DB1k 08 - aka Dusty Butt 08

[Transalper]

....Congrats. 1 dayers, you guys gotta be slightly mad to do that in 1 day....

it still hurts in places, and i got stairs to climb to get in to my place

[Zukin]

Just a quick note to say I made it back to Hawkes Bay tonight, rolled in at about 8.30pm after a wet and windy ride back in the North Island
At least my bike doesn't need a wash now

What a ride

I will post a report when I recovered and add a few photos that I did manage to take on the way

But I just wanted to say a huge thanks to all those people that help set this up, and I was glad to be a part of it that successfully knocked it off.

To Cooneyr, Warewolf, TA, MattsDakar and Ian, thanks for everything and to my riding buddies for the day (and the night) BusaJim & zeRax, we actually managed to have a lot of fun during the day.

Cheers Scott

[clint640]

Good effort you lot! Looking forward to more stories & pics.

It looks like I'm going to be en-route to Sweden during this years Grand Challenge, So I reckon I'll be a starter for the next Dusty Butt fer sure.

Cheers
Clint

[Skinny_Birdman]

Back to work where the internet is...
Awesome ride, though I can still feel it in my neck and arse. Brilliant roads, I was pretty nervous about taking the Tranny up the Porika, after nearly binning it on the way down (oh, so that's why Transalper had two extra teeth on the rear sprocket). When I checked my cellphone found that TA had advised the Tranny and the mighty KLR not to try going up it... I guess that'll be the last time I say to anyone "Yeah TA took the Transalp heaps of places I wouldn't go on it."
As eveyone says, big thanks to Ryan for organising the ride, TA for selling me a kick ass adventure bike to do it on, Fran for jacking up the two dayer, Colin for the barby, Fran's bro's for the sweep vehicle, Mrs JATZ for carting my gear around, and the rest of you for helping to make it so much fun. Can't wait for the photos.

Cheers
A

[mattsdakar]

Ooooooh my aching butt!!
I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling this way considering my Dakar seat (sheepskin equiped) is considerably more comfortable than others especially my riding partner on a XR650

The Dusty Butt could also be named the longest day, 17.5 hours from go to wooh!!!
Loved every minute of it thou and so pleased that no one experienced any offs considering the average speeds maintained.
Well done to everyone, and a big thanks to Ryan for his organising and to Warewolf for the BBQ and providing a bed for a few of us.
Looking forward to next year!!

[Balrog]

Hey All

Great ride, had heaps of fun.
I have a few photos, but won't be able to post them until we get back to
Wellington on Friday.
Bit dissapointed that we didn't make it back up the Porika.
We stopped at the start of the track, but it was pitch black and I really didn't
think I would be able to get enough traction to get the GS to the top.
( daylight I'd have given it a go ). I just had visions of holding everyone up while we tried to pick the big beasty up.

Zukin, Zerax - great riding with you guys. You both have a great sense of humour and made the ride all the more fun.
Thanks Ryan and co for all your hard work in organising the ride. It was fantastic and a great adventure.

Congrats to everyone for having a go

We came back down thru Rainbow yesterday, rained the whole way.
GS has a blow fork seal, happened on the way down ( flesh wound, won't slow us down )

Jim

[Transalper]

....I was pretty nervous about taking the Tranny up the Porika, after nearly binning it on the way down.....When I checked my cellphone found that TA had advised the Tranny and the mighty KLR not to try going up it... I guess that'll be the last time I say to anyone "Yeah TA took the Transalp heaps of places I wouldn't go on it."....

yeah, it was just the way some of you heavier bike riders were talking about the Mangatapu and Porika in the lead up to the trip I thought you were trying to minimise the big risks so thought you'd go around the Porikas return run for sure. I'm in no hurry to go that direction over it again, it's far from impossible but does in my opinion offer a huge chance of damaging yourself or your bike.
I had no doubt the Transalp and KLR could get over as I've seen the 1150GS do it but the question was will it take more than one go and involve scratches and bruises which like i said I thought you guys were trying to minimise the risk of.

Respect to everyone who went over it and equal respect to busajim for his risk management choice on the biggest bike in order to complete the trip.

[Zukin]

Dusty Butt 2008



So here I was on the eve of the Dusty butt, with good intentions to get to bed early and to get a good nights sleep, so I had plenty of energy in the tank to tackle what could be up to 24 hours in the saddle of the trusty GS.
So we packed the bikes and double and triple checked everything, so they were ready to go in the morning.

Then we proceeded to the Dusty Butt BBQ (thanks Warewolf), where I met for the first time many of the South Island KB’ers that I had talked to numerous times, but had never actually met.
It was a good social evening, with adventure bikes scattered in Warewolfs driveway and spilling onto the road, the talk of course evolved around Bikes and adventures and the Dusty Butt!

We left there and headed home for a bit of R&R, as the start time was 5.30am!
So I had swallowed a cold ale, and then went to bed, but do you think I could sleep!
The nerves were outta control, have I got everything? Will I get up Maungatapu ok? Etc my mind was doing 100 miles an hour!!

