Richy's Mid Life Crisis, Season 2, Episode 9 "Dakar Ready"

[440bbm]

glad you havent decided to give up on these. enjoy reading your stories on these adventures as much as the crisp pics and how clean u get your shit. 

plz dont stop good sir. 

[Snoozin]

^ Still not sure, that big spiel dates from before I crashed and encountered further struggles. I've learned this isn't a pastime for folk who suck, unfortunately.

[tortron]

3 minutes ago, Snoozin said:

this isn't a pastime for folk who suck, unfortunately

Try a GN!

[Snoozin]

I don't think it matters what it is, I'll still fall off it, struggle with the most moderate obstacle and get left behind 😅

[tortron]

but then you can blame the GN!

[Snoozin]

While I haven't 'officially' finished the healing process, I'd done a few short road rides to try and get my head back in the game, and on the weekend signed up to a single day ride in the Wellington region.

It was a led ride - ie no GPX file or running at our own pace, but the promise was a relatively easy ride and I thought it'd be a great idea to get back on the horse and see some stuff I wouldn't ordinarily see.

First though, a road ride to Makara. 150 or so km right off the bat, a 6am departure, meeting a mate in Rongotea then another couple of dudes in Otaki. I got smoked on the twisty road section to Makara, as I'm regaining my road confidence so wasn't pushing on at all.

The ride essentially took in the wind farm gravel roads on Terawhiti station, with a bunch of short sand sections, grass and rocky farm tracks. This is all private access stuff you can't normally get to. Initial sort of views after our first climb into the wind farm.

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (127) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (126) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

This is further along, beyond the Red Rocks area I believe. Again it's still on private land. Lots of seals doing seal stuff, wondering why a bunch of weirdos on raucous machines were interrupting their morning siesta.

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (104) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (106) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

From here, we'd climb again, and eventually end up at the spot where the HV cable from the South Island makes landfall in the North.

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (108) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (110) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

This is the cable patrol boat, ensuring the cable behaves itself and isn't being led astray/smoking meth/doing ram raids or anything I guess.

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (111) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

As an additional special little surprise, I got to see the bike that started this whole thread being used in anger by the bloke who bought it off me. Here's Guy on my old XT660R alongside the current steed, which TBH is just a modern day XT660R.

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (109) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

We'd then climb towards the next bay, where there was again, lots and lots of scenery but also the remnants of a coastal homestead. I thought I'd park in the living room.

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (114) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

Meanwhile, here's the 690 and the old bloke who owns it/makes some sort of excuse at riding it, enjoying some scenery.

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (115) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (102) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

The next part took us back to the gravel then up along a couple of ridge lines on grass tracks, with a rocky, rutted descent down to another bay that caught a few blokes out. Thankfully, not me for a change. You can see it in the back ground of this shot, snaking up the hill to the right of the background.

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (118) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

Here's me and the lads I rode with. Their bikes are pretty damn fancypants. I appear to be balding but please rest assured, it's not quite yet. 

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (120) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

From here, it was a pretty sweet squirt out, again on some farm tracks that were rutted, but dry. It would have been chaos if it had rained and some of these guys were stuck in there on their almost-road tyres. We'd move on to Kinnoull Station, a short ride back down South Makara Road. This was fun. Relatively quick double track stuff, with about 12 or so river crossings - not massive ones, maybe half a metre deep at the most, but bloody good fun. I had a total blast wheelieing puddles, ruts, and even popping the front heading into a couple of the smaller crossings. I wish I'd taken some pics now of people attacking the rivers, but alas... I was having too much fun!

This was an "in and out" track, so we had to wait at the end (beach) and allow the whole group to filter in before we could head back.

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (125) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

That about calls it for that ride. We arrived for lunch about 1:30 and after a quick woolshed-cooked burger I chose to head home, rather than complete the small afternoon run.

Feeling OK about it all at the mo.

 

[440bbm]

Surely, we are due another story by now?!

[Snoozin]

I've retired.

[Snoozin]

From posting, still riding the bikes.

It's punishing taking pictures and stuff all the time. We had a belter of a 2 day ride around Nelson several weeks back on the 690, then spent the Monday exploring Marlborough. I've been humming around a few trails on the 350 and I've got another big one on the 690 at the end of the month.

[Willdat?]

18 minutes ago, Snoozin said:

From posting, still riding the bikes.

It's punishing taking pictures and stuff all the time. We had a belter of a 2 day ride around Nelson several weeks back on the 690, then spent the Monday exploring Marlborough. I've been humming around a few trails on the 350 and I've got another big one on the 690 at the end of the month.

I was impressed someone managed to organise access into Kingsland/Silvan as it's pretty strictly no motorised public access in the 10 years I've lived next to Easby Park. The roar as the whole group wound up the hill was sweet!

[Snoozin]

It was super weird lining up in that reserve behind a bunch of houses then heading thru essentially a turnstile onto bicycle tracks... felt very naughty. But Dave must have some amazing connections to have pulled off the access he did. It had me wondering if there was any pushback from the community afterwards.

Actually an eventful ride for me (not negatively), and some good stories from it.

[Willdat?]

12 hours ago, Snoozin said:

It was super weird lining up in that reserve behind a bunch of houses then heading thru essentially a turnstile onto bicycle tracks... felt very naughty. But Dave must have some amazing connections to have pulled off the access he did. It had me wondering if there was any pushback from the community afterwards.

Actually an eventful ride for me (not negatively), and some good stories from it.

