No balls on this monkey

[marks]

The report on my failed attempt to make it to the brass is here (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7093006#post7093006)

[DMNTD]

The report on my failed attempt to make it to the brass is here (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7093006#post7093006)

Mate...that was absolutely extraordinary! Seriously makes me reconsider my choice of riding :niceone:

[Crisis management]

For a failed attempt thats pretty classy.

[NordieBoy]

If you're going to fail, do it in style and have fun :D

[geoffc]

The report on my failed attempt to make it to the brass is here (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7093006#post7093006)

Fantastic photos. Congratulations on those. Maybe we might see you at another Brass Monkey, don't go giving up! Cheers

[Blackbird]

Stunning photos Mark, genuinely moving. A fantastic ride and superb report. We do indeed live in an incredible country. Thank you for sharing the photos and the tale.

Geoff

[young1]

Great post mark. I plan to head down South at xmas time, not further south than Christchurch, so would be keen someone time to find out exactly where those tracks are.

Anyone else thinking of heading down that way, maybe on the ferry on boxing day?

[Bren]

Great write up and Great photos....I 'specially love this one that you took in Nelson...

[NordieBoy]

Great post mark. I plan to head down South at xmas time, not further south than Christchurch, so would be keen someone time to find out exactly where those tracks are.

Anyone else thinking of heading down that way, maybe on the ferry on boxing day?

Well the Nelson ones were here...

[young1]

Well the Nelson ones were here...

Well later in the year I might also have to tap your knowledge!

Thanks

mike

[sinfull]

Excellent write up man ! Now thats an adventure ride !

[XF650]

Bloody shame you couldn't join us Mark but looks like you had a great ride all the same, with the pics to prove it too.
A brief of what you missed & to wet your appetitie for next time:-
"Rogson" & I shared my two bikes over some great country with Timg joining us for the return run.

Friday from Ashvagas - McKenzie Pass - Haka Pass - Menzies Pass - Myers Pass - Kurow pub for the night. The publican let all the Brass guys staying there park our bikes in the lounge bar for the night!!

Saturday Dansey's Pass - across the Maniototo - then Serpintine Rd, a very greasy part of Dunstan Trail. From the old Moa Creek pub we joined up with some "off road only" guys & rode to the Rally site via the Rail Trail.

The Rally itself was great but a bit wet & bloody tent leaked. After enjoying most of the organised entertainment we wandered around with mbazza & timg to partake of the warmth of the fire drums. All very convivial & our lot were well behaved.

Sunday morning we were warned off going out over Omarama Saddle (low snow & possibility of rivers rising) so we tagged on with coonyer's lot out over Dansey's again to Kurow, but with a couple of "deviations".
From Kurow ryan, transalper & jezzeNZ went on to the Myers, Menzies, Haka etc while our lot carried on to Otamatata where Mr & Mrs Oldrider laid on a sumptuous smoko. Then over the glorious Blackforest track, Haldon Rd, Mckenzie Pass (again) & home via a beer at the Chequrered Flag, Rangitata.

My pics are pathetic (too busy riding) so hope timg's got some.
1) McKenzie monument
2) rogson & a tenere rider (chap Boyd?) who rode with us from Haka Pass through to Kurow
3) Moa Creek pub - never did find out what the buckets were for
4) near Burkes Pass

[Dave-]

http://webcoda.com/images/bike/SDC10592.JPG

fav shot, awesome....and i work in a camera store :D

[NordieBoy]

http://webcoda.com/images/bike/SDC10592.JPG

fav shot, awesome....and i work in a camera store :D

What's more amazing is that it's sharp!

marks camera likes to pick shutter speeds like 1/20th for no reason at all.

[madandy]

The report on my failed attempt to make it to the brass is here (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7093006#post7093006)

Superb...the pics are still loading on dialup here at work but those that have are terrific. Such a great adventure!
Makes ya realise what we miss, riding on the seal, us roadies!

[SDU]

Awesome pics & write up.

