Northern Gravel Adventure Riding Club

**Badgerclarke** · 19th January 2012, 15:37

Hi all, reading this thread has certainly got the adventure juices flowing nicely. Really like the idea of getting into this type of riding as well as having a standard road bike and I was just wondering what type of bikes you guys are using in the main?

I like the look of the WR250R as they can be used for trail riding which I also want to do more of but are they any good for what you guys and girls get up to? They are probably a bit more money (still want to run a road bike too) than I'd like to spend to so what would be a good alternative, cheap XR250, DRZ400?

I don't want to hijack your excellent thread but a little input would be great, cheers.

**suzieq** · 19th January 2012, 18:03

In From Jim:
Suggestions ??? Yamaha (NEW)2012WR45OR coming out this year

Bike choice can also depend on your height and build also to be taken into consideration
Depending on your height you also need to consider which bike for suitable seat height also
One that can also give you reasonable fuel range
Start out slowly and you will gain skills over time also
So get the bike that will take you right thru and give you confidence

DRZ400 with a large fuel take could also be a choice

Both bikes can be converted to trail ponies quite easily also

DR650 lots of our adventure riding community do well with this bike choice also
Honest bike choice here also

Any further questions keep in touch and our online community all of us more than happy to SHARE info with you also

Thumbs up and best wishes with your new adventure riding

I admit this is very addictive and XMAS and NEW YEAR seems to have bought out many new people to our community

Dual purpose Adventure riding beware highly addictive

Suzieq (from Spring Creek) Blenheim aka Dusty Butt trveller

**suzieq** · 19th January 2012, 20:35

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8oafdXX_5U

**suzieq** · 19th January 2012, 21:04

Leaving early from Taupo this mng the day did start off quite nice, but grew to be very very windy by the time we finally made it onto our Ferry Xing. It was excellent meeting up with Alistair this mng at Sanson on the way to Wellington. Hi Alistair, The Tiger has finally made it to the big 40K service. What prompted the boys for the park up at this way side cafe was the buxom wench proffering business on the road side LOL. I mean we really did have to stop here. I was outvoted.

That Tiger is looking good Alistair. Team OJ parked up and R E A D Y.

Coming towards Picton the weather turned slightly better. Was extremely windy leaving Wellington.

Spring Creek, looking good, but still very windy.

Parked up for ME to take some more snaps.

Nice....................

Emptying out the luggage also stashed beside the bikes LOL big time, and women pack the kitchen sink???

Here travelling companion in tow STEVE ritzing it at A LA LODGE........... NICE STEVE..... piped in music, really is home away from home LOL

Bonuses bonuses, come one come alll. Spring Creeek really does offer it allllll........

New friends road side and pool side, this is becoming to be quite a habit.

EDDIE and HIS FRIENDS LOL BIG TIME

NO FISHING JIM

LOL

Oh well off to Fairleigh tomorrow and to meet up with The Dusty Crew for bbq tomorrow night at The Gladstone.

suzieq

**suzieq** · 20th January 2012, 21:40

**suzieq** · 20th January 2012, 21:50

París DAKAR 2001..
Pisando territorio Africano..

**suzieq** · 21st January 2012, 05:05

http://www.cycleworld.com/2012/01/17...80-gs-feature/

**suzieq** · 21st January 2012, 05:22

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Motorc...2989856&type=1

**george formby** · 21st January 2012, 11:07

Damn, I need a holiday, Molesworth looks like the destination. Wonder if I can strap the DT to the back of the TDM, hmmm

**pete-blen** · 21st January 2012, 12:56

Originally Posted by george formby

Damn, I need a holiday, Molesworth looks like the destination. Wonder if I can strap the DT to the back of the TDM, hmmm

The TDM is all yer need for both Molesworth & Rainbow...

Thinking I might do a Moleworth/Rainbow loop again soon.... good having
them just up the road...

