CC Challenge

[EJK]

.......
I cannot describe the sense of achievement when we finally rolled in to the Cape Reinga car park.

There was of course much patting each other on the back and general frivolity as we ruined our average speed for the day by walking down to the lighthouse.

We had done it. We made the cape. We still had to make it home but most of us felt that this was already mission accomplished and the rest was just gravy........

Exactly! Thats how I felt too! Well done!

Btw, you should seriously have the last photo as your avatar. Or atleast as your profile pic.

More from day 2.

Ahahahaha! How fukn ironic!!!
Btw is that a copy of Swoop's 5 Knee Downs?

[fireball]

i have yet to clean all that mud of rawberry from the "opps im stuck" moment

keep the pictures coming twas a fun time indeed

[klingon]

Btw is that a copy of Swoop's 5 Knee Downs?

Look at the other photo - I make that 8 knees down including Pikachu!

I like the 'Heavy Machinery' one best. I bet Gordon weighs even less than fireball!

I also like Fireball saying NO DOGS! and Big Dog saying NO FIRES!

[Disco Dan]

Look at the other photo - I make that 8 knees down including Pikachu!

I like the 'Heavy Machinery' one best. I bet Gordon weighs even less than fireball!

I also like Fireball saying NO DOGS! and Big Dog saying NO FIRES!

ahh so you are the hot girly in the picture....

[fireball]

I like the 'Heavy Machinery' one best. I bet Gordon weighs even less than fireball!

you will find gordon weighs more than me...... a good 20 kilos more

[T.I.E]

good to see yall riding through kaiwaka, standing there with Al (lava) saying my last goodbyes, but a nice little reminder to take with me back to the states. ill be showing all the americans the little vid, ya nutters, i hope its a yearly thing, i hope 1 year i will get to join you all. too much fun was had by the looks of it.
well done and congrats crew.

so do you get a badge for it?

the nutty challenge?

[Big Dog]

CC Challenge day three.

Having been queried as to what time I was getting up the night before I had advised that I wanted to aim for a 07:00 - 07:30 departure and I would be up when breakfast was served. I have to say I was a little disappointed when I got up for breakfast call to find the eggs were not yet cooked.

After a long hot shower they were so the world as we know it was put to rights. There was not rip in the space time continuum after all.

Given that I was so insistent that we depart as close to 07:00 as could be managed it is no surprise that I was the last one ready and it was past 08:00. I'm good like that.

So it was that we set off out of the rising sun, huge smiles (including GIJoe1313 to give him full credit) firmly, in place most cases with fresh Cat Crap on their visors courtesy of the Badger.

20 kms into the journey something was not right. Gordon was down on power and losing speed. A long fast sweeper provided the why.
Gordon was losing air out of the back tyre. Fast.

Ironically I had held a puncture repair kit in my hand on Thursday and thought, nah I don't need the extra weight. Lucky we were travelling as a team, Laava was not quite so optimistic and had his puncture repair kit with him. The next problem? Laava did not know how to use it. GIJoe1313 to the rescue. So it was that we had a roadside lesson in how to use these.

This was starting to sound like an adult Dr. Seuss story The Big Dog in the big helmet with the Cat Crap on the visor from the Badger now has Dog Crap on the tyre courtesy of Laava as installed by GIJoe1313. Yes that is what the plug is referred to by the manufacturers.

Update from the GPS at this time shows a record moving average of 65kms, this is soon ruined by a 11 km ride back to the gas station, with a max speed of 30kmph, for air as the co2 only provided 11psi. But wait its not ruined? The batteries have gone flat, we have lost some data, no idea how much but up to 11kms. For those of you keeping score that's up to 15 kms lost data.

Back on the road with fresh batteries in the GPS and at what may have been the same corner that familiar I have no air in my rear tyre is back. this time it is not running almost on the rim but it has definitely lost pressure.

Cue plug the leak take 2.

Bearing in mind that we only have one more plug and only one more can of air on board I make the decision to press on to Awanui. If the plug fails before we have another spare tyre mend solution my challenge is over. If I can make Awanui I can put another 9 pounds in, less than recommended but less stress on the patch and hopefully pick up a can of Tyre Weld. My plan being to press on as far as we can putting a few more psi in at each refuelling until I reach recommended pressure or it fails. hopefully not suddenly.

The team put me in the lead so I could maintain as even a speed as possible without having to brake for anyone and we set off.

