Lowered the wifes 1k about 3 months ago by 1" at rear with dogbones, and never got around to doing the front. I was riding it around during the week and noticed it was slow at turning in, so saturday was decided to lower the front to match the rear. got a mate down who knows what he doing. Since we wanted to look at all the supension setup on all the bikes while we are it.(I know enough to get myself in to trouble, and thats about it).
So sunday was test day, we decided we wanted to head 'south' in some direction.
Meet up at 10am, to figure out which way we going. decided to head to whakatane this is usual a pretty uneventful trip, pretty boring, since its pretty straight, espically when you put the matata straights in the loop. but was good time to see how the new setups on the bikes feel.
Just before whakatane, decided, would hope over the hill to ohope beach, mostly due to the nice hill that seprates these two, just a pity most of it was damp. Pull in to ohope take a cruise down the beach, the local surf club as a little comp on, so we roll back down, decided this is a good area for a bit of a photo shoot of the bikes.
30 mins later back on the bikes heading to rotovegas for lunch. via the manawahe's. First its via awakeri then thru te teko. Now the fun begins, leave the wife and father in law behind, as i decide to take it up a couple of steps, to really see how the new setup works. This bit of road is nice, always nicely sealed. no real big ruts, or anything in the road, and plenty range of corners, from nice long sweapers, to 35-45km corners. Only down side, was still damp thru some bits, saw a couple signs for 'Ice/grit' didn't feel the ice or really notice any grit, even the damp spots, where pretty good over all.
I get to Lake Rotama, decide its a good spot for me to pull over and wait for the rest to catch up, waited about a 1min for wife to show up, then a futher min for father in law to show up. Decide to stop here and take a couple more snaps.
Then off to rotovegas to get that food, the rest of this road past Lake Rotoehu, then Lake Rotoiti. It is a bit populated with people wanting to live beside the lakes, so posted speed limit from here is like 80km/h, but i took that as a guide.
Stoped at the cafe beside the lake, and meet up with some of the local uysless members, couple out with the hog run, and a couple just out just on there own. they were leaving as we arrived. Which was handy, gave us a table to sit down. Get the food down a gobs, talk some bullshit, then back on the bikes. Gased up leaving rotovegas, since father in law wanted to stop in at the Okoroire on way home so home via the mamaku's was the next route. This road normally as somearound somewhere, but not a one.
Stoped in at the oko, Was a few different groups, was about 35ish bikes already there, most of them harleys and the like. Had a quick drink, me and wife decided it was starting to cool down and wanted to get back on the road. Before the kamais started getting to cold. Had a goodish run up the kamais not many cars, so plenty of clear road. Then a quickish trip back down in to tauranga, and home. To light the fire.
Over all a good day only saw 1all trip, that was very close to home.
PS - Bike pictures taken at ohope beach, picture of our ugly mugs taken at Lake Rotama
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