Chasing the Easter Bunny

Last Saturday was a lovely balmy Autumn day. Ideal for a a spin on a the bike. But not just any bike or any road. How about a race bike on a race track? Or a road bike on a race track? And so my late arrival at Manfeild was just in time to see Tim and Warren pile there bikes in the trailer and head off for a beer after a very satisfying day at the track. Tim had his CBR 600 clocking up a few more track kays, whilst Warren was well satisfied with his Suzuki Lucky Strike RGV VJ22 performing a lot better with an Aprilia RS black box and new suspension in the back. Great to see Dion and Kim out on the track with a pair of smokers in the form of a Suzuki RGV VJ21 and a Honda NSR MC21. Alongside them was Jamie on his Honda CBR400 NC29. Ian and Gary were out for a look with Gary making noises about getting back out on the track as well.
It has been interesting to see how our band of brothers interest in bikes has developed over time with a broader range of motorcycling activities being enjoyed. For many of us as family and work  commitments change, we are provided with more opportunities to revisit or try activities from our earlier years. Great seeing people take them up and a big thanks to the Central Districts Touring Club for providing the track day.

Celebrating/Commiserating Daylight Saving

The end of daylight saving could be regarded as an annual milestone of sorts as it provides a useful looking forward/looking back reference point as we count down the autumn to winter transition. A group of us decided the fine weather on Sunday deserved a ride, because you just don't know when the weather is going to 'pack up'. It was an interesting gathering at Manawatu Motorcycles with a mixture of modern and classic machinery. Great to see PC on his Kawasaki S3 400, and Sir Al out on the H2 again. Bruce S had his 900 Ducati out for a spin, with Ian joining the Chromeys on his W650. Rich front up with his mile munging DL650 V-strom, and yours truely on the ever reliable XJ750. Hunterville was decided on as destination, with the route to get there being via the Turakina Valley Road. For those of us on our four strokes, considerations such as fuel range was negligible, but as for those with two stroke triples know all to well, any tank distance over 100kms could be an issue.  This meant that PC on his air/petrol cooled S3 would need to have three stops for our run. Interestingly, Sir Al on the H2 had no such concerns as his bike regularly achieved over 50 mpgs, so he was sure a tank would definitely get him home. Our run over to Turakina had Sir Al out front setting a great pace as we made out way through the Mount Biggs, Halcombe and the less travelled roads out the back of Marton.
Our first stop was at Turakina so PC could top up for the next throttle stretching part of our run through the valley. With PC having added a portion of his wealth to ExxonMobil we headed off up the Turakina The Fordell turnoff had us very quickly pointing in the right direction for our destination with some very spirited riding from the lads. PC decided to enjoy the delights of triple two stroke power as he chased  Bruce and Ian on the W650 and 900. He certainly had a big smile on the dial when we parked up outside the cafe in Hunterville with tales of pushing the little triple to its limits. He was also pleased with its economy when it only took 5 litres to top up the tank. The distance from Turakina to Hunterville is 46kms, so around 25mpg. Hydrocarbon heaven!  The fact that he had done the same run the day before certainly encouraged his spirited riding, but for those of us who hadn't a more prudent approach was required. As the suns arc lowers and the days get shorter, it was interesting to observe the number of corners that seemed to have been in the shade all morning and were still damp from the morning dew. The end of daylight saving certainly helps with our relatively later departure ensuring the roads have a longer drying time before we get to them.
After a leisurely morning cuppa/breakfast, we decided on the Vinegar Hill route home as some had important chores to do at home. (I heard someone had to bottle there whiskey ready for the working week) Rich invited me to give his brand new 650 V-strom a spin. What a hoot. It is certainly a rather tall perch to enjoy the motorcycling experience, and one felt like pointing the bike either north or south and heading off into the distance. It looks like I may need to purchase another Lotto ticket this weekend. Our last stop at the top of Cheltenham saw Sir Als H2 electrics playing up, so he headed off home and we didn't see him on the side of the rode so he made home in time to bottle his whiskey.
Another excellent wander around the countryside, and lets hope the cooler months will still provide us with some nice days to do more of the same.

