Author Topic: Australian salt, anyone?  (Read 7865 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline sofadriver

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 518
Australian salt, anyone?
« on: March 06, 2016, 11:32:23 PM »
Well, the guys down under have been coming here for years to run so how hard & expensive can it be?

For me it would be the trip of a lifetime (I don't get out much - but I should! )  Do toilet flushes really rotate the other way?  Will the blood rush to my head?  Which way is north?  Could I meet Angus Young?

Just thinking out loud.  Anyone else?
Mike in Tacoma

"aww, what the hell - let's just do it".............

Bike #833
100cc A/G, A/F and APS/G (in 2019)

Offline wobblywalrus

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5503
Re: Australian salt, anyone?
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2016, 09:11:12 PM »
A lot of info about about packing the bike is on my build diary.

Offline bones

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 142
Re: Australian salt, anyone?
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2016, 01:52:06 AM »
Sofa
   You should get out more and a trip to OZ to go racing is a BIG out.
  I am sure things can be organised at this end to help.
  As to your questions-- my toilet flushes with a big woosh -- on circular motion but the basin went clockwise ( I checked)
  I haven't noticed the blood rushing to my feet when I am up your way.
  North is still up
  I don't know Angus Young so I can't help there.
  You have 10 months to think about it
  Hope this helps

     cheers    Bones

Offline mergatroyd

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 125
Re: Australian salt, anyone?
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2016, 09:57:53 PM »
What are the dates for next year?  I might know a guy interested in sharing a container...
I have no idea what I'm doing... but it seems to be working!

Offline sofadriver

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 518
Re: Australian salt, anyone?
« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2016, 11:01:37 PM »
Bones, you don't know Angus Young?!!  Lead guitarist and front man for AC/DC ?!!  The guy in the school boy uniform?!!   I might have to come over there just to school you on Rock n' Roll, brother!  :evil: :-D :-D

I doubt if there are dates yet as Speed Week just finished last week.

It's all just thinking out loud right now but you never know.  With enough interest anything could happen.
Mike in Tacoma

"aww, what the hell - let's just do it".............

Bike #833
100cc A/G, A/F and APS/G (in 2019)

Offline bones

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 142
Re: Australian salt, anyone?
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2016, 03:04:59 AM »
Sofa
   I do know who he is but I don't know him so I cannot introduce you.
My mate Paul plays in a band and so does Dr Goggles----  will they do?. Haven't seen either of them in shorts though  :-)

We have found 4 or more bikes in a container is cheaper than sending them individually---  more is better

Last year shipping for my bike was AU$4000 return

 There's plenty of time to think--   I'll start the thinking music
Oh -- the APS-G  100 record is 99.8

   cheers    Bones

Offline maj

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 743
Re: Australian salt, anyone?
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2016, 03:25:21 PM »
Yep 4 bikes is the point where its better to have a dedicated container  and not just put the bikes in general shared freight
actual shipping is not too expensive, the port fees at both ends cost much more ,

The dedicated container cleared customs much quicker , be sure the vehicles are spotless, esp under the chain guard and sprocket cover on bikes (easy to forget)
It was costing us about $3500 AU to round trip a bike by sea when the Aussie $ was nearly 1:1 with you guys , some left there bikes for a second yr if the event  was rained out or planned another US event before an Australian one

As an example of how different the salt is, 2 cars shredded LSR tires this yr , it was so hard any excess wheelspin just tore the rubber  and the drag could not do much in one section where there was a irregular surface from water migration 2 weeks earlier 

Offline killacycle

  • New folks
  • Posts: 7
    • KillaCycle Racing
Re: Australian salt, anyone?
« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2016, 05:57:40 PM »
You want to do your very best to clean ALL the salt off of your bike/car before sealing it up in a container and shipping it. Leave time to do this before you ship both ways. The sea air will rust _everything_ that is not spotless, painted, or lightly coated with oil.
You probably want to purchase a large number of bags of desiccant to pack with your tools and vehicle.
http://www.uline.com/BL_1005/Container-Dri-II-Desiccants

You also want to get someone that has experience to advise on securing your bike/car as well as others in the container. Something gets loose along the way and it will really damage other things in the same container. There is no such thing as too many straps or too many holddowns. You want to try to secure the vehicle (and other objects) well enough to survive a "roll over" of the container.

They generally want you to pack your container in a day. You show up to the shipping service when the container arrives, and you get about a day to pack everything inside and secure it. You may be able to beg for more, but count on just one day. This takes teamwork, organization, and planning. No joke.

All wheel "chocking", timbers, crates, and other solid wood objects must have a "bug stamp". Easy to forget, and this might cost you extra money and time or a missed trip altogether. Use stacked plywood instead of solid 2x4's and avoid the bug stamp issue. Use unistrut instead of timbers.

Probably the biggest headache is the "carnet". This is a somewhat detailed list of all the stuff you are shipping and bringing back. Kind of like a passport for your goods. You have to list the item, the approximate value, the country of origin, the serial number, and it is useful to list the weight as well. This is for every item. You can group things that have modest value that are alike, like "tool box with misc hand tools". Major pain. Don't lose it or you will really be in trouble on the way home.

Shipping insurance. Get "all risks" shipping insurance that costs about 10% of the value of your shipment. If they lose your container over the side of the ship, or drop it off of the forklift while loading it on the train, you will be very thankful you bought it.

