A non-Kiwi joined! And I might need some advice (PaulV)

[PaulV]

Hello all !

My name is Paul, 24 years old and have been driveing riding (legally) since the age of 18.
Born and raised by a biker its save to say that the smell of petrol might have been the first thing I experienced in this world.

As stated in the title I live abroad, closely to the other side of the world (The Netherlands) but will be on the islands from january the 13th till februari the 13th both arriving and leaving from Auckland.
For my first solo holiday I'd love to driveride a motorcycle across the great landscape of New Sealand, I do have some experience driving left (England is closeby)

This is also the main reason why I joined this lovely site.
A trip like this is ofcourse riddled with preperations allthough I think I have tackled most of them by now one big one still remains.

Where to obtain a motorcycle for about 1200 NZD and sell it (if not made worthless) in the end?

All answers, questions and smart remarks are welcome.

Kind regards,
Vriendelijke groet,
Paul

[scumdog]

Velcommen!

Your English is probably better than my Dutch..:msn-wink:

But somebody will jump in and offer you good advice.

[PaulV]

Velcommen!

Close enough, Thank you!

Seeing it's an introduction on a motorforum I should probably mention that I'm currently the proud owner of a '92 Suzuki VX800, a bike which seems to never break down :)

[unstuck]

Gidday, enjoy your stay.:headbang:

[caspernz]

Vriendelijke vent, als je denkt dat 1200 NZD een degelijke motorfiets kan koopen, dan zul je teleurgestelt worden.

May I suggest you look into the Kiwi Experience buses...

[Mo NZ]

Hi Paul
Casper is correct.
Here is a site that sells motorcycles here to give you a realistic idea of pricing.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes.

[PaulV]

Hi there,

Thanks for the quick advice!

I fully understand that 1200 NZD is a bit of naïve i'd also be willing to take it as a loss when selling the motorcycle.

A motorcycle like this would come close to my needs, it's only a bit far away from Auckland.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/dual-purpose/auction-815605861.htm

That website is great though! :D

[Mo NZ]

You can change the search region to Auckland.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/CategoryAttributeSearchResults.aspx?search=1&cid=1255&sidebar=1&rptpath=1-26-&39=&40=&153=&9=250&9=750&24=0&24=0&51=0&51=2000&sidebarSearch_keypresses=0&sidebarSearch_suggested=0

[PaulV]

You can change the search region to Auckland.

Feels like an idiot.. :sweatdrop
Did found something nice Link (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/dual-purpose/auction-817994603.htm)

[unstuck]

Feels like an idiot.. :sweatdrop

Nah, Mo NZ aint that bad.:whistle:

[haydes55]

If you find a bike you'd like around Hamilton area, I'd be willing to ride it up to Auckland for you.

Have you got any idea of what places you'll be visiting? Or will you just point the bike south and start riding?

[PaulV]

If you find a bike you'd like around Hamilton area, I'd be willing to ride it up to Auckland for you.

Have you got any idea of what places you'll be visiting? Or will you just point the bike south and start riding?

Hello Haydes,

That's great, thanks for the offer.
Current plan is to just go south and see what there is :) I will have some points of interest but up to now most of them are on the northern Island.

[Maha]

You'll love it here Paul, but we Ride Motorcycles here in NZ.

''driving motorcycle/For my first solo holiday I'd love to drive a motorcycle''

[PaulV]

You'll love it here Paul, but we Ride Motorcycles here in NZ.

''driving motorcycle/For my first solo holiday I'd love to drive a motorcycle''

Lesson learned*

[Mo NZ]

While there is a lot to see and some great riding in the North don't sell the South short.
There is quite a bit to ride and see there as well.

However you seem to have the right idea to get out of Auckland asap which is good.

Also there is a thread about visitors to unzud and info, suggested rides etc. on this site as well.

[haydes55]

Points of interest I'd suggest:

Coromandel peninsula. Plenty of white sand beaches and picturesque views. There is a beach called hot water beach, you should aim to visit on a day where low tide is in the afternoon.

Forgotten worlds highway from Taumarunui to new Plymouth, great fun motorbike road and scenery that NZ is famous for.

Rotorua is a great place to blow a bit of money, luge riding, zorbing, sky swings and geothermal hotpools/mudbaths etc.

Lake Taupo is a nice tourist destination, go to De Brets hot pools.

The south island has a lot more amazing scenery, tourist destinations and fun roads for motorbikes.

Personally I'd aim to spend at least 2 weeks in the south island. Do a loop of the south island, off the ferry go through nelson down the west coast, look at the glaciers etc. Then across to Queenstown, Christchurch and up the east coast through kaikoura. South islanders would be able to give you a better idea of where to go and what to see.

[PaulV]

Always good to get the real interesting ones which aren't likely to pop up from the standard tourist guides :)

Might make a schedule later this weekend.

[amberzfire]

hello & welcome .. lots of little off the beaten paths you can explore .. just keep your senses about you mate and take on the advice of the old hands .. people not from here think it's safe as fluffy ducks strolling across the meadows .. while it's a stunning and beautiful country with lot's of awesome friendly people .. we'v got our darkside .. especially keep clear of a great big building that resembles a beehive .. :facepalm: keep ya wits about ya, keep safe and enjoy your holiday.

[BMWST?]

weather changeable in NZ esp in the south,can (and will) rain at any time of year.We are not patient drivers. A 250 will be ok but NZ is also hilly and can have strong winds.

