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View Full Version : The worst first ride ever



Brayden
19th April 2011, 15:32
Warning: Big wall of text!

So I recently brought a new motorbike, and it was a sunny weekend in Wellington which is a rare case in winter so I thought hell I'll go for a long ride in the Paikok mountain pass. I rang up my friends brother and he came along too.

This was my first big ride through country roads / motorway so was heaps of fun. Went over the Paikok hills which was a blast, couldn't go too quick as my mates brother was new to riding and had a GN250 but was still awesome! The ride went well and we got to the end, we then turned around and headed back the way we came.

But alas, just as I started mounting the hill, I got the sinking feeling as my throttle started to cut out, to my disbelief, I was out of petrol. I was extremely confused as I had just filled up 2 days before, but it occured to me blatting the bike through the motorway and reving it through twisties probably wasn't the best way to conserve petrol. Turns out my fuel line was on reserve, It had probably been like that when I filled up, meaning only reserve petrol would have gone in..

No matter I thought to myself, there is a petrol station at the bottom of the hill 100 metres away, and was planning on filling up there anyway but due to my excitement had forgot. I wheeled the bike down the hill in neutral, but too my demise I saw the petrol station missing the usual green and white colours, it had been closed down.

Now I was really fucked. The closest person I knew was in the CBD, about an hour away, and I was thinking the last thing someone wants to do on their last day of the weekend is to mission out to Paikok to deliver me petrol. We asked pretty much all the people in the town across the road if they had any spare, and none did.

I realised the last thing I want to do and my mates brother with a license of 1 month probably wanted to do was ride pillion on the motorway on a GN250 10 minutes from another petrol station, but we had no other choice. So I hopped on the back with my ass hanging halfway off the small gn250 pillion seat and sat as still as possible while my mate on his L's drove to Paraparam. Needless to say I was shitting myself, I don't like it when I'm not in control of a vehicle as many of my mates are retards who think driving dangerously makes up for their small size of their penises.

We got to the petrol station no worries and after a minute or two on the pillion it actually did not feel that bad at all! I was kind of beginning to enjoy it. We then had the issue of getting fuel to my bike from the station. I had to buy a container which set me back $30, and filled it up with petrol. I was really iffy about holding it with 1 hand, it was pretty heavy loaded with petrol, and would only have 1 hand to hold on to the bike/mate with. It was then that a police officer pulled into the station. My mate was like fuck as he had no L plate as it had fallen off on the ride, and I would have to be jumping on the back.

I thought screw it most cops are GC's, and asked him if he'd give me a lift too my bike down the road. He was really cool about it and said sure and did so. I started chatting to him and he was a really nice dude, turned out he worked in IT and worked in the police force out of choice, he would have got paid a lot more as a contracter. He then asked my what license we were on.

At this point i was like fuck. I didn't want to lie and would have probably been a dumb idea so just told him we were both on our learners. He was like so you both got no L plates, you are riding on the motorway, and you pillioned to get here. I was like oh shit here comes the fistful of fines.. But he said he understood our position and as such would let us off this time. He said that the L plate 'falling off' was no excuse however he understood as he rides a 250 himself. The super GC cop let us off, but not before giving us a strict warning to follow the rules from now on. My mate made a point of getting an L plate asap. Happy with the awesome cop and turn of events I filled up my bike and gave the canister to a nearby motel, I couldn't take it on my bike which was unfortunate as it set me back $30.

It was a huge mission and took about 1 hour 30 mins, but we were finally set to go home. We made a point of travelling on the safe motorway back as my mate was now sketchy about his own petrol after my incident! With all my pride gone, we took off onto the extremely narrow coastal rode which comes back after the Paikok hills. All was well, however my mates bike in front of me quickly lurched to about 50 kilometres an hour.. He started indicating left and it was clearl something was wrong with his bike. Now I can't stress how narrow this rode was, it had about a metre between the left white line and wall of the road.

I pulled over as well, and he pretty much told me his bike was fucked. We tried to start it, it wouldn't I think the drivetrain wasn't connecting to the engine or something like that.. His bike really was fucked. The nearest shoulder was a kilometre up the road. I was shitting myself. We were already hugging the walls with our bikes leaned towards us. We had to end up waiting for a gap in cars, and then sprint our bikes to the nearest tiny shoulder or gap in the wall for the next kilometre. We did so which took us about 10 minutes.

