Mangamuka Gorge

[WNJ]

Family headed from Tron to kaitaia last wk for school holidays , I had a couple days work to do then on thursday morn I jumped on the ZX for a long ride north (about 5hrs give or take a bit), went up through Sh 16 and a few back roads through kumeu to cow coppa to wellsford,whangarei, stopped for lunch and gas then headed on, then came across Mangamuka gorge bout 20 mins before kaitaia, had a sore ass by this stage but that was soon forgotten as I hit the gorge WOW what a fantastic stretch or road never ridden it before nice dry day no other traffic to slow me down nice smooth road, very little potholes or ruts an awesome cambers the bike just about rode itself through the corners, needless to say I rode the road every day I was there so now ridden it about 15 times, this must be one if the best roads in the north loved it , thats just my 5 cents worth, cant wait to do it again,

[haydes55]

My favourite road. Ever.

It's a rollercoaster disguised as a road. It's the only road I've ever stopped and done a u turn, just to do it again.... And again.... And again.

I'd challenge anyone to put forward a better road, anywhere in the world.

[george formby]

My favourite road. Ever.

It's a rollercoaster disguised as a road. It's the only road I've ever stopped and done a u turn, just to do it again.... And again.... And again.

I'd challenge anyone to put forward a better road, anywhere in the world.

:laugh: Yeah, takes some beating. On the bright side I have at least half a dozen stretches of tarmac up here which are a good intro. I would hazard a guess that one of them is almost as good but a lot longer. Which kind of makes it as good.
The winterless north, corner heaven.

[insomnia01]

I'd challenge anyone to put forward a better road, anywhere in the world.

Haast to Wanaka :headbang::calm: Crowne range :2thumbsup Motueka Valley highway :headbang:

[Grubber]

Haast to Wanaka :headbang::calm: Crowne range :2thumbsup Motueka Valley highway :headbang:

Yea id go with these also. may not be better in some cases but at least as good.

[pritch]

Best in the world? That's a big call. The Croation Coast highway is highly regarded as are many others. Our West Coast highway made the world top 10 at one point.
Then there are: The Gentle Annie, Lewis Pass. SH43 The Forgotten World Highway.
I have been over the Mangamuka road, but not on the bike. I'll add it to the list.

[Voltaire]

Rode up the Mangamuka Gorge last Tuesday from the Rawene ferry on a 30 year old R80ST two up with Trailwings in the dark and rain, tailgated by trucks that probably knew the road backwards..... I rated it as the most frightening ride I have ever had to do. Good to hear its nice on a dry day.:lol:

[haydes55]

Best in the world? That's a big call. The Croation Coast highway is highly regarded as are many others. Our West Coast highway made the world top 10 at one point.
Then there are: The Gentle Annie, Lewis Pass. SH43 The Forgotten World Highway.
I have been over the Mangamuka road, but not on the bike. I'll add it to the list.



Forgotten worlds highway is good, but the road is in average condition, there are only a few small sections where the corners get as crazy as Mangamuka is the entire way through.

Gentle Annie isn't as good either. I'd rate it on par with Coro loop (if there was no traffic).


I've done the haast to wanaka Rd in a van, the road isn't as good.

I've never seen another road or seen pics of any other road that looks as fun. There are some other great roads, but Mangamuka is a road where you could ride the entire length in 2nd-4th gear and never go over the speed limit.

[pritch]

I've never seen another road or seen pics of any other road that looks as fun.

Have you tried the Waioeka Gorge? There's about sixty Ks of it. Not sure what condition it's in now, they had some trouble with it.

[meteor]

The Awakino Gorge is nice, so is the Old Russell Rd past Helena Bay and also the hills on the Whitianga to Coromandel stretch. Did the Mangamuka Gorge a couple month sago, yep, very nice. Also enjoyed the Waipoua Forrest north of Dargaville. Actually any road is good so long as I'm on a bike :)

[nodrog]

...... but Mangamuka is a road where you could ride the entire length in 2nd-4th gear and never go over the speed limit.

Really? what sort of scooter do you ride?

[haydes55]

Really? what sort of scooter do you ride?





Most corners in mangamuka are 35s to 55s. My bike doesn't have to be revving its tits off to get through a corner, if it's a flowing section I can leave it in 4th and still accelerate out of corners at 4,000 rpm. If I'm going uphill and it's a switchback section, second will service down to 50km/h up to almost 100km/h

[Madness]

Mangamuka is a road where you could ride the entire length in 2nd-4th gear and never go over the speed limit.

You could actually do that on any road if you tried hard enough.

[yevjenko]

Really? what sort of scooter do you ride?

