Tablelands via the Gulf Savannah

Thanks for all the replies, I am glad some enjoyed the trip, I certainly did...........
Now as a post script - a couple of issues worth mentioning (and mysteries to me)
Apart from the Instruments being shaken about and one nut holding one of the fairing arms coming loose on the corrugations the Jota once again proved very robust and capable in all conditions although limitations in suspension and tyres mean you have to ride accordingly.
1st issue - About 100kms after filling up at Belyando Crossing (following the dirt stretch across the Bowen Developmental Rd) I was slowing down gaining on a truck when I noticed the Lav didn't seem to be running quite as it should. It wouldn't accelerate so I dropped back and tried to work out what was going on. 1st thought was it was only running on 2 but no, running fine on all 3 but if you gunned it all you could hear was the engine pinking!! It would run ok up to about 100kph but no more. I was about 100kms from overnight stop so decided to just cruise along, get there, unpack and try to find the issue. Once again I slowly caught the truck and with long clear stretches just tried to go around him at a constant speed, but as I did I must have gently hit the throttle and it revved fine!? Gave it a bit more and it was all back to normal! There was no missing or sudden surges, just pinking if trying to accelerate.
Prognosis - Pocket of Bad fuel?
2nd issue - Travelling on the dirt road to Einasleigh there are a few low dips with concrete culverts to get the water away. One of them had a sign for rough surface but I didn't see till late that the road had been washed away just before the culvert exposing a square lump of concrete in my path. The front wheel hit hard and my first thought was that it would surely damage the wheel and I was glad I wasn't running tubeless because it most likely would have broken the seal! Kept going and everything seemed ok but later once back on the bitumen noticed the front wheel would shake it's head at speeds under about 80kph. Seemed to be running fine otherwise so decided not to try and do anything with it until I got home where I will get the big rubber mallet out.
Prognosis - Bad luck and dented front wheel:-
P1040509 b.JPG
3rd issue - When I was just about back to the top of the Gillies range the bike started labouring. I thought it might be another fuel issue but it revved fine and just felt like I was towing a caravan. Next concerning thought was a wheel bearing and thought I better find a spot to pull off. Luckily, right at the top the road slightly widened so pulled off and pulled in the clutch just as it came to a complete stop, jammed solid but I was barely off the road. Having a look I noticed the rear brake was stuck solid even though the pedal was not depressed and master cylinder also clearly not depressed. Grabbed a spanner and cracked the banjo bolt at the master cylinder and that relieved everything and away we went again. I had replaced the master cylinder about 12 months ago and had actually got my back brake working with a decent bit of feel, however early on this trip something happened and the action had gone soft and lever had too much travel so was not using it at all (which was shame on the dirt where a back brake can be a big help)
Prognosis - No effing idea - why would the fluid suddenly expand to jam solid everything from the brake pedal to the pads against the discs??
All in all - nothing too dramatic, will give the rear brake a full going over and hopefully can get that wheel nice and round.........:unsure:
 
Fuel issue does sound like dirty juice, but why it waited so long to happen is an interesting question. A partial blockage that cleared? Maybe a bit of water? I guess you could have done a quick float bowl drain.

I was driving our old Hi Ace camper home from Adelaide to Melbourne when it suddenly decided it would only run on the main jet (ie foot to the floor - interesting way to drive!). It was some sort of blockage that the roadside assist guy used bush mechanics cleverly managed to clear by reversing two plug leads and prompting a backfire through the carbie. Didn't work the first try but totally successful the next. That would have more than likely been a piece of decayed fuel hose right up against a jet inside.
 
I had the same rear brake thing on my Pantah once. I had taken out too much freeplay, and its slight drag had overheated it, resulting in a fully locked rear wheel and superheated brake. The bad bit was that I only had one wrong-sized open-ended spanner to crack it open to remove the pressure. I lucked out by spacing the spanner with a coin. That's my experience, but with plenty of play on your bike unless your tiny return hole in the rear master is blocked? Radumly blocked carb jets for the pinging, crap in either the tank or carb filters? Blocked tank breather resulting in fuel starvation. It's odd to have that come and go. Timing advance is electronic and automatic; how would that not function?
 
I also had it happen on a 500. Had ridden the bike up the Sloc, which is used as a hill climb route, and once over the top the bike got progressively slower to the point even changing down didn’t make any difference. Having ground to a halt I quickly worked out what the issue was as the dust cap on the calliper was smoking!
As I had no tools I just had to wait for the disc to cool down enough for the pads to free off. I never did get to the bottom of why it occurred.
 
