Adventure Cruise to Cheviot/Culverden

[cooneyr]

Finally got the F licence on Tuesday (yesterday) and I've been relieved of Camper delivery duty to Nelson so what to do with this weekend, I know :scooter:
I know most of the chch crowd have just been on a long straight gravel road ride so this may not what is needed for them but I think it is for me. I feel the need to do some kms and find out what works long distance i.e. clothing, ear plugs, etc and how uncomfortable the DR650 seat is.

Basic plan SH1 to Greta Valley, down to Motunau Beach, along the back roads to Gore Bay (involves some gravel I think), into Cheviot, cut across Random Spur Road and gravel roads to Culverden, sealed back roads from Huruni to Amberly via Blue Mountains and home. I'll put up a route map and check distances tonight from home. I've no idea if this is going to be a long ride (8hrs) or a short one (4hrs) as never ventured this far but then thats the point.

At this point the weather is looking better for Saturday. So first suggestion for the starting point for this ride is Shell Belfast at 9.00am on Sat the 28th .

Any useful info or comments on potential route welcome. Anybody who has the Ken Sibly 4x4 book with Random Spur road in it could they please scan and forward the pages (or I can collect). Our copy is well buryed in the house stuff somewhere.

Any starters????? I dont plan on doing this by myself given the lack of long travel distance experience so please somebody sign up!!!!

Cheers
R

[SDU]

Sounds like a good plan. Enjoy your taking your toy out. I hope you have a blast!
I'll be working as usual.

[cooneyr]

Sounds like a good plan. Enjoy your taking your toy out. I hope you have a blast!
I'll be working as usual.

Bloody work aye! One of lifes necessary evils (till you win Lotto or similar).

R

[far queue]

Congrats on the full, have a good ride. I can't be there sorry - family commitments. I'll be curious to know what fuel enconomy you get.

[cooneyr]

Congrats on the full, have a good ride. I can't be there sorry - family commitments. I'll be curious to know what fuel enconomy you get.

Another reason for the longer run - see how far I can go on a tank for future planning. I think I'll have to go digging for fuel containers so will probably look for Ken Sibly book at the same time so scrap the request for pages above all.

Cheers
R

[Transalper]

Any starters????? I dont plan on doing this by myself given the lack of long travel distance experience so please somebody sign up!!!!

Cheers
R
Yep, I'm a starter and Saturday works for me. I'll tell J about it and toss a coin as to which bike i jump on that morning.

[laRIKin]

I want to give my bike a service before I do another big ride, I also need tires and chain and sprockets soon.
And was planning to do it this weekend.
If I get real keen and do it Friday night and I may (and that's a real maybe) able to join you.
But at this stage I will have to say no, sorry.

And Congrats on the full licence, well done.
And will ride again with you soon.

[PLUG]

... sounds a plan CR ... have said book & there are a few other tracks along the route you've proposed, that IMO wolud be rude to ride past ... am a computer dork as you know, so will have to meet up some where/time ... pm me ...

congrats on the full liceance ... your shout ... the Hurunui has a nice garden bar ... is'nt it on our route Saturday ... bugger ...

[cooneyr]

Awsome thats two victims. Just been playing with topomap. Very roughly along the route as per the attached image is is about 120kms belfast to Cheviot and about 140km Cheviot-Culverden-Belfast. I've filled the 650 for the first time tonight and got 150km out of 10l with about 50 of those kms riding upstream on the selwyn trip. Hopefull that with a little careful throttle use can get 180-200 from a tank (13l) so that would mean a fuel stop in Culverden.

Plug - I've noticed a couple of other potentials along the route using topomap. Be rude not to check them out.

TA - Take it that J may be keen as well. The more the merrier!

Image of route attached and same image without wiggly red line.

Cheers
R

P.S. Thanks for comments re the licence. You'll have to organise another ride soon Lemans so I can test out the "offroad" ability of the beast more.

[laRIKin]

You'll have to organise another ride soon Lemans so I can test out the "offroad" ability of the beast more.

I will do that hopefully after a wet day or two, to help keep that dust down.

[Transalper]

...Just been playing with topomap. Very roughly along the route as per the attached image is is about 120kms belfast to Cheviot and about 140km Cheviot-Culverden-Belfast. .....
Image of route attached and same image without wiggly red line.....
I joind the two maps together a couple of days ago... here's the result. (the thumb nail below dosen't do it justice, the second frame with all the white in it also shows the map on the full view)

[cooneyr]

I joind the two maps together a couple of days ago... here's the result. (the thumb nail below dosen't do it justice, the second frame with all the white in it also shows the map on the full view)

I'm having a go slow day at work so I though I'd find some freebe animated gif software and put together the revised route (included Plugs suggestion and another potential I found). Again thumb nail looks worse than full size.

