KIWI RIDER OCTOBER 2017 VOL.2 | Page 18

Remembering a friend at the 2017 Yamaha Far North adventure ride T he 2017 Yamaha Far North Adventure ride on Saturday November 4, is based at Tangiteroria, a small rural community located on the banks of the Northern Wairoa River halfway between Whangarei and Dargaville on SH14. At every Far North Adventure Ride ever organised (20 since 1992) Whangarei rider and Adventure Riding legend, Des Trubshoe (aka Trubbie), was there in the line up. Des left this world suddenly in February so the 2017 event will be the first Far North Ride without him. Mike Britton remembers Des fondly: “To honour our long time customer who became a good friend, we are making this year’s event a memorial to Des, and we will feel his absence acutely. It will be known as the Yamaha Far North Adventure Des Trubshoe Memorial Ride. A donation will be given to a volunteer organisation as decided by Des’ family. “Those who knew Des will know what a legend he was in adventure riding and Ulysses circles. At our events, Des, in the offro ad-orientated-models category, rode everything from a TTR225 through to a Dominator 750. More uniquely though, he has also shown up on a Z900 and a Scorpio 225 – both road bikes, fully kitted up with knobbly tyres. “Even though ‘It’s not a race’ Des would frequently be found among the front-runners. He once told us how many of our events he had attended over the last 25 years, and we are sorry to say that we have forgotten exactly the number, but we do remember that it was well in excess of 50. “Des also told us that he kept the route sheets from every one of the Far North Rides and they were in pristine condition – mind you this may be due to the fact that, until recently, Des never used the route sheets, instead choosing to pick a likely looking fellow-rider to follow. And if they weren’t fast enough he’d ditch them and find someone else to shadow! Join us and experience the adventure that was good enough to keep Des coming to every one since the event’s inception in 1992. And, as Des 18 KIWI RIDER so frequently demonstrated, the ride is suitable for all road-legal dual purpose and trail bikes.” The ride base will be the Tangiteroria sports complex (community hall). Camping is included in the entry fee and the venue has on-site showers and toilets. If camping is not your thing, both Dargaville and Whangarei are less than a 30-minute drive away and offer motel accommodation. For more information, or email mike brittonadventures@gmail.com (as Mike is overseas for much of the rest of the year an email is best). Check out www.adventurerides.co.nz for more information.