Bruce, Simmo and Heidi trip and live travel map

[grantg]

bruce have got oil for you guys see ya when looking at ya

[pan]

[Rock]

Good of Guys&Girl, nice read, Keep safe.
Hope to catch with you all, when you reach
Perth.
Cheers
Rock

[BLACKZOOK]

Day 5
Tonightâ€s blog is written by Bruce and Simmo, but they make me type.
Up at first light and back on the bikes for the run towards Broome, both Bruce and Simmoâ€s rear tyres are very worn, we called ahead and organised tyres to be air freighted from Perth to Broome awaiting our arrival. Back to the usual grind with great roads and fantastic scenery, red rock everywhere almost a prehistoric landscape.



Some of the towns leave a lot to be desired run down and the majority of the population look either drunk or wishing they were.

We left Katherine through to Timber Creek, Kununurra where we called ahead for tyres. They guy there was incredibly helpful, ringing all around the country for us. No-one had the good Michellin tyres, so we had to take what we could get. We rang the Australian distributors and everyone we had ever met, but the best we could get were HPX air freighted from Perth. Bruce said, ‘I donâ€t give a f*** what they cost, just get them hereâ€. We rang ahead to Motorcycles and Small Engines at Broome who were incredibly helpful, organising the freight for us while we rode.

From Kununrra around Lake Argyle to Halls Creek.

Heidi: Simmo called into the first petrol station and stood there for 15 minutes and got eight litres. Bruce and I decided this was a dumb plan and moved to another station that had been converted into a general store and the pumps were covered in mesh and showed $1.08 per litre. We went to Simmo and were going to try his dumb pump, when we were told there was a shell station directly across the road. Obviously ten hours on a bike does nothing for your observation skills. Simmo made friends with a small Oriental man ridind a XR600 that had a broken chain. Simmo gave him a link that wouldnâ€t fit in a pink fit and was given a Japanese good luck charm to ward off evil spirits. It was obviously cursed as at the next stop, Simmo realised his rack had sheered off and his tyre was rooted. Damn Oriental men.

From there we went to Fitzroy Crossing. None of us were keen on Halls Creek, and Fitzroy Crossing was initially no more attractive at the Shell where I meet a lovely young lady with tattoos and a bar through the back of her neck. While paying for the fuel, I told here we were desperate for a bed. She offered me a bed at her place, but when I pointed out Bruce and Simmo, she changed her mind fast.





When booking in we struck up a conversation with the local coppers who were there expecting trouble as a band was sposed to play that night. While Bruce and I were inside, Simmo spilt his guts to the cops about how far we had gone and how fast. I came out to find Simmo frantically back-pedalling as he tried to talk it down. Bruce walked out and filled in all the gaps Simmo had left. We paid $130 each for dongers (thereâ€s that word again) for old construction huts. The cops then escorted us to our accommodation and hit the high beams for us so we could see the entry to our huts. He high-beamed us to light the way, Bruce suspects so he could read our plates. Hopefully they havenâ€t been faxed across the country.

Simmo: not that weâ€ve done anything wrong

Bruce:… in the interests of public safety

Heidi: they make me type this, somebody come and save me.

[BLACKZOOK]

The entertainment was varied; many drunk local aboriginal people were drinking and brawling. The only thing keeping them in line was the HUGE Samoan bouncer. We asked him what time the sun came up and he said 5.30am. In retrospect, asking a bouncer what time the sun came up was a mistake, he had no idea and we left late.



Simmo left early to get a start on his 400km 80km/hr canvass tyre odyssey where he was almost mugged in the middle of the road. Bruce and I arenâ€t so sure this is entirely true, but Simmo suggests you bring a bat if you intend doing this trip on your own. From there it was a grind. Damn hot, following Simmo on his shit Hayabusa doing 80kms/hr.



Stopping for fuel at the Willare Roadhouse, Iâ€d stopped to take some photos, so I turned into the long dirt driveway to find Bruce frantically and inexplicably gesturing. I got up on my toes for a better look as the front and back both let go in the deep red dirt. Simmo was entertaining himself and a road train driver by lining the busa up against his huge truck.



