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VINCE STRANG MOTORCYCLES YOUR DR 650 SPECIALISTS |
WATCH VIDEO FROM THE MADIGAN RIDE West of the Colson Track, approaching dunes. Riding purely by GPS positioning...NO TRACKS! Editing done by a very clever 12 (almost 13!!) year old, Sam Williamson You can still view the original YouTube video by clicking here |
VINCE'S PICKS Following the Simpson Desert Ride, Vince has picked his favourite modifications for his DR650. These mods really suited the hard going conditions out there. Not necessarily listed in order!
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HAVE YOUR DR650 FEATURED ON OUR WEBSITE Would you like to see your DR650 featured on our website? If your DR looks pretty trick and you would like to tell everyone about it, or you've been on an interesting trip on your DR, send us an email with a few pics and some info, and we will get it on our website. Email Libet at |
GAVIN FROM GYMPIE Thanks to Gavin from Gympie for sending these photos and information to us. Gavin's ride recently took him from Gympie in QLD to Perth and back again. GAVIN'S RIDE REPORT
Hold your mouse over the slideshow to pause it, and click on any image to see a larger photo. There were 3 DR650's and one Husky 610 along for the ride. Gavin's DR650 had homemade version of barkbusters, FMF Q4 muffler, standard jetting, modified fork springs and rear shock, 520 chain conversion, rear subframe re-enforced, bashplate, safari tank and 12v marine socket on handle bars. The other DR650's also had modifications including suspension mods, safari tanks, modified seats, strenghthened subframe, fork brace, Pro taper bars on risers and muffler modifications. The Husky had rad gaurd, steering damper and strengthened sub frame for a rack to carry 20lt of fuel in jerry cans as there was no big fuel tank available. |
***THE MADIGAN HAS BEEN DONE & DUSTED*** Thursday 27th May 11.30am Congratulations to Phil Hodgens & Bill Laver who have successfully crossed the Simpson Desert via Madigan's Line on their Suzuki DR650's!! THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME.... Vince heads off on 20th May 2010, with the guys from the Motorbikin' DVD Company, on a ground breaking trip through the Simpson Desert. A section of the trip has never been attempted by motorcycle riders unsupported by vehicles. Vince's brother-in-law, Ross "Mario" Worgan, a fellow local, will be riding on his Suzuki DRZ400E, while Vince will of course be riding his DR650. Their adventure will begin on their bikes at Boulia, leaving on Saturday morning for Jervois. From there they will travel down the Hay River Road to their designated fuel dump to leave fuel. They will then go back up the Hay River Road to Jervois and head for Mt. Dare in South Australia via Alice Springs. They will leave Mt. Dare and head into the Simpson Desert via Madigan's Line*, which should take them 4-5 days. The final stage of their trip will see them leave the Simpson Desert via the Hay River Road, to meet the Plenty Highway at Jervois. From there they will head back to Boulia pub, for a well earned beer (and no doubt a shower!). The whole trip should take about 10-12 days, and will see the guys cover about 3500km's. *Madigan's Line is named after Dr. Madigan, who crossed the Simpson Desert in 1939 on camel. He travelled from Alice Springs to Birdsville, and since then, the Madigan's Line route has been attempted by very few parties. |
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Vince is ready for the big ride through the Simpson Desert, with the guys from the Motorbikin' DVD Company.
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NOTE ON THE DR650 IMS TANKS Please note: The DR650 IMS tanks will expand over time and use. The use of a fuel tank breather can also help the expansion process. |
HAPPY CUSTOMERS...A TESTIMONIAL "Hi Vince, We pass on our appreciation to yourself and to your entire team at VSM. Firstly for the deal you gave us on selling us the DR 650's and especially the person responsible for assembling our bikes. His workmanship certainly contributed to a great hassle free ride home without any dramas. Not even a bolt came loose. We could not be happier with the service provided from the time of initial discussions to the friendly welcome and service that was afforded us the day we picked up our bikes. Our ride home was certainly a great way for us to get acquainted with our DR 650's covering almost 1600 kms over three days with only roughly 300 kms of bitumen. With all of us coming from racing backgrounds the DR's have certainly helped us enjoy adventure riding. We will definitely be clocking up a few kilometres doing weekend trips before our Central Australia Leukaemia charity ride in August, 2010. Once again thank you and your team very much." |
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*** NOW WRECKING *** ****** DR650 2001 MODEL, MANY PARTS AVAILABLE ****** ****** DR650 2008 MODEL, 8000km's, BLUE, SOME PARTS STILL AVAILABLE ****** *** PHONE STORM ON (02)67210610 *** or email him at |
SIMPSON DESERT EXPEDITION
Experienced motorcycle riders, Ross Worgan and Vince Strang were recently part of a six rider attempt to be the first un-assisted motorcyclists to cross the Madigan Line in the Northern Simpson Desert. In 1939, scientist Dr Cecil Madigan, used seventeen camels to cross from Alice Springs to Birdsville. Madigan's camp sites have been marked with GPS locations and location pegs. Today a number of the camp sites are not accessible due to restrictions by the QLD section of the Simpson Desert National Park and various Aboriginal lands so the effective end of the line is the Hay River track on the eastern side inside the Northern Territory. The closest fuel point before the Madigan line begins is Mt Dare in South Australia and refuelling was next done at Jervois Station on the Plenty Highway, around 750 torturous kilometres later. A better route may have been to Birdsville except that Eyre Creek just west of