Getting There and The Extension Being the 25th GC (Grand Challenge – 1,000miles in 24 hours), the anniversary event was marked with a 900Km extension on the Friday, to make the event up to a 2,500Km Long Weekend. As soon as the event was promoted I registered my interest and must have got in pretty quick as I was surprised a couple of months ago, when I got my registration pack in the mail, to see that I was #1. Also, as per the 20th GC, a video was being made of this event. Having done this event five times before, I am pretty well prepared, the bike is always ready for a ride, it had its 120,000 Km service on 26/9, which included a new front tyre (Bridgestone 023), then after having rear tyre problems, it received a new rear on 10/10. I had also bought a new ST in October, but with only 3300Km on it, I thought I’d keep the red to do this job before trying to sell it. One change to my GC preparation this year was that I bought a GPS at the beginning of the year, so I tried programming previous routes into it from the old Ride Instructions. I did a couple and it took over 2hours for each route, so I ended up having to take the laptop as well!!....lucky I’ve got an ST with lots of luggage capacity! My other prep consisted of a few rides, starting with a 700Km Butt Burner and building up to include a bit of night riding as well. So, apart from that, it was just a matter of pulling my GC check-list, ensuring I had everything I needed, pack the night before, give Ann a kiss and a hug on Thursday morning and say, “I’m just off for a ride! I’ll be back in 5...... (days)!” The weather forecast for Thursday was dismal, so I arranged to meet Steve at BP Mana at midday to ride straight up SH1, it was an uneventful trip, except for the part where we were too early arriving in Levin and Steve didn’t stop to wait for James (Transalp). (I seem to be making a habit of leaving him behind?) We arrived at 1515, checked into our cabins, got the bikes scrutineered (with no problems), settled in, went to fill the bikes and had a coffee in town, walked down for a feed at the Truck-Stop and later that evening, found out what Friday’s route would be, so went off to plan for that, loading it into the GPS and organising fuel stops. As it turned out, it was a very informal affair in that we could leave whenever we wanted and just had to collect three Electronic Till Receipts along the way. There were 37 starters for the extension and IanF woke me when he started at 0330 in the morning....I figured....‘he must want to get back for lunch?’ Apart from that, I slept reasonably well, arising on Friday at 0600, scrubbed up, had a feed and we rolled out at 0746. Mike (ST) had left a bit earlier, as had James who was kitted out to video other riders on the road with forward and rear facing cameras mounted on the side of his bike, but as it was wet, and Steve and I were in no hurry, I led out at a sedate pace, over the Ponanga Saddle to National Park and down the Parapara’s to our first checkpoint in Whanganui. The weather forecast for Thursday was dismal, so I arranged to meet Steve at BP Mana at midday to ride straight up SH1, it was an uneventful trip, except for the part where we were too early arriving in Levin and Steve didn’t stop to wait for James (Transalp). (I seem to be making a habit of leaving him behind?) We arrived at 1515, checked into our cabins, got the bikes scrutineered (with no problems), settled in, went to fill the bikes and had a coffee in town, walked down for a feed at the Truck-Stop and later that evening, found out what Friday’s route would be, so went off to plan for that, loading it into the GPS and organising fuel stops. As it turned out, it was a very informal affair in that we could leave whenever we wanted and just had to collect three Electronic Till Receipts along the way. There were 37 starters for the extension and IanF woke me when he started at 0330 in the morning....I figured....‘he must want to get back for lunch?’ Apart from that, I slept reasonably well, arising on Friday at 0600, scrubbed up, had a feed and we rolled out at 0746. Mike (ST) had left a bit earlier, as had James who was kitted out to video other riders on the road with forward and rear facing cameras mounted on the side of his bike, but as it was wet, and Steve and I were in no hurry, I led out at a sedate pace, over the Ponanga Saddle to National Park and down the Parapara’s to our first checkpoint in Whanganui. Between James causing a rush of blood to our heads and the temp jumping at least 6° through here, all of a sudden I found myself expiring, so a quick change of plans and we stopped in Mokau for lunch and to strip off the ‘wets’. We arrived there at 1246, doing the 145Km at an average of 95kph. It was rather pleasant having a snack then relaxing in the sun for a bit before moving on at 1322, with Steve in the lead and we now had the Awakino Gorge to look forward to. There was a bit of traffic on the road and as we were preparing to leave, Toto passed through on his Hornet and we had him in our sights. He was getting along pretty well, albeit a little more casual on his passing than us and this was OK as we slipped up the coast, but as soon as we embarked on the gorge, still stuck behind a truck, I was concerned about not maximising the enjoyment of the road, so as soon as Toto & Steve seemed to hesitate on a passing opportunity, I was in like a robbers dog and took it for them. I did have to apologise to Toto later, but ……nah….I’m just an arsehole! Between James causing a rush of blood to our heads and the temp jumping at least 6° through here, all of a sudden I found myself expiring, so a quick change of plans and we stopped in Mokau for lunch and to strip off the ‘wets’. We arrived there at 1246, doing the 145Km at an average of 95kph. It was rather pleasant having a snack then relaxing in the sun for a bit before moving on at 1322, with Steve in the lead and we now had the Awakino Gorge to look forward to. There was a bit of traffic on the road and as we were preparing to leave, Toto passed through on his Hornet and we had him in our sights. He was getting along pretty well, albeit a little more casual on his passing than us and this was OK as we slipped up the coast, but as soon as we embarked on the gorge, still stuck behind a truck, I was concerned about not maximising the enjoyment of the road, so as soon as Toto & Steve seemed to hesitate on a passing opportunity, I was in like a robbers dog and took it for them. I did have to apologise to Toto later, but ……nah….I’m just an arsehole! It was all easy riding…..except for the bit where I was daydreaming, listening to the music and suddenly found myself having to make a decision of, left to Atiamuri, or right to go over the dam. Damn…..I stayed left and hit the piks, taking Steve with me while Mike cruised past thinking, “Bloody idiots!” (James had swapped to film another group from Paeroa). We scooted down ’32 and arrived at Turangi at 1831, doing the last 231Km at an average of 101kph. It was an easy ride and pleasant day in the end. The GPS had me a couple of K’s short of the 900 (I must have been taking short lines through the corners), while my speedo said 910Km and Steves said 933Km….go figure. The Total Avg for the day was 83kph and Moving Avg was 97kph, which was easy enough on our sedate pace. After all, we still had 1600Km to embark on the next day. We checked in, had a good Rusty Feed, chatted, then looked at the GC route. …..Whew! easy Navigation but gnarly!....so I headed off to programme the GPS for the next day, before chilling out, chatting with other riders and discussing fuel options with Steve, finally hitting the sack at about 2230. The GC and Getting Home The decent ride on Friday helped to get a good night’s sleep and I was up by 0600 again, scrub-up, breakfast, then prep the gear and go over the fuel stops again. We were surprised how dead it seemed at the Turangi Cabins as usually, the place is littered with bikes and there are heaps of people about, tinkering and chewing the fat, but this year it was very quiet and it turned out, there were only 67 starters for the main event. We had been pre-warned a month or so out, that the start had been brought forward from 1500 to 1300 due to fuel shortages on the route, so we pretty much expected a foray onto the East Cape and sure enough, that was what we got. The other odd thing was, that usually Saturday drags as we ‘hurry-up and wait’ to start, but this year, with the 2 hours less, the morning seemed to be busy prep’ing and it flew past….all of sudden I seemed to be rushing to kit up, get to the briefing and took my place in the start queue with a minute or so to spare. Steve, Mike and I were last out the gate, getting separated from the others by waiting for some traffic to pass and by the time we got onto SH1 to head for Taupo, the others were gone. The weather had been most pleasant all morning, but no sooner had we gone a few K’s out of Turangi and we hit intermittent showers, some quite heavy and as we came down into Waitahanui, the weather out over the Napier-Taupo Rd looked very bleak, so we pulled over to put the ‘wets’ on. Dumb idea! Not only did we lose a few minutes, but before long, we were back in brilliant sunshine and the temp shot up, causing me to get a little uncomfortable. About this time, we caught up to CameramanJames and of course, with his shenanigans, our pleasant sedate pace became rather brisk with us cranking up through some sweepers for the camera. We had a ball, but I’ll wait until I see the footage before getting excited about it!? We were having a ball anyway….and then I had a wee moment. As I pushed the 023’s through a corner I had one of those uncomfortable squirmy moments which felt like I was rolling on a flat tyre!!?? My first thoughts were that the rear had punctured and I couldn’t believe my run of bad luck was continuing, as that would most likely mean the end to my day. I wiggled the handle bars to twitch the rear to see what it felt like…inconclusive….so I pulled over to look and kick the tyre (as you do) and it was as hard as a rock….well, as hard as thick rubber can be, loaded with 42psi. Hmmm…I carried on, albeit a little wary and my confidence to push the boundaries dashed. (Oh yes…and I did get my picture taken by a parked van, but it was alright because he got my good side….the front!) Luckily CameramanJames found others to prey on and Steve and I got back to our moderate pootle mode, running down SH5 to the coast and turning left for Wairoa on SH2. More sweet roads, but our plan was to ride moderately, with plenty of stops, and hopefully come in fresh…so we exercised restraint. We pulled into Shell Wairoa for Steve to top-up at 1544 (doing the 274Km at an avg of 101kph) and I was approached for an interview from Tess (film crew). I thought afterwards, “That didn’t really come out right!” but we were probably back on the road within 5 minutes and I was cursing because I’d forgotten to take my wets off. Steve led out again (he would lead during the day and I’d do the night with the better lights on the ST), it was more good riding up to our next fuel stop in Gisborne and although I didn’t feel totally comfortable with the rear, it wasn’t causing any real concern, then as we dropped down into Gissy, I thought I should probably pass as I had the GPS set to take us to the servo. I didn’t bother though and sure enough, when we got to the first turn off at Matawhero, Steve carried on while I took the turn. It’s a bit longer but not much 50kph, so I was already filling when he pulled in with some others. (I pulled in at 1649 so we were making quite good time doing the 98Km from Wairoa at 102kph and our total avg so far was 98kph) From here we were on to the first checkpoint at Tokomaru Bay, departing at 1705 after a leisurely 15minute stop. We had split from Mike early in the ride when we stopped before Taupo to put the wets on, then passed him on the Napier-Taupo where he was putting his on, then he passed us when Steve was filling in Wairoa and he left before us from Gissy. At this time we’d picked up another rider though (Manu on a Blackbird), then caught and followed a Beemer rider. He in turn caught then followed a cage that was fanging along just off the pace we were doing, so we were happy tag along. It was more pretty easy riding through to this point and we did the 90Km from Gissy at 94kph. After 5 minutes, Steve and I got away again, a few minutes behind Mike and from here around to Opotiki wasn’t as easy going. I don’t know if it was due to riding off the pace or what, but we both had come to the conclusion that we had ‘lost our mojo’! For me I had lost a bit of confidence with the new 023 rear due to the occasional squirm and Steve just seemed unable to settle into a groove, so we were both happy to putter along....and of course, our mojo took a big hit when the ST and ‘Busa got passed by a big Suzuki Cruiser!! Steve did pop off the road for a breather whilst going around the Cape as there were quite a lot of spots where the road had subsided (one way or the other) leaving some drop-offs or bumps in the region of 3-6”. Steve hit a bump whilst engaging a very tight left hander. As usual, I was right up his date and it was severe enough to bounce him off the seat causing his feet to disengage from the pegs. Not a great look when one is keen to apply pressure to the brakes…and can’t find a foot, or free some fingers to use. Anyway, as I eased around the corner, look of disbelief on my dial, I saw Steve bounce, straighten, (WTF), brakes….back wheel locks (puff of dust and crap from loose shit), thoughts to the effect of, “Oh crap……I hope nothing’s coming…..is he going to ease it around?…..is he going to stop?…..Oh fuck! not again!! That’s a 3’ drop there Steve….and there’s a fence………………bugger he’s gone…..ooooh! nicely popped there Steve……..Holy Shit! He’s parked it......Hell, how are we going to get it back up on the road?....(looks around for somewhere safe to park the bike)…….Ooooh, nice one Steve! (he just rode it back up the bank!!) We exchanged notes, wiped brows and moved on! As we descended down the coast it got dark and that was time for the ST to move to the front and light the way as we continued to press on to Opotiki for fuel and the 2nd checkpoint. We finally arrived at 2059 and had a reasonable stop here, snacking, cleaning visors and so on. We were off the pace though doing the 237Km leg at an avg of 85kph. We were back on the road at 2119, heading back to Gissy over the Waioeka Gorge. I was back in the lead and it wasn’t long before we were on a long straight with a car coming from the other direction… and it had very bright lights. I wasn’t sure that he had his lights on full so gave him the benefit of the doubt and didn’t flash him, but I just focused on the area to his left to try to protect my night vision. As we honed in on him, it appeared he wasn’t moving and then I got a hell of a fright when at the last minute I realised the road swung away to the right of the lights and they were actually floods mounted atop some sort of harvester in a paddock on the left of the road....Talk about getting sucked into the rocks by a siren!! I got over