brass monkey

[LB]

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Call me a girl, but I'm with Hitcher on this one.


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[dangerous]

What happened to your yoof? Remember them were the days Ya said "Hmmm, Brass Monkey time, that is anuvver pair of jeans AND a black wooly jersey to put on, Oh, and a bread bag to keep the hands warm"

Not sure about the bread bags but jeans it was and in the 1st couple of years it was a wooly jersey and cheap jacket.

A couple of pics at the Brass in the 80's at least as a teenager I had hair to keep me warm.

1) 1987 me on the only CX650 turbo in OZ/NZ friging awesome bike
2) Snow in 1988
3) Now thats a bon fire 1989
4) A sea of peop'sbikes and tents, It was massave back then, often the ground temp was as low as -22*

[dangerous]

What happened to your yoof, pair of jeans, black wooly jersey

Dont forget the wooly hat.

Just found this pic of the Brass in.......... 1985 my 1st rally at 17yrs old, reckon it was the best time ever.
thats me in the black/green wooly hat and again out at the gate the next day were I have my foot up on the bike waiting for all the non... Honda bikes to be jump started, the cold rooted ya battery, Im on a CX500 behind me are mates bikes a GS1100 and a CBX400ss.

[Lou Girardin]

Check out the Spidi NT or Thunder gloves. Dririder summit pants with a set of Oxford chill outs underneath will keep the pins warm. You can also get heated grips that wrap over your standard grips too.

[Hitcher]

I'm still not "getting" it, guys. Riding on frozen, gritty roads, with the risk of binning your bike; freezing your nuts off; eating cold baked beans; sleeping in a sleeping bag in a tent; freezing your nuts off; drinking way too much spirits; looking at a bonfire; freezing your nuts off; riding home hung over on frozen roads with a higher risk of binning your bike. And did I mention freezing your nuts off? I thought motorcycling was meant to be enjoyable...

[F5 Dave]

. . .Mind you I've never gone over the Pig Root at that time of year and I think. . .

So what time of year do you root pigs? You South Islanders are funny folk.

Best thing you can do is put on some MX guards which will keep the worst of the water & wind chill off your digits. Many layers, several T shirts.

I went on a borrowed XJ several years back, the sidecover was missing so I made up one out of real estate sign & wrote “Piglet” on the side partially as it’s former working life & partly as it suited the bike’s character.

In previous years I’ve taken the RZ, the GS11 & the RF. Don’t think I can be bothered this year. Some of the stories sort of make it worthwhile.

Like last year when we stayed at the Hermitage Mt Cook on the way down to the rally & had to push the bikes out of the carpark in the morning as there was 2 inches of snow & you couldn’t get traction & filter out for 10km at 10kph.

And Lynda: You're a girl. (well you asked).

[GN1NiteStnd]

Yeah I'm not one for the brass monkey either. snowyroads+learner=trouble. Id rather just stick to the one nite stand and the cold kiwi at the moment.
There are rumors of these two rallys not being on any more, is that true? Tell me its not!!!! Where else would i get my Hundred for the wet-t?

[TonyB]

I'm still not "getting" it, guys. Riding on frozen, gritty roads, with the risk of binning your bike; freezing your nuts off; eating cold baked beans; sleeping in a sleeping bag in a tent; freezing your nuts off; drinking way too much spirits; looking at a bonfire; freezing your nuts off; riding home hung over on frozen roads with a higher risk of binning your bike. And did I mention freezing your nuts off? I thought motorcycling was meant to be enjoyable...

Never been to it myself. Couldn't see the point when I was a 'real biker' as I used to ride all year round anyway doing stuff like battling through the frost grit on the Lewis or deliberately leaving Nelson for Chch when it was pissing down as I knew there would be no ice around Murch. Now I'm a fair weather rider I'm starting to feel the need to do it.

[clint640]

I commute in pretty frosty weather sometimes. I've just got some basic R-Jays textile+armour+liner pants, they're pretty warm with long johns & jeans underneath. I also have some Orina Chicago winter gloves which I have used on a few frosty mornings & they've been OK, however they are tearing around the cuff closure so I wouldn't recommend them.
For serious cold the trick is to buy a size larger so ya can fit lots of clothes, jackets, inner gloves, socks etc inside ya gear. My leather jacket is fairly close fitting, so when I bought a textile jacket for winter I made sure I could wear that over the leather one for extreme cold trips.

Cheers
Clint

[idb]

So what time of year do you root pigs? You South Islanders are funny folk.

Yeah well I was sittin' on the porch in my favourite rocker the other day just doin' some whittlin' and chewin' my tobaccy when a couple o them city slickers pulled up out front in their fancy car.
She looked like she hadn't had a square meal in months. How she would ever carry a wether in from the house paddock to the killin' shed I'm blowed if I know.
He didn't look much better, all soft hands and perfume - in fact without the bumps it woulda been hard to tell them apart.
Anyways, they came up and he said "have you lived around here a while old fella?".
I spat and answered "all me life, was born on the kitchen table durin' the snows of '63".
The girly-lookin' fella then asked "what do you do out here?"
"Huntin' & fuckin' "
"Oh, what do you hunt?"
"Mostly somethin' ta fuck"

[Mongoose]

I'm still not "getting" it, guys. Riding on frozen, gritty roads, with the risk of binning your bike; freezing your nuts off; eating cold baked beans; sleeping in a sleeping bag in a tent; freezing your nuts off; drinking way too much spirits; looking at a bonfire; freezing your nuts off; riding home hung over on frozen roads with a higher risk of binning your bike. And did I mention freezing your nuts off? I thought motorcycling was meant to be enjoyable...

Oh Mr Hitcher, what a disappointment you turned out to be, you always struck me as a man who would enjoy a challenge, and that is half the fun, the challenge of getting there.

[Hitcher]

Oh Mr Hitcher, what a disappointment you turned out to be, you always struck me as a man who would enjoy a challenge, and that is half the fun, the challenge of getting there.

No to mention the "challenges" of surviving whilst there and returning home.

[vifferman]

Oh Mr Hitcher, what a disappointment you turned out to be, you always struck me as a man who would enjoy a challenge, and that is half the fun, the challenge of getting there.

He's been softened by the cossetting and comforting afforded by his new steed.

[Hitcher]

He's been softened by the cossetting and comforting afforded by his new steed.

I was "softened" long before that. There's nothing like a double bed, hot shower and carpetted walk to the wizzer in the wee smalls, with other desirable options like spa bath and in-room plunger coffee thrown in. I don't see the Brass Monkey offering anything like that of an evening...

[campbellluke]

Southerners can endure the cold.

Ive arranged payment already. If it's like last year it should be good.

25th anniversary too, so I think that this one should be big.

I thought that last year was awesome. The weather was all good, until about midnight when snow settled really quickly. I thought that the ammount of people that were there to withstand the cold was outstanding. But from what I heard they were disappointed with last years turnout. Neverless there was a shit load of bikes there.

I felt sorry for this guy who dropped his Ducati in front of me last year. On the way back through the pig route. And for the old guy who broke his arm. But that doesn't discourage me from going again.

I think that it is an experience, that everyone should take up sometime if they can.