**suzieq** · 21st January 2012, 17:06

I can't begin to tell you how spoilt you are to only have these roads on YOUR back door step. Wow I have felt like being in seventh heaven here. Even though MY XT did NOT make it down here for THIS DUSTY, chatting to Ryan he ensures me don't worry Sue, I am working on something even bigger and better for NEXT YEAR> Excellent. Thanks so much Ryan for all of the hard work and effort you have put into this for everyone to enjoy. Sorry I had best let RYAN fill us all in on what he has planned. I would be giving tooo much excitement away. Believe me, when RYAN does it, he does it well. He is planning a goodie.

Please post up pics of YOUR ON THE BACK DOOR STEP rides you do. We all love to see this scenery. These gravel roads here are to die for. I wil be back again next year. Nothing will keep me away from this. I have hundreds of pics to put up, and how much time to put them up????? So I had best get to it and attempt to put some pics up.

Dusty Butt has begun, after snooping around and checking up on the INMATES parked up at FAIRLIE, I was fortunate enough to MIX IT UP with a few FAMOUS KIWI BIKERS, perhaps I should say LEGENDS AMONGST US. Should I spill now, or make you wait for the pics??? I think I should title a couple of them MIXING IT UP WITH LEGENDS AMONGST US. I could not believe an INMATE parked up right in the Over The Way Unit was none other and L E G E N D .......... and no, wait there was more......... famous. Those of you following The Dusty Butt over the years will know of a certain gentleman who is quite unique in the fact that he rides THE BIG 1150ccGS???? Any clues and yes, you can't keep him away from Those Challenge Sections, ANY CLUES???? L E G E N D big bike and conquering CHALLENGE TERRAIN> So our next DUSTY BUTTER well no words can describe. L E G E N D......... and from the SOUTH also.

SNOOPING around the FAIRLIE TOP 10 I came across quite a number of lads parked up and still considering whether to catch those extra zzzz's or hit the first section of DUSTY with the sun up. Many left sun up and the pack drifted thru from here. Hitting the 4 x 4 I made my way to the beginning of the circuit which was a gravel and dirt track that crossed over a river bed. Excellent start to the ride Ryan. I could see the dust for km's down the road, and could hardly see the boys until they were right on me at the riverbed it was so bad.

From here I met up with a mate of Ryan's and he had many many maps in two and we joined forces and headed for the hills to get a glimpse of the crew coming thru in the various sections. It was a bit hard going as so many variations to be done, and some doing the challenge bits aka non 4 x 4 friendly. But we pushed on and had fun with our drive antics along the highways and made it into WAIMATE firstly and caught up with the refuelling stop. A couple of dropped bikes and one dead drowning aka bike did not continue. Word has it the stream crossings were quite full. Refuelling and then the crew pushed on. Grant and I high tailed it for Kurow and caught up with lunch feastings here. Bikes checked over and gear unloaded and spares to be purchased and punctures to be repaired. Just the usual stuff.

More maps checked and more variations taken in. Off we go again. 4 x 4 crew took Dansey's Pass and if you thought the mng section was Dusty. DANSEY has just been regraded with mountains of new stuff. Dust to Africa. Many side roads can be taken off the DANSEY and so some exploring was done in the 4 x 4 also. How to make the most out of road side trvelling LOL. MY FUN. DANSEY's crossed off and into NAESBY where some of the lads were spotted knocking the cool ones back at the famous NAESBY public bar. hmmm nice and well deserved.

From Naesby I high tailed it thru to OMAKAU as I had fuel to drop off for some of the DUSTY crew and also had to be on the hunt for new CO2 cartridges as our stocks now gone........ The day had gone already and I was itching to get the 4 x 4 over Thompsons Track, but no time as had to get new cannisters before shops close for the day. Managed to get new (yes threaded cannisters) must always know the difference between threaded and NON THREADED. Learnt that one before. Don't fancy going back to Alexandra for change overs any time soon. On the road and off again it will be. Caught up with more DUSTY crew at ALEXANDRA. Fuel cannister dropped off and dragged the rack of one KTM under the bike so r and m was being done at the Alex servo.

