Titanium
17th October 2006, 18:36
Caution this report may contain blatant product endorsements
Warr and I headed down to Turangi to start this majestic ride
Day was nice and sunny, but with a howling wind blowing through I had left that morning from Hamilton . Just to get in a bit more practice for the day ..
First leg was from Turangi to Ohura, via Taumaranui and 43 to Tokimira, managed to see 2 accidents, just prior to Ohura, a Ducati Multistrada and a big R1200 BMW, not so good only 1 hour into the event. A quick time check with the rusty crew and it was off on the adventure. Warr flashed past just prior to Taumaranui .. I never saw him again.
North of Maitere I managed to take a slight detour (turned right at the fork) and ended up a 12 km long gravel road. Fark! A slow ride up and down chewed in to the time, but I was not alone!
Back on track and it was off to CP1 at Hawera, via SH4, Mapiu, Arai, Toroto Rd and Mahoenui. A quick stop for gas at Awakino then off into the sunset around the surf highway, bugs bugs and more bugs, sea spray and rain very pleasant. CP1 at Hawera was a quick fuel stop and a bite to eat then off to Wanganui.
A goat track through Fordell and an even narrower road through the back country to Hunterville and CP2, more gas and food, off into the dark wet night.
Next it was off Dannevirke, via 54 and Cheltenham, Ashurst, Manawatu Gorge and Woodville, pretty uneventful through to DV where we turned out to the coast and to Wimbledon, cool I thought, time to see some wombles but they must have been hiding. Pelted with pine cones from falling trees, gale force winds and place names only to long to imagine (Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuaki tanatahu)
Was running the GPS as a map and following the roads, detail was a little sketchy this far off the beaten track. CP3 was ticked off at Waipukarau and it was off for a spirited jaunt to Napier via 50A and over the Napier Taupo Highway, the weather was complete crap and getting a little cold at this time of the morning, some one had installed speed humps at the top of a hill and stolen the deck of a bridge leaving a 3 inch drop and climb back out. The highlight of this leg was stretching the legs on the K1200S on the last 50 kms in to Taupo, completed in a respectable 11 minutes punctuated with a nice long blue flame from the Akrapovic on deceleration at the end, viewable in the RVM
Gassed up at Taupo, put the cordura on over top of the Quasimoto 2 piece leathers (they had done well for the first 13 hours) and off to CP4, picked up a trio of happy people as we motored off to Te Kuiti via Whakamaru and Bennydale, sort of home territory . Lost my companions just short of BD in pretty dismal weather and then totally screwed up my day by missing the CP4 (although staring directly at it as I rode past wondering why there was a nice K1200S there like mine ). By Kihikihi I had realised my mistake, was feeling pretty miserable and pulled the pin 1329 kms in 14.5 hours. Rode home to Hamilton and called up Lee, where I was advised that my passing of the check point had been recognized and I was free to continue. This was no match for the powerful image of hot breakfast, hot shower and sleep, besides my riding had gone to shit and was borderline, especially in crap weather.
The K1200S held up well, so did the Quasimoto gear, especially the sport gloves, leathers were outstanding as were the bling BMW touring boots and the Metzler M3 sticky donuts. Thanks to the hard riding Hamilton crew who have educated me in the last 6 months, it certainly paid off in the confidence stakes, the track days were an education as they really let you know what your bike was capable of.
There is a spirited debate on what a typical NZ road is . It is not the Coro Loop, it isnt the Auckland motorway . It is the 1600 kms of the GC, in the dark, windy and wet.
I will be back in 2007 .. I have a GC to complete.
Warr and I headed down to Turangi to start this majestic ride
Day was nice and sunny, but with a howling wind blowing through I had left that morning from Hamilton . Just to get in a bit more practice for the day ..
First leg was from Turangi to Ohura, via Taumaranui and 43 to Tokimira, managed to see 2 accidents, just prior to Ohura, a Ducati Multistrada and a big R1200 BMW, not so good only 1 hour into the event. A quick time check with the rusty crew and it was off on the adventure. Warr flashed past just prior to Taumaranui .. I never saw him again.
North of Maitere I managed to take a slight detour (turned right at the fork) and ended up a 12 km long gravel road. Fark! A slow ride up and down chewed in to the time, but I was not alone!
Back on track and it was off to CP1 at Hawera, via SH4, Mapiu, Arai, Toroto Rd and Mahoenui. A quick stop for gas at Awakino then off into the sunset around the surf highway, bugs bugs and more bugs, sea spray and rain very pleasant. CP1 at Hawera was a quick fuel stop and a bite to eat then off to Wanganui.
A goat track through Fordell and an even narrower road through the back country to Hunterville and CP2, more gas and food, off into the dark wet night.
Next it was off Dannevirke, via 54 and Cheltenham, Ashurst, Manawatu Gorge and Woodville, pretty uneventful through to DV where we turned out to the coast and to Wimbledon, cool I thought, time to see some wombles but they must have been hiding. Pelted with pine cones from falling trees, gale force winds and place names only to long to imagine (Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuaki tanatahu)
Was running the GPS as a map and following the roads, detail was a little sketchy this far off the beaten track. CP3 was ticked off at Waipukarau and it was off for a spirited jaunt to Napier via 50A and over the Napier Taupo Highway, the weather was complete crap and getting a little cold at this time of the morning, some one had installed speed humps at the top of a hill and stolen the deck of a bridge leaving a 3 inch drop and climb back out. The highlight of this leg was stretching the legs on the K1200S on the last 50 kms in to Taupo, completed in a respectable 11 minutes punctuated with a nice long blue flame from the Akrapovic on deceleration at the end, viewable in the RVM
Gassed up at Taupo, put the cordura on over top of the Quasimoto 2 piece leathers (they had done well for the first 13 hours) and off to CP4, picked up a trio of happy people as we motored off to Te Kuiti via Whakamaru and Bennydale, sort of home territory . Lost my companions just short of BD in pretty dismal weather and then totally screwed up my day by missing the CP4 (although staring directly at it as I rode past wondering why there was a nice K1200S there like mine ). By Kihikihi I had realised my mistake, was feeling pretty miserable and pulled the pin 1329 kms in 14.5 hours. Rode home to Hamilton and called up Lee, where I was advised that my passing of the check point had been recognized and I was free to continue. This was no match for the powerful image of hot breakfast, hot shower and sleep, besides my riding had gone to shit and was borderline, especially in crap weather.
The K1200S held up well, so did the Quasimoto gear, especially the sport gloves, leathers were outstanding as were the bling BMW touring boots and the Metzler M3 sticky donuts. Thanks to the hard riding Hamilton crew who have educated me in the last 6 months, it certainly paid off in the confidence stakes, the track days were an education as they really let you know what your bike was capable of.
There is a spirited debate on what a typical NZ road is . It is not the Coro Loop, it isnt the Auckland motorway . It is the 1600 kms of the GC, in the dark, windy and wet.
I will be back in 2007 .. I have a GC to complete.