new zealand by motorcycle

5 Signs You Need to Change Your Motorbike Tyres

HAVE YOU CHECKED THEM LATELY!

Motorbike tyres that is! Soooo I booked my beautiful motorbike, the 2013 Harley-Davidson 1200cc XL, into Sunshine Coast Harley-Davidson for a service and a check over the other day cos it was still playing up. If you read my last blog on “The Keith Buckley Memorial Tunnel Run”, then you will know about my surging bike. Anyway it was still not right even after I put the special fuel stuff in the tank. Thankfully they found the problem and it was the regulator.

Anyway back to the tyres… The ever smiling Rick looked at me and said “you need a new back tyre”. I was surprised because I am normally careful with my tyres, but when I thought about it, it was then I realised and thought, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME I CHECKED MY TYRES????

You need to check your tyres EVERY time you take your bike out. You don’t know if you picked up a slow puncture from your last ride, you don’t know if the pressure is low. There are so many reasons to check them. Your safety, if not your life depends on the tyres being in good condition!

I did some research and came up with these nuggets of information in what to look for.

First of all, this is what is underneath the rubber of a motorbike tyre.

Cut away - Tyres

CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK

5 Signs That Indicate You Need To Change Your Tyres!

1. Wear –

This is the most common sign you need to change your tyre. The manufacturer has put wear indicators which looks like little triangles or bumps at the bottom of the main grooves. Once the wear gets down to this level, then the tyre has reached it’s legal limit and you need to replace the tyre. Not only is it illegal to ride on an over-worn tyre but the grip and performance is drastically reduced, especially in wet weather.

Tyres wear indicators

CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK

2. Unusual Treadwear –

If you find the wear of the tyre threads localised in certain places, this can be the result of a mechanical problem such as worn shock absorber, transmission or a balance issue. Get a professional mechanic to check it out. Riding on incorrect tyre pressure can also be to blame.

3. Cupping or scalping of the front tyre –

This is when the tyre gets worn out along the length of the tread and once this has happened, can affect handling and stablility. Scalping can also mean poor suspension, so get it checked out when replacing the tyre.

4. Splits, cuts and punctures –

Tyres are durable to withstand heaps of bumps and lumps, but of course sometimes they get a puncture. To me, if a tyre has had too many punctures or has cuts and splits in it, then it makes sense to change it. Who wants to risk a blow out? If you do develop cracking along the sidewalls (commonly known as dry rot), the tyre needs to be replaced immediately.

Puncture in tyres

CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK

5. Age –

I read in a few articles that we shouldn’t be riding on tyres over 5 yrs old. I had never heard of that one, but I guess it makes sense. Over time and use, tyres become hard and brittle due to the oxygen interacting with compounds in the rubber. This is a process called oxidation. I remember when I bought a 1998 Triumph America. It had 6,000 kms on the clock and was in awesome condition as it had been sitting in a garage for I don’t know how long. The tyre tread was fine, but the rubber was hard as rock so I had to replace both tyres. What a difference in riding! There is also a date code in an oval stamp on your tyre’s sidewall. The numbers represent the week and year of manufacture.

Age of tyres

CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK

CONCLUSION

1. Tyre pressure should be checked cold every time you go riding because as soon as you start riding the tyres warm up and the internal pressure rises. When you check your tyres and they are already warm from riding, you get a false pressure reading.

2. Look for cuts, damage, unusual wear, impact damage, cracks, know the age of your tyres by checking the date on the side wall of your tyre.

3. Don’t just check the tread, also check the side of the tyres and the rim.

LOOK AFTER YOUR TYRES!

Conditions of storage, inflation pressure, speed, load, the way you ride and climate are all factors that play a part in the life of a tyre and your safety depends on your motorbike tyres being in good condition.

As Rick said to me, your life could depend on it. Well actually he said “if you had kept riding on this tyre for much longer you would have died”! Same thing really, but he certainly made his point and I WILL be checking my tyres regularly.

Oh and don’t forget when you get your new tyres you should ride cautiously for the first 100 km’s or so until the entire tread surface gets scuffed up.

Tyre manufacturers use a release compound when making tyres in order to be certain they will come out of the tyre mold and it is an oilyish substance.
Some tyre manufacturers will put an additional coating on tyres to help prolong their “shelf-life”. Also an oilyish substance.
Lubes are used in the process of getting tyres on and off the rim.

