Op Mataki 2013 - Akaroa GP Is Alive

[Muppet]

Oh yeah, sorry I misunderstood you. I thought you said 130 in a 50 was fine if I was on the way to the cake shop ;-)

I am not sure any Harley would be LAMS approved. they weigh too much...

actually there's one: the Harley SS350.

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/licence/gett...cles/lams.html

pretty cool bike too.

Surely all Harleys are LAM's since they only have 10 bhp?

[300weatherby]

Two kinds of rider getting into grief riding the Akaroa GP.(mostly)

1: The Harley/Cruiser mob that have no fundamental knowledge of how the laws of physics works in relation to land barges and corners and find themselves over the centreline, some because they are self deluded "Jappa" haters and actually believe they and their land barge is fast and designed to carve, some because they are mid life crisis man (woman too) and lack hard won experience, they will run it wide and start target fixating and/or grabbing at the brakes. Not funny seeing one of them coming toward you, and it is YOU they are looking at!

2: The Sportbike riding Akaroa road worrier (they worry the fuck outa me!) who learns the road backward and rides as fast as they can, based on knowledge of where the corner goes, not on the conditions/circumstances in front of them. The Hilltop road is an outstanding example of nasty suprises available around any given corner. Seeing MR Aka GP specialist coming around the corner toward me, desperately trying to be kneedown to show the other boys in the road train he can do it, is a scary sight indeed!.

Only luck, modern suspension and tyres is keeping the toll on that road down.

I might hate the thought that I might come around one of my favourate bends, quick turn it in late, bang it on it's side, stand it up and fire it out on the fat bit, and giggle, only to discover the death ray pointed at me

But I know why he does it : the lowest common denominator.

I do not understand why the road toll on the CHCH to Akaroa highway is not a dozen bike riders every riding season.

I expect of course, some anti bling from some in the Akaroa Sport bike GP mob, my answer to that, is of course, come to the track and show me how fast you are, and how much control you have over your own destiny!

Then add: opposing traffic, loose stock on the blind side of the corner, campervan on your side of the road, stock truck draining its effluent tank on the road as he drives, loose gravel from the crap repairs they do, camber and surface changes, retarded cyclists, ect ect, but you gotta go as fast as you were before- now, how much control over your own destiny do you actually have?

[Tazz]

Lived in Akaroa for years and the closest calls I had with bikers were geniuses who would follow the white line around right hand corners without a thought to the fact part of their bike (and all of their head) was over the centerline.

I used to worry about hitting one as I took the corners wide (trailer/big car), but then I though, meh, the gene pool is probably better off without them if that happens

Otherwise it is an awesome run and nice to see it is in good use before it fills up with campervans for the summer.

that the loss of control crashes out on 75 are virtually always on the exit to a corner.

Yeah a few of those corners tighten right at the end badly (particularly two) after Little River in the Aka to Chch direction. You tweak the wheel wrong and you're in trouble depending on your car.
Dude I used to board with put his car on his roof just driving normally after some rain around one (he had 3 cars behind him ready to overtake that saw it happen so speed def wasn't a factor XD).

[thepom]

I highly recommend the apex riding course done by Duncan seed, learned a lot about better road positioning and hazard perception, I enjoy Akaroa more as I find it challenging to ride a better line through not just one bend but all 0f them.....its good personnel discipline...

[rastuscat]

I did the Apex course too. Great value back then when ACC subsidised it. It added value to the low speed stuff we do on the courses we do for work.

[insomnia01]

heading down in March 2014 first time out to Akaroa for me will be staying the night there before carrying on my Sth Isld Tour seems i will need to keep my wits about me

[pritch]

I would have thought cops would get people easier at the end of a long straight.

Yeah, like passing lanes f'rinstance?

[haydes55]

I would have thought cops would get people easier at the end of a long straight.

I was more saying it's ironic how police create an unnecessarily unsafe situation in order to decrease crashes.

Defeats the purpose of "road safety" in my opinion.

[neels]

Yeah, like passing lanes f'rinstance?

If there weren't tossers that drive at 85 until the get to passing lanes then speed up to 110, there wouldn't be people who are quite happy to drive at the speed limit doing 120 to get past them, that particular crime against society justifies summary execution.

I was more saying it's ironic how police create an unnecessarily unsafe situation in order to decrease crashes.

Defeats the purpose of "road safety" in my opinion.

So now you're blaming the police presence for someone who is aware they are exceeding the speed limit grabbing a handful of brake and binning it? Personal responsibility etc etc....


Anyway, I'm not too concerned about a police presence on 75 if rastus keeps up the good work like last time he shadowed me and clears the slow traffic from in front, the way I ride I'm highly unlikely to be exceeding the speed limit exiting a corner anyway

[Oakie]

also, I learned last week from the cop that stopped me that 3 in ten motorcyclists stopped have no form of motorbike licence.

Which doesn't mean that 3 out of 10 bikers does not have any (or the correct form of) license. Just that of those whose poor skills brings them to the attention of popo, 3 out of 10 dont have blah blah blah.

[AllanB]

Reckon that guy on the green bike in the video saw the cop and hit the front brake while leaned over - slid out. Given it was in the USA he probably sued the police for a million.

[haydes55]

If there weren't tossers that drive at 85 until the get to passing lanes then speed up to 110, there wouldn't be people who are quite happy to drive at the speed limit doing 120 to get past them, that particular crime against society justifies summary execution.


So now you're blaming the police presence for someone who is aware they are exceeding the speed limit grabbing a handful of brake and binning it? Personal responsibility etc etc....


Anyway, I'm not too concerned about a police presence on 75 if rastus keeps up the good work like last time he shadowed me and clears the slow traffic from in front, the way I ride I'm highly unlikely to be exceeding the speed limit exiting a corner anyway

I'm saying 90% of people immediately look at their speedo and/or brake when they see a cop ahead (you'd be an idiot not to without cruise control).

What happens on a motorbike on corner exit when the throttle is abruptly shut off? Especially if the rider is 1 of the 30% stopped without the proper license?

"I want to stop crashes on corner exit by making corner exits dangerous"

"I want to stop rapes by turning out street/park lights on thursday nights in Auckland"

[Kickaha]

"I want to stop crashes on corner exit by making corner exits dangerous"

Nothing is being done to make the exit to the corner more dangerous, they're not spreading gravel or putting down diesel

[Subike]

I'm saying 90% of people immediately look at their speedo and/or brake when they see a cop ahead (you'd be an idiot not to without cruise control).

I'm glad you said 90% and not everyone, some of us know very well just by the sound of our bikes how fast we are going. I dont need to look at my speedo to know that high engine revs in 4th gear means walking if the radar gets me......
The Akaroa road is fun to ride, we all know that well, I just hope I remember to ride it at a safe speed next time I ride it.

[thepom]

I rode my new bike back from the north island and seen seven cop cars between Picton and Christchurch....I overtook two mufti ,s and a cruiser as everyone was aware of the kaikoura food festival hence the large police turn out.....no one overtook me and I never went above 100 kms,,,everyone was well behaved and the cops had no issue with me passing them as I made sure the road was well clear ahead......point being if you obey the law you wont get ticketed.....unlike earlier in the year I was done for 138 in a 100 ,,,,,fair cop guvnor.....