SOUTH ISLAND NEW ZEALAND: What started as a better way to get to and from the Burt Munro Challenge blossomed into one of the best rides Big Dave and the Co-Pilot have ever had.
The original idea we floated to the Victory Motorcycles team was that we would access their Vision Tour demo bike and ride it some part of the way down to the Burt Munro Challenge celebrations in Invercargill. Then we would spend a few days touring Southland and Fiordland on a photo tour.
They liked the idea as an opportunity to show a lot of people just how nice a bike the Vision is and kindly upped the ante by making the Limited Edition Arlen Ness Vision — number 164 of 200 — available for Kiwi Rider's exclusive use.
“Oh, that’s only perfect!” I said to Victory man Garry Ridden when he called to break the news and talk about collecting the machine.
At KR we figured it would give a lot of folks an opportunity to see a unique bike and add a little something to the festival. If there is anything that captures the ornate part of the spirit of the Indian Motorcycle better than the Vision, I would like to ride it. Sweeping valances and organic curves included. It was fitted with the luxury throne pillion seat and top box too.
Nessie
As we were off to the Scottish quarter of New Zealand, and “Arlen Ness Victory Vision” is such a mouthful, we christened it Nessie for the trip.
We picked it up in Christchurch on the Wednesday afternoon prior to the BMC and, after a quick briefing from Garry, we hit the road. It was very warm in the City of Churches and we headed south via State Highway 1 in excellent conditions and with buoyant spirits.
We stopped at Rakaia to take a few snaps of the bike while it was still in pristine condition and the cloudless skies prevailed. We grabbed a bite to eat and pushed on south with the steady stream of passing bikes heading for the Challenge.
By now I was loving the bike and wondering, “how good is this?” out loud under my Arai.
The Barometer Drops
Beyond Ashburton the wind picked up and it was still quite hot. The Canterbury Plains might be the Breadbasket of the Pacific because of their rich agriculture, but they are pretty boring to ride across, particularly in a building gale like the one that now began assaulting us.
By the time we got to Timaru she was really rising — the wind, that is. We then rode into a few showers and conditions cooled off considerably as we pushed on along the coastal fringe to a photo stop in Oamaru.
We posed the bike for a few portraits down by the old waterfront. In parts the old town is like stepping back in time, with the weathered stone facades largely unchanged since whaling was a big industry.
The ladies in the Star & Garter Tearooms were typically South Island friendly as we grabbed a coffee and put on wet weathers in preparation for the colour of the sky in the direction we were heading.
Co-Pilot is always tracking the barometer at home and was very happy that the Vision has a digital thermometer in its display, allowing her to keep observations all trip.
“Jeez, that got cold all of a sudden hey?” I said, about to skite about how smart I was choosing to wear the three-layered Rev'it touring jacket that I am still quite chuffed with.
“It was 27°C just before Rakaia and 6°C coming down the hill into Dunedin,” she knowledgeably informed me as we unpacked for our overnight stay at the Mercure in the north end of the city.
We tagged the tour: “You’re never alone with Nessie.”
It was an easy ride down the coastal stretch and the occasional sea glimpses kept the scenery interesting, but we knew better roads were yet to come.
Carbo Loading
After we settled in, she headed for the spa and I rode downtown with the stereo pumping. I caught up with a few online buddies down in the city centre where we talked bikes and bull till it was too late for dinner at the hotel. Fortunately the kitchens at Etrusco at the Savoy in Moray Place, just off the Octagon, were open. It is my favourite Italian restaurant — ever.
Pasta and touring seem to go together. When next you are in Dunedin, make up some excuse about carbo loading for the ride and go upstairs for wonderful atmosphere, good folks and a Bolognaise that excuses being so common as to order Bolognaise. The hosts even came down for a look at the bike before bidding us goodnight.
Blow Me Down
Friday was business time. First event on the BMC programme was the Bluff Hill Climb and we had planned to get away early. Seeing both are nominated in the kiwirider.co.nz Best Road poll, we would take either the Pig Root or the Catlins to get to the bottom of the Island.
Walking to the bike from the front door of the hotel required leaning into the wind. Opening the top box into it took some effort. Sitting a helmet on the seat while packing was out of the question. It would just blow away.
By the time we got to Balclutha, and decisions about which route to take, there was only one answer. The crosswind was easily in excess of 100km/h and it was propelling occasionally heavy showers inland. The sky along the coast was as dark and foreboding as a Peter Jackson gloomy scene and the wind gusts on the inland plains were treacherous.
