60 amcn.com.au
AS A PHOTOGRAPHER,Ihaveadeep
appreciation of the Australian landscape;
exploring it makes me feel alive and at peace.
Doing so by motorcycle makes the adventure
even better.
The DR650 is a proven workhorse. Perhaps
it doesn’t have the technology of more
sophisticated bikes, but its air-cooled,
carburetted 650cc singlehasasimplicitywhich
just works.
The plan was to take theDRona400km
loop through the forests and back roads of the
Wollombi and St Albans area, and be back before
dark. A local said there were some great forest
roads out the back of Laguna. The directions
were vague but the plan was simple: find a dirt
road, follow it and see where it goes!
The ride through the Watagans National Park
was a breeze. The 650cc single has plenty of
torque, and with its plush rear suspension and
modified seat I found myself lazily sitting back
and blasting through the trails. It was like riding
a tractor with an armchair attached!
Only on the loose or washed-out sections
did I bother to stand, and the front end
absorbed most of the harder hits. Taking the
meandering back ways through the farmlands
along Murrays Run and Yango Creek Rd bought
peacefulness and serenity to the journey. The
country atmosphere and fresh air are integral to
adventure riding.
Stopping at Wollombi Tavern midweek was
very different to the weekends – no crowds,
sportsbikes or Harleys. Just myself and a pesky
bird determined to steal my breakfast.
Adventure
time!
2015 SUZUKI DR650From there I tackled the Boree Track which
joins onto Big Yanko Road past Finchley. This
stretch really tested the DR with its rutted, rocky
surfaces and endless erosion mounds. It was
hard to find a rhy thm as most of the mounds had
washouts full of water behind them. Picturesque
views from the various lookouts were relaxing
and it felt a long way from the stresses of
suburbia. That’s one big tick for adventure riding
right there.
The Great Northern Road to St A lbans is a
mixture of open road and tight twisting bends
and you have to be careful as there can be a
build-up of loose gravel on the corners. With only
a few locals present I grabbed a pie and coffee at
St Albans’ pub and warmed up by the fire.
With the light starting to fade, the trip back
home through the Watagans became more
urgent. Opening up the DR on the forest roads
was a hoot, and with the lighter fuel load the
handling improved and the bike was much
easier to throw around.
Adventure riding can be simple or extreme,
but the attraction is exploring the unknown, and
the sense of freedom and serenity that gives.Above: With a bigger tank,
a bashplate and a set of
knobbies, the DR650 can
go almost anywhere- Will you marry me?
- Not really thirsty but
always hungry for more - Suzuki’s DR650 has
been getting lost all over
the world since 1996
MULTI-BIKE TEST123