Worst Ride You've Had?

[Big Dave]

What is the Worst Ride You've Had? (Without falling off).

Bulls to Wellington on an XT600.
A few years ago and I was a fair bit heavier than now.
Not a bad bike, but that's my un-favourite bit of road in NZ and the seat is 2" wide - plus it struggled up an incline in the screaming sou easter with mr windsock on it. Misery.

Yours?

[Meanie]

The one i missed out on the other day that i never went on :confused:

[cowboyz]

Hamilton to Palmerston in the middle of winter on my old GPZ250. Riding through snow my hands got so cold I gave up using the clutch and brake. Then I stopped at Wairou to get soup and ended up spending about 3 hours sitting in front of the fire drinking hot chocolates. Shit it was cold.......

[gijoe1313]

Does your worst day on two wheels of freedom beat a good day in a cage? I'm still fresh to riding so I'm loving it every time I get out!:chase:

My worst riding day(s) would be the two days I have not ridden my bike out :weep:

[Blackbird]

1996 Grand Challenge 1000 miles in 24 hours event - first one I'd ever done. Riding through the night in torrential rain and gale force winds and I genuinely thought I might die. Interesting battle inside the head. One part saying "Pull out, you know it's the right thing to do" and the other part saying "Can you live with the loss of face?". Made it in just over 23 hours in extreme pain and indescribably proud.

[idb]

Westport to Christchurch to home (Arrowtown) over two days.
3 and a half hours of torrential rain to Hurunui.
Gale force Nor-wester from there all the way home - wobbling over the Rakaia bridge then battling through the McKenzie Country.

Character-building stuff....made me the man I am today!!!!

[roogazza]

A chick at Bondi , Sydney, in 1969 ! G. :buggerd:

[WarlockNZ]

Her name was Lola .. i met her at the cococabana

[paturoa]

Cheviot to Kaikoura on the way home from this years Brassy.

T.I.E and I were riding at night, pissing rain (mega pissing!!!), stock trucks, and so windy that at one stage the steam off my exhaust at about 70ks was blowing in front of my bike.

[Forest]

Many years ago when I was still a Scarfie in Dunedin, I owned a Kawasaki GPZ 305 (a horrible old 305cc parallel twin). That thing was a real pig and I was glad to finally get rid of it.

However it wasn't my worst ride. I didn't really have much fun on the grand challenge last year. I arrived late into Turangi on Friday night - didn't realise that everyone was out the back - and ended up sleeping outside the camp-site office on a wooden bench. I didn't get much sleep and around 3am on the ride day I started to become pretty disorientated and eventually began to hallucinate. I can't even remember exactly where things started going haywire - some gorge around the BOP maybe? So I pulled over into a rest area and lay down for an hour. Eventually I got my head back into gear and wobbled my way out of the gorge. Got some coffee & a good feed at a late night station and everything came right.

[skelstar]

Can't beat BBirds, but on more than one occasion I have been in Featherston in hurricane like winds wondering if I should ride home via the Manawatu Gorge (300+kms) rather than go over the Rimutakas (30kms). Seriously thinking I will fall off in the gusts...or worse.

[Big Dave]

Bondi , Sydney, in 1969

She was a Kiwi then.

[Clivoris]

During the mid 80's on a Suzi GS1000e. Auckland to Hastings but through driving snow on the Taupo-Napier road. So cold...so wet...so slow that cars were passing me and laughing. Dressed in the standard black leather uniform of the day without wet weather protection. Arrived sore, tired and with skin died black from the leather die. The things young men will do for sex eh!:yes:

[Blackbird]

Can't beat BBirds, but on more than one occasion I have been in Featherston in hurricane like winds wondering if I should ride home via the Manawatu Gorge (300+kms) rather than go over the Rimutakas (30kms). Seriously thinking I will fall off in the gusts...or worse.

Is it a coincidence that the worst of the weather for us on that ride was from the Pahitua Hill Road to Masterton and then up to Napier? The Waiarapa can get really mean!

[WarlockNZ]

She was a Kiwi then.

HA HA HA .. i'd give you bling, but you have enough :P

[Waylander]

Weekend before last on my trip back up from Chch. Only part that sucked was the stretch from Wellington to Just before Dessert road.

Loaded down with my backpack making it even harder to get out of the wind that was coming at me from two directions. Front and from my left. More wear on the left side of my tyre now than they right because of that. I even came across a guy on a Honda full faired sports tourer that had been blown complettly off the road by the wind.

Also had a really nasty looking storm chasing me all the way up to Toupo. Every time I stopped for anything it would be right on my tail pissing down no farther than maybe 2-3k behind me.

The rest of the ride was a mint one though.

[Big Dave]

During the mid 80's on a Suzi GS1000e. Auckland to Hastings but through driving snow on the Taupo-Napier road. So cold...so wet...so slow that cars were passing me and laughing. Dressed in the standard black leather uniform of the day without wet weather protection. Arrived sore, tired and with skin died black from the leather die. The things young men will do for sex eh!:yes:

bwahahahah - I don't even know what you look like clive - but I'm imagining me like that and fuck it's funny.

