The wires' "Who's Tough Enough" ride report

[CRF119]

Well what can I say I asked for a challenge and a challenge is what I got. It took every thing I had and more to make it around the Extreme course. My CRF450 over heated 3 times to the point of boiling, I used the entire adjustment for clutch on my perch and im sure I have worn the kick start out. Lol Two days later I am still feeling it. I have never seen anything like it in my 10 Years of riding.

I wish I had taken the camera because we found our selves in some tuff spots. From being stuck in quick sand so deep I had to hold the bike to the limiter in first and drop the clutch to get the back wheel to turn. Took 20min or so to get out. I came across things I had only seen on those crazy DVDs like romaniacs etc.

It’s a tough trail there is no resting and it’s all first gear basicly. Mostly rock and clay the best part for me was the down hill section my bike wasn’t even going for that and we were decending for ages. I lernt a lot about where a 2 wheeler can go when it has to.

After seeing what that christini bike can do I was amazed, Dafydd was leading most of the day as he knew where to got so I go to see just how good the bike works. It’s a rock crawling machine and will go almost any where. He was even keen to do a second lap!

Some how I made it with out bending radiators.

Damage report at my end isn’t as bad as first thought.

Ti Header Pipe
Munched what was once a pretty good tyre
Nice blue rim no longer nice and blue
Rear Sprocket took a hammering
Need new Rear disk guard.
Possible clutch
Bent ASV
Possible water pump, had water in my gear box oil may have come from gear box breather from river crossings.

Must haves if you are doing that loop:

Tow points under the Front guard and also bolted to the seat mounts on the subframe
Sump Guard
Bark busters
Tow rope
Front disk cover
Lower gearing for the big bikes

If you are finding the trail rides to easy try it, I dare you!

[Hinny]

Is it 4wd driveable? Without too much winching.

[krad_nz]

Cheers, sweet report!

[4stroke]

thats why ive gone to the husqvarna, i seemed to be doing more of that sort of riding, its just so hard on the big bikes as youve found out. pissed i couldnt make it tho. the husky that i got has the mx engine (53hp) 6 speed box, 18 inch rear wheel, electric leg and ebduro suspension. did danger go down?

[Danger]

No I didn't go down having only just got back on the bike after 3 weeks of inactivity. And you might struggle a little with that MX engine. I sure wouldn't want to ride a 450 down there either!

A guy rang me a month back after reading my report on this ride. He is keen for us to go down sometime as he is from the area and knows it well. I want to get a bit more riding under the belt before I tackle it again, that way I will enjoy it more. But very keen to do it sometime in the next few months, probably during the week though.

[CRF119]

I would say you would get half way round with a 4wd and there would be abit of winching involved. I belive the track is closed to 4WD or am i wrong?? No turning back once you are in there put it that way.

Before i go again im going to sus out a Auto trail computer thingy and a rad fan. And ill use my old pipe.

Here some pics taken with my phone after the ride


Im thinking about a KTM 300 for my trail bike just for doing this sorta stuff.

[cave weta]

Is it 4wd driveable? Without too much winching.

Ha ha ha ha ha yes of course its 4WD able- just make sure your winch is attatched to a helicopter!

Dafyyd and I took an Aussie customer of mine up there on Monday... photos coming..

[cave weta]

Well -like CRF said- Its a wee challange! I think its been said that Chris Birch rates it 8/10 for difficulty!
Anyway , we did the Neavesville ridge track for a warm up and to get the Aussie road rider to get away from the habit of getting his knee down. Then we headed up the wires. Local riders we met on the way in said 'its been dry for a week it'll be a cruise! the digger was in there and he's graded it all'
' we can do it an an hour and a half'
So off we went- was a bloody good work out! don't know how long it took us but people were cooking their tea as we came out.... when we passed the local riders place they were just getting their bikes out for a quick loop while mum cooked tea... perhaps I am getting old? edit: oh yes and the KTM doesnt have a catch tank and I boild it so many times i should have bought tea bags with me.
I'll let the photos speak for themselves........

[CRF119]

Where were those pics taken?? i didnt see any of that bit. Im sure there is no way they can do the full loop in under 2 hours 1 part is unrideable

[cave weta]

Where were those pics taken?? i didnt see any of that bit. Im sure there is no way they can do the full loop in under 2 hours 1 part is unrideable

Oh- all this is hard loop, Dafyyd must have felt sorry for you and taken you the easy way
ha ha- the old steam engine and the bridge are off on side tracks, the other to pics are of us 1/2 way up the 'rock garden' one shot down- one shot up.
Dafydd was really patient with us! he rode all of it but kept coming back to help us lift our tractors up the ledges.
That shot with the three bikes is looking back down to the bottom where you ride over the Kauri log and down into the stream, and just doesnt show how steep it really is!

[dafydd roberts]

Oh- all this is hard loop, Dafyyd must have felt sorry for you and taken you the easy way
ha ha- the old steam engine and the bridge are off on side tracks, the other to pics are of us 1/2 way up the 'rock garden' one shot down- one shot up.
Dafydd was really patient with us! he rode all of it but kept coming back to help us lift our tractors up the ledges.
That shot with the three bikes is looking back down to the bottom where you ride over the Kauri log and down into the stream, and just doesnt show how steep it really is!

My battery was so flat because of all the stopping I had to put on charge when I got back. But it was all good fun. Especially watching that big diesel boil a few times

Its ok I got my day yesterday when I went out with DRD and ChrisKTM and attempted this hill called Everest it was the steepest hill I’ve ever seen I made it up only through the use of AWD. Chris made it up on a KTM 525 amazing I got back to the bottom and went into a rut as deep as my front wheel and did 2 cartwheels luckily all the armour on me and the bikes saved the day.

[dafydd roberts]

Where were those pics taken?? i didnt see any of that bit. Im sure there is no way they can do the full loop in under 2 hours 1 part is unrideable

We did this part first just after the big bog were you got buried up to the seat, We then went on and did the Waip***** track that's the extreme part were we had to haul your bike up with straps.

I tried to get Cave Weta to do it on his big diesel but wasn’t to keen.

I was talking to some of the locals after they are a different breed of rider hardcore is an understatement, they went and did the loop track in the pitch black with hardly no lights and carry machetes on there bikes to hack trough the bush. They probably do make it round the whole thing in under 2 hours.

[CRF119]

Oh yea that was the part i moved a rock failing to get up the first time. lol.

I would be keen again once my bike has a mean exhust protector. I thought a about doing it in the dark Ive got no light i think i need a KTM with a light and use the CRF for the panzy tracks.

[dafydd roberts]

Oh yea that was the part i moved a rock failing to get up the first time. lol.

I would be keen again once my bike has a mean exhust protector. I thought a about doing it in the dark Ive got no light i think i need a KTM with a light and use the CRF for the panzy tracks.

Not sure you were doing a lot of road building that day.

[theblacksmith]

My wrists hurt just looking at your "track".Bridge looks like fun Dafydd.Trial bike material.