A Windy Wander. October End of Month Ride.

It was an interesting mix of classic and modern bikes gathered at Memorial Park for our October end of month ride. Occasional showers were forecast, but it looked as though this was not to be. So where to go? The decision was made to head on over the Pahiatua track and out to one of our favourite runs around the back of Pahiatua and up to Woodville, for our final destination being the Wind Farm Cafe. Kerry took the lead on his ‘Japanese falcon’, otherwise known as a Hayabusa. His familiarity with that part of the countryside had him out front on what must be one of the fastest motorcycles you will find on the road today. It is hard to believe that these bikes have been around for 25 years and will shortly count as classic bikes. For today, Kerry took us through some familiar territory for him, as he spent many years living in the Tararua district. Whilst his bike is certainly capable of making its way through this countryside at a very high velocity, it was amazing how easily it pootled along at our usual end of month ride pace. With the track being dispatched, we were soon on our way through Mangamaire and on to Mangaone Valley Road, with its lovely sweeping corners mixed in with some nice tight sections that might encourage you to get rid of some chicken strips on the tyres. We are so lucky to have such excellent places to ride. Kerry then took us through the maze of roads at the back of Pahiatua, through Mangatainoka, Hopelands and on our way to our final destination, the Wind Farm Cafe.

This is another one of our favourite cafes with an excellent selection of cabinet food and meals, with good coffee to go along with it. There is also a good parking spot out the back for the bikes, as the main road out the front gets very busy, and car parks are a premium at times.

By the time we were ready to go, the wind had really got up. Whilst the others headed back to town via the Saddle Road, I decided to see what the new highway was like in a strong westerly. I had heard some interesting tales of how the wind gets funnelled through the cuttings. I found out those tales were very true! The wind speed was quite something, and next time I will be following the rest of the lads over the Saddle Road with its lack of traffic and mot of all, nice wiggly bits. Roll on next month for our mystery end of month ride!

Roll call

Stuart - Suzuki GT750

Max - Yamaha FZ750

Roger - Moto Guzzi V50 Imola II

Gary A - Honda CX 500

Bones - Suzuki DR650

Sir Al - Suzuki V-Strom 250SX

Kerry - Suzuki Hayabusa

Jimmy - Triumph Bonneville T120

Gary W - Suzuki GSR 750

Rich - Suzuki Vstrom 650

Ian - Suzuki Vstrom 650

Kenny - BMW 700 FGS

A Suzuki TR750 Nears Completion

After catching up with Lloyd and Wayne at our August Tuesday night get together at The Cobb, we got a bit of an update on one of Wayne’s current projects that are a part of the 75th Cemetery Circuit celebrations this coming December. The big one has been an ongoing project over the last few years to restore an early seventies Suzuki TR750 race bike to track ready condition. One of the beauties of being a part of heritage vehicle groups like the Blue Haze is the network you become a part of provides access to knowledge and parts that you won’t find online. And so it has been with this project, with some of the TR engine parts from one of the crew, other parts from overseas came together through Wayne with Steve Roberts constructing the frame and bodywork. The frame and bodywork finale were the topic of conversation on the Tuesday and in particular the Suzuki Racing Blue colour needed to be finalised. Rich had a few leads from various sources and so it provided an excellent excuse for a visit over to Wayne’s shop in Whanganui one Saturday morning to share Rich's research. 

It’s always a pleasure to visit Marshall Motorcycles as its ambience definitely provides a familiarity with the past in the present. The racing vibe with its location on the start line of the Cemetery Circuit is carried on into the shop with its racing bikes and accessories dotted around the shop creating a unique experience. With the TR750 sitting in behind the counter and a Yamaha TZ 750 side car occupying a stand, there was also Darryl at the back of the shop prepping his TR750 sidecar for the painter. All these bikes will be a part of the 75th celebrations so make sure you put December 26th into your calendar so you can come and see and hear these great bikes on one of the few street circuits in the country. The race meeting is a part of the Suzuki Tri Series that is run each year with Taupo on the 5th December and Manfeild on the 12th December.

P.S. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Steve Roberts, you might find these articles informative.

https://www.oldbikemag.com.au/steve-roberts-tin-basher-stars/

https://www.brm.co.nz/steve-roberts-off-the-cuff-interviews

https://www.marshallmotorcycles.co.nz

Seeing Winter Out. August EoMR

Memorial Park saw a great turnout of modern and classic bikes front up for a wee wander around the rural neighbourhood we are lucky to have on our doorstep. The weather was very agreeable for our last winter ride of the year, and if this Al Niño is for us, we look forward to the rest of the new riding season. Gary A’s geographical knowledge was called upon to plot an interesting route through to our final destination, The Woolshed Cafe just south of Sanson on State Highway One. With Gary out front, we certainly went the long way to Sanson. After heading towards the hills via Hiwinui, Valley Road, he had us heading back in the right direction for our café stop as we sped through Colyton, and the back of Feilding, and onto Lethbridge Rd. From there, it was down Halcombe Rd to Te Rakehou Rd and onto Sandon Rd, then down to the busy Mount Stewart intersection. From here, it was through to the Woolshed Cafe via Penny Rd.
The food and beverages were up to their excellent standard, with the prompt service also appreciated. It is easy to see why this is a popular place, and by the time we left at lunchtime, the place was very busy.
It was great to see Bruce and Mick bring their classic bikes along for the first time, and good to have Mark come out for a run on his modern for the first time. Thank you to Gary for leading the way on our ride, and let’s hope September’s EoMR is just as pleasant!

