Taka's - First Timer

[Shadows]

That wind can be a killer on a light bike if it picks up. Usually more of a problem on the way down, something to look out for.

[plop]

I Agree,

I have the pleasure of living over the hill and travel it each day to and from work,

When i was hit with the wind for the first time it was wet and cold i was shitting my pants as it blew me over the road, I have hopefully got the windy corners in my head and always check the weather the night before i travel as in the winter it can be a bitch..nothing beats the ride on a sunny day thou

Also i agree sun is not always shining on some parts so care is needed and also on comming racers and trucks who need a bit more than there road in some of those corners

Enjoy and watch out for my little yellow bike each day

Plop

That wind can be a killer on a light bike if it picks up. Usually more of a problem on the way down, something to look out for.

[Hawkeye]

Damm, The weather doesn't look good. May have to give the Taka's a miss this weekend.
Also just been informed by the better half that unless I've finished my homework, I can't go out to play

["D" FZ1]

I went over the hill on the 1400 a couple of years back. Some pretty gnarly corners

[sugilite:Me]

Ahhh, congrats on your 1st taka's ride!
I lived up there so much, the council wanted to charge me rent!
Hitcher is right, the 1st time is so special.

I'd heard about the legend thats is the Taka's and I can remember yaahooing in my helmet the 1st time I passed the Rimutaka Hill Road open sign for the 1st time.

My experience was sullied a little by a character I met at the top who I later came to refer to as "Mr Fuck" as every second word out his mouth was "fuck".
He was a large pudgy individual on a Eddie Lawson Replica Kawasaki Z1000. He wallowed over to me as I got of my RG250 and wheezed out Fucken little 2 stroke, Get a real fucken bike etc fuck etc fuck etc fuck. He proceeded to tell me how fast and skilled he was, though I came to notice how he always waited till everyone had gone before he left, and would turn up before anyone else had arrived...hmmmm.
A few months later i was approaching Temarua and this big round headlight loomed in my mirrors and guess who blasted past on the straight. I took immediate action and knifed past him through the bends, I ran over a rough patch of tar and had my 1st serious tank slapper, I fair crapped myself and was relieved he had not seen it, flew into the next sweeper, and FARK! no brakes! managed to get around ok and learn t that knarly tank slappers separate your brake pads away from your disks! I could have done without two sphincter challanging moments within a few 100 meters of each other, but onwards and upwards as they say!
I gapped him enough that he could not take me down the long straights leading down to the Taka's, then put in a reasonably hot ascent, got of my bike and w a i t e d for him to arrive. He oozed his way of his bike and started ranting about how fucken crazy I was and how it was fucks like me that raised his insurance premiums (to this day, I've never claimed insurance from a crash). The cool part is, I was a social muppet and chatted to everyone (unlike the big bikes exclusive club members at the time) and he assumed I was giving our race report to one and all. (I never mentioned it at all) So.....
1. Surviving my 1st major tank slapper - Great
2. Beating Mr Fuck on a rough looking RG250 long straights and all - Cool
3. Watching Mr Fuck going around everyone saying "I suppose that fuck told you he beat me" priceless!

Keep enjoying the hill, it is one of the best of it's type anywhere.

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

When I first arrived in Wellington - I did the Takas alot - never realised that it had such a reputation! I look forward to riding my "new bike" on it.

[ZeroIndex]

Don't you have to keep the L plate until you have your full?

you can get fined for having an L plate on when not on a L license.. (or at least that's what I heard from someone)

[Sensei]

My 1st ride up them was behind 3 very skilled Welly Dudes at fast speed which I enjoyed alot & look forward to doing again sometime next year .

[Fatjim]

Can't have been that fast. I kept up!

[Beemer]

If you're still on your learner's it may pay to keep what speed you were doing to yourself - aren't you meant to be doing a maximum of 70 until you pass your restricted?

The hill can be fun but it's better during the week when there aren't so many vehicles on it.

[RnB Fan]

My first time over the hill was pretty uneventful - I was pretty nervous but was surprised how quickly it was all over - I even had cars moving over to let me past and I don't ride fast! The ride back was another story. The wind came up and I was crapping myself the whole way home. Came around a couple of bends at the top and the little Suzuki just about stopped in the head wind - not a nice feeling. Having done it once I will now wait for my bigger bike (hopefully later this year) and some fine weather before I go again.

[sugilite:Me]

My fave time to do the Takas is on a full moon, around 3 to 4am. The light is incredible, you can read the small print decals on your bike, and even see the colours of them, however, you can still easily see headlights a long distance away. I take the first run slowly to check for hazards, then cut loose taking any lines I damn well feel like. All at 100 kph if course, ooppps is my nose growing?

I hear what people are saying about the wind, the frount wheel on one of my RG250's was lifted of the ground slightly whilst being totally cranked over once, hand of God stuff that I managed to stay on, I'd like to say skill, but a lot more likely it was not panicking and blind luck! The biggest thing to watch for on the north side, is there are parts where the wind slams into the wall beside the road, theses walls are curved following the road it self, the wind hits the wall, whistles around the curve and hits you from the other side, so one second your fighting the wind hitting you from the right, then WHAMMO it slams you from the left.
You are not always going to be able to avoid the wind whilst riding bikes, so you may as well just learn to deal with it, the 1st few times are scary, but then one gets used to it.

[sugilite:Me]

Oh, one other thing about dealing with wind....
I found that by using the Motocross attack position, it helps one react very quickly to gusty winds.
The attack position is, sit as far forwards as you can and bend your elbows out, try and avoid the "death" grip with your hands. As a gust hits you will be able to react quickly, I also use my kness against the tank to aid in counter steering.
I get lots of practise where I live now, it is Wind HQ, just ask Poos, he worked around these parts at one time.

[Hawkeye]

If you're still on your learner's it may pay to keep what speed you were doing to yourself - aren't you meant to be doing a maximum of 70 until you pass your restricted?

The problem is that, until I'd finished the ride, I didn't know how far out my speedo was. It's the first time I've been out with other bikes where I've been trying to stay in touch. I normally spend my time commuting into Welly during rush hour so never get the chance to open her up.
I spoke to the shop about it the next day. He thinks the sender unit must have been changed. I've got a 16in front wheel but they also made CBX's with 18in fronts. He thinks my sender could have been changed to an 18in unit causing the discrepency.