is not a trout
You should ring Colemans! After all, it was you they almost mashed! Imagine the headlines if a vehicle belonging to a Suzuki dealership flattened a bunch of Suzukis after they had made it all the way to the Cape and back!
That was pretty scary to watch from behind. And totally unnecessary since we were keeping left and giving everyone plenty of room.
There is no such thing as bad weather; only inappropriate clothing!
Hugz nao plz!!!
Oh my...Originally Posted by klingon
i tried to keep the brake light on as much as possible, but couldnt keep it on all the time, DAMN my fingers were getting sore (and even colder being on top of the lever). Forgot to clip my vest shut before we left wellsford, might've helped a bit. Oh well.
Only the one? shit, i lost count of the cagers who nearly took me out between darg's and home. But yeah, that run through the dome valley was pretty nasty. Was a bit hard to tell if that was two bike headlights behind me or a cage at times, but when you started sitting up to the right and owning the lane it was easier to tell, could see the outline of a classic cruiser position from the headlights of the cage behind you. Would've made a cool photo if i wasnt so busy fighting for my piece of road!
IT'S PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME!!!
Do the peanut butter jelly, peanut butter jelly, peanut butter jelly with a baseball bat!
Candy Flippin!
recived a text from bigdog this morning saying....
"I dont belive it. After all those kms on Gordon the Busa stalled in traffic and wont start"
how ironic is that?
I've learnt to hide the pain inside, open the throttle and ride away.
NEDWN VIII
Make sure you take the'Secret interesting 'way
....otherwise you will need auto pilot after the Brynderwyns.....
BMW Motorrad
The board is riding Justin!
If you can make it on Kiwibiker you can make it anywhere.
Hardcore Biker
crikey, this looked like an awsome trip. I'm going to track down an inappropriate steed and join next year.
Little ol'Hornet Rides again!
Righto, I remember some early time at 5.20am getting to Westgate ... riding around wondering where everyone was!Getting a bit worried I rung Big Dog and got the "mwuauhaggrgegghh" anyways turns out he had slept through several alarms and I was his wake up call!
Eventually the crew turn up and we somehow managed to leave some time past the 7am sharp departure time (this would be the format for the rest of the ride!)
The trip up was eventful and I got to see some new roads that even I had not travelled yet!I had several wardrobe failures when my rocket pack decided to launch at inappropriate moments! Once out of Wellsford and the other at Maungatapere! Got some engineers to sort it out once they got past the chuckling and it wasn't a bother for the rest of the trip.
Plenty of gas stops, ciggy breaks and pulling over to let cagers zip on by. Pikachu attracted his usual share of attention and the kids who saw him all smiled (he's so good with kids!)
The weather was balmy and the skies were clear, borrowing Maverick's Weather-Genie(TM) was one of my better ideas ... the sight of Big Dog's large frame on the smallest bike never failed to elicit a chortle from me - Legendary that be!
It was most funny at Kerikeri when Big Dog looked like he had been slapped with a mullet when he realised we still had to ride to Houhora and ... beyond!
Plenty of photo ops and a night ride on gravel to the Haunted Demesne of Klingon added to the thrill, not least when somewhere along the way Pippi spat her baffle out and allowed herself to be as loud as she wanted!
Anyway the crew were well glad that we could rest our weary bones and get some tucker into our bellies. Since moi is a resident short order cook/chef, I doffed Bounty Hunter gear and got down to serious cooking. Steaks, snarlers, smashed potatoes and a smoked out gallery later ... we were all contented.
We all rambled on, I talked about yodelling axe-wielding, homicidal maniacs and jumped at ghosts on the deck. The House was full of suprises. Many nooks and crannies and an Amityville Horror look to it ... I bunkered in the nearest room to the exit and was too excited to sleep ... the prospect of the Cape loomed large in my imagination!
"I like to ride anyplace, anywhere, any time, any way!"
Little ol'Hornet Rides again!
Well, Big Dog laid the law down last night and said everyone was to have a lie-in. Me being the usual impetuous fool, got up early as, started Pippi up... and she egged me on to do some more riding! A pre-ride ride so, to speak!