I managed to get a few hours sleep, before my alarm was blaring in my ear at 4.30am
It was time for Dusty Butt, something I had spent so much time preparing for, it had consumed me for the last few months, but as I would discover later in the day, it was time and preparation well spent!
Breakfast, toilet, smoke and we were off into the darkness

We met at the I site carpark and were the first to arrive.
Our riding team for the day was the first to arrive, followed closely by Cooneyr.
We decided to head off into the dark for Maungatapu ahead of the faster riders as we didn’t want to hold them up if we fell over, so we got a 15 minute head start.

We entered the track in the dark and proceeded up the Maungatapu track (which is in good condition), with lights blazing and the 3 riders of Jim, Kyle and I riding in formation.
We didn’t have any trouble and made good progress up the track and down the other side.
As we headed down it was remarkably light, and we had good views towards the Marlborough Sounds.



There was a little mist in the air, which kept us cool, but acted as a magnet for the dust as I was at the back, so by the time I had arrived at Pelorus, I was already covered in dust!!
We were at the Pelorus bridge when we could hear this big thumper howling down the road, sure enough it was Ian on his fire breathing monster, he can sure ride well, he would of left 15- 20 minutes after us and arrived soon after we did.
Then it was a quick tarseal ride through Havelock and onto Onamalutu, and a great gravel road/track through the forest.
It was here that we wondered if the rabbits and hares had somehow been mating with sheep, because they were suicidal! As soon as you got close to them they would run towards your front wheels.

We made good time through here and then back across the road to follow the Wairau river to Tuamarina and then back to Blenheim for our first stop for fuel and liquids, it was already hot and we knew Molesworth was going to be hot and dusty.
While we were stopped in Blenheim this is where we saw the other riders for the first time.

We were off again this time for Taylor’s pass and onto the Awatere Valley, where our next part of the ride would take us to the top of Mt Altimarloch, riding to a height of 1696m!
It was a good ride up, but in the back of my mind I was thinking about the problems they had last year with punctures on this track, so I was cautious, scanning for sharp rocks that were laying, waiting for their chance to inflict serious damage to my tyres.

As we neared the top, we passed MattsDakar and Ian coming down, these guys were on a mission, and were obviously way superior riders compared to me.
We made the top and stopped for a 5 minute breather, when the 3 riders of Warewolf, Transalper and Cooneyr arrived shortly afterwards. We took the obligatory photos and then it was time to head back down the mountain and onto Molesworth.



The road into Molesworth was like a super highway, with 4wds every few hundred meters apart, which created quite the dust storm.
Most of them were courteous and would pull over as we approached them.
By the time we reached the Rangers Cabin at Molesworth we were well and truly Dusty.
A quick stop here for the 6 riders that managed to stay within view of one another, it was here that we decided to ride together to open the many gates on route to Hanmer Springs.
The dust in here was something else, the grader has recently been in there and had pushed the edge of the road into the middle, and all that was left was a very fine powder on the side of the road, right where we were riding. It was unbelievable; you honestly couldn’t see anything else! So we spread out here for a while.

It was then over Jollies Pass to Hanmer, where the temperature had soared to over 32 degrees, it was 12.30pm when we arrived at the fuel stop to fill up both the bikes and ourselves, before heading through Rainbow and Porika.
We said farewell to the 3 faster riders, and headed off from Hanmer not long after.

The road into Rainbow was in the best condition I have ever seen it in, we didn’t have to dodge the thousands of potholes that are often scattered across the road, and this made up some time.
It was still hot but not as hot as Molesworth.
Following the river meant we also managed to have a cool breeze which certainly helped.






As we got closer to Rainbow station the more bees and wasps appeared, so it meant riding with the visors down, which I didn’t really like too much.
But it was either a nice cool breeze on the face or a sting and a swollen face.
It was at the Northern end that I noticed we had been riding for 10 hours and had covered 500km, so that was about ½ way.
But the second half to me didn’t seem as long?

[Zukin]

We rode through St Arnaud and onto Porika, which was a good little track that I normally enjoyed, but boy was I in for a shock!
The first section was great, normal, but when we started the descent into Rotoroa things changed quickly to a very rough and loose descent. I was completely locked up and even the blips on the throttle to get the back wheel back didn’t seem to help, so I resorted to just letting the bike go and riding it out. I stalled it twice but without incident, and I was sure glad to see those hairpin corners as I knew these were easy.
We had all stopped at the bottom to take on a drink as I was sweating coming down there!

Then it was off to Murchison via the Braeburn which was in good condition, I was actually starting to enjoy the ride now, except that my gloves were biting into my hands and creating a blister which was starting to get uncomfortable.
We arrived in Murchison at approx 6.30pm and took on some food and liquid and refuelled the bikes.
Our team had out very own support rider (MagicFairy) who was there to meet us as we rolled in.
She gave me some plaster to put on my hand and I used some duct tape to give it some comfort, it worked it didn’t give me any further grief.

