Our Dusty Butt Ride 2018 on GN125’s

Day Two started with a quick repair to one of the GN’s rear sprocket which had developed a little play in the cushion rubbers. We cut old milk container into rectangles and used them as packing, job done.  It was raining and we knew the track would be slippery so decided to eat a Big Breakfast in town (err, actually it was a nice healthy salad m’lod) before heading off. A wise choice as by 11am the rain had gone and the track was drying out nicely, off we went. Beaut climb up to the top of the Old Man Range and along the top taking in some pretty good rocky steps which the GN’s ate for breakfast.  A steep drop down into Waikaia Forest seemed to have caught a few out earlier due to the wet clay surface but by this had dried by the time we got there so it was an easy ride down.  A lovely ride through the black beech forest and out onto the flats ready for a hare up SH6 to turn right into the Nevis Road. Wow, the Nevis was fantastic, a great riding surface and enough water in the crossings to make it interesting, very interesting at times.  We shot through in record time feeling on top of the world.  Then it got hard again, very hard.  The route turned to the west scouting along the edge of the Kopuwai Conservation Area and what a pig of ride that was.  Deep ruts combined with my lowered foot pegs and brake lever meant very tough going.  The brake lever kept getting caught on rocks and ruts, bending the lever, jamming the brake on and throwing me off several times, I was sweating, cursing and not a happy unit.  Someone laughed at me asking who had lowered the pegs several times…  He nearly died that day.  3hrs and 30km later we finally staggered out the other end with only one wrong turn across a river.  We arrived back in Alexandra at 8.30pm very happy after another great day and over 300km of (mostly) fantastic riding.

The bike with the sprocket issue needed a chain replaced and brake/gear levers straightening so we didn’t get off as early as intended.  This meant we were forced to miss around 50km of the Sunday A section, instead we turned west from Roxburgh leaving the route and wiggling round Lake Onslow to rejoin it near the start of the Serpentine on the Old Dunstan Road.  What a beautiful ride.  The wind was cold (waterproofs on to keep us warm) but stunning scenery.  Around Poolburn Reservoir and down into Moa Creek then north towards St Bathans we went, enjoying every minute.  From Hills Creek the route went north along Hills Run Road before petering out into a 4×4 track as it entered the Hawkdun Range.  Some great rivers crossings along the way, one or two really pushing the GN’s to their limit.  A steep, rocky and high climb up to the saddle (Omarama Saddle?) with a stunning vista overlooking Omarama township.  By then it had warmed up so it was fuel for bikes and riders in Omarama ready for the final leg. And what a final leg it was.  After crossing Benmore dam we climbed high through Black Forest Station heading north all the way, just beautiful.  Shingle crossings and more streams/rivers gave us a bumpy ride at times (by now we were looking enviously at other riders on their dirt bikes) but they coped well.  I will admit to having one tiny dismount in a river but did manage to keep the bike running so no drowning that day.  After a relatively easy last leg we eventually got onto the Haldon Road which we belted up as fast as the little bikes would go (92.7km/hr at 9k rpm) before turning right into Mackenzie Pass Road and the finish in Fairlie.  Another 550km of fun all the way.