Who rode today in the wind?

[HTFU]

On my commute to Hamilton today I passed 50 or so bikes heading south towards Oto on the back road. Big crosswind most of the way and the same on the way home at 3pm.

Never have I ridden in such strong winds and I have been riding most days for over a year now.

[Bren]

just watch them hedgerows....wind aint fun...especially crosswinds

[Oldfulla]

Hell No!!!!!

My baby didn't make it on to the road this weekend at all :( Rolled her outta the garage and gave her soapy bath :love: and generally stroked, pampered her and then sat on her before putting her back. All nice and sparkly now though :drool:

nasty wind!

IT BETTER BE GOOD WHEATHER NEXT WEEKEND!!!!

[Meanie]

Bonez went riding in the crap weather today, heard him go past my place on his way home
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=58906

[James Deuce]

On my commute to Hamilton today I passed 50 or so bikes heading south towards Oto on the back road. Big crosswind most of the way and the same on the way home at 3pm.



Grand Challenge riders.

[Meanie]

Grand Challenge riders.

Yea that would have been a mission this year

[Mikkel]

Certainly did. On a small 250 sportsbike wearing my XCR goretex jacket (still looking at getting some proper leathers)... Got thrown around a bit but it was all good.

Looking forward to some heavy armored leathers!

[86GSXR]

I got blown towards oncoming traffic on the Taka's yesterday on the way up the eastern side. Saw it coming so I had a bit of warning but it was too strong to avoid crossing the centreline. I managed to get back onto my side pretty quickly so no harm done. On the way down another bike was shunted towards me but there was no danger and we passed well clear.

I had the Gixxer out today but the winds were steady. I'd say they were at least 70 kph in the Manawatu but predictable. I managed to choose routes that took me down and into it rather than crosswind. A real case of driving to the conditions.

[HTFU]

Rolled her outta the garage and gave her soapy bath and generally stroked, pampered her and then sat on her before putting her back. All nice and sparkly now though

You wouldn't have had a problem drying the bike today :niceone:.


Grand Challenge riders

What is that? I saw the first few of them and thought shit they are keen, and then they just kept on coming.

Wind must of been gusting over 120km/hr because when I had a tailwind it was pushing my head forward when it gusted, bike felt like it was about to take off :no:.

Must of looked funny when I was leaning over on the straights trying to keep it upright and on the road.

[Beemer]

Yes, the wind certainly made it a 'Challenge' this year! Riding 1000 miles in 24 hours is hard enough without the wind and the rain the poor buggers experienced this year. Andy headed home again about 4.30pm and said the wind along the Himitangi Straight was pretty strong. Glad it's over for another year. I certainly didn't fancy getting my bike out over the weekend!

[fergie]

got a bit stir crazy over the weekend so went for a blat last night about 6pm. still some strong wind gusts around that made my undies get sucked up me crack!:2thumbsup

[clint640]

What is that? I saw the first few of them and thought shit they are keen, and then they just kept on coming.
.

http://www.rustynuts.co.nz

Start 3pm ish Saturday in Turangi. Ride 1600+ km to Kaitaia & back in less than 24hrs on a loop consisting mainly of backroads. Jolly good fun! I do recall the occasional gust of wind & drop of rain along the way though :laugh:

Cheers
Clint

[HTFU]

http://www.rustynuts.co.nz

Start 3pm ish Saturday in Turangi. Ride 1600+ km to Kaitaia & back in less than 24hrs on a loop consisting mainly of backroads. Jolly good fun! I do recall the occasional gust of wind & drop of rain along the way though :laugh:

Cheers
Clint

Did you finish? looks like a hard event. What speeds do most of the rally ride at?

[Beemer]

Did you finish? looks like a hard event. What speeds do most of the rally ride at?

There are no prizes for being first back and in fact the Rusty Nuts guys encourage people to keep to the speed limits. Some of the roads dictate the speeds as many are narrow back roads with poor visibility. The cops always know when the ride is on so they tend to keep an eye out for the guys. A few may push the envelope at times, but it's not an event for the fainthearted so the guys who do it regularly know it's more important to ride steadily than fast.

[HTFU]

but it's not an event for the fainthearted so the guys who do it regularly know it's more important to ride steadily than fast.

No arguements here. I rode Oto to Kaitaia this year on the GN, to turn around and come back the next day would not have been my idea of fun. Weather that day was great as well.

