Sprotsbikes can do anything, eh Motu?

[Mr Skid]

When the budget can't stretch to more than one bike, you've got to make do right? Today I went out along Old North, with the intent of finding some gravel roads to meander along.

The reason I bought a 250 sportsbike as my first ride, was that none of the 250 trail bikes had much grunt. In hindsight I probably should have bought a XR600 and said to hell with the learner cc limit..

Just after the 'S' bend on Old North Road, Ararimu Valley Road on your right.


From the turn off it looks like a sealed road, but get about 5km along and the fun begins.


This is the intersection of Ararimu Valley Road, Bald Hill Road, and Chatham Road.

According to the map this intersection doesn't exist, but you know better now. I saw 100km/h on a couple of stretches of straight road up to this point. Sure the front might float about a bit looking for grip, but it's nothing much to worry about. How people crash on pea metal I'll never know!

I was going to head down Chatham road to see where it took me, but after seeing the first hill I turned around- if it was a dead end road, I'd have been leaving the bike behind and walking out, or disasembling it at the bottom and putting it back together at the top of the hill.
I was pretty sure there was no way I'd be able to get enough traction on road tires to get it back up the hill.

Here's a great pic to illustrate the rewards you recieve for getting off the beaten track.


Shortly after this I came across the intersection of Bald Hill Road, Blackbridge Road and Ireland Road.


I worked out that Blackbridge runs through to Dairy Flat. I didn't want to go that way, I wanted to return via old North Road, so went down Ireland Road.

I started an attempt on drawing a smiley face in the gravel, but knew I was going to drop the bike if I kept playing silly buggers, so gave that away.

Came back via Waitoki on Kahiatea Flat Road, and joined up with onto Peak Road. rather than turning left onto Old North, I kept going through to Hellensville. I don't think many people ride that other section of Old North Road. I know people up that way, so I ride it reasonably frequently.

Here's a shot taken from The intersection of Kiwitahi Road and Old North Road. I often stop here for a minute to take in the view.


I think I got some funny looks from the locals riding their roads in full leathers on a sports bike, but what's a lad to do?

[White trash]

Great story man.

What's a sprotsbike?

[Drunken Monkey]

Great story man.

What's a sprotsbike?

It's what people like you and I keep in our gargre...

[Mr Skid]

It's what people like you and I keep in our gargre...

Damn! You beat me to it while I was busy checking the correct spelling of 'gargre'.

[Drunken Monkey]

Damn! You beat me to it while I was busy checking the correct spelling of 'gargre'.

You snooze, you lose...

[Waylander]

All I got for them pics is little red "X"s so I have no idea what you're on about...

[vifferman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by White trash

Great story man.

What's a sprotsbike?

It's what people like you and I keep in our gargre...

No room in Trashy's gargre - he keeps 'male sheep' in there, apparently.
(Rumour has it that his penchant for 'male sheep' is "well known".)

[White trash]

Actually, Trashy gargre is quite full of bikes at the mo'.

It currently houses.

1 Silver GSXR thou with grazing to the left.
1 Silver GSXR thou which is mint.
1 Black T595 with a fricken electrical fault that wont allow it to run.
1 VERY sick Black GN250 with some paint missing off the forks.
1 49cc air cooled minimoto.
1 40cc liquid cooled Blata minimoto (90kph on 10inch wheels is fucken terrifying!)
1 CG125

and depending on who's staying the night,

1 more Gixxer 1K
or an SV650S

or both.

[vifferman]

Actually, Trashy gargre is quite full of bikes at the mo'.

Hmmm... obviously no room for rambunctious rams, then. Nor any for 'under the weather' whethers either.
I'm afraid you'll have to give up your honorary Aussie citizenship then, and return the ceremonial velcro gloves forthwith, fifthwith even.

[Riff Raff]

Actually, Trashy gargre is quite full of bikes at the mo'.
It currently houses.
1 Silver GSXR thou with grazing to the left.
1 Silver GSXR thou which is mint.
1 Black T595 with a fricken electrical fault that wont allow it to run.
1 VERY sick Black GN250 with some paint missing off the forks.
1 49cc air cooled minimoto.
1 40cc liquid cooled Blata minimoto (90kph on 10inch wheels is fucken terrifying!)
1 CG125
and depending on who's staying the night,
1 more Gixxer 1K
or an SV650S
or both.

That's true - he keeps the ram (that's a male sheep to you Vifferman) in the cupboard under the stairs!

[vifferman]

That's true - he keeps the ram (that's a male sheep to you Vifferman) in the cupboard under the stairs!

No, that's not 'a male sheep' to me; I was merely repeating what it was called in another thread.
After spending 2.5 years as a professional sheep shagger, I know the difference between the different sheeps.

Prefer the hoggets, meself - they bleat more when they gets it up 'em.

[Mr Skid]

All I got for them pics is little red "X"s so I have no idea what you're on about...

For some reason they all disappeared, I've uploaded them again, and I hope they stay where I put them.

[White trash]

For some reason they all disappeared, I've uploaded them again, and I hope they stay where I put them.

Story now makes some sense.
Unlike me.

Well done for thinking outside the square and enjoying the ride.

[Motu]

Yeah,very familia to me,that's the way I go north to SH16 - and has been ever since I bought my Yamaha CT2 175 new in 1972,in those days I used to ride into the forest and ride on the tracks in there...um,and still do.There are gates and they cut ditches and make a bank from the spoils,if they aren't too deep I can get over on the XT.Some were real roads and you can still see road names on posts.Last time I was up there I saw Chatham Rd had a gate - I posted a ride up there in the dirt section and took a photo of a car body blocking the road...I had been into a paddock and run foul of a horse rider,two weeks later the gate was up,sorry 'bout that eh.Chatham Rd is a paper road that goes through to Old North Rd,and as you come down the steep hill,that goes straight ahead to join Forrestry Rd as a paper road...but as you can see by the flash houses that is now a no go zone.It's sad to see those flash houses move along the road,as they come so does the seal...can't get the X5 dirty eh? You can see tracks on the sides of the road,I often ride there for a bit of dirt fun.

Good to see a sprotbike in there - OWLMorris and I are just about the only regular riders on those roads.

250 dirt bikes don't have much grunt? Youse a gunna have to take this for a spin when it turns up in a couple of weeks,a 1997 DT230.Goes like a cat with a dab of kero on it's bum....

[Ixion]

.. There are gates and they cut ditches and make a bank from the spoils,if they aren't too deep I can get over on the XT.Some were real roads and you can still see road names on posts.Last time I was up there I saw Chatham Rd had a gate - ..It's sad to see those flash houses move along the road,as they come so does the seal......

Good to see a sprotbike in there - OWLMorris and I are just about the only regular riders on those roads.

I take a potter along that way every so often.I like those roads. I remember when I first went riding there the roads really were roads. Before the censored government sold it all off. I've always wondered about the legality of that, but I've never had the nerve to ride round the gates (think you could in many places) . They're still shown on maps too. Yeah I hate the way they keep sealing everything and putting houses. Sad.