Just pays to be cautious!

Blown Tyre – Check this link here to read what you should do if you do ever get a blown tyre. It could save your life.

Righto, I am off now to scuff up my tyre now the rain has temporarily stopped. So have a great weekend, but before you do, check those tyres!

Stay Upright

Why be part of the Life and Motorbikes Team?

Be part of the Life and Motorbikes team and register for our newsletter.

Why? I hear you ask. ( I know I would ask!)

First: 10% off first purchase in our shop. (More products in the negotioation stages).

Second: Notification of new blog posts to read.

As we are a new business, we are in the process of sourcing discounts on motorcycle friendly accommodation, eateries, accessories etc.

There are also a whole lot of ideas that are waiting to come to fruition, but they are still in the planning stage. So will keep you up to date with them too.

Last thing! We won’t spam you….we are too busy riding. We will just send newsletters when there is something that will interest you. AND if you really don’t want newsletters anymore then it is easy to unsubscribe…but why would you?

So fill in the newsletter form to the right to join our team.

Stay upright.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Motorcycle Trip through New Zealand – Burt Munro Challenge PART 4

Welcome back to Part 4 of our Motorcycle Trip through New Zealand – Burt Munro Challenge

If you missed Part 1, 2 and 3 of our trip through New Zealand, click here…

7.2.19

Recap….Ashley went to meet his friend Deb and the rest of us carried on to see the classic Hill Climb Championships at Bluff Hill/Motupohue, Bluff.

The race is just over a km long and climbs to a height of 265m above sea level with spectacular views over Foveaux Straight and the Southland Plains.

Could not believe how close we were to the start of the race!

Start of Hill Climb Race

Start of the Hill Climb Race

Once we climbed up the Hill, the view was absolutely incredible.

Motorcycle riding up Bluff Hill

Bike racing up Bluff Hill/Motupohue.

I am putting together some of the video of the whole trip, so once I have finished that, I will add the link here.

After we watched the Hill Climb, we went to E Hayes & Sons Hardware and Homeware Store. I have never seen any other store like it!

They have a Motorworks Collection in the store which is the home of Munro’s original “World’s Fastest Indian Motorcycle”.

Burt Munro's Original World's Fastest Indian

Burt Munro’s World Fastest Indian

In 1977 Burt suffered a stroke and sold his machines to his good friend, Norman Hayes. That is how it is sitting in E Hayes & Sons Store.

E Hayes Store also houses classic motorcycles, automobiles and engines.

Classic cars housed in E. Hayes Store

E. Hayes & Sons, Invercargill

What an absolutely magnificent store and this private collection is free to see! We spent ages in this store. Mind blowing!

If you have a passion for motorcycles then this must go on your bucket list.

8.2.19

Today was the Beach Racing and as there were sooooo many bikes in town Sue and I went pillion again.

We actually got to park on the beach and again the day was perfect!

Oreti Beach

Lee Munro, Munro’s great grand nephew, was riding the Spirit of Munro on Oreti Beach as a tribute. This is the same beach that Burt Munro tested his Indian Scout all those years ago.

Lee Munro’s Bike

9.2.19

Rest day for me today.

10.2.19

This is the day that everyone took off to the West of the South Island and I had decided to stay a while longer with my new found friend Deb.

So we all went to see the Burt Munro Statue to farewell each other off.

Burt Munro Statue

I really wanted to watch the Street Racing. We had done close to 4,000kms in two weeks and I wanted to stop and see more sights other than the roads before I left. This was my first time to New Zealand.

The street racing was fantastic. I can’t believe how close you can get to the bikes.

Street Race

Burt Challenge 2019 Events.

• Southland Honda Have A Go Day
• Classic Motorcycle Mecca NZ Hill Climb Champs
• HIrepool Twightlight Drag Racing
• Indian Motorcycle NZ Beach Racing Champs
• E Hayes & Sons Teretonga Sprint Races
• Sievwright Oreti Park Speedway
• Honda Invercargill Street Races

I would love to have seen the Twilight Drag Racing and the Speedway but unfortunately we couldn’t fit it all in.

The whole atmosphere in Invercargill during this time was “party” and we met so many wonderful people.

Seriously, put it on your “List Of Things To Do In New Zealand” if you love motorbikes.

I knew New Zealand was going to be beautiful, but I never realised how much I was going to love it.