[Tazz]

Enjoy the trip! Give us a yell if you're thirsty for a beer when you come through Picton.

South Island is way better than the norf btw ;)

[PaulV]

Again thanks for all the responses !!

I'll be on my toes, especially when bee's start building towers (That sounds like a good moment to turn and burn)
And in the Netherlands we have 10 months of autumn so I'll be packing everything water tight :)

Hills and power ratio is one of my new concerns, would 250cc get me up most hills ? I'm not planning on driving fast but I wouldn't mind any forward motion when planning to go up.

And Picton is the lovely place were the ferry arrives on the souther Island right, if that's the case I might just meet you there.

I've worked on a little planning up to the point of returning to the northern island and 10 days left :

http://i.imgur.com/9ZAgUwQ.jpg

Don't mind the numbers by the way, the red circles are some stops and in this planning I will be staying up to 3 days in some of the bigger cities.

[awayatc]

How are you going with finding a bike....?
I live in new plymouth, let me know if you need a hand with something, or want to stop by to fix bike, have a coppa or need a place to stay for the night....
I am a clog , so should be able to scrape up some rusty Dutch....

[PaulV]

Haven't found one yet but am searching, TradeMe is yet to sent me an activation mail so I can contact some sellers.
If you heard anything about a 250cc oldie i'm all ears

Sounds great, would be nice to meet a clog halfway around the world ;)

[ruaphu]

Haven't found one yet but am searching, TradeMe is yet to sent me an activation mail so I can contact some sellers.
If you heard anything about a 250cc oldie i'm all ears
;)

Paul that xelvis you had a link earlier i had one for a few years. I tripped all over the country on it, comfy, decent fuel range, could carry everything i needed including me at 100kg. It handled most aspects of touring and highway work well.

I've had many of the little Honda VTR 250's Over the years, good reliable little bikes. Where i found these little 250's struggle is overtaking and head winds on the highway, thats it really, reliable as.

Cheers


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[PaulV]

Oh well, I'm planning on a daily 400 Km max. therefore speed is not really a concern ;)

Found this beauty :
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/cruiser/auction-813241093.htm

Should I have problems concerning insurances ?

[awayatc]

Cracked brake rotor....needs new forkseals.....
87 for $3000.......?
you sure about that one?

[PaulV]

You can see that from the pictures, or am I missing out on a big chunk of text?

Anyway impressive and thanks for the heads up.

[awayatc]

Cant copy and paste with this android thingy....
did you see on trade me yamaha concrete xt600e 1990 in tauranga ?
with new wof and registration, 25.000 km and sounds like in perfect condition.
great for NZ travel. Asking $2500.....
looks a bit different........

or what about honda cbx650 1984 In north shore with wof and reg, little fairing, lugage rack, shaft drive .
buy now $2000, so you probabky could get it for less.....

insurance? Just get 3rd party....

There are a few other cheapies on trade me, but you want wof and registration......

[PaulV]

That sounds more than interesting, can't find it though :(

Will keep on searching, but shaft drive is a big plus!

EDIT :

Found it ! :D Now jus waiting for trademe to sent an activation mail to one of my three acounts...
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/tourers/auction-818605674.htm

EDIT :
Trademe kinda doesn't like people abroad, got an email about it and found this thread
http://www.propertytalk.com/forum/showthread.php?27553-is-trademe-blocking-foreign-IP-addresses

[Paul in NZ]

You might find this useful...

http://www.amazon.com/New-Zealand-Motorcycle-Atlas-Hema/dp/1877302325

or this

http://www.amazon.com/Twisting-Throttle-New-Zealand-Motorcycle/dp/1869509781/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1/178-7651315-5897241?ie=UTF8&refRID=0X007YXQYVWGMG22G18H

[PaulV]

Books with routes, getting from A to B on the best roads there. That sounds like a plan :)

On the bike searching side, I got a buy-back offer on either a Suzuki bandit 1250 or a Yamaha FZ6
Buy for 6,000 buy back for 4,000. These were the most cost effective ones I could find but still out of budget.
So buy-back seems a no go.

Has anyone had some experience with Suzuki GN250s ? They seem to be sold a lot on trademe.

[Akzle]

Has anyone had some experience with Suzuki GN250s ? They seem to be sold a lot on trademe.

no one. Ever. Theyre too rare.

[PaulV]

no one. Ever. Theyre too rare.

My sarcasm sense is tingling ;)

[Akzle]

so are my balls.
The dangers of keeping linament and lube in the same cupboard.

A very brief search will answer your question.

[PaulV]

Be happy you didn't store any hot sauce in the same place.

Jup seems like an okay little bike, its called dull a couple of times but that's fine with me :)

EDIT :

Its a bit girly but I like it, have sent out a message hope he's willing to keep it till January though.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/171125-Suzuki-Volty-for-sale?p=1130794660#post1130794660

[Banditbandit]

Has anyone had some experience with Suzuki GN250s ? They seem to be sold a lot on trademe.

They are road lice ...

Hope you have a great time here. Be Careful - this country appears to be pretty seductive and lots of people come here but never go home ..

[Tazz]

so are my balls.
The dangers of keeping linament and lube in the same cupboard.

A very brief search will answer your question.

Brief search might have avoided that situation :laugh:

[Paul in NZ]

GN250s are great bikes BUT you need to change the oil almost daily if you are using them for touring and they are already flogged out...

