I rode home from Paul in NZ's BBQ last night. I rode there too, just so there's no confusion. I had to work all day and I was really keen to get to the BBQ, meet up with the family, and spend some time NOT thinking about work.
It was a bit windy on the way out to Raumati from Wellington at 4pm, with dark threatening clouds. I'm not a great fan of night riding by myself, but the lure of fellow KBers was too strong, so instead of heading home and getting lift in the car I took the bike.
I had a great night, catching up with Stonechucker and Ramius, looking at people's new bikes, cleaning 22 years worth of road spooge and chain lube off and out of CSL's gear lever pivot, playing with the kids - you know, FUN!
Then it was time to go home. The odd shower was whistling through by now, and thanks to the logistics of organising 3 kids, and me working 4 hours longer than I expected, my clear visor never made it into the car. If you've seen a black Arai visor you'd know they're not made for night time use. In fact they could double as a Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy towel in a pinch, if not hiding horrible sights compleely, at least providing a significant reduction in lumens, and making it more difficult to see the mother-in-law, errr, horrible space monster.
Especially at night.
Well after trying on a some of Paul in NZ's helmet collection, I was just about to take the open face option when he lunged at me with some motorcross goggles. Amber lenses, but still much less light blocking than my black visor. Problem solved, and much swearing averted.
I think I ran into about 70% of the Kapiti-Porirua boy racer population on the way home. Collective IQ of 12. From about 3 cars ranging from a blinged out Datsun 1200, through a mildly modified Mazda 929, to Mitsubishi Magna with wings galore, spinners, neons, fur trimmed interior - and a standard Mitsi 3.5 V6 with standard exhaust.
Between rain squalls, pitch black highway with only catseyes for guidance and suicidal boy racers squeezing each other out on the Paremata bridge and forcing a turn off into Whitby, and then driving the wrong way up the wrong lane to get back to the Paremata roundabout I was somewhat please to survive.
MAzda 929 driving kiddy isn't going to forget me though. Those who know Mana will know that the road has been widened and lanes are manipulated to keep traffic flowing through there. At night though the lanes nearest the footpath are blocked with cones. Mazda 929 boy was in an extreme state of blissful delerium, driving at about 40km/hr, making random unindicated lanes changes and then deciding to play chicken with the cones while right alongside me. O how I laughed when he realised the cones were there and even though I braked to give him room about 100 metres away, he STILL managed to flatten one of the cones that were obviously waterfilled, as the 929 got airborne for a bit - right next to two Police HP cars.
Boy racer invincibility - 0
Crusty old rider intuition - 1
Reply With Quote
Rugby - A Hooligans Game played by Gentlemen. 
Bookmarks