July 2013 - Wellington HOG

July 2013

News of the Wellington Hog Chapter #9066 Sponsored by Wellington Motorcycles

COMMITTEE Director Terry Woodhall Mob: 027 327 5312 Hm: 234 6141 Email: [email protected]

Director’s Report Hi All, The 25th anniversary party was a great success! It was fantastic that all the tickets were sold and it was good to see lots of old and

Acting Assistant Director Ian Kebbell

new faces including a great number of past Directors. Thanks to the

Secretary Tina Gray

this night absolutely awesome.

Treasurer Warwick Eves

organising committee and Wellington Motorcycles which helped make

The Annual General Meeting will take place on 3rd July at Mac’s Bar and this will be where I hand-over to the new committee. I will be making some presentation but also Ian Kebble (Director) and Grant Morris (Assistant Director) will outline where they would like to see

CHAPTER OFFICERS

the Chapter heading in the next couple of years.

Head Road Captain Russell Finlay

I have been invited to stay on the committee as Club Historian and this

Safety Officer Grant Morris

of the club’s achievements over the past 25 years. Don’t be surprised

New Membership Officer Raewyn Earle Activities Officer Nathan Earle Webmaster Shane Kilkelly

will be a great opportunity to research some historical data and some if I tap you on the shoulder to record some of your memories! 2013 is the 10th anniversary of our relationship with the Fargo North Dakota chapter and both Del Hofer (FargoHD) and Garry Gill are happy with me staying on as the liaison officer between our two chapters (this means that I will be co-ordinating the names to go into the draw which will announced at the Christmas party.

Merchandise Officer Tana Philips

Finally I would like to say it has been a pleasure to have been the

Editor Kathy Morris

Thanks for the camaraderie, and ride safe!

Historian Ian Kebbell Full contact details at www.wellington hog.co.nz

Director of New Zealand’s first and best chapter for the last two years.

Cheers Terry

in this issue... •

What’s happening in July

•

Report and pics from the ‘World Ride’ on June 23rd

•

Details on the Labour Weekend Overnighter to The Forgotten Highway

•

Upcoming Rider Training from Roadsafe

•

Shoei offer from WMCC

Sun 21st July - Club Ride to Tui Brewery, Mangatainoka. Leaving 10:00am from WMCC. The ride will be on, rain or shine.

REMINDER: wellington chapter AGM - JULY 3RD 2013 We’re only a few nights away from the AGM now so you should have it locked into your calendar. But if not, shuffle your week around and come on down to Mac’s Brewery at 7:00pm on Wednesday night, or 5:30pm if you’re keen to have a drink or something to eat beforehand. A big thank you to everyone who has put their name forward for the committee positions. As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, any roles with more than one person offering will be voted on at the AGM. See you there!

It’s Sunday morning. The rain hasn’t stopped for three days, but the wind has stopped at least. The roads are left covered with debris, or smashed completely if you live on the Southern coast. But it’s World Ride day, part of Harley Davidson’s 110th Anniversary celebrations, and we could be the first chapter in the world to participate, so the vote gets cast: we’re going anyway. Thankfully, there were 20 or so riders that felt the same way and so it was a reasonable sized group that set off down Cambridge Terrace. We didn’t know exactly where were going, only that the route was planned to cover exactly 110 miles, as a quiet nod to the occassion. And that we’d have a chance to defrost in Otaki before heading back towards the warmth of Mac’s Brewery, where we could all sit back and enjoy lunch.

getting a good look at the driftwood-covered foreshore along the way. Workers are still trying to clear the railway lines, and we’re reminded that we’re pretty lucky to have made the ride.

The aim was to get as many Harley-Davidsons as possible out on the roads of the world as the same time. Once the ride is completed, riders can then enter their distance traveled onto the World Ride calculator on the HOG International website. We headed off towards the basin, through the Mt Vic tunnel and round to Evan’s Bay, where we got to check out the marathon runners. Any thoughts of doing it hard on a cold Sunday morning were pushed guiltily aside - those people are dedicated! Town was understandably jammed all the way to the stadium but the motorway was clear and waiting. We followed it out to the Hutt Valley,

The group turned off at the Haywards, and for the first time really felt the weather. Or didn’t feel it, more to the point, as those without the ‘luxury’ of heated hand grips quickly lost feeling in their fingers. As we come out of the cold gullies into Pauhatanui, we find a sign warning us Gray’s Road had been closed due to flooding. No worries, we peel off around the other road instead, making a mental note to check what’s happening when we get to Otaki. Once we hit the coast, it was straight up to the

Plimmerton weigh station where another six bikes were waiting, and on to Otaki. We stopped for a good half an hour in the outlet town, giving us all a chance to defrost, grab a coffee, catch up with those who had met us at the Plimmerton weigh station, and for a lucky few to brag loudly about their hand grips getting so hot they had to be turned off... Otaki also gave everyone a chance to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over Nathan’s new Breakout, which takes chrome to an entirely new level. It promises to be the star for the next few rides as well, as it’s going to take a few months for all the new parts to arrive. The joys of owning a new model, eh. It was a fairly quick trip back to Wellington from there, due to the confirmation of new road closures and the undertandable desire to tuck into a hot meal. Despite the route changes, we rolled up to Mac’s with a tidy 108.5 miles on the speedo, which was not bad at all considering the changes. We paused for a quick photo (keep an eye out for it in the next HOG magazine!) before grabbing some tables and ordering. It’s the first ride we’ve had that’s finished at Mac’s and it seemed to get a big thumbs up from everyone. The food was great, the setting was perfect, and it’s fantastic being able to park right outside. Especially since the sun had come out by this point and we were able to imagine what a great venue it’s going to be over summer. In the meantime, we got to enjoy the fact we’d collectively contributed a few thousand miles to the eventual world total of 10, 018, 21 miles - which equates to an impressive 16,122,779 kms. For those who couldn’t make it this year, we’re looking forward to making it even bigger in 2014.

