:boogie: Yay! Flying to Tauranga this morning to collect the next victim, I mean, new bike. I land about 11am, the guy selling is collecting me from the airport, go collect the bike, give Col (Kiwifruit) a shout & meet him at his place for a quick visit & gidday. Have to be rolling towards Wellington by 12.30 at latest. 6½ hour (approx.) ride back to the ferry. The trip back home is around 1100k with a 3½hr ferry crossing in the middle.
All going as planned, I'll be back in Christchurch around 1pm tomorrow, bloody long haul.
No accommodation booked for tonight as I don't know which side of the strait I'll end up on, depends if I get the ferry or not. If I do make it, I'll end up sleeping rough somewhere till the coast road opens at 7am, if I don't make the ferry tonight, I'll be in a motel somewhere in Wellington / Lower Hutt ready for a 9am crossing Tuesday, which puts me back in Christchurch around 5.30 - 6pm
So, once I get the bike, it'll be check oil level, tyre pressure & fuel up & hit the highway. I'll see how the battery on the phone holds up & may be able to post up a couple of pic's on the way, but I've no access to charging on this run, so you might have to wait till I get back. Catch ya later guys & Col, see you in a few hours - put the kettle on mate, white coffee no sugar :whistling: :cheers:
683 Miles !! Go steady :smile2:
Quite the exciting trip. Too bad you just can't take your time and get some bonding done with your new lady. :cheers:
Didya get stuck this side? - check to see if that Briton is still at the Welly Museum?
:onya:
Stan
good safe trip buddy :cheers:
Safe journey Col :onya:
No need for bonding Andre, you will have noticed he likes to treat em rough. :stir:
Quote from: Andre on Monday, 08 January 2018, 03:40 AM
Quite the exciting trip. Too bad you just can't take your time and get some bonding done with your new lady. :cheers:
May be doing that overnight Andre!! Sleeping rough on the roadside.
Wishing you luck Col. All going to plan would be good.
Have a nice safe trip Col.
Well, I made it to the ferry after a late departure from Tauranga. My fault, got lost 3 times looking for Kiwifruit (Cols) place.
Quick once over of the bike with an increase in tyre pressure from 24 that was in them, and off.
Thanks for the help Col, very nice meeting you and Louise in person.
Nice pic of the two Cols.
Quote from: KiwiCol on Monday, 08 January 2018, 04:30 AM
Quote from: Andre on Monday, 08 January 2018, 03:40 AM
Quite the exciting trip. Too bad you just can't take your time and get some bonding done with your new lady. :cheers:
May be doing that overnight Andre!! Sleeping rough on the roadside.
I might do this sleeping besides the bike this summer. Got all the equipment for a bivac. That's my idea of fun. Has the added bonus that it's difficult to steal my bike.
pair of good looking kiwis in above pic.
Well done Col, which one is the ugly one :whistling:
My pleasure Col. Thanks for making the time to meet up. I know you were very pushed for time.
Hope she rode as nice as she looks. Funny colour, but has a nice note to it. May it treat you well. :onya:
Quote from: mjgt on Monday, 08 January 2018, 08:41 PM
Well done Col, which one is the ugly one :whistling:
well, it's got to be a Col dunnit!
Nice looking bike Col, Nice looking shed Col.
Very nice - especially the COLour of the bike.
So now you have her home - happy with her, no problems?
We're not home yet Dave, road through Kaikoura is closed, spent the night on the roadside. Road opens again at 7am. Then to the 5th wheeler at Peketa, shower n breakfast then the rest of the trip to Christchurch.
No major issues, just maintenance and personal preference things. Just things that are not quite right.
nice bike col
you'll make it yours soon enough I'm sure . :onya:
Quote from: KiwiCol on Tuesday, 09 January 2018, 03:32 AM
We're not home yet Dave, road through Kaikoura is closed, spent the night on the roadside. Road opens again at 7am. Then to the 5th wheeler at Peketa, shower n breakfast then the rest of the trip to Christchurch.
No major issues, just maintenance and personal preference things. Just things that are not quite right.
That's not good Col, shame the road through Kaikoura was closed (just been looking at that road as well in terms of our poss 2019 trip and doing Whale watching there). Not nice sleeping by the side of the road either. Sounds like the maintenance and personal preference things can all be sorted though. Hope you get home soon buddy.
Thanks guys, made it home fine. Didn't stop for a shower N breakfast, just pushed on to Christchurch. Really because I couldn't face getting all the gear off, cleaning up then having to put it all back on again. Had been in it for hours & had "slept" in my helmet! Was too cold without it & the helmet kept my head warm, down side, no air! I took the lining out of my jacket & used it as a blanket for my hips & upper legs, worked too.
