Well, it was high time to take out the Piglet (Me - XR 250), and the Big Red Pig/BRP (Tim - XR 650) this weekend.
With a scheduled temperature of 29 C though, it was going to be hot. Not that we'd let a small thing like heat get in the way of a good ride!
By the time we'd got our crud all organised, camelbak drinks in backpacks, tools which i had to go back for (if I didn't bring em, it'd be the time i'd need them), and even a first aid kit, it was pushing 10am, and already getting warm.
First aid kit!. Sheesh, This was almost organised! Ah well, if thats what it takes to keep the missus to be happy, I'll take it.
With a new Pirelli MT 21 on the rear of the BRP, Tim was keen to see how it went compared to the MT 18 Heavy duty he had on before.
While on the way to the local Service station to top the pigs up, I noticed that even under decelleration, the new rear on his bike was leaving significant black marks!! New tyres are very slippery!
Anyway, some premium unleaded, some air in the tyres, and we were off. Tim already saying that the MT 21 is a lot smoother on the road than the MT 18, which is very aggressive.
Firstly riding on white metal roads to get to callington. As neither of us had been exactly the way we went, there were a few of the "oops, its a no through road", sorta moments, but eventually we got to where there is a nice single track along the side of the road just outside of callington.
The single track goes for about 30 km/s, weaving between trees, with a few short open sections. The piglet was in heaven, and running nicely. I think the BRP is a bit of a handful in this sort of stuff, but I dont think it worries Tim, because when it opens up a bit, he can open up the BRP, and blast right past.
At the end of the single track, onto the bitumen for a couple of kays before encountering a railway crossing, which appeared to have a nice track down the side also ;-)
Braaapp. off we went down there. Very nice. A few rocky jumps (big buried granite boulders!) and nice flowing single track trail with dirt that is "just right" for powerslides out of every corner.
From there we meandered a little more on the side of the railway track, eventually having to leave it just outside of Murray Bridge for a white metal road to move on to the next railway track which goes almost at a 90 degree angle to this one.
We'd sort of planned to go either of two ways, one which is a deep sandy whooped out track that gives you a great workout, or the way we did go, because we're old .. hehe
This second railway track goes out near to Palmer North East of Adelaide, and appears to be no longer actively used. There are a couple of tricky spots where you need to get between the tracks themselves, to go over railway bridges, but nothing too tricky, mostly blasting along in top gear stuff watching out for and avoiding the occaisonal coconut size rocks. Boy was it dusty!
The AMTRA guys usually go on this track too, and from the looks of it, there had been a bunch of bikes through just recently. Could have been them I guess.
We reached Palmer for some lunch, having covered about 100 kms by this stage. Both starving, and tired (way out of practice) we scoffed down a pie/pastie each (and a magnum ice cream for me ;-) and decided to take the easy way back along the white metal roads.
Thinking we'd make it easy with Fuel, we didn't fill either bike up. Well, that was a bit of a mistake, cause the BRP is quite thirsty, and Tim was on reserve with about 30 kms left to go before getting back to his place. Lucily, when reserve ran out, about 5 kms from his place, we layed the bike over, and he made it home. But that BRP must have been running on vapour!
All in all quite a good ride, with roads, bitumen, single track sandy, single track hardpack, a little bit of mud, and even some deep sand thrown in for good measure.
I only fell off standing still once (trying to turn around). And almost dropped the bike in the second small patch of mud we found. Being only 172cms tall is a curse with the size of todays dirt bikes ;-(
I'm sure if the weather was a bit cooler we'd have gone for more of the harder trails, but as it is, we're both buggered!
The MT 21 did just fine, with traction being close to the MT 18 for most stuff, but the one road performance is a lot smoother and nicer. Perhaps it will even last a little longer on the tyre shredding BRP ;-)
Simon