West Coast trip / Product test

[Oakie]

Mrs Oakie and I went to the West Coast for a holiday a couple of weeks back. I've bought quite a bit of stuff for the bike and I thought others out there might get some use out of knowing how it performed. We biked in rain for the second half of the trip there and for about 2/3rds of the way back so it all got a good work-out. Right,... from front to back.
>Givi bikini fairing. I had it installed when I bought the bike so I can't say what difference it makes but it does deflect the wind nicely.
> Daytona heated grips. My hands got damp as the gloves moistened up but they stayed warm. Apart from the comfort side of it, it is also a good safety measure for two reasons. 1)When you get cold your reactions slow down. 2) When your fingers are numb, trying to use buttons on the handlebars can be a real pain.
>Oxford magnetic tank bag. (just a small one ... 17 litres I think). Not as big as I wanted but still handy for those little things you might need on the road or that you forget to pack in the big pack. Side pockets were handy. Map window was cool but don't try to read the map while riding. Waterproof cover was easy to put on and worked really well. Keep your eftpos card away from the magnets! Oh yeah. It didn't scratch the tank.
> Sheepskin for the seat. Allowed us to stay in the saddle longer between breaks. Try to keep it dry because they take ages to dry naturally. (We threw it in the clothes dryer with no ill effects)
> Ventura pack rack. What can I say? It held the pack and didn't break even though it was probably overloaded.. Nuf said?
> R Jays Expander pack Brilliant. Reminds me of the woman who bought a handbag made from elephants foreskin. Why? Because when she rubbed it it turned into an overnight bag. Starts out at 47 litres and expands up and out to 84 litres. Pockets and things all over the place and we used the lot. Brilliant touch is the waterproof cover that lives underneath and is easy to get out and cover the bag quickly. And yes. It IS waterproof.
Personal Gear
> Fieldsheer bike jacket. Well I'd had it for 6 months and it had never really been tested in big rain. Sadly, the cuffs and pockets didn't seem to be waterproof. Apart from that, nice and comfy and certainly warm enough. (Just a shirt and t-shirt on underneath). Thankfully though when it rained I had my...
> 'Xena, Warrior Princess' PVC jacket to throw over the bike jacket. I bought this for $15 from Cash Converters last year and it is brilliant. Lightweight and absolutely waterproof. Lives under the bike seat.
> Dryrider pants ('Nordic'). Again ... absolutely waterproof. Comfortable enough depending on what you're wearing underneath and how warm it is. Most comfortable I found was just wearing my old 'long-johns' underneath although wearing jeans under the Dryriders wasn't really a problem either.
> Earplugs. For just .72 cents a pair (from a hardware shop ... not a chemist or it's about $5) these things transform a trip. I don't have a noisy exhaust but wind-noise under the helmet is an issue. Properly fitted there were times when I could hardly hear a thing. I could vaguely hear the engine and I noticed how much more I had to use the rev counter to judge what the engine was doing without having the exhaust noise as a guide. Gliding seemingly silently thought the West Coast rain forest was almost a spiritual experience. Apart form that ... there was no ringing in my ears at the end of the day which was the whole point of the plugs.
And I think that's about it.
Final point though is never to judge a bike shop by it's exterior. Mrs Oakie's (not bike) gloves split on the way over. Found out where the local bike shop was in Greymouth and headed over the next morning to see what they had in the way of gloves. Pulled up outside to see just a collection of 4 wheel bikes and dirt bikes. Went in anyway not expecting to see anything remotely 'road' and were pretty right ... except for a wee display of half a dozen road gloves tucked away in a corner. Even better, one of the pairs were women's gloves that fit her perfectly and were only $60. Much happiness.
Sorry if this is a bit long but hey ... lots to report on. Hope someone gets something out of. Now ... must go and find some photos to post.

Ok. Photo of bike loaded and ready to go, couple of scenery with road, one of the floodwaters we had to ride through on the way home and one of Mrs Oakie in a hot pool at Maruia Springs which was a hell of a good way to warm up half way through the ride home.

[paturoa]

> Fieldsheer bike jacket. Well I'd had it for 6 months and it had never really been tested in big rain. Sadly, the cuffs and pockets didn't seem to be waterproof. Apart from that, nice and comfy and certainly warm enough. (Just a shirt and t-shirt on underneath). Thankfully though when it rained I had my...

I got one about 18 mths ago and it leakes big time around the stiching on the inside of the elbows and on the shoulders.

DONT BUY ONE they are crap.

I went back to where I bought it and they said, "sure bring us the reciept..."

I pulled the house apart looking for it - nope, so did the next best thing and got an XXXL Technic 2 peice rain suit from Motomail outlet (the old one) for $45, works good.

[Highlander]

Good write up mate. Like to hear what people think of their gear once they have parted with the money then put the kit to the test.

[scumdog]

Good write-up shag, handy to know what works and what doesn't.

C.B. and I spent a night at Maruia Springs while on tour on the Sporty, did the sandflies eat ya alive there too??

[Oakie]

Good write-up shag, handy to know what works and what doesn't.

C.B. and I spent a night at Maruia Springs while on tour on the Sporty, did the sandflies eat ya alive there too??

Sandflies? Oh yeah. They breed 'em big and persistant down there. We were lying up to our necks in the lovely warm water and they kept landing on our foreheads for a suck. We both got back on the bike with lumps on our heads. Bastards!

[scumdog]

Sandflies? Oh yeah. They breed 'em big and persistant down there. We were lying up to our necks in the lovely warm water and they kept landing on our foreheads for a suck. We both got back on the bike with lumps on our heads. Bastards!

I would have thought a supply of wide-brimmed hats with hanging-down sandfly netting would be a handy thing to have for hire there.

But instead we had to get as far under the water as we could - and still breath.