Christmas Pressie Pt1

[James Deuce]

Well Christmas Day rolled around and after spending a couple of hours in the morning setting the suspension up for my "healthy" physique I set off to the In-Laws who have a farm near Carterton for the family Christmas.

I saw maybe two bikes on the Hutt Motorway (both waved) and stopped to top up the tank at the Caltex station. Bumped into a mate there who took great delight in mocking my flip up helmet. I mocked him a little later with my flip-up finger.

The ride up the hill wasn't too bad but the wind was getting up, and riding a "new" bike, I took it fairly easy. Unbelieveably there was an Ambulance and a Traffic cop stationed at the top of the Rimutakas. I thought the Ambulance was supposed to be at the BOTTOM of the cliff???? The cop was standing in the pose used worldwide by the traffic policemen - Legs apart, arms akimbo, mirrored shades flashing, and lip curled into a permanent sneer. I'd trickled up the last part of the Wellington side of the hill behind a Subaru Impreza - didn't stop the little fella from waving me over though.

Got the grilling "Having fun Son?" - I could have been HIS Dad. Next was: "Ride carefully - you people aren't careful enough" - OK this little prat is trying to antagonise me now. I stick to the license, Name, Address, Occupation litany here - I'm not getting sucked in - "never argue with an idiot; he'll drag you down to his level and beat you with experience".

I just KNEW the next one was coming: "Are those pipes standard?" "Yes officer. See the Yamaha logo and part number here?" "They don't sound standard to me, but they look alright. You can go."
What?? No thank you for your time sir? No Merry Christmas?? No, have a safe holiday? Little prat.

The little tit held me up long enough for it to get REALLY windy, and a couple of times I end up where I didn't expect and have to slow to a crawl on a couple of the more exposed corners. I got to Featherston and instead of heading straight to the farm I headed towards Martinborough.

My Brother-In-Law's parents live on this road and who should see me howl past the driveway as they leave from lunch to head to my In-laws for dinner but my Brother and Sister In-law. I was doing mumble mumble km/hr too. And my nephew had just got a Jingsheng 50 (little moto-X bike) for Christmas - what sort of role model am I, eh?? I didn't help my case any by getting to Greytown before them - they took the main road, while I went the back way.

Oh yeah - the bike. Well it ran without a problem and the suspension settings made a huge difference to my early impressions. It's also quicker than I thought it would be and doesn't get blasted all over the road in high winds like the CBR used to. I'm really loving the wider tyres and the chicken strip is all scuffed now. Not right to the edge you understand, but the tyres have little scuff marks on the last half centimetre.

[James Deuce]

I awoke at 5:30 am on Boxing Day to the dulcet murmurings of my 6 week old baby wanting breakfast. I kicked Mum out of bed (She who bought me the bike and must be worshipped evermore) and made her a coffee and some toast to get the feeding started and collapsed back into bed - only to be awoken by then stench of my 3 year old with a full nappy. Changed him and went back to bed again, with a faint niggle at the back on my mind that there was something LOUD going on outside.

I finally surfaced at 8:30am and checked my email to see if any of my mates were heading to Wanganui for the Boxing Day races. Inbox was empty. Hmmmm. Look out window. HOLY CRAP - that tree is horizontal! Because it's fallen down. Great. Haven't been to Wanganui since Robert Holden ( ) had the Ducati Supermono. Now it looks like I'll miss this one too.

Well I gathered myself, got dressed and organised my backpack and set out. All the time I'm thinking, "I HAVE to do this or Mangell6 will think I'm a big softie. He'll go. And claim it wasn't even windy". I stopped for gas in Carterton and the attendant says, "Haven't seen any bikes on the road today. Where you going?" "Wanganui", I say. I get a blank look and then, "You reckon that will still be on?"

"For sure", I say. The Mobil sign on the footpath falls over in an apocalyptic clatter, as counterpoint to my blithe comment.

"Well be careful", he says. Never had so many people so concerned about my welfare.