Bugger all sleep really, just the odd nod off then wake up gasping for fresh air or a train went by (about 10' from my head) that sort of wakes ya!
There isn't anything major, biggest thing is the right rear shock will only go to 2 bars then sticks. I know there's a fix on here for it, but I have a fully working spare rear set, so will just bung that on & get to the strip & repair of this one later.
Things I noticed on the ride home that'll need attention:
Headlight is set too high & I think the High beam is crossed with the low beam (different headlight to std)
Clutch fluid looks like black tea. - Drain & refill all hydraulic systems
It has a 17 tooth front sprocket (I've got the 18 as well), chain looks quite loose, maybe needs 1 less link?
Speedo is out - by quite a lot, I've been calculating whilst riding & reckon it's around 10% too high, both the speed & odo.
Rear bulb is out (1 of them)
Chain & sprockets need a good clean - also behind the sprocket cover I'd expect - may as well do the busa seal fit to the slave whilst I'm at it
The indicators are not mounted correctly, 2 are sloped back & 2 are sloped front?
The clocks are loose
The select & reset buttons on the clocks push right in & don't work as they should, lucky they vibrate back out again
Oil looks dark - change & filter. Check the K & N while I'm there
Fit the Rego & WOF labels in legal positions, not under the seat.
Front calipers are in need of a good spruce up
Oh, AND there's been a bit of a rough job on a tail tidy done, still see the fluffy bits from the saw!! Bit of a clean up with a dremmel & she'll be fine.
Plus I've got the Radar Detector, Go Pro, 12v USB / Cigarette lighter Power Supply & Zumo to mount up - been there done that & know what I'm doing for these.
Plus my Breakaway Cruise Control & Mirror extensions -
Yes, it'll be a "Tarts Handbag" as Tony would say, but I tell you what, I wish I had all those accessories on the way home, every one of them!
So, nothing major, just lots of fiddly things to get her right, lots of weekends as no rush.
We're back in Kaikoura holidaying again till the end of this week, weather looks very average to poor (surprise surprise) & the bike is back home in the garage. She'll have to wait till next weekend before I start playing.
Cheers guys, I'll sleep good tonight that's for sure!
What a night... :frustrated: but you made it home in one piece :cheers:
Your list of things to do might grow a bit longer once you start on it. Mine did... still not done even though it is now a short list. Was a lot of work pulling out the bills of my pocket. The rest was fun. Luckily you got all the spare parts. :onya:
so glad you made it Col. a mighty effort from you. was the bike advertised as perfect or needing maintenance. funny how some peoples idea of great is not to others standards. i sit down with a few beers, make a list. my way of doing stuff. i love ticking them off as theyre done. house , bike, music, books, just my way. works for me, no hurry but always a reminder, otherwise i forget. im sure youll get it perfect.
Glad the bike is home safe - and you of course !! lol :)
Nice one Col, looking forward to picking mine up in a couple of weeks, though my journey home is all of 40 kilometres!
It will take a few rides to create my "to do" list but that will be part of the fun. :cool:
Glad you made it back Col, sounds a proper adventure, I'm grateful we didn't see a picture after the sleepless night 😀
Hope you'll be happy together for many miles 🤘
Funny colour though!
Here's a pic (or 2) of where I "slept" the night waiting for the road to open. You can see the Rail line behind the bike in the first pic & the proximity of the road in the 2nd. Road was no issue as no traffic coming through.
Glad your collected youre new mike mate but boy are either aff yir heid or hard core not even a bivvy bag :cheers:
Nuts mate.... just nuts :lol:
By the way.... not sure I got it... Road was closed? Why?
a bit of a trip col
glad your home safe :doh:
So no room service then Col ? :happy1:
Not only no room service Col, there wasn't even a bloody room!
Quote from: ARH on Wednesday, 10 January 2018, 05:31 AM
Nuts mate.... just nuts :lol:
By the way.... not sure I got it... Road was closed? Why?
Closed for earthquake repairs. Both access roads into & out of Kaikoura (State Highway 1) are being repaired after the big earthquake back in Nov 2016. They only open from 7am to 8.30pm daily, unless bad weather (rain or rough seas) cause it to be 'unsafe' in which case they close the road until the 'powers at be' deem it safe again for us 'Joe Public' to drive on the road. All H&S ass covering if you ask me.
Oh, and Mrs & daughter think of me in the same light as you Arh!