Two weeks ago I was at my local (a very bike-friendly outdoor bar where you can park inside) enjoying a craft beer and the unseasonal weather we've had of recent, when the owner of the bar invited to join them on their annual retreat. The only condition, it was a dirt bike weekend and you had to have your own bike. I signed up straight away and put out a request for the loan of a bike. Immediately I had two offers, one a 2001 XR200R and the other an '07 Can Am DS650 (race style quad). I eventually choose the XR and arranged for it to be dropped off at the bar to be setup for one arm style. Thursday night is 'Bike Night' at the bar and we all met up (15 of us going away) and prepared for our trip the next morning to a hunters hut on a private station by Lake Coleridge.
The adventures of course started before we even began, when trying to negotiate a narrow steep shingle stretch of 'road' with 7 bikes on board we nearly slid down the bank. Would've been a disaster, but thanks to the handy driving of the other bar owner in the work ute we both survived. Points were immediately awarded to the driver for an outstanding effort. Without too many further interesting river crossings and steep trails we arrived a base camp, a quite well equipped hunters lodge. The scenery was amazing, the wide open riding space was beckoning, and after a couple refreshments we geared up and went out for our first ride.
I will admit it took me a while to get used to riding a dirt bike, it's been over 17yrs since I had last properly ridden one. The amazing grip and tight turning circle the XR possessed was something I wasn't used to. But I had to learn quick, as straight away to leave the property we had to cross rivers, dry river beds, shingle paths and muddy sections. I was chucked right in the deep end but I had ridden dirt bikes quite a bit as a yoof so it came back to me eventually.
Over the whole weekend I rode through rivers I never would have crossed myself, up steep inclines I'd struggle to walk up, down steep rutted trails with caked up tyres from wet clay, got sideways more than I ever have including cars, dropped the bike half a dozen times (only at walking pace thankfully), rode through snow, competed in timed events and races (made it to the semi-finals in barrel racing, beat a guy on a KTM 125 MX bike but got beaten by an ex moto-crosser on an XR250, I kept him at bay for about 8 laps but missed my back brake into a turn and over shot the corner and let him through). At night we drank excessive amounts of alcohol, ate bacon and sausages and sat around a bonfire talking shit and taking the piss out of each other.
All up an amazing weekend, no one got hurt, every bike made it home going, everyone's skills improved (essentially we are all road bike riders), non stop laughing, digging in and helping those stuck get through etc etc. So many more stories to tell but you've got the gist of it by now.
One more thing, the weekends adventures only ended after we had packed up. I couldn't be arsed getting wet going through the rivers on the way out so loaded my bike and gear up. After everyone else had left we went to start the Landcruiser, and she was flat. So I had to ride out to arrange a rescue, with only my helmet and glove as the rest of my gear had left already. So I got more wet...
(I put this in GBR because to me it wasn't about dirt bikes, it wasn't a tour, it was about biker culture. 15 guys from different riding backgrounds getting together to have some fun doing something different on bikes)
Pic 1 - XL185 and KTM 125 - About 20 mins away from arriving at the camp on the first day.
Pic 2 - 15 bikes lined up, my XR in the foreground. Everything from an FA50 through to XR400.
Pic 3 - First ride out. Weather was amazing and scenery second to none.
Pic 4 - The XR
Pic 5 - The XR with the FA in the background.
Pic 6 - Just after our maybe 8th river crossing, on our way to a natural geological formation called the 'Pinnacles', a group of stalagmites.
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Originally Posted by fridayflash
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