camping spot to the north of the shelter that I ’ ve eyed the last few times I ’ ve been . There ’ s a stretch of soft sand to get to it , but I figure I ’ m on an adventure bike - I ’ ll be fine . Sand is one of those things where speed is essential , to literally surf the front wheel . There ’ s no room for speed here , so the front wheel does its best to wash out and I awkwardly inch my way to the coveted camp spot . There ’ s no getting away from it , this is a big bike . And , just like any big bike , it doesn ’ t like very soft sand at low speed . Be warned . I put the tent up , inflate the mattress , get the stove out and sit back for a stunning sunset . It ’ s not even Autumn yet but it gets cold . Colder than the rating for my sleeping bag . My beanie , little puffy jacket and thermals get me through the night . Flicking the ignition on the next morning , the Tiger tells me its 3.5-degrees and there ’ s an ice warning on the dash . It also tells me the keyless ignition keyfob is low on battery - possibly because of the cold of the night . My batteries also need warming , so I sip another coffee at the side of the lake while the bike is warming up .
KIWI RIDER 71