Gremlin's Tall Stories

It’s “only” been a 12 month wait since the last one, but the 2010 one was finally here. The plan was to try and finish off any work by mid-afternoon, then pack, load the bike and head down in the early evening. This year, I even have a handy helper, in the form of Toto, who is doing his first. He takes the entire day off, heads down early, and then proceeds to txt me. “Should I take my laptop”, “When are you coming”. I suggest he ask for two rooms near each other, so we can find each other. The useful little helper then also gets my key (this is handy later on).

So I get home around 5pm, not too bad. Start packing… hmmm lot of stuff, plus I have to take a sleeping bag and pillow, which I don’t normally carry, so I have fun trying to squeeze everything into the top box and two 21L panniers. Some more txts, quick dinner (and a PXT of the course is looked through while eating), get kitted up, and I’m fuelled up and on the road at 8.20pm… later than usual, but then, this is the usual scenario (leaving late that is) About 70km south of Auckland I realise I completely forgot all about my GC starter card, info etc.

With the 2nd tank, no need for any stops and I arrive in Turangi around 11.30pm. I find the office shut (fancy that, not even midnight) but a few people awake in the kitchen (including Lee, Pumba etc) who give me a rough idea of where 136 is, and come to think of it, I think I was in that block last year, but who the hell remembers cabin numbers a year later.

Looking for a horrific green bike, it’s soon visible and I retrieve my key from my helper, who’s just starting on planning the route on his laptop. Quick unload of all my gear and a quick change, and I suggest to Toto we head across to the kitchen and plan the route there. Lee etc are still up, and the usual banter about useless GPS’ commences. Part of the entertainment. He’s convinced they lead people wrong, the GPS won’t cope with the route this year, it will have no idea of the roads etc. I respond that if you blindly follow the GPS, then yes, but the GPS has a good chance of knowing all the roads, and I would be happy to report back on the completion of the route. He doesn’t care

Wizards-Eugene once again steals the mantel of last GC’er to arrive (I was in 2008, then he beat me in 2009, and now again in 2010), so him, a mate of this, Toto and I get down to planning. The other two leave at some point, with main route finished, but we carried on to plan out fuel. Toto and I were doing in separately as we had different gas ranges and rode at different speeds. I think we finished around 3am and headed to our beds.

Saturday morning, and the sun is out. Huh? This is a GC, it’s meant to be raining, yet the forecast is saying possible rain only on Sunday morning? People are up early, I hear them then roll over and back to sleep, Toto is also up and around at some point. Alarm wakes me at 11am, and I get the bike over to scrutineering. No scrutineer. Hmm… lets sort starter info… All the rusty’s are at a table. Ah, meeting. Talk shit with other bikers. Even found another bike using the exact same extra fuel tank, but he has a pump for it as well, where mine is just gravity feed.

Rusty meeting over, bike gets scrutineered, starter info re-created (as Lee says, he always has to make some spares… sorry). Shower, Toto is up again, so to the great Turangi bakery for lunch, New World for supplies and gas the bikes up.

Last bit of afternoon is spent looking at ugly bikers sunbathing (still struggling to get my head around sun, feeling hot etc on a GC) and more shit talking and putting gear together for the ride. Pumba is hanging around and starting to feel a little nervous when he admits he doesn’t have a puncture repair kit, spare fuses, lightbulbs etc. But hey… what can go wrong? (Ok, so I blew a lightbulb last year, middle of the night )

Briefing as always at 2.30pm. Lee promises $5 for a sheep and back to the cabin to get geared up (hate standing around in full gear during the briefing). It’s still hot, so I debate about putting thermal leggings on already, but it’s much easier than doing it later, so on they go. Summer gloves, so that will help cool me down, as heated vest etc is all going on as well. For the first time in 3 years, I get to the start line before my group is due to start… cool!

Up goes pink bits, wave to Toto (he’s in the next group) and I follow Pumba’s sexy … triple… out onto SH1. The course is anti-clockwise around the middle of the island. Down to Ashhurst (Time Check 1) via Ruahine Rd and Apiti, across to Woodville then Pongaroa, Wimbledon etc (ie, the back route), up to Waipukurau (Checkpoint 1) and then up to Gisborne (Checkpoint 2) via the coast, except for Tiniroto Rd. Then we cut across the cape to Opotiki, SH30 and SH5 to Rotorua and through to Karapiro (Checkpoint 3). Take Te Awamutu to Te Kuiti, through the gorge almost to New Plymouth, but turn inland and cut across West Cape this time, through Stratford to Hawera. Checkpoint 4 is in Patea, between Hawera and Wanganui, then up the Paraparas (SH4) to National Park. Turn right onto SH47, then right again onto SH46 and up SH1 to finish. Around 1610km, and the GPS reckoned 19-20 hours (but it never eats, sleeps or stops).

