Rashika
22nd August 2005, 08:33
hmmm..interesting day yesterday.
After watching all these guys race at Levels on Saturday, I was of course, exceedingly JEALOUS, not having even been on a bike since Feb.
(feb was when i took out the Buell for a 5 hour test ride :ride: ...thanks AMPS guys again...damn I'd love that bike but its just a couple of Gs outa my range)
Anyway, Dangerous being a nice chap...(yes I know you all think otherwise, but under it all he is a sweetie :devil2:...yeah thought so anyway, wondering after yesterday )...decided that we should get together with some of the other guys and get out for a ride on what became an incrediably warm NW day here in Canty.
So I said...um ...what about me?
Ah we'll find you something he said.....yeeeeaaaaahhhh
ok, so I race away to collect gear, feed mutt and cats...general household shit, and meet back at his place. Then we head off to......Kickahas...yes you're probably getting that sinking feeling about now :whistle:
So we get there and i take a look at my ride....hmm...XJ 550, 1982
...Ok so looks CAN be deceiving, and I have a positive attitude, so i mount up and head off after saying bye to Joni and Kickaha.
Yep goes fine till I get a block away, then dies....no prob, start again...then dies, ...ah no prob, start again.............then dies again....#$$%^&^%
Right ya wee MF, START and STAY STARTED.....and it does! :woohoo:
So now Im heading out on the highway :ride: ...it actually goes damn well for a 23 year old machine, not the greatest riding position but I can manage that. About now is when i discover only the one wingmirror, and the one and only as damn small, I guess K has eyes in the back of his head? So after lots of looking around to see where the F**k the other traffic is I'm hooning along, and manage to get back to Dangerous's place safely....meeting him there so he can collect his bike and wait for the others.
D arrives and decides to check tyres etc on both bikes so takes the XJ to the servo....comes back shaking his head, and crossing himself that HE doesn't have to ride it.....(getting that sinking feeling again)
Nah, she'll be right, says I.
Bif arrives, and we're off...pick up another bike along the way (Glen) and head out to the hilltop for a beer. Taitapu, they leave me behind, ah well what can you expect really 3 bloody 1000's vs a 550, no fkg chance, but i tried hard to catch em :chase:
Admittedly they did wait for me a little, so i wouldn't get lost....but damn it felt good to be riding again, and it REALLY does handle ok...esp after I have spent the last 10 years on a cruiser not a sportsbike, so I'm used to having to actually STEER round corners. Ok so the no fairing meant I was at times literally hanging on for dear life, but I've got strong shoulders ...and if I went into racing mode by kissing the handlebars it was ok doing 140 along the straights.
Masses of bikes on the road....I was surprised, 'tis mid winter after all...got to the hilltop and it was...CLOSED...what the??? How bloody STUPID of them, they woulda done a roaring trade and not just bikes, lotsa cars as well...ah well their loss.
So back to Little River pub for a drink (deliberately forgetting the wee hiccup i had on the corner at the top of the pass) and a looksee at all the bikes there. BUT i have to note...not ONE other female rider, few pillons but not a one rider (when we where there anyway)...HA...I must be tough, where are you all????? :scratch:
So heading back home...notice a wee red light come on a couple of times...hmm was that the oil light??
Meet the guys again at the turnoff to Gebbies pass, tell them abt it...not to worry goes D, only worry if it stays on. Okay so we leave again....comes on again...and off, then on...and stays on, F**k I'm thinking, so better safe than sorry and stop the bike, and wait for the others to come back for me. They must be fast cos it only took a few minutes and they were long gone before I stopped. Decided to call Kickaha's Roadside assistance for info.....nah dont worry he says...ok So I just blank out the red light which is zoning in on my eyes all the damn time now and carry on. Now I love that bit of road Gebbies thru gov bay (my old home) and up the sign kiwi, windy uphill, lovely corners...just felt good. And the XJ did fine, had to do some quick gear changes when not quite enough ooomph, but it did well.
Although by this time whoever was behind me was bitterly complaining about the smoke....hmm...what smoke?? I didnt see nuthn :devil2:
So back to chch, wave to guys after D required an emergency stop at Glens...why do you guys have such a problem holding it?
Cruising along and D says, turn ya lights on....what? they are! says I
Yep sure enough lights dead....dusk in chch, not the best time to not have a headlight, esp along the motorway back to kickaha's place....blimmin cop there too, luckily pulling up some other sod already...phew...got back before complete dark...yehaa! Thanked Kickaha profusely for the loaner, jumped on the back of D's bike and hung on damn tight for the race back to chch....geez hadn't I been scared ENOUGH for one day! Nah kidding I LOVED IT! :D
So there ya have it...my excursion on Kickaha's XJ...exciting, fill of thrills and scares...thank fuck I made it home!