Cheers
R

[Kickaha]

Basic plan SH1 to Greta Valley, down to Motunau Beach, along the back roads to Gore Bay (involves some gravel I think), into Cheviot, cut across Random Spur Road and gravel roads to Culverden, sealed back roads from Huruni to Amberly via Blue Mountains and home. I'll put up a route map and check distances tonight from home. I've no idea if this is going to be a long ride (8hrs) or a short one (4hrs) as never ventured this far but then thats the point.

At this point the weather is looking better for Saturday. So first suggestion for the starting point for this ride is Shell Belfast at 9.00am on Sat the 28th .

Any useful info or comments on potential route welcome.



The road from Motunau beach through Happy Valley andThe Blythe to the Hurunui is shingle (or was a year or two back), from the Hurunui onwards to Gore Bay is now sealed all the way

The Kaiwara road has been done by Diesel Pig in a van and I think he said there's a few gates to open and close

[mattsdakar]

Wish I could join you guys but the missus is working so I have to look after the rugrats..bugger! Have a good one

[Transalper]

Wish I could join you guys but the missus is working so I have to look after the rugrats..bugger! Have a good one:bye: I guess timing is everything sometimes.

[miSTa]

Soooooooooooooo?


(Sorry R, I missed your thread though I still would not have been able to make it)

[sixsixty]

Hi guys,
met you in Cheviot at lunchtime going the other way. Found this site you told me about and registered. Just like that! Hope you found your way through Random Spur ok. I got home about 4 pm after a 300 km day - was good fun. Shall be keeping an eye on upcoming events. Awesome site; just what I've been looking for...
Cheers

[far queue]

Soooooooooooooo?Ditto


... Found this site you told me about and registered. Just like that! ... Shall be keeping an eye on upcoming events. Awesome site; just what I've been looking for...
CheersWelcome aboard mate, no doubt I'll see you on a ride sometime.

[miSTa]

Welcome aboard sixsixty, but best you go and introduce yourself over here: http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=34 :scooter:

[Transalper]

Yep, welcome aboard sixsixty, glad to see you found us here.

Some of my photos....
1- J on the DR250
2- PLUG mid corner
3- Another map check
4- PLUG comming up the hill
5- Atop a hill with the Peninsular way off in the distance
6- PLUG returning after trying to find the way.

[Transalper]

More photos...
1- a 4x4 that we think made some interesting tracks PLUG found where it had taken out a fence, gone over a bank and thru a tree, then been towed back up by a dozer of some sort with catapillar tracks. We were surprised to see so little damage.
2- Me on a longish wooden suspension bridge on the way to Gore Bay.
3- Lunch at Cheviot and sixsixty's bike in foreground
4- Atop another hill, Cooner taking photos
5- Same place looking in a different direction, Cooner and Hurunui Rover mouth way off in the distance
6- now facing Culverden

[Transalper]

last ones....
1- another great valley view after closing a gate.
2- regroup
3- we had fords too..cooneyr making a splash
4- game over, stop a Culverden before departing just after 4pm on the cruse home

[far queue]

Cool, it all looks very green. How did the bike go CR?

[miSTa]

Nice photos there TA, looks like a good trip :niceone:

[PLUG]

... nice number plate work there TA ...

... the nissan 4wd ... there was a gate to open & close ... the track went around to the left. We could see these wheel tracks in the grass carrying on stright from the gate for about 20m then over this ridge. On the other side of this ridge it dropped away down into a gully 50 odd metres below.

The nissan was automatic ... it looks like the driver went through the gate & left it in drive, possiblie not pulling on the hand brake hard enough & it took it's self for a bit of a ticky tour (no skidd marks/brake marks what so ever) ... 5m down from the top of the ridge WAS a fence, on the other side of that was an old man pine tree, further below was scrubby broom, all on a ruff, rutted face headding down into the gully. Well the vehicle left a trail assorted parts & flattened scrub as it bounced it way down, just missing the pine tree, comming to rest 2/3 the way down this face. Some how it stayed on all 4's. It had a trailer in tow, with a M/C strapped on, as you can see in the photo, the draw bar was bent & twisted with grass & scrub hanging off it, the bike & the rest of the trailer was all good.

There was a trail of engine oil back up the hill from where the dozer had hauled it out ... guess there is a cheap nissan force ale ...

[mattsdakar]

Hey there Sixsixty,
Welcome aboard, like the Tenere, identical to my last bike, very good workhorse that I did near 40,000km's on, now riding a Dakar
Hopefully see ya round

[cooneyr]

Cool, it all looks very green. How did the bike go CR?

