Northern Gravel Adventure Riding Club

**suzieq** · 13th January 2012, 13:49

Yes, and on the note of light hearted Friday afternoon entertainment, Yes, I was amused

Many have mailed in to say they will definately be getting one of these?????????????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIy0e...ature=youtu.be

**suzieq** · 13th January 2012, 16:07

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http...9NfGJqPzzITXCQ

EPIC DAKAR DAY FOR SOME:
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CHRIS BIRCH SITE:
Today the lads (are there any females racing??) crossed over into Peru. The involved a 500+ km special stage split over two sections, and took about four and a half hours. I just did some basic math and that is pretty fast!

Chris finished the stage in 17th, which was a great effort, and puts him in either 32nd or 29th overall depending on penalties etc from others people.

Tonight they all camp in one big tent, with no outside assistance – so whatever they carried with them is what they have to work with. So it’s a true test for them!

Chris says:

"Today and tomorrow are supposed to be a like a marathon stage, where you look after yourself and your bike in the evening, and tackle the next day without having a proper 'pit stop. So whatever you want to have there that night, you must take it with you. I took highligheters and pens to mark my road book, some food for tonight and tomorrow, and some sleeping pills!

There were massive fesh-fesh sections today, it was so deep that if you stopped, your bike would sink and you would have to get off and run alongside it. I had to do that a couple of times!

It is much easier riding with the top batch of riders, as they mostly know what they are doing, so I am just trying to follow them a bit, busting out the 'human compass' method which is common in Romaniacs!

We arrived at the camp, a massive tent for us all to share, we each got a poncho and jandals made of tyres from the organisers, and that's it. Pretty fun times.

I was lucky that at the end of the special stage the KTM factory mechanics were there, and I know them from Romaniacs etc, so they gave my bike a once over before I headed to camp."

Tomorrow is a shorter day, just 245km of special stage and a short liaison.

Three more stages to go!

**suzieq** · 14th January 2012, 05:20

Dakar 2012. Where they go today - 259 km liaison at the start followed by a times special of 245 km

Great pic of South American fans waiting for their Dakar heroes:
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[Stage Program] - Stage 11 (12/01/2012)
ARICA- AREQUIPA : 534 km > Follow the live !!!
★ Rankings before the start ★
Bike : 1. DESPRES (FRA),2. COMA (ESP), 3. RODRIGUES (PRT)
Quad : 1. A.PATRONELLI (ARG), 2. M.PATRONELLI (ARG), 3. MAFFEI (ARG)
Car : 1. PETERHANSEL (FRA), 2. ROMA (ESP) , 3. GORDON (USA)
Truck: 1. DE ROOY (NLD), 2. STACEY (NLD), 3. ARDAVICHUS (KAZ

[Stage Program] - Stage 12 (13/01/2012)
AREQUIPA-NASCA : 245 km > Follow the live !!!
★ Rankings before the start ★
Bike : 1. DESPRES (FRA),2. COMA (ESP), 3. RODRIGUES (PRT)
Quad : 1. A.PATRONELLI (ARG), 2. M.PATRONELLI (ARG), 3. MAFFEI (ARG)
Car : 1. PETERHANSEL (FRA), 2. ROMA (ESP) , 3. DE VILLIERS (SA)
Truck: 1. DE ROOY (NLD), 2. STACEY (NLD), 3. ARDAVICHUS (KAZ)

+++STAGE 12 R A N K I N G S+++
★ Stage 12 : Rankings ★
Bike : COMA (ESP))
Quad : PATRONELLI (ARG)
Car : GORDON (USA)
Truck : DE ROOY (NLD)

The Dakar 2012 battle continues: Marc Coma wins Stage 12, 3 minutes 57 seconds ahead of Cyril Despres and is now 1 minute 35 in the lead in the general standing

EN - IMAGE OF THE DAY - STAGE 11 - (ARICA - AREQUIPA) 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdrd0WnhbCw

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: 2012 DAKAR RALLY:
http://www.motorcycletraveldvds.com/...12-highlights/

PHOTOS: MOTORCYCLE MADNESS AT THE DAKAR RALLY:
http://www.driving.ca/vancouversun/d....html?tab=PHOT

DAKAR - THE ULTIMATE RALLY RACE:

Last days, for the quizz challenge !

The prizes will be given in lots as follows:

1st to 4th prize – 4 parkas, with a unit value of €199 (one hundred ninety nine euros) including tax.
5th prize – An official Dakar Pants, with a unit value of €60 (sixty five euros) including tax.
5th prize to 9th - 4 packages of 3 T-shirts, with a unit value of €60 (sixty five euros) including tax.

REGISTER TO THE OFFICIAL COMPETITION GAME OF THE DAKAR RALLY 2012:
http://www.dakar.com/dakar/quizz/201...scription.html
From the 01/01/2012 to the 16/01/2012 register to the official competition game and try your luck to win many presents.

EN - LEGEND 2004 - Morocco (Africa)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_cYb...ature=plcpWhen

Morocco, Km 114 : when Vatanen and Kleinschmidt were stuck in the river ! Legend of the day !!

