Dazzling outback Australian scenery and terrain, a hot shower each day, fully catered meals, and comfortable swags are among the rare luxuries guaranteed on all of a series of spectacular motorcycle tours hand-picked, organised and led by former 500cc grand prix ace Daryl Beattie. The highly respected winner of three 500cc world motorcycle grands prix and runner-up to Mick Doohan in the 1995 world championship has formed a new business called Daryl Beattie Adventures. Beattie is planning a hectic 2014 that will include no fewer than seven adventure motorcycle tours into the Australian outback. This is in addition to his ongoing MotoGP television commitments for Network Ten.

The guy who owns the business will be leading the way into stunning wilderness areas every day. The first Beattie tour - a six-days/five nights Birdsville-to-Alice Springs ride including a spectacular Simpson Desert crossing - starts on March 27. Other fully supported, handsomely catered tours include Alice to Birdsville and three Cape York rides starting in Cairns and finishing at the tip of North-Eastern Queensland. A second, longer, Birdsville-to-Alice adventure will shadow the legendary Finke Desert Race, with the Beattie tourists camping among the competitors, soaking up the atmosphere and listening to war stories.

Another highly anticipated longer journey is Beattie’s Uluru-to-Broome ride which incorporates the famous Canning Stock route to Halls Creek, and then to the Indian Ocean. Beattie will head every tour, leading small groups of riders through some breathtaking scenery and terrain. For safety reasons, a sweep rider will follow the paying customers. A fully equipped, goanywhere Unimog will be at every stopover with personal luggage, kitchen facilities, mattresses and bedding, and fuel and spares.

The outback adventures are a far cry from Beattie’s competitive days and role as a network television sports commentator, but he says there’s a simple reason why, “I have spent many years in the outback. This is a personal passion and something I want to share with others.” “I’ve spent a lot of time travelling to spectacular and remote parts of Australia,” said Charleville-born Beattie. “I reckon I’ve picked out some awesome routes for our bike tours.” He says the adventure programmes have been tailored to cater for competent riders with dirt-bike experience. Beattie has rated the routes in difficulty from one (the easiest) to five (the most difficult).

The rides to the Cape have been handed a three toughness rating; the Canning Stock Route a five. “We’ve got tours that should suit the skill levels and budgets of most riders,” Beattie said. Each tour has limited capacity. “A small group is easier to manage and I will be able to get to know the group better. We feel six-to-eight riders is ideal,” Beattie said. Six brand spanking new Honda CRF 450X four-stroke off-road bikes have been fettled with special 21-litre endurance fuel tanks, Michelin all-terrain tyres and other small mods. Beattie, a serious dirt-bike rider before and after his GP career, has left nothing to chance. Sleeping swags with extra ground sheeting and mattresses will ensure comfortable nights under the stars.

A keen chef, Beattie promises fine tucker at the end of every day’s riding - casseroles, BBQs, fish and other tasty fare. Wines and beers are available on tabs. “Every evening, our guests will be relaxing with a cold one, reminiscing about the day’s riding, and chatting about all things on two wheels,” said Beattie.

All tour riders will leave with a tangible record of their unique experiences. “I love my photography and we’ll be encouraging people to stop and record what we will be doing and seeing. Go Pros are welcome and I’ll be blazing away at every opportunity with a new Canon video/still camera.” For more details of the tours, dates, prices, inclusions and bookings, go to www.darylbeattieadventures.com.au

Australian and international media please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more details and extra photography.

Team Suzuki Press Office - May 6.

Former 500cc GP World Champion Kevin Schwantz is to make his international racing comeback this year at the Suzuka 8-Hour World Endurance Championship second round in Japan.

The 48-year-old, who clinched the 1993 World Championship aboard his #34 Lucky Strike RGV500 Suzuki, will race a GSX-R1000 in a three-rider Suzuki team set-up by Yukio Kagayama that also includes former MotoGP, WSB and BSB rider Noriyuki Haga.

Kagayama - who has also ridden all three championship classes with Suzuki - has formed the privateer team for the 2013 Coca-Cola Zero Suzuka 8 Hours on July 28th - the biggest and most-prestigious motorcycle race on Japan's motorcycle racing calendar.

