First EOM ride for
2017 and what an interesting turnout! Not a 2-stroke in sight and not a glint
of chrome to be seen (well a little bit on the Bonnie & Wing). Oh how times are
changing.
10 riders enjoyed dry
roads and some sunshine to cover 200 km of rural Manawatu roads. Included were
two new faces, which is great to see; Phil on an immaculate Suzuki SV1000
complete with Yoshi pipes making great sounds, and Greg on a first year
fuel-injected Yamaha R1. Also on the
ride were Ian on his striking GSX-R1100, Bruce S ZX10R mounted, Graham on a
Triumph Bonnie 1200, Bruce A VFR750, Alan VFR800, Russell adventuring forth on
his BMW GS, Dave with his one-owner CB750 Four, and Guy on the mother-ship (Goldwing
1800). 6 bikes of 1000cc or larger, and the smallest bike in the group being
the 650 chook chaser. We had a single cylinder, parallel twin, V-twins, inline
4s, V-4s, and a flat 6.
Our plotted course
went out around Pohangina Valley East and then North around the Dress Circle to
Te Parapara Road, and left through Rangiwahia heading back toward Kimbolton. We
turned right at Pemberton’s Corner onto Mangamako Road which provides a great
ride through to Ohingaiti. Then SH1 to Hunterville to refill bikes and riders.
These are some of the best motorcycling roads in the Manawatu if you have a
penchant for corners, with the Dress Circle and the road out to Ohingaiti an
excellent variation on the Kimbolton – Rangiwahia - Mangaweka route.
The kai was a bit
scarce at our regular Hunterville eatery. To be fair there were very long lines
of tin-tops on SH1 (miserable faces pressed against windows as we passed on by)
and perhaps the hoards had beat us to it. Still, no one left the joint
starving.
After refreshments and
a bit of a natter, Dave and Graham headed off to Wanganui and Guy followed SH1
back to PN. The rest of us took our usual suite of back roads making our way to
Halcome, Mt Stewart and home. The only casualty of the day was the GSX-R which
lost pressure to the clutch cylinder just out of Hunterville unbeknown to most
of us, and Ian skilfully navigated his way home without having to make a
stop.
If that was summer we certainly
enjoyed it!
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