Kiwi Mostly On Topic - Off Topic Chat Thread.

Hearing you on the short ride, an hour was enough, but it is pretty to look at. Seems a shame to just let it sit under its cover, but the owner has had a change of life plan and is now not going to be living in NZ, but in Bangkok. He shipped it over from Melbourne and is using me as a storage facility. It's not even a live rego, which added to my paranoia about the popo.

I rode a GXSR600RR a few weeks ago...you'd have to be going insanely fast to get it all working, and I don't see how you could do it on NZ roads. Hence all the spills on the Coro Loop etc. Anyway, 6,000rpm at 100kph would drive me fucking nuts !

A couple of weeks ago had me on a nice GB500...clip-ons, rear sets...it fitted me perfectly and I felt confident straight away. It was a shame to bring it back.

Talking about GSXR600RR's and old guys on sports bikes, nearly 20 years ago I had one turn up outside work, rider with scuffed matching leathers, pulls his helmet off and it's some crusty old fart. We have a chat, toss some names around...ding, ding. He was an original member of HA, back in the early '60's...all those guys could ride hard, and most of them raced, later members were all about being seen as tough guys.

I miss my VTR....

I have carefully avoided anything speedy since almost having a brown-trouser moment on a VF1000 in the mid-eighties....
Underestimated how long it takes to stop from a stupidly high speed, and went through an crossroad intersection at approx 80kph.
Have had a lot of fun coaxing old slow bikes to perform to their max, both on sealed circuit and vintage MX,, thats pretty satisfying.

While not quite as racey as a legit sports bike, my VFR750F is awesome as a pure road bike. Yep, feels very different to the adventure and off-road bikes, but is simply brilliant to ride on the open road.

Wish I had more time to ride it more.

Has anyone got any hot tips for a good bakery/cafe/coffee stop in Whanganui?

Been through a few times recently and it's about there I'm ready for a brew, coming up with less than optimal experiences. On road the road again today, so thanks in advance.

Rich.

Savages in the East shopping group, 73 Moana Street. Off the Dublin Bridge. Up Jones Street past the BP. Coffee. Well, Near the info center or Jolt 19 Vic Ave. 1/2 way up the 1st block off the river up Vic Avenue. Or the Yellow House. opp the Dublin Street garage.

Thank you good sir

Haven't stopped there for a while but have tried Yellow House for brekkie (pretty good) and Parnells in Vic Ave - it can be busy on weekend lunchtimes.

In a previous life I spent many overnights in Whanganui for work. In late, out early and never really got to know the place.

I'm only now learning how big the place is. Love those big old timber houses, big covered verandahs on large sections with established trees, lawns and gardens.

I was through there last weekend,talking old timber houses,what about Raeburn house that sits just across the river-I dont think I have ever seen a wooden house that big

Did ya get a decent feed wairau?

That large house was formerly the Braeburn Hotel. Now its flats.


I'm told there was another called Pipiriki House built in 1903.



It was lost in a fire and burnt down in 1909, only to be rebuilt then burnt again in 1959.

Yep thanks. It's a 2 hour stint down from our place and I was ready for refreshments in the sun before heading back up SH4. Gee, they're dragging the chain on the roadworks up there aren't they?

They sure are. Some of the traffic lights up there have moss growing on them. haha.
But they have managed to make a 1/2 decent temporary fix to the big slip earlier in the year I guess.
River road pootle appeals for a jolly.
I recon that Cafe in Raetihi has good grub, old school cakes and coffee.
Bastard to get a park nearby though.


Went up your way Friday week ago. I was waiting for the hail as I cut through to Waitara. Then fine all the way to Mokau and back.

Saw 2 dodgy blokes heading South near the Ohura turnoff.

Saw some Tractionaor gps tyres on a Tiger 800 today.
Anybody ran or running them?

I've run a rear. Got 4,800kms out of it. Wasn't a great fan of it on gravel. Went back to an E-07+.

I ran one on the tug on the sidecar. Also wasn't a huge fan. Not a heap of grip in gravel. Good for slides. Lasted fairly well, given I was spinning it everywhere. But then for the trip I used it on I was giving it a bit...

Quite a round tyre in the 130 80 17 size. That'd be good for solos, less so for sidecars.

Solid centre strips are shit in my experience. No bite in the loose. Unless you're after 11000km out of the tyre. In that case, they're great.

Edit: I did actually run a couple of Heidenau's like that in Oz but it was hot and dry and they were that stiff you could run the bloody things flat if push came to shove.

In NZ conditions? Nope.

Interesting you mention Oz. He did a trip from the Gold Coast, Cape York and on to Darwin.
Said he was happy enough with it. I guess I will ask about them in a few months time after he returned from a planned Molesworth area trip.

Some suggestion you reverse the tyre for mostly off road or so in the blurb I read was interesting. Himm.

Yep, looks like I had mine in 50/50.