Just do yourself a favour and get something a little bigger..

[leathel]

GNN250 is a good learners bike... well sort

not the best tour bike. They will do at a push but are lacking in power for a 250.

other 250's are better.

[Banditbandit]

GNN250 is a good learners bike... well sort of



Most people I know who learnt on one said they took two or three weeks to get used to their next bike ... that tells me they are NOT good learner bikes ...

[leathel]

f you are on face book you can check out Bike sale NZ and New Zealand bikers, you get some good deals turn up on those pages at times

Like this, I would go older for more grunt

"$2000. 1998 FR900 Suzuki. Comes with 2 helmets, jacket, tank bag. Good tyres. 2 spare fairings. Rego and wof run out this month. No reason why it won't pass wof. Priced for quick sale. Hamilton."

[leathel]

Most people I know who learnt on one said they took two or three weeks to get used to their next bike ... that tells me they are NOT good learner bikes ...


"sort off" is there for a reason, they are low, low center weight, not over powered and easy to start and stop on... Good to get used to looking out for cars, learning the road rules etc but what ever you go too after it will be different and need to get used to a different style of bike, but then no different to going from a sport bike to a tourer or cruiser etc :)

[PaulV]

Well i am currently focussing on the earlier mentioned Honda 650, if it won't work out I'll check out the Facebook ads.
If I still got nothing by the time I leave I'll have to spent my first days finding something in Auckland, with the 250cc Suzuki as absolute lower limit.

I haven't overestimated myself yet on the dutch roads and with the leftside driving and small changes in giving way I will absolutely respect my own vulnerability as any motorcyclist should, thanks for the tips though!
Or do you had any specific dangers in mind for which to look out?

[haydes55]

Or do you had any specific dangers in mind for which to look out?


Look out for tourists ;)

Pretty sure we just have the usual hazards faced by motorbikes, SMIDSY, slippery tar bleeds and scenery taking your eyes off the road.

[awayatc]

Look out for everything!
slippery roads....tarseep , oil and cowshit
other roadusers.....bad skills, bad attitude, bad eyesight..
cops..in plain view and hiding in trees with speedcameras....
copcars on roadside............last minute u turns in front of you
weather...... wind, rain, hail , snow , anytime of the year
animals on the road....sheep, cattle ,possums
did I mention overzealous cops in marked and unmarked cars....?
Overzealous cops on bikes.....?
overzealous cops on foot with radarguns and radio.....?
speed cameras on posts
speeedcameras in marked vehicles
speedcameras in u marked vehicles
parking wardens in every city.....
apart from that, not much realy.....

[PaulV]

hehe Nice,

Tourists will be hard to dodge I guess,

Should I have extra caution for other roadusers (mostly the other tourist roadusers) due to hunting season ?
And park wardens? I'm a bit used to the "leave it where it doesn't bother anyone" sollution ;)

Awayatc contacted the Honda owner for me, unfortunatly no succes.

I joined the FB pages mentioned but haven't found the bike mentioned.
Anyway thanks for all the help up to now!

EDIT:
Have sent an message to this advertiser:
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/168681-GPZ500S-for-sale-very-cheap-lots-of-work-done?p=1130756775#post1130756775

Fingers crossed ! :)

[leathel]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1055357784490472&set=gm.679434125487363&type=1&theater


:)

[PaulV]

You're awesome,

I get a "No permission" though :(

[leathel]

You're awesome,

I get a "No permission" though :(

you need to be added to that group manually? can you see anything on the group page ? Admin may not have added you yet?

[Tazz]

Not Auckland, but you could probably sell it for a profit there at the end of your trip :laugh:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/classic-vintage/auction-819614974.htm

[PaulV]

That's a nice price but a bit to far, hope to find something on the northern Island ;)
Great Price though!

[Banditbandit]

Not Auckland, but you could probably sell it for a profit there at the end of your trip :laugh:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/classic-vintage/auction-819614974.htm

I had one of those once .. great little bike .. I'd just be concerned about it's age .. they don't lose their value that much any more ...


That's a nice price but a bit to far, hope to find something on the northern Island ;)
Great Price though!

It will cost about $600 to get it shipped to somewhere in Auckland for you. All you need is an address to get it shipped too and pick it up from ...

[haydes55]

It will cost about $600 to get it shipped to somewhere in Auckland for you. All you need is an address to get it shipped too and pick it up from ...


Or get a domestic flight for the day you land, to where the bike is, and start the journey there. Probably set you back $149.97

[PaulV]

The domestic flights seem to be very cost efficient compared to taking the ferry twice.
So I might increase my searching area to both the North and the South Island :)

[haydes55]

The domestic flights seem to be very cost efficient compared to taking the ferry twice.

So I might increase my searching area to both the North and the South Island :)


The cheapest place to fly to in the south island would usually be Christchurch, you could also fly to Invercargill. That's where a lot of cheap bikes seem to be when I look on trademe.

[PaulV]

And from there you can only go north, making it easy to sea most of the southern island.
Allthough obtaining a motorcycle seems to be a bit tricky.

Last night (or day) Awayatc helpt me by bidding on a BMW K75, which ended up being sold for 11$ more than I was willing to pay.

[leathel]

should be able to resell this without to much $$ loss

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1570346019864691&set=gm.512874148852514&type=1&theater

If the link works for you..

