Two Tour Tassie, part 2

 IN AND AROUND STRAHAN

Back in NZ, we'd heard about 2 attractions in the Strahan area which had received rave reviews.  The first was the West Coast Wilderness steam railway which originally shifted ore from the Queenstown area to Strahan port in the late 1800's.  It used a rare Abt-design rack and pinion system on the steepest part of the mountain climb to give it mechanical grip.  After it fell into disrepair, it was resurrected to take tourists over the same route. There is currently some debate about whether it will be closed in the near future due to funding issues so we were determined to go just in case we never had a future opportunity.

Wilderness Railway station, Strahan

We arrived early to have a look round and a small diesel shunter brought some carriages to the platform.  Although the carriages were relatively new, they were reproductions of the originals and exquisitely finished in native timbers.

  Anxious to get going!

Superbly finished in native timbers

The small diesel shunter pulled us along the coastline and then into a spectacular steep gorge through the mountains, crossing many viaducts and bridges until we reached the gradient where the steam train with the rack and pinion would take over for the steep climb.

Scenery plus!

Yet more beautiful views

A brief stop in the Wilderness Area

I love modern technology but there's something about steam trains that stirs the soul.  All that noise and effort says you're getting value for your money and takes you back to the "golden age of steam" a century or more ago.  The puffing and clanking was a wonderful contrast to the silence of its surroundings in the deep gorge.

She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes, la la.....

Newly-restored Mt Lyell No 3 loco

First requirement was to turn the loco round as she'd come from the Queenstown end of the line.  There was a manually-operated turntable for this which required surprisingly little effort to turn a heavy loco round.

Lovely setting for a turntable

All steam and noise as the female engineer turns the loco round

View of the central rack for mountain climbing

Taking on water 

What a thrill to not only be travelling through such magnificent scenery but with the additional benefit of the loco chuffing and clanking up front, not to mention the smells and the mournful sound of the whistle!  The station at the small settlement of Queenstown is right in the main street in town so passers-by can see the train coming in and the loco being turned round on yet another turntable - what an asset to the region!  We really hope that the enterprise attracts some federal funding so that others can enjoy it in the future.

 

On the Queenstown turntable right in town

Arty-farty shot of the loco brightwork

Queenstown with Mt Lyell (I think) in background.  Taken from turntable

Next day, it was all aboard for the Gordon River cruise on the Lady Jane Franklin, also in World Heritage-listed scenery.  First up, we headed out into Macquarie Harbour which is some 110 sq miles in area.  It was almost flat calm when we went through Hell's Gates, the narrow entrance but in the early morning overcast conditions was easy to appreciate the hellish conditions which the early sailing ships faced on occasions.  Swells of more than 25 metres have been recorded in bad weather!!!

Hells Gates - frighteningly narrow entrance to Macquarie Harbour

After exiting the harbour for a short distance, we returned and cruised past the trout and salmon aquaculture farms and headed for the Gordon River.  This is famed for its calm waters and incredible mirror reflections - we weren't disappointed!

 Moody entrance to the Gordon River with perfect reflections

More mirror-glass reflections

Instant ripple art!

At a point well up the river, we berthed for a while and went walking through pristine bush.  We thought that NZ bush was dense, but getting lost in this would be a real nightmare!

Dense Tasmanian bush

The lair of the freshwater burrowing crayfish!

After our stop and with the clouds burning off, we visited the 15 acre Sarah Island in the harbour.  Although it's a really pretty place today, it was a hell-hole for the very worst convicts in the early 1800's.  

Remains of the penal colony bakery

Remains of prison building

Area where boats were built by convicts

Looks beautiful now, but a whole lot different nearly 200 years ago!

We both loved what was on offer in the Strahan area.  It would be remiss not to mention the professionalism of all the guides.  Many of them were in their 20's but whatever their age, their enthusiasm and love for the area and wanting to make sure that visitors shared all this really shone through.  It wasn't simply a job to them and full marks for going the extra mile - that's what makes Tasmania a very special place.

Part 3 coming up soon.......

