How's Thompson's Track?

**Yamaha_rider** · 19th April 2012, 20:42

Last winter my dad and I rode over thompsons track twice, leaving me sick for a few days after

i have got a bigger better bike and so does dad, and i am keen for it again, but i was wondering what the track is like now, i saw on a 4 wheel drive forum that there was a slip on the waikato side(which is the side we start on) earlier this year and no 4 wheel drives could pass it, and then i heard a digger and bulldozer was up there, but i am not too sure if this is true?

and a mate of my dads said he was talking to a guy that said to not try the katikati side anymore, its fill of swamps and bog holes that swallow your bike

so i am wondering if anybody have been up there recently? what condition is the track in?Thanks in advance!

**Dumruat** · 19th April 2012, 21:26

i have a new piston and rings going into my baby ktm tomorrow, provided i don't stuff it up and lose a circlip or something silly i am heading up there this weekend. I'll ring a friend who has a farm that backs right onto the entrance to the track. it would be good to know a coupe extra bodies going up there.

I'll ring him tomorrow morning and post about midday

cheers

**dave hamilton** · 19th April 2012, 21:54

its mint has had the bulldozzer go threw and its great but miss the mud bogs they were so much fun even took the wife up and she made it to the summit on her crf230 with no problems and shes only been riding for 3 weeks so if she can do it you guys will whizz up with no dramas

**ding322** · 19th April 2012, 22:06

Originally Posted by Dumruat

i have a new piston and rings going into my baby ktm tomorrow, provided i don't stuff it up and lose a circlip or something silly i am heading up there this weekend. I'll ring a friend who has a farm that backs right onto the entrance to the track. it would be good to know a coupe extra bodies going up there.

I'll ring him tomorrow morning and post about midday

cheers

What day are you thinking of goin up? Could be interested in taggin along.

What is the katikati side like has it been graded aswell or is it just this side?

**Jantar** · 19th April 2012, 22:11

Its still open, Not enough snow up there to close for the winter just yet. last time I rode over it there were som bad ruts on the Tarras side, and the rocks on the Thompson's Creek river crossing were a bit slippery, but otherwise it was pretty straight forward. The guys doing the DB1K found it was no problem.

**mattnzl** · 20th April 2012, 08:41

Originally Posted by Jantar

Its still open, Not enough snow up there to close for the winter just yet. last time I rode over it there were som bad ruts on the Tarras side, and the rocks on the Thompson's Creek river crossing were a bit slippery, but otherwise it was pretty straight forward. The guys doing the DB1K found it was no problem.

Not sure Thompsons Track (BOP) gets closed due to snow very often

**Jantar** · 20th April 2012, 09:58

Originally Posted by mattnzl

Not sure Thompsons Track (BOP) gets closed due to snow very often

No mention of BOP in the origional post, and the OP's location is Stuck in the Mud, so that could be anywhere.

Are you saying that there is another (3rd) Thompson's track up there somewhere? And if so, how does it compare to crossing the Dunstain Range from Omakau to Tarras?

**clint640** · 20th April 2012, 10:13

Originally Posted by Jantar

No mention of BOP in the origional post, and the OP's location is Stuck in the Mud, so that could be anywhere.

Yeah, but the Omakau to Tarras route doesn't have a 'Katikati side' that I've heard of

Sounds like getting the 2 mixed up might not be as bad as it used to be, might have to go for a look.

Clint

**Dumruat** · 20th April 2012, 11:48

Originally Posted by ding322

What day are you thinking of goin up? Could be interested in taggin along.

What is the katikati side like has it been graded aswell or is it just this side?

track is good apart from a bog or two but can be ridden around. i am talking about the west side . the matamata te aroha side.

saturday moring is when we are heading up.

**Dumruat** · 20th April 2012, 17:24

Originally Posted by Dumruat

i have a new piston and rings going into my baby ktm tomorrow, provided i don't stuff it up and lose a circlip or something silly i am heading up there this weekend. I'll ring a friend who has a farm that backs right onto the entrance to the track. it would be good to know a coupe extra bodies going up there.

I'll ring him tomorrow morning and post about midday

cheers

Why did i temp fate ..

powervalve cleaned everything laid out to reassemble.

there are supposed to be 6 very small "roller guides" that hold a rotating plate in place they look sort of like to different sized washers stuck together..

I only have 5....now there were 6 when i disassembled it.

Of course being ktm i have my good old parts manual..so..

none in nz. it is an incredibly stupid part to have in stock so i don't blame them. now trying to track down a wreckers or someone who has seized one for a silly 5mm bearing/guide.

off to waikato bearings tomorrow morning instead of up thompsons track.

**dave hamilton** · 20th April 2012, 17:37

not sure on katikati side i dont thionk the council or 4wd clubs maintain that side but tearoha side is fine should be good this weekend wife keen to go again on her crf230

**ding322** · 20th April 2012, 19:27

Are you saying that there is another (3rd) Thompson's track up there somewhere?

I didn't know there was a 2nd thompsons track

let alone a 3rd

there are supposed to be 6 very small "roller guides" that hold a rotating plate in place they look sort of like to different sized washers stuck together..

I only have 5....now there were 6 when i disassembled it.

That is pretty bad luck there - those types of things always seem to walk off at the most inconvenient times

What time is it all getting underway might see if I can get there depending on what needs doing tomorrow round here

**Jantar** · 20th April 2012, 19:48

Originally Posted by ding322

I didn't know there was a 2nd thompsons track

let alone a 3rd....

First one I ever heard of, and one of my favourite summer rides is Omakau to Tarras over the Dunstan Range. Second one isn't an adventure ride, but flat all the way from Rakaia to Mayfield. Now I gather there is one somewhere near the Kaimai Range.

**dino3310** · 20th April 2012, 20:56

My XR600 gets up there piece of piss(west side) even with the big tank and road gearing, the slip that was there was easily passed on bike, like some one posted there has been a bully through to clear the slip. with the weather we've been having i wouldnt hesitate going up for a blat, its only on the eastern side i wont go by myself pays to have a mate or two and a tow rope

back in the eighties we use to head over from the tauranga side have a feed at Te Aroha gas up and head back, never in winter though

**Yamaha_rider** · 21st April 2012, 19:56

Thats a bummer about you bike Dumruat

well dads not keen to go up there tomorrow, so we are going to whatawhata mx track instead so we can practice jumps(if you call coming off the ground half a metre a jump

) we have agreed that we will do the last few trail rides around here, and then we will start to do tracks like thompsons and wires(just in time for winter

)can't wait for the mud!!! the first time we went to thompsons track i only got halfway up Te aroha side, got stuck in a mud bog and my second hand boots off trade me that were taped together fell apart

a week and new boots later we tried again, we got to the top and made our way down BOP side got about half way(atleast i think we were about halfway) and my uncle got stuck in a bog that was unpassable.

I am keen to do the whole track this winter

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