The ride really want from perfect to absolute shit. We rang his dad, they didn't have AA on the bike. We sat there pretty tired, it took him an hour to arrive. He tried starting the bike and messing around with some stuff but to no avail. In the end we had no choice but to leave the bike on the side of the road hidden in some bushes with a note under the handlebars explaining our situation. All we could do was hope that it would still be there in the morning.

I still haven't talked to my mate as of yet as I've been away but will see how things are tomorrow. Such an epic fail of a story I had to share it somewhere!

tldr; Mean fun on long bike ride, run out of petrol, encounter police, various goings on in between, mates bike breaks down on the way back, total elapsed time before getting home 5 hours

Str8 Jacket
19th April 2011, 15:36
Welcome to motorbikes. This is merely a test of faith....

oneofsix
19th April 2011, 15:41
Nice to see a good cop story, a few here will like that :yes:
AA on the bike? AA membership is on the person not the vehicle so if your mate is an AA member it would still apply and the towie that does the after hours for AA in Pak seems to be a good mechanic and not phased by bikes.
Hope all is well with your mate and that you both enjoyed the adventure. A story for the kids :corn:

Just remembered, how could I forget, I started on a GN250 which died when it dropped a valve into the piston. I still have the piston with the embedded valve btw. Affect is a sudden total loss of power, doesn't seize just freewheels and of course wont start. i was told it wasn't an unusual failure for the GNs, well at least the older ones before they re-released them. I hope this isn't your mates problem.

Crasherfromwayback
19th April 2011, 15:41
. Turns out my fuel line was on reserve, It had probably been like that when I filled up, meaning only reserve petrol would have gone in..



You were on your AN125 right? AN125's don't have fuel taps let alone a reserve mate. But if you're referring to a GN...then even if the tap is on 'reserve', and you fill the tank...you still fill the whole tank. 'Reserve' simply takes fuel from the bottom of the tank rather than an inch or so above.

neels
19th April 2011, 15:42
Bugger, and :facepalm:

Had a similar ride with my son a while ago, involving running out of petrol and closed petrol stations and quite a bit of sitting on the side of the road, what should have been a nice evening out riding finishing at about 9pm ended just after midnight.

Happens sometimes, better planning for next time.

HenryDorsetCase
19th April 2011, 15:56
You were on your AN125 right? AN125's don't have fuel taps let alone a reserve mate. But if you're referring to a GN...then even if the tap is on 'reserve', and you fill the tank...you still fill the whole tank. 'Reserve' simply takes fuel from the bottom of the tank rather than an inch or so above.

I wondered about that myself. My AN125 makes its own fuel, or appears to. I occasionally put $11 worth in it, then ride it for another few weeks.....

YellowDog
19th April 2011, 15:57
Welcome to motorbikes. This is merely a test of faith....

Ditto to that:

You need to be properly prepared. Running out of fuel is one of those easily avoidable hickups.

Getting a puncture or breaking your chain are real show stoppers - Not for all though!

Sounds like a great learning experience that you won't suffer again.

Hope your mate's bike is OK.

Bald Eagle
19th April 2011, 16:00
So that was your mates GN I saw resting on the coast during my daily commutes. Hope it isn't to crook when he gets it home.

nomnomnom
19th April 2011, 16:24
Awwwww gutted to hear! Glad you made it home safe tho. I live in Te Horo and am usually home/around Pram ways most weekends, if you are ever stuck get in contact, have a trailer and stuff at home if a lift is required :) (This goes out to anyone on KB, I know how stressful it is being stuck in the midst of nowheres with no immediate help!)

Smifffy
19th April 2011, 16:40
One day, maybe even soon, you will both look back on that ride and laugh.

I hope the GN got retrieved ok.

Nice story about te cop too.

Don't let it put you off.

White trash
19th April 2011, 16:45
What a shit of a day.

What's really funny though, is you'll both look back later on and laugh your arses off at the epic 50km ride you had when you started riding

kiwifruit
19th April 2011, 16:50
I was expecting a much worserer story than that

C.Linnell
19th April 2011, 16:50
Welcome to motorbikes. This is merely a test of faith....

Agreed.

Hope it's not the first of many.

It probably will be... but I'm hoping for you nonetheless!

FYI
- many petrol stations will take a refundable deposit on petrol canisters
- any solid velcro straps on your jacket might make for a decent way to hold a canister on a bike
- only fill the canister with what you need to get back to the petrol station and fill up properly (since hopefully you're returning the canister anyway)

Ferkletastic
19th April 2011, 16:51
That cop really does sound like a GC. Nice.

Bummer about the GN though.

