[Wade Cook]

in reply to: Gentle Annie #9961

I have completed the trip, 2200 ks in all, Auckland to wellington and back with many interesting bits in between.A few observations; Gentle Annie, did the ride Napier to Taihape, not a problem, On a road bike; take it slow and expect anything to be coming around the next hairpin bend, mostly logging or road works trucks on the road. The gravel is pretty tidy and there are heaps of road works. They are working on sealing the road with about 40 ks on the Erehwon  stretch.  Gentle Annie itself is sealed (Kurapongo) and the views are magnificent.Cape Palliser; rougher on the bike than Gentle Annie, the corrugations will shake your fillings out, but well worth the effort, do it in the early morning and there are no other users, watch for ice on the sealed surfaces at this time of the year.Rimatuka Hill; Written up in some of the guides as a must do, great road but had to stop at the top and let a long line of heavy traffic disappear from view before carrying on.Paekakariki to Ruapehu; left at 6 in the morning in the dark, heaps of stars, first part of the ride to Levin blighted by heavy opposing traffic lot of them with poorly adjusted headlights, sun rising as headed into the hills near Hunterville, sun strike and shadow combined to slow me down but made it to Waiouru in 2.5 hours, took an hour, 1 pepper steak pie and three cups of coffee to thaw out.On the whole the only real issues were a day of rain around wellington and the last 100ks back into Auckland in the pissing rain.Where to next? think it will be a long weekend and a circumnavigation of Northland.  The R1150RT did not miss a beat and is very forgiving, not too bad in the gravel either.

[Wade Cook]

in reply to: Getting the most from my bike. #9117

I started riding in Australia, Canberra and the bike of choice and pocket was a Honda CB125 twin, it was about that time that the Canberra police were issued jet black Honda CB750 fours, what a site, I was sold and by mid seventies I was with the police in Victoria and most of the bikes were Honda, the last of those I rode there was a Honda CB 900 F Bol d`Or not a special but straight out of the shop and the sort that anyone could buy. In 1980 came to NZ and was riding Police Special Honda 750 Gs and Fs, as heavy as hell and totally gutless, but someone was paying me to ride, GREAT!  My personal bike at the time was a Kawasaki Z900, hoped on one recently, what a dog. Regarding counter steering, I suppose we knew about it, but I don’t ever remember anyone verbalising it, we had been taught to ride and survive and though there were the odd accidents none were fatal.

[Wade Cook]

in reply to: Getting the most from my bike. #9107

An interesting discussion; I have been riding since the 60's many years as a motorcycle cop where we had been taught the “Hendon Police Method of Vehicle control” the most important idea is to maintain a set distance from the edge of the road throughout the manoeuvre in order to maintain maximum visibility at all times (there is a whole lot more to the Method than just that) and of course in practice when in pursuit you were in a position to observe and react to the action of those you were perusing.  At the same time for a number of years I club raced in Melbourne, a Yamaha RD350 (often scared the crap out of me), the rules were entirely different and I found that those who were successful had no fear or no imagination, but the important factor here is that there is no opposing traffic on a track. The main thought that occurs to me reading this thread is that there is a huge difference between riding a road that you know an love (similar to the track) you have practiced the angles of approach and departure the gear is selected etc.. And when riding a road you don't know I strongly council that caution and the ride to survive factor has to be paramount.  I have recently traded my naked R100R on a R1150RT and have found the difference huge, just over two weeks on the new bike a lot of that two up I am starting to feel that I am getting to know her attributes,  fortunately I have not had to test how forgiving she is.

[Wade Cook]

in reply to: Its only me #9037

We have a place in Devonport,  bit of a pain  getting in and out now that the local copuncil has bent to pressure and installed cycle lanes in both directions.  But once you are passed those not too bad.

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