Adventure Assault (wild Waikato wanderings) 30/11---2/12

**young1** · 29th November 2007, 18:45

I shouldn't be too late getting to Awakino tomorrow, I will take the bike to work and leave from there.

Safe riding everyone!!

Catch you tomorrow

Mike

**marks** · 30th November 2007, 07:35

have a good ride you turds

wish I was able to be there with you...

**young1** · 2nd December 2007, 12:48

I am home in one piece, awesome; scenery, route choice and accomodtion, thanks Brent

M

**tri boy** · 2nd December 2007, 12:56

This is just a quick pictorial update on the WWW over the last couple of days.

And since, an 8yr old could write/type a better ride report than myself, I'll let some pics do the talking.
Oh, there was something about a Triumph going "Submarine", but may memory is poor these days, so I can't confirm, nor deny that it actually happened.

Thanks to the crew for making it into a very enjoyable ride.

Pic 1 Bvaut, and Ian S enjoying a feed at "Out of the Fog" cafe in Owhango.
(highly recommend. very biker friendly)

Pic 2 Bvaut on the Opotiki Saddle Road near Tauramanui.

Pic 3 Ian S, same rd.

Pic 4 Top of Kiwi Rd. Naki.

**tri boy** · 2nd December 2007, 13:02

Sat was a busy day. So Breakfast at the Awakino helped to get us rolling then up through Kiwi Rd, over Waitanga/Ohura/Kurarau, and into Tauramanui for lunch.

Pic 1 Brekky.

Pic 2 Muster time.

Pic 3 DR on the Waitanga.

Pic 4 Ohura regroup.

**tri boy** · 2nd December 2007, 13:08

We seemed to find good cafes/food most of the time.
From Tauramanui, we headed to Pio Pio for fuel, and carried on.....

Pics 1,2,3, Dining out Adventure style.

Pic 4 Top of Waipuna Reserve.

**tri boy** · 2nd December 2007, 13:15

The afternoon saw us working, (yeah, right) through enjoyable, and some challenging roads. A fresh layering of gravel on some roads made it quite energy sapping, but the views were worth it.

Pic 1 Kawhia shining like a jewel.

Pic 2,3,4 Jamie, and Ian doing the business end at the Slip.

**tri boy** · 2nd December 2007, 13:22

Ahem,.....and then there was a certain stream crossing........

Pic 1 "Orange Roughies" thrive in fresh water.

Pic 2 DR showing how it should be done.

Pic 3 "Yeah mate, we need a marine salvage crew out the back of Bridal Veil".

Pic 4 Best way to unwind.

**tri boy** · 2nd December 2007, 13:30

Thanks to the wonderful "Kanny", we ate and drank like Kings in the setting sun over Raglan, and settled into a night of beers, and bullshit.

Pic 1 "My Willy is this long"

Pic 2 Let the bullshit begin.

Pic 3 Breakfast crew.

Pic 4 What are they doing to my Triumph.

Great to be an Adventure rider. Cheers guys. (and a special thank you to Kanny

).

**Crisis management** · 2nd December 2007, 15:30

Thanks Brent for the weekend, great company, roads & cuisine!

Seeing as he has glossed over it, I feel a fuller report is required of a certain stream crossing.....

Both Young1 and myself approached this with caution, as we were preparing to dismount and walk it, the scream of twin pipes and a defiant "Don't piss around, I'll show you how" was heard. There followed a series of wheelspinning and "Oh shit" noises and a large splash where Hinckleys pride and joy, complaining of the dusty conditions, decided to bathe instead of crossing.

Being of a helpful nature, Young1 dived for his camera while I tried not to fall off the bike laughing.

A high falsetto voice pierced the air.....something like "You bastards, this thing weights 200 kgs, come and bloody help". We looked about for the choir boy being assaulted by a fat bishop but eventually realised it was our very own exponent of british engineering making this noise.

After a moments pause to clear our eyes (tears from excessive hilarity) we "rushed" to help.

I tried to hold Tri-boy down long enough to get a photo but KTM riders are a bit slow with cameras (something about doing his hair first) and he managed to resurect the bike despite my best efforts.

I'd like to point out that those things don't push up banks very well, I almost got muddy!

Despite the best efforts of Lucas wiring the damn thing eventually started and a more cautious approach was made to the next crossing.

The Exxon Valdez was another story, and someone else can tell that.

**tri boy** · 2nd December 2007, 15:49

Now watch those bloody rims rust.

Thanks CM, without your help I would of blown a poofer valve trying to dead lift it. And the hissing and gurgling sounds would of signaled the start of a frustrating "dewatering" exercise.

Fortunately a quick sacrificial spray of CRC appeased the ghost of Lucas, "prince of darkness", and it coughed back into life.
Valuable stream crossing lesson learnt.

**Ian.S** · 2nd December 2007, 15:58

Kanny,

thank you very much for the meal you prepared and also for having the beers so nice and cold.

Very much apperciated.

Ian.S (watch this space)

**Bass** · 2nd December 2007, 16:03

Many thanks Brent, for your organisational work.
I really had a ball. Even my bike having bit of a lie down just added to flavour of the weekend.
I must have got the bug bad, because as soon as the bike had cooled down enough, it had been cleaned, the oiler was relocated, a bolt and spacer that had mysteriously disappeared from the pack rack was replaced and the rear preload was bumped up. The last one really needs specialist tools or removal of the shock. However a bit of butchery worked as well and so, I don't need sloping ground to get it to stay on the stand any more.
She's ready for the next one.

Apart from brief usage of the major roads, pretty much everywhere we went, I had never been before. That actually includes much of the run down to Awakino and some of the run home as well.

I really had no appreciation at all of how stunning that part of the country is.

Please pass on our thanks to Kanny as well, for feeding and watering us all so admirably.

**Ian.S** · 2nd December 2007, 16:05

As alluded to in the reply from CM, there was a tanker seen on the trip, due to the hilarity that the appearance of this caused there has been a name change or rather an alias, however, so that I don't get caught up in any residual and ongoing litigation in regard to the original, the new name will be xon valdez.

Luckily for a certain Orange rider he didn't require refuelling cos he would probably still be waiting.

Cheers

Ian

**Ian.S** · 2nd December 2007, 16:08

Thanks for your efforts on our behalf Brent, great road choices with lots of alternates and plently of adaptability to cope with the changes of plan.

Ian