T'were joy to be alive, and to be young very bliss. Werk's blown up.

**Ixion** · 2nd July 2005, 15:42

Can't do NOTHING until Monday. So I get the rest of the day free from 1pm. Which inevitably means that I have to do a little pootle. (Well, I can see the inevitability in it even if noone else can)

And it is a BEAUTIFUL day for a short lazy ride. This is the sort of weather that they must ahve in Biker Heaven

Just down to SH2, and then over to Kaiaua (by the upper road that turns off at Mangatangi. haven't been on that road for years).

And found a new route home. Very nice bit of road. Recommend it to the sports bikers. Turn left at Clevedon, but instead of following the "main road" back to Papakura, turn left into Monument road (just by the - uh duh, monument!). Very nice road. Some good twisty bits, nice straights, no nasty surprises, nice scenery, stuff all traffic, and no sign of Mr Plod.

And at the end you come out on the Hunua road so you get the twisties at the end of that too (I HIT that bloody pothole that someone warned about. )

A very pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Practising steering deliberately with countersteering instead of "instinctive" - which is really countersteering too, but it's not deliberately thought out.

New method definately gets more lean (if the tyre can take it) , and is faster, but a lot less smooth. But I can work on that. Seems to make me hold off starting the corner till much later then lean more and faster (not late apexing, just delaying the turn in a lot more than I usually do). Quite pleased with the Continental rear tyre on the Whale, I haven't rolled it over the shoulder yet, which I was doing on the Metzler, with a lot less lean angle.

Now I've got to work on what I do with Li'l Ratty, cos I'm rolling over the shoulder on him a lot. I'll have to try wriggling forward and out and use body weight to make up for not being able to lean so much.

Passed 4 bikey cops! (and some cars), but no-one where you wouldn't want them to be. Stick to those main roads, lads. Usual idiots over the centre line (including a honking great truck) . And I got stuck behind a horse float. Invention of the devil , horsefloats. I hatesss them

Heaps and heaps of bikes out, really good to see. There were a shit load parked up at the Kaiaua fish and chip place. And a bunch more at Clevedon .

**Blackbird** · 2nd July 2005, 16:35

You've made me feel restless now so I'll just have to get the birdie out tomorrow and go to Taupo for lunch on the lakefront. This means I'll have to get stuck in and finish the huge task list which Jennie wrote out for me today dammit!

**TonyB** · 2nd July 2005, 17:52

Whadaya mean 'werks blown up'?
YOU blew it up, didn'ya?

**N4CR** · 2nd July 2005, 18:53

Ixion.. is the 'white whale' an oldschool bmw? Looked like a cop bike etc?

I saw one guy on an old school looking cop bike (like one of the retired RT whatevers at Motat) with a fluro vest, I couldn't figure out if it was a cop or not.

I saw all the bikers at the fish shop.. 80% blardy gixxers

and a pair of Aprilia RSV's

.

Suprising amount of bikers.. was a great day!

**John** · 2nd July 2005, 19:03

Originally Posted by tristank

Ixion.. is the 'white whale' an oldschool bmw? Looked like a cop bike etc?

I saw one guy on an old school looking cop bike (like one of the retired RT whatevers at Motat) with a fluro vest, I couldn't figure out if it was a cop or not.

I saw all the bikers at the fish shop.. 80% blardy gixxers

and a pair of Aprilia RSV's

.

Suprising amount of bikers.. was a great day!

Think it looks like this

But I dont know what year, so i will go for the old one lol

... Wish I could blardy just blardy ride whenever I blardy wanted blardy fuck!

**Ixion** · 2nd July 2005, 20:16

Originally Posted by tristank

Ixion.. is the 'white whale' an oldschool bmw? Looked like a cop bike etc?

I saw one guy on an old school looking cop bike (like one of the retired RT whatevers at Motat) with a fluro vest, I couldn't figure out if it was a cop or not.

I saw all the bikers at the fish shop.. 80% blardy gixxers

and a pair of Aprilia RSV's

.

Suprising amount of bikers.. was a great day!

Could be. Looks like this.'cept mine has blue BMW decals. If it was a bit before 2pm at Kaiaua it was probably me.

**N4CR** · 2nd July 2005, 21:44

Originally Posted by Ixion

Could be. Looks like this.'cept mine has blue BMW decals. If it was a bit before 2pm at Kaiaua it was probably me.

Yep! It was you... and you were stuck behind a HORSE FLOAT

LMAO of all coincidences!

Getting into clevedon I did too... 40kmh... same bastard.

Nice old-school bike.. bet its comfy as huh? Compared to my bike *rubs sore back*

Btw I was on the blue/white zxr250 with a red cbr and a suzuki 650 in tow.. down a huge straight.

**Ixion** · 2nd July 2005, 21:58

Originally Posted by tristank

Yep! It was you... and you were stuck behind a HORSE FLOAT

LMAO of all coincidences!

Getting into clevedon I did too... 40kmh... same bastard.

Nice old-school bike.. bet its comfy as huh? Compared to my bike *rubs sore back*

Btw I was on the blue/white zxr250 with a red cbr and a suzuki 650 in tow.. down a huge straight.