“Shortest direct route, thanks,” we said to each other at the junction. These were the conditions for nothing else. Mordor does rainy.
So we motored along State Highway 1, dialled the speed limit into the cruise control and cruised the rolling hillsides away, all the way to the Southland plains and on to Bluff. We were remarkably comfortable doing it. The bike dealt with very difficult conditions admirably.
A Bit Tense
At one stage we encountered a traffic incident and were diverted onto a seven-kilometre detour of single-lane, gravel farm service track in 100km/h crosswinds, with heavy rain and passing 18-wheelers. I was a bit tense by the time we got back onto the tarmac, but Nessie really coped most tidily — all trip.
Going over the Bluff causeway it was blowing. Man, was it blowing. But the Hill Climb was sheltered from the elements by the hill itself, and so was the famous signpost we parked the bike under at the end of the road. After a wander around the Hill Climb we headed north for the first time on tour to our lodgings for the next three nights.
The Kelvin Hotel appears to be Invercargill's tallest building. It is an older-style establishment that gets three stars in the Qualmark guide. What it lacks in marble bathrooms and gold fittings, it makes up for with happy, helpful staff and the way they make you feel welcome. It is right in the middle of town and they give you chocolates before bed.
We spent the next few days trying to avoid the worst of the cyclone that caused the cancellation of the beach races. We had the bike serviced by the friendly lads at KB Motorcycles, drank a fair bit of coffee and bought new thermal clothing in town.
Fiordland Beckons
By the time the Burt Munro Challenge events had run their course, the winds had moderated somewhat and conditions generally improved enough that we set out on the second part of the journey with enthusiasm.
After the Sunday street races at Wyndham, and the conclusion of the official events, we headed west and to our first real opportunity to punt Nessie up some beautiful backcountry roads.
We took Route 96 as we headed for Fiordland and our overnight stop at Manapouri. Once again we were impressed by the comfort and capability of the bike as it rolled away the beautiful, lush foothill country delightfully, until we stopped in the shadow of the Southern Alps.
If you are looking for a touring-biker friendly place to hang your helmet for the night, check out the Manapouri Lakeview Motor Inn. Host Dave rides a TDM and attended the BMC. He offers good food, a nice bar and clean and tidy rooms at a reasonable tariff, plus one of the nicest outlooks from the restaurant anywhere.
Awe-Inspiring
Monday morning dawned and we had no trouble getting motivated for the day ahead. In these esteemed pages eight years ago, I rated State Highway 94 New Zealand’s best bike road. I have since found a few I like better, but not many.
We had allocated a full day to make the 300km journey to Milford Sound and back to our next night’s accommodation at Te Anau. At first the road follows the Lake Te Anau shoreline with tree-clad escarpments looming beyond the crystal clear waters.
Beyond Te Anau Downs the road snakes through beautiful tunnels of native forests that line the fringes of the escarpments. Occasionally they open out to a narrow plain on the Eglinton Valley floor, nestled between the Earl and Livingstone Mountains. The scene is quite awe-inspiring and it is only a teaser of what is to come.
Past Lake Gunn the road climbs toward the Homer Tunnel with Mt Christina looming on the right. Through the 1.25 kilometres of rough-hewn tunnel, and on via a descent of switchbacks to the valley floor on the Milford side, the road really is a motorcycle ride of the utmost quality.
Conditions were overcast for most of the day. The temperature climbed to 17°C in the valley and dropped to 5°C in the high country. The road is in fair condition and carries quite a lot of tourist traffic, so button off and drink it all in.
The bike continued to draw a crowd and was a big hit with the tourists everywhere we stopped. We took dozens of photos for the Japanese tourists wanting to be seen with Nessie. With grey skies and a stunning motorcycle waiting, we decided against the boat cruise because we had done it before in better conditions.
Darren and His Mate
We had a few relaxing stops travelling back to Te Anau base, chatting with a number of bikers on the way. Our theme for the ride by now was “you’re never alone with a Nessie” as we were swamped with questions and admirers every time we parked.
We met some great characters along the way, like Darren and his mate, The Albatross.
“If I get a Kea to take a sandwich out of my mouth will you put me in the mag bro?”
Now I know you are not supposed to feed them, but what could I say? The bird did not take it anyway. When last we saw them, their bikes were parked beside the road and they were headed for a beautiful babbling stream, fishing poles in hand. What a wonderful place to travel.
