gijoe1313
29th December 2006, 23:00
Well, I'm clearing the sleep out of my eyes as I write this little post up - it is my edition of shame, loss of pride and immaturity (damn, I keep learning humility in my life - must be a resonance from misdeeds in past lifes!)
Yesterday I had a row with mum, she's stubborn, I'm stubborn and hot-headed and have the temper of both my granddads. The reasons aren't important, just the facts. In my earlier years I would have done something idiotic like break things and smash stuff up. Now in my mid-life crisis years, I have a bike to go out on! :msn-wink:
Anyhow, left the old's shop in a filthy temper - drove home and swapped my cage for the little ol'Hornet, popped in some gear into my tank bag with the intention of riding clear across NI and into SI to put breathing distance between myself and mum (dear old mum :love: )
So 11pm I left Dorkland for the 'Tron, from there I made my way to Rotovegas and clocked into Whakatane. The roads were clear, the weather was brilliant and my Hornet was humming my tune. Dark. brooding thoughts of how you can choose your friends, but not your family was dissipated by the soul-freeing quality that only two wheels can provide. B
But I digress.
The twisties provided me with the delight and calm to sooth my senses, as I carved up each corner, a little of lifes wearying anchors dropped away. I was in biker nirvana. The rush of wind, the scream of my inline four and the widening grin was all me. As my conscious mind receded, that lovely zen state was reached - ignoring the clocks, forgetting about my banal realities and it was just me, a biker, my little ol'Hornet and the open road.
As I wended my way through Fitzgerald glade, my worries had passed away - I would return to my duties and responsibilities and not abandon them to hoon around on my two wheels!
But before then, I would ride with joyous abandon and be like a Ring Wraith pursuing their own nefarious goals in the night...
From Whakatane I made my way to Opotiki to puruse the winding twisties to Gisborne by way of SH2. What can I say? It was a breath-taking ride and I was scuffing my boots as I wound my windy passage through it - I buttoned off when cloaking mists enveloped me, punched the throttle when all was good, relied on that biker feel for slowing down at random moments and avoiding the literal pitfalls... time passed and I could see the dawning of a new day from the hills ahead, magic moment when I got into Gisborne around 5.30am and rode around in it's deserted streets for a while. Parked up the top on Titirangi Hill and surveyed all below, now I know how Cook felt when he espied Poverty Bay from it's heights!
From there, I got some directions after gassing up and headed to Wairoa via the back country road from Matawhero - this time daylight was to be my diurnal guide. The roads were much more rougher and wild, characterful and definitely kept me on my the balls of my feet on the pegs.
The amount of work being done of this section required caution - but the rewards of the gorges, hills, the hues of the surrounding countryside made it a magic carpet ride, my little ol'Hornet drank up the roads and thirsted for more, as usual, who was I to deny it's rightful purpose?
From SH2, I took the turn to SH5 to head to Taupo - at this stage I didn't worry about fuel, though it was to come back and haunt me later! The road traffic was light this early in the morning and it wasn't till I was into SH5 when I hard to hit reserve! :sweatdrop ... I was hoping for a magical gas station and at the only place along the route, the place had run out of supplies! I was about 28km from Taupo at this stage and had already been running on reserve a whiles back :eek5: Time to nana the supplies and remembering the handbook I bought from trademe ($15) ... "The economical cruising speed is 60km/h" ... 60 it was and I watched the merry line of vehicles wonder at the magic of passing something that was on two wheels (I'm sure they're used to the opposite!) More than one thought it was a popo ruse and did all the right things to overtake (maybe my lime-yellow flouro safety vest "Watch out for Motorbikes" was a reason? :whistle:)
Anyhow big relief made Mobil in Taupo ... with 2L still to spare! From Taupo it was a relative no-brainer ride to the 'Tron and back to Dorkland. I had a late lunch in Tokoroa to refuel myself and to ensure I wasn't too tired to keep riding, I realised I needed to stop when you get that "lights on, but nobody's home" feeling. Did the trick! Felt fresh like Donor's Daisy and off to the 'Tron via Putaruru/Tirau/Cambridge. Zipped through and filled up in Ngaruawahia, the tripmeter just turned over from 999 to 000 from there ... wow :gob: I had done my first 1000km trip nonstopper! By the time I got home, I had done 1073km give or take a couple! Time back home ... 2.30pm
By this stage I was blurry eyed and still needed to serve my shift at flipping burgers at the old's. First things first, I lubed the chain and gave my little ol'Hornet a pat, a hug and a kiss :love: It's done me proud again!
A shower, shit and shave and a short nap before doing the family obligations (soundtrack : Godfather).
And that is my 1K km ride around the clock! Thanks to Caltex, Mobil, BP - the numbers 95,98 and 8000. My little ol'Hornet takes top honours for putting up with a plonker of an owner and to you lot that read through this dribble, trip and codswallop!
