecture which has been produced in South America. We feel that there are many architectural ideals that can be drawn from much of the work in South America, as it is a continent with many similarities to ours, in particular its geographic location and size. Being such a large continent in the southern hemisphere it offers a large range of climatic conditions, most of which are very similar to those found in Australia.

Through this experience we hope to gain a greater insight into the various architectural ideals which are implemented in this continent, and document any innovative technologies which could apply to similar climatic regions back in Australia. Being a continent rich in history and one which holds so many strong individual characteristics, we believe that there are many architectural ideals which could be added to those found in Australia. We hope this experience will benefit us in our careers as architects in future years.­­­­

One of the primary reasons why we have chosen to do the trip on motorcycles is the independence and sense of adventure it offers. The independence which comes from travelling on motorcycle will allow us to explore and search out the numerous architectural gems which are spread across this large continent. Unlike the traditional tourist who is greatly restricted to more common regions and mainstream transport systems, we will grab the chance to take the road less travelled with both hands.

Week Two…

After hoping off the two and a half hour ferry ride to Wallaroo we set our sites on getting to Yarrawonga as quickly as possible so that we could then enjoy the ride from there to the coast via the Snowy Mountains.

We put the Southern Ocean behind us and we were soon riding through the Barossa Valley and managed to hunt out some dirt roads through the region.

The last couple of hours of riding were in the dark and we pitched the tents on the Murray River in Waikerie.

The following day was spent eating kilometres for breakfast and lunch was had in Mildura where we had one of our best value meals so far…steak/chips/salad and a schooner for $13 – just what we needed.

A day later we pulled into Yarrawonga and made our way to John and Marilyn’s farm Yallambee for a good chat, a home cooked meal and the comfiest sleep in a while. We also managed to get some stickers made for ourselves by our friend James Warner at Stickemon Signs and visit the Boscombe’s in Finley.

The road to the Snowy’s and then across the mountains was simply amazing. Between Khancoban and Jindabyne the Alpine Way serves up every sort of riding condition you could want, we were in heaven. There were heaps of bikers heading in the opposite direction en route to Phillip Island for the MotoGP. We got through all the twisties unscathed, the only casualty being Matteo’s speedo cable breaking.

On the other side of Jindabyne it was then time to enjoy the ride down Brown Mountain into the lush Bega valley. This was another memorable ride under a thick rainforest canopy that dappled the sun onto the road loaded with sweeping bends and hairpin corners. We then make our way south along the coast to Merimbula. This place has a great RSL and mini golf course.

Before we knew it we were in Sydney, we had ridden a solid 4800 kilometres and we were ready to lap up the luxury for a couple of weeks. Yeeeeeeeeeew!!

Week one…

The next day was the first of many Mondays waking up realising that we didn’t have to head off to work. The up coming months were ours and we could do with them what we pleased. The feeling that comes with the freedom of motorcycle travel was starting to sink in. We decided that each day we would just play it as it comes and have no fixed schedule to keep to. This newly adopted attitude meant that we never had to stress over anything. Our only concerns from now on would involve fuel, food, sleeping, and where we could grab our next cold can!

Road to Kalgoorlie - Ipod tragedy

We left Cunderdin bound for Kalgoorlie after a solid breaky and complimentary coffee from Lynn at the Pitstop dinner. We where on our way again and our sprits where high, however the good morning soon turned bad after Dave’s ipod slipped out of his tank bag at 120km and smashed over the Great Eastern Highway. Dave now faced the prospect of a Nullarbor crossing without music and wasn’t too impressed. On arrival in Kalgoorlie we managed to grab a disc man for a cheap price which would see us both sorted for the trip across.

Balladonia, start of the Nullabor and the mental kangaroo...

We soon hit the Nullarbor and the longest straight road in Australia. The 146.6km undulating strip of tarmac was the true gateway into our trip. The howling cross winds tested both our bikes and our nerves on a drag down a section of the road designated for emergencies for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. We were now in barren territory and we were loving it.

The Bight - SA

The prospect of what was to come was the most exciting thing of all, and the next couple of days didn’t disappoint. The Head of the Bight, a renowned whale breeding location and prominent viewing spot lived up to its reputation and we were lucky enough to spot a dozen just drifting of the shores.

Cactus Beach, home to what is said to be Australia’s best wave was one of the other highlights on the leg over. Located just out of Penong meant that it wasn’t too much of a detour, and if you get a chance to swing in there don’t hesitate. The owner Ronnie was more than helpful and for $8.50 a night he’ll let you pitch your tent where you like and he’ll drop off plenty of wood to keep the fire going in the evening. A swim in the morning was a great way to freshen up after a couple long days on the Nullarbor, although we didn’t venture out too far as this strip of coast is also famous for being home to a large number of White Pointers.

