Danseys Pass pictures

[cynna]

seen an st1100 do lees valley once so im sure danseys on sports bike is ok - wouldnt be the most comfotable ride tho

[pete376403]

Did it two-up on a Suzuki GS1100GK coming back from the Brass one year. Was quite ok apart from getting stopped behind a ute that couldn't get traction on the ice - made it hard to get moving again but thats where the pillion comes in handy.
However as others have said take it easy - theres some big unfenced drop-offs

The Suzuki has a 130/90 rear tyre which was probably wide for the day but real skinny now. Makes riding in gravel a lot easier than modern wide road tyres.

[PeteJ]

Quite doable on a sports bike with sports tyres in summer time and a dry road. This time of year, don't even think about it.

Sorry to disagree - many more years ago than I am prepared to admit, Otago Uni MCC included Danseys in a midwinter 2-day road trial - mid-July. There was snow on the road, and the average speed set for the Danseys part was 42mph. We did it on a road bike, 2-up, road tyres including a rib front, same as everyone else on the trial had.

Same day also had the Hakataramea, under 2ft of snow.

(We won nah nah nah-nah...and I'm still married to my pillion of the time.)

PS I've also ridden it in winter on a VTR1000, for nostalgia's sake.

[jim.cox]

Otago Uni MCC included Danseys in a midwinter 2-day road trial - mid-July. There was snow on the road, and the average speed set for the Danseys part was 42mph.

Might be hard to do that today - they often close the pass road in winter

But then I guess you could just ignore the road closed signs like I did

The drifts were pretty deep near the top - although it wasn't too hard to work out where the road ought to have been

[Jantar]

Sorry to disagree - many more years ago than I am prepared to admit, Otago Uni MCC included Danseys in a midwinter 2-day road trial - mid-July. ....

Either the Otago Uni MCC did that route more than once, or I was also on that ride. The sports bikes back then were more like the adventure bikes of today, and tyres were much narrower which gave them better purchase in softer conditions.

I still ride a sports tourer over the Danseys, in most conditions, but not when there is snow on the road. However if a rider has to ask about Danseys, then until they know the road and conditions it is better that they not try it.

[PeteJ]

1. Either the Otago Uni MCC did that route more than once, or I was also on that ride.

2. The sports bikes back then were more like the adventure bikes of today, and tyres were much narrower which gave them better purchase in softer conditions.

1. In which case,

2. Viv and I won it on a Suzuki GT550, not like any adventure bike of any time, actually (though we did have panniers and saddlebags, as well as an overnight bag on it). But I agree about the better tyre purchase of narrow tyres on gravel and ice; that's why I mentioned my winter ride over Dansey's on the VTR.

But, yes, without aiming to get into a dick-waving comp about rider ability, I guess I shouldn't encourage unskilled people to ride tough-ish roads.

[PeteJ]

Wayyyy off topic now: Jantar, do you recall the Otago Uni MCC road trial I marked out in 1975, that had a 15-mile section of paper road through Mahinerangi Station? Most everyone got bogged. As I recall, it was the guy with the RE5 who had to get someone in with a Landie and trailer a few days later to retrieve it, because it was in mud so deep 4 people couldn't pull it out.

[Jantar]

Wayyyy off topic now: Jantar, do you recall the Otago Uni MCC road trial I marked out in 1975, that had a 15-mile section of paper road through Mahinerangi Station? Most everyone got bogged. As I recall, it was the guy with the RE5 who had to get someone in with a Landie and trailer a few days later to retrieve it, because it was in mud so deep 4 people couldn't pull it out.

Oh yes. I remember that ride alright. I was the guy on the RE5, but no landie and trailer needed. It was heavy, and it sure did slide around a bit, and ended up on top of me twice. However, from memory, it was a GT750 that got bogged and had to be retrieved days later.

[PeteJ]

Hey, how about that? Your RE5 sounded so cool and looked so complicated...

I don't think I ever told any of the riders on this road trial that some of the sections more towards Balclutha had average speeds set faster than Hannu Mikkola managed in the Rally of NZ that year over the same roads - and a lot of you did actually keep with those averages .

[Jantar]

Yes, but After I left uni I lived at Waipori, so those roads were my back yard. I think I may still have some photos somewhere of that event.

I can't remember whether it was that ride, or the one a couple of years earlier that also did a Mahinerangi loop but went back to Dunedin via what is now George King Memorial drive. But the one bike that didn't get bogged was John Penno's LE Velocette.

As I said earlier in the thread, what we called sports bikes back then would be adventure bikes today.

[BMWST?]

Yes, but After I left uni I lived at Waipori, so those roads were my back yard. I think I may still have some photos somewhere of that event.

I can't remember whether it was that ride, or the one a couple of years earlier that also did a Mahinerangi loop but went back to Dunedin via what is now George King Memorial drive. But the one bike that didn't get bogged was John Penno's LE Velocette.

As I said earlier in the thread, what we called sports bikes back then would be adventure bikes today.

I didnt think twice about taking my yammie 750,cb900,z1000,and even my k100rs on such roads,maybe not my ducati 900 s2 tho

[ccapse]

In the dry it will be easy as any other nz narrow
gravel road.the steepness wont be an issue aprt from corrugations out of the corners or braking into them,just take it easy!

Totally agree. Took my Hayabusa over it two years ago on the way to the Brass. Other's in my group were on GSs or Tigers and one on a Sprint. Cant say it would rank as best bike for the road but conditions were dry so quite doable with care although I was last to the Danseys pub. I believe it can be bad in dry if freshly resurfaced and if wet I would not have continued. Spectacular views and well worth doing - once - at least, on a sportsbike.

[cynna]

they were resurfacing it in feb so shoud be nice and packed by now


other photos also from feb - foggy and cold one side, cleared up on the other side

[unstuck]

they were resurfacing it in feb so shoud be nice and packed by now


other photos also from feb - foggy and cold one side, cleared up on the other side

I was through there a couple of weeks ago and the corrugations were pretty bad in places. Was a Wicked freedom camper van off the hill too, down the bank.