[PaulV]

That's a great offer ! :wings:

But it so happens to be that I bought a bike last night, a Honda CX400 build in 1979.
I'd like to add again that Awayatch has been a great help in my venture up to now.

So I got a bike ! :D It is waiting for me in Christchurch on the 14th of January.

If any of you guys know some cool routes which I should not miss out on,
or if you'd like to join me for a couple of miles on my trip you're more than welcome.

Again thank you all for the tips and tricks up to this point !

[Tazz]

Ahh nice. How much did you get it for? I was surprised how cheap it was when I saw it pop up. Had to close the trademe window pretty quick :laugh:

[unstuck]

If any of you guys know some cool routes which I should not miss out on,


Head south out of ChCh then ride around until you leave. Nothing to see worthy of mention in the rest of the country north of ChCh.:msn-wink:

[Mo NZ]

But it so happens to be that I bought a bike last night, a Honda CX400 build in 1979.

Pleased you sorted out a ride.
Very good choice and should do the job no trouble at all.

Keep in touch.

[PaulV]

Got it for the $1500 Buyout (well technically Awayatc got it)
And there seems to be someone interested in buying it from me when I'm done with the trip.

Now I've started replanning, what I got so far:
http://pbrd.co/1xroPYH

:) And of course I'll keep you guys informed.

[DMNTD]

That's a great offer ! :wings:

But it so happens to be that I bought a bike last night, a Honda CX400 build in 1979.
I'd like to add again that Awayatch has been a great help in my venture up to now.

So I got a bike ! :D It is waiting for me in Christchurch on the 14th of January.

If any of you guys know some cool routes which I should not miss out on,
or if you'd like to join me for a couple of miles on my trip you're more than welcome.

Again thank you all for the tips and tricks up to this point !

Scream out when you get down here and I' should be able to point you in the right direction for some good rides

[awayatc]

Coastal road kaikoura Picton very nice as well.....could be made a side trip if you have a spare day south island....back inland towards Hanmer springs ( hotpools ) lewispass...
Canterbury plains boring and flat....west coast south island awesome.

[Mo NZ]

A couple of thoughts to ponder.
Take 72 to Twizel via gGeraldine.
From Catlins don't double back, go around the bottom to Riverton
Then up to the Lakes .

There are some Jaw dropping riding in the passes.
Lewis, Arthurs etc. Don't write them off.
If you are really keen you can do the Lewis and Arthurs in 1 day - deserve a beersie after that.

[Mo NZ]

Sorry forgot to add Go up the Motueka Valley road ( left after St Arnard) instead of heading straight to Blenheim. Then go round through Nelson and Queen Charlotte Sound to Picton.

Just my thoughts to ponder.

[unstuck]

From Catlins don't double back, go around the bottom to Riverton
Then up to the Lakes .



Next time you try that route, turn back northish at fortrose on the mataura island-fortrose road, turn right into wyndham letterbox road, into wyndham, wyndham to mataura, mataura to winton, winton to riverton.
You wont be disappointed, and you miss out Invercargill, which is a shithole.:msn-wink:

[PaulV]

Nice, going to add them to the trip tonight.
They all sound wonderful and a extra day on the southern Island should not be a problem :)

[PaulV]

Me again,

Added most of the suggestions to the map, not sure if I made the right decision to leave Nelson out.

But decisions had to be made :)

http://pbrd.co/1GvRsoN

[_Shrek_]

Nice, going to add them to the trip tonight.
They all sound wonderful and a extra day on the southern Island should not be a problem :)

:shifty: can you go off road on the CX

the Hakataramia, black forest, Dunstan trail, Omarama saddle, Lake Onslow, any one of these is a great ride, & if you can't go the long way Lindis Pass, through central over to the Catlins head south, unstuck has given you some good roads to cruse then through QT over the Cardrona to the West Coast.... you may need more than a month to get around :laugh:

have fun & will catch up when you get here :apint:

[_Shrek_]

Me again,

Added most of the suggestions to the map, not sure if I made the right decision to leave Nelson out.

But decisions had to be made :)

http://pbrd.co/1GvRsoN

instead of going down SHW1 swing over & go down the Catlins believe me it's worth the extra effort & will only add an hour or two to the time

[Mo NZ]

If you have 2 hrs to spare on the way to Picton, You might consider left at the turnoff at Springs Junction Hotel to Havelock and then on to Picton, worth a look.

You can save Takaka, Collingwood and the valley road for another trip.

[Mo NZ]

Correction. Left at Spring Creek Hotel

[PaulV]

The offroad part strongly depends on how offroad it is ;)
I'm fine with dry gravel but thick moisty mud might be a problem.

Will add catlins back on the map. also the hw 62 and 6 on the route to Picton.

And take some of unstucks remarks to it, will be a some nice months driving around :ride:

[awayatc]

Better change return flight.....

You need more then 4 weeks .....

[PaulV]

Hehe, if that's what it takes ;)

But I'm guessing the man in charge won't like it.

[PaulV]

Happy new year guys, im figuring out another which I'll probably share somewhere tomorrow!

Cheers!

[Mo NZ]

:corn:

Bags packed?

[Tazz]

Don't forget to pack your rape whistle once you get south of Ashburton, although sometimes it just attracts more of em :laugh:


307820

Enjoy the trip dude. If you have time on the way through Picton feel free to give me a bell.

