ROAD PETE ’ S NEWS PEOPLE
process and understood the joy John Britten had in conceiving it , creating it and seeing it move , I was gratified to see that we truly had our own brand of motorcycle - and motorcycling . It had a very Kiwi attitude and it helped me combine my love of designer and daredevil . Today all the above factors that have contributed to my core reasons to ride - exploration , engineering and equilibrium . I ’ ve owned the classic 250cc learner , an old school Honda cruiser , scooters , trail bikes , massive cruisers , street bikes and currently ride a 2017 BMW R Nine T that has been smothered in Roland Sands bolt ons ( not my doing , but appreciated all the same ).
My KTM trail bikes were ridden to work , down every gravel road I could find ( mostly sideways ), along beaches and hauled to enduro events . My Suzuki M109s have taken us on two-up tours for 1000s of kilometres across country , on long day rides that consist of a long lunch and even plenty of gravel ( again , mostly sideways ). However , the R Nine T is by far the best bike I have ever owned . It ticks a lot of boxes ; fun in any situation , from commuter to city run , highways to back roads and as much gravel as I can throw at it . Along with the having the latest technology and great styling , it is the perfect balance of refinement and pure motorcycling . Not as perfect or surgical as my XSR900 and not as bullish or clunky as my M109 . That said , the next bike on the horizon for me is the new Triumph Rocket 3R . It has huge appeal purely on stance , style and specs and on the spectrum on bike ownership , it combines the sheer size of my Suzuki M109s and the styling and tech of the R Nine T . There is nothing I ’ d change on the Rocket ... to me it is an engineering marvel and looks to suit every aspect of my riding life . With that in mind , I ’ m pretty handy when it comes to maintenance , upgrades and graphics , but I leave all repairs and servicing up to the specialists , because with family , community and work commitments sorted , my focus is on quality riding and quality time out exploring with Leonie - who rides a 2020 Triumph Speed Twin .
Riding had always been a solitary pursuit for me , but no matter where I went I always met someone with a motorcycle story , a question about my bike ( especially the big , bold and loud Suzukis ) or asking me where I was headed . So although the many road trips completed alone still had all the excellent aspects of being on two wheels , I often thought it would be better doing it with a mate . It ’ s only recently through a couple of mates that I ’ ve had the luck of meeting other ‘ solo-riders ’ who also found it hard to coordinate rides with others between work and family commitments or hadn ’ t really met anyone else like them . It turned out other people wanted the ritual of riding set in stone so in 2017 five of us decided to meet at the same time and place for coffee and a ride every Sunday morning . Soon each of us invited another mate looking for connection and direction and soon we were clocking up more kilometres than ever on the highways , byways and charity runs . This social network has grown wider socially to the degree that today I am one of the founders of Every Sunday Motorcycle Collective where we are all about helping build bonds through motorbikes . It combines socialising , exploring and supporting each other . It ’ s camaraderie on and off the road . My new found mate-ships , social network and sense of connection has thrived in the last few years because to it . It ’ s also partly been motivated and inspired by the mahi my folks put in for us and our community growing up - from going to school camps , to raising funds , to organising events and helping building a lodge up in the Kaimai Ranges - they ‘ gave back ’ and I ’ m trying to help create something too . So , perhaps it ’ s middle age or maybe I ’ m growing up or am I ’ m finally ‘ tuned in ’ — but the bike is becoming less of an object and more a symbol . Where exploration , engineering and equilibrium have a second meaning that has more to do with me than the bike . For me , at its core , having a bike is about being able to tinker , talk and tour .
64 KIWI RIDER