Ep24 - WORST day of the trip (WARNING Swearing)

[@baumie461]

It's funny but I bet you don't forget that section of your trip....you always remember the hardest parts and that you overcome them. Again great series....I'm crossing my fingers for the Aprilia...I've got a Tuono v4

[@MotoPassport]

Spot on! I look back on the trip and wouldn't change a thing. It had Amazing Awesome moments and equally just enough hard ones to make it a challenge but not bad enough to make it a disaster. It had all the right elements and being on a road bike also an Aprilia not the mainstream popular choice of adv bike made it even more fulfilling.

[@davidkumeroa2997]

That was the right call mate. Your in the Desert, on your own. Survival is what it's all about. Question: I didn't see you let down your tire pressures when you got on the soft stuff? I ride a a Honda Transalp XL650V, so we're a similar set up. I ride with 24psi in the back and 19psi in the front. So much more traction and stability in the gravel or sand. Have you seen the Chris Birch's, Say no to Slow training videos? Well worth the investment. He says in deep sand, start off in 2nd gear and gun it out of the hole so you get on top of the sand, Stand up with your weigh back over the rear tire, light as possible on the bars and steer with your feet( shifting your weight from side to side) so your front tire finds it's own way onto the top of the sand & through the ruts. And keep your speed up. Good honest Video mate. Stay upright. Kiaora.

[@MotoPassport]

Admittedly my tyre pressures were way too high and also my skill level isn't that good in sand especially with a big heavy road bike. I can't tell you how many times I said to myself my next bike is going to be a smaller lighter bike. I really felt like the bike was like a bulldozer in the sand just pushing the sand forward rather than riding over the top of it. I have a lot to learn and I've watched a heap of Chris Birch vids dreaming that I could ride like him he is just next level crazy brilliant. I've been riding since I was a young fella and riding in sand feels like I have never ridden a bike before its bloody hard. All of what you wrote are excellent tips and clearly the best way to ride in sand so I guess I just gotta practise more and get more comfortable with it. Well thanks heaps David for watching and taking the time to write I hope you enjoy the rest of the series. Chur

[@davidkumeroa2997]

More practice or just pick the better trails first. I was a sucker for watching the hard core boys do all the deserts and going like hell at everything. But I've had to man up and realize I aint no Spring chicken. I've got a Dodgy knee, dodgy heart, when I fall, it hurts, etc etc. So therefore, pick the the easier routs the ones that still challenge you but don't harm you. Life's a choice. What you do is your choice. As long as it leaves you with the largest Smile on you dial and the best story to tell around the fire with mates. Then, "that'll do Donkey." Kiaora.@@MotoPassport

[@trevbe]

A real raw, honest account of one of those days. Well done for showing things don't always go as planned. But you finished the day safe 'n sound 👍 PS: Loved the swearing 😂

[@MotoPassport]

Oh man do you know how much I stressed over whether I should include the swearing or not so thanks for enjoying the questionable commentary haha. I actually edited a lot of F-bombs out. Anyways thanks for watching it was a hard day but looking back it was a rewarding one too esp as nothing too serious happened at the end of the day.

[@touseefk]

Wise decision to turn back. And that feeling of finding 360 cam, lol

[@MotoPassport]

It was the BEST feeling finding my camera I honestly thought I wouldn't so apologies for the swearing haha

[@throttleridingadventures]

At a guess overflow leaked from radiator...good effort sand is all about tyre pressure still very entertaining the swearing frustration was pretty funny shit i lied Hilarious 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@MotoPassport]

I'm glad you wrote that about the swearing cus I was reluctant to leave it in but it was part of the days frustrations. My initial thoughts about the leak was also the overflow turns out it was a tiny hole in the radiator sheesh!.

[@sausagesandwichSA]

Great effort...I've been on that road in the car and thought this is going to be tough for you. Sensible call turning back, good episode 👍

[@MotoPassport]

The funny thing is the whole trip was 12,000kms yet this 12kms was the only section of the trip I couldn't ride, so I failed 0.001% of the trip. I'm totally cool with that 🤣Not gonna lie I wished I was in a 4WD that day

[@ronwarber535]

atleast you gave it a go mate, well done!! hope the rest of the trip is much kinder

[@MotoPassport]

cheers mate that's exactly how I look at it, gave it a go, pulled the pin, continuing the trip so all good.

[@motorbright]

Mate what a place to fall over, I think I'll give that road a miss. Good camera work and very entertaining, thanks.

[@MotoPassport]

Yeh really hard riding thou I have to admit I have unfinished business here and want to return to try again one day.

