Motu
23rd October 2005, 21:55
For the last 4 yrs I haven't had a gargre at home,so I moved my double gargre to work....guess there's some advantage to being the Boss eh? Nice to have the bikes there to work on them during the day,but going for a ride was a major.Drive to work,then get all my gear on,lock the car inside the shop,fuel up the bike - and then spend half an hour or more getting out of Auckland onto some good roads.Rides were always an all day afare...not that I minded,but some times it's good to just go for a fang around the block....and man,have I ever got a block to go around now!
I brought the DT230 home to Huntly this weekend,and this sunday morning was my first ride out from here.I got up before anyone stirred and got ready,had a coffee.I had let the bike warm up on choke and let it stall...had a bit of a moment with a very low battery,and then stalled it when I put it into gear! I was just about to put it into gear again when my wife called out and told me to put the stand up - sometimes it's good to have a wife who knows how bikes work.The kids in this town love bikes,and as I go up the road a 4 yr old comes running down his drive waving at me...I pass a van with a little kid hanging his head out the window like a dog to look at me,so I ride alongside with them,we reach out with our hands and almost touch....
In less than 2km I am past the power station and on the road to Rotongaro,onto perfect roads even before the bike warms up...wow.I am too easily distracted from my plan,and at Rotongaro turn right onto the road that goes to the Glen Murray/Rangariri road,between the two lakes.Very nice road,but maybe not to your likeing - no signs,gravel and mud - but this is the roads I search for.Heading up to Glen Murray and trying to get settled with the bike - the XLV750 would love these roads,but the DT230 is no stonking great V twin bellowing through the curves,it's a light snappy 2 stroke and I need 3 gears where the XLV750 used one,it's very hard to be smooth with such a bike,but heaps of fun.I find myself thinking ''what the hell am I doing?'' At 52 I should be on some nice shiny cruiser with a fat seat,just puttering along enjoying the scenery,going slow as befits my station in life.....but instead I'm pushing hard on a flighty 2 stroke dirt bike that can lift the front wheel out of turns,coming in too hot,getting it on too hard....it's hard to grow up eh?
Oh,look at that - Tikotiko rd,let's try that one out too,so turn south onto gravel.I go past a house with a MkI Ford Consul out in the yard,looks like it hasn't gone for years,but still in good nick - I better watch out,I'm liable to go and ask if it's for sale.At the Franklin/Waikato border it turns to seal and then comes out on SH22 between Glen Murray and Naike,so I run down good old 22 until the gravel trigg road that goes up to Pukemiro.
Stopping for a rest I see I have only done 60km in 45mins,that means I'll be home after an hour of riding,that's not worth getting my gear on for - so head down to Dunmore where I turn down the Te Aku road,then onto Ruakiwi rd,more gravel.I stop for a rest stop...and see an egg on the road,it looks like a chook egg,but somehow I doubt it...looking further up the road I see something dark in the gutter,and a couple of white stones,almost looks like a black cat with white feet.I move towards it to have a look and see it's a hen turkey,I bet she is nesting,but also worry she might be hurt...so I keep coming until she gets up,and she has been sitting on 3 eggs.This is why I love doing all these back roads,you come across so many sights....like turkeys nesting on the road side.
Ruakiwi comes out on the lower SH22,then I head north - at the intersection I see a couple of bikes...a KTM motard and a Duke of some sort,they give me a wave as I go past,but it took them awhile.A bit further on I see some sportsbikes coming,so hold my hand up in a wave,no way they can miss that right?....but only the last guy gives a nod.A bit later some more sports bikes,and again I old my hand high,but no waves.OK,that's the last time - no more waves to sports bikes,what's wrong with them? Just arrogance I expect....I don't care,it was just a final experiment,a very clear wave with NO response....no more from me!
I go over the gravel trigg road to Pukemiro and home - 125km in exactly 2 hrs,with unfortunatly only about 40 or 50km of gravel,but this was just a test ride - around my block,I think I'll enjoy my local roads.....just an impression I get y'know....
I brought the DT230 home to Huntly this weekend,and this sunday morning was my first ride out from here.I got up before anyone stirred and got ready,had a coffee.I had let the bike warm up on choke and let it stall...had a bit of a moment with a very low battery,and then stalled it when I put it into gear! I was just about to put it into gear again when my wife called out and told me to put the stand up - sometimes it's good to have a wife who knows how bikes work.The kids in this town love bikes,and as I go up the road a 4 yr old comes running down his drive waving at me...I pass a van with a little kid hanging his head out the window like a dog to look at me,so I ride alongside with them,we reach out with our hands and almost touch....
In less than 2km I am past the power station and on the road to Rotongaro,onto perfect roads even before the bike warms up...wow.I am too easily distracted from my plan,and at Rotongaro turn right onto the road that goes to the Glen Murray/Rangariri road,between the two lakes.Very nice road,but maybe not to your likeing - no signs,gravel and mud - but this is the roads I search for.Heading up to Glen Murray and trying to get settled with the bike - the XLV750 would love these roads,but the DT230 is no stonking great V twin bellowing through the curves,it's a light snappy 2 stroke and I need 3 gears where the XLV750 used one,it's very hard to be smooth with such a bike,but heaps of fun.I find myself thinking ''what the hell am I doing?'' At 52 I should be on some nice shiny cruiser with a fat seat,just puttering along enjoying the scenery,going slow as befits my station in life.....but instead I'm pushing hard on a flighty 2 stroke dirt bike that can lift the front wheel out of turns,coming in too hot,getting it on too hard....it's hard to grow up eh?
Oh,look at that - Tikotiko rd,let's try that one out too,so turn south onto gravel.I go past a house with a MkI Ford Consul out in the yard,looks like it hasn't gone for years,but still in good nick - I better watch out,I'm liable to go and ask if it's for sale.At the Franklin/Waikato border it turns to seal and then comes out on SH22 between Glen Murray and Naike,so I run down good old 22 until the gravel trigg road that goes up to Pukemiro.
Stopping for a rest I see I have only done 60km in 45mins,that means I'll be home after an hour of riding,that's not worth getting my gear on for - so head down to Dunmore where I turn down the Te Aku road,then onto Ruakiwi rd,more gravel.I stop for a rest stop...and see an egg on the road,it looks like a chook egg,but somehow I doubt it...looking further up the road I see something dark in the gutter,and a couple of white stones,almost looks like a black cat with white feet.I move towards it to have a look and see it's a hen turkey,I bet she is nesting,but also worry she might be hurt...so I keep coming until she gets up,and she has been sitting on 3 eggs.This is why I love doing all these back roads,you come across so many sights....like turkeys nesting on the road side.
Ruakiwi comes out on the lower SH22,then I head north - at the intersection I see a couple of bikes...a KTM motard and a Duke of some sort,they give me a wave as I go past,but it took them awhile.A bit further on I see some sportsbikes coming,so hold my hand up in a wave,no way they can miss that right?....but only the last guy gives a nod.A bit later some more sports bikes,and again I old my hand high,but no waves.OK,that's the last time - no more waves to sports bikes,what's wrong with them? Just arrogance I expect....I don't care,it was just a final experiment,a very clear wave with NO response....no more from me!
I go over the gravel trigg road to Pukemiro and home - 125km in exactly 2 hrs,with unfortunatly only about 40 or 50km of gravel,but this was just a test ride - around my block,I think I'll enjoy my local roads.....just an impression I get y'know....