Personal entry

My Mentor’s last comments to me over coffee at Staglands on a review ride just before I sat my Restricted Licence:

'Take your time in pushing the envelope a bit further.'

In many ways the DEE-FAP concept is summed up in his comment.

15 November 2006

Total Distance 8331km [since 12 May]

Training Strategy:
DEE-FAP Discipline - Focus - Attention - Personal

Just because I have passed my Restricted Licence today,

...

Serendipity: ‘Gift for Discovery – a natural gift for making useful discoveries quite by accident.’

DEE-FAP:
Discipline - Focus - Attention - Personal

Now in 2009 and looking back to 2006, the following article ‘DEE-FAP Discipline - Focus - Attention – Personal’ of all the entries in the original Newbie Training Update, this article stands out for several reasons:

1. DEE-FAP was written during the three weeks before my Mentor lost his life riding ...

I dropped the bike into Boyles on Monday afternoon to get the forkseal fixed on Tuesday and requested they keep it an extra day and do the 72K service and put a new rear on, if they could get a Storm……two days and just under $1,000 later……!! (I guess what I expected but tried not to think about.)

Today was day two of our mentor programme so eleven of us were present and ready at Whitireia by 0900 again. This morning was spent in the classroom going over our general knowledge of the ...

8 September 2006

Total Distance 5637km [since 12 May]

Focus:
Slow Bike Control and Safety Strategies.

This week saw rides each day, including Whitemans Valley, Mangaroa and Maymorn, Rimutaka Hill, and Akatarawa Road out to Staglands.

First up there was a wee off - totally unexpected and out of the blue, slow u-turn and clipped the curb. At the time I was waving with my hand to my mentor not to turn into this street [dead end], so

...

My jacket and pants are about 10 years old now, and in need of replacement. But trying to decide what to replace them with has been challenging as their are so many options.

First I decided what I wanted the gear for. I mostly ride on the streets, and want to go to track days and be safe.
So I decided I wanted a two piece that can be zipped together. Because I do mostly street riding, and New Zealand being what it is, I also want something that will keep be dry for at least ...

1 September 2006
Total Distance 5273km [since 12 May]

Riding Focus:
As for previous week - Pivot Steering and Two Step Vision procedures.
This week Golf November Two Five Zero explored places for the first time the Akatarawa.

Before I start have you degreased and lubed your chain recently?
And, how far can you go on a tank before you have to flick the reserve on?

Well I ran out the tank to 256km with 8litres and 2litres

...

Today was a Ulysses ride to Owlcatraz in Shannon. I didn’t really want to go as I discovered yesterday that my right front fork is bleeding, but as it wasn’t serious and I was the only one from the rides committee around, I thought I should go.

Watching the weather forecast during the week, it didn’t look like the ride would go ahead but it turned out OK on the day so I got ready and departed about 0910 to fill at Plimmerton and get to the weigh station by 0940. By 1000 there were ...

Looking back at the previous entry talking about coming off the GN250 in the carpark and then reading the following entry below here, I can recall the hurt pride in damaging the bike albeit only superficial damage. For the remainder of that month, August, I can now (2009) get in touch with my determined efforts as they were then, to try and redeem myself in my own eyes. Around this time I started to broaden my wings so to speak and challenged myself to 'exploring' the Wairarapa district and at the ...