Two Tour Tassie, part 1

Tasmania is Australia's island state off the SE corner of the mainland (or the north island, as some Tassie residents call it). It has an area of some 68,000 sq km with approximately 512,000 permanent residents, so overcrowding isn't an issue!  We've travelled extensively on the Oz mainland and enjoyed every minute of it but as Tasmania has its own unique flora, fauna and landscape, Jennie in particular has wanted to visit for some time.  A number of people have said "It's just like NZ, why bother?".  Well it ain't!  Some parts loosely resemble the central north island high country but delighted to say that it has its own unique character and we absolutely loved the 2 weeks we've just had there.  It's also one heck of a good motorcycling destination, but more on that later.  Unfortunately, we were on 4 wheels and I whined and grizzled every time a bike came past but at least in the car we could wear light clothing and enjoy the warm weather!

HOBART TO STRAHAN

From sea level, over the mountains and back to sea level

The first day and a bit was spent in Hobart, the state capital, looking around and catching up with one of Jennie's relatives who she last saw in England multiple decades ago!  We also got to briefly meet a distant relative of mine for the first time (ex-convict stock - yayyyy!!!). Hobart came into being over 200 years ago as a penal colony for what might be termed the less desirable end of the population of the British Isles.  There are still lots of lovely old period buildings.  Our accommodation was a 180 year old colonial house, complete with period furniture.

Cool old mahogany bed

The proprietor, Graeme, was a Harley enthusiast and made us very welcome, even if I was a Triumph owner without tatoos and didn't have a beard. Must have been Jennie's positive influence as I'll admit to trying to bait Graeme!  He and his wife Lynette also kept a ready supply of home-made cake and decanters of port in the guest lounge which was a lovely, fitting touch.

The Tasman Bridge, Hobart - note burned trees in foreground

The smell of woodsmoke was pretty strong and there was a haze on account of a big bushfire to the north-west of Hobart. The photo above which was taken in the city shows the effect of a recent small bushfire in an urban park, an ever-present danger in much of Australia.  More on this later.

Lifting bridge to accommodate large vessels well up the Derwent river

Contrasting angry skies and parched fields in the eastern high country

Tasmanian power is principally from hydro-electric generation and there are large lakes in the high country where much of the rain falls. The penstock tubes at Tarraleah, originally installed over 50 years ago are pretty impressive!

A long way down!

On the western side of the mountains near Queenstown, we discovered a mining operation with a cantilevered lookout right over a huge disused copper ore pit.  The water which had gradually filled the pit was an incredible emerald green. No photo could really do it justice.

The Iron Blow ore pit

Descending back to sea level, we entered the World Heritage-listed wilderness area around Strahan.  We were booked into a gorgeous cottage right on the edge of Macquarie Harbour. Stunning views and within crawling distance of a pub/restaurant - what more could we want???

Our waterfront cottage in Strahan

View from front door - bikes from mainland Australia, a ferry trip of about 11 hours

Riding a bike in Tassie would be an absolute joy with its low population density, fantastic, twisty roads and breathtaking scenery. Second only to NZ's south island :-).  As with most countries however, we saw some stunning examples of incompetent driving of the 4-wheeled variety.  Crossing the centre line on bends seemed to be mandatory by law judging by the frequency drivers did it!  In Strahan itself, the driver of a 4x4 pulled out of a side turn right in front of us (thanks IAM for the situational awareness training!) then proceeded to turn in front of a vehicle coming the other way just a few hundred metres later!  Later that day, we saw the same vehicle parked in a no parking area obstructing both pedestrian and vehicle traffic.  There are some real pillocks on this planet!!!

Floatplane just across the road from our cottage - really choppy conditions

We based ourselves in Strahan for the next couple of days to take advantage of two activities which were truly world class - more on that in the next post and you can judge for yourselves......

Sometimes, the tough days are the best!

You may not believe it, but I've been crapping myself about today!

Just before Christmas, I was due to sit my Institute of Advanced Motorcyclists Observer (Mentor/Instructor) test and managed to stuff up my back at home 2 days beforehand.  Chief Examiner Philip rang up a few days ago to re-schedule and today was the day!

Having just concentrated on having a good time lazing about (i.e. eating and drinking too much) over Christmas, getting the back fully recovered and avoiding Coromandel Peninsula roads full of stupid visitors with only a few brain cells between them; it wasn't really good preparation for sitting one of the most exacting advanced roadcraft tests anywhere on the planet!  You might think with all the training so far, I'd be quite relaxed about it but the truth of the matter was a bit of confidence had ebbed away with the layoff .  As the appointed day got closer, so anxiety levels increased and sleep was pretty broken for the last 2 nights, waking up thinking about it.

