Ashhurst to Akitio 29 12 07

[HornetBoy]

Yea well im not good at writing big long stories but here goes,

great ride cowboyz, good to meet alot of kbers that ive never met before , and good to talk to a couple id met previously.

mmm yes the bin, well was getting in a good flow and following meanie (sorry about following too close their mate ) through the twisties and he let me passed probably because he feared for his life ,wot with a bloody old katana up his backside half the way ,then carried on got to about 200m to the next stop ,came up a sweeping left ,up a hill ,then tuuuurrrning right then hey wheres my bike it was in mid air and had slipped from under me ,when over the fence and into a tree (believe me i was pissed off,just didn't show it,and no-one really wanted to see me throwing a shit ) anyway i ending up in the air and something like 10-15m down the road (really really horrible feeling that was tho ) gear held up all right and i didnt hit my head .
The girls patched me up bloody good and i thank them dearly for that ,i really do .(although when i took the bandages off at the hospital i soon found they were very bad holes ) i think if they'd have let me see them at the time i would've passed out lol.
yea thanks all the guys for getting my heavy beast out of the field (it was very nice grass tho) i owe you all ,and i hope ya finished ya ride to ,without to much delay .

ah yes and one who definitely need to be mentioned is Sarge,thanks mate your legend (hope i didn't talk to much lol) was good to finally meet ya although a shame it was under those circumstances ,hope to ride with ya on ya FZ1 sometime .

yea contemplating on the ride home as to reasons why i might have crashed like that i came to 2 conclusions:

Rider error + i had maxed the preload /rebound on high the day before to test the difference and forgot to reset it back which explains why the bike did what it did when it hit that kind of dip. but like ya say ,you live and you learn from your mistakes .the bike can be fixed or replaced in time ,and im very luck y i didn't sustain any broken bones only a few deep gashes in me arms and leg,which will remind me to never fiddle with preload unless ya know what your doing,and remember where it was originally. but yes this has really shocked me a bit,i think one of the worst feelings was that id looked like a typical young fella trying to be fastest and riding to fast for himself etc but yea i was riding within my limits i tell ya! but this has not deterred me from two wheels ,just took them away me temporarily,so i will be thinking about what im going to do about my bike in the next couple of days,not to sure at the moment.

[manwithav8]

Yea well im not good at writing big long stories but here goes,

great ride cowboyz, good to meet alot of kbers that ive never met before , and good to talk to a couple id met previously.

mmm yes the bin, well was getting in a good flow and following meanie (sorry about following too close their mate ) through the twisties and he let me passed probably because he feared for his life ,wot with a bloody old katana up his backside half the way ,then carried on got to about 200m to the next stop ,came up a sweeping left ,up a hill ,then tuuuurrrning right then hey wheres my bike it was in mid air and had slipped from under me ,when over the fence and into a tree (believe me i was pissed off,just didn't show it,and no-one really wanted to see me throwing a shit ) anyway i ending up in the air and something like 10-15m down the road (really really horrible feeling that was tho ) gear held up all right and i didnt hit my head .
The girls patched me up bloody good and i thank them dearly for that ,i really do .(although when i took the bandages off at the hospital i soon found they were very bad holes ) i think if they'd have let me see them at the time i would've passed out lol.
yea thanks all the guys for getting my heavy beast out of the field (it was very nice grass tho) i owe you all ,and i hope ya finished ya ride to ,without to much delay .

ah yes and one who definitely need to be mentioned is Sarge,thanks mate your legend (hope i didn't talk to much lol) was good to finally meet ya although a shame it was under those circumstances ,hope to ride with ya on ya FZ1 sometime .

yea contemplating on the ride home as to reasons why i might have crashed like that i came to 2 conclusions:

Rider error + i had maxed the preload /rebound on high the day before to test the difference and forgot to reset it back which explains why the bike did what it did when it hit that kind of dip. but like ya say ,you live and you learn from your mistakes .the bike can be fixed or replaced in time ,and im very luck y i didn't sustain any broken bones only a few deep gashes in me arms and leg,which will remind me to never fiddle with preload unless ya know what your doing,and remember where it was originally. but yes this has really shocked me a bit,i think one of the worst feelings was that id looked like a typical young fella trying to be fastest and riding to fast for himself etc but yea i was riding within my limits i tell ya! but this has not deterred me from two wheels ,just took them away me temporarily,so i will be thinking about what im going to do about my bike in the next couple of days,not to sure at the moment.

Mate, not good news..... Have only just jumped on and read all about yesterdays ride...
Don't be deterred from setting up your own bike, just have someone in the know teach you how to do it...
Hope you mend up quick and get the bike sorted....

[chanceyy]

just really glad your in one piece mate .. so how many stitches? yeah they were fairly deep but was not gonna say that to you then .. just told sarge you need them looking at ...

never did get to see your riding .. but am not suprised you binned, why you might ask ..

go back over the last week or so & re read some of your posts .. knowing your on restricted, just coming off a 250 apart from playing with the preload .. that may also clue you in

Attitude plays a big part in your riding as well

at least we will get to ride with you again one day soon, & I am really pleased about that ..