[Big Dave]

Weekend before last on my trip back up from Chch. Only part that sucked was the stretch from Wellington to Just before Dessert road.



Sweet as!!!

[Oakie]

Can't really remember a ride that I wish hadn't happened ... although perhaps that's something to do with my memory rather than ride quality.
A ride I wouldn't do now but I did do around 1981 was Oamaru - Balclutha and back on an XL175 with my girlfriend (later promoted to Mrs Oakie) on the back. Can't imagine that it would have been fun after the first 20km but I don't recall it as a bad experience. (Perhaps it was having her 18 year old boobs massaging my back for long periods of time that made it bearable?)

[dawnrazor]

the time i clipped the old dude while he was crossing the road was pretty bad, I stayed on but he fell off his feet and broke his hand....it was dark and he sort of jumped out of nowhere and it was dark and I had just hit the aprillias power band and it was dark....I still feel shitty about that one


thats not what you mean is it!!!!!!!!!!

Okay then Galway to Dublin in winter, sub zero temps sleet and rain, all the wrong cheap ass clothes on a 125, to young and pig heaed to realise the danger of dumbing hands and legs, stopped only for petrol and newspaper which I wrapped myself in, in an effort to keep warm oh and the last leg was at night.

HELL

[Kornholio]

Weekend before last on my trip back up from Chch. Only part that sucked was the stretch from Wellington to Just before Dessert road.

Loaded down with my backpack making it even harder to get out of the wind that was coming at me from two directions. Front and from my left. More wear on the left side of my tyre now than they right because of that. I even came across a guy on a Honda full faired sports tourer that had been blown complettly off the road by the wind.

Also had a really nasty looking storm chasing me all the way up to Toupo. Every time I stopped for anything it would be right on my tail pissing down no farther than maybe 2-3k behind me.

The rest of the ride was a mint one though.

Pfft storms!! You wanna try outrunning werewolves :eek:

[Big Dave]

thats not what you mean is it!!!!!!!!!!

Okay then Galway to Dublin in winter, sub zero temps sleet and rain, all the wrong cheap ass clothes on a 125, to young and pig heaed to realise the danger of dumbing hands and legs, stopped only for petrol and newspaper which I wrapped myself in, in an effort to keep warm oh and the last leg was at night.

HELL

Yeah - there's times when it just makes better sense to catch the bus....but I never do.:cool:

[Waylander]

Pfft storms!! You wanna try outrunning werewolves :eek:
You really aught to quite :doobey: when you ride lol.

[Big Dave]

Pfft storms!! You wanna try outrunning werewolves :eek:

I ride with him - we're evenly matched.

[McJim]

A chick at Bondi , Sydney, in 1969 ! G. :buggerd:

....................dad?..........are you my real dad?

[Mom]

Ex rode a HD Sporty with what the ummmm riders of them call a "pussy pad" as a pillion seat...(read a brick covered with vinyl).. Paeroa to Mt Wellington M/W turn off.....I cant feel my feet, and I wish to hell I cant fell my butt!......stopped for a smoke....bliss....back on board.....pounding his back by Orewa ...:mad: ..think I will walk home from here...:angry2: ...LOL...now I can laugh...we had another 20 mins to home.....never again!.....I now have the perfect ride......:love:

[sunhuntin]

riding from meaford to port dover for a rally. my guy was a major night owl...so we left late evening if i remember right. id got the bike loaded early in the morning. we found a town called "harley" on one of his maps, so decided to try and find it. along the way it started raining, and didnt stop. we got lost a few times, got very wet, but eventually found harley. there was no "welcome to" sign, just a building across the road with the name on it.
we finally rolled into port dover about 2am...and parked up to go up town...ran into a bunch of his club brothers, bought a few things before heading back to a mates place to try and get the tent up....3am, him half cut and me totally exhausted. we got it up [somehow without getting dig shit everywhere!]. spent most of the next day chatting with the other 10 or so people there. sent some of his brothers on a coffee run, lol. mmmm, timmies :cool:

was a very long ride....but clothes dry, and exhaustion can be gotten rid of. i enjoyed every minute of it...the things we saw and did, i know no one else would have seen. i wouldnt have changed a thing, other than maybe the rain.

[nighthawk]

Hate that hill in the wind,got blown under a stocktruck four years ago while trying to get back to the valley,ruined a perfectly good yammy 600 but got a free helicopter ride............oh well shit happens I guess

[Kornholio]

Hate that hill in the wind,got blown under a stocktruck four years ago while trying to get back to the valley,ruined a perfectly good yammy 600 but got a free helicopter ride............oh well shit happens I guess

Now thats an entrance :D

Welcome to KB dude :buggerd:

[Big Dave]

....................dad?..........


No - he said it was a chic...but then....

[nighthawk]

Cheers dude,been a watcher not a poster

[roogazza]

She was a Kiwi then.

