On the Twenty-fourth of June, I rode out of Sydney to commence the first circumnavigating of mainland Australia on an electric motorcycle — roughly 18,000km, anti-clockwise, on the Energica Experia. Family, neighbours and a couple of mates on Harley LiveWires saw me off, and then it was just me and the road north.

 

The first 2,350km took me through Nana Glen (a night with a mate I've known since we were five), Grid Motorcycles on the Gold Coast for a promo shoot and fitting a custom centre stand, and a gathering of Experia owners — six of only eleven in the country, some meeting each other for the first time despite living only an hour apart. Brisbane brought a catch-up with David Waterworth, who's been covering the trip for CleanTechnica in the US. Further north, Handlebar Haven near Kilkivan gave me a night with Jock and Annie and their quirky purpose-built motorcycle campsite.

 

Then, near Biloela, the trip hit its first real test. A routine check after unpacking the bike found the rear subframe loose — a fatigue crack in the top rail. No option but to solve the problem: hardware stores, a bent-up steel brace, and a rough fix good enough to get me 200km to Yeppoon for a scheduled talk that same night. The next day, Yeppoon's Coast Guard building became a makeshift workshop — the whole rear subframe stripped off, taken to a local welder, properly repaired and reinforced with solid bar along both rails. Arthur Hunt and Phil Nash gave up their time to help me pull it apart and put it back together. By nightfall, the bike was rideable again — stronger, in fact, than when it left Sydney.

 

A few days later, on a charging stop in Mackay, Arthur had quietly arranged for me to meet Glenn George — the first person to drive an electric vehicle around Australia, back in 2011, in a modified 1950s MG he'd converted himself. He was 67 when he did it. I'll be 67 when I finish this one. Meeting him at a charger, mid-lap, wasn't something I could have planned for, but it is something that I will never forget.

 

Along the way the trip picked up some unexpected attention — ABC Radio, CQ Today, and interest from UK and European motorcycle press.

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Section 1 wrapped in Airlie Beach, where Sally joined me as pillion for Section 2 — north through Bowen, Palm Cove, and beyond. The subframe's been reinforced for the extra weight. Next stretch starts after a few days enjoying Palm Cove.

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