Can't even remember exactly where I saw that note on the net....but Suzuki-AUS seemed to have cottoned onto the BMW/KTM ADV-ride idea to promote their products among the punters and buying public.
Not the tired, old lap around the local neighbourhood estates, but riding their bikes on real roads "out there".
Then chuck in a day-ride to get to the test-ride, a good night of beer+bullshit, some tucker and a bucket of laughs before another organized day-ride going home again...
No glitzy Bollywood productions like the Euro-mobs, carting in the silverware, dancing girls and hired celebs...but a rather more down-to-earth affair at an extremely reasonable cost.
To see the smiling faces of those who came along at the end of the weekend, simply said everything. The Zook-crew did a FANTASTIC job to provide awesome rides, look after everyone with tools and materials and backup-vehicles stocked with basic parts and spare fuel, shot video and photos, sorted a pile of test-rides, provided an ample dinner and hot-breakfast...and endless other stuff in the background.
What they put together was a real ADV get-together in a real "bush" location with some real rides to get there and get home, all on a basic and fun level.
Kudos to them and "Mission Accomplished, Houston!"
According to the model-lineup there were V-Strom and a DR/DRZ groups, each with their own routes and rides, but joining at the start + end of each day.
The dirt content of the Strom-routes looked a bit weak to me (South Face Rd.+ Cowwarr-Walhalla Rd., rest sealed) so I turned out the only "Fat Barge" among a good couple of dozen DR/DRZ's with a 250TTR and a Honda CRF250 Rallye for some added flavour....with everyone on at least some 50/50 knobbies.
Only the "Dishrack" sprouted its customary 3/4 worn Shinko 705
Up Mt. Donna Buang in the drizzly muck for some early squishy and greasy stuff splattering all over the place on the Acheron Way before the climb up and across Mt. Strickland.
One of the factory guys...
Pace was quite "engaged" until things sorted into some natural order.
Colours aplenty ...."parrots" in the bush...
DR650-Aussie Post Edition
ME?? 't wasn't me!
...and they kept coming, roaring and farting into the increasingly thick fog across the top...
Keppels Lookout, above Marysville.
The support-cage turned out a brandnew Suzuki Jimny (not released in Oz yet as they apparently can't fill the European orders...the cute, little moity-boi turning into a runaway-success before it even hit the shores).
Being a typical Zook-product, it also proved damn capable to more often than not run with the DR/DRZ bunch over some pretty rough and rugged tracks and "roads" (i.e. Mt. Selma) upholding the proper-4WD cred of the old LJ's, Sierra and Jimnys.
That's a bit bloody rich!!
The KLR-mob will be out for a lynching in a minute: milk-crates are THEIR turf!!
Not the tired, old lap around the local neighbourhood estates, but riding their bikes on real roads "out there".
Then chuck in a day-ride to get to the test-ride, a good night of beer+bullshit, some tucker and a bucket of laughs before another organized day-ride going home again...
No glitzy Bollywood productions like the Euro-mobs, carting in the silverware, dancing girls and hired celebs...but a rather more down-to-earth affair at an extremely reasonable cost.
To see the smiling faces of those who came along at the end of the weekend, simply said everything. The Zook-crew did a FANTASTIC job to provide awesome rides, look after everyone with tools and materials and backup-vehicles stocked with basic parts and spare fuel, shot video and photos, sorted a pile of test-rides, provided an ample dinner and hot-breakfast...and endless other stuff in the background.
What they put together was a real ADV get-together in a real "bush" location with some real rides to get there and get home, all on a basic and fun level.
Kudos to them and "Mission Accomplished, Houston!"
According to the model-lineup there were V-Strom and a DR/DRZ groups, each with their own routes and rides, but joining at the start + end of each day.
The dirt content of the Strom-routes looked a bit weak to me (South Face Rd.+ Cowwarr-Walhalla Rd., rest sealed) so I turned out the only "Fat Barge" among a good couple of dozen DR/DRZ's with a 250TTR and a Honda CRF250 Rallye for some added flavour....with everyone on at least some 50/50 knobbies.
Only the "Dishrack" sprouted its customary 3/4 worn Shinko 705
Up Mt. Donna Buang in the drizzly muck for some early squishy and greasy stuff splattering all over the place on the Acheron Way before the climb up and across Mt. Strickland.
One of the factory guys...
Pace was quite "engaged" until things sorted into some natural order.
Colours aplenty ...."parrots" in the bush...
DR650-Aussie Post Edition
ME?? 't wasn't me!
...and they kept coming, roaring and farting into the increasingly thick fog across the top...
Keppels Lookout, above Marysville.
The support-cage turned out a brandnew Suzuki Jimny (not released in Oz yet as they apparently can't fill the European orders...the cute, little moity-boi turning into a runaway-success before it even hit the shores).
Being a typical Zook-product, it also proved damn capable to more often than not run with the DR/DRZ bunch over some pretty rough and rugged tracks and "roads" (i.e. Mt. Selma) upholding the proper-4WD cred of the old LJ's, Sierra and Jimnys.
That's a bit bloody rich!!
The KLR-mob will be out for a lynching in a minute: milk-crates are THEIR turf!!