I am now waiting for MY team KTM to pull in for the day???? don't know what time that will be so I may have time to sort my pics out for the day.

**suzieq** · 21st January 2012, 17:16

Originally Posted by george formby

Damn, I need a holiday, Molesworth looks like the destination. Wonder if I can strap the DT to the back of the TDM, hmmm

Molesworth is g r e a t loved it and really nice easy riding also. Scenery to die for... I have many more pics to put up, but only just added a tempter more to come soon, I had quite an adventure MYSELF on THE MOLESWORTH, who could have thought that having NO BIKE this time round could still supply me with an adventure. Yes, it did, not only did I meet up with a DIGGER MAN who was easing out the stream beds to allow the water to flow smoothly under those bridges and not ERODE the banks, but further up, (the boys wondering where on earth i was and WHY so slow.........) I was stuck behind a huge big stock truck that had emptied out its load of stock and was trucking thru The Molesworth on a quite steep section. He couldn't make it up the steep bank so the truck slipped back and took quite a bit of the hard dry surface with it also. Yikes was left wondering how I would get UP the dry Dusty roading myself after that???? He slipped quite a way back down and the big trailer at the back jack-knifed back down again. Yikes I was right behind him. SCAREY. So I pulled the ute back and parked up, I mean there was no where else to be going???? The farmhands commented on what a lovely day it was. So work began on clearing the rocks from out of the edge of the road sides so we could get past the truck. Jim came looking for me after a while wondering where on earth??? So the boys cleared the roadside and Jim drove it round the side of. I did not want to risk losing our mode of transportation for the trip. I mean I AM ROADSIDE RESCUe??? hmmm dilemma No cell coverage there also so we high tailed it out to Jollie's Pass to phone in help for truck rescue. Normally we take Jack's Pass out of the Molesworth, but no, Jim decided we would take Jollie's Pass instead. Yikes that is one STEEP mother of a Pass. I confess on making it half way down (and still quite high up, as you will see in my pics soon) wondering if this was actually the right route out???? But yes, it eventually bought me down and into Hanmer. The track was really rutted and loaded with huge big thick chunks of rocks quite a way thru there. Honestly if you asked me to turn her round in there, noo don't think so. So yes, my own adventure.

**JATZ** · 21st January 2012, 17:19

Damn you suzieQ

I really am kicking myself now for not getting down there this year.
Also.... watch out for that 1150 rider, he's Trouble that one

**suzieq** · 21st January 2012, 17:37

Wow when you are in the land of LEGENDVILLE, well what more can be said..............

It was awsome to shake hands with online LEGEND NORDIEBOY - yes awsome. I have had online encounters with this LEGEND LOL but felt extremely good to give our legend a firm hand shaking......... LOL ENJOYED the experience. When you tussle it out online, it is great to actually meet up also at some stage.

Yes, SHREK, FAMOUS the big bike rider takes NO prisoners when riding rocks. A small SHREK offspring also shook hands with me, and it was only later I was filled in on SHREK's offspring. LOL also. Nice lad and nice bike. ps I did spend time with a pic of SHREK doll on the front of that GS. FAMOUS.

Now another lad I have tussled it up with right here on Kiwi Biker our TAZ yes was good to meet up with TAZ and CAREY on The Molesworth itself. Here we were 4 x 4ing it up The Molesworth when along comes TAZ and CAREY. HMMMM what are those OJ's doing on the back of that ute???? lads????? one had well not much gas and the other tyre saving for the challenge sections. Some of those nobbs just don't last the difference. So after quality chat time with the Dusty lads welll team OJ was whipped off the back of the ute and it was on...... Didn't take much arm twisting to get the boys off and away. Yes Jim didn't get toooo much of a ride as he had to keep doubling back to see if I had gotten stuck behind any other stock trucks???? You know it really does happen. Photos soon to show you ......... DOES happen.