At The Dam Cafe

[Hitcher]

Yesterday was spent enjoying about 550km of mint winter riding. Taupo, Kinloch, Whakamaru (via a back road) and home through National Park and down the Paraparas. Life doesn't get much better. The Paras were just fantasmagorical.

A bit of a find was The Dam Cafe at Whakamaru, where some time was spent sitting outside in the sun watching bikers arrive and park up. The menu's a bit limited, but they do a good sausage and eggs and the coffee is acceptable.

I got up for a walk over to check out a Honda Varadero, a model I didn't recognise at all. Perhaps that's because there are so many of them on the roads of New Zealand. Then I got thinking, and apart from the ST1300 and the VFR800 (both decade-old models), I struggle to remember any of Honda's current crop of road bikes. I haven't yet figured out whether that's sad for me or sad for Honda.

At a table within earshot outside the Dam Cafe, an older dude pulled up, perched on a table with a biker couple from Tauranga, and proceeded to ear-bash them forever, or almost forever. This guy has to be Kerry Dukie's dad. He worked for the CIA, bought his first aircraft when he was 13 (at which stage the CAA suggested he should get a license), has been shot 6 times in global hotspots, negotiated weapons upgrades for Skyhawks... Outstanding stuff.

A Z1000 is a fantastic motorcycle. I enjoyed mine hugely yesterday. Kerry Dukie's dad has a Z1000SX parked in his garage. He missed a great day to take it out for a spin.

[R650R]

At a table within earshot outside the Dam Cafe, an older dude pulled up, perched on a table with a biker couple from Tauranga, and proceeded to ear-bash them forever, or almost forever. This guy has to be Kerry Dukie's dad. He worked for the CIA, bought his first aircraft when he was 13 (at which stage the CAA suggested he should get a license), has been shot 6 times in global hotspots, negotiated weapons upgrades for Skyhawks... Outstanding stuff.



LOL worked overseas with a guy like that. He had one photo of his territorial patrol but had been on every active NZ sas/troop deployment, organised yada yada yada...
All in complete contrast with his personal ability and physique in anything of a slightly difficult or stressful situation. We nicknamed him the Colonel...

Sounds like a great ride, must check out that café next time.

http://img.chan4chan.com/img/2009-04-01/1238575351536.jpg

[Maha]

The Hui Hut about 8 k's up the road does a mean (at the lower end of the menu scale) sausage roll.

[Mike.Gayner]

Honda's current crop is pretty unexciting IMO. I'd love to try a Z1000 though, love the look of them.

[Erelyes]

I read in the autobiography of a SEAL (can't remember which - Chris Kyle or Rorke Denver maybe?) about this one time where a bunch of SEALs went to a bar in civvies, there was a dude at the bar with a SEAL cap. One of the real deal SEALs asks him what he did, etc etc, spouted some shit about being a demo expert, wow thats cool, leading him on etc.

Real SEAL went back to his table and they bought the guy a drink and told the barmaid to tell the fakeass that it was courtesy of a real SEAL team.

Guy gets the drink and the message, turns to look at them and they're all smiles etc, dude went VERY pale and retreated to the restroom. Genuine SEAL followed and returned with the cap :2thumbsup

[Laava]

. Genuine SEAL followed and returned with the cap :2thumbsup

Hahahahahahaha! I love a happy ending

[george formby]

LOL re Gob shite. First rule of fight club and all that. I knew a couple of fellas who were SAS or ex SAS. One worked "off shore" the other was a "global fixer". Lovely blokes.

Interestin Honda perspective. Me mate (never been in the army) has just part X'd a Fireblade & VFR800 for a brand spankers, Brembo monoblock Hayabusa. Flicked his ST1300 for the VFR.
I guess the old cache with Honda still holds true, not a lot of character but a lot of ability.

Nice wee post Hitcher. The NZ winter sun is a wonderful thing.

