There was no 2025 version of the 1KC as the date was moved from November to March. My bike has just completed its 10K service and just over a week after my failed TT26 ride it is good to go.
I was going to start my 1KC South at Hawera Z station as the closest entry point into the route rather than travelling 300km to the official start. I put my route into Basecamp, and it all worked out well. Transferred it to the Tead app on my phone so it would transfer to the GPS and immediately it had a disconnect after the first checkpoint in Stratford. No way I could fix it so I removed the route from the App and hooked the GPS to Basecamp via a USB cable. Basecamp says it is not compatible, but it does still work. The problem is the route still would not calculate, and it would not say why. After much frustration I found that Totoro Road was classed as unpaved in Basecamp even though it has been sealed for some time. I had unpaved roads as an avoidance turned on in Basecamp, Tead, and my GPS. Basecamp routed it okay once convinced with a couple of via points, but Tead and GPS simply refused. At least they could have said why. I took off the avoidances, and it routed perfectly fine then.
I started in Hawera just before 6am and took the photos and turned on Spot and the GoPro and headed for the first stop in Stratford. GPS was saying I should be finished at 19:20. I planned this trip to do no more than 10kph over the limit on my cruise control so 110kph set would get 107kph actual.
Took the photo and a courier driver went into the shop just as I arrived. I went in to see if they had the Herald and the driver had just delivered it. All one of them which the counter staff were just starting to read. I stopped that and brought it for later.
Next stop was about 160km away at the Aria Cosi club. Took the photo and started for Z Waiouru.
GPS was telling me a different route due to the change in avoidances, but I followed the track which I also had displayed. The rain came in quickly and put a light surface on Mokauiti road and this made it extremely slippery. I could feel the front sliding out often and the back spinning up as well. The Anakee Adventure tires are pretty shocking in the wet. I pulled over and put my rain jacket on.
First fuel stop for the trip was in Taihape and quickly on my way after taking off my rain jacket again. Not far from Bulls the weather turned again, and I stopped and put the rain jacket back on. By the time I got to Bulls it was full on and I stopped to put the rain pants on as well. Some dude said he had just come from Wellington, and the weather was like this the whole way. Down the Foxton straight I was gaining on a line of cars, and I did not notice the dirty police car at the back until he zapped me with his radar. All good though as I was still only doing about 105kph. He turned off in Foxton and let me carry one without slowing me down.
Rain cleared again not long after Levin and Wellington had lovely weather. Stopped and grabbed the checkpoint at the 1841 Bar and Restaurant.
Quick blast up the motorway to grab the next checkpoint at Z Remutaka. Photo taken and another blast over the hill without too much traffic. Coming through Featherston there was a police car with an officer standing by the back. Turns out she was using a laser. My detector did not go off but there was a car in front of me possibly blocking it.
Final fuel stop was in Masterton. Took the rain gear off again here. Turning right on Te Ore Ore Road and then onto Whangaehu Valley road to get a photo of an old barn.
70kms further along was a photo of Pongaroa store and had three goes at putting the bike on the stand. I hate how much the R1300GSA leans over in its stand and always makes you think it is going to fall over and then is a pig to get off the stand after.
Caltex Woodville was the next checkpoint, but this was the hardest one to get. The road was closed to south bound traffic and the fuel station itself was closed. I managed to sneak down and park and grab the photo though. That was the last photo to grab for me, so it was off back home.
Normally I do not stop and eat on these rides but this time I did and stopped in Wanganui Burger King for a meal. I love the Vanilla coke you can get from their machines. After that it was back to Hawera to grab my proof photo and ODO photo. I arrived there just on 19:00 with 45 minutes stopped for fuel and eats with an average speed of 92kph. Usually I have a lean angle of about 34 degrees either way but noted I actually got to 48.7 degrees at some point. Max for the R1300GSA is supposed to be 53 before things start scraping.
Another 1KC done and dusted. Thanks for the team for providing the route. As always it was excellent.