Sorry no pics of this one.....will have to get some tho.
After watching all these guys race at Levels on Saturday, I was of course, exceedingly JEALOUS, not having even been on a bike since Feb.
(feb was when i took out the Buell for a 5 hour test ride :ride: ...thanks AMPS guys again...damn I'd love that bike but its just a couple of Gs outa my range)
Anyway, Dangerous being a nice chap...(yes I know you all think otherwise, but under it all he is a sweetie :devil2:...yeah thought so anyway, wondering after yesterday )...decided that we should get together with some of the other guys and get out for a ride on what became an incrediably warm NW day here in Canty.
So I said...um ...what about me?
Ah we'll find you something he said.....yeeeeaaaaahhhh
ok, so I race away to collect gear, feed mutt and cats...general household shit, and meet back at his place. Then we head off to......Kickahas...yes you're probably getting that sinking feeling about now :whistle:
So we get there and i take a look at my ride....hmm...XJ 550, 1982
...Ok so looks CAN be deceiving, and I have a positive attitude, so i mount up and head off after saying bye to Joni and Kickaha.
Yep goes fine till I get a block away, then dies....no prob, start again...then dies, ...ah no prob, start again.............then dies again....#$$%^&^%
Right ya wee MF, START and STAY STARTED.....and it does! :woohoo:
So now Im heading out on the highway :ride: ...it actually goes damn well for a 23 year old machine, not the greatest riding position but I can manage that. About now is when i discover only the one wingmirror, and the one and only as damn small, I guess K has eyes in the back of his head? So after lots of looking around to see where the F**k the other traffic is I'm hooning along, and manage to get back to Dangerous's place safely....meeting him there so he can collect his bike and wait for the others.
D arrives and decides to check tyres etc on both bikes so takes the XJ to the servo....comes back shaking his head, and crossing himself that HE doesn't have to ride it.....(getting that sinking feeling again)
Nah, she'll be right, says I.
Bif arrives, and we're off...pick up another bike along the way (Glen) and head out to the hilltop for a beer. Taitapu, they leave me behind, ah well what can you expect really 3 bloody 1000's vs a 550, no fkg chance, but i tried hard to catch em :chase:
Admittedly they did wait for me a little, so i wouldn't get lost....but damn it felt good to be riding again, and it REALLY does handle ok...esp after I have spent the last 10 years on a cruiser not a sportsbike, so I'm used to having to actually STEER round corners. Ok so the no fairing meant I was at times literally hanging on for dear life, but I've got strong shoulders ...and if I went into racing mode by kissing the handlebars it was ok doing 140 along the straights.
Masses of bikes on the road....I was surprised, 'tis mid winter after all...got to the hilltop and it was...CLOSED...what the??? How bloody STUPID of them, they woulda done a roaring trade and not just bikes, lotsa cars as well...ah well their loss.
So back to Little River pub for a drink (deliberately forgetting the wee hiccup i had on the corner at the top of the pass) and a looksee at all the bikes there. BUT i have to note...not ONE other female rider, few pillons but not a one rider (when we where there anyway)...HA...I must be tough, where are you all????? :scratch:
So heading back home...notice a wee red light come on a couple of times...hmm was that the oil light??
Meet the guys again at the turnoff to Gebbies pass, tell them abt it...not to worry goes D, only worry if it stays on. Okay so we leave again....comes on again...and off, then on...and stays on, F**k I'm thinking, so better safe than sorry and stop the bike, and wait for the others to come back for me. They must be fast cos it only took a few minutes and they were long gone before I stopped. Decided to call Kickaha's Roadside assistance for info.....nah dont worry he says...ok So I just blank out the red light which is zoning in on my eyes all the damn time now and carry on. Now I love that bit of road Gebbies thru gov bay (my old home) and up the sign kiwi, windy uphill, lovely corners...just felt good. And the XJ did fine, had to do some quick gear changes when not quite enough ooomph, but it did well.
Although by this time whoever was behind me was bitterly complaining about the smoke....hmm...what smoke?? I didnt see nuthn :devil2:
So back to chch, wave to guys after D required an emergency stop at Glens...why do you guys have such a problem holding it?
Cruising along and D says, turn ya lights on....what? they are! says I
Yep sure enough lights dead....dusk in chch, not the best time to not have a headlight, esp along the motorway back to kickaha's place....blimmin cop there too, luckily pulling up some other sod already...phew...got back before complete dark...yehaa! Thanked Kickaha profusely for the loaner, jumped on the back of D's bike and hung on damn tight for the race back to chch....geez hadn't I been scared ENOUGH for one day! Nah kidding I LOVED IT! :D
So there ya have it...my excursion on Kickaha's XJ...exciting, fill of thrills and scares...thank fuck I made it home!
Sorry no pics of this one.....will have to get some tho.