New Zealand - Any Other Bikers on the fourm?

Grey Granite

11th April 2008, 12:30 AM

Hullo there!

Mr Granite and I will be selling our wee Bandit 600's afore we depart for NZ and are SOOOOOOO excited about the fact that we can get new-er bikes!:D

Mine is an R reg with over 40K Miles on the clock and his is a P with about 20.... I've put over 38K of those miles on that bike and I reckon its about time for a change.

We've been thinking about moving away from the Jap bikes and he's quite keen to get a Guzzi. He used to have an SZR 600 which was a single and really enjoyed it.... I'll only admit to ever having the Bandit, but I had a brief encounter with an ancient MZ (held together with hope, rust, and elastic bands! :roll)

Besides - you'll find a whole new world of bikes over there that we dont get in the UK if you want to explore their Jap import lines....

Tempted to go for a Beemer myself. I took the R1100 S out for a test ride over here last summer, and loved it! Only thing that stopped me buying it outright was me keeping my sensible head on and saving the money for the move to NZ - :yes

Anyways, take a few for test rides..... and watch the advisory speeds on the bendy bits (generally they MEAN what they say - if you are in a car at any rate!)).

Mrs Granite

Alan

11th April 2008, 06:15 AM

I've got a zx-6R which i will probably take with us as there will be room in the container. Have read that off roading is a really accessible thing to do and kids can also do it without the need for licenses etc. So really thinking about buying myself and the two boys bikes when we get out there to go off-roading as it is something that really appeals but in the UK bikes are looked down upon big time!

AndyR

11th April 2008, 08:11 AM

Mine is an R reg with over 40K Miles on the clock and his is a P with about 20.... I've put over 38K of those miles on that bike and I reckon its about time for a change.

Ah cool! more bandit owners! I had a bandit 600S a few years ago and I loved her! great bike.

Tempted to go for a Beemer myself. I took the R1100 S out for a test ride over here last summer, and loved it! Only thing that stopped me buying it outright was me keeping my sensible head on and saving the money for the move to NZ - :yes

haha thats a big point with the beemers! I have to save up before I buy one unless I can live with the bike being my only form of transport. Depends on the weather.

I've got a zx-6R

Always wanted a green monster however I've never gone for it! Its great the kids can get into biking over there with you.

So are either of you moving to Christchurch?

Cheers

Andy

Alan

11th April 2008, 08:15 AM

Almost certainly will be North Island however if an employer from the South Island asks nicely I may just have to go ;)

AndyR

11th April 2008, 08:47 AM

Almost certainly will be North Island however if an employer from the South Island asks nicely I may just have to go ;)

haha cool, I plan on riding around the whole island anyway! I want to get to NZ 2 weeks before starting work to get an eye full!

bartons

11th April 2008, 09:27 AM

Wonderbob

11th April 2008, 12:16 PM

Hey everyone!

I was wondering if we have any other motorcyclists on the forum?

I plan on exploring as much as I can, so there may be some off road required. So i was thinking of a BMW like the dakar bikes.

What does everyone else have? and is the weather good enough to use it more than just the odd sunny day like we get in the UK.

Cheers

Andy

Plenty of excellent riding in both islands Andy (on or off road), but the South Island is just sublime - windy roads, amazing scenery and ****** all traffic - the ultimate biker destination I reckon. I have a DR 650 Suzi which I ride only on the road, and did a two week tour of the S.I with a bunch of Harley riders from Colorado. We had a ball, clocked up 3500 kms, and only encountered half a day of rain in the 13 day trip (even the wet west coast was dry!) The only bikes not really that suited to NZ roads are big cruisers I reckon, but having said that they are still plenty popular. New bikes are a pretty reasonable price too. I bought my DR new for only $8K, which was half the cost of the Dakar at the time and does anything a Dakar does. I also bought a new Chinese 50cc quad bike for my 6 year old, only $350 which was a steal....Anyway mate there are plenty of clubs, and plenty of riders out there, compared to the UK the riding is unbelievable.......you're gonna love it!

cheers, Bob

Wonderbob

11th April 2008, 06:48 PM

and is the weather good enough to use it more than just the odd sunny day like we get in the UK.

