https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/blog.php/23483-Zerker Kiwi Biker - New Zealand motorcycle community en Thu, 14 May 2026 00:46:21 GMT vBulletin 20 https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/images/BP-Brown/misc/rss.jpg https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/blog.php/23483-Zerker https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1069-Success-sha-ll-be-mine-P Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:00:53 GMT Finally got my jacket sorted.
had to send the first one back, it was waaaay too big. Size M in the Teknic jackets, size XS in 1Tonne jackets :( I guess it pays to read the size chart when ordering huh?

overall quite happy with the jacket, it's not perfect, but for the price I paid I'm not bitching.

Sat my BHST with Easy Rider Motorcycle Training, I did the slalom first go, perfect. the stopping in the square and the slow ride gave me some trouble.

This was my first time on a motorcycle (scooter does not count) and first time using a manual, I had half an hour's training and sat the test. I failed to stop in the square (under shot it :( ) but was allowed to resit straight away, and got it. it was my own fault for not using the practice time to practice that one, I was having too much fun just being on the bike :P. the resit cost me $10.00 which was good, I didn't drop the bike so the bond more than took care of it.

there are very few skills that transfer from using a moped to riding a motorcycle, I'm glad I rode the scooter first but I'm dead set on moving on asap. got me a copy of the road code today and plan on sitting my scratchy on Wednesday. as for getting a bike? that depends, I have to sell the scooter and buy a bike pretty much straight away. I'm thinking November (end of Uni) so I only have to get to work and back while I'm without wheels.
if you've got a 250 that you would sell for $0.00 - $1000.00 around then let me know :P

Zerker ]]> Zerker https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1069-Success-sha-ll-be-mine-P https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1004-text-goes-here Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:36:36 GMT So had my first spill, and come out the other side, scooter has a few scratches, and a clean bill of health from the shop :P (they touched up the paint for free too).

I'm back to 100% and saving up and shopping around for a good deal on gear.
Decided to go for Cordura jacket and pants (even if I did find a sweet Leather cruiser jacket that fits me like a glove, at Frankton Cash inn if anyone is curious).

I can either buy new from www.1tonne.co.nz or try to snipe a deal on trademe. so far the "Snipping" is not going too well, it's either not my size or snapped up too quick. I like the option that comes with a free size exchange, so I'll keep pinching the proverbial penny.

I also want to go for my learners Bike License before the end of the month.
I know a place where I can rent a bike for the test for "a box of beer" and a place that will do the test for $95.00 (if I provide the bike) so I should be able to do that at the end of the month, if only someone would teach me how to ride :P, and not sure how to transport the bike from the shop to the test. ]]> Zerker https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1004-text-goes-here https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/964-09-07-09 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:33:22 GMT so I hear most bins wins huh?
well I guess I'm on the board now :(
coming through the tristram/cobham roundabout from cobham drive turning right into bridge street, I leaned over a little too far and the scooter decided to say " hey you your a Dick, get off" and dumped me on the ground mid turn.

I was on my feet pretty quick calming down the on lookers, I've bruised my shoulder (and ego) and grazed my knee, big whoop :P the scooter has some scratches along the right hand side, exhaust and centre stand. the right brake leaver is a little loose and has some scratches on it, the back of the right mirror is gouged up, and the stalk needs some fixing.

I wasn't going fast, just leaned over too far and the rear wheel let go of the road. I wheeled the scooter off the road and propped it up on the centre stand, checked the breaks, lights, steering and throttle, all seems fine, I dropped it into the Bike shop overnight any way (about 50km's away from its next service so getting that done too) and should know the $$$ outcome tomorrow afternoon.

Full comprehensive insurance, so if anything major is wrong (doubt it, it was a love tap more than anything) thinking about replacing the helmet, it's only got a couple tiny scratches on it, but I'd hate for there to be hidden damage if I ever need to rely on it again.

with an armored jacket on I would have been 100% fine, as it is I'm all good but coming off any faster than that is asking for it, now where did I put that $300.00? ]]> Zerker https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/964-09-07-09 https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/851-Plans-on-hold-moving-house Sun, 17 May 2009 12:49:28 GMT Alas it's time to move house again.
I've lived in far too many houses in Hamilton and this latest one is by far the coldest wettest and most expensive.
running the dehumidifier in an attempt to ease the suffering of my asthmatic wife resulted in a doubled power bill :eek5:

the new house is the same amount in rent, closer to the in laws (eep) and has a fireplace and a DVS system.
also the neighborhood isn't a gang one, now that's a plus :P

oh did I mention it has a garage? with power?
I finally get a freaking workshop, and I can get lower insurance premiums due to a garage to store the poor wee scooter in.


