Best motorcycling roads

[Whynot]

What are the best motorcycling roads around?
I have spent a fair bit of time in europe lately and have managed to do quite a few decent roads, obviously nz has a lot to offer as well and i will be heading down south soon hopefully.

What are you favorite roads?

These are mine so far:


1 - Grossglockner High Alpine Road, Austria
<a href="http://gaimberg.traumportal.at/media/Sommer/6578_1_grossglockner.jpg"><img src="http://gaimberg.traumportal.at/media/Sommer/6578_1_grossglockner.jpg"></a>

2 - Transfăgărăşan Highway - Romania
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WiuRFsujfbBSIaJwRhanVg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_GfpoLDt8cpk/TInusF3asnI/AAAAAAAAAL8/XLAzOwY6bDY/s400/DSC05286.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a>

3 - Timmelsjoch Pass- Italy/Austria
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sByOMo3bP1P1TXq66Xb4UA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_GfpoLDt8cpk/TNeY7syeb1I/AAAAAAAAASo/GkXVbZHdgRw/s400/DSC05855.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a>


4 - Trollstigen Mountain Road - Norway
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3FME8HT5P4V32yx18L1dMg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_GfpoLDt8cpk/TGBiye3DZQI/AAAAAAAAACw/aNbS0HrZ-Vs/s400/DSC03248.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a>

[Big Dave]

State highway 94

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwirider/5666660473/" title="State Highway 94 by KIWIRIDER, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5306/5666660473_506d57dca3.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="State Highway 94"></a>

[MSTRS]

SH1 just north of Mangamuka, Northland. That's a treat.
http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=-35.181104,173.472061&spn=0.172575,0.264702&t=h&z=12&source=embed

[Metastable]

Man I have been all around Europe by car and motorcycle including going around some of the best roads in the Pyrenees and Alps, ridden in California and Colorado.... I tell you what.

1 - New Zealand
2 - Colorado
3 - Southern France
4 - California

That's how I put it. It's hard to say 1 road over another road, but those in your pictures are often too tight to be great fun.... usually roads that are a bit more open are a bit more fun, IMO.

[Laava]

Waipoua Forest, Northland
Forgotten World Highway, Taumarunui-Stratford
Gentle Annie, Hawkes Bay-Taihape
Just to mention a few.

[yod]

Buller gorge
Awakino gorge
Waioeka gorge
Mt Messenger
Route 52
Vinegar Hill
Paraparas
Eight Mile -> Taumarunui
Forgotten Highway
Queen Charlotte Drive
Rimutaka Hill
Middle Rd
Gentle Annie
Waipoua (sp?) Forest
Twin Bridges
East Cape
Arthurs Pass
Lewis Pass
Inland Rd
Leader Rd
Castlepoint -> Masterton

the list goes on and on.......there's plenty I've no doubt missed out

[MSTRS]

......there's plenty I've no doubt missed out

Starting with the Coromandel...midweek, outside of holiday times, at least.

[yod]

Starting with the Coromandel...midweek, outside of holiday times, at least.

Yeah, that's why I left it out, great road but not necessarily a great ride

We hit it on labour weekend once, total fucking pain in the ass going up the west side, more boats than you could shake a stick at. Once we got past coromandel itself it was brilliant across the top and got a bit busy coming back down the east side again.

[Big Dave]

Repost - but if you haven't voted yet.
KR Best Road Poll
http://kiwiridermagazine.blogspot.com/2009/12/vote-for-nzs-best-road.html

[unstuck]

South island.:yes:

[Maha]

Yeah, that's why I left it out, great road but not necessarily a great ride

We hit it on labour weekend once, total fucking pain in the ass going up the west side, more boats than you could shake a stick at. Once we got past coromandel itself it was brilliant across the top and got a bit busy coming back down the east side again.

The Coro ride is a bit like staying at the Raglan Pub on a Saturday night, done it once, no need to do it again.
As for best roads...you covered alot in your previous post, but I will add that the roads out and around the Naki are very very nice as are the roads in the Hawke Bay.
Have yet to do the South Island but that is on the agenda, was just looking at the map last night.

[yod]

The Coro ride is a bit like staying at the Raglan Pub on a Saturday night, done it once, no need to do it again.
As for best roads...you covered alot in your previous post, but I will add that the roads out and around the Naki are very very nice as are the roads in the Hawke Bay.
Have yet to do the South Island but that is on the agenda, was just looking at the map last night.

To be fair, pretty much every road from the Wairarapa to Hawkes Bay and up the East Coast is mint. :niceone:

[ynot slow]

SH50 from turn off at SH2,to Napier-o for awesome and good pub on route.
Upper route of round the mountain from Oakura to Stratford.
Mountain Rd (turn off SH3 by Te Roti)to Hawera,via Fraser,Ararata,Ngawini,Ohangai to SH3 at Mokoia and north to Hawera via SH3.

