Social ride with gravel option

Ulysses organised a ride to Gladstone for lunch with two options for a ride. The road option involved Martinborough, the back road to Gladstone, water towers loop and back to the pub at Gladstone. The other option was the Admiral Range road.

Obviously the Speedtriple wasn't suitable to the gravel options. Plently of riders turned up with their other bike, the trail riding type.

We left Brown Owl at 10.00am, regrouped at Featherston and then again at Martinborough. The Martinborough stop was to allow the trail bikes to be refuelled. Photos are at Martinborough. After the water towers loop four of us went up the Admiral Range road until the seal stopped and we then waited for the gravel riders to turn up. We didn't have to wait long.

We we arrived at the Gladstone Pub it was too busy so Alan and I headed to Carterton for lunch. We stopped at the summit on the way home to watch the traffic. I got home at 3.30pm.

It was a good days riding, the weather was good although a bit too cold first thing. The ride as 285kms and the bike has now done 9547kms.

RAT Meet

Last night I went to the RAT meeting at the Sandbar in Mana.

Five for the meet with a total of three bikes. It was very cold and especially so on the trip home.

The turnout to Triumph events seems to be consistently low. If this was a HD meet there would be at least 10 times as many. Is this something to do with the Triumph statement, "go your own way"?

Mt Bruce for lunch

Today it was a Ulysses ride with lunch planned for Mount Bruce. Departure time was 9.30am from Brown Owl.

The weather forecast for today was for no rain in Wellington or the Wairarapa - so I felt confident in leaving the pack with wet weather gear behind. This confidence in the weather forecast was a mistake.

The route was planned by John and Steve and included the back way to Pahiatua and then back to Mount Bruce for lunch. We weren't far north of Masterton when it started to rain and then it just got heavier. By the time we got to Pahiatua (a fuel stop) I was wet and cold. At home was a complete set of new wet weather overs and gloves. Somewhere along the way we lost 5 of the pack but found 2 at Mount Bruce, one got lost (Guy) and the other took a short cut. It was a good pace but the pack spread out at times - this was the reason for losing some of them.

After lunch I went straight home and the rain cleared nearing Masterton. At around Greytown I was warming up a bit and drying out. I had a good run over the hill - not too much traffic and the road was clean and dry. Got home after 3.00pm.

The photo, taken by Steve, is of me arriving at Brown Owl.

Stats from MC computer: 358.5kms, 4.35hrs, 5.1L/100km, 77kph ave, xxxkph max.

Cold day and nice ride to Paraparaumu

A nice clear and cold day after sleet and snow yesterday.

Alan and I did a short ride up SH1 via the Paikakariki Hill and then back the same way. Lunch at Paikak (that is a busy spot on a nice day) and then back over the hill. A red unmarked HP car was hunting speedsters on the lower area of the hill.

Not much more to say; the Speedtriple is a very enjoyable bike to ride, it sounds great, handles well, and that motor - beautiful.

Stats from MC computer: 105.9kms, 5.1L/100km, 61kph ave, 1xxkph max. Odo 8782.

Lunch at Pongaroa

The Ulysses long ride this month was to Pongaroa. I left home at 8.45 to arrive at Brown Owl for a 9.30am departure.

Only 11 bikes turned up for the ride - I expected more as the weather was good after a few weeks of bad stuff. The ride to Featherston was as usual a free ride and I used this to carefully scrub the new rear in. It was a bit slippery on some corners.

The route to Pongaroa was: SH2 to Masterton with a refuel at Mobil, Te Ore Ore Bideford road to Alfredton. Regroup at Alfredton and then 50kms to Pongaroa. The roads were wet and there were areas of loose chip. This kept the speed down and especially on corners. Lunch was taken at the Pongaroa cafe. The cafe can be seen in the photo.

One rider and his pillion headed further up the road and onto Havelock North for a day or so. The rest (7) headed back on the Pahiatua Road (50kms) and then down to Eketahuna. I followed Steve (Busa) most of the way although a pesky Honda infiltrated for a while then it past Steve before giving up and stopping for a while (may have had a fright). Just past Eketahuna we turned onto the Mangaoranga Road to Mauriceville and then to Masterton via the Paierua Road This is a nice section of road, fast and interesting.

After Masterton we diverted to Gladstone so Steve could drop a parcel off at the pub. Then it was off to Martinborough via Ponatahi Road (middle road). This was a fast section of the trip and riding a naked bike meant I slipped to the back of the pack of five a couple of times. Too much wind at those speeds! Only sports bikes need to apply to ride with this group. A refuel was required in Martinborough and it was straight home.

