GS 1150 - Simpson Desert

Who	Tony Romanas ~ email
Profession
Born 1965	Nationality Australian
Previous travel experience	Mainly Outback Australia bikes cycles and 4wd
Previous bike travels	Mainly Outback Australia love the Desert

This trip	Simpson Desert Australia
Departure date	3/7/2004
Number in group	10
Trip duration	14 days
Distance covered	4000 Km
Cost of trip (not incl. bike)	$400 AUS

Best day	Hitting the first dunes
Worst/ hardest day	Finding out that the battery leaked acid over the wiring
Favourite place	Any place in the Simpson dessert under the stars good camp fire good friends good beer
Biggest headache	The bike is too heavy to roll reverse down the sand dune. Have to drag it around Dakar style and ride down the dune for another go
Biggest mistake	No paying attention to a small dune,heavy fall
Most pleasant surprise	Finding out the big GS can take the big dunes.
Any illness	Heavy cold went though the group like wildefire
Other trips planned	Canning Desert Run
One travel tip	Have a sense on humor know your travell mates

Bike Model	BMW GS 1150 Adventrue
Age/ mileage on departure	16000
Modifications	Stock this thing comes with everything from the factory
Mods you wish you'd done	Gel battery BM sells one Wish I had known
Type of baggage	Continental twinduro
Tyres used	0
Number of punctures	BMW panniers backpack 4wd

Bike's weak point	Heavy in the soft sand, heavy to lift loaded
Bike's strong point	Trogue comfort economy
Bike problems	Battey leaked when bike was on side.
Number of accidents	1 heavy fall on sand dune no big deal
Same bike again?	absolutely
One biking tip	Just because the BM can take a load of 200k does not mean you can ride it like that in the dessert.