[PaulV]

Bags are packed, and top heavy (20 Kg exactly :niceone:)

Why would I want to use a rape whistle, it would only make them harder to catch!
Again thanks for all the help guys hope to meet some of you on the trip!

Almost forget, the promised planning.
Well, I won't be too strict with myself so I got be one or two days behind or in front of it.
But here's the general idea :

14 Jan, arrive in christchurch
17 Jan, go to twizzel (not sure why twizzel but it seems nicely in the middel of mountain-ish stuff)
18-19, go south (catlins)
20, to Te Anau
21, to Milfor Sound and back to Te Anau
22, to Queenstown
25, To west coast
27, To westport
28, To kaikoura (via Buller Gorge)
29 To picton
1 Feb, take boat (could be earlier could be later)
2, wanganui
3, New Plymouth
5, to Turangi (nice central place with lots of stuff in the surrounding area)
6 -> 10, (Glowworms, skydiving, touristy stuff)
12, In auckland (maybe a bit earlier just to see the town)
13, Back to Amsterdam, the City of sin and bad weather.

Cheers, and who knows might meet you there!

Paul.

[_Shrek_]

Bags are packed, and top heavy (20 Kg exactly :niceone:)

hiya Paul you camping here on the 17th or 18th on your way sth?

[unstuck]

Why would I want to use a rape whistle,

Welcome to the deep south boy.

307887

[awayatc]

oi.....

how is it going?

all the way down to bluff i hear...

[PaulV]

Hi there!
All the way south it is, currently in Bluff just beneath something with car grill.

Been great so far, met a lot of lovely people and feel truly blessed by all the support so thanks guys!
Had a bit of rain today, soaked till the undies hour later clear blue sky. It's a nice introduction for Te anau and the west coast.

The little Honda is doing all she can, lost the little kick bar on the stand and the carbs need some tuning but I'm not gonna touch that. It has a bit of character the way it is :)

From today the only way is up!

[Mo NZ]

A bit more coming your way.

308092

[Mo NZ]

Paul You may find this link useful.

http://www.metvuw.com/forecast/forecast.php?type=rain&region=nzsi&noofdays=7

Enjoy the ride its majic down there. :scooter: :yes:

[unstuck]

Yep, the weather has changed rapidly down here in the last 24hrs, hope you have your wet weather gear ready.:cold:

[PaulV]

Nice link! Wil be using that a lot thanks.
Lesson of the day, you can get a parking ticket with a motorbike... :/

Had an efficient drive today, showering and going from A to B I liked the view from the south coast, rough sea slamming on the shore. Tomorrow to Milford Sound been warned for the right side drivers by multiple people. Should be interesting.

[Paul in NZ]

Hi - what time is your ferry arriving in Wellington on the 1st?? Might be able to show you the sights (such as they are) if you like... (unless of course you are getting in at some god awful time)

;-)

[Tazz]

Why would I want to use a rape whistle, it would only make them harder to catch!
Again thanks for all the help guys hope to meet some of you on the trip!


haaaaaahahahaha oh shit! They'll let anyone into the country these days!

Not to tell you how to suck eggs, but make sure you keep to the left or right in the tunnels as well. They can get pretty 'slimy' in the middle.

[_Shrek_]

so hows the Clog getting on? we beat the rain home last night... :msn-wink: did you get to Milford & back with out getting a wet arse :laugh:

[PaulV]

Stayed dry all the way! The Road was amazing, soms parts I actually did twice for fun.
Did had a nice race with the rain from Milford to the tunnel. But the road is pure awesome. Watched a DVD in Te Anau of how the road used to be, made me thankfull for not being squashed by an avalanche.

Also found the slimy part tazz mentioned, its dark as night in the tunnel and my smart ass drove by all the waiting busses and cars so I had no taillights to follow.

Paul, I haven't selected one yet. And I might go earlier than the 1st, the next 3 days I would've stayed in Queenstown but I'd prefer to get some extra k's down the road.

So far so good!

[Mo NZ]

Ha ha I thought you get your undies re rinsed on the way back, but it is a small microclimate in there.
That tunnel can be tricky, I forgot to take off the sunglasses. Then I rode over some sort of square manhole cover or drain as I was ripping them off. The cover was a little below the level of the road. Clunk clunk as the wheels went in and then out. I was all attention after that :eek5:

Have fun and keep left!

[Tazz]

haha man so long as you found it but it didn't give you an up close and personal tour of the pavement is the main thing.

Flick me a message when you're rocking through Picton and I'll bowl through the Queen Charlotte drive with you if you like. The lawn's half dead now anyway so there's room for a tent and the like if you need it here (there is also free camping just down the road but it's right beside the main highway).

Enjoy your trip up the coast man!

[PaulV]

Sounds Awesome Tazz, Will sent You a message. Queenstown is a bit city like, I was naive enough to not book a hostel upfront now Camping at lake moke. The gravel road seems to have improved the bikes performance a bit.

Thinking of going to Wanaka after Glenorchy tomorrow, Queenstown is all fine but a bit lonely without hostel :)

Will be three days ahead of my schedule though.

[PaulV]

Today I've rode to Hokitika when I arrived there the bike seemed to throw out some steam could that be a heat problem?

Edit: Seems to be the left head gasket is dying a bit. The white smoke is originating from between the cilinder and the cilinder head. When paced on stand it hisses a little more.

EDIT: Tomorrow going for Repco in Greymouth they sell some kinda sealant spray which should fix it.

