Forgotten World Highway: there and back again

[trumpy]

Wow what a great read. Have been wanting to do this for some time. But ater your mention of 2 harley riders spilling or mechanical trouble, I wonder if it is safe to do so.

Congaratulations on a great experience shared with the rest of us

I have done this ride a couple of times now and agree with the Mt Messenger and 8 mile junction return. Plenty of Harley riders have ridden 42
without any problems and the ones I have spoken to (yes they indulge me sometimes.....) have loved the trip. Just pick your days, a nice overcast one like today would be perfect.

[rainman]

Thani-B next time stay overnight in stratford, then head home up the coast road.

Nah stay at the Whanga pub, it's part of the experience, the hosts are friendly and the locals are interesting.

+1 to the coast road advice, though.

[gijoe1313]

I give this my gijoe1313 seal of pootling perfection! Good on ya Thani-b, when you realise what you can do, when you thought you can't, you'll now think you can if you thought about it now! You never know, you may end up doing a good ol'gijoe stylin' pootle one day without realising it!

[6ft5]

That was a big day out. I don't think it would have even occurred to me to do 43 both ways in a day. Down 43 and back up SH2 and then SH4 to Taumarunui would be a great ride and the return trip would have lots of interest for a bike rider too. The old thing about roads holding interest inversely proportional to the size of the highway number doesn't apply there.

6ft5, we see Harley riders in there regularly. If the bike is running well and the rider is sensible there should be no problem, same as any other brand.

Then there is this:Attachment 188935

Cheers Pritch, I can see the comments flying already. My bike is well maintained and I am a conservative rider and don't need to spill my bike. I was interested in the loose gravel and the chance of a stone caught in the belt and damaging it. Done some of these roads on my Triumph Tiger and this was great fun, especially the Gentle Annies.

[Conquiztador]

Re the second Harley (where they were pushing it) what had happened to them? Anything you could have done?

Good write up. Cheers.

[Thani-B]

Cheers for the kind words guys, looking at a map now, I'm glad with what I achieved

Yeah nice write up there.

P.S: photos are more interesting when they have people in them

I wish I had asked someone to take a photo of us at some point, it didn't occur to me at the time though.

Re the second Harley (where they were pushing it) what had happened to them? Anything you could have done?

Good write up. Cheers.

The bike looked fine as we went past (ie not crashed), so my guess is that he ran out of gas. He was chatting to a farmer about it with a smile on his face as he kept pushing, so I don't think it was anything major.

[PirateJafa]

Re the second Harley (where they were pushing it) what had happened to them? Anything you could have done?

Good write up. Cheers.

He gave us a "Yeah yeah, it's one of those days" grins as we rode past, and as they were within sight of Taumarunui we left 'em to it. The first Harley wasn't going anywhere fast though, and had to wait for a towtruck.

Cheers Pritch, I can see the comments flying already. My bike is well maintained and I am a conservative rider and don't need to spill my bike. I was interested in the loose gravel and the chance of a stone caught in the belt and damaging it. Done some of these roads on my Triumph Tiger and this was great fun, especially the Gentle Annies.

There isn't actually much loose stuff on the road - it's mostly all hard-packed dirt, with just a loose scattering of gravel here and there over the top. As long as your bike can do 150km to a tank, you'll be fine!

[Conquiztador]

He gave us a "Yeah yeah, it's one of those days" grins as we rode past, and as they were within sight of Taumarunui we left 'em to it.

So instead of stopping and asking if you could get him some petrol you decided that he was OK pushing a 350kg bike? Lets just hope that when I am in trouble you are not the only one coming past...

[PirateJafa]

So instead of stopping and asking if you could get him some petrol you decided that he was OK pushing a 350kg bike? Lets just hope that when I am in trouble you are not the only one coming past...

When I slow down and look quizzically at you giving the thumbs-up/thumb-down questioning gesture and you respond solely with a grin, when there is a town with at least two bike shops and petrol stations one kilometre down a straight, flat road, yes, I will give you a nod back and continue happily on my merry way.

Bikers who need (or don't need, but just want) my help will always get it, and I've gone well out of my way on both the bike and in the car to do so in the past. He clearly didn't want it.

But if you prefer, I'll just keep riding past you if I see you in trouble...

