What a day for a ride!

[James Deuce]

Got up early to go to Foxton to help a non-PC literate mate upgrade his PC to Windows XP Pro. Ended up doing a clean install as it turned out that his PC had been upgraded from Win 95 to Win98 to Win 2000. Aaargh. Thank goodness I rode the bike there or I may have been grumpy.

The traffic was light, but what is up with people between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki???? In the 50kph zone of Pukerua bay I had people RIGHT up my chuff because I was being sensible. The powers that be know that people tend to play loose with speed limits through there and I was expecting a speed camera or an HP car. After saving about 20 people from a speed camera ticket (seriously) I accelerated up to 100kph after the open road sign and caught up to a tailback travelling at 60kph along the coast. It's all double yellow lines now and covered in "THIS IS A DANGEROUS BIT AND YOU WILL DIE!!!" signs so the clown was obviously cowed by that and doing what any rude, insensitive, "I'm all right Jack" kiwi motorist who got his license by driving round the Carterton town square and giving the cop a dozen beer would do.

Of course we hit the Raumati straights and he zooms off into the distance at warp speed. Feckless dolt. Caught up with him later and watched him overtake into a blind corner on double yellow lines. With his family in the car.

I got to my mate's place in Foxton at about 9am, and his wife cooked me a superb farm breakfast of fat, salt, and sugar. Mmm, MMM - the three main food groups. Washed down with coffee. Betterer and betterer.

I left at 5pm when I had everything working for him. Felt a bit like a work day actually.

Anyhooo, in the meantime my wife called to say that we were going to the In-Laws in the Wairarapa for tea, so I plotted my course. Shannon, Paihiatua Track, Mangamaire, and then another drone of 60km or so down SH2. I'd forgotten how cool those roads were!! Looooong straights, flowing corners, sweepers, and tight goat tracks covered in melting tar and bits of expired boy racer (saw the butt end of a WRX sticking out of a ditch). You'd think melted tar would be sticky! NOT!! Re-learned some forgotten skills, and I feel a lot more confident about my bike control skills. Not over-confident mind. The more I ride the more I realise I've forgotten or never learned.

Got lots of waves from other enthusiastic biker types too. Cheers if it was any of you lot!

Jim2

[k14]

Yeah, it was a damn nice day for a ride.

Went on a short one, but didnt go any longer cause i didnt have any company

Have to just bear it. Ended up spending a few hours cleaning my bike and chain and doing a few other adjustments. Just about as good as riding.

[James Deuce]

Ahhh, Zen and the art of Motorcycle maintenance. Pity the book's crap.

Jim2

[MikeL]

Auckland had its hottest day of the summer so far - 27 deg. officially but must have been a lot hotter in many parts of the region. I didn't venture out until 4 p.m. and even then found it somewhat uncomfortable - waves of warm air coming off the road surface even at 100 kph kept me sweating. Yesterday was more like my idea of perfect riding weather.
BTW I disagree with your assessment of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. When I first looked at it 30 years ago I thought it was pretentious rubbish (because I didn't understand it) and didn't finish reading it. Had another go last year and saw it in a completely different light. Amazing how much some things can improve by just sitting around for a few decades!

[James Deuce]

Hmm - Had exactly the opposite reaction Mike. Thought it was just the most wonderful piece of subversive literature when I was 15, but now I think it's a piece of rubbish with a protaganist who is not only nuts, but enjoys torturing his child as well.

Dug it out when I was thinking about getting back into riding, and just went "Ewwwwwwwwwwwww" all the way to the last page. Amazing what a conservative old fart you become when you have kids!

But each to their own I guess.

Jim2

[Jackrat]

Well you two are way in front of me,I tryed reading that book in about 1975 and couldn't work it out,Had another go just resently and still can't work it out.I guess I'm just not as strange as I would like to think.
The guy's nuts.But then again maybe not,I did pay good money for the bloody thing,Twice

[Hitcher]

Jim, I concur totally about traffic up the coast from Wellington. It's hard to figure what goes on in the head of some cage drivers. The lengths they take to get one car-length ahead by the top of the Pukerua Bay hill, to then sit in a procession until after McKays Crossing (what is it about McKays Crossing anyway...) beggars belief.

Sunday was a triffic day for a ride. I carved the Wainuiomata coast road down and back for the first time on something bigger than a 250. Woo hoo! What a great stretch of tar...