After the discussion about riding in the rain, and Mrs Ixion intimating that nothing would get her out of the house "in this weather", the logic of going for a short blat in the rain seemed inevitable.
Der Uberfarter agreed ("Ach, zu call zis rain? In zer Reich zis ve call zer morning dew"), so waterproofs on and off on a short tootle, up the southern and northern to Silverdale, down Lone Pine Rd to Old North Road, up to Kaucop, then back through Helensville, Waitakere, north-western, southern, down to Manurewa, Alfriston Rd, Clevedon, Twilight Rd and home.
And throughly enjoyable. Completely dry when I got home, even my feet (that'll be thanks to the GAITERS, from the friendly army surplus shop opposite the billboard of the binty with the huge hooters). Great fun. Anyone who says riding in the rain is no fun needs to give it a try.
Doesn't look like they are though , cos all the way to Kaucop, and back to the southern, I saw not one single bike!
Then two on the southern, the ONLY bikes I saw on the whole trip. And... wait for it, one was a crusier, and the other a GN250! So where woz all you sprotsbikers then ? Nobody at Kaucop, nobody at Clevedon, nobody on the roads! The GN250s are putting you gixxer fellas to shame it seems.
Wind on the Harbour Bridge was a bit breezy, but nothing to speak of , but one point along SH16, just after the Helensville turnoff, the hills were channelling the wind over the flat land, and it was about as bad as I remember. I was hanging off the side of the bike like a sprotsbiker, just to keep going straight.
Not much traffic, the advantage of a wet day ride, and they were all really good about moving over to let me through (not that I was going fast, just legal and a wee bit). Even driving onto the gravel to let me overtake
With one notable exception - to the pimply faced dickhead in the Hill Flooring van on the southern motorway - if you're going to treat the world to an exhibition of incompetant driving, cutting in on people, tailgating, swapping back and forth from lane to lane without signalling: don't you think it might be wise NOT to do it in a vehicle with your employers name and phone number plastered all over it ?
Lots of tree bits and slippery leaf stuff all over the roads, otherwise all good.
I stopped at the old Grand Hotel in Helensville for a coffee, and had a talk to the landlady. They've just taken the place over and are VERY biker friendly. Even found me a copy of the latest Kiwirider to read while I had my coffee. She says that by next summer they will have everything open, bar, cafe, dining room, and they're going to set up a secure parking/garden bar at the back for bikers! It's a nice place, and nice people, may be a good place to wash the dust off next summer.
So where woz u all, y' poofters. Missed a really good day for a ride I reckon.
Kept dry as a bone, and warm as, only problem was that on the way up I put my hood up, and it sealed my helmet so well that even with all the vents open it still fogged up, so I had to leave the visor open a bit. On the way back I tucked the hood away and that solved the misting
Originally Posted by skidmark
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