So those guys that completed 1600km in that wind - Hearty ! :clap:

[klingon]

We went riding in the wind - seven bikes, three with pillions. I was klinging on for my life! The good thing is you can use the bike in front of you as a wind-sock. You watch it come to a gap in the roadside planting and go WHOOSH! over the centre line and make a mental note to brace yourself when you get to that point on the road. :lol:

We rode from Rotorua to Auckland via some beautiful back roads and I was exhausted by the time I got home. I was on the back of an SV1000S where I sit almost a head higher than the rider on a teensy-weensy hard seat with my knees up round my ears and nothing much to brace against. But still fun! :2thumbsup

I'm about to head out now into the wind on my Volty. weeeee! :wari:

[sunhuntin]

i rode from wanganui to turangi yesterday, and came back today. both times via the paraparas, shit weather both days, fuck doing more than than that in that weather... you rusty challenge riders sure are NUTS!
had one minor upset going over where both the car in front and myself got swept over the center line with no warning. thought the car was trying to overtake a van, so thought nothing of it, till the white lines were suddenly on the wrong side. totally amazed... the bike may as well have had the tyres spin sideways, it was that smooth.
and coming back today, bout 45 mins from home, saw a ewe with a bunch of lambs running like snot away from the fence, figured the bike aint that loud, and usually its only lambs that panic. took a 100k corner at about 70 and found myself face to face with a cloud of smoke. car had gone into the ditch, it seems. smoke smelled like burning rubber, but it was pushed out and moving just as i got to it, so dont know the full story.
normally, when i see sheep startle, i speed up a tad to scare em more, but today they at least saved the bike, cos had i taken that corner at 100k, there wouldnt have been much room to do anything.

must admit, im no fan of the paras, specially in the wet. between the trucks who are two wide for a road, stock wandering willy nilly and wet corners, i very nearly parked up and stayed put, lol.

been home over an hour, and im still shivering, but i gotta go out and get wet AGAIN to go to work. grrrr.

[clint640]

Did you finish? looks like a hard event. What speeds do most of the rally ride at?

Yep, we finished with no problems, out of the 100 or so starters only about 5 didn't make it, 1 or 2 accidents (nothing too serious thankfully) & 3 or 4 that piked because of the weather, apparently despite the conditions this was well ahead of the usual DNF rate of around 10%.

This was my first attempt & I didn't find it too bad, not something to be taken lightly though. Decent riding fitness & good warm dry gear helps. Speeds don't have to be high, keeping the stops quick & infrequent is more important.

Cheers
Clint

[FruitLooPs]

I nearly got taken out the other week on the RG in high winds on the way back from diamond harbour, coming along the straight before gov bay.

minding my business at a tad over 100 (according to the RG speedo, so probably 90-100km/hr in reality) head down and a huge gust sent me right onto the center line from the left 1/3rd of my lane with an oncoming van :shit:

gust stopped with me puckered up and nigh on eye shutting, I was leaning as hard as i could to the left if it didn't stop I would've been roadkill I was wowed at how strong and quickly it just dragged me across the road. Happened pretty quick - reduced speed super fast after that.


much respect to mother nature, and i live to see another day :banana:

[Taz]

Yep, we finished with no problems, out of the 100 or so starters only about 5 didn't make it, 1 or 2 accidents (nothing too serious thankfully) & 3 or 4 that piked because of the weather, apparently despite the conditions this was well ahead of the usual DNF rate of around 10%.

This was my first attempt & I didn't find it too bad, not something to be taken lightly though. Decent riding fitness & good warm dry gear helps. Speeds don't have to be high, keeping the stops quick & infrequent is more important.

Cheers
Clint

What Clint fails to tell you all is that he did the Challenge on a Kawasaki Sherpa 250! And still finished well within the 24 hours. Thought I was doing it hard on the BMW :lol: Well done clint. Maybe a scooter for next year eh?
Andy.

[Meanie]

What Clint fails to tell you all is that he did the Challenge on a Kawasaki Sherpa 250!
Andy.

That mans a bloody legend :headbang:

[banditrider]

Did the guy on the 125 Aprilla make it?

[Cheeky]

Rode from Tauranga to New Plymouth on friday. Worst part of the trip was from Awakino to NP and came back Sunday. Had everything but snow. Riding two up. I enjoyed it but the co pilot was a little nervous.

[clint640]

Did the guy on the 125 Aprilla make it?

Yep he made it. People thought I was nuts on the Sherpa, but I reckon I'm a model of lucid sanity compared with that guy.

Cheers
Clint

[banditrider]

Yep he made it. People thought I was nuts on the Sherpa, but I reckon I'm a model of lucid sanity compared with that guy.

Cheers
Clint

Top effort the pair of ya! Must have been a bitch in the wind on that 125! Tough enough battling it in places on the 14.

Mind you I reckon it makes finishing the event even more of an achievement. Me & my mate both reckon that there was no way we were pulling out just cause of the weather - maybe we all need our heads read...

[Taz]

People thought I was nuts on the Sherpa

Cheers
Clint

I thought about you a few times around the course (not only when I passed you and thought you were going backwards) <_<...... and when I did I always had a little smile on my dial...... Dunno why? just thinking of the memories you'll take away from this one to keep forever.
Andy.