that and we had quite a good ride through the gorge as, after the East Cape road, this one seemed wide and the surface was pretty clean, although it was a very dark night. With the temp dropping back below 16° at night, I seemed to feel more comfortable on the rear tyre although we still kept to our sedate pace and just pootled along. Apart from that I don’t remember a great deal of the section until we approached Gissy and there were red & blue lights flashing in the distance, and as we got close we could see there were several of them with a cop on the road so we pulled up to learn there had been an accident ahead and we had to detour around it. Luckily the cop advised it was a cage and not a bike so we continued, happy in the knowledge it wasn’t a Rusty Rider as we headed to the next fuel top-up for Steve at Wairoa. We finally pulled up to the Shell Wairoa at 2355 having only averaged 86kph to Gissy, but lifted that to 89kph for the 232Km from Opotiki. With Steve gassed and me relieved again (yep….still the Dysentery Dog) we were ready to move onto the next checkpoint in Havelock……more pootling over good roads in the middle of the night and steady as she goes. We got a surprise though as we trundled through what we expected to be a ‘sleepy hollow’ at 0141 on a Sunday morning and it was buzzing with heaps of revellers and bright lights. We’d managed 86kph over this short 137Km leg. We enjoyed a 15minute stop here to loosen up and have a snack, departing at 0155 to head along Middle Rd through Patangata, coming out at Waipawa and stopping for more gas at Waipuk’. Mike and Manu were still a few minutes ahead, but we seemed to be catching them and finally did so as we turned back onto SH2. We tucked in behind for the next few Km and arrived in Waipuk’ at 0236. (57Km at 84kph) The four of us stuck together from here on, departing at 0248 for the next Checkpoint at Eketahuna. We did have to do a wee diversion through Takapau and Ormondville (to note some stupid sign for Red Metal), re-emerging on SH2 at Norsewood and once again, Steve and I were happy to tuck in behind the others. We hit some roadworks just before Woodville and as Manu and I were following along the same rut as Mike, we got led through a decent size pothole, seeing it coming with only enough time to think, ‘Oh shit!’ but not enough to react and avoid. I’d also put my wets back on in Havelock Nth, expecting to ride into bad weather (although they also were keeping me warmer) and we did hit some heavy rain through here, but it was short lived and cleared for the rest of the journey. We were checking into an empty G.A.S. stop at 0412, doing the 128Km at 91kph and it was starting to feel like we were getting on top of the ride with only 360’ish Km and about 4 hours to go. We continued on at 0422, with Mike and Manu still leading but once we got onto the road through Mangamaire and over the Track, I thought it was prudent to take the lead to give the Northerners something to follow, through what I assumed was unfamiliar territory. It was unfamiliar to all of us though because as we climbed and went over the Track itself, we were plunged into a real ‘Pea-Soup’ thick fog with what seemed like little more than 10-20metres visibility. I figured I had some idea of where the road was going and could maintain a reasonable pace, but when I was thinking I was coming into the tight right hander hairpin and it turned out to be a lefthander….well??!! We were soon out of it though, through Ashhurst and onto Feilding to get a top-up for Manu to get his Blackbird to Taihape. We rode into the BP at 0514 and were out again by 0520, with the plan to have another decent stop at the BP Taihape where we would get our last load of fuel for the ride. We were filling by 0615 and had a good relax because after the 900Km on Friday, our butts were starting to feel pretty tight. I had been standing on the pegs to stretch as we went through 50kph zones, but by this stage, in order to stand, I would have to rock back and forth a few times to get enough momentum to get me out of the seat. I was also shuffling up onto the back seat for a change of pressure on the butt, but in order to even do that, I would have to put my left hand onto the back seat to lift myself off the front seat. I had also started to yawn, so the rest was welcome. We got back on the road at 0648 and I felt alert and fresh again, we only had 200Km to go it was light and I had removed all the ‘wets’ (one of the reasons my butt was so sore). Mike led out again as I declared I had done my bit and we meandered through Waiouru, across SH49, then onto the Whangaehu Valley Road to take Fields Track across to Kakatahi on the Parapara road for the last checkpoint. It was quite funny to be riding on the single lane Fields Track and to see a sign, “Road Narrows”!! It is quite beautiful through here though and the road is in pretty good condition at the moment, so by 0743 we had descended and were getting the cards punched for the last time. I had set a target of 20 hours for the ride this time around, and I was feeling pretty good after the easy riding and frequent stops. As we were heading through Wairoa on the way to Gisborne, the GPS had been advising a finishing ETA of 0600, but that had steadily crept out and by the time I hopped back on the bike for the last squirt back to Turangi, the GPS was advising an ETA of 0859. “Damn!” I thought, I can’t go over the 20hours, so a bit of fun was required….and the roar as the ST took of from the CP ……was as squeaky & whiny as ever! I flew past Mike who had left moments before me as I settled into a nice brisk, but sub-fang pace. I was still generally riding within the ‘Allowable Limit’, occasionally edging over it on the way to Raetihi, then I eased back a notch. There had been a few slips through here and apparently one of them had come down as the lead rider was passing. It put him off his bike but he had been able to continue and by the time we came through, it had been cleared, but they had left a very greasy film of mud and gray papas clay on the surface. Care was therefore required and although the bike felt like it wanted to step out, care and a good line kept it on track…and me in the seat. In no time I was scooting past Lake Rotoaira, through Rangipo and back to the camp with Steve in tow (He caught up at National Park) and we checked in at 0854. We had completed the 1616Km in 19:54 with a Total Avg of 81kph and Moving Avg of 92. What had seemed a rather gnarly, tight course on first look at the map, hadn’t actually been that bad after all, although we had tackled it sedately and that obviously had a lot to do with not getting too fatigued. We chatted over our hearty Rusty Finishers Feed, relaxed and chatted more in the sun, wandered down to the loacal Chinese for another feed and generally chilled out and chatted until finally retiring at around 2130, at which time I’d been up for nearly 40hours….and that certainly ensured I got a good 8hours kip. Monday morning I was up again by 0600, packed, fed, fuelled and on the road for home by 0845. Steve was off to Napier, so we rode to the start of the Gentle Annie together, and the rest of the trip back to Wellington was a bit of an inconsequential blur down SH1, getting back to the office by 1216. It was another awesome weekend, organised with the usual Rusty Efficiency. The rides and the feeds were great, and I now have 6 GC’s under my belt. I managed to do just under 3200Km over the five days and the bike is 40Km short of needing its 126,000Km service….that’s not bad since it only had the 120,000Km service on 26/09/11.