[Mo NZ]

"Hissing and steaming" is very bad.
Is that bike water cooled?
Have a look at the engine oil looking for any changes in colour of level.
I would drop around to the bike shop before I went to Repco.

[Tazz]

Aww sheeet! You been overloading it with some of those big Southern girls or something :bleh:

Spray on sealant doesn't sound inspiring.
There must be someone on here in Greymouth with tools and space for you if you need to dive a bit deeper? There's a carport and some tools at a mates pad in Picton if required anyway.

[PaulV]

"Hissing and steaming" is very bad.
Is that bike water cooled?
Have a look at the engine oil looking for any changes in colour of level.
I would drop around to the bike shop before I went to Repco.


Yeah It's water cooled. Might be the heat, have been riding it like a madman today and it's hot as hell outside. Could increase the pressure on the cooling system. Or at least Im hoping that the engine had problems due to the gasket before. Will take it easy tomorrow not letting it run hot and keep low revs+high gear. Will miss the overtaking action though :)

It's 35 years old, the symptoms look like the once I found on the internet this afternoon. Gaskets only have a limited lifetime apparently. Not yet noticed a further decrease in performance now. So that's something.

Will keep you guys posted

[Mo NZ]

If the oil is milky you are really going to stuff it.
Be more than a new head gasket to fix it.

[haydes55]

Just rip off the head that's blown a gasket and run it as a single cylinder

[PaulV]

If the oil is milky you are really going to stuff it.
Be more than a new head gasket to fix it.

Will check oil first, probably gonna wrap up the southern island a bit faster. Thinking of going to Westport Nelson than on to Picton and ferry. Will miss out on Kaikoura and the highway one close to the coast though. Still no worries, weather is good and there's time for some grease monkey role playing.


Edit: Added sealant to the coolant, oil level and color both seemed good. The bike really came to life, but I didn't thought it through that going beyond the revs it did when I bought it probably will screw up some seals. So now there's still steam and hiss but not from the head gasket, seems to originated from a hose to pipe connection which is less worrisome to me. Just need to keep the level in check.

Video: https://vid.me/IGDY

[_Shrek_]

Added sealant to the coolant, oil level and color both seemed good. The bike really came to life, but I didn't thought it through that going beyond the revs it did when I bought it probably will screw up some seals. So now there's still steam and hiss but not from the head gasket, seems to originated from a hose to pipe connection which is less worrisome to me. Just need to keep the level in check.

can you loosen the pipe off the put some sealant around the end then refit & tighten?

[PaulV]

Hi Shrek!

I think I could fix it. But for now im just gonna watch the coolant level. Bike did good today :)
Now in Motueka, tomorrow Picton and the day after on the ferry to the North!

Coolant level is also a bit high from when I added the sealant to the tank.

Random question; why do all the Germans come down here? its impressive how many there are.

[leathel]

Just something different, when I first went to synthetic oil of got milky layer on top of the oil, I did a short change after just a few hundred K's and never seen it again, not sure what oil was in the bike hen I got it but it didn't like the synthetic oil I run.

[PaulV]

Just something different, when I first went to synthetic oil of got milky layer on top of the oil, I did a short change after just a few hundred K's and never seen it again, not sure what oil was in the bike hen I got it but it didn't like the synthetic oil I run.

Goin' out on a limb here but could it be residu from the not synthetic oil floating on top?,could imagine that the walls of the whole system are still "filthy" with the old stuff.

[leathel]

Goin' out on a limb here but could it be residu from the not synthetic oil floating on top?,could imagine that the walls of the whole system are still "filthy" with the old stuff.

In my case yup....

[PaulV]

I think my problem is one of coolant and the oil looks good to me :)

[awayatc]

Cylinder head and thus headgasket has holes for coolant, holes for water, and one big hole for the piston.
when engine runs there is a lot of pressure generated on that big bore.
If and when a headgasket blows, it usually blows between bore and water , not necessarily between bore and oil, or water and oil.
so your coolant then gets pressurised....if that is the case, your sparkplug should be coolant wet, you should have steam coming from exhaust, and it should pressurise from startup....
if steam only happens after engine warms up you may have coolant related issue (waterleak, or stuffed half stuck thermostat......)
If you got headgasket probkem, you may be better of with radiator pressure cap (which also could be faulty...!) a turn lose, that way excess pressure can be bled there, reducing pressure/ steam...
so time to do a wee bit of diagnostic tinkering....
radiator pressure cap easy and cheap to replace.....
as is thermostat...(late 70 s honda civic......)
Anybody with half mechanical aptitude should be able to tell you what the problem is, or fix it....
get you arse over to new plymouth and I will do it if nobody else will before then..:rolleyes:

[_Shrek_]

I think my problem is one of coolant and the oil looks good to me :)

:rolleyes: :msn-wink:


get you arse over to new plymouth and I will do it if nobody else will before then..:rolleyes:

:shifty: :shit: you been awayatc to long Pete..... remember you married that hottie @ Hanmer a few years back :msn-wink:

[PaulV]

Today just before havelock I've got up close and personal with the pavement :(
Big oil stain just around the corner, luckily I was only doing twenty-something. To answer the first question everyone had; Yes I've got it on tape and I'm doing fine too. The Honda needed a few minutes to settle the fuel in the carbs and I myself used this time to eat some sandwiches.

Used the Queen charlotte road to regain some confidence, now in Picton.

