Customizing a XL600R into a Cafe Racer/Street tracker to ride South

[GSequoia]

Tagged.


(Really I try to stay out of the RR forum!)


Also if you do end up unloading your L.A. projects make sure to post up here with plenty of warning, I know I'll put the word out when you do. (I"d consider the 750 but I have a KLR, therefore I'm a poor, cheap bastard).

[Osadabwa]

Magnetic,

Love the whole thing. Fixing up a bike on the sly in the parking lot, flying all over the world to get a ride done (and the upgrade to Business Class... kinda jealously pissed off about that actually, but would prefer my airplanes to not have bits chipping off en route), and the "make do" with a great ride in OZ. Now you have me considering converting my XR400 into a Cafe Racer when my life as an off-roader comes to an end... kind of a sinful thought, but there's something in it for sure. Now I'm on the Deus ex Machina website all the time drooling...

Subscribed.

[MagneticSouth]

Originally Posted by GSequoia

Tagged.

Also if you do end up unloading your L.A. projects make sure to post up here with plenty of warning, I know I'll put the word out when you do. (I"d consider the 750 but I have a KLR, therefore I'm a poor, cheap bastard).

Its not a matter or if its when, I'm having a lil problem selling my bikes here (winter time) and one of the coldest and wettest i can remember.
i'll definitely be needing the extra $$$ to get this trip rolling

Originally Posted by WeazyBuddha

Enjoying the RR...

Thanks, for coming back on board guys .

Originally Posted by Osadabwa

Magnetic,

Love the whole thing. Fixing up a bike on the sly in the parking lot, flying all over the world to get a ride done (and the upgrade to Business Class... kinda jealously pissed off about that actually, but would prefer my airplanes to not have bits chipping off en route),

Subscribed.

Its cool to have my first comment from Africa! When you come from Australia you have to fly all over the world to get 'anywhere' , one of the cons of living on an island continent. I yearn to have the freedom to be able to cross international borders by land.

[Kokopelli]

[QUOTE=MagneticSouth;19071948. I yearn to have the freedom to be able to cross international borders by land.[/QUOTE]

Love your report. You are living the dream.

Taking the ferry to the South Island is as close as we get to an overseas motorcycle trip.

One day I have to take my bike across the ditch, but I could imagine that this "never ending horizon" thing would get old very quickly.

[MagneticSouth]

Originally Posted by Kokopelli

Love your report. You are living the dream.

Taking the ferry to the South Island is as close as we get to an overseas motorcycle trip.

You know my pain, brother from another mother - land



From Topar the Westerlies from the day before gave way to a cool Easterly breeze and with the wind in my back a full tank, and my head down I finally made it!






I rode up off the road to the top of this small windy hill..
And walked over to the edge to survey the scenery.
I remember feeling a sense of joy and accomplishment and took a moment to enjoy this vast quiet landscape..

All of sudden a cloud of dust appeared in the distance and broke the moment. These wild horses came charging through the landscape just like a dramatic scene from a nature documentary.
In awe i watch them, as they made their way towards me.

They actually charged straight at me and on closer view they looked pretty pissed off,
giving me the evil eye and a look of terror as if to say...
'piss off mate! your not f.....n welcomed!'


a familiar local reception I've had on this trip.

My horse whispering FAIL was immenent as they stared me down until i slithered back to the bike and down the other side of the hill with my tail between my legs.



If looks could kill.





Broken Hill Welcoming party? - wild



On my way to Broken Hill i had to ride through various red dust twisters, They were small but found a very impressive video to give you an idea of how crazy they can get.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95tmYmeHf84


I head for Silverton an old mining town West of Broken Hill. I turn off onto a dirt track and found a place to camp that overlook the view of what supposed to be the red desert...







ing





i wish i didnt get so drunk on cask wine and cigarettes the night before.... the mornin was perfect.

[MagneticSouth]

Mundi Mundi is where MAD MAX was filmed, and was suposed to be filming MAD MAX 4, at the time i was there but shooting had been postponed until further noticed coz of all the floods which has changed the once red desolate landscape greeen....



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...too-green.html




I head into the old mining town or silver ton

Its the type of town that inspired all those fantastically scary pscycho outback flicks of the 80s and 90s.
you can scream, but nobodys gonna hear.........
















MAD MAX CAR

[GSequoia]

Originally Posted by MagneticSouth

I have no idea what that contraption is but I think I want one.

[WeazyBuddha]

Great pics. the colors on some of the pictures are really vibrant, what software--if any--are you running them through? Camera model?

[MagneticSouth]

Originally Posted by WeazyBuddha

Great pics. the colors on some of the pictures are really vibrant, what software--if any--are you running them through? Camera model?