Nothing beats going on holidays with your mates and experiencing new adventures, especially by motorbike AND to experience the atmosphere which is The Burt Munro Challenge.

Burt Munro (no copyright infringement is intended)

If you want to know more about Burt Munro, click here to read the Wikipedia content.

If you haven’t been to New Zealand, I certainly recommend you do.

CONCLUSION

I WILL be back to continue riding. There was so much to do and see, though we did manage to pack a lot of it in.

Next time I will spend more time in checking out places. Ya can’t do it all in one trip.

I also need to say a huge thank you to Ashley Gill and Mario Papasidero for organising my bike, otherwise I would never have been able to make the trip. As well as Bryan Barnsley, Michael Eglington, Sue Stewart and Jason MacDonald for the friendship and companionship. Thank You!

I also can’t go without saying thank you to Lew, Ash’s cousin for his wonderful hospitality.

Last but definitely not least, to Debbie Henderson a bit thank you for your hospitality and friendship.

It was a trip of a lifetime and one which I will never forget.

Thank you for letting me show you our trip and I hope you enjoyed reading about our little jaunt over the Land Of The Long White Cloud.

Stay upright wherever you are!

Motorcycle Trip through New Zealand – Burt Munro Challenge PART 3

Welcome back to Part 3 of our Motorcycle Trip through New Zealand.

If you missed Part 1 and 2 of the trip through New Zealand, click here…

4.2.19

After we visited Aoraki/Mt Cook, Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre and the Lavender Farm, we headed over to Omarama where we split into two groups.

Michael, Sue and Jason headed over Lindi’s Pass and through Cromwell, Clyde, Middlemarch and Dunedin to Port Chalmers and the Buffalo Lodge, our lodgings for the night.

Ash, Bryan, Mario and myself headed out towards Oamaru, Palmerston, Waikouaiti and Dunedin to Port Chalmers and met the other group at The Buffalo Lodge.

Before we got to the beautiful Oamaru, we went over the Benmore Power Station in Otematata. Wow what a view!

Otemata Power Station

Construction on this power station began in 1958 and was opened in 1965. It is also “the power source for the high voltage direct current link to the North Island.”

How impressive was The Power Station and dam? There was no-one else there and it was huge!

Then we arrived at Oamaru. I am so glad that Ash was able to show us a bit of this quaint little town. This is another place I need to explore more of.

Steam Punk HQ’s

Oamaru is the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand and is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is 80 kilometres south of Timaru and 120 kilometres north of Dunedin.

There is the Steam Punk HQ and a beautiful Victorian Precinct with beautiful heritage buildings. Of course there are many more things here but we were only passing through.

Lonely Planet dubbed Oamaru, New Zealand’s coolest town and I am definitely coming back to explore this funky place.

After a quick visit we were off to Dunedin and through to The Buffalo Lodge in Port Chalmers!

Buffalo Lodge – Port Chalmers

The place was huge! There was only thing that was weird about the place and that was that the two toilets and two showers were in two of the bedrooms so we all had to traipse through the bedrooms to use them. But in the greater scheme of it all…. nobody cared.

Buffalo Lodge – Port Chalmers

The place was comfortable, there was parking right out the front, the view was brilliant, was reasonable priced and had everything we needed. Happy campers!

5.2.19

Today was still pretty damp and we made our way to Te Anau via, Milton, Lawrence, Gore and Lumsden.

We found the YHA Te Anau Backpacker Hostel which is 4-star, extremely comfortable and very, very affordable.

This relaxed hostel is a 4-minute walk from Lake Te Anau, 1 km from Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre and 6 km from Kepler Track Trail Head.

4.5/5 for my review.

6.2.19

After a comfy night, we were off to Milford Sound. It was decided to reduce the amounts of bikes as there were so many tourists. So Sue and myself played pillion on the back of Jase’s and Ash’s bike – to save time.

I HAVEN’T BEEN PILLION FOR 8 YEARS!

Now, I had to shout that cos that’s just to let you know where my head space was. I trust Ashley with my life, which is just as well. There were hair pin corners, long straights and lots of tourists. (who didn’t know how to drive!)

Once I got my head into pillion mode, I was able to check out the scenery on the way there…stunning! Babbling brooks and rain forests and waterfalls etc etc…..boring! Ho hum! NO WAY!

