LDM - Hebel, QLD

[bmacg]

thought the water would go down, but the list of closed roads is growing.
Not looking great for a Saturday sprint run 

This mornings BOM warnings for the Balonne and Bokara rivers for the weekend are enough for me to pull the pin on this one.If it gets relocated to a pub on a big hill I'm in...🤣

[chasnee]

Anyone still going?
Looks like the road from Dubbo is still open.
Was going to do 2000 km but now have changed it to a 1600 if I go.

[Darb]

Yep, I'm still in. I'm planning on leaving the NSW Central Coast about lunchtime tomorrow and pull up stumps for the night in Gilgandra. Heading off in the morning via the Castlereagh Hwy through Coonamble, Walgett then on to Hebel, hopefully in time for check-in. Then head back to the Central Coast.

[chasnee]

we will be sharing the last part of my journey.
Might see you on the road.
Grey n black V-Strom
https://goo.gl/maps/PbXqWNqMWD66QAh96

[Darb]

No worries. I also ride V-Strom, white one, SAW22. Look forward to catching up.   

[Darb]

My first "Long Ride" since Border Run 2019, so it was good to be back on the road again. Met Chasnee and Steve for the first time at the Hebel Pub, which was nice. Should have expected the unpublicised and ungazetted water crossings between Walgett and Coonamble, but thankfully they weren't too bad, I think the deepest one was about 150-200mm. The ride home was more of a challenge, as I threw a chain and broke a clutch cable negotiating one of the water crossings. Thanks to a passing motorist who stopped to help me put the chain back on. Tightened the chain as best I could then continued on at a much reduced pace. Many thanks to Chasnee for stopping to help and escorting me to Coonamble, where we bid adieu until the next ride and parted ways. 1117km and a couple of hours later than expected, back home again. Great trip overall, a shame so many roads were cut off.  A couple of photos for posterity.  :-)

[Biggles]

200mm!  Glad I wasn't trying it on the ST!
Well done managing the hazards and mechanical challenges!

[Darb]

Thanks Biggles. More good luck than good management I think. 

[chasnee]

Good to see you got home OK Darb.
I headed east at Coonamble and overnighted at Coonabarabran.
Overall distance travelled was 2810 km.
1653 done in the first 23 hrs 10 minutes.
Better get that application in.

[Christo]

Nice work mate. Was following your progress a bit. Look forward to the ride report.

[Darb]

Thanks Chasnee, Got my bike back from the mechanics today. New chain and sprockets, as expected, but the strange one was the loss of the clutch. The cable was intact and not damaged, the loss of the clutch was due to the bracket that supported the far end of the cable breaking free from the casing around the stator and fly wheel and a broken push rod. All good now, looking forward to the next ride.