Ha Ha Ha, actually, she was from Wainuiomata of all places !!!!!! Gaz. xxx

[Big Dave]

Cheers dude,been a watcher not a poster

Nice bike too - I had the KR test bike last week. Very tasty. November issue will have the write up.

[terbang]

One of my old 1100s died and I had to pillion on the back of a Gixxer 750 from Greymouth to Christchurch to pick up the Ute.. Bloody crazy bastard frightened the shit outta me scarring me for life. I'll catch a bus next time...

[MidnightMike]

Id have to say my first ride when i got my new bike, i was halfway down the road and it baegan to piss down with rain :(

[Big Dave]

One of my old 1100s died and I had to pillion on the back of a Gixxer 750 from Greymouth to Christchurch to pick up the Ute.. Scared the shit outta me and scarred me for life. I'll catch a bus next time...

Beats me how the chics that ride their own bikes can jump on the back of their SO's and look comfortable.

[SixPackBack]

Numerous trips from Nimbin hemp embassy cafe back to the Gold Coast....bad cos I can't remember them:cool:

[sunhuntin]

Beats me how the chics that ride their own bikes can jump on the back of their SO's and look comfortable.

lol...i ride my own, and proudly too. but sometimes id like to just hop on the back and relax....maybe get up to mischeif lol. i dont know any of the guys here well enough to ask for a ride...last time i pillioned was for a friends funeral before i got my license. the guy i rode with got hit by a car and his harley was trashed...dont think hes got it back yet. he got away with a tiny nick out of his hand.

[The Pastor]

picking up my bike from spectrum, forgot my jacket - left it in the car that dropped me off. It was only 5km to my house, but it rained Cold rain no jacket is not fun. I wanted to go faster but the rain hurt to much.

[Big Dave]

Numerous trips from Nimbin hemp embassy cafe back to the Gold Coast....bad cos I can't remember them:cool:

Mulumbimby madness and the purple heads of death, Cheech?

[nighthawk]

it only comes out on fine days,but have manage to clock up 2k and a considerable interest from the feds......LOL

[SixPackBack]

Mulumbimby madness and the purple heads of death, Cheech?


Drugs are bad m'kay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkoq9WEYAV0

[The_Dover]

markauckland.

he didn't even squeal.

[Ozzie]

markauckland.

he didn't even squeal.

Give it up Dude! We all know he is an undertaking, wreckless, irresponsible twat!

But us bikers are a forgiving bunch aren't we????

Nah, fuck it, you're right!

[Hitcher]

Tekapo to Omarama on an ST1300 in a norwesterly gusting to 120kmh plus. Fuck me. What a handful. I genuinely thought it was going to get airborne and I was even more scared to stop. STs are pigs in even moderate crosswinds. This is an experience that the dreamweavers who write the reviews never mention. Nor, I suspect, anything the engineers who design and build the things ever attempt. Mrs H managed comparatively well on a Marauder.

[Loose Nut]

The first time I did the cold kiwi... I bought a new iridium visor that morning and wore it down. Weather turned bad and a day ride turned into an unexpected night ride. Trying to keep mates brake lights in view(didn't know the turn-off) in the rain/hail/dark is not fun with an iridium visor.

[Oakie]

Tekapo to Omarama on an ST1300 in a norwesterly gusting to 120kmh plus. Fuck me. What a handful. I genuinely thought it was going to get airborne and I was even more scared to stop. STs are pigs in even moderate crosswinds. This is an experience that the dreamweavers who write the reviews never mention. Nor, I suspect, anything the engineers who design and build the things ever attempt. Mrs H managed comparatively well on a Marauder.

I did part of that road in similar winds driving a 40 seater bus once. That 8 tonner got blown all over the road and I did the part from the Pukaki canal to Twizel stradling the centre line doing about 60kph. Yep. Scary!

[madmal64]

Coming back from a Toy Run in Palmerston North to Wellington a couple of years back with my 11 year old daughter on the back. Pissing down all the way with a cross wind. Nice.
I was just before Christmas and I wore leather instead of Cordura & the Kid was in her cordura.
Well one of us got wet & cold.
Of course we hit the holiday traffic & in the rain with the daughter on the back I was taking it a lot easier than usual.
I suppose the iridum visor wasnt the best either.
Shit I was I glad to get home & off the bike. The kid was brilliant, didnt complain once.

[pritch]

Back in the days of the Castrol Six Hour, the local Suzuki dealer got an RGV in a few days before the race and it needed a lotta miles pdq. Silly me suggests a ride: New Plymouth - Hamilton - down SH1 to Bulls, and up SH3 to home. Two of us set out, me on the 250 and a mate on his kid's 400 Suzuki.

The only problem with this plan was that I didn't add up the total Kms and divide by 100 or so (always a good plan). At 5:00PM we were heading south down SH1 past Waiouru, (so I guess we should make that 1700hrs), and it was starting to snow and getting dark. We changed our plan. We weren't totally stupid.