Roll Call
Stuart - Suzuki GT750
Mick - Honda CX500
Shane - Honda CB750
Grant - Suzuki GSX1100
Kim - Kawasaki 750 H2
Bruce - Yamaha RD350
Roger - Moto Guzzi V35 Imola II
Sir Al - Suzuki V-Strom 250SX
Rich - Suzuki V-Strom 650
Gary A - BMW 700 FGS
Ray - Honda NX500
Mark - Triumph 900 Thruxton
Paul - Moto Guzzi V85 TT
Kenny - BMW 650 FGS
Gary W - Suzuki GSR750

Three Smokers and Their Friend: Moto TT Track Day

It was great to get out on the bike again a couple of Saturdays ago with Gary A and Rich for an extended wander over to Manfeild to check out the track day. The weather for Sunday was looking grim, so an extended ride around the back blocks of Feilding seemed like a good plan. 

Gary led the way, and we headed out through the back of Ashhurst, making our way down Valley Road before turning right at Colyton. From there, we headed towards Lethbridge Street via the back of Feilding. Gary had us zigzagging our way through the countryside, and eventually, we popped out at the resurrected café at Halcombe. Nice to see the café back in action again. They have a good selection of pies, along with a good Kiwi breakfast and lunch menu; all at very reasonable prices. Recommended!

We were soon back on our way and headed into Manfeild via Rata Street. We were greeted by that great sound of motorcycles circulating around the track at speed. After parking up, we headed off to the pits and very quickly found a gaggle of smokers in their garage. It was good to see Dion there with a Suzuki RGV that he and Darrin have been working on. All dressed up and looking very smart, the bike has been a work in progress over the winter, and they were out at Manfeild putting it through its paces. Also out was Daniel on his Yamaha FZR 600 that used to belong to Max, with David on an NSR; that he purchased off Dion, and Dion also on his Yamaha TZR 1Kt. There was plenty of muttering about the RGV, but the other bikes were well behaved and got plenty of track time on the day. 

Well done to all and great to see Wayne close up his shop early in Whanganui and to pop over and soak up the vibes. Can’t wait for his two latest race bike projects to make their way onto the tracks for this season. 

But that’s another story for the very near future!

Japanese Italian Tango Equals Bimota Surprise: July EoMR 2026

A hardy group of eight individuals and their motorcycles gathered at Memorial Park for what could have been a very damp ride. The wet roads didn’t deter Warren and Shane from bringing out their two pieces of two-wheeled excellence. The Bimota appears to be a very modern motorcycle, yet the fact that the YB8 was built in 1990 and produces 149 brake horsepower makes it extraordinary for its time. It is only 20 years older than Shane’s Honda CB 750 from the early 70s, which was an engineering marvel when it debuted in 1969 with its four-cylinder engine and disc brake. This was achieved through Honda’s racing program in the early 60s, where they refined the multicylinder cross-frame format to win many GPs with fours and sixes. Warren’s bike is an incredible blend of Italian excellence in chassis and suspension, alongside a superb aesthetic and featuring a highly tuned Yamaha FZ 1000 motor. So there was huge progress in a short period of time. Sandwiched between them was Gary’s Honda CX 500 from the early 80s. This is another example of Honda taking an existing engine format, in this case a V, and putting their own spin on it. It is a popular classic with its shaft drive and reliability, proving popular with British courier riders back in the day. Other classics on the run included a couple of Moto Guzzis, with Roger on his V50 and Paul on his Le Mans. These are enduring examples of an Italian take on the V twin format that is still popular today.

The modern bikes on the run included Sir Al and Bruce on their recently acquired bikes. Sir Al had his new Suzuki Vstrom 250 out for a run, and Bruce brought out his Kawasaki Z750 S, with yours truly on the trusty Suzuki GSR 750.

The decision was made to head south for a cup of tea at Robert Harris in Foxton. Gary took the lead on his CX 500, and we left the city past Massey University and made our way towards Tokomaru, where we skirted around the back and carried on through many back roads towards Shannon. We turned off just before coming into Shannon and headed off south following the river around to the Foxton Bridge, where we joined State Highway One and made our way to our final destination. I am sure Warren wouldn’t have wanted to ride too much further without stopping as that Bimota seat is definitely rather thin!

The café was very busy, and we were impressed with the food, beverage and service. Definitely a place we will return to in the future. After a good chat, drink, and chew, it was time to head back home. Gary and Sir Al swapped bikes for the ride home, so it will be interesting to hear if a Weestrom is finding a space in Garys garage? 

Another great run around the countryside and looking forward to seeing what next months end of month ride brings.