Originally Posted by
LISTERJAG
Just got home from the 1 day ride and wanted to thank Ryan, Collin and the other competitors that made this a "Grand Day Out"!
I rode with my friend Wayne (G650XChalenge), we rode a Chatto Crk 1000 miler a few years ago and have similar skill levels.
While my bike will hold 43 litres and has a range of 650km's, Wayne's bike, even with an additional 7 litre saddle tank and a 5 litre container on a little tray out back should have been good for a little over 400km's, so we planned on refueling at Hanmer Springs on the way down and Murchison on the way back to Nelson.
Things were a little rushed prior to the start, my wife and I had a wedding in Taupo on new years eve and Wayne was camping on his boat in Havlock, I flew down to CHCH on new years day to pick bikes and trailered them through to Havlock for the night. We got into Nelson in time for a shake down run over the Maungatapu track and a quick shower before the lovely BBQ and riders briefing.
Woke before the alarm went off and headed away at 4.25am, reasoning it would be just as dark at 5.00am. First cock up was my gps started up in simulator mode which due to me being gps green I didn't realise until daylight, never mind was only using it for average speed.
Second cock up was poor old Wayne hit the "big hole" 15mins out, and was off the bike complaining about a compressed spine, what ever that is. He was obviously in a lot of pain, all doubled over and having a fair old winge, still no time for sympathy, so on we went. The force of the seat compressing his spine was going to cause problems later as it ripped out 1 of the saddle-tank mts on the rr sub frame.
No prob's for the first 3 hours, 205 km's and looking good, then it started to go a little pear shaped, couldn,t find the Black Birch track, headed up another track about 5 km's up the road, realised it wasn't the right 1, doubled back, found the right gate and rode to the top where things got even more pear shaped! At 1 point within metres of the top, there was a very exposed ridge line, I got blown into the water table, hade both feet flat on the ground but still got blown over, Wayne stopped, same thing happened to him, he crawled on all 4's up to where I was, we still couldn't lift the bike against the wind. We swung it round on the left rocker cover so it was facing into the wind got it upright but had to start it to move it into the wind. Couldn't talk, all done with hand signals. We buggered about getting off the exposed bit, dropping the bikes again in the process, thought I was going to have to leave mine there due to the resulting damage (cracked lh mirror). Rode down passing, Pete, Matt and Ian whom we were going to see a lot of during the day. Stopped and warned James.
Wayne' saddle tank needed emergency repairs by the time we got off the Black Birch track, we just ratchet tied it on and hoped for the best.
Matt, Ian and Pete caught up with us in the Molsworth, was following Ian for a while thinking, "great lines, now we are going quicker", when I came over a rise into a left hander which tightened, all crossed up trying to kill enough speed to stay on top of the bank, I was in the exact same predicament on the Omarama ride but carrying more speed which meant straightening up and riding off the edge was the only option then. Luckily this time I managed to stay on top of the bank, left some scary marks though, (on the side of the road as well as in my shorts)!
Because of the stuff up we made navigating earlier, Wayne's bike run out of fuel running down the hill into Hanmer, we transferred some from my bike, refueled and headed up the Rainbow, no real dramma's, there is a deceiving approach into a ford that caused some excitement for Wayne, that might have been where he lost his 5 litre container.
Wayne was following a 4wd into a big ford not far b4 the tarmac when he may have hit a rock dug up by the 4wd, he dropped his bike to the left and I dropped mine to the right. On we went with boots full of water, through St Arnauts where Ian Matt and Pete had stopped for fuel and a pie.
No real drama's apart from getting lost again on the way to Spring's jct, Ian had to calm an irate cow farmer who objected to us riding through his farm!
Down to Spring's jct and more drama, I was helping Wayne refuel (hurry up, hurry up!) I never secured his main fuel cap properly which meant he was loosing fuel, the reserve light come on coming out of Palmer's road, I was ahead and unaware of his prob's. He stopped at the garage again and managed to find a rocker cover cap off a Mitsy, which helped a little, still only had a 60km fuel range, bugger. We made it back to Murchison, Ian, Matt and Pete where there, they had a little fuel prob as well.
We tanked up Wayne's bike bought another 5 litre container, strapped it onto my bike and headed for Nelson. Further delays when Wayne stopped for removing 1 of his driving lights which had come loose. We stopped at Tapawera when he ran out of fuel again, put the 5 litre in, discussed which way we turned off the bridge, I said left, Wayne took this to mean left onto the bridge? I was pressing on to make it back in 17 hr's, rode about 5 km's up the road realised Wayne wasn't following, waited then road back thinking he might have other probs, could not find him, thought he may have gone right off bridge, realised he cocked up and had doubled back when I was looking for him by the forestry camp. I rode on to complete the course without seeing him again, tried calling him when I got back onto main road. Then rode to finish 17hrs 5 mins after leaving the start.
What a great ride and amazing roads and tracks, we had a ball, thanks again to Ryan for putting it together, Collin for his hospitality and the other riders for their company.
Alistair G.
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Padmei & Shane to the rescue(felt much happier going thru water on the old R100GS)
wouldnt have done it without you buddy
)Mrs Jatz for the yummy food & ms Topo for taking Tuckerbag & myself thru to Murchison Hospital
+1 Helen of Troy
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