A good day out.

**86GSXR** · 26th July 2007, 23:44

After discovering that I had an unexpected day off today (I think it was work's mistake, but who was I to argue) I awoke this morning to a damp grey windy palmerston day.

There were plenty of things I could have done, like lawns, fence repairs, bike cleaning etc, but I decided to take advantage of the freedom to get the bike out instead.

So I headed up the Pahiatuha Track and had a nice ride down the other side, just taking it easy enjoying the bike and the countryside. I turned off towards Mangamaire rather than going straight through, as it's such a good stretch of road.

Somewhere along the road I overtook a big Ford ute driven by a big bearded good ole boy and his lady and to my surprise I noticed he's sped up a little to keep up with me. I slowly drew ahead and stopped further down the line to check out a side road. When I got back into the swing of it I passed him again and again he sped up. So it became a kind of good natured chase along a good road.

Upon reaching SH 2 I turned south and kept my speed down whereupon the Ford overtook me again and kept going at about 130 or so. Well, he either had a damn good radar dectector on board, or was closely related to the local cop so I just kept pace with him . Pretty soon we were joined by an old gent in his late 70's driving a late model Mitzi sedan and the three vehicles just fell into a natural rhythm, enjoying the good road and the pace with absolutely no hint of anything dodgy and it was certainly not dangerous.

It made me think what a shame it is that the idiots out there really ruin it for everyone else. I mean here we were, three mature people doing 130 on a good dry road, good viz, in vehicles quite capable of it, plenty of stopping distance between us, and the most dangerous thing about it was the threat of a ticket.

OK, so a cow could have run onto the road, a boy racer could have come around the next bend on the other side of the road, lightning could have struck us all down, but none of this happened and it was a damn good clear run all the way around to the end of the Masterton bypass.

I stopped in Carterton for an OJ and had a quick chat to a Wellie lady biker on an SV who just happened to be heading on the opposite loop.

Onwards up the Taka's another stop at the top and was soon joined by a bloke on a BMW 800 ST, followed shortly after by a Daytona 675 and then another chap on a big Beemer tourer he was test riding.

A quick chat and then it was off down the hill and into Wellie. I really needed a coffee by now and so cruised down to WMC and parked up outside. At this time of day, that's where the sun was so it was a good sit down at the next door cafe for that coffee and newspaper

After a bit of a look around WMC I thought I had better get home sometime so I headed off around the basin at about 4.30. I'd not tried out the new bypass from that direction so I was interested to see how it worked. Well, no change around the basin i.e bumper to bumper, and I was stopped at the lights opposite Adelaide Rd. Getting the green I was just about to inch through the gaps and checked my mirrors. I didn't see anyone behind me but sensed someone and at that moment a woman on a big blue bike (didn't catch the make) had obviously had the same thought and squeezed through and made a good pace through the traffic right round the basin and I'm guessing either onto the motorway or up to Brooklyn. Nice move

Onto Buckle St and a Harley had appeared in the mirrors and we sort of kept pace all the way to the gorge where he headed out to the Hutt and I continued up the gorge and almost immediately came across a late model GSXR 750 also heading north. Again it was a leisurely cruise up the motorway where he turned off up Whitby way and I continued on the main line.

Along the QE Park straight I was overtaken by a GSR 600 and managed a quick friendly chat at the Paraparumu lights before he turned off towards the beach.

It was nearly dark by now and I had an uneventful run through to Shannon where I stopped for fuel. Had just filled up when I got a text from Chanceyy. At that moment I bumped into another KB member who was driving his car down to Wellie.

So, it was quite a sociable day one way or another. Good on the bikers out there who provided some good vibes, on and off your bikes