We headed down the Paraparas. Having a dark visor I lifted it. My eyeballs, and then the rest of me, froze. There were no lined Spidi suits around then... Belstaffs weren't big on insulation.

It was a huge relief to find the Pie Cart at Eltham open. We pulled in. The owner was less than a diplomat, on viewing two relatively fat bastards he says, "I was expecting younger guys when I saw those bikes."

"Fuck you!" thinks I. "Just make with the bloody fish and chips"

As we headed away from the pie cart the belated idea ocurred to me that when the fish and chips arrived we should have ordered another scoop of chips. This latter to shove up our jacket as we rode away. I filed that one away for future reference and as you will perceive it isn't yet quite forgotten.

I offer this latter idea for your future use free of charge... (I'm aware that hand warmers have since become available but sometimes we aren't as organised as we should be.)

The rest of the ride was plain bloody freezing. One of those that is just so bad you just have to laugh.

Three lessons were learned (sort of):
1. Check how many Ks the trip involves and divide by a likely average speed.
2. If you haven't got a handwarmer, buy something hot to shove up yer jumper.
3. Never wear a dark visor on a trip.

Number 3 may seem radical to some of you but there really are better solutions.

This was the first really bad trip that came to mind, but sad to say there were others. None for a coupla months now though....

[SlashWylde]

My worst ride would have to be touring around Mt Taranaki just after new years this year.

Left Tongaporutu in fine weather but by the time I got to the visitor center at the mount it was raining pretty steadily. I convinced myself (foolishly) that it would clear up so I carried on around Mt Taranaki in a clockwise direction in a vain attempt to see that part of the country.

Arrived back at camp cold and miserable after 5 hours in the pouring rain, having thankfully avoided sliding out on the slick bare tar patches that are scattered around our wonderful roading system :sick:

Got some good photos on the way though :)

Second worst would have been a previous trip to my mates at Tongaporutu. Was on a Virago 250 at the time and at the last minute she developed a major electrical fault so the trip was made in a car. Good thing too, as it was pouring down with rain and strong winds and completely dark by the time we got there. There but for the grace of an electrical fault...don't seem to have much luck with bike trips to the 'Naki.

[T.W.R]

Probably the worst/endearing ride would have to be a return trip from Wanganui to home a couple of years back,just at the start of the 2nd case of severe flooding the Nth Island got.

Left Wanganui mid afternoon in overcast conditions & by the time I'd reached Feilding rode into rain which steadily got worse the closer I got to Wellington (the highway from porirua was a river & the rain was bouncing up off the road) arrived late to the ferry (which turned out to be the last crossing of the day due to the conditions in the straight). Only wearing leathers I was a drowned rat & only managed minimal drying during the crossing.

Rolled off the ferry at picton rode through to Blenheim fuelled up then headed to Kaikora just on dusk and into more rain by Seddon and hit the coast in the dark & heavy southerly rain all the way through to Kaikora, arrived there wet & cold, had a feed & fuelled up.

Left Kaikora in the pitch black and heading through the Hundalee's rode into about 4cm of snow on the top section. Lost the feeling in my hands and had to stop again at Spotswood for an hour to thaw out, got moving again and by the time I got to Waipara broke free of the cloudy skys into brilliant moon light and a cold stiff southerly headwind to Christchurch, fuelled up again and de-frosted and finally chewed up the last 70kms to home (the long straights & couple of bends looked the best they had for years).

[slimjim]

:buggerd: rode down to welly from roto , late 84 , was on my gsx750, and trip down bloody awesome, sunny as , got to the overal, as got tickets to aussie -kiwi's criket game one daya, parked up legal,, too!! yup , came out after game to find bike in a sad state with a family bloke and kids waiting for owner,his reason, kids been loud and he put landcrusier in resver instread of forward and as it been a bit big, tight parking spot, you the sort, she be right it fit!!!!!, and yup shot backwards and clean on top,, well it cost him $2474.oo to fix and one bus ticket for me back to roto,, four weeks waiting for it to be fixed, felt like i was the one ran over haha:weep: :chase:

[Str8 Jacket]

My most scariest ride was on my birthday last year. Went riding over to Lake Ferry with a few others. The wind was beating me up pretty badly so I had pulled over a few times and got some advice from more exeperienced riders on what to do etc. Got to Lake Ferry eventually but on the way home ridng over a dead straight and flat peice of road a huge gust of wind hit me like a wall and took me with it right into a grass bank. I had only written off my first bike a couple of weeks earlier and given a warning by the pooleece for that incident. My knee was still pretty fucked from that accident and I managed to hit it in exactly the same place on the grass bank so I was pretty sore but I didnt want the ambulnace or police turning up so I decided to ride the bike to a mates in Featherston. The ride from the accident to Featherston took FOREVER, the guy's tried riding on either side of me to make me feel more relaxed but the wind kept blowing me all over the place toward them so they stayed in front and behind me all the way (thanks guys!). I swore at the time I was going to give up riding.....