Hopped on the bike early this morning and rode 180 km to Auckland to meet with Philip.  There was sufficient time for a serious think and to get some measure of composure.  An earlier comment by U.S blogger and bike instructor Dan Bateman (Irondad) kept floating through the brain, "Amateurs practice until they get it right; professionals practice until they can't get it wrong".  I'm a long way from being a professional but that comment was sufficient to remind me of all the intensive training that all IAM members go through and to have faith in "the system".  Amazingly, I was relatively relaxed on arrival, albeit a bit apprehensive .

First step was the written exam in 2 parts covering the NZ Road Code (road rules) and Advanced Roadcraft principles.  Yep, all pretty straightforward and passed them!

Next stage was for Philip to take me out for a personal ride evaluation to ensure that standards had been maintained, covering urban, motorway and country road work.  Not too stressful and at the half-way point, Philip was complimentary, with just a couple of refinement comments.  Next, he asked me to give a running commentary about the environment, my situational awareness and actions over the helmet comms.  Having given trainees a running commentary to help them previously, I didn't think it would be too bad but it turned out to be quite difficult giving it to the best of the best.  Philip, sorry to be gabbling like a gibbering idiot but you obviously thought I did ok thanks!  Phew...... another pass.

The final test was to follow a trainee and observe their performance.  Unfortunately, it was in the middle of a working day and unlike me, most trainees were either earning a crust or otherwise occupied, which meant that I had Philip as the trainee, deliberately throwing in subtle faults - oh nooooooo.... not good for stress levels.  When we pulled in at the end of the ride, I honestly didn't know whether I'd picked up enough to merit a pass until Philip shook my hand and said "Congratulations, you are now an Observer, you have a very high standard to uphold".  To be completely candid, I didn't know whether to cry or grin.  The stinging eyes must have been dust kicked up by the wind.

Philip McDaid, Chief Examiner and a very relieved pupil!

Less than 2 hours after getting home, the main feeling is one of profound relief at not having let myself and others down after 20 months of darned hard work.  The other feeling is of pride in achieving something incredibly demanding and worthwhile in an age where striving for excellence seems to be regarded as something slightly distasteful and elitist.

I started the journey after motorcycle author David Hough asked when I was going to get off my butt and do something about "future-proofing" my riding as I aged.  I owe David big-time for kick-starting it all.

To senior IAM members Philip McDaid, Wayne Holden, Simon Pamplin, Morne de Lange and Duncan Seed - put simply guys, you've transformed my riding and your generosity in making yourselves available on a voluntary basis in the cause of raising riding standards is truly humbling.  The only way that time and effort can be repaid is by doing the same for others.  Words aren't sufficient.

To my special mate,fellow blogger and Observer Rogey , we've travelled the same path together, shared doubts, taken the piss out of each other and most importantly, laughed our heads off !  Cheers, buddy!

It doesn't stop here of course, it's really only just starting.  Now we have to pass on what we've learned to others, raising our game every time we do it.  And that's the beauty of an organisation like IAM!

Michelin Pilot Road 3 - end of life review

Dispelling the "What's the Best Tyre" myth
In view of the hot air (oh, ok - absolute bullshit) which seems to blight any on-line discussion about tyres, including a complete lack of evidence to support some assertions about what tyre to buy, let's start with some facts which have a bearing with respect to tyre performance on public highways.

1. It's likely that unless a rider is supremely talented, any of the major brands will offer a performance envelope which more than exceeds most people's capability.  What WILL have a large bearing however, is their "Fitness for Purpose". e.g track day capability, predominantly commuting, riding in dry weather only and so on.
2. There are many variables which impact significantly on tyre performance and life...... road surface and temperature, ratio of straights to curves, weather conditions, tyre pressures, suspension quality, bike weight and geometry - just to name a few.  Also chuck in a rider's variables in terms in terms of speed, smoothness, their weight and god knows what else and it becomes clear that finding one tyre design that meets all criteria is close to impossible.
3. Bike magazines which test normal road tyres round a test track for lap times don't replicate real world public road conditions either.  In other words, we're not comparing apples with apples in most cases.