For those that like pretty pictures: http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=d&so...6,8.453979&z=8

SH1, boring, slotted in behind some bikes setting a pace just legal, or just the other side. No need to be getting a ticket within half an hour thank you. Passed the odd bike going slower, but got passed by more. Onto Ruahine Rd, brand new for me, very dusty from the slips, and was stuck behind most of the group. Eventually a straight appeared, so I passed the group. A connie made it slightly more interesting, overtaking the lead bike without indicating, so I stayed far on the other side of the oncoming. Not a big drama, but he might have been surprised.

Got settled into my pace, and started catching the odd bikes. Pumba had already tootled into the distance on SH1, but I caught him before Apiti, stuck with a group of tourers. My timing was good, a series of straights allowed easy overtaking. Pumba doesn’t seem to like having a gremlin staring at him, so buggered off again. At one stage I caught him attempting the look-at-directions-while-trying-to-ride, weaving about in his lane at 60kph. He gets a big surprise when I’m suddenly right in his mirror giving him a big He says after, ah, excellent, a guy with a GPS right behind me, I must be on the right road! (how trusting…)

Time Check in Ashhurst, I spot a Moto Morini that has already been sampling the mud and kept some for itself all over the left hand side. Lots of bikes parked up… its only 200km? Pumba and I are clipped and head off straight away. He already needs gas, so stops just up the road (and there are more bikes stopped there as well), but I don’t plan to stop until Waipukurau. Pahiatua-Pongaroa Rd and Route 52 are incredibly windy. Heading into one right hander, I get hit by a massive gust from the right, but managed to deal with it. I think it’s the closest I have come to getting blown off my bike. After the ride, I hear that 2-3 bikes stopped and actually did get blown over. Plenty of corners needed re-adjustment of lines as the wind blew me around.

I catch up to KoroJ and his mate (don’t know KB name) before a turn off to Pongaroa. Their pace is good… but I did catch up to them. I start pondering how I am going to pass a ST1300 and busa while they are doing a good clip, when I have a supermoto. My pondering is abandoned when KoroJ misses a turn. For a second I wonder who’s right, but figure I probably am. No complaints, I don’t need to overtake them now The roads out near Pongaroa live up to expectations. A cow in the ditch on the roadside, a peacock I debated possession of the road with until it let me win and a lamb I came so close to retrieving for Lee. Further talks with Pumba later on revealed it’s possible there was one very tired lamb somewhere after trying to dodge plenty of bikes.

Shortly before Waipukurau I catch up to 3 bikes, 2 of them sportsbikes, doing a nice pace, so slotted in behind. I watch the Yamaha at the back get out of shape over one bump in the road and I’m happy to have my nice long travel suspension The sun is setting, and on one particular straight we get wicked sunstrike, straight ahead to the point that arms had to be lifted to see anything. The GPS takes me into Waipukurau slightly differently to the pack of 3, so I end up at the Mobil 30 seconds before them around 7.20pm. It appears they are in the 20’s, I’m 49, so somewhere I’ve passed a lot of bikes. Even the rusty at the checkpoint comments on this, but after the ticket clip and filling up with gas I’m joined by KoroJ and mate, Pumba and the GN250. Yep, KoroJ got a horn tootled in his direction, so I wasn’t wrong. Quick chat, as we had only nodded in each other’s direction, when on the TT2000 earlier in the year. Food, drink and a visor swap, next stop Gisborne.

I’d done this whole section the previous weekend, just the opposite direction. My how things can change in one week! Good lesson for those that think they know a road because they ride it every weekend. North of Napier, it’s almost one long landslide, mud all over the road, streams of water and just to complete the fun, thick fog. Visibility got as bad as about 10m and high beam was worse than low beam. Tiniroto Rd was actually better than the previous weekend, as I even mentioned the road at the briefing, as it had been much worse. Nevertheless, it’s a challenging road in the dark, with big sections without reflective markers, so it’s just your headlight for company. On the bright side (har har, a pun) no reflective boards blinding you back as you try to enter a corner.

