Jatz's travels

**NordieBoy** · 7th November 2014, 06:17

Originally Posted by Gremlin

Some funny pics of Bacon

Does he always have a stupid grin on his face?

I'd do a joke about "only when someone's hand is up his bum", but I'm not that crass.

**XF650** · 7th November 2014, 06:38

That tyre looks familiar.....
Great RR & reminds me of Pooey's travels.

**Moi** · 7th November 2014, 17:27

Originally Posted by JATZ

Yip

They're just gravel roads, if your comfortable with that you'll be fine. If your not comfortable with it, do it anyway and you soon will be

Happy to ride good quality gravel roads - good sound base with clear wheel tracks. Struck major road reconstruction on the Whanganui River Road in January this year - heavy base coarse and quite deep. Even a few cars were having issues with it, so took to the other side of the road and enjoyed clear wheel tracks.

Explored those roads north of the Whangamomona Road by car back in the mid 70s - a couple of them had vegetation growing between the wheel tracks!

Have shared yours and Bacon's adventure with some of the girls in my senior English class - they are now convinced that all riders [myself included] are totally crazy but likeable!

**Tazz** · 8th November 2014, 14:21

Cheers for the panniers and the RR man. Some cool kodak moments in there.

I was wondering how you got on in that wind. You could have looped some string around one of those bricks and called it a kite at one stage here.

**mossy1200** · 8th November 2014, 16:40

Are you still out gallivanting around rather than building a k100 café racer?

**JATZ** · 10th November 2014, 20:09

Originally Posted by XF650

That tyre looks familiar.....
Great RR & reminds me of Pooey's travels.

Thats a new one

I wore the last one out, It did a few k's though

Originally Posted by Moi

Happy to ride good quality gravel roads - good sound base with clear wheel tracks. Struck major road reconstruction on the Whanganui River Road in January this year - heavy base coarse and quite deep. Even a few cars were having issues with it, so took to the other side of the road and enjoyed clear wheel tracks.

Explored those roads north of the Whangamomona Road by car back in the mid 70s - a couple of them had vegetation growing between the wheel tracks!

Have shared yours and Bacon's adventure with some of the girls in my senior English class - they are now convinced that all riders [myself included] are totally crazy but likeable!

Yeah they were all decent gravel roads, clear wheel tracks and in good nick, except for maybe the start of the Port Waikato rd, which had some "interesting" fill put in the holes
"crazy" not so much..."likeable" , depends,

I'm not sure it's a good thing being read by impressionable young minds

Originally Posted by Tazz

Cheers for the panniers and the RR man. Some cool kodak moments in there.

I was wondering how you got on in that wind. You could have looped some string around one of those bricks and called it a kite at one stage here.

Hope they fit, if not I've got a FBH to make minor adjustments

Originally Posted by mossy1200

Are you still out gallivanting around rather than building a k100 café racer?

I might put it on the market... My workshop consists of a concrete floor in a disused coolstore, with no power, and I don't see that changing in the near future

**_Shrek_** · 11th November 2014, 15:10

I thought they were tubeless... time for a new bike

**JATZ** · 7th January 2015, 21:32

Well.....

I'm baaack

Things got a leeetle bit busy for a while there

... Lets just rewind a little

Early December, or was it late November ?

I went for a ride up the Leatham vly with some guys from over Blenheim way. It was a good day out. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and all was right with the world

It's not often I get a pic of me wobbling my way around on a bike, so this one is a rarity

We ended up at a nice little spot for a campout

Anyhooo... During the course of the day my usually reliable steed decided to play silly buggers. Starting was becoming a hit and miss affair, the final straw was getting a push start when we got back to the main road and said hooroo

to the Blenheim lads.
I think the GS might have got the message I wasn't happy with it

and it did everything right on the way home.
During the week I had a look under the hood and tightened a mildly loose terminal, put the voltmeter on it and made myself feel better by sticking another battery in it, and it started and stopped as it should

So I trundled off to Hanmer the following weekend. for a bit of R&R

Taking in the all the usual alternate options to the main road.
All was good during the trip there and back.....well almost

I stopped to grab some milk from the local indian, and when I hit the starter.... nothing ! Try again...nothing !! I got a couple of RSE workers who were lurking in the vicinity to give me a loooong push....still nothing !! but I'm sure they enjoyed the workout

Nevermind, I was only a couple of k's from home so went and grabbed the ute.
Another mildly interesting thing from the weekend... I'd left the bike parked at the digs while going for breakfast and making a dick of myself on the pitch 'n' putt course

And when I returned there was a bag hanging from the handle bars

I don't remember leaving that there...
Inside was this little critter

His names George. He seems to like riding shotgun and we seem to get on alright so I may just take him on a few rides, see how he works out

**JATZ** · 7th January 2015, 21:45

A call to my man in Chch to discuss what the issue may be, Stuffed stator apparently

a known weak point on these bikes, which I knew about. Options to get it sorted were discussed, a rewind

or a new genuine one

Off to Chch the following weekend...

I left it with my man there http://www.motorcycleworkshop.co.nz/index.html Intending to shoot down after a couple of weeks and have it back in time for Xmas

Shit

look at the time.... more tomorrow

**_Shrek_** · 8th January 2015, 07:22

Originally Posted by JATZ

Shit

look at the time.... more tomorrow

which Christmas was that?

Jim has to the best I've come across for the beamers, been using him since 06

when are you heading down this way... may need to have a catch up & make a plan for the Earnslaw & over the hill etc...

**JATZ** · 8th January 2015, 20:51

Originally Posted by _Shrek_

which Christmas was that?

Jim has to the best I've come across for the beamers, been using him since 06

when are you heading down this way... may need to have a catch up & make a plan for the Earnslaw & over the hill etc...

Yeah Big fellah, he knows his stuff and seems to be a decent soul. I don't mind making the trek to see him every so often.

I may come lurking down your way in the next few weeks or so, hopefully before the harvest kicks off. A trip on the Earnslaw is a must do, seeing as how I missed it last time. Aswell as ticking some other boxes while Im down there

I let you know...

**JATZ** · 12th January 2015, 16:04

Continuing on.....

I ended up back in Auckland for Xmas

Despite my insistence I wouldn't be going back for a while.
But when you get a call from big brother saying "Mum's in hospital, get your arse here pronto" it's hard to argue

I hung around long enough to make sure she was going to live, and see some new rellies (crickey theyre prolific

) I didn't know existed, then made my way to the Shaky city. A quick trip down to Ashvegas for some Thai food (good) and a play on the playground. Do you realise how hard it is to do a full 360 on one of those mouse wheels ?? I don't think the belly full of Thai made it any easier

Then back to Chch (via Methven and Rakia gorge) to pick up the bike from a friend of my Big bros who'd been baby sitting it.
I gave it a good test on the way home over the Lewis

and it seemed to be going just fine.
I got home in time to spend a day at the races too

The "off road" section for the 'tards was pretty cool, just needed better viewing areas

Here's Josh Coppins, this is all the other riders saw of him too

And remember folks.... Motor sport is dangerous, Be safe, Be seen