However, what is relevant to this review is that the ST has been ridden by me over virtually identical road and weather conditions for over 30,000 km and more than 3 years using 3 different sets of tyres.  At least this gives strong comparative indications, if not measurably absolute ones. Hopefully, it will mean that this review is based on reasonably objective criteria.
 
Past experience with the Street Triple
The Triple came equipped with sport-oriented Dunlop Qualifier 2's.  The Qualifiers gripped really well in the warmer weather but I was nervous about them in cooler, wet conditions.  I got the same feeling when riding a friend's Daytona 675 equipped with Pirelli Supercosas on a wet and cold day.  It's not an unreasonable statement that pure sport tyres need heat to maximise grip and in wet, cool conditions, that's not easy to achieve. The generally smaller rain grooves on a sports tyre don't help either.  That probably means that in adverse weather conditions, a pure sport tyre has no performance advantage and possibly less; than sport-touring tyres.  The Q2's with higher profile crowns than many sport-touring tyres also tended to tip into a bend rather than roll in smoothly but this was something I eventually got used to.  By 6000 km, they had lost much of their tread and equally importantly, the profile had changed significantly which affected handling. 

Dunlop Qualifier front tyre.  Losing shape and nearly down to the min legal 1.5mm tread depth in the centre

The next tyres to be fitted were the Avon Storm 2 Ultra sport-touring tyre.  I was due to ride in the NZ Grand Challenge 1000 miles in under 24 hours event and wanted something which could handle adverse weather conditions.  Avon Storms were my tyre of choice for several years on the CBR 1100XX Blackbird which I previously owned, so was familiar with their characteristics.  They are a great all-round tyre with exceptional wet weather performance, finally being replaced after 10000 km.  The tyre profile remained pretty good for most of their life.

Avon Storm rear tyre at 8000 km. Harder centre compound clearly visible

Experience with the Michelin PR3's
I would have happily used the Storms again except that the NZ Avon importers had hiked the price and that was the spur to consider other brands.  The relatively newly-released PR3 sport-touring tyres were finally chosen mainly because the fine grooves (called sipes) which are traditionally used on some performance car tyres were an interesting point of difference.  A point of note is that I fitted the "B" specification rear PR3 which has a stronger carcass construction and higher load rating.

PR3 "B" load rating identification

Brand new front PR3

Brand new rear "B" load rating PR3

Coming out of the tyre fitters and rolling slowly towards the nearby traffic lights, there was a slight vibration through the bars, almost as if the bike was running over small corrugations.  I wondered if the sipes on the front tyre were causing the vibration as it happened at a couple of other slow speed locations too but didn't reappear at the end of the 160 km journey home. Maybe everything had bedded in by then.

Most of the homeward journey was on twisty, back country roads; perfect for carefully exploring the capabilities of the PR3's.  They exhibited a smooth, progressive roll-in on bends as opposed to the more rapid tip-in of the Qualifiers with the higher crowns.  However, they "felt" slightly slower to roll in than the previously-fitted Storm Ultras but to be fair, the difference was small.  Overall, they were totally confidence-inspiring.

Being anal about tyre pressures, I checked them using my digital gauge the following day.  The tyre dealer had set them to the recommended Triumph pressures which at best can only be described as a guide.  Where I live in NZ, summer road temperatures are quite high which means that you can start with a slightly lower cold pressure. (Ever checked the difference between cold pressures and the operating pressure at the end of a lively ride???)  In addition, I ride solo, weigh 80 kg and have found that 35psi front and 38 psi rear seems to work well.  The other thing which was checked on arriving home was front/rear wheel alignment, using my home-built laser rig and it was a mile out. I've never seen an alignment rig of any sort used by tyre fitters anywhere so it's hardly surprising.  Misalignment can affect both handling and tyre wear so setting it up properly on a new set gave peace of mind.

In terms of dry weather grip, the PR3's are good enough that I reach my level of competence well before the tyre is inclined to get squirrelly.  In the wet, they are simply amazing - not an anxious moment.  Even when I once hit wet clay, the slide was completely controllable.  Perhaps as much due to the wonderful handling of the Triple as the tyres.  The sipes actually seem to work as opposed to being a straight marketing gimmick as riding partners have remarked on how much water the tyres seem to displace and the strong dry line they leave.  I always thought that Avon Storms set the standard for wet weather riding but have to admit that the PR3's are even better.  Admittedly, the comments about relative grip are subjective but I reckon based on experience with different tyres on the same bike, they're pretty realistic.

