https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/blog.php/10761-JohnnyFlash-Cruisin Kiwi Biker - New Zealand motorcycle community en Fri, 22 May 2026 17:19:57 GMT vBulletin 20 https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/images/BP-Brown/misc/rss.jpg https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/blog.php/10761-JohnnyFlash-Cruisin https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/250-JohnnyFlash-Cruisin Mon, 27 Aug 2007 07:40:07 GMT Well the weather was just too good to pass up, So we set off 9am from Nth Shore to Papakura to fill up, Down SH1 and left onto SH2, roads were dry and reasonably heavy with cagers and bikes. Headed to Paeroa and on through the Karangahake Gorge to Waihi where there was a market day with some added... Well the weather was just too good to pass up, So we set off 9am from Nth Shore to Papakura to fill up, Down SH1 and left onto SH2, roads were dry and reasonably heavy with cagers and bikes. Headed to Paeroa and on through the Karangahake Gorge to Waihi where there was a market day with some added attractions, the hotrod/vintaqe boys had some nice looking cars and bikes on display, some interesting machines. On to katikati and lunch for Lo & I. After a break we tagged on to a couple of Trumpy's for a while, (sounded real nice) all the way to Tauranga, dont know why we went there, one city is like all the rest, but we had a quick look around the city centre, why do people have nothing better to do on a saterday than clog up the city :laugh: Yuk, so we headed west real quick, Out to Greerton for a fill up and on down SH29 through the Kaimais. Bloody great run through here, good to stretch the 1500's legs and lay some corners.. We then took a left at Rapurapu rd and on through Selwyn and Waiomou, and yes Waylander we found Okoroire Rd, followed it looking for the Oko Pub, ended up at the other end of this wee road in Tirau without seeing any pub...(was it that small?). Once again heading along SH27 to Matamata and on to Ngarua and Patetonga, then finally mangatarata where it joins SH2 once again and on to Maramarua and Mangatawhiri for another fill up.. then up the Bombays and home to the shore.
All roads were in great condition, no crap, one or two potholes here and there for the unwary, but generally all fine for a good paced cruise and real nice sweepers for the big bike. (nope didnt hang the boards once)
We will be keen to do this run again..:2thumbsup ]]> johnnyflash https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/250-JohnnyFlash-Cruisin https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/76-JohnnyFlash-Cruisin Wed, 11 Apr 2007 04:52:33 GMT Set off around 9am thinking the traffic might have lightened up in Akl, no such luck, crawled all the way from North Shore to Mt Wellington, then managed to open her up a little to cruise at 90-100kph till the Bombays. Man there is a lot of bikes out today(thurs), must be making an early run on... Set off around 9am thinking the traffic might have lightened up in Akl, no such luck, crawled all the way from North Shore to Mt Wellington, then managed to open her up a little to cruise at 90-100kph till the Bombays.
Man there is a lot of bikes out today(thurs), must be making an early run on easter also. Weather is good, till we get to Taupiri, and we make a left to do the nice bendy bits through Gordonton and onto Cambridge.
Hell that was the plan but the fog is right down to the road and you cant see much more than a few car lengths, makes for some pretty exciting cornering and Ive left a bit more of my running board pegs in the tarmac.
Oh yeah, and the mufti cop in his pretty blue car laying in wait for the unsuspecting punters to hit Gordonton at anything but 50...
Clears up at Cambridge so crank her up and on to Tirau, stop here for refuel for the bike and breakfast for us. Hit the road again and we are just humming along at my favorite cruising speed of 110-120, just eats up the road into those nice sweeping bends, bike rider & pillion as one, man this is magic. figured after a bit of trial and error if I add no more than 50% to the posted sharp corner signs, ie, 55kph corner hit at 80kph or 75kph bend hit at 115kph, it doesnt hang anything up :shit:(miss the sport bike for these )
Anyhow its on through the forest to Taupo, brilliant run blasting through there with a a little test to see how she performs at a little more than the legal limit :-) needless to say she is steady as a rock. Taupo is reasonably quiet, checked the local bike shops, caught up with a few fellow bikers heading north also, and then checked into a motel for the night, Her indoors recons she aint felt so comfortable or relaxed in year.
Next morning its off to turangi and a fuel stop, time to pop on the inner liner to the jacket, its a bit fresh this morning and the dessert rd looks cold.. good run through the dessert rd, we were warm as toast but it was quite cold out, Turned off and headed to feilding the back way, nice windy road, then onto palmerston for a fuel stop and catch up with family and friends.
