Touring the sth island of NZ

[gunrunner]

Hi guys ,

I am seriously considering as i have to head down to the Catlins (bottom of south island) that i should take the Max. As my Dad wants to see my bike , he is now in his 80s in a wheelchair and he used to ride in his younger days with non other than Burt Munro ( The worlds fastest indian) the best motorbike movie to come out of NZ . The reaction i got when i said i had bought a Vmax from my mother was "didnt know you liked motorbikes" , from my dad was "has it got Vboost" so that may explain a few things . Come to think of it i was the only 5 year old at school that would be picked up in a Mazda RX3 rotary not to mention the old mans Hamilton jetboating experiences in the weekend with the neighbours whose son later on went on to be World jetboat Champain .Thats enough of me going down memory lane , as long as i get my saddlebags etc for my bike in time i will be heading that way in a month and never toured before thinking it is only 2000kms and i will visit the Britten Museam while in Christchurch meet up with some old mates then drop bike off at Balclutha (south otago) before heading to the Catlins as the Max wont go thru the river in time for my brothers 50th then on way home go east through Cental otago to Wanka/Queenstown region before taking on the West Coast then up through Nelson lakes area and back to Blenheim then on ferry to North Island . My question is apart from my gear and a CAMERA what should i be taking ?:confused2:

 

[naughtyG]

Ok here's what I would take on such a trip:

- a spare can of petrol that seals properly, since in NZ you might not find a station when you need one..
- a good set of tools, including allen keys, spark plug, 10, 12 and 14mm wrenches and a good pair of pliers, as well as phillips and flat screw drivers.
- a can of tire foam (the kind that inflates a flat tire with foam and lets you ride it until you can get a repair)
- a can of whatever oil you're using just in case you need a top-up
- spare bulbs for your headlight, tail light and blinkers
- a good flash light and spare bulb & batteries for it
- some water and dried food should you get stranded :th_favorites24:

As long as you make sure your bike's good and ready to go long haul service-wise, you should be good. I would try to get on some nice long (at least a couple of hours) rides in the few days preceding your trip to get your butt ready - it really helps building it up rather than go cold to a full day in the saddle. If poss, try to get something like a gel pad or even just a nice soft blanket to put between your arse and the saddle when it starts to really hurt, otherwise you will be making some extended stops!

:rocket bike:

 

[gunrunner]

Ok here's what I would take on such a trip:

- a spare can of petrol that seals properly, since in NZ you might not find a station when you need one..
- a good set of tools, including allen keys, spark plug, 10, 12 and 14mm wrenches and a good pair of pliers, as well as phillips and flat screw drivers.
- a can of tire foam (the kind that inflates a flat tire with foam and lets you ride it until you can get a repair)
- a can of whatever oil you're using just in case you need a top-up
- spare bulbs for your headlight, tail light and blinkers
- a good flash light and spare bulb & batteries for it
- some water and dried food should you get stranded :th_favorites24:

As long as you make sure your bike's good and ready to go long haul service-wise, you should be good. I would try to get on some nice long (at least a couple of hours) rides in the few days preceding your trip to get your butt ready - it really helps building it up rather than go cold to a full day in the saddle. If poss, try to get something like a gel pad or even just a nice soft blanket to put between your arse and the saddle when it starts to really hurt, otherwise you will be making some extended stops!

:rocket bike:

Yeah , ive already done a few 2-3 hr rides lately the stock seat has never been a problem for me unk:

 

[jedi-]

Credit card and a mobile phone will take you anywhere in case of problems.

I struggle with any distance on my bike so far, too uncomfortable . The seat is Ok but my leg postition makes my hips, lower back too sore. Having a lower spine problem doesn't help the situation. I have highway pegs which are great but I can only use them for so long before having to go back and hit the brakes or change gear. Think I might relocate my current front pegs at some stage.