Cape York Peninsula - question

[spanner]

Has anyone ever taken their ST along the dirt road to Cape York peninsula?

I have just been looking at the maps of Australia in a WHOLE new LIGHT since I realised the distances I am capable of.

[Gadget]

Never been north of Weipa but my brother used to travel all through the Cape as a Hydrographer. There were several water crossings and barge crossings. Documentaries of 4WD  haven't been too encouraging.

I drove a 4WD from Cairns to Weipa over 10 years ago and it was mostly very rough, ball style stones and pot holes hidden in bull dust. All the dirt sections were driven with 4WD engaged to get traction while turning.
Unless it had been bitumened since, I wouldn't take a road bike. Is even be reluctant on a diet bike. There is just so much loose gravel.
Most 4WD shake parts off on that road. I was traveling with a Toyota 4WD tray back carrying a 400 kg machine. The mudguards fell off bit by bit. I had wiring problems in the Jackaroo.

[Lionel]

In 2003, My cousin and I drove a hired 4WD from Cairns to the tip and back. We were the support vehicle for my brother-in-law and his two sons who were riding dirt bikes.
We travelled to Weipa then to the tip via the old Telegraph track, returning via the development road.
If there is another road in Australia as corrugated as the development road then I’ve yet to find it. It was a bone-jarring experience in the new 4WD given to us by the hire company.
Our party of five included two experienced vehicle mechanics and a mechanical engineer whose combined experience managed to keep the three off road bikes maintained and repaired.
There was a company operating out of Cairns that conducted tag-along off-road tours from Cairns to the tip. If they are still operating that would be the way to go. Its not a trip to undertake on your own. Having said that we did meet at Musgrave station, a mechanic from a Motorcycle shop in Warwick who was on his own.
In 2013 Alice and I towed a caravan to Cooktown as it was bitumen all the way. That is as far as I would travel north on any road bike like the ST.
A few mates and I are planning a trip to the tip next year in 4WDs as a substitute adventure for missing the 2016 Ulysses AGM in Tasmania. I’ll be able to provide a detailed description of the road condition after that trip.

[ST2UP]

It is safe to say Spanner that on the right bike it is very possible with the right support......Development road or OTL. But on the ST1100 you don't have either   . Tyres, suspension, bike frame, water ingress all come into play and with all that plastic to pollute the track with.......heel no ! 

Adventure/trail bike tour companies have been taking clients up there for years.....


But if you do decide to have a crack at it......the RAN will be off the air those days 



We are gradually putting together a vehicle to do the Cape in the future as well as similar destination.....Tyres, Suspension, Vehicle protection and recovery, Communications, load carrying , vehicle reliability and spare parts are all part of the preparation we have done so far.....

But from those who have made the trip the feedback on there experience is   

[tj189]

There have been numerous motorbike trips up to the tip.  There has been one or two road bikes that I have read about. A number of tour companies out of Cairns run trips on dirt bikes.

[Philbo]

Years ago I rode as far as Cape Tribulation on a road bike.  In those days it was a dirt road with rubble creek crossings.  There was a ferry to get across the Daintree river.  It has rained (as it does a lot in Nth Qld) and the road surface was slippery, and was very tricky with road tyres.  I was working hard to stay upright, and eventually landed on my arse following a slow oversteer skid.  The bike was also a lot lighter than an ST.  I believe there a still river crossings on the road to the cape, and the rivers have crocs.
I think that the bike weight and tyres would be against you on an ST.  Better a more agile machine.  And take some friends,
Phil

[Bikebear]

I wouldn't even consider the ST for a Cape trip. Despite the amount of work being done to the road it's still quite rough in places.

It's no great adventure anymore, wide roads, heaps of traffic, even long sections of bitumen... boring to the max. I travel up and down on a regular basis and have seen the road get better and more boring for years and years. Backpackers in Hiace vans regularly drive to Bamaga. The Telegraph track still adds a bit of fun but even it is becoming a bit of a highway these days.

Don't let me put anyone off driving up but don't expect hard core 4wding on the PDR, it's getting more like the Bruce highway every year.. yes the potholes feel the same.

Oh.. and if you are heading to Bamaga and the tip make sure you have some readies for the Jardine ferry, it costs big to cross the river.

[Gadget]

Cash only at Jardine?

[Sabie]

Nah ... go for it spanner ... the 1100 will $hit it in on those roads/Highways ....... after that try the Birdsville Track/Highway...........

[Bikebear]

Cash only at Jardine?

It was cash only  last time I went through and had to pay (having SES on the vehicle the last few times got us on for nothing). I have read that eftpos is now available at the Jardine Store. Prices are around $100 per vehicle  and about $130 with a trailer, you'd need to contact them to confirm that.

[spanner]

thanks Sabie ..... I think!!!!

Can I borrow your St1300 for the trip???     

[Sabie]

thanks Sabie ..... I think!!!!

Can I borrow your St1300 for the trip???     

Sorry Spanner .... she's all booked out for the next 24 to 567 months.....

[spanner]

thanks Sabie ..... I think!!!!

Can I borrow your St1300 for the trip???     

Sorry Spanner .... she's all booked out for the next 24 to 567 months.....

riiight .... so that's only 47.25 years away .    Can I put it in my diary then?     

[Kev Murphy]

 

[Gadget]

thanks Sabie ..... I think!!!!

Can I borrow your St1300 for the trip???     

Sorry Spanner .... she's all booked out for the next 24 to 567 months.....

riiight .... so that's only 47.25 years away .    Can I put it in my diary then?   

Week one or week two?

[Kev Murphy]

Probably booked in for a service in the afternoon, anyway 

[marty]

I ride my st regularly on dirt roads (I live at the end of one)  but thats short distances and the bike get filthy dusty. Cairns to Weipa is bitumen as far as Laura and then intermittent bitumen and dirt.  It could be a miserable ride as the corrugations can be woeful, not to bad if its just been graded. i would look for local knowledge on that. Try Sam at RACQ Weipa, he is up and down that road a lot. I passed a guy on a big bmw road trail thing, picking his way along the corrugations at about 40klm/hr , it didnt look like fun. Im told in about 5 years it will be bitumen all the way. My brother in law did the cape trip a year ago on big dirt bikes with a support vehicle and they still managed to smash one bike. Doable but worth it? And if its been raining much I would definitely give it a miss.  Cheers

[Sabie]

Knock yourself out ..... the grand-kids will even give you the first day free....................

thanks Sabie ..... I think!!!!

Can I borrow your St1300 for the trip???     

Sorry Spanner .... she's all booked out for the next 24 to 567 months.....

riiight .... so that's only 47.25 years away .    Can I put it in my diary then?   

[spanner]

 

book me in for the first of the month then.

 

[Sabie]

There's a $1000 deposit in advance........at time of booking.........

[spanner]

that's more than the bike will be worth in 47 years time.   

[Sabie]

Not this one ....... it'll be an antique

[Mystic2]

Has anyone ever taken their ST along the dirt road to Cape York peninsula?

I have just been looking at the maps of Australia in a WHOLE new LIGHT since I realised the distances I am capable of.

Yes anything is possible , once you get to Laura put the ST in the back of a Landcruiser secure it in the tray and hang on , they are working on the road in different places all the time and they make smooth as bitumin but with all the  traffic its corrugated with a week    we went fishing in May- June for 10 days,  the road they fixed on the way up was corrugated on way back we turn off at Musgrave . Talking to other travellers you won't be lonely , I have been up several times to the tip only once on the bike TT 600 great ride but had trouble with people drive beyond their capacities especially in the dust & corrugations . But everyone got to set Goals