KLR Ramblers

23/05/2026

Taking advantage of the long weekend (30 May - 1 June), we will ride the northern half of King Country.

Date: 31 May 2026
Starting: 9 am.
Start from: Waitomo

Starting from Waitomo and arriving back there the same day, the loop is approximately 227 km.
I will stay at the Waitomo Top10 Holiday Park, but there is a wide range of accommodation available near the starting point. Pick one according to your budget, wants, and needs.

A map and a GPX file is available on the KLR Ramblers website.

This ride depends on the weather. A bit of drizzle will not hold me back, but if it rains cats and dogs, I will postpone it to a later date.
I will make the judgement call on Thursday 28 May and update the post on the KLR Ramblers website. Do not look for updates here.

Date: 31 May 2026Starting: 9 am.Where: Waitomo (See the map for the details) Taking advantage of the long weekend (30 May – 1 June), we will ride the northern half of King Country, starting t…

20/05/2026

We had a fantastic ride on this beautiful sunny fall Saturday! 11 of us met at the petrol station and we had a pleasant ride to Puhoi. All roads were in perfect conditions and just dusty enough to bring back the memories of the summer rides.

The morning was definitely a bit chilly and foggy, just to remind us that summer is gone now. But, the sun was out with the promise of a great day.

The weather forecast promised a brilliant weekend and I had nothing else to do on Sunday, so I decided to spend the night at a nearby campsite and ride more on Sunday.

The evening and the night strongly reminded me that summer is indeed over (7C overnight), but I was comfortable in my Orson Indie 2 tent and down sleeping bag. I like this tent for being small when packed and despite the 100% humidity the condensation on the fly was minimal thanks to the great ventilation. When it is packed, it sinks easily either in my top box or saddle bags.

Sunday was brilliant again. I was cruising the nearby hills happily all day.

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07/05/2026

I have been asked recently what is in my toolkit. It is a good opportunity to update my “regular” review of the contents of my toolkit. So here we go.

- Wrenches: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17
- Wrenches and handle from the original toolkit for rear tire changes
- Sockets: 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, and one to hold the screwdriver bits
- Phillips 1, 2, 3 screwdriver bits
- Ratcheting handle and 150 mm extension for the sockets
- Screwdriver with changeable flat and Phillips ends
- Hex key set: 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Lineman’s pliers
- Knipex Cobra 180
- Spark plug tool
- Tire pressure gauge
- Zip ties, spare fuses, some bolts, nuts, and washers
- Duct tape
- 2 pairs of mechanic’s gloves
- Tow strap

06/05/2026

When you’re touring on a motorcycle, a small first aid kit can make a big difference. You don’t need a full trauma kit – just a few basic supplies to handle the little things that can quickly become annoying on the road.

A simple cut or poke to your finger? A couple of plasters can save you from bleeding into your gloves for the rest of the ride. Pick up a splinter at the campsite? A splinter probe and a disinfectant wipe can sort it out in minutes instead of letting it fester.

It’s not about preparing for the worst – it’s about staying comfortable and keeping minor issues from ruining a great trip. A compact kit takes up hardly any space, but you’ll be glad it’s there when you need it.

We have received six first aid kits from Alsco. If you don’t already carry one on your motorcycle, we’ll be giving them away on upcoming rides – first come, first served, while supplies last.

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06/05/2026

KLR Ramblers ride – May 2026
Starting from Gull Kaukapakapa, riding Kaipara Hill Rd, West Coast Rd, Komokoriki Hill Rd, Burnside Rd, Krippner Rd, and a few others. Ending the ride in Puhoi.

Date, time, map, and GPX file with all the other details are here:

Date and time: 9 a.m., 16 May 2026. We will start the ride not later than 9:15 a.m. Meeting point: Gull Kaukapakapa, 1079 Kaipara Coast Highway, 16, Kaukapakapa 0873 A shorter ride this time, with …

02/05/2026

As we planned, the April ride took us to the Coromandel peninsula. The week leading up to Saturday was rather grim weather-wise, and Auckland got a decent amount of rain on Friday. Eventually, the weather cleared and according to the forecast, we were looking towards a long weekend with brilliant weather.
While the weather was perfect, you could feel, that we are already in the season of fall. There is a cooler undertone in the breeze, the days are shorter, and the grass at campsites are getting soggy at patches. For this ride I took my Orson Hopper Pro 2 tent and my winter sleeping bag for extra comfort. Despite the slightly wetter ground conditions and the 100% humidity I was kept dry and comfortable thanks to the robust 5000mm waterproof, bath-tub floor and plenty of well designed ventilation on the tent.