[Conquiztador]

When I slow down and look quizzically at you giving the thumbs-up/thumb-down questioning gesture and you respond solely with a grin, when there is a town with at least two bike shops and petrol stations one kilometre down a straight, flat road, yes, I will give you a nod back and continue happily on my merry way.

Bikers who need (or don't need, but just want) my help will always get it, and I've gone well out of my way on both the bike and in the car to do so in the past. He clearly didn't want it.

But if you prefer, I'll just keep riding past you if I see you in trouble...

I have been on both sides of the equation: Broken down with a Harley, and riding a non-Harley past someone with a Harley pushing. (Also stopping for a non-Harley that is broken down while on my HD) We both know that there is a thing where if on a Harley you do not ask a jappa for help. But does not mean you do not need it. A Harley rider would rather push than be seen on the back of a jappa going for petrol. We both also know that this is all BS. And so I will happily be the one breaking the ice. For the few seconds it takes to slow down and ask if you can help, personally I consider it worth it. When/if I am in trouble I normally sort it one way or another. But if you are passing me, don't be fooled by the harsh looks. Inside I am a decent chap who would appreciate your helping me, because if/when you are in trouble I will not care what bike or colour leathers you have (or what patch is on your back for that matter), I will always slow down/stop and ask. But I am probably just old fashioned and if you wait a few years old coots like me are all but history.

[PirateJafa]

I have been on both sides of the equation: Broken down with a Harley, and riding a non-Harley past someone with a Harley pushing. (Also stopping for a non-Harley that is broken down while on my HD) We both know that there is a thing where if on a Harley you do not ask a jappa for help. But does not mean you do not need it. A Harley rider would rather push than be seen on the back of a jappa going for petrol. We both also know that this is all BS. And so I will happily be the one breaking the ice. For the few seconds it takes to slow down and ask if you can help, personally I consider it worth it. When/if I am in trouble I normally sort it one way or another. But if you are passing me, don't be fooled by the harsh looks. Inside I am a decent chap who would appreciate your helping me, because if/when you are in trouble I will not care what bike or colour leathers you have (or what patch is on your back for that matter), I will always slow down/stop and ask. But I am probably just old fashioned and if you wait a few years old coots like me are all but history.

If someone wants the help, I'll give it, regardless of bike/race/patch/location/religion (except Scientologists, they can fuckin' walk). I've offloaded two 50cc scooters off the trailer on our way back from the Meremere drags to put a broken-down 400kg Harley tourer on instead, then had to protect Squiggles/Danae with me car from the masses of angry car-drivers as they rode the scooters over the Bombays to Auckland, at their top speed of 50km/h. That dude asked for a hand when we pulled over to see if he was okay, and he was thankful when we dropped him and his behemoth of a bike home.

But if a person wants to put their "bad-ass" image over accepting a helping hand, then fine. Hopefully their bad-ass image is still keeping them cheerful as they watch the hours pass on the side of the road. I'm a biker, not a fuckin' psychologist.

(And from memory you are indeed a decent chap. Even if you have a unfathomable and surely irrational dislike of the nectar of the gods that is Guinness.)

[gijoe1313]

Oh the humanity of it all! Who will think of the children and the fluffy bunny rabbits? Can't we all be friends? Can't we just all get along? Oh! Oh! Oh!

[Morcs]

Wow Kawasakis actually made it through there without falling apart?

[Conquiztador]

If someone wants the help, I'll give it, regardless of bike/race/patch/location/religion (except Scientologists, they can fuckin' walk). I've offloaded two 50cc scooters off the trailer on our way back from the Meremere drags to put a broken-down 400kg Harley tourer on instead, then had to protect Squiggles/Danae with me car from the masses of angry car-drivers as they rode the scooters over the Bombays to Auckland, at their top speed of 50km/h. That dude asked for a hand when we pulled over to see if he was okay, and he was thankful when we dropped him and his behemoth of a bike home.

But if a person wants to put their "bad-ass" image over accepting a helping hand, then fine. Hopefully their bad-ass image is still keeping them cheerful as they watch the hours pass on the side of the road. I'm a biker, not a fuckin' psychologist.

(And from memory you are indeed a decent chap. Even if you have a unfathomable and surely irrational dislike of the nectar of the gods that is Guinness.)

Well done re the helping. Now you are trying to use logic against attitude. (Re the Guinness, you were supposed to bring the beer... )

[Thani-B]

Wow Kawasakis actually made it through there without falling apart?

Nothing has gone wrong with them yet