Milford Sound

Milford Sound is a fiord on the west coast of the South Island. You cannot go to the South Island and not go and see Milford Sound. There are so many natural attractions in New Zealand and this is just incredible (OMG moment and that wasn’t just the ride in!). A must see on everyone’s itinery.

We took a day cruise up Milford Sound which was quite calm until the fiord opened to the Tasman Sea, but fortunately it wasn’t too choppy.

Good job as we had one member who gets quite sea sick, but she was fine. More info about tours and cruises here…….

The fiord is known for being the home of fur seal colonies (which we saw sunbaking), penguins and dolphins. There is actually Milford Discovery Centre and Underwater Observatory to check out.

Milford Sound

Oh and I forgot to mention the Homer Tunnel!

Homer Tunnel

Yes….Homer Tunnel. 1270 m long, 970 m above sea level, leaks water and made of solid granite. It has passing bays but during busy/avalanche season they have the traffic lights. As a WHS person….I shuddered! But it was pretty cool going through.

I made a little video to show you what riding through Homer Tunnel is like.

Check it out here:

Then it was back on the bike as a pillion to Te Anau for another night. It was nice not to have to pack up and unpack again, even for just one night!

Not sure I can get used to being a pillion…..but we did get there quicker and less bikes to find parking.

7.2.19

Today was the day we were arriving in Invercargill and meeting up with Ash’s friend Deb (who has now become a life long friend of mine) and to watch the Burt Munro Hill Climb .

Ash went and met with Deb whilst we carried on to watch the Hill Climb. It was amazing! So many people, so many awesome bikes! I can’t explain to you the feeling! And Invercargill weather certainly turned it on for us. All I can say is PERFECT!

Ok…I can’t believe I thought I could write our Motorcycle trip through New Zealand blog in one post.

But I now have to leave it here until Part 4 as I have so many pics of the Burt Munro Challenge that I can’t fit it in this post without some issues.

I promise in the next post, we are actually there! lol

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/pacific/new-zealand/south-island/

To read the final Motorcycle Trip through New Zealand to the Burt Munro Challenge PART 4 – February 2019, click here….

Cheers and Stay upright.

Why be part of the Life and Motorbikes Team?

Be part of the Life and Motorbikes team and register for our newsletter.

Why? I hear you ask. ( I know I would ask!)

First: 10% off first purchase in our shop. (More products in the negotioation stages).

Second: Notification of new blog posts to read.

As we are a new business, we are in the process of sourcing discounts on motorcycle friendly accommodation, eateries, accessories etc.

There are also a whole lot of ideas that are waiting to come to fruition, but they are still in the planning stage. So will keep you up to date with them too.

So fill in the newsletter form to the right to join our team.

Stay upright.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Motorcycle Trip through New Zealand – Burt Munro Challenge PART 2

Welcome back to Part 2 of our Motorcycle Trip through New Zealand.

If you missed Part 1 of our Motorcycle Trip through New Zealand, click here….

1.2.19

Ok….. heading down on State Highway 1 through Kaikoura. Onwards bound through Waiau, Reefton and finally stopping for the night at Greymouth. It rained from Waiaua to about 20k’s out of Greymouth. Had to rain sooner or later. We were incredibly lucky with the weather as New Zealand was having a heat wave and it only rained a couple of times.

Somewhere between Waiaua and Reefton.

2.2.19

After a huge breakfast at Greymouth, we were off to Kumara and up over Arthurs Pass.

If you have never been through Arthurs Pass, you gotta go. You have to make it part of your motorcycle trip through New Zealand. Arthur’s Pass National Park is situated between Canterbury and the West Coast in the South Island of New Zealand and Arthur’s Pass runs straight through the Park with a quaint little Alpine Village nestled amongst the Alps.

Arthur’s Pass Store

I can’t explain how incredible it is. It is rugged and mountainous and the weather can change quickly with little warning. Though we had perfect weather on our day…

Do your research and read up on Arthurs Pass before you go so you know what to expect. There are a few websites about this magical place but I like this one as it gives you all sorts of information and helpful hints. https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/canterbury/places/arthurs-pass-national-park/

Be warned though, petrol that day was $2.54 ltr!

Arthur’s Pass National Park

Otira Viaduct, Arthur’s Pass

From Arthur’s Pass to Darfield Hotel for the night. What wonderful staff! They even let us do our washing…they could probably smell us coming. No, seriously we didn’t have to put undies on inside out once!

The rooms were comfy and clean and so, so friendly.