Pete, no worries, the bike will be doing fine have been checking the coolant daily. I think I could fix it myself but seeing as I'm still getting from A to B I'm a bit tempted to leave it for now.

[PaulV]

Stayed at Tazz for the night was pretty awesome! Helped out patching the bike up a bit just rode it in the ferry. Seems that its not the first time the bike took a tumble though...

Anyway I'm still happy with it and on the road!

Just pure curiosity, anyone happens to know the price of shipment to lets say western europe?:love:

[Smifffy]

Stayed at Tazz for the night was pretty awesome! Helped out patching the bike up a bit just rode it in the ferry. Seems that its not the first time the bike took a tumble though...

Anyway I'm still happy with it and on the road!

Just pure curiosity, anyone happens to know the price of shipment to lets say western europe?:love:

If you read the thread regarding "Good cars you don't see anymore" you will realise the very real power of nostalgia. Bikes are a lot easier to store and restore than cars. I certainly wish I still had a couple of my early bikes. Not such a bad idea...

[awayatc]

You want to take bike back to Netherlands...?
cost of shipping probably not that much...
I would imagine between $1000 and $2000 tops..
BUT every now and again Dutch ship in new plymouth....
seafarer could easily stow wee bike sonewhere on deck for bit of cash...
not sure about paper work, and importing it into NL though.

regarding gravity test,
there is a bloke here in New plymouth wrecking a couple of cx's....
(400 and 500) if there are a few parts you need

[PaulV]

Well I got a motorcycle trailer at home and not much hurry to get it over to Rotterdam. Amsterdam or any other place in NL. Paperwork is based upon the day value of the bike and a taxation report. So have to keep the broken indicators somewhere ;)

Currently staying at Mo's lovely place in Waganui we went for a bit of a ride this afternoon and guess who dropped a cx400 on a gravel road? Again I'm okay but no film this time around.

Met Coz a friend of Mo here, he has a connection with a Honda-mechanic-guy owning a Dyno. Going to swap the sparkplugs, caps and cables first if that wont work place it on the contraption. Coz also has a cx400 lying spread out at home for a project ad is not planning on using the turn signals which is great cause I've balanced the gravity problem and am now driving without any signals on the front side.

So not really sure if ill be missing parts but will certainly see which parts might be better of being renewed. Thanks a lot! :D

Still doing great and enjoying myself!

[awayatc]

You have to stop dropping the poor wee bike.....

Sounds good to have a bit of a tinker....

bikes need love to

owning a dyno? Wouldn't mind hooking up the old Harley one day...
Could you ask Coz if that is an option ?

whanganui-new plymouth only a twist of throttle apart.
still at sea, maybe in port sunday/monday...

[mstriumph]

Feels like an idiot.. :sweatdrop
Did found something nice Link (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/dual-purpose/auction-817994603.htm)

looooooove your accent - sooooooo cute :msn-wink:

[Tazz]

Awesome to meet you man. She's a pretty sweet machine and is doing well considering your penchant for throwing it down the road haha
Look forward to seeing where you get to up in the north :Punk:


I've balanced the gravity problem and am now driving without any signals on the front side.

:laugh:

Some say consistency is a good trait :bleh:
Try airing the tyres down a little for gravel.

[PaulV]

@mstriumph
Thanks I guess!

Got it running pretty good with new sparkplugs, fun thing is it was the first thing Mo mentioned when I pulled in so kudos to him!

EDIT:
Still not working right.

Change log:

Sparkplugs replaced
Backbrake bent back
Indicators fixed(-ish)
Tank flushed
Fuel filter installed
Bowl and jets cleaned
Fuel pump rubber replaced (on carbs)
Coil replaced.
New steps installed

Still 5000 rpm with a fire-y fart every now and then.

[Mo NZ]

"Still 5000 rpm with a fire-y fart every now and then."
Dam .. we should have stolen a stator or ecu maybe.
But C.. may have noticed that.
Had a few good showers through here this arvo and it looks like its settled in now and steady drizzle.

Hope it keeps running for ya.

[PaulV]

Me and the guys only catches a few drips while cruising on a steady 80 kmph.
Now in Hamilton where there's more rain and less to do!

Two Honda dealers here though. See if they come up with something tomorrow

[haydes55]

Me and the guys only catches a few drips while cruising on a steady 80 kmph.
Now in Hamilton where there's more rain and less to do!

Two Honda dealers here though. See if they come up with something tomorrow

Have you got a place to stay?

[PaulV]

Hi Hades,

Yeah I do a lovely Youth Hostel not far from the town., thanks though!

I got a friend of mine who wants to be in the backseat for a couple of days, do you guys know a place which might rent gear and a helmet? Seeing my recent tradition of dropping the bike so now and then.

Paul

[haydes55]

Hi Hades,



Yeah I do a lovely Youth Hostel not far from the town., thanks though!



I got a friend of mine who wants to be in the backseat for a couple of days, do you guys know a place which might rent gear and a helmet? Seeing my recent tradition of dropping the bike so now and then.



Paul


No idea for gear rentals, I've got a spare small helmet and jacket if that helps

[Mo NZ]

https://www.google.co.nz/#q=auckland+motorcycle+rentals
Here is a start.

[Mo NZ]

::Anybody spotted Biggles. We seem to have discovered his goggles lying in a shed.

308593

:eek:

[PaulV]

::Anybody spotted Biggles. We seem to have discovered his goggles lying in a shed.

