Off the beaten track....Yes or No

[sargent]

Okay, I've had this idea in my head that one day I would like to take my lovely ST1100 off the beaten track to Cameron's Corner.

Searching random stuff on the internet and low and behold im not the only crazy nutter out there.

http://bbs.tsba.org/imagehosting/1477c5c6f8b8de.jpg

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=304329

These two  rode over the top of Atigun Pass.

So the question is simple... Have you taken your STeed off road and where too.

[Biggles]

Obviously the VStrom is better suited to gravel roads.  Sabie did a couple of hundred kays on his way to Middleton and didn't enjoy it at all, but that was pretty poor gravel.
So it all depends on the gravel.  I've ridden on smooth unsealed roads (fine sandy/clay stuff) and it was great.  Just not as brave in the corners.  Ditto I've been on loose gravel with wheel tracks and managed 70 kph- you gain confidence as you go but oncoming traffic is a pain if you're not in the left wheel track.
All in all, you've got to be keen, and if it's corrugated or very loose, you're going to have a tough time and the bike won't thank you for it.  If you head several hundred kays into it, just remember, it's just as far coming back unless you have a cunning plan to continue on westward to find bitumen sooner.
TJ189 just got back from covering some dirt roads on his ST13- have a look at his report.

[StinkyPete]

I recently drove my 4WD to Cameron Corner, going in via the Sturt National Park, and then heading west and up to Innamincka.   There is no way that I'd take an ST on those tracks.  In many places the tracks are in fair condition, but in others it's heavily corrugated, sandy or very rough.   We encountered a wrecked motorcycle trailer left on the side of the road 20 km west of Cameron Corner, and caught up with the owner/rider at Cameron Corner.   The rough track broke the suspension on their heavy duty motorcycle trailer, and he was trying to arrange to have the trailer picked up and repaired.

I strongly recommend that you leave the ST home and explore those regions with either a 4WD or an off-road bike, which are both designed for those conditions.

[Marcus]

Obviously the VStrom is better suited to gravel roads.

Meh, what's the difference between riding a Vstorm and an ST??

If you're prepared and have the proper tires, I don't see what the problem would be

All in all, you've got to be keen, and if it's corrugated or very loose, you're going to have a tough time and the bike won't thank you for it. 

If you travel about 80km, you ride above the corrugations and it becomes smoother It does in a Car at least

[alans1100]

You can access Camerons corner from Broken Hill via Tibooburra as well.  It's about 470 kms with the last 140 kms dirt.

The the road to Tibooburra looks to be a mixture of dirt and sealed sections with various lengths of each but estimating about 50/50 over the 330 km distance.

Not sure if I'd take the bike or not but's it's doable I guess and maybe the better route for a bike.

[sargent]

You can access Camerons corner from Broken Hill via Tibooburra as well.  It's about 470 kms with the last 140 kms dirt.

The the road to Tibooburra looks to be a mixture of dirt and sealed sections with various lengths of each but estimating about 50/50 over the 330 km distance.

Not sure if I'd take the bike or not but's it's doable I guess and maybe the better route for a bike.

Yes that would be the chosen Route I have in mind.

[StinkyPete]

You can access Camerons corner from Broken Hill via Tibooburra as well.  It's about 470 kms with the last 140 kms dirt.
The the road to Tibooburra looks to be a mixture of dirt and sealed sections with various lengths of each but estimating about 50/50 over the 330 km distance.
Not sure if I'd take the bike or not but's it's doable I guess and maybe the better route for a bike.

Yes that would be the chosen Route I have in mind.

That's the road on which we encountered the bike trailer with the broken suspension.  In patches it's sandy, corrugated and rough, and in my opinion, is not ST territory.   I'd seek some independent advice from Tibooburra office of NSW Heritage and Environment.

[Pocket STocker]

I had been on gavel in the past on some dirt bikes that Chris owned and it wasn't my thing. 

Well today we had the need for a gravel road adventure on our ST due to the Waterfall Way being closed due to a serious bike accident, as ST2UP new the area it was either wait for about 3 hours for the road to clear, take a 2 hour detour via Grafton or Port Macquarie or 10 k's of not pretty single road dirt track (not road).      As we where on a schedule and the other bikes with us where adventure type bikes we headed off into the unknown and WE SURVIVED   


The bike sliding around on the gravel was a little more excitement than I'm used to I must say 


So it's bitumen for us where ever possible 



Pockey 

[STeveo]

If your prepared for it and have the right attitude, I don't see what the problem is. It is your bike and you can take it where ever you like.

 

[sargent]

I had been on gavel in the past on some dirt bikes that Chris owned and it wasn't my thing. 

Well today we had the need for a gravel road adventure on our ST due to the Waterfall Way being closed due to a serious bike accident, as ST2UP new the area it was either wait for about 3 hours for the road to clear, take a 2 hour detour via Grafton or Port Macquarie or 10 k's of not pretty single road dirt track (not road).      As we where on a schedule and the other bikes with us where adventure type bikes we headed off into the unknown and WE SURVIVED   


The bike sliding around on the gravel was a little more excitement than I'm used to I must say 


So it's bitumen for us where ever possible 



Pockey 

LOL...

I think I'm familiar with that road..... has some fairly tight bends that are not too well sign posted either.

Travelled that for the same reasons but on a Yamaha V-Star Classic.



[URL=http://s1312.photobucket.com/user/sargent1971/media/V-StarClassicinQuarry_zpsf575e184.jpg.html]