Attention Southern KB venture riders.(and interested Northerners)

**far queue** · 31st October 2006, 20:08

Originally Posted by Ruralman

... it could also mean, perish the thought, that 1 or 2 bikes turn up on trailers ...

What

be a trailer faggot

I don't think so

Originally Posted by Ruralman

... I'm still anguishing over what next trail bike to buy ...

What about a KTM? 640? 525? Very capable off road performers, and road legal.

Originally Posted by Ruralman

... but by Feb I might have this and depending on the set up I might be happy to bring it on a trailer.

and talk to who

**Ruralman** · 31st October 2006, 20:41

If it was a KTM 525 by the time I got to Otematata my arse would be so sore I'd be bloody crippled for the weekend.
OK FarQue I take your point about the trailers - my only issue was if I have something set up with good off road and non road legal knobbies.
I suppose I could always park down the road and just ride the last bit?????
I still like the look of the TTR600 - mainly due to the excellent suspension set up on these and the really long lived motors - but also because most of you poofters won't buy something you have to kick start any more so you can get one at a pretty good price.
The big KTM's will be more than I'm prepared to spend to get a good one.
As a bit of an aside we had a big trail ride locally at the weekend - the lake to the Sea ride - 650 riders this year. Bloody good ride with lots of variety. I talked with the chief organiser at a meeting last night - he made the comment that when they did the "dead bike run" with the big tandem trailer to bring home allthe bikes that had broken down, there was a very high proportion of KTM's on the trailer - way higher than their % of bikes on the trip. Most had had a severe motor malfunction.
I thought KTM had a pretty good reputation for their engines so maybe theres a few riders that are learning the hard way about the maintenance required on a modern high performance 4 stroke??

**far queue** · 31st October 2006, 21:13

Originally Posted by Ruralman

If it was a KTM 525 by the time I got to Otematata my arse would be so sore I'd be bloody crippled for the weekend.

I’ve never sat on one, but yes, I can imagine. Why do they make dirt bike seats so bloody hard these days?

Originally Posted by Ruralman

OK FarQue I take your point about the trailers - my only issue was if I have something set up with good off road and non road legal knobbies.
I suppose I could always park down the road and just ride the last bit?????

2 points – 1. Is a cop really going to read the sidewall of your tyre to see if it’s DOT approved? 2. If that’s a concern to you, why are you wanting a road legal bike to put them on, and then not ride on the road?

Originally Posted by Ruralman

I still like the look of the TTR600 - mainly due to the excellent suspension set up on these and the really long lived motors

Do you want me to have a look see if that TTR is still at Sportzone?

Originally Posted by Ruralman

- but also because most of you poofters won't buy something you have to kick start any more so you can get one at a pretty good price.

That’s rich from a trailer faggot

Originally Posted by Ruralman

As a bit of an aside we had a big trail ride locally at the weekend ... I talked with the chief organiser at a meeting last night - he made the comment that when they did the "dead bike run" with the big tandem trailer to bring home all the bikes that had broken down, there was a very high proportion of KTM's on the trailer - way higher than their % of bikes on the trip. Most had had a severe motor malfunction.
I thought KTM had a pretty good reputation for their engines so maybe theres a few riders that are learning the hard way about the maintenance required on a modern high performance 4 stroke??

I had heard this about KTM’s, but I’ve heard more good things than bad, and as you say, possibly a maintenance issue by the owners.

**cooneyr** · 1st November 2006, 07:04

Originally Posted by far queue

I find that early planning, and planting the idea with the other half early makes life easier further down the track. The idea has therefore been presented to her indoors and passed the initial planning phase approval, on the understanding that things could/probably will change.

The seed is planted. Will see where things go from here.

R

**Ruralman** · 1st November 2006, 21:55

Originally Posted by far queue

I’ve never sat on one, but yes, I can imagine. Why do they make dirt bike seats so bloody hard these days?2 points – 1. Is a cop really going to read the sidewall of your tyre to see if it’s DOT approved?

No its more a matter that I would be putting it on for almost all off road stuff until the day I book in to do one of these multi day things that requires a road legal one - and if I ride far on a serious knobbie on seal it will stuff it pretty quick I would expect. I don't think I'd have like riding with a road legal one at the weekend - would have done a lot of pushing.

2. If that’s a concern to you, why are you wanting a road legal bike to put them on, and then not ride on the road?
Do you want me to have a look see if that TTR is still at Sportzone?
There's one in Dunedin I'll have a ride on and about 3 on Trademe that should be pretty negotiable. I think most of them are over priced in spite of having low mileage, which is why they haven't sold - probably the kick start is the big factor and a lot of fellas going for the really light machines.

That’s rich from a trailer faggot
Yeah yeah yeah - but I'm sure we'll enjoy a beer and a few yarns

I had heard this about KTM’s, but I’ve heard more good things than bad, and as you say, possibly a maintenance issue by the owners.

All I had headr about KTM before that was that they were tough engines - it actually surprised me.

**far queue** · 1st November 2006, 22:14

Originally Posted by Ruralman

Yeah yeah yeah - but I'm sure we'll enjoy a beer and a few yarns

Too right, I'm just taking the piss, I reckon it'd be bloody good to get a group us together down your way for few days exploring.

**warewolf** · 2nd November 2006, 06:31

Originally Posted by Ruralman

I suppose I could always park down the road and just ride the last bit?????