With the loss of pressure in the rear Gordon now has a top speed of 62.4 kmph.

The good news? The exhaust leak is getting worse. Gordon now sounds like a diesel. Gordon obviously thinks she is a Harley at this point.

We made Awanui, splashed up and had a coffee break, it has taken 2:30 to travel 64 kms.

Even with the increased tyre pressure Gordon's top speed is only 64.2. This is going to be a long one but the team are committed to making it to Tane Mahuta by now.

There is more than a small amount of excitement among some of the riders circling the snack foods when they discover that the secret Laava and Klingon have been keeping from us is that there is a ferry crossing involved.

About 3/4 or the way to the Ferry our ride was briefly disturbed by a tiny puppy wandering loose.

No one was hurt nor even had an accident but we were unable to leave the hapless chap in the middle of the road.

This brief interlude over we took off at full steam hoping to make the next crossing.

At this point I have to ask, what is it about Gordon that makes it so that when we pass slower vehicles the driver gets a look of grit and determination in their eyes right at the moment they see her? How is it she is so intimidating?

I tell you it got real exciting real fast when I committed to passing this farm truck with 1/2 doz dogs in the back on an uphill right hander. I gathered as much speed as Gordon could muster, changed lanes and started to pass the truck. Not a problem, the truck was travelling at half the speed we were. Then the driver spots the scooter, panics, mashes down two gears and rings the poor engines neck before dropping the clutch and lurching forward, now at the same speed as me.

This is where it gets interesting. Given the exhaust leak I am probably pushing Gordon up the remainder of a very steep section of road that I have no idea how long if I give way. So I leaned right down over the bars, thought small thoughts and muttered encouragement to Gordon.

Gordon the little scooter that could found the extra 5-10 kms necessary to complete the manoeuvre.

On the way in to the terminal I saw a sign saying hot coffee. Would have bought instant at that point but for $4 they had Cuban coffee. Pretty good once I added the sugar that the lady forgot to put in even though she asked twice.

I had a haggle with the boat master trying to get us a discount on the group.

He would not have a bar unless we had 10 bikes... Then he saw and asked about the scooter. On hearing the epic journey we were taking her on he insisted that the scooter was free, joking that there was no class on the schedule of prices for a scooter.

It was easy to tell who the real JAFAS were on the ferry.

How did I spot the JAFAS? They were the four people who proceeded to ask me where I got the coffee even though I told them where I was going when I got it. They must have been looking for a Starbucks... Suffice it to say that the tide went out rather quickly on that coffee every time I put it down.

Some would argue I was one for finding a Latté in Hokianga. I say that just makes me resourceful.

The ferry took another bite out of our cruising average with a top speed of 14.2 kmph but at least GIJoe1313 got to ride Pippi under motion again.

Before the Ferry had even docked we were all saddled up and rearing to go. The boat master held up the other vehicles to let us off first. I'm sure it was just so he could have another laugh at Gordon.

In an attempt to make up time we immediately pressed on for Omapere.

On what turned out to be the last hill before Omapere the little scooter that could started stuttering. Then stuttering and missing. Still had gas in the tank but not enough for a hill this steep.

In retrospect I should have gassed up waiting for the ferry.

Oh well part of the journey. 10 kms further on we stopped for gas in Omapere. Musicman found a lot of entertainment in the local pie delicacy but that is his story to tell...

Another 5psi saw Gordon only down 5 and able to manage 75 kmph.

After a refuel of riders and rides we pressed on to Tane Mahuta. We made our visit as short and sweet as we could and left Badger guarding the bikes.

By this time we were really pressed for time and it was apparent we were going to need to really push to make it to Wellsford before dark. Under this intense pressure the Sweep truck made a dash for it with Klingons' keys and helmet still aboard.

This was quickly remedied.

We pressed on through the Waipua forest. This was scarier than the gravel of the far north. At least that was predictably unpredictable. The slimy moss, moist corners, damp pine needles and random gravel meant at least one end let go on most corners. Sometimes both.

The bigger bikes with their fancy "tyres at proper air pressure" did not seem to have as much of an issue.

We arrived at Dargaville with Gordon stuttering and thirsty again.

Quick refuel 5 psi and change to clear visor and were are on the road. Laava, GIJoe1313 and the support truck left to go meet the person coming to collect Pippi in Whangarei (the end of the challenge for Laava).

Hang on a minute I just added 5 psi and I am still short 5 psi.