I pull out of the gas station behind the ugliest lime green HQ Holden you've ever seen. It has enormous rear tyres and large supercharger scoop poking out of the bonnet, with the butterflys painted the same disgusting lime green. We pull out of Carterton into the 100km/hr section and the dude slows down. Not this old game. I pull out to overtake and see that he's talking on his cellphone. I settle back to the legal limit and sure enough the dude honks past me down the over taking lane, pulls in front and slows down!! Aaargh - he's got the damn mobile out again. I pull out into the overtaking lane and legally overtake.

The overtaking lane finishes and then the HQ screams past making an unholy induction noise. Now I appreciate a well tuned V8 as much as the next bloke, but one driven by an idiot?? I'm not feeling safe around this dude and keep my distance. We get up to the lumber mill outside Masterton and the goober indicates right and turns left. Thank goodness I hung back.

I take the bypass out the back of Masterton and get held up by bunch of cars who travel at 70 km/hr no matter what the posted speed limit. Through the 100km/hr zone, then the 50, then back to 70. Their speed doesn't vary. Must be locals.

Once on to the bypass proper the wind sweeping off the hills is fierce. I want to take the Paihiatua track through to Palmerston Nth but all I can see up that way is a huge black cloud. I get back onto SH2 proper and it starts to rain. Big fat drops that hurt when they hit exposed neck skin. The bike still feels great and the Michelin Macadam 90X tyres on the bike that get slagged by everyone, seem to be working OK.

I get to Mt Bruce and I can see a Campervan up ahead. The wind is gusting hard enough that I am going around left hand bends without having to lean at all. Down the "improved" section of road on the North side of Mt Bruce (i.e. straightened, and all cover removed) the wind is blowing so hard that the Campervan veers onto the wrong side of the road, almost into the ditch, as soon as it hits exposed section of road.

Well that's it for me. I stop before I get out of the shelter of the cliff face to my left and head back to Masterton. I have a quick lunch, buy a book from one of the shops having a Boxing Day sale, and as the weather isn;t so bad in Masterton I head back to Carterton the long way, through Gladstone (http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/jma...oneweather.htm
). It's not entirely unpleasant out that way and while its spitting a bit, the road is mostly dry.

The TRX is just a dream in this sort rolling countryside. I'm not thinking about riding the bike as much anymore and prretty soon I realise that I could be walking for the next 28 days if busted. But its just too good to behave. No traffic, well surfaced road, and a bike that grips, stops, and goes as much as you need it to. I only have one moment as I descend the water tower hill (the Wellington bunch will understand) as three 4 wheel drive monstrosities file round a blind corner mostly on the wrong side of the road. Flip up finger still works.

The rest of the ride was uneventful and when I got back to the farm I felt like I'd had a good day, even if I didn't get the the races.

Guess what I just found out? Mangell6 didn't go either. He didn't even get ON his motorised 2 wheeler. Softie.

Jim2

[mangell6]

Jim2,

Good report mate. That wind would have been and with rain

I had no intention of going - far to many like the one you met and people who think they can ride.

Looking to travel up north, Waiuku, to see cousin who's over from Canada. Trying to decide whether to ask Mrs Jim2 to let you go

Mike

[What?]

I didn't go either. Started to, but the weather was shite, he road was slippery (BIG,BIG slide up the Kaimai - thought I were off, but managed to keep it together). Looked over the Waikato at the blackness, considered the weather forecast for Wanganui, remembered last year and decided "stuff it".
Hope for a nice day next year.

[Coldkiwi]

I do believe we have a resident bike-journo on here! good write up Jim, glad you're enjoying the bike despite nature and the piggies terrorising you! more power to the TRX
BTW, don't get fazed by ANY cop arguing about your pipes. they can't prove or enforce squiddly dot in terms of dBA levels and wouldn't know the difference between an enforcable piece of legislation and a 'guideline' if their doughnuts depended on it.
for instant confusion, ask MR piggie to tell you how loud your pipes are at 1m (make sure he gets a good whiff of fumes while you rev the bike!!) and then ask him when he last had his ears calibrated!!

don't let them spoil ya pressie mate. Merry Christmas!!