Thinking back to an early post....

Nearly 11 years ago back in 2011, I wrote a blog post HERE which attracted comment from well known US motorcycle author David Hough which lead to further posts and even a chapter in one of his motorcycle books.  The topic?  The impact of increasing age on motorcycling.  We discussed things we could do to safely extend one's riding career and whether we could recognise that it was perhaps time to do something else.  There are links to the wider discussion in that 2011 post.

Just before the time of the original post, I was 63 and not really planning to do anything massively different, just to keep riding pretty much the way I'd always done and keep fingers crossed.  The only nod towards getting older was to sell my heavy Honda Blackbird and buy a Street Triple.  However, the conversations with David prompted me to join the NZ branch of the UK Institute of Advanced Motorists to learn Police Roadcraft. That lead to what was genuinely the most enjoyable 10 years of a 58 year riding career, passing the Advanced Roadcraft Test, Observer (mentor) Test and ultimately becoming an Examiner.  It was a genuine shock to discover how little I knew about safe riding whilst making good progress before joining IAM.  Made lots of lifelong friends too.

IAM Observer duties on the Street Triple, circa 2014

The other thing which David Hough and I discussed was the need for a fallback interest for when we actually stop riding. That need applies to anything which has been a lifelong passion and even to retirement with little idea of how to spend your free time.  Making properly considered decisions about that can have a massive impact on one's mental and physical health.  I'm pleased to say that talking with family, close friends and even strangers plus lots of reading has given Jennie and I solid fallback interests in terms of voluntary work, travel, sea fishing and more recently, the purchase of a classic car.  With Covid limiting international travel in any meaningful sense for an extended period, the classic car was a locally-based fallback.  For the time being at least, I think we've got that side of the ageing equation reasonably well covered and David Hough deserves enormous credit for provoking some serious thought.  David and I still correspond and recently, he's also followed the same process by building a beautiful wooden rowing boat (a traditional wherry).

The KTM in 2021 - me at 74 and loving it!

So that's the medium term future reasonably well mapped with a few contingencies but what about now?  This month, I retire from IAM.  A combination of age and the relatively remote area where we live means that I don't want to spend 500km days in all weathers putting advanced riders through formal testing.  Totally comfortable with that.  Having been honoured with life membership of IAM means that I can ride with the membership on social occasions and also with other treasured friends which will help to keep standards up.  Although there are no immediate plans to stop riding, going through the future planning process has made me comfortable about making that decision with no regrets.  Another year will probably do it. No single fallback will replace riding but a combination of things should do the trick.  Ceasing the blog sort of falls into the same category.  Great fun but it's just about served its purpose.

After 6 weeks or so of owning the MGB GT, Jennie and I have been having a lot of fun exploring the Coromandel Peninsula backroads on short(ish) runs.  At present, I've been spending a fair bit of time underneath the thing greasing a myriad of grease nipples, lubricating the steering rack and having smelly old diff oil run down my arm to set up a proper maintenance schedule for the future.  The previous owner did a wonderful job of restoring the MG but he mainly used a local garage to do routine maintenance.  I use both words advisedly as to be honest, it looks like a lot of things were overlooked;  hence the preventive work being done at present.  To give another more succinct viewpoint, Jennie calls my diligence "pissing about in the garage".

Waitete Bay, Coromandel Peninsula.  Miles of nothing but sand and water

To end on an irreverent note, yesterday saw us make a 320km round trip to join fellow MG owners for the regional MG Owners Club Christmas lunch.  We're not big on large gatherings of people but being new to the club, it would be great to meet fellow members.  Crikey, except for another couple of people, we were the youngest there by some margin!  It was a weird feeling as among my motorcycling mates, I'm totally used to being the Old Fart.  A motorcycling friend (and ex-MG Roadster owner) remarked that it was lucky we were in the open air for much of the time as the smell of cabbage water and pee may have been overpowering indoors.  Irreverent indeed!  Mind you, the local organiser drily commented that he had to organise club events with pee stops for both sexes in mind.  I think we'll pass on taking part in those for a few more years! 

Alongside a 1952 MG TD and a late 50's MG Magnette

All that remains is to wish everyone all that you would wish for yourselves over the festive season and may 2022 be better for all of us than the last couple of years!

