A Ride to the VCC Rally in Christchurch...

The backfire from the bungled start in the garage could have alerted the Armed Offenders Squad; - instead, the mothers delivering their kids to the kindergarten opposite were looking nervously around, as the G80S went plonking Innocently up the road. Eventually clear of Auckland, where 50 k's means 60, and a re-adjustment of through town technique either retard and top gear, or full advance in third leaves the Speedo needle nicely horizontal over the thick white 30 mph line, placed there 56 years ago. The same Speedo, calibrated up to 120 mph, which was a certain guarantee to gullible eyes of a performance of at least 100. And the same Speedo, which after the last rebuild, found vibration so great that the needle departed its spindle and lay bereft in the bottom of the dial, shortly before the ammeter did a slow forward roll and disappeared somewhere inside the headlight; the clutch nut came loose; and the exhaust pipe worked its way out of the head.

All this hopefully behind us now, as Benelli and Matchless push south via the west side of the Waikato river to Otorohanga then the Ohakune ovenight - Paraparas to Wanganui and Wellington, time in hand for the ferry - enough time to get a new helmet since the replacement visor on the 20 year old FFM leaks so much air, my eyes continually water. This buy turns out to be a "good idea", the noise attenuation with visor closed being the equivalent of a modest engine overhaul. Though maybe it's not quite enough - the G80 fails to respond to the kick start after check in on the wharf, and is pushed up to the Coca Cola machine Bike Park 30 mins to departure shows a carboned B6ES plug, and replacement works fine so good in fact, that one prod at Picton sees AMC first off the ferry - leaving behind the splendid Harley Davidson rig with surround sound, full comfort, and a security system that will not recognise the owner’s wish to start the machinery. Great to be on South Island roads again, and an afternoon start up the Wairau has us running nicely - Benelli moves out of a sweet spot beyond 105 ks, Matchless really smoothes @ 55mph, so we run @ 95-105 ks happily together, enjoying the sweeping bends, to the Murchison stopover. Lewis Pass and Karter's Museum at Hanmer, opened on request, - quite a bit of derelict and rusty Model T stuff, bits of all sorts of machinery and nick-knacks, including two decaying traction engines retrieved from a river bed, and, out of a submarine, an enormous diesel engine crankshaft, seven feet long, which broke and ended its second career as a power generator.

To our Riccarton motel, and check in at Rally HQ for evening meal and much motorcycle chat.

Saturday has a run which includes a lap of the Cust gravel road circuit (at far less speed than the originals) leading to a Sockburn aerodrome and aircraft factory for a lunch stop. And the opportunity to lose said lunch with a flight in a five eighth scales Tiger Moth or Mustang.

Sunday has a visit to Wigram Airforce Museum, then arally for some, or a guided tour of the restoration workshops for those inclined. McLean's Island for lunch and gymkhana. Dinner and Prizegiving, Steve Gaudin from Seddon scoring for the Jampot brigade. Monday westbound. Fuel at Springfield, - our comfortable tank range about 120 miles, which is about 30 minutes more than mine. Arthur's Pass is steeper down than my memory recalls, a change down or two takes some of the strain off Matchless brakes. Coffee and fuel at Kumara, on to bypass the main street of Greymouth and another good run over the gently winding road to Reefton, where there had been a problem finding two beds.

Monday westbound. Fuel at Springfield, - our comfortable tank range about 120 miles, which is about 30 minutes more than mine. Arthur's Pass is steeper down than my memory recalls, a change down or two takes some of the strain off Matchless brakes. Coffee and fuel at Kumara, on to bypass the main street of Greymouth and another good run over the gently winding road to Reefton, where there had been a problem finding two beds.

Tuesday northwards. Benelli Bryan, (he of the Silk Road and other adventures), rates the slight downhill of the Golden Downs to Nelson road, as one of the best, and sets a fine pace, swinging left and right, left and right, left and right and loving it. G80 S hangs on behind. Tide is in through Nelson, and the waterfront drive is slow but pleasant. The Whangamoas winding road seems better on the Matchless than when we crossed this way on 4 wheels in January. The same tideflows right up to Havelock too, surrounding the little promontory before the town, where a family has lunch on the picnic table beneath the trees. Chocolate box cover stuff.

Basis in Renwick have a three-eighth Whitworth spanner, which should ensure that the gearbox stays tight.

At Picton, a stealthy clean of the spark plug is insurance for the 0430 start needed for the first ferry. Which works well, punting us North to Wanganui, Waverley and Hawera then round the "Surf Highway", Mt. Taranaki remaining in the same relative position at 90 degrees off the bow, for a couple of hours. Not spectacular scenery, but pleasant enough. New Plymouth is short of accommodation too, but eventually resolved. And so uneventfully to home, though the Motorway traffic has sped up a bit and we don't feel the need to compete. About eight hundred miles in each Island - 53 mpg until I lowered the needle one notch to reduce carbon build-up, thence 60 mpg. Would like to do something about the oil though, - ducting the breather into the chain case seemed clever enough at the time, but it still eventually showers the drive side and surrounding terrain. And isn't that chain case a pig of a thing to fiddle with??

Recollections and Reflections :

• The South Island gives great motorcycling, and the West Coast looks green and lush.
• We need a few more "School" signs if we hope to reduce speed to 40 ks outside them.
• If I drop the needle to its last notch, will I get 68 mpg??
• Even though roughly swept, the Cust circuit must have been tricky enough.
• The Air force Museum claims to have an unused Vickers Vildebeest engine in stores.
• Kumara RSA has a memorial to close on 40 folk who died in WW.1, including two families who lost three members.
• There were no old nurses in the Reefton Old Nurses Home
• In 1973, with the money in his pocket, Bryan went to take a test ride on the Benelli and the electric start Norton. The Norton wouldn't start, the Benelli did, and they have been together ever since.

Yours on two wheels,

Dave P.