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.

Moomaa Cafe. June EoMR

Winter’s here, bringing those chilly days and long nights! The ride at the end of June saw twelve ‘brave’ souls gather at Memorial Park for a lovely but cool morning, setting off on another adventure through the countryside to a destination we didn’t know yet. Warren, who spends his day exploring the countryside to keep the cell phone network running, always keeps an eye out for new (to us) motorcycling routes with cafes nearby. He suggested a loop around Marton, including ‘Warren’ Road, and that Moomaa Cafe would be a great spot for a coffee, a bite, or breakfast. We headed down Napier Road, turned at the school, and stony Creek Creek Road to Bunnythorpe, then continued onto Feilding, through Halcombe, and towards Marton. State Highway One was busy as ever, as we headed to Crofton and then left onto Wellington Road, then through Tutaenui Road, and began our loop around the back of Marton. This area is new to many of us with some lovely farmland and scenery looking across to the ranges. We soon returned to State Highway One, making our way to our final destination.

Moomaa Cafe is set in a rural area and had plenty of room for our group of 14 people. Although it was a bit cool sitting outside, we were all wearing our motorcycling gear, so we were able enjoy the ambience of its rural setting. Moomaa is definitely a great name for the cafe. The food came out promptly, was of good quality and not too expensive. We’ll certainly be back sometime in the summer when it’s a bit warmer!

After some very good food and refreshments, great company, and excellent conversation, we all headed out to our bikes for the journey home. It had been a wonderful morning out in the beautiful countryside we have right here in the Manawatu and Rangitikei district. Warren’s challenge for next month’s ride will be to see if he can include someone else’s name in our ride? Maybe he’ll have to include surnames.

Roll callGary - Honda CX500
Grant - Suzuki GSX1100
Warren - Suzuki RG400
Sir Al - Kawasaki 750H2
Stuart - Suzuki GT750
Steven Cagiva -1000
Roger Moto Guzzi -V35 Imola II
Kenny BMW - 700 GS
Paul Moto Guzzi - V85TT
Ray Honda - CB500X
Gary Suzuki - GSR750
Richard Suzuki - 650 Vstrom

Suzuki T500 Cobra Out in Front - May EoMR

  

The May end-of-month ride saw a good turnout of classics and moderns making the most of a long stretch of fine weather. The 31st of May was also the final day of autumn, and as we move into the winter months and the cooler weather, it is nice to take some ‘warmer’ memories with us as we head to the winter solstice on the 21st June. A ride to Shannon was agreed upon with Warren leading the way on his Suzuki T500 Cobra. He assured us that he had worked out the long way to Shannon over some roads that many of us hadn’t been on for years or ever.

The other classics in the group were Mal on his Yamaha XS Eleven Cafe, Roger on his Suzuki GS110G, Paul D and Sir Al on their Kawasaki H2 750s, Max on his Yamaha FZ750, Stuart on his Suzuki GT750 and Bones on his recently acquired Honda GB400. The moderns included Bruce S on his very tasteful Yamaha XSR900 retro, Gary A on his BMW F700 GS, Ian and Rich on their Suzuki V-Strom 650s. Mick had his Can-Am Ryker out, with Ray on his Honda CB500X, Justin on his Triumph Bonneville America, and yours truly on the Suzuki GSR750.

Our departure saw us heading out of town to the east, and it was here Mal and Gary headed over the hill to Tui Brewery to one of the popular Tui Brewery vehicle gatherings held every Sunday, and the rest of us followed Warren on his mystery tour of the Manawatu River Plain. We were soon heading down past the Army base at Linton and the Manawatu Prison. Somewhere along the way, we went through a very short tunnel that took us under the railway line (notice it is a tunnel with a lowercase t) and passed through the outskirts of Tokomaru on our way to the metropolis of Opiki. We were soon in Shannon via Poplar and Okuku roads and parked up across from the Highway 57 Bakery and Café. It was just under an hour of riding from Memorial Park with no stops along the way. Surprisingly, a good number of curves were enjoyed along the way, and Warren set an excellent pace out in front on his 1968 Suzuki T500. Certainly shows why these bikes were so well received back in the day.

Another great run around this wonderful motorcycling playground we have on our doorstep. Spending that time with like-minded individuals just adds to the experience. Let’s see what our first winter end-of-month ride brings for June.