Motu
27th January 2004, 17:44
It's not that far,and you can do it in a 1/4 of that time?...well,I use different roads than you.
Woke up early on Auck Anniverary day,everyones still asleep - shit,I'm goin for a ride! I have taken the rear K760 knob off and fitted an IRC trail tyre of some sort,taken a couple of plates out of the Supertrapp too,so I need a test ride.Not going where there are cars,so head south to Port Waikato,past the pub and into the gravel,taking all the back roads - Te Akau coast road and end up at Te Akau wharf,looking across at Raglan,then to Raglan to scoff a feed.
This rear tyre is not too good I'm thinking,rolls around a bit and I have no braking control.This has always been a problem with my XLV750 and I have always blamed the bike - too heavy and shaft drive,but it looks like it must be just tyres.I have alway used knobs on gravel,but am reluctant to fit them to the Honda,just too heavy and powerfull,it'd destroy them and be dangerous on seal to boot.Last time I was down here on the XT400 I could fly,only getting the rear out of control a couple of times,but even with the rear wheel chattering and stepping out on corner entry it was all under control.This tyre doesn't even chatter,it just goes quiet,all you can hear is the tyre sliding in the gravel,totaly out of contact with the road surface.The up side is even with a guttless 400 I have some good wheelspin on corner exit,so can get sideways a lot,so it's still good fun.
Coming back I take a more middle route,even get on 22 for a few km before I head back in,going up Baker rd I know it's a good one because it has grass growing down the middle.Finaly come out at Onewhero and down to the Tuakau bridge intersection.After 7 hrs on the gravel I'm dusty sore and tired,just the ticket for my holiday.
No problems or hassles,just a few cows,bunnies,pheasants,a hare and heaps of hawks on road kill,got so close under one I could of grabbed his legs if I hadn't a ducked.
Oh,I saw a couple of cars too.
Woke up early on Auck Anniverary day,everyones still asleep - shit,I'm goin for a ride! I have taken the rear K760 knob off and fitted an IRC trail tyre of some sort,taken a couple of plates out of the Supertrapp too,so I need a test ride.Not going where there are cars,so head south to Port Waikato,past the pub and into the gravel,taking all the back roads - Te Akau coast road and end up at Te Akau wharf,looking across at Raglan,then to Raglan to scoff a feed.
This rear tyre is not too good I'm thinking,rolls around a bit and I have no braking control.This has always been a problem with my XLV750 and I have always blamed the bike - too heavy and shaft drive,but it looks like it must be just tyres.I have alway used knobs on gravel,but am reluctant to fit them to the Honda,just too heavy and powerfull,it'd destroy them and be dangerous on seal to boot.Last time I was down here on the XT400 I could fly,only getting the rear out of control a couple of times,but even with the rear wheel chattering and stepping out on corner entry it was all under control.This tyre doesn't even chatter,it just goes quiet,all you can hear is the tyre sliding in the gravel,totaly out of contact with the road surface.The up side is even with a guttless 400 I have some good wheelspin on corner exit,so can get sideways a lot,so it's still good fun.
Coming back I take a more middle route,even get on 22 for a few km before I head back in,going up Baker rd I know it's a good one because it has grass growing down the middle.Finaly come out at Onewhero and down to the Tuakau bridge intersection.After 7 hrs on the gravel I'm dusty sore and tired,just the ticket for my holiday.
No problems or hassles,just a few cows,bunnies,pheasants,a hare and heaps of hawks on road kill,got so close under one I could of grabbed his legs if I hadn't a ducked.
Oh,I saw a couple of cars too.