I’d given up on having the opportunity of going on a multi day ride on my Super Tenere prior to July this year, but strange things happen sometimes when you least expect it.
This morning I was limping around with some running injuries and needed a couple of days off my feet. I went to work and two very important meetings scheduled for the following day were postponed unexpectedly.
I spoke to my wife who gave me clearance to go for a ride and work could do without me until next Monday. That gave me five days to get to Queensland, South Australia and up the Red Centre to Darwin and some way find my way home.
I’m not a machine, so there was no way I could complete the loop and ride back home in that time but I worked out a non-plan that didn’t really get past going for a ride to Darwin via Queensland hoping that it might be possible to organise a flight home and shipping for the Super Tenere.
Part of the plan of course completely ignored the fact that Queensland was flooded and most of the roads up there were closed.
Ne next thing I needed to solve was the worn rear tyre. I called Clive the adventrue bike guru with an urgent plea and he had a tyre in stock and volunteered to change the engine and diff oil as well that afternoon. The only tyre he had in stock was a Heidenau K60, just the thing for a road trip, but I was happy enough to try one out and was sure it would at least make it to Darwin.
So up to Clive’s I went and while I was there my wife rang wondering where I was. It was then I told her I was going to follow her suggestion and I’d be leaving before daylight tomorrow morning. I think something went wrong with her phone then.
So I threw some stuff on my Super Tenere, dug out the riding gear and spent a very sleepless night trying to remember the things I’d realised I’d forgotten to pack.
So here we go, another ride on the Super Tenere about to begin!