Having established grip credentials, we now move onto tyre life which as mentioned earlier in this post, is affected by a multitude of factors.  However, as also mentioned, the 3 different tyre brands which have been fitted to the Triple since new have been used in near-identical conditions. Therefore, a comparison between the 3 is valid.  It's also worth mentioning that the Triple isn't used for commuting and I live in an area with really twisty roads so the wear is probably more evenly spread round the surface than it would be with a greater percentage of upright riding/commuting.

Just to recap, the Dunlop Qualifier sport tyres lasted for 6000km before they were replaced due to wear and going out of shape.  The Avon Storm Ultras lasted for 10000 km before being replaced.  They retained a decent profile for perhaps 90%+ of their life.  The photos below show the PR3's at just over 13000km.

 Rear "B" load rating PR3 - 13000 km

It can be seen that the rear hoop has maintained an excellent profile.  The rain groove depth towards the centre is approximately 2mm, indicating that the 1.5mm minimum legal tread depth will be reached in less than 1000km.  From my perspective, a total life of 14000km is perfectly satisfactory given that the Triple is used as intended by the designers!  Just out of interest, compare this photo with the one of the brand new rear PR3 above. In the brand new photo, the major rain grooves coming from the left and right hand edges actually reach the tyre centre line.  In the 13000 km photo, the end of the grooves are close to 8mm from the centre line, showing how much wear has taken place. The sipes have also narrowed in width as they have worn.

Rear tyre - view of tread towards edge - 13000 km

The rear tyre is worn right round to the edge but the rain grooves and sipes have maintained fairly sharp edges.  It's hard to see in this photo but the trailing edge of each sipe has a distinct raised feather edge.  There doesn't seem to be any adverse consequences from this,

PR3 front tyre - 13000 km

As with the rear tyre, wear is evenly distributed and to within 5mm of the front tyre edge.  Remaining tread depth is approximately 2mm in the centre.  With the lighter loads on the front tyre, it will almost certainly last considerably longer than the rear.  I generally change both tyres together but there may not be any compelling need in this instance.  It will be reassessed shortly.

Given the life of the PR3 compared with the other tyres previously used, it brings into question the wisdom of comments on bike web forums which simply dismiss certain tyres as being too expensive.  The Avon Storm is currently a little cheaper in NZ than the PR3 at present but taking into account the difference in wear rate, the PR3 lifetime cost is significantly cheaper.  If a pure sport tyre fits your riding requirements best, their reduced life means you're going to shell out more $$ on a regular basis.  It's also appropriate to mention the impact of suspension on tyre life.  If you have either tired or budget suspension where the effectiveness of spring rate and/or compression and rebound damping is questionable, it will definitely have an impact on tyre life (and handling of course).  When I changed from the standard suspension on my Honda Blackbird to modified front fork internals and an expensive Penske adjustable rear unit, the tyres lasted on average for an additional 2000 km.  A plausible argument if you have to go cap in hand to your Chief Financial Officer to spend money on the bike, ummmm..... like I do!

There is actually one unquantifiable variable in the last 18 months of Street Triple ownership which may have appreciably contributed to the excellent tyre life of the PR3 and that's the on-going enhancement of my riding with the Institute of Advanced Motorists.  In addition to being a safer rider, I'm a smoother rider thanks to much better positioning and smarter use of throttle, gears and brakes.  This must have a beneficial bearing on tyre life, although how much is open to debate.

Conclusions
In summary, the PR3 tyres are the best I've ever had on the Street Triple for the type of riding I do.  The ST gets ridden pretty briskly but it doesn't have to put up with, for example, the requirements for track days.  If I was a track day junkie, then a pure sport tyre would be the most appropriate option.   

Philip, the NZ IAM Chief Examiner has PR3's on his Honda ST1300 and they were beginning to lose a little shape at 6000 km but are now up to 9500 km.  Part of this would be due to a long fully-loaded trip he did on them on relatively straight roads and the overall weight of the bike must also be a significant factor.  Nonetheless, that sort of life on a big bike is still acceptable.  He intends to fit another set of PR3's.  My fellow moto-blogging mate Roger also has them on his Triumph Sprint ST.  Whilst Rog hasn't had them on for long, he speaks highly of their performance.

