Oky doky. Have a look at the embeded video prepared by Transalper. This is taken by an average height rider on a DR and you can see that there is even less visible clues as to the nature of the corner than in my photos (I'm a bit taller than average). Sorry about the quality of the vid.
The bush and the first part of the corner imply that the second half of the corner is similar. Yes I know assumptions are the mother of all fuckups - pretty obvious that many are making assumptions and paying the price in at this corner. You can see though that at about the apex or a couple of meters before that all is not what it seems. Unfortunately this is too late for most
It appears from the video that the vegetation is the major cause of the issue. So I believe this video supports my proposed solution of modifying the vegetation.
Cheers R
"The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools." - Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)
In the days of my XL350 I would not have ridden over an unfamiliar road like that at that speed..my 2-cents worth.
Winding up drongos, foil hat wearers and over sensitive KBers for over 14,000 posts...........
" Life is not a rehearsal, it's as happy or miserable as you want to make it"
I hear your point and I believe that DOC has overdone it in the Molesworth. However as Clint640 posted this is the only corner with such a reputation in the top of the south island.
I know of a few other "interesting" corners in the Rainbow and the Molesworth. These corners are pretty obvious for what they are the few times I've seen people get close to the edge of the road is due to them going in to hot, not because they hadn't realised that the corner is not what it seems. Case of engineering vs education - those damn E's again.
Cheers R
"The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools." - Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)
Good on ya Ryan. You've done an amazing thing with the DB & as a new adv rider really appreciate your organising an achievable fun & adventurous challenge.
I can't wait for next year but please please can there be some more KLRs. I felt really dirty riding with all those DRs - oooh have to go and shower again
So did your KLR break at all?? cos some non KLR's did. Hold your head high padmei cos we know don't we.
I mentioned vegetables once, but I think I got away with it...........
I fell off in the sand at Uriti Point 2 days ago, can we have the sand wet and compacted please Looking at the vids, yep that corners going to catch people. Having just ridden a shit load of ks around the Wairarpa I noticed that people are not welcome anywhere anymore. Everywhere I went there were "NO CAMPING" "PRIVATE ROAD" "NO ENTRY" "HIDDEN VIDEO CAMERAS OPERATING" signs. Lets face it, we are screwing ourselves into a corner. I have no desire to see my riding mates seriously hurt nor get hurt myself. I do not fool myself with the belief that my impressive riding skills will keep me permanantly upright and far from harm ( did I mention the sand?) By all means fix the corner but lets not end up with "ROAD CLOSED" signs at each end of this road.
At least not until me, my kids. Grandkids. great grandkids etc have been thru it
hows about making route sheets available for all the tricky roads in NZ just like WRC use... those that like that sort of thing can use them ... and those that dont can take their chances ... and the corner can stay just as it is ... unimbloodyproved!
"The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools."...trying to educate and engineer to prevent human folly has
already produced a world of fools... we do not need this on the rainbow... its a place to get away from wellington worry wombles!!
Looking at the corner on the video it's easy to see how people become unstuck.
It's a deceptive bend with an adverse camber and I'm assuming it's a 2 way road? Chuck in a big ass 4WD coming the other way................
I can only assume those proposing the change to tree line aren't ever going to crash at that corner again....So they're doing it to help prevent others falling into the same trap. I'm a big fan
Oky doky. Have a look at the embeded video prepared by Transalper. This is taken by an average height rider on a DR and you can see that there is even less visible clues as to the nature of the corner than in my photos (I'm a bit taller than average). Sorry about the quality of the vid.
The bush and the first part of the corner imply that the second half of the corner is similar. Yes I know assumptions are the mother of all fuckups - pretty obvious that many are making assumptions and paying the price in at this corner. You can see though that at about the apex or a couple of meters before that all is not what it seems. Unfortunately this is too late for most
It appears from the video that the vegetation is the major cause of the issue. So I believe this video supports my proposed solution of modifying the vegetation.
Cheers R
Oh so it is "implied"
Unbelieveable, you never go into a corner you dont know going oh yeah it looks like this, i assume it's sweet.
On the roads i went down in south island every one of them had corners alot worse than that, that is one easy corner, it looks like one n00bs would panic and stand up on...
Plain and simple learn to ride, that is a piss easy corner, im not saying that to prove a point, i really dont see an issue apart from it catching n00bs... if you cant handle that corner you shouldnt be on a gravel road. plain and simple...
I actually cant believe all this crying over that.