308593

:eek:

Haha I forgot! Left those for cos's steampunk collection 😉

[rustyrobot]

Hamilton where there's more rain and less to do!


Pretty sure that's what it says in the Lonely Planet too.

[PaulV]

Sorry guys been a while,

Visited Peter (Away@C) when I arrived he fought it might be fuel, electrical or cooling problems.
Well apparently I had the full bingo cause all of them where pretty much screwed and its a miracle the bike got this far.

Peter fixed a whole heap of things but there's only so much you can do. Therefore he offered me to continue my journey with his Saab (awesome car)

Too bad I had to switch the two wheels for a four wheel solution, but it means I can see more of the northern island it's the right way to go.

Might have to continue my story on another forum ;)

[Mo NZ]

"Might have to continue my story on another forum "

Well if you do post up a link here will ya.
Safe travels, Mo.

[PaulV]

Couldn't find the Kiwidrivers forum looks like you guys will be stuck with me for a little longer.

Just ordered the parts needed, fingers crossed they'll arrive in time!

[Tazz]

Oh man! What a good bastard for giving you his car! Try not to crash this one aye haha :bleh:

Where are you now? Did you make it to Raglan from Hamilton? It makes it better :laugh:

[PaulV]

Going to stay in Taupo for now, weather's good and camping's free :D


Didn't get to Raglan, wanted to get the bike in New Plymouth ASAP, I'm lucky it didn't blew up on me the way it appeared to be. Car's doing fine though lot easier travelling.

[awayatc]

Bike wise

Previous owner must have replaced mechanical seal behind waterpump.....
he forgot a part or 2, and put a few parts in wrong place, resulting in impeller binding, and the nut coming off...
impellers teeth got stripped, so no cooling circulation for quite some time.....
this may not have done further damage because engine was running on 1 cylinder because of sparkplug cap issues.
And not revving over 5000 revs, because of previous carb mis reassembling issues.
one rubber bung missing, and one carb with primary and secondary jets reversed.
also 1 inlet manifold not sealing because rubber o ring was perished.

disappointed that bike was sold like that...
the previous owner sounded far more optimistic about bike,
but judging by the workshop invoices, he may have bee an innocent victim of poor workmanship himself.

all up not a mayor repair....just a problem because of time restraints.
parts take time to find and order.

Shame I didn't have Aprillia anymore for Paul to borrow, and unfortunately both Harley and Beemer a bit unsuitable for ticky touring....

At least all was not lost, 3 weeks of NZ summer riding in amazing weather, on a bike (bit crippled one) and 1 week in a car.
could have been better, but could have been lots worse........

enjoy:msn-wink:

[PaulV]

And all of that awesomeness woundnt be possible without you great lot!

Going to do the big "mount doom" crossing tomorrow. Again all has been fine and I'm still around Taupo for a bit. Got enough reasons to come back to NZ for sure :D

The parts should arrive this week just hope to see them before I have to leave.

EDIT: Parts didn't arrive when I left but it's okay.

Been back for a week now and really do miss the weather, the mountains and hills and most of all the people.

[PaulV]

Wow, it has been a while!

First off I'd like to thank all of you for the amazing trip I had in the beginning of 2015. I know I've probably said it a million-and-one times already but without you guys it would have been impossible.

Since the last time I posted something here a lot has happened and changed but one thing remained. I needz another motorcycle adventure!

This time I do however would like to use my own (manly) purple Suzuki VX800. There are not many countries I haven't visited yet in western Europe but one has always been of interest.

And that is Ireland, I know I'll have to cross the Land of the PoMs but I'm okay with some tea and biscuits along the way ;)

Anyway, thought to sent you guys an update on how things are going.

Also started a thread on the Irish biker forum:
http://www.biker.ie/forum/showthread.php?t=229025

Cheers!

[Tazz]

Good shit dude! Cork, Derry and Galway are my 3 favourite spots there. Should be some good riding around the Ring of Kerry but there are plenty of back roads there that are awesome (although often narrow as fark).

My old man lives in Ballinasloe but I think he's not home till June/July. If you're around in Ireland at that time and in the hood I can double check his dates but you'd definitely be able to crash there for a night or a few.
I'll ask around the family in Galway too but most of them live out in the middle of no where tbh.

Jealous as!

[PaulV]

Yeah kinda excited and a tad bit nervous, a friend of mine past away in a motorcycle accident last July and I haven't had the balls to ride since.
So this should be a good way to regain some confidence :D

First things first, the bike has been in a shed for quite some time and is not meant to for long journeys. So have to plow through the workshop manual and do all the mandatory things which haven't been done the last 20 years.

Also have to add a sturdy luggage rack, some heated bars and USB chargers for comfort. (connected through the ignition and not directly on the battery as done on the Honda, sorry 'bout that one Peter)

Cork, Galway and Derry are all in the plans right now, and it would be cool to meet some locals along the way :)

[PaulV]

Or atleast is going to be back, I'm heading back to you fabulous lot for another bike ride.
As I'll not be travelling alone but with my dad and brother we did go for the more reliable (but arguably less fun) solution of renting motorcycles.

I lost most of the phonenumbers so this is me trying to contact some of the legends which helped me five years ago on this adventure.
Let me know if you'd like to have a chat or grab a pint along the way :)

Trip will be from Auckland to Christchurch from the 17th of Feb till the 5th of March. Not a real plan yet at the moment.