Road trip, Auckland to Blenheim

**Berg** · 11th October 2012, 08:47

Get somebody to show you how to secure your bike on the ferry before you go and carry two strops of your own for that purpose. I use the Kaitaki as I find it has very good bike parks (and the best premium lounge but I'm a snob apparently

). There are strops on the Kaitaki but I prefur the security of my own.
Other than that most things have been covered above. I've done big kms on a Hyosung 250 and never really had any issues other than a broken clutch cable. If yours has about 20,000kms have the clutch cable checked and replaced if needed (that seems to be the common kms for cable failure on Hyosung 250). Charge and carry your cellphone and I also carry a tyre repair kit these days.

**saraj** · 11th October 2012, 09:46

[QUOTE=Maha;1130412626]
Aircrafet enginering

**Hitcher** · 11th October 2012, 09:56

The Bluebridge is more biker-friendly across Cook Strait than is the other lot.

You'll need tie-downs. Unfortunately they take up precious luggage space and are heavyish. But them's are the breaks.

**saraj** · 11th October 2012, 09:58

Originally Posted by Berg

Get somebody to show you how to secure your bike on the ferry before you go and carry two strops of your own for that purpose. I use the Kaitaki as I find it has very good bike parks (and the best premium lounge but I'm a snob apparently

). There are strops on the Kaitaki but I prefur the security of my own.
Other than that most things have been covered above. I've done big kms on a Hyosung 250 and never really had any issues other than a broken clutch cable. If yours has about 20,000kms have the clutch cable checked and replaced if needed (that seems to be the common kms for cable failure on Hyosung 250). Charge and carry your cellphone and I also carry a tyre repair kit these days.

thanx alot , yeah i might lube the cable the bike done only 13000kms
and luckly when i bought the bike it came with tire repair kit , so thats a tick from the list

**Banditbandit** · 11th October 2012, 10:24

All good advice ..

Two things ...

1) You don't need to do it fast - you just need to keep going without taking long stops.

2) Have coffee (or tea or some drink) each time you fuel up - I use BP Connect because they have great coffee. As Jantar said you need to drink to stay hydrated - and drinking at every fuel stop does this. But don't drink anything bigger than the smallest sized coffee - otherwise your bladder will need emptying before the bike needs fuel again.

**Old Steve** · 11th October 2012, 10:34

Re the chain, think of getting a ScottOiler fitted. That takes the problem away and you only have to top the bottle up every 3-4 weeks. Do get whoever fits it for you to give you the bottle of oil, I know some shops fitted the oilers and kept the lube.

Otherwise, what they said. Overnight stop best, take regular breaks - what do you get out of a tank? I used to get over 300 km on my GV250. So that'd be fuelling every 3 hours - so maybe take a break in Taupo, Waiouru and then overnight in Taihape.

You've got a couple of months to get ready so plan some longer rides. Taupo and back, Tauranga or Whakatane and back, Kawhia and back, Whangarei and back. Build up so you know you can do 400 + km per day.

**jrandom** · 11th October 2012, 10:38

Fer fuxache, just harden up, put your stuff in a backpack, hop on and ride down. It's really not that big a deal.

**jrandom** · 11th October 2012, 10:41

Originally Posted by Old Steve

Build up so you know you can do 400 + km per day.

That advice might be necessary if the OP was an overweight sixty-year-old woman. With gout. And blind in one eye.

Jesus, people, listen to yourselves blithering on. It's just a ride down the goddamn motorway. Leave after breakfast and you'll be in Wellington for afternoon tea. Get on the ferry the next morning and you'll be at your destination by lunchtime.

**Gremlin** · 11th October 2012, 10:46

More time around learners needed Mr jrandom... You'd be surprised at what feels like a long day for them. They are also concentrating proportionately more when riding, as it's not all instinct.

**jrandom** · 11th October 2012, 11:03

Originally Posted by Gremlin

More time around learners needed Mr jrandom...

Nah, bollocks, I remember getting up one day several years ago with nothing to do, mooching around a while and deciding at 4pm to ride my Zeal 250 from Auckland to Wellington because there was a KB dinner on somewhere. So I did. Nothing to it, if you just sit on SH1. And I was about as n00by a n00b as a n00b can be.

Stop making it into such a big deal. Motorcycling's all about doing that sort of thing. Or it should be, anyway, if cunts weren't all about making learners nervous by implying that they should treat their bike like a scary monster that's going to bite them.

Personally I think that ego a lot to do with it. And not the poor learners' egos either.

What I see is, people riding motorbikes for a few years themselves, not doing anything special, but then seeking status by pretending to be some sort of seasoned veteran and dishing out advice that makes n00bs shit their pants and get all timid.

Newsflash: that's bullshit. And it's a real shame to see a young guy buy a motorbike and then get scared off of having adventures on it.

**Brett** · 11th October 2012, 11:04

As mentioned, if you're not conditioned to riding long rides, probably best to break the trip up. Riding a bike is more physically demanding than driving a car and therefore is harder on the body. The bike will handle the ride with ease...you're the limiting factor.

**CRM** · 11th October 2012, 11:05

Take a camera and stop every time you see something cool

, spare gloves is good because if you get wet gloves it gets pretty miserable

, pack some thermal undergarments - great insurance if the weather changes (which it tends to do riding down country)

, make sure your chain is adjusted and lubed and tyres are at the right pressures, some sort of neck warmer thing is always nice when you are going for a long time, charged cell-phone, well tied-on gear, eftpos card for gas and some spare cash is always good

, a couple of muesli bars, bottle of water, a small towel is handy, something to clean your visor with, spare socks are nice - and something dry to keep all the stuff you don't want to get wet in

. And have fun on your adventure

**jrandom** · 11th October 2012, 11:13

Originally Posted by CRM

spare gloves is good because if you get wet gloves it gets pretty miserable

But, oh noes, what happens when spare gloves get wet?

saraj - just get yourself a pair of these: http://www.rain-off.com/

**jrandom** · 11th October 2012, 11:17

Originally Posted by Brett

As mentioned, if you're not conditioned to riding long rides...

Seriously, what the fuck is this 'conditioned' nonsense? He's not proposing to bicycle there. Motorcycling = sit on bike, twist throttle. Fat cunts with asthma ride motorbikes quite successfully. You do not need to be Lance Armstrong.