https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/blog.php/31183-steelphoenix Kiwi Biker - New Zealand motorcycle community en Fri, 08 May 2026 15:53:14 GMT vBulletin 20 https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/images/BP-Brown/misc/rss.jpg https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/blog.php/31183-steelphoenix https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/2044-First-Big-Ride-Tauranga-to-Auckland Sun, 17 Apr 2011 23:32:36 GMT So, heading back to Auckland from Tauranga.

Started off about 2:30pm, with the weather looking more promising than yesterday! It'd been lightly showering in the morning, with long periods of sun, so I was hoping it would stay that way - it didn't, more on that later.

I decided that I'd do the straight shot up State Highway 2, then State Highway 1. Nothing to it! says I, everyone will be going at a reasonable speed, I won't get lost, and I get to brave the Karangahake... not to mention the weather forecast is less dubious the coast side of the Kaimais.

That speed thing - no, not really. :facepalm: I spent the entire way from Omokoroa to (nearly) Waihi stuck behind an idiot who was doing 70kph the entire way. And didn't pull over. There were three passing lanes in that stretch, but the line was so long that I didn't manage to pass on any of the official passing lanes. This person was seriously oblivious - during the course of following them, I saw four legal but seriously questionable passes, two dubiously-legal passes (on corners and suchlike), and three illegal passes (one on single yellows, two on double yellows). I held back from such, and performed a perfectly legal and safe pass on a straight coming up to Waihi - expressing my displeasure a la Digitus Impudicus. Didn't get their rego, unfortunately. :facepalm:

Got petrol at Waihi, and ran into some fellow bikers who'd just been on a memorial ride out at Whangamata. One guy was on a 92 CBR250RR (also an MC-22), so we had a bit of a yak about how generally awesome they were! :woohoo: (The other bikers, on such lovely machines as an R6, a BMW, and an FZ6R, just kind of smiled indulgently at the n00bs).

The Karangahake was kind of an anticlimax - nice, long, sweeping curves, which was fun, but not really challenging. The Kaimais were actually more difficult! Ah well.

Paused in Paeroa - my backpack's straps were slipping and I needed to adjust them. Onto the Hauraki Plains!

At this point, the wind was seriously getting up, and even through the liner on my jacket, I was starting to feel a bit of chill. Seeing the clouds starting to thicken and loom, my instincts said "Hey, now would be a great time to put on your rain jacket - and why not swap out the visor while you're at it..." So I paused in some farm's driveway and fiddled around with rain jacket and swapping the visor. Turned out this was a good thing - it started raining about 5 minutes afterwards, and then absolutely pelted down.

This was actually the most challenging part of the ride, between the rain pelting down, and the wind trying to blow me sideways at every opportunity. I was hunkered down behind the fairings as much as I could be, but the bulky backpack gave me quite a large profile. Suddenly, I understood countersteering against the wind...

Once the wind died down a bit (around about Mangatarata) It was actually really lovely riding along the great long straights of the Plains, with the sun going in and out of the clouds and the rain steady. The sheets of rain were beautifully gold and silver, and there were little rainbows in the spray off my wheels.

I was going to have a break at Maramarua, but I was still feeling okay, so I pressed on. There's not much to say after that - the rain eased coming over the Bombays, and I zoomed down the motorway without incident. There was a moment of idiocy by the car I was following - almost changing lane into another car, who dodged beautifully - but that was about it.

Perhaps sticking to the plan might have been better - my backside was complaining a little about the seat when I finally got home, and my shoulders were complaining about the backpack (note to self: get pack rack or better bag for laptop). I was also very tired, and my attention started wandering a bit around Takanini - leading to forced concentration so I made it home. Drove up the drive with nary a wobble.

I was home, very tired, but a lot happy.

Things that went well/Lessons learned:
- Patience, young Padawan.
- Other people's idiocy is no excuse to be an idiot.
- Trust your instincts.
- Wind is a bitch.
- You don't have to stick to the plan - but it can be better if you do. ]]> steelphoenix https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/2044-First-Big-Ride-Tauranga-to-Auckland https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/2042-First-Big-Ride-Auckland-to-Tauranga Sat, 16 Apr 2011 02:20:27 GMT So... First big ride today! I came down to Tauranga to visit my parents, planning on heading back up tomorrow.

Started pretty early, around 8am (would have been later, but I woke up at 7 and couldn't get back to sleep). Unlike the weather forecast had predicted, it was cloudy and spitting lightly. After a hearty breakfast, I put on all my thermals and rain gear (remembering Toto, galewolf, and Gremlin's advice), and off down the Southern Motorway!

The ride was fairly non-descript - it's State Highway 1, what is there to say? Thanks to all the layers, it was fine up until I hit the Bombays and it actually started raining, at which point it became a bit chilly around the edges, but nothing terrible. Turned off onto State Highway 2. I paused at Maramarua to gas up, and hid under the forecourt at the Mobil for a few minutes to dry and warm up a bit. I was still waterproof at this stage.

The leg down to Matamata (State Highway 2, then 27) was when it started getting interesting. The rain was coming in gusts, and the bike was sometimes shifted around on the road a bit - nothing too drastic, but enough to be unnerving occasionally. Also, just as I hit State Highway 27, I got stuck in the middle of a convoy behind a bus - so all those lovely sweeps through the rolling hills were somewhat spoiled by being stuck at 70kph most of the time - which is the Learner limit... ehehe... :sweatdrop Eventually managed to overtake, behind a Ford Falcon (who, by the way, was obviously aware of my presence).

