Westpac Helicopter Run

[SPman]

If you like riding in large groups, the Westpac Helicopter charity ride is on this Sunday, folks - leaving from the NZ Bloodstock Center by the Papakura off ramp at 11am, and riding , I think, over the bridge to the AUT grounds at Northcote. (well, they did last year) Not only do you get to ride en masse, but they close the motorway and you get to piss off hundreds of motorists.

 :D

Last year they managed about 1300 bikes! - and only a couple a collisions! All money raised (badges etc) goes to the Westpac Helicopter Trust (surprise, surprise). About $13,000 last year.

[SpankMe]

Well I was going to Puke on Sunday, but not anymore. Sounds like a bloody good event to attend. :bigthumb:

Can anyone confirm the start location <img src="/forums/images/icons/icon5.gif">

[MikeL]

Yes, departure is 11.00 a.m. from Karaka Bloodstock saleyards. Not quite sure however of the finish - thought it was Albany - somewhere on the North Shore anyway. Guess I'll just follow the leader.

[wkid_one]

My thoughts - do we get a polic escort and the excuse to go obscenely fast????&nbsp; As I write this I am considering what messes the Helicopter cleans up and my initial comments may be in appropriate!!!

Another thought - with 1300 bikes on the motorway - all my fav roads will be empty - YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[SpankMe]

Stopped off at Colemans on the way to work and got a copy of the flyer for the event.

<strong>Start Time: 11am
Start Location: NZ Bloodstock Center by the Papakura off ramp.</strong>

The ride will travel along the southern motorway via Queen Street, over the bridge to the A.U.T. Akoranga Campus, Akoranga Drive. There will be food and drinks at both start and finish. Public welcome at the finish. Badge $10 T-shirt $20.
Buy a T-shirt or Badge and be in to win Draggin Jeans from motormial to the value of $1000. Wet or fine, no cancellations!

Event enquires to Malcolm Ph 09 534 3604.

[Gixxer]

anyone going and want to meet? I go every year, the Helicopter has saved a few of my riding bros lives.

&nbsp;

[bikerboy]

I may be able to go, do you need to preregister?

[wkid_one]

Count me in - any stops along the way? or is it a straight ride

&nbsp;

[BigB]

Went last year, the cops closed all the on ramps, what a site. Alot of pissed off car drivers:brick:. you didn't have to register just turn up.

[Kwaka-Kid]

im as keen as mustard, however i beleive i am working :(&nbsp; if not you will see me there :) on my ZXR400, without the headlight on, as i prefer my batteries charged, not flat :(

[big_bry]

I havent been to one of these in ages.&nbsp;

Its always a good site when not matter which way you look your surrounded with bikes.

Anyone going from the Shore ?

b.

[Gixxer]

big_bry, I am going form the shore, what time r u going to leave?

[big_bry]

Was thinking 10'ish.&nbsp; If it doesnt start till 11am that should give enough time to get out there and muck around (badges, bike perving etc etc).

Sound like a plan ?

I'm in Mairangi Bay... so can meet wherever.

Cheers

Bryan.

[Kiwi]

I want to go as well – leaving at Holeshots at 10 am?

See ya

Kiwi

[big_bry]

Sounds like a plan.

10am it is.

Cheers


Bryan

021-664-102

&nbsp;

[Gixxer]

spoke to wari ad spankme, we are looking at meeting at the auto barn around 9:45 and hang a bit then head down and have something to eat at the bloodstocks.

Cheers

&nbsp;

[Kiwi]

where is the auto barn?????

[Gixxer]

the BP. gas station on the motorway heading south

[SpankMe]

You mean the Autobahn Cafe.

[Gixxer]

that's the one

[Coldkiwi]

sorry guys.. can't do sunday.

have fun though and try not to use any of that sponsorship money on getting a lift from the chopper eh?

&nbsp;

&nbsp;:p

[Kiwi]

Westpac Helicopter run

For the guys from the north shore

Meeting at Holeshot at 9:30

See ya

Kiwi

[Gixxer]

sweet. 0930

[Kwaka-Kid]

bugga, thats me out... gotta work sunday now :( its a dull life. have a good day all!

[SPman]

We'll be thinking of you Logan -&nbsp; got to give that poor bloody bike a rest sometimes! - at your age,you can confidently say- theres always next year!

[Kwaka-Kid]

well.. not on the tyres i ride on :P

ohh just speaking of this.. my 400 is the first bike (my 4th bike) ive owned with radial tyres.. other then that i think ive only ridden a CBR250 down the road.. but OMFG! WHY DIDNY ANYBODY TELL ME HOW GREAT RADIALS ARE! jezus christ! i cant beleive it, i have a rule of thumb to ride a bike for 1 mnth before you ever start pushing things.. get to know the bike first, but jesus ive barly had the bike on the road a week and you can get them sooo low and feel so confident! the front tyre on these things is twice the size of the rear tyre i run on the '78 Suzy GS1000.. its so amazing! and if you jab the breaks on you can actually do a stoppie! my 750 has the breaks to do this, but not the tyres.. if i jab front break on (even trying my hardest to jump and lift the rear wheel) she locks the front up and you can too easily tuck it under onto the tarmac. i honestly cant beleive it, god love the man who made these wide rubbery radial tyres! all this time.. mind you, they cost a bomb, shit :( ignorence is bliss!

oh and its a bit annoying, 400 + good tyres = not powerfull enough to drift :( im not sure drifting is what most people want to do on a bike, but i have alotta fun most mornings going to work on the GS (with 29mm smoothbores) coming thru the blockhousebay roundabout (on the abt 9 year old cross ply avon roadrunner) and @ 3,000rpm just given her a little gas and wheeeeeeee haha the rear wheel slides around as you come outta the roundabout, gives you the biggest adreniline rush ever! (found this out accidentally in the wet oneday.. just about pissed my pants with 260kg of bike fishtailing outta a roundabout!:P)

[SPman]

Can you do this....?

[SPman]

Its good to actually experience all that sliding about and wierd handling behaviour when your are young and starting out. Gives you a better appreciation&nbsp; of what a good handling bike does. I reckon all road riders should do more off road riding....but, thats another story......

&nbsp;All us old farts who hooned around on&nbsp; T350 Suzukis, Kawasaki triples (the 500 was really horrendous in the handling department) and the like, actually appreciate modern bike handling and arn't too phased when it all&nbsp; turns bad - coz if its only half as bad as the handling of some of the olld bikes, its still a doddle....

[Kwaka-Kid]

haha! no i cant do that, im talking more like 10kmph drift, not 1000kmph :P

and yeah i reckon off road riding helps heaps, i started out @ 9yo on a 1967 Honda SL 125 :P then XL125, then XL250, then XR200 :P&nbsp; go the honda singles!

with the offroad experience im sure it does help in those "sticky" situations.. altho one thing i found is when locking up the rear on a street bike it actually seems more slippery then doing so in the dirt on a dirt bike? prolly those big knobbly tyres, either that or the cheng shins on my CB250 really are made of plastic.&nbsp; And also street tyres on the dirt are INCREDIBLY slippery! its possibly because they are made for the street and not the dirt... but then again, they are both made of rubber? it should work shudnt it? has anybody ever taken their Street bike motorcross styles? i remember takin the CB250 around the new lynn wastelands and jumping it, haha.

but anyways, back to the westpac ride, post here you guys who go on it today telling me how much i missed out on :( off to work in a sec, cyas

[wari]

I'm working too ... but might wander down to Queen Street for a look as you ride on by ...

[SpankMe]

<center><b>Westpac Helicopter Run</b></center>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="right"><tr><td align="center"><a href="/4images/categories.php?cat_id=21"><img src="/4images/data/thumbnails/21/KB_Westpac_Heli_Run_2003_DSC01265.JPG"><br><span class="smallfont">Westpac Helicopter Run 2003</span></a></td></tr></table>I was really looking forward to going on this run. Being on the road with so many bikes was great. The best part was seeing the cars lined up on the on-ramps, blocked from entering the motorway by a single motorbike. It was a beautiful sight. It almost brought a tear to my eye. :)

<table border="0" width="100%"><tr><td align="center">
<a href="/images/westpacrun2003.zip"><img src="/images/westpacrun2003.jpg"><br><smallfont>Movie</smallfont></a></td></tr></table>I also took a short movie on the side of the motorway of the bikes passing. It is 25MB compressed.

I was a bit disappointed with the finish. There should have been some events organized. Burnouts, wet t-shirt, drag comps, anything except lying on the grass eating greasy food.

[Kwaka-Kid]

argh so angry i missed out! :( but instead worked... for eight measly bux an hour... it sarks being a teenage slave :(

[bluninja]

Spankme I've not met you, but I don't think you'd look too good in a wet T-Shirt:rolleyes:

Since my wife had been away for a week I decided the best thing was to stay at home on Sunday. So I went into the garage and straightened the handlebars on the SV, put all the road gear back on....and took it for a short 'test' ride. Maybe I'll get the rego done this week:cool:

Glad you had fun.

TTFN

[SPman]

AAaargh - I can't access the thumbnails - get the full photo I mean.

Is it me or aren't they blowupable?

[SpankMe]

Sorry, my bad. Fixed now. :)

[SpankMe]

A couple of my favourite scenes from the run. Full images in the Gallery.

<center><img src="/images/KB_Westpac_Heli_Run_2003_DSC01283_small.jpg">

<img src="/images/KB_Westpac_Heli_Run_2003_DSC01278_small.jpg"></center>

[aff-man]

I'm new to the whole riding in big groups thing but am willing to give it go even after paeroa. But i have no idea where this place is can somebody please give me directions or a street name or something to look up.

cheers&nbsp;

[wari]

Too late bruvver ... it was on Sunday just gone...

[aff-man]

arse anything happening this weekend&nbsp; that i should know of ??

[Gixxer]

aff-man, march 16th is the next one, refer to spankme's thead in this forum Cambridge to Hamilton Motorcycle Toy Run (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=240)&nbsp; last time I went to this a couple or 3 years back i think they got around 2000 bikes.


not bad run

[Kwaka-Kid]

sweeeeet, im keeen

btw, VT250 dude - are u the one from the paeroa run? or do u mean just after rreading our accident post? -if ur the one, hey dude! im Logan :D

[aff-man]

yo Logan

yip i'm the one from the paeroa my names jono btw probably will just go for a cruise with some mates this weekend but will try get to another run sometime

catcha later

cheers