Otematata Trailer Week...excellent! Ya gonna wear chaps and have half-naked bird on the pillion, too?

Originally Posted by Ruralman

I take your point about the trailers - my only issue was if I have something set up with good off road and non road legal knobbies.

I admit I trailer the trail bike when it's in hard-core dirt mode, sans-mirrors, -indicators, -DOT tyres etc, but that's to trail rides only.

If you are that way inclined there are quite good DOT-approved serious knobbies available. Unlike NZ where motocross bikes with NHS tyres compete in enduros, rest-of-world run road-legal enduro bikes with FIM- & DOT-approved knobbies. You still have the problem of chewing them out on the tar, but I bet you'd spend less in knobbies than fuel for the car & trailer.

Originally Posted by Ruralman

there was a very high proportion of KTM's on the trailer - way higher than their % of bikes on the trip. Most had had a severe motor malfunction.
I thought KTM had a pretty good reputation for their engines so maybe theres a few riders that are learning the hard way about the maintenance required on a modern high performance 4 stroke??

Dunno what's going on there. It would be interesting to find out.

I bought my LC4 18 months ago. At the time I did a fair bit of research into them. Once I started digging, I found so many instances of inexplicably grenaded Jap and BMW singles I figured there was no point shying away from KTM on the grounds that the others were allegedly bullet-proof.

**Ruralman** · 2nd November 2006, 09:30

[QUOTE=warewolf;809376]Otematata Trailer Week...excellent! Ya gonna wear chaps and have half-naked bird on the pillion, too?

OK the chaps are definitely bloody out - but as for the other now let me think..................

As for these tyres, if I get one of these bikes then it looks like I should go and have a look through a few catalogues and see what is available in road legal knobbies that would handle our trail riding conditions. I never have to push my KDX and I wouldn't be keen to start on something that will probably weigh another 30-40kgs.

**oldrider** · 2nd November 2006, 15:47

Gone are the days of (half ?) naked girls on the back of my bike, these days I would have to wear my wet weather gear!

so

or

**Ruralman** · 2nd November 2006, 19:10

Originally Posted by oldrider

Gone are the days of (half ?) naked girls on the back of my bike, these days I would have to wear my wet weather gear!

so

or

Are you talking about the gear thats like taking a shower with a raincoat on?????????????????

**oldrider** · 2nd November 2006, 20:37

Originally Posted by Ruralman

Are you talking about the gear thats like taking a shower with a raincoat on?????????????????

It's not funny if you have to explain!
Us oldies jokes are even out of date now, you youngsters have moved on and we are too slow to keep up.
Thats why we end up laughing at our own jokes, talking to ourselves and then they lock us up to keep their women, cats and dogs safe.

**Ruralman** · 5th November 2006, 16:06

Originally Posted by oldrider

It's not funny if you have to explain!
Us oldies jokes are even out of date now, you youngsters have moved on and we are too slow to keep up.
Thats why we end up laughing at our own jokes, talking to ourselves and then they lock us up to keep their women, cats and dogs safe.

John one of our cats hasn't been around since your visit, any idea...........???

**oldrider** · 5th November 2006, 20:56

We have been for a ride over some of the route that I had suggested on this thread just to check and see whether or not I was talking through a hole in my hat or that this would be the sort of venture ride that I had envisaged.

Well there is some good news and some bad news depending upon your point of view and just what a "venture bike ride" means to you!

I have taken some pictures but just enough to let you see what it is like and maybe see enough to tell if you would be interested in going on such a ride sometime in the future.

First, we did not complete the ride, the snow storm last Sunday made it a little too wet (for my tyres) under foot and brought the creeks up to the "only if you have too" crossing level for us, so we got to the last big ford and turned around and came home. (and it's going to snow again)

The 4x4 clubs that came through on the Saturday had quite a lot of difficulty, got stuck in the snow, got lost and had to be rescued and redirected by a local cocky in his helicopter, then guided out by the farmers wife late last night.

One vehicle is still out there because it got two flat tyres and they only had one spare!

Bit of a circus really but "we" got home OK! (Blows gently on his nails!)

Question? Would you like me to post a ride report and some of the pics?

I don't want to force my posts onto the forum unless people are interested, there was not a lot of interest for the ride I offered but I think that may have been just due to KiwiBiker's prior commitments and bad timing on my part.

Meanwhile I will post a couple of pics here to give you a taste. Cheers John.

1) Heading for the far horizon.
2) As far as my tyres E08 would safely take me.(Don't be deceived that shit is "soft" and it's quite steep.)
3) Looking ahead.
4) The last big (Deep) ford.
5) Some rugged rocks. (They go on and on)
6) Coming down off the tops. ( lookat the zig zag and the road below)

**PLUG** · 5th November 2006, 21:07

... you're just teasing us OR ...

, i for one would

to hear more of your ventures ...

**oldrider** · 5th November 2006, 21:09

1) A small ford.
2) The last small ford on the way home.
3) A little moon man I found out there. (He rode his wee bike all the way out, he has just turned nine.) But not wearing that suit. He canned off a few times, got soaking wet and had to be dragged off his bike because he was freezing cold. I am very proud of him. He insisted on riding home on the back of granddad's bike, rather than ride in the truck..
4) The quiet road home.