the safari is a pretty serious affair – at least for amateurs like me. it’s also going through some really remote areas where finding spare parts may be a bit difficult. and because i really really want to get to the finishing line i’m using some of my hard won project planning and management skills to prepare myself as best i can.
so i’ve been spending my last few weeks thinking, planning, selecting, ordering ….
e.g. new wheels. i know the bike came with a perfectly good set. but there are two reasons why i got a spare set: firstly if the original set gets more of a punch than it can handle at least i got a second set to continue on. the second reason is that each set will have a set of michelin deserts race tyres mounted, and michelin bib mousse inside. i’ll be swapping them, probably around half time, and then all i’ll have to do is swap wheels.
sounds efficient, doesn’t it? two fronts and three rears should really get me there.
and this is where i’ll live.
that’s a two second tent in the back (probably takes 20 minutes to fold it back up), a self-inflating mattress, sleeping bag and a little pillow. i hope those outback cricket ovals are flat.
i know of a fact they won’t be quiet.
and those should get me from ‘a’ to ‘b’, where ‘a’ and ‘b’ will most likely be more than 250km apart. it’s not exactly what i wanted though.
i wanted a bigger front tank (15.5 l) but that did not work with my bike, so i had to go with the orange one there, which is only 13l. the next one up was 20l, and that would probably last me all the way. and be almost as heavy as my entire bike – or so. anyway, there is still the 8.8l rear.
connecting the tanks is a bit of a challenge on the newer bikes with the fuel injection. on the older ones all you had to do was plumb it all into the carburettor but now it’s got to sit in front of the pump delivering the fuel at high pressure to the injector.
good thing i was able to find some guys in the united kingdom who made a spare part that does the trick.
and there are a few more things i will be taking with me. spares, more spares, tools, first aid stuff (required). did i mention tools? heaps of electrical connectors as well, with all the stuff that need to do things and needs to be connected to other things that do all sorts of things mostly related to ensuring i don’t get lost in the outback.
this year there will be one more gadget though, a little box called rallysafe. it’s doing a few tricks but most importantly it will tell the rally management guys where i am and if i am still moving (broadly in the right direction). if i’m not i can (maybe) press a little button and then the helicopter will be coming in really quickly.
as i said hopefully i won’t have to use it. i want to finish on my own wheels.