They had a great selection of fresh salads, slices and a comprehensive breakfast/lunch menu.  While enjoying a coffee and egg & bacon slice a large group of bikes stopped to join me, so it must be a good spot to stop.  I had to laugh when leaving as one of the riders suggested ‘I keep the shiny side up’ but if you could have seen my bike that day you would have laughed too as there was no shiny part at all.

Anyway, my first road to explore was Kate Valley Road, first right after the Waipara Bridge heading North.  Right at the intersection there is a container advertising a Spa which I was keen to check out but it didn’t exist.  The road passes the Mt Cass Walkway and a bit further on the Tiromoana Bush Walkway.  Both of these are managed by Transwest who is the company that runs the large landfill on the road, not that you could see any of it.  The road turns to gravel and ends at a farmers yard, but an awesome road all the same.

Back to the highway and left back towards Christchurch but turning right opposite Mudhouse Wines onto Georges Road.  I had expected this job to take me back towards Amberley (South) but in fact it took me North eventually coming out on the Lake Sumner road West of Hawarden.

The road itself is about 50% sealed/gravel and both parts are just stunning.  Before you leave the sealed section you pass the Iron Ridge Quarry (www.raymondherber.com) which is a quarry that has been converted into an art gallery.  The venue would make a wonderful place for a mid winter BBQ, Raymond will even supply the BBQ.

Carrying on the road passes through some pine forestry and runs past the gates of McDonalds Downs Farm.  From here you can either carry on straight or haed back towards Waipar via Pyramid Valley, both of which are great rides.

Heading home I decided to stop at the Red Brick Cafe at Waikuku.  This again was a great surprise as I had always gone past it as it was so close to leaving home and I generally was not needing a coffee so soon but the cafe is worth a visit just for itself.  They had an excellent variety of food and the plate of Pork Ribs I saw was impressive.  I just had a Rum Ball which was delicious.

Anyway, I find it’s always interesting to explore the roads that are in your backyard as they are often overlooked.  Last weekend we had a fantastic ride around Banks Peninsula, covering about 250 kms and most of it great gravel roads.

Spring is at the door here in Munich and with it comes the latest issue of the Council News. Once again you can look forward to some interesting news and fascinating reports from the BMW Club scene.

If you wish to tell BMW Club members from around the world about your club events and tours, please send your reports to us for publication in the Council News. We look forward to receiving your stories and photographs.

You will notice the Council News now has a new look. We hope you find the layout to be fresher, more varied and dynamic than earlier issues. The new image gives the newsletter more flexibilty as we present news from clubs and the world of BMW. We hope you enjoy the updated format and any feedback on the changes or the newsletter in general would be welcome.

The newsletter is one of the Council’s major communication tools and your assistance in making sure we have a wide readership by club members is appreciated.

And now – we hope you enjoy reading the latest newsletter.

Your BMW Clubs International Office team

PS. If you have not received an attachment, please use the following link to download Council News:

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Riders should begin assembling at South City carpark from 11am where ride badges and raffle tickets are on sale.  The ride through to the Awa-Iti Domain at Little River leaves at 1pm.  A BBQ and hot drinks will be on offer there and the drawers for the raffles will also take place.  All proceeds go to St John.

This event is on rain, hail or shine.  Please encourage your members to attend as St John do an awesome job and we need a big turnout to show them we appreciate what they do, afterall who is it that turns up to pick up the pieces when the wheels fall off..

St Johns Poster 2011

He says it will fit a K75S but may also fit other models.

If you are the owner or know who might be then respond to this post and I can put you in touch with the person who found it.

Wheels Week Motorcycle Ride

Only four of us turned up to do this ride which was a recon for future rides.  We had Jeff, Geoff, Chris and Justin on the trip and it did not start well for Justin and got progressively worse.  On the way to the meeting point at the Rolleston BP he noticed his riding lights had all blown.  Not too worry, just use high beam for the ride but later on this was not an option.

Anyway, the day was pretty sunny at Rolleston but proceeded to get progressively worse as we turned inland from Ashburton.  By the time we got to the Peel Forest Store it was very overcast and pretty cold.  After an unscheduled brunch we all donned extra clothing and carried on only to have to stop about 10 minutes later to take them off as it was beautifully again just over the hill.

The ride in was pretty fast as the road was in excellent condition but there were many reasons to stop and take photos as the scenery was just so big…

When we got to the Station we were warmly met by Malcolm & Sue Prouting.  They gave us a brief run down on the history of the station and showed us some very old photos of previous inhabitants.  Sue also mentioned they had a 150 acre paddock that can be used as a play area for motorbikes, that certainly sparked my interest but we failed to find it.

The return journey was when the real adventure started.  Justin’s bike had a moment with a funny noise coming from the front but a quick review did not show any problems, however the battery light was now on so the bike had just shred it’s alternator belt.  Never mind, should be enough juice to get me home.

By the time we left the homestead Geoff noticed his front tyre was flat but a quick review could see no obvious punctures, however his rim had suffered some damage hence the  loss of air.  Luckily Justin was carrying a tube (following the suggestion from Garry Williams during the GS Anniversary Ride).  This was quickly put in place only to find we pinched it so had to take it off again to fix the puncture.

We stopped again for a coffee at the Peel Forest Store and carried on our way.  Justin’s bike failed in Mayfield but a quick swap of batteries meant he could carry on and actually managed to get all the way home to Christchurch, not quite home but that was resolved by a short tow.

Overall it was a fantastic day, but there was very important lessons learnt.

• When heading into the back country you need to carry everything you need to cover most eventualities.
• Even bikes fitted with tubeless tyres should carry tube.
• A tow rope is a great addition.
• Traveling with similar model bikes lets you swap parts if need be.

Mortimor Place is off Manchester Street, down by Jeff Gray BMW.

Their range includes similar items to Touratech and Wunderlich but they also have a great selection of soft luggage to fit any bike. This includes profiled Tank Bags (great for GS riders as you can stand without the bag interfering with your posture) and Tail Bags with or without side panniers.

You can view their catalogue below and call Jim on 03 381-1478 for pricing.  Items are to order only but he does have a great selection of samples to view at their workshop at 21e Aldwins Road.

Bags-Connection 2011 Catalogue

Motomart ride south island 25-28th Feb 2011

Keep motorcycle parking free – sign the petition!

WCC are reviewing the use of on-road motorcycle parking, which may include the introduction of fees / charges.

Do your bit by signing the “keep it free” petition: http://www.wellington.govt.nz/haveyoursay/e-petitions/ep/details/147

Even if you aren’t a Wellingtonian – sign the petition.
If parking fees for motorcycles goes ahead here, you can guarantee one council will set a precedent for other councils “justifying” fees to be a nationwide thing.

Here is a link to the policy: http://www.wellington.govt.nz/plans/policies/parking/pdfs/parking2007-09.pdf

The Policy was drafted September 2007 with an implementation timeframe of 3 – 5 years. The motorcycle section in question is on pg 28 which states:

“f. Review the provision for motorcycle parking, including investigating issues such as quantity of spaces, location, parking price and motorcycle parking provision in town and suburban centres”

PS: Kudos and credit to BRONZ for organising this.

Also: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4540138/Riders-pledge-protests-if-free-motorcycle-parks-go