Trailering my Venture-tie down points

[Kiwiroyale]

G'day from NZ

 

Oh and Happy New Year!!!!!

 

I am back from my holiday and our first "road trip" on my '83, Fantaaastic!!!!!! Anyway I will write a wee story about that another day.

 

Ok how did the advise go?... I see it has certainly created some discussion!!!!

 

I ended up using a cross between utadventure and pucs ideas, ties to the front forks brace, the soft strap method to the handlebars and a tie to the brace that the rear side panniers fit into as this is, in my opinion, far stronger than the rear passenger grab handles, although having said that the rear ties are not under a lot of pressure, I also secured the front wheel directly to the "chock" or rail.

 

Incidentally i used minimal pressure to compress the forks as I know from experience on long trips towing my dirt bikes hundreds of Kms that fork seals can be blown, I use a "forksaver" on my dirtbikes which fits between tyre and mud guard reducing the amount of compression that can be applied to the fork.

 

However if you tie to the handle bars you MUST compress the forks a fair amount, otherwise the first decent bump you hit, will compress them anyway and unfortunately allow the tie downs to become slack, with the possibility of the hook coming free and your pride and joy tipping over ( I always used a caribina type closed clip arrangement) PUC suggets the double strap method.

 

Anyway...

 

We trailered her 300kms on New Zealand country roads, if any of you have been down under you will know they tend to be rather "lumpy" and always as per NZ, extremely twisty!!!

 

All this on a leaf sprung trailer at 100kph, ABSOLUTLEY NO PROBLEM!!!!! Stayed secure and unmoved the whole trip!!!!

 

So thanks everyone for your help.

 

Puc if you read this I may have to email you my trip pictures as I am still having trouble attaching them on this site, I will pm you at some stage.

 

Steve

[syscrusher]

I saw the new year 2010 come in at the Octagon in Dunedin.

I was also in Wanaka, Te Anau, Queenstown, Moeraki, etc. all in or around the Central Otapo area.

Where did you trailer from to get there?

[Kiwiroyale]

G'day syscrusher

 

You are kidding me!!!!! I am born and bred in Dunedin Otago!!! My "playground" is all of the places you mentioned.

 

I trailered the bike to Otematata for New Years Eve, the Benmore/Avimore dam area, my friend has a crib up there (holiday house in your language I guess) my darling Tania and I then rode from there through the Lindis Pass into the Central Otago region, Cromwell/Clyde/Wanaka/Queenstown region.

 

I only trailered it as our Main Highway (SH1) was extremely busy, being that everyone was going to their New Years Eve party destinations, this would only have been my third ever time on a road bike of any sort, in fact my '83 is the Only road bike I have ever ridden!!!! so I was not willing to expose my darling Tanz to any danger from my inexperience AND OR dangerous manoeuvres via our "four wheeled" friends (we are very impatient drivers here in NZ unfortunately..)

 

As you may remember up that way the traffic is fairly minimal (I hear you laugh!!! I guess even our busiest roads are extremely MINIMAL to you!!!)

 

At some stage soon I will post a little story of our first journey on my '83 Royale along with some pictures.

 

If you are ever over here again do not hesitate to contact us, we would love to meet some real live VR members!!!! I feel a long way from you guys down here, HaHA

 

Steve

[syscrusher]

I wish I was coming back there again soon but it's expensive to get there.

Beautiful country though. I saw it by car but would love to see it by motorbike.

I wanted to format the info below a little but the software fought me at every step.

 

Arrive and Drive

 

Auckland, NZ to:

Date Place to Stay Miles Time

---- ------------- ----- ----

Sun Dec 21 Coromandel 116 2:42

 

Mon Dec 22 Whakatane 169 3:56

 

Tue Dec 23 Taupo 128 2:55

 

Wed Dec 24 Ohakune under 100

 

Thu Dec 25 Wellington 203 4:53

 

Interislander Ferry check in 740am

 

Fri Dec 26 Nelson 165 2:48 + 3:20

 

Sat Dec 27 Pohara under 100

 

Sun Dec 28 Punakaiki > 300 6 hrs+

 

