Went for a hoon to Oamaru with Jimi Woodhams on the weekend. Was a bit rough getting away as it was my birthday the day before and we had an almighty party the night before. My band The Grand Chancellors played (possibly our last gig?), and we'd drunk a good amount of tequila and beer. I was hungover, sore, and lacking any real memory of the end of the night!
Anyway, Jimi had this Ducati on loan and we've been talking about riding down to visit his folks for a while. Was a great ride down, a bit colder than expected but just so great to be on the open road for a proper ride again! Once there we fucked about in Jimi's dad Woody's garage and checked out his bikes...
Then later that evening Woody busted out the slide projector and we spent a good few hours checking out old bikes from the late 60s and 70s. This was a truly awesome entirely analogue evening, and topped off by Woody's mix tapes from the day playing in the background!
When we left the next day we filled up in Glenavy where this happened...
Both bikes took the EXACT same amount of gas!? We didn't realise til we went to pay. Jimi actually knew the guy who owns the gas station, Gary, and he showed us his cars (Falcons) and two bikes he had in the back – a '74 Commando same as mine, and a T160 similar to Jimi's... we promised next time we rode through we'd be on those same damn bikes.
We then headed inland over the Pareora Gorge to Cave. This was a truly amazing ride. We didn't even see another car I don't think? Stopped in Cave for a break and met a dude who'd been to the Isle of Mann in the 70s... he chatted away for ages with his little tractor running in the background.
From Cave we cut across back roads to Geraldine, and then came home around the bottom of the mountains via the inland scenic route. Got pretty damn cold! But then warmed up as we headed back towards the coast... and back into the bloody traffic!
Really great ride, I feel like I am alive again.