Doing a bit more future-proofing

It was 10 years ago to the month when I joined the Institute of Advanced Motorists as a means of upskilling and prolonging my riding career in a safe and fulfilling manner.  The blog has documented the road to being coached in Police Roadcraft, passing the IAM Advanced Test, then further training and tests to become an Observer (mentor) and an Examiner 4 years ago.  All that was due to well-known US motorcycle safety author David Hough emailing me in 2010 having seen an article I wrote and pricking my conscience.  Certainly a fantastic outcome and I've tried to pay it forward as thanks to all those people who put their time into making me a better rider.  A real win-win if ever there was one.  Made some wonderful lifelong friends too.  One of them and fellow IAM member, Tony, turned 57 a week ago and we celebrated his birthday with a 200 km brisk scamper round a biker nirvana on our doorstep; the northern Coromandel Loop.  Being a Monday with all the visitors having gone home, we virtually had the road to ourselves in warm, sunny conditions.  Absolute heaven!

Tony on his Yamaha MT10 SP and yours truly at Whitianga harbour

However, I'm 74 later this year and still love riding.  Whilst there are no concrete plans to stop, I'm becoming more comfortable with the idea of not riding as I've had such a great length of time on 2 wheels.  I'll be retiring as an active IAM member at year end, but will still ride socially, at least for a while. Whenever the time comes to stop doing something that has consumed a large part of our lives, I reckon it's really important to have a fall-back interest to keep us mentally and physically active. I have a reasonable range of other interests.  None of them would replace motorcycling on their own but the mix would probably be an acceptable substitute.  Annual international travel was also regular until early 2020  (Wuhan in July 2019!) but that's come to a grinding stop.

Competitive sailing was once a big thing in my life but that requires a high degree of physical fitness.  Not interested in just cruising. We have a runabout for sea fishing as it's something which Jennie and I can do together.  Unfortunately, it hasn't been in the water since last November due to weather, tides, other commitments and so on.  Note to ourselves - just make time and stop procrastinating!

Jennie and grandkids with the Stabicraft 1410 So-fish-ticated

 

Four-wheeled vehicles have always occupied a distant second place to bikes when it comes to fun but I've had the odd thought about a Lotus 7 replica as a motorcycle replacement.  However, whilst it's a nice thought, it probably wouldn't get used a whole lot and could be a pain to get in and out of  as we age more.  Probably not going to happen.  We have a 2005 RAV4 which we use for launching the boat and general towing duties or travelling on dirt roads around the peninsula.  It's bullet proof, owes us nothing and should serve its purpose for a few more years yet, albeit something that's not exciting, merely utilitarian.  Jennie has a 5 year old Honda Jazz RS which has only covered 30,000 km and is perfect for longer hauls in comfort, not to mention surprisingly good performance and handling.  Little point in replacing that either.

Pocket rocket - the Jazz RS

Real first world problem isn't it, so hardly a big deal in the scheme of things but nonetheless, having another fall-back interest is still an important issue to keep mind and body functional.  I can actually see an e-bike in my future. There are lots of hills in our vicinity and an e-bike would overcome the shortcomings of my 30 year old mountain bike and ageing body.  Also, Jennie has hinted at something that we could enjoy together and isn't so weather dependent (or on age, come to that!).  Our near-neighbours of a similar vintage have a 1950's MG TF classic car which they head off in regularly for an adventure somewhere.  The hint was that we might look at buying a classic car of some sort.  

Since that throwaway comment, I've quietly looked at what's available in NZ and have found very little with that emotional appeal which has been an important factor in buying my bikes.  Well, to qualify that statement; nothing much below where we would need to spend quite a bit of money to buy cars such as a good 60's Mustang or a more modern Cobra replica.  Not a show-stopper but probably unlikely in terms of guilt through spending part of the kid's inheritance!  However, there is one British car from the 60's that I've always liked which isn't ridiculously expensive and wouldn't mean massive amounts of time spent keeping it on the road.  

Followers of the UK TV comedies Mr Bean or Only Fools and Horses will remember the ghastly 3-wheel Reliant Robin vehicles which featured prominently in those programmes.  Mention the name Reliant and that's what will always spring to mind for most people.  However, they uncharacteristically produced a vehicle with exceptional performance for the time.  That car is the Reliant Scimitar GTE (or even the coupe version).  This is it.....

