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A Connie Sue Highway trip 2003 Aug.

I was invited to go along by Russ Daniels to ride the Connie Sue Hwy, one of Len Bedells' roads going along side the WA land border for around 900 km. We figured on a fuel range of 1080 km, 4 days food and water... with no support vehicle this would have to be carried by each bike.

Preparations

I had built a large tank for the K75 G/S .. over 30 litres and then added two 10 litre fuel containers slung over the main tank container in two canvas bags tied together over the tank and held together by one ockie strap at the bottom. This gave me over 50 litres of fuel. In one pannier I had food, 4 litres of water, cooking gear. The other pannier contained clothes, maps, writing gear, tools and spares. On the rear rack was one bag with tent, sleeping bag, thongs and running shoes. An additional 5 litres of water was contained in a backpack ... that I found uncomfortable to ware so it ended up strapped to the rear of the bike. Another 1.5 litres was (and still is) carried in two pushbike bottles on the fork tubes.

Planning

The trip up the Connie Sue was to start after the 'Border Run' and in order to get a proving ground for the long trip (with little or no escape) before the 'Border Run' the Railway line was to be used to prove the bikes and riders were ok for the Connie Sue. This established the 'Border Run' set at Sat 2 Aug, then it followed that Tuesday July at Glendambo would be the start.

A poor start

I set out midday Monday and made Condobolin. The next day there was a sniff of petrol near the bike but nothing visible.. that changed when I filled up at Hillston - petrol everywhere! Leaking out of the fuel pump wires ... I rode on to Yunta where the petrol was mostly used up and put some epoxy on the leak - slowed it to a small dribble but it did not look good for the Connie Sue. I rang PJ in Port Pirie .. got the answering machine. Rode on thinking ... if I took the pump wires up to the top of the tank and then put them through the breather tube then the leak could only take place when the tank was full. I could do all this at PJs... so I went to his place and rang just before I got there .. jobs on. Only to find as I put the bike on the centre stand that one of the centre stand bolts had gone missing... PJ found a spare. I modified the fuel pump wires and got going again thanks PJ!

Wednesday

I was now about half a day behind the rest ... left and did some 101 km north of Port Augusta ... before opening the throttle... and finding my panniers wobble above 120 km/h. This ok but under some conditions the bike takes up the wobble too, interesting passing at 150 km/h to crest a rise and find the wind and panniers conspire to get a real good wobble up. Spotted a cop car with mobile radar well before it could get me ... first time I've seen one on that bit of road. Reached Gendanmbo around lunch - eat and fuelled up and went. Did not stop and met the rest at Wynbring - a nice camp sit with a good watering hole.

Thursday

Riding on to Fisher Martin has a flat front tyre - rocks?.

Martin decides he does not have the fuel range so 'we' concoct a plan where he and beetle go down from Fisher to Nullarbor.

Friday

Russ and me go on to Cook. We go on to Deakin and turn south. We talk about the time and the sinking sun. I say we should try going on, Russ says ok. I stop at a reasonable camp site (ha4rd to find wood on the Nullarbor plan - no real trees). Again we talk and decide to go on, Russ rides off but my bike won't start! Russ returns and we make camp .. Russ wonders why I don't work on the bike ... the light is fading and I don't wont to loose anything .... that is the reason I give him. I also like to think problems through and do that best when not hurried. Russ points out a red light on the horirzon. I say it is a radio mast. Strange haven't noticed them before ... we have camped beside a number of them. Later the red light has risen it the sky... must be a planet ... Mars?

Sat

I check the spark plugs - they look ok just a little too big a gap. Bike still won't start. I cannot hear the fuel pump run, so check the pump by connecting it to the battery - it is ok - bike tries to start. I check the supply to the pump - it is faulty. I remove the fuel pump relay - take the cover off and clean the contacts. Bike now runs. On to Eucla, then border Village. Take a room- unpack and clean for the drinks tonight.

Sun

Day off - recovery, bike service and resupply. Here my front tyre is found gashed, must have ben one of those rocks from thenullabour. The tyre lasts the rest of the trip ... back to Sydney!