[SARGE]

What is the Worst Ride You've Had? (Without falling off).



my 3rd wife ...



not that im bitter ... :brick:

[petesmeats]

Does your worst day on two wheels of freedom beat a good day in a cage? I'm still fresh to riding so I'm loving it every time I get out!:chase:

My worst riding day(s) would be the two days I have not ridden my bike out :weep:

Well my worst was Wanganui to Paraparaumu on a early 80's CB250RS which had compression problems. 0-80km/h was fine but to get to 100 was damn near impossible...

I would much rather drive a car between Wanganui and Paraparaumu than be on the two wheels of boredom that the CB was... Worst ride of my life.

[Dai]

Cardiff to Great Yarmouth and return in one burst. 800 miles total. Middle of winter, snowing and bloody cold. Nighttime. Hands and toes were frozen. I was knackered by the end of the trip. Money wasnt that great.

Dai.

[petesmeats]

my 3rd wife ...



not that im bitter ... :brick:

Please note... WITHOUT FALLING OFF

[SARGE]

Please note... WITHOUT FALLING OFF

jumping off dont count?

[ManDownUnder]

2 up Palmerston North to Ohakune in May to a friend's wedding.

Cold as a witch's tit, miserable the whole damned way and wet weather gear that didn't work too well...

We got off at the far end and my g/f at the time (now my wife) couldn't walk. She had a hard time standing, and sort of shuffled into the house we were staying at...

Very ugly all round

[XP@]

Never had a bad ride, a ride is allways good!

some maybe "character building",
some maybe a tad embarassing.

But when it is over rest in the satisfation that you are lucky to get a ride and possiibly luckier still to have survived it. And remember what dosent kill you makes you stronger.

[Goblin]

Never had a bad ride, a ride is allways good!

some maybe "character building",
some maybe a tad embarassing.

But when it is over rest in the satisfation that you are lucky to get a ride and possiibly luckier still to have survived it. And remember what dosent kill you makes you stronger.
Gotta agree with all that XP@ ...but I did have one bad ride that ended in me laying unconcious in the middle of the road, right outside the airport entrance....infact the ride hadn't even started! Wrote the bike off, nearly lost my life and took me 16 months to get back in the saddle. :( It did make me stronger and more aware and very greatful for every ride I go on now.

[Big Dave]

Never had a bad ride, a ride is allways good!

some maybe "character building",
some maybe a tad embarassing.




I've had some 'what the fuck am I doing here???' or 'I wish I was doing something else' ones too. Not many, but a few.

[Animal]

Northern Cape, South Africa, in mid-Summer 1983. I rode into a swarm of locusts of biblically huge proportions. The cloud of insects was dense enough to create an eclipse-like darkness - although it was close to midday. I stopped almost immediately and crouched down of the roadside for the next 20 minutes (that felt like a whole day) with my sleeping bag pulled down over my head.

After the swarm had buggered off to eat another forty thousand acres of cornfields, I tried to remove the locust guts, legs and other components from my visor, and the insides of my jacket, gloves and boots, but soo gave up. It looked like gallons of snot had been sparayed onto me and my bike.

For the next twenty kms along the road, there were clusters of cages and trucks either crashed or parked up with overheating engines due to the solid paste of cruched insects blocking up the radiator matrix. I dumped my riding gear because it was impossible to clean, and for months afterwards, I was still finding bits of locust wedged into tiny corners and crevices on my bike.

Nasty experience.

[Paul in NZ]

I've ridden through floods and blizzards when i was younger and thought it a grand adventure but a few years back, heading into Dannevirke from the napier side we encountered one of those winds on a rainy day.

Fark - I really thought I was going to die, even the cars were down to 30kph it was that bad. Not sure what it was about that day, maybe the hang over or what ever but I still shudder at the utter stupidity of it.

Oh well - unless I'm only seeing dead people - I guess I survived...

Then there was the hang over ride at one of the guzzi rallies - oh god, I wanted to die but toughed it out. Eventually i think I enjoy a little bit of it...

But that was my fault....

I guess second place was the gentle annie in the rain mid winter on the Guzzi. Mud clogged up the disks so no brakes (at all) which made life a bit scary. I knew I would not die but it's embarassing being passed by BSA bantams because you dare not hook anything higher than 2nd.

[Pwalo]

Wanganui to Wellington on a TS125. Was a long slow trip, especially into a headwind across the Foxton Flats.

[skelstar]

The lower North island seems to be mentioned a lot in these reports huh? :)

[Maha]

Delivering my Yamaha to Dargaville.....wind/rain/farken' cold, stopped at Ruawai to get a bit of shelter and was shivering like a shivery thing that shiver's alot...i took me a good 3 hrs to get back to ....ahhhhh thats better state, i said i would have the bike there on that day and being a man of my word, i did it, but dam it was cold.....:cold:

[placidfemme]

My worst ride (not counting the crash... because despite that it was a great ride). Was just normal commuting from work to home on a Saturday, that particular Saturday when it was pissing down with rain and hail (there was even a mini hurricane or something in South Auck's that day).

