Having a go! Manfield Track Day

Motorcycling has so many dimensions to it that when one starts feeling a little to “familiar” with one aspect their is always something else to have a go at. It has been interesting to see how some members of our group have developed an on going interest in getting out on the track to enjoy their motorcycling and two stroke motorcycles. Track days provide a great introduction to this and it was with great interest we popped over to Manfeild to catch up with Ian and Dion who were making the most of the Central Districts Touring Clubs track day. For Dion it was an opportunity to do some sorting out on his NSR and for Ian it was his first time on a race track. For me it was the first track day I had been along to and it certainly wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought it was a laid back cruise around the track alongside some occasional friendly competition. How wrong I was! The four groups were organised from fastish through to bloody fast and the bloody fast group were really full on with some really intense racing riding! Everyone was having a great time.

Dion and Ian had set themselves up in a nice posey next to a like minded group of fellow two stroke and classic bike riders. The machines ranged from a Honda CB350 based racer to a track only stripped down RGV 250. ‘Mike’ from the Hutt Valley was their on his beautifully turned out Yamaha TR1. He also brought along his Yamaha DS6 for a spin. A very unusual sight these days! There was plenty to see going for a wander around the pits with one of the more interesting bikes being a Bimota Tesi.

Dion was using the track day for testing his bike after a few modifications and it didn’t end well with the modification seizing up and tipping him on to the track. This resulted in a a few bruises, scrapes and choice words. Dions wife wasn't impressed when she turned up and found a battered bike and no Dion in sight! It was a great way to spend a few hours and you never know, I might give it a go one day!

Number 5? is Alive!

The de Lautour brothers have had a lifelong interest in motorcycle racing and down the back of the workshop they have had a Suzuki TR250 parked up for quite a few years. Questions have always been asked about the fate of the bike, and recently the lads have decided to get her going and all going well, let her roll on some racing circuit tarmac again. Blue Haze Racing numbers are growing! It is no easy task recommissioning one of these old girls again and apart from seeing what the outside looks like, you have very few clues about the state of the inside of the motor and other running gear. The lads have been beavering away over the last few months and have got it to the point where it is runner! May was centred around making the bike quieter with extra mufflers added onto the chambers. The goal for this month is to give it some circuit time at the end of the month at the Friday testing day before the weekend Vic club Winter series meeting. After yesterdays round of testing at the Circuit de Andrew Young, it looks as though the clutch needs attention before that can happen. Any spare TR250/T20 clutch parts out there?
For those who aren't familiar with the Suzuki TR250 it was a race bike from the mid 60s, early 70s. It is based on the Suzuki T20 or X6 road bike from the sixties. The lads bike was built up from a race kit Suzuki supplied where you started with a standard road bike and went from there. Hopefully at a later date we can get a more detailed technical report on the recommissioning and the history of the bike.  Steve Roberts is a part of the story!
Thanks to Dion for the video footage at the start of the video.

Riding out with the RAM

You just never know what you're going to see outside Manawatu Motorcycles on a Sunday morning.

Last Sunday we were treated to the look and sound of a 70's icon; PC's wonderfully original example of Suzuki's unique GT550.

The 70's produced some very interesting bikes and the big four Japanese companies each had their own look and style. Something that seems to be almost lost today. Suzuki produced a range of three cylinder 2-strokes in 380cc, 550cc, and 750cc. All three were designed as touring mounts, and the smaller bikes were air cooled with distinctive RAM AIR cylinder heads. All of the bikes featured 3-into-4 pipes giving a symmetrical look from the rear and a visual point of difference to the Kawasaki triples of the same area. The 550 and 750 also featured electric start.

Also along for the outing were Bruce S on the R1, Janet on her ER-6, Ian on his V-twin Suzuki, and I was back on the Aprilia Pegaso (after several years in someone else ownership).

We headed up to Hunterville via Halcome, Marton, and Fordell. We dodged the odd shower of rain, but traveled on damp and sometimes muddy roads.

We stopped for coffee and a snack in Hunterville (in Ian's case a meal that would have choked a donkey!), before heading back over Vinegar Hill.

It was most enjoyable seeing and hearing Paul's GT out on the highway. Time to get a certain Kawasaki triple back on the road.

The GT550 did show one common 70's 2-stroke trait - a love of hydrocarbons!

VJMC 2018 National Rally

A few of us headed out Friday afternoon from Palmerston North to meet a few in Sanson and continue on up to Eltham. Below are photos of some of the bikes on rally lined up Saturday morning for voting. I missed a few bikes, but got most of them.

On the Saturday we headed out to Tawhiti Museum, Hawera. Quite impressive wax models from life size to small scale models, trains, tractors, army vehicles, etc. It is definitely worth two or three hours looking around when up that way. Their website is tawhitimuseum.co.nz 

Here's a video of the bikes in carpark. I didn't take any photos of inside the Museum sorry. Too busy looking at everything :-)

Sunday morning we all packed up, said our farewells and headed off. A few of us decided to head up closer to New Plymouth first to see the Holden Museum. No photos allowed to be taken there but was given special permission from owner to take a few photos of Alan's old Kawasaki he sold and is now on display there. Their website is hillsboroughholdenmuseum.co.nz and also worth a good look. 

On behalf of our group a really big Thank You to Judy, Angela, and Ross for all of their hard work organising the rally. Next year's rally sounds like it will be held in the South Island with all those great roads designed for motorbikes :-)

And remember: Life's better when you're riding!

Reminiscing: March End of Month Ride

Vivs Kitchen in Sanson has become a favoured destination for the crew over the last few months. They have just done a refurbishment inside that has it looking more in theme for the fifties, sixties and probably seventies. The food definitely follows the theme as well and it looks as though many others are enjoying this bit of of nostalgia as the car park has always had plenty of vehicles in it when we visit. When one goes inside and scans for a place to sit, the clientele are definitely of a certain demographic that looks somewhat like the Blue Haze, so we are certainly lucky to have such a fitting destination available. It was an easy choice for us to make for our March EoMR
The gathering at Manawatu Motorcycles saw between four and five on the run. Dion proved to be a 'flexible' participant in the ride, depending on his temperament and his bikes. His original intention was to see us off and then go home and paint a picket fence! That plan lasted for all of five seconds as we followed him home in his car to pick up his bike. After pinching some lawnmower petrol he got his RS 250 Aprilia moving only to be stumped by the Rangitikei St rail overbridge. (all of 500m from home!). We left him pushing his bike back home and the rest of us carried on our way. Out front was Ian on his VX800, with Rich on the 50K still on standard pistons T500M, Kim on his NSR 21 and yours truly on the XJ750. Thank goodness Kim and especially Rich were with us to provide our signature departure of 'haze' from the town boundary as we took the long way to Vivs Kitchen.
 We followed our usual route out through Bunnythorpe, Colyton and skirted the Feilding town boundary. Makino road took us out towards the Rangitikei river, Stanway and the turnoff at Kakariki. From there it was a short ride through a lovely mixture of a few twisties and some open stretches that had us arriving at Ohakeha in no time at all. Vivs Kitchen was then a short run down the road. By this stage Dion had arrived after sorting out his RS and giving it a good blast!
After a good feed and soaking up of some nostalgia we visited one more place in Sanson. The second hand bookstore. A very dangerous place that saw my backpack choker with motorcycle magazines and the shopkeeper smiling through Kims comments on the 'special' book selection behind the counter! It was a great morning out and about on our classic bikes and having some classic food. To top it off we went to a place that is also gaining classic status; a book shop! I have certainly been enjoying my magazines with a bit of reminiscing and looking forward to some time in the garage and our next ride.