I decided to be totally non-ATGATT compliant and rode sans bone dome, glubs and only had my boots and non-bounty hunter regalia on.
I zipped motard style around the gravel and explored every single side road I could find. Went to the beach several times and beeped out a symphony on Pippi's horn and I sung "Hello birds, hello beach, hello world ... ad infinitum" and watched the sun come gently over the horizon to bathe us in its glow.
I then proceeded to piss off the rest of the crew by zipping around near the hostel and found a walking track at the back of the property. Being the fearless, foolhardy intrepid explorer ... I manhandled Pippi over the small walking track and zipped along at it a goodish pace.
Until the classic minty moment happened and I hit two branches at chest height around a corner and got twanged backwards and Pippi continued merrily on her way before lying down and waited for me!
Anyhow, I rode on for many more kms like that (worked out I could have made it to the cape!) and then I found out that brekkie needed to be cooked, but we needed more supplies! I volunteered immediately, being the sort that needs any excuse for a ride and I fired up Pippi again and pootled off again! Huzzah!
And that is where my journey wound its way down to being a delayed finish. A loud pop, a backfire and poor Pippi lost power and glided to the side of the road. I did what I could, but since I had taken out all my tools from my bag to carry the groceries, another minty moment had overcome me! :slap:
So, there I was slowly riding Pippi like a little hobby horse until I came to a likely looking residence and I made the acquaintance of a friendly lady there. We got to nattering and it turns out she rode a small 120 in her day! We used what tools there were and as soon as I got the spark off, I knew what had happened.
It is a two-stroke and it is what they does, thats why we loves them we do!
I surmised the material around the cap of the spark meant a holed piston, but had to wait till she was back and the rest of the crew were standing around her going oo-aar, that don'look right dunnit?
"I like to ride anyplace, anywhere, any time, any way!"
is not a trout
Oh yeah... sorry about riding over your bung. Was pretty exciting following you and wondering when the rocket was next going to launch itself in my direction...The trip up was eventful and I got to see some new roads that even I had not travelled yet!
Yeah and Pippi made a great 2-stroke alarm clock in the morning, riding round and round the house and off down the track. And then Pippi got her revenge!Plenty of photo ops and a night ride on gravel to the Haunted Demesne of Klingon added to the thrill, not least when somewhere along the way Pippi spat her baffle out and allowed herself to be as loud as she wanted!
mmmm I think you should be the designated cook for all future cc challenges. Yummy food and plenty of it! We definitely ate well on this trip thanks to Mr Joe knowing his way around a kitchen.
Little ol'Hornet Rides again!
So anyways thanks to Laava and his Ute of Splenderifous Flexibility and Handy Contrivance, Pippi was sped back to the Hostel where many arcane plans of repairing her abounded. Thank god some semblance of sanity sintered in amongst us and we just allowed me to laze in the Ute with Mamma Jo!
Pikachu took this moment to abandon ship and continue on with Fireball! That little guy sure knows how to keep on two wheels of freedom!
A slap-up brunch later and we made our way to Cape Reinga. T'was kewl to be on such a japery route with Laava and Musicman riding on the beach. My key role from then on was to be support dogsbody and run around and do general duties! Pushing bikes out of sandy ruts, tying up loose Pippis and having a good ol'natter with Mamma Jo about oysters, sealing wax, flying pigs and kings!
I got to see Laava in action with his stupendous riding abilities and I learnt a thing or two about off-road actionCrikey! I was well impressed with the trialling abilities of the little bikes!
Anyway turns out the "shortcut" on the beach meant that Big Dog was despatched to find us!
Klingon was a mine of information and Laava was well disappointed that the snackage he brought down to the lighthouse could not be consumed. Tapu and all that!
It was quite nice, we were the only peeps there apart from a young couple who wondered where all these filthy biker scum had appeared from!
"I like to ride anyplace, anywhere, any time, any way!"
Little ol'Hornet Rides again!