Bike was awsome. Love the grunt. Had the 15 thooth CS on to try and ease fuel consumption a little. 166kms from Shell Belfast to Mobil Cheviot took 9 litres i.e. 5.42 l/100km or 18.4km per litre. Not too unhappy with that. Took extra fuel incase and just ended up bringing it home.

The wind blast at a sustained 100-110 for any length of time could get tire some for a newby though. Rode from Chulverden back to Rolly non stop and was a little knackered by the time I got there. A spitfire screen came with the bike so going to try it out as a way of reducing the wind load a little - kinda ugly though.

Had a great time on the trip thanks guys. Awsome to finnally clock some decient kms and see what it was like. Really enjoyed the wiglies on the seal, actually the wiggles everwhere were pretty cool. Power slides through the Kaiwara Road were awsome - very nice gravel.

Great to see you joined up sixsixty!

Pics
1 - On saddle (plus a few m of hill) of Limestone Road. Banks Peninsular in background and Motanau Islnd in mid.
2 - Captin TA surveying the promised land.
3 - Looking north at seaward Kaikoura's from Random Spur Road - dirt track is road.
4 - Mouth of Huranui (i.e. TA's swingbridge) from Random Spur Road.

Cheers
R

P.S. Thanks to the guy on the red sprots bike that scared the shit out of me just south of Leithfield by passing in the higher 100's (where is a crapping myself smiley) Atleast I keep at better eye out for you mates!

[PLUG]

166kms from Shell Belfast to Mobil Cheviot took 9 litres i.e. 5.42 l/100km or 18.4km per litre. Not too unhappy with that. Took extra fuel incase and just ended up bringing it home.


... 15L to do 355k for me ... sounds like those DR's are pet-tra-holics ... maybe the fuel co's had a hand in there engine design ...

[cooneyr]

... 15L to do 355k for me ... sounds like those DR's are pet-tra-holics ... maybe the fuel co's had a hand in there engine design ...

Yer yer, you just dont give it enough cept from the stone shower times :dodge:

Interestingly though bike has 166kms on the trip meter now too. Exactly the same each way - wonder what that means? :shit:

[far queue]

Bike was awsome. Love the grunt. Had the 15 thooth CS on to try and ease fuel consumption a little. 166kms from Shell Belfast to Mobil Cheviot took 9 litres i.e. 5.42 l/100km or 18.4km per litre. Not too unhappy with that. Took extra fuel incase and just ended up bringing it home.I run 15/45 on the longer runs, such as to rallies, 13/45 for the tight off road stuff, such as the Waimak, and 14/45 as a compromise. I get 16km/l regardless of the gearing, which surprises me.
The wind blast at a sustained 100-110 for any length of time could get tire some for a newby though. Rode from Chulverden back to Rolly non stop and was a little knackered by the time I got there. A spitfire screen came with the bike so going to try it out as a way of reducing the wind load a little - kinda ugly though.I don’t have any trouble with the wind blast at 110kph, and can sit there all day. It get’s tiring at around 130kph for me Maybe you notice it earlier because you’re taller, and therefore sit higher into it?
Interestingly though bike has 166kms on the trip meter now too. Exactly the same each way - wonder what that means? :shit:Ummm, It probably means you did the same distance each way :bleh:

[cooneyr]

I run 15/45 on the longer runs, such as to rallies, 13/45 for the tight off road stuff, such as the Waimak, and 14/45 as a compromise. I get 16km/l regardless of the gearing, which surprises me.

Not sure about that. At 100 the bike is a little surgy with the 15 CS and not so surgy at 110 (very minor). Maybe I'm tuned a little leaner than you hence the slight improvement in millage.


I don’t have any trouble with the wind blast at 110kph, and can sit there all day. It get’s tiring at around 130kph for me Maybe you notice it earlier because you’re taller, and therefore sit higher into it?

Yer it prolly helps that your a short arse. I suspect that my hight doesnt help me with Plugs human crane label though. Maybe I'm just a big softy and need hardening up (bring it on!) Wind was bad on way to Waipra cause had reasonable head wind. Not so bad on way back from culverden but had spent about 7 hours riding by the time we left culverden.


Ummm, It probably means you did the same distance each way :bleh:

Yep it does doesnt it! (smart arse)

My third gear is a little winy. Guessing it is from lack of use? Do you have this FQ?

R

[far queue]

Yer it prolly helps that your a short arse. I suspect that my hight doesnt help me with Plugs human crane label though. Maybe I'm just a big softy and need hardening up (bring it on!) Wind was bad on way to Waipra cause had reasonable head wind. Not so bad on way back from culverden but had spent about 7 hours riding by the time we left culverden.Yep, that’ll be it, toughen up would ya.
My third gear is a little winy. Guessing it is from lack of use? Do you have this FQ?Nope, no whining from the bike in any gear at all.