Entering Gisborne, I find the Caltex and once checked off I find out I’m 2nd on the road. Second. S-e-c-o-n-d. The poor Rusty must have thought I was retarded, but I really didn’t expect that. I knew my moving average was about 100kph, but I’ve never been higher than about top third and I’m a slow stopper. With Caltex charging a surcharge on credit cards, I head down to Shell to re-fuel. Same lady as last weekend, but she didn’t seem to remember me. As I leave, I see #3, a black ZX14. #1 is apparently 40min ahead, but has lost his route notes.

Exiting Gisborne I expect I’m now #3, as my stops are slow, but at the turn off, I see him stopped by the roadside. A quick check to make sure he’s OK, which he is, so I carry on. A short while later, he’s in my mirrors, so the next few straights are spent far left checking to see if he wants to overtake. He seems totally content just to follow me which is understandable so I settle into a rhythm trying to minimise brake use to make it a bit easier for him to follow. He follows me all the way through SH2 to Opotiki, then around the lakes to Rotorua.

I stop at an intersection as the extra tank is playing up. I hit reserve at 260-270km, which means it’s clearly not drawing the gas from the 2nd tank which is going to be a big problem when I splutter to the roadside with no gas in the right places. As you may recall (if anyone ever reads these things besides me) the last time this happened was in the middle of spaghetti junction, and hardly a fun experience. The ZX14 stops to check on me, yeah, I’m fine, just the stupid fueling system. Feeling peeved, I carry on into Rotorua. I stop at the same gull as the 14, but just to check the breather on the tank is not blocked etc. Still peeved, I didn’t fill, and went right out the other side figuring the tank had better start working at some point otherwise there isn’t any point in having it if I have to keep messing around with it.

60km on reserve passes, which is approximately my limit on reserve. I figure if I can hit 70km, then perhaps its working? That milestone passes, and I’m a bit happier… that is until 84km, and probably the intersection with SH29, when it conveniently runs out of gas under the lights of a big intersection. The feeling of being peeved returns. Hardly expecting to walk, I check the breather again, the “lucky blow” on it and hell, stick it back on. Bike starts, oh well, we’ll see for how long. 20km ish down the road, the reserve light goes off. Awesome! That means the tank is working, and what’s more, the main tank has been re-filled, so I know I have at least 60km left, and only need 20km to reach Cambridge (predicted fuel stop).

Karapiro is reached in the wee small hours, and I had no idea it was open 24hrs. No need to travel onto Cambridge then, so re-fuel, quick chat with checkpoint Rusty and ZX14 turns up. I check I wasn’t holding him up, and he declares I was setting a cracking pace. Moving average is still hovering around 95-100kph. He’s on the road again before me (told you I was a slow stopper) but this allows me to see Pumba again, who’s shocked to find out he’s “Teem Numba For-a”. I gear up and head off in search of the ZX14 again. The temperature during the night has remained warm, often over 10 degrees. Around Te Awamutu I do notice it drop to 5-7 degrees, but not for very long.

Sure enough, I’ve almost got him at Te Kuiti, but he pulls to a stop outside the Shell station. Quick check he’s Ok (Yep) and on I go. He pulls out as well, so once again, I’m the wabbit. On the run through the gorge to the coast it occurs to me that the ZX14 headlights are stunningly good. Several banks on the roadside end up being lit, with a little shadow on each (me). Those are some seriously impressive lights. 5am rolls around, when the final checkpoint in Patea opens, but I won’t have any issues there. I believe GS in front didn’t have to wait either. I’m starting to wonder about the ZX14. They aren’t a bad bike, but he seems perfectly able to keep up on bumpy roads with my supermoto. I can even see his headlight bouncing up and down while mine is nice and smooth. Damn fine riding me thinks.

Shortly after turning beyond Waitara to head south to Stratford, the ZX14 disappears from my mirrors, and I have no idea why, but presume a gas stop is required. I make a mental note to point it out to the final checkpoint, just to make sure. I slow a bit through the straights. Last time through Stratford there was a cop hiding on the exit. Granted, it was for the Cemetery Circuit racing, but still, no-one likes having roadside discussions with cops, and dawn is fast approaching.

Patea is reached around 6.30am and the sun is already rising. With daylight comes traffic, people, and inevitably, cops. A good pace has been maintained during the night (my aim) and I’m still just under 100kph moving average. Patea isn’t open for fuel, only later in the day, so it’s just a signature on the ticket and I gear up again. As I prepare to leave, the ZX14 rumbles past, sees and and hauls on its anchors. Quick head check to us, and he heads off again. I race off after him and get him to pull over. I explain he needs to go back, he’s just missed the last checkpoint, but he says no, Wanganui. Well… there is a Rusty back there, so it’s definitely the checkpoint. Lucky he didn’t have to go to Wanganui to find out it wasn’t there.

