Just bought my first bike, anybody regularly riding over Port Hills? (Mushu)

[FJRider]

why are you putting yourself through 2 years of riding that thing when u can go from learner to full in 9 month when ur over 25.

I like lamp

Not anymore. They changed the rules. The age bit got dropped. Same rules for ALL learners now.

[gammaguy]

what did I assume? I have preferances, as I'm sure, do you.
The only vehicle I mention that I don't have experience of is the H-D (and in a later post I mention an Ariel Atom and Dodge Viper) and the only part of my post you quoted was the part that says that I am still open to ride one and will eat my words if I am wrong.
Yes my warmer climate comment does point out that I could do with some more gear but I'd be gone either way if I wasn't stuck here for family reasons and I'm always completly covered in a mixture of denim, kevlar, leather and whatever other textiles Dririder and Shift use, but nomatter what I have if its 5 degrees or less I'm jumping in the cage and cranking the heater

The whole point of my post was to say I knew I didn't want a Falcon/Commodore/Chev etc etc years before I ever drove anything for whatever reason I was able to figure that out and near as I can tell most of my reasons still apply to these bikes

oh, and by the way, you are right, you shouldn't take me seriously - this is the internet, you shouldn't take anyone seriously (I swear I am Valintino Rossi) but thanks for your *constructive* comments

And before you lower yourself to calling me names *too late* read the thread, I'm on here trying to pick up as many skills as I can from those who know better than me (which quite probably isn't you - gods gift to motorcycling, I'm sure)

Be careful coming on here seeking truth and enlightenment.

Fonts of "knowledge"are only too happy to impart their wisdom with a casual tippy tap of a keyboard.

real experience,real skills and real roadcraft are only learned by getting out there and riding with people who actually know what they are doing.

yes...even if it is below 5 degrees.Harden up and get out there,the skills you learn may save your life one day.

[Nzpure]

Not anymore. They changed the rules. The age bit got dropped. Same rules for ALL learners now.

Nah it still there brah! I got through on that. Depends if he's on his restricted yet or not. October it changes and they drop the over 25 clause.
However he sounds like a bit of a balls to the wall rider so mabye thats a good thing lol.
I was reading the thread and just skipped to the end when he started talking about his wee little mr2 being and ORSOME cornering machine and that v8s are shit around corners Cause SLAMMIN you wee jappa so the suspension so low and hard it gives you hemroids makes it handle better LOL.
Followed my father in-law to akaroa the other day he was riding my HD. He's been riding for 30 odd years now and he smashed out the corners on it lol, Never seen a harley take corners like that in my life lol. Im embarrased to say that while im still getting used to the busa i wasn't going to push it and i couldn't keep up with him lol!

[Nzpure]

Nah it still there brah! I got through on that. Depends if he's on his restricted yet or not. October it changes and they drop the over 25 clause.
However he sounds like a bit of a balls to the wall rider so mabye thats a good thing lol.
I was reading the thread and just skipped to the end when he started talking about his wee little mr2 being and ORSOME cornering machine and that v8s are shit around corners Cause SLAMMIN you wee jappa so the suspension so low and hard it gives you hemroids makes it handle better LOL.
Followed my father in-law to akaroa the other day he was riding my HD. He's been riding for 30 odd years now and he smashed out the corners on it lol, Never seen a harley take corners like that in my life lol. Im embarrased to say that while im still getting used to the busa i wasn't going to push it and i couldn't keep up with him lol!

Lol thats what you get for not reading entire thread haha that wasn't directed at you subike my bad.

[Fast Eddie]

as far as I could read on the internet.

anyone doin their license before Oct I think will be fine to do 6 month learner phase then 3 month restricted with defensive driving course completion..

