Ride on Sunday

[kerryg]

Don't know if this has been covered elsewhere but anyway...


The TrackTime organisers have organised a ride leaving from Cycletreads in Barrys Point Rd Sunday morning (August1) going out to Kawakawa Bay. Meet at Cycletreads at 9:30am. Free coffee and doughnuts (but you're supposed to ring up to let them know you're coming and I've lost the phone number ). I think it's only so they know numbers for catering and I guess no problem if you just want to turn up for the ride and aren't going for the doughnuts....

Rain day is 7 August.

Gonna try to make it if I can but commitments with kids might not allow it

[vifferman]

Is it open to anyone?

[kerryg]

Is it open to anyone?

Yeah. I got a mailer from Tracktime 'cos I did a few track days, so that's how I know about it. But there's no cost involved and they say bring a mate...so I figure it's open for anyone. But probably no doughnuts...

I guess Cycletreads are giving their new store a plug

[kerryg]

Yeah. I got a mailer from Tracktime 'cos I did a few track days, so that's how I know about it. But there's no cost involved and they say bring a mate...so I figure it's open for anyone. But probably no doughnuts...

I guess Cycletreads are giving their new store a plug

I rang Mike at Cycletreads and and he confirmed it's free to anyone who wants to turn up but I was bit wrong about time. There will be a rider briefing from around 9 and the ride will depart thereafter. Address is 72 Barrys Point Rd (opposite North Shore Glass he said)

[vifferman]

So how was it? Did anyone go?
I was keen to turn up, but we had our work dinner/party the night before. I was up early enough, but when I mentioned the ride to the wife, she was keen to go too, but not until later, as we had some housework and stuff to do first. So instead I pulled the tank and aircleaner off the bikes, and did some work on the carbs, adjusted the front CCT, balanced the carbs, waxed the chain, that sort of thing. Then in the afternoon, we suited up and went for a coffee in Warkworth. Cracker ride, the missus really enjoyed it, and there were lots of bikes out. There were also lots of HP cars just cruising up and down around Orewa (but nowhere else). I saw 4 of them in the space of a few minutes, not much more than a couple of km apart, but none anywhere else! What's up with that?
Waved to all the bikes, and amazingly, everyone waved back this time (almost none did last weekend). Only exceptions were a couple on a Buell, and a couple on a V-Rod. Even all the cruiser guys and all the other HD riders were friendly for a change.

It's getting serious now - Mrs FS has started asking questions like "How long do you think it would take to ride to the Bay of Islands?", and "Do you think it would be alright to visit my parents on the bike and leave the boys at home?"
I hope she'll still let me go on some faster solo rides, but I don't mind sharing biking with her and travelling at a more relaxed pace.

BTW - the 'Storm actually makes a surprisingly good two-up tourer, and Mrs FS says she finds the seat and seating position quite comfy.

And to the Suzuki 750 (??) rider who passed us north of Orewa heading south - you're a dickhead. Not for passing us, but for overtaking on double yellow lines, for doing what looked to be at least 40kph over the (80) limit, for having no regard for the safety of your pillion, and for giving bikers a bad name. Well done.

[kerryg]

So how was it? Did anyone go?
:

Well thanks to my evil ex I was stuck with the kids so instead of riding motorcycles was ten-pin bowling (and I HATE 10 pin bowling..) and SUCH a nice day for it too.....................

[vifferman]

Sorry to hear it. I hope the kids appreciated your company though? Mine are old enough that they don't even notice whether we're there or not, but as it turned out, one was at work, one was fishing, and one was blowing up mosters on the 'puter.

[SPman]

I trundled off down to Cycletreads new shop at 9 to see what /where, etc. About 30 or 40 bikes gathered so went in, had coffee, checked out Cycletreads new place (up the ramp), met up with a few people I hadn't seen in a while, then we all hived off down to the Autobahn, to link up with some more folks. From there we went to Drury, hooked across to the Hunua-Bombay rd - SH 2 - then to Miranda for Fish & Chips, etc... Had a whip round for Jason Macewan who is still in neck to hips plaster after his practice smash at Taupo! No income, young kids....still in a bad way apparently.
Then we all went our seperate ways. Back up to Kawakawa Bay over a moderately gravel and rock strewn road, where I caught up to Dave Morley on his SPS and we motored at a "sedate" pace back to Clevedon, thence seperate ways home.
A pleasant ride, fine, if a bit f**kin chilly. Frozen fingers all round. Oh well, bit of practice for the C K.