250 ride 16/12/06

**McJim** · 14th December 2006, 09:24

Originally Posted by Hellraiser

Indeed he has, they went out last night so for those of you that didn't get it but intend to just show up on the day ............ you may want to PM Camp Mother (aka McJim) first as there are a number of changes to meet times and stuff.

And I'm not really that Camp. Wooohooo 2000 posts...I'm on my way to being famus..

**toymachine** · 14th December 2006, 16:04

Can i grab an invite, I need to see if I can pick my bike up from Motohaus and get there intime..

**gijoe1313** · 14th December 2006, 16:16

Sweating buckets here ...

Finally got Botany Honda to get my fork seals in for tomorrow morning ... will need to drop out my forks and get them tickety-boo for Saturday!

Nothing like missing out on a ride to sharpen one's motivation and focus! Now ... where's me tools ...

**Donor** · 14th December 2006, 22:49

I didn't get an invite!!

...oh wait, I'm not going...

Bloody typical, I score my new brake pads tomorrow, Daisy is running better than ever after a few round town tune ups *cough* and I ain't able to go...

Well bugger it, I'm going for a squirt to Waiuku tomorrow by myself... and none of you buggers are coming with me - so there!

*tantrum mode ON*

**Lucy** · 15th December 2006, 07:36

Good to hear you got your brakes done - a bit hard to practice emergency stopping without them!

Don't think I can go on the ride now either, so much for burning down the office....although I might do the first bit on my way to work, the Hunuas ARE on the way to Albany aren't they....hee hee...everywhere is on the way when you are on two wheels of freedom!

**Donor** · 15th December 2006, 08:11

Originally Posted by Lucy

Don't think I can go on the ride now either, so much for burning down the office....

Well that makes me feel better... knowing the Club hoon isn't going, I wouldn't want to attend anyway!

**gijoe1313** · 16th December 2006, 00:02

Yes! I got both my forks changed toot sweet and learnt a whole bunch to boot - took it out for a bedding in pootle around the Hunuas, Twilight Road and to the city and back!

Just one thing ...

I ran out of gas on the way to city just past the Manukau on ramp

Silly me! Pushed it to the Shell opposite the movie theatre, mumbled an excuse "Oh my bastard mate borrowed my bike and didn't tell me he switched to reserve...last time I let him borrow my bike again!"

Anyhow, just so nice to have my little ol'Hornet back in action again

- 3 days without my two wheels of freedom was

Righto, time to find some twisties and to the back of beyond places!

**McJim** · 16th December 2006, 07:24

What a lovely day - see you all soon!

**lukelin250** · 16th December 2006, 15:29

How Was The Ride Guys??? Wish I Could Have Made It. I Hope You All Had Fun Fun Fun And Learnt Som New Things. !!

**toymachine** · 16th December 2006, 15:32

Just got back.. awesome ride... i'm bloody sore though

Some pretty dodgy roadworks eh.

Nice to meet you hamilton fellas/gals too.

Cyas around..

Anyone managed to get Gijoe to turn back yet?

**McJim** · 16th December 2006, 15:35

Well we had to split at Mercer as Chickadees chin strap had somehow worked it's way loose.

We got back home safe and sound though. Nice road SH22 - shame about the wet concrete - I'm off to buy a chisel and remove most of SH22 from my bike.

Hope everyone else got home safe and sound after we split.

**Hellraiser** · 16th December 2006, 15:55

Yep Good ride guys I had fun .........

Has Mav showed up?

Good meeting the Hamilton Guys, i see not all of you had 6 fingers on each hand and played the bango .... (most but not all)

**tide** · 16th December 2006, 17:45

Got back safe, so sore, my fingers are strugling to type...

Mav had me holding him back, he got off the highway at East Tamaki... Thanks for the company...

Not bad 300Km plus in a day...

I think we made up for the holiday break...

Ride safe see you in the new year...

Deon

**gijoe1313** · 16th December 2006, 20:30

Well crikey, what a great day that was! New faces to some names and had a ball of a time being Tail End Charlie - I know my antics at the back was unusual, but I figured it was a good time to do the ol'Zapf meerkat special

Felt like I had a rocket pack strapped to me and enjoyed the heads up view of the undulating countryside, a passing pastoral scene of farming frolickness!

Great feed at the pub, the corn stack was delicious and will be worth making the trip there for that alone! Good to see also, the riders ahead of me were taking good lines, situational awareness of road conditions and riding within their skill zone.

As for me ...

I was following Mav and Tide back when we hit some gravel, it was a left hander down slope and I needed to take some speed off - used the front brake ... and nothing! Decided to ride it out and lo, my back wheel starts heeling to the right, I correct but find the bike heading over to the over side of the road ... where an oncoming SUV appears!

No panic ... just aimed it to the right of the SUV, counter to my survival reaction, I increased throttle to avoid being SUV hood ornament and looked to where I wanted to end up! All went well, didn't even notice the reaction of the driver!

Learning point - keep your head, always look to where you want to end up and you may even have to roll on throttle to get you out of a situation!

Fluttering heart aside, I pumped the brakes a few time after I get to clear seal ... and very little resistance!

Well, at the next BP (Ngaruawahia) did a mark I eyeball inspection... turns out oil from the bottom fork screw was dripping onto the brake disc! :

So I cut my pootling and headed back to home via SH1 ... even managed to catch up with McJim and Chickadee on the Bombay/Drury leg! Anyhows, I sorted out the fork and gave myself a slap upside the head (it's always the one bolt/screw/nut you forget to tighten!)

Great day anyhows, will get up bright and early tomorrow and do some more maintenance and decide where to ride!

**TLDV8** · 16th December 2006, 20:44

Originally Posted by gijoe1313

gravel....SUV.. hood ornament

Strange you mention those things

I did have one small moment on some pea gravel but the leprechauns stepped in and all was well........ On the same leg back to Ngaruawahia,some minutes after that i crest a small rise to see a oncoming SUV in my lane doing somekind of flat angle crossing from its side of the road to the gravel edge on my side,i moved over to the right a tad and past it went (on my left)

..... Looking in the mirror saw those following to have not been put in danger (i hope)
What the driver was doing,who would know...