Shame you couldn't continue further sth but ya gotta listen to ya body & have something left to make it home & still have fun. Next time :apint:
Or come down for a summer rally

[marks]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

For great photos on what I might have seen if I'd gone all the way have a look at Ryans report here (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=348036)

[helenoftroy]

Absolutely stunning photos marks:niceone:
Some of those roads/tracks look like so much fun...

I had planned to join XF650,timg etc too.
Not so much the actual rally but just the irresistable temptation of the overland dirty bit to get there.....:crybaby:one day I might grow up:devil2:
Daughter leaving on the big OE so could'nt go
Next year the" more mature mum" might make it tho

Pleased you guys all had a great few days riding

[timg]

so hope timg's got some.


Just one or two...

XF650 & Rogson on the Blackforest pylon track &
XF650 adjustments. Buy a Honda! :devil2:

[timg]

& a couple more

The gravel express wasn't this clean at the end tho!
Soup & toast time at Kurow.
Intrepid travelers

[nigelp]

Looks like an awesome trip you guys had there! Very jealous!

[karla]

That was an amazing pictorial journey - glad I stopped in to look at it. Fantastic photos! What kind of camera did you get (new camera!)? Don't we just live in an awesome country. You've just captured the beach trees, gravel roads and icy grass with perfection. Kudos ~ makes me want to consider trail bike riding :)

[timg]

~ makes me want to consider trail bike riding :) Come on over to the dark side.:banana: You know you'll enjoy getting down & dirty! :devil2:

[CRM]

Hey Marks - why did you use the DT230 not the WR450? I thought the WR would have been ideal for the trip.

[marks]

Hey Marks - why did you use the DT230 not the WR450? I thought the WR would have been ideal for the trip.

I brought the WR to do trail and adventure riding - and as such it has been a failure. Its not happy at a constant speed, its noisy and harsh and has a seat like a 4x2. Luckily I do much more trail riding than adventure riding because its all I could want as a trail only bike (although - if I was choosing again I would look at a 200 2T for trail only use)

The DT on the other hand offers the following:
fat seat to suit fat arse
low seat height for paddling through nasty bits while overloaded.
strong rear sub frame for carrying way too much stuff
better security - lockable steering and an ignition key that would take more than 10 seconds to defeat
runs longer than 10 hours before oil/filter changes

cheers

Mark

[mbazza]

Great write up and photos, check out what we did at the BM here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/munro.barry

Cheers. :cold: (Actually it was cool & wet.) My tent leaked too, damn TM!

[young1]

Great write up and photos, check out what we did at the BM here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/munro.barry

Cheers. :cold: (Actually it was cool & wet.) My tent leaked too, damn TM!

Even more great pics, thank you!

[Ruralman]

Great pics Marks - did you ever get sick of stopping to take them though?? I remember taking heaps of photos when I did my first real big adventure ride (The first Passes ride) but I don't seem to haul the camera out as often now. I still pause to admire the views in this fabulous country of ours though.
Those tracks around Nelson (esp the Porika) look like a really nice ride and the track surface is a lot better than I imagined it would be - though I'm sure the ice made it tricky. Should be quite rideable on the Tiger?

I didn't make it to the Brass either - but then I wasn't planning on getting there!! Sounds like it was really wet there

Sounds like you could do with hot grips ??

I found on a recent ride ,where I put my rainsuit on over the top of my DRirider stuff because it was raining at the time I left and I didn't want to have to dry my gear out at the other end, that the rainsuit makes a huge difference when it gets really cold. The rain stopped soon after I left and then it got really cold. The only bit of me that was cold was my toes. The suit just eliminates the wind getting in

If you do get hotgrips I wouldn't recommend the Oxford ones - I;ve got them on the Tiger - the more basic ones (trying to remember the name - Daytona?) that only have heat, on and off positions and I had on the Transalp and also my ATV are much better when it gets really cold. The Oxford ones simply don't have a hot output high enough to give your hands a real boost when you need it

[marks]

Great pics Marks - did you ever get sick of stopping to take them though?? I remember taking heaps of photos when I did my first real big adventure ride (The first Passes ride) but I don't seem to haul the camera out as often now. I still pause to admire the views in this fabulous country of ours though.

I think if I had been riding with anyone else they would have mutinied over the number of photo stops - it was often a case of: "That is sooo beautiful - I have to take a photo" - almost like it would be the wrong thing to do not to stop.




Those tracks around Nelson (esp the Porika) look like a really nice ride and the track surface is a lot better than I imagined it would be - though I'm sure the ice made it tricky. Should be quite rideable on the Tiger?

All the tracks are easily ridable by any bike with two possible exceptions:
The Nelson side of the Maungatapu is steep and a bit slippery when muddy and the south end of the Porika also has a steep bit that would be nasty when wet. I (a timid rider) wouldn't take a big bike through either if it was wet/muddy etc.


Sounds like you could do with hot grips ??

I've just brought some icebreaker thermal glove liners - be interested to see if they help much.



I found on a recent ride ,where I put my rainsuit on over the top of my DRirider stuff because it was raining at the time I left and I didn't want to have to dry my gear out at the other end, that the rainsuit makes a huge difference when it gets really cold. The rain stopped soon after I left and then it got really cold. The only bit of me that was cold was my toes. The suit just eliminates the wind getting in.

What sort of rainsuit do you have?

cheers

Mark

[NordieBoy]

I think if I had been riding with anyone else they would have mutinied over the number of photo stops - it was often a case of: "That is sooo beautiful - I have to take a photo" - almost like it would be the wrong thing to do not to stop.

So you don't stop.
Although the camera lasts longer if it's kept in a pocket and not hanging aroung your neck out in the dust :D

I kept about 76 photos from the first Dusty Butt and 272 from the 2nd one.

[Zukin]

What sort of rainsuit do you have?


I have just invested in a set of wet weather gear :banana:

I went with the Dririder Jacket for $65, it fits well and the main reason I got it is I can put it on with my winter gloves, zips and all
There was so many out there that I couldn't do that with
I can also put in on using a set of these (http://www.rain-off.com/index.htm)

I then purchased a pair of Katmandu leggings for $99, they are Goretex and have full length zips on both legs and straps to hold them up :niceone:
They were clearing them out about a month ago, they were origianlly $400 :pinch:

They not only make me very dry they are great in the cold, I reckon they prob give me another 4 degrees warmth than without them :Punk:

[Ruralman]

What sort of rainsuit do you have?

cheers

Mark

I bought an oringi stratford one piece - its like a pair of overalls but made from their flexible waterproof stuff (Felxothane). This is a heavy duty farm grade suit so it won't roll up as small as some of the light nylon suits you can get from bike shops - probably to about the size of a pair of thick pants
It is 100% waterproof, the stretch in the fabric also makes it very tough and resistant to holes and tears(and you can get a do it yourself repair kit if you do have to fix a hole), it doesn't flap or get noisey - but its not cheap. They were normally $240 but I got mine on one of their 50% off sales they have from time to time. (new catalogue just arrived and its now $260)
They have a website you can purchase off and look at the gear (oringi.co.nz)
I bought one the next size up to what I would normally buy and I can get it over all my riding gear - it has domes to tighten up around the boots ect once you've got it on. Its a bit hard to describe the way they have designed it to stop any chance of getting a wet crutch - but believe me it works. I had one trip relying on a pair of supposedly 100% waterproof riding pants and discovered that it leaked in the crutch - never again
The beauty of this suit on a really wet trip when you get off you are dry, the suit itself dries in a few minutes (and very quickly on the bike if it stops raining) whereas the likes of my DriRider Jacket absorbs a lot of water into the outer material, it takes quite a while to dry and when its wet of course its not as warm.
You can probably tell that I recommend these things quite highly
Good luck with those gloves - I don't think they will substitute for hot grips though!!