A trip to Napier for the weekend

**Mom** · 16th March 2009, 08:58

After much thought and deliberation, not to mention coercion and bribery a decision was made to go to Napier for the weekend to help yungatart celebrate her birthday. This providing a perfect opportunity for a catch up with far away friends. Apparently a girly, bitchy ride was planned for Saturday so the blue lovely was prepared for the biggest trip she had done so far.

Chain lubed, oil level checked then off to the servo for gas and the all important tyre pressure adjustment. I usually use 28 front and 32 rear, but after taking some advice on tyre pressures I decided to test out a higher inflation rate so 32 front and 36 rear was duley dialled in. OMG!

the difference this made was amazing, my blue lovely floats like a butterfly. Feeling pretty good with life, the universe and everything we hit the road south.

Swung in to Silverdale and picked up MadDuck then down to the BP Autobhan to wait for Sharry who was also travelling down with us. A quick bite to eat at the golden arches provided an opportunity for me to treat myself to a little pressie as a momento of my trip

Fed, watered and relieved we hit the road again. Of course the weather guru's were not quite right with the rain forecast and it was not long before we were riding in steady rain. About this time the blue lovely started intermittently running on 3 cyclinders

The first time it happened I automatically thought it was gas related but as I had only travelled 100 kms on a proven 220 before reserve range, I soon discounted that. Oh well maybe I have a cracked plug cap or one of the leads is leaking, it is raining afterall. Then again it could also have been some kind of governing device kicking in as I was doing that dangerous 110kph type of speed

Turned off SH1 at Taupiri and headed for Cambridge. About 10 k's short of Cambridge the lovely was really struggling, we hit some roadworks and the slow speed stuff was proving a challenge for her. I am convinced it is fuel by now, and hope the hell I can reach Cambridge before it really turns to crap. No such luck

A sense of urgency appeared in my riding now, I zoom coughing, farting and surging past a 4x4 and have to stop at a T intersection, the engine stops. No amount of trying will re-start her so I get off and push her across and then up the road till I could find a shoulder wide enough to get my sidestand down safely. Did I mention I was holding up the 4x4 behind me?

He stopped and offered assistance and offered to follow me to Cambridge. Hell nice bloke. Bike eventually started with the tap on prime and off I went. Still running as ragged as can be, with the tap on reserve I limped into Cambridge and puttered to a stop at the servo. Refuel and decide to press on.

Back out on the road and as if by magic the blue lovely is back to her usual self and we have a great and uneventful trip to Taupo. Refuel there and then head across to Napier. The weather was beautiful, but the ominous very big, black clouds on the mountains did not bode well for the final leg of the trip. Sure enough we are soon riding in torrential rain, the mist is down to the ground and it is freezing cold. Visibility was not wonderful (mind you the sunglasses did not help) and the roads are greasy, on the plus side the blue lovely was handling it like a pro! We stopped at Te Pohue to get out of the weather and attempt to warm up a bit, then made our way into Napier. Arrived at chez MSTRS/tarts dripping wet and in dire need of a hot shower. After a feed and a couple of drinks we called it a night.

Edit: every bloke deserves a hello kitty watch I reckon - my present

**MsKABC** · 16th March 2009, 09:01

Sounds like a great trip Mom! Shame about the rain, and did you ever figure out what was wrong with your bike?

**Mom** · 16th March 2009, 09:02

Next morning saw a gorgeous sunny day, we put the gear out to dry a bit more and the girls headed out for a bit of a countryside pootle riding out to meet Nasty who headed up from Wellington and then to a lovely little pub for lunch. The roads down in this part of the country are fantastic. Even minor back roads are in better condition than what passes for SH1 up our way. The blue lovely decided on the way back to start playing up again, bloody frustrating is an understatement really. Got back to the house and got ready for the evening BBQ and crap talk. The bitches donned their new, flash as tee shirts, and we settled in for the evening.

The subject of the blue lovelies antics soon turned into a lets have a look session. Team Cudby reckons I have a burned exhaust valve. He offers to whip the head off, do a quick valve grind and put her back together there and then, but relaxing and socialising won over and a great night was had by all. Sunday dawns and we prepare to hit the road for home. I decided to leave my bike in the capable hands of Mike, who has promised to make her better than she was before, extreme makeover is a distinct possibility

I pillioned home behind Maha and was strangely not comfortable and really wished I was riding. We were diverted off SH1 just north of Taupo due to an accident, but otherwise had an uneventful, if tiring trip home.

One last thing, what is it with Auckland drivers anyway? When your arse has been signing the hallelujah chorus, off key and very loudly for the past hour or so the last thing you need is to be in creeping traffic caused by rubber-neckers staring at a cop that has pulled a bike up on the other side of the motorway

**Mom** · 16th March 2009, 09:03

Watch out for these appearing all over the show

**NZsarge** · 16th March 2009, 09:19

Nice, bummer about the rain, what's up with that, thought the bay was the sunshine capital of NZ?

**Nasty** · 16th March 2009, 09:20

Originally Posted by NZsarge

Nice, bummer about the rain, what's up with that, thought the bay was the sunshine capital of NZ?

Thanks for the company at my stop .. .was lovely to catch up!!!

**Maha** · 16th March 2009, 09:20

Man! that Nasty has got a mean reach, she would fit nicely into any NBA team...

That pic taken at the Tiko is way cool...is that the 'Bitch Kick'??

**MSTRS:Me** · 16th March 2009, 09:25

I think you caught the flavour of the w/e very well, Mom. Good to have had you all here.

**NZsarge** · 16th March 2009, 09:30

Originally Posted by Nasty

Thanks for the company at my stop .. .was lovely to catch up!!!

Sweet as, went to Wellington on sunday, TSS first to check out the Can-Am Spyder which was a hoot (not going to replace the 14 though) and drop in to Wellington city for a coffee, big big mistake, I know I don't frequent Wellington all that much but holy hell it was busy!

**MadDuck** · 16th March 2009, 10:43

Originally Posted by Mom

but otherwise had an uneventful, if tiring trip home.

Great report Mom.

The only other event on the way home that still has me scratching my head was coming around a blind corner on the Napier-Taupo road to find two policemen running across the road.....WTF?

**Maha** · 16th March 2009, 10:46

Originally Posted by MadDuck

Great report Mom.

The only other event on the way home that still has me scratching my head was coming around a blind corner on the Napier-Taupo road to find two policemen running across the road.....WTF?

Is that what they were? cops? I thought they were Pukeko!!...

**Maha** · 16th March 2009, 10:54

Originally Posted by MsKABC

Sounds like a great trip Mom! Shame about the rain, and did you ever figure out what was wrong with your bike?

Quite a bit really....well, quite a bit that can be done to it

Wont really know until Mike gets it apart, the bike is in good hands and what he is prepeared to do is amazing, and the fact that he offered to 'tweak' it in the first place was awesome.

I dont mind the rain, its the

that comes with it at altitude on the Napier/Taupo.......when we stopped at TePohue, there was no wind to speak of, that would have really sucked arse!!!

I must add that, sharry done real well with it all. There and back, just watch those bungy's....