0 Comments
I picked up the new bike yesterday. It’s a pre-loved 2011 Honda ST1300 with (2700Km) ….3,300Km on it now as I picked it up in Auckland and rode it home. Cam was a champ, delivering the bike to the airport so all I had to do was fly in at 1400, swap the cheques for the keys and change of ownership papers, walk to the carpark and there it was. Pristine! It’s funny how a new-beaut-black-beauty, even with a bit of road grime from getting to the airport, looks pristine and new-beaut…and of course this bike isn’t ‘brand’ new, but 3,000Km….shucks, it’s barely run in! So for all intents and purposes, I now have a new bike. It has also come with a few extras as well. Top Box is an essential piece of kit. I have a first aid kit and compressor permanently strapped in, and then there’s the pens, tissues, camera, spare skivvy or two, water etc. etc., only this one also has a spoiler fitted with a high stop light. There are liner bags for the panniers and topbox, plus a two-part tank bag with zip together small and large, or interchange (as if 30Kg isn’t enough luggage to carry on a bike. I know what’s going to happen now…..Ann will want to upgrade from the straightening irons to full blown hair dryer…or both!? Stebel Horn is better than the stock standard squeaker and it has side running lights above the heads that double as extra indicators by flashing brighter. Pads are fitted to the side and rear of the tank, as well as the back of the fairing and extra crash bars fitted in front of the panniers. These impede the pillion pegs so there are lowering brackets to be fitted to take them down and forward. I think that’s all, except when it got dark last night, I noticed an odd glow around the front wheel and though, ‘that’s odd, has he put some other lights in?’ then didn’t think much more about it, until later on when I was going through a town and stood up to stretch. I happened to look down over the screen and noticed a plastic headlight guard fitted and it was obviously refracting some of the light out the edges. All in all, it’s a pretty damn nice bike and all the kit was loaded in the topbox and one bag so I opened the other bag and started to prepare myself for the trip home. Jacket off (damn it was hot) liner out, helmet gloves and balaclava out and stow the helmet bag, earplugs out (no GPS so I stole Ann’s I-pod), stow the bag with the first aid kit, puncture repair kit, duct tape and ties. Take a couple of pics (just in case). Take of the right bag to check the tyre pressures (I’ve always been a bit pedantic about that and more so after recent events), put on wet overpants but stow the jacket and finally ready to go so I slip around to the Zed to top up the air and get water for me…..damn it was hot at 20°! I’m finally away at 1530, after expiring in a queue waiting to pay for the water, and shit it was nice to get moving. Oddly enough, I felt right at home on this new bike, but having noted the OEM tyres were Bridgestone 020’s, which I was never totally comfortable with on the Red, I took it carefully. There was moderate traffic and I made good time and in the end I decided to stick to SH1 for the whole trip (except for the 1B bit to avoid Hamilton of course). This was due to wanting to keep the pace off the relatively new engine and it’s easier to exercise constraint on the main roads, also, the weather was coming from the west so SH1 was going to keep me out of it for a bit longer…..and it seems years since I’ve been on that road. I was going to have to put the wets jacket & gloves on at some stage as well as refuel, but I wanted to defer both as long as possible and if I made to Taupo, I could do both together, however, by the time I got to Putaruru, the temp had dropped to 15° and the drizzle was getting more frequent and heavier, so I stopped for a natural break, a pie, put the liner back in the jacket and kitted up for the worst to come. The 10-15minute stop was a good choice, although the weather did have a few clear spots at times, it was generally wet roads and steady drizzle from here on, but I made good time through Tokoroa and around Taupo (first time I’ve been over the whole Bypass…primo)
By the time I got to Turangi it was about 1900 and I was down to 2 bars, so that was a good place to stop again. I filled, relieved, sent a couple of texts, put the gear on and took off at 1915…..hmmm get down the road a bit and something doesn’t seem right…hand to chin….shit!! Helmet’s not secured! Don’t you hate struggling into the overgloves, then have to stop to do it all again!? I pulled over at Rangipo, took off one glove, got it sorted and away again. From here I had to climb into the gloom and cloud with beggar all visibility, but I maintained the speed on the allowable limit. It got a bit harder though, as SH1 is crap in the wet with having to be careful to avoid the slick tar patches and strips, but the rain wasn’t heavy enough to keep the visor clean and the lights from the oncoming trucks made it impossible to see the road surface. Oh well, keep the load of the right hand, try to stay on the hump and hope. I did have a couple of squirmy moments, but all in all, I had an uneventful ride home, arriving at 2235hrs. The first leg was at 17.8K/Ltr and the second at 18.2K/Ltr and I noticed the bike isn’t quite as economical ad the Big-Red…but then that one kept getting more economical all the way to about 70,000Km…so I guess we’ve still got some loosening up to do. I managed the 648.3Km in 7hrs, so that was about 92kph overall average and probably close to 99kph moving. The bike now has 3,351Km on it and I guess I would have to describe it as a New-Beaut-Black-Beauty! My only planned changes will be to fit a power socket for the air and GPS, the GPS mount and I have it booked to see the pinstripe man in a couple of weeks. I know you’re thinking, “Yeah Right!”...but we did,...we did see the Gorgeous Babes!.....Well,... we saw pictures of them. I guess they weren’t in because it was Sunday!? Today was a SH2 Claytons Ride to Mangatainoka. That’s the ride you have up SH2, when you’re not actually riding up SH2! I recovered from last weekend’s trauma with my spewyy blog and thread about Mr Avon and I was looking forward to sampling the new Bridgestone 023’s on a decent ride. It was unfortunate that our ride clashed with the WIMA Pink Ribbon ride, which I usually attend, but them’s the breaks and I got away from home at 0900, topping up a little air in the rear at the Ngaio G.A.S. and topped up the fuel at Caltex Rimutaka, getting to Brown Owl at a little after 0930 with Steve. By 1000, we had 7 and in preparation for this ride, I had programmed and loaded four alternative routes, ranging between 165Km and 230Km, so we could select the best option depending on who and how many riders turned up. With the 7, we opted for the 2nd longest route at 191Km, had a short briefing and I led out over the