Monday

It rains over night - Russ and me want to stay another day - beetle talks us into going. I fall in a slippery red clay patch, crushing my right ankle- not too bad so I ride on. Slowly, I spin 180 degrees off course twice and wonder why the rest are not following. They catch me finally - Russ has fallen and injured his right wrist. Beetle is having a wale of a time on his knobbie tyres - Russ and me are not so happy. We make Forrest and stop there over night.

Tuesday

Petrol here is $2.15 a litre, avgas $1.56 .. as we'll be using avgas later on we all use avgas to top up the tanks. We make Narwina on the railway line. We not travelling fast - due to the track condition and our various troubles, but mainly the track is slow.

Wednesday

On to Rawlinna where Russ’s bike acts up. The motor runs poorly at speed and the headlight is flickering in sympathy with the motor. But the motor runs normally at low speed (and so does the headlight). Russ pulls the top off the bike and rings two people, I ask them questions to fill me in on Yamaha XT electrics ... do some basic readings and put the thing back together. As is normal with these things that fault does not return. Beetle finds we can buy avgas here at $1 a litre - we all fill up. We go a little way up the Connie Sue - to a water tank.

Thursday

We continue up the Connie Sue - the rocks finally leave and we get some reasonable dirt before a road joins from the left (this goes to the ' cable haul road') the road now has much more traffic. We have a late lunch at 'shead tank' were the main traffic goes east to a community. We continue on the Connie Sue - the sand starts and me and Russ find the going tough. The vegetation has grown up and is way too close to the road, even the road centre has growth that hides rocks. A grader has down the upper section - the sand is loser and the vegetation at the side of the road has been removed. We camp a short distance from Neal junction. We made much better time due to the road.

Friday

On to Neal junction - this is actual a nice site - a number of old 44 gallon drums are the only rubbish around (diesel, avgas and jet fuel [helicopters?]). I find that the minimum sped to stay in control is 40 km/h, under that speed I fall off.. unless I'm doing under 6 km/h. The trouble is some of the corners are blind and some of those are very tight, you’re riding the berm to get around at 40 km/h! We camp at Ryan’s Bluff, a spectacular rocky outcrop. The wind picks up over night and the stars come and go.

Sat

Beetle announces 'a few drops' - Russ pack and me quickly. A fast breky and we are off. I'm leading! And it does rain. But we make it into Warburton for a late lunch and get a cabin, then watch the rain come and go.

Sun

We go on the 'great central road' to just out of the Ayres rock national park and camp. The road has a few muddy patches and some sandy sections ... but no bull dust to speak off. We make a camp west of the Olgas, east of Docker River. This way we avoid the nation park for another night.

Mon

Russ climbs Ayres rock, I read a book and watch the bikes wile beetle goes to the resort to get accommodation. Me and Russ go to find beetle, the info centre won't give out maps and advise of the nearest pub. The 'pub' won't sell beer without food... we go on to the back packers where beetle bike is. He is waiting for us at the bar, drinking! I try to get to book in, long line of bus passengers ... go for a drink instead. Final the que is down to 2... get to the counter "how much is a room for 3?" "Sorry - they are all booked out" ... customer service minus ten. Russ and me go to the campground book in make camp and Russ goes off the have some wielding done. We eat and drink around at the back packers.

Tues

We go into the shopping centre for breakfast - the cafe has no coffee! It broke down yesterday and they can't go to the trouble of getting a kettle and some instant coffee... We leave going on to curtain springs for brunch. But it is now between 11 and 12 and there cook is off so we can have sandwiches, pies etc. We eat and go on to Mulga park ... this is good - a better selection than Yulara and the right attitude. Beetle decide to look at his fan again. I think the sensor is faulty and had a wire rigged up so he could switch it on - by passing the sensor. Trouble is the point I had selected is no longer making contact- beetle finds it and gets another point. I'm going to rig switches around all the vital relays so i can by pass all the ruddy things easily for any future problem... Yep I'll get a roundtooit real soon. Go here next time. Camp one side (preferably the west - no fees paid) go through and camp the other side. The next day go on (in the east Mulga Park). the others go for an oil change, I go On to Kuglra - the wind picks up so I get a room. The bar is good, so is the beer.

