Hornet Swarm Night City

[Sharry]

thanks guys, She is a luffly bike and so easy to ride.

Bling? Well I have put on new mirrors and a new battery today. She will get a service on Saturday and a pack rack is probably next. I want a Givi screen. Heated handgrips can wait till next Autum. I also want to have bar ends painted to color match the tank....
I will have to start a list.......

[Jcxss]

Yay! Finally got the tyres sorted and bike is back in shape. Now, I can concentrate on going out for rides with you guys =). Heard of a really sad story today =(, apparently a biker got hit head on( while he was stationary), poor guy died, bike is a wreck. Its amazing how someone can have a head on while not moving!

[gijoe1313]

Erk, those sorts of stories are not good news to hear!

[Choco]

Bike today, Bike today, Bike Today!

[Simon]

Ooooh, i'd be keen on a screen too!

[Choco]

I might have to put it up on KB trader then

[gijoe1313]

Dang looks like I have chores to do for the parental units tomorrow! I was so looking forward to riding down to Napier and riding back up with Choco ... maybe if I get time off for good behaviour, I can meet Choco halfway!

[Simon]

I wonder if it'll finally be fine enough to pop out to drury and get some new tyres for the larve...

Oh god, i finally drove that back way to Thames via Kawakawa and Kiaua. Damm fine views and roads. Awesome in a car, but couldn't help thinking the suddern changes in direction would be rather hazardous on the bike. Not to mention the moss and clay slips. hahaha.

Oh the joys of the road less traveled.

[gijoe1313]

Choco update

Currently 15km on Taupo-Napier road out of gas! :slap: Good thing TOTO was riding out early to meet him and is at Taupo filling a can of gas for the poor lad.

I will be getting route details and riding down to meet them both (maybe I should bring a can of gas again? )

Ah, any excuse for a ride!

[Badger8]

Lesson learnt... ALWAYS fill the tank before setting off on a long journey.
Also, DONT ignore the glowing / flashing fuel light!

Cant wait to see it Choco!

[zeocen]

Hooray to sharry and choco ! Can't wait to see the 600 sharry! Might I suggest the givi a240 screen? I was extremely against having a screen but now I commute into work every day and this particular screen is just fantastic. I will have to meet up with you all soon, my hornet is getting lonely and anxious to show off all of his fancy parts to his new brothers and sisters !

[gijoe1313]

Choco update #2

Right, back in Auckland now - everyone has just filled up at BP Takanini and I am home first naturally!

Rained cats and dogs all the way home! But TOTO managed to get a milestone for himself done as well.

Good to see Choco's new bike is a nice little keeper. Poor lad is soaked through, I don't think that mars bar at the servo will keep him warm for long!

[Choco]

Choco update #3
Home safe now, so now come around the camp fire so i may tell ye a tale.
Plan was something like this:Saw a bike on trademe, do a buynow. take an 8 hour bus ride down to napier to pick it up, stay overnight in a back packers, ride home the next day and be happy.

Ended up with: Looooooooooooong bus ride requiring 3 drivers running 30mins late, dude selling it to me went to the wrong bus station, took 15 mins to sort that out. saw (and heard) the bike, fell in love. Got warned that it hadn't been ridden for a while and the battery might be a bit low, handed over the bank cheque and rode 5 mins down the road to my backpackers and slept in a room with 9 others with hair all over the bed

Got woken up fairly early, strapped the original stock exhausts to the back of the bike, chucked my other goodies in my bag and was ready to leave at my planned 7:45 and the bike wouldnt start...

Flat battery.
tried bump starting it down the road, didnt work. (this bike is heavy me thinks)
tried getting someone to push it and bump it, wouldnt work. (need more speed?)
got a third person to push and remembered the 900 has a choke, got it started!

At this point i guesstimated i had half a tank of petrol and i could just get to Taupo, therefore NOT requiring me to ride to a petrol station and stop the bike and then have to re-bump it after trying for the last half an hour.

20 mins out of Napier it starts to rain...
40 mins out of Napier i meet up with Toto! very windy, raining on and off.
15km outside of Taupo, bike dies. outta gas. But Toto has a Pillion seat! what a legend!
Ride to taupo, pick up gas, ride back to bike, ride back to Taupo.

Have some BK for brunch and plan to meet GI Joe somewhere along the way and start heading towards Cambridge...

Rain, Wind and Cold. Needs me some heated grips i think!
I check my mirrors as we are going along and all of a sudden a Ninja appears! Now we have three big daddy hornetto's. Quick stop at a SuperLoo and the Mighty GiJoe leads us northwards following ancient back roads long forgotten by Cager-Kind. Eventually join back up with SH1 and do the long drag home with a quick pit stop and refuel at the Takanini BP and a Mars Bar for warmth. The Ninja Gijoe then stealthy sneaks off and Toto and me continue into the city and i finally reaching home and a SPA POOL

Things i've learned:
-Toto and GiJoe are awesome, give them lots of green bling!
-Hornet 900's are awesome, but are a pain to bump start when they are cold.
-Heated grips and waterproof gear are required for future cross country excursions in winter.
-The fuel light on the 900's DO NOT flash when they are at extreme low
- Always start long trips with a full tank
- The screen has gotta go...

HUGE props to Toto and GiJoe again for keeping me company, you guys saved me big time.

Now i'm going to go turn my bike on and listen to it rumble at idle!

[TOTO]

1. Mmmm nom nom nom - tasty petrol.
2. "Very nice" choco imitating Borat
3. The Hooligan and the new member posing.
4. Big chopper time neaar Taupo
5. Hooligan milestone - 50 000kms
6. Happy end

[gijoe1313]

So you left the Big Ol'Hornet unattended on the side of the road!?

I thought TOTO rode off to bring some gas back!

Ah well, alls well that ends well!