The Reliant Scimitar GTE (file photos)

1967 Scimitar Coupe (file photo)

With a fibreglass body and a number of UK Ford engine options including a 3 litre V6, it should be relatively reliable and easy to maintain.  The looks appeal to me but that's getting well ahead of things.  I now need to think a bit more seriously about whether a classic car is going to be of sufficient attraction to help keep mind and body active in the coming years.

I hope that this post hasn't been too boring.  The main purpose has been to articulate the thought processes of  "a person of a certain age" to stay mentally and physically stimulated in the future by having fall-back interests to replace the main passion of riding motorcycles for approaching 60 years.  Something that most of us will need to consider at some stage in life, even if motorcycling hasn't been the main passion.

The elephant in the room

Well, it came sooner than expected but we've just addressed the elephant in the room.  Going back to late last year, I suffered a torn retina whilst riding the bike.  My eye filled with blood and riding home some 140 km was quite a challenge.  To fix it, I had a vitrectomy (watch it on YouTube if you're not squeamish)!  It was totally successful but the surgeon warned me that one side effect was a cataract which would form sooner or later.  In my case, it was sooner than expected. 

All was fine on the February bike tour then lockdown kicked in during March.  Stuck around home doing jobs, I didn't really notice anything but as soon as lockdown ended and driving/riding started up again, the partial loss of long sight in one eye became noticeable.  Not a good position to be in, especially when conducting advanced riding tests. A right royal pain in the arse to use a technical term.

A check with a local optometrist confirmed the onset of a cataract.  Still legal to drive and ride but it was pushing the envelope at the higher performance end of the spectrum.  So it was back to the surgeon.  Not bad enough to qualify for an operation on the public health system but going privately was fine as it was starting to drive me nuts.

Turned up for the procedure a week ago and Jennie and I were ushered into a lounge adjacent to the operating theatre.  Drops were put into the eye to dilate the pupil and the surgeon came in and drew an arrow over the appropriate eye.  Wives aren't noted for dishing out sympathy because they think that their husbands are big wusses. "Pain?  You want to try having 3 kids, blah, blah......".  In this case, the lack of sympathy manifested itself by her wanting to write something on my forehead above the arrow.  Those words were "Insert Coins Here".  Smartarse.  

"Insert coins here" in the fairground dummy

Anyway, cataract removal and replacing the lens only took a few minutes and was completely painless.  The only downside of being fully conscious was seeing instruments of torture hovering near my eye, albeit not in clear focus.  Whatever instruments the surgeon used made noises like something from an episode of Dr. Who when he was battling the Daleks.  In fairness though, I was warned so didn't panic when it started up.  Although I could talk during the op, the surgical team bizarrely gave me a small squeaky yellow rubber duck to hold during the procedure.  They said to give it a squeeze if I felt uncomfortable, wanted to sneeze or whatever and they'd stop.  Didn't actually need to put it to use although when they wheeled me back into the theatre lounge, I made good use of it to announce my arrival to all and sundry.  Jennie's eye-rolling suggested that she'd prefer to be someone else's wife at that point in time.  Sort of evened things up for her earlier smartarse remark.  

With vision having been restored, it actually felt a little odd, like I was slightly drunk.  Guess it takes the brain a little while to recalibrate.  With running a formal IAM assessment ride coming up (taking out a police officer, no less!), it was sensible to see what it was like back on the bike with no pressure.  A short trip to the local gas station went absolutely fine and put me at ease.

Setting off from home for the meet-up some 160 km away, it was an absolutely glorious day with spring only a few days away. We all need days like this after the trials of this year. The eye was fine, the sun was out and the prospect of meeting up with other riders that you know and trust was eagerly anticipated.

Getting ready for a full day in the saddle

Officer Andy and trainee Observer (mentor) Bruce had ridden over from the Bay of Plenty province to our meeting point where we had a mix of city, expressway and tight country lanes all within easy reach for an assessment ride.  As well as road riding, Andy takes part in competitive trials riding so balance and slow speed riding weren't going to be an issue.  With Andy and Bruce on adventure bikes, I felt like the runt of the litter - I'd need a stepladder to get on them! 

Some photos taken by Bruce's on-board camera during the ride - thanks Bruce!