I believe the NZTA website still reads that info.. I checked last week or week before as my gf just sat her learners round end of january and I think she could have squeezed in a full before oct when we were reading up on it. Except shes not 25 (yuss)

[torican]

Hey man.... would love to tag along as well if you need anther addition.. I too am just an l plater so wont be going too hard. Would have pm'd but I don't have enough site activity yet!! I'm based in St Martins

[Mushu]

Hey man.... would love to tag along as well if you need anther addition.. I too am just an l plater so wont be going too hard. Would have pm'd but I don't have enough site activity yet!! I'm based in St Martins

I wasn't riding for a while, I dropped the bike a few weeks ago and between insurance and how hard it is to source genuine parts it took forever but I have it back now. I'm not really planning on riding up there too much for the next few months as its only going to get more slippery up there, I probably won't be able to help myself every now and again but I'm trying not to. (The cars get more fun to drive up there as it gets more slippery, the MR2 is really fun after they put the grit down)

his wee little mr2 being and ORSOME cornering machine and that v8s are shit around corners Cause SLAMMIN you wee jappa so the suspension so low and hard it gives you hemroids makes it handle better LOL.

You're right its too low, it's slammed actually - very little throw in the suspension. It would have been fine for its intended purpose (previous owner had several MR2s and a couple of more practical vehicles, I'm pretty sure the car I bought from him was his track car so has been set up for smooth, well maintaned roads.)

If I had the money to swap the suspension to coil overs I would, I would run the exact same setup as the guys out there that run these things in rallys, it would be ORSOME on a gravel road if I had the suspension to cope. But it is currently drivable (as long as I stay away from earthquake affected roads) and still handles well, you just have to pay attention to the road surface (much like on a bike, but you only have to look for bumps and potholes)

But my advantage isn't in how low the car is (its actually a disadvantage as you obviously know). My advantage is in the cars weight - about a tonne, have a look at the AE86 and why they became so popular, the AW11 is a very similar car with the added advantage of a mid engine layout. (In case you didn't know - mid engine is very good for driving fast, that's why 90% of the fastest cars out there have there engines in the back)

[Mushu]

Another 6 months of riding -right through winter, even managed a little riding in snow.
Got some proper boots, a slightly better helmet (although after 6 months of near daily use the lining is starting to work loose from the shell and the the padding around the cheeks isn't as tight as it used to be) some other new gear and 2 new bikes.

I went up to Whangarei a couple months ago and rode back on my new (to me) R6. I know I may not hold the correct qualification to ride this machine and some may disagree with that but I figure I can kill myself pretty easy at 150ks on the little ninja so the difference isn't that big as long as you have respect for the bike and think further ahead to keep every thing smooth as possible. Of course I don't intend to use the R6 everyday for a few reasons.

The ride back from Whangarei was awesome, I was quite apprehensive when I went to pick the bike up especially when I found out the first 200 meters I had to ride was down a twisty dirt road. I expected the bike to be uncomfortable as hell and near impossible to ride because of all the things you hear about the ergonomics of sports bikes but I happily rode almost non stop (fuel stops only) to Taupo where I slept and happily made almost non stop to Wellington and almost non stop again from on the boat to Christchurch (the ferry doesn't count as a rest cos I get sea sick and I just made it in time) it wasn't like a lounge chair as I imagine a gold wing would be but I never had a problem with sore wrists or anything but my ass going numb, I did have shoulder problems but this is more to do with the bag I was carrying and the result of a old injury. I thoroughly recommend the ride if you have the chance but it was kind of ruined by the fact I was in a rush to get back because my sister was leaving for Australia I wish I could have taken a bit more time.

I decided there was no point having a proper sports bike like the R6 and something else so similar in appearance and capability (in terms of what it can do, not how fast it can do it). I decided a dirt bike would be a good idea, I figure a bit of riding on dirt would give me a chance to learn some more skills, I can't see how it could hurt and ever since I watched Long Way Round I've liked the idea of adventure touring so I thought a DR650 was a good compromise, what I really wanted was a XR650 but couldn't find a good one but I found a DR650 with motard wheels and a few other extras.

So currently I am looking to set up everything for the DR so I can take it long distances and camp but I may need some help from someone who has this kind of setup.
There is a lot of stuff to sort out, luggage, camping gear, spares and tools for the bike, maps/gps, long range tank (I have a spare, brand new standard tank I may be willing to part with) and anything else I might need.

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[Glowerss]

You sound like grantman 2.0. 9 months riding and on an R6 already. Hope we don't find you under a logging truck one day.

