The day I fell in love with a filthy Kwaka '07 ZX-6R

[Cr1MiNaL]

I use sandpaper so I dont look nub

[howdamnhard]

Glad you have finally found the right bike for you,she looks good in black.

[NZsarge]

Congrats on the new bike, lookin' good in black too.

[Harry the Barstard]

You bringing the sand paper then? Or should I just get it over with and use a belt sander?

I just keep having jaw-dropping moments on this bike. It carves up corners effortlessly. When I do a "speedo check" I tend to back off on the approach but if I just set the bike up and drop her in, then look at the speedo ...

Welcome to green side (or in your case black), i have shit loads of growing to do with my one, but i still know she is 600 for me. Forgiving but can haul ass too. Best bike i have ridden in my life ...although i havent ridden any of the 07 600's

All the best ill catch u out on a ATNR as soon as my bits are back on. Hope you enjoy her as much as i have enjoyed mine

[robertydog]

Bloody nice machine. Well done. I could have one of those.

[Rotor]

Black always looks so nice (in a bad way)
if i didnit like suzuki the ZX's have that look and the go
Nice bike

[Black Bandit]

Can hardly believe I'm writing this now ... he's dead Jim, he's dead. Took the "old" 6R out for a little bit of a scout to take advantage of the decent weather yesterday ... and I ran out of talent .

Just past Kumeu I approached a left-hander when I noticed a lot of that loose chip-seal gravel had been swept onto the cornering line (you know the sort that gets spread all over the place and then left to allow cars to "bed it in" without laying proper tarmac ). Thought I'd better scub-off some speed just to be safe but ended up a little wide so had to tip in and hope it stuck ... it didn't . Front end washed out doing about 70~80 km/h.

I hit the deck hard and continued face down along the road with my arms pinned under my body (a bit like a human cannonball) while the bike exited stage right. The bike came to rest in a ditch alongside the road and I stopped on the tarmac in the opposite lane. It's a horrible pause as you scrape along the tarmac, stone chips pinging off the helmet and you find yourself wondering how long it will be before you stop and praying that it will be before the tarmac finds a weakness in your armour and grinds it's way to flesh.

Bike's fairings are properly munted and there's no mirror or gear lever anymore - but from what I could see it's mostly cosmetic and is now back at the shop to be assessed. I've taken a massive knock to the left knee (swollen to about twice it's normal size and can't bend it more than a couple of degrees - I guess this was the major impact zone for the crash, possible that the bike landed on the knee as I we went down), there's an impression of my jersey in my left elbow, my thumb's badly sprained after being dragged under my body for a couple of meters and generally feeling bruised and sore. That's through proper riding kit and it did the job but I will now be looking for replacement gear as the cordura has been torn up pretty good. Even my leather riding boots almost rubbed all the way through and there's a nice lumpy mark above my big left toe to show for it! Force of the crash ripped my watch from my wrist and all the numbers have fallen off the watch face. No skin on the tarmac though .

I know it could have been so much worse and I cannot express enough thanks to the couple who live on that corner. When they heard the crash they rang the emergency services (who were outstanding as well BTW ), invited me in for a coffee and even took me and the bike back home. Thank you, thank you, thank you - the world is a better place with people like you around! Bikes can be repaired so that's not a major but I was treated like family by complete strangers.

I'm shaken up, it all happened so fast and if there had been any on-coming traffic, it's likely I'd be no more than a bloody smear on the tarmac instead of writing this post. I dunno, my first major off and I'm now reconsidering this whole biking lark. It's a strange mix of embarrassment, annoyance and fear. Who knows, in time I may look back on this incident and laugh but at the moment the sense of my own mortality is foremost in my mind, not to mention the dull ache that is the banged up knee. I've replayed the incident in my head over and over to think about what I could have done differently. It wasn't a road I was familiar with. At the end of the day the factors were stacked against me and shit happened but I got lucky.

[boomer]

don't worry its only a kwaka.

glad your relatively ok and bugga about ya new old girl.. heal fast.

[boomer]

I use sandpaper so I dont look nub

you didn't do a very good job bro... ya missed a couple of inches!!!


ps.. mr bandit.. does it still look like this ???http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/at...1&d=1183860292

[SlowHand]

DOH! lucky you waited for your full license and insuance!

hope it wasnt on my road, its in shockin state at the moment.

[Cr1MiNaL]

Well that was short lived indeed. Thats real sad to hear mate, but never mind its only a bike. Atleast ur ok ( if that helps). I've had a minor thing too with my bike and have been feevishrly repairing it as best i can. Hope u have good insurance. Im happy to give u a lift if u need one and Im free. Also happy to pillon u on the ATNR in case u feel left out... will b a few months while the insurance sort their shit out... Its almost like loosing ur lisense. guted bro.. I feel 4 ya... she was a stunna. Never mind she will live again.

[Cr1MiNaL]

you didn't do a very good job bro... ya missed a couple of inches!!!

Seriously boomer, thought u were joking at first so didn't mention anything but now... U really do need to visit ur local optometrist.

[boomer]

Seriously boomer, thought u were joking at first so didn't mention anything but now... U really do need to visit ur local optometrist.

unfortunately for you me old mucker i have 20/20. just like the yammie.. the rear tyre looked almost brand new

[Cr1MiNaL]

It was a new tire then, but perhaps u shuda taken a better look... never mind off topic. were here to grieve...

[boomer]

It was a new tire then, but perhaps u shuda taken a better look... never mind off topic. were here to grieve...

i didn't need to take a better look.. i could see the unused rubber from 50 yards away and does Dover know you're using HIS book of excuses... new rubber indeed...