Daniel Hayes, a.k.a. Million Dollar Bogan, is no stranger to motorcycle shenanigans. He's ridden his Harley-Davidson Road King all over Australia. It's safe to say that he's boldly gone where no stock Road King has gone before. After taking a break to cross Australia with his friend David Parry on Honda Monkeys for charity, the two are back to circumnavigate another island—this time, Parry's home of Tasmania.
Hayes has a penchant for seeing a dirt trail, wondering where it goes, and following it as far as he can. On an adventure bike that's easy, but not on an 800-pound Road King. Since his previous adventures, Hayes has modified his bike, both for more power (just what you need off-road) as well as a pair of knobby tires (okay, that really is what you need off-road). It's paid off and gotten Hayes farther off the beaten path than ever before. This time, Parry joins Hayes on his own Road King, also equipped with knobby tires. What could possibly go wrong? As it turns out, quite a bit.
Soon after commenting, "This is why I like having tires like this on the Road King, so it just makes light work when you're in the bush," Hayes finds a steep downhill path he wants to explore. Though video often doesn't show just how steep hills are, you can tell from the angle of the trees that this trail is no joke. Downhill is easy at first, but he gets briefly concerned that they might not make it back up again. They continue on until Hayes gets bounced off balance by the terrain and slowly drops his bike. They wisely decide to turn around and head back, but that's no small task on bikes this big.
Unlikely Off-Roaders:
Admittedly, while this is not how you typically want to ride a Harley, the pair does plenty of things right. They descend the hill slowly, not at breakneck speed, which is why Hayes can step off his bike unharmed when he drops it. Unlike many of his previous adventures, Hayes is not alone, and Parry helps him pick up the heavy bike and turn it around. Then Hayes hops on Parry's bike and together they turn that one around, too. Their technique leaves a great deal to be desired—aggressive throttle and not using the back brake—but you can't argue with the result, which is two bikes going back the way they came without any further drops.
They got out of this one in much better shape than some of their other adventures, such as getting bogged down on the beach as the tide comes in, or busting the oil pan over a jump in the middle of nowhere. Of course, Hayes knows that a Road King is nowhere near the ideal off-road motorcycle, even with knobby tires. He likes his Harleys, though, and I have mad respect for what he does with them despite being far out of their element. It's quite entertaining viewing, too. Still, I can't help but wonder how much farther he could get on a KLR instead.
Source: Million Dollar Bogan on YouTube