Spent a good amount of time on the way down to Matamata admiring the scenery - mostly green, grey, and cows - and the, erm, delightfully agricultural bouquet of scents.

The nice long straights were a good opportunity to open up a bit, and I spent most of the way cruising at 110kph. Made the discovery that alternating between full racing-position tucked in behind the fairings and sitting up at full stretch was the most comfortable way to ride - tucking in behind fairings being warmer and easier to control on straights (that being what fairings are for, duh!), while sitting up allowed better visibility and easier control on corners.

It was on this leg (the longest of the three, at approximately an hour and a quarter as opposed to the other two 45-minute legs) that stuff started leaking. My gloves, fantastic and comfortable though they are, are neither winter gloves, nor waterproof. I started feeling a bit damp around the edges, and could feel the water starting to seep into my leathers.

Feeling somewhat less than charitable towards the gods of the weather, I stopped at Matamata at the very nice Robert Harris cafe. They had a convenient overhang beside their store, where I parked the bike, and went inside. Disrobing of all my layers - some of which were now somewhat damp - was not the easiest thing, and I provided entertainment for the cafe's patrons. They had good coffee and delicious food - I had a mince savoury which was more like a small pie, and a 'Lemon Delight' - lemon meringue pie in slice format! Omnomnom.

Duly warmed up, and seeing that the weather was clearing a bit, I carried on my way, fortified and feeling positive.

The ride up the Kaimais was fun - lovely sweeping bends, and double lanes all the way up meant I didn't get stuck behind anyone! Woohoo! :woohoo: It was awesome - thanks Wanpo for that recommendation!

Unfortunately, at the top it got a bit misty... and then as I started coming down the other side, the weather gods decided 'Enough of this!' and dumped what seemed like the entire sky on me. <_< So the trip down to Poripori Road was in drenchingly-bad rain. Water started coming in the top of my boots, my hands were now coated in a thin sheen of water, and I started squelching slightly every time I shifted on the seat. Visibility was shocking, and I had to keep wiping away the water off my visor. Thankfully, it eased a little as I went on to Poripori Road and down to my parents' place - during which I didn't see any other vehicles! Thank goodness for small country roads.

Arrived at my parents' place more or less soaked to the skin on legs and lower arms, but still mostly warm; my torso and head were at all times warm and dry. My WRC anorak did a fantastic job, only letting in a little bit of water on my arms. My backside complained a little on the way into Matamata, but it was much better than expected.

Things that went well:
- Planning the journey first was a very good move - it allowed anticipation and pacing myself.
- Wearing thermals was essential, and I'm glad I did it!
- Riding early in the day was good, it meant I had the requisite alertness and energy.

Lessons learned:
- Waterproof gloves, pants (that go over boots), and a fully waterproof overjacket are REQUIRED.
- Buses are a pain in the ass if you get stuck behind them.
- Weather forecasts are probably going to be wrong. :facepalm:
- Remember to bring another pair of shoes... :facepalm:

I feel massively accomplished - possibly much more than is justified! - but I'm happy with my first 'big ride'! Another tomorrow! ]]> steelphoenix https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/2042-First-Big-Ride-Auckland-to-Tauranga https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/2017-A-Beginning Fri, 01 Apr 2011 02:14:09 GMT I have a new bike! :woohoo:

I picked her up from Botany Honda today. She's a 1990 Honda CBR 250 RR (MC-22 L), and has been named Kotaka (Little Hawk).

I was bouncing all morning, just waiting for the call. My flatmates got annoyed at this about halfway through the morning, and I was firmly but kindly told to sit down before I was tied down - oops... :sweatdrop

Anyhow, got driven out to Botany and sat down to do the final details with Richard. After the necessary fiddling with paperwork and insurance and whatnot, Richard led me out back, and there she was, waiting for me! He went over the basics - oil (dipstick), coolant (level), next service, petrol, etc, etc...

Handed over the keys.
Turned her around.
Helmet, gloves, sitting on.

*breathe*

Go.

A little wobbly on the first straight - she is more sensitive on the steering than the Scorpio I've been riding, and her clutch is more sensitive also.

Roll on over the Ti Rakau Drive bridge - suddenly, 80kph has come and gone. Roll off.

Up Ti Rakau Drive, onto the South-Western, and I let her go. Something shifts, I drop deeper into the saddle, and there - it's that perfect harmony of woman and machine that I experienced on the test ride, the rush of air about me and her moving to my will, almost at a thought.

She howls up through fourth and fifth, and the stretch is all too brief - with that perfect, smooth cornering and responsive throttle - as I come to the lights at Carbine Road.

Wait. Breathe.

The brief stretch over Sylvia Park and onto the Southern, let her go again. The longing to go further is strong, to just blow off work for the day -

- to take her as far as I can either way, do the Compass Points just because I can, scream down the Piha Road, open her up wide on the long stretch up to Westgate that nobody's on at this time of day, hit the redline, top speed -

- I shouldn't. And moreover, I don't need to.

Those brief moments of perfection are just a taste of what is to come. She's mine now... and I have all the time in the world to enjoy.

This is a great beginning. ]]> steelphoenix https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/2017-A-Beginning