26th – 27th of October, Labour weekend Overnighter

The  Forgotten  Highway  

The Forgotten Highway is a great ride of about 150km, between Stratford and Taumarunui that takes you through some great scenery. The countryside is mainly farmland although there are some nice patches of bush in places. After overnighting in Stratford, We will be stopping for a break at the world famous Whangamomona Hotel, then on to Taumarunui for lunch, We will then Gas up before setting off for Taupo, taking in the sites along the way, this will be one overnighter not too miss, get your accommodation sorted ASAP, more info will be available closer to the time

PLEASE NOTE

Ø 12km of the Forgotten World Highway is unsealed road, Good to ride on the last time we did this ride. Ø There are no petrol stations along the Forgotten World Highway, so gas up in Stratford!

De  Brett’s  Taupo  Spa  Resort  

Taupo DeBretts Spa Resorts sits in the Centre of it all and features Taupo DeBretts Hot Springs, one of regions main attractions nestled in the lush reserve below DeBretts Holiday Park. Enjoy the comforts of one of 33 freestanding accommodations and full holiday park. They have a bed for every budget from luxury (5 star, you will find the right accommodations at the right price including warm Kiwi hospitality right there at Taupo DeBretts Spa Resort.

 

Date: Sat 26nd October Time: 9.00am Leaving from: Plimmerton Weigh Station PLIMMERTON-BULLS (Gas up) 123 km – about 1 hour 35 mins BULLS-WHANGANUI (Lunch) 44.3 km – about 34 mins WHANGANUI-STRATFORD 119 km – about 1 hour 33 mins

Overnighting in Stratford Next Day….

Date: Sun 27nd October Time: 10.00am (Full Tank of Gas) STRATFORDWHANGAMOMONA (Coffee Stop) 61.6 km – about 44 mins WHANGAMOMONATAUMARUNUI (GAS-Lunch) 87.4 km – about 1 hour 13 mins TAUMARUNUI-DEBRETTS 115 km – about 1 hour 25 mins

Overnighting at DeBretts

Date: Mon 28nd October Time: 10.00am (Full Tank of Gas) DEBRETTS-WELLINGTON 371 km – about 4 hours 24 mins

 BOOK    YOUR    OWN    ACCOMIDATION    

The Stratford Top Town Holiday Park PO Box 388, 10 Page Street, Stratford 4700, Taranaki Ph/Fax +64 6 765 6440, email: [email protected] http://www.stratfordtoptownholidaypark.co.nz/ …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Taupo DeBretts Spa Resort, 76 Napier Taupo Highway, SH5, Taupo 3330 Phone: +64 7 378 8559 Fax: +64 7 377 2181 [email protected] http://www.taupodebretts.co.nz

For further info please contact Nathan Earle – Activities Officer [email protected] or 0212227900

Wellington HOG Rider Training for only $20! Last month a number of Wellington HOG members completed day-long courses run by Roadsafe Motorcycle Riding Techniques Ltd. The courses run by Roadsafe are designed for all experience levels and are conducted in a non-threatening, self-paced environment. Two of the various courses run by Roadsafe are particularly suited to Wellington HOG members. The first is the ‘Skills Based Training’ course. This course covers hazard awareness and the development of safe riding skills through a combination of practical and theory based instruction. Training also focuses on the development of a positive attitude towards safety for riders. Topics include: emergency braking; cornering confidence; manoeuvring with control and balance; counter-steering; avoiding hazards; road positioning; risk management; group riding; and reducing the risk of crashing. These courses are subsidised by the councils in the Wellington region, and will cost you only $20. The second course that our members get the most from is the ‘Ride Forever’ course. This training builds

on the Skills Based Training Course and is focused on furthering your knowledge and riding skills, but with a greater on-road component. The training is run in small groups with riders of similar ability, so it can be flexible to suit individual riders’ needs and experience levels. This course is subsidised by ACC and will cost you only $50 for a full days training. For upcoming courses, refer to the Roadsafe website: http://www.roadsafe.co.nz I’ve done a number of these courses and highly recommend them. Not only do they increase your overall knowledge of your bike and improve your riding ability, but successful completion of these courses also entitles HOG Wellington members to a HOG Safe Rider Skills pin and patch! Bonus! Ultimately though, courses such as these allow us to get the most out of what we are all here for; to ride and have fun. Grant Safety Officer

World Ride Day

Fifty shades of grey... He was in ecstasy, with a huge smile on his face, as his wife moved forwards, then backwards, forwards, then backwards again ....... back and forth ...... back and forth ..... in and out ..... in and out. She could feel the sweat on her forehead and between her breasts, and trickling down the small of her back, she was getting near to the end. Her heart was pounding ... her face was flushed ... then she moaned, softly at first, then began to groan louder. Finally, totally exhausted, she let out an almighty scream and shouted ..... “OK!, OK! I can’t park the f**king car! You do it, you SMUG bastard!