Birdsville is still in flood. The bikes, five DR Suzuki's and one XT Yamaha, each needed to carry around 60 litres of fuel and 20 litres of water as well as food, sleeping gear, navigation and emergency equipment and other personal gear for what was anticipated could take up to 6 days. A thunder storm struck the Mt Dare area on the night before departure and an extremely wet clay pan of several thousand acres threatened the project within 15 km's of the start, however by mid way through the first day around 190km's had been covered and then all evidence of previous vehicle activity disappeared. Most of the group had GPS equipment and so set a course for the known "way points". It was not possible to follow another bike as the sand was too soft once the heavily laden machines broke the surface, low sand dunes heavily vegetated with Spinifex grass and brambles worsened the difficult going. Camp was made amongst some low twisted gum trees and the dozens of budgerigars fighting for nesting spaces kept the boys entertained while a dehydrated meal was prepared and a flat tyre fixed. Fingers of sunlight were piercing the dawns glow on the second day but with just a few dunes crested another puncture was suffered. It was almost impossible to avoid the iron hard stakes that litter the sand as the bikes bounced and bucked over the Spinifex. The predominant wind blows from west to east and forms the dunes over thousands of years so the west side of the dune has more vegetation and the eastern side is quite soft and steep. The Spinifex tussocks that can be up to a couple of metres across also have a drop on the east side. As the dunes became bigger, the excess weight of Craig's bike and Gavin's inexperience in the sand soon became evident. Both these riders quickly started to get exhausted and the group slowed dramatically as the desert bared its teeth. Due to the soft eastern face of the dunes it was not possible to go back but a track that runs North South between the dunes was within reach (it has been closed for years so gets very little traffic). Finally after six gruelling hours the North South track was found and a group decision was reached, Phil Hodgens and Bill Lavel, the expedition leaders would continue as just two would cover a lot more ground and Ross and Vince would accompany Craig on his Yamaha and Gav, who was now showing signs of dehydration, out of the Simpson toward Alice Springs. The Inverell rider's group now relied on Craig's navigation skills with his GPS. Sometimes the "track" just turned to grassland and other times was a bed of soft dry silt that couldn't be ridden on. After 140 km's a station was reached and the group spent the night there at the managers invitation, next day Ross spent several hours with his bike helping with a bullock muster. Mean while Hodgens and Lavel were making good progress having toughed it out and when almost exhausted camped near Madigan's camp eight. After another early start they soon got on to four wheel drive tracks that were still rough but reduced the need to navigate and by late that afternoon had met the Hay River track which they described as nothing but a floodway and very slow going for a couple of hours. On the morning of the forth day the two groups met up again at Batton Hill on the Hay River. After hand shakes all round they proceeded to ride another 550 km's to Boulia and journeys end, but Ross and Vince had one more camp out as they had heard of a good spot for Queensland's Red claw yabbies on the Georgina river. As for the group goal, you ask? At camp eleven there is a traveller's book placed there some years ago by the Land Rover club of Australia and yes Hodgens and Lavel with their Suzuki DR650's are the first Motorcycle entries in the book. The Inverell pair described their experiences as once in a life time and a true adventure having at times been well out of their "comfort zone", having to work as a team for a common goal and the wonderful camaraderie of the group. |
A BIT ABOUT VSM AND DR650'S.... Vince Strang Motorcycles has been involved in improving SUZUKI'S DR650s ever since it was released in late 1996. IT'S EASY TO BUY FROM VSM, whether it's new grips to genuine Suzuki spares for your DR (or any other SUZUKI, KAWASAKI, or HONDA) just call us for personal help, we accept all the normal payment methods including money! Most goods can be sent same day. VSM ran and prepared the Suzuki DR650 team, which was very successful in the Australian Safari in 1996 and 1997. Vince Strang personally prepared the 5 bikes used during these events and all finished in the top ten outright and collect a 2nd overall in '96 and 3rd overall in'97. Since then VSM has consistently sold the big single adventure bike all over Australia. Buyers come to VSM because we have a vast knowledge and supply of improvement parts and we care. VSM staff and riders have been adventure touring with modified DR650s all over Australia and other parts of the world ever since. VSM will prepare a DR650 to your personal spec's and we can alter suspension, exhausts, sump guards, hand guards, fuel tank, racks, gearing, jetting, wheels, rider's position, grip heaters, cam shafts and more. So basically you can buy this reliable all rounder to your order with our guidance. We normally require about 10 days to complete your order. At the beginning of May we completed a display DR650 with most of our recommended products fitted. Vince then had to take a 2500kms test ride out to South Western Queensland, the DR was excellent but Vince felt there could be some more minor "mods" to the suspension to further improve its feel in low speed sandy creeks and loose washouts. Anyway the trip was awesome because of the bike, the good mates, the campfire cooking and just being outdoors! If you require more information on this servce please contact us at |
| Vince Strang Motorcycles & Power Equipment | Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Husqvarna |
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