Couldn't see more than 3m ahead of me on the motorway, nearly binned it coming off the off-ramp on Onewa Rd, due to the nice big white painted arrows on the road, plus uneven surface, plus water running down the road like a little river... got home, absolutley soaked... get inside, and my phone rings, its Sam... she just got hit by a cager at the lights cnr of K Rd and Symonds St... hoped back on bike in pissing rain and rode back into town amongst more rain/hail/wind to help her out... shitty shitty ride

[Omega1]

My worst...mmmm..One Sunday morning quite early I was on a solo ride on My TL1000s riding out to Martinborough (again lower North Island), I was blastin along enjoying myself in the countryside, came around a corner and there were three cows standing in the middle of the road...major evasion techniques were deployed... managed to stay on and continue around them with major high blood pressure but elation that I was still alive and not imbedded in some bovine host.
Anyway I rode out Martinborough and took the back road out to Carterton my confidence had returned somewhat and I started to enjoy myself I was then riding along a nice straight bit of road and admittedly was giving it the herbs then out of no where a suicidal Blackbird flew out of the grass next to the roadside and with remarkable resemblance to the kamikaze's of old flew smack into my chest it then bounced off in a shower of feathers..... it was definitley shades of the Mayor Hiroshima " What the F@#k was that"?.This incident destroyed my confidence completely so being a believer that things come in threes decided to go home before some other rural inhabitant had a go at me. Maybe it was the two bros cans? dunno..

[phantom]

For me it's a toss up between the first time over the takas in a howling gale ( it looked fine at Martinborough ) and getting blown all over the road and coming back from this years Cold Kiwi with buggared ribs and a bent bike trying to avoid any bumps or having to change gear:(

[Beemer]

Returning to Lower Hutt from the 1999 WIMA rally at Pohangina. I was a wee tad hungover, it was raining, I was cold and the wind picked up around Paremata. I had the RG150 then and the combined weight of bike and rider was about 170kg so the wind whacking against the fairings fair put the frighteners up me! I was on a restricted licence so didn't have much experience and by the time I got to Porirua I was basically hanging on for grim death. I got to Petone and decided to check my mail box and was sorely tempted to stay in the foyer until the storm passed! There were boxes flying past and bits of trees - by the time I got home it was near gale force and a hot bath returned me to normal!

And if I may be so bold, I'd like to add a second horror trip I just remembered - we were on a tour of the South Island on dirt bikes and were riding through Black Forest Station. If you've ever been through there you'll know it's quite steep in parts and there are also a lot of rocks. My front wheel hit a rock on an angle and I came off and had to wait for my other half to come along to help me pick the bike up again. I was on the edge of a bank that dropped away about 500m to the bottom and there was no way I was risking a borrowed bike taking me with it to the bottom! That was bad enough, but then I had to ride through the remainder of the station, which included a couple of dry river crossings with boulders the size of small children (one had a nice 90 degree turn to get up the hill on the far bank!), but also Dansey's Pass as we were staying in Naseby that night. That was day three of a 14 day trip - thankfully it was the worst day of the whole trip!

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

About 2 years ago I rode in civil defence conditions - although I was ignorant of that at the time. Flew from Nelson to Wellington, picked my bike up in Welly -hadn't realised Welly had had bad storms and many roads closed - I managed to get to Ohau (out of Otaki) in about the only half hour gap the road was open! I was on my way to Napier. Had to stay in Ohau - gorge shut. Next morning, pissing down, gorge still closed (and was for about 3 months after that), takas closed. I had to get back to work so rode back to Wellington (to try and catch a plane) Rode in the the most heaviest rain, + wind - thank god for good tyres and I rode to the conditions. Just getting to Miramar and they were closing the road, they let me thru once I explained my friend lived up the road. My spidi jacket held up well, however pockets were full of water and guess where cellphone was! one dead cellphone, oh and at the end of all that planes weren't flying til next day!! Gorge and takas still closed so left my bike in Welly.

[Skyryder]

What is the Worst Ride You've Had? (Without falling off).
Yours?

Years ago woke up next to this..:puke: ...............couldn't get out of the sack quick enough. She was that bad :sick: it was hand jobs:tugger: for the next six months.:2thumbsup

[MSTRS]

Night-time...headlight failing...pissed...can't locate the cats-eyes to confirm am on road....ah, memories...

[Kornholio]

not that im bitter ... :brick:

not that we care.... :p

[Dadpole]

Taupo to Auckland - Late Autumn - night ride.
And some cunt had nicked my gloves in Taupo. I took off my socks and used them as gloves. That just gave me terminal frostbite of the toes as well as fingers. :crybaby:

[Big Dave]

Damn there are some funny yarns in this lot.
Still wouldn't swap riding for quids aye.

(^ nice mix of trans tasman colloquialisms in that lot!)

[Motu]

I've had plenty of bad days riding,but there is always something to make them memorable and give a smile.