Forgot to mention the weather. I ride 9 months of the year - give June, July and August the flick......It gets down to 3 degrees in Welly on a cold winter's day, that's cold enough for me not to bother with the bike. I put the rego on hold for 3 months and save myself the $50! If you end up in Welly (fabulous city BTW, well paid work), send me a PM and I'll show you the local canyons that can be carved up.........I've also got a good contact for some super-cheap NZ 2mm leathers that are just sensational - full CE armour.

Wonderbob

11th April 2008, 07:23 PM

I left my Honda CB400 behind in UK because I couldn't face the hassle of shipping it and it wasn't in an MOTable state anyway, but I've regretted it ever since. The roads around here looks so much fun! And the weather has been ace. All those lost opportunities...:(

Mate, no problem. Get yourself onto TradeMe and find some wheels.... My friend at work has just picked up a mint K100 RS Beemer from the early '90's for only $3500 - it's a minter (2 owners only!) Bargains to be had for the quick......Give the dealers a miss, they are just clipping the ticket....

Grey Granite

12th April 2008, 12:38 AM

Hi Wonderbob and Andy

We are plannin on getting to Christchurch if Mr Granite can secure work there, and I just paid £400 for a fabby set of heavy duty (well, thicker than 2 ml) leathers to break in once I get to NZ - doh!

We have the bikes taxed here in Aberdeen all year round and it does get below zero - often! I try to avoid the snow and slush tho! 'Him indoors' has heated hand grips, and I've bought a pair to put on a new set of Renthal bars this weekend, yes, I know its April but it's still a tad 'fresh'!

I'll miss my wee Bandit when he goes, but onwards and upwards. Defo get in contact when we get there..... there are indeed some cracking roads, both North and South island....

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehargh

:D

Mrs Granite

AndyR

12th April 2008, 01:21 AM

Plenty of excellent riding in both islands Andy (on or off road), but the South Island is just sublime - windy roads, amazing scenery and ****** all traffic - the ultimate biker destination I reckon.

....Anyway mate there are plenty of clubs, and plenty of riders out there, compared to the UK the riding is unbelievable.......you're gonna love it!

cheers, Bob

Cheers! Sounds amazing! I'll be sure to be in touch when i get over there.

I ride 9 months of the year - give June, July and August the flick......It gets down to 3 degrees in Welly on a cold winter's day, that's cold enough for me not to bother with the bike. If you end up in Welly (fabulous city BTW, well paid work), send me a PM and I'll show you the local canyons that can be carved up.........I've also got a good contact for some super-cheap NZ 2mm leathers that are just sensational - full CE armour.

Thats good enough for me! 9 months of the year riding sounds sensational! I'll be in Christchurch when I move over but I intend on driving up the coast and I'm sure I'll be poping into wellington so I'll take up your offer of the canyons! :cheers I'll probably have to buy new leathers over there unless I can pack them up and ship them, they still fit from when I was 18...remarkable really haha

Hi Wonderbob and Andy

We are plannin on getting to Christchurch if Mr Granite can secure work there, and I just paid £400 for a fabby set of heavy duty (well, thicker than 2 ml) leathers to break in once I get to NZ - doh!

Fantastic! Sounds like we can arrange some great sight seeing trips once we are all kitted up!

rossrc

12th April 2008, 07:29 AM

Wonderbob

12th April 2008, 07:41 AM

Hi Wonderbob and Andy

We are plannin on getting to Christchurch if Mr Granite can secure work there, and I just paid £400 for a fabby set of heavy duty (well, thicker than 2 ml) leathers to break in once I get to NZ - doh!

I'll miss my wee Bandit when he goes, but onwards and upwards. Defo get in contact when we get there..... there are indeed some cracking roads, both North and South island....