[Laava]

Oh and great story Hitcher, i bet you could see the guy thinking hard about what he was going to make up next.

[Ocean1]

A bit of a find was The Dam Cafe at Whakamaru, where some time was spent sitting outside in the sun watching bikers arrive and park up. The menu's a bit limited, but they do a good sausage and eggs and the coffee is acceptable.

I've stopped there several times, invariably for an icecream.

Did the back roads involve Poihipi rd? Old Taupo rd, etc?

[jellywrestler]

This guy has to be Kerry Dukie's dad.

Then you Sir; just met Chuck Norris.

[sil3nt]

I read in the autobiography of a SEAL (can't remember which - Chris Kyle or Rorke Denver maybe?) about this one time where a bunch of SEALs went to a bar in civvies, there was a dude at the bar with a SEAL cap. One of the real deal SEALs asks him what he did, etc etc, spouted some shit about being a demo expert, wow thats cool, leading him on etc.

Real SEAL went back to his table and they bought the guy a drink and told the barmaid to tell the fakeass that it was courtesy of a real SEAL team.

Guy gets the drink and the message, turns to look at them and they're all smiles etc, dude went VERY pale and retreated to the restroom. Genuine SEAL followed and returned with the cap :2thumbsupDamn Few: Making the Modern SEAL Warrior by Rorke Denver. Just finished reading it.

[Hitcher]

Did the back roads involve Poihipi rd? Old Taupo rd, etc?

Poihipi, right into Kaahu. Sweetness abounded.

[banditrider]

Poihipi, right into Kaahu. Sweetness abounded.

It was a great day to be riding. 704kms for me, nearly 200 of it gravel: http://banditrider.blogspot.co.nz/2014/06/king-country-loop.html

[Ocean1]

Poihipi, right into Kaahu. Sweetness abounded.

Yep, Poihipi, Kaahu, Old Taupo and Horahora is my default route north. Hard to beat on a good day.

Edit: it's a bit like kids not standing on cracks from there on, trying to avoid the roads most travelled. I get lost for preference, and work it out from there.

[F5 Dave]

Yesterday was spent enjoying about 550km of mint winter riding. Taupo, Kinloch, Whakamaru (via a back road) and home through National Park and down the Paraparas. Life doesn't get much better. The Paras were just fantasmagorical.

A bit of a find was The Dam Cafe at Whakamaru, where some time was spent sitting outside in the sun watching bikers arrive and park up. The menu's a bit limited, but they do a good sausage and eggs and the coffee is acceptable.

I got up for a walk over to check out a Honda Varadero, a model I didn't recognise at all. Perhaps that's because there are so many of them on the roads of New Zealand. Then I got thinking, and apart from the ST1300 and the VFR800 (both decade-old models), I struggle to remember any of Honda's current crop of road bikes. I haven't yet figured out whether that's sad for me or sad for Honda.

At a table within earshot outside the Dam Cafe, an older dude pulled up, perched on a table with a biker couple from Tauranga, and proceeded to ear-bash them forever, or almost forever. This guy has to be Kerry Dukie's dad. He worked for the CIA, bought his first aircraft when he was 13 (at which stage the CAA suggested he should get a license), has been shot 6 times in global hotspots, negotiated weapons upgrades for Skyhawks... Outstanding stuff.

A Z1000 is a fantastic motorcycle. I enjoyed mine hugely yesterday. Kerry Dukie's dad has a Z1000SX parked in his garage. He missed a great day to take it out for a spin.
Must of been someone else, I thought he was a Stuka pilot.

[Big Dave]

Good bike is the Varadero. Obviously too sensible and eminently suitable for the prevailing conditions to sell well in NZ.
OK - that and the fact that its looks don't live up to its ability.

[Smifffy]

Yep, Poihipi, Kaahu, Old Taupo and Horahora is my default route north. Hard to beat on a good day.



Yup, and I'm right in the middle of it all - less than 3km to Old Taupo :D

Hopefully Friday is a good day.