Working day ride

I am committed to some more motorcycle expenses. I was due the 12,000 km service as I had just beaten that number on my odometer, but I have added in heated grips and handle-bar protectors. More money, but I feel I can justify the purchases. The 12,000 km service, well, that speaks for itself. The owners' manual lumps together Oceania and Europe, bizarrely, and tells me that the air cleaner needs to be inspected, the exhaust pipes tightened, spark plugs replaced, fuel hoses inspected, engine oil replaced, throttle cable inspected, throttle valve synchronization inspected, radiator, clutch and drive chain inspected, brakes, brake hoses and brake fluid inspected, tyres, steering, suspension and forks inspected, and finally, chassis nuts and bolts tightened. Phew, quite a list, though I can see that inspection and tightening is perhaps not such a big deal.

However, I added in the heated grips. While I have not especially suffered with the cold either in the winter mornings going to work or when taking trips out, I have read plenty of blogs and seen YouTube postings that suggest they are great. There is also a special offer at my local motorbike dealers. And, of course, who knows? If I get to South America and want to ride across the Andes I want to make sure I can do it. (You will be glad to know I rejected any puns based on cold handies in the Andes. Just too juvenile.) I also wanted handguards which can provide protection from the elements when riding. So I booked the bike in, ordered the parts, was treated very civilly by Boyd's Motorcycles, and even have the loan of a bike while mine is being serviced. Great!

Although the day was cold, and the 4 degrees light was on when I left home, it warmed up to 5 degrees as I left Hillcrest. My teaching day was tough and frustrating, and one of the joys I can console myself with is that I sincerely hope I won't be doing this next year. Will I be riding around New Zealand? Or Australia? Or South America? Or will I give up the daring escape for a logical, rational and financially positive future teaching elsewhere?

I rode home, enjoying the traffic. After seeing riders in Auckland filtering with ability I feel more confident. It is not an ability question but a legality question, since technically motorcyclists are not allowed to filter through traffic in New Zealand. I have tended to be discreet, just overtaking a few cars when I could swap lanes or something. In Auckland I saw motorcyclists putting on their indicators and just heading straight through the lines of traffic. I'll see how it goes. Will I get a ticket?

It was a pleasant ride home. I took a slight detour to enjoy the ride, but the temperature was dropping and I was hungry. My lunch was an apple. I'd like to pretend it was training for a motorcycle trip, but the real reason was that I was heading out of the door of the house when I remembered I had not made lunch, so I grabbed an apple.