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehargh

:D

Mrs Granite

Yup, definitely a bikers paradise - ony thing you have to watch out (like a hawk for) are U.S/European tourists driving their campervans on the wrong side of the road! There are fatalities ever year caused by this. Last year a local rider was killed by a U.S tourist (also on a bike) riding the other way on the wrong side of the road. The tourist survived, albeit is brain damaged, so something to look out for! In NZ most std leathers are 1.3 mm, so 2.0 mm is a heavy duty set down here - with all the armour they weigh a ton! I paid $260 for the pants and $265 for the jacket, so at the current exchange rate (40p to the dollar) that's around 210 quid for the set! Good quality NZ cowhide too, I'm happy - all I need to do is trade my thumper in on a new SV 650 me thinks, at around $10K, I'm highly tempted, and I'm a big Suzuki fan! You'll find the local riders (except for Harley riders.....) extremely friendly and helpful......

cheers! :raebanana

rossrc

12th April 2008, 07:51 AM

BTW Tinted visors are legal here and useful with all the bright sunshine :) but if you have an AGV I suggest you buy before coming out (http://visorshop.com/)

Wonderbob

12th April 2008, 07:54 AM

Thats good enough for me! 9 months of the year riding sounds sensational! I'll be in Christchurch when I move over but I intend on driving up the coast and I'm sure I'll be poping into wellington so I'll take up your offer of the canyons! :cheers I'll probably have to buy new leathers over there unless I can pack them up and ship them, they still fit from when I was 18...remarkable really haha

No worries, send me a PM when you get here, we've got a local set of hills (you'd probably call them mountains in the UK - over here a mountain is something that has snow on it...) between Welly and the Wairarapa which is a 30 minute blast for the scratchers......Then you've got the Manawatu, Hawkes Bay, Wanganui way for some top roads and scenery - all just a few hours away, so day rides are do-able and fun! One of the guys from work organised a track day/training day at Manfield racetrack just out of Palmerston Nth. A whole day on a race track for $115, and one of NZ's top racers taking the sessions - I was in heaven! Learned lots, not least of which is that I want a new SV! All of this stuff is possible in NZ, mate you're gonna love it!

Cheers, Bob :cheers

yossarian

16th April 2008, 06:47 PM

hi! a bit off topic but, why is it necessary to have the headlights on in nz all the time?

Grey Granite

16th April 2008, 08:03 PM

We always ride with out lights on! We like to be seen! I think we have more chance of being seen with lights on because most car drivers dont have theirs on.

Especially in the summer if you are going thru a tree-lined area and riding thru the shadey bit, if some tw*t decides to overtake going into the straight you probably wont have been noticed.....

There is an ongoing debate over here (I'm in MAG, by the way) about the benefits (or not) of riding with your lights on.....

I'm a believer in yellow hi-viz around town too............... it's not so bad out of town, but treat everyone like they are out to get you, expect the unexpcted, and you should be alright!

Me!
:raebanana

JandM

16th April 2008, 09:04 PM

I'm the mum of two bikers, which has made me very aware of bikes. Having your lights on is definitely an attention-getter, and I'm for anything that will make people aware you exist and save your life. Sorry, mate, I didn't see you, doesn't cut it for me - calls for the reply Well, you SHOULD have done! Living in a rural area of touristy southern England, we get the visitors used to driving on the right, too. Since seeing how bikers' lights catch the eye, I always put my car lights on as soon as visibility drops even a little, either due to weather conditions, or a twisty or wooded road.

Alan

16th April 2008, 10:44 PM

Alan (and anyone thinking of importing a bike)

It's probably worth checking your bike meets all the standards here, especially the braking system (see http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/publications/infosheets/infosheet-2-13-europe.html#lc ). Just going through this myself and luckily the bike should pass, but the car's a different story (they changed the law while we were back in the UK arranging the shipment... grrr).
BTW I'm in Welly too and being from Scotland... it's always warm enough to ride ;)

Cheers

Ross

Ross,

Hoping that as mine is a Kawasaki that with the exception of places like California that it should be fairly standard around the world. Would interested to know what you do about the compliance angle in terms of a bike bought in the UK. Additionally, I do know that when you land the vehicle is taken by the AA to the equivalent of an MOT station to be fully checked for road worthiness.

AndyR

17th April 2008, 12:28 AM

I always ride with the lights on, However I'm taking it a step further and installing HID lights on the next bike. I have them on the car and damm are they good! Much more clearer view of the road surface and makes people notice more!

