Christmas means summer in NZ, but this summer has been pretty wet. For xmas we headed down to the South Island (its the size of illinios or england and wales combined with only a million people there) to my fiance's parents place in nelson. Justine and my dog went down on the ferry in the car, I took my 98 Fireblade.
I decided to head to a place called hokitika where my best mate has brought a farm some 360kms away. Put the radar detector on, hitched the bags on and on christmas night, I put some speed on to beat the incoming front.
Winding roads through forests, valleys, and countryside. 80% of the ride was pure corners. Not alot real tight, most were fine at about 100kmph. No cops, not many other cars. I flew. The bike does 130kmph (80mph) in first gear) and the bike got a good work out. I dusted off the speedo where it reads 250kmph (155mph) on the trip. Just for fun. But for the most part the bike was kept at sub insane speeds. I made very good time, spent 3 days at my mates farm hunting, playing with kids and watching the rain fall.
For the trip home I took a more scenic route, less straights, more corners, more coast roads and roads cut into bluffs and following beautiful river valleys full of native beech trees and flowering rata. Waterfalls from the hills splash down on the road. I had to brake a few times for crossing penguins! Again, no cops, just clean and mostly dry roads with light traffic.
By the end of it all I thought I was going to need surgery to get the smile off my face. Heck the insanity is that my bike did between 50 and 60mpg on the trip!
Best time I have had in years, best ride ever! Wish you all could have been there!
I decided to head to a place called hokitika where my best mate has brought a farm some 360kms away. Put the radar detector on, hitched the bags on and on christmas night, I put some speed on to beat the incoming front.
Winding roads through forests, valleys, and countryside. 80% of the ride was pure corners. Not alot real tight, most were fine at about 100kmph. No cops, not many other cars. I flew. The bike does 130kmph (80mph) in first gear) and the bike got a good work out. I dusted off the speedo where it reads 250kmph (155mph) on the trip. Just for fun. But for the most part the bike was kept at sub insane speeds. I made very good time, spent 3 days at my mates farm hunting, playing with kids and watching the rain fall.
For the trip home I took a more scenic route, less straights, more corners, more coast roads and roads cut into bluffs and following beautiful river valleys full of native beech trees and flowering rata. Waterfalls from the hills splash down on the road. I had to brake a few times for crossing penguins! Again, no cops, just clean and mostly dry roads with light traffic.
By the end of it all I thought I was going to need surgery to get the smile off my face. Heck the insanity is that my bike did between 50 and 60mpg on the trip!
Best time I have had in years, best ride ever! Wish you all could have been there!
