Kiwi Biker forums - Blogs - The Excellent Adventures of.. Trudes by Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/blog.php/6129-The-Excellent-Adventures-of-Trudes Kiwi Biker - New Zealand motorcycle community en Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:47:29 GMT vBulletin 20 https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/images/BP-Brown/misc/rss.jpg Kiwi Biker forums - Blogs - The Excellent Adventures of.. Trudes by Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/blog.php/6129-The-Excellent-Adventures-of-Trudes Oh Rangi, how I love thee! https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1695-Oh-Rangi-how-I-love-thee! Sun, 29 Aug 2010 06:54:29 GMT :love::heart::love::heart::love::heart::love::hear t:
I love my little Rangi.
Just thought I'd share the love I have for my bucket.:laugh: ]]> Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1695-Oh-Rangi-how-I-love-thee! Rangi da Munta. https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1598-Rangi-da-Munta Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:22:27 GMT
Quote Originally Posted by Trudes View Post
Rangi's new bling..... "I'm a real bucket now!" Crazy bastard!
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]]> Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1598-Rangi-da-Munta Easter buckets at Kaitoke https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1597-Easter-buckets-at-Kaitoke Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:21:06 GMT ---Quote (Originally by Trudes)--- Just some photos courtesy of Her-B4, thanks Chrissie! ---End Quote---
Quote Originally Posted by Trudes View Post
Just some photos courtesy of Her-B4, thanks Chrissie!
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]]> Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1597-Easter-buckets-at-Kaitoke Trrs 2009 https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1252-Trrs-2009 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 02:04:27 GMT So had a few repairs to do on Rangi after being crashed during the endurance race the month before, also had to replace the righthand side footpeg hanger from being snapped from another accident (thanks for the loaner Sully) and general maintenance stuff and changing gearing for the longer track. ... So had a few repairs to do on Rangi after being crashed during the endurance race the month before, also had to replace the righthand side footpeg hanger from being snapped from another accident (thanks for the loaner Sully) and general maintenance stuff and changing gearing for the longer track.
So with all that done and dusted and an uneventful and slow trip to Taupo in the van, we were set for two days of racing. First day the Bucket class (with what looked like a full field) got two practice sessions in for the day. Rangi was running good apart from top gear slippage along the back straight occasionally.
Second day and rain was predicted, but lucky for us the track managed to dry out from each shower before we hit the track. I was feeling comfortable on Rangi and it felt good to let him stretch his wee legs a bit on a bigger track. Was a little tentative about being carved up and knocked off like I had been last year, so often spent a bit of time riding listening for lapping riders and trying to stay in the middle of the track so they could pass me on either side (which they did, Rangi Sandwich anyone?):laugh:
I came consistently last, but I was just happy to be out there having fun and learning some new tricks, I didn't fall off or blow up or break anything so basicaly I achieved what I wanted. :)
I'll be back next year to give it another go!!:D ]]> Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1252-Trrs-2009 Last points round 2009 https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1117-Last-points-round-2009 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:55:41 GMT I had a mixed day. I wanted to go out, go hard and fall off today, and as much as my friend Mudflaps tried to help me out with that by ramming into my exhaust, sadly I didn't even know he'd hit me until my footpeg went floppy and I looked over my sholder to see Dave splattered on the track. So after the boys took pity on me and built me a new footrest out of wire and cable ties (in true bucket style) I was back out on the track.
Alas Rangi was sulking at being used as a rudder and started playing up. Sketchy took him for a ride and diagnoised it as a coil issue. Unfortunately for him his bike had already spat the dummy so we decided to rape and pilage. So between races I got the new coil in and back onto the track. Still managed last :woohoo::rolleyes: but Rangi was running a bit better. Sketchy took him out for a race in A grade and then I went out again. Stalled on the starting line and couldn't get him started again, so missed most of the practice race. Same happened in the last points race also and I thought I'd have to sit out a points race for the first time this year. However as I was pushing Rangi back to the pits I stopped and turned around in time to see carnage at the far end of the track and the red flag out. (Poor Skunk's bad luck was my good fortune!) "Ow ow!!" I thought and managed to get Rangi started again and out we went to start the last race. Had to keep the revs up to stop from stalling but we started and finished. Poor sick Rangi! Some work to be done to make the poor little sick Maori feel better, but he's a tough little two smoker and he'll be back!!
Anyway, I still had fun and enjoyed the day in the sun!:niceone: ]]> Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1117-Last-points-round-2009 <![CDATA[Rangi's new and improved bum!]]> https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1095-Rangi-s-new-and-improved-bum! Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:22:36 GMT So Rangi's got himself a new bottom! Looks pretty sweet I reckon, improves where I sit on him too so it's not all for looks ;)
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]]> Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1095-Rangi-s-new-and-improved-bum! The end of an era. https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1005-The-end-of-an-era Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:02:37 GMT So I said a fond farewell to Pamela on Saturday :(
She's gone off to her new daddy where she is having a sex change, but she/he will will be making an appearance around our Wellington tracks soon hopefully, so it'll be nice to see her/him being thrashed by someone else. :) ]]> Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1005-The-end-of-an-era 26/04/09 Points round/Slipway. https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/804-26-04-09-Points-round-Slipway Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:36:40 GMT The weather was shithouse, but my little Rangi is a super bucket!! He went all day, never missed a beat thanks to Sketchy and Skunk's hard work and fine tuning on him.
Rangi's a dream to ride, wheelies off the line, and then again in second hehe:msn-wink: Got great starts in both races, lead for a time in the first race until my bucket sister Number One passed me and then someone else snuck past me a while after that and then we just circulated making sure the others didn't catch us, so finished :third: Yahhh!!
The weather really was pretty miserable so we changed track direction and decided to do a 5 lap warm up with a 10 lap points race.
Got a good start again, Str8jacket got ahead of me at the start and then slowly drifted away from me. I could hear someone behind me so I kept my lines as tight as I dared in the wet and rode the clutch to get out of the corners. Must have worked as he tried to pass me on the second to last lap by coming up the inside and out braking me. It would have worked too if it hadn't been so wet and he lost the front end and went for a slide almost into us. Rangi's brakes had warmed up by this point so we hauled up and avoided the bike and then managed to just avoid fallen rider and get round the corner to come :second:
I am tickled pink!! What a wicked bike!!
I :love: him!!! ]]> Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/804-26-04-09-Points-round-Slipway The Maori bucket lives again!!! https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/803-The-Maori-bucket-lives-again!!! Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:34:25 GMT Rangi has been turned into *Super Rangi!!* So, Rangi went to the SkunkWorks bucket factory for some diagnostics to figure out his fueling issues and rolled out two weeks later a different bike!!! Sketchy_Racer (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/member.php?u=3231) offered to do some tuning on... Rangi has been turned into Super Rangi!!