Miggy

17th April 2008, 01:15 AM

Loads of back roads and country roads which are sublime. The road over from Christchurch to Akoroa is one of the best. Avoid Auckland - traffic is like any other city in the world. As a former biker who sees the bikes weaving through the traffic on a daily basis - one word of advice - take extra care because there seems to be many more poor drivers here than the UK per % population.

yossarian

17th April 2008, 03:17 AM

i see...thanks for the replies!! :D just a bit weird because motorbikers in the philippines don't use headlights until it's dark (much like a car). but i think your points are valid. motorbikes are a lot flimsier than cars!

also, is it possible to drive from north island to south island by motorbike? and one more amateur question as i don't drive motorbike (yet), and it would still be ages before i move to nz, but is there any motorbike ranging from 2,000-3,000 NZD that would work long-haul (like from north island to all over south island). new zealand version of 'the motorcycle diaries' appeals me. :D

AndyR

17th April 2008, 03:39 AM

Grey Granite

17th April 2008, 08:18 PM

Indeed there is a ferry! It takes approx 4 hours to cross..

Our friends, that managed to imigrate before us, now stay in Tekeka and I believe they got across as foot passengers, hoofed it up to Hamilton, picked up their bikes, and hoofed it back to Wellington and across to Picton IN ONE DAY!!! I'd prefer to be a bit more leisurely about it, but it can be done. I believe (ahem!) one of them got a speeding ticket on the way back down with their new beemers, trying to catch the ferry!

There are a HEAP of bike shops in Hamilton.... We stopped for lunch on the way thru on our first 5-week visit, and we must have found bike-city! I think you will be able to get a really decent 2nd hand bike either from a dealer or private....

Our friend in Tekeka works as a mechanic and the first thing he commented was regarding the lack of corrosion on any vehicle as they dont put salt down on the roads.... so even if the bike is quite old, you'll find its generally in better nick than one of the same age in the UK.

Gotta go! I am at work - and I think I have just been 'clocked'! Doh!

Mrs Granite

yossarian

18th April 2008, 03:40 AM

I believe that there is a ferry that runs between the north and south islands, locals will have more info though.

check out www.trademe.co.nz for motorcycle prices! Lots of bargains in your price range! obviously when you are buying cheaper bikes it pays to know what you are looking for to see if they will be reliable.

thanks, i'll have a quick look at that and seriously find a used one when i'm in nz already. primarily, the reason why i want a motorbike is because i'll be moving to nz alone, and i was thinking going around by car is a but impractical.

i do have a license and drive a manual car, but the thing is, i haven't tried driving a motorcycle. not even once! (but i can balance on a bike!) :uhoh

regarding the HID lights, don't you think it's too bright? often times i get irritated by those cars with blinding white lights on me.

AndyR

18th April 2008, 05:02 AM

the reason why i want a motorbike is because i'll be moving to nz alone, and i was thinking going around by car is a but impractical.

well the age old issue with a bike is the fact that rain can be a big deterant to wanting to ride. It makes the road surface slippery and so on. Also you cannot really transport much on a motorcycle, unless you have nice big panniers. The reason I am considering riding one as my main transport is because renting a car in NZ seems very cheap and practical for those times I need one.

i do have a license and drive a manual car, but the thing is, i haven't tried driving a motorcycle. not even once! (but i can balance on a bike!) :uhoh

Anyone can get on a motorcycle and ride one at the end of a day...the issue is riding one safely! It takes great skill to finely tune your handling skills and to tame your impulses to just whack the throttle open all the time.

regarding the HID lights, don't you think it's too bright? often times i get irritated by those cars with blinding white lights on me.

They may be bright but should never leave you with spots like main beams, however I have found that a lot of cars have their beams too high because the adjustment (providing they have one) has been rolled up. When i set mine up properly in the beemer I found them just and comfortable to look at as other lights.

yossarian

18th April 2008, 05:56 AM

Anyone can get on a motorcycle and ride one at the end of a day...the issue is riding one safely! It takes great skill to finely tune your handling skills and to tame your impulses to just whack the throttle open all the time.
.

yup, and this would really be a BIG issue as i will have to drive on the wrong side of the road! :eek: but i'm responsible enough and 'would surely learn the technicalities first and make sure i feel comfortable before hitting any major road. :)

anyway, i still have immense time to think about it (or maybe just get a car, but then again, it would be driving on the wrong side of the road :laugh)..

btw, nice to hear car rentals are reasonable in nz. thanks!

Wonderbob

18th April 2008, 09:19 PM

The reason I am considering riding one as my main transport is because renting a car in NZ seems very cheap and practical for those times I need one.
.

Mate, get yourself a car as well. Remember no compulsory insurance in NZ and you can pick up a very good banger for $500. Costs $200 for rego/road tax for the year and about $90 a year in bi-annual WOF/MOT's, no other costs.......A friend of mine bought a 1990 Ford (Jap import) 3 yrs ago for $500 and it's still going strong, passes all the 6 mthly WOF's, she can't kill it with a stick....drive it till it drops, but it just ain't gonna drop right anytime soon...Secret is to keep the rust out of them, rusty cars fail WOF's

Back to the bikes, ahhhh I can almost feel my new SV, just a matter of convincing my wife that my 4 yr old DR with 11K on the clock is worn out now and needs urgent replacement.....Hopefully by summer I'll have her worn down.......Now for serious students of Kiwi biker roads, I can highly recomend the NZ Motorcycle Atlas, has the top 100 best MC roads in NZ (most but not all in the SI), designed to flip out, so it can sit in a tank bag, and is full of maps as well. Truly excellent resource. Published by Hema Maps, ISBN 10:1-877302-32-5. It paid for itself many times over in my 2 week trip of the S.I !

Enjoy, biker paradise awaits!

Wonderbob

18th April 2008, 09:29 PM

Forgot the author, Doh..................Peter Mitchell. If you a Google search (NZ sites) on NZ MC Atlas it comes up first up, Great book! :cheers

AndyR

19th April 2008, 12:41 AM

Wonderbob

19th April 2008, 12:54 PM

cheers i'll certainly buy that book! and a gps haha so i can put the routes in.

i was considering a cheap car! there are some interesting ones knocking around. i'd have to get insurance, heard its cheap anyway. thanks for the advice!

No worries. Shop around Andy though, you shouldn't pay more than $30 for it. I notice that Akld Maps has it on sale at that price, but some of the dealers are asking $42+. As far as insurance goes, I use a specialist MC insurer, first year was $420, then the next year was $280, and now it's down to $230, as I've had no claims! Nice surprise to see rapidly declining premiums over time, never seems to happen with my car insurances! This is all for fully comprehensive cover, all losses, so I'm happy. The mainstream insurers can often be pricey as they don't like insuring MC's. Send me a PM when you get here and I'll give you their name.

cheers, Bob

AndyR

19th April 2008, 08:29 PM

Sweet! Cheers Bob! I'll have to remember to bring my NCB to see if they may accept it over there.

Grey Granite

21st April 2008, 09:41 AM

We got the very book last time we were over, available from Whitcoulls, and the author is Peter Mitchell....

Defo worth every penny!

The pages are soggy with our drool and we cant wait to test ride the routes. We've done them on 4 wheels but really need to do them on 2....

Ah! Mibbie we'll get the LOI this week or next! We live in hope. This waitings driivng me mad!

Had a fantastic weekend up in Inverness and some superb riding weather here. It stayed DRY all weekend for starters.

Twice round Loch Ness on Saturday, well, once round and twice up the Drumnadrochit road and home via Craigellachie! Soooperb - almost makes me want to stay here...................

Er no, I take that back - we filled our little Peugeot 306 with diesel tonight and it was 70 pounds and not even full to the click. Jeeeez man! I'll be on the bike till its time to flit!

(for 'flit' read 'move house'!)
Mrs G

Wonderbob

21st April 2008, 08:34 PM

We got the very book last time we were over, available from Whitcoulls, and the author is Peter Mitchell....

Defo worth every penny!

The pages are soggy with our drool and we cant wait to test ride the routes. We've done them on 4 wheels but really need to do them on 2....

Mrs G

Yeah, it's a sensational book alright, I've got his other one as well "Great Escapes", but the Atlas is better, those S.I roads are to die for......We rode through the Buller Gorge into Westport in early Feb on a Saturday afternoon, and only encountered 3 cars in 30 mins - the lack of traffic in the S.I is mind blowing ........... the roads, the LOTR scenery, it's just outstanding for those of the two wheeled persuasion......One of my buddies from Colorado was just blown away not only by the beauty of the place, but the huge variety of scenery, every 30 mins or so it changes, it really is a MC nirvana. The N.I also has some great roads, but nothing compares to the total experience that is riding in the south...

AndyR

22nd April 2008, 01:14 AM

People your making me twitch! I can't wait to get off the plane and get to a bike shop haha! I seriously think that I will be saddle sore from the riding!

Does anyone know If I can get a mount for a camera in NZ? I fancy filming some of the rides to make the family jealous! Just hope road chips don't get the lens eek!

oh and £70 is nothing, I think i paid £100 to fill up the car last time I bothered.

Grey Granite

22nd April 2008, 06:34 AM

Jeez! What car do you drive?

I remember a time when diesel was the cheapest option! When I were a lass I could fill up my mini for 17 quid! Ok that was 20 years ago....

Chaz

22nd April 2008, 07:22 AM

AndyR

22nd April 2008, 09:27 AM

I drive a Bmw 740, so 4.4 v8...thought I'd drive one as its prob the last time in my life I'd be able to afford one with petrol prices! Selling her soon so it will be Economy from here on out!

Wonderbob

23rd April 2008, 09:21 PM

Seen this thread a few time thinking I need to resist.....

Well - we are bikers too - however gave up on riding in Ireland due to the weather, road conditions, costs, etc etc. Hope to restart this when we get to NZ.

Howdy Chaz. I'm working with a SA guy here at work who brought his Z1300 Kwaka with him from SA. Remember them from the early 80's?? Most amazingly, he stripped it and rebuilt it as a cafe racer !!!! Can you imagine what a stripped down watercooled 6 cylinder cafe racer looks like - it's a beast! And yes he loves it here - no worries about being shot by some punk like in Joberg, and the roads are to die for!

AndyR

24th April 2008, 04:30 AM

be interested in seeing pics of that bike if you can snap one or two with your camera phone

Wonderbob

24th April 2008, 06:44 AM

be interested in seeing pics of that bike if you can snap one or two with your camera phone

No worries, I'll see what I can do. He lives in Akld but works here in Welly so I haven't actually seen it myself. He's shown me tons of photos of it, so I'll get one and post it (hopefully next week as I'm on annual leave this week). I know it was a nut and bolt resto, so a major project......

Wonderbob

25th April 2008, 07:19 AM

One of the guys from work organised a track day/training day at Manfield racetrack just out of Palmerston Nth. A whole day on a race track for $115, and one of NZ's top racers taking the sessions - I was in heaven! Learned lots, not least of which is that I want a new SV! All of this stuff is possible in NZ, mate you're gonna love it!

Cheers, Bob :cheers

Just heard that my mate is organing another training day at Manfield for the first weekend of November - same price as last year, two racers this year as trainers, and there will be streaming into two groups - the fast boys on their R1's etc who want to learn about setup, and the other group who don't want to (or are not capable of doing...) 240 kph on the back straight, but just want to concentrate on braking, cornering techniques etc. As you imagine I was in the latter group! Still got in about 60 laps of the circuit in the 6 hour day, it was worth every penny! I'd never been on a racetrack before, the grip was incredible compared to the road.......So you guys in the S.I (once you have bikes of course...), scoot up to Picton, 3.5 hrs on the ferry, 2 hours from Welly to Manfield and you are there. Anyway let me know if you are keen as he is taking expressions of interest now and is restricting numbers to about 45 I think.

cheers Bob

victoria24

8th May 2008, 09:58 AM

i have 5 of the puppies but about to offload for emi fund:
yam fizzy
2x yamaha tdr250 and ones a mint beuty , spent loads
1 r1-z yes thats right its the rare one in the uk (only 12 here)
honda fmx 650 4 stroke reliability!
which one would you pay to ship!