Mon Dec 29 Fox Glacier 139 3:14

 

Tue Dec 30 Wanaka 177 4:02

 

Wed Dec 31 Dunedin 215 4:50

 

Thu Jan 01 Te Anau 185 4:19

 

Fri Jan 02 Te Anau N/A

Doubtful Sound 10am call 0800 107 505 at 9am - check weather

Milford Sound 3pm leaving Milford 108 miles pd. 0800 656501

Sat Jan 03 Queenstown 108 2:32

 

Sun Jan 04 Fly back to Omaha very, very, many miles and minutes

---- ----

2105 49:31

[Kiwiroyale]

I know this is off topic... But awesome trip!!!! Of course living here I have been to everywhere you have mentioned, however, you must come back as there is so much you have not seen!!!!! I will let you ride my '83!!!!! What do ya say!!!!!

 

Steve

[syscrusher]

I can't do it this year but maybe sometime......

 

I never got to Christchurch, I just had to leave it out. I read where recent earthquakes had damaged some buildings there in Christchurch.

We didn't get to take the small plane flight over Doubtful Sound because of rains but every hill in Fjordland had a waterfall streaming down.

Ice cream on the beach Christmas Day was a tradition I'd enjoy keeping.

Your beaches are beautiful and little used. It makes me think of how California may have been in the early 1900s.

Abel Tasman NP and so many other things. I made the most of the couple of weeks we had but it wasn't enough by far.

[Kiwiroyale]

Sadly the Christchurch earthquake killed 185 people and injured several thousand, it flattened pretty much the whole central business district and liquefaction flooded the rest, around 70,000 (360000 pop) people could not live in their damaged homes and had to move away, this happened on 22 February 2011 and the city is still not rebuilt, a major disaster for our small country.

 

Ice cream yes!!! as you know we are in the middle of summer here during December.

 

Steve

[syscrusher]

Yeah, the 2011 quake was a bad one but it had slipped my mind. I was referring to the Jan. 6th or thereabouts 6.0 quake in the same area.

 

"New Zealand straddles two tectonic plates, and lies on the Ring of Fire, the line of constant seismic activity that circles the Pacific Rim."

[Kiwiroyale]

Ah yes, that one got the hearts racing again, still a lot of very nervous people in that city.

[Guest divey]

"so I was not willing to expose my darling Tanz to any danger from my inexperience AND OR dangerous manoeuvres via our "four wheeled" friends (we are very impatient drivers here in NZ unfortunately..)"

 

@Kiwiroyale Steve we drove your beautiful country (north and south islands) for 4 weeks a few years ago. I've never seen nor experienced such patient and courteous drivers in my entire life. We were in a camper van and it was as if no-one was in a hurry for anything. While we were able to maintain the speed limit, I thought everyone would be in a rush to pass us by once we got to a passing lane but often they'd just stay behind me and be content to follow along at the speed limit. I can tell you it's something I'm not used to here above the equator. And it's about your "bumpy" roads comment! You must be referring to some major off-roading. Again I couldn't believe the amazing condition of the roads, signage, etc. etc. We will get down there again and next time I'll make sure I'm on 2 wheels at some point. You've got lots to be proud of for sure! Sorry for highjacking your thread but I can't ever seem to stop talking about NZ! Doug

[Kiwiroyale]

G'day Doug,

 

You have me stumped, I can't argue with that!!! I can say that we love people visiting our country, maybe we were being kind... (Tounge in cheek...) honestly we moan about being stuck for two minutes at the traffic lights!!!!!.

 

Maybe it's just living down here in the South Island ( two Islands make up NZ, for those that don't know) the South Island has a 32% larger land mass than our North Island yet 77% of our population lives in the north!!! With 32% of the countries population living in one city, Auckland ( our North Island).

 

Roads!!!! Don't get me started, if you think our roads are good then you guys must travel by horseback!!!, Have you read my thread on the "class" system failure in my '83? Well you need ALL the air you can get!!!!

 

Ok I jest!!!

 

Thanks Doug I am delighted you enjoyed your visit, and Honestly if you come back then don't hesitate to contact me.

 

Steve