[Quasi]

yup - what Yod said. Some mint roads on his list. Done 75% of them. This has inspired me to get through the rest

[FJRider]

South island.:yes:

+ one .... doesn't matter which part ... :sunny:

[Big Dave]

+ one .... doesn't matter which part ... :sunny:

Yeah it does. SH1 South of Chch. Or any of the Canterbury plains.

[oldguy]

Old Russell Road / Russell Road, Whangaruru, Northland:woohoo:

most Far North roads outside the main centers.:woohoo:

http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Russell+Road,+Whangaruru,+Northland&aq=0&sll=-35.106428,173.825684&sspn=1.388591,2.425232&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Russell+Rd,+Whangaruru+0184,+Northland&ll=-35.48793,174.301271&spn=0.046055,0.077162&t=h&z=14

[malfunconz]

The Coro ride is a bit like staying at the Raglan Pub on a Saturday night, done it once, no need to do it again.
As for best roads...you covered alot in your previous post, but I will add that the roads out and around the Naki are very very nice as are the roads in the Hawke Bay.
Have yet to do the South Island but that is on the agenda, was just looking at the map last night.

get down there now before the other island freezes over for winter .... just jokin . just got back , 4 thou k's , its just bloody terrific , great rides up north too but jeez there roads are just ace . only two cops , one in nelson and one waaaay down south , nameless little town in the riviera of the south ... haha . coromandel great run but well serviced by revenue collectors . I work in the naki and its cluttered with milk tankers and little townships every 15 minutes . Whangamomona run great blast although some of the road has dodgy surface now , still me fav' though , love the turkeys , feral sheep and cheeky goats ,farmers that leave mud tracks outside their driveways on the road are just dickheads , rant rant rant . Friendly publican at end too although i usually have coffee as i wanna blast back and not worry bout being half cut .

[JohnR]

This site is an "add your own" and includes roads from around the world, including NZ.
Also has "Apps" for the technogeeks among us.


http://www.bestbikingroads.com/

[FJRider]

Yeah it does. SH1 South of Chch. Or any of the Canterbury plains.

If ya aint man enough for a few straight bits ... stay up north ...


You got a map ??? ... miss out the bits you dont want, if ya ca read a map that is ....

[yod]

man enough for a few straight bits

yeah, cos it takes a real man to do fuck all for an hour or so :lol:

Jeebus mate, I'm FROM Christchurch and I'll happily admit SH1, Christchurch to Ash-Vegas, is the most boring fucking road known to man (the Culverden straight is fairly epic too)

[Big Dave]

If ya aint man enough for a few straight bits ... stay up north ...


You got a map ??? ... miss out the bits you dont want, if ya ca read a map that is ....

Last couple of tours have had a gps. Still had to get out of Chch. Reefton to Picton is a bit ordinary on the South side of the ranges. I'm struggling for ordinary after that. Southland plains, but they are only an hour mostly.

My vote for the best region for roads in their own right is the western Waikato. But the South Island is better to ride for the combination of roads and place and 'epicness'

[FJRider]

Last couple of tours have had a gps. Still had to get out of Chch. Reefton to Picton is a bit ordinary on the South side of the ranges. I'm struggling for ordinary after that. Southland plains, but they are only an hour mostly.


My vote for the best region for roads in their own right is the western Waikato. But the South Island is better to ride for the combination of roads and place and 'epicness'

You can STILL get out of Christchurch without using Highway one.

Prefer to use GPS ... your choice ... but DONT come on here and moan about the roads ...

Reefton to Picton I have done many a time ... and EACH day different ...

as ALL of the south Island IS ..

[FJRider]

Jeebus mate, I'm FROM Christchurch and I'll happily admit SH1, Christchurch to Ash-Vegas, is the most boring fucking road known to man (the Culverden straight is fairly epic too)

I'll admit that too ... but I still DO it ...

AND dont whinge about it ...

[cold comfort]

yeah, cos it takes a real man to do fuck all for an hour or so :lol:

Jeebus mate, I'm FROM Christchurch and I'll happily admit SH1, Christchurch to Ash-Vegas, is the most boring fucking road known to man (the Culverden straight is fairly epic too)

A+. 20yrs living in Canterbury and its still mind numbingly boring, (with a liberal sprinkling of revenue collectors just begging you to hurry the experience along.)despite the precious parochial responses here.

[Big Dave]

You can STILL get out of Christchurch without using Highway one.

Prefer to use GPS ... your choice ... but DONT come on here and moan about the roads ...

