View Full Version : New season's road hazards
Unit
30th November 2007, 23:56
Did my usual 400ks road trip Tauranga to Whangarei tonight. Left Tga around 5.37pm (OK exactly :rolleyes:) and took the Kaimai's/Matamata route rather than up the coast Katikati/Waihi. Going up the Kaimai's it was so noticable the road tar melting badly everywhere. I noticed when I drove over there the other day it was really bad all the way to Hamilton. It was really slippery under rubber and quite unnerving. And at that time of the day the tar had all the heat in it from a long hot day. The sudden change in temperature and extremely hot days have hit us hard and fast, and I worry for those of you who are still on winter tyres that may not be suitable for the current road conditions.
Now that the season has changed, we all need to be aware so too have the hazzards. More cages on the roads of course, more roadworks this time of year too (they seem to be everywhere), and of course its been very windy too which can be a bit of work at times.
From this humble countryside pootler, take note of the new road conditions and take it easy out there, its an ever changing world :Police:
Blackbird
1st December 2007, 07:22
Couldn't agree more with you. The Waioeka gorge was in a shocking state when we went round the Cape last weekend, very slippery on the bare tar, which seemed to constitute a fair percentage of the road.
Is anyone on KB involved with roading? Why does the tar melt so easily? you don't see it bleeding so badly in Oz where the temperatures are higher. If it's because our tar is cheaper, I bet the total life cycle costs are higher with all the maintenance.
Hope you didn't get caught in all the thunder and hail last night on your trip north. In Tokoroa around 5pm, we had a colossal hailstorm and downpour and it was moving north.
Sketchy_Racer
1st December 2007, 13:11
If you see who makes our roads, 90% of them are meat heads that couldn't give a flying toss about the job they're doing..
Why is it that the roading, which is such a huge saftey factor to driving/riding is something that rarely gets a finger pointed at it as at fault in a accident. I don't believe that melted tar provides a safe enough grip level in my opinion.
bet more money goes into the "Speed Kills" campaign than into our roading. Yet one more reason so many people are ditching this third world country
janno
1st December 2007, 15:46
they must use a different tar in Aus, cos it seemed to melt at about 40 plus.
Queensland has crap road surfaces though, believe it or not the roads are in a better state here.
Unit
1st December 2007, 18:39
Never really thought of the Aussie senario. And our roads have taken a hammering from the servere winter rains this year. Believe me I would know, I reckon I rode through every storm this winter, the tornados in central North Island, the Flooding in Northland, and the pot holes are still around from those weather incidences. No I missed the storm last night, Chris txt me to say it was torrential rain in Tauranga not long after I left. It was quite windy through the Matamata streights, but big black handles the wind awesomely. Im on a very solid, well planted bike with all the mod cons, but, when the road is sparkly shining back at me with no chip in it and practically bubbling from the heat, I get concerned for any rider out there. And the roadworks, uggggh, but at least they are out there fixing the roads. Personally I feel the general road conditions overall are worse this year. I now do, between work and motorcycling around 70,000ks a year, so get to see a lot.
Swoop
1st December 2007, 19:04
Where is Nudemetalz when an expert reply is needed!!
;)
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