Andy and yours truly in town

Lifesaver (shoulder check) before making the turn

Life at its best - a deserted back road

Tall timber - Honda Africa Twin (Andy) and Triumph Explorer 1200 (Bruce)

As you might expect, Andy was extremely professional in his riding but there was a complete absence of ego and very happy to receive suggestions for fine tuning.  It won't take long at all before he's ready to take his Advanced Roadcraft Test.  Bruce also did well in his observing capacity and will make a great Observer in the near future.

Aren't days like this what riding motorcycles are all about?  Great weather, riding partners who you trust implicitly and a great mix of road conditions over some 450 km  - nirvana!

Back to the Future

Let's face it, 2020 has been a year that most of us would prefer to forget.  After more than 100 days of being C-19 free, it's reappeared in NZ again.  At the time of writing this, it's small and confined to the Auckland area but who knows what's going to happen next.  The one good thing is that the authorities are onto it with appropriate measures - no dicking about, locking down our biggest city and other measures within 24 hours of discovery.   At present, we're not locked down in our region so apart from reintroduction of social distancing measures and some other sensible precautions, we're pretty much unaffected.

Following the first lockdown in March, I was quietly concerned that my motorcycling days were coming to a close.  The lockdown itself was easy to deal with as there was always plenty to do.  However, when it ended, I wasn't jumping out of my skin to go for a ride which was a bit disconcerting.  I don't really know why this was unless the winter weather influenced my indifference.  I guess you can't predict psychological effects, even though I consider myself calm in unusual or difficult situations. However, I've recently had two cracking rides in brilliant weather which have thrown off any doubts about continuing riding - yippee for that!. 

The first outing was a trip to south Auckland to check out some new routes for putting IAM riders through their Police Roadcraft Advanced Tests.  That's well and truly stuffed now with the Auckland travel restrictions but it was a glorious day out with the discovery of some new, challenging routes.

A quick stop by the Waikato River

Great views over the countryside

One of my mates who lives in that area suggested that I check out a particular highly technical road on the way home which I duly did.  To my horror, there were extensive road works with wet clay, cement dust and lime over substantial stretches of the road and I had a recently-cleaned pristine bike, the bastard!  He claimed no knowledge so I might have been uncharitable with my initial thoughts.  It's the sort of thing which good mates would do to each other!  Guess how I spent a few hours the next day.

The second decent outing was at our monthly regional IAM ride last weekend.  The meeting point is at a cafe some 160 km away from home which means I leave home before dawn in single digit (C) temperatures.  As with the last early start, heated gloves were a godsend, with an ordinary pair being carried to use later on.  I must say that the Michelin Road 5's stick like glue in all conditions and I'm glad I returned to using them after all the punctures I had on the GSX-S 1000.

At the meeting point, we also had a potential new member turn up for an initial assessment.  An IA gives the rider a no cost, no obligation opportunity to see if they enjoy the process, as well as allowing the IAM mentor to check the general standard of riding as a start point for a personalised development plan.  On this occasion it was Libby on her Harley Davidson who thoroughly enjoyed her day and was itching to join at the end of it.

Libby with some of the IAM team

Libby's beautifully prepared Harley Davidson

Having Libby join has been great for several reasons.  Firstly, she's the first female IAM member in our region, even though we've existed for 4 years.  I hope we get lots more now as female riders I've helped to mentor in other regions have been a delight with their positive attitude to learning.  In Libby's case, she had already taken the government-sponsored Ride Forever courses (details HERE ) and wanted to keep upskilling.  Secondly, she's only the second H-D rider in our region and one of the few nationwide.  Good for you Libby!

Fellow IAM members Bruce and Neil with their adventure bikes - they dwarf my KTM!

Jennie has dibs on our single basement garage for her car and my 4x4 sits under the decking on the upper storey of our house.  The bike sits in a covered area just outside my workshop.  The only disadvantage is that to keep it hooked to a battery tender during periods of non-use, I have to run a power lead from inside the workshop.  Not a big hassle in the scheme of things but recently, part of an old solar-powered external sensor light failed, leaving me with a spare solar panel.  I already have an externally accessible battery connector on the bike for my heated gloves which tucks away neatly when not in use.  All I needed was a compatible connector for the solar panel and we were in business!  I've successfully used the same system for our boat for several years and it's worked a treat.  Marine batteries ain't cheap to replace!

Solar panels on shed roof

Solar panel connection to bike

The next challenge is C-19 permitting, having a cataract removed later in the month.  Everyone tells me that it's simple and fast these days but the thought of a scalpel hovering above my eyeball isn't exactly a comforting thought.  At least it shouldn't disrupt riding for more than a day or two.