Well on the way back, we stopped off for ice creams, I stocked up on more grub and cackled maniacally about "if it doesn't eat its greens, it gets no puddings" I mentally roamed liberally around a menu and what was at hand. I dived into coolers, poked around in freezers, felt up soft spuds, glared at garlic, prodded some cheese and walked out with enough stuff to feed an army.
Oh alright ... enough to feed Big Dog!
The trip home was quick and I promptly got down and became Gordon Ramsey
, barking out orders for spuds to be peeled, onions to be chopped and a myriad of instructions to get a proper feed on.
Pots bubbled, pans sizzled and a cooking frenzy was upon the Haunted House of Klingon. I think the ghost ducked for cover as implements and ingredients flew thick and fast with no thought spared for the sensibilities of those not used to cooking gijoe1313 stylin'
It was most relaxing night, most of us parked around the boob tube watching Johhny Depp being seduced by Heather Graham in some Jack the Ripper feature. I half expected a lederhosen wearing, chainsaw wielding, oompah band playing, homicidal midget to be storming through the Haunted House of Klingon.
In the end, there was only Musicman and I to face ... the music :slap:
We watched Cops : Las Vegas and commented on the speedo requirements for the bicycle cops. Bed beckoned and it was said that we had to be up earlyish again to get a good start for the journey home ...
And since others have posted their experiences in regard to this part of the sojourn, I shall digress from writing any more and instead, lean back in my office chair, take a swig of Bundaberg ginger beer and think ...
"Next time, I'll bring TWO small inappropriate bikes to do the CCC!"
Thanks to those who organised, brought the Ute, Mamma Jo for her endless patience and putting up with a demented, sponge-bobby type asian character in the cab, the rest of those who were mad enough to be part of this entourage and of course ...
Pikachu! Without that little bundle of yellow fluff, my travels would not be the piquant and Julie Andrewesque adventures that I love to live ...
"I like to ride anyplace, anywhere, any time, any way!"
Nana
Day one:
It was with great trepidation I set off from Westgate with six other undersized bikes to undertake the challenge to journey to Cape Reinga on a scooter, expecting 1200 kms in the saddle over 24 riding hours in three days.
Great trepidation because the broken foot is still not healed from a recent crash on the scooter, the tyres are no better scrubbed in and the sky is full of menacing clouds. My confidence is still "shot" in the wet. To compound issues I have developed an exhaust leak causing temperamental power delivery and have not had the time to remedy it.
The contenders:
Fireball - Suzuki Marauder, GN250 based cruiser. Known as "Rawberry"
Klingon - Suzuki Volty, a GN250 based cafe racer.
Musicman - Suzuki 125.
Laava - Suzuki GN200. (A GN250 with customised badges)
GIJoe1313 - Suzuki A100 (two stroke manual)
Badger - Suzuki GN250. Known as "Gina"
Myself: (Big Dog) - PGO PM-S (Registered as a PM-X because the previous owner refused to ride a PM-S) 110cc two stroke scooter. No gears, Auto clutch. Known as "Gordon"
The other contenders and I set off up state highway 16, turned up Old North road to have a look at some more interesting corners and hills to find out who was capable of what. Already it is apparent that this is going to be a slow ride.
At this time I am unsure of the fuel consumption of the scooter, so 4 litres is strapped to the footboards as a plan b this makes for interesting handling given that I cannot move around as easily as I can when there is not a 10l Jerry can bungyed to the foot well.
After rejoining 16 at Kaukapakapa we press on through to Wookcocks road. A much celebrated biker destination for it's tight and twisty corners. What I would not give for a bike with gears at this point. Corners that are a lot of fun on the Hayabusa are suddenly terrifying on a scooter that you dare not back off the throttle too much or you have no power for the next straight and that the new tyres still have a tendency to slide at one end or the other. sometimes both. Praise the lord for a lack or rain.
We arrive in Wellsford with only the smell of an oily rag left in the tank, at least we now have a real idea about the time this trip will take and what the biggest limitation will be. Gordon, my scooter, so named by my old flatmate because she thinks that the scooter is so flash...
