Former grand prix racer and Suzuka 8 Hours winner Daryl Beattie is these days, more often than not, a long way from the race track. While he is still heavily involved with motorcycle racing as part of Channel 10’s motorsport commentary team, these days a lot of his time is taken up as the operator of his own adventure tour company, Daryl Beattie Adventures. Our partner website BikeOnline.com.au recently caught up with Beattie to talk about how his business is going after three years taking guided tours into the most beautiful and remote parts of Australia.

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How long have you been running tours and why did you do it?

This is my third year doing the tours. The big push to make it happen stemmed from two things. Firstly, when I was racing I had a few trips to Cape York and I’ve been going there for 20 years now. I love it. Secondly, I like the desert and I bought an ex-Army Unimog from the auctions but only used it for fishing trips. Then one day I thought ‘motorbikes, desert, truck – I’ve got it all!’

The move to this new truck looks a bit bigger and better.

It started off a little rough but I ran that old truck for two years and spent a heap upgrading it and keeping it going. It never let me down on a tour though. At the end of last year I thought I needed something reliable, even though the Unimog never let me down. I looked around and saw the relationship Iveco had with Dakar and they helped me out with the truck I’ve bought. I’ve then built a body for it and now I’ve got to pay it all off!

How is business going?

The business is starting to get a roll on. The first three trips have been great and we are doing the Canning Stock Route in a fortnight. That trip is not full but I couldn’t fill it because I have Kevin Schwantz coming and we are shooting a documentary in the desert.

Is your operation a one-man show?

I’m sitting here in my big shed on my own working on bikes getting ready for the next trip! I get help though, my missus does the paperwork for me and I’ve got two buddies that come when they can to do the truck stuff – they just love it – and I couldn’t do it without all of them.

Does the MotoGP calanedar affect your tours?

Pretty much! That’s why I am on tour at the moment. I wait for MotoGP to release their calendar, put it all on a whiteboard and then work out the regional flights – the other governing factor – and then lock it all in.

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What’s included in the trip costs and what’s your typical kind of participant?

The trip pricing includes bikes, bedding, tucker on the tour and one regional flight meaning if you finish in Birdsville, it’s your flight from Birdsville to Brisbane – or vice versa. I’m finding the 40-60-year-old age group on the tours mostly – they want to get in and out and do it in a week. The last group I had were a bunch of farmers and three business guys – there’s always a different crowd. Usually I take nine or ten customers and a lead and a sweep for safety, so usually there are 12 bikes on a trip.

Are you running the new Africa Twin on the tours?

I’ve got one but I’m the only one that rides it. If anyone wants to have a spin on it they can during the trip. I’ve only done three desert crossings on it and it’s been all good. Some people say ‘would you rather the Africa Twin or a 450’. In the heat of the sand, on a hot day when it is dry and deep, I’d have the 450 but you can certainly get through it all on the Twin though.

Your words of wisdom – what’s a tip for anyone heading out into the outback for the first time?

Mostly you just try to drum it in to people that they aren’t near the middle of Melbourne or Sydney or an hour away from home. They are in the middle of nowhere and it’s a long way and time to anywhere to get help if it is serious.