Brass Monkey 2017 - Which bike would you take?

[Hads]

Hi All,

I'm planning on doing the brass monkey with my old man this year, however it is looking unlikely he will get his CZ Enduro working in time, doh. So I'm thinking being a generous son temporarily purchasing a bike just for that weekend, then reselling it again after.

Bike Requirements:
Cost around $3000
Reliable
Road Legal
Easy to resell
Would be nice to be able to do the Dunstan Trail

My current thoughts are:
KTM 300 exc
DRZ 400

What do you reckon?

[ellipsis]

...I reckon you are mad...a good son , but mad...

[Hads]

Why not consider a rental too as you will have a wider choice of bikes and more modern ones. I think you will find you would qualify for a low season discount too plus with rental bikes you are able to rent pannier bags etc and if you bought a bike you would have to buy them maybe.

Hmm, $110+ a day, quite pricey. Worth considering though.

[Jeff Sichoe]

GN250 Cafe Racer with exhaust wrap and bent bars, then ride the fuckin thing into the bonfire and dub him home

[Hads]

GN250 Cafe Racer with exhaust wrap and bent bars, then ride the fuckin thing into the bonfire and dub him home

Problem is you have to buy it from someone, which would then make them think it was a good idea and destroy yet another perfectly fine machine due to the perceived success.

[FJRider]

Why not consider a rental too as you will have a wider choice of bikes and more modern ones. I think you will find you would qualify for a low season discount too plus with rental bikes you are able to rent pannier bags etc and if you bought a bike you would have to buy them maybe.

Have YOU EVER RIDDEN to a Brass Monkey Rally.And stayed the night ... ???

To Hads ... unless you are experienced with riding off the tar seal and on an uneven grass paddock ... with the likely hood of rain/snow/frost/mud and the odd sunny day (depending on how the weather changes on that weekend) be careful what you choose to ride. The tricky bit starts when you go through the gate. And take something flat to stick under the side stand foot.
Sunday sport is watching the bikes leave in the mud. Not all leave upright.

Coming from Akaroa is a good ride in the sun (if there is any) but if you're cold when you get to Palmerston ... the last bit to Oturehua will chill you a bit more.

For yuour first Brass ... take something cheap and easy to pick up that is easy and cheap to repair. NO rental will be. The roads will be covered in grit (even if the temp is [slightly] above zero. If it is below zero over the Pig Root (on highway 85) expect ice ... and google "Wind chill factor" before you leave home.

I've been to 24 Brass monkeys ... and stayed the night for 23 of them.

[AllanB]

I'd take a car ......... mmmmm heater.

[Hads]

Have YOU EVER RIDDEN to a Brass Monkey Rally.And stayed the night ... ???

To Hads ... unless you are experienced with riding off the tar seal and on an uneven grass paddock ... with the likely hood of rain/snow/frost/mud and the odd sunny day (depending on how the weather changes on that weekend) be careful what you choose to ride. The tricky bit starts when you go through the gate. And take something flat to stick under the side stand foot.
Sunday sport is watching the bikes leave in the mud. Not all leave upright.

Coming from Akaroa is a good ride in the sun (if there is any) but if you're cold when you get to Palmerston ... the last bit to Oturehua will chill you a bit more.

For yuour first Brass ... take something cheap and easy to pick up that is easy and cheap to repair. NO rental will be. The roads will be covered in grit (even if the temp is [slightly] above zero. If it is below zero over the Pig Root (on highway 85) expect ice ... and google "Wind chill factor" before you leave home.

I've been to 24 Brass monkeys ... and stayed the night for 23 of them.


Personally I'm taking the KDX 200, never done the brass monkey, have ridden mud and stuff like that, coldest temp ridden was a -10 frost from Loburn to Christchurch on a road bike. Worst conditions ever was trying to ride on hail on a road bike. But yes I'm doing this for new experiences, and taking my father is the backup for if anything goes wrong.

So now back to the bikes, would a KLR650 make sense?

[russd7]

I'd take a car ......... mmmmm heater.

last year i took the bike and swmbo brought the van up, we go up fri night and set up camp then go stay in naseby for the fri night, i decided to leave the bike at the rally site along with a couple of the others and we jumped in the van to head over to naseby. I drove and got a bloody ticket, couldn't believe the old van could go fast enough to get a ticket but apparently i was doin 118

[Zedder]

Personally I'm taking the KDX 200, never done the brass monkey, have ridden mud and stuff like that, coldest temp ridden was a -10 frost from Loburn to Christchurch on a road bike. Worst conditions ever was trying to ride on hail on a road bike. But yes I'm doing this for new experiences, and taking my father is the backup for if anything goes wrong.

So now back to the bikes, would a KLR650 make sense?


KLR650, no way man! V-Strom 650 all the way.................but I may be a bit biased 'cos I own one.

[BMWST?]

if you are determined to do this i think a dr 400 or dr 650 with partial off road tyres would be the go.Or any other similar bike.One with heated grips already fitted!

all south island dual pupose bikes 400-750 cc (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/CategoryAttributeSearchResults.aspx?sort_order=pri ce_asc&search=1&cid=1255&sidebar=1&39=Dual+purpose&40=&153=&9=400%2C750&13=0%2C0&24=0%2C0&51=0%2C0&searchRegion=60&listingtype=0&sidebarSearch_keypresses=0&sidebarSearch_suggested=0)

[pete376403]

+1 on the KLR650. Thats what I'm taking, anyway. Again.

[Flip]

I have done about 10 on my Triumph Trophy, about 10 on my Roadking, 3 on a sidevalve R71 sidecar and 4 on other bikes. Be carefull on the frozen ground in the morning and don't eat yellow snow.

DR/KLR 650 woild be nice with heated handle bars.

[Tazz]

Can you get road legal versions of either of those for 3k?

You've got a budget which is the hardest bit. Just jump on trademe and see what it gets you at the time I reckon.

And I'd worry about ice on the road more than the bloody paddock :laugh: Have fun!

[granstar]

Lost count but at least 10 iv'e done, also done quite a few and couldn't be bothered turned around and rode home (an enjoyable 7 hour ride). Most iv'e stayed at have been sunny, a -14, snow, a hoar frost one year, then that fucker year with the wind gusts.

Something with decent lights, struck fog on many Friday nights Omakau heading to Brass via the road, mind that was on the candle lit Triumph 750, Yammy XJ 750 faired better, rain, hail, snow, fog, and wind - yes!...just ride to the conditions and have fun, and make sure yer dad has a litre of milk with him.

[Berries]

What do you reckon?
I don't think the type of bike really matters. Yes it will be cold but it won't be like 10" of snow on SH85. Might get a bit slippy underfoot in the paddock but you can get off and push there.

If you are serious about buying for the short term then think colour. I reckon pink would be good for someone who wants to ride for miles in the cold so they can stand in a freezing paddock next to someone else with a beard to talk about the colour of the bike they turned up on that year it was really cold.

So yeah, get the Honda.

[madbikeboy]

Don't take a bike. Stealing is bad and it makes people angry.

[Hads]

Looks like my father got his CZ going, I think the threat of me buying him a bike got him the motivation to get his bike going. It just needed a fuel tank clean, carb clean. Now just to get it registered again, last time was in the 70's.

Would you recommend getting new tyres, or would universals from the 70's be ok? My view is they would be quite terrible in the wet, so I was considering getting some mud road legal tyres for myself (AC10's I reckon) and lending him my shinko 705's for the trip.

[awayatc]

tires from the 70's....?

Chances are they are not that great anymore....

have a look for wee cracks.......

i wouldnt have much faith in tem anymore myself