Rongomai Loop with the Classics

I thought I might throw up this video and some photos from a few weeks ago when some of us popped out for another run with the Manawatu Classic Motorcycle Club. This was the weekend after the very successful rally and whilst the Rally ride was trouble free, this ride was far from that. It all started well with much cheer from the club meeting with reports about the success of the rally. The departure from the Vintage Car Club rooms went without a hitch, but unfortunately a couple of bikes didn't manage to make it to the bottom of the Pahiatua Track. Pauls Guzzi decided to spit the dummy with lots of loud bangs and a few puffs of smoke. A Trident didn't like the look of the track and made it clear to its owner that it wanted to go home. The run to Rongomai went without a hitch as did the run into Pahiatua. It was then the turn of a couple of BMWs to play up with a flat tyre and the other with a dodgy kill switch. The rest of the crew finally made it to the Ashhurst Inn for lunch, whilst a couple of others finally got to the Inn just in time to wave goodbye to everyone as they left for home!
It was a great run (well for most of us anyway), but if you are going to have problems this is definetly the sort of people you would want to be with!
See you out there!
Gary

Manawatu Classic Motorcycle Club Rally 2015

What a brilliant day! It was literally a brilliant day weather wise, but also program wise. Four of the lads (Mike, G, Ian and Sir Al) from the Blue Haze meet at Ashhurst petrol station at around 8:15 this morning. After topping up we made or way up the Pohangina Valley to Camp Rangi Woods. The camp is a part of the Totara regional park and is an ideal venue for such an event. We arrived to find the troops readying the display area so the bike judging could get underway. For this year the classes were broken into decades with some wonderful machines on display. Sir Al had the mighty Avenger in he 70s section whilst the rest of us were in the eighties. As the judging came to an end Dave Robinson took to the podium and filled everyone in on the program for the rest of the day. This involved a wander back down the 'valley', over the Saddle Road and out to Boydens farm, followed by lunch at the Woodville tavern. the after lunch program involved a trip to Gleesons Truck Museum followed by a run over the Pahiatua Track and back to the Camp. One hundred and forty kays all up.
The rumble of bikes soon echoed around the hills as fifty plus motorcycles made there way out of the camp and pointed south.
First stop was at the windmill farm to regroup and enjoy its sights and sounds. They are making good progress with the upgraded Saddle Road and once completed it will be a blast on a motorcycle! Our next stop was Boydens Motorcycle Museum where we were treated to a wonderful selection of New Zealands motorcycle heritage. The collection is renowned for its focus on farm bikes and it didn't disappoint with everything from the the ubiquitous Gnat to Mudbugs! A quick ride into Woodville had us lining up for refreshments and food at the New Central Hotel. The locals must have been briefly concerned that the this was a Wild Ones style takeover, but the sedate exit from the saddles and removal of the helmets would have been very reassuring! After an hour of 'scaring' the locals we mounted our steeds and headed out south to Mangatainoka for our last stop. Gleesons Truck Museum was real treat. Once again another person who has spent a lifetime preserving some of our wonderful transport heritage. There were trucks from 1914 until the sixties and we also found out where the old 'Harvard, from the playground in Pahiatua ended up! He also had a nice collection of bikes hidden away in the 'office' next to the workshop.
We got a bit of a hurry along for the final part of wander as the Targa Rally was due in the district and the Pahiatua Track was going to be closed. Interesting to see people along the route out on their decks seated with a beer in hand awaiting its arrival. Our trip over the Track saw us hang a right at the bottom and head back towards Ashhurst and back up the valley to Camp Rangi Woods.
It was a great wander around countryside with 140 kms covered and no breakdowns! After a cuppa and conversation I made my way back into town and left the troops to it. By all accounts a great evening was had by all and the rally dinner was outstanding.
A big congratulations to the team that organised this and I, like many others will be looking forward to the next one in two years time!

Hampton Downs 2015

Labour weekend, and eight of us lined up on Saturday morning for the annual pilgrimage to the Barry Sheene Trans-Tasman Classic racing at Hampton Downs.

There were 3 Hondas; Dion’s NS400R, Bruce’s ’86 VFR750, and my ‘classic’ 2000 anniversary VFR800. 2 Yamahas; Kim’s TZR 3XV and Mike’s FZR1000EXUP, and 2 Suzuki; Ian’s GS450S and Dave’s GSX1100. Rich went up in his Ute again and this time with a bike trailer attached to collect Kim & Dion’s latest RG acquisition.

We had a great ride up and although we crossed a few damp roads we managed to avoid the rain. We traveled via the Parapara Road which is a bit rough in patches with quite a few parts of the road now down in the river. We stopped at Angel Louise Café in Raetihi for a coffee, then on to National Park and through to Taumaranui for petrol. We lunched at Te Kuiti, then turned left at Otorohanga and onto the back road to Ngaruawahia. These are all great biking roads when dry. I particularly like the Taumaranui to Te Kuiti stretch and the last leg to Ngaruawahia which is open and fast and could seriously endanger ones licence if discipline was not maintained. Needless to say we didn’t exceed the posted speed limit (Your Honour).

We stayed at Arrow Lodge Ngaruawahia (as we have the past two years), and the new owners made us very welcome and the units were spotlessly clean. We enjoyed a generous evening meals over the road at the RSA, along with a few pints. Again we were made to feel most welcome.

Sunday morning was an early start to watch the All Blacks battle the Boks. The right result meant a happy crew with the exception of one for whom the reluctant early start proved a trial.

The bike park at Hampton Downs is a great place to wander around. A real menagerie of bikes from rumbling cruisers to Italian exotics, big trailies to hand built café racers and outfits.

Red Baron had a Honda NS400R parked outside their tent, not only in Rothmans colours but also having JL spannies – “quite common” I heard someone say!

This year there was a ‘rolling road’ set up adjacent to the bike park. Anyone interested could pay $25, sign the liability waiver and get a Dyno printout for their bike. Two that were of interest were a Yamaha TZR 3MA (reverse cylinder) and a Yamaha TZ750 race bike – ‘70s reed valve 2-stroke inline four – showing 125 BHP at the rear wheel.

The pit garages were interesting as always. There are immaculately kitted out teams for whom money appears to be no object and whose bikes are state-of-the-art and far faster than the Factory team bikes would have been back in the day. There are also bikes faithful to the original, and even some original race bikes like Alan De Latour’s Suzuki XR14 and Damian Mackie’s TZ750. The racing is good to watch but the results seem academic given the diversity of the bikes.

Across the road to the RSA for a Sunday evening meal and a few beers. Kim, Dion, & Rich picked up the Suzuki RG400; a mostly complete and unmolested bike to join the project queue.

Next morning we cooked up bacon & eggs for brekkie and packed up the bikes. We followed the same route in reverse on the way home and again enjoyed a dry ride. We stopped for lunch at the railway station café at National Park, which served good food and coffee. Then it was back down the Parapara and home.

We covered just over 900 km with only a couple of minor problems with the bikes. A great ride, lots of laughs, good food and good company. That’s as good as it gets.