wharfy
28th October 2008, 23:34
Fighting for the eight-hour working day
Labour Day commemorates the struggle for an eight-hour working day. New Zealand workers were among the first in the world to claim this right when, in 1840, the carpenter Samuel Parnell won an eight-hour day in Wellington. Labour Day was first celebrated in New Zealand on 28 October 1890, when several thousand trade union members and supporters attended parades in the main centres. Government employees were given the day off to attend the parades.
So you know that Labour weekend wasn't created JUST to race motorcycles...
I am not sure what prompted me to enter the Greymouth Street Race, I guess like so many of lifes decisions it just “seemed like a good idea at the time”. However once I had sent of the cheque with the entry it was a done deal. Katie's brother volunteered the use of his ute for the weekend so I didn't need to worry about how I was to load the tools, tyre warmers, paddock stands AND Katie onto the Hornet. It would be the first time this season that I would NOT ride the bike to the race meeting. I took Thursday off work and got the bike ready, attached my “NEW” MCNZ number “919” (the Hornet is sold in the states as the “Honda 919” , cool eh ?) :) We loaded everything onto the ute ready to catch the 08:00 Bluebridge for Picton on Friday Morning, there was a bit of rain about but the crossing was good with flat seas. We stayed Friday night in Nelson (bludging shamelessly off Katie's friends) and enjoyed a pleasant drive in fine weather to Greymouth on Saturday.
Scrutineering was completed without fuss, we left the bike in the Army hall and headed to HAMS for a feed then back to the Motel. After waking at 2, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4 an 4:15 I managed to get back to sleep and we woke at 6:30 in a panic about being late.
We hooked up with Johan and set up his tent and generator, we were pitted in the same area as “Dangerous” and “Buddha”, we were soon ready to go. After donning the yellow T shirts, the “newbies” laps behind the pace car and F1 practise it was just a matter of waiting nervously for my first race “F1” straight into it with the “big boys” FARK !!
Race 1:
I started at the back of the grid got an OK start a cautious first lap, and thinking this isn't so bad so tried a couple of passes next thing I know my rear wheel is chattering like 20 monkey's and I am heading for the hay bales !! Oh shit !! luckily by the time I actually hit the bales I was almost stopped, so it wasn't so much a “crash” as a clumsy parking attempt. I managed to extract the bike, a quick look that the track was clear and I was back into it. Before I had got halfway to the next turn I was lapped by Glen Williams (and whoever was second).
I could come up with a number of explanations (excuses) but basically I just fucked up. Welcome to Greymouth Wharfy !!
Race 2:
Formula Greymouth, a full grid, once again I started from near the back of the grid got an OK start, but turn one was a shambles, bikes all over the where, but everyone made it through (as far as I could tell). After a couple of cautious laps I stated to get a bit of a feel for the track and was getting used to the front wheel coming up when exiting turns 2 (Revingtons), 4 (Union) and 6 (Mobil roundabout).
The “jump” at the intersection of Leonard and William street also started to become fun. I managed to finish the race without visiting the hay bales again and arrived back a t the pits with a big grin and a very satisfying adrenaline tremor !!!
I had six races in all and they just got better and better, I won't bore you all with a “blow by blow” account of all of them. The Hornet makes a fun street race bike, and for some reason the rear end sliding around both entering and exiting corners doesn't seem quite so scary on the street, maybe it's because they are a lot slower than dedicated “race circuit” corners, that sort of stuff at Manfield would have had me shitting my pants .
I don't know if anyone had more fun than me, but I am sure that one person who had as MUCH was Darren Heeman from Nelson on his 87 Harley Softail, he is outrageous !! I followed him for a couple of laps (I mean it took me two laps to get a pass on him) – Awesome riding Darren Heeman !!!!
Congratulations to the organizers, it was a well run event, Katie and I both had a GREAT time, thanks also to every one for making us feel welcome, especially the KB'ers.