Stay safe everyone!

The Green Badge Tour, pt 2

Early breakfast at the Whangamomona Hotel and get packed.  The heat of yesterday has caused a bit of low-lying fog but we should break through that as we climb up the ridges and saddles.  The plan was to head west to Stratford and gas up.  By the time we get there, it will be close to 230 km since the last fill which means that Tony's MT10 SP will be down to the last litre or two.  After that, head to Whanganui and on to the conference destination of Porirua, just over 350 km away.

View from our balcony

Go West, young man!

From Whangamomona to Stratford, the road surface improves markedly.  The road remains highly technical with twists and turns at varying altitudes.  Throw wandering cattle into the mix and there's no time to let the brain go into neutral!  In fact, the first cattle on the road were encountered a few minutes after leaving but having climbed out of the fog, there was sufficient time to scrub off speed.  Stopping at the Strathmore Saddle for a few minutes, there were some great views of the rugged country we were passing through.

View from the Strathmore Saddle - not much flat land

Big skies on the Forgotten World Highway (photo: Tony)

A quick refuel in Stratford and then on to Whanganui for brunch.  The road along the south coast of the Taranaki province and down to Porirua is a major arterial route and relatively straight.  Fortunately, traffic was light so we could make reasonable progress without it getting too boring.  Our interest was kept up for a while by following a guy on a Moto Guzzi who was really putting himself at risk by following vehicles in front too closely.  Not only would he have had difficulty stopping if someone anchored up in front, his positioning meant that he couldn't see clearly for safe overtakes.  A really poor display of roadcraft.

I was the lead bike coming into Whanganui and at slow speed, Lloyd who was directly behind; could hear a lot of chain noise from my bike.  A quick check when we stopped for a bite to eat showed that it was drum tight and also a little dry from the gravel section of the Forgotten World Highway.  This was a puzzle as I'd checked the chain tension before leaving home.  The only thing I could think of was that I hadn't checked it with the touring load on the bike, even though the load wasn't particularly heavy.  The KTM swing arm geometry and suspension makes it somewhat trickier to set up than many other bikes and I was found wanting!  

I wasn't carrying the big socket and torque wrench required to do a proper job so a quick internet search revealed a motorcycle repair shop not far away.  I called the owner who was initially reluctant to take the job on because he was so overloaded with work but then told me to bring the bike round.  This is an unashamed plug for Brian Thorley Motorcycle Repairs in Whanganui!  As soon as we arrived, he moved a bike off the hydraulic table and put mine on it.  There followed a series of adjustments for half an hour or so until he'd got it spot on, followed by a splash of lube.  Brian was a really nice guy who went out of his way to help despite his workload so I gave him $50.  He wouldn't have a bar of it and said I was welcome.  I didn't feel at all comfortable about his generosity and finally managed to press $20 on him for a few beers.  At the time of writing, I also have a motorcycle book on order for him (THIS) by way of a proper thank you.  A probable solution would have been for me to put a couple of clicks on the rear shock preload and I'll have to experiment when I have time.

The rest of the trip to Porirua was uneventful and we checked into a comfortable motel later that afternoon after spotting some local IAM riders heading north on an observed ride.

A gaggle of bikes at the motel

That evening, we met up at a local eatery with IAM motorcycle and car members from around the country and it was great to catch up with friends old and new.  Fellow central north island member and Senior Motorcycle Observer Rob happened to be travelling in his company vehicle so he was the designated sober driver - thanks a million mate!  The conference/AGM on the following day was a great event with something in it for everyone.  Some vehicles with the latest safety technology were available to test and I took a 2 litre Toyota Corolla with adaptive cruise control for a spin.  Pretty impressive with its autonomous braking technology and the next few years should see some real safety advances.  A conference dinner that evening, and then ready to resume the tour the next day.

The Wellington IAM team had arranged a series of rides on the Sunday for non-local members involving either road or gravel routes if they so wished.  We chose a ride over the Rimutaka mountain range to the coastal community of Castlepoint as that was the direction we were heading in anyway.  Unfortunately after fine hot weather so far, the forecast was for a front to pass through, delivering rain and wind!  Sure enough, the forecast was spot on and we all assembled at a local gas station in the appropriate gear.

