the car enthusiast's site for new car news, motorsport and reviews
|
|
the car enthusiast's site for new car news, motorsport and reviews |
| HOME : FORUMS : LINKS : CONTACT US : SHOP ONLINE | |
When dairy farmer Phil Hodgens and fellow Mackay, QLD based brothers Arron, Gavin, Willy and Cameron Wellsteed were presented with the dare of riding across Australia in under 14 days on Postie Bikes, they said, “sure, we can do that!”
Not only did the group of die-hard riders achieve their goal last week, but they also raised $14,000 for the Royal Flying Doctors in the process.
Theirs is an amazing story of both personal and mechanical prowess as the group of men braved some of the toughest conditions of the Australian outback, whilst relying heavily on the reliability of this country’s highest selling motorcycle.
And how did the CT110 perform in such extraordinary conditions? Hodgens explains exactly what they put both themselves and their machines through.
“We bought the bikes second hand from Australia Post Auctions with around 30,000 kilometres on each on them,” Phil said.
“Two of them needed some minor work but the others were left as they were.”
“Honda gave us a heap of spares to take with us including spokes and a complete set of wheel bearings per bike, needle kit, stator, CDI and coil but as it turned out, we didn't need to use any of them.”
Phil and Co. decided to fit two bikes with old Honda XR tanks whilst the rest used saddle bags. This gave them a 25 litre fuel capacity, equalling a range of over 700 km's and over 30 km's per litre fuel economy.
“We left Byron Bay, Australia’s most easterly point on Sunday, June 5th and headed west thru Casino, Tenterfield and Moree. We camped west of Collarenebri and then headed to Walgett and on to Bourke where we fitted new tyres.”
“From there we went by dirt to Wanaaring and Cameron’s Corner. There was a lot of bulldust which was very hard on the little posties, but they held up fine.”
“Then it was on to South Australia and down the Strzelecki Track to Lyndhurst. All of this was in the freezing rain mind you.”
Once the group hit the Oodnadatta Track, they were presented with very sticky mud, jamming the tyres continuously and grinding them to a halt.
“We were spending 20 minutes unclogging for every 10 minutes of riding,” Phil said.
At the half way mark, the boys made it to the Kulgera Roadhouse in NT where they enjoyed their first shower since the start of the trip. It was then time to head to the Yulara Resort and meet up with their Desert Horizons Motorcycle Tours support vehicle.
On days 8 and 9, the Postie Challenge riders took the Docker River Road into WA, and on to Warburton and the Gunbarrel Highway where they found themselves faced with horrific corrugations.
“We thought those corrugations would break the bikes in half but everyone survived. This was when we did our first oil change since the start of the trip.”
With three days to go, they had to brave the freezing cold of the Carnegie Station camp and then Meekatharra where they found the water had frozen in their drink bottles.
“The radio warned us of approaching storms and possible flash flooding as we were heading into day 12. We went up to Mount Gould then west on flooded station tracks, and eventually made the Overlander Roadhouse. On the final day, we made it to Steep Point, Australia’s most westerly point.”
By meeting the challenge originally put forward by their friend Tony Kirby of Sidetrack Magazine, the men fulfilled a goal like no other.
All in all, the group covered nearly 6,000 kms with not one mechanical failure, and raised a significant amount of funds for the RDFS as well.
“I believe there are a lot of trail bikes which would not have made it even if bought brand new off the dealer’s floor,” Phil commented.
“We couldn’t have been happier with the way the Honda’s performed for the duration. Just like clockwork”