A new, blue Marauder!

**Hitcher** · 27th February 2005, 18:34

We’re a two-bike household again, (many) thanks to one James Mair and a new, blue, Suzuki VZ800K4 Marauder. Mrs H is very chuffed.

Wellington Motorcycles (WMC) did us proud with the deal and with fittings and fixtures – things we’d learned after 22,500 miles on Mrs H’s last Marauder that we started/added from new with this time. The customised belly pan has been nicely done and should save the frame from stone damage.

Next weekend we’re off on holiday for two weeks. So we need to get 1,000km (621 miles) on the Marauder for its first service, booked for this Thursday 3 March. Yesterday Mrs H managed 74 miles – the return distance from WMC to my folks at Waikanae and back to Ngaio.

Today Mrs H has flown down to Ashburton to catch up with her Dad and Mum, and I’ve added another 318 miles. Today is the first time I’ve done any long distance riding on a cruiser, and I really like it! Despite rain, wet roads and strong, blustery westerly winds, I’ve had a huge grin on my face for most of the day.

After gassing up this morning at Caltex Rimutaka, it was out onto diesel-spill central (the main road out of Upper Hutt from Caltex was wet from recent rain and also awash with diesel until the Mt Marua turnoff).

The Takas too were wet and well covered with diesel – particularly the descent to Featherston. And were also very interesting in a gusty westerly…

I had some early lunch at Martinborough – only me and one other bike there (Ray and his VFR800). From there I headed up through Gladstone to Masterton, then up the main road to Pahiatua for gas. From there I kept going on up the main road to Woodville, through the Manawatu Gorge, right into Ashhurst, left on the Colyton road, and then up to Kimbolton and through Highway 54, over Vinegar Hill to SH1. Left to Hunterville, topped up the tank, right onto the back road to Wanganui but hung a left down the Turakina Valley road to, surprisingly, Turakina.

There’s about 8km of gravel on this route and some rough-and-ready road patches. One of these patches had the most amazing ridges in it (a bit like the grand canyon), which I didn’t see until too late. The brand-new Marauder did this leap that the Crusty Demons would be proud of, landing with sufficient force to loosen both rear view mirrors! Apart from the mirrors, which I reset and tightened, there doesn’t appear to be anything else amiss. Apart from the gravel and road works, this is a very scenic and enjoyable stretch of road. Highly recommended!

After an ice-cream stop at Bulls, it was off into a very staunch westerly and Sunday afternoon traffic on SH1. The Otaki roundabout tailback doesn’t bother bikes much, nor does the tailback at McKays Crossing.

From Ashhurst on, the Marauder freed up noticeably and kept getting better and better from there. The front brakes are a bit vague but WMC can sort those on Thursday. Shit, Marauders go well! It’s enough to get a boy thinking about a Mean Streak…

Anyway, there will probably be some longish rides going on this week after work, irrespective of weather. If anybody’s interested in tagging along I’ll do a daily post of departure times.

Thanks Jimmy!

**StoneChucker** · 27th February 2005, 20:24

Thats good to hear Hitch

I bet the Mrs is happy. Can you post some pics?

I also had a ride in the rain, on Saturday. I don't do it often, and I found that I really need some wet weather gear. I have cheap over pants, so I just need a cheap rain coat. That suits me fine, because I'm, well, cheap

Might wear some surgical gloves over my gloves and that should keep my dry IF it rains down south.

Oops, must not thread Hijack

Enjoy your holiday coming up, and ride safe whilst putting on the miles needed for the service.

What is (repeated often in your post) and (at the end of your post)? My guess is the site throwing a wobbly with the post, as that looks like a programming language.

Well, (repeated often in your post) and (at the end of your post)? My guess is the site throwing a wobbly with the post, as that looks like a programming language.

**Riff Raff** · 28th February 2005, 07:52

Yay!

We need to see pics please! And well done Jimmy for superb service again!

**vifferman** · 28th February 2005, 08:24

Originally Posted by Hitcher

Only saw that this morning when I logged on. Cutting and pasting from Word into the all-singing-all-dancing wysiwyg editor is problematic.

Yeah, Word's BloatomaticBollocksFeature tends to do that. Even stuff like html is turned into pages and pages of unnecessary hidden crap.
Anyway - a good writeup, and it's great that Mrs H has a ride again. Good stuff!