First Ride for 2009

I got back from a holiday on Tuesday which involved touring the upper North Island and the East Coast. We covered 3900kms in the car over some fantastic motorcycle roads. Sometime I will do a rerun on two wheels.

This afternoon I took the S3 for a run up to the summit and stopped at the Duckpond to meet the Thursday night riders on the way home. It was a nice ride.

Evening ride

I had just one hour to spare. So 7.00pm on the S3 and up SH1 to Mana, around Grays Road, over Paekak hill and back home on SH1.

Nice weather, nice ride. There was little traffic on the road and only a few bikes.

Palmerston North and northern area ride

I had been on a ride in this area in the Capital 1000 Cruise. Today Alan needed to go to Palmerston North for an evening function so we combined a day ride with Alan staying on in Palmerston North and me returning to Wellington.

I left home at 8.10am and headed for Lower Hutt to meet Alan and a friend of his - Bernard. Bernard also rode a Speedtriple. We then went to the Wairarapa with a stop at Eketahuna where I added a thermal and changed my gloves to keep warm. From there we went via Mangamaire to a cafe in Gorge road just a few hundred metres from the Manuwatu gorge. After lunch Bernard left us and we headed to Ashhurst. After fuelling we headed up the Pohangina Valley East road to the top and then around to Apiti and on until we arrived at Rangiwhahia road and then to Ohingaiti (on SH1). We then went 10kms up the road to Mangaweka for lunch and back down SH1 to Vinegar Hill.

This was my first ride on the Vinegar Hill road to Feilding. A very nice section of road for bikes. From Feilding we went to Palmerston North for more fuel and to check out Alan's place and where he worked. At 4.30pm I left Massey and headed home, getting in just on 6.00pm.

Stats from MC computer: 536.2kms, 6.55hrs, 4.4L/100km, 77kph ave, xxxkph max. Odo 13690.

Wednesday night ride

Arrived 6.15pm at the meet. About 30 bikes (didn't count). Flame was leading the fast group so I tucked in number 2 position. Guy lead the newbies.

I nice pace to the hill and then Flame was gone. Two other bikes past me - one on the left and we were at the summit. A bit of shit was talked and I readjusted my suspension - it was far too soft. Then down the hill to the pub in Featherston where most ordered food and then headed off for the 40 minute ride around the lake. I didn't need the lake ride so stayed at the pub. Steve turned up - he missed the ride and guessed where we were headed.

At 8.30pm the sun was going down so the sunnies were put away and Steve and I headed back. I led and we had a nice pacey run over the hill. Got home at 2112hrs with warm tyres.

HOG Xmas Toy Run

Today was a big event for the year - if you are in the Wellington HOG. There was a big turnout and from that the day could be described as a success. For me it was a tiring unexciting ride and may be my last toy run - unless I buy a HD?

Yes HD riders do like parades. I am sure parades are the only time some of them get their bikes out. My day started with a coffee at the BED cafe with a 4 other Triumph riders and then to Mana for the start of the ride at 10.00am. I got home at 1.30pm overheated and needing a rest.

Yesterday was a good little ride with Alan. It was to his place then over Haywards, to Plimmerton for a coffee and the SH1 to Jville for me and Alan off to SH2 and home. This is a nice little round the block ride.

The best weekend weather for a long while and all we fitted in was a round the block ride and a toy run.

Weekend rides

Saturday - an evening ride with Alan around the Bays and coffee at the joint next to Wellington Motorcycles.

Sunday - early afternoon around Grays Road, Haywards and to the Rimutaka Summit. Then home by 1530.

That was it, just 170kms. The bike has now done 12888kms.

Rides Tiger and Sprint

I had a day off work and the weather was okay. Riding home from Stratford at night in the cold on The Capital 1000 Cruise convinced me I should look at a bike with a fairing.

A call was made to Carl at Motorad and it was confirmed they had a new Tiger demo and a 2005 Sprint I could ride. This was all part of the next big decision - replace the Speedtriple (S3) with a new one or something different. So far I am not looking past a Triumph triple.

I took out the Tiger first and then the Sprint, with a stop at home for lunch with the Sprint.

Summary: I wouldn't buy a Tiger, I may buy a Sprint and the Speedtriple is an exciting ride.

Notes on the Tiger:

• Comfy seat no discomfort going over bumps.
• Great exhaust sound at lower speeds - burbles, pops, louder than S3
• Screen is not much good - keeps the wind off the chest but noisy at 100kph, buffeting on shoulders. The S3 with just the bug screen is better.
  
• Good riding position for touring - a good choice for a long distance cruisy ride.
• My legs are too short for this bike - I just don't feel comfortable stopping and starting off and parking it. It wouldn't be long before I dropped it while parking up.
• Suspension is bouncy - don't like it.
• Can't get used to the look.
  

Notes on Sprint ST

• This is a 2005 and the new ones have higher bars and screen.
• Comfy seat no discomfort going over bumps. Could ride on this all day
  
• Can't hear the exhaust around town - still got the triple sound when opened up.
• Screen seems okay - no buffeting at lower speeds and is probably as good as it gets at higher speeds. The screen on the SV1000s I had worked well - something Suzuki got right.
• I like the riding position and didn't have trouble with wrists or hands. Seat height allows me to put my feet down and feel totally in control.
• Suspension seems okay - the bike turns well and it didn't take me long to get used to the narrower bars from the S3 and Tiger.
• The motor runs well at low revs (2000 - 2500) at round town speeds. This bike is easy to ride slowly as I tested on a gentle cruise around the Southern Coast road.
• Overall a bike I would like to own.

However, the S3 still rocks. It is more responsive to throttle, sounds great and is exhilarating to ride. The sensible choice is the Sprint.

When they get a new Sprint I will have a look at it. During summer the S3 will more than satisfy.

Wednesday night ride

The weather looked okay and no wind. I left home at 6.15 so was sure I would miss the start of the ride. Therefore I rode to the summit expecting to catch up to the group. However, they hadn't left so I was there by myself for about 10mins.

It was then off to the tin hut. One the way down the hill I heard a loud sound of metal on road and in my rear view mirror saw a bike sliding to a stop in the middle of the road on a corner. He was okay and little damage to the bike. The road was a little wet and we were not going fast, so who knows why the front was lost?

About 20 riders turned up and some newbies. I got home just after 9.00pm.