I had the brake problem happen on my Alfa.
Because it was RHD, it used a cross shaft to operate the left mounted servo. The amount of backlash standard in the system caused a long pedal. I used the adjuster to correct this.
As a consequence, one night on my way home from the airport after a loong day, even with my foot flat on the floor, the car slowed and slowed. I pulled over, got out and the discs were glowing. Fortunately, I had a carton of bottled water in the boot.
Using water to cool the discs freed the brakes and I was able to continue, until it began again. Two repeats later, I got home.
The following day, I increased the backlash slightly and the problem never re-occurred.
My understanding is that, with the brake binding slightly, the heat produced caused the fluid to expand increasing the pressure on the pads. This increased the heat produced, the expansion, the pressure,...
Having "replaced the master cylinder about 12 months ago and had actually got my back brake working with a decent bit of feel,"
You may have left insufficient clearance. Possibly the corrugations may have bounced the lever contributing to the initial heat production and setting the cycle up?
 
Brake fluid expand? There must be a better explanation or all these MotoGP bikes and F1 cars with glowing red discs couldn't happen. Brakes are designed to get very hot. On semi trailers here those fitted with discs on the trailer often come in with smashed discs in winter, caused by them glowing red and then immediately back in the minus 20 temperatures.
 
There was a similar post somewhere on Face Plant, and one answer mentioned a brake hose delaminating internally, which prevents fluid from passing back to the reservoir. However, why do they release when cooled off? My case on the Pantah was 100% not enough freeplay; I was chasing less foot pedal travel. It seems it's always the rear as well. Clodhopper boots unknowingly slightly depressing the pedal, maybe.
 
I had this ones with my Honda Bol d‘or in the 80th before I bought my first Laverda. The sealing in the master zylinder grow up and closed the small hole where the brake fluid can return in the reservoir. In a first attempt I opened the line for a moment, later I changed the piston an the sealing.
 
Brake fluid is an alcohol, same as the red liquid in a thermometer. Behaves the same way.
Master cylinders have a trap valve to stop the pads moving all the way back, leaving you having to pump the lever to get braking.
 
Shajota said:
Ok, back from a lap around the back blocks of NQ thought I'd post it as a bit of a travelogue and keep it in it's own thread so only need to read if you wish. I apologise in advance for too many words but can't help myself!!
I had planned a trip a little while ago to head to the Atherton Tablelands and get there via some out of usual (dirt) roads. The Eagle made sense for this ride but I was heading back to an area we lived in some 35 years ago so only fair to take the triple for a nostalgic blast on the Gillies, a road it knew well back then.
Anyway one of my mottos is if you have to go North best to first head West (relative to where I am) and avoid the Bruce so straight to Bowen and hang a left to Collinsville.
On the way to Collinsville you can turn off to an area called "Bogie". This is where 3 years ago a property owner shot dead 3 members of his neighbours family (and wounded a 4th) supposedly over a boundary dispute. Those murder charges are currently still before the court. My next door neighbour also owns an adjoining cattle station to the other 2 with hubby living at and working the property at Bogie while his wife lives here in town looking after their 3 kids and working as a teacher with most weekends up the property helping. Suffice to say that the murders were a harrowing experience for my neighbour who was locked in his property for days but of course that is another's story so will leave it at that.
At Bogie there is also a historical cemetery and my neighbour tells me that on their property is also the neglected ruins of an old town which I am angling to go up and see some time. It is worth mentioning that where these properties are is very harsh and remote country although it might not seem like that from the maps..... (Definitely the wild west)
Next stop Collinsville, a rural cattle community with a long history in coal mining and tough footballers! Collinsville revels in the title Pit Pony capital of Australia because they continued to use Pit Pony's in underground work long after mechanisation. They even made the last 2 pony's union members so they could be protected from unfair dismissal and could be retired to pasture.
Central Hotel & Post office Collinsville:-View attachment 99430View attachment 99431
Plan was to follow the Bowen Developmental road through to Mt Coolon and onto Belyando Crossing. The section to Mt Coolon is mainly sealed with a small section of dirt which I think will also be sealed in the next couple of years. The sealed section is wide and in good condition as it has only been done in recent times. The same can't be said for poor old Mt Coolon, best days are long past but at least they have put up some signs indicating it's history. It does have a pub and there is a workers camp there but not much else. The pub has a sign at the front for opening hours which reads - "Open:- Phone xxxxxxx". Clearly opening hours are arbitrary:LOL: Pics are Old Police station!, Mt Coolon hotel and the Lyric Theatre and Post Office have seen better days.
View attachment 99432View attachment 99433View attachment 99434
Next leg to Belyando Crossing is all dirt and conditions can vary as expected. Generally found it had a lot of loose gravel and was broken up in patches which made it a bit tricky. Couldn't go too fast on the better sections as the bike moved around a lot on the gravel and the next obstacle was always close. I stopped at one stage to take a pic of a long straight section and a Cruiser ute was coming the other way and pulled over to make sure everything ok. Turns out the lady driving was the owner of the property this road passes through so often stops to enquire what is happening and have a chin wag. I also pulled over later to allow a truck and his dust plume to pass. Pics - Rest stop in a nice shady spot, you can just see the ute and best let him go:-View attachment 99439View attachment 99440View attachment 99441
A little bit after this I came across a cattle grid and it had a little sign warning of rough patch. I didn't see anything unusual until I was right on top of a badly broken up section of road! The Lav hit the fist hole and was pushed to the right where it hit another and flung back the other way. I had just enough time to start thinking, I hope I don't land too hard if the whole bike gets taken from under me, when suddenly we were through it and slip sliding to the next obstacle. Happy to get away with that and I knew there was much worse to come in the next couple of days.
Overall that road wasn't too bad and we made it to Belyando Crossing for some fuel and lunch. I found a sandwich in their fridge that had white meat and salad with some sort of mayonaise so thought it might be chicken. First bite suggested a much tougher meat and if I had to guess I would say it was roast pork (not totally convinced:)) and it actually wasn't too bad (or I was bloody hungry) Pics - Roadhouse (Caravan pulled in as I was taking pic)
View attachment 99442View attachment 99444and lunch:-
As I was about to leave a bloke pulled up near me, got out and waved for me to wait. He came over to warn me that the police were patrolling the area about 100kms up the road which is about half way to Charters Towers. I thanked him for that and took off. I was thinking that the patrol car would be from Charters Towers and early Sunday arvo they would be looking to loop their way the 100kms back to the Towers so doubted if I'd see them, which proved correct. The road is good but care needs to be taken if travelling fast because of all the animals with the main culprit being cattle as the majority of this is unfenced. Not unusual to come around a corner and a fat heifer just standing in the middle of the road. I did pass one car which was speared off the other side of the road with it's front smashed in and a dead cow lying on the other side which would have only happened previous day (or night)
On this stretch I also caught up to a B Double which seemed to be swerving all over the road so I followed him for a while to see if it safe to pass when he suddenly veered off the left side and raised an enormous dust cloud which completely blocked all vision so I didn't know if he completely lost control and crashed or not. I had to hit the brakes and slowly go through it not knowing what was on the other side. When I got through it I saw he had righted things and was way down the road. I caught up with him again and he seemed to be keeping it a bit straighter so I took him quickly and finally arrived in Charters Towers for a rest and a nice cold beer. To be continued.................................
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Purchased a bacon end egg roll and coffee at BC on Thursday…. best ever! The lady even put two eggs in in the roll as standard.

