ANZA Harley Demo Day

Quick blat over to PN today for the annual demo day put on by ANZA. Booked in for two rides.

Couple of nice bikes

First up, on the left, the Fat Bob. Gee, this bike keeps getting better. Couldn't get over how quiet it was, moreso from inside my Schuberth helmet, which gives the quietest ride out anyway, surging grunt delivered as quietly as the kitchen fridge. Have to agree with a lot of commentators that 6th gear nearly superfluous. I'd emphasise the "nearly"..., for cruising round US style open roads it would be ideal.
The bike cornered beautifully too, and brakes only needing a touch. I liked the toggle on the digital read-out that gave an option of gear indicator, plus rpm. Other's on the toggle included fuel, odo, and distance.
The forward controls were fine, but I was getting a bit uncomfortable after 30 odd mins.

I mainly wanted to see what the Breakout went like. Pretty similar really, but some bark from the exhaust. I think I liked the deceptive quiet rumble of the Fat Bob better.
Handled pretty much as nice as the FB too, maybe better, certainly no influence felt from the phat back tyre.
A lot more comfortable ride for me though, dished seat and forward controls felt better placed.
6th gear indicator light in a nice big speedo. The left side ignition switch had me tricked.

Back on my old 99 LowRider coming home, I felt more comfortable, maybe neither of them would be good trip bikes without some changes, but you'd be hard placed to find a more fun commuter straight off the shop floor.

The LR embarrassingly gave a bit of starting trouble to get on the way home, how convenient said the shop staff. Unfortunately I couldnt respond positively by leaving it as a deposit on a new machine, but I did vindicate myself by coming home with a new helmet, Scorpion EXO100. Open face model which will earn me criticism from the full-face brigade. Such critics ignore that lack of a visor riding into the sun is pretty imperilling with full-face, this one has a visor. Its also got a flip down sun lens, and have to comment its one of the best shaded lens I've looked through, excellent definition and very little dimming of the vision, and lovely range of sight through to the peripheral. Easily removable, and a clear one comes with it. The visor clips off too.

Didn't have a face scarf coming home, but wind wasn't unpleasant. The wind noise is a bit distracting.
At the sale price, $149 incl, it would make an excellent round-town lid.
Bugger the full-face critics, most cops round the world wear this model, and as far as looks go, its a stunner.
At the price, I had farm use in mind if I wasn't bowled away with on-road suitability.
OSH have a real problem getting farm people to wear helmets on bikes and quads, and I think the main drawback is the models available are so, so, plain DAWKY.
A model like this, boys will be boys, couldn't help wanting to put this one on!
The clasp is an interesting ratchet latch, with an easy open tab, very comfortable to wear, if perhaps a little on the heavy side.

Thanks to Kerry and the ANZA staff for once again putting this day on, really appreciated.
This year simultaneous events were held in Wellington, New Plymouth, and Napier, so it was a one-day affair, and ample riding opportunity for a smaller attendance.

Wellington Oct '13

Aztecs - Conquest and Glory, exhibition at Te Papa till 9 Feb, staged in partnership with Mexico's National Council for Culture and Arts, and National Inst of Anthropology and History, plus Australian Museum and Museum Victoria, so goes without saying there's a wealth of interesting stuff to see and ponder on.
An education on the great culture of city and pyramid building, the largest city lying underneath present day Mexico City, and a now filled in lake.
The schism of class was greater than I had been aware, another case of an upper class keeping hordes of minions under control by fear and hocus pocus, human sacrifice an integral part in a supposed continuum of appeasing gods, but conveniently keeping the proletariat on the back foot.
Nothing like a live beating heart to feed the eagles.
I'd always thought it was the superior war technology, steel and mounted cavalry, that handed a small Spanish force conquest over a vastly more numerous indigenous people, but really when you think about it, the recruitment of disaffected Indians who saw one bloke dying on the cross back in the past, was a far better lurk than being regular eagle fodder.
Te Papa's stream of quality exhibitions keeps coming, and its certainly a help being a Friend of the museum, and having access to 2 days parking as part of membership.

Had also won a couple of tickets in a Dompost draw, to the stage show "No Naughty Bits", put on at Circa.
Being a fan of the Month Python series years back, thought this dramatisation of the difficulty experienced getting the show into USA could be a good lurk. A newspaper reviewer subsequent to my big win wasn't quite so enthusiastic, but we couldn't complain about the price!
Well, we both had a little nod off in the first half, but the second half came to life with snappy dialogue in the court-room scene, with lots of laughs, credit to the cast for keeping this up.

Quick bite at Joe's Garage beforehand, filling lamburger with glass of pinot.