Hitcher
9th February 2009, 20:26
A long weekend, Mrs H with a weekend off work, friends with a new Moto Guzzi Norge and an Aprilia Shiver gagging for a long ride. Of course there was only one possible course of action.
Friday we rendezvoused with the Team Norge at Rimutex and headed off and away to Kinloch, via Napier. What a splendid day for a ride. This was also an opportunity to test out the Ventura rack on the Shiver in combination with an Rjays pack we had bought a few years ago in our Marauder era. It fitted nicely, occupying the pillion spot. Unfortunately I wasn’t that careful with one of the loose straps, which got itself a little toasted on a tailpipe. Lesson learnt.
After a latish start we didn’t leave ourselves much time for byways, so contented ourselves with a straight poke up SH2 and SH50 to Napier. A stiffish head wind most of the way kept the Shiver to an average of 4.7km/100l. The Napier-Taupo road was at its usual best. Another stiffish wind and uphill mien resulted in another 4.7 tank.
Taupo was looking unusually attractive. But the SH1/SH5 intersection was particularly painful. I cannot understand why New Zealand’s roading “authorities” haven’t put traffic lights on this corner. Particularly bearing in mind the dozens of absolutely facile places these devices are located elsewhere. A stereotypically tragic vacuous blonde bint in a Jag stopped in front of us missed about four easy goes at a right turn. It’s hard to text and turn at the same time. Bitch.
After an al fresco dinner on the waterfront, we adjourned to our evening’s accommodation at Kinloch.
Saturday dawned sunny and clear. Where to? Kawhia it is then, via Mangakino and Otorohanga. A coffee stop and underwear change was necessary at Wharepapa South, after having encountered a Commodore with boat in tow almost all on my side of the road on a tight slightly off-camber corner just prior.
What a spankingly good day. Early morning fog at Mangakino quickly burnt off.
We enjoyed the run in to Kawhia for a while until we encountered a steady stream of traffic, which we joined. Passing opportunities are few and far between, not that a string of cruiser-riding bikers who we passed on three occasions were going to let hinder them. In debrief we concluded that they must have better eyesight than us and were assuming that much maligned car drivers will make a space for them if they need to get left again quickly, as all reasonable and highly-skilled bikers do. Wankers.
The reason for the traffic turned out to be the Kawhia Kai Festival. After a feed of fish and chips at the Orange Dinghy, we decided enough was enough and headed back from whence we had come.
Gas and coffee was consumed at Te Kuiti (for the Shiver’s second 4.4 tank of the day) before heading off back to Kinloch via Benneydale. The tar had melted spectacularly in some places along this road, and it was 30 degrees for most of the ride through to the servo on the Waipapa Road corner, where we stopped for a drink and a stretch.
Here my ears pricked up at the sound of a 90-degree V-twin winding down through the gears approaching the stop sign. Hah! Another Shiver. I waved at the rider and pointed at my Cult White stead. He got the hint and turned in for a chat. Wayne from Rotorua has a Shiver in metallic black. His is a bit wounded after a close encounter with the earth moment on the Port Hills Summit Road prior to Christmas.
We decided to head into Taupo for a bite and fuel before returning to Kinloch once more.
Sunday we needed to get away early to get Mrs H back to Wellington for her work that evening.
Mr Norge said that the Desert Road was a bit untidy, so we turned right at Kuratau (after a brief foggy flirtation en route). Going over the hill to Taumarunui we struck pea soup fog for a few km over the summit and down the western side. Fortunately this cleared off, because it was verging on Helen Keller material.
Breakfast was at the Out Of The Fog Café at Owhango – one of the best eateries and coffee joints anywhere. Extremely biker-friendly too.
The day by now was getting better and better. Fuel again at Waiouru (4.4, not bad, considering the amount of climbing and briskish riding undertaken since Kinloch).
And then, The Vinegar Hill Road (SH54). As we turned off SH1, the Shiver said to me “Let’s play.”
“Oh, OK then,” I replied.
Fuck. Me. Dead. Can Shivers handle or what. Effortless and predictable handling made an absolute nonsense of this road, and flattered my paltry riding abilities by some margin. What a hoot. I’m still grinning fiendishly.
After a short beverage stop at Ashhurst, we returned via the Wairarapa, rather than take on the turgid and endless crawl that is SH1 south of Levin after a holiday weekend.
We had a great run south to Masterton (4.3). The temperature had slowly started to warm from Mt Bruce and was 30 degrees at the Mobil on the bypass. By Carterton, the electronic mercury was at 34 degrees. From Greytown to Featherston it was 35, and we were overdressed.
The traffic on the Hill was tedious and we finally got home about three quarters of an hour after our pre-Kinloch estimate (which didn’t include the full western lake Ohakune diversion).
