Newby to Kiwi Biker from France (marigami)

**Cheshire Cat** · 13th October 2009, 08:58

Originally Posted by marigami

I always dreaded to have a heavy pillion and the bike goes up down (arghh what is the word for this, you know as if the back of the bike is much more heavy than the front so the top is getting up like, like uhh like....I don't know.

Wheelies?

Welcome to the site!!

**CookMySock** · 13th October 2009, 09:01

Originally Posted by marigami

How I whish I could but for the time being noway for me !
But I do hope I will. The problem will be to find a bike low enough for me to actually ride it !!

I actually fall in love with the Cafe Racer.

Yes the Cafe Racer is beautiful. New cafe racers here are expensive also, and the only way is for many people to build one.

There are lots of bandit 400 bikes here.. some of them quite cheap.. so if you fit the bandit ok then you could just get one of those.

One day you must come. I have a frenchy mate in my town, Florent, (I can hardly understand him hehe) and I hope he will show me France one day, but he is not very interested so far - maybe I talk too much!

Steve

**dogsnbikes** · 13th October 2009, 09:15

Originally Posted by DangerousBastard

, - maybe I talk too much!

Steve

you never steve

somebody had too

**vifferman** · 13th October 2009, 09:16

Bonjour, Marigami!

Your English is very, very good. As some have said, it's better than that of many of the so-called English speakers on KiwiBiker.
As for "she-bike", that is perfectly acceptable and understandable, but "biker babe" is better, although not as grammatically correct.

What part of France are you from? I had a quick visit there last September (Nice, Lyon, Avignon, Paris, Calais) and we are going back next year, to Paris and the Alsace region. "La Belle France", indeed! C'est tres jolie!

**marigami** · 13th October 2009, 09:18

Ohh thank you very much for looking at Voxan, I though nobody would..
hmm am I too naive aor candid I wonder and I am sorry if I am, say it is because of the language...
Good to know there are a lot of 4OO Bandit here, they are hard to find in France.
And they are perfect for me, but to find some of it when it needs to be fix is really quite a story omph !

Thank yo also Cheshire Cat (marvelous name indeed) for the wheelies, yes that's it.
And where do you live Dangerous Bastard (sorry but this sounds really weird to write and to say, I do prefer your real name, if it is yours)? I thought several times to actually settle in NZ and started to but I actually do not know whether I'll could find a job.
Well I do not mind changing as I did before but I need just to cross the final step !
And if YOU come in France, don't forget to get a bike and go for a nice ride in the mountains, with small roads with twist and turns all the way long till you nearly feel fed up and keep wondering "when does this finish, it is too much"...
That's the best way to actually learn how to perfectly drive, you have to know your bike and yourself, not to go at full speed but always play with the gear (I hope I do use the wold well), 1 then second, third, then back to second, four for a while but beware of the turn..
Tiring, demanding but so much fun !

**marigami** · 13th October 2009, 09:26

Originally Posted by vifferman

Bonjour, Marigami!

Your English is very, very good. As some have said, it's better than that of many of the so-called English speakers on KiwiBiker.
As for "she-bike", that is perfectly acceptable and understandable, but "biker babe" is better, although not as grammatically correct.

What part of France are you from? I had a quick visit there last September (Nice, Lyon, Avignon, Paris, Calais) and we are going back next year, to Paris and the Alsace region. "La Belle France", indeed! C'est tres jolie!

Hello, thanks for your french !
I am currently leaving in the suburbs of Paris but I lived for a while in Normandy (Le Havre) with my ex BF and we had some nice rides there and in other parts of France.
Well now I need to learn the technical terms for the bike in english otherwise I am going to be lost trying to follow you.
Are they a lot of straight roads in NZ or do you also have twist and turn roads (sorry I have a lack of vocabulary here, hope I make myself understand)?
I really want to know more about the country and the way bikers ride and live here, because I suppose the geography of NZ might be quite different from say Europe ?!!
But I already know wheather can be very cold, isnt it ?I saw there is a gathering (we call it in french une concentr, short way for concentration) very famous during cold weather.
Is that a bit like the famous The Elephants in Germany ? Never been there but wish I could.