So, Rangi went to the SkunkWorks bucket factory for some diagnostics to figure out his fueling issues and rolled out two weeks later a different bike!!!
Sketchy_Racer offered to do some tuning on him to make him run a bit nicer for nanna here and so we could put my larger carb on and get him running. What he's done I don't entirely understand, (maybe he might like to tell us, but maybe it's his secret;)) all I know is that he is one sweet sweet little bucket now!

I was warned not to be too upset if he didn't run too well on Saturday as his tuning wasn't completely how Glen wanted it yet, so I had braced myself for not getting in much Rangi time for our Easter Bucket GP!

Jumped on at the Slipway on Saturday and took him out for a spin, just taking it quietly just in case and kind of waiting for something to happen.... nothing did, well nothing bad anyway. I think Glen could see what I thought when I pulled back into the pits with a large grin on my face! What a cool bucket!!!

Everyone took him for a ride, even Kendog "I hate 2 strokes" thought he was cool! We did the whole day including both points races (ok, I didn't win, in fact I think I came last in both, but I didn't care, I finished and my bucket is wicked!!) So happy camper here went home with a huge smile and very much looking forward to the next day at Kaitoke after we did some quick repairs of an engine bolt that had wriggled itself loose and adjusting the rear brake so it wasn't constantly dragging.

The next day we went out onto the track, Rangi's engine was still beaut, but I was having some issues with changing up gears. Came in, Skunk adjusted the gear linkage for me as we'd had it off the night before and it wasn't quite back in the right spot. Went out again for our first practice race, kept slipping gears, lined up for the race start, got off the line, into second gear, third.... no, can't get it into third, nope stuck in second, back to first ok, up to second... no. Shit! So pulled off the track and sat out the race waiting to roll back to the pits. Skunk, Kendog and Sketchy had a fiddle with him, but alas, not something that can be fixed today. So Rangi was parked up to look pretty in the sun for the day

Nevermind, shit happens, off to scab up a ride for the rest of the day. Back on to Andrew Adlam's trusty FXR for the rest of the day, I did try to not come last for him, and I did manage it on the last race because some people crashed, so the attrition card won for me again!!

