North Island invasion of South Island

[JATZ]

A question for those familar with the route. How aggressive do we really need to be with tyres? A review of MarkS's last trip photos shows much of the tracks to be gravel or rock. How much mud is there?

Stuck an MT21 on for the KCAR ride & have mostly rooted it. Didn't really need it except for the wet version of Fishers Track. Knobs have shruck fro 15mm to 5-6mm in the centreline. The MT21 wore badly because I dropped pressure because I couldn't get it to hook up properly in gravel. It started to chunk. In mud it was good. Wear settled down when I upped the pressures again, but traction suffered. Given the wear rate, I probably won't go there again.

Given the mileage of this trip, & the road work to be done, can I get away with a 2/3rds worn MT21 at raod pressures (don't think it'll last), a 1/2 worn MT70 (do the mileage easy, but in mud?), or should I be looking at a new tyre, & if so which one? Cost is an issue for this trip.

So the choice is 33% MT21, 50% MT70, new MT70, new E09. How deep are the knobs on the E09 anyway?

I'll leave the front MT21 as in (still 80% good).
Cheers

Steve

I'll have a 2/3 worn MT21, it should be fine (but I have an old trackmaster to chuck on if we get a bit of rain).
Mrs jatz did big river on a half worn trailwing, and I've done it on an E-08 at road pressure.
So long as it's round and black and holds air you'll be fine

[marks]

I'll leave the front MT21 as in (still 80% good).
Cheers

Steve

Having a good front tire is by far the most important on the tracks we will be on. The only exception would be if we go to Napoleon Hill/Mosquito Creek in which case you would be totally fooked with a girlie back tire (lots and lots of big round slippery river stones).

Depending on what the majority want its likely we will not do Napoleon Hill/Mosquito Creek but instead do Big River and Waitahu River on the Saturday as I don't think we get time on Friday for Waitahu River.

I'll have a 60% worn D606 on the front and either a 90% rooted D606 or 70% worn E09 on the back.

[junkmanjoe]

I have a E-09 rear spare if any one short a nobby.
for the invasion.......oohhh so looking forward to it.

even the early start ferry ride as well.

Hay and body know if we have to tie our own bikes down on the ferry.
we take our own straps or use 5 tonne straps on the boat.

[BMWST?]

I have a E-09 rear spare if any one short a nobby.
for the invasion.......oohhh so looking forward to it.

even the early start ferry ride as well.

Hay and body know if we have to tie our own bikes down on the ferry.
we take our own straps or use 5 tonne straps on the boat.

i have always tied my bike down....there is a thread here somewhere on ferries and staps/tie downs.If you have tie downs it surely wouldnt hurt to take them....

[junkmanjoe]

i have my own which i was going to take anyway.

[marks]

i have my own which i was going to take anyway.

the ones on the ferrys are normally rooted and dirty

[Woodman]

i have my own which i was going to take anyway.

What boat yous on bluebridge or rail.

I went over a couple of weeks ago and used both ferries.

Bluebridge only had lengths of rope with a loop on one end and no tie downs so you need to use initiative or have a truckie in the group.

Rail has rope and tiedowns, but all but one of the tiedowns was rusted and useless.
Rope is the better option imho

I always tie mine down on the stand side so there is 3 points of contact and have never had an issue and tbh it would have to be bloody rough to tip a bike over even if it wasn't tied down. Can someone volunteer to do this as an experiment please.

[Box'a'bits]

Interislander. Best to take your own tie downs. The Waikawa camp may be able to hold them until Sunday (we've got them to do that yrs ago going to the Monkey).

I tend not to tie down bikes on side stands, in order to prevent the stand base cracking. I put the tie-downs on loosely first, then stand the bike upright, put the stand up, then tighten the straps to hold it up.

Once saw a sorry result of a newbie tying down a GN250 next to a gang members Harley. After the sailing we fortunately we got down before the gang member, and put things quickly to rights ...no damage, but I guarantee the 17 yr old pimple would have been flattened by the Harley owner if he had seen what resulted.

Thanks guys for comments on the tyres. Joe, thanks for the offer, but I'm on an 18 rear. The DR is a 17.

[warewolf]

It's been a while since I bothered taking my own tie downs, but I'm happy with doing truckies hitches etc. Dirty ropes are fine, in fact they have more friction than new clean nylon which can be bloody slippery.

One of the boats had actual cam-style strap tie-downs (bluebridge I think), it wasn't immediately obvious how they worked; the obvious way was wrong and they slipped when pulled against one other, but one would usually hold the bike by itself - bit of a gotcha. A quick re-thread and they worked fine and dandy despite being mostly rusty. Out of ~20 of them, only one was broken, but that was a while ago now.

Chock the front wheel, a pair of ties on the lower triple-clamp to hold the bike upright and against the chock, then one more at the back (not so tight) to stop the rear bouncing around - just like on a trailer. Job done. As Woody says, and a load master said to me once, "mate if it's rough enough to shake that bike loose, you'll have far more important things to worry about!!" The thing you have to watch is oscillating motion working things loose.

[junkmanjoe]

it be ok to use my fork straps and tie off same as on my ute, its never fallen on there.

[NordieBoy]

I went BlueBridge to pick up the DR and there were only ropes.

[Woodman]

I went BlueBridge to pick up the DR and there were only ropes.

Ropes are better, never trust a camlock tiedown.

[warewolf]

Ropes are better, never trust a camlock tiedown.

Unless you tie it off...

[junkmanjoe]

ive got plenty of 2.5t load straps. i dont tink ill load with a full safari, just in case it falls over.
ya all see the mushroom cloud from nelson....

[bart]

I'll be taking a rope. Tie downs are too heavy, and I plan on traveling light. plus if you loose the rope.................who cares.

Should add though, if my bike falls over.....................who cares.