Trip Report

[Yokai]

Thursday 27th January:
Due to set off at 6pm latest... At 7 I finally get on the bike - I am wearing ALL my gear (Draggin Jeans, Boots, Over trousers with armour, the TMNT kit, Jacket (+ armour) gloves, Helmet, Alpine Earplugs, iPod ... HOT!!!
Quick blat down SH1 and then right at Ngaruawahia ... Straight through all the way to Te Kuiti ... I'd sorta forgotten how nice it is to do a long ride on my own... Frequent stops to call Mrs Yokai... She's happy.

Get to the Te Kuiti hotel at 9:55 (5mins before my time is up!)... And get drinking with a crowd from the meat factory.... I was intending to go to bed at around 10:30 after a quick pint.... but NOoooooo..... these guys just kept buying more beer and making me drink it... I finally extricated myself at midnight...


Friday 28th January:
Get on the bike at around 10, and start the leisurely cruise down the road... At around National Park, I catch up to a nice guy on a Yammie FZR(??) 750 from 1987... He's going to Wanganui over the paras, so says I can tack on his rear end - he keeps saying that my bike goes "like the clappers" - which means I'm worried about the pace, cos I usually am last on our rides.... But he keeps to a nice 110 and we go down through the Paras (Lots of Gravel - and one near bin (looking at scenery rather than the big "35" sign! - D'OH!)

Lovely ride - and I head off from Wanganui down through to Raumati Beach - get there around 4:30 or so... What a great day. And then the Highway of Death (tm) which is so pretty ... Lynda and Blakamin on the phone - thanks guys! - But there really are only 3 people in Wellington that know where the Dog and Bone is ... and none of them are the ones I asked!

Nice to meet you all - sorry that I couldn't spend more time - Tournaments are killers - ask Aff-man.... At least I got to talk with Stoney and Lynda and Merv and F5 and Bungbung and MattT and CSL (before she went off on her trip) and others (sorry if I missed you out) as well as Lynda B and Blakamin....

More to come in an Edit

[StoneChucker]

Glad to hear you made it home ok. Mrs Yokai must have been relieved. I'm sure she'll become more relaxed as time goes by, until she settles down, and is only a nervous wreck each time you go out

I must admit, your 250 is quite interesting. It's very "retro", and with the exception of the seat complete with lump-o-crotch, makes for a very pleasing learner bike.

Good to meet you, and give us a yell anytime you're down this way.
Dave.

PS: What tournement were you playing in?

[Blakamin]

Glad you had a sa
Next time you're down we'll make up for the missing beers...

[Hitcher]

Sorry I missed you on Friday.

Next time you're down, Chez Hitcher does a reasonable line in near-downtown accommodation -- for yourself and Mrs Y. Keep us in mind.

[Yokai]

So - I left Petone on Sunday for Palmy. Went over Piecock hill again (not my sanest move seeing as I was shattered from the tournament:Click here : ULTIMATE )

Up to Palmy along 2 and then 56?? F*** me was it windy and I hate Logging trucks... Wind + logging trucks = wobbly yokai.... yuck
But it was fine. Had a spa in the motor lodge (no money now)

Monday :
Out of Palmy - missed the turn to Fielding, and went to Bulls before I turned toward Taupo. Up on desert road met nice guy on CBR1000 something or other... through the desert and then out to Taupo. Nice run - Very hot... Outside Taupo, The Police let me off my speeding (120k in 70k) and I go through Taupo and stop at the Helistar cafe. Turn left in Tokaroa (cos I've done 30 lots) and head up toward Mangakino... Bike starts making funny blatty noise... Stop bike. Look at bike... realise that (Technical speak alert) Thing that holds exhaust pipe thingy into Cylinder thingy has lost a bolt/nut/hexhead screw thingy... I tighten up other bolt/nut/hexhead screw thingy and carry on. Advice - when you get to Ngaruawahia - don't get back on the 1 - too many cars and cops.
Got back around 6:30 ... not a bad trip really... lots of little stops and nice people to meet in Welly...

Now - how do I fix the bolt thingy whatsit?

[Yokai]

Sorry I missed you on Friday.

Next time you're down, Chez Hitcher does a reasonable line in near-downtown accommodation -- for yourself and Mrs Y. Keep us in mind.

I definitely will - that 40 minute trip to Petone was a killer when I had to play as soon as I got there.... Wish I'd met up with you ... pass on my best to Mrs H - and remember us when you come up - we always have a spare room.

[Riff Raff]

Now - how do I fix the bolt thingy whatsit?

You find a bolt thingy whatsit fixererupperer personage and get them to do it. Have a look in the yellow pages under B ....

[vifferman]

Now - how do I fix the bolt thingy whatsit?

Is it the nut that's come off the stud, or has the stud itself come unscrewed? Either way, should be easy enough to fix.

[Riff Raff]

Is it the nuts that's come off the stud, or has the stud screwed?

Yikes, you got a full on porno going on on your bike!!!

[Yokai]

I think she done her nut! - theres a sort of ring-with-tabs (teckspeaktm) that holds the exhaust thingy to the cylinder thingy. one of the hexagonal things that goes through on of the tab thingies is missing.

Oh - the police didn't do me for speeding cos I was helping with their enquiries... for those that wanted to know

[Yokai]

Yikes, you got a full on porno going on on your bike!!!

Yeah - especially with the Lump-O-Crotch*.


heh


*Lump-O-Crotch is copyright Stonechucker Seat Comfort Enterprises limited, all rights reserved and all that jizz - especially when the Lump-O-Crotch gets vibrating at 80k....

Eeeeeeewwwwwww!

[LB]

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Hi Yokai - good to hear you got back safe and sound.

It was nice to meet you on Friday night (and of course to have the company of so many other genteel KBers).

Hamish and I went to the Park on Saturday, but it was very late (around 5.30 or 6.00pm) and of course everyone was gone.

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