Update from down-under in NZ

[Micky Stevens]

Hi folks,

I thought it was time I stopped reading about you all and posted
something myself again, so here 'tis.

First up, thanks for all the news & hints, especially about the diesel
oil - interesting! I run Motul synthetic in my GPz as the clutch took
a dislike to mineral oil some years (ahem, decades) ago. The Motul
seems very good and luckily I get it for a good price ...so far, I'll
keep using it unless/ until economic necessity dictates otherwise.

Freddy *my* GPz (1982 ELR-replica model) has just clocked over 140,000
km, which makes about 30,000 on the last, final, most expensive
rebuild I had to endure. For those who don't remember, this bike is
called Freddy because it became a nightmare...at last count, I had
spent over $12,000NZD on the thing when its market value was about
$4000. My only consolation is that the in-between owner spent another
$2500 for the 1200 km he did....typical Freddy, gobbling up the
dollars along with the mileage at a ratio I don't want to calculate.

Those days are gone by though and Freddy has been behaving nicely for
the past few years. It hummed along recently over a long weekend's
ride which included a trek out to Whangamomona (feel free to Internet
that - a set of back-country twisties including four saddle roads, not
unlike four runs of the Paekakariki hills interspersed with two lots
of Akatarawas - you can Internet those too :)))). Two-up with panniers
on, it still hauls along and had several of our friends much amused
that 'that old heap' can still take off so fast and leave them behind.

At its recent road inspection the mechanic (younger than the bike,
haha) was a bit disparaging that the seat only has a clip, not a lock,
and that the tyres were 'pretty damn thin for something that heavy'. I
guess bikes have developed a bit since 1982, along with our
expectations.

We're heading into winter now so Freddy will be off the road for a few
user-mods including a fork brace at long last and a fiddle-around with
the pannier racks to make loading up for trips easier.

Keep safe all, and keep the emails up!

Cheers

Micky in NZ