Unless something really bad happens, “I'll be back”
Labour Day commemorates the struggle for an eight-hour working day. New Zealand workers were among the first in the world to claim this right when, in 1840, the carpenter Samuel Parnell won an eight-hour day in Wellington. Labour Day was first celebrated in New Zealand on 28 October 1890, when several thousand trade union members and supporters attended parades in the main centres. Government employees were given the day off to attend the parades.
So you know that Labour weekend wasn't created JUST to race motorcycles...
I am not sure what prompted me to enter the Greymouth Street Race, I guess like so many of lifes decisions it just “seemed like a good idea at the time”. However once I had sent of the cheque with the entry it was a done deal. Katie's brother volunteered the use of his ute for the weekend so I didn't need to worry about how I was to load the tools, tyre warmers, paddock stands AND Katie onto the Hornet. It would be the first time this season that I would NOT ride the bike to the race meeting. I took Thursday off work and got the bike ready, attached my “NEW” MCNZ number “919” (the Hornet is sold in the states as the “Honda 919” , cool eh ?) :) We loaded everything onto the ute ready to catch the 08:00 Bluebridge for Picton on Friday Morning, there was a bit of rain about but the crossing was good with flat seas. We stayed Friday night in Nelson (bludging shamelessly off Katie's friends) and enjoyed a pleasant drive in fine weather to Greymouth on Saturday.
Scrutineering was completed without fuss, we left the bike in the Army hall and headed to HAMS for a feed then back to the Motel. After waking at 2, 2:30, 3, 3:30, 4 an 4:15 I managed to get back to sleep and we woke at 6:30 in a panic about being late.
We hooked up with Johan and set up his tent and generator, we were pitted in the same area as “Dangerous” and “Buddha”, we were soon ready to go. After donning the yellow T shirts, the “newbies” laps behind the pace car and F1 practise it was just a matter of waiting nervously for my first race “F1” straight into it with the “big boys” FARK !!
Race 1:
I started at the back of the grid got an OK start a cautious first lap, and thinking this isn't so bad so tried a couple of passes next thing I know my rear wheel is chattering like 20 monkey's and I am heading for the hay bales !! Oh shit !! luckily by the time I actually hit the bales I was almost stopped, so it wasn't so much a “crash” as a clumsy parking attempt. I managed to extract the bike, a quick look that the track was clear and I was back into it. Before I had got halfway to the next turn I was lapped by Glen Williams (and whoever was second).
I could come up with a number of explanations (excuses) but basically I just fucked up. Welcome to Greymouth Wharfy !!
Race 2:
Formula Greymouth, a full grid, once again I started from near the back of the grid got an OK start, but turn one was a shambles, bikes all over the where, but everyone made it through (as far as I could tell). After a couple of cautious laps I stated to get a bit of a feel for the track and was getting used to the front wheel coming up when exiting turns 2 (Revingtons), 4 (Union) and 6 (Mobil roundabout).
The “jump” at the intersection of Leonard and William street also started to become fun. I managed to finish the race without visiting the hay bales again and arrived back a t the pits with a big grin and a very satisfying adrenaline tremor !!!
I had six races in all and they just got better and better, I won't bore you all with a “blow by blow” account of all of them. The Hornet makes a fun street race bike, and for some reason the rear end sliding around both entering and exiting corners doesn't seem quite so scary on the street, maybe it's because they are a lot slower than dedicated “race circuit” corners, that sort of stuff at Manfield would have had me shitting my pants .
I don't know if anyone had more fun than me, but I am sure that one person who had as MUCH was Darren Heeman from Nelson on his 87 Harley Softail, he is outrageous !! I followed him for a couple of laps (I mean it took me two laps to get a pass on him) – Awesome riding Darren Heeman !!!!
Congratulations to the organizers, it was a well run event, Katie and I both had a GREAT time, thanks also to every one for making us feel welcome, especially the KB'ers.
Unless something really bad happens, “I'll be back”