[HornetBoy]

just really glad your in one piece mate .. so how many stitches? yeah they were fairly deep but was not gonna say that to you then .. just told sarge you need them looking at ...

never did get to see your riding .. but am not suprised you binned, why you might ask ..

go back over the last week or so & re read some of your posts .. knowing your on restricted, just coming off a 250 apart from playing with the preload .. that may also clue you in o

Attitude plays a big part in your riding as well

at least we will get to ride with you again one day soon, & I am really pleased about that ..

yea ended up with 35 stitches which hurts a bit,yea well ive been off a 250cc for about 2yrs and been riding a 900 hornet since then till i recently brought the katana about 6 weeks ago, so yea i haven't just started riding bigger bikes,i stayed on my learners from age 15 till 16 then been on my restricted license since,i just haven't got my arse into gear and gotten into ltsa to book the full test, and yea i try to keep a good attitude toward my level of skill in respect to others and i try to take all the advice i can get from older riders,as i know im no valentino rossi , but I think it was just a freak accident,and i was in the wrong place ya know ,but ive taken alot from it and yea
Ill be back

[HornetBoy]

Mate, not good news..... Have only just jumped on and read all about yesterdays ride...
Don't be deterred from setting up your own bike, just have someone in the know teach you how to do it...
Hope you mend up quick and get the bike sorted....

thanks mate,looking at it ,frames good and forks are good its ll just cosmetic as of now,will be getting it all checked out to see if it is officially alright to get back onto the road

[ynot slow]

Well I thought it was great. In fact, I could hear the CEO of Mobil cheering every time you started it.............................

Nope the bloody sultan of Brunei,likes them beasts.1 barrel each fill for fuel and oil comsumption lol.

Great words for us nooby's Lance re passing,I try to get out of the way,so do veer to the left,although not into corners if it can be helped,was same on the toy run,some guys tried to race past in stupid places,or the prats would zap past and then sit on 90km,meaning a bunch each side of you.Mind you we're all nooby's,you never stop learning,if ya think ya have give up.The roads allways change.

Sad to hear your crash Chris,don't do that to the suzi mate not good and 35 stitches,holy shit hope you don't leak,with that many holes.

[HornetBoy]

Sad to hear your crash Chris,don't do that to the suzi mate not good and 35 stitches,holy shit hope you don't leak,with that many holes.

thanks mate,yea poor Suzuki alright,held together pretty well tho,but on the upside it was a really great back road that ill have to tackle once i get back on the road

[oscarnz]

Good to meet the new riders to the Manawatu crowd and some from Wangas and the bay. Was good to have a good collection of bikes out and about and was good to see some good clean riding from the newbies. I have to say though, cause a couple of times when coming up to the new riders they sometimes looked as if they were in a hurry to get out of our way and riding to the far left of the road - so much so that it was making it difficult to make some corners. You have just as much right to be on the road as anyone else and you need to own your piece of road. If someone is behind you then it is their responibility to get past safetly. By all means, if you dont want someone following you then move to the left on a striaght piece of road but when the corners come up if they are not passing you then assume your rightful place on the road to corner safely. I noticed it a couple of times and was going to say something but got caught up with other stuff.

Thanks for a great day Cowboyz, appreciate the feedback above, as you know it was my first group ride and I learnt alot. All feedback is greatly received.

[banditrider]

Thanks for a great day Cowboyz, appreciate the feedback above, as you know it was my first group ride and I learnt alot. All feedback is greatly received.

Good on ya! Cowboyz actually makes a lot of sense - both with his comments on the crash and his suggestions to newbies. Just remember to ride at a pace which you find comfortable and not try to stick with the faster mob. Don't be in a hurry to go fast or push your bike. It ain't a ride unless you get back home safe & sound.

End of sermon - not good at preachin'.

[ynot slow]

. Don't be in a hurry to go fast or push your bike. It ain't a ride unless you get back home safe & sound.

End of sermon - not good at preachin'.

It aint preaching if you take notice,we should all respect any titbits of info given out.If thats preachin give me more I say.

[cowboyz]

yea contemplating on the ride home as to reasons why i might have crashed like that i came to 2 conclusions:

Rider error

you should have stopped typing here.


+ i had maxed the preload /rebound on high the day before to test the difference and forgot to reset it back which explains why the bike did what it did when it hit that kind of dip. but like ya say ,you live and you learn from your mistakes .the bike can be fixed or replaced in time ,and im very luck y i didn't sustain any broken bones only a few deep gashes in me arms and leg,which will remind me to never fiddle with preload unless ya know what your doing,and remember where it was originally. but yes this has really shocked me a bit,i think one of the worst feelings was that id looked like a typical young fella trying to be fastest and riding to fast for himself etc but yea i was riding within my limits i tell ya! but this has not deterred me from two wheels ,just took them away me temporarily,so i will be thinking about what im going to do about my bike in the next couple of days,not to sure at the moment.