She has a range of 100kms under the prevailing conditions, not bad on a 3.5 litre tank. Yes Gordon is a girl.
Now was obviously a good time for a break, a break in a clutch cable... not one of the participants, a tag along on a borrowed bike.
After an hours delay while we fixed his borrowed bike and sent him home we pressed on. Ahh, the Brynderwyns... there Gordon passed a 1000hp monster, an empty fertiliser truck, on the way up. A stop a the top for a little yoga showed who had an who had not prepared for this physically.
From here on in the geography gets a little hazy, having never ridden or driven this far north other than to go directly to Whangarei and we are bypassing Whangarei because it is too direct. Not enough kms for these nutcases.
Next stop Twin bridges. Don't ask me where that is, we were following the guidance of Laava who had ridden down from Whangarei that morning to begin the challenge.
After that much hard riding in that challenging a conditions Gordon needed a rest, the exhaust leak was becoming more prominent and there was a decided reduction in available power... not that there was a lot to begin with.
So lunch at Maugatapere it was.
Two things were quite obvious, the most sensible bike on the ride was a custom GN200 and no one north of Wellsford has ever seen a scooter in person before. I can't say I wonder why. At this point I would have given almost anything for a bike with gears. Many was the prayer of thanks for the fact I was in possession of an iPod to drown out the constant droning of the two stroke 110cc engine with no gears. We have travelled so many marvellous roads that just could not be enjoyed to their full. As an observation though the everyone was saying how nice it was to travel at a speed that allowed the scenery to be enjoyed.
After a wee rest to cool down Gordon was rearing to go again so we pressed on to Keri Keri where we met up with the support vehicle and purchased the food supplies for the trip.
Not surprisingly when we arrived at Awanui for a refuel there was a lot less conversation than had previously been had at other stops.
So it was that we arrived at our mystery location 12:10:00 after departing Westgate.
How great to see the smiles on everyone's faces in spite of the challenges so far. Heart warming to see that even after 9:00:01 in the saddle there were still people buzzing and even some going for short rides just to stay entertained while we tried to locate keys to the accommodation.
The rest of the day (or should I say night) as they say, you had to be there - what goes on tour stays on tour.
Special thanks to my fuel sponsors, Dharmesh Bhana, Aaron Bublitz and the Evans family.
The Carnage on day one:
Tickets: 0
Breakdowns: 0
Injuries: 0
Sore cheeks from ridiculously large smiles: 7
Sore cheeks from 9:00:001 in the saddle 14
Nana
CC Challenge day two.
This was not quite so early a start to the day for some, this was our rest day and our summit day. Many chose to sleep in a little, till 0900.
GIJoe1313 on the other hand felt that 56 kms each way was not a worthy ride for such a glorious day and set about exploring.
Being one who sleeps the sleep of the dead I did not hear most of it, however reports from others indicated that for several hours beginning at 05:00 GIJoe1313 could be heard doing strafing runs on his now debaffled A100. Having lost the baffle the previous night somewhere between Awanui and the mystery destination (as a side note the accommodation is reputed to be haunted and this may account for why he felt the need to go riding so early) the A100 now sounded like a cross between a sewing machine and a machine gun, depending on accelerating or backing off.
A story soon circulates that he has been sent to the dairy for some additional supplies. Not long after we have 6 hungry challengers and our intrepid Sweep Driver (MommaJo) milling around the kitchen in anticipation. Over a period of time the numbers dwindle as people drift off to find something more interesting to do.
Soon the tension builds as the hungry challengers realise they are no closer to being fed. This builds yet further as some receive phone calls with no caller from GIJoe1313's phone.
As we try to locate our missing comrade he arrives sans supplies. Pippi is missing in action.
The support truck soon returns with the wounded Pippi.
The good news? We know what is wrong with it.
The bad news? We do not have a suitable replacement Piston.
It seems that two strokes consider pistons a consumable and the change in pressure caused by the loss of the baffle was enough to fail the piston.
The Irony? The kms covered that morning would have seen Pippi to the Cape under her own steam. But probably not back.
