Now, that's a hard man, 5am on a scooter in Te Puke

**Ixion** · 7th June 2005, 14:15

NZ Herald - 07-06-05 1:00pm

Two injured women lay trapped in freezing conditions in the mangled wreck of a car alongside the body of their dead driver for nearly seven hours last night after crashing off a Bay of Plenty road.

The car was discovered in a ditch just after 5am today, about 1km north of Te Puke on State Highway 2, by a man riding a scooter.

**placidfemme** · 7th June 2005, 14:18

Originally Posted by Ixion

NZ Herald - 07-06-05 1:00pm

Two injured women lay trapped in freezing conditions in the mangled wreck of a car alongside the body of their dead driver for nearly seven hours last night after crashing off a Bay of Plenty road.

The car was discovered in a ditch just after 5am today, about 1km north of Te Puke on State Highway 2, by a man riding a scooter.

Good on him for finding those people

But as for the scooter and the freezing conditions... I agree... a hard man

**Mr Skid** · 7th June 2005, 14:48

Originally Posted by Ixion

The car was discovered in a ditch just after 5am today, about 1km north of Te Puke on State Highway 2, by a man riding a scooter.

He was probably still finishing the Southern Cross Rally.

**Ixion** · 7th June 2005, 14:49

Originally Posted by Mr Skid

He was probably still finishing the Southern Cross Rally.

Then he's an even harder man ! (Probably, frozen solid, in fact)

**Suney** · 7th June 2005, 16:23

LOL what is he doing riding on a freeway in the first place!

**Ixion** · 7th June 2005, 16:36

Originally Posted by Suney

LOL what is he doing riding on a freeway in the first place!

'twasn't a freeway/motorway, twas SH2. No reason he shouldn't have been on a motorway on a scooter though, no rule against that. Especially as I'd guess it was maybe a biggish scooter (remember, they go up to 650cc ! )

**Slim** · 7th June 2005, 16:45

It may not have been a "biggish" scooter at all. There's a few normal sized scooters that live just out of town that I see on SH2 regularly. Possibly orchard workers or PukePine workers is my guess.

I wondered why the traffic was backed up so far (back to the Papamoa turnoff where the roundabout's going in!) this morning, but the traffic from Te Puke to The Mount was flowing fine & the traffic management guys were just packing up as I went through this morning.

**Suney** · 7th June 2005, 16:47

You still need a motorcycle license to ride bigger scooters eh? As its over 49cc? Correct? Kapeesh?

**Ixion** · 7th June 2005, 16:55

Originally Posted by Suney

You still need a motorcycle license to ride bigger scooters eh? As its over 49cc? Correct? Kapeesh?

Yeah, over 49cc , no difference between a bike and a scoot. Law doesn't distinguish, only we do. Nothing in the report to infer he didn't have a bike license.

Even on a 49cc he'd be legal on a state highway. Stupid maybe , or brave, but legal

**ajturbo** · 7th June 2005, 19:38

Originally Posted by Ixion

Yeah, over 49cc , no difference between a bike and a scoot. Law doesn't distinguish, only we do. Nothing in the report to infer he didn't have a bike license.

Even on a 49cc he'd be legal on a state highway. Stupid maybe , or brave, but legal

years ago my mate and i ( we used to help organise the canvastown rally) went 2 up over to the rai and onto canvastown (from the NELSON side) on a honda step threw .. 49cc.... even managed to stop and pick up some fire wood... albeit a small piece... we didn't fall off, but as i was the passenger i had to carry the fire wood...

**What?** · 7th June 2005, 19:56

Originally Posted by Ixion

'twasn't a freeway/motorway, twas SH2. No reason he shouldn't have been on a motorway on a scooter though, no rule against that. Especially as I'd guess it was maybe a biggish scooter (remember, they go up to 650cc ! )

More like 50cc than 650. I used to regularly see a bloke on a Nifty Fifty or something similar at that time of day along that stretch of "road".
SH2 Te Puke to Papamoa needs a major upgrade to be considered a goat track - a freeway it ain't...

**Wolf** · 7th June 2005, 23:41

It goes to prove that not all scooter riders are "cagers who can't afford to run a cage".

I used to regularly see a guy on a 49cc step through when I was commuting into Hamilton from Tauwhare - even in the foulest weather he'd be beetling along in the 100km/h zone sticking close to the rutted edge of the shoulder. definitely got more balls than I do - it was bad enough riding out in the occasionally maintained lanes, let alone anywhere near the shoulder...

I figure any other crazy bastard out braving the elements on a two-wheeler in the pissing rain or freezing frost is a "biker" no matter whether their ride is an FA50 or a Ducati 996.