But I remember one ride that was hard work all the way.I think it was the 1980 Cold Kiwi,the last one when they stopped it for a few years.A mate came down on a Triumph with a blown head gasket,we pulled the head off,but there was no way to repair it.Ray Pratt was camped next door,and as they had brought down a big van (a no no back then,it was bikes only) they put the bike in the back of the van,to bring home a couple of days later as they were taking a few days longer.

So my wife and I had to pillion our friend and his pillion home on our bikes,plus all their gear too.My wife was teamed with our mate,and they shared the riding....but I got the other guy who was the worst pillion I have ever carried.He had no idea and would lurch around all over the place,I had a hell of a job controlling the bike.One time something started to fall off the bike and I pulled over...as we were on the gravel shoulder he starts wrestling with the gear and the bike is just going all over the place.In towns and cities I had to ride up to intersections and lights with both feet down like a learner,I just had no idea what he was going to do next.That was a hell of a ride,and I was glad when it was finally over.

[crusa]

Brought a XL125 back in 1985 in Auckland,rode it back to Napier,was nice and fine in auckland when i left in the morning but was pissing down by the time i got to taupo,i hate riding with wet feet and rain stinging my face, dumbest ride ive done and the napier to taupo road wasnt the best back then but the tarawera pub was all good for a pick me up .Its a full face these days and waterproof everything.

[warewolf]

The dirt road (4wd track really) out to Yerranderie, NSW, from Sydney. Very late Friday night by that stage, misty rain, patchy but thick fog. On a CBX250 loaded up with camping & caving gear.

The road was a mixture of slimy clay, sharp broken rock, gravel, sudden steep hills, potholes the size of a small Pacific nation, puddles of unknown depth, the works. There are unmarked cliffs along the road, adding to the hazards. As in the rock wall to your right becomes a wall of fog, you can't see the road ahead, then you suddenly realise that the track has just made a sharp right turn and there ain't nothin' ahead in that fog!

To add to my woes, those in the 4wd behind could follow my lead so would keep catching up, blinding me. They didn't want to lead because they couldn't see in the fog/rain. Sooks.

It was real hard yakka. I was cold, wet hands & feet, tired and drowsy. I thought I've gotta stop, I can hide the bike in the scrub on the side of the road and jump in the 4wd. So I flagged them down, suggested it, they said it was only a couple of kays more. A couple turned into 5 but jeez that seemed to take ages. I was absolutely knackered, and dreading the ride out on Sunday arvo. :crybaby:

It was fine in the dry in daylight - the 4wd couldn't keep up, not even close! :lol:

It was definitely one of those rides where I questioned my sanity. I'm still looking for an answer!

[Smorg]

behind JSG on a kiwibiker ride..................fucken death

[Big Dave]

I questioned my sanity. I'm still looking for an answer!

Nude, the room full of mirrors and a long hard look at yourself, Colin.
http://triplej.net.au/thissportinglife/

[Bonez]

What is the Worst Ride You've Had? (Without falling off).

Bulls to Wellington on an XT600.
A few years ago and I was a fair bit heavier than now.
Not a bad bike, but that's my un-favourite bit of road in NZ and the seat is 2" wide - plus it struggled up an incline in the screaming sou easter with mr windsock on it. Misery.

Yours?You poor thing.

Makes my fortnighly winter rides from Auckland to Havelock North on my old CJ250T seem so insignificant.


Seriously my worse was on a trip when every bike on one ride had some sort of failure. 4 days and only about 300kms traveled. Ended up turning back home because we'd all had enough.

[Lord Derosso]

1./ Getting caught in a blizzard at nighttime on the desert road in 1981 on a GS750 with a mate on a clapped out Tiger 650, nearly dying of cold and finally making it to the Wairoru pub where the cops turned up to question us and to ID the 'bodies' a truckie said they would be looking for in the morning.

2./ Taranaki in mid summer approx 1998.

On a XV500 heading towards the mountain to go up the coast to Hamilton.
Wind got extreme, rain got extreme, foam was coming from the sea cliffs 400 metres away and been blown like snow across the road. Wind got worse. pulled into a large country pub/motel. Wind got worse, parked bike INSIDE pub. Roof started to come off pub. Tornedo narrowly missed pub. Continued riding approx 2pm. Came to Arakino Gorge? nth of New Plymouth. Huge landslip covering road. Stupidly tried to cross it and got stuck. Boulders begin to fall over and around my head. Panic and freak big time. Nice trucker pushes me and bike out of the mud. Finally make it to Te Kuiti and stayed at a pub. They treated me like the wet rat I was and even washed all my soaked gear. DONT GO TO TARANAKI IN SUMMERTIME. !

[frogfeaturesFZR]

Rode from Akld to Whakatane just as cyclone Bola hit. 3 hr ride took me 5 hrs. On my old naked Honde 750......Doh:beer:

[JT.]

dunedin to chch a week after the big snow fall this year. Sub zero temps and rain for most of the trip. I was moving back to chch, some mates had come down in their car and a couple of them were driving my car back. My car blew up 10 minutes out of dunners so they had to tow it. I was stopping at every second pub to defrost and let them catch up. Then it got dark and all I could see was the oncoming car lights and the power poles reflecting from my lights, just had to try keep bike somewhere in between. That is the only ride I've been glad to get off the bike.