hill, with Steve at TEC on the XT. Richard passed me through the 2nd passing lane and that was the last we saw of him, so that left 6 of us to carry on after the regroup in Featherston. We continued up SH2, even though the aim of the ride was not to ride on SH2, but unfortunately, the options from Featherston are long, or limited to gravel and river crossings, so we pootled on through Greytown, finally getting off the highway at Swamp Rd, then taking Watersons Line etc, etc via Carrington and back out at SH2 on Norfolk Rd, by the Waingawa River bridge. As soon as we were across the bridge and into the Masterton town limits, we took the bypass, Loopline, another short stint on SH2, then the Mauriceville Rd up to Kaiparoro. Nice riding at a sedate pace and we were crossing SH2 again and onto South Road No2, then it was a hop & a skip into Eketahuna for a brief stop. We’d only done 123Km in 1:48, (69kph average), so a quick consult with Steve and we altered the route to the shortest option as it was nearly midday. We got back on our way, straight across SH2, to take Halswell Rd, onto Alfredton Rd, then Mangaone Valley Rd past Rongomai, almost to Pahiatua, turning off on Mangaramarama Rd, which took us across the Pongaroa Rd and into Mangatainoka via the back. This was another 39Km in 36min (64kph avg). As far as an SH2 Clayton ride goes, we did pretty well with only 2.1Km on SH2 after the Swamp Rd turnoff out of a possible 87.2Km. At last we were at the Tui Drinker’s Mecca, ordering a man’s portion of bacon and egg pie (except it came with girlie rocket) and keeping a weather eye out for the gorgeous babes....Hmmm....we’ll need to come during the week next time as all we saw, apart from the Fry Girl, was the Employee of Month notice and a collection of gnomes!!
Oh well, we enjoyed the feed, a chat, then took shelter from the rain which seemed to be settling in, so we kitted up to get back on the road. With the weather to the south looking pretty dismal, we canned the idea of enjoying more of the back roads and lit out along SH2, pausing in Pahiatua for the others to top-up, (I still had 2/3 of a tank) then with the weather improving as we approached Eketahuna, I opted to deviate along North Rd. Steve and I did have a wee moment along here as we crested a rise only to see water oozing across the road as we entered a left hander, so I straightened through it, crossed the centreline, then threw the ST around the corner. (the water did feel a bit greasy) Looking in my mirrors, I saw Steve had bailed on the corner, popped off the bank and onto a farm track before swinging back around onto the road....lucky he was on the XT and not the ‘Busa! Back on the main road, we took the bypass, lost the other two coming back onto SH2 at Waingawa, and although we edged off the pace, they didn’t seem to be gaining through the traffic all the way to Featherston, so at that point, we got on with the job and enjoyed a briskish pace over the hill. I stopped at Steve’s for a coffee before finishing the 30Km back to Ngaio, getting home at 1650, having done 378Km for the day at an economy of 18.9K/Ltr. The bike now has 122,769Km on it and I pick up the new ‘Black’ tomorrow. It was a good day and the easy pace was good to get the feel of the 023’s which, at this stage, I’m pretty happy with. It’s just a pity the Gorgeous Babes weren’t in!!+ One would expect to get warm fuzzies over buying a new bike!.....and of course….one does! The thrill of the hunt when looking; the excitement and drooling when spotting a target; the anticipation and longing to get ones hands on it when wistfully gazing at the pics on Trademe or other internet source full of praise and illustrations for that of which you have chosen….(and what a wise and canny person you were to spot this item and realise what a wonderful choice you were making); and then one gets the up close and personal look at the clean, shiny, magnificent beast…the object of ones desires which looks just like it did in the photos…only better,… and one can pour over the refinements that have been added, admire the deep lustre of the black paint (if it black of course) glistening in the sun (if it’s outside the garage of course) ….and listen to it roar as one starts it up ….or squeakily wine if it’s an ST1300…..but knowing the breed intimately, one knows of the wolf that lurks beneath that squeaky wine!! Aaaaahh….the warm fuzzies when saying “I do” to a new marriage, made in heaven, of man and beast!..... …..and then you’ve got to get home and get the bastard home!! Well, I have already blogged of my wonderful ride to view the new beast and of course the woes of having a blowout on a motorbike and the merits of Mr Avon’s product. But now I’ve experienced another damper on the process. Buying over the internet is easy….too easy….stuff from all over to choose from, select and buy. Deal done. But when it comes to buying vehicles, one usually likes to view them first, then one needs to decide whether to transport or collect. In my case, the viewing was easy….it was just a hop & a skip from Wellington to Kaukapakapa and back…..almost, and by throwing in a couple of diversions it was easy enough to get it up to 1500Km for the day ride, but with the admiring and drooling done, the decision had to be made to transport or collect. Well…once again….what self-respecting biker would turn down the opportunity for a ride? Right…warm fuzzies are fading as we get into the practicalities of scraping together the appropriate ping and organising flights….and that’s where they disappear altogether (if one tries dealing with…..Jetstar!!!) Once again, one goes online to check-out what’s available, when and how much. Oh dear…we find that Mr Jetstar is offering flights at $69, compared to Mr Air NZ at $350-$400. Hmmm…haven’t heard nice things about / don’t like Jetstar….buuut…..better go Jetstar. Check with vendor, that day’s fine, great,….go online to book! Hmmm…better check the ‘Strictly One Bag Only’ policy (I’ll have a skid lid and small bag)…Rings, presses myriad of buttons to get a message about bags……shit!.....rings again, through to phone bookings…..”that’s alright, fine, thankyou, I’ll book online” Bugger! Fare’s gone up to $109!....no problem, still cheap. Hit the Book Flight button! Bugger! Now it’s $119!.....no problem, still cheap. Hit the Pay Fare button! !!....Buuggger! Now it’s $123!.....Bloody Booking Fee!.....no problem, still cheap. Hit the Pay Fare button! (Oh yes…No I didn’t want more legroom for $40, to pick my own seat for $4, insurance for $10, an so on and so on, etc, etc) !!!....WTF!!! Now it’s $127!.....WTF (as a light colouring comes to the cheeks), Bastards, it didn’t accept the transaction as payment was $4 short… but got to have it. Change amount and hit the Pay Fare button! !!!!...Whaaat! Now it’s $131!.....Steam is starting to rise as he reaches for the phone to call the Phone Bookings. Gets through the myriad of buttons…”Hello, blah, blah, …I went online to book and the fare was $109, blah, blah, blah…..