--HUGE POINTLESS RANT AHEAD-- (Seriously, if you read all of this, wow).
Bare with me as I delve into my personal life as a motorcyclist who would probably be in a ditch or given up motorcycling, if it weren't for this website. This post is beyond that, however, this is how friendships can form from a website. I apologise in advance for my wishy-washy way of telling a story, if I was a novelist I'd be one, alas, I'm not. So deal with it
Around 12th March 2006 I found this site, made a newbie post, about a week later I bought my first bike from a fellow KB'er (forever in debt to FireFight for giving me such a reliable bike for learning on), fast forward to 2~ish months ago, I buy my new bike, admittedly a lemon and knew it would spend some time in a shop.
ZZR 600, 1990, exact model, exact year of the bike I fell in love with many moons ago.
In between that time I've asked many questions on this site, a lot of them amazingly daft in retrospect, people answered without laughing or pointing. Through KIWIBIKER ALONE I have learnt how to keep myself riding should I ever get in trouble, along with how to deal with rare muck-ups such as knowing how to ride home many kms with a snapped clutch cable, and repairing said problem.
Forget about what I've learnt, the people I have met.. me being a severe introvert and recluse in someways, have been amazing. Welcoming on every ride. I remember meeting McJim on a ride with just him and I, he was very friendly and patient with my slow arse, even giving me tips when I asked for them. From 1 on 1 to big group rides, it's been great. Maybe my faith in humanity had sunk from previous forums, but this forum certainly gave me faith in fellow mankind helping each other in 'brotherly' welcoming fashion.
Back to my ZZR 600, it had a lot wrong with it. Currently it resides in East City Motorcycles (Go there, for christ sake if you live near Howick GO THERE. They are amazing. Going out of their way to tap me on the shoulder at Big Boys Toys just for a yarn, remembering my name the 2nd time I came back, to putting up with my ZZR now. Just, go there.).
Now being the lemon that it is, the previous owner was a bit of a DIY disaster. I knew it would be in for the long haul, a top engine full recondition + others. However, parts weren't made, forget about shipping them from Japan, they weren't even *made* yet. It was going to be a long time before I saw the perfect bike (in my eyes) back home again.
Now, I have made some friends on this site, but it never ceases to amaze me just how far they will go for a friend, no, not even that, just a fellow biker. I was admittedly depressed about not having my own bike, I felt a little disconnected (yeah, biking bug hit me hard.). I am a huge Kawasaki fan to the point of fanboyism (kawasaki socks are my "good luck" socks, kawasaki watch, at one point was riding 3 kawasaki bikes while I was inbetween bikes), thankfully with enough sense to respect other models (and like them even!).
Tonight, not even 30 seconds after finishing work, gijoe1313 pulls up on his now-working 250 2 smoker and I think, didn't this crazy nutter peep his head through my window the night before.. now what does he want !?
Garage door opens, I get a plastic bag thrown at me, "Merry Christmas, and celebration of your bike actually finally having parts for it to be finished". I open the plastic bag, lo'behold, a genuine kawasaki accessory pit team shirt. I was actually speechless, someone went this far to cheer up a fellow KB'er. I am still semi-speechless, to you, it may just be a shirt. To me, it is a symbol of comradery and friendship I have made from a mere forum.
I'm fairly confident another KB'er had a hand in this little gift (*cough*Donor*cough*) and I am equally thankful. This isn't the first thing these guys have done for me, people I consider friends as close as the ones I've made since childhood. They berate me, I retort, they teach me what a wrench is, I learn.
What is this uber rant about? Nothing, just.. people have been 'leaving' or 'quitting' this site because of actions of others. Why? I don't know many of the people who have 'left' but I can 100% safetly say, has the good outweighed the bad from this site? It has, you know it has. Don't leave. I'll put money on the people you have met from this site who are now riding buddies/helpers/straight up mates are worth any 'drama' that has gone on in inner circles.
Sites like these that bring fellow bikers together are a rarity, my life has been enriched by friends and rides I have found and been on because of this site. Thanks SpankMe, I don't know you, you don't know me. But cheers.
THAT IS ALL. I really shouldn't press "submit new thread", but I think I'm going to anyway.
This is a lot of text, phew, time to rehydrate !
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Originally Posted by zeocen
you speak of. It is hard when the people you feel so much for are put in a bad place by the way people with power behave. That's what happens in life. You need rain in the garden of Eden to keep it balanced. That is what happened here. A rethink about how the power is used and how the rest of us behave. Welcome to life. Some people need to move on. I have registered in a quieter place but have stayed here as well. Two places to play. Not all bad. Nice to see the old names on the chat areas over there. Nice to keep up with the locals here.
KB is the Hawkes Bay meeting place. As you have said it is a great place to be. See you all in Taupo on Tuesday. 
And btw, it is very very selfish of me anyhows, I'm only doing it for the good karma bling, pay it forward, blah blah fuzzy wuzzy stuff 
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