All in all, had a good weekend! Thanks to Nudemetalz for organising the racing; Kendog for his patience, encouragement and for not passing me in really shitty places; Andrew Adlam for lending me his FXR again; Sully60 for walking the track with me, tips, encouragement and the offer of The Sled; Skunk for all your encouragement and hard work (I know I'm hard work); and Sketchy for all your knowledge and tireless hard work on Rangi!!!
Rangi will ride again!!!
Here's some pics courtesy of Skunk Control (thanks!!)
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]]> Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/803-The-Maori-bucket-lives-again!!! Rangi da Munta. https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/722-Rangi-da-Munta Sun, 22 Mar 2009 06:38:21 GMT Well, Rangi is all together, and looking pretty good!! Everything seems to be going good, new engine is a hummer, the gear box is sweet, frame and everything else seems to be working good.....(Thanks to Sully60, Skunk, Sketchy and Kendog!:niceone:) Just having some fueling/carb issues, seems to... Well, Rangi is all together, and looking pretty good!! Everything seems to be going good, new engine is a hummer, the gear box is sweet, frame and everything else seems to be working good.....(Thanks to Sully60, Skunk, Sketchy and Kendog!:niceone:) Just having some fueling/carb issues, seems to keep "bogging" (not sure if that's the right term, but that's what it feels like he's doing when he does it) and feels like it's starved of gas. Tried some things, but he doesn't seem to want to go for more than about 5 minutes before he "bogs" and stops.
Well, this is how my day went and some crappy pictures I took of him! (He is pretty though... will sort out a chamber for him soon.
I had a mixed bag of a day.
Rangi didn't want to be a good little bucket and after we exhausted all the ideas we could think of trackside and him dying just before the start line for the fourth time, he was parked up in the pits to look pretty out of the rain (I think he just didn't want to get wet!). He is pretty though (*mumble mumble bloody bucket mumble mumble shut up with the two stroke comments, I don't want a four! mumble mumble*).
Andrew kindly offered me a ride on his FXR that he has for sale, so after I'd thought about it for all of ummmm 4 seconds I took him up on his offer, figured I might as well get a ride on something today and see what all the fuss about these FXRs is.
hehehehehe I liked it *grrrrrr* I really did.:spanking: So easy to ride, was like riding a smaller version of my Hornet around the track, very fun! So did the first points round on that.
Then Andrew said that there was someone else wanting a ride on it and would I mind taking the FXR he races out.... ok, had to think a little harder about that one, didn't want to crash his race bike, especailly as he is a contender for the big points in A grade... so after 6 seconds of thinking about it and Andrew assuring me that it wouldn't matter if I crashed it, but he knew I wouldn't anyway (I mean, I don't go fast enough to do any major damage) I was off for a practice race.
That thing is FUN!!! I had a ball!! Did the second points race on it (Congrats on your win Skunk!) and only got lapped once (I think...), felt like I was going a bit faster and smoother and leaning off a bit more.
Anyway, had a great day. Thanks to Nudey for all his organising, Sketchy for being Mr Jonny on the spot all day, All the flaggys, especially Sue (you're a gem, thanks for all the encouragement too) and everyone who tried to fix Rangi or gave me tips to help. He will ride again.... just not sure when :(
And a huge thanks to Andrew for trusting me with your bikes, you rock!!!!:) ]]> Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/722-Rangi-da-Munta The Excellent Adventures of.. Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/549-The-Excellent-Adventures-of-Trudes Sat, 03 Jan 2009 09:03:50 GMT
Quote Originally Posted by Trudes View Post
I just realised that I have been having so much fun reading other people's reports of their adventures at Taupo that I hadn't gotten around to writing one of my own :yawn:

Our weekend started early, Wednesday to be exact with a ride through to Wairoa in the Hawkes Bay to spend Xmas with family. Pissed down the whole way except for about an hour, luckily from Napier to Lake Tutira, the best bit of the trip!:wari:

Spent Xmas in Wairoa then rode through to Gisborne on Boxing Day to see the other half of the family and then through the Waioeka Gorge, lunch in Opotiki and on to Rotorua, a bit more rain before hitting Taupo.Checked into our motel and were then joined by Dangerous, Rashika, Skunk Control, Sketchy, Str8 jacket and Koba to talk shit. SLEEP!!!!