Almost 1,500km for the weekend and the Shiver (at 4,500km) is starting to free up yummily and says it wants to return soon to SH54.
Friday we rendezvoused with the Team Norge at Rimutex and headed off and away to Kinloch, via Napier. What a splendid day for a ride. This was also an opportunity to test out the Ventura rack on the Shiver in combination with an Rjays pack we had bought a few years ago in our Marauder era. It fitted nicely, occupying the pillion spot. Unfortunately I wasn’t that careful with one of the loose straps, which got itself a little toasted on a tailpipe. Lesson learnt.
After a latish start we didn’t leave ourselves much time for byways, so contented ourselves with a straight poke up SH2 and SH50 to Napier. A stiffish head wind most of the way kept the Shiver to an average of 4.7km/100l. The Napier-Taupo road was at its usual best. Another stiffish wind and uphill mien resulted in another 4.7 tank.
Taupo was looking unusually attractive. But the SH1/SH5 intersection was particularly painful. I cannot understand why New Zealand’s roading “authorities” haven’t put traffic lights on this corner. Particularly bearing in mind the dozens of absolutely facile places these devices are located elsewhere. A stereotypically tragic vacuous blonde bint in a Jag stopped in front of us missed about four easy goes at a right turn. It’s hard to text and turn at the same time. Bitch.
After an al fresco dinner on the waterfront, we adjourned to our evening’s accommodation at Kinloch.
Saturday dawned sunny and clear. Where to? Kawhia it is then, via Mangakino and Otorohanga. A coffee stop and underwear change was necessary at Wharepapa South, after having encountered a Commodore with boat in tow almost all on my side of the road on a tight slightly off-camber corner just prior.
What a spankingly good day. Early morning fog at Mangakino quickly burnt off.
We enjoyed the run in to Kawhia for a while until we encountered a steady stream of traffic, which we joined. Passing opportunities are few and far between, not that a string of cruiser-riding bikers who we passed on three occasions were going to let hinder them. In debrief we concluded that they must have better eyesight than us and were assuming that much maligned car drivers will make a space for them if they need to get left again quickly, as all reasonable and highly-skilled bikers do. Wankers.
The reason for the traffic turned out to be the Kawhia Kai Festival. After a feed of fish and chips at the Orange Dinghy, we decided enough was enough and headed back from whence we had come.
Gas and coffee was consumed at Te Kuiti (for the Shiver’s second 4.4 tank of the day) before heading off back to Kinloch via Benneydale. The tar had melted spectacularly in some places along this road, and it was 30 degrees for most of the ride through to the servo on the Waipapa Road corner, where we stopped for a drink and a stretch.
Here my ears pricked up at the sound of a 90-degree V-twin winding down through the gears approaching the stop sign. Hah! Another Shiver. I waved at the rider and pointed at my Cult White stead. He got the hint and turned in for a chat. Wayne from Rotorua has a Shiver in metallic black. His is a bit wounded after a close encounter with the earth moment on the Port Hills Summit Road prior to Christmas.
We decided to head into Taupo for a bite and fuel before returning to Kinloch once more.
Sunday we needed to get away early to get Mrs H back to Wellington for her work that evening.
Mr Norge said that the Desert Road was a bit untidy, so we turned right at Kuratau (after a brief foggy flirtation en route). Going over the hill to Taumarunui we struck pea soup fog for a few km over the summit and down the western side. Fortunately this cleared off, because it was verging on Helen Keller material.
Breakfast was at the Out Of The Fog Café at Owhango – one of the best eateries and coffee joints anywhere. Extremely biker-friendly too.
The day by now was getting better and better. Fuel again at Waiouru (4.4, not bad, considering the amount of climbing and briskish riding undertaken since Kinloch).
And then, The Vinegar Hill Road (SH54). As we turned off SH1, the Shiver said to me “Let’s play.”
“Oh, OK then,” I replied.
Fuck. Me. Dead. Can Shivers handle or what. Effortless and predictable handling made an absolute nonsense of this road, and flattered my paltry riding abilities by some margin. What a hoot. I’m still grinning fiendishly.
After a short beverage stop at Ashhurst, we returned via the Wairarapa, rather than take on the turgid and endless crawl that is SH1 south of Levin after a holiday weekend.
We had a great run south to Masterton (4.3). The temperature had slowly started to warm from Mt Bruce and was 30 degrees at the Mobil on the bypass. By Carterton, the electronic mercury was at 34 degrees. From Greytown to Featherston it was 35, and we were overdressed.
The traffic on the Hill was tedious and we finally got home about three quarters of an hour after our pre-Kinloch estimate (which didn’t include the full western lake Ohakune diversion).
Almost 1,500km for the weekend and the Shiver (at 4,500km) is starting to free up yummily and says it wants to return soon to SH54.