It was great to see Bruce S. out on Murray S.'s Yamaha R5 for our September end-of-month ride. The R5 made for excellent company alongside Stuart’s Candy Jackal Blue Waterbus. With the Yamaha’s Mandarin Orange and chrome color scheme, it felt like a trip back to the halcyon days of the seventies. When you compare it to the drab color schemes of many modern bikes, it makes you wonder if we did get to experience the "golden" years of motorcycling.
Other classics on the ride included Roger on his Moto Guzzi Le Mans 350 and Paul on his Moto Guzzi Le Mans 1000. The rest of the group was a mix of modern bikes, with Ray on his Triumph Tiger XR900, Sir Al taking his Strom out for a spin, and Kerry rounding out the Guzzi brigade with his 1400 cc Audace. I was on the GSR 750, and Graham brought his beautiful retro Kawasaki Z650 along for the run.
We set off toward the Woolshed Café near Sanson, taking our usual route via Makino Road and Ohakea. Along the way, we paused at Stanaway Hall for a quick chat before continuing past the Rangitikei River and the increasingly busy Ohakea turnoff. The Woolshed’s parking lot wasn’t too crowded, so we managed to get our coffee and food quickly. Conversation flowed easily, with some of it centered on the R5's performance and how it comfortably kept up with modern open-road traffic—a testament to its quality even now, decades after its seventies debut.
All in all, it was a lovely spin around the block. Here’s hoping for more warm weather, less rain, and a fantastic riding season ahead!
