Service Ride - Saturday 26th February

[Groins_NZ]

I’m going up to Wanganui on Saturday 26th February for a 12,000km service at Dowman Honda. I usually combine this with a fairly decent ride so if anyone would like to tag along it would be excellent to have some company.

Coming home via SH1 equates to approximately 700km while coming home through the Wairapa is roughly 800km in total. It won't be a fast ride as I enjoy catching a bit of scenery along the way.

<UL><B>** Proposed route **</B><BR>
<li>Start - Shell Mana at 7:15am</li>
<li>Travel up SH1 to Levin</li>
<li>Across to Shanon and up to Palmerston North on SH52</li>
<li>Out to Sanson, Bulls and Wanganui on SH3 (9:00am service for me, fellows riders can stop for coffee/breakfast)</li>
<li>Depart 10 - 10:30am heading up the Para-Paras to Raetihi on SH4</li>
<li>Onward to National Park, down the spiral, through Owhango, and turning right at Manunui – cutting a track to Turangi along SH41 (possibly stop for lunch here depending on time of day)</li>
<li>After topping up with gas, caffeine, “V” or other such substances, across the desert to Waiouru and Taihape</li>
<li>Just before Mangaweka turn left for Ruahine aiming towards Kimbolton for some winding and rolling roads</li>
<li>Feilding and Palmerston North – from here, we'll make a decision on the day whether to go over the Pahiatua Track into the Wairapa or straight down SH57 & SH1 back to Wellington</li>
</UL>

[LB]

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There's racing on at Manfeild 26/27 Feb so we'll be heading up there early Sat - prob leaving home around 6am. It's the second to last round of the National Points series. We'll be in the car (two full days at the track in the heat is easier out of bike gear!).

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[Hitcher]

The start's a bit early for the Hitcher household on a Saturday but you've got a fantastic ride mapped out there.

As for the Hitchers, the plan is to get away at about 9:30am, ride up to Palmerston North, collect Mrs H's sheepskin seat cover and the push-to-talk button that were on her old Marauder; go to ANZA and get my new screen; have a yack to both dealerships about deals on replacement cruisers; maybe do a spot of test riding; have some lunch and Walpole home again.

[et al]

Could be up for joining you on all/some of that ride - last night was actually just talking to Gunner about us doing some of those roads soon. Being born & bred in Wanganui I have been wanting to get up there and show him some of the roads I used to haunt in my lost youth.

[vifferman]

<snip>..go to ANZA and get my new screen...<snip>
New screen? :spudwhat:

[Hitcher]

New screen?
Part of the terms of sale. ANZA's groomer had completely rooted the original screen after having tried to remove some marks with a solvent like acetone.

I've been riding the only "naked" ST1300 in New Zealand for the past week or so...

[Groins_NZ]

Still leaving Mana at around 7:15 for anyone interested. If thats too early for ya but you'd still like to go for ride up to Wanganui, etc; as a suggestion, you could ride to Dowman Honda in Wanganui for around 10:00 am instead. At which time the mechanic should have finished changing the oil, etc on my bike.

Cheerio - have a good weekend folks!

[Groins_NZ]

A couple of things about the ride....

Great scenery I haven't seen before via Whanganui River scenic route, including 45Km of loose chip gravel (testing! ;)), soggy jocks, sore butt cheeks, wrinkly digits, filthy muddy CB900, no bins :D, hot coffee & mince ‘n cheese pie, rain, rain, rain and 577km later a nice hot shower. :2thumbsup

[Hitcher]

Well done that man! Riding the Wanganui river road on a bike with a 180 width tyre is worthy of a special award!