Piers Croft

I'm visiting Australia in February next year and really want to spend my 5
weeks touring up the East Coast from Sydney to Cairns by motorbike but it is
very expensive to hire a bike for that long. Can anyone suggest an
alternative?

David Bennetts

"Piers Croft" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I'm visiting Australia in February next year and really want to spend my 5
    > weeks touring up the East Coast from Sydney to Cairns by motorbike but it
is
    > very expensive to hire a bike for that long. Can anyone suggest an
    > alternative?
Apart from buying one or stealing one, no. I can understand that renting
one would be expensive, as they get involved in a lot of accidents. That
isn't surprising given the way a lot of suicidal riders operate them (one
idiot drove past me between two lanes of stationary traffic at about 70 km/h
recently), that you've only got two wheels in contact with the road and
nothing to protect you if you fall off, whether or not it's your fault.

Regards

David Bennetts

SteveS

Long way on a bike - also hot as that time of year (2,000+ KM). Get a car or
go by bus. There are backpackers buses that are cheap as with stopovers at
various interesting places.

SteveS


"Piers Croft" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I'm visiting Australia in February next year and really want to spend my 5
    > weeks touring up the East Coast from Sydney to Cairns by motorbike but it
is
    > very expensive to hire a bike for that long. Can anyone suggest an
    > alternative?

Dave Milligan

On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 08:37:42 +1000, "David Bennetts"
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >> I'm visiting Australia in February next year and really want to spend my 5
    >> weeks touring up the East Coast from Sydney to Cairns by motorbike but it
    >is
    >> very expensive to hire a bike for that long. Can anyone suggest an
    >> alternative?
    >Apart from buying one or stealing one, no. I can understand that renting
    >one would be expensive, as they get involved in a lot of accidents. That
    >isn't surprising given the way a lot of suicidal riders operate them (one
    >idiot drove past me between two lanes of stationary traffic at about 70 km/h
    >recently), that you've only got two wheels in contact with the road and
    >nothing to protect you if you fall off, whether or not it's your fault.
Jeez David, you talk some crap.

Kind regards
Dave Milligan

David Bennetts

    > Jeez David, you talk some crap.
    > Kind regards
    > Dave Milligan

Are you a biker? I think my comments are borne out by the accident rate - I
didn't say it was always the bikers fault.
I'd rather have four wheels on the road and a bit of protection around me.

Regards

David

Nigel Marx

"Piers Croft" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I'm visiting Australia in February next year and really want to spend my 5
    > weeks touring up the East Coast from Sydney to Cairns by motorbike but it
is
    > very expensive to hire a bike for that long. Can anyone suggest an
    > alternative?
have a look at this:
http://www.bikeshareworld.com/

Regards

Nigel in NZ

r1100gsing

"David Bennetts" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > > Jeez David, you talk some crap.
    > >
    > > Kind regards
    > > Dave Milligan
    >
    > Are you a biker? I think my comments are borne out by the accident rate - I
    > didn't say it was always the bikers fault.
    > I'd rather have four wheels on the road and a bit of protection around me.
    >
    > Regards
    >
    > David

I've been riding a bike for over 40 years and what scares me are
morons who think they are safer in something large and drive
accordingly, you know the 4x4 drivers, Volvos :) etc. In the majority
of accidents between car and bike, the car driver is at fault
Cheers. Ed

Dave Milligan

On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 12:10:03 +1000, "David Bennetts"
<[email protected]> wrote:


    >Are you a biker?
Yes.

    > I think my comments are borne out by the accident rate - I
    >didn't say it was always the bikers fault.
One of the insurance companies came out with some figures a couple of
months ago which stated that over 60% of car/bike accidents in
Australia were the fault of car drivers.

    >I'd rather have four wheels on the road and a bit of protection around me.
Because you know damned well that if you ever took up riding a
motorcycle you would have to contend with well protected idiots in
cars and 4 wheel drives who because they feel so well protected do not
give a stuff about less vulnerable road users including motorcyclists,
cyclists and pedestrians.

What we need is a system which makes it difficult to get a driving
license and damned easy to lose it....but of course the politicians
would sooner raise revenue by way of speeding fines than actually do
something positive about real road safety. The standard of driving in
this country (and others) is mostly abysmal....and if they all had to
start on a small motorcycle or scooter it might help them realise just
how vulnerable other road users are.

Kind regards
Dave Milligan

David Bennetts

"Dave Milligan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 12:10:03 +1000, "David Bennetts"
    > <[email protected]> wrote:
    > >Are you a biker?
    > Yes.
    > > I think my comments are borne out by the accident rate - I
    > >didn't say it was always the bikers fault.
    > One of the insurance companies came out with some figures a couple of
    > months ago which stated that over 60% of car/bike accidents in
    > Australia were the fault of car drivers.
    > >I'd rather have four wheels on the road and a bit of protection around
me.
    > Because you know damned well that if you ever took up riding a
    > motorcycle you would have to contend with well protected idiots in
    > cars and 4 wheel drives who because they feel so well protected do not
    > give a stuff about less vulnerable road users including motorcyclists,
    > cyclists and pedestrians.
    > What we need is a system which makes it difficult to get a driving
    > license and damned easy to lose it....but of course the politicians
    > would sooner raise revenue by way of speeding fines than actually do
    > something positive about real road safety. The standard of driving in
    > this country (and others) is mostly abysmal....and if they all had to
    > start on a small motorcycle or scooter it might help them realise just
    > how vulnerable other road users are.
    > Kind regards
    > Dave Milligan

Couldn't agree more with your sentiments here, particularly with the
"invulnerability" shown by a lot of the 4 wheel drive fraternity in
particular. You should be able to ride a bike without being bullied by
other road users, and the emphasis on speed alone by our political "masters"
is stupid, many countries have higher speed limits than Australia and have a
lower accident rate because the standard of driving is better.

Regards

David Bennetts

Dj

Hi Piers,

I had a look around for some motorcycle company who would rent a bike for
that distance, seems to me that some of them are a bit expensive and are
very restrictive in distance per day travelled.
eg.
http://www.austmcycleadventures.com/rentrate.htm

http://www.bikescape.com.au/rentals/...rice/price.htm


I was looking into renting a 250cc road bike for the sole purpose of getting
my licence and I found the only ones who rented bikes are those who sold
them. It was quite expensive really,to the point where i might be better off
buying an el cheapo for a while and selling it when i get off my L's.

This is what I may recommend that you do, buy a used road trail eg. Suzuki
DR600, Yamaha XT series or simmilar which will get you up to Cairns if in
good mech cond.Might cost you a few thousand but might be easier to sell if
a good size in good condition.

Otherwise, if you have a motorbike where you live, you might wanna ship it
over temporarily to do the trip, might be well worth comparing the cost.

Depending how long you have for your vacation, it might be cheaper and
easier to get a tour bus pass and go with the flow.

Cheers

DJ


"Piers Croft" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I'm visiting Australia in February next year and really want to spend my 5
    > weeks touring up the East Coast from Sydney to Cairns by motorbike but it
    > is
    > very expensive to hire a bike for that long. Can anyone suggest an
    > alternative?
    >

Ac

There's no more idiots riding motorcycles than idiots driving cars. What's
more dangerous - someone on a bike doing 70ks between cars, or (one of the
many) idiots in a land cruisers tailgating, and driving using them as
extensions of their insecure personality?

One insurer recently upped premiums for bull bars - about bloody time...


"David Bennetts" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Piers Croft" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > I'm visiting Australia in February next year and really want to spend my
5
    > > weeks touring up the East Coast from Sydney to Cairns by motorbike but
it
    > is
    > > very expensive to hire a bike for that long. Can anyone suggest an
    > > alternative?
    > >
    > Apart from buying one or stealing one, no. I can understand that renting
    > one would be expensive, as they get involved in a lot of accidents. That
    > isn't surprising given the way a lot of suicidal riders operate them (one
    > idiot drove past me between two lanes of stationary traffic at about 70
km/h
    > recently), that you've only got two wheels in contact with the road and
    > nothing to protect you if you fall off, whether or not it's your fault.
    > Regards
    > David Bennetts

xxtonyxx

On Thu, 09 Sep 2004 06:56:56 GMT, "AC" <[email protected]> wrote:

    >There's no more idiots riding motorcycles than idiots driving cars. What's
    >more dangerous - someone on a bike doing 70ks between cars, or (one of the
    >many) idiots in a land cruisers tailgating, and driving using them as
    >extensions of their insecure personality?

Oh you jealous brute you you you !!!
    >One insurer recently upped premiums for bull bars - about bloody time...
    >"David Bennetts" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    >news:[email protected]...
    >> "Piers Croft" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    >> news:[email protected]...
    >> > I'm visiting Australia in February next year and really want to spend my
    >5
    >> > weeks touring up the East Coast from Sydney to Cairns by motorbike but
    >it
    >> is
    >> > very expensive to hire a bike for that long. Can anyone suggest an
    >> > alternative?
    >> >
    >> Apart from buying one or stealing one, no. I can understand that renting
    >> one would be expensive, as they get involved in a lot of accidents. That
    >> isn't surprising given the way a lot of suicidal riders operate them (one
    >> idiot drove past me between two lanes of stationary traffic at about 70
    >km/h
    >> recently), that you've only got two wheels in contact with the road and
    >> nothing to protect you if you fall off, whether or not it's your fault.
    >> Regards
    >> David Bennetts