3.2.19

Today we rode on over to the magical Akaroa. OMG! (I had a lot of OMG moments.)

Akaroa is a historic French and British settlement and is nestled right in an ancient volcano. It is amazing! The roads were twisty and the view was incredible.

Akaroa

One of the main attractions here are “swim with the dolphins” Tours. It is truly beautiful.

Check out the video I made for the ride into Akaroa….click this link here.

And it is only 84 kms from Christchurch. The day that we were there for breakfast so were about 40 other bikes. What a wonderful sight!

Akaroa

It was quite a windy ride to get there which was fine and I was getting used to the wind…that is until we went to Mt Cook…but I will get to that!

After having breakfast at Akaroa we then went back over the hill through Lincoln, Burnham, Ashburton for lunch, Geraldine, Fairlie, over Burkes Pass to Lake Tekapo.

Ahhh Lake Tekapo….another OMG moment.

Lake Tekapo

The turquoise coloured lake gets it’s intense colour from the glaciers. The glaciers grind rock into a fine dust which travels down towards the lake and then is suspended in the water giving it’s magnificent colour. Photo’s just do not give the colour justice. I have never seen anything like it.

Lake Tekapo

After Lake Tekapo we rode into Twizel for the night. We get around don’t you know! Twizel is the largest town in the Mackenzie District and is a handy place to base yourself if you are out exploring Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.

There are so many things to do around this area like mountain climbing, hiking, horse trekking, kayaking, mountain biking and of course skiing.

We stayed at Twizel Holiday Park. It was comfy, well priced, clean and really close to Aoraki/Mt Cook. What more could you ask for!

I would definitely recommend it for a cabin. And if my little mate Kian is there, say hi to him. He has the best attitude! You can check prices and availability on this link here….Twizel Holiday Park.

4.2.19

Today we headed off to see Aoraki/Mt Cook. (OMG moment). It was sooooooo windy getting there. I had to lay on the tank to stop the front wheel lifting and you felt like you were being pushed from one side of the road to the other, which you were!.

Truly an experience. But such an awesome, sunny day. I couldn’t believe we were so close to the snow.

The road to Aoraki/Mt Cook

Aoraki/Mt Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand and runs the entire length of the South Island.

You can’t visit the South Island without checking it out..I didn’t know but this mountain helped Sir Edmund Hillary develop his climbing skills in preparation for the conquest of Everest. Wow!

And then there is the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre which showcases the Aoraki Mt Cook region and consists of a cafe and bar, the world’s southern most digital dome Planetarium, a state-of-the-art 3D Mount Cook Magic movie, a museum and of course, you can’t go past the mountain views through the floor to ceiling windows. You should take a visit to it… here is the link ……

Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre

On the way back from seeing Aoraki/Mt Cook we stopped off and had a lavender icecream at the New Zealand Alpine Lavender Farm. I have never had a Lavender icecream before…..interesting!

New Zealand Alpine Lavender Farm

This Lavender Farm is in the middle of nowhere on Mount Cook Rd, Ben Ohau, which is on the way to Aoraki Mount Cook. It was fun place to stop at as they had heaps of lavender products and it was great to try the Lavender icecream ‘cos it was a bloody hot day!

We rode on to Omarama and at this point the group split up. But I am going to stop here as the page is getting too long with lots of pics and it will take forever to load in your browser.

There are heaps more things to tell you and pictures to show you so I am going to put the rest of the pics into a little video for you to peruse through. As soon as it is up, I will add it to the blog.

If you haven’t taken a motorcycle trip through New Zealand you should really consider it! All these words and pictures just can’t explain how awesome it is.

This is a map of the South Island and the route we took.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/pacific/new-zealand/south-island/

Click here for Motorcycle Trip through New Zealand to the Burt Munro Challenge PART 3 – February 2019.

Cheers and Stay upright.

Why be part of the Life and Motorbikes Team?

Be part of the Life and Motorbikes team and register for our newsletter.

Why? I hear you ask. ( I know I would ask!)

First: 10% off first purchase in our shop. (More products in the negotioation stages).

Second: Notification of new blog posts to read.

As we are a new business, we are in the process of sourcing discounts on motorcycle friendly accommodation, eateries, accessories etc.

There are also a whole lot of ideas that are waiting to come to fruition, but they are still in the planning stage. So will keep you up to date with them too.

So fill in the newsletter form to the right to join our team.

Stay upright.