Expressions of interest required for The Great Escape, 10-11 November

[cowboyz]

nice. just nice. I went out the valley last night to console myself about not riding this weekend. Did the "hit the dead possum" thing on a right hander (You have to trademark these things if you dont want them copied Garry) Probably wasnt but felt like both wheels were in the air for a bit.

Oh well. Next one you know I will (try) and be there.

[2up3dom]

great ride yea and i had to get my tatts and tits out but thats just me gotta give em something to look at

[sarahtvet]

I caught up with the gang at the Lakefront for lunch. Cool to put some more faces to names and catch up with the old ones. Nice assortment of rides too.

REALLY hanging out for a ride now!!

It was really nice to catch up with you and your lad
We all appreciated you coming down to see us on the lakeside and enjoy the sunshine and a chat. Short and sweet but now you know who to come visit in Palmie.
I hope the new bow lasted longer

[sarahtvet]

Thanks for the offer, a pity we didnt see your thread before we left or wed met up somewhere
We will be back, you have some bloody awesome roads up your way
Met some realy good people too, very friendly and hospitable
Washed my bike already and put her to bed, couldnt bear the thought of seeing it so filthy

Glad I am not the only saddo who washed the bike when they got home then
Sk1py had a bath and a good drink of oil and her chain waxed. She is having a few well desrved days off while I get back into cycling to work, need to get fit and save some dosh for the clutch. Couldn't get above 7500rpm without it slipping like mad and it was a bit off-putting at times (my excuse for bringing up the rear)

What a fab weekend. I will leave the more eloquent to do the reports all I can say is how truly glad I am that I went. Awesome roads, and scenery all the way. The weather was pretty damn good to us considering the time we were out and the steaming roads gave an etheral feel to the gorge.

Lots of thank you's too, in no particular order.........

Dog's for organisation and leading of a fantastic ride and accommodation. Aunty Anne is a star and has a lovely place to spend the night. Great scenery, flat ground for the tent and undercover parking for the beasts no less. The barbie and booze were a perfect way to unwind, the vension was heaven on a plate The garage was the perfect socialising site and the shower and cooked brekkie were just the way to start the second day. Thank you so much.

Rogerdodger for keeping me company at those long lights at the railway bridge then showing SK1PY and I just how a Honda can go

GaryH, Meanie and Yod for taking care of my rear end and giving me good lines to follow (not at the same time of course). Also for the advice and encouragement for SK1PY and I, it sure helped us up our game

Gary H also taught me to not be distracted going into bends Bonez will be impressed after my distractions on the desert road recently.

Yod for the earplugs which worked a treat, not sure that they need to look quite so phallic though

Phoebe and Michelle for provding the chicks on tour entertainment and keeping the wild lads under controlwell nearly.

Bonez for sorting my wobbly rear end and being a constant Honda pal. If he hadn't suggested the screen Gisborne would not have been an option for me.

Mrs Cowboyz for baking the cake and Mr for organising it's delivery.

Meanie,again, for carrying the cake 650k's without breaking it. A really smooth ride then

Special thanks to 86 for all the time he has put into getting me confident and capable of attempting such a trip with really only 6 weeks riding experience, I couldn't have done it without him The few big trips we have done recently and the numerous training rides in the eveings have made heaps of difference to my confidence and ability to ride the old Honda. I know at times 86 probably just wanted to relax in the evenings but instead planned rides for me to gain experience in different aspects of riding and then talked through any problems concerns etc I had when we got home.Thanks mate for the cheesy grins I had all the way through the twisites. Not as huge as on the back of that Golden Daytona but geeting there:

This is the first group ride on SK1PY when I really felt I was enjoying myself more than I was having to think and for that will always be a special memory.
I was fortunate to be riding with an awesome group of people, we missed those of you that couldn't make it but thought of you as we twisted and turned through those gorgeous hills.

By the way I need to find a suitable spot 9.8miles from Milson for the 10,000m photo, any suggestions?

[Goblin]

It was really nice to catch up with you and your lad
We all appreciated you coming down to see us on the lakeside and enjoy the sunshine and a chat. Short and sweet but now you know who to come visit in Palmie.
I hope the new bow lasted longer

Cheers Sarah. That's one sweet old bike you have there.apart from the clutch but thats no major For some one with only six weeks experience, that was a mammoth effort! Well done!
We ended up getting a new bow an arrow set but it lasted less than first one so when we got home we took the elastic off both of them, cut a length of rosewood and made a real bow! It's still working this arvo and he has enough arrows to last a while.

