2011GC - The Long Weekend

**KoroJ** · 2nd November 2011, 18:51

Blog Report here:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/en...-Weekend-(Pt1)

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/en...-Weekend-(Pt2)

Another great Rusty Rider weekend although numbers were down a bit this year. The Extension started and finished by 37 Riders on Friday and the GC started by 67 and finished by 65 on the Saturday and into the Sunday.

Good ride!

**whowhatwhere** · 3rd November 2011, 17:22

Great ride report - been reading yours for some time now.

Looking forward to giving this a go next year now I'm finally back in NZ.

Time for the big red to retire then?

**KoroJ** · 3rd November 2011, 17:58

Originally Posted by whowhatwhere

......Time for the big red to retire then?

The New-Beaut-Black-Beauty is in for Pinstriping on Monday. I have been using it but wanted to get a few more Km's up before subjecting it to any big rides....and then there's the tyres....but the 020's probably wouldn't have been any wose than the 023's??

**warewolf** · 3rd November 2011, 21:50

Well it's taken until today (thurs) for me to be able to sit without a little discomfort.

That last hour in to Wellington on Sunday arvo was the most painful I've ever done

but I suppose after 3400 km in 4 days on the KTM 640 Vibramatic it's understandable. [Edit: And now I've been at the puter for an hour tonight, I've got a sore butt again... Jurassic Butt aka Megasaurus!]

We had it pretty easy this year. For the main event I never put on my over-gloves, nor my final thermal layer: inner gloves, inner socks, legs and top. Bugger all straight roads, bugger all traffic, bugger all nasty weather. Although the fog over every climb at night (and notably the Paihiatua Track) made things interesting. The frequent damp roads kept you on the ball, especially at night, but rain itself was infrequent. Lotsa misty stuff that raised the humidity enough to fog my closed visor, but popping it open cleared it.

I've done a handful of GCs on the 640 previously, but the addition of the 900km pushed things over the limit, as far as my arse is concerned. Plus the run to Wellywood is a bit too straight for comfort even via Vinegar Hill. Having said that, I've not done much road riding in the last couple of years, and very little this last 12 months. Most of my riding time has been off-road, and that's only been about 1 day per month.

I've spent the last month steadily converting the 640 back to road trim.

An awesome ride, as usual.

Some numbers for you, these are for the 3550 km trip ex-Nelson, not including 650 km of practice runs:

Fuel: $367, avg 4.7 L/100km = max 542 km/tank
Tyres: $111, 30% of a set
Chains/sprockets: $85, 30% of a set
Oil/Filters: $67, 70% of a service

All this adds up to about $17.80 / 100km in expenses, and another service will be due before the Dusty Butt 1000 in January.

Bring it on...

**banditrider** · 4th November 2011, 10:12

Originally Posted by warewolf

An awesome ride, as usual.

Great job! Did I catch you just outta Wairoa?

Hat's off to all the Long weekenders!

Verbal diarrhea: http://banditrider.weebly.com/2011-grand-challenge.html

***caution*** · 4th November 2011, 16:59

Originally Posted by banditrider

Great job! Did I catch you just outta Wairoa?

Hat's off to all the Long weekenders!

Verbal diarrhea: http://banditrider.weebly.com/2011-grand-challenge.html

Good read thanks very interesting, that's me there standing next to my Busa in one of your pics, this was my first GC, rode 23km in the wrong direction at one point which really slowed us down, I haven't done much night riding, going round the cape in the dark was hard, especially with all the road works, never been round before even in the daylight so I'll have to get back there one day to check out the scenery, I had not ridden any of the roads before, driven a few of them, fields track was interesting to say the least!

We also stopped to help the crasher on Middle Rd, he had hit the road HARD, his helmet was really smashed up, he had crashed outside a farm where a nurse lived who took him to hospital for a once over, it was good to hear later he was discharged ok.

To anyone considering it, its well worth doing, just make sure you come prepared, plenty of threads on here with all the advice.

I think I will be back for more.....

**warewolf** · 4th November 2011, 19:40

Originally Posted by banditrider

Great job! Did I catch you just outta Wairoa?

Maybe? I dunno. Lotsa ppl on big bikes scoot past me, I cruise below the radar as it were.

**Hitcher** · 4th November 2011, 20:33

It's nice to finally have No 6 ticked off.

I think I'm pleased I didn't do the extension. Now I'm home and online I guess I should knock up a ride report...

**Highlander** · 6th November 2011, 12:09

I really enjoy reading the ride reports of these events - all of you guys. Hats off to all of you, still not convinced I would be up to achieving this.
Mr Banditrider - apparently I need to spread some bling before I can give you any. Enjoy your blogs though.