Out and About as Normal?

Photo from a visit last week to Christchurch 

One of the great things about where we live is the wonderful countryside that surrounds us. Here in the central lower half of the North Island we have some excellent roads and destinations that allow us to enjoy our motorcycles in so many different ways. From the Manawatu Plains to the Ruahine foothills and tortured landscapes of the Rangitikei and Tararua regions we have a playground that provides us with such a great variety of roads. Enjoying the roads is one part of the experience, but enjoying them with others is the second part. As individuals we belong to a range of communities for all sorts of reasons wether they be family, professional or religious, so when a community is targeted in such a brutal manner as what has recently happened in Christchurch, we need to pause and think about why community matters. Whilst our little group of Vintage Japanese Motorcyclists enthusiasts may seem somewhat eccentric to others it obviously meets a particular fraternal need amongst a predominantly male group of individuals. Our wives, partners and families tolerate and encourage our obsession but there sits in behind this an understanding that the diversity that surrounds us is dependent on not only a shared set of values, but also an appreciation of how other communities and individuals needs are met in a variety of ways. Making sure individuals have avenues to engage in communities that give them purpose and a connectedness to others is vital for the health and wellbeing of individuals and the society we live in. Whilst these sorts of considerations may not feature when cranked over in top corner of the Pahiatua track (and it shouldn't. You need to be in the moment for safety reasons!), the fact that you are sharing the experience with others does and this last month has seen some of us spending some quality time out and about enjoying this wonderful area we live in. A trip over the hill to Dannevegas (Dannevirke) via the backroads from Mangatainoka had us following the 'beer water' stream and on to other roads that took us to Oringi and onto State Highway 2. Keeping a group of eight motorcyclists together shouldn't be to much of a task, but throughout our ride we seemed to loose Bruces and Brians at various stages. Pahiatua saw us waiting for Bruce A who somehow went missing after we left Palmerston North and Bruce S missed the turn off to Oringi, whilst Brian on his TS185 ended up ahead of us and went to the 'other' Black Stump Cafe. All part of the fun and frolics of getting out and about on our bikes. It was also great to see Sir Al and Paul De out on the H2s adding that Chromey feel to the ride. Brian certainly showed us how even a humble Suzuki TS185 can easily handle these backroad rides. Nice to see Bruce A bringing out VFR for a run after being laid up for a while. Certainly is a unique sound. Ian added to the Chromey vibe with his Kawasaki W650, Bruce S had his Ducati 900 out for a run, Graham on his 1200 Triumph Bonny and yours truly on the XJ750. After a great feed at the Black Stump we decided on the reverse route home. There certainly was some spirited riding over track for some but I am sure we all headed home with a quiet satisfaction. The following weekend saw some of the crew head south for the VJMC National Rally, and upon there return the following weekend saw a small group of us head out in a westerly direction for a quiet ride. Paul on his H2, Ross on his Bandit and yours truely on the XJ headed out around the back of Feilding for one of our shorter runs. The Makino Road run takes us out to the Rangitikei River and back around to one of our favourite cafe destinations, Vivs cafe. It was interesting listening to Paul and Ross discussing the finer points of H2 ownership. The knowledge they had in there heads was amazing. The finer points of H2 clocks is something you would struggle to find online or any books. It is this sort of knowledge that gets passed on through rides and other gatherings. We need to treasure these moments and make sure we create more opportunities for these sort of conversations in the future.
Ensuring others can participate in their communities without fear or malice from others needs to be a right we actively protect. While some may say it is a long stretch to connect the Mosque massacre to a bunch of mature males riding around the countryside on motorcycles lets ensure we can continue doing so by ensuring all members of society can continue to participate in their chosen communities