Revisiting

[Motu]

I've had a digital camera for over 10 years now, and taken photos in the same places.

Coming up out of Marakopa in 2003 on the XLV750



Same place in 2012.



The road was pretty rough down that way, but it's mostly sealed now I can't even remember where this sign was.



In the late '70's I had a section at Aotea Harbour with a caravan on it.  There was some serious erosion when a storm changed the harbour bar. I went back in 2006, and where the DT230 is parked was a mates house, at one stage you had to climb a small rise to get to the beach. The house mysteriously caught fire in about 1980 before the sea claimed it....so he could claim the insurance. They have secured the forshore from further erosion.



Back in 2012.



From the otherside of the harbour, looking to the mouth and bar.



In 2006 this road has a slip.



But by going across some farm land and a couple of streams I got around.



In 2010 it had been repaired enough for farmers quad bikes to get through....and the odd R65.



Today, you could get a car through, but the road is still closed - I guess they are worried about more slips.



Is this a warning, wild boar skins and heads on fence posts.



A nice ride today, time for a feed and beer.

[montmil]

OMG! I'm about ready to book a bike tour on NZ. Good on ya, Motu.  "Thumbs Up" missing smilie goes here.

[Motu]

The XT600.



R65 at the same place.



There are reasons for the warning sign - one day a couple of days after a storm I came across this.



After checking it out there was no way I could get through - nek minit these guys pull up, take a chainsaw off the back of the truck and cut their way through.



The XLV750 at one of the drinking water dams for Auckland in the Hunua Ranges.



The DT230 in the same place.



I don't have a photo of the XT600 at a Hunua dam (there are 4 of them) The Hunua ranges are on the east side of Auckland, on the west is the other water catchment area, the Waitakere Ranges,another 4 dams. I can't take the R65 up to these dams because they closed public access about 4 years ago.



Can't get pictures like this either, can't get a bike onto Ruapuke Beach anymore - I wonder why ?...?

[Burt]

Come to think of it I cannot recall the last time I saw a motorcycle on a beach in Oz.  Most 4WDs require a council permit to drive on beaches.  

On a side note my Dad tells a story of his father on an Indian Scout(?) and a mate on a HD drove up Stockton beach, north of Newcastle in the 1930s.  After going through the sea water the HD kept conking out and the Indian kept on chugging along.  Something to do with magneto(?) run electrics.  Probably before the days people realised to keep on the hard not the soft sand.  

[Motu]

In New Zealand all beaches are classed as public roads, vehicles have to be road registered and up to standard, and obey speed limits.  Of course if they stop you getting on the beach then it's off limits.

[Motu]

It's the Classic Motorcycle Festival this weekend, the biggest classic meeting in the Southern Hemisphere. I usually go on the sunday, but went to the friday practice this time...I think I'll give sunday a miss this year.  It's a social event for me, and I'm an antisocial guy - but I get back in touch with people I haven't seen for years...another couple of years won't hurt.

I've been taking photos there for years, so I'm not going to fill this thread with those.  Rummaging in the shed I came across this R65, and I was taking my 16 year old son thought it'd be the bike to use.



This is Blackadder.





I had a good long talk with Blackadder's owner - because I used to own this bike.  He was an acquaintance when he got the bike from me, and we've said G'day at classic races ever since, but today we filled in each other on each others history of the bike.  This is the day I got it going, out on the road like that for a blast.  Maybe about 1980.





I didn't build the bike, it was a rolling frame minus engine, the sidecar chassis was crap and I made that 2'' box section thing...which is still on the bike.  It has an A10 frame with twin top rails like a Featherbed, originally twin BSA 8'' brakes back to back and a Kawasaki rear wheel with 16'' rims and sidecar racing tyres - a pre kneeler.  They had to put 18'' rims on to race in classics.

I was riding a swing arm A10 that I had fitted an oil pump kink to, and used B31, B33 and finally an M20 engine in.  The sidecar frame had a brutally hammered oil pump kink, and as the reason I ran singles in my A10 was the fragility of the 650 twin, I figured I'd make a hot B33 to go in it.  It didn't seem to happen, and then I came across a burnt out '72 Thunderbolt, bought the engine and fitted that.  I built the bike in the lounge, and had to remove the chair and take the very low bike down the steps.

I'd never ridden a sidecar before - I took it about 2km down the road into a cul-de-sac, and played around with full lock left and right circles. After 5 mins of that I rode home, coming down our street I was full lock sideways at speed and made a perfect transition into the drive. I had it sussed pretty quick. I tended to ride it on the street like a speedway chair - came into right handers full lock sideways, and went from full lock oversteer to full lock understeer at least a couple of times in the turn...a shit load of full.  It had lights and no wiring, plate from another bike, but was never pulled over on it. Later the new owner had it street legal, just a formality in those day.

He had a Triumph kneeler, and with only 2 people wanting to ride a classic sidecar they wouldn't let us.  I had no real use for the bike, so two of them bought in from me in a 50/50 deal, and that's still the deal I think....the 16'' wheels are on the other guys bike.  Now it has an A10 crank and T140 pistons, something over 800cc.  Totally outclassed these days it runs at the back of the pack.

We had a baby on the way - I fitted a child/adult on to the Norton you see in the background.

[Motu]

The road closed by the slip was once a WRC stage, a couple of weeks before the WRC. all the roads they were using would have these signs posted like this one in 2004.



Back there yesterday, that rally sign was posted on the sign post above my front wheel.



We are having a drought, so of course it rained today....so I did some wet gravel.

[Motu]

I went further afield today, to spend New Year with friends in Taranaki. I can get there in under 4 hrs on the main roads, but I spent 9 hrs on the road, taking all the back roads, some of them gravel.  One of the roads I used is SH43, called The Forgotten World Highway these days.  I first went on the road when it was forgotten, just a single lane gravel road in a very  remote area.  There are saddles to climb over, motorcycle heaven. Lots of tunnels in the area, and on this road is the Moki tunnel.  It used to be lower, but had the floor lowered a few years ago so triple deck stock trucks could get through - you can see the original floor level about halfway up the sides.

The XLV750 at the southern end in 2003.



The R65 2nd day of 2014.



XT400 north end 2004.



R65 last day of 2013.



Everyone stops off at the Whangamomona pub, the XLV750 has been there, but no photo, so this is the XT400 in 2004.



Tourists have found the road, so it's more busy these days. The R65 today.



When I look out my bedroom window in the morning this is what I see - Mt Taranaki.  



Going home I get a bit closer.  Living down here, the mountain becomes part of your life, it's pretty dominating.



Back in the '70's my friends lived here, I was a long term visitor. My bedroom was the window on the right.  Maori leave the old peoples homes to just fall apart...it was said to be haunted, and it was a bit scary at times.  My friend lives in her parents old house just down the road now, back then there was an old house in the back yard, it was tapu...sacred, and couldn't be touched.  All I could see now was the chimney.