Brayden
19th April 2011, 17:08
Yeah unfortunately the guy wouldn't let us do a refund on the gas canister, he was kind of an asshole about it as well I think he thought we were trying to steal it or something.

No I wasn't on the AN125 I was on my new VT250 Spada, must update my bike details on the forums..

Certainly did not put me off! Was a good experience you learn from your mistakes.. Plus the everything before it all went wrong was perfect and loads of fun xD!

Brayden
19th April 2011, 17:21
I wondered about that myself. My AN125 makes its own fuel, or appears to. I occasionally put $11 worth in it, then ride it for another few weeks.....

Yeah an125's have amazing fuel economy.. I swear it can run for a couple of days just of fumes. Just screw the cap on tight and your set.

MSTRS
19th April 2011, 17:51
... I was on my new VT250 Spada...

Just so you know for future reference (just in case you haven't learnt the lesson!)
Spadas will do about 200/210 on main tank with another 40 or so on reserve. Of course, that's if you ride them like they should be...

ellipsis
19th April 2011, 18:22
...reminds me of a puncture on an ss90 honda..20 miles from home and the echoes in my head of the owners last words...a bigger boy than me...dont be long and dont break it...million years ago now...a long terrifying push home, I seem to remember...

Ender EnZed
19th April 2011, 18:28
Spadas will do about 200/210 on main tank with another 40 or so on reserve. Of course, that's if you ride them like they should be...

I'd rarely get over 180km on mine before needing reserve but of course it does depend how you ride.

Blackshear
19th April 2011, 20:26
My first motorbike ride involved an over-enthusiastic 7 yearolds throttle hand, my father, my collar and a fence.
In that order.
Had 4 motorbikes since, and that was my last significant crash :sunny:

unstuck
19th April 2011, 21:17
I started riding bikes on the farm when a kid so had a few wee offs before going on the road.One of my first rides on the road was on a husky 350,came up to a big corner and the throttle got stuck open,panicked didnt grab the clutch and ended up in the ti tree scrub. Its all about learning.Glad you had fun and didnt put you off.:bye:

Headbanger
19th April 2011, 22:15
Great yarn.

86GSXR
19th April 2011, 22:29
Brilliant read, reminds me of me about 30 years ago :laugh:

DrunkenMistake
19th April 2011, 23:05
I love the great game of petrol roulette,
I have it easy as I can do a trip from my home to the servo within my reserve a couple of times, and 95% of my riding is done between home and work, but I have had a couple of cases where the old wallet has spit out dust instead of money.. luckily for me, there is a bogan who works at work that has never herd of a fuel cap door on his car... this is where the 1m length of garden hose under the seat of my bike comes in.. This is why I love early morning starts haha.

ducatilover
20th April 2011, 01:17
Sounds like you can look back and piss yourself over that one! :yes:

I'd rarely get over 180km on mine before needing reserve but of course it does depend how you ride.



Just so you know for future reference (just in case you haven't learnt the lesson!)
Spadas will do about 200/210 on main tank with another 40 or so on reserve. Of course, that's if you ride them like they should be...


Yeah, mine was getting 220 on the open road (Like the shit straight run to Napier) and 180 when I rode it like it deserved, which was almost a tank a day for my commute :facepalm:.

MSTRS
20th April 2011, 08:47
...180 when I rode it like it deserved...

Yeah, that's what Zac said too.
Somehow, I don't think the OP is at that stage yet.

Paul in NZ
20th April 2011, 12:11
Far out - that took me back and made me smile...

Sounds like a great day out mate. Its what make motorbiking special - its just a bit trickier than a car eh?

ducatilover
20th April 2011, 13:22
Yeah, that's what Zac said too.
Somehow, I don't think the OP is at that stage yet.
Probably not :innocent:

Far out - that took me back and made me smile...

Sounds like a great day out mate. Its what make motorbiking special - its just a bit trickier than a car eh?
Reminds me of my first "big" ride on bike number two (number one exploded so fast it doesn't count...) it was heinously boring, GN250, Eketahuna to Palmy :facepalm: Nothing exciting happened, it was a rush though in a sense, the freedom and grin inducing wind in face (Gentle breeze on a GN).
I wonder how you can re-gain that feeling? :scooter: I might go for a ride!

Old Steve
22nd April 2011, 09:31
What I remember about my first ride is being terrified. Picked the bike up at the shop where I'd had it delivered and given a service. The owner told me she wouldn't let me go out onto the road without my having done a couple of dozen laps around the industrial area behind the shop under her eagle eyes, then headed out onto Takatimu Drive in Tauranga to get the bike back to work. Had my BHS and 6L, never been on a bike on the road before.

