THE corner in the Rainbow

[Crisis management]

I need a later bedtime so I don't miss the fun...I'll talk to my mum tonight!

Ryan, you're doing the right thing and thank you for it, the rest of you can bicker in the corner.

[clint640]

And the next 'bad corner? and the next?......

I think those worried about a band of vigilante signposters spoiling their favourite roads with a forest of signage can rest easy. What we're talking about here is by far the biggest mongrel corner on any adv route in the entire top half of the South Island IMHO.

I've ridden & driven most of the popular back tracks in the South Island now (maybe not as many as Skidmark ) & if mention was made of 'That corner on the Porika' or 'That corner on the Molesworth' etc etc I would say 'eh? what?' But when Ryan mentioned this one I knew exactly what he was talking about. Good on ya mate for doing something about it not just talking about it.

Cheers
Clint

[thepom]

just do it.....

[Sully60]

Or learn to ride? you dont ride roads above about 30-40% of your ability when you dont know them. Common sense isn't so common anymore is it.

Could happily take that corner at 80-90 once you know the road, first time if you hit it at say 30 if you get into strife its easy to save, that particular bend even at 60 you could point the front into it and give her a handful of throttle to get you round.

Experienced motorcyclists that are familar with handling characteristic's on gravel roads, should expect problems. As you would on any unfamilar road. Start putting up signs on "dangerous" corners, and the whole country will be inundated with them. It is a known "adventure" road. Treat it with respect, or it will bite you. (As it did)

I totally agree with both of your sentiments, the dude or dudette at the handlebars is the person who makes their own fate (in this instance). One could quite sucessfully argue that by riding at a speed where you are unable to deal with any hazard that may arise is negligence.

But if one also has the ability to change things for the better (like Coonyr has suggested doing) and you don't, one could argue that's double negligence.

If I ever have another accident on the road and hit a cheescutter then I've fucked up. If I've done nothing at all to help remove these awful things then I deserve it!

[young1]

Good on you Ryan, I agree if the corner is a mongrel as it sounds it is, just go and do what you have planned!

[426crasher]

Time for a bit of a lesson. Ever heard of the three E's, Engineering, Education and Enforcement?

Cheers R

Fourth E Exactly. Reading common sense and wisdom is far better than the "civil war" rants from some,who for some it seems have not ridden said corner.
I blame myself for my off there.
BUT it still remains a deceptive corner and WILL still claim people.
I'm still 100% in with the rational/common sense people here,we know who we are, in getting something done about it.
If we do get permission to do work there we could invite skidmark and co to formerly reopen the bend........at 90kmh of course.

[warewolf]

I've finally made it on KB!

Got red-rep'ed by underpants-stain himself!!

[buggsubique]

there there WW, don't take it personally bud. Time will heal.

[Number One]

Good on you OP for working to do something to help others who may travel through that area in the future. I salute you sir

Or learn to ride? you dont ride roads above about 30-40% of your ability when you dont know them. Common sense isn't so common anymore is it.

Ahhh you are meant to be weatching the road not the ditch, why do you need a visable ditch?

You know skidMark you have said on several threads that you hope KB has changed....why should it have when you don't seem to have?! Still posting holier than thou posts when many many of us know your own track record around *riding sensibly and within your limits* is not that flash.

Again...I salute anyone that bothers to try to improve the safety of the roads we travel and if more than the few odd bikers are coming a cropper on the corner then why the fuck not try to do something about it.

[marks]

I've only ridden the Rainbow once, and it was with marks, which meant snails and slugs were tooting at us, and giving the finger

We must have been riding like a couple of fags - I have no recollection of a particular standout 'oh f*ck' corner (some days every gravel corner seems like an 'oh f*ck' corner ).

That said I think its great that its been identified and will hopefully be modified (happy to help if I can)

cheers


Mark

[Padmei]

Good on ya Ryan. You've done an amazing thing with the DB & as a new adv rider really appreciate your organising an achievable fun & adventurous challenge.


I can't wait for next year but please please can there be some more KLRs. I felt really dirty riding with all those DRs - oooh have to go and shower again

[Aslan]

I can't wait for next year but please please can there be some more KLRs. I felt really dirty riding with all those DRs - oooh have to go and shower again

we didn't mind making allowances for a lack of good judgement on machine selection on the part of an otherwise fine bloke like you


check the RR for the DB thread over on ADV Craig - pics of you coming up

[Sully60]

I think a cheesecutter is a piss poor example to throw on the plate and bears no relevance to this topic whatesoever.

Ok Skiddy I'll bite

Dear boy you've gone and reacted to the words you read on the screen and not the intended message.

I used cheesecutters as a metaphor in this case because it's an emotive subject that many members are aware of. I admit it's a bit of a leap from the Rainbow road to cheescutters, as Oldrider has reminded me Adventure riding is about getting away from the urban sprawl, state highways and all the complications and stress that go with it.

I'd counter that with the expectation that most of the readers of the thread were more than capable of making that leap, even you for some reason.

At your age I'd expect that you may not have quite grasped the concept of doing everything you can to look after yourself when you ride motorcycle. Yeah I'm sure your skillz on the bike may be quite madd but how much thought do you put into working on things in your environment that allow you to enjoy motorcycling whilst being a little bit safer?

This particular road although private is obviously used fairly regularly and I'd imagine a good number of them may be on the road would not to familiar with the terrain, it's called adventure riding afterall.
Would it be too much drama to do as the OP suggested and make the decptive nature of the corner a little clearer to those approching it, or is that too wussy? Especially for someone used to getting your knee down at 140 on the Coro loop.

Here's an example at the opposite end of the spectrum. It take it you know what an Enduro is? There are some (many?) involved in that discipline that would dissapointed if all the competitors were able to succesfully tackle the terrain they've selected for that event.
Those same people also ride the terrain and mark any obstacle or 'quirk' in along the route that may pose some danger if a competitor was to attack it with reckless abandon.
Even the most masochistic motorcyclist will put some measures in place to look after themselves.

[Jantar]

I'm another one who would be anti any signs, but definitely in favour of modifying the vegetation so that it is more obvious that the corner is there.

[scumdog]

Ryan, you're doing the right thing and thank you for it, the rest of you can bicker in the corner.

And the next 'worst' corner?

and the next one?

and...?