Experienced Nambour motorcyclist Bryan Farrow will take on Australia’s most gruelling desert race on a Harley-Davidson with a legendary pedigree.
Farrow, 32, who owns Farrow’s Customs Motorcycle Mechanics, has ridden motorcycles since the age of 3, and Harley-Davidsons since he was 15, on all sorts of terrain.
But competing in the 460km Finke Desert Race at Alice Springs, where racers reach speeds of 160km/h through soft sand, dry and rocky river beds and over tyre-shredding shale, will be a new experience.
“The race is mainly about testing yourself, your equipment, and your team, and how you can go on terrain on which realistically you shouldn’t be riding fast,” Farrow said.
“No preparation will emulate the event. You can’t ride anywhere that will be ‘Finke’, it’s impossible, just because it’s got every sort of terrain you can find, and the high speeds, so we’re trying to prepare the best we can with what we have, but there’s nothing that compares to Finke.
“A lot of people pre-run the track. They go out there, ride one way in the morning and the other way in the arvo, they set their bikes up, they set their bodies up for what they’re in for, but we’re just going to fully wing it, but we’re doing it educated.”
Farrow is confident in the team that’s preparing him and his very special bike.
He’ll be riding a modified Harley-Davidson XR-1200, built by Alexandra Headland motorcycle engineer Gavin Walker.
The bike was ridden by Crusty Demon rider Seth Enslow to extend daredevil Evel Knievel’s world jump record by 13m in Sydney in 2010. It was also ridden by Crusty Demon Kain Saul to complete the first ever Harley-Davidson backflip in 2009.
“I definitely wanted to do the Finke on a Harley and Seth Enslow was a hero of mine as a kid,” Farrow said.
“I used to sit and watch him with the Crusty Demons all day every day, and then Gavin turned up with the bike and 10-year-old Bryan would kick my ass if I didn’t take the opportunity.”
“I’ve raced Harleys on motocross tracks, I’ve raced Harleys on flat tracks, I do stunt riding on Harleys, so putting a Harley through its paces isn’t uncommon for me, but putting it through this sort of challenge is uncommon for anyone. I’ve never laid eyes on red dirt before let alone ridden it, so it’ll be interesting.
“This bike has already done two world firsts, so we’re hoping to get the trifecta and get Finke done too, as the first Harley ever to finish it.”
The Finke Desert Race is the richest desert race in Australia, attracting 600 competitors on motorbikes and buggies.
They race south from Alice Springs to the small Aputula community, also known as Finke, and then back again.
Through the race, competitors cross the Finke River, believed to be the oldest river in the world. The event is held from June 12-14.
It’s the first time Harley-Davidsons will compete in the Finke, with three Harleys entered in this year’s event.
“Finishing is the absolute goal, no matter what,” engineer Walker said.
“But on the same token, with the experience Bryan has with motorbike riding and the time and effort we’re spending to make the bike right, we will be aiming to upset a lot of fancy motocross teams.
“He’s a brilliant motorcycle rider in his own backyard, absolutely one of the best, but we’re taking him to someone else’s backyard, where he’s never been to before and he will be tested well and truly above the average person in that race.
“He’s behind the eight ball by a mile in terms of knowing what to expect but the grit and determination that he has will make up for anything.”
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Such gruelling events can cause life-long injuries to riders, including serious nerve damage to hands and arms as well as joint damage to knees, not to mention the serious risks from crashes.
Farrow’s preparation has been relentless.
He has been practising on every surface he can, including beach and soft sand riding.
He’s also been hitting the weights at the gym and doing plenty of swimming and cardio to get his fitness to a level able to withstand long hours of gruelling riding on an unconventional and heavy bike.
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Even so, the team believes they and the Harley are ready for the challenge.
“As that bike is moving underneath you, you need the muscle and the power to bring it back, because you want it straight as a die,” Farrow said.
“Every time I’m trying to bring it back is like 2.5 times the weight of any other bike there, basically. Even just the endurance it takes to do that is a lot more demanding.
“There’s so many people that believe that we won’t do it and that fuels our fire that makes us think, ‘yep, that’s all right, let them think what they want, we can definitely do this’.
“It puts an extra chip on our shoulders to show them what’s up and get it done.”
The Finke Desert race is held at Alice Springs from June 12-14, http://finkedesertrace.com.au/
The author of this story, Richard Bruinsma, is a Sunshine Coast-based freelance writer, journalist and media consultant.
