We're on holidays for 2 weeks so there was no rush to hurry home and leave the site early, so a leisurely pack up and talk to some mates before leaving. We headed back through Albert and turned towards Narromine all at legal speeds on those quiet roads of course. 16km short of Narromine I felt a lurch from behind, checking the mirror I seen something bounce into the scrub behind me to my left so pulled up as quick as I could. When I stopped I found my trailer no longer had any wheels or axle and was being dragged on its belly. Thankfully Marie was travelling a bit behind me on the 16v and didn't even see the axle depart never mind get clobbered by it.
I retrieved the axle and wheels from the roadside back a few hundred metres, it was still straight, the wheels still turned, but you could see where the welds had torn out of the chassis.
Mobile reception meant we could at least contact the NRMA to organise recovery, we had to upgrade the vehicle cover as the base cover doesnt cover the trailer but thats OK. Around 90 mins later we were finally headed to Narromine again. The NRMA tow truck guy was amazing, he took us to the caravan park first so we could unload the trailer, he had already organised the owner of the welding shop to open up so he drop the trailer safely (remember this is a Sunday). All we could do was wait till the morning to get the repairs started. But Narromine is a nice place, we took the mutts down to the Macquarie river for a dip, watched the ultralight planes from our campsite amongst other things. We had a few visitors as it was unusual having a sidecar in town, even one 80yo with an R50/5 (1000cc + 5 speed box fitted) engine with a Tilbrook sidecar came out wearing his slippers to see us.
The welder had everything reinforced and reattached by 10am, the sparky took a little longer replacing the damaged wiring and we were back on the road heading home around 1:50, later than we'd hoped. Around Orange I was feeling a bit tired and ragged, Marie was pushing for us to stop somewhere but I just wanted my own bed (althought still at least 4 hours away). So we swapped bikes. Was bit slow to begin with as Maries hasnt ridden the sidecar any distance for a while, but it made all the difference. I was loving the 16v, I hadn't ridden it any real distance before and moving to a bike where I had to be more physically active woke me up.
No more dramas on the way home, we had a few stops for the dogs, had a few coffees and finally arrived home around 8:30 (2 hours in the dark which we rarely do these days). Basic unpack, put the bikes away and hit the bed. Its a ride I'll remember I think.
The 16v impressed the two of us in different ways. For Marie; well she owned 2 x K75s and she loved it to death, but she was saying I really wish I'd bought a 100 instead way back then. Me, well my first BMW was a K100RT that I'd bought to slow down and keep my licence after losing all my points in two fines on a Suzuki GSX1100EFE. The dealer had a choice of the RT or an RS, I bought the RT as it had a radio, I was really wishing I'd bought the RS all those years ago.
Another Far Cairn done and dusted, as a mate RTO said K means its a
Keeper.
Al
Far Kairn Rally 2014 Sat Mar 01, 2014 8:10 pm
And the ride home was a hoot - passed SO many sports bikes on the dirt road on the way out 
Seems like the trailer settles the bike down on the dirt 
maybe next year. Will try to get my crap together for tge sidecar rally at bathurst the next weekend.
ROB the Red Old Bike 