Next day its off to Makarua up in the rnages and then back down and off via Shannon, Otaki, Pram, to Wellington. Quite a number of bikers on the road and Im thinking of installing an automatic wave machine,... blasted arm seems to be in the permanent wave position.
The return run will be a one day run so it will be a test of comfort I suspect, we have a fair load in the panniers and huge rollbag behind the sissy bar.. doesnt seem to worry the handling at all, glad I got the extra cc's though, it just doesnt matter what your load is it just powers away, nothing slows it down..
Bike is looking like a motocross bike, covered in muck from the usuall road works and such. The run up to turangi is just a pleasant ride, gave it a bit of a stretch out again to reach the "ton" in old speak :-) along the dessert rd, beautiful.... once again stopping at Turangi for a refuel.
It seems from the records I have kept that economy aint tooo bad, around town is getting around 6.2L/100 and general cruising with the odd stretch at 100-120 around 5.4L/100, if I cruise at normal speeds then I can get down to 4.8L/100.
On to Taupo for lunch and then straight up the island, refill at Cambridge and turn off for a great late afternoon run to Taupiri,
Bugger... Hit the Akls motorway and its 6pm, traffic is parked once again making a move of a few feet every now and then, crawling to the other side of the bridge and home...
And how was the comfort after a full day in the saddle, a little sore but mostly caused in the last hour when we hit the stop start traffic, these bikes aint made for city traffic :-) but after 1432kms a great ride. ]]> scumdog https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/76-JohnnyFlash-Cruisin https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/69-JohnnyFlash-Cruisin Mon, 02 Apr 2007 10:25:13 GMT Hell, only a couple of days to go before we head off on a 1500 odd kms cruise down the country. Its the first really long ride this bike has had, Ive just run up 2000kms from new, nicely run in and she is performing sweet. Pannieirs are all loaded with warm liners tops and bottoms, Tool kits are... Hell, only a couple of days to go before we head off on a 1500 odd kms cruise down the country. Its the first really long ride this bike has had, Ive just run up 2000kms from new, nicely run in and she is performing sweet.
Pannieirs are all loaded with warm liners tops and bottoms, Tool kits are checked and coorect, puncture kit, tyre gauge etc all crammed into the small compartment. Blast the new packrack tray (read expensive piece of chrome) aint arrived in the country yet so have had to make up a temporary one out of 2mm aluminium.. tested it with the extra baggage and looks like it will do the trick. I also fitted out the helmet with my ear/mic for the phone, test and seems fine. the phone will be set on auto answer, so should work hassle free. I think Ive covered all the bases, checked all the spare fuses are in place, oil levels, brake, tyres... looks good ..we are set to roll, Now cant wait till thursday morning so we can chew up some miles. ]]> xwhatsit https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/69-JohnnyFlash-Cruisin https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/55-JohnnyFlash-Cruisin Sun, 25 Mar 2007 04:35:34 GMT Well, its been a month or so since we purchased bike number 8 or 9, cant keep count anymore, but this ones a far cry from some of the earlier rides, eg, Vellocette 350cc, Honda 50cc, Triumph 500cc ST, Jawa 350, Arial, Honda CB750F, Puch Scooter, Honda 175, Suzuki Gn250, to name just a few. The... Well, its been a month or so since we purchased bike number 8 or 9, cant keep count anymore, but this ones a far cry from some of the earlier rides, eg, Vellocette 350cc, Honda 50cc, Triumph 500cc ST, Jawa 350, Arial, Honda CB750F, Puch Scooter, Honda 175, Suzuki Gn250, to name just a few.
The latest, Suzuki VL1500cc C90T is just the ride this old biker needs, smooth low and mid range torque, heaps of legs, and enough grunt to handle 2 up touring without having to kick down much if at all.
Spent the first vew weekends doing a mix of motorway and hill/windy road to around a third throttle, and once over the 1500kms gave it a few more revs and loads around half throttle, cranks up nice to 145 with plenty of legs left..
Been out most weekends, on day trips, but next run will be Akl to Palmerston-Tawa and back so a good run over a week at easter..
Must make a note to include a few spares, bulbs, tyre can, (tubeless tyres)
Hell, this takes me back 40 years, seems like only yesterday :mellow: ]]> NZsarge https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/55-JohnnyFlash-Cruisin