With the lock down very much a current reality it gives us time to reflect on those activities and moments we may at times take for granted. A recent ride has provided some wonderful memories that will help me get through our current circumstances and look forward to creating more memories in the future.
Recently three of us decided that rather than head south with fellow motorcycle enthusiasts to the Polished Rockers get together at Southwards Museum on the Kapiti coast, a quiet ride in a northerly direction better suited our temperaments on the day. It certainly proved to be a great choice as we not only spent some time out in some 'chocolate box' weather and scenery, but I got to ride 'The Widow Maker", the Kawasaki H2 750. Its bad boy reputation has become legendary and for those of us from a certain demographic it definitely occupies a special place that has seen its current monetary value move into the investment category. The fact that Paul and Sir Al are regular users of their H2's makes for some really special rides and it certainly encourages others with bikes of a similar vintage to ride `em and not hide `em!
Our route for the morning was the Apiti Loop which takes us up through Pohangina Valley and we came to our first stop at the Valley Road turnoff. This is a great place to stop as there is plenty of room to park at the side of the road and it is always good to check bikes and riders before we head off into the hills (especially if they are older!). With everything in order it was off up the valley at a pace that allowed one to take in the countryside and all to soon we were at our next stop at the Makoura turnoff. It was here we were able to look to the hills and down the valley and the lack of wind allowed us to listen to silence of the countryside that was at times punctuated with a variety of farming and country sounds. We were soon on our way again but for our final run into Apiti Sir Al and I swapped bikes. Whilst I had ridden Sir Als H2 before it was only around a few roads on the Manawatu plains so a road with a few more twists and turns proved to be more than interesting.
The thing that struck me first was the comparative weight of the bike. It was
so much lighter than the XJ and once underway and getting up to speed it was such a pleasure to swing it through the curvey bits. The next thing was how torquey and unfused the motor was as it made short work of the 'up hill and down dale' road with the bike tracking true around a variety of bumpy, smooth and more open corners. Its braking is as you would expect from an early seventies bike with adequate braking up front and the back being surprisingly powerful. Once the road opened up for the final run down to Apiti it had little problem getting up to the speed limit and the bikes occasional low speed surging was a thing of the past . Parking it up outside the Apiti Tavern as it idled away the quietness of the motor also struck me.
Having got used to the top end rattle from a KH250 and T500 it seemed eerily quiet. Its recent top end recondition by Paul D is certainly very impressive. Looking down at the gold tank the sight of the cylinders sticking out into the wind left no doubt about the importance of the motor to the styling of the bike and standing back all the gold metal flake paint and chrome leaves no doubt about the era this bike was designed in. Having Pauls H2 in Blue next to it really amplified the special presence these bikes have and soon enough a gentleman toeing a BSA stopped for a look and a chat.
Our conversation certainly explained the appearance of some British bikes heading in the opposite direction on our run through the valley. The BSA National Rally had just concluded at Sixtus Lodge. It was an interesting conversation around issues of an aging membership for many heritage based clubs and nice to see he certainly appreciated other makes of bikes. We then retired into the tavern and were greeted by a very friendly custodian who provided us with some great toasties and refreshments. Plenty of talk about important things like the finer points of H2 ownership and an excellent attempt to right some of the wrongs in the world. (Unfortunately we didn't discuss the arrival of Covid-19 so were unable to offer advice on that one) Nice to see the the place very much alive again after a few years of disrupted ownership and certainly a place we would support again.
All to soon we were on our way home via Kimbolton with some lovely twisty roads in between. Riding the H2 was certainly a highlight and gave me a refreshed appreciation for them. More importantly bringing my 'nearly ready' T500 out to join the H2s in the near future is something to look forward to after our confinement finishes in the near future.