In true biker spirit we set about tearing down to see if there is any possible way that we can do a temporary fix.
After several hours trying to locate the necessary tools or a suitable substitute piston we are forced to transfer Pikachu to a different ride. Pikachu now rides aboard Rawberry with Fireball. Pippi now rides aboard the support vehicle with Mommajo at the wheel and GIJoe1313 running shotgun.
4 kms down the road I come to a sudden halt and am quickly swarmed by concerned looking riders. No need to panic I just forgot to initiate the GPS. Oops, 4 kms of data lost.
We had a brief stop over in Te Kao to separate into two groups (the road going group and the 90 mile beach group) and so the support vehicle could get ice-cream.
Luxury, absolute luxury.
Fireball, Klingon, Badger and I headed on up Far North Road (bit of a hint about its location in that name I think). Musicman and Laava headed up the beach with the support vehicle in hot pursuit.
The "Road Crew" took a leisurely approach knowing we had a few less kms to cover and at a higher average speed.
Hence the many photo ops, stops for pole dancing and a sharing of rations as we waited for the Beach Boys to arrive.
We were of course passed on a blind corner by a black Holden Commodore... we were of course having more fun though. It looked like the passenger had been sucking on a lemon and the driver looked like he had been listening to a monologue of "... Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?..."
Then it got real exciting.
20kms of no straights lots of hills and only about one km of it sealed. Large sections had rather large rocks as substitutes for gravel. these rocks varied in size between golf balls and tennis balls but certainly were not that even.
The result for the majority of this final stretch Gordon was bucking like a bronco stung by a bee and with the steering column whipping round like an agitator in a washing machine, often with only a hope and a prayer keeping her travelling in the right direction. Keeping in mind that the slower you go the less control I had, the only way to get Gordon to cooperate on the gravel was to stay over 65kmph. On one particularly steep stretch a rather large rock conspired with the hill to loft us into a wheelie. A wheelie that I lacked the confidence to put down for fear Gordon would not get moving again on that steep a grade in gravel that deep. Cue about 30 metres of stand-up wheelie on a scooter! It may have only been a foot off the ground but that is a long way on a scooter under those conditions.
I cannot describe the sense of achievement when we finally rolled in to the Cape Reinga car park.
There was of course much patting each other on the back and general frivolity as we ruined our average speed for the day by walking down to the lighthouse.
We had done it. We made the cape. We still had to make it home but most of us felt that this was already mission accomplished and the rest was just gravy.
Whilst huddled around the support vehicle like a flock of seagulls the possibility of repeating the event was brought up. The look on the faces was priceless when it was suggested that the next destination should be Bluff. They think I was joking. I think it is worth considering.
Either way there will be a challenge laid down next year!
36 hours before I had had doubts myself that a 110cc scooter could make it that far. Gordon had proven a mighty steed indeed.
What now? Go surfing in the te Paki Giant Sand Dunes of course.
It was not long before we discovered that you need dry sand to surf... or to find I can come down the hill in about 1% of the time it took to get up there.
Given that we were departing in a gathering gloom we sped off at our top speed of 80kmph to te Kao for ice cream. Absolutely massive ice creams as it turns out. With a little dinosaur lolly on top. I fully recommend this as a stop on the way should you find yourself passing through.
Arriving back at the mystery haunted manor that night were some very happy bikers. This is real biking. The challenge the camaraderie, the good times and no attitudes. This would have been far too easy to have had this much fun to had I done the same trip on the Hayabusa.
By now I was of the conclusion that anyone who does not consider scooters motorbikes should consider Gordon an honorary one for life.
As to the adventures in the haunted manor, you had to be there. Come along next year and join in the fun.
Special thanks to my fuel sponsors and to Mommajo our Support / Sweep Driver.
The Carnage on day two:
Tickets: 0
Breakdowns: 1
Injuries: 0
Sore cheeks from ridiculously large smiles: 7
Nana
More from day 2.
Nana
Will post my ride report for day three as soon as I have typed it and sent forward copies to my sponsors.
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