DB1k 2011 official thread

[ADVGD]

Just arrived home, extended trip cut short due to engine issues, but it survived the return ride back from Haast and through Arthurs Pass back to Christchurch to wrap up an absolutely fantastic trip

So much was packed into the last few days that I could rabbit on for pages, but I'll keep it short and sweet...

Ryan - Cooneyr
A huge huge thanks for what most have rightly said is a fierce benchmark level ADV ride, from the GPS files, the rollchart, fuel stop list, right through to the accommodation... superb job mate, absolutely superb

DB1K Attendees
Meeting, sharing a beer and riding with so many great people was a huge highlight of the trip, the camaraderie on the trails was something else Thanks to those who pulled me out of the water after a half-arsed crossing attempt saw me fill the airbox with water

Riding buddies
Over the 3 days the crew I rode with shuffled and merged a few times, the assortment of people and their unique sense of humour made the days a riot. My expensive gearbox repair meant no new GPS for me, so a big thanks to Kenny (thepom) and Mark (whatastoner) for playing GPS guide I tell ya what, you'll never get left behind with whatastoner, super courteous and considerate rider, thanks mate

More thanks to _shrek_, Monstaman, Trails Rider and JMJ for adopting me half way through the challenge section, I told ya I'd behave

Carnage
No carnage from those I rode with really, a few lie downs and some mild running repairs but no majors. Aside from my lie down in the water it was just the issue of a wasp that got under my jacket and stung me a couple of times in the lower back as I hit Yaldhurst, it would have been a bit unusual for those watching me flying down the road repeatedly smashing my back with my fist trying to kill it

Credit
Credit should be given to all those that did the DB1K as I am sure you will agree it was an effort worthy of a well earned pat on the back, especially those that did the challenge section on day 1, but one person worthy of a special mention is...

_Shrek_ : What can I say, aside from being a bloody hard case and a great riding buddy, he put on an outstanding show riding his massive GS through the challenge section on day 1 that many struggled on small unladen bikes, nice job you mad mad bugger The only thing that deducts brownie points was getting us in trouble with the holiday park owner by making a hell of a racket at all hours of the night

Budda, you da man for bring my gear down on Friday, much appreciated

And of course a big thanks to Helen (helenoftroy) for hooking us lads up with a place to sleep on Sunday night, you're the best

Once again, great to meet and catch up with so many like-minded people, I look forward to catching up with you all on the next one



I have an arsenal of photos that I'll format and put up tomorrow

[Crim]

Huge thanks to Ryan (and family) for a great weekend (or three days as it turned out for EddieB, Jatzs and myself - who did the Black Forest on Monday) a superb weekend - next year I will do a bit of fitness work or get a lighter bike - I am still shattered!
Thanks to all I rode with - the help lifting my heavy old girl, patience shown and the lessons imparted - felt myself growing in confidence and speed all weekend the three "offs" slowed me down a bit but confidence soon returned!
Awesome scenery, awesome organisation, awesome weekend!
I must take my hat off to the one dayers - that is a stunning effort!
Cheers Crim

[rogerh]

Absolutely awsome ride.

Top route. I enjoyed this ride more than any I have done in quite a while. The challenge sections were great, and it is really good that those that choose not to punish them selves, can still participae fully in the ride. A major feat of organisation.

Ryan suggested three drowned bikes. I would say I saw more than that, and that is not including mine! No major dramas though for our group.

As with many others, I need to work on bike fitness a bit, but with determination, the odd energy boost, and the forebearance of Al, Garry, and Andy, I had a great time. Will certianly be back next year if i can make it.

Thanks again to all who contributed to the planning and organisation.

[Transalper]

Glad to see people generally had a great time.
Thanks Ryan for making this happen and thanks to those who helped me through a few of those rivers and picked me up when I needed it the odd time.
Well I kinda think that was the coolest Dusty Butt yet with a heap of two dayers actually failing to complete the course and I only spoke to or even heard of one rider (umopom IIRC?) fitting in the full Tekapo bit as well.
Any others?
Very impressed at the one dayers efforts, start to wonder if they are really humans or something else in disguise.
Even Ryan and I bailed at the Mackenzie Pass Rd turn off from the Halden Road on day two, but then have the excuse or reason in that he was in a hurry to get back to the teething baby and wifey and inlaws who were waiting to pack him up and take him home which is also why we didn't spend much time chatting on the road on day 2.

