Hornet Swarm Night City

**Hellzie** · 3rd January 2012, 13:47

Originally Posted by nzspokes

Thanks for the ride last night guys!

I enjoyed the riding under lights after the burgers. I had been told in the past to use the headlight of the rider in front and thats what I did. Works well. Only problem was Lankybastards brake lights were like looking into the sun.

Will be back sometime, hopefully without the L plate. Hope I didnt hold anybody up.

It was a lot of fun riding at night, somehow surreal. I liked looking behind me and seeing all those headlights. There seemed to be a gap though.. Must have been lanky bastard.

Thanks for leading toto, I had no idea where we were most of the time but loved every minute of it! Catch up again soon and nice to meet the rest of ya!

**LankyBastard** · 3rd January 2012, 14:16

Originally Posted by Hellzie

It was a lot of fun riding at night, somehow surreal. I liked looking behind me and seeing all those headlights. There seemed to be a gap though.. Must have been lanky bastard.

Thanks for leading toto, I had no idea where we were most of the time but loved every minute of it! Catch up again soon and nice to meet the rest of ya!

Yeah yeah join the club with pick on Ash day

**TOTO** · 3rd January 2012, 17:21

Looking forward to seeing bike pics from HK and China Justin.

It was a nice night to be out for sure. Did the standard run through Botany Bp for gas and smokes for the asthmatics. Proceeding on through Maraetai, clevedon and on to kaiaua. Nice relaxing ride. Plenty of scenery to be taken in with great views specially after the crap weather we have had the past few days.

had a nice feed at Kaiaua fish and chip shop with plenty of bike talk. After dinner took the nice backroads through Hunia, Clevedon and Twilight road to arrive at Momo Tea and continue with the bike related dribble. Nek minute 12:30 am lol

Good ride yall, good to have some new people come for a ride and a laugh

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**zeocen** · 3rd January 2012, 20:59

Welp, I'm now a Westie. So I think I should finally come on a swarm ride again now that I'm all sorted out, and you guys can show me some nice western roads! :P

Also, struggling to find a Honda dealership around here. Don't care for Cyclespot at all, think I might still keep my business with Botany Honda since they've always been good to me. And it just means a longer ride, nothing wrong with that.

**wanpo** · 4th January 2012, 09:01

Originally Posted by LankyBastard

Ok so now I see where Triumph went wrong, they put the headlights on the back! I should ride at night in reverse

You were going so slow I thought you already were.

Originally Posted by LankyBastard

Yeah yeah join the club with pick on Ash day

Every day is pick on Ash day.

Originally Posted by nzspokes

Will be back sometime, hopefully without the L plate. Hope I didnt hold anybody up.

Nah, was all good. Don't feel inclined to need to keep up with the rider infront of you if you don't feel comfortable at whatever speed they're doing, you were going really well, and if you felt comfortable the whole ride then you won't have any problems getting rid of that L-plate.

Was a good ride, great to see new faces. I apologise for my actions on a certain uphill sweeper, you weren't meant to see that. Also Toto, I shouldn't have enjoyed that motorway onramp as much as I did.

**TOTO** · 4th January 2012, 20:50

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**nzspokes** · 4th January 2012, 21:07

Originally Posted by wanpo

Nah, was all good. Don't feel inclined to need to keep up with the rider infront of you if you don't feel comfortable at whatever speed they're doing, you were going really well, and if you felt comfortable the whole ride then you won't have any problems getting rid of that L-plate.

Was a good ride, great to see new faces. I apologise for my actions on a certain uphill sweeper, you weren't meant to see that. Also Toto, I shouldn't have enjoyed that motorway onramp as much as I did.

Yeah I was fine, its just when people open up out of turns me old bike takes a bit to catch up. May do some plug chops over the weekend as I think shes a bit lean at higher rpm.

I did notice you hanging off the side on turns in my mirrors.

But I didnt see any knees go down?

**wanpo** · 4th January 2012, 22:36

Originally Posted by nzspokes

I did notice you hanging off the side on turns in my mirrors.

But I didnt see any knees go down?

Nor will they on the public road, but I'll see you at Pukekohe on the 15th?

**nzspokes** · 5th January 2012, 04:47

Originally Posted by wanpo

Nor will they on the public road, but I'll see you at Pukekohe on the 15th?

I would love to, but I doubt my bike would pass scrutinering, be anything more than a mobile chicane and do 2 min laps. Many moons ago I raced cars there quite a bit so know it well, even won a club championship.

**Gremlin** · 6th January 2012, 00:30

I just had to share this somewhere... apparently cyclists (one, on the very side of the road) are now enough to help people crash... good on them for not treating that corner like a race track huh? Oh, and the faceplant at least needs a good score.

**zeocen** · 6th January 2012, 07:21

I've been subscribed to that guy for a while and the comments in the videos never cease to amaze me. One recent one, someone was telling the crashed rider what he did wrong and how to fix it for next time, and someone came along saying, "rah rah rah, motorcyclists are meant to crash, it's what we do, heal up brother and try again!" and it was the top voted comment with like 60 votes.

Onto a different topic, I found a rural road out these ways yesterday and I have to say - I can't ride for shit anymore

I don't know what it is, on the zx14, which should be harder to throw around given its weight and geometry, is so much more easier to ride than my Hornet. I feel more in tune in the sports/sports tourer position than the naked position. It sucks, because I love my hornet so much but when I go into corners it just never feels right, I never get "that" feeling, you know?

I think I just need someone with considerable knowledge and skill to ride behind me and see what's up and help me adjust better. I'm always trying to find different positions on the bike when I'm approaching the corner, gripping the tank, putting force on the pegs, all this different crap whereas on like, say the VFR I would just corner and it would gel so sweetly with me.

It also could be that all I've done for the greater part of this year is commute back and forth to work, on a straight road that I've lost confidence on any bike other than the ones I'm very familiar with.

balls :~(

**baffa** · 6th January 2012, 11:16

Happy NYs all.

Had my first accident about a week ago, hit a big patch of oil mid corner, few scrapes to the bike and myself =/

Like Wanpo said awhile back, I found it knocked a bit of confidence off my cornering, so I went for a 600k ride to rotovegas and back yesterday to check out a bike, and found the old cornering habits returning ^_^

Zeocen you probably need to spend more time on the bike. I really enjoyed being on the road, cruising through the gorge yesterday, between that and the hunuas the previous day really resparked my enjoyment of riding.

**Gremlin** · 6th January 2012, 14:09

Zeo... another option is speaking to someone like Tricia from rcsom.co.nz... The weather is being bloody annoying, but I'm trying to get a session with her. $250 for 3 hours (one to one), and ACC provides a once off subsidy of $100.

Otherwise... yeah... more corners for you, relax, try not to over-think it.

**zeocen** · 6th January 2012, 16:01

Thanks man, I didn't know something like that existed. I think I'll save up for that and give it a go. I don't want to buy another sports tourer just to feel comfortable, I love my hornet too much! (is that weird? That I still don't want to buy another bike??!??!?!!?)