Wellington trip this weekend

[bugjuice]

Busy saturday night mate. Saturday arvo?

manfield. don't know what time it finishes tho

[Fatjim]

MSTRS would love company over the hill on Sunday when we head home

MSTRS, I think the least we can do is escort you over the tukas. Let me know when you guys wanna go and I'll be there.

BTW, where are you staying?

Any other KBer's?

[Colapop]

I don't know the Hutt that well. If there's a pit stop before, during or after a ride (or not) I'm keen to meet a couple of KBers. Any time Sat arvo, name the place....

[MSTRS:Me]

Sunday leaving time just got a bit later. Lunch with the olds. Might not get away til 2 or 3.....

[Fatjim]

Sunday leaving time just got a bit later. Lunch with the olds. Might not get away til 2 or 3.....

Thanks for the invite, I'd love to.

oh, you mean YOU'll be leaving later. nevermind.

[MSTRS:Me]

Righto chaps ( and chappesses) The decision is made. Meet Caltex Rimataka 3pm Sunday. I'll try not to be late but if so please be patient. Apparently, I am offering good weather too.
Catch you tomorrow

[riffer]

I'll see you there tomorrow.

Great catching up with you guys this arvo.

Can you let hXc know I'll have his DVD's for him tomorrow, all going well.

[James Deuce]

Nice to meet you "fatjim" (He's not THAt fat).

As for the rest of you softcocks...........

The weather wasn't too bad once we got over to the Wairarapa, and it stopped raining by the time I came back over the hill.

Was nice to meet hXc and yungatart, and nice to see MSTRS again.

[MSTRS:Me]

Nice to meet you "fatjim" (He's not THAt fat).

As for the rest of you softcocks...........

The weather wasn't too bad once we got over to the Wairarapa, and it stopped raining by the time I came back over the hill.

Was nice to meet hXc and yungatart, and nice to see MSTRS again.

No he's not. The mental picture was misleading (aint it always)
Welly crowd are wooses (except Jim2 - he's hard, And Fatjim - thinks he is). What happened to you, Riffer & Skelstar??
Wind, wet & IRC tyres = . Decent tyres are a must peoples.
Was great to catch up with you, Simon & the 2 Jims.
New bike report to follow.....

[riffer]

Sorry for bailing yesterday John.

The whole family woke up yesterday with bad colds, and spenmt most of the day with whingeing grizzly children and a grumpy wife ...

pity about the rain but - it cleared up beautifully about 4.00 ...

Glad you got home in one piece. Can you pm me your addy please - I've got a couple of DVD's for hXc.

[yungatart]

Was great to meet you guys on the w/e. MSTRS enjoyed hXc's little Spada-not as fast as the Gixxer but good fun on the twisties tho'. hXc can't wait to be"legal" and ride it on the road-it will be a looong 3 weeks...
We had an anxious moment on the trip home, a guy behind me with headlights on full, I tapped my brakes a couple of times to jog his memory, as you do, he took offence and tried to drive into the tailgate, he eventually passed me on a 55 k sharp left hander, then proceeded to drive at about 20ks. I passed him again so he continued his love affair with my tailgate then passed me on the inside, hurling copious amounts of verbal abuse at us... one of those ultra intelligent types with a vocabulary not exceeding 10 words!
Aaah, its good to be home...

[skelstar]

Sorry mate. My folks took me out to dinner (belated b'day), and the timing would have been a bit 'tight'.

[Velox]

Yeah - sorry guys - I was down south, otherwise I would've come out. At least a few of you guys got together in the end.
I've ridden with that paricular Spada a few times and it's capable of being really pushed - it's a real good lil runner!

[MSTRS:Me]

Right people....it's time for the trip home report.....
I actually thought the weather was going to be mint, with a huuuuge turnout of Welly crew, but alas, Huey had other ideas. Left Caltex Rimutaka at about 3.30, Jim2 being the only brave soldier (Fatjim remembered that he had to go home to light the fire & put his slippers on). I'm thinking that the earthquake in the small hours of Saturday am must have opened up faultlines all over the district, thereby preventing the rest from attending
The trip up the hill was increasingly windy with a fine horizontal drizzle until over the top, then wind only but some very strong gusts bouncing around as they do off the bluffs. The Spada coped fairly well but I do not recommend IRC tyres. I've heard all the talk on these, but never had any before. The front & rear did get a bit frisky at times & being used to the planted weight of the GSXR1100, I have to admit it was a bit unsettling BUT I did cope - so it's all good. However, the tyres will be replaced when I can, possibly with GPR80's, but if anyone wants to make recommendations please do.
Now down off the hill, the drizzle stopped, the road was dry & I felt comfortable opening up a bit. The little 250 is a trooper and only bogged down in heavy head-on wind on the bumps out to the east of Featherston/Greytown - a long time since I've had to lay on the tank to maintain a respectable speed. Jim2 left for home at Greytown & I headed north. Coffee stop at Carterton, dinner stop at Woodville (+ petrol), ran out of overcast into sunshine about Norsewood, another coffee stop at friends in OngaOnga, then home to Napier. Arrived about 9.30.
The little Spada never missed a beat, accelerates quicker than our 3.8 V6 Commodore (eh Yungatart?), can cruise at anything up to 130 very easily, is very flickable thru the twisties and will be even better with decent tyres. I don't think it would reach 160 without a tailwind, but is quite fast enough for any learner, who would take a long time to get bored with it.
Twere a fun weekend and trip home. Can I do it again? Can I? Huh? Can I?

[yungatart]

Only if you stop whining and shutup with the sarcastic comments about my car/driving! Sheesh!
I have to say tho', the Spada would p*** all over MSTRS's Mazda...but then, what wouldn't?