Off to the track on Saturday morning bright and early to find Skunk and Skunk Control had kindly already set up our bikes in the garage all ready for us, so a quick hug for Pamela and then it was time to see if she'd pass scruitineering, which she flew through!! Finally it was time to pile onto the track for a scrub in session. Pammy started first pop and out we went for our first ever go at Taupo. What a wicked cool track!! I love it!!:woohoo:

Had two more sessions out on the track before our F4 GP, I had fun stretching Pammy's legs. I'd only ever managed to get her into top gear once before, and only for about 10 seconds, so it was good to be able to let out the reins a bit. We came somewhere nowhere near first :laugh: but we had fun as always and was just pleased we finished. Beautiful yummy BBQ dinner put on by the crew at the track (thanks so much all involved!!) and then we hopped off back to the motel to sit down by the lake to have a few brewskies and tease the wildlife with Str8 and Koba.:shutup::shutup:

Back at the track next morning, longer waits between races today, which was fine, a bit hotter today, so was nice to be able top slip the leathers off for an hour between sessions. Had a bit of an "oh shit" moment during the scrub in session, Pammy slipped out of third gear into second I think and just about locked up her rear end on me... put the shit up me a bit as I wasn't sure if there was something really wrong with her, but after a word with Skunk who assured me that it's just something that happens sometimes, I figured that I'd just carry on and just keep the clutch covered!

Enjoyed our first race, got a crap start, but as it turned out, not as shit as some of the others, no incidents, we finished and so I was quite pleased.
Kendog said he was tired and wanted to take some pictures for the last race, a ten lap race that he figured his teeny tiny petrol tank wouldn't get all the way through, so I offered to take "The Grey Ghost" out for a strop seeing as I'd only done one lap round the Slipway on it once. Dangerous looked sad at not being able to race in the buckets after blowing up his, so we decided that Pammy might like a Ginga to have a little ride. I was quite nervous about riding the Lonchin for some reason, but once I was out on the track I started to settle into the 4 and get comfy with the extra bit of speed and the vicious vibrations!! Sadly we didn't get to run out of petrol, the bike got a ride back to the pits like we expected it might, however I got a ride to the hospital as well.:bye:

I had a fantastic time, love the Taupo track, will so be back next year!!!
Thanks to everyone who put in so much hard work over the weekend to make this such a cool event, and especially to the folks who were there so fast after I fell off and didn't even know where I was and the ambos, you guys are awesome!!:hug:
Thanks to Skunk and Skunk Control for looking after me and my bikes when I was full of morphine and on another planet, Dangerous for giving Pammy a thrill and helping me off the track and Nasty for giving me a lift home and keeping an eye on me.
Big hugs and thanks to my dear hubby for lending me his bike and caring more about me breaking myself than the bike :lol: :love: You!
]]> Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/549-The-Excellent-Adventures-of-Trudes The Excellent Adventures of.. Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/534-The-Excellent-Adventures-of-Trudes Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:08:17 GMT
]]> Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/534-The-Excellent-Adventures-of-Trudes The Excellent Adventures of.. Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/533-The-Excellent-Adventures-of-Trudes Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:05:45 GMT
Quote Originally Posted by Trudes View Post
Pamela has had some "work" done.
Thanks to Skunk putting a new tail piece and seat on his AX he had a spare tail piece like Pammy's that got trashed when we hit the track, along with his flash as seat and two side covers.
Pammy always only had one "real" side cover as Skunk orginally purchased Pamela for her right hand side cover for his bucket, so we'd fabricated several side covers which kept breaking, but now she has a real one,.... very smart! The new seat is also a bit lower than my old one, so I sit a bit differently on her also, had a sit on her yesterday, and have to say, I quite liked it (so did she! Hussy!!)
So here's a couple of pics of Pammy after her operations and new "implants". I think she looks MEAN!!!!
]]> Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/533-The-Excellent-Adventures-of-Trudes The Excellent Adventures of.. Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/532-The-Excellent-Adventures-of-Trudes Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:05:26 GMT
Quote Originally Posted by Trudes View Post
Pamela has had some "work" done.
Thanks to Skunk putting a new tail piece and seat on his AX he had a spare tail piece like Pammy's that got trashed when we hit the track, along with his flash as seat and two side covers.
Pammy always only had one "real" side cover as Skunk orginally purchased Pamela for her right hand side cover for his bucket, so we'd fabricated several side covers which kept breaking, but now she has a real one,.... very smart! The new seat is also a bit lower than my old one, so I sit a bit differently on her also, had a sit on her yesterday, and have to say, I quite liked it (so did she! Hussy!!)
So here's a couple of pics of Pammy after her operations and new "implants". I think she looks MEAN!!!!
]]> Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/532-The-Excellent-Adventures-of-Trudes The Excellent Adventures of.. Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/516-The-Excellent-Adventures-of-Trudes Sun, 16 Nov 2008 22:58:14 GMT ]]> Trudes https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/516-The-Excellent-Adventures-of-Trudes