Your first mint solo ride

[marioc]

Just bursting to share!
Went for my first decent length solo ride this morning,what a buzz.
Left Newlands about seven,ducked down the back road through to Tawa.
Quick wizz down the motorway (first time),then off for a double loop of the Paremata inlet .
Round again and this time went right up Paekak hill to the top
Stopped for a ciggy and headed home.
Called in to see my dad on the way home,and was trying to describe how I felt to him and being a bike rider from way back I didnt have to.
He could read the smile all over my face.

Stoked.

What was you fellas first awesome ride,when the penny dropped?

[ozrobo]

few years ago now did a run from brisbane to nimbin over the mountains to woodenbong and back was amazing doin the first long distance ride stay upright mate

[Mekk]

My first solo trip from New Plymouth to Auckland was everything I wanted in a long haul. Exhiliration, experience, varied weather, aches and pains, beautiful sights, a challenge. It was perfect, absolutely loved it.

[Stella]

Called in to see my dad on the way home,and was trying to describe how I felt to him and being a bike rider from way back I didnt have to.
He could read the smile all over my face.

Beautiful I don't know what you look like, but I so know that smile! Go you.

My first solo ride out of town was Palmy to Shannon a month ago or so. Absolutely loved it, including meeting other bikers at the local cafe. The sense of freedom was immense, especially just wandering around another town on my own, after having taken myself there (I don't have a car license)

Looking forward to getting my restricted in ALMOST PRECISELY TWO MONTHS and feeling better about going long distance alone, no worries about going over 70kmph with a blazing L-plate...

[EJK]

My first solo ride... hmm....
Ah! It was from Auckland Central to Albany without taking the Motorway
It was only about 40-50km ride but it was fun indeed
The weather was fine, just pure ecstasy atmosphere lol

[Boob Johnson]

My first solo trip from New Plymouth to Auckland was everything I wanted in a long haul. Exhiliration, experience, varied weather, aches and pains, beautiful sights, a challenge. It was perfect, absolutely loved it.

Would have to agree there Mekk, I did my first long solo long haul but the other way round. Was an awesome trip, did it again when I bought the RF900 a month ago (a lil quicker this time )

[carbacca]

my first decent solo trip was first to bethels, then waitakere road to kumeu, kaipara and then halfway to south head. turned around then to helensville, wellsford, warkworth and then back to auckland

[deanohit]

My first great trip was a short ride around the old highway in tauranga, great mix of straights and twisties and no traffic, a good learning road close to home.

First long trip was tauranga to picton and back. Heaps of varied weather, little traffic and my first off in rotorua less than an hour into the ride. Probly good I came off as no damage and it slowed me down a bit.

[captain_andrey]

Well my first solo ride was a kinda lets get this thing home in one piece experience. I had to go from the bike shop in lower hutt to the city (on the motorway). This was the 3rd time I was ever on a bike (basic handling + test ride in the shop being 1 and 2).

My first decent ride was last saturday. Did a lap around miramar, started on oriental parade, went all the way around miramar and onto breakers bay. Nice twisty little roads there. Did it all over again on sunday.

I was so happy I just wanted to keep going and going but I got tired pretty quickly. On the way back, went past the airport, you know the road that goes parallel to the runway. Tried to race a 737 taking off. Lost :P

[kazza_nz_05]

Just bursting to share!
Quick wizz down the motorway (first time),then off for a double loop of the Paremata inlet .
Round again and this time went right up Paekak hill to the top

Called in to see my dad on the way home,and was trying to describe how I felt to him and being a bike rider from way back I didnt have to.
He could read the smile all over my face.

How did you get on going on the motorway at 70km? Many problems?. I haven't got that far yet, but will probably head over to Tawa on one of my days off. Might go over Haywards and around Whitby.

I know what you mean with the huge grin. I was like that when i cam home from riding from Taita to Waiwhetu , good weather on the way there, getting darker and raining on the way back. Was awesome. Couldn't get the grin off my face, and was so excited telling my hubby about it all.

[woodybee]

That was a blast, I lived in Duneidn at the time (now Queenstown), and decided to go to the Nelson Rally, was a bit ambitious, but the excitement of packing all my gear, and setting off into the unknown, made me feel like Captain Cook on the Endeavour, when he first explored Tahiti, and met with all the wonders that the place had to offer.

That trip gave me a multitude of feelings, being a chick on my own too, had its fair share of laughs, everyone wants to have a chat, and the nearer I got I ventured for a beer, at a pub, where I dont think many chicks go, and they all came out for a yarn. Tee Hee.

But it was a massive adventure for me, and I did a write up on the tour report page, as the whole trip blew me away completely.

Up and running for the Pissed Penguin to kick start the fab rally season, and want to do Akaroa, the week after, then count the days down for the massive ride to Nelson once more.

Have given Tex My Bonneville, a slick new oil filter, new oil and changed his spark plugs and hes running sweet as a nut......

So dudes and dudess's, if you want to read how I felt on that ride check out the tour report that Woodybee (me) wrote on it last year....

[marioc]

How did you get on going on the motorway at 70km? Many problems?. I haven't got that far yet, but will probably head over to Tawa on one of my days off. Might go over Haywards and around Whitby.

I know what you mean with the huge grin. I was like that when i cam home from riding from Taita to Waiwhetu , good weather on the way there, getting darker and raining on the way back. Was awesome. Couldn't get the grin off my face, and was so excited telling my hubby about it all.

I do 100km on the motorway,from what I understand its very unlikey that a cop will ticket you for that.Apparently that law will be changing soon
.

[Insanity_rules]

Ah yeah I remember my first real mint ride. Was from my Mum's house in avalon, over the wainui hill road and over to the coast. It was fun although it was so long ago I was dodging dinosaurs on the road and looking out for highwaymen.

That feeling of a awesome piece of twisty, all the time in the world and no traffic.

[kazza_nz_05]

So its ok to do 100km on motorway with L-Plate. Don't want to get a ticket.. Managed 80km on the scorpio so far. Hope its not too windy at 100km.

[Rosie]

So its ok to do 100km on motorway with L-Plate. Don't want to get a ticket.. Managed 80km on the scorpio so far. Hope its not too windy at 100km.

From my experience riding on the open road (haven't been on motorways, but assume they'd be the same), and from what I've heard from others here, if you are doing 100-110k/h displaying your L plate, following all your other licence conditions and generally not drawing attention to yourself, you aren't likely to get pulled over. Technically you shouldn't be going over 70, so could potentially get a ticket, but I don't think it's very likely.

So, while not technically legal, I'd aim to go the same speed as the traffic around you. Or as fast as you feel comfortable going, until you become more confident at open road speeds.

Travelling at the same speed as everyone else is generally safer, since you don't have cars and trucks trying to overtake you all the time (people don't overtake motorbikes very often, thus tend to not be very good at it). And given the choice, I'd rather take the small chance of having a chat with the than becoming roadkill.