Bruce and I had stopped to let Simmo get a little ahead and had bumped into a crazy looking dude on an old BMW.

Bruce: It was a 790â€s BMW with no side covers a big touring screen and oil leaks galore. He explained that he was following his Dad from Cairns to Perth, his Dad towing a caravan and happens to also be legally blind. He also hadnâ€t had a shower or a shave for six months and was a little fruity when you got too close to him.

Heidi: When he got me alone for a second, he leant in and growled, ‘got any drugs?†BLOODY HELL, this happened on the last trip too!

At this point, Bruceâ€s bike turned into a pogo stick, it was all over the road, bouncing up and down. A quick check revealed oil on the bottom of the Ohlins shock and no dampening at all. Bruce swore himself blue. At this stage we are crawling into Broome with Simmoâ€s bald tyre and busted rack and Bruceâ€s rooted suspension.

Heidi: My bike is brand new and is going like a champ, go the Gen 1.

Bruce:The trip to Broome took 5 hours (Heidi: it took me a little less) in the stinking heat. Found the bike shop who told us the tyres should be on the next flight at 12.10 as they hadnâ€t appeared on the 9am. No-one was sure why. Bruce called Bear (Ian) in Perth and told him the Ohlins was f****d and asked him to try and get me a replacement or scour the wrecking years for a spare stocker. Ian dropped everything and made some calls to find there were no Ohlins in stock in WA. Left work and scouted the wrecking yards, finding an ‘05 for $200. Finally the tyres arrived at 1. Stripping my bike down we discovered the Ohlins shock had vibrated its compression and rebound adjusted down to minimum. It was fine after all. Got the new tyres fitted, Simmoâ€s rack welded after hours of waiting around, we were hot and tired and decided to stay in Broome, do some washing and get an early night.


This is really why the boys wanted to stay


Heidi: We went out to dinner where Bruce was making eyes at a very attractive blond waitress. It was going very well, she was smiling back, and there might have been a chance Simmo would have to sleep with socks plugged in his ears in their twin room, then Bruce dropped the WORST DREADFUL line on the poor girl. We didnâ€t see her again for a while, I figure she was out the back with the other waitresses warning them about table 1. Bruce reckons he still got the eye on the way out, but I think she was smiling with relief. Bruce has asked me to point out that she came back laughing.


We are 2600kms from our Sunday night stay-over in Collie so we are in for a couple of long hard days. We have two options, the coast road which is 200kms longer or the inland road. Apparently the inland road is long and HOT and straight, so it was suggested we do the extra 200kms and take the winding coast road. We havenâ€t done that much straight line stuff apart from the high speed blast across the NT, so why start now.

And we are not going to mention Bruceâ€s first sit-down.

[rave]

So bruce whats the line ya used on the hot waitress?.... just so i know neva to use it!

[Madmax]

So bruce whats the line ya used on the hot waitress?.... just so i know neva to use it!

Knowing Bruces love and friendship for his little mate, he probably said "Would you mind letting me little mate watch!"


Max

[Andycool]

So bruce whats the line ya used on the hot waitress?.... just so i know neva to use it!

Knowing Bruces love and friendship for his little mate, he probably said "Would you mind letting me little mate watch!"


Max

[Ruffy]

" I want you to meet a little friend of mine"

Cheers Ruffy

[Mutha]

Nice pics people, great reading and I'm enjoying following your journey.

Heidi you should be write a book

[Monyx]

Just inspiring to follow your adventure guys...unfortunately deterioration of disc between vertebra precludes me from ever attempting this at such a rate of travel...unless I had recover day in between ea leg!

[LOAFIE]

Great reading keep them coming.
Why is it Simmos bike that has dramas with its rack , his gen 1 did similar at jindy last year.
Must be all those hot westie chicks he picks up

[pan]

...or the weight of all the alcohol he carries with him...

[homerbusa]

good reading and excellant photos.keep the pictures cominghow are the bikes going any problams go the jaffa.

[BUSGO]

Blackzook shoulda stuck to the stock shockie. They are built to last the distance.