Clearly, there is no one best tyre, it all comes back to that all-important "fitness for purpose" which an individual owner wants from his machine.

I hope that this post has provided some food for thought!

Oh, and a final thought which only occurred to me the other day.  2013 will mark the 50th anniversary of owning my first motorcycle.  Guess that shows a decent passion for motorcycles, as well as definitely confirming Old Fart status :-)

Addendum:  I changed the front PR3 at 17,200 km.  The tread depth was still just above the legal minimum but the profile had lost its shape, taking a more triangular profile with significant wear on the sides.  Hardly surprising really given that I live in an area with hardly a straight road and only ride for fun, not commuting.  It always comes as quite a surprise how the handling is rejuvenated by a new tyre!

Not a bad day at the office

 It's been a while since the last post what with other activities and events that needed to be taken care of so time for an update.....

The last few days have really seen the start of summer in NZ - blue skies, warm temperatures and very little wind.  A very successful fishing trip on the boat 2 days ago with plenty of snapper fillets going into the freezer, (plus trimmings for the cats).  Yesterday was a day full of riding so what a great start to official summer!


New IAM member Charlotte asked for some assistance in refining her technique on bends - extreme positioning, using the Vanishing Point, countersteering and so on.  The timing was perfect as she's shortly due to tour the South Island so what better time for a refresher and then apply the learning on an epic journey to Hobbit country?

Up early to meet with Charlotte in the South Auckland area called Bombay, some 130 km from home.  I'll mention the southern part of the journey shortly!

460 km for the day in beautiful weather

Meet Charlotte and her Bonneville

Over coffee, we discussed exactly what Charlotte wanted to revise and then discussed the plan and route we'd take.  I lead for the first part of the journey east to an area with a mix of sweepers, blind bends and terrain changes, then put Charlotte up front for the return journey.  This is where the Sena SMH 10 helmet to helmet comms set really comes into its own as you can give immediate feedback on a particular set of actions or answer a query without waiting until you stop at a later stage - far more effective.  It was clear that Charlotte had been working hard on her extreme positioning as it was excellent and the only advice was to get into position a little earlier.  Judging corner entry speed by using the vanishing point and countersteering through a range of corner profiles is simply a matter of practice but there was a noticeable improvement throughout the session.  

Next came a 60 km loop in the area to observe general roadcraft which was of a good standard.  However, it's always amusing at this stage of the advanced roadcraft programme that the newer rider tends to forget some of the techniques already learned whilst trying to implement new ones due to the stress of the situation and going into mental overload!  It was only a year or thereabouts ago that fellow IAM member Roger and I were in a similar position so it's refreshing to have a quiet snigger rather than be sniggered at!  All said and done though, it's the hugely demanding programme which makes passing the full membership test such a source of internal pride.  Really looking forward to see how Charlotte develops as she has a great attitude and has made an excellent start.

Hi-viz IAM slip-on covering tasteful silver and black leathers :-)

After a coaching session lasting until mid-afternoon, the normal routine would be to head home ready for a cold beer and an evening meal, but this wasn't a normal day. After saying our goodbyes, next stop was south to the city of Hamilton.  The previous day, I'd been contacted by my mentor Wayne to be tested on the 2 remaining modules of the Observer training programme.  Wayne runs a driving/riding school and is incredibly busy.  However, one of the hallmarks of IAM senior members is their generosity in donating their time to raise riding and driving standards so Wayne was happy to take me out at a time that most people were sitting down for an evening meal!

 My mentor Wayne - this guy can REALLY ride!

The first step was to give Wayne a pre-ride briefing covering safety aspects, ride rules etc as that was one of the modules to be ticked off.  If it had been a trainee being briefed, the route would have also been described.  However, as Wayne is a Senior Observer and was assessing me, he already had a (challenging) route in mind. Regular readers of this blog will remember the satisfaction I recently got from setting the pace for another trainee Observer who needed to pass the "Observing a Quick Rider" module.  This was the very module I needed to pass last night so it was my turn for a bit of anxiety, mainly because Wayne is an ex-police chief riding instructor for one of the provinces in NZ!  All I'm prepared to say (with considerable understatement) is that he made me really sweat down country back roads I wasn't familiar with and it was a true test of both keeping up with him and watching for deliberate errors in his riding at the same time!!!  Delighted to report that I passed and the final steps before becoming a qualified Observer are to complete a ride observing a trainee under the watchful gaze of the Chief Examiner and then completing the written exam.  Watch this space - starting to get the jitters!

