Wheely night

The ride organised for TRTNR was to a car park in the Hutt for wheely action. I had a ride on a pit bike and got it up on the rear a few times then it threw me off. Only damage is a sore big toe.

Some of the riders managed to do some great stunts. The photos don't do justice to the skill and action.

The picture shows the pit bike.

TCWNR

This was a special ride as an informal remembrance of Uncle B. The destination was the Red Hotel in Featherston which was a favourite place for Bruce.

We left the Park just after 6.30pm and had a quiet run to the top of the hill. The stop there was about 10 minutes and then we rode on to the the hotel. I left to head home before most of the others and Koroj followed me. We had a good fast run over the hill and a legal run the rest of the way home.

It was a nice night and good ride.

B King Launch

I got an invite to the WMC launch of the Suzuki BKing so rode there for a 6.00pm start. The bike looks impressive. The host provided drinks and pizza and I had an invite to ride the B King when the demo bike arrives in the store.

There were a number of people there who I knew and had met on the road.

At 7.00pm I left with Selwyn and Wayne to go to the Sandbar for the RAT meeting. There was a small group at the RAT meeting, so now I have meet some of them I will go on a RAT ride.

Back home at 9.00pm.

Another week finished by ride to Ngawi

Tuesday night was the monthly Ulysses meeting at Petone. I took the bike even though rain was threatening. It was a dry trip there and some rain on the way home.

Thursday night (15 Nov) and I decided to go on the 'TRTNR'. The group was to divert to Drew and Vicki's place to hassle them so I got behind the first bike to follow and it was not long before I lost him. The ride started with number one doing a beaut wheely up the motorway and then he lost me. So I went up the highway to a layby and waited. 15 minutes later eight bikes appear and I tagged on behind. We got to the top of the hill and chatted for 5 minutes before heading back. These guys are too fast for me. 100km round trip.

Sunday was the Ulysses ride to Ngawi. This is a great ride around the coast with a little bit of gravel to make the trip interesting. It was a 280.2 Km round trip and I used 15.25 Litres of fuel. That is 5.43 litres/100km and the trip computer read 5.4 L/100kms so that is accurate.

I got home after 3pm and cleaned the bike. The next occasion is the RAT event at the Sandbar on Wednesday.

Cheesecutter and more kms

This morning after a leisurely breakfast Jan and I headed to the Sandbar in Mana to join the cheesecutter protest ride.

It was a beautiful day and then when we got near Porirua the rain started. Not that I want to dwell on the weather but this was unusual. The forecast was for a fine day but a few kms around Mana there was medium to heavy rain.

Around 75 bikes left Mana at 11.00am and we headed into the city and stopped outside Parliament. A few speeches etc and at noon Jan and I left. I turned off at Johnsonville and Jan continued on to New Plymouth.

When I got home I sent a text message to Alan regarding a ride but he had other commitments so I headed out onto the road - without a plan. By the time I got to the motorway I decided to head up SH2 and then did a minor detour up the Belmont Hills followed by a blast along Hebden Crescent to the Haywards Hill intersection, up SH to Riverstone Terraces where I explored the subdivision and back to SH2. From here I did a run up Whitemans Valley and the Blue Mountains, joined SH2 again and headed up Haywards Hill, around the inlet on Paremata Road to SH1 and home.

That made today a 200kilometre day. BTW - the mistress is great.

TCWNR

Another week and a cruise out to the Duck Pond and over the hill to the Tin Hutt.

I didn't stop at the top but went over the the bridges where I turned around and headed back up meeting the pack on the way down. Then near to top I turned around a headed to the Tin Hutt. It was good to get a bit of extra practice on the corners where I am trying to learn the Pace style of riding.

The weather was fine but cold once over the hill and I decided to head back early. A Ducati rider joined me and we had a good run over the hill with no cars holding us up.

The bike clicked over 1900kms at Te Marua. It is running well and the power is very obvious when the throttle is rolled on coming out of corners and care needs to be taken otherwise the front end gets light. It may be my imagination or the more aggressive use of throttle - the exhaust is louder and with a nice growl.

The Tin Hutt trip on cold nights has lost the appeal it once had.

The pack rack

A really crap day today so I had time for some minor maintenance and a review of pictures. The chain is now lubed after I found how challenging it is to apply chain oil without a rear stand. I will have to buy a single sided paddock stand so the wheel can be rotated while applying chain oil and just to get the bike vertical so it is easier to work on for a variety of tasks. To lube the chain this time I used a bottle jack under the rear shock assembly and leveraged against the side stand.

I needed a pack rack as there are not many options to carry gear on this bike. Some say the Ventura Rack is ugly, I say it is a necessary evil. However, I think it looks okay on the Speed Triple and tends to balance the rear with the front.

From these pictures taken yesterday an opinion can be formed on the Ventura rack?

Rain is coming

I rode the bike into the city yesterday (Friday) to display to those interested and also as the forecast was for rain Saturday through to Monday.



Today I was up early for a Saturday so I could fit a short ride in before the weather broke. Alan sent me a text while I was in the shower and by the time I responded he was fueling up and on his way to my place. So a rushed breakfast and we were on our way. The first stop was to view the sea at the Pukerua Beach Road and take some pictures. Then we headed to Southwards Car Museum for a coffee.

On the way back we via the Paekakariki Hill Road hill and then Haywards. I got back home at 11am and there was still no rain.