Looks like ride leader Paul is trying to summon the dry weather gods... or the Devil!

The plan was for the northbound groups to meet at the summit of the Rimutakas, then onto Carterton for coffee and then split into their respective routes.  Despite the rain, the twisty ride up to the summit was stress-free on account of a pretty grippy surface (lean sensitive rain mode traction control also helps!) although some of the wind gusts around bends needed a bit of vigilance.

The first arrivals - in cloud and rain at the summit of the Rimutakas

Wellington-based mate Davey's wicked Husky 701 - massively high seat at over 900 mm! 

Looking back down the Rimutaka road we'd ridden up

A quick peruse of the local rain radar showed largely dry roads where we were heading with an improving forecast so wet weather gear could be shed at Carterton.

Satisfied smiles from Tony and Lloyd after great coffee in Carterton

Soon, it was time for the groups to head off in different directions and our group headed over to Castlepoint on the east coast in minimal traffic.  Sadly, Rex had to head directly home from here so we said our goodbyes and wished him a safe ride.  As an amusing aside, I found myself in the company of Mike, an ex-UK class 1 cop (cars and bikes) and now a serving officer in NZ with special national driving and riding police training responsibilities.  He's also Director of Testing for IAM.  Despite my own qualifications, it felt like I was back in primary school with Mike looking on and really had to concentrate on delivering a highly professional ride that he would look favourably on. In reality, Mike was probably taking no notice whatsoever, nice guy that he is.  I don't think I did anything too dumb.  A great road with a mixture of sweepers and tight stuff.

Some of us hadn't been to Castlepoint before and it was great to view the area in windy conditions. There's no safe berthing in the often rough conditions and the commercial fishing boats are launched and retrieved off the beach with weird and wonderful contraptions.

A self-launching cradle (photo: Lloyd)

The lighthouse and fishing boats

Peppered by flying sand whilst taking this photo

It was soon time to resume our journey northward.  Goodbyes were said to the IAM members from other parts of the country and special thanks to Paul and the Wellington team for such a special weekend - massively appreciated.   We needed to head back to Masterton first to refuel in readiness for the back roads to Napier - a little under 500 km since leaving Porirua first thing.   Tony's bike is good for around 250 km at a brisk(ish) pace, mine a little more and Lloyd's a lot more.  Sure enough, almost within sight of the gas station, Tony's bike ground to a halt.  A quick word over the comms and Lloyd and I carried on to the gas station.  Lloyd filled up a small soft drink bottle to return to Tony whilst I chatted to the attendant.  He was a really nice guy and gave me a complimentary coffee while I waited - great customer relationships!

Refuelling having been completed, we headed to Napier (the Art Deco capital of NZ) via the Wangaehu Valley (Thanks for the tip ANDREW)!  Virtually no traffic, spectacular scenery and technical roads, we were in paradise.  No time to take photos!  Arriving at our cabin in Napier's main camping ground, we were surprised to see lots of old vehicles.  We didn't realise that it was the annual Art Deco Festival weekend.  The town dresses up in period costume with lots of events and vehicles of a bygone age.  It was great chatting to the vehicle owners and it must be said that many of them were of a "certain vintage" too!  Here are some vehicle examples.

Not a speck of dust anywhere

Handle with care.....  1903 Oldsmobile (photo: Lloyd)

The days of chrome - Plymouth of uncertain vintage (photo: Lloyd) 

Part 3 to come.....

The Green Badge Tour, part 1

This year, the annual conference/AGM of IAM NZ (http://iam.org.nz/) was due to be held in Porirua, just north of Wellington.  Several of us from the central north island were keen to attend and fellow observing team member Tony suggested that we should turn it into a "long way down, even longer way back" tour.  Great plan and 4 of us gradually hatched a route covering some of the north island's iconic twisty bike roads.  The Green Badge Tour gets its name from the badge that's awarded when a rider passes the Advanced Police Roadcraft Test.  All 4 of us had passed that long ago and had also passed the Observer (mentor) test too.

This is a map of the route, covering some 2100 km of fabulous riding roads.  With the exception of the Wellington area, it was expected that traffic would be pretty light in late summer, especially keeping away from major arterial routes where possible and so it turned out to be.

