I will ride from Melbourne to the Finke Desert Race on Queen’s Birthday long weekend on 10th - 14th, June 2022. It’s a 7500km trip through the Australian outback. It’s my first time out there and I look forward to checking out Uluru and the many National Parks, pubs and people scattered along the way.
Low-cost, modern and reliable, this 157kg dual purpose bike is perfect to go around the world. It's based on the tried and tested Honda CRF250L and has a larger fuel tank, windshield, and LED headlights. It was picked up second-hand for just under $5,000 AUD with 7,000km on the clock.
You can read more about why I chose the Honda CRF250 Rally here.
Update: 3/3/2020 I made the uncertain and unfortunate call to cancelled the trip after 6 months of dedicated planning and hard work. This is based on a projected spread of the virus and reports of border closures with Iran and China. I expect the virus to become pandemic with further uncertainty and closures. Catching this early means I can stay at work and keep my house. Thank you all for your support.
I did a short 1652km trip from Melbourne to Mt. Kosciuszko and back.
The mount can be screwed directly onto the bag. This needs to be in the thickest and strongest part which is the straps. The best part is where they overlap. This is where I aligned the middle of the Tusk quick release mount. I then doubled-over the seat strap for the top screws. I cut the straps off once I was done.
You need USB chargers. Multiple redundant USB chargers. There's no way around it. Everything electrically important to your adventure depends on it. They break, so make sure you have one or two as backup and they are tested!
The rear sags a lot from factory on the Honda CRF250 Rally. Everyone who owns one knows this. It's great if you're short because it lowers the bike but it causes havoc to the handling of the bike. It makes the front feel like a pogo-stick and you'll likely bottom out with heavy luggage and a pillion. Forget it if you're over 80kg!
I lost 7 pairs of glasses on my trip around the USA. Two of them were prescription. They cost me about $300 AUD. It was a costly lesson as I need them to see long distance, especially at night time in the rain. It meant I couldn't see clearly and I missed all the stars!
Front panniers are great. They move weight and bulk away from the rear. The Honda CRF250 Rally has long travel front suspension, so I have no problem it up more there. These Wolfman tankbag and side-pannier pockets came with the bike and I decided to keep them.
Pannier pockets are expensive if you buy motorbike specific ones. The Giant Loop ones are $150. I can't justify that. I just wanted some bags to store tyre tubes in. I decided to find an alternative.
You need a reliable battery for a long-distance trip. The CRF is around 2 years old and has the original battery. It works fine, for how long I'm not sure. Given my trip from Melbourne to London would take around 7-9 months. I'd rather not risk it.
Air filters are cheap. They cost around $25 AUD and need to be replaced every 25,000km on a Honda CRF250 Rally. My trip from Melbourne to London would take approx 50,000km so I would need to swap it at leased once. I don't want to bother trying to find one on the road. I could take a spare but I don't like to carry things I don't need. Plus, it could get damaged.