Racing legend Daryl Beattie is going hard-core Outback riding and he wants you to come along!
The former Grand Prix motorcycle racer plans seven adventure rides this year with his new travel company, Daryl Beattie Adventures. He says he has cleared some of his commitments with the Ten Network so he can fit in the tours between MotoGP races. “I guess the inspiration for these tours comes from years of going to the Cape and away with mates fishing,” he says. “I enjoy the bush and I guess with dad’s stories of when he was out at Charleville and Birdsville, combined with my love of bikes, it was inevitable.”
Daryl will ride on all the tours, but don’t expect them to be a stroll in the bush. “These are hard-core adventures because I believe people are ready to explore,” he says. “They are starting to go overseas for more challenging rides, but I reckon we can keep them in Australia. They want to see our deserts and don’t want to just hang on our coasts.” The first tour from March 27 goes from Birdsville across the Simpson Desert to Alice Springs. Other trips include Australia’s most gruelling road, the Canning Stock Route, as well as Alice west to Broome, the Finke Desert and three Cape York rides.
Daryl with Unimog and Honda CRF450X“I think for how remote these tours are, we still offer a shower every night, fridges, a cook and I personally think it will be 4-5 star,” he says. Daryl will head every tour, leading small groups of six-to-eight riders through the breathtaking scenery and terrain. A sweep rider will follow and a fully equipped, go-anywhere Unimog carrying luggage, kitchen facilities, mattresses, fuel and spares will be at all overnight campsites. “Every evening, our guests will be relaxing with a cold one, reminiscing about the day’s riding, and chatting about all things on two wheels,” says Daryl who will also record the thrills and spills on a new Canon video/still camera.
The winner of three 500cc world motorcycle grands prix and runner-up to Honda teammate Mick Doohan in the 1995 world championship says the bikes supplied for the tours will be new Honda CRF 450X models with 21-litre endurance fuel tanks and all the necessary accessories. You can also bring your own bike. “I think 450s are the best thing for most people to handle, especially for the Canning and Simpson. Honda has done a lot for me and I want to stick with them. But down the track I definitely want to incorporate more rides with bigger adventure bikes.”
The adventure tours have been tailored to cater for competent riders with dirt-bike experience and Daryl has rated the routes for difficulty level with the Canning rating a five for the toughest. For more details of the tours, dates, prices, inclusions and bookings, click here.