10 and an MT-07, I folded myself into the petite
curves of the R6. After all, I couldn’t subject a rider
and pillion to the confines of an R6, could I?
Some 10km down the road, sitting at 110km/h
into a 75km/h headwind I was smugly pleased
to be crouched behind the generous screen of
the R6 and to be unfettered without a pillion.
Our scenic route to Lake Hawea included a
brief stop which would have been quite lovely
if it weren’t for the katabatic wind funnelling
down the lake and battering the shore we were
standing on. Even young saplings were anchored
with angle-iron spikes to keep them upright.
While this wasn’t a race by any means, the ride
WIN
A SET OF
METZELER TYRES
Metzeler wants to see what riding you’ve been
up to this autumn and winter. Post a picture of
your bike somewhere you’ve been for a ride and
tag it with #metzelerwanderfeel and you’ll be
in with a chance to win a set of Metzeler tyres
to suit your bike. So get tagging on Instagram
and Facebook over the course of the next
month with your best bike adventure pictures
with the hashtags #metzelerwanderfeel and
#kiwiridermag and we’ll choose a winner.
36 KIWI RIDER
had spirited moments and I was happy to be on
a poised and accurate race-replica. Following the
guide along the road from Wanaka to Treble-
Cone was a hoot. I know I keep saying this...
but the road is a beauty, twisting and turning
like a tar-seal roller-coaster along the side of
the lake. It seems like you’d be unlucky to hit
a bad road anywhere near Queenstown.
METZELER GRAND TOUR
Considering this was only a two-day trip, it took
in a huge variety of riding and I was shattered
by the end of it. This is a trip that Metzeler is
looking to throw open to the riding public and
I’d recommend it whole-heartedly if you want
to see the sheer variety of riding available in
stunning Queenstown. If you fancy doing it
under your own steam then give Scotty and the
guys a call at Off-Road Adventures. They can
arrange a trip to suit your tastes and budget, from
budget to sky’s the limit. Metzeler’s Grand Tour
has certainly opened my eyes to Queenstown
as New Zealand’s motorcycling capital.
Photo: Kerry Olson/BRM