We got back to Te Anau mid-afternoon and settled in to very amenable accommodation at the Lakeside Motel and had a wander around the pleasant township. It is another good one for motorcyclists, with separate living spaces, kitchen and amenities, but the highlight is watching the sun set over the lake with Flat Mountain away in the distance. Magnificent. Co-Pilot says: definitely recommended, thumbs up.
Morning Indecision
We left Te Anau reasonably early with the day’s destination undecided. After the terrible weather that had prevailed for most of the first few days on tour, the sunshine and 20°C temperatures were most welcome.
The roads from Te Anau heading north are a blend of open highway touring and lovely lakeside twisties. By the time we were skirting Lake Wakatipu, south of Queenstown, conditions were close to ideal. Sunny breaks and virtually no wind prevailed.
The ride along the stunningly beautiful lake, in the shadows of The Remarkables, provided one of the great sights of the tour. We decided to bypass Queenstown and push on to the middle of the Island, stopping at Cromwell for lunch instead. More fabulous sights, gorges, mountains, glistening lakes and snow-capped peaks lined the way.
Over the Lindis
From Cromwell we made excellent time through Lindis Pass and on to Central Otago and the Mackenzie District. Lindis is probably the gentlest pass on the Mainland, but it is a great ride nonetheless, and its long sweepers ideally suited the big Nessie.
Beyond Lindis the landscape in Central Otago is completely different to anything we had encountered on the trip so far. Brown and relatively dry, the plains are ringed on all sides by towering peaks. The snow-capped Southern Alps lie to the west, the Hawkdun Range and Benmore Peak to the east.
The road hugs the valley floor and is quite straight and the countryside open and empty. Punctuated by wide streams flanked by fields of outrageously coloured lupins, with flowers that were almost the same shades as the artwork on the bike.
Epic Proportions
We arrived at our tentative destination of Twizel at around four and stopped to take pics by the incredibly blue lakes. With conditions still ideal we decided to push on to Mt Cook.
Unfortunately, at 3,754m, the mountain makes its own weather and it was not playing ball. Shrouded in mist and light rain, only the bottom half was visible. The ride in along Route 80 was worth the effort, however.
The flowing road crosses countryside of epic proportions. Vast slopes rise away from the Lake Pukaki basin and the Ben Ohau Range lies to the west, while the Gammack and Burnett Ranges funnel the view to distant Mt Cook.
On arrival at the village we considered checking into a hotel at the foot of the mountain, but with the cloud that encased the upper half of the slopes unlikely to clear for days, we headed back towards Twizel. The riding was so nice and conditions so pleasant that when we got to the Route 8 junction we decided to push on to Lake Tekapo instead.
The sunset provided another spectacular end to another incredible day’s motorcycle riding. Central Otago is really an amazing place. The roads are generally wide and open and were very well suited to our lounge chair on wheels.
The Homeward Leg
Grey, overcast, back to being a bit windy and the Co-Pilot reckoned “the type of rain my mother would describe as teaming” greeted our final day on tour.
Conditions dictated that we just headed back to Christchurch via the shortest direct route, with the intention of making it out to Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula for the first time. Easy, straight running out to the east coast above Timaru, trying to skirt the worst of the weather, with a stop for lunch at Pleasant Point.
Worth stopping for the name alone and the food at the Railway Café is good, and it is owned by a motorcyclist. Also worth noting were the numerous highway patrol cars on a donut break near Fairlie. Several marked, one mufti.
So it was time to hunker down again, turn up the stereo, hit the cruise control where suitable, and we made it to the Akaroa turnoff in good time.
Maybe Next Time
Twice before on our tours of the Mainland we have ventured that way, and twice before we were beaten back by the sheer filth of the weather. For the third time in as many attempts we said “stuff this” and headed back to the city.
The peninsula was shrouded in thick fog and persistent rain, so we had a stop at the pub at Little River and made our way back to town to return the bike. We gave it a quick wash and from there it was by taxi to the airport and home to wade through gigabytes of pics.
What places the Southern Alps and Southland are.
It is no wonder that vast tracts of the Alps are World Heritage listed. It is humbling, it is epic, and it is an amazing experience to sit outside on a motorcycle and watch it all roll by.
It is full of great folks, is extremely tourist friendly, and is jaw-droppingly beautiful. If you have not been down there for a ride around, start planning now. Nessie might be a hard act to top though.
