Lord Alster
8th January 2006, 20:53
What a performance. My new VTX1800 arrived in the country Thursday 15th Dec, plenty of time you would think to clear customs etc and get it before christmas, not so quick young man. MAF were to clear it monday night 19th and it was to be delivered to me Tuesday 20th, yeah right. MAF forgot. So Tuesday night finally they decide to clear it. That's fine I'll get it Wednesday so I book it in for testing etc Thursday, No Problem. Wednesday afternoon it's finally delivered to me, on a truck they can't get it off because our driveway slopes up to the garage, I warned them about that, fools. So they take it away again, so near and yet so far. Thursday lunch time, that's Thursday the 22nd in case you haven't been paying attention, I finally get the bike, in the crate, sitting in my garage. How the hell am I going to get it tested and registered and then get luggage sorted and fitted so we can go away on it on the 24th as planned. Mt Wellington VINZ to the rescue. They're at 79 Carbine Road, Mt Wellington by the way. The guy's there are awesome, they took the booking on Thursday and had it on the road and ready to go by 10am Friday morning. I can't recommend them enough, thanks guy's.
Well now I've got a bike and I'm legally allowed to ride it on the road but I still need to get luggage purchased and fitted before we head of on Sat 24th. Enter Lou at AMPS in New Market. Lou supplied us with all the luggage we needed and lots of helpful advice in double quick time and at the right price, Thanks Lou you're a life saver.
About now you're probably thinking, drama over well done. Wrong. Middle of the afternoon I'm fitting the brackets for the saddle bags and I discover I need longer bolts, do you have any idea how hard it is to find special bolts at 3pm on the last friday before christmas? First stop was at a place in Rosebank Road snce it's closest to home. I just caught the guy as he was leaving and he was kind enough to open up and get me the four bolts I needed, thank god. Home again I'm continuing to fit the brackets and I remove the next bolt to find it's longer still. Now I know the last guy's gone so no use going back there so on the phone. I finally find a place in Penrose that's still open so off I go. When I get there I'm told sorry they don't have anything like that. After considerable pleading another guy is called in and together they have another hunt and finally find what I need, thank god again. I'm not at all religious but I'm thanking god and awful lot it seems, and just on christmas.
So I finally get everything together and yes we did get away for our holiday on the VTX after all.
All I'll say for now is, we travelled over 800 miles between the 24th and the 2nd and I can't imagine a more enjoyable bike to do it on. It's smooth, powerful, comfortable and a real head turner.
More about the trip in the next installment.:niceone:
Well now I've got a bike and I'm legally allowed to ride it on the road but I still need to get luggage purchased and fitted before we head of on Sat 24th. Enter Lou at AMPS in New Market. Lou supplied us with all the luggage we needed and lots of helpful advice in double quick time and at the right price, Thanks Lou you're a life saver.
About now you're probably thinking, drama over well done. Wrong. Middle of the afternoon I'm fitting the brackets for the saddle bags and I discover I need longer bolts, do you have any idea how hard it is to find special bolts at 3pm on the last friday before christmas? First stop was at a place in Rosebank Road snce it's closest to home. I just caught the guy as he was leaving and he was kind enough to open up and get me the four bolts I needed, thank god. Home again I'm continuing to fit the brackets and I remove the next bolt to find it's longer still. Now I know the last guy's gone so no use going back there so on the phone. I finally find a place in Penrose that's still open so off I go. When I get there I'm told sorry they don't have anything like that. After considerable pleading another guy is called in and together they have another hunt and finally find what I need, thank god again. I'm not at all religious but I'm thanking god and awful lot it seems, and just on christmas.
So I finally get everything together and yes we did get away for our holiday on the VTX after all.
All I'll say for now is, we travelled over 800 miles between the 24th and the 2nd and I can't imagine a more enjoyable bike to do it on. It's smooth, powerful, comfortable and a real head turner.
More about the trip in the next installment.:niceone: