No balls on this monkey

**SDU** · 3rd June 2008, 13:21

Awesome pics & write up.

Shame you couldn't continue further sth but ya gotta listen to ya body & have something left to make it home & still have fun. Next time

Or come down for a summer rally

**marks** · 3rd June 2008, 13:33

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

For great photos on what I might have seen if I'd gone all the way have a look at Ryans report here

**helenoftroy** · 3rd June 2008, 17:21

Absolutely stunning photos marks

Some of those roads/tracks look like so much fun...

I had planned to join XF650,timg etc too.
Not so much the actual rally but just the irresistable temptation of the overland dirty bit to get there.....

one day I might grow up

Daughter leaving on the big OE so could'nt go
Next year the" more mature mum" might make it tho

Pleased you guys all had a great few days riding

**timg** · 3rd June 2008, 21:57

Originally Posted by XF650

so hope timg's got some.

Just one or two...

XF650 & Rogson on the Blackforest pylon track &
XF650 adjustments. Buy a Honda!

**timg** · 3rd June 2008, 22:09

& a couple more

The gravel express wasn't this clean at the end tho!
Soup & toast time at Kurow.
Intrepid travelers

**nigelp** · 3rd June 2008, 22:27

Looks like an awesome trip you guys had there! Very jealous!

**karla** · 3rd June 2008, 22:32

That was an amazing pictorial journey - glad I stopped in to look at it. Fantastic photos! What kind of camera did you get (new camera!)? Don't we just live in an awesome country. You've just captured the beach trees, gravel roads and icy grass with perfection. Kudos ~ makes me want to consider trail bike riding

**timg** · 3rd June 2008, 22:54

Originally Posted by karla

~ makes me want to consider trail bike riding

Come on over to the dark side.

You know you'll enjoy getting down & dirty!

**CRM** · 4th June 2008, 11:19

Hey Marks - why did you use the DT230 not the WR450? I thought the WR would have been ideal for the trip.

**marks** · 4th June 2008, 13:08

Originally Posted by CRM

Hey Marks - why did you use the DT230 not the WR450? I thought the WR would have been ideal for the trip.

I brought the WR to do trail and adventure riding - and as such it has been a failure. Its not happy at a constant speed, its noisy and harsh and has a seat like a 4x2. Luckily I do much more trail riding than adventure riding because its all I could want as a trail only bike (although - if I was choosing again I would look at a 200 2T for trail only use)

The DT on the other hand offers the following:
fat seat to suit fat arse
low seat height for paddling through nasty bits while overloaded.
strong rear sub frame for carrying way too much stuff
better security - lockable steering and an ignition key that would take more than 10 seconds to defeat
runs longer than 10 hours before oil/filter changes

cheers

Mark

**mbazza** · 8th June 2008, 19:33

Great write up and photos, check out what we did at the BM here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/munro.barry

Cheers.

(Actually it was cool & wet.) My tent leaked too, damn TM!

**young1** · 8th June 2008, 20:58

Originally Posted by mbazza

Great write up and photos, check out what we did at the BM here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/munro.barry

Cheers.

(Actually it was cool & wet.) My tent leaked too, damn TM!

Even more great pics, thank you!

**Ruralman** · 10th June 2008, 20:52

Great pics Marks - did you ever get sick of stopping to take them though?? I remember taking heaps of photos when I did my first real big adventure ride (The first Passes ride) but I don't seem to haul the camera out as often now. I still pause to admire the views in this fabulous country of ours though.
Those tracks around Nelson (esp the Porika) look like a really nice ride and the track surface is a lot better than I imagined it would be - though I'm sure the ice made it tricky. Should be quite rideable on the Tiger?

I didn't make it to the Brass either - but then I wasn't planning on getting there!! Sounds like it was really wet there

Sounds like you could do with hot grips ??

I found on a recent ride ,where I put my rainsuit on over the top of my DRirider stuff because it was raining at the time I left and I didn't want to have to dry my gear out at the other end, that the rainsuit makes a huge difference when it gets really cold. The rain stopped soon after I left and then it got really cold. The only bit of me that was cold was my toes. The suit just eliminates the wind getting in

If you do get hotgrips I wouldn't recommend the Oxford ones - I;ve got them on the Tiger - the more basic ones (trying to remember the name - Daytona?) that only have heat, on and off positions and I had on the Transalp and also my ATV are much better when it gets really cold. The Oxford ones simply don't have a hot output high enough to give your hands a real boost when you need it

**marks** · 11th June 2008, 08:42

Originally Posted by Ruralman

Great pics Marks - did you ever get sick of stopping to take them though?? I remember taking heaps of photos when I did my first real big adventure ride (The first Passes ride) but I don't seem to haul the camera out as often now. I still pause to admire the views in this fabulous country of ours though.

I think if I had been riding with anyone else they would have mutinied over the number of photo stops - it was often a case of: "That is sooo beautiful - I have to take a photo" - almost like it would be the wrong thing to do not to stop.

Originally Posted by Ruralman

Those tracks around Nelson (esp the Porika) look like a really nice ride and the track surface is a lot better than I imagined it would be - though I'm sure the ice made it tricky. Should be quite rideable on the Tiger?

All the tracks are easily ridable by any bike with two possible exceptions:
The Nelson side of the Maungatapu is steep and a bit slippery when muddy and the south end of the Porika also has a steep bit that would be nasty when wet. I (a timid rider) wouldn't take a big bike through either if it was wet/muddy etc.

Originally Posted by Ruralman

Sounds like you could do with hot grips ??

I've just brought some icebreaker thermal glove liners - be interested to see if they help much.

Originally Posted by Ruralman

I found on a recent ride ,where I put my rainsuit on over the top of my DRirider stuff because it was raining at the time I left and I didn't want to have to dry my gear out at the other end, that the rainsuit makes a huge difference when it gets really cold. The rain stopped soon after I left and then it got really cold. The only bit of me that was cold was my toes. The suit just eliminates the wind getting in.

What sort of rainsuit do you have?

cheers

Mark

**NordieBoy** · 11th June 2008, 09:21

Originally Posted by marks

I think if I had been riding with anyone else they would have mutinied over the number of photo stops - it was often a case of: "That is sooo beautiful - I have to take a photo" - almost like it would be the wrong thing to do not to stop.

So you don't stop.
Although the camera lasts longer if it's kept in a pocket and not hanging aroung your neck out in the dust

I kept about 76 photos from the first Dusty Butt and 272 from the 2nd one.