Ashhurst Boys touring ride. 26 May 2007

**cowboyz** · 7th May 2007, 19:28

DATE COULD CHANGE.
DATE HAS CHANGED TO SUNDAY!!!!!
Weather looks good so should be sorted now.

If it is raining or weather looks like crap then ride will be postponed to a more suitable time.

With all the reports of the southern cross coming on I am missing the long rides so here is a plan to spend all day on the bikes.

layout is section km/total km

Plan is to leave early in the morning. (read 6am)

Head out through halcombe to wanganui
85km

then round surf highway to Opunake

135km
Fuel stop in opunake which is about 220km

awakino /8 mile.
213km/444km

Will have to drop in to Te kuiti for fuel which will put the fuel stop at 224km. Could stop for a bite to eat.

then cut back to 8 mile down to Taumararunui and on to Turangi
147km/602km
Another Fuel stop in Turangi.

desert road then back to Raetihi
102km/704km

para paras to wanganui
81km/785km
Last fuel stop.

home
85km/870km

Speak up if you see problems with the plan. This ride will be below licence losing speeds and is for those who enjoy being on the bike and enjoying the ride. In saying that we will not be riding round at 80k/hr.

Expect to average 90km/hr which will put us just under 10 hours on the bikes. with fuel and smoke stops I would expect to be out for 12 hours.

**yungatart** · 7th May 2007, 19:31

Are you sure you can find your way home??
I suggest breadcrumbs...

**chanceyy** · 7th May 2007, 19:33

well thats one big ride .. bit far for this newbie ... & betsy may still be at panel beaters .. she booked in next monday to restore her good looks

**cowboyz** · 7th May 2007, 20:31

Originally Posted by yungatart

Are you sure you can find your way home??
I suggest breadcrumbs...

hey hey. Who let you out of the hawkes bay weekend ride thread?

Originally Posted by chanceyy

well thats one big ride .. bit far for this newbie ... & betsy may still be at panel beaters .. she booked in next monday to restore her good looks

Long distance riding is somethign I enjoy. It offers different challenges to simply going fast or wandering. Really looking forward to this one but must admit that I am not surprised you are passing this one up. It IS a long ride and probably feel twice as long on a smaller bike.

**Hitcher** · 7th May 2007, 20:53

No way you're going to average 90kmh. That would require and open road average speed of about 120kmh. 75-80 will be really good going.

**cowboyz** · 7th May 2007, 21:18

yep. 120ish open road. 130 on the quiet roads. I have been carrying a GPS on my bike for the past 50 odd thousand k and usually average out around 90 over a ride. Last 2 long runs we have done we averaged 92.4km/hr and 90.7km/hr. Its not about doing 200k/hr flat stick. It is about controlled comfortable pace and not slowing down to go round corners.

This is not being promoted as a newbie ride. I also do not want to discourage anyone from coming who wants to but I hope I have represented the ride as it will run.

Anyone who has ridden with the Ashhurst boys will tell you that we are not about break neck speeds so the comment of averaging 90k was in case someone mistook this ride for a 870km Grand Prix.

You do make a valid point however where when I say average 90k/hr I mean average. Not riding open road at 90k and town at 50k.

now I have typed all that, the pace on the day will be decided by the group. No one will be left behind (see sig)

(except the honda riders but they expect to be)

**chanceyy** · 7th May 2007, 21:58

Originally Posted by cowboyz

Long distance riding is somethign I enjoy. It offers different challenges to simply going fast or wandering. Really looking forward to this one but must admit that I am not surprised you are passing this one up. It IS a long ride and probably feel twice as long on a smaller bike.

well it will be interesting to see how the bike goes when she is running right too .. it sure was long distance when you have no power LOL

**yod** · 7th May 2007, 22:28

Originally Posted by cowboyz

(except the honda riders but they expect to be)

HEY!!

i could be in, not sure yet about the date (but would be nice to celebrate my birthday with a huuuge ride somewhere!!)

hey any of you lot ever have clutch arm issues?? i find that after i hit about the 200-300km mark, the tendons in my clutch arm/hand are getting really sore, i cant imagine what they'd be like on a ride that length! ya reckon it just needs to get a bit more used to it?

one possibility is; the clutch lever on the viffer is half gone, ie: been dropped and busted and now there's only enough for 2 finger use, altho i generally only ever use 2 fingers for both clutch and brake....

could be the fact that the 400 requires a lot more gear changes than the bigger cc's too....

dodgy lazy 900 riders

**cowboyz** · 7th May 2007, 22:35

you better come before you get old......

clutch arm issues.. yeah. I havent had the 9 for that long and I remember those.. just harden up...

seriously.. even on the 6 I found my tendons in my left hand hurting after a while. I just gave up using the clutch for a while till I got over it.

Come along. You will find that there are enough highway sections of the ride where you dont need to change gear so often.

**dogsnbikes** · 7th May 2007, 22:50

Isnt the Gas station In opunaki at RD1 will have to confirm if open on saturday's but there is one 20k's before which should be open and we should be able to get gas at PIOPIO just b4 eight mile if they still have the gas station

**yod** · 7th May 2007, 23:07

Originally Posted by cowboyz

you better come before you get old......

clutch arm issues.. yeah. I havent had the 9 for that long and I remember those.. just harden up...

seriously.. even on the 6 I found my tendons in my left hand hurting after a while. I just gave up using the clutch for a while till I got over it.

Come along. You will find that there are enough highway sections of the ride where you dont need to change gear so often.

yeah...the more i thought about it, i realised the ride we did at easter down masterton way, my arm was ok, but the other two rides recently, it got bloody sore. i think its just the tighter the road and the more hills to contend with, the more gear changes im making, so it gets a real workout, but when its more open, no worries

alright then, im in....just hope the little viffer can handle it!!

**u4ea** · 7th May 2007, 23:17

might be a bit far for me too..my arm coped well with the Hawkes Bay ride but wouldnt wanna push myself

...might have to be one for the boys aye!!

...and I dont think the little gs would cope screaming to keep up with you lot!!!

**yod** · 7th May 2007, 23:47

Originally Posted by u4ea

might be a bit far for me too..my arm coped well with the Hawkes Bay ride but wouldnt wanna push myself

...might have to be one for the boys aye!!

...and I dont think the little gs would cope screaming to keep up with you lot!!!

bloody hell mate...i have a hard enough time passing you, let alone keeping up with the big toys up front!! the gs seems to get along pretty well, especially when you're chasing it on a 400!

**u4ea** · 7th May 2007, 23:51

awwwww common Yod.........you get me on the corners tho.....

**yungatart** · 8th May 2007, 08:19

Originally Posted by cowboyz

hey hey. Who let you out of the hawkes bay weekend ride thread?

I was under the impression, given your huuuge post count in our thread, that we could wander among these threads at will...as long as we don't get lost doing it

Sounds like a good ride, enjoy the detours!