Spring, Tyres, Smoked Chicken and Snow

**James Deuce** · 11th October 2009, 22:08

I bought some new tyres. Sorry about that weather bomb thing. You know how it is though. The great thing about three days of eyeball freezing Wellington Southerly is the stunning days that follow on. Cool, sunny, cloudless; perfect biking weather.

So I text Clivoris and we meet up and agree on a short ride (a quickie - heh) to Martinborough for a coffee. Being geniuses and all, we've both actually fuelled up before we meet up. Some of you guys should try it. Means a 1 hour ride doesn't have to take 2.5 hours.

As I pull away from the carpark I mentally remind myself to take it easy on my brand new tyres and consequently slew sideways through a mudhole just on the edge of the road which slingshots me straight into a mudhole in the middle of the road, which then straightens me up nicely after a little bit of thoroughly inconsequential fishtailing. Throttle control eh? Naaah, blind luck. Don't have to pay for drugs with this much adrenalin pumping either.

Contrary to "popular opinions", I reckon the double yellows on the hill have improved the experience. Cars and trucks move over willingly. They don't hate us at all, and I think a surprising number are more than happy to make sure we can grasp our little chunk of mind clearing nirvana of a weekend. I sent Clivoris off first, thinking I was going to gently scrub my tyres and meet him on the "other side". Thank Dog Clivoris isn't fixated on motorcycle carpark masturbation. You can see what I did there right? It's a CARPARK. Bikes don't belong.

Anyhoo, thanks to cars friendly and unfriendly, Clivoris of the sonorous Tuono never got out of sight for long, and my new tyres ended up getting the express scrub. That new tyre feeling is so cool, and combine it with a total change in manufacturer, compound, targeted role, radius profile and "feel" and you can break your mind out of its Dullard's Road profile into an, "Ooo lookithat" celebration of Springtime.

What I am about to say next could be misconstrued as "Not Right(tm)" by about 50% of the population, but I'm going there because it's Springtime, and a young man lives within still. Toppy's is "staffed" by the 8th Wonder of the Wairarapa. She is worth the visit alone, and even though she kept ignoring the "long" in front of machiatto, I forgive her because she almost sat in my lap, thanks to "poor" table design. I really must congratulate the bloke who built that outdoor furniture. Stands to reason it was a bloke.

Clivoris and I were joined by Wilber, whom I hadn't seen in a year or more and we had a companionable chat in the warm sun watching an increasing number of bikes rolling in to our "biker hangout". Mr & Mrs Hitcher and their mate M. rolled up with them. Mrs Hitcher has had her bike "Robert Taylored" just this weekend and was all aglow. Could someone please contact Mr Hitcher about getting Mrs Hitcher's sidestand shortened? The Bandit has been lowered and we all know what that means. It can now be stolen by midgets, but seriously, the stand needs to lose about 15mm.

This time of year seems to bring out the less miserable bugger in me, and the sheer green-ness, the smell of fruit blossoms, and the distant snow-clad ranges give you that little bit of extra joy you need to keep you treating other people well.

New tyres and double yellows. That's all it takes.

**nudemetalz** · 12th October 2009, 09:27

Nice write up, Mr Deuce.
Thanks for sharing.

**oldrider** · 12th October 2009, 10:24

That was a different sort of write up JD!

I was attracted to the "new tyres" element of it but found the whole thing quite interesting!

Have to agree about other motorists attitudes to letting us through, I find them very accommodating, in the main!

Some are a bit too enthusiastic when all you want to do is sit quietly behind them for a wee while and then they make you feel "obliged" to pass them!

We went for a most enjoyable ride yesterday to try out our new tyres 2 up, (Shinko's) what a magnificent day for a bike ride!

**Clivoris** · 12th October 2009, 10:43

Was a lovely pootle Mr Jim. I'm not a fan of the double yellows though, but we weren't racing to get anywhere. There were a few vehicles that might have been making space for me to pass on the way back, but I just don't trust them if they aren't indicating.

**Hitcher** · 12th October 2009, 17:11

I concur.

We had three cagers pull left to let us through on our Rimutaka assault outwards and two on the homeward leg. Enthusiastic thumbs ups were administered. Bless them.

CFWB has taken responsibility for amputating Mrs H's sidestand. Thank you Good Sir! Mr Taylor, amongst other things, removed 100kg of spring weight from the rear of Mrs H's Bandit. It now has a flash of Ohlins at its rear and Racetech emulators at its front. Herself is much delighted.

My Conti Motions (Me and Mr Deuce have a thing going on...) now have 1,100km on them and have savoured a variety of climatic and road surface conditions. I rate them highly. The next big test will be to see how long they last.

As for TEWOTW, I couldn't possibly comment.

**KoroJ** · 12th October 2009, 20:27

Yes, you're probably right Mr D, I find more cars are endeavouring to make room but not enough to encourage one to stay within the rules.....and then there's the trucks, big long wide ones, potentially fitted with onboard cameras.

After an enjoyable fang over the hill last week, the sobering thought that one or two of the trucks I passed may have tapped a switch to record my endeavours was a bit of a concern. That concern lasted till I got to the next curly section and the Spring maddness returned.