Moving to Christchurch from South Africa

[noel.arbuthnot]

Hey Guys.

Within the next 2 months i will be moving to New Zealand. ..specifically Christchurch. My wife has arrived and already started work (Moore Stephens Markhams).

I have a 2006 Kawasaki kdx 200 and my wife has a 2013 Honda CRF 230. We are bringing a container with all furniture and i will bring our bikes with.

With immigrating there is so much to do and sort out, i havnt had much time to look up riding in Christchurch.

So are ther lots of places to free ride (legally and for free)? If not are there lots of organised group rides that we can join?

Are there lots of people that do offroad riding?

My wife says that no one at her office rides...and so she has the impression that its not very big in the area... what do guys say?

Well i love my KDX 200 and dont plan on changing it any time soon. I dont do racing or motor cross, i just like exploring in the bush/woods/dunes etc. My wife only recently started and so she is still learning lots.

Where we have been living in South Africa, i dont have a trailer or pick up/ute so i just ride out from my house.

I will try upload some photos and video from my rides

[noel.arbuthnot]

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[ellipsis]

...you will need a trailer but you will not run out of places to ride or people to do it with...

[Maha]

You're moving to Christchurch? your Kdx will come in handy, lots of bumps there.

[noel.arbuthnot]

Thanks ellipsis, that is good to hear! Once i have settled and got the bikes over i will get more active on here to organise to meet up with you guys and get to know the area. Cant wait!

For now, is there an online shop or website that u suggest i can look at to get an idea of the local prices of things like tires and chains and other spares/parts etc? If its more expensive that side i may choose to repair and replace some items needing attention in South Africa before i come over.

On my wifes 230 it needs a new rear tyre soon and also new handle bars (to replace the bent stock ones with protapers). My kdx needs new chain (and i presume maybe sprockets) as well as brake pads and maybe front brake disk as it is a bit warped/bent.

[EJK]

Welcome to KiwiBiker and welcome to Christchurch. You'll find many good folks here :)

[noel.arbuthnot]

https://vimeo.com/139399211

[noel.arbuthnot]

https://vimeo.com/139400063https://vimeo.com/139400650

[Deanzo]

Hey Guys.

So are ther lots of places to free ride (legally and for free)? If not are there lots of organised group rides that we can join?

Are there lots of people that do offroad riding?




A fair amount, yes and yes :)



A number of free areas,

As for organised group rides....
http://www.myrides.co.nz/trail-rides-xidc53532.html
Look for "Suzuki Trails" under Host, well run, two a month, never the same place in the calendar year.

Most I've seen at an organised ride, run by the guys above, was 650 dirt bikes.
As a rule, 300~500, but as the loops are big and hour to two hour long, with endure cut offs and kids shortcuts added in, it never really feels that busy.



And yea, you will need a trailer as pointed out in another post.

[Transalper]

Bike part pricing.... www.bits4bikes.co.nz (http://www.bits4bikes.co.nz/)

Christchurch is in Canterbury and as such this thread could be of interest with a few pictures and a video or two as it progresses to current activities although there are not a lot of us actually posting there....
www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/160610-Canterbury-Trail-Rides (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/160610-Canterbury-Trail-Rides)

A bashplate upgrade might be advisable for the CRF as a lot of rides have fist sized stones or rocks that will mess the surface finish on an engine if not make a hole if you collect an unlucky hit.

Personally I am more adventure rider on Street legal bikes riding public gravel, dirt and farm roads now, but for the unlicensed dirt bike free riding nearby would be places such as The Waimak bike parks (http://ecan.govt.nz/advice/recreation-and-parks/waimakariri-park/Pages/Trailbikeriding.aspx) and gravel riverbeds such as the Waipara Riverbed (when the water level is low) and Selwyn Riverbed.

Organised Trailrides as listed on the MyRides (http://www.myrides.co.nz/trail-rides-xidc53532.html) website generally cost $50 to enter and are over tracks cut on farmland where you follow the arrows and can be as easy or difficult as the options you follow such as the Kids/family shortcuts up to the Enduro challenges as mentioned by others before. Those rides are where you actually get to ride on some decent hills. The Suzuki sponsored rides mentioned are the most popular , but some of the others are pretty good too and often a bit quieter.

[noel.arbuthnot]

Thanks guys, this is great info!

With regards to jetting with your temperatures and altitude...i take it that i should jet for sea level and temperature range of 0 degC up to 20 degC? Im currently at sea level but our temperatures are from about 15 up to 35 degC and we have high humidity

[noel.arbuthnot]

Bike part pricing.... www.bits4bikes.co.nz (http://www.bits4bikes.co.nz/)

Christchurch is in Canterbury and as such this thread could be of interest with a few pictures and a video or two as it progresses to current activities although there are not a lot of us actually posting there....
www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/160610-Canterbury-Trail-Rides (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/160610-Canterbury-Trail-Rides)

A bashplate upgrade might be advisable for the CRF as a lot of rides have fist sized stones or rocks that will mess the surface finish on an engine if not make a hole if you collect an unlucky hit.

Personally I am more adventure rider on Street legal bikes riding public gravel, dirt and farm roads now, but for the unlicensed dirt bike free riding nearby would be places such as The Waimak bike parks (http://ecan.govt.nz/advice/recreation-and-parks/waimakariri-park/Pages/Trailbikeriding.aspx) and gravel riverbeds such as the Waipara Riverbed (when the water level is low) and Selwyn Riverbed.

Organised Trailrides as listed on the MyRides (http://www.myrides.co.nz/trail-rides-xidc53532.html) website generally cost $50 to enter and are over tracks cut on farmland where you follow the arrows and can be as easy or difficult as the options you follow such as the Kids/family shortcuts up to the Enduro challenges as mentioned by others before. Those rides are where you actually get to ride on some decent hills. The Suzuki sponsored rides mentioned are the most popular , but some of the others are pretty good too and often a bit quieter.
Thanks i will look at getting a bash plate for the 230....my kdx has a bash plate protecting the engine and exhaust already.

[Transalper]

One of Peeteeys videos of the Local Waimak Southbank areas....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi1B0bd9V5c

[Transalper]

Thanks guys, this is great info!

With regards to jetting with your temperatures and altitude...i take it that i should jet for sea level and temperature range of 0 degC up to 20 degC? Im currently at sea level but our temperatures are from about 15 up to 35 degC and we have high humidity

I don't know much about jetting but in summer the temperature often hits 20 to 25C and can get to 30 or more on a good day.

In winter it starts a couple below 0 and on a nice day can reach 15 so long as the sun is out and the wind stays away but more often sits closer to 10C.

[noel.arbuthnot]

I see that most of the organised rides require your bike to have a spark arrestor. My KDX 200 has an FMF power core 2 silencer which does not have a spark arrestor. Do u guys all have spark arrestors?

[mattsdakar]

I see that most of the organised rides require your bike to have a spark arrestor. My KDX 200 has an FMF power core 2 silencer which does not have a spark arrestor. Do u guys all have spark arrestors?

Spark arrestors are mandatoryand are checked for on all trailrides, if you don't have one most people just buy a cheap kitchen sieve smash off the plastic and secure it with a oversized hose clip