Weekend is over

Yesterday Alan called by and we rode to Wellington Motorcycles. I will at some stage upgrade so had a good look and sit on the Sprint and Hayabusa. Either would suit me. I found the Triumph Tiger far to tall with my toes just touching the ground when seated. I probably like the Sprint better than the Busa but the Busa is better priced. Once the window shopping was over we did a run around the bays and then stopped for a coffee in Aro Valley.

Sunday. The weather forecast was for a storm around mid afternoon so I gave the Ulysses ride to Levin a miss and drove out to the slipway to watch bucket racing. That is something I could do and is a very low cost way to do a bit of racing. I need some leathers, a bucket and a trailer. Something to think about.

Cold and wet southerly due this evening

Is is Saturday, I have done some chores and while it is a nice winters day the weather will be crap tomorrow. 1.00pm I left home and headed to Alan's. Once there we decided to do a run up to Otaki for a ride and coffee.
Traffic was medium but slow so it was an okay ride. We stopped at a cafe on the southern outskirts of Otaki had a coffee and planned our trip home. Just south of Otaki and over the bridge is a road heading up the river. We followed that (Otaki Gorge Road) until the road turned to gravel and then headed back and over a suspension bridge. On the other side are three short no exit roads and on the middle road (Kaitawa Road) I took a couple of photos.




We headed back to the state highway and then stopped at Te Horo to check out the Museum and cafe. They look okay and we may stop there another day. Our next stop was at the lookout on the Paekakariki Hill Road. While there two SV1000s arrived. A black one belonging to kiwibiker 'blackmagic' is the same age as mine. The other bike was blue. Both had Yoshi cans.


I got home at 4.45pm and the weather is not looking good. Another good ride and the bike now has 9017kms on the odo.

Top of the hill and home

It was raining when I woke this morning but the forecast was for it to clear. The morning was spent by doing the weekly supermarket shopping and finishing off the end of year accounting processes for a couple of businesses. Once that was done the weather cleared and I had a chance to go for a ride.

I headed off for the hill ( road summit of the Rimutakas). There were a few bikes there and I chatted for a while to Biggles1. He was wondering if I would be on the road as he saw I was online on kiwibiker. It was a bit cold so I had a coffee and headed back. Just past the first left hand corner (it is the tight one) a motorcycle and car had collided. This blocked the road for a few minutes, no one seemed badly hurt and there was plenty of help. Once it cleared I headed off again. Half way down the hill I passed a HP going up the hill; that will add joy to the little accident.

It was a quiet run down the hill and the highway. I stopped near Kelson and checked the mobile phone. Alan had called so I rang him back to find he had been on a ride. I got home just on 4.00pm - that's it for another week I guess.

Ride to Pauatahanui and back

It is quite a long ride from home to find any decent road and this is the nearest. It is a 54km round trip.

My ride was down the motorway to Paramata and the around the inlet and back again. Here is a google map. From Paramata I went along Paremata Road to Pauatahanui then along Grays Road until I arrived at the start of the residential area. I then turned around and went back. Both ways there were cars and trucks but still enough space to play on the bends. Back home in just under an hour.

Tomorrow afternoon I will fit in a longer ride.

Mid day ride to Carterton

It wasn't going to be an early start today. A fabulous clear, still and cold winter's day. I checked on kiwibiker for who was going on TCSMR and there was a minimum number of posts. So I made a comment to that effect and that I was planning on a noon ride from Rimutex.

I couple of responses to the post gave me hope I would not be on my own. I then text message to Bazza57 and he was on for the ride.

I headed off from home a little later than planned and thought I would make up some time on the road. Well that wasn't to be. At Petone I was in the fast lane and was held up by a number of cars so I slipped into the left lane and just as I started to accelerate the car that was in front of me zipped across without any indication - saw me and acknowledged his error with a friendly wave. I was close to hitting the air horn but didn't. Then as we both slowed for the traffic lights I saw the extra lights in on the back window shelf and other policing equipment in the front. The radar detector didn't trigger - he either didn't have it or it was not switched on.

So it was a nice legal pace almost to Upper Hutt. I arrived just after noon and Buckbuck#1, Sels1 and Bull were waiting. No sign of Bazza57. Just on 15mins past we headed off at a nice legal pace and first stop was a cafe in Martinborough. This place was too busy and the decision was made to go to Carterton. I called Bazza57 on the mobile and he was in Featherston and on his way. I also need a Nolan with headset coupled to the phone so I too can use the phone on the bike. The others headed off and I waited about 5 minutes for Bazza57.

We took the Ponatahi Road arriving in Carterton around 1.30pm. A bit of food and coffee went down well. At 2.15 I left and headed back as I had an appointment in Johnsonville at 3.30pm. I got there just on time after having an enjoyable ride back. Just under 200kms round trip.