The road to Cactus Beach - SA

Having left the Nullarbor we decided to head down through the Eyre Peninsula and ride across the rolling hills deep in the wheat regions of South Australia. We stopped at the tranquil town of Streaky Bay for a good seafood lunch and were approached by a friendly chap named Mike, who was heading across to Philip Island to watch the GP. He told us this was his 5th time he had done the ride. Mike was travelling on an ‘86 Moto Guzzi Le Mans 1000.

Eyre Peninsula - SA

We were planning to head up to not so exciting Port Augusta but Mike suggested we cut across the Peninsula along via a couple nice dirt tracks to the coastal fishing town of Cowell. From here we could catch a ferry across the Spencer Gulf to Wallaroo which sits about 150km north of Adelaide. The ferry ride was a nice break and we joined be a number of other bikers heading over from Perth. It was interesting listening to everyone’s stories. A Phillip Island run is a must do trip one day…anyone keen?

Mike and that Guzzi

Matteo with the bikes on the ferry across the Spencer Gulf

The Mules…

One of the first obstacles to cross when deciding to do a motorcycle trip is of course choosing a bike and this is normally driven by the intended use and budget.

One of the main goals of our trip was always to get off the beaten track as much as possible and we also wanted to get the trip underway as quick as we could. The two main prerequisites for the bike choice were therefore to be cheap and able to take a beating.

So where to start? Chris Scott’s Adventure Motorcycling Handbook, the Horizons Unlimited website and Advrider forum all offer a wealth of information to get you on your way.

Most of the bikes we considered were too expensive when new and a bit passed their used by dates with our budgets. The Kawasaki KLR650 seemed like the perfect combination…it is essentially a very simple bike that handles both on and off road conditions without any worries and doesn’t have many of the fancy frills of other adventure tourers. The bike is relatively easy to maintain and fix, it is more off road orientated than most of its competitors and it is apparently a popular bike for people touring around South America so parts and general knowledge on the bikes should be readily available. Above all it is a lot cheaper than most other bikes that can do the same job…at $8000 on the road we figured we could kit the bikes out with everything we need and throw in our airfares to and from Santiago and still be spending less than if we bought a new Honda Transalp or a BMW 650 Dakar…well as it turns out maybe not less but not much more.

Hasta Luego!

We thought we had managed to pick a fine day for our departure. The sun was out for our send off breaky at Livi’s house (Dave’s better half) and a handful of our close family and friends where there to join us, wishing us well with champagne in hand. However our ideal send off soon cut short by a sudden turn in the sky and within a couple of minutes of loading our gear onto the bikes the down pour began. This wasn’t going to stop us, plus someone once told me that it was good luck to leave on a rainy day! With our helmets on and everyone else jammed into the old corrugated garage we were set. The two bikes sat in line with the front tires poised over a strip of masking tape laid on the road earlier. With the rain now pelting our helmets at 45 degrees and the wind threatening we took off, only having to return minutes later after realising that we had left some gear behind. Not the best start, but a start none the less!

Los Suenos...

Los Suenous / The Dream of setting off on a motorcycle adventure of some kind had been in the back of our minds for a number of years, although none of us had ever expected it to eventuate into something this large! A 7-9 month expedition across our great southern land, across the pacific and around what is still considered by many to be one of the most exciting continents to explore – South America.

The initial idea of a motorcycle adventure involved travelling from South Africa to Kenya, East Africa in a group with Matteo’s cousin who wanted to buy a BMW 1250GS in South Africa and ride up them back up the coast to Kenya. This trip would have taken a month or so, and we soon realised that would of cost too much to justify only a month of travel. Why couldn’t we just keep going to London? For some novice bikers, a trans African bike ride seemed to be like jumping straight into the deep end without knowing how to swim. We did do a lot of research into this trip but the high costs and the risk involved was enough of a deterrent for us to rethink our destination. Perhaps another day Africa!

Our minds where then set on South America, and before we knew it we were handing over our cheques to pick up our new 2008 Kawasaki KLR650’s. Since buying the bikes in January we have been spending nearly every weekend getting the gear organised for our departure from Perth on September 21st 2008. The whole process of organising such an in depth journey has been one of the most exciting things that we have undertaken since finishing our Masters in Architecture at the end of last year. Our excitement was building along with our levels of anxiousness as each new delivery in the mail meant that we were one step closer to heading east across the Nullarbor towards Sydney.