[@peterdd4994]

There’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity, dehydration doesn’t help this… Don’t feel bad of turning around if conditions get too bad - hurting yourself or worst isn’t worth it. A trick, if you’re coming in and out by the same track, dump the luggage somewhere safe and lighten the bike that way. Lamingtons are actually New Zealand invention… Safe travels

[@MotoPassport]

Admitting defeat and turning back was not what I wanted but it was the best call and you're right hurting myself or damaging the bike even more is just plain dumb. Yup great tip to leave panniers behind, I had emptied them and was only carrying some tools, jump starter etc but still the sand got the better of my skill level. Anyways it was nice to sit back and enjoy a kiwi treat 😎🤣 Thanks heaps for watching 👍

[@marksteele4364]

I admire your guts and determination to give it a go mate. Spoke with another experienced adventure rider who has ridden that 12 klms on a CRF 250 and she said it was bad having dropped her bike a number of time to reach the middle. Her advice was to drop the tyre pressure down to 15 lean back as though you're shitting over the back of the bike and hit the throttle to get the front wheel on top of the sand. Sounds like good advice to me. so you did very well considering you're on a heavy, loaded down street bike that isn't designed to perform those tasks. You had me cracking up with laughter with your commentary over the spiders 🙂absolutely love your cantor. well done mate you made a wise choice over all. Awesome work keep going. cheers

[@MotoPassport]

Thanks Mark for the kind words. When I was riding in the sand I was telling myself to lean back & give it some but at speed it felt like I was wrestling the bike beyond my comfort zone. I'd then slow down and then fight the bike in the sand I guess I just need more time in the sand to become a more competent rider. I remember riding thru sand on my dirt bike as a young fella and struggled with it back then too, nothing changed haha. Whilst I didn't make it to the centre I don't feel ripped off cus I was happy I gave it a go on a bike not meant for this sort of thing. If you get a change search for Sjaak Luccassen a crazy Dutch guy who rode his Yamaha R1 round the world in knee deep mud what an inspiration! I'm glad you found my commentary funny over the spiders cus I edited out a lot of F-bombs in this vid.

[@Motooz_91]

Mate your adventure is epic

[@MotoPassport]

Cheers mate glad your enjoyed the vid today was one of those days when the adventure really tests you

[@koalakoncepts]

Good effort with the sand and finding the camera, and correct call in turning around before Lambers Centre. 🚧🔙

[@MotoPassport]

Whilst I didn't make it I'm glad I called it quits before anything worse happened and it just means another trip out that way.

[@koalakoncepts]

@MotoPassport For sure, that's definitely how I look at things when im in the middle of nowhere.

[@MotoPassport]

@@koalakoncepts even if everything went right and I made it to Lambert Ctr I would still want to do another trip out that way again. We are pretty lucky to have it all as our backyard. Have you sorted out your front wheel?.

[@koalakoncepts]

@MotoPassport Oh thats for sure, ahh yes my front wheel, well thats a yes, then no, then a yes again temporarily hahah Just waiting on the new ones to arrive hopefully in less than a month.

[@MotoPassport]

@@koalakoncepts Well hope you get it sorted soon. If I had the money the Desert X would def be my next bike.

[@robdotcom71]

At least you tried... and then made a wise decision to turn back. The Lambert Centre isn't going anywhere and will be waiting for you when you go back on a proper adventure bike. With regards to the coolant, could the reason it's leaked was dropping your bike on it's side?

[@MotoPassport]

I thought the leak was caused from the bike getting too hot and it leaked out of the overflow turns out when I got home and checked it out there was a tiny hole in the radiator. I'm just glad I made it back in one piece. Your spot on Lambert Ctr aint going anywhere and that means I have unfinished business so I'll return on a more suitable bike and tick it off the list then.

[@CraigShawCraigShaw]

Geography nerd here. That column you pointed out early on, is called a 'Butte' That sand is Whitehouse, no thanks!

[@MotoPassport]

Craig thanks soooooo much I was really curious about the butte formations chuffed you wrote what they are called. I found them incredible and enjoyed flying the drone over them so you've finally answered this riddle for me. Hope you enjoyed the vid and thanks for the info.

[@robmcfarlane3602]

There is nothing worse than heading up a dead end and going through all that in the 1st 3 k's knowing that you have to do it again to get out ! I felt the frustration and I know the anxiety ! Not through riding in the out back mind you, but overgrown mountain tracks have done my head in numerous times. Loving your desert trek.....totally awesome !

[@MotoPassport]

Rob you must have felt my pain cus I wanted to get thru it so bad but my head was telling me not to be a hero. I told myself just a little further and then immediately thought I'd have to go back and do it all over again as well. Thanks for watching and relating to the vid I guess thats why they call it an adventure. Ride safe man

[@mixispid]

I know that pain from taking a snowmobile off the track to see if I could hit top speed across a frozen lake. Coming back off the lake, uphill onto the track, I flipped it. Taking off my helmet to hear only silence was a terrible thing. Took me 90 minutes to dig it out and finally get back on the track.

[@dannyfrumenzi9817]

What I like about this channel is the honest, authentic account of an ordinary guy doing a solo ride into some very inhospitable country. Mate, I'd have to devote one entire pannier to fresh undies if that were me!