For me...
Day 1 was 14 hours 51 minutes starting 7:11am departing the Gladstone and arriving at the Alexandra Holiday Park at 10:02pm.
Day 2 was 13 hours 15 minutes starting 7:17am departing the Alexandra Holiday Park and arriving at the Gladstone at 8:32pm

So just looking at the track log to find out what kind of delays added to trip time I see -
Delays on Day one started with a few minutes going to look at the Fairlie River.
15 minutes making sure people (lots of who were already lost with the abandoned river crossing messing them up and gps users still getting the hang of them I guess) making sure they went up the correct path and talking to the farmer there.
8 minutes gas up at Waimatie.
1 hour 15 minutes at the River crossing that drowned a bike or two.
57 minutes Kurow Fuel, lunch and stuff.
40 minutes on the one spot on the first steep zig zag where Shrek came past while cynna was kicking the XR. (the challenge section S44 49.021 E170 21.131 to be precise)
So after 2 hours 20 minutes to go 31km we bailed left riding for 1 hour 8 minutes to get 28km out to Nasbey and pick up the main route from there after stopping for a drink.
12 minutes at the Cromwell garage for fuel etc.
at 8:50pm we hit the duffers Saddle up the Nevis after finishing the Carracktown Track climb. Seemed shorter going up it than going down last year.
Arriving at the Alexandra Holiday Park at 10:02pm. after 14 hours 51 minutes.

I think the Woodman episode was the only big hold up for us on Sunday.

We left the Camp at 7:17am but only went as far as the garage by Subway.
30 minutes for fuel, a pie and liftplus for me. What a way to start the day.
Left the garage at 7:50am.
Other delays were...
30 minutes round trip getting to Lawerance, waiting then filling up and getting back to the route.
28 minutes up Old Dunstain Rd having a snack enjoying the view down below.
40 minutes at S45 24.715 E169 46.830 - the Woodman episode. There was plenty of other help and the bike had briefly run so we thought they will be ok.
33 minutes Omakau fuel and very nice Pie and milkshake.
28 minutes Omarama fuel, refreshment.
8 minutes Mackenzie Pass to put on more clothes.
Got back to the Gladstone at 8:32pm after a 13 hour 15 minute day.

[Crim]

[QUOTE=rogerh;1129967269]Ryan suggested three drowned bikes. I would say I saw more than that, and that is not including mine! No major dramas though for our group.[QUOTE]



Josh with 250 ccs and 1 Mark Power after first drowning, the "Monday crew" at the top of Black Forest, and the drowning up the Omarama in our Sunday afo crew

[KX500]

Congratulations to the 1 Dayers - what a massive achievement.
In fact well done to everyone that finished all of the route - that's a heap of ground to cover, either way.

The XF went well, considering I only got it back together late last week. So if anyone saw it laying down, I was only checking for oil leaks (thanks all you lifters). However the speedo did stop working early on & it's indicative of Ryan's excellent route sheets that I didn't get lost, even without the km check.

Highlight for me was the blast accross the Lammenmoor Range, something new for a lot of us. Only low for me was the river crossings, where I wished many times I was on the DT230.

A combination of my emergency stash & help from the locals at Poolburn meant that 10 bikes didn't have to ride back to Alex for fuel. This gave us time to tackle Omarama Saddle, where surley the river crossings are a "challenge" route in itself?. Regretfully we still ran out of time to ride Black Forest within the 2 days.

Thanks again Ryan (and your understanding family). A big bunch of Dusty Butter's are very grateful for your time & effort.

Not many pics - too busy picking up my bike.
1) TimG & HOT above the Carricktown Track
2) Slop in the box (not mine)
3) A posse of dodgey looking DB'ers eyeing up a mob of sheep in the Maniototo
4) Padder's with his sick GS at Lawerence, still chirpy.
5) Jezza tending to Rogson's Freewind after it's swim in Omarama Saddle

Godzone alright !

Could ya give me the heads up on what tyres you running on the white and blue DR ? Wear rate ok on tar ? Currently running E07 on the front of my DR and wear rate been fantastic - but what shockers in the mud - how yours go in z mud ?

[KX500]

"God knows where the accompanying photo went"

[Racing Dave]

Some of you may know that Dave waited with me last year, when I was being helicoptered out of the Serpentine Church option. He also sorted the repatriation of my bike, and campervan and trailer back to Chch from Fairlie.