but with moving house comes all the hidden costs, letting fee, bond for the house, bond for the power (getting around it), bond for the phone, reconnection fee for the internet (my ISP usually waves it). it's costing me over a weeks rent just to have the house found, even though we found it ourselves through a friend of the family.

needless to say my riding gear and bike fund will have to wait just a little longer. I'm looking at possibly working next semester instead of studying just to help us get back on track.
hopefully I won't have to but it's on the cards.

oh and the scooter's still not been back into the shop I've been putting up with the slipping belt (though a mechanic I know said it could be the rollers wearing) I just haven't had a spare day to book it in. ]]> Zerker https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/851-Plans-on-hold-moving-house https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/840-The-plan-begins Wed, 13 May 2009 01:07:59 GMT I was reading the thread on "how did you get your First Bike?"

I started writing a reply, but it got long so I'm blogging it instead :P

haven't got a "Bike" yet, but got a plan in action.

I bought a brand new scooter on finance as it was all the wife would let me get.
after having her on the back of the scooter as a pillion and teaching her how to ride it she is slowly coming to her senses and seeing that I'm a responsible rider and that riding is becoming a part of me.
so she's kinda farked if she doesn't get over it :P

so back to the plan.
Get in order:
Riding Jacket $135
Riding Pants $135
Riding boots $135 (I wear a full face helmet, old leather jacket and jeans on the scooter, wish I could say I have the full gear but I don't and as such it's a bigger priority than licensing )
take BHST $180
sit Learner Bike theory test ($39.70 + $39.30 fee) $79.00
sell scooter and buy a GN250, crap bike I know, will be a jap assembled 80's model and it will keep it's value as long as it's garaged and well maintained so when I'm ready to upgrade I can sell it for around what I bought it for even if it gets a few scratches.

so where am I up to in the plan? I'll have the jacket next week, and maybe the pants the fortnight after that :P
or I could sell the scooter now for 1.8k and have enough spare to buy the GN.

I say a GN250 but only because of the market for them, if there was a Vtwin out there with my name on it and good availability of parts, then I'd take that instead :P
I want to be able to keep up with motorway traffic, I don't really see the point in outlaying $1664.00 minimum to get on the road and still not be able to go anywhere I want. ]]> Zerker https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/840-The-plan-begins https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/827-The-ride-that-ate-my-scooter Wed, 06 May 2009 00:02:04 GMT I booked my scooter in for its first service (500km's) and on the way to take it in realised I hadn't done the planned trip to Cambridge and the odo was 23k's short of the mark.

so I headed out towards the University thought I'd do a few laps of the car park and practice slow speed skills.

All the roads were pretty dead and I didn't feel like going slow so when I hit the intersection of knighton road and ruakura road I thought what the hell lets see how far Ruakura goes.

5 mins later and I'm seeing signs for Morinsville, I thought let's make a trip of it and go get a coffee :P

a nice long ride at max 75km/h some very friendly drivers and one dickhead later and I'm in Morinsville getting a cup of coffee from the Crazy cow Cafe.

The return trip was uneventful, and the same scenery backwards gets to be a little same old same old. it wasn't untill I got back into Hamilton and hit the 50km/h zones that I realized something was wrong with the scooter.

there's no power on take off, and acceleration is uneven and jerky. I ride nice and safe, not pushing it and arrive at the service centre without a hitch.

2 hours later and I return and they say Service all done, we found the flat spot, not sure what it is, need to take the scooter apart and find out what's going on.
3 hours later I return and they are just doing the final road test. "it was the drive belt, it's slipping. never had that happen before".

at a guess no one's done a 70'ish km blat at full throttle on one in a while :P. they tightened up the belt and all seems good, I pay for the service and ride my baby home.

on the ride home the scooter feels so much better, having good pull off the line and feeling alot smoother. the tune up they did was great, however the belt began slipping again before I even got it home, going to go for another ride today and make sure it's not just my imagination and then I'll have to part with the scooter again this weekend :crybaby: ]]> Zerker https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/827-The-ride-that-ate-my-scooter