Several milk tankers later (overtake one, then another, then another and so on) I reach Wanganui around 7am. My final stop with less than 200km to go, it’s back to the tinted visor and the ear plugs get pulled out. I really wanted to keep them in, but my ears were in constant pain from not being able to move and depress with the helmet pressure. The issue is much less than the Shoei XR1000, but the multitec isn’t perfect. Well, the helmet is probably perfect, but I might have to look at the possibility of smaller custom molded plugs so I can wear them for a couple of thousand km no problem.

Out onto the Paraparas for the run home, I’m trying to guess if the ZX14 is in front of me. Did he need another stop? If not, then he’s ahead, if he did, where would he be now? The Grand Challenge is never a race, no prizes for places (and there never should be) but still… second would be cool as a personal thing and I doubt I’ll be this far up the board next time. Technically, its time anyway, and I’m sure he started before me… but “second home” has a nice ring.

All those thoughts are forgotten in the Paraparas when I find a boulder in the middle of the road. On top of that, plenty of fist sized rocks around it, so a bit of quick thinking to find the flattest smallest rocks to bounce over. It wasn’t as bad as Mr Pumba, who also had a logging truck coming the other way using some of his lane at the same time. Drizzle starts falling through National Park, the wind picks up, and the slick tar starts becoming more interesting. I think to myself… the rest of the riders are going to get this even worse.

I decide to put my RainOff overgloves on at National Park for the remaining km, just to test how they work, how comfortable they are, etc, as I hadn’t used them in ages. Well bugger me, the ZX14 is filling at National Park, and as I pull in, he’s ready to pull out. A cheery wave gets him enquiring if I’m Ok, but yes, just having fun. Off he goes, and I fail to get the stupid drawstring done up. Can’t figure out how to do it with only two hands that are inside gloves with no dexterity at all. Still, I left them on, just didn’t do them up, and set off after the ZX14.

I catch up to him just as we turn onto SH1 from SH46, 14km from home and the rain has now disappeared – to go and annoy some of the other riders. No reason to overtake, I settle in behind trundling along thinking it didn’t feel like THAT long ago I was going the other way. On a straight, he motions for me to pass, so I do and I as start looking ahead for any cops, a big growl and the 14 growling past. Damn faired bikes with lots of HP… He motions for me to pass again just before Turangi… seems he just wants a giggle and fair enough, 1600km later you always feel good getting to the end.

I lead us into the Holiday Park and we park up. 1636km in 17h 40min (or thereabouts). Moving average of 99.9kph and Total average of 92kph. Bit of shit talking with some of the Rustys and I also had a quick chat to the GS rider who sans ride notes seemed to have made it back just fine. His belief about the ride was to get it over with, hence minimal stops for gas and a bit of food and drink. The girls who sort the meal we’re offered (and gratefully receive) did comment he couldn’t hold a conversation before the meal. Go figure Mighty fine effort to complete in just over 16 hours.

The rest of the morning was spent chatting to anyone and everyone about the ride, giving people info and getting info you didn’t have. As riders came in, it was sharing your stories and at 11.30am I found myself surprised it was STILL morning. Pumba was in within 5 minutes of me, a damn fine effort for your first GC, no GPS, just a good pace and keeping his stops short. Toto returned in about 20 hours I think and looked completely shattered, before he headed off for a long sleep.

The fella riding the ZX14 commented that while he was bouncing up and down through the roads, he saw my supermoto remaining smooth through every corner and was rather jealous. I checked with him if his lights were still stock (which they were) at that they were seriously impressive.

In the early afternoon I also headed off for a nana nap of 3-4 hours. I found this GC my easiest yet, but I also did the most preparation for it. I didn’t hit the wall once during the ride, didn’t even think the old “Why on earth am I doing this?” and was in good condition at the end of the ride. I spent the rest of the evening (and until 1.30am) talking with other riders, debating anything from the existence of particular signs on a corner to diesel vs petrol.

Big thanks have to go to the Rustys for putting on another great Grand Challenge. I bet it takes a big chunk of time, a lot of people to shepherd and Lee was awake the whole night while we were out riding (I know which I would prefer) watching over issues as they arose. I think 72-75 odd riders started? And probably just over 60 finished?

Next year sees the 25th Grand Challenge, the Long Weekend, and I’m already paid up and looking forward to it.