Hay guys,

Plenty of talk about this - couple of hints from a person whose done a heap of stoooopid mid summer Australian desert riding (used to live in Alice Springs, NT and Roxby Downs, SA), now live in Perth...

1. Water (already talked about throughout)
2. Stopping in shade once you hit the Nullarbor (stands for No-Trees) is impossible unless you stop at the service stations - use and abuse there air-con!
3. Cotton is usally a no-no when it comes to outdoors, but it is because of this it is ideal for this type of travelling. Cotton will not retain heat once it is wet (hence you don't want it in the snow as it will 'pull' your body heat away), BUT, 40 degrees celsius at 120km/h with a drenched shirt and the jacket slightly open, you will have aircon... This trick got me and my wife from Pt Pirie too Roxby Downs on a 50c day (just). Wet your shirt (if possible) at the sevice stations along the way - they will ask for a donation for the showers.
4. Oil!! Your Oil cooler is going to be working overtime. I have owned DR650s - love them to death, and they have never failed me any conditions - just keep the oil up and fresh.
5. Don't ride at night. Seems like a good idea, until you see the 6 foot kangaroo or 8 foot camel bounding towards you...
6. DO NOT ride in a short sleeved, shorts, t-shirt or anyhting like that. A - we all know how unsafe it is (riding and sun), and B - you will actually be hotter.

Anyway, have driven/ridden all around that area, so if you need any advice, let me know.

Gazza.

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Gazza

Stop talking, its time for action...

Damn your traveling the same sort of time as me but heading the wrong direction

Hello

Im starting my six month tour around Australasia this Sunday coming ( 16th ) when i fly out to Melbourne...got a DR600 hired for the next six months.

I have got no set in concrete route or plan, so will be happy to double back on my route and meet up with you when you arrive....Ive also got the bike hired from the same company.

Only thing is, as this is the first stage of a year long trip...im keeping to a budget, so im doing the peasent thing and camping out to keep my costs down.

Hopefully meet up with you soon.

Andy.....im not really called BaldBaBoon

Hey Pat,

Everyone seems to be saying that it's too hot to ride around those dates mate. Really mate if you likr yo ride you wont worry about the heat. But yes like they say drink a lot of water! if your pee turns yellow your not drinking enough so just keep pouring it thru you. If your pee is brown then you pretty well buggered mate!

For the day in Melbourne, spend it in the pub mate, as it's apparently too hot for anything else....... Ok enjoy your ride. I eill be riding into Australia in January.

Cheers.

Nah, never too hot to ride in Australia. I've done:

Melbourne - Broken Hill - Alice - Broome - Perth - Adelaid - Melbourne in November, 13,000km in 15 days.

Darwin - Mt Isa - Bourke - Melbourne in December, 5,000kms in 5 days

Melbourne - Bourke - Mt Isa - Cooktown - Brisbane - Melbourne in January, 10,000kms in 4 weeks (yeah, I know it was slow - I had a pillion!

Melbourne - Adelaide - Ayers - Rock - Alice - Adelaide - Melbourne (when the Stuart Highway was still dirt) on a Ducati! in January. 6,000kms in 8 days.

.... and many more long distance rides during the summer months - including a week long ride through outback NSW every year for the last 10 years over the Xmas break.

Never too hot.

Garry from Oz.

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Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

In Halls Gap in the Grampians at the moment.....firt time ive seen a blue sky and hot weather since i got here.

Keep an eye on the weather reports for the great ocean road if your doing that, Up until yesterday the weather was 70kph+ winds and rain and rather cold temps....should be warmer before you get here though.

" Cotton is usally a no-no when it comes to outdoors, but it is because of this it is ideal for this type of travelling. Cotton will not retain heat once it is wet (hence you don't want it in the snow as it will 'pull' your body heat away), BUT, 40 degrees celsius at 120km/h with a drenched shirt and the jacket slightly open, you will have aircon... This trick got me and my wife from Pt Pirie too Roxby Downs on a 50c day (just). Wet your shirt (if possible) at the sevice stations along the way - they will ask for a donation for the showers. Oil!! Your Oil cooler is going to be working overtime. I have owned DR650s - love them to death, and they have never failed me any conditions - just keep the oil up and fresh.
.. DO NOT ride in a short sleeved, shorts, t-shirt or anyhting like that. A - we all know how unsafe it is (riding and sun), and B - you will actually be hotter.

Anyway, have driven/ridden all around that area, so if you need any advice, let me know.

Gazza.[/QUOTE]

+1 on the above.
keep covered in the heat-thickcotton is gr8-its like being in a tent and not in direct sun/u will get cooked. the reason u dont see bedouins in the desert walking around half naked.sweating is cooling.just drink water/add some sports stuff powders like garorade to the water-for essential salts replinishment.its like $8 in the big supermarkets.
oil-use heavier oil as it breaksdown in heat-like 20w-50 or something.

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ride, ride like the wind to be free.

You want vented jacket and pants at that time of year.