Sicky today

**Firefight** · 25th January 2004, 17:03

well what can I say ?, threw a sicky as some do, too good a day not to ride.

Meet up with Vladi and Yamahaman at Autobahn papakura, then off to Bombay to meet my mate from Counties Honda, who also bought his wife...

So off down the Harrisville, Tuakau, Whangarata, H/W 22 Glen Murray, Naike (were they make the running shoes ) not

,, quick stop @ Ngaruawhia
for coffee and fuel, shit loads of bikes about,, then off down to Whatawhata,
Te Rore, Pironga and up to Kawhia for a long drawn out lunch,, then back the way we came, bit more traffic on the road not too bad..

Nice fast run back up 22, stop by the radar tower at Thunder Valley, saw the strangest site, two dick heads on mountain bikes, wearing nothing but boxer shorts, going hard out heading for Port Waikato, about 60 ks away, hm burn time , say 20 mins that time of day, X two dumb tourists = very red boys not white boys, thats if they don,t fall off before that and scrape all that hard metal off the road with their skin

.

Any way, a quick stop at Tuakau bridge to say our goodbyes, and we all head for home.. what a great day.

Thanks for the company on the ride Vladi, Murray, Chris & Jane.

Yamahamaman · 25th January 2004, 17:53

Dave, you make a better trip reporter than Defence Attorney

In saying that though, you just don't have the verbosity of Andrew and so I safely say 'Andrew, you have not lost your job as trip reporter'. And in the absence of Andrew today, I did a 'Andrew' and the results are attached.

Brilliant ride, brilliant company and brilliant conversation. Thanks Chris & Jane, Vladi and Dave.

Murray

**Motoracer** · 25th January 2004, 18:52

Originally Posted by Yamahamaman

And in the absence of Andrew today, I did a 'Andrew' and the results are attached.

Murray

Did your chain come off? I can't see any damage so I am guessing you aren't talking about a low side.

Yamahamaman · 25th January 2004, 18:55

Originally Posted by Motoracer

Did your chain come off? I can't see any damage so I am guessing you aren't talking about a low side.

Nope - official photographer....

**Motoracer** · 25th January 2004, 19:18

Ohh ok. LMAO!

**Slim** · 25th January 2004, 20:17

LOL @ Motoracer.

I didn't quite pull a "sickie" today, but I was half an hour late for my shift due to enjoying a rideout myself.

I was on the bike heading out of Hamilton at 0800 this morning, and took SH31 to Otorohanga, where I found the lads looking very second hand and blaming it on "that last Guiness". Not to mention the previous 10!!!

We were finally on the bikes and heading north at just after 10am and took the turnoff to Waikeria Prison & then various lovely country roads to Mangakino, then a right at Whakamaru onto SH32 until we reached the left for Kinloch & Taupo. We went right through Taupo and stopped at the Ploughmans Restaurant for lunch (yum!) before Craig and I headed north again on SH1 so I could return to work.

2 of our number were on a matching set of 80's vintage Kawasaki Z1000 & Z650 in beautiful condition, but after the Waikeria turnoff, the Z650 didn't reappear in my mirrors. So I slowed down, thinking she'd got caught at the turnoff by a bit of through traffic ...... still no headlight. Hmmm. The 3 guys have disappeared over the hill & round the corner & are no longer in sight. What to do? Still no headlight, still no sign of the guys .... Bugger it! I turned around and went back to find Kate parked up at the Shell at the turnoff with no power. :disapint: By the time the guys had arrived, we'd managed to get the dodgy seat lock open & check the battery connections - ok. Turned out the main fuse had cooked itself (leaving a melted indent in the fuse box cover) when she put on her indicator to make the turn. Her hubby supplied a 20amp fuse to replace the melted 15amp one, everything tested ok

and off we went again.

We saw 2 Highway guys and a red camera van within 5kms of each other about halfway between Taupo & Tokoroa on the return trip and I saw what looked like a mufti Ford just south of Putaruru and the usual Highway guy in the Karapiro area, and we weren't bothered by any of them.

We pulled in home, I got the bike in the garage, jumped out of my leathers, into my work clothes, brushed my teeth, had a 2 second shower (ie deodorant applied), grabbed my book & some frozen macaroni cheese for dinner, and rushed out the front door for work .... 30 minutes late.

Luckily the guy I was taking over from is a keen motorcyclist himself, and the classic Kwacka with a blown fuse was a great excuse for being late.

**MikeL** · 25th January 2004, 21:05

Glad you had a good ride, and sorry I couldn't make it. Had made an arrangement with some other guys to go up north. Went to Mangawhai: lunch at the Smashed Pipi, a swim at the beach (not much surf), then back via Kaukapakapa and Helensville. Brilliant ride, brilliant weather, heaps of bikes on the road but not too much traffic overall. Dave you've got to overcome that anti-Northland prejudice of yours!! Can't keep endlessly re-doing SH22!! (even if it is the best ride of the lot). But SH16 is pretty cool as well (and I rarely see a cop).
Now where can I go tomorrow...??

Yamahamaman · 25th January 2004, 21:27

Originally Posted by MikeL

Can't keep endlessly re-doing SH22!! (even if it is the best ride of the lot).

MikeL SH16 is meagre by comparrison. I could seriously get to love SHXXII.

Murray

**Lord Pac** · 26th January 2004, 08:59

damn- if i knew i would have tagged along with you guys! was an awesome day for riding!

**Firefight** · 26th January 2004, 15:43

Originally Posted by Mike

Dave you've got to overcome that anti-Northland prejudice of yours!! Can't keep endlessly re-doing SH22!! (even if it is the best ride of the lot). But SH16 is pretty cool as well (and I rarely see a cop).
Now where can I go tomorrow...??

Hi Mike, yes we missed you, we did have a good day, and there is a good reason why I won't go North, I'll explain it in detail next time I see you

And yes ,I can continue to endlessly travel 22, you never know I might get to know the road and become fast !

have a good week mate.

FF

**MikeL** · 26th January 2004, 20:03

Originally Posted by Firefight

Hi Mike, yes we missed you, we did have a good day, and there is a good reason why I won't go North, I'll explain it in detail next time I see you

And yes ,I can continue to endlessly travel 22, you never know I might get to know the road and become fast !

have a good week mate.

FF

Hey Dave if you get any faster on SH22 I'll have even more trouble keeping up with you and end up way behind so I won't see your hazard warning lights when we come to that uneven road surface coz I can never remember exactly where it is...