Now...a 5000km trip sounds interesting... :sunny:
Yesterday I had a row with mum, she's stubborn, I'm stubborn and hot-headed and have the temper of both my granddads. The reasons aren't important, just the facts. In my earlier years I would have done something idiotic like break things and smash stuff up. Now in my mid-life crisis years, I have a bike to go out on! :msn-wink:
Anyhow, left the old's shop in a filthy temper - drove home and swapped my cage for the little ol'Hornet, popped in some gear into my tank bag with the intention of riding clear across NI and into SI to put breathing distance between myself and mum (dear old mum :love: )
So 11pm I left Dorkland for the 'Tron, from there I made my way to Rotovegas and clocked into Whakatane. The roads were clear, the weather was brilliant and my Hornet was humming my tune. Dark. brooding thoughts of how you can choose your friends, but not your family was dissipated by the soul-freeing quality that only two wheels can provide. B
But I digress.
The twisties provided me with the delight and calm to sooth my senses, as I carved up each corner, a little of lifes wearying anchors dropped away. I was in biker nirvana. The rush of wind, the scream of my inline four and the widening grin was all me. As my conscious mind receded, that lovely zen state was reached - ignoring the clocks, forgetting about my banal realities and it was just me, a biker, my little ol'Hornet and the open road.
As I wended my way through Fitzgerald glade, my worries had passed away - I would return to my duties and responsibilities and not abandon them to hoon around on my two wheels!
But before then, I would ride with joyous abandon and be like a Ring Wraith pursuing their own nefarious goals in the night...
From Whakatane I made my way to Opotiki to puruse the winding twisties to Gisborne by way of SH2. What can I say? It was a breath-taking ride and I was scuffing my boots as I wound my windy passage through it - I buttoned off when cloaking mists enveloped me, punched the throttle when all was good, relied on that biker feel for slowing down at random moments and avoiding the literal pitfalls... time passed and I could see the dawning of a new day from the hills ahead, magic moment when I got into Gisborne around 5.30am and rode around in it's deserted streets for a while. Parked up the top on Titirangi Hill and surveyed all below, now I know how Cook felt when he espied Poverty Bay from it's heights!
From there, I got some directions after gassing up and headed to Wairoa via the back country road from Matawhero - this time daylight was to be my diurnal guide. The roads were much more rougher and wild, characterful and definitely kept me on my the balls of my feet on the pegs.
The amount of work being done of this section required caution - but the rewards of the gorges, hills, the hues of the surrounding countryside made it a magic carpet ride, my little ol'Hornet drank up the roads and thirsted for more, as usual, who was I to deny it's rightful purpose?
From SH2, I took the turn to SH5 to head to Taupo - at this stage I didn't worry about fuel, though it was to come back and haunt me later! The road traffic was light this early in the morning and it wasn't till I was into SH5 when I hard to hit reserve! :sweatdrop ... I was hoping for a magical gas station and at the only place along the route, the place had run out of supplies! I was about 28km from Taupo at this stage and had already been running on reserve a whiles back :eek5: Time to nana the supplies and remembering the handbook I bought from trademe ($15) ... "The economical cruising speed is 60km/h" ... 60 it was and I watched the merry line of vehicles wonder at the magic of passing something that was on two wheels (I'm sure they're used to the opposite!) More than one thought it was a popo ruse and did all the right things to overtake (maybe my lime-yellow flouro safety vest "Watch out for Motorbikes" was a reason? :whistle:)
Anyhow big relief made Mobil in Taupo ... with 2L still to spare! From Taupo it was a relative no-brainer ride to the 'Tron and back to Dorkland. I had a late lunch in Tokoroa to refuel myself and to ensure I wasn't too tired to keep riding, I realised I needed to stop when you get that "lights on, but nobody's home" feeling. Did the trick! Felt fresh like Donor's Daisy and off to the 'Tron via Putaruru/Tirau/Cambridge. Zipped through and filled up in Ngaruawahia, the tripmeter just turned over from 999 to 000 from there ... wow :gob: I had done my first 1000km trip nonstopper! By the time I got home, I had done 1073km give or take a couple! Time back home ... 2.30pm
By this stage I was blurry eyed and still needed to serve my shift at flipping burgers at the old's. First things first, I lubed the chain and gave my little ol'Hornet a pat, a hug and a kiss :love: It's done me proud again!
A shower, shit and shave and a short nap before doing the family obligations (soundtrack : Godfather).
And that is my 1K km ride around the clock! Thanks to Caltex, Mobil, BP - the numbers 95,98 and 8000. My little ol'Hornet takes top honours for putting up with a plonker of an owner and to you lot that read through this dribble, trip and codswallop!
Now...a 5000km trip sounds interesting... :sunny: