Gremlin, thanks for a great ride report. From the photos it looks like your tyres look just like road tyres. Can you raise or lower the air pressure whilst riding to give better traction? Would you plan to go back one day and camp overnight? Are you a camper? Cheers, FD
On the South Island Passes ride http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...tes-and-photos one rider went through the Okuku river on a Suzuki Bandit. He didn't drop it either.
Originally Posted by Jantar From memory there was a dark coloured car parked at the side of the road midway between the checkpoint and where the loading ramp was. I figured it was a young couple making out, but now wonder if it wasn't something more sinister. mmm, not nice at all... Pity I didn't know that at the time... you automatically assume an innocent sort of reason... If I'd only known...
I went through Earthquake a bit earlier than you guys, and there was a loading ramp in the middle of the road. I stopped and moved it off the road. If it was back again then it was being put there deliberately. From memory there was a dark coloured car parked at the side of the road midway between the checkpoint and where the loading ramp was. I figured it was a young couple making out, but now wonder if it wasn't something more sinister.
How wonderful to read of exploits I love to have the 'whatever it takes' to perform You have found some realy awaesome places down yonder
It's amazing how you have the ability to scare off fellow bikers! And damaging the local environment and ignoring common sense, the list goes on and on ... and yes, I wished I could have ridden along as well Living vicariously through your exploits ... what have I come down to! But, good job guys, I had my fingers crossed that Gremlin wouldn't repeat his last performance and it looks like he has done an exceedingly blinder this ride. I doff my helmet to your sirrah! (and no, not that type of helmet you perverted reader!)
Hey Congratulations Mate on a grat ride AND a great read! Felt as though I was right there with ya - and the GSA would be THE bike to do it on - well done all round Shafty Matiere
Good write up Mate, bugger about your tip-over, but Congrats on your Diamond! Shafty Matiere
Good Yarn...thanks for the effort and well done. You really should have gone in to Patarau river.... Re Radar detector....I have a simple 3 red LED cluster on top of my dash in my line of sight, works fine for me. See younext year then...Diamond again?
Fantastic effort, glad to hear you got your reward in the end for your troubles! Guess the policeman was having a nice day and didn't want to ruin yours! Thanks for taking the time to write it all up, living vicariously through all your exploits!
Gremlin - thanks for the feedback Yes the big lesson learned for me is to do a much better job of route planning and optimisation. I thought I had it all planned out but in reality not as well as needed. For example I hadn't really figured out my plan B if I didn't do Hakataramea - sure go the long way via Omarama, but what extra flyers would I do to make up the 900 points lost - no clear idea. In hindsight the Okarito, Riwaka, Pupu Springs, Runanga, Strongman and Kaikoura flyers were too far off the beaten track for the 100 points involved. But the Cathedral Gully and Manuka Bay combo were easy reach. And I should have been planning on Hakatere all along. I just hope the TT2000 is on again next year, and there is a similar level of 150 flyers to pick a route from.
Originally Posted by baldy47 Liked your story. On the note of your radar, You should try the wireless system . The radar sends a signal to a very small unit mounted in your helmet. this flashes a small red warning light inside the helmet that you can adjust to suit your line of sight. My opinion, I used HARD. The problem was, I was never 100% certain it was working, perhaps it had run out of batteries etc, and you'd never know until it was too late. Using a comms box instead, everything gets fed to one set of speakers in the helmet. Matey, it sounds like you had a real adventure compared to my experience (I simply rode my planned route). I'd suggest you double check all the checkpoints beforehand, next year, as I did. I think Mike deliberately misplaces the odd ones by a few hundred metres (ie, it's a Hint). Seems minor when you're sitting looking at a screen, but very different when you're cold and tired in the middle of nowhere. Congrats on the Diamond, you definitely did it harder than I!
Originally Posted by Forklift Driver Gremlin, what were your thoughts if you still had to finish at 6pm or face DSQ? Would you of backed off and gone for the Gold level? BTW, Patarau river was a tough 90 minute detour for me, fuck I was so glad to see the tar seal again!! Realistically, compass restricted my ability to alter my route without drastic consequences. However, the extra 4 hours were not required if I didn't slack off. I got into Greymouth at 7.30pm, only went to bed at midnight, then spent almost an hour going back to find my seat pad in the morning. The extra 4 hours just gave me some luxury. I should have had more sleep on the Saturday night, but it's that typical thing that you're not stressed, so there is no rush. Finishing 10min before deadline was certainly tight, but not really unexpected. Hindsight is 20/20, and perhaps I should have done Marfells instead of Cannibal, but my reasoning at the time was not leaving everything until the last day...
Liked your story. On the note of your radar, You should try the wireless system . The radar sends a signal to a very small unit mounted in your helmet. this flashes a small red warning light inside the helmet that you can adjust to suit your line of sight Well worth having and lets you keep your eyes on the road..
Gremlin, what were your thoughts if you still had to finish at 6pm or face DSQ? Would you of backed off and gone for the Gold level? BTW, Patarau river was a tough 90 minute detour for me, fuck I was so glad to see the tar seal again!! FD.
Originally Posted by KoroJ Whew!!.....We made it! ........Next time we'll leave earlier!.....and pack the seat thingy in the pannier from Auckland!........and leave earlier!........and ride betterer over the Takaka Hill!....and leave earlier! I'd probably be jealous now if I wasn't so worn out.....*sigh*!!! we should have shared the riding then... might have made it a bit easier.
Originally Posted by Sharry I did note though that you depersonalised Jessica, calling her "the bike", when talking of planting her on the ground. Yeah, coz I don't throw ladies on the ground
I realy enjoyed that read Grems. Thank goodness for buffer times I did note though that you depersonalised Jessica, calling her "the bike", when talking of planting her on the ground.
Whew!!.....We made it! ........Next time we'll leave earlier!.....and pack the seat thingy in the pannier from Auckland!........and leave earlier!........and ride betterer over the Takaka Hill!....and leave earlier! I'd probably be jealous now if I wasn't so worn out.....*sigh*!!!
Originally Posted by Gremlin Travelling the South Island is well worth it, I'm the midst of my 5th trip I think, in about as many years, and currently I'm going down for 1-2 weeks every year. I prefer to bite a little bit off each year and leave plenty to go back for another year, rather than nail it all in a few weeks then have nothing. There are so many good roads, and don't forget all the unsealed options as well, as that's really the best scenery you will find. You'll see in subsequent blogs that after the TT2000 we ride Lees Valley, Rainbow and Molesworth this time and there is still plenty left to do. It depends how much you like riding, but Auckland-Wellington is only a day's riding for us, then add a ferry trip and you're exploring the South Island already. If you go back through my blogs you'll see the previous trips down there as well, which may give you some ideas of where you want to go. Yea i could easily get to Wellington in a day with a couple stops, but the south is what im really looking foward to. it would almost be a warm up ride to the best stuff