+1 :-)

sent from my phone (so scuze auto correct typos)

[yevjenko]

Most corners in mangamuka are 35s to 55s. My bike doesn't have to be revving its tits off to get through a corner, if it's a flowing section I can leave it in 4th and still accelerate out of corners at 4,000 rpm. If I'm going uphill and it's a switchback section, second will service down to 50km/h up to almost 100km/h

Jeez, you need a bigger bike.

4K revs in 4th on mine and I'm doing a hundy

sent from my phone (so scuze auto correct typos)

[haydes55]

Jeez, you need a bigger bike.

4K revs in 4th on mine and I'm doing a hundy

sent from my phone (so scuze auto correct typos)





Isn't it amazing that different bikes have different power curves and gearing?


A bit over 4000rpm is 100km/h in 6th on mine. 4th gear can pull from 60km/h to 160km/h, so in a series of 45k corners, no point accelerating and braking hard, just stick in 4th, stick to 80ish km/h. The engine is cruising, still accelerating through corners but no need to gain speed.

If the corners were a mix of open sweepers and tight switchbacks, then I'd be going closer to the redline and accelerating and braking between bends. I've done up hill switchbacks in 1st gear and high revs, but the back end gets squirrelly and I needed to change up after corner exit, just to change straight back down again. If I was on a race track, then fine, but I'm just trying to have a hoon up some twisties. My bike can handle going through the entire rev range easily. So I get lazy and let the torque handle it.

[Kendoll]

Haast to Wanaka :headbang::calm: Crowne range :2thumbsup Motueka Valley highway :headbang:

Both of those are ridiculously good fun, but I gotta agree that the Mangamukas are just straight up EPIC.

[nzspokes]

Most corners in mangamuka are 35s to 55s.

So working on standard motorcycle theory of doubling the posted corner speed its a decent speed road then. :bleh:

[nzspokes]

Couple of vids of it. Must try it one day.

http://vimeo.com/16428396

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toenHtTielE

[Damantis]

is where God dropped his spaghetti and someone came along and thought "Fuck it. I'm not picking that up. Let's just pave it and call it a road."

[haydes55]

So working on standard motorcycle theory of doubling the posted corner speed its a decent speed road then. :bleh:



Casina look away....


You had your chance Cassina, look away....


The actual rule is double, plus 10. So 35s are taken at 80..... Not saying that's how I ride, just the rule of thumb.

[nzspokes]

Casina look away....


You had your chance Cassina, look away....


The actual rule is double, plus 10. So 35s are taken at 80..... Not saying that's how I ride, just the rule of thumb.

Fair call. Im old so double is good enough for me.

[Maha]

Fair call. Im old so double is good enough for me.

You would take an 85kph corner at 170?

[haydes55]

You would take an 85kph corner at 170?





No way! That would be speeding. 35's at 70, 45's at 90, any faster corners at 103.9km/h

[Mazztah]

You would take an 85kph corner at 170?

Double + 10 so that's 180 kph

[nzspokes]

No way! That would be speeding. 35's at 70, 45's at 90, any faster corners at 103.9km/h

Isn't it 109.999999999 at the moment?

Good thing my speedo is spot on.

[DMNTD]

I prefer Takaka Hill or Waipoua Forest but the 'Muka's are chur as eh boi

[george formby]

Went over the Mangamukas on the G/F's wee 2t not so long ago. :eek:Hilarious. Prolly my best lap to date.

[Slorider]

Have you tried the Waioeka Gorge? There's about sixty Ks of it. Not sure what condition it's in now, they had some trouble with it.

a lady died in their one day-a rock or more than likely 'boulder' rolled onto her roof as she drove through-was a few years back now...........ive also seen a couple of cars that have gone off the side-massive drops,take care through there

[pritch]

a lady died in their one day-a rock or more than likely 'boulder' rolled onto her roof as she drove through-was a few years back now...........i

That happened here in the Awakino Gorge a few weeks back. It's no good worrying about it if that rock has your name on it. Then again, we should keep an eye out for the ones addressed "to whom it may concern".

[MarkH]

Last time I went through there I was on the AN400, might be nice to take the ST for a nice ride through that gorge, followed by a nice ride the other way, followed . . .

[cheshirecat]

No way! That would be speeding. 35's at 70, 45's at 90, any faster corners at 103.9km/h

and taking into account the oncoming vehicle on your side of the road of course

[Little Miss Trouble]

Epic bit of road when it's not slick with oil from the logging trucks passing through.

Haha the last time I rode through there must have been a mental 1am Christmas morning dash up to surprise my family. I'd only had my SV a week and I was petrified I was going to collect one of the many possums that were chilling in the middle of the road!

