A hardy group of eight individuals and their motorcycles gathered at Memorial Park for what could have been a very damp ride. The wet roads didn’t deter Warren and Shane from bringing out their two pieces of two-wheeled excellence. The Bimota appears to be a very modern motorcycle, yet the fact that the YB8 was built in 1990 and produces 149 brake horsepower makes it extraordinary for its time. It is only 20 years older than Shane’s Honda CB 750 from the early 70s, which was an engineering marvel when it debuted in 1969 with its four-cylinder engine and disc brake. This was achieved through Honda’s racing program in the early 60s, where they refined the multicylinder cross-frame format to win many GPs with fours and sixes. Warren’s bike is an incredible blend of Italian excellence in chassis and suspension, alongside a superb aesthetic and featuring a highly tuned Yamaha FZ 1000 motor. So there was huge progress in a short period of time. Sandwiched between them was Gary’s Honda CX 500 from the early 80s. This is another example of Honda taking an existing engine format, in this case a V, and putting their own spin on it. It is a popular classic with its shaft drive and reliability, proving popular with British courier riders back in the day. Other classics on the run included a couple of Moto Guzzis, with Roger on his V50 and Paul on his Le Mans. These are enduring examples of an Italian take on the V twin format that is still popular today.
The decision was made to head south for a cup of tea at Robert Harris in Foxton. Gary took the lead on his CX 500, and we left the city past Massey University and made our way towards Tokomaru, where we skirted around the back and carried on through many back roads towards Shannon. We turned off just before coming into Shannon and headed off south following the river around to the Foxton Bridge, where we joined State Highway One and made our way to our final destination. I am sure Warren wouldn’t have wanted to ride too much further without stopping as that Bimota seat is definitely rather thin!
The café was very busy, and we were impressed with the food, beverage and service. Definitely a place we will return to in the future. After a good chat, drink, and chew, it was time to head back home. Gary and Sir Al swapped bikes for the ride home, so it will be interesting to hear if a Weestrom is finding a space in Garys garage?
Another great run around the countryside and looking forward to seeing what next months end of month ride brings.
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