A while ago I had a whoopsie when replacing the front brake pads on the WR. One fell out when I was carrying out my road test and the poor wee pistons hit the disc. I cleaned them up and bled the brakes again and they got me through the Dusty Butt and quite a few other rides ok...
But not ideal, so I picked up some new ones the other day and today I fitted them up and rebled the brakes.
First of all, isn't it great how you can just lean a trail bike onto an old tyre to give better access to the LHS?
Look Ma, no stand required...
Just like tying ya boat to the wharf...
Anyway, here's the damage:
Fitting up the pistons was easy enough (I haven't changed the seals but have them in case they are damaged or decide to leak) but bleeding the brakes was a little bit of a drama until I worked out a much easier way to use my $12 bleeder. Hint, gravity is your friend...
The lever feels way beater than before and after a quick test ride I'm liking the feel. The brakes are possibly a little better too but still not stunning - I'm spoilt by the Connie and Tenere...
Fresh that sucess, I then attempted something else and also had a win - setting the clock...
Another pretty nice day today (although there's some weather on its way) so I was co-opted into a wee ride with Colin...
Last night we made plans for looking for some gravel but this morning he rang to say that we had a relatively new rider tagging along so it was going to be a tarmac ride. I was really keen to take the Connie but on getting home with the new battery discovered that it was the wrong one...
So, the Tenere ended up being the tool of choice and just before 11 I was invaded by a Beemer and a little KTM 200.
After a quick coffee we fueled up and decided to head off for a trip around the Apiti Loop. I led off at a sedate pace (and on drier roads than last Sunday) keeping an on Eddie while Colin brought up the rear.
At the Takapari Road turn-off I decided to stop to see how things were going and if anyone wanted to go up to the top of the hill...
After a quick chat which included some discussion about road surfaces (including ice), we carried on around the loop. At the intersection which offers up Apiti or Rangiwahia we decided to continue on around to Rangiwahia.
Climbing up out of the first valley I noticed frost in the grass and then ice on the road so thought I'd stop for a quick photo.
A few more words of warning were dished out and we were off again. But dropping down into the next valley I noticed some really white stuff on the bridge and slowed down to stop for more photos. Just getting off the bike I heard the nasty sound of a skidding bike and turned to see a little KTM sliding to a stop on its side - bummer!
Luckily Eddie was ok and the bike didn't go sliding off the bridge railings and into the river...
We picked the bike up and examined the damage to find a broken rear brake lever and bent footpeg. Enter some kiwi ingenuity and the little bike was mobile again.
While there we had a few bikes come through the other way and we waved out to them to warn them of the ice. Talking to a couple of guys on Guzzi's, they told us that they'd already been warned of the ice by a DR650 rider who had also gone down on the ice. Later on I found out that he has been riding with Ian from work...Very nice wheelie from one of the Guzzi's as he left too.
Rather than carry on and potentially have to ride on more ice between Rangiwahia and Kimbolton we decided to stick with what we knew and headed back into Apiti in search of some lunch. Unfortunately the pub was shut with guard moas out front handling security.
Unsatisfied, we carried onto Kimbolton where both the cafe and pub were doing a roaring trade to bike riders and finally got that coffee and feed.
After lunch, I led the guys across to Colyton before seeing them off and heading home. Nice little pootle apart from Eddie's small issue...
So after Saturday's reintroduction to the worlds favourite pastime I was back to being a happy chappy. But then, things got even better - I managed to wangle my way onto another ride on Sunday!
Mike and Nev were assaulting Takapari Road on their KTM's and decided that they could make room for Chevvy and I. Not mad enough to take the Tenere on the ride, this was going to be an outing for the WR and Chevvy thought that Mighty Mouse could do with some moral support so brought his one up too.
After some extensive bike preparation (air added to tyres, oil squirted on chain) I was ready and once Chevvy had arrived and got a coffee inside him, we headed out to Ashhurst for fuel and to meet the KTM boys.