Philip10

8th May 2008, 10:20 AM

Wonderbob

10th May 2008, 11:59 AM

Hi All

I’m a biker, in fact just had my lovely CCM R30 stolen, bolt cutters through the chain, save me from selling before the move to NZ. I’ve looking on NZ websites and have decided on 3 bikes that would be great for a commuter/off road fun until I get settled and but something bigger to tour on, probably a Triumph as I had a great 900 Trident in the past. They bikes are: Honda CTX200, Suzuki 200DR and the Kawasaki 250 Stockman. Of course these bikes are not available in the UK and it’s a long time since I had anything under 600cc so I would really like people’s opinions on them.

Thanks Philip

Howdy Philip. If you want a commuter/weekend fun bike, how about a 400? DRZ Suzi's are cheap enough and very good dual purpose bikes. CTX Honda sounds like a farmbike, and so does the Stockman, although I haven't seen photos of them (avoid farmbikes like the plague, as the are often subject to a woeful lack of maintenance) The DR would be OK but a 200 would struggle getting up to the speed limit here @ 100 kph, hence why I recomend more of a 350-400 cc machine. Any of the Jap brands are good, be it DR, XR, XT/TT's or the Kwaka's. Check TradeMe, there are ton's of second hand bikes right now.

cheers, Bob :cheers

a4c1000

23rd May 2008, 08:08 PM

Hi guys, I'm due to be heading to NZ at the end of this year, but for me its going home after 11 years living in the UK... guess I stayed a bit longer than I originally intended to...

A quick question please. Has anyone shipped a bike home inside a container along with their other household gear, and if so with what company? I'm thinking that insurance companies might not like it too much (flamable substances etc etc even if you've drained all the petrol out)?

If I can help anyone out with biking questions in NZ drop me a line - I spent 10 odd years riding on and off road around NZ before coming to the UK.

In my humble opinion the top end the South Island is biking nirvana so if you get the chance go for it. A good round trip is to go down the east coast from Picton to Christchurch, over Aurthurs pass, then back up the west coast to Picton again. You cant get lost coz there aint that many roads! Mates and I used to take the ferry across for day or weekend from Wellington on a regular basis.

Do watch out for the police tho, some of them are utter hitlers. Naturally if you're nice to them, and grovel sufficiently you'll be better off than if you agrue (I've been ticketed doing 53kph, and let off doing 175kph). Be aware than unlike the UK speed cameras aren't easy to spot - there are no painted lines on the road or boxes on top of poles. Instead in towns, look out for a hexagonal shape cut out of the road - under that is the sensor. On the open road it'll be mobile cameras that get you. As I recall speed camera detectors are legal.

I believe the only SatNav that will work is a Navman - TomTom etc don't do NZ maps.

With a car some insurance companies will accept your UK NCB so its definitely worth taking proof of your bike NCB if you can.

Anyway enough waffle, I hope some of the info is useful. As I say, if anyone knows about putting your bike in a container, please let me know.

Cheers,

Phil

jackie m

23rd May 2008, 08:32 PM

Hi

Phil hubbie had his VTR in our container. (petrol tank empty) Had to have it cleaned professionally with receipts for MAF. They did check it but all was ok.

We used PSS who if you give enough time will have a crate made for it . Our friend also used them & brought over a Bandit so should be fine just paid a little extra on the insurance to cover it.

Jackie

stevied20

23rd May 2008, 08:34 PM

Help please!!!

Could you guys tell me the rules on a bike licence in NZ.

In the UK I hold a full motorbike licence, and although I know the rules about a UK citizen driving in NZ....what about motorbikes?

Will I have to take a thoery or practical test again?

Does the theory test i will need to take within 12 months for my car license cover my motorbike rights?

Thanks

Steve

JandM

23rd May 2008, 08:36 PM

TomTom etc don't do NZ maps.

Glad to say (because that's the SatNav M's got), Tom Tom DOES do NZ now.

Does the theory test i will need to take within 12 months for my car license cover my motorbike rights?

From what happened to my son, if you go to do the car theory test and tell them you're also a biker, you can do some supplementary questions about bikes and get it all done at the same time. He didn't realize, and had to go back and do bike theory separately.