[Mushu]

You sound like grantman

Possibly, and feel free to say I told you so... Grantman was an idiot on the road and that is why he flipped his 250 off the road and then meet with a logging truck on his 600.

But my justification is I try not to ride like a tool, this is why I quickly decided the R6 isn't for everyday use, it inspires hooliganism.

My rush to upgrade was also due to my plans to ride across Australia next year, after hearing about Nick Sanders riding an R1 across the world I thought it might be good for my trip. The R6 was a kind if test and training and although I don't see me having a problem on an R1, I also think I could manage more weight so I am considering that I would enjoy the trip more on smallish sport tourer.

How many people out there started on 2 stroke 250s and the people who just ride whatever they want, less than half the people I know who ride have a license at all and all but 3 of them are on their learners, I am the only one who owns a 250 at all. Although my grandmother who wouldn't have the coordination to ride a scooter holds a full class 6, would you be okay with her riding the R6.

If it makes you feel any better I am currently looking for leathers so I can look into some riding at Ruapuna and I'd like to do a track based course that would allow me to use the R6 for the course if possible, there is always more to learn....

[Mushu]

Its been over a year now, my riding has recently become less of a daily occurance, I got a puppy a couple of months ago so I take the cage alot so he can come along but I still ride the R6 when I leave Dog at home (not the dog - I named him Dog)

I feel now that I have about 10000 ks on the R6 I am qualified to address the Grantman comments, the big difference between he and I is that the licensing system gave him a little plastic certificate that said he was capable of riding any bike he chooses, he took it very literally and never thought he may need some time and training to get used to the bike, I, on the other hand, bought my R6 knowing I may not have the skills to use its full performance and so went about training myself in whatever way I can to improve my riding, I still cannot use the full performance of my machine but I am also aware of how much I can use.

One year of trying to be critical of my own riding and I have learned alot, I have even been in a position to teach a few things to a few people, including a couple of 30+ year veterans who have always just ridden without really thinking about it too much. Most of my family ride (I was always trying to be different and be a car guy) and I was surprised that the book (twist of the wrist 2) I had given my brother in law to read had been passed around almost everyone and even the long time veterans picked a few things out and improved their own riding and thus safety on the road.

The DR has been on loan to a friend of mine for about 2 months now but I have kept it unregistered so he wont ride it too much. But before that I had taken it off road a couple of times, thought I broke my leg on Christmas day at the Waimak, actually it still hurts sometimes, been down worsley spur a couple times and spent hours riding the riverbed that goes from oxford back to the waimak. But I'm looking to do a far more epic ride just cant find one, something that allows me to ride for a couple of days without seeing a road. Of course I shouldn't be doing this kind of thing alone but doing it in a large group doesn't appeal to me at all. But I have definately learned a few things thanks to that bike which is what I was going for.

Still unsure about what I will use for my Australia trip, which is coming quickly, about 6 months away currently I have been looking at Honda Transalp or Yamaha Tenere since I will be on my L license in Australia for this trip, and I'd like to keep the cost of the bike down to about 5000AUD but any suggestions of suitable bikes would be appreciated.

My other big want is to find an actually good rider that I can trust to critique my riding, there seem to be a couple on here but most seem to be in the north Island. There are plenty around with time in the saddle but it often doesn't translate to skill, and everyone thinks the are qualified to dole out advice but atleast 50% of that seems to be bullshit. It seems I may have to give in and give Dan Ornsby some more of my money (I'll have to call him and ask if I can use my R6 on one of his courses even though I don't hold the appropriate license. No sense using a trail bike on a road craft course, it wont necessarily carry over to the R6)

[curly]

My other big want is to find an actually good rider that I can trust to critique my riding,

Try IAM Christchurch. http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...?highlight=IAM

[Asher]

I will be keen to go for a ride with you sometime, im also keen to join along with any riding critiquing you do, im always keen to learn too.

[Mushu]

IAM thread replied to, let's see if he it's willing to ride with me on the R6.

I'm up for another ride Asher, we'll have to organize to meet up sometime, just hope it works out better than last time I went for a ride with you when I met with a homicidal landcruiser.

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[conadz]

Im another Christchurch rider who is always keen to go out and play in the hills, though the advice and critiquing would be very much the opposite to the way you want