[nzspokes]

and taking into account the oncoming vehicle on your side of the road of course

They just ad to the fun.

[george formby]

The thing that always gets me about the Mangamukas is riding the camber. It's the only decent stretch of road I know where I can rail round corners.
Course, it works t'other way, too. It's easy to get crabby on very off camber rights.

[Juniper]

Love that road 2up. My rider and I will do that piece 4+ times each trip if we can!!!!! Sexxy!!



Also try Russell Road. Its without the camber but so much longer!!

[george formby]

Love that road 2up. My rider and I will do that piece 4+ times each trip if we can!!!!! Sexxy!!



Also try Russell Road. Its without the camber but so much longer!!

344 corners from the Rawhiti junction to the SH1 junction. Apparently. And another couple of hundy to the ferry.

[MVnut]

You would take an 85kph corner at 170?

Of course not....that's what I take 55kph corners at :eek::Police:

[DMNTD]

...Also try Russell Road. Its without the camber but so much longer!!

Yeah Old Russel Rd is a blast but you need to be mindful of poor road maintenance and epic views :eek:

[wynw]

Yeah Old Russel Rd is a blast but you need to be mindful of poor road maintenance and epic views :eek:

Yup, gravel and tourists are part of what make it special, plus its starting to get a bit green in spots at the moment.

[DMNTD]

Yup, gravel and tourists are part of what make it special, plus its starting to get a bit green in spots at the moment.

That was the issues we used to have in the Waipoua too at this time of year too. Now we are about to get the fun of ice grit but that's just part of the fun of living in a different place I guess

[Moise]

It's an intense section of road but it's not very long. There are better roads in Coro. In fact, the road from Kohukohu back to Mangamuka is more fun on a big bike.




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[george formby]

It's an intense section of road but it's not very long. There are better roads in Coro. In fact, the road from Kohukohu back to Mangamuka is more fun on a big bike.




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Mangamuka Bridge road?

By big do you mean Hardly Daviscon?

Just joshin. Best bet is to ride both & turn right onto Otorahanga road (or some such) after the Mangamukas go flat, heading north. Comes out just north of Totara North. If you like gravel, that is. Or keep going north & turn off before Ahipara & ride the Broadwood road back to the ferry or .... etc.

For a skinny, out of the way region we have some amazing riding.

Did the ORR on Sunday & the green skid demon is happily growing off line.

[Moise]

LOL, I was riding a ZZR1200.

Dunno the names of the roads but I rode from Ahipara to Kohukohu then back over the Mangamukas. The first part of the road from Ahipara was rough but the last 15 minutes or so is epic.

Definitely some good roads in the Far North with the bonus of not much traffic or cops.

[george formby]

LOL, I was riding a ZZR1200.

Dunno the names of the roads but I rode from Ahipara to Kohukohu then back over the Mangamukas. The first part of the road from Ahipara was rough but the last 15 minutes or so is epic.

Definitely some good roads in the Far North with the bonus of not much traffic or cops.

I'm putting some grippy tires on the 2t chook chaser soon & intend scrubbing them in on that loop. Give or take some gravel links.

I should imagine summit like a ZZR1200 would be relatively relaxed to ride on those roads. With all them horsepowers & sensible gearing it would be a case of roll on, roll off. Repeat.

Oh. MarkH. A mate with a stable of bikes preferred to ride the gorge on his ST over his Fireblade. Go figure.

[yevjenko]

Ok, you got me. What the hell is a 2t chook chaser when it's at home?

sent from my phone (so scuze auto correct typos)

[wynw]

Ok, you got me. What the hell is a 2t chook chaser when it's at home?

)

2 stroke scrambler or trail bike

[Moise]

I'm putting some grippy tires on the 2t chook chaser soon & intend scrubbing them in on that loop. Give or take some gravel links.

I should imagine summit like a ZZR1200 would be relatively relaxed to ride on those roads. With all them horsepowers & sensible gearing it would be a case of roll on, roll off. Repeat.

Oh. MarkH. A mate with a stable of bikes preferred to ride the gorge on his ST over his Fireblade. Go figure.

Nah, that's not how I ride mine. Much more fun to use the horsepowers and brakes.

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[george formby]

2 stroke scrambler or trail bike

Yus. 133kg dripping wet, 40+ horsepowers (don't laugh, they are Shires) & it will rev it's wee head off. Leaves my 850 twin for dead in the nadgery. Leaves most things for dead so far. Hilarious.

I love 2t's! If I win lotto I'm gonna get a TDR for the miles of nadgery we have.