$131??? “Where was your flight from Sir? …And where to? …What day was that? …How much did you say that was? …Oh. Because my system says that should be $149! “You’re kidding me! I start at $69 and every time I hit the button it goes up and now you want $150!” “No Sir! I never said that! I did not say $150” “What! Blah, blah, rant, rant, blah (reddening and tone indicating a valve might soon blow). OK, so if I book through you now, how much will it cost?” “$149” Valve Blows….”That’s Bullshit!!!...double blah, double rant, triple blah….Jam your arsehole airline up your arse!!! And I gently replace the phone on the hook with enough force to be concerned that it might not work again. Vendor is calmly rung to arrange a pick-up next week, when I can fly with Air NZ at a reasonable rate. OK’d. Done & Dusted. (and I can take 23Kg of luggage). Don’t you love the warm fuzzies you get when buying a new bike!? …and the warm glow that comes with the memories when relating your saga to mates!? One of my lovely mates thought I needed this……and it’s so true!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPyl2tOaKxM&feature=related FU Mr Avon!! You can take your Storm 2 Ultras and shove ‘em where the sun don’t shine. I’ve had nothing but great riding off the Avon Storms but my last three rears (all Storm 2 Ultras) have cost me a fortune and given me no end of grief. The attached refers for the first two, to which I received no comment or reply….and then there was this weekend!! The bike has been running great, I did have to get a Battlax 023 fitted to the front (I might note that this was because of Mr Avon’s continued utter slackness with maintaining stock and weren’t due to have more in until the third week of October). This weekend’s ride was doubling as a final GC conditioning ride (including a bit of night riding) and to look at a potential new acquisition, New-Beaut-Black-Beauty ST to replace the Big-Red. Before Sunday’s ride, the Avon on the rear had only done 5,800Km, although I noted the wear would probably require taking it off for the GC, but it would have enough left in it to keep and put back on later. Throughout the time this tyre has been fitted, I’ve never felt totally comfortable and although it’s possible that all wasn’t well and I was occasionally sensing a flaw, I thinks it’s more likely I’m a head-case, and having lost confidence in the brand I would be constantly aware….was that a twitch!?....is the tyre going flat and did it just ooze slightly!?.....watch out for the tyre, better take it easy through here!...what a dreamer, that was a breeze and you just nailed that delightful set of twisties!!...there’s nothing wrong with the Storms!!! …Make mine a Tui please? Well, my misapprehensions turned out to be well founded on Sunday as I was cruising down SH1, had just filled in Taihape and was into the final leg for home with an anticipated arrival time between 1715 & 1730. I was on a passing lane approximately 5Km south of Hunterville, or 29Km north of Bulls if you will, in fact Silverhope I believe…. anyway, I was sitting at a few kph’s faster than the general traffic and taking advantage of the passing lane to take the last two vehicles in a line of traffic. I haven’t checked the tracklog at this stage but estimate I was probably sitting at 115 – 120kph as I passed the front of the lead car when I heard a distinct pop and experienced a sinking feeling. The sort you do when the air explodes from a rear tyre on your 450Kg missile. Combined with the sinking feeling was a rather nasty squirmishness, nothing to do with nausea or the like, but my arse immediately puckered and tried to grip onto the seat for dear life as the rear shimmied. Fortunately, everything worked in my favour! I was travelling dead straight in the middle of the lane on a long straight, I had cleared the first car and I don’t know if he saw my predicament and slowed to give me space….but he slowed and dropped back. This was rather fortuitous as I could have had two big beasty cages bearing down on me at a time when I had to stop and had no control over where I would end up. I froze at the controls, although not a stiff and rigid frozen…more of a relaxed, panic stricken, BHM moment, where one does nothing to upset the equilibrium of the situation. I let the Big-Red have its head, whilst gently trying to ease off the pace and guide it to the very wide verge, all the while aware of the several tonnes of steel ready to flatten me if I went down. I do recall hitting the indicator and trying to signal my plight to those that would have me, and as I mentioned they played ball….didn’t stop to see if all was OK afterwards but!! The bike would shimmy and settle repeatedly as it slowed and eased to the verge and 400 odd metres later came to a safe standstill. I was both relieved and absolutely gutted. I was in one piece but knew exactly what had happened and a quick check of the rear confirmed. A few phone calls and all would be well! …Well! A few phone calls and I got the rescue ball rolling!? Someone close by…no answer, bugger, must be out riding! Ring Ann, “Call this one to get his ute and a trailer, but try this one as well to see if we can get a bike trailer?” More calls and texts and finally she was on her way, and arrived at 1940, just on dusk. We pulled out the ramp, lined up the bike and on she goes……yeah right!! The front got onto the trailer deck, but the rear, which wasn’t being very co-operative decided to spit the ramp out the back, catching Ann on the shin and leaving the 300Kg bagless but fully fuelled beasty half on and half off…and no way the two of us could attempt to move it. Fortunately it was balanced and we didn’t have to stay to support it. We needed help….I might note at this point, that over the 4 hours, I had been passed by the best part of 100 cars and 20 odd bikes. One biker (a Beemer rider) stopped and assisted by contacting the nearest farmer, Mark Boyle (the bikes preferred mechanic) and his friend recognised the bike and rider, stopped and left water and a ramp (which was fine for a trail bike but seemed a little frail so I was loathe to use it for the ST) and in the knowledge I was under control, they carried on. ….and a couple of other vehicles and bikes slowed, then carried on when I gave the thumbs up. Oh, and the local cop stopped when he saw me on his 2nd pass. (He thought I was just having a break on the 1st time round) Anyway, it was dark by now so I put on my reflective vest, turned my head-torch to flashing red, grabbed my silver helmet bag and tried to wave down help while Ann rang the police. Bugger me!! Of another 20 odd cars, two slowed then scarpered and one stopped. A French Rugby fan heading for Wellington…and then the policeman turned up and we were four.