[86GSXR]

OK, finally got some pics! At work so easy

[86GSXR]

More.......

[86GSXR]

Thats it! Can't wait to get BB at home!

[cowboyz]

good thing there is not a time stamp on the first photo huh? And where is that concours going in pic 2?

[86GSXR]

good thing there is not a time stamp on the first photo huh? And where is that concours going in pic 2?

OK ok, so it was a slightly late start. Which was lucky as we needed to wait for your favourite brand of bike

Meanie was looking for the apple that popped out of my pack

[Meanie]

good thing there is not a time stamp on the first photo huh? And where is that concours going in pic 2?

Nothing like a bit of off roading

[dogsnbikes]

Meanie was looking for the apple that popped out of my pack

Thought meanie would of had a spare apple he had packed just about everything else find example of the bigger the suitcase the more you carry

great pics by the way Al

[yod]

i been putting off a ride report; there's just too much to tell!

thanks to dogs for getting us organised and leading us through some great roads - out of 1100km I'd say about 50% was new to me

sublime atmosphere heading up the Pohangina Valley in the morning sun - the valley was magnificent, got into a nice groove quickly and really enjoyed this section
loved Spooners Hill Rd out of Taihape, sun was up, tyres were sticky, dogs and 2up were there to be chased shame it isnt longer
scraped my toes for the first time on the RF and lost the chicken-strips thanks to Al and dogs for setting such a ripping pace between Wairakei and Rotovegas on the back roads - dogs, you have to tell me which roads we went on mate - would love to do them again (still grinding away at the sidestand too - I spose it helps reduce weight a little bit at a time )

highway 30 from vegas, round the lakes to awakeri is just bliss - winding through the bush in the sun....i'm really starting to run out of superlatives now....and heading around the coast towards opotiki with Garry and Meanie on my tail was great fun, what a view across the pacific!

great to see another RF join the mix at Opotiki - same model as mine (but a little quicker through the gorge); the gorge really left me speechless, it just keeps going and going and going....if only we had a road like that on our doorstep!! Meanie and I got a nice rhythm going through there, the line-haul and the B-train (as dogs called us) were giving the gorge a lesson in how to transport freight in a timely manner!!
hit the damp just after the top of the hill and then hit the torrent about 1km out of Matawai, was very happy to see some of the crowd already pulled up in some shelter! almost dropped the bike at low speed with mrs yod on the back!! thanks to Al (I think) for assisting with the save - I'm still amazed at the wooden curb wtf? no harm done...

a brilliant night in Gisborne - some great laughs were had, met another bunch of people who showed us was hospitality is all about. that really was a great place to stay, the food was pretty damn fine too and of course, we had a great bucnh of people on the ride as well - nice to get out there with all of you

awesome view across poverty bay in the morning then a primo road from Gizzy to Wairoa, a bit of everything on that one, some great countryside and very little traffic (other than cows)

had a rocketship ride chasing Meanie out of Wairoa - the ZG just rocks in the big sweepers, pulls out of the corners like an HSV on steroids and he had that B-train cooking! took me farkin aaages to finally get past, then had another great chase straight after that following Garry through the twisties towards Napier - that road was a real highlight, I was absolutely zoned and mrs yod was too....what an awesome pillion she is now - i can feel her setting up for each corner like a pro and given that we were 2 up with panniers, a pack and a tent strapped on, the way we flew through this section was just wicked....i got off the bike at bayview seriously buzzing

had a few moments; lost the front coming down the twisties towards wairoa, it just drifted a little....lost the rear on some ugly corrugations trying to stay in front of the two daytonas but nothing major

finished it all off with Meanie and I having a few laughs at a rather tetosterone-driven gangsta-wannabe in a giant white chrysler who thought he actually had a snowball's chance in hell of staying in front of us from Dannevirke south....needless to say he failed miserably (but he could certainly tailgate like a true champion )

what a weekend - thats what riding is all about - will post up some pics soon

[yod]

pic 1: the RF, packed and warming up at 5:54am
pic 2: ashhurst...waiting...waiting
pic 3: taihape coffee stop
pic 4: luvverly bit o' sun in taupo
pic 5: rotovegas for lunch
pic 6: WIDE LOAD the concours wannabe....

[yod]

pic 1: sheltering in matawai
pic 2: meanie checking he has the biggest tent
pic 3: putting the bikes to bed
pic 4: the birthday boy's cheesey grin (on ya al..)
pic 5: the morning after
pic 6: almost ready to rock and roll

thanks to bobby for the cake too!! it was bloody delish!!