Finally, the Auckland rain ceased. The skies in the suburb of Parnell cleared.
I locked my office and descended to the basement at my work, where my Adventure Silver Bullet lives with its friends the GT6 Triumph and the Jaguar. The Silver Bullet thinks of itself as British, though it was actually made in India in 2003. (It also fancies the GT6 and wants to make sidecars with it. Springtime will tell.)
One kick, it started, and we rode the 200 metres to my house to prepare for the tour.
It is essential to wear the correct garb. I believe people call it ATTGATT.
I am very much a man of our times: the deerstalker hat has lightweight eye protection attached, and the gumboots have steel toecaps. However, one has to be practical - the sportscoat has narrow lapels for reduced wind resistance and the Northern Club tie means that doormen anywhere let one in doors.
The time had come. We were on the way at last. The delays through weather had been nearly intolerable, but the mighty beat of the 17 horsepower Royal Enfield 350 motor set my senses free. We negotiated the perils of Earle Street, and turned into Parnell Road. Our first refreshment stop appeared, a full 400 metres into the journey.
The Strawberry Alarm Clock is a favourite of Parnell denizens, even the women, who are a tough breed surviving as they do on mere millions a year. You do not fuck with these women, which is why there are so few children resident in Parnell. My coffee and cake makes up for it all.
Refreshed and revitalised, I started the Silver Bullet with one kick again, stopping after a further long 300 metres to admire the enterprise of some people from Seattle. I am told that they have made a success of their coffee emporium in their homeland, and wish them well here in New Zealand.
You will note that the Silver Bullet has an English numberplate. Research will reveal that this was last used on a 1958 Velocette Venom in Preston, Lancashire, England. The Silver Bullet parks wherever it bloody well pleases.
Time, in its inexorable fashion, was marching on. As did the Silver Bullet, passing Auckland Cathedral and St Mary's Church on the left before turning into the wild lands of Auckland Domain. The Domain contains the Auckland War Memorial Museum. The museum contains furniture belonging to my family, and various items of military ordnance, much of it made in the USA. As Mr Bill Bryson has noted, the US of A may have invented friendly fire, but at least it got to fire.
I thought a close up of some ordnance with the Silver Bullet might be appropriate, given the Royal Enfield slogan, "Built like a Gun". I hope that the Silver Bullet's barrel remains in better condition than that of its friend in this picture. You might discern that the Silver Bullet has a Dunlop Maxirib front tyre. This is named after a condom, and has about as much grip. It is made out of recycled computer monitors and makes life especially exciting on rainsoaked (or any other) roads.
We turned and made our way towards the harbour. The views of the harbour from St Stephens Avenue and Gladstone Road are enthralling, too much so, such that I forgot to stop and take a picture to show on this thread. But towards the harbour, the Silver Bullet had a chance to show its stunning offroad abilities. Mounting two kerbs, it climbed a grassy slope so that I could reflect on the glory of the container cranes.
By now I was exhausted. It was time to head wearily for home, happy in the knowledge that I will have consumed more coffee on tour than the Silver Bullet will have consumed petrol.
So ended 4 1/2 kilometres of JAFA adventuring.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by PeteJ
Latte 
John.
Bookmarks