A route made in heaven

My 790 Duke isn't really set up for touring so travelling fairly light was the order of the day.  The regular small tailpack containing a few basic tools and puncture repair kit, with a 10 litre yachting dry bag strapped to it with a cargo net over the two.  I don't like wearing a back pack when riding but in this instance, I figured that I could put up with it.

Loaded and ready for action

Setting off from Coromandel early in the morning,  I stopped 70 km further south to pick up Tony (Yamaha MT10 SP) and we then met up with Lloyd (Yamaha TDM 900) and Rex (BMW 1200 GS) in Hamilton.  The end point of Day 1 was the Whangamomona Hotel on the famous Forgotten World Highway, some 380 km from home.  The general arrangement was that we'd swap the lead at gas or coffee stops and all 4 of us were linked with SENA comms.  It was quite amusing that on the open sections of road with fast sweepers, there was a fair bit of comms traffic, mickey-taking and so on.  However, when we got to the technical tight stuff, it went pretty quiet over the air waves - just warnings from the lead bike about potential hazards.  Between Te Kuiti and the turn-off to Ohura,  we came on fresh road works - wet tar overlaid with fresh gravel.  We picked the tar-coated stones out of the various nooks and crannies later on but a 1% er on a noisy H-D had to stop by the roadside and pick them out of his drive belt before it got shredded.

First stop after lunch was Ohura.  A small settlement with a massive main street which was once a coal mining centre.  Current population is less than 150 and the settlement is in a state of genteel decline.  No-one was about and a wry comment was made that the locals must still be in their coffins during daylight hours.

Rex, Geoff and Lloyd at Ohura.  A hot day and needing shade

The busy metropolis of Ohura - locals still in their coffins

A fully functional mailbox

The Forgotten World Highway is something of a rite of passage for riders.  A twisty, narrow road with an indifferent surface at the bottom of a valley and over saddles with a section of gravel 15 km or so long.  The scenery is spectacular but it's wise to either stop and look or keep your eyes on the road if moving.  There's minimal cell phone reception and if you make a mistake, you're a long way from help.  It pays to hold a fair bit in reserve.  Tony shot a bit of video on the more open part of the Forgotten Highway which I'm leading on.  His MT10-SP with crossplane engine and uneven firing order sounds fantastic with the speaker volume turned up and on full screen:

Courtesy of Tony

Stopping at the Tahora Saddle, the active volcanoes of Ngaruhoe and Ruapehu were visible on the skyline.

Wild country

Tahora Saddle with active volcanoes in the background (photo: Lloyd)

Yours truly at the Tahora Saddle (photo: Lloyd)

A quick photo stop at the Tangarakau river bridge.  The logs in the river show the power of nature when it rains!

Tangarakau river bridge - spectacular scenery

Logs in the river

A happy rider on tour grin (photo: Tony)

Before arriving at our destination for the night, a further stop at the entrance to the Moki Tunnel was warranted.  It was constructed in 1935/36 and is some 180 metres long - one direction at a time for traffic over a rutted surface.  We didn't see any wildlife on this occasion although on a previous trip, there was an extremely large feral billy goat with an impressive set of horns standing at the tunnel mouth.

Tony, Lloyd and Rex at the Moki tunnel mouth

Arriving at the small settlement of Whangamomona late afternoon, we settled into the hotel and enjoyed a cold one as temperatures were in the early 30's C.  The place was fair jumping with locals and some South African contractors who were laying more reliable power lines to the settlement.  A most excellent feed was had later that evening. We asked the owner about leaving the bikes behind the hotel as per past practice but he hadn't got room this time and said they'd be perfectly safe outside.  Robyn, the lovely lady who lived next door agreed, apart from the possible risk from a local driver who had too many under his belt running into them .  She offered space at her place which we gratefully accepted.  Rural NZ'ers are awesome!

The iconic Whangamomona Hotel - Lloyd and Tony

Chilling on the upper deck of the hotel - Tony, Rex and Lloyd

Hotel owner having a wash during a quiet spell

A walk to help dinner to go down was taken to get a few photos before it got dark.  Here's a selection.

Colourful shed in the main street

Chilling at the hitching rail - Tony, Rex and Geoff (photo: Lloyd)

Yep, it's rustic all right! (photo: Tony)

A wonderful day of riding, knowing exactly how your riding partners are going to react in any given situation.  Completely takes the stress out of group riding.  Another hot day forecast tomorrow for the ride down to Porirua.

Part 2 to come....