[Beemer]

... I managed to get to Ohau (out of Otaki) in about the only half hour gap the road was open! I was on my way to Napier. Had to stay in Ohau - gorge shut...

Where the hell did you stay in Ohau? It's basically a settlement (about five kms south of Levin - closer to there than Otaki) of houses, no motels or anything - did you have friends there?

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

Yeah I had friends there!! Otherwise I would never have known it existed!!

[Steam]

Yup, well I'd never been in a hurricane before and as work and all government offices had been closed for the day due to high winds, I decided to go try to find the eye of the storm, which was supposed to be passing about 20 km north of where i lived.
I only went about 1 or 2 kms before being blown off the bike into a rice-paddy (I was only going 20 kph, so it was more hilarious than dangerous).
But on the way back I saw whole sheets of deadly jagged roofing iron flying across the road without touching the tarmac, cars crushed by falling trees and power poles, and trees down everywhere.
It was foolish but I was a foreigner in an interesting country and I'd never seen a hurricane except on TV.
A reminder for next time, Hurricanes = Dangerous.

[HenryDorsetCase]

I rode from Invercargill to Chch in early May a few years ago. On a GPz500 (the twin I think its properly called an EX500). It started snowing just as I was leaving Invers, and there was no way I was turning back. The snow was absolutely thick between there and Gore. A telecom linesman 4WD was going the same road, and I basically had to ride in the wheeltrack 2 feet from his rear bumper or it was off. some interesting slips and slides and I got to Gore absolutely shattered. It stopped snowing then so it was only freeeeezing cold the rest of the way. it was horrible. My gear wasnt so great then either but I dont think it would have mattered.

The first time I rode from Wellington to Auckland on a GSX400 was kind of entertaining too. I had no real idea how long it would take, and ended up in Waiouru at about 2am in a truckstop freezing cold. At least it wasnt raining that time.

[Skyryder]

Damn there are some funny yarns in this lot.
Still wouldn't swap riding for quids aye.

(^ nice mix of trans tasman colloquialisms in that lot!)

Fell on the floor once. She was a grat ride. Never missed a beat. Or should I say stroke??:wari:

[Kyle]

Worst ride, proberly be about 12 years ago, way back on my first road bike, a tzr250 2stroke. Apart from dirtbikes i was pretty much a learner rider then, so riding over the kaimai ranges (hamilton to tauranga) in one very dark, windy and rainy night was abit of a nightmare. I was getting blown all over the road, and getting soaked aswell. Ended up in first gear most of the way near the top.
Thats the only bad ride i can think of, i enjoy riding too much. wind, fog, rain, traffic wars, surprise obsticles, darkness, breakdowns, even crashes i look back on as good memorys, all part of the game as they say, and you learn from it. Infact its things like those that i remember most. All the uneventful parts are just a blur. I know they were there, but nothing happened, so i cant recall the event.
:2thumbsup

[Riff Raff]

1. Pillion on a Harley from Dover to Sittingbourne at night when it was snowing, wearing crappy leather jacket, lycra leggings and suede boots.

2. Riding down to Wellington - began raining at the Bombays and didn't stop until Bulls. Was torrential through National Park - couldn't see further than about 5 metres in front. Strong winds from Ohakune - nearly got sucked under two trucks that went past. Got to Wellington with soaking wet gear, a bit of hypothermia and thoroughly miserable. Discovered White Trash had arranged for us to go out - I refused to get on a motorbike again so his flatmate took me in car, but had to stop and help get a trailer loaded with bikes for Manfield the next day. Stood shivering my arse off in a freezing garage for 45 minutes becoming increasingly shitty. Didn't stop shivering until the following morning.

[NinjaBoy]

Ride to KB trackday II - Akl to Taupo.

Started with a little drizzle in Aucks but as we progressed along the backroads it was obvious we were riding into the storm not out of it.
Then coming to Te Kuiti - there were two rivers that had formed across the road - travelling at 100km/hr to late to apply any braking but hang on and ride straight thru. When it couldn't get any worse, it did. As we approached Taupo the temp. dropped and my visor instantly fogged up.

Now I was wet through, cold and couldn't see. All on a bike I had owned all of 3 weeks.

And the worst thing about it 12 months later... the leathers have shrunk from that soaking.:Pokey:

[skelstar]

Fark I remember how wet it was that w-end. MoFun and I walked to Camelia Court from Taupo central and got totally soaked. The TD wasnt cold at least, just quite wet.

[Blackbird]

1. Pillion on a Harley from Dover to Sittingbourne at night when it was snowing, wearing crappy leather jacket, lycra leggings and suede boots.

Know that area well - Kent was where I spent my time pursuing the Mrs B to be (courting sounds sooo quaint:whistle: ) and got married in a 15th century church in Hildenborough.