Reefton to Picton I have done many a time ... and EACH day different ...

as ALL of the south Island IS ..

Yeah - I've ridden out of Chch in all directions. Even dirt. Plains are still plains.

[Big Dave]

of sorry - that should be PLAINS are still plains.

[FJRider]

of sorry - that should be PLAINS are still plains.

I think a vote should be taken ...

Should the Canterbury PLAINS ... be smaller ... ????

You know where they are ... dont go there .. if ...YOU DON'T want too ...

[Elysium]

South island.:yes:

Yep, especialy if you can't afford to travel overseas.

[Big Dave]

Yeah that's the whole point. There are a couple of bits you can afford to miss. Not very many, but if you are planning a ride then detour around the flat bits because there are epic alternatives. This is not complaining.

[Big Dave]

Sorry again - I meant complaining

[Big Dave]

Here's some of my other roads reports:
http://kiwiridermagazine.blogspot.com/search/label/Roads%20to%20Ride

[pritch]

This thread has been a bit more open minded than previous similar efforts where most people nominated their own local track, er road. So far the suggestions have mainly been sensible. The OP could be directed to "The New Zealand Motorcycle Atlas" which details most roads worth riding in both Islands?

[Whynot]

The OP could be directed to "The New Zealand Motorcycle Atlas" which details most roads worth riding in both Islands?

Got it already!
and working my way through them :)

[george formby]

Old Russell Road / Russell Road, Whangaruru, Northland:woohoo:

most Far North roads outside the main centers.:woohoo:

http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Russell+Road,+Whangaruru,+Northland&aq=0&sll=-35.106428,173.825684&sspn=1.388591,2.425232&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Russell+Rd,+Whangaruru+0184,+Northland&ll=-35.48793,174.301271&spn=0.046055,0.077162&t=h&z=14

+1 If you stay of the main parts of SH1 & SH10 it's all corners & light traffic.

Old Russell road

Waipoua Forest road.

SH1 from south of the Mangamukas to the cape.

Twin Bridges road.

Ah, the joy!

[Maha]

Twin Bridges road is the only road that, when I first went on it I wanted to do again, right now! So I did, refueled at Kaikohe and went back down it, it was that enjoyable, 70 Kms of yum yum.

Had to laugh though, last weekend coming back from NP, just at the bottom of Mt Messanger is a road sign saying...no stating..'Winding Road - Be Patient'....theres a Tui moment right there.

[george formby]

Twin Bridges road is the only road that, when I first went on it I wanted to do again, right now! So I did, refueled at Kaikohe and went back down it, it was that enjoyable, 70 Kms of yum yum.

Had to laugh though, last weekend coming back from NP, just at the bottom of Mt Messanger is a road sign saying...no stating..'Winding Road - Be Patient'....theres a Tui moment right there.

As often as I can, which is not often enough, I do all of them in one day. Must be getting close to a 1000k's & mainly corners.:woohoo:

[Maha]

As often as I can, which is not often enough, I do all of them in one day. Must be getting close to a 1000k's & mainly corners.:woohoo:

Yeah see stuff that, Old Russell Rd is one I can take or leave.
Twin Bridges at least mixes it up.
SH3 is mostly like that, accept it has tunnels not bridges, lovely cruisey road with a just the right amount 45's/55's and 65's to make it pleasurable, suits me anyway.

[Big Dave]

Old Taupo Road is also a gem.

[slofox]

Old Taupo Road is also a gem.

It sure is!

[malfunconz]

was on napier - taupo last week and theres a gate across the old road ????? or have i got the story wrong ?

[Old Steve]

Old Taupo Road is also a gem.

Having recently come back from OZ (10 months recent) I'm remembering roads that I enjoyed and the Old Taupo Road is definitely one of them.

You can take a little meander just north of the Old Taupo Road by going onto Maungatautari Road immediately on the western side of the Karapiro Dam and ride down the west side of Lake Karapiro, coming out over the little spit and on to SH 1 again at Bob's Landing. From there it's just a little squirt on SH 1 (about 2 km) to the right turn onto Horahora Road.

Off SH 1 onto Horahora Rd north of Tirau and south along it to the southern end of Lake Karapiro, you stay well to the west of Putururu. It's a bit straight there, but you then go on to Old Taupo Road, just pass the outskirts of Tokoroa, and drop down through the forest to Whakamaru.

From there you can shoot down the Tihoi Road to Tihoi Pub for a burger in the garden bar, or turn around and come back up the west of the Waikato River on Waipapa Road and across the Arapuni Dam. Once across the Arapuni Dam you could go east through Putururu and on to the Okoroire Pub, or turn left up Old Taupo Road and Horahora Road/Maungatautari again.