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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 ...

Gidday blog

I am going to have a nose through a box of bits that when assembled should look like a warmed up xr600. From my understanding it needs some fettling to make it serviceable, one issue it has is a missing gearbox selector, although I am not scared of manufacturing a new one to suit. Also it has been made clear to me that the gear ratios are obviously suited to dirt riding and not top end caning. This does not scare me either, as I am confident that with some careful maths ...

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 ...

18 June 2009

It is finally summer! Blue skies, 23 degrees, almost sunburn weather. Perfect weather for a mass demonstration outside the university against student fees. 4500 students from schools and unis, and hundreds of armed riot squad police. Before today I had never seen so many police in one place, let alone police wearing such hard core body armour and shin pads. They were filming the demonstration too, which was rather strange. Hopefully I don’t get questioned at the airport ...

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

...

dont drink too much 151 again!

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 ...