Got back to work and my heart eventually slowed down from around 200 beats/minute to it's normal rate. That night I took off for home, and about a kilometre down the road it all clicked and I've been grinning ever since. Done about 15,000 km in the year since that first ride.

Like the others said, you'll look back in the years to come and crack up about this.

rustyrobot
1st May 2011, 11:43
Turns out my fuel line was on reserve, It had probably been like that when I filled up

Argh! Stink one Brayden. I really didn't think I had left the tap on reserve, in fact I almost NEVER used reserve as I always kept the bike topped up. As I said earlier, I only ever got 180kms from the main tank on that bike, but others have said that they got more on their Spadas.

So - apart from the ride with no gas, and the puncture - how's your ride going?

Brayden
1st May 2011, 15:30
Really well, super confident with the bike now and have been going on huge rides every weekend through different areas of Wellington with mates. Just yesterday went from Kilbirnie along that coastal road to red rocks, then through town to Karori and through Makra on the way home. We also picked up a few cars following us the whole way, an Altezza and Alfa Romeo decided to follow us, was good fun.

Had to replace the front and back tyres to get the wof which set me back $350 which is kinda lame, however it feels good knowing I have fresh grip on the road. Also printed out the manual and did an oil change, a filter clean, chain lube, and gave the bike a wash. It's amazing how little work a mechanic will charge you $80ish for..

Getting the bike painted sometime in the next month or two going for the gloss black at the moment, should look sick. Also does anyone know any wreckers in Wellington that have motorbikes? Cheers

ps. Any luck with the Ducati robot?

Jantar
1st May 2011, 16:07
....Getting the bike painted sometime in the next month or two going for the gloss black at the moment, should look sick. ....
Ask around the Wellington crew and you should be able to find someone who will do you a great paint job at a reasonable price rather than have it looking sick.

Ocean1
1st May 2011, 16:52
Ask around the Wellington crew and you should be able to find someone who will do you a great paint job at a reasonable price rather than have it looking sick.

Talk to Crazefox.

T'O'Neillanator
12th May 2011, 17:21
Reading over this story again i just laugh.

Now i'm guessing you are wanting to know what happened to the bike, and yet again, it's another lesson learned.

Being this is the first time on a proper bike ride we lacked the preparation skills needed to prevent any of these mishaps, among these is me forgetting to replace the oil in the bike, which led to engine failure and a complete seizure of the engine.

Luckily the boys down at motorad recently got given a GN for 600 dollars, and as they saw no point wasting their time fixing it up and selling it for $1,200 he saw my bike in his shop and called me up offering me a rusted old bike with a brilliant engine.

I gladly accepted and drove this bike home the day i bought it, and started on a neat home projected to switch engines. After a week i have finally managed to replace the engines a take parts off both bikes to build a nice, new, shiny one!

I have only finished fixing it about three days ago and thought you boys and girls would like to hear the second half of the story. :shifty:

jaffaonajappa
12th May 2011, 22:09
Reading over this story again i just laugh.

Now i'm guessing you are wanting to know what happened to the bike, and yet again, it's another lesson learned.

Being this is the first time on a proper bike ride we lacked the preparation skills needed to prevent any of these mishaps, among these is me forgetting to replace the oil in the bike, which led to engine failure and a complete seizure of the engine.

Luckily the boys down at motorad recently got given a GN for 600 dollars, and as they saw no point wasting their time fixing it up and selling it for $1,200 he saw my bike in his shop and called me up offering me a rusted old bike with a brilliant engine.

I gladly accepted and drove this bike home the day i bought it, and started on a neat home projected to switch engines. After a week i have finally managed to replace the engines a take parts off both bikes to build a nice, new, shiny one!

I have only finished fixing it about three days ago and thought you boys and girls would like to hear the second half of the story. :shifty:


Mate, sounds like you have had a huuuuge increase in mechanical skills. From not checking/changing oil, to doing a full engine swap-out. If you are new to Spannering...can I suggest you get a 2nd (qualified) opinion on the installation - at a minimum confirm the drivetrain and running gear is Safe.

Now, to the OP.
This cop got your address details Im guessing? Just hope he doesnt have a bad week where he didnt get his Quota, and pulls out his other notebook.
I think finding a "GC" coppper would scare the hell outa me. Like....wow.