This year it was his turn, after hitting half a dozen sheep on Chestermains Rd, near Omakau. He was unable to reach his bike (further up the road than he wanted to crawl) but was found by local farmers after about half an hour. He used the same helicopter as I did to Dunedin Hospital, from which he was discharged on Monday.

He has a broken pelvis in two places, but will not be operated on, instead healing naturally on crutches. He's not very comfortable, but when I phoned him this morning he was spending a few days in Hanmer with his family, on the way back to New Plymouth.

I don't think his X-Challenge will be fixable, but happily Dave is, and he'll be riding again when he's well enough.

Dave B

[thepom]

Glad he,s ok, just shows it can happen to anyone,hope he heals well.....

[Underground]

Got home last night ,done about 3000km.
That was awesome thanks Ryan ,Transalper and every one else who had a hand in organising it
Mountie (GS800) myself and our mate BJ on his home made TDM kind of thing travelled as a team and clocked just over the 1000km.
When I googled the special mountain stage I went 'wow I've really got to try to get up there' so the DB for us became more a mission to get our big bikes through the two challenge sections rather than following all of the exact route and we missed out some of the stuff we'd done before.
Well 'that mountain' ,we battled it out for about 6 hours up there and it was the most prolonged period of extremely difficult riding I've ever done ,Mountie had to pick up the 800 numerous times ,BJ and I made it through upright (just) and I have respect for anyone who did that ride on a big bike (Shrek ! how does he do it ?)
This will go on the top of the list of of my greatest motorcycling achievements .
What is that mountain pass called by the way ?

[cooneyr]

Hi All. Thanks for the comments through I do detect a hint of the Big Omarama saddle being a "river to far" for some given the effort required to ride the route prior to it. It is embarising to admit now that Little Omarama Saddle is easier and that I could have made Big the Challenge and Little the main route? Not sure if would have done much good as it seems many/most took on the Awakino Challenge out of Kurow anyway.

I've been having web access issues at home and work is going stupid so I've not been posting for a couple of days. Oh and the fact that I'm compltely nackered. I even managed to have an accidental power nap at work yesterday while trying to read a report about traffic flows

I'll answer the questions and PM's tonight all going well (with the web).

Cheers R

P.S. Yes that was me waving at you Woodman as you rode along Main South Road on Monday morning. Good to see the bike running ya crazy bugger

[Buddha#81:Me]

Well 'that mountain' ,we battled it out for about 6 hours up there and it was the most prolonged period of extremely difficult riding I've ever done ,Mountie had to pick up the 800 numerous times ,BJ and I made it through upright (just) This will go on the top of the list of of my greatest motorcycling achievements .
What is that mountain pass called by the way ?

I took my hat off to you guys quite literally, I was the guy on the XR650 that pulled up at the top of the zig zag section and spoke to you all briefly before you pushed on to the hut, you three looked happy but rooted. I had a hour wait there due to Cynna tipping his XR up on the zig zag and taking time to restart, i went from overheating to freezing my nuts of, in the future I'll be keep my own gear (jacket) on my own bike. Great effort and that TDM sounded fooken wicked with the supertrap hauling up to the pass.

[helenoftroy]

"God knows where the accompanying photo went"

Running my favourites -fantastic traction/stickability on clay,grass,& in the wet...TKC80s.Probably not as long lasting on the seal tho

Lol!can you tell im a convert!!

[ADVGD]

There was a lot more riding this trip than photo taking but I still got in about half a dozen or so pics...

Grabbing a quick subway at Ashburton before hitting Orari Gorge






Greasy greasy






Kenny was precisely following his GPS, he swore there was a tunnel indicated here as he ploughed into the bank




Tigerpig put on a nice display through the greasy sections handling the big Triumph with ease




Looking stylish Padmei


Owww, looking a little untidy there Padmei








Early start from Fairlie, let day 1 begin
















Transalper getting ready to tackle the zigzag challenge one handed








Explanation not required










Whatcha doing _shrek_?
























_Shrek_ on the mighty GS making easy work of a loose rocky section





Bring on day 2


Out of nowhere a strange tiny dog joined us for a stretch








Oh _Shrek_ what happened, you're all muddy mate
















The rocky landscapes were absolutely awesome


And throughout the day the clouds were something else










Buddha saving front wheel tread

[KX500]

Cheerz - How many km's you averaging from a set convert gal ?

Good in the wet sounds brill !