Looking at the corner on the video it's easy to see how people become unstuck.
It's a deceptive bend with an adverse camber and I'm assuming it's a 2 way road? Chuck in a big ass 4WD coming the other way................
I can only assume those proposing the change to tree line aren't ever going to crash at that corner again....So they're doing it to help prevent others falling into the same trap. I'm a big fan
Yes it is easy to see how they become unstuck because they panic, when all you have to do is look in, point the wheel at it and give it some berry's instead of doing a n00b standup and hitting the picks.
you can see from the photos on first post that the bit of road after the corner is way over the left....this is from 2 bends before, i would go hmmm wonder how it gets over there, perhaps with a tight corner...
I really cant believe all this bleating over that, if you crash there you deserve a smack on the head.
Looking at the corner on the video it's easy to see how people become unstuck.
It's a deceptive bend with an adverse camber and I'm assuming it's a 2 way road? Chuck in a big ass 4WD coming the other way................
I can only assume those proposing the change to tree line aren't ever going to crash at that corner again....So they're doing it to help prevent others falling into the same trap. I'm a big fan
It is a two way road... and 4WD bus's go through there. Often stop for passengers to take photos... even in that vid' at the start, if a 4WD was coming the other way... could he have stopped or got out of the way in time ...???
I appreciate your concern and I wouldn't have offered my support for clearing some vegetation off a corner unless I knew and trusted the OP. Yes, there is always a likely hood of someone getting all excited and taking on the task of "safetyising' the south island but it ain't these guys.
As a generalisation, adventure riders love the planet as it is and are the last ones to get involved in a sanitising process so it takes quite a lot to get any of us thinking about changing stuff like this, the debate here obviously illustrates the point.
It is quite normal to drop a bike or two on an adventure ride, the last one I did I went off a track and into a bank and lost the front on a gravel corner, thats par for the course. Look thru the trip reports and all you see is bikes stuffed over banks, upside down in rivers and scuffed up people. No ones
proposing changing any of the roads that contributed to those events, this corner seems a bit out of the ordinary and I have no problem with clearing some vegetation off it, seems prudent to me.
Originally Posted by scumdog
In the days of my XL350 I would not have ridden over an unfamiliar road like that at that speed..my 2-cents worth.
Always hard to judge speed from a video but that looked fine to me and I would have thought it wasn't much more than 60km/h.......
Magic fairy said it for me in an earlier post, regarding the damage we see to people we care about, we always accept a risk in this sport but when it becomes obvious that something should be done we need to step up and do it. Clearing vegetation does it for me, it's a low level intervention that doesn't change the road or topography merely improves your chances of not stuffing up.
can there be some more KLRs. I felt really dirty riding with all those DRs - oooh have to go and shower again
its the open backed leather chaps that all the DR riders wear that put me off - maybe if they at least wore underwear it would help (you just have to hope its only roost that hits you when you're following one)
Yep, speed in the video was around 60 leading up to the bend, could go round at that speed fine unless you turn in to late as even at 60 the bike launches as the road dips.
If a vehicle was coming the other way you should be able to see it or its dust cloud (on a dry day) even where the road isn't so obvious and I reckon you'd slow down (and hopefully the other vehicle will see you too) and get round fine unless the other vehicle cuts in
I reckon it really only will catch people out when they let their guard down and make assumptions but unfortunately not everyone is a hero and so it happens.
Moving a couple of bushes is way more effective than education.
Yes they may well deserve a crash for their stupidity but that costs all of us, or at least contributes to the ACC argument we pay for in our regos.
In summary I totally agree that people are idiots and the corner should not have to be changed but with bush manipulation no one will notice that it has been changed and anything that may save a life, even an idiots life can't be all bad.
I reckon cooneyr should have just done it offline and saved all this tiresome opinionated fuss and bother.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by scumdog
Looking at the vids, yep that corners going to catch people. 
Having just ridden a shit load of ks around the Wairarpa I noticed that people are not welcome anywhere anymore. Everywhere I went there were "NO CAMPING" "PRIVATE ROAD" "NO ENTRY" "HIDDEN VIDEO CAMERAS OPERATING" signs. Lets face it, we are screwing ourselves into a corner. I have no desire to see my riding mates seriously hurt nor get hurt myself. I do not fool myself with the belief that my impressive riding skills will keep me permanantly upright and far from harm ( did I mention the sand?) By all means fix the corner but lets not end up with "ROAD CLOSED" signs at each end of this road.
Bookmarks