Here is a word from me. Take it however you want. I couldnt give a shit. As the ride organiser I have since had a couple of comments about you riding to what appeared to be outside your limits. Hanging off the bike, riding on wrong side of road on blind corners. In all fairness I wonder if I would have recieved the complaints if you had not crashed. With all due repect, (which is actually getting lower from you comments above) you crashed 82km into the ride. Add that to the approx 85km from wangas to ashhurst and that makes around 160km of riding on your new setup. More than enough time to figure out how the bike was handling and if it was drifting/lifting/tucking under you should have been riding at a pace to compliment your setup. I am not the fastest rider in the manawatu riders by far although it is often commented that I may have the fastest bike. I know my place and dont care if other riders are in front or behind me.
I was hoping that you would contemplate your riding sytle, pace, lines and control rather than blaming the bike setup or the road.
We dont need a skidmark or Zeroindex down this way. Smarten up or move up north.

[banditrider]

Here is a word from me. Take it however you want. I couldnt give a shit. As the ride organiser I have since had a couple of comments about you riding to what appeared to be outside your limits. Hanging off the bike, riding on wrong side of road on blind corners. In all fairness I wonder if I would have recieved the complaints if you had not crashed. With all due repect, (which is actually getting lower from you comments above) you crashed 82km into the ride. Add that to the approx 85km from wangas to ashhurst and that makes around 160km of riding on your new setup. More than enough time to figure out how the bike was handling and if it was drifting/lifting/tucking under you should have been riding at a pace to compliment your setup. I am not the fastest rider in the manawatu riders by far although it is often commented that I may have the fastest bike. I know my place and dont care if other riders are in front or behind me.
I was hoping that you would contemplate your riding sytle, pace, lines and control rather than blaming the bike setup or the road.
We dont need a skidmark or Zeroindex down this way. Smarten up or move up north.

Didn't really want to get into it, but yeah, I saw some weird shit in my mirrors at one stage so left it behind.

Hornetboy: this lesson hasn't come cheap but a lot cheaper than it could have been. You don't want to push ya luck.

Cowboyz: totally agree with ya last couple of sentences!

[cowboyz]

It aint preaching if you take notice,we should all respect any titbits of info given out.If thats preachin give me more I say.

This crash couldnt have happened at a worse time and I am more than a little miffed about it the more I think about it .

To start with there has been a flourry of RIP threads recently and it was pure dumb luck that HB got away as lightly as he did.
Then I have been trying to get the wife on the back for ages and although she is enjoying the riding the ugly reality of what happens when things go wrong doesnt need to be put into the forefront of her mind.
The ashhurst crew, come manawatu riders have been riding together for nearly 3 years now and when we started we discussed what type of riding we want to do. A group of us decided we want touring/day rides at a comfortable safe pace for a social aspect. Since then we had prided ourselves on putting together rides that people feel comfortable with where riders of ALL skill levels can ride their own ride and have plenty of laughs at the plentiful stops. Yesterday there were a range of riders from the complete newbie who had virtually zero experience on group riding to very experienced fast riders and all but one made it comfotably and safely. I hope that we made the new riders feel welcome and they dont feel intimadated by the speed of the front runners. In saying that I cant responibily sit back and let Hornet250boy think that there was any other influence to his accident except his own riding.

[banditrider]

Yesterday there were a range of riders from the complete newbie who had virtually zero experience on group riding to very experienced fast riders and all but one made it comfotably and safely. I hope that we made the new riders feel welcome and they dont feel intimadated by the speed of the front runners. In saying that I cant responibily sit back and let Hornet250boy think that there was any other influence to his accident except his own riding.

Yep, I've got no problem sitting behind the L-platers, although like to have a play every now and again. I certainly hope that no one thinks that they have to keep up - everyone has to start somewhere and develop their skills at their own pace. Haven't got an issues with stopping & waiting (hell I want to know everyone is ok - when I heard about the accident all sorts of horror pictures went through my head) or helping out people in any way.

Riding is supposed to be fun and I never, ever want to see a serious injury or hear of it happening to someone I know. I'm sick to death of the RIP threads too (http://banditrider.blogspot.com/2007...ne-dusted.html)!

[Meanie]

Well said cowboyz I think you have said what we are all thinking, like you i am enjoying having my wife come with me on these rides and if someone is going to put her or myself at risk then there are going to be severe consequences
I was so concerned with HBs riding that i waved him through cause i realy didnt want him behind me where i couldnt watch him to avoid him if needed. I was realy not surprised to see him when i came round the corner, it was just a matter of time.
HB dont get us wrong you are a bloody nice guy and we realy enjoy your company and hopefully we will again when you get your bike back on the road but I believe you need to slow down and ride to your actual abilities, not what you think they are. I too could ride a lot faster than i do but experience tells me what will eventualy happen if i push myself and bike to the limit
Why are we so oppinionated you may ask, been there and done that, listened to what everyone told us and survived
You had a very nasty accident and were extremly lucky that you walked away from it. Please listen to what everyone is saying, dont take offence and take a little advice There are far too many of us bikers dying at the moment.

Ride to survive

Lecture over
Hope your feeling a little better