Then it was farewell to MagicFairy and we would not see her until the wee hours of the morning, then onto Maruia Saddle, which was in great condition, I really enjoyed the next few hours of riding.
We were in the saddle when we passed Ian and MattsDakar, I gave them a big thumbs up and I received the same back, these guys were on a mission, they were about 2 hours ahead of us at that point!
Then it was South to Palmers road and a very dusty Blackadder Road!!
We made Springs Junction and proceeded to Palmers Road, another road I have never been down, this is where we saw the 3 riders of Warewolf, Transalper and Cooneyr heading back.
Palmers road was…..WOW
Fast, fun and with the odd ford that would just appear from nowhere to keep the concentration levels up.

We made it to the end and then turned around and headed back, I must say the trip back was faster than it was on the way down, we arrived back at Murchison at 9.30pm and light was fading very fast!!

The last fuel for the trip and the last food and we were off on the last section.
By the time we arrived in Braeburn, it was black!! Lights a blaze and the speed reduced somewhat.
Somehow I ended up on Navigation duties, which was good that I didn’t have to follow the dust at night.
When we reached the bottom of Porika it was late and we decided as a team not to attempt Porika at 11.00pm in the dark, we knew we would have trouble with traction on the way up, so the only way would be too physically man handle the bikes up, but time would then probably be against us.
So we ended up riding out the road.

From here the roads were all new to me, and I had no idea where we going or where we where.
This was real adventure stuff
Pitch Black, no idea where we were, totally reliant on our navigational experience.
It worked!! We didn’t get lost, no wrong turns where we had to back track, it was great.
The best part was the time seemed to fly past!

The ride up Mt Arthur was steep, but in the dark I don’t think I realised just how steep it got, but when we reached the top the view of the night sky was incredible, a fitting tribute to the ride, there were many stars ahead of us, and then here we were also managing to stay with reach of the other stars.





It was onto the last section, it was foggy in places and made riding that little bit harder, but we weren’t in a race, all we had to do was finish!

It was 2.30am when we rolled into Nelson, tired, exhausted, and sore and with very Dusty Butts.





It was an experience I will not forget in a hurry, and although almost 22 hours in the saddle is a very long time, I don’t regret it, and am looking forward to the next chapter!

I commend the other riders, I am no where near the same league as them, I am not physically fit like them, but mentally I was prepared and that is what got me through.
zeRax, what a machine, he completed the Dusty Butt on an XR250, not built for comfort or speed, he did incredibly well, and I think his decision to ride with us was a good one as we could keep and eye on him and likewise he could keep an eye on us.

After it was all finished, I realised just how big this accomplishment was!
It is a story that we can tell our grandchildren one day





To all the 2 day riders, your ride was a HUGE accomplishment too, many riders I know would not attempt that ride in 2 days, congrats on finishing and to Nordie for keeping them all in check!
As a One day rider, the only difference between between us and you is the fact that we were a little more insane (or stupid)

Some useless info

We took 21 ½ hours
Our actual riding time was 16.50 hours
Our moving average speed was 58.2kmh
There were 8 bikes on the Dusty Butt 1000k ride that did it in One day
They all finished
There was
3 & a ¼ BMW’s (Ian’s Honda had a BMW headlight)
2 Honda’s
2 Suzuki’s
1 KTM

Cheers Scott

[cooneyr]

Well written Zukin. It is indeed an achievement and experience to be proud of.

What I am most pleased about is that you managed to navigate unknown roads in the dark and didn't get lost!

Cheers R

[Zukin]

Was I the only one who didn't get much sleep the night before?

I was nervous as hell and don't mind admitting it

[Zukin]

Oh and by the way the GPS really helps!!

I wish I sold them and got commission for each one I sold

I will continue to work on a North Island version, but with a few differences

[cooneyr]

Was I the only one who didn't get much sleep the night before?

I was nervous as hell and don't mind admitting it

took me a while to get to sleep

Cheers R

[tri boy]

A great effort by all.

[Zukin]

Oh yeah

While I was on the ferry on the way home I put this together

The Dusty Butt – in less than 350 words

We’re back at home now where all is serene
The skies are clear and blue and the hills are shiny green

Is it really true, did it happen last week
Did we join that group of insane riders and an adventure with them seek

It’s a memory now and a good one at that
Minds full of laughter, scenery and so much chat

A 1000km adventure ride is a must for you to do
As long as a Jim, Kyle and Scott are part of the crew

Those rough tracks of Ryans another like it, I never want to see
For it was at that point, that the reason for power became clear to me

Without an agenda, and places to visit
I rode over gravel and rocks and hoped not to ditch it

I watched and I waited to lose my way
Among the stones and grit, and the layers of clay

No matter what it was, I tried to ride the GS in an expert way
And away I went again to enjoy the rest of the day

But clever was I for I watched where I went
And not once did I stray where danger was hell bent

We loved the hills, the trees and those rivers too
We loved the way every corner seemed to hold a brand new view

The planning was careful, quite cunning and so clever
For the way we blended with others will stay with us forever

We had such a great experience, and shared a joke or two
There was even laughter from each member of the crew

And how we laughed when we had finished at quite a late hour
And the Bacon and Eggs that we did devour

Yes we’re home again now and loving that as well
So all that remains are some extra lines to tell

Ryan you’re a master at the things that you do
So remember to include me in any trips that are new