Great weekend in the Bay including riding with Zukin

[merv]

Had some good excuses to visit Hawkes Bay for the weekend:

1. To see and ride with my Bro'.
2. To get all nostalgic and go to the Highway of Legends Concert.
3. Meet up with Zukin finally and stir some gravel with him.
4. The weather was going to be far better.
5. Have a few drinks at Yungatart's place - though I never knew that was happening until I got up there.

I'd loaded the XR250L and the XT250 on the trailer the weekend before and left them in the garage because I disappeared up to Auckland working and then flew back Friday afternoon to Welly raced home, unpacked my bags and repacked for the weekend and got away with Mrs merv nice and sharp about 5pm Friday. Yeah we are trailer bunnies, but that's why I enjoy bikes, they've always been just my toys and I've never seen them as transport - just fun.

Got in touch with Zukin about 9.30pm and said we'd be on for a ride on Saturday from about 10.30am to go up the Puketitiri Road.

Saturday dawned warm and fine with a temperature of about 24 expected - beautiful. I better post a few photos as you know I usually have the camera with me.

The first four pics were at Zukin's place as we were about to set off.

Pic 1: So what does my Bro' do? - says oh I haven't renewed the rego on my DR350 yet so he brings his classic Suzuki GR650 twin road bike with a young fellah on the back.

Pic 2: Zukin's Bro' on Zukin's trusty XR250.

Pic 3: Zukin on the DRZ250 - first time I'd met the guy.

Pic 4: Mrs merv with her XT250.

Then up the Puketitiri Road we went, first stop for a break was at Rissington.

Pics 5 and 6: At Rissington. When I was a lad the building was a country store complete with petrol pumps and the gravel road started not far beyond.

[merv]

Then we decided to stop for lunch at Ball's Clearing just beyond Puketitiri. No shops open on the road at all now as Patoka store has closed too, so you got to take a picnic lunch. The Ventura bags come in handy.

First 4 pics: All at Ball's Clearing. That's a great adventure bike my Bro' has eh!

The last two pics: Are at the carpark to Mangatutu Hot Springs up the Makahu Road. This is near where Jack Nicholas was shot as he lived on Makahu Road.

[MSTRS]

....
5. Have a few drinks at Yungatart's place - though I never knew that was happening until I got up there.
....

We did put a thread on about it, but we can't make you read it:dodge:
Was good to meet you

[merv]

I told Zukin I was going to be In Auckland and was going to be too busy to KB up large up there so left it that I would call him when I got to Napier and that's when I found out about the party, so yeah it was good to meet you all.

Anyway, still loading the pics.

Nice place to visit as there is still some nice gravel roads to get there. The springs aren't huge, but the water is hot.

All pics: At the Mangatutu Hot Springs.

[merv]

More pics at the springs.

Includes some young chicks not with us.

[merv]

Then on the ride out I thought I'd get a few action shots on the road.

Pic 1 & 4: Zukin's Bro'.
Pics 2 & 3: Zukin.
Pic 5: merv's Bro' on his road adventure bike.
Pic 6: Mrs Merv.

[merv]

More shots on the road.

Pic 1: Zukin's Bro'
Pic 2: Zukin.
Pic 3: A lovely XR250L.
Pic 4: Mrs merv.
Pic 5: merv's Bro'.
Pic 6: Back at Ball's Clearing.

[merv]

Five more pics at Ball's Clearing.

Last pic, down by the river under the bridge at Rissington.

That's all for now folks. I might post some pics of what we did on Sunday later on.

Hey and for those that are thinking about gas use, the XR250L did 29.2 km/l (that's about 82 mpg)and the XT250 did 32.6 km/l (that's about 92 mpg) on that trip of about 190km.

[Zukin]

Yes what more can I say :yes:

Great ride, great weather and more importantly great company :first:

As Merv said it was the first time we had met and it was a great day, it was the first real ride on the DRZ on gravel and I can say it handled very well. I found it very comfortable and have to say overall I think it is better than the trusty ole XR :yes:
Into the shop this week for a service and to iron out a few teething problems, but other than that a great bike and a great weekend.

As for the Yamaha and the rider, well done.
I was surprised just how well the Yamaha handled ( I guess that has a lot to do with the rider :yes: )

Cheers Scott

[Bartman10]

Sounds like you had a great time. I was in the bay too and really wanted to catch up with you guys.