Thanks to Victory Motorcycles NZ and Kerryn from Venture Southland for making it all possible.
The Bike
A Limited Edition Arlen Ness Victory Vision, number 164 of 200, used as a proper two-up touring machine.
The Ride
Christchurch to Invercargill, then Fiordland, Milford Sound, Te Anau, Lake Wakatipu, Lindis Pass and Lake Tekapo.
The Mood
Gales, rain, alpine passes, lupins, lakes, tourists, admirers and a big black motorcycle called Nessie.
The Bike — You’re Never Alone With Nessie
We featured a Vision on the cover of the November 2008 edition of Kiwi Rider and the capability of the bike impressed us then. So when Victory gave us an opportunity to use their Arlen Ness Custom Vision, number 164 of 200, for a serious tour test around Southland, we jumped at the chance.
Arlen Ness is regarded as a pioneer of custom bike building. His works are famous amongst the chopper fraternity and some of his bikes are legendary. Victory proudly announces that he personally customised the Limited Edition Arlen Ness Vision in the accompanying blurb.
Whatever you think of the styling, after a very thorough test in occasionally difficult and trying conditions, we can attest to its capability as a very accomplished Grand Tourer that also works as a very cool cruiser. This is a wonderful motorcycle to spend an extended tour on.
It starts with room to move. It is large. Another blindingly brilliant BD insight. It weighs in excess of 365kg and has a wheelbase of 1670mm. It is also a contender for the “most bodywork on a motorcycle ever” award, even allowing for the fact the engine is intentionally left uncovered.
The seat is low, cruiser low, at 673mm, but it is very plush and the foot accommodation is probably the best on any bike for comfort. The long footboards, combined with the tip-over protection outriggers, offer a variety of leg positions that make it very much like sitting in a favourite lounge chair, even for a BD-size unit.
The passenger is also brilliantly catered for. As it turned out, heated grips and heated seats were not really missed on this trip either. The bodywork and electric screen did such a good job of insulating us from the elements.
We copped some extreme conditions on the run down to Invercargill: 140km/h crosswinds, detours onto dirt roads in heavy rain and plummeting temperatures. Most of it we were quite nicely protected from, inside the bubble the whole setup creates.
Tour Test Notes
Fun to ride too: for all its size it is still fun to ride. We logged just on 2,000km for the tour and I did not scrape anything or touch down anywhere all trip. It has good enough ground clearance to comfortably deal with 75km/h corners at 100km/h.
Engine: the 1731cc, 106 cubic inch, SOHC four-valve V-twin purrs along nicely. It has good overtaking pull and is remarkably smooth in cruise mode.
Brakes: stopping is taken care of by 300mm discs. Twin floating discs with three-piston calipers up front and a two-piston unit aft. They are linked, provide good feel with a light touch and are confidence inspiring, even when doing low-speed manoeuvres on gravel.
Living with it: the ease of control for a bike so large and the road manners were a pleasure. The luggage is often maligned because it looks like it should hold more than it does, but we fitted all our gear, cameras, chargers, KR hats, brochures, stickers and Co-Pilot’s shoes on board.
Crowd control: the stream of people who stopped and asked about it was constant. Japanese tourists were queuing to have their picture taken with the bike. Everyone had an opinion.
Do not let the custom looks and deportment fool you. It is also a competent Grand Tourer; it dealt with some miserable conditions admirably and doubles as a very classy cruiser. Long may it roam.
Fast Facts
Motorcycle: Victory Arlen Ness Custom Vision, #164 of 200.
Engine: Air/oil-cooled 50° SOHC eight-valve V-twin, 1731cc / 106ci.
Transmission: Six-speed constant mesh, belt final drive.
Tyres: 130/70 R18 Dunlop Elite 3 front; 180/60 R16 Dunlop Elite 3 rear.
Brakes: Twin front discs and single rear disc.
Wheelbase: 1670mm.
Seat height: 673mm.
Dry weight: 365kg.
Fuel capacity: 22.7 litres.
Original RRP: $42,500.
Route: Christchurch, Dunedin, Bluff, Invercargill, Manapouri, Milford Sound, Te Anau, Lake Wakatipu, Cromwell, Lindis Pass, Twizel, Mt Cook, Lake Tekapo and back to Christchurch.
Distance: just on 2,000km.
Originally published: Kiwi Rider, Road Feature — Victory Tour.