You don't want to "cut it close" at the end of your trip. Leave three days or so open at the end, just for cleaning, packing, and shipping. If it takes less, then enjoy a few days for a relaxing "walkabout". Don't forget your "tucker". :-)

Bill D.

KillaCycle

Penny

  • Guest
Re: Australian salt, anyone?
« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2016, 07:18:17 AM »
Mike in Tacoma , check you PM,s . I am in Adelaide the closest city to our lake .

Offline Frenchinjection

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 71
  • APS-BPS 750 Triumph Twin 775 . 152.35 record
    • Saltbike 775
Re: Australian salt, anyone?
« Reply #9 on: March 24, 2016, 08:05:55 AM »
I have raced Bonneville Speedweek 2011, 12, 13, wet in 14 and stayed at home 2015.  So on a holiday to OZ to see daughter we did a 2 day trip to OZ speedweek to check it out.

Before you read below, visit the DLRA website www .dlra.org.au/spectators.htm and the other pages.  Below is our experience of the trip.

Lake Gairdner is a bit remote, well quite remote.  Drive to the middle of nowhere and turn right, or is it left?

It is about a 7 hour trip from Adelaide airport to Iron Knob.  Turn right on the dirt road just after Iron Knob turn off, you then travel 121 km to the Mt. Ive Station turn off right if you are staying there, or keep going another 8 km, past one cattle grid, then you come to a creek sign.  Turn right just before the second cattle grid.  Then it is another 21 km past 2 gates then a water well, then the salt. 

Myself & daughter arrived in Adelaide to collect a Toyota Land cruiser 4WD for the journey north.  This came with a roof tent, fridge, ground tent, cooker, sleeping bags, awning, tables, chairs etc and all kitchen stuff plus everything you need to keep the truck going outback of beyond, because that is where we were going.  You can take your car there but it is going to get dirty and may fall to bits.  A dirt road means just that, a red dust corrugated typical bush road that will rattle you teeth out.  Go fast enough and you may skip over the tops but the dust is extreme.  Drive at 60 - 80kph is about right but don't try and follow anyone.  We did it in the dark, stupidly and missed the turn offs to the camps.  Thankfully we also missed the wildlife.

You could take a camper but don't tell them you are going off road.  The 4WD we had could run on the gravel at 60 - 80kph OK.  We passed several camper vans who were struggling along at 40kph to prevent them falling apart and disintegrating everything inside but this is what you are going to need as a team.  Good portable accommodation.  Some teams had tents, some had campers others had tough outback caravans.  It needs to be stocked with enough of everything for 5-6 days at the salt.  You can get more beer and food but it is limited.  There were 2 of us and because our tent was on the roof we had to up sticks each day to go to the salt. 

There are 3 places to stay.  Mount Ive Station, DLRA Camp or the Saltbush camp.  Camp means just that, CAMP. 

We stayed at Mt Ive Station first because it was late, 11pm, and it was the only one we could find in the dark.  Camp site is good, with showers are good but it is a long drive to the salt each day, 18km of gravel road.  It has food and beer and some fuel.  The second day we packed up and drove to the salt.  Entrance to the salt is $30/person for the week.  As you drive on to the salt you have to blow the dust off the car with the supplied leaf blowers.  This can cause long queues to form waiting to get on the salt.  Likewise when you come off the salt you have to brush the salt off before going back on to the land.  Again, queues.  We did not hit these queues because we arrived late morning each day but I could see it can get busy..

The second night we stayed at the DLRA camp. A bit nearer at just 8km from the salt.  This is where some of the racers stay.  Again good showers and toilets and power if you need it.  No food or beer or fuel.  A theme of "self sufficient is repeating here".

The other campsite is the Salt Bush camp.  This overlooks the salt and is by far the nearest and it has food, a bar and a general social atmosphere but, no toilets, no showers, no power - nothing.  There were however  2 x portable toilets when we were there but this they say is rare.  Everyone at the salt bush camp had their own toilet and shower tent and power.

So basically, you have to be self sufficient.  You have to take your hotel/motel/tent/shed or whatever with you and everything you need to both survive and race a vehicle.

As for racing on the salt.  the DLRA is a voluntary organisation.  This means that all the jobs required to run speed week are done by the racers and crew of those competing at speed week.  Every DLRA  member has to volunteer for 1 morning or afternoon job on one of the days of speed week. Check their website for this.  It means that the job you do is only done for half a day and for that half of a day you cannot race.  It sounds odd, but it does work.  I only saw it operating for one mornings scrutineering and half a day's racing so my opinion is limited, but it is a bit slow and does not quite gel and is not a slick as Bonneville.

The salt itself is long, hard, dry and very quick.  So if you can cope with a week or so with limited creature comforts and lots of flies, I did mention the flies didn't I ? Then go for it.

Offline sofadriver

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 518
Re: Australian salt, anyone?
« Reply #10 on: March 24, 2016, 10:10:51 AM »
Seems this could only happen if there was a good size group of racers.  Everyone is waiting to see what happens with Bonneville.
Mike in Tacoma

"aww, what the hell - let's just do it".............

Bike #833
100cc A/G, A/F and APS/G (in 2019)

Offline BobDcuda

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 124
Re: Australian salt, anyone?
« Reply #11 on: March 24, 2016, 06:51:45 PM »
That  sounds  like quite an adventure, for sure.  Frenchinjection, Thanks for sharing your experience!