Got home at sunset - a long mentally and physically demanding day in the saddle but by golly, this sort of day is why we ride bikes, isn't it???  Thanks Charlotte and Wayne for making it such a memorable one!

Fun on land and in the air!

Well, the last few days have been pretty hard to top in terms of enjoyment, especially with NZ having emerged from a wet Winter into a warm Spring.

It started last Wednesday with a ride to Auckland to continue the IAM Observer (advanced instructor) training under the eagle eye of the Chief Examiner, Philip McDaid along with another Observer trainee, John.

Philip is a crafty bugger and briefed us individually to demonstrate some subtle riding shortcomings at some stage in the 160 km assessment ride to see if the other one could pick them up in motorway, country lane and urban environments.  To cut a long story short,  we both passed and the next couple of months should see us progress to full Observer status and have our own advanced trainees to mentor.  It will be wonderful to put something back into motorcycling to help repay Philip and our personal mentors who freely volunteer their time in the name of motorcycle safety.

Philip and John

I have to mention my personal highlight of the day! John needed to be checked by Philip on his ability to assess what is euphemistically termed a "quick" rider.  This involves following another rider at considerable pace (known as "making progress" in IAM terms) to evaluate their standard of control and situational awareness.  Philip knew that I could hustle the Street Triple on twisty country roads so he quietly asked me to ride the vanishing points on bends really hard, but within the legal open road speed limit.  Part of the route contained a twisty, narrow country road stretching for 26 km where it's actually quite hard to even reach the speed limit in many places so figured that would be a great place to test John.   Boy, was that fun and at the end of that stretch of road, couldn't keep the grin off my face.  It's appropriate to mention that John was riding a BMW R1200LT tourer and whilst I backed off a wee bit in the really tight stuff to keep him in touch, he was never far behind - really impressed seeing a big Beemer in the mirrors being chucked around like that!!  What a sensational day, covering nearly 600 km overall.  Sure beats working.

The weekend saw another trip to Auckland to stay with our daughter Victoria and her fiancée Luke as she was taking me to the Big Boys Toys show as a belated Father's Day gift - what a honey she is!  However, one of my riding partners, Martin, is also a qualified pilot and he generously offered to take Victoria, Luke and me for a scenic flight in the Auckland area  first thing on Saturday morning.  The perfect start to the weekend in perfect weather!  Here are some photos of the trip:

Actual software track of the flight from Ardmore in the south (anticlockwise track)

Martin doing pre-flight checks

Airborne - Daughter and Dad in the rear seat

One of the many bays on Waiheke Island

Rangitoto volcano in Auckland harbour - last erupted 600 years ago

Auckland city downtown waterfront

Auckland Skytower

Browns Island - another dormant volcano.  Crater clearly visible

After the wonderful flight, we all went to a cafe just outside the airfield for brunch.  It's on the flight path and is the red-roofed building just to the left of the roundabout below.  Should have dropped in our order to save time!  Martin, you're an absolute star - thanks so much for a morning in a million!

Clevedon Woolshed cafe

After a great lunch, it was Dad and Daughter time at the Big Boys Toys Show.  All manner of things are on display there, most of them designed to cause serious matrimonial problems if the wallet comes out.  Although my CFO wasn't with us, no prior permission had been negotiated so drooling and whining were the only two permitted activities.  Here are a few of the various exhibits:

The magnificent NZ-made Britten Superbike

Bentley Continental GT - not exactly British stiff upper lip!

Business end of a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

Massive tractor - note woman in rear wheel rim

Super-sexy Aston Martin

Wild Corvette race car

Supercharged road-legal Falcon GT

Hot end of a MiG 21

Mean-looking racing hydroplane

Saturday evening saw us out to dinner at a French restaurant and Sunday breakfast was taken at an open air French market with freshly-baked breads, exotic cheeses, great coffee and wallet a good deal lighter having stocked up on produce to take back home to Coromandel.

A great mid-week ride, a sensational weekend with a daughter I love beyond words and a son-in-law to be whom we also love dearly. Sheer magic......