See the full ride report and more pictures on our website if you are interested.
https://klrramblers.wordpress.com/2026/05/03/april-ride-report-8/

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21/04/2026

KLR Ramblers ride – April 2026

Date and time: 9 a.m., 25 April 2026. We will start the ride not later than 9:15 a.m.

Meeting point: BP Papakura https://maps.app.goo.gl/dUsZb2bXw5TbwobLA

The classic Coromandel ride in two days. Riding to the Fletcher Bay DoC campsite on Saturday. Heading over to Stony Bay on Sunday and doing some side tracks as we feel. Spending Sunday night at the Fletcher Bay campsite again. We will head home on Monday morning.
If you can’t get away for the whole weekend, join us for a day ride up to Coromandel town, or just for an overnight trip. The weather forecast is looking perfect for a weekend ride.

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15/04/2026

One of the features that makes the KLR650 Adventure motorcycle a great value-for-money option is the luggage system it comes with. You can literally roll out from the dealership, throw your gear into the OEM plastic boxes, and off you go on an adventure trip.

Nothing is perfect in this world, and likewise there are a number of criticisms of these OEM pannier boxes: too small, too brittle, dorky, the list could go on. There are plenty of aftermarket options for any requirements and preferences, but none of it is cheap when you change both the luggage and the luggage rack system as well.

For example, my KLR inherited a good pair of soft saddlebags from my previous motorcycle, which I prefer more than the OEM luggage. At first, I just used some pipe clamps and fixed two HDPE boards to the racks, and I could mount my bags on those. It was a cheap and well-working solution with a couple of drawbacks:

-I couldn't use the OEM boxes anymore.
-Those HDPE boards became a permanent fixture of the motorcycle, and not the most aesthetically pleasing ones.

It took a bit of time and some elbow grease to come up with something more practical.

These 3D-printed brackets can replace the pipe clamps and make the boards, with the soft luggage attached, and just pop on and off in a jiffy. While the brackets snap on, I have added ball-lock safety pins to secure them.

The reason I am writing about this is because I think maybe others can make good use of this little doodad as well. With these brackets and some kind of board that suits your needs, you can attach almost anything to the OEM luggage rack in an easy-on, easy-off way.

You can download the 3MF file from here (1), or here (2) for free and print your own set (3 for one side, 6 for a set).
(1) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GDB0tyVpsbcmML1D0waMtk4i4lTAonEJ/view?usp=sharing
(2) https://makerworld.com/en/models/2664509-gen3-klr650-luggage-rack-brackets -2948115

The hardware you need can be bought on AliExpress or at your local hardware store:

M6 flat-head countersunk hex self-tapping stainless steel screws (2 for each bracket, 12 for a set)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003299226889.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.37.278f1802s9D1Rd

5 mm × 65 mm ball-lock safety pins (1 for each bracket, 6 for a set)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008702193425.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.31.278f1802s9D1Rd

If you would like to have a set (6 x 3D printed brackets) but you don’t have a 3d printer, contact us on the link below.
https://klrramblers.wordpress.com/contact/
There is a good chance that I can find someone who can print it for you. But, you need to source your own hardware and HDPE or any other kind of board.

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These brackets were designed and tested with utmost care. However, they are provided as is, without any warranty or guarantee of performance. We accept no responsibility or liability for any damage, loss, or injury resulting from their use, misuse, or installation. Refer to our legal disclaimer and copyright information for full terms.

07/04/2026

Our Easter ride took us-back to Taranaki, you could say. With four days to ride, we had plenty of time to travel farther than we usually do. We also got lucky with the weather. Between two rainy spells, we were blessed with that beautiful late-summer glow.

Our destination for Friday was the old school grounds of the defunct Okoki Primary School. It’s a peaceful, quiet place, with no cellphone reception.

The Orson Indie 2 tent and the Orson Skyline tarp were a perfect combination. The tent housed all my gear and provided shelter for the night. The tarp gave us shade from the afternoon sun and kept away the early morning dew, making breakfast a bit more pleasant to prepare and eat.

On Saturday, we started early, with mist in the valley and the full moon still hanging in the sky.

The planned route wasn’t particularly long-just about 200 km - but the idea was to take it easy, stopping often for photos and little side tracks.

We rode through all sorts of roads and tunnels, and we definitely had fun. The highlight of the ride was the Whangamomona Road tunnels. This section was new for both of us. We had both been there before, separately, but neither of us had ventured far into the tunnels. Better not to take any risks alone.

After conquering Whangamomona Road, we had our well-earned lunch at the pub.

The afternoon brought a few more tunnels, fun roads, and beautiful weather.

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30/03/2026

March motorcycle camping trip. Focus on relaxing and cooking.
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28/03/2026

The March ride was a pleasant cruise north of Auckland.