Judith & Moon’s DR650 Motorcycle, its modifications, and the tools and camping gear we carry.
This is part of the story of Judith & Moon’s attempt to cross the Tanami Desert on a DR650 Motorcycle. If you’ve arrived here for the first time, you can read an overview of our adventure here.
Moon and I are about to embark on an epic 12,000 km journey from our home on the NSW Southern Tablelands into the Tanami Desert and back, on a DR650 motorcycle.
I bought the motorcycle new from Vince Strang in June 2020, with an initial set of modifications designed specifically for my plan to cross the Tanami. This post is aimed at fellow adventure riders, people riding with dogs, and motorcycle enthusiasts in general. Everyone else will be bored!
The motorcycle is a DR650SE, 2020 model. Before it even left the showroom, I’d had it fitted with the following:
Body: Renthal handlebars and risers, shortened side stand and plate, Acerbis bark busters, pivot pegz, dark tint rally windscreen, 25l Acerbis fuel tank, VSM reshaped seat
Exhaust & Suspension: 8kg spring, 8mm lowering plate, jet pilot, Staintune exhaust, new fork springs
Protection: black poly sport mudguard, VSM case saver, Ventura headlight protector, chain guide guard, Acerbis skid plate, Warp 9 fork brace
Accessories: USB power supply, heated handgrips, trail tech vapor digital gauge, B&B rear rack & luggage plate, side racks, Nelson Rigg saddlebags
I’d originally had a Pirelli MT21 tyre on the front and a Heidenau Scout on the rear, but for the desert trip I’ve swapped them for Dunlop 606s (front and rear) with ultra heavy duty tubes.
I’ve now removed the fork brace and swapped the rally windscreen for a Madstad Engineering adjustable windscreen system, which allows me to raise the screen on the highway and lower it again offroad. I’ve added Stedi driving lights to decrease our chances of hitting wildlife on the road. I’ve also added a hydration tank bag from Thirsty Rock, which holds 4 litres of water.
Because I’m not an experienced rider, I’ve added T-Rex crash bars and double take mirrors. Moon rides in a custom K9 Moto Cockpit from Ruffly, which is essentially a padded roll cage that places most of his body weight on the pillion seat.
He wears Rex Specs to protect his eyes, an acoustic headwrap to protect his hearing (which he often refuses to wear), and an insulating Ruffwear coat.
What we bring with us
I am not a physically strong person. I’m 50 years old, with a degenerative spinal condition, and I mostly ride alone. If I crash, and the motorcycle lands on my leg (which it often does), I can’t lift it off myself– so I carry a motowinch. My motorcycle has very tough Dunlop 606 tyres with rimlocks and I’m not strong enough to get them on and off the rims by myself in the event of a flat, so I use a Baja Tyre Tool to help me. Neither of these tools are very heavy and they give me peace of mind. I also carry a Garmin inReach mini, which has a big red SOS button in case something goes very wrong in the desert, and allows me to send satellite text messages in case I’ve just broken down (but don’t need the rescue helicopters!). The rest doesn’t require explanation, so here’s the list.
Tools: Motion Pro bead breaker and lever set, valve tool, tube repair kit, Motion Pro chain tool, reversible screwdriver, magnetic pick-up tool, mini ratchet, allen bits, socket set, adjustable spanner, axle socket, Motion Pro forged alloy 24mm tyre lever combo & 19mm steel tyre lever, pliers, complete set of replacement bolts, loctite, enduro side-stand, tyre pressure gauge, duct tape, air prefilters, cable ties, wire, chain lube, baby powder, chain cleaner, WD40, super glue, epoxy, Motopresser tyre pump, leatherman, motowinch, Baja tyre tool, service record book, 8 litre fuel bladder mounted with rok straps.
Spare parts: 14 tooth front sprocket (for off-road) and plate, DR650 pick up coil, chain links, oil filter, 21" inner tube, spare key
Camping gear: biker swag, remote projects canvas tarp, swag poles, tent pegs, plastic mallet (also good for banging the axle back in!), pegs and flylines, head torch, plastic pegs for sand, travel towel, camping mat, sleeping bag & liner, camping pillow, washing powder, rope & laundry pegs, jet boil & gas canister, Bialetti mini stove-top espresso maker (because life’s too short for bad coffee), tin espresso cups, jet boil billy can, fork and spoon, stormproof matches, fire flint, ziplock bags, ground coffee.
Dog gear: K9 moto cockpit, flea & tick treatments, 12 meter Ruffwear hitching line, shock lead, collapsible food bowl, collapsible water bowl, water bottle, dog electrolytes, Ruffwear coat, Warm coat, Raincoat, dog poo bags, thundershirt (in case of storms or anything scary), 6 point harness, Rex Specs, Acoustic headwrap, dry dog food, dog treats.
Riding gear: Klim Artemis riding pants & jacket, Alpinestars off-road pants, ONeal armoured mesh, Sidi Atojo MX boots, Klim Krios Adventure Helmet, rain gear, Alpinestars summer gloves, attenuating earplugs, visor cleaner & chamois, Rider Support Australia membership card.
Tech: Go Pro, power banks, USB/cigarette lighter charger for phones and devices, Tom-Tom Rider & cardo headset, Garmin inReach satellite messenger, Garmin mapper, phone & micro SD (for music when out of range), complete DR650 workshop manual on a USB drive, headphones, laptop.
First Aid: Snake bandage, normal bandage, insect repellent, sunscreen, painkillers, bandaids, antiseptic gel, antihistamine, cold & flu tablets, sting medication, powdered electrolytes, butterfly wound clips, emergency whistle, swabs, nail scissors.
Art Supplies: Darkroom paper, visual diary, pens, dark bag, leica 35mm film camera & film, mini flower press, water colour paints.
