Blind spot
1st November 2005, 18:52
My first big trip from Auck to Cape Reinga turned to shit!
Sat 6.00 am met 4 mates at kaukapakapa,good blast up to maungataroto where tim and Keith on the Ktm950 and transalp split of here and went gravel rd to Rawene.
phil bandit 1200,Craig Kwaka 5oo and me on weestrom went dargaville, Waipoua, Opononi to Rawewe.
great ride dry and bugger all traffic.
All met again at ferry at 12.30 ish
Bridge was closed on other end of ferry so phil went on to Ahipara via kaikohe as the Bandit is not great on gravel.
Rest of us had a blast of a ride on back roads and finally made it to Ahipara.
Checked into lodge / backpacker at Ahipara camp ground and then shot of up 90 mile beach ( bandit stayed in town and i wish i had).
Got to the Bluff aprox 20 k from te paki stream and the kwaka was worried about petrol (lesson 1 fill up before you hit the beach) we left Ktm and Trns alp and went of the beach at the bluff.
Here is where it turned to shit, there was a puddle on the track that looked maybe 12 inches deep.
Dick head me ploughs thru and suddenly the puddle was 3 feet deep, bike spluts to a halt with water up to the tank.
Oh F---ck i am sitting on a dead nearly brand new bike stuck in gear in a bloody hole. big panic, got of bike and then could not find neutral, bloody weestrom suddenly seemed to weigh 500kgs,managed to push it out after a big struggle and she was seiszed.(can't spell that word )
No way the thing would turn over, i can tell you i had a sick feeling in my gut, i have f all mechanical savvies and it was about 6.30 pm, what to do?
Parked the bike with a family camping there and pillioned into Houhora, tow truck guy turned out to be a biker and was brilliant, sped off with me in tow truck to get the bike before it was borrowed permanently by the locals and took it back to Houhora.
By this time it was 10,pm and craig pillioned me to ahipara, bloody scary in the pitch black with only my prescription sunglasses to wear so couldnt see buggar all.
Next day rang kaitaia bike shop who said no prob get bike down here on Mon early and they will drain it, At least first part of tow was covered by AA.
The others left me in a motel near the bike shop and they headed home in pissing rain all the way, i watched bloody Steel magnolias on sky and felt sorry for myself all day.
Bradleys had the bike at the shop at 8,30 Mon and 2 hrs later i was back on the road with bike running perfectly.
I had the most brilliant ride home on monday sunny and dry and most happy to have got away with no damage.
Costs= $150 for tow to Kaitaia, $89 for motel, $180 for bike shop,shop recommended change oil again when i get home so more money to spend.
An expensive lesson learnt , in future follow the leader don't be the wanker in front to lazy to check the depth of a puddle.
Hope the rest of you had a better weekend
Sat 6.00 am met 4 mates at kaukapakapa,good blast up to maungataroto where tim and Keith on the Ktm950 and transalp split of here and went gravel rd to Rawene.
phil bandit 1200,Craig Kwaka 5oo and me on weestrom went dargaville, Waipoua, Opononi to Rawewe.
great ride dry and bugger all traffic.
All met again at ferry at 12.30 ish
Bridge was closed on other end of ferry so phil went on to Ahipara via kaikohe as the Bandit is not great on gravel.
Rest of us had a blast of a ride on back roads and finally made it to Ahipara.
Checked into lodge / backpacker at Ahipara camp ground and then shot of up 90 mile beach ( bandit stayed in town and i wish i had).
Got to the Bluff aprox 20 k from te paki stream and the kwaka was worried about petrol (lesson 1 fill up before you hit the beach) we left Ktm and Trns alp and went of the beach at the bluff.
Here is where it turned to shit, there was a puddle on the track that looked maybe 12 inches deep.
Dick head me ploughs thru and suddenly the puddle was 3 feet deep, bike spluts to a halt with water up to the tank.
Oh F---ck i am sitting on a dead nearly brand new bike stuck in gear in a bloody hole. big panic, got of bike and then could not find neutral, bloody weestrom suddenly seemed to weigh 500kgs,managed to push it out after a big struggle and she was seiszed.(can't spell that word )
No way the thing would turn over, i can tell you i had a sick feeling in my gut, i have f all mechanical savvies and it was about 6.30 pm, what to do?
Parked the bike with a family camping there and pillioned into Houhora, tow truck guy turned out to be a biker and was brilliant, sped off with me in tow truck to get the bike before it was borrowed permanently by the locals and took it back to Houhora.
By this time it was 10,pm and craig pillioned me to ahipara, bloody scary in the pitch black with only my prescription sunglasses to wear so couldnt see buggar all.
Next day rang kaitaia bike shop who said no prob get bike down here on Mon early and they will drain it, At least first part of tow was covered by AA.
The others left me in a motel near the bike shop and they headed home in pissing rain all the way, i watched bloody Steel magnolias on sky and felt sorry for myself all day.
Bradleys had the bike at the shop at 8,30 Mon and 2 hrs later i was back on the road with bike running perfectly.
I had the most brilliant ride home on monday sunny and dry and most happy to have got away with no damage.
Costs= $150 for tow to Kaitaia, $89 for motel, $180 for bike shop,shop recommended change oil again when i get home so more money to spend.
An expensive lesson learnt , in future follow the leader don't be the wanker in front to lazy to check the depth of a puddle.
Hope the rest of you had a better weekend