Yeah by that reserve is where I live, the council isn't exactly pro-develoment, or even maintenance of the existing trail network, any working bees get tied up in red tape so it was pretty surprising.

Some grumbles on the community Facebook page, but more positive/jealous comments than negative ones.

The way you came down is owned by the Griffin's (of Griffin biscuits) and they're amazing in term of access and trail building, fortnightly craft beer and bbq working bees, if we end out bringing the Moped Melee back to the top of the south we'll have to seek out access to at least the Silvan Steps, although Golden Bay is looking like a sweet future destination too.

Did you get up Mt Patriarch when you were in Marlborough?

[440bbm]

11 hours ago, Snoozin said:

From posting, still riding the bikes.

It's punishing taking pictures and stuff all the time. We had a belter of a 2 day ride around Nelson several weeks back on the 690, then spent the Monday exploring Marlborough. I've been humming around a few trails on the 350 and I've got another big one on the 690 at the end of the month.

Fair enough. Cannot say I blame you as it is pretty taxing and a part of it sucks the fun from the main ride itself which is the whole point. Glad that you are enjoying it and gotten over the slump! 

[Snoozin]

On 09/06/2025 at 23:02, Willdat? said:

Yeah by that reserve is where I live, the council isn't exactly pro-develoment, or even maintenance of the existing trail network, any working bees get tied up in red tape so it was pretty surprising.

Some grumbles on the community Facebook page, but more positive/jealous comments than negative ones.

The way you came down is owned by the Griffin's (of Griffin biscuits) and they're amazing in term of access and trail building, fortnightly craft beer and bbq working bees, if we end out bringing the Moped Melee back to the top of the south we'll have to seek out access to at least the Silvan Steps, although Golden Bay is looking like a sweet future destination too.

Did you get up Mt Patriarch when you were in Marlborough?

We didn't get up Patriarch - instead chose some other routes and up to Black Birch Ridge instead. I'll be back down to have a go at Mt Patriarch and I'm keen to run through Maungatapu too!

[Snoozin]

A while ago I updated the plastics on the 350, and had some graphics designed and applied by @Chunky_t via some ideas and inspiration from early 1980s KTM enduro bikes. I also fitted some flush mount sort of LED rear blinkers, as the original ones were prone to being ruined via crashes and were so cooked you could barely see them when on. I just need to sort out a reflector and bodge a number plate light so I can get this WOF'd and go get my full license.

This is the result.

2019 KTM 350 EXC-F-43 by Richard Opie, on Flickr

2019 KTM 350 EXC-F-50 by Richard Opie, on Flickr

2019 KTM 350 EXC-F-57 by Richard Opie, on Flickr

2019 KTM 350 EXC-F-74 by Richard Opie, on Flickr

2019 KTM 350 EXC-F-114 by Richard Opie, on Flickr

2019 KTM 350 EXC-F-144 by Richard Opie, on Flickr

The #775 is tribute to my very much missed late uncle Tony, who passed away 11 years ago from MND. This was his race number on bikes.

2019 KTM 350 EXC-F-63 by Richard Opie, on Flickr

[Snoozin]

Wee hoon yesterday. 437km from home and back, via Turakina Valley gravel, up to Tukino, back down the main drag with a detour at Manui Rd, onto Te Kapua Rd which looped back onto SH1 just South of Mangaweka. By this point the rain had really set in and it was home time, as the light was fading. Shots of the cool bit. Couldn't make it the full way, 2 4WDs were blocking the track just up from where I was here, and I was a bit hesitant to go off-piste should there be a hole or rock hidden by snow.

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (131) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (135) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

 

 

[Snoozin]

Well, I've been pretty busy with work and life... add to that the weather's been pretty average so I haven't had a lot of time to go motorbikin' of late. But managed a couple of minor hoons into the Central part of the North Island.

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (143) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (146) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (151) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

I did however pick up a Nomad-ADV rally tower off marketplace in pretty good order. I needed to get a couple of new parts and some missing fasteners, so also bought the graphics kit from the manufacturer who kindly offered to assist with product support, even though I didn't buy it new. So on the lift it goes.

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (155) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

You know what though? I SUCK at taking progress photos, because these days I get so immersed in the process. This wasn't a pleasant job. All of the wiring/connectors for the controls, the ABS wiring, almost EVERYTHING is smooshed up inside the factory headlight mask. So it's tedious to remove it, there's a good 18 or so connectors in there. Then you need to carefully remove the (interference fit) idiot lights from the original dash plastics... and actually cut a portion of it up to get the clutch line and brake line to the ABS unit clear, lest I disconnect them and go through the process of refitting and bleeding and no doubt opening a whole shit show of hassle.

Mounting the actual unit itself wasn't too much of a headache. Routing the wiring is one thing - but at least there's a little more room inside the tower frame vs the original setup. I think it's a bonus now too, the main loom that used to run into the headlight mask and turn with the bars, now does not, as the tower is frame mounted. One less pinch/pivot point to cause a problem. 

Anyway this is it now, I'll get some more detailed ones when the weather isn't garbage. It has turned the bike into this luxurious thing though. It's actually quieter with a proper screen. Even the rain was less, uh, wet. I suppose it was being swept in other directions instead of on me. And the headlights. OMFG. No longer do I have to make do with Austria's finest candle. Instead I have 60w or so of LED firepower at my disposal.

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Phone (160) by Richard Opie, on Flickr

Also got my full license, woo.

But am on a promise to not do anything too hectic until we come back from a holiday in January... Bex thinks my track record could potentially be a holiday ruiner.