Another great day on the Speed Triple and good company of experienced riders.


Stats from MC computer: 407.7kms, 6.4L/100km, 77kph ave, 1xxkph max. Odo 8655.

Almost a month since the last decent ride

The next long Ulysses ride is this Sunday, and where have I been on the bike? Last weekend a short ride out the the Hutt and today to the Red Baron (TSS) for a new rear tyre. That's it - I blame the weather.

The Speedtriple has just over 8200kms since returning from TSS. It will be interesting to see if this tyre retains its profile as it wears and if I get more kms out of it than the Pilot Power.

An excellent ride

This was the Ulysses long ride for the month. The plan was to leave from the Plimmerton Weigh Station at 9.30am and ride to Hunterville via Fordell. The ride home being left to individuals. The weather forecast was for little wind, clear skies, no rain and temperatures 17 - 19 during the day.

At 9.30am 21 motorcycles,two with pillions, left Plimmerton. It was an orderly ride with the first stop being the Mobil station at Bulls. This section of the ride was somewhat boring, just a ride to get to where the real ride would begin. The day was great though and as we got near to Bulls there was this great view in clear skies of Mt Ruapehu and then when we headed off from the stop in Bulls Mt Taranaki came into view as well.

The pace quickened when we left Bulls and I joined the end of the first bunch of bikes. A few riders went elsewhere at Bulls, maybe they went home? From the turnoff to Fordell the ride became interesting with a few more corners. Once past Fordell we were in real motorcycle riding country, except for the pea metal but more about that. I was following Steve riding his Busa and he pointed out the fence he claimed in his off from sliding on pea metal. There was still some pea metal there and at a tight left hander at the top of the next hill I slide. It happened so quickly, I was not going fast, the rear stepped to the right causing my left foot to go down on the road and then swing back with the calf muscle hitting the rear foot peg. It hurt a bit but the fright was worse. I didn't see that metal before hitting it. The bike just recovered and I continued on my way.

I stopped at the top of a hill 6kms from Hunterville and a few others joined me. Ruapehe looked great from this point. Hunterville was the lunch stop and I needed a rest. After we had refreshed ourselves the discussion turned to the options for the ride home. Steve had a plan which sounded good. It was to go to Mangaweka and ride down to Ashhurst via Ruahine Road,Kimbolton etc and then over the Pahiatua Track joining SH2 at Mangamaire.

We were 10 strong leaving Hunterville and I tucked in behind Steve in number two position. At Mangaweka we fuelled up and then went down this steep road into the gorge. What a marvellous road, the pace was brisk and while I try to ride my own ride I am comfortable following Steve who maintains a smooth pace and doesn't over-cook the pace on corners. A refuel for some in Ashhurst and it was off to the Track. Just before the turnoff to the track another rider moved to number one, he wanted more speed and soon I was chasing the tail of the Busa up the hill and feeling the rear moving around a bit as the power loaded up on exiting corners. I lost the two front riders near the top when a car held me up. There was a bit of metal on the Pahiatua side and that moderated speed a little until I was off the hilly bit. As I neared the bottom a couple of bikes caught me. The ride along SH2 was also at a good pace for a group. We stopped to refuel on the Masterton bypass.

We kept in a group until the Rimutakas where I dropped back from the front runners in slow traffic. The light was fading as I came down the Rimutakas and once in the residential area stopped to take the sunnies off. I got home at 5.40pm. The first part of the ride was organised by Ulysses. From Hunterville the ride involved ten riders, all who could keep a good pace and none did anything silly. The first part was the warm up to the main event.

This was a stunning day. The rear tyre looks like it could do another ride.

Stats from MC computer: 531.7kms, 6.34hrs, 5.8L/100km, 80kph ave, 1xxkph max. Odo 8100.

So long between rides

Tuesday night I took the S3 as preferred transport to the monthly Ulysses meeting in Petone. The last ride was posted here and was over three weeks ago. Since that ride I went away for the long weekend - without the bike, the next weekend it rained and last weekend I had to drive to Palmerston North and it was a nice day for the bike.

So on Tuesday I rode the S3. The exhaust back beat as I throttled back going down the hill to the first intersection reminded me why I love riding this machine. It was a sedate ride other than a good twist of the right as I entered SH2 just to hear that unique sound from the pipes and throat of the triple as the load and revs built. The meeting was okay with a new committee now running the show.

The ride home was enjoyable, not much traffic and a good pace along the water's edge as little traffic and nothing behind to worry about. She is a sweet machine and so willing to please.

A good ride is planned for this Sunday and I have already viewed the roads from Google Earth. By next week I think the S3 will need a new rear.