Heres' hoping the gauge at Omapere is out!

We raced, down the Dargaville straights as fast as Gordon could manage determined to make Wellsford on one stop. I am told that on the Dargaville straights the Vehicle pulling the Coleman Suzuki trailer had a go at mowing down the remaining Suzuki's and a PGO.

We succeeded but it was still dark when we got to Wellsford. Gordon had been stuttering on hills for some time by now. in fact there was no liquid in the tank when we pulled in to the Caltex there. Where fuel is now 16cpl more expensive than on the way up!

We decided there was as good as anywhere for a debrief and promptly had dinner.

A final 5psi was added at Wellsford. Gordon's top speed is now 87kmph. Situation almost normal. before the exhaust leak she could manage 90-95.

Aside from a homicidal maniac in a 4wd the rest of the ride was uneventful.

[Big Dog]

Conclusions:
Would I do it again? Yes.
Am I mad? Yes and so am I.
Would you do it again next weekend? No, Gordon needs a service (is booked for Saturday) and it would rob the event of some of its special factor if I did it every weekend.
Would you do something similar to Bluff? Assuming that I did not have an exhaust leak and I had such a great crew coming along, Hell Yeah! (err I might want something with gears going that far though...)

The Myths :
You can't take a Scooter on the open road. - Busted.
You can't have fun on a Scooter. - Busted
It would be easier to do it on a larger cc bike - Busted, my Hayabusa would not have made Westgate as it turns out.
Real bikers ride large cc's. - Busted. How many bikers did we pass on our intrepid journey, and how many of those got as much saddle time or had as much fun as us?

In closing I would like to paraphrase a famous New Zealand born adventurer: We Knocked the bugger off!



Special thanks to :
* MY fuel sponsors Dharmesh Bhana, Aaron Bublitz and the Evans family.
* Mommajo our Support / Sweep Driver.
* Laava for the puncture repair kit.
* GIJoe1313 for knowing how to use it.
* Fireball for organising the event and carrying my Tyre Weld that I had no space for.
* Klingon for organising such great accommodation.
* The whole team for putting up with my pace and making a good weekend into a great one.
* All the other people who made this madness a reality including those who said this was not possible (motivating me further).

The Carnage on day two :

Tickets: 0

Breakdowns: 2 flat tyres, same tyre.

Injuries: 0

Sore cheeks from ridiculously large smiles: 7

Sore cheeks from spending 8:06:04 in the saddle: 12

Km's cut from the route over three days to accommodate lost time to breakdowns: approx 200

Pause here and read the GPS Data.doc sheet.

Other interesting data.
Ferry Max Speed 14.4kms
Distance to the lighthouse 1.1kms
Distance as the crow flies from Auckland to the accommodation 279.9kms

[CookMySock]

You guys are legends. A great story!

DB

[twotyred]

awesome tale! loving the attitude of the crew

makes me want to dust off the H100 and make an epic journey from Welli for the next one! Tui!

[EJK]

Legends!

Oh well part of the journey. 10 kms further on we stopped for gas in Omapere. Musicman found a lot of entertainment in the local pie delicacy but that is his story to tell...

So? What was it?

[klingon]

So? What was it?

Roadkill...

[Laava]

Went for a ride on the DL tonight with MamaJo and man did the bike feel like a bus after the GN! Took me a while to readjust! I nearly went right over the car in front at the lights as I took off. Too used to giving the GN a big handful over the weekend! Ha ha!

[Badger8]

Went for a ride on the DL tonight with MamaJo and man did the bike feel like a bus after the GN! Took me a while to readjust! I nearly went right over the car in front at the lights as I took off. Too used to giving the GN a big handful over the weekend! Ha ha!

Haahaha, i know the feeling. it's not so much a throttle as an on-off switch eh?
I will have to re-adjust m'self tomorrow. Just time for one last polish in the morning, and Gina goes back to the shop from whence she came... To be replaced with "White Lightning"

One hell of a last ride for her tho, with one hell of a good crew. Thanks to all those who came, all those who organised, and all those who made it happen in any way shape or form (be it via sponsorship or nay-saying)

I will definitely be keen for the next one!

(Still to download photo's, just drove 4.5h home after a 12h day... maybe tmrw? )

[Luckylegs]

F'in Brilliant ! Well done guys.... What a great time, I guess ive got 350 something days to get sorted for the next one then.....