Initially I'd been concerned that we'd hold up the orange bikes on the seal out to Takapari Road but some earlier showers had left the road fairly wet and the WR's were mostly able to keep up with the big bikes. It is possible that the KTM's were being nice to us...
Fresh KTM
WR porn
After some squabbling about who was to go first (sacrificial lamb?), Chevvy had some words of wisdom (not something of a regular occurence):
In the end it was Nev that led off with a mouse following closely behind on the first section of gravel. After the first gate I was waved through - which meant that I got the next 2 gates...
At the top gate we had a quick photo stop before heading into the rough stuff.
The last gate signals the start of a narrow, rougher and rocky track with plenty of obstacles to pick you way through - basically fun city on a little bike.
I headed off last after shutting the gate and pretty much straight away ran up the back of Chevvy at the bottom of a climb. You'll see it on the video, but basically he looked like he was heading off after waiting for Nev, I took my eyes off him as I thought I spotted Nev in trouble climbing up the hill, Chevvy stopped, I braked hard, slid into him and dropped the WR. All my fault with no harm done to bikes or bodies but a little silly all the same. Embarrassingly it is on the video...
Having picked the bike up I chased after the KTM's and caught up with them further up the hill. After a quick regroup they sent me on my way (probably so I didn't crash into them I guess) and I hammered my way up the hill. At the top of one of the steeper rock climbs I stopped in the fog to nab a few pics.
I wonder what the weather is like in Dannevirke?
Nev
WR chasing the 1190 up the hill...
Mike doing it easy
Go Chevvy!
Still climbing higher, there was the odd spit of rain and the mist became a bit more fog-like - it even limited my top speed...
Soon the A-frame hut loomed out of the gloom and I had to slam on the brakes as I overshot it. The lads were not far behind and we had a decent breather and a yak while checking out the hut.
After much chin-wagging it was time for the descent through the murk. Once again everyone was keen for me to go first and keep out of their way. It gave me the chance to catch them ploughing through one of the larger puddles.
WR's always make a big splash wherever they go...
Mike
Pure awesomeness!
Nev with fogged up glasses...
Leaving Nev to enjoy the fog I shot off again and spent some time filming both Mike and Chevvy as they picked their way down through some of the snotty stuff. Unfortunately, by this time the camera was covered in muck and the video is pretty average.
Back at the bottom gate, I opened it so the WR's could park and turned around to see this:
Poor ole Mike had got his big bike down through some of the worst of the gnarly stuff only to be caught out on the last slippery decent. He quickly got the bike vertical again and luckily it wasn't damaged too bad and Mike didn't get hurt.
Once we'd commiserated with Mike, we carried on down the hill, getting stuck behind a Hilux that didn't want to pull over, and parked at the bottom to sort out our next steps.
Oh, and here's the video of the ascent:
At the bottom of the hill, the KTM boys decided to make tracks while Chevvy and I decided that we still hadn't had enough fun.
While Mike and Nev turned left, we went right, further up the valley before turning onto Makoura Road and man was that a good idea! The gravel was superb and the WR's flew across it. At an intersection I stopped and told Chevvy that I needed to just nip home and pick up the Tenere to ride it again...
Down at the bridge, having survived an oncoming truck, we pulled off the road and picnicked beside the river. How civilised...
Lunch taken care of, I had to introduce Chevvy to Ridge Road and while it may not have been quite as nice as Makoura Road, the gravel was still pretty good and it was a really neat ride across the ridges.
Then Zig Zag Road got us out onto Valley Road.
Someone may have zagged into the road sign...
One last section of gravel on Watershed Road spat us out onto the seal for the ride back into Palmy where I said goodbye to Chevvy and he made his way home to the Hutt. A big day out on the little bike for him - I did about 180km and he would have done 3 times that by the time he got home...I sense a NI1600 in his future...
Pretty good sized hill eh?
So, two days of freedom used up in the most appropriate way. What a great weekend!