Young lad that got out of a Range Rover with Brisbane plates, said to his mother after using the facilities…. the toilets are disgraceful, I hate being in the outback!
(young grot has no idea the difference between regional and outback)

Lots of roadworks, plenty more needed though
 
Great write up, thanks for that, enjoyed it immensely. Such completely different land to here, despite being pretty close. A lot of it still looks “beyond the black stump”
 
chrisk said:
Purchased a bacon end egg roll and coffee at BC on Thursday…. best ever! The lady even put two eggs in in the roll as standard.

Young lad that got out of a Range Rover with Brisbane plates, said to his mother after using the facilities…. the toilets are disgraceful, I hate being in the outback!
(young grot has no idea the difference between regional and outback)

Lots of roadworks, plenty more needed though
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Hey, it wasn't AndyW was it, he drives a Rangie??:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
OK, just to finalise this.
I have been away the last month or so but before I went received a nice front wheel from Paul C.
Wheel is in excellent condition, thank Paul.
(Only issue is it looks better than my rear wheel - oh well another job one day)
2. Finally got around to dismantling the rear caliper and with a closer look it was clearly obvious one of the holding pins had been dislodged by the corrugations or other bumps and one pad was sitting slightly askew, no doubt the root cause of the problem. A good clean, seal kit and new pads and I can be confident this should be a rare occurrence.
 
Fantastic write up Pete! I'm ashamed to say I have never been to this part of Oz, having turned left at brizzy on our trip round. I feel a plan brewing....
What time of year is best for FNQ?
 
martymoose said:
Fantastic write up Pete! I'm ashamed to say I have never been to this part of Oz, having turned left at brizzy on our trip round. I feel a plan brewing....
What time of year is best for FNQ?
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Marty, if you go up that way, don’t miss the Armour and Artillery Museum in Cairns. It’s at the base of the tramway up to Kuranda. I overlooked it and after becoming hooked on their restoration videos on YouTube, I’m kicking myself for missing it!
 
Alzero said:
Marty, if you go up that way, don’t miss the Armour and Artillery Museum in Cairns. It’s at the base of the tramway up to Kuranda. I overlooked it and after becoming hooked on their restoration videos on YouTube, I’m kicking myself for missing it!
Click to expand...
Probably August to October, after the wet (and winter if it drags on), and before it gets too hot.
 
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