Wed

Beetle rings Oodnadatta - Adam Pate says there are a few muddy patches. We decide to go on to Marla and ring again - same story. Again we go on towards Oodnaadatta - camping a bit before Oodnadatta.

Thurs

We go into Oodnadatta for breky. A few bikes in town - they have come across the French line with a few support vehicles. We wait for them to leave and head off. I fall off - left the choke on so the bike does not slow enough ... I pick the bike up and wonder where Russ is as he was not that far behind me. I go back about 1 km ... he is face down like a rag doll... long story short - currently they think he has some nerve damage to his hands. The RFDS has a clink that day so he is in very good hands - the fact that he is not sent instantly on to a hospital but they continue with the clink says something about the urgency and seriousness of the injury. The RFDS fly out around 5. We camp at the roadhouse.

Fri

Beetle and me go south, I travel slowly on the muddy bits - taking particular note of where Russ fell. We have lunch at William creek then make Lyndhurst for the night.

Sat

Up, I shower pack - we have breky and go. Lunch at a pub - no beer was consumed - it was freezing! The publican says it snowed last week! I should have gone north from Ayres rock through Queensland. We get to Sedan to get port, I have a pizza. PJ arrives so we talk some before going to the Alzheimer’s rally. Margaret from Tas wins longest distance female, I win longest distance male.

Sun

Beetle is about the first to leave - off home. I pack slowly and head off. Long trip on the tar to West Wyalong - they have had rain out this way - green countryside.

Mon

Tar burning, end of another trip. Home.

Some concluding thoughts

Ahh well. What would I do differently?
Take my camera. I could not fit the SLR on the K with the things I had to take so it got left behind. Must take a camera of some description next time. Even a point and shoot. Or may be a digital... but it will have to be small and reliable.
Switches around relays ... heavy duty switches to take the full main current and not burn out. This means no spare relays or sensors for them.
Umm stronger pannier frame. The old one does not brake .. just bends .. but at speeds over umm well fast speeds the panniers get a wobble up that is transfered to the bike ... not good.
Next version of the long range tank. Lower cog, pump wires coming out through a rubber 'breather' like hose.
Seat. Not certain of what to do here.

One thing ... you'll find me out here again on the bike.. it is just too good to miss.

Link to a (shortened) write up by Russ of the above trip.

Connie Sue track notes - Travelling south to north

First 40 ? km same as railway line - dirt with sharp rocks. Farmers' tracks have taken command of the older tracks so no longer straight! Some over growth on to the sides of the road.
At 105 km 'main' road comes in from the east (leads to 'cable haul road'). Watch out for dust holes from here until about 20 km north of the plum ride lake turn off (star spike with bright pink ribbon). At 'shed tank' main road goes west while Connie sue goes north. (Water looked good - I would not trust for drinking)
Road is over grown needs trimming of vegetation rather than grading. Road is graded 93km south of Neal Junction. Grading goes 40 km North of Neal Junction.
Bad washer ways with rocky base from around 30 to 80 km north of Neal Junction.
Long sand climb around 90 km North of Neal Junction - motorcycles take the western most wheel track and prepare for a right turn up a bank (keep the momentum up).
Other notes for motorcyclists (others may take note too)
I found my minimum speed for control was 40 km/h. Some of the corners are blind! In addition some corners are sharp enough that you ride the berm at this speed. Paddling speed was less than 4 km/h and even this speed was too slow for total control - better at 40 km/h! The over growth is not thick enough to rip the bars from your hands - at low speeds. You can also ride the track centre, but the low growth can hide rocks so beware. On our northward journey we only came across one group of 5? 4WDs going south. I gave them some info on the track we had travelled - they made no comment on the track as they had found it, must have been in a hurry?

You can e-mail me at Yahoo. Dated 31 December 2003

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