We got the bike off the trailer, lined it up again, packed some wooden blocks under the ramp to help support the weight, and tried again….and got stuck again. The uncooperative rear wouldn’t track on the ramp and as soon as the front got on the trailer, the weight to the side was twisting the ramp. Stuck again and I don’t recall how, but we got the bike off again, deliberated on strategies but it was a call from the cop to a local farmer that resulted in the delivery of a small, stout, steel framed ramp/block, the belly pan scraped but we got the bike on, tied it down and got on our way with a promise to shout our newly acquired French friend a meal in Bulls and, as he hadn’t booked any accommodation, a bed for the night. Unfortunately, at 2200 on a Sunday night, only MacDonalds is open in Bulls….but we did get a serving of 2nd half All Blacks vs Argentina with our Kiwi Burgers. We watched the game out then got on our way, me driving the ute & trailer, Ann travelling with our new friend, to guide in case we got separated in traffic and we finally arrived home at 0020….I was absolutely shattered after a 4hour Saturday night nap then 1300Km and 25+hours straight. This morning I dropped the bike in and ordered a Bridgestone Battlax BT023 to match the front. Thank you Mr Avon, it was nice knowing you but our relationship has come to an end!! I will never willingly choose to put one of your tyres on my bikes!!!! This weekend was programmed for my last conditioning ride for the GC (with only 3 more weekends to go and a club ride next weekend) and since missing out on the big Honda sale, although I was resigned to keeping my bike, I’ve kept a weather eye out for a replacement ST. There have been several nice looking ST’s on TradeMe and I turned down a good offer in Masterton, as I thought, “Nah, keep the $’s and keep the Big Red, it’s got 122,000Km on it, but it’s going great.” ...But, then there was a mint 2011 model listed from up north, with many extras at what I thought was a reasonable price. I wouldn’t have bothered with many of the extras myself, and didn’t particularly want them, but ‘what the hey’, they all contribute to enhance the ride for visibility, safety and convenience, so I contacted the vendor and although conditioning rides are usually only 700-1100Km, I had the opportunity to kill two birds with one ride. (I might note here that I’d probably decided to buy the new bike before I left home though). I had identified that I needed some night riding a couple of weeks back and couldn’t think of any decent rides I wanted to do, so this was bloody handy, I compared a couple of potential routes on MapSource and set the alarm for 2300 on Saturday night, when retiring at 1900 (or should I say, ‘half-time’). I awoke briefly a couple of times, but when the alarm went, I felt pretty good, scrubbed up, said goodbye to Ann, who was still up, and ended up getting on the road early at 2340 (instead of the planned midnight). The tank and tyres were full, it was 10º (in the garage), so I put a skivvy on and the liners in my pants and got on my way. (the real temperature immediately being revealed at 8º) I was early so had plenty of time and rode up SH1 at a very sedate and economic pace, turning onto SH3 at Sanson and going through to Wanganui, as I figured, where better for a decent night ride than through the Paraparas. (I did pause in Whanganui though, to put the rainoff gloves and rain jacket on to provide some more resistance to the cold. That was a good move as cutting across National Park on SH47 saw the temp generally at 3º, but it did dip to 1º! The trip up SH1 was quite pleasant with no traffic and a full moon, although it certainly didn’t rate as prep’ for night riding, but the Para’s were simply delightful. It was pretty cold, especially for this time of year, but it was dry and I couldn’t help but consider the improvements in the road over the past few years. In 2008, I went up here on the Mini’s Return and really caning it, I managed the ride to Raetihi in 45minutes. Here I was now, riding in a brisk but relaxed manner with minimal braking and clocking around 50minutes. I’m always quick to complain about the powers that be ruining our roads, but even on a bike, this ride is much better in terms of the surface (safety), ease of riding and easy passing opportunities when needed. Bloody marvellous ride. With the Para’s out of the way, I had to endure a few boring straights and reasonable chill factor through National Park, then when I got to the Ponangana Saddle, I clipped the pace back slightly as the road was wet and I was getting the odd spot of precipitation and after filling at Turangi, I took SH41 to Kuratau Junction and up the Western Access. This was a mixed bag of occasional rain, wet and dry road, but I upped the pace a little, knowing I was ahead of schedule, but I was getting into the groove and what the hey, who am I to ‘rain on my parade’...and SH32 isn’t a road that should be taken slowly! With time to think along SH32 a plan started to develop on how to kill the extra time I had, so by the time I was getting into the juicy bits along the Dam on Waipapa Road, I had decided that my best option was to enjoy the crap out of this through to Kihikihi, Te Awamutu and Pirongia, then instead of emerging on SH1 at Ngaruawahia, I was finally (since the 2007 disgusting GC) going to resample Highway 22...in the dry. Bloody Sweet is all I can say! Once again I wasn’t pushing it, but enjoying a brisk pace, at what I would describe as the relaxed end of ‘GC Mode’, starting at dawn and finishing in the full light of day. From here it was motorway riding, but there wasn’t a lot of traffic at this time of a Sunday morn’, (which is good for protection and economy) and instead of following Emily’s ‘Fastest Route’ option, I decided to go up the Western Route past Henderson, as I hadn’t been up that way for years and got to Hellensville for a snack at 0830....just right! Egg Sandwich and water consumed and it was a short hop and skip to view the bike (impressive). So far I had done 788Km at an average of 86kph and economy of 18.3Km/Ltr, with the temp swinging from 8º down to 1º, up to 14º then settling back at a cool 12º. We agreed to proceed with the transaction and I prepared to depart for home, which involved a quick phone call home, swapping the winter Sidi gloves for the lighter Darbis (but with liners still on) and I opted to remove the wets jacket. The trip home was to be quick and direct, starting with a cut across to Dairy Flat, down through Albany Village, where I fuelled, then on to SH1, which was now loaded with a good volume of briskly moving traffic. This got me quickly back to Ngaruawahia, where once again I was able to up the pace a notch to enjoy the ride back through Kihikihi, Waipapa Rd and the Western Access. Once back on SH1 at Turangi I settled back to the standard ‘couple of klicks faster than the cages’ being quite happy to settle in behind the odd one until he got to the next queue, then move on and I pulled over in Taihape for my last fill for the day. After a short stop, I was back on the road and making good time to be back in Ngaio by 1715-1730, getting just past Hunterville, when my glorious Km filled day turned to custard...with the big blowout. (My previous blog refers). After a 4 hr wait, Ann got to me on dusk with a trailer and another 2 hrs to get the bike loaded, but in this time we met a primo bearded beemer rider, a very nice member of the constabulary, and our new friend, Helmi (pronounced correctly sounds like L-me). Having delayed his trip to Wellington for the rugby, we felt it only reasonable to offer to shout dinner in Bulls, where we managed to catch and enjoy the 2nd half of the All Black – Argentina game, and we found out he hadn’t booked any accommodation (probably because his van was a camper), so we invited him to stay. That decided, Ann leapt in with him to act as guide in case we got separated and I had to drive the ute and trailer home.
