Well went out and bought this yesterday. Now planning to head to Finke for the race then back to the Sunshine Coast or up to work in the NT. Not sure yet


2011 Gold Coast Suzuki Demo bike. 4,700 Kms - all set to go.

Really need some advice re luggage and tyres if In may.

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U gunna race Pete ?

You can get one of those stickers

My other bikes a husaberg

cmon man u piked out 1.7kms into saturdays ride how u ganna race across the desert

HaHa

Then handed over dodgy parts to your mate.




Hell no, helping a mate's brother with fuel stops etc.

Adventure Moto,Aussie site

plus kreiga make some awesome luggage gear
ive thrashed my kreiga back pack and its still in good knick

Panniers..get good water proof stuff

Couple images of good examples...

Andy Strapz

http://www.andystrapz.com/products-deta ... 22&Level=1

Wolfman

http://wolfmanluggage.com/index.cfm?

Heaps of goodies

Thanks lads

The two biggest things I reckon you need to consider when adventure riding is
1. How much gear do you want to carry.
2. How far do you want to travel.

Some guys adventure ride from pub to pub. These guys dont carry any camping or cooking gear. So their luggage consists of a change of clothes, pair of shoes, spare parts and tools. This can all be fitted in a water proof duffle bag on the rear rack with just a couple of tie down straps.

Some guys carry the above + camping gear (tent, mattress, sleeping bag, pillow, chair) + cooking gear + first aid kit + camera gear + fishing rod + the kitchen sink. Some guys carry heaps of spare water and fuel.

So the amount of gear you are going to carry wil greatly influence what sort of luggage system you need on the back. Small load = small duffle bag. Big load = large panniers + duffle bag or top box.

Guys carrying sensitive camera or computer gear opt for a Pelican Case as a top box to keep their gadetry dry and safe.

Some guys like hard panniers to protect their luggage and to hold thier bikes up when they crash. Some guys like soft panniers because they pack down smaller when you are not carry much gear. If buying a duffle bag for the rear rack, make sure you buy a water proof one AND a abrasion resistant one. Some of the thin water proof ones wear from rubbing on the long corrigated roads and are no longer water proof.

Consider a luggage system that is either lockable or can be removed easily. Removeable ones will not only allow you to take them into the pub with you for secruity but will allow you to take them to undercover in rain to unload and reload your panniers.

If you need more fuel range then you currently have, you can either opt for a large tank, a fuel bladder or fuel cells. Each have their pro's and con's.

Here is a photo of my pannier set up. They are made from 20L jerry cans. They can be removed in about 5 seconds flat. I run a dry bag inside them to keep everything dry and dust free. My swag ties onto my rear rack, with my bum bag full of tools resting onto the seat with a little dry bag on top with my wet weather gear.

Popular choices ( for full knobbies anyway) are Pirelli MT21 or Dunlop 606.
I have tried both on the KLR and can recommend.
Knobbies on tar is always average but these tyres are are a good compromise between dirt worthiness and wear.
Enjoy!!

I dont rate the D606 on the front. On the rear it is a good value tyre that offers reasonable grip and km's. But the front one lacks bite and makes the front feel like it wants to wash out on gravel roads.

Another option is the Motoz Desert tyres. They are cheap and provide great grip and reasonable life, but unfortunately dont do a 17" which means they wont fit my bike or the DR. These will be the next one I fit to the front of my bike.

I currently have a Michelin HP4 fitted on the front and it is heaps better than the D606. They are a tyre of choice by many racing in the Australian Safari as they are wider than most (being a 90/100) offering a bigger foot print which is great when trying to change direction on a big heavy bike. But they can be hard to find as they are quite often on back order.

Like with all tyres, choose one for your conditions, bike and type of riding.

Thanks everyone, especially Dave - great info. Bike is fitted with an 18" rear rim so will look little further into those Motoz tires.

it'll be tuff getting that yhing in ya van for the drive out to fink