IN FROM LAURENT:
Owaka shows you the French pilots that animate the DAKAR 2011 do not miss the comments of the pilots, the hangover, abandonment etc...

http://www.owaka.fr/news/view/552/vi...KsIZI.facebook

NEDURO @ DAKAR:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...8255594&type=3

**suzieq** · 14th January 2012, 05:57

KTM 990 Adventures - Big Bike Trip - Cape Town to Shanghai

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TSyYwZGcsg

Some nice vid footage of Rupert and Fanny's Big Bike Trip on their KTM 990 Adventures from Cape Town South Africa to Shanghai

**suzieq** · 14th January 2012, 09:22

New to adventure riding and to our club we present ROGEY. Rogey has only just joined us and has now developed quite a passion for adventure riding. This is Port Jackson. Rogey also writes blogs on his travels. Also owning a T Sprint and having completed South island roading circuits many times, he will now begin to tackle those more out of the way places his newly purchased 'gravel bus' will be taking him.
Welcome Rogey and I have been enjoying reading your blogs. Rogey has titled this pic 'SKINNY DIP' and we will leave it to your imaginations. LOL.

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**suzieq** · 14th January 2012, 10:01

IN FROM MONICA:
Ahh, the benefits of being in charge of your husband's blog at times ...

TWITTERBUGS:
Chris finished 12th stage all good today, hopefully hold on to position, 2 more stages to go!!— 3 hours 28 min ago
•@Danhemingway nah don't think Chris is going. I'm still in NZ ... back to SA next month!— 11 hours 44 min ago
•@Danhemingway hey Dan thanks... pretty sure Chris is ok to miss tough one, you going? good luck if you are!! Mon— 16 hours 7 min ago
•@rcrane968 I think Mon should go and her one herself, go shopping Mon. Chris.— 17 hours 19 min ago
•sitting 29th overall! pretty stoked to have caught up a few more places and sit inside top 30! 3 more stages to go now— 1 day 49 min ago

In New Zealand, as far as I know, we don't get any TV coverage of Dakar. Not even on Sky Sport - I wouldn't know, we don't have it, even though they will use Chris in a TV commercial to advertise motorsport (no he didn't get paid for it) - ironic?

So, in Kiwi making it happen style, here are some classic 'I didn't know I was being filmed' moments from the South Africa TV screening - thanks Tarryn!

Enjoy

http://www.chrisbirch.co.nz/content/...-online?mid=57

EN - The Stage Summary - Stage 12 - (Arequipa - Nasca) - 13/01/2012
http://www.chrisbirch.co.nz/content/stage-12-video

**suzieq** · 14th January 2012, 10:07

Traversing over 8000 miles through Argentina, Chile, and Peru, the Dakar rally pits drivers and riders against each other and against extreme terrain. The 14-stage race attracts competitors from over 50 countries to race motorcycles, quad bikes, cars, and trucks through deserts, rivers, and mountai...

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/201...ally_2012.html

**suzieq** · 14th January 2012, 10:15

Cyril Despres was one of the unlucky ones who became stuck in a mud hole during the special.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/78788/...kar-Rally.aspx

**suzieq** · 14th January 2012, 10:21

CAMELTOE® By AdventureParts® KTM 990 Adventure - SIDESTAND EXTENSION x 1 in Vehicle Parts Accessories , Motorcycle Parts Accessories , Motorcycle Parts , KTM |eBay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110806188538

‎19 hours to go ... Ebay Auction ... GRAB A BARGAIN

**suzieq** · 14th January 2012, 10:23

The, updated for 2012, BMW S1000RR has proved it’s better than ever, after blowing away the competition at a track test comparison conducted in Spain by Britain’s leading motorcycle magazine, MotorCycle News (MCN). The superbike beat the other big name contenders in the test, knocking more than two ...

http://bmwmcmag.com/2012/01/2012-s10...mcn-comparison

BMW MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE:
http://bmwmcmag.com/2012/01/best-sel...growth-in-2011

GS GRINGO RALLY IN SOUTH AMERICA - BMW MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE:http://bmwmcmag.com/2012/01/gs-gringo-rally-in-south-america/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gs-gringo-rally-in-south-america

**suzieq** · 14th January 2012, 10:28

Here's the official trailer for 'The Incredible Ride,' a film highlighting Nick Sanders' epic journey from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska to Ushuaia in Argentina and back again in just 46 days and 4 hours!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dg7MJxeI4I&feature=related

Nick Sanders has completed his most challenging record to date. He has travelled the length of the Americas; from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska to Ushuaia in Argenti...

**suzieq** · 14th January 2012, 10:35

BMW MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE:

Dakar 2012, Stage 11: Barreda Issued Six-Hour Penalty for Mystery Help

http://bmwmcmag.com/2012/01/dakar-20...r-mystery-help

**suzieq** · 14th January 2012, 10:40

Team Speedbrain is satisfied so far with their competion at this years Dakar. "We´re having no technical problems whatsoever and our bike is totally competitive. A big thanks goes to all team members for their endless hours and for the excellent team spirit. The first week has been hard, harder than expected. We did a good job, many of our competitors already had to quit." states team principal Wolfgang Fischer. You will find short videos of every stage of the Dakar in the Dakar's YouTube channel and all information about Team Speedbrain on Husqvarna at

http://racing.speedbrain.de/