I felt surprisingly alert after only having a 4 hour nap the night before, and 23 hours straight....but that soon changed and I was having to employ all my best GC fatigue coping strategies. What a fool to keep going, but I made it home OK at 0020, totally shattered, although I had enough left in me to enjoy a chat about the day over a nice hot milo. My return trip, or at least as far as I got on the bike I managed an average of 101kph for the 437Km between fills at Albany Village and Taihape, with a moving average of 98kph to Taihape and 95kph to “that point”. I managed 1332Km for the day and the bike has 122354Km on the it....but only 7,100Km on the last ever Avon Storm 2 Ultra that that bike will see. ....I did have a good ride! As far as conditioning goes, it only took a few rides to get the butt in shape and the mind in the groove....and hey....I'll soon have a magnificent, New-Beaut-Black-Beauty ST!!! Ann had the Hawkes Bay Masters Tennis tournament to play this weekend and I don’t usually travel to these, but on this occasion it suited my purpose to go for a ride....so we did. We took Friday off and got away from home around 0900 for a quick fill at the Ngaio GAS then head over the hill to Masterton.
This was the first ride on the new Bridgestone 023 on the front and it’s been awhile since riding with Ann on the back, so the bike felt a little different and I was wary to see how the tyre would perform after not being that impressed with the OEM 021’s, so we took it easy and enjoyed the great day, albeit a little cooler than expected and an hour later we were calling in to see mum for a cuppa. While Ann sorted that, I went down the road to drop a couple of C1KC flyers at the local bike shops. After nearly an hour, we got on the road again and it was at this point that I realised the GPS had decided to play up again, because it wanted me to head back to Wellington??? I had loaded the route in on Thursday night and did notice a couple of odd tracks going nowhere as we came up through Kaitoke, but now it was apparent that, for some reason, the route had loaded as a series of out and returns to each via point??? I tried getting it to recalc’ a couple of times, then gave up and just set a new route to Kennedy Park in Napier. From here we scooted up through Mauriceville and by now I was in the groove with the extra weight and was finding no perceptible difference between the Storm and 023 front (although there was still a mind barrier). We made good time through Pahiatua, then took Bluff Rd to bypass Woodville and emerge at Oringi, took the side road through Dannevirke and for the first time in recent memory, continued past SH50, staying on SH2 for Waipuk’ and Waipawa, to take Middle Road through Havelock and onto Napier. As I pulled up at Kennedy Park, Ann advised, “We aren’t staying here, we’re at the Art Deco place down the road!” so I put that into the unit and we were soon emptying the panniers to go for groceries for the rest of the group, (we had 3 units with 13 of us and some other tennis players on site as well) then get a feed of greasies and settle in for the night’s ration of rugby. After a crap night’s sleep, Ann and the others headed off for tennis by 0800, leaving me to get ready for my ride. Part of my decision to come was to get a couple of pix to put in the ride instructions for C1KC checkpoints, so I headed back to Havelock, filling at the Mobil there before revisiting the top end of Middle Rd. The day before I had decided that the photo-checkpoint I had chosen wasn’t going to be appropriate, so I had a quick scout for another, chose and snapped it, then headed for Waiouru......chooooice! After sampling the delights of the Gentle Annie a couple of weeks ago, I was looking forward to a solo return trip over it at more of a GC pace, and I was straight into the groove, taking a quick jaunt across SH50A and Omahu Rd to get to the initial easy riding, rolling country side. By the time I started to climb, I was well into the groove and maintaining a steady but wary pace, taking care in case I encountered any loose stuff. The front tyre was performing well and I felt equally as comfortable on the 023 as I did on my favoured Storms and I was soon through the forested climb, onto the painted picture landscape of the grassy hills, then tussock and finally through the scrubby stuff at the Taihape end and out onto SH1 and the last 17Km to Waiouru. The temp had fluctuated from 14º, down to 8º and as I neared the Taihape end of the road, the wind had been steadily increasing, so when I got to Waiouru the cold squeeze was having an effect on the body and some haste was required to get my shots and on to a cafe (dunny). 20 minutes later, I was relieved and satisfied with a steak ‘n cheese pie and a coffee on board, enjoyed in a sunny spot, out of the wind. I’d thought about paying a visit to the Army Museum, but thought I better make an appearance at the tennis so got straight back on the road and found this an easier ride, being downwind, downhill, with the sun high but riding just enough into the light to make it easier to define the road surface for where there was any loose stuff, so that meant less ‘Riding the Rut’ was required. I therefore made better time back to the courts in Taradale and a study of the Track Logs revealed the outbound trip as 161Km at an average of 90kph in 1:47 with the return as150Km at an average of 94kph in 1:36. Another bloody marvellous ride. I spent the rest of the day watching tennis, then the group went out for dinner, we watched some more rugby and turned in relatively early. Sunday saw the tennis players leaving early again but I had nothing on, so took my time packing, then cruised down for air and fuel before going to the courts to settle in for the day. We were on the road for home at 1535 and being keen to get home, opted for a trip straight down SH50 and through the Wai’rapa. It was supposed to rain so I put my leggings on but we only encountered intermittent drops once we were south of Masterton, although the road was wet from there on in. This meant for a careful ride over the hill although, once again, the 023 never gave any hints of letting go and seemed fine. In the end we managed the 325Km at an average of 91kph and were home at 1900, in time to watch the league....but that was a waste of time. All in all it was a great weekend managing 1064Km to have 121,018Km on the bike, although I’m still not too happy with my riding condition for the GC at the end of the month and I think I might need a new rear for that so might consider an 023 for that as well. |
Old Blog?
These blogs were posted on the KiwiBiker forum but I decided it was time for a change. Archives
January 2017
Categories
All
|