Chch Wednesday Evening Cruises - 2008

[Deviant Esq]

So.... having fished through the slightly tense messages of the last few pages.. i didn't manage to see anything about actual plans for tomorrow night..
are people going for it??

Tense?
Nah, we're all just testing out our new bombarding techniques to see if the enemies' defenses are keeping up with our assault methods.... purely training and educational stuff that is, keeps you sharp...

A route hasn't been confirmed yet, but presuming the weather's a bit nicer than what it's been tonight, we'll still be going for a ride. Like transalper says, last chance to get one in before daylight savings packs it in for another 6 months and plunges us into darkness...

[Sellout]

i just hate the fact that it takes so long to clean the bike

Clean the bike??? I threw a towel over the seat... that's about the extent for the Mighty Zong... (I had put some degreaser on the back end tonight, so the rain actually helped!)

[homer]

maybe i need a towel for it
still wont clean it unless i help it .
lol

[Deviant Esq]

maybe i need a towel for it
still wont clean it unless i help it .

I never cleaned my old bike... at least, not with much effort anyway, in the more than two years that I've owned it. Have owned the ZX-6R a week, and already it's had a thorough wash. Came out looking so much better for it - you wouldn't believe how much crap had accumulated on parts of it, it was filthy! Looks much better now... and goes better too, with the brakes getting a good cleanout and scrub

[MyGSXF:Me]

Hang in there a bit longer guys... the training course is coming up.. you're sooo gunna love it!

[Sellout]

I know, I was planning some business trips and saw the date (again) today in the diary, I'm all keen!

In the meantime its as much bike time as I can get!! Alone or in a group.

Don't know how good it is in the long term for the bike, but it gets the water blaster every now and then due to my oil catch pipe on the chain.... A few people saw it in Little River last week, it has gotten a lot better so I think the oil was a little too full!!

[Rashika]

Oh yeah, I remember that - I was overtaking Rashika coming into that 70km/h stretch up the hill. There were two ugly bugly 4WDs in front of her, and I overtook one of those in the same stretch as overtaking her...

yeah that was the bit but here is where the inexperience is talking... and i will use that word as it is apt. Perhaps you need to pause a moment before trying to overtake another rider and just see why they haven't passed. There could be a reason... like a car they have seen and you have not, as in this case. I saw a car approaching long before you passed the first vehicle, and I think you were in front of me from earlier, and behind bent52 at the time. I decided to wait, as who knows how fast the car may be coming thru. You did suddenly swerve back between the cars and were lucky they made room for you. Patience will serve you better in the long run.
And yes I have made the same mistakes at times... believe me i still remember those moments, I guess there is some bonus to having a very torquey bike. And 107Hp is quite a jump from the NZ, makes it same Hp as mine, tho yours is 30kgs heavier (actually THAT does surprises me... maybe the fairings are weighty? ) No-one thinks you are a lousy rider DE, I think you are fine.

I'd like to be able to ride with you as well, continue to learn stuff - and have you less bored now that my bike's not so teensy any more

and this bit DOES annoy me... EVERYONE has to ride a 250 or less initially, its life, EVERYONE else who rides accepts that and no-one i have ever talked to denegrates a 250rider or their bike, yet you do it to yourself?? many times on KB.
The NZ has far more get up and go than a few other learner bikes, and is certainly capable of staying with most bikes at legalish speeds, so why put it down?

Don't know how good it is in the long term for the bike, but it gets the water blaster every now and then due to my oil catch pipe on the chain.... A few people saw it in Little River last week, it has gotten a lot better so I think the oil was a little too full!!

Ah well is was fun bike to follow over dyers pass and you were certainly riding it fine

[Deviant Esq]

You did suddenly swerve back between the cars and were lucky they made room for you.

I really don't remember it being anything like as close as you tell it, and while you've said here I "did suddenly swerve back", my memory quite clearly tells me that there was no swerving involved and I filtered back in. Like I said, might've looked close, but really wasn't.

tho yours is 30kgs heavier (actually THAT does surprises me... maybe the fairings are weighty? ) No-one thinks you are a lousy rider DE, I think you are fine.

I think this is where people get their knickers in a twist a bit, thinking it's such a big step - they're thinking of it as much lighter than it is. That 203kg is the dry weight too, probably nearly 250kg in 'ready to ride' trim. The sports 600 class back then was all trying to make more power, and didn't care quite so much about the weight. They've only started getting quite a bit lighter in the last few years, but back when mine was made they weren't all that light. It's only 20kg or so lighter than Dangerous' Guzzi, that's saying something.

For me, the power isn't something that's caught me off guard (that, and 107hp at the crank? Not at the moment, with the carbs needing a tune)... I find that, compared to the NZ, I more have to be aware of the extra weight in low speed maneuvering, like in car parks, walking the bike around, or stopping at the lights, stuff like that. But, I'm always mindful of it, so it hasn't caught me out.

and this bit DOES annoy me...

*snip*

The NZ has far more get up and go than a few other learner bikes, and is certainly capable of staying with most bikes at legalish speeds, so why put it down?

Hang on just a tick - I wasn't putting the NZ down at all. I was just teasing T.W.R - we'd joked in the past that the ZXR750 doesn't like "pootling", it's annoyed, a wild animal champing at the bit wanting to be released, and following the old NZ around was making it grumpy.... but the whole point is, I was joking. Sure, I was getting tired of being on a little bike after so long, but I also constantly said it was an awesome bike to learn on and a great bike for me... I had people say stuff like "geez that thing can go, I couldn't stay with you!"

Put it to you this way - I didn't do what most others my age and younger did (and are still doing), and buy an upgrade bike well before getting my full licence... indeed, I actually didn't buy the ZX-6R for nearly 5 months after getting my full, so I was on the 250 much longer than many. I don't hate the NZ (or any other 250s or their riders)... it's just great to finally be able to overtake uphill!!

[Trudes]

At least DE you didn't do what a lot of people much younger than you do, get full licence, immediately buy GSXR 1000 (or similar) and promply go out and ride it like a mad arse, bin it and hurt yourself or worse, kill yourself.

[phoenixgtr]

That 203kg is the dry weight too...

It is not. The dry weight's 185kg (according to the genuine owners manual anyway)

[Deviant Esq]

It is not. The dry weight's 185kg (according to the genuine owners manual anyway)

Ah, whoops. I'm used to the only weight figures being quoted as dry weight figures - the website I used to get that weight actually says "weight (incl. oil, gas etc): 203kg". My mistake. Okay, so it's 185kg dry then, that makes a little more sense, I thought 203kg seemed a bit porky!

Here's the page I got it from.

[DrJekyll]

weather's looking good for tonight, fresh but good light

[MVnut]

So where is the ride going tonight??

[fireliv]

Summit Rd is a possiblity to be tabled at the carpark.

In other words will be finally decided at carpark by whoever shows up

[MVnut]

Can't make the carpark so if I c u i c u