KLRRR

This entry is part 15 of 21 in the series Adventure Rider Issue #38

In its 12th year the KLRRR Riders’ Rally headed to the idyllic seaside village of Iluka on the north coast of NSW.

KLRRR

After some seriously tough destinations over the past couple of years, the annual rally for owners of Kawasaki’s hard-working adventure mount headed to a more gentle and scenic location for 2019.

In 2017 the editor and Mac Attack made their way through kangaroos and flat tyres to join the throng at Tottenham, the geographic centre of NSW. Last year, 2018, had everyone charging to Stonehenge in outback Queensland, and Mac Attack Eggins filed the report for issue #32.

In 2019 Iluka was a mere 48 minutes from Mac’s front door near sunny Grafton, and only a couple of lazy hours ride for the editor.

Still, the pair manned up and made their separate ways to the quiet village on the mouth of the Clarence River to once again talk about, and look at, the good ol’ KLR.

KLRRR

John Murrell from Brisbane rode his 2008 model to the Rally to enjoy a little quiet time.

Reserved

Organised through the KLR Riders Facebook page, the site of the annual rally is decided in a very democratic process. The attendees at each rally suggest, then vote on, the destination for the following year. It’s a system that’s been working well, and this year there was something of a ‘passing of the baton’. Taking over from Jared Smith, Brisbane’s Richard Bell, a long-time stalwart of the Facebook page and devoted KLR owner and rider, jumped in to make it happen.

As Adventure Rider Magazine wandered through the well-ordered campsite it was impossible to ignore the calm, relaxed atmosphere. With a string of Kawasakis in their own designated area, and small groups of quietly yarning riders wandering through the waterside campground, it was a very pleasant place to be.

An area set aside in the Iluka campground for the 15 KLRs and couple of ring-ins.

2020 vision

Over a quiet and orderly dinner some suggestions were made and a vote held, and next year, 2020, the rally will head to Hungerford, in southwest Queensland, on the June long weekend. Mac has already ordered half-a-dozen joining links and the editor some spare tubes, and the pair plan to run out to the desert destination if the opportunity presents.

If you’d like to be part of a keen and supportive group of adventure riders, search ‘KLR Riders Australia’ on Facebook, join up, and watch it all take shape.

Hopefully we’ll see you there.

Lee Saunders and Tom King from Emerald in Queensland were the riders who rode furthest to get to Iluka. “We didn’t plan anything,” the lads explained, “we just looked at the map, found a road, and ended up doing something 1500km over three days.”Tom fell off a ladder and hit a Colorbond fence just before departure, leaving him with a running repair to his throttle hand.

Plan B

Although it’s a ride for KLR owners, there’s some latitude allowed.

Anyone who’s attended a KLRRR on a KLR is welcome to attend any future event on any bike of choice. In 2019 Adventure Rider Magazine’s editor showed up on an unlikely Harley look-alike, saying, “It was a road ride to get here for me, so…”

There were a couple of other riders on different brands, too…

Organiser Richard Bell (above) arrived on his much-loved Yamaha FJ1200.

“My son rode my KLR,” explained Richard.

“It’s his first rally, so he had to come on the KLR. He had a KLR and sold it, and I’m pretty sure he’s going to buy another one.”

Father and son riding together must be one of life’s great experiences.

Peter Anderson (above), from Kyogle, showed up on his Triumph explorer. “I went about 100m, tried to change into second gear at the end of my driveway, and it locked up solid. There was a horrible crunching noise, so I turned around and swapped bikes.”

Ew. ‘A horrible crunching noise’. Ew.

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