Is motorcycling allowed?

[Hairy]

TYRES

So when I bought the bike I was told the tyres were still new. 

A year down the line and the rear needs to be replaced, and the front looks great. The tyres are also from different manufacturers. Took a closer look at the pics taken at the time of purchase, and it was clear the rear tyre that was on the bike had seen a good bit of mileage. Oh well, just another bit of school fees.

Front tyre = Pirelli Night Dragon 

Rear tyre = Bridgestone Exedra Max

Called all around to find tyre options, and given that the Fat Bob runs a 180/70-16 there are not too many options around. I was also chatting to the guy from Bike Tyre Warehouse, they unfortunately did not have what I was looking for, but the guy was exceptionally helpful. Unfortunately he is selling the CT franchise, and has closed his doors. Forwards and backwards I track down another Night Dragon at the Tracmac in Bellville. Speak to the Tyre Warehouse guy again and he suggested I get on the bike and head out there straight away as stock level have been a real issue since the "Big C".

On the bike and get her fitted up.

What a difference it makes. The Night Dragon is meant to be a more "performance" tyre with a less of a round cross section, but more of an oval. You can definitely feel the bike is lighter to change direction with steering from the hips being far more direct.

Such a small change = such an awesome upgrade.

Oh, tyres are not cheap .... rear tyre fitted with a new license disc holder = 4K after a decent discount.

[Hairy]

Damned ... it looks like the ADV boys and girls can pick up tyres for less than decent mountain bike tyre!

[Hairy]

 

[Hairy]

Are we limited to the no. of pics of our bikes we are allowed to post in this thread?

[patches]

Forgive me fellows, for I have sinned. I have been having impure thoughts. Thoughts of infidelity and abandonment of those for which I am responsible.

The specifics... I am thinking of selling my motorbike to free up space and fun-money for a small CNC router. The drivers being that I don't use it nearly as much as I should, there are limited places to ride around Auckland (which contributes to the lack of use), and if I play my cards right with the CNC, it can pay for itself and maybe even a new bike somewhere in the future (perhaps a kitted 501 or 701... maybe even a Norden... or if I dream big... a Husky 450 RR).

[sawystertrance]

Heresy. There's a simple solution - move to Wanaka. If not, you can expect some hate mail here. .

Seriously, though, I have done something similar in the past and know what a wrench it is. Hope your router gives you hours of safe fun and allows you to make something to sell which will enable you to buy a new bike soon.

 

[sawystertrance]

Meanwhile, I I am taking a Monday ride with a mate up the resurfaced Bai's Kloof to the Bike Forge. I'll post some photos later.

[patches]

17 hours ago, sawystertrance said:

Heresy. There's a simple solution - move to Wanaka. If not, you can expect some hate mail here. .

Seriously, though, I have done something similar in the past and know what a wrench it is. Hope your router gives you hours of safe fun and allows you to make something to sell which will enable you to buy a new bike soon.

 

Well that's part of the plan/dream...

Step 1... buy a house with a garage, on the South Island, close to the trails

Step 2... move motorcycle & kit down to house, and lock away in garage

Step 3... AirBNB house to cover some of the mortgage and make visits for riding weekends

 

My wife is 90% convinced on step 1

[sawystertrance]

OK, A bit of Bain's Kloof feedback:

The new road surface is amazingly smooth and a beaut to ride on. I do, however, think it will be like ice when wet and really dangerous if it ever gets icy. 

There are now no places to stop on the way out. On the way back they have closed off most of the stops and put a very rough rocky surface on the 3 or four still left. Stopping is not easy and one has to be careful. 

Still some selfish drivers around, of course. A guy in a car came steaming down and straight through the stop street at tweede tol over the bridge so be careful.

All in all a very nice ride.

Got to Bike Forge to discover it was closed. I believe they only open weekends now. Right when Bain's Kloof will be at its busiest. I have to find an alernative.

So.. No photos of the pass except those coming up which are stills taken from the GoPro and of course, no photos of Bike Forge. Still, a great day out. 

 

 

 

Edited September 13, 2022 by sawystertrance
Removed a photo

[Hairy]

20 hours ago, patches said:

Well that's part of the plan/dream...

Step 1... buy a house with a garage, on the South Island, close to Scott Brown Carpentry

Step 2... move motorcycle & kit down to house, and lock away in garage

Step 3... AirBNB house to cover some of the mortgage and make visits for riding weekends

 

My wife is 90% convinced on step 1

Fixed it for you

 

[Hairy]

[patches]

23 minutes ago, Hairy said:

Fixed it for you

"... close to Scott Brown Carpentry"

Na... Nelson is great and all, but if I'm moving south it will be further south...

close to this...

 

 

 

[patches]

33 minutes ago, Hairy said:

I can't even park my bike on my front lawn without that happening.

[mazambaan]

On 9/13/2022 at 12:23 AM, patches said:

Well that's part of the plan/dream...

Step 1... buy a house with a garage, on the South Island, close to the trails

Step 2... move motorcycle & kit down to house, and lock away in garage

Step 3... AirBNB house to cover some of the mortgage and make visits for riding weekends

 

My wife is 90% convinced on step 1

What a great plan. I am sick and tired of loading a dirt bike, then driving, then finding a safe place to park, all before going for a ride.  In SA KZN for now maybe Howick/Karkloof or Underberg. Properly packaged, the missus miiiiiight just nibble.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

So. Picking up this big beauty tomorrow, after it came to light that the XR I'd been building needed a new motor. It got swiped from my mates place together with his XR and mbx50...

It's not anything at all related to turning 40 next week.... 

[Hairy]

31 minutes ago, Captain Fastbastard Mayhem said:

So. Picking up this big beauty tomorrow, after it came to light that the XR I'd been building needed a new motor. It got swiped from my mates place together with his XR and mbx50...

It's not anything at all related to turning 40 next week.... 

Funny story .. I should really show you my Gumtree search results from this morning