Page 74 - Australian Motorcycle News (January 2020)

WYNN’S SYDNEY TO DARWIN

1

RAHIER AVOIDED THE BOG BUT

LOST NINE MINUTES DOING

CIRCLE WORKINTHEDARK

With no racing experience, Jim entered
his BMW R 80 RT-powered EML outfit as an 2
extension of his adventures across the Caucasian
Mountains and Alaska. Jim and his sidekick
Don Parker – a fellow New Yorker – were merely
seeking some excitement Down Under. Sadly,
along with the other four outfits and over half
the solo riders entered in the Sydney to Darwin
epic, the two Americans never made it as far as
the Northern Territory.
Cheered on by a crowd of more than 5000
spectators, the high-profile stars Rahier and
Hau were the first to depart Sydney Showground
headed for Bourke, but failed to arrive before
sunset. The 600km transport on the Great
Western Highway presented no problems other
than boredom, though 12mm of rain decimated
the field on the two short special tests. In the flat
1. John Barry, one of the and featureless mulga, Rahier avoided the bog
four-strong Army Team that brought so many entrants undone, but lost
2. John Crawford, 250 nine minutes doing circle work in the dark. As he
Class Winner himself predicted, Phil Lovett on his KTM 600 GS
3. Phil Lovett bested the was the first motorcycle to arrive at the Bourke
Beemers for six days Showground, four minutes up on enduro ace
4. Countdown for Eddie Hau.
Andrew Goddard The second day, across the picturesque channel

5. Rahier waves country to the south west Queensland town of
Chapman on through Windorah, Rahier used the power of the BMW 4
6. In a VW Beetle he to set fastest time of day, though Lovett retained
built in his shed, multi the overall lead with Eddie Hau holding third
Bathurst 1000 winner place just ahead of the two Hondas. Over 20 bikes,
Larry Perkins was in including some of the more fancied runners, were
contention to win until already being trailered back to Sydney.
the 11th hour A further nine bikes never made it through the
7. Rahier started longest leg of the Safari, refuelling at Birdsville
the event as the hot before heading north to Tobermorey on the
favourite to take the Queensland-Northern Territory border. Many of
outright win these retirements were recorded as mechanical
8. The few weary DNFs, though it was often the rider who was too
finishers had endured fatigued to continue. Steve Riley was nearly one
at least 7188km of of them.
“Gruelling Outback “It was a big day,” says Steve. “Over 1100km.
Australia”, even though And I’d been riding in the dark for hours. With
the event poster 6
‘promised’ just 5000 kay only the standard Honda headlight I just couldn’t

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