Said Schwantz: "I'm looking forward to racing the Suzuka 8-Hour in July with Noriyuki Haga and Yukio Kagayama on a Suzuki GSX-R1000. Suzuka holds a special place in my heart because that is where I won my first 500cc Grand Prix in 1988.

"The last time I raced the 8-Hour was in 1992 with Doug Chandler and we did not finish due to mechanical issues. With only two riders, it used to be a really, really physical race and now with three riders it is still going to be tough but not quite as much. Although eight hours on a 1000cc bike is going to be very physically-demanding, I will need to increase my training program to possibly do two-three hours on the bike.

"I've never have won the 8-Hour and with my team-mates that are as strong as Yukio and Nori, along with our Dunlop tyres, I think we stand a good chance."

Yukio Kagayama Q&A:

When did you talk to Kevin and Nori about this project?

"The project started in Summer 2012. I'd heard that Kevin always wanted to enter the Suzuka 8-Hour again but had some small problems doing so."

What kind of problems?

"First, how to organise the team? Who would he get as a partner, what machine; and who would he get to be his team staff. Secondly, Kevin has a good partnership with Yoshimura, so if Kevin came back to the 8-Hour, naturally it should be with Yoshimura. Kevin has a good partnership with Dunlop in his racing-school in the USA, but Yoshimura uses Bridgestone tyres. So Kevin's dream looked over, but I wanted Kevin to enter Suzuka as a racing rider, not just as a big guest for racing in Japan."

Doesn't your own team use Dunlops?

"Yes. My own team - which started in 2011 at the Japanese Superbike Championship - uses Dunlops, but at the 2012 Suzuka 8-Hour I raced for SERT."

What do you think about Kevin Schwantz?

"He is my idol! I started racing when I was in junior-high school. I've known Kevin since in 1985 or 1986 when he was with Yoshimura and first entered the Suzuka 8-Hour and some Japanese Championship events. And then he won the Japanese GP at Suzuka in 1988,1989,1991,1993 and 1994. So many Japanese fans remember this and still love him!"

Did you work with Kevin also when you became a Suzuki test rider in 1992?

"Yes. I did test many bikes for Suzuki and I also helped with development testing on Kevin's RGV-GAMMA 500 - a great honour and great memories for me!"

How did you get to talking with Kevin about the project?

"Initially, I talked to Kevin through a mutual acquaintance about my 'Dream Team' and my passion and he said yes! But it took a long time to solve many problems with his many contracts."

And you have also signed Nori Haga to the team?

"Yes! We have been good friends for a long time. I started racing mini-bikes when I was at school and he started around the same time. We also started to enter Japanese Championship races together then Nori moved to WSBK in 1998 and I moved to BSB in 2003, but we've always stayed in touch with each other. We are very good friends but also good competitors on the track and we respect each other."

How did you talk Nori into joining you in the project?

"We were in WSBK together for long time and Nori was always saying that he wanted to race the Suzuka 8-Hour together, but then it was a bit of a joke between us then. However, we both began to think seriously about it. This year we had the chance to do it, but as Nori rides Yamaha, I had to ask permission from Yamaha and they said yes, so a big thanks to them for allowing this."

Has Nori had any experience of the Suzuki GSX-R1000?

"No, but he did ride a Suzuki mini bike when he was eight years old! (laughs) I don't have any worries about Nori adapting to the bike and Kevin recently did an eight-hour race in America - and he was faster than Blake Young. We have a serious team and we are riding to win, not just make the news."

Brand 34 Apparel

Welcome to the official online store of Kevin Schwantz.   Relaunched in 2010 by VR46 the updated BRAND 34 apparel line was designed by Aldo Drudi of Drudi Performance, with a collection of illustrated screened hats, sweatshirts and T-shirts featuring Schwantz's signature number 34.

 "To have a premiere brand such as VR46 producing and marketing BRAND 34 and Schwantz School products worldwide is an amazing opportunity," said Schwantz, the 1993 500cc World Champion and 2000 MotoGP Legend Inductee. "VR46 has a great management team that maintains the highest quality standards, just like I strived for my entire racing career and we continue to strive for at the Schwantz School."

The primary purpose of our online store is to enable our U.S. fans the opportunity to purchase Brand 34 items without incurring the cost of the international shipping!  We will not ship outside the continental United States, other than by special request via email.

www.brand34.com