[@MotoPassport]

Thanks heaps man that is a really awesome thing to write and I appreciate it. If you ask me what I remember about the trip the most its these few days out in the centre as it was hugely challenging yet massively rewarding too. The hard days are a big dose of humble pie cus you really feel the isolation when things get hard so I suppose it came out in the vid. I'd love to do it again on a more suitable bike and attempt Lambert Ctr again cus its beautiful country out that way. haha yup a good supply of undies is a must.

[@tonyrdr7207]

Looked like a bit of an ordeal 😮. Great that you found the camera. Good on you for having a go all by yourself, you got the adventure bug. Like I said before if you come back to SA look me up, a day in Peake will make you cruise through these tracks and give you enough confidence to have a go at sand dunes. Your bike can do this kind of terrain well enough when your skill level increases but if you got outback exploring bug and it looks like you have a Honda 300 rally will make life very easy. It is a great bike to learn these tracks on very easy to handle and as you get more confident it is extremely capable fully loaded or the remote iconic tracks like the Simpson Canning etc. Well done mate it is great seeing you learning how to handle the big bike off road and having a go, brought back some funny memories of my own😅. We all learn the same way. Keep it up. I am sure your riding level will soon be on par with your amazing cinematography skills. Great shots and video amazing how you kept filming even when things got interesting 👍

[@MotoPassport]

Yeh it sure was a full on day thou a rewarding one at that too, attempted it solo, lost my camera, found my camera, had to make a critical decision so whilst challenging its exactly what adventure riding is all about. Looking back at it seeing as nothing serious really happened it wasn't that bad and yes just makes you love it even more def have the bug now. The one thing I took away from it all and exactly what you said is a smaller lighter bike is a must, I repeated that to myself 100 times every day for the rest of the trip. I love the power and comfort of a big road bike but there are compromises and for the dirt it sucks. Thanks again Tony for watching only a few more episodes til the series is finished.

[@tonyrdr7207]

@@MotoPassport don’t get me wrong like I said your bike and other heavy bikes can do most things well if you are stubborn. For 10 years I took a 275 BM 1150adv all over the extreme trails and had a ball even though people said it was impossible. I am an average rider so you can do it too. So the light bike is not necessary a must the big bikes can do it. It is just easier cheaper and more fun and carefree. Good luck with your future adventures.

[@MotoPassport]

@@tonyrdr7207 I'm an average rider too and to be honest it was my avg skills that were the biggest hinderance and being on a big bike just made it that much harder. On the flip side I'm chuffed I got as far as I did and that the Aprilia did so well not just on todays ride but for the whole trip. I did buy the bike at a really cheap price so I couldn;t agree more with you about the fun and especially the carefree factor.

[@rond5323]

You absolutely need a tire gauge and pump; on sand you sometimes need to drop the pressure as much as you can without over-heating the tires. Much less work for the motor and clutch; perhaps the tire or bike manufacturer can tell you a minimum tire pressure for sand or mud; you are responsible (for avoiding wrecked tires or at least flat tubeless tires? You carry a spare tube of course? and of course you practised installing a tube on sand and dust? - on a stiff tarp?) (The low pressure you choose requires a very slow speed on the nearby corrugations) - great fun - at least for the viewers. (Notes from and old Australian rubber consumer)

[@MotoPassport]

Very wise words! I learnt a lot on this trip and I think everyone who has seen this vid has enjoyed the misadventures too.

[@slug.racing]

Bummer.. I feel your pain .. but you are correct.. wrong bike for the job. On a separate note I wantt to know how you mounted the Sony to the helmet it's been eating at me for a while..

[@MotoPassport]

Thanks man I was so close yet so far away, hopefully next time. Ok I use a genuine Sony curved adhesive helmet mount called VCT-AM1 mounts. As the Sony X3000 action camera isn't avail anymore I'm not sure how easy it is to get these mounts. I have used them for years and they are rock solid. www.sony.com.au/electronics/actioncam-mounting-accessories/vct-am1 Hope that helps.

[@slug.racing]

@@MotoPassport thanks if your riding past gymea I'll shout you a coffee .. thanks again

[@MotoPassport]

@@slug.racing cool man thanks for the offer 👍and glad to have helped.

[@AdamSuperAC]

Cheering for you finding that camera, YES ! 👍👍

[@MotoPassport]

Far out it felt as if I won the lotto 😄😎

[@kevinroberts2395]

What an amazing adventure you are having but I am a bit surprised you would plan this journey on a road bike. Kudos.

[@MotoPassport]

Yeh as you can see its not the most ideal bike thats for sure but it is the only bike I have. Pretty chuffed its done so well for so long

[@mixispid]

Everyone has their shithouse days. You made the right decision to turn around. Fatigue and heat will kill you. No shame in it. A 12v compressor might be in order on the next misadventure!

[@MotoPassport]

We certainly have our crap days thou I can't complain it was just one crap day out of the month so that's pretty good odds I guess. Yup gonna bring a mini compressor and also a much lighter bike for the next one haha