**dogsnbikes** · 13th October 2009, 09:31

http://www.engmore.com/home.php link to another french bike one I have like for a while

**marigami** · 13th October 2009, 09:46

Waouh thanks for the link... I didn't know them.
I must say they look very good, they are jewels. But I wonder how one can actually ride them on a long term journey ?
They look like kind of custom bike, I actually wonder if ther all french made (I mean engine and all) or if for example only the frame is french, I must find out.
And they are all V engine I mean the engine is not parralel to the road but V and aside (arghhh please give some words in english !!!

).
And they are very distinctly built I mean no soft curves here they are YOUR bike and no one else.
And which was th bike you had actually ?

Actually this experience for naked strong french bikes failed.

**Cheshire Cat** · 13th October 2009, 09:51

Originally Posted by marigami

Thank yo also Cheshire Cat (marvelous name indeed) for the wheelies, yes that's it.

Thankyou

**avgas** · 13th October 2009, 09:55

http://www.lazareth.fr/

would love to meet this god

**marigami** · 13th October 2009, 10:00

Originally Posted by avgas

http://www.lazareth.fr/

would love to meet this god

Wouh I like what it did with the Buell....and the Vmax..; well all of them.
Maybe when I'm rich I'll ask him to build a custom bike for me at my height...
Kidding but not so much I wish I could.
Well thank you boys for those links you gave me something to know today.

**vifferman** · 13th October 2009, 10:02

Originally Posted by marigami

Are they a lot of straight roads in NZ or do you also have twist and turn roads (sorry I have a lack of vocabulary here, hope I make myself understand)?

Yes, perfectly understandable.
Some roads here are straight, but many twist and turn, especially in hilly country or around the coastline. Outside of the major cities, New Zealand is not very populated, so the main highways are only dual carriageway (one lane going in each direction). Motorways with two lanes or more are found only near the major cities.

The geography of New Zealand is relatively young, and shaped by erosion and volcanic activity, so it does not have the weathered, rounded topography of parts of Europe. However, it has the Southern Alps as the backbone of the South Island, so this gives it both a similar topography, as well as similar weather to Europe, with a more continental climate (cold in winter, hot and dry in summer). However, most of New Zealand has a maritime climate, very changeable, frequent rain showers, and mild climate. Here in Auckland, for example, the sea is very close on both sides of the land, so there is frequent rain (thought not often heavy), and the temperature ranges from a maximum of maybe 26 or 27C in summer, to hardly ever below 0 C in winter.

**marigami** · 13th October 2009, 10:13

Thank you very much for this Vifferman and your description.
All right then you from now on I try to get some spare money (sniff no more shopping... joking) to come over NZ and try to have nice rides.
Here currently we are at the beginning of autum temperature are still quite mild for this time of year.
But I long to be in real winter time which is not so common nowdays.
I do not have a car so I ride my bike on day to day basis, but not so much since I live in Paris : first because riding in Paris can be very dangerous (cars and bikers can be very crazy) and next because it is not so very handy for me to get all my stuff as a biker and then get changed. And riding with skirt and heels is not very good....
Well it is time for me to go to bed, it is 12 pm for me here and I am really VERY happy to be here and to have found this forum and to share with NZ bikers.
I wish you all a good night (or day?) and see you tomorrow.
I still have so much to learn and know.

**MikeL** · 13th October 2009, 10:37

Bonsoir Marigami et bienvenue sur KB. Tout le monde ici parle couramment français, seulement ils ne veulent pas le dire parce qu'ils s'amusent à se moquer de vos efforts en anglais...
Sinon, s'il y a des choses que vous ne comprenez pas, écrivez en français. Il y a au moins un de nous qui pourra vous répondre.