End of year nostalgia moment

[Hitcher]

Five years ago, I set out to see if I could procure a motorcycle helmet that would fit the legendary Hitcher cranium. I told myself that if I could, that would be a "sign" that I should take up motorcycling...

Mr Shoei came to my rescue. The following day I booked myself and the most lovely and amenable Mrs H on a learn-to-ride course. She was so stunned, she agreed. By the end of January 2002 we owned a Yamaha FZX250 Zeal and a Honda CB100. Two weeks later the Honda was traded for a Kawasaki EL250 Eliminator, and our lives changed fundamentally and forever. That was nearly 150,000 motorcycled kilometres ago.

Three years ago today I traded in a perfectly good ZRX1200R for a Honda ST1300 -- ANZA's demo bike.

That bike was "cursed". I had two significant "moments" on it and a couple of sphincter looseners as well. The first of the significant moments was two years ago this Boxing Day, resulting in a broken collarbone and taking the highly efficient team at ANZA four months to affect the necessary repairs. The second significant moment on 11 June 2006 saw this bike's ultimate demise, thanks to the backward advances of a RAV4's arse.

In the ST's favour it did transport me for about 36,000km of entertaining motorcycling along some of New Zealand's most marvelous roads, and a Grand Challenge for good measure. It also taught me that an FJR1300 is a superior motorcycle in every respect...

Here's to the next five years of motorcycling madness!

Happy New Year, everybody.

[Swoop]

Five years ago...

NOOB!!!


A very Happy New Year to all bikers out there, no matter what you ride! May your travels be safe and serene with Mother Nature always looking out for you.

[HDTboy]

Fuck Nostalgia!

[Taz]

Fuck Nostalgia!

You mean the new fangled nostalgia surely? Not the old school nostalgia.....

23 years ago I started motorcycling on the honda C50 stepthru megatourer. Rode that from auckland to dargaville and on out to pouto then back 5 times once 2 up those were the days............ the rest is history.

[Paul in NZ]

Five years ago I was... erm.. riding exactly the same motorcycles as wot I have now - and I'd had already had one of them 4 years already and the other one 14 years ... Just as happy then too...

I think I need to get out more...

[merv]

Happy New Year to the Hitchers.

5 years ago I had the same road bike, my gorgeous VFR750 having had it 8.5 years already by then from new. For the trail I had the only bike I never really liked because of its flaws and that was my DR250R, which was the model before the DRZ which is essentially the same bike - the DR should have been a good bike, not a bad weight quite a good chassis, had the adjustable mount on the rear shock for short arses like its big bro' the 650 has (the DRZ doesn't have that), but no the engine was crap - in its characteristics, not its reliability, and the other niggly faults I won't bother listing.

Mrs merv hadn't started riding again by then so she had no bikes, so in the 5 years we sold one bike (dumped the DR250R) and have bought 4 more. Unlike MD I figured out you could renew the registration on the bike so you can keep them more than a year so typically I keep mine a long time because I get used to them an like them (the DR250R aside).

Oh, and Paul, I do get out occasionally so am OK there.

[DMNTD:Me]

Criiiiiiiiiky! 5 years ago I had only been riding for 15 years...
5 years ago was 13 bikes ago...
5 years ago Life was very very different...

Life's short...live each day as if it is your last
Happy and safe New Years y'all