I had one of those point and shoot Panasonic Lumix's with a supper long zoom's on that trip, they're great as a travel pocket camera..
I view the pics through LightRoom and usually do a levels adjustment with a lil desaturation.

[Ms2uared]

Originally Posted by MagneticSouth

If i was put here on earth to be a practical functional, purposeful member of society... im a happy FAIL

That is a quote for all time

[Ford_Prefect]

Hello!

I sure hope you get back stateside soon!

What is the story with that, when can you come back in? If you can not get back in, perhaps fly into TJ and just have someone bring the bike down to you?

Looking forward to the rest of the story.

Regards,

Brian

[MagneticSouth]

Originally Posted by Ford_Prefect

Hello!

I sure hope you get back stateside soon!

What is the story with that, when can you come back in? If you can not get back in, perhaps fly into TJ and just have someone bring the bike down to you?

Looking forward to the rest of the story.

Regards,

Brian

Thanks I'm working on that, still haven't sold my bikes yet but I'm hoping i can get out of here in the next 3wks..
Fingers crossed.


The original idea was to ride to Broken Hill then head south east towards Mildura and Mungo National Park
Buut i mentioned before the area was experiencing some of the worst floods in the last century...
I found out most all the unsealed roads heading into the national parks had been washed away by the floods....

I reluctantly made the decision to backtrack a few hundred kms and change directions and head north to the border.



This is supposed to be the desert.



Outback camels



Outback road trains



When you pass these things on the roads at 120km p/h on a bike you gotta make sure you embrace yourself as the wall of wind hits you like a punch in the guts





Wilcannia..... didnt want to run outta petrol again so i had to stop there again, first time i wanted to take a photo of one of the houses, obviously occupied by the aboriginal locals, but didnt have the nerve to stop the bike the first time.... the second time round i went back to try again and got chased out by a huge angry dog.... coupla aboriginal boys gave me the filthiest looks so after fuelling up, another dog ran me outta town..... no pics of Wilcannia, just take it from me, you wouldnt wanna have a family holiday there...


First site of a wild emu, these beautifully akward birds are preeeety amazing to see as you travel inland, was the closest animal that i came close to hitting on the roads as they just bolt in any direction to avoid any human contact...




the road from cobar to bourke....

probably saw most wildlife on this stretch, roos, wallabies, wild goats, and emus.... i was happy to finally find somewhere to stop and pitch my tent before something ran in my way...

[MagneticSouth]

I stopped late afternoon near the back of bourke, i couldnt find my camera, and had to unpack everything to find it,... i had dropped it somewhere in the field the night before..



Another friendly mostly aboriginal town





Roads closed...





Wasn't too upset to see the 'back of bourke'




strangely named towns out this way...



I headed toward the infamous lightning ridge - black opal mining town

black opal is the most precious of opals
ppl take it preeety seriously out there.





they say they have no idea of how many ppl live out that way...
ppl come from all over the world to buy a piece of land to try and find their fortune...
by the look of the place and the ppl walking the streets, that can take forever...
riding around the outskirts, i could see ppl live in ramshackle makeshift camps and caravans.
Black opal mining is not that complicated, most of the precious stone is found just a few metres from the surface..



I didnt really stick around for that long even though it was a bit of a ride in the middle of nowhere kinda town, i really just wanted to get outta the place.. it was stinking hot and had a really strange seedy vibe.
There were mounds of dirt and rocks all over the place...

Lightning ridge has some strange stories behind it...
People came from far and wide hoping to strike it rich, opals made people a bit crazy, and attracted some unsavoury characters, a place where people wouldn't ask too many questions about where your from or dig into your past...
People would come and go, thats another reason why the population was unknown,
It was a lawless place, wild and untamed, a final frontier...
It was simple, you bought your lot and with some simple tools you could just start digging for opals.
Apparently a good place to bury a corpse...If you found a body, the best thing to do is to cover it back up and dig somewhere else.





old mine shaft






the unsealed roads around lighning ridge is just littered with discarded rusting machinery and car parts



this is australias largest, deepest and wealthiest open cut mining site... Not that impressive huh
The place is called lunatic hill... cos the ppl that first found the site, had to be lunatics to go out there to dig....has the history of the most opals taken outta the ground..





boarded up church, by the looks of the place, i dont think god helped enough in finding the next millionaire....

[EmilianoXR650L]

nice Mad Max Car pics !!!!!!!!!!!

[turnenem]

Mag South,
I gotta admit when I saw the first post and title I was like

Now I am like

You rock! Keep it coming!

Turnenem