TÉNÉRÉ TRAGICS TRAIL MAIL:

MY NAME IS DAVE & I AM A TÉNÉRÉ TRAGIC

G'day All: Tenere Tragic #7 (Dave) here. The excitement for this event is starting to build. I'll be there on my '97 XTZ660 (see attached photo). This bike was bought at a damaged motorbike auction with only 500km on it, for around $2,000. A couple of plastic panels and a new exhaust and it was registered and on the road. Since then, 35,000 trouble-free kilometers. It's also had a few mods:

+ African Queens centrestand
+ Staintune exhaust
+ Unifilter air filter kit
+ Bikebiz crash bars
+ OEM Yamaha accessory rear rack
+ Hepco & Becker pannier frames
+ Renthal 'Dakar' bend bars
+ RAM GPS mount
+ MRA screen
+ Goodridge braided brake lines
+ Ego Barkbuster handguards
It's had a hard life, doing runs up the Birdsville and Oodnadatta tracks a few times when the mining company had us working in central SA, but is now (regrettably) confined mostly to the city commute. Both the bike and I are looking forward to streching our legs on the way to the Flinders. See you then!
-- Dave, Tenere Tragic #7.

You can’t keep a good Ténéré down, Dave! Thanks for your email and photo. Looking forward to meeting up with you and that shiny black beast in the Flinders ... only a few weeks to go now!

-- Clubby, Ténéré Tragic #1

TÉNÉRÉ TRAGICS TRAIL MAIL:

MY NAME IS PETE & I AM A TÉNÉRÉ TRAGIC

Hi Clubby: my name's Pete and I am a Ténéré Tragic. I'm also a Pommie who arrived in Australia in the early 1980s. My brother-in-law gave me his old XL250 and I discovered the trails go on forever, so I thought all my Christmases had come at once.

I had a break from bikes for about 18 years. Finally, with a big trip planned, I started looking at most of the dual-purpose 650s. More by luck than judgement I ended up with a '96 Ténéré. It's been brilliant and I love it. Wouldn't swap it for anything (except perhaps the latest model I was drooling over in the showrooms recently!).

My trip was up to the Kimberleys, down to the Pilbara, through Jarrah forests in southern WA and then back home. All up it was 16,000km in two-and-a-half months -- how good can life get?!

I'm really looking forward to the Tragics run. I'll be coming up from far south Tassie -- one of the pics is from my backyard: you guys tempted to ride here?).

If I can't make the start of the Getting There ride, I should catch up to you all in Broken Hill.

--Pete, Ténéré Tragic #11

Welcome aboard, Pete, and thanks for reporting in from the Apple Isle. We're stoked to have you onboard and look forward to catching up in far-west NSW. It's shaping up to be a ripper ride and great time away.

-- Clubby, Ténéré Tragic #1