Unfortunately some family commitments put a stop to that.

Maybe next time....

Cheers.

[yungatart]

Great pics Merv, was nice to meet you too... glad I don't look as old as you imagined:innocent:

[XR250 Si]

Looks like fun times for all.

Can't wait to start exploring some back roads and gravel tracks.

[merv]

Great pics Merv, was nice to meet you too... glad I don't look as old as you imagined:innocent:


Yeah well I can't say I read all the posts but I thought I had read somewhere you were a granny and after meeting you I must say you are looking pretty good for a granny.

[Motu]

Good photo's there Merv,looks like a pretty good ride,I'll have to get out and explore more of our country soon.

Big Dave has some photos up on the regional forum on ADVrider of the Kaipara 200,and he'll do a thread soon.Then I'll tell my tail of woe.Some of the riders are still on their way home.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=175603

[fazer]

looks a good ride, can`t wait to get get my bike and get going.

[merv]

Fazer did you decide on a dirt bike? I'm sure Zukin will go riding with you and I get up to the Bay to ride with my Bro' a bit so maybe we can catch up sometime. I've written a lot about what I saw as the flaws of the 250 Suzuki none of which can be said about the 250 Honda and the same doesn't apply to the DR650 which we have also at home. To ride well on gravel you need a smooth responsive bike so that one problem is taken out of the equation, then you can concentrate on riding fast attacking the unpredictable terrain. I had ridden on gravel so long on smooth responsive bikes I was nothing short of totally disappointed when I had my Suzuki it made me feel like I'd slowed down badly with age. Truth was as soon as I got my WR and later the XR250L as well, I was back up to speed again and feeling young and that's what you will need too as you are close to my age.

[fazer]

Anything to keep young!!!! Weighing up the pros and cons, rightly or wrongly, have decided on the DR650. Only time (and scrapes and bruises) will tell. Ta, would like to meet up sometime.

[merv]

OK we are happy with our DR650 as it was good bang for the buck as we bought it back when they were discounted an extra $1,000. For us smaller people I don't count it as a hard out trail bike (too heavy) but its great on a mix of tar and gravel even two up. We have ours set on the lower seat height and suspension soft, the only hassle then if two of us ride it the chain runs on the top roller a lot as you hit bumps spraying chain grease everywhere. Mrs doesn't mind as she leaves me to do all the bike cleaning.

The 650 has a different type of carb and relatively much heavier flywheel effect in the engine than the Suz 250 so is an altogether nicer machine to ride. However, for smoothness and quietness it doesn't match the Honda XR250L and ours sounds like a right bucket of bolts since we fitted the alloy bashplate to it reflecting all the engine noise upwards. The DR650 is way too overgeared stock so go for at least one tooth less on the front sprocket as a minimum change.

[Zukin]

Anything to keep young!!!! Weighing up the pros and cons, rightly or wrongly, have decided on the DR650. Only time (and scrapes and bruises) will tell. Ta, would like to meet up sometime.

Anyone that likes Pink Floyd is welcome to ride with me :yes: :D

Seriously I am more than happy to go on rides with yourself, keep me posted when you get your bike.

Cheers

[fazer]

Thanks both for that, as I have only ridden road bikes, the gravel stuff is a different kettle of fish, so will be a steep learning curve. Hope you are good at first aid!!!!!

[Motu]

I had ridden on gravel so long on smooth responsive bikes I was nothing short of totally disappointed when I had my Suzuki it made me feel like I'd slowed down badly with age.

I've had that happen too Merv,it's a bit off putting.You can ride anybike off road...it's nice to have a perfect bike,but you can have a shit load of fun on an ER185 with worn tyres too.Not so on gravel,you don't have any fun on the wrong bike,and you don't get up from a crash laughing,you need a well set up bike to enjoy it.When I have a good bike under me I don't even think,I know what I can do...know what the bike can do,it's all instinctive from years of practise.But on the wrong bike I feel as skilled as the doddery old man I look like.

It doesn't have to be a dirt bike either,a traditionaly style bike is well suited to gravel work - the Triumph Scrambler is testomy to the worth of the basic layout.I was following Big Dave on the Scramber on sunday - anyone who thinks these things are not able to be ridden in these conditions had better be prepard to eat their words,he had me working pretty hard to keep up.