Oh was that you. I remember those three . I very nearly had a go at getting past the bloody horse float there.Then I saw three bikes coming and thought "Bet they'll be going pretty fast by the time they get here. Safety first, don't fancy a bike to bike head on", and aborted . I swore a bit at the three of you though, appearing in the only bit of overtaking road available.

Yeah, it's pretty good for long distances. I can do 5-600 k easily enough and back the next day. Hulking great brute to throw around in twisty stuff though, which is why I'm trying experimenting with different techniques. What worked for years on the T500, doesn't work so well on the Whale.

**Will** · 3rd July 2005, 09:27

Originally Posted by Ixion

Heaps and heaps of bikes out, really good to see. There were a shit load parked up at the Kaiaua fish and chip place. And a bunch more at Clevedon .

The bunch at Clevedon coulda been us, Ulysses group, last stop for a latte before we headed home in all different directions.

There was a bit of bike-spotting as we relaxed and talked. Lotsa bikes coming and going through that roundabout.

Great day and great to see so many bikes enjoying it.

Funny that you have just found that road, Skyhigh. We had just come down that, from a lunch stop at Mercer.
Next time try Twilight Road, on the Whitford side of Clevedon Road.

**Gixxer 4 ever** · 3rd July 2005, 09:43

Originally Posted by tristank

I saw all the bikers at the fish shop.. 80% blardy gixxers

Suprising amount of bikers.. was a great day!

And on the 7th day God made the Gixxer....and he saw it was good......Then he rested.

**Jackrat** · 3rd July 2005, 10:03

Originally Posted by Will

The bunch at Clevedon coulda been us, Ulysses group, last stop for a latte before we headed home in all different directions.

There was a bit of bike-spotting as we relaxed and talked. Lotsa bikes coming and going through that roundabout.

Great day and great to see so many bikes enjoying it.

Funny that you have just found that road, Skyhigh. We had just come down that, from a lunch stop at Mercer.
Next time try Twilight Road, on the Whitford side of Clevedon Road.

Twilight would be good for time trials I reckon.
Never get the locals to go for it but.

**Ixion** · 3rd July 2005, 11:08

Originally Posted by Will

The bunch at Clevedon coulda been us, Ulysses group, last stop for a latte before we headed home in all different directions.

..

Funny that you have just found that road, Skyhigh. We had just come down that, from a lunch stop at Mercer.
Next time try Twilight Road, on the Whitford side of Clevedon Road.

Am I the only person who always finds the idea of bikers drinking lattes to be vaguely comical. Not knocking anyone or anyfink, but latte just doesn't seem to match with the biker image. Still, each to his/her own. M'self when I'm on aride I don't generally stop, except maybe somewhere far from the madding crowd, where the glory of it all particularly strikes me. Stops wreak havoc with average speed.

....

I rode that group of roads years ago, but back then they were dirt roads , and I never got back to check them out since they sealed them. Usually I go back through Maraetai cos that's better for me for home .

**Wolf** · 4th July 2005, 10:04

Originally Posted by Ixion

Am I the only person who always finds the idea of bikers drinking lattes to be vaguely comical. Not knocking anyone or anyfink, but latte just doesn't seem to match with the biker image.

Oh yeah? Whaddiyou drink, then? Short Blacks, I suppose. Or Flat Whites.

Can't drink and ride (could but I feel disinclined to risk myself and others) which leaves caffeine. Instant coffee was created by the Catlicks for those who felt especially penitent but didn't want to be seen using a flail on themselves in public, percolators and filter machines are for the less sinful (or less penitent about it) which leaves only espresso as a suitable drink for superior entities (such as we bikers are) or completely unrepentant individuals (bikers, once again).

And as drinking black coffee still hints of self-flagellation or at least minor masochism, a rich coffee made from hot milk and espresso is possibly just hedonistic enough for our ilk - and face it, if were weren't inherently hedonistic we wouldn't be out there rding for the sheer joy of it, would we? Nah, we'd lock away our bikes and coop ourselves up in cages, drink black instant coffee and lead cold drab lives.

**Ixion** · 4th July 2005, 10:21

Originally Posted by Wolf

Oh yeah? Whaddiyou drink, then? Short Blacks, I suppose. Or Flat Whites.

..

On a ride, me drinks V. Keep a few cans in the glovebox. Stopping for coffee takes too long, stuffs up average speed. I can drink a V at the servo while filling up. (Can't quite do it riding, working on that, maybe with a straw.)

Cold rides, I take a thermos of hot water, and some of those coffee sachets, knicked from hotels. Taste vile, but I'm only looking for hotness, and again it's quick.

If you want a real caffeine fix, just eat the beans (I knick 'em from the coffee machine at werk)

**Wolf** · 4th July 2005, 11:36

Originally Posted by Ixion

If you want a real caffeine fix, just eat the beans (I knick 'em from the coffee machine at werk)

I prefer 'em choccy coated but I have freaked my boss out by eating the beans straight out of the bag (our werk also has a real coffee machine - FREE LATTES! 2 short shots, lotsa steamed milk, three sugars...)

So you drink instant to atone for the sin of nicking the sachets - dude, they stopped that level of punishment when they stopped hanging children for nicking loaves of bread - you'd remember that.

"V" I have no argument with - especially if its a hot day and you''re in full kit.