Happy new year everyone, hope you all had a great break and drank far too much. I know that I did that's for sure. Ended last year on a bit of a high, the doctors have told me that my leukemia is now not traceable in my blood, so that's fantastic news, so down to 4 monthly check ups. Still really tired in the afternoons, but a quick nap always seems to get me back on line again. I am amazed really after three years of dealing with this and going through a year of Chemotherapy how long it takes the body to recover, and I still can't do a full days work, I hope that this changes. Anyways, it was great to catch up with so many friends both old and new at Wanganui and I am always pleased with the positive feed back that I get from you all about this page. Glad you all love it so much. It's always difficult to put yourself out there, because you open yourself up to criticisms of all sorts, which is never nice, but here on this page I think we are all so like minded that this has never happened, a real kindred spirit exists in these pages and in you all.

So as a good friend said to me " the rear view mirror is small, the windscreen is large, your only going in one direction, no need to look back".

And that sums up my world.

So without anymore driveling from me here is the first for 2017, enjoy.

They're getting pretty fancy now.

XJR's don't do corners, they eat them

With out doubt the best road food I have ever had.

The legend goes that a Kawasaki dealer said to this guy " if you can wheel stand that bike down the street you can have it". It was delivered the next day. Joe Demokos.

An old Kiwi racing shot, Yamaha every where

A great barn find

I drove one of these in London when I was a test driver for a North London garage, it was pure mental

What a sexy shot this is

Beautiful bevels showing everyone how it works. I had one of these on my old GT, it fascinated people

You are kidding me?

On the road again

Mike, Stu and kevin at the classic meet a few weeks back, was great to catch up with them again.

How to pack two stunning bikes into one crate.

Wanganui was fantastic this year

Ginger Malloy

Ha ha who hasn't done this.

Pretty amazing picture really

How to turn a sows ear into a silk purse

Scotty, you do need these

A man made dirt eating machine, holy fark!!!! I mean how do you even go about building one of these?

Out riding around this fine country

 I just love Sc.....hooters

I remember when this was first pulled out to a gob smacked crowd of people, no one had seen an 851 before except in magazines, and yet here was one, and it was being raced!!!!!!

You can never be without a good sturdy pair of boots, never

Lets add another 75 meters!!!!!!!!

Well, he crashed that one perfectly I thought

What a stunning interior of a Kombi

A cracker barn find

This is heaven to me.

I wrote this late last year after a ride 'down' south, and to me it sums up mine and your travels on these roads in New Zealand. Everyone is familiar with this and  have similar tales, and everyone that comes to this page has done this. It's what makes us wave at one another as we go by, it's the glue to our lives and it's what brings us all together in this one bond, the bond of motorcycling.

As I sit here and think about the past few days of motorcycling and mates I get a smile on my dial. It's these little interludes away from the norm that make up for the tedium of our daily lives. 200kph + was seen on more than one occasion, wheel stands for some become normal as you exit a corner,bourbon is all of a sudden the drink of choice, coffee bacon and eggs is a natural start to the day everyday, flying jaffas,breaking into others rooms, riding in the pissing rain, riding in the pissing down sun, every car and I mean every car gets overtaken, the heat from the road bouncing up at you, the smell of fresh cut hay and the sun on your back, those moments when your travelling at 170kph and slow down around a 75 posted corner only to greet a cop coming the other way and you smile knowingly inside your helmet covered in dairy bugs, and you know he knows what you were doing. Race bikes, the smell of two stroke oil being burnt, the smell of sausages being burnt in all the pit barbies, the feel of your own skin being burnt under a hot sun on a clear hot race day, the noise and rattling of spannies, race pita pits (what happened to hot dogs oh well it it a new world), taking the piss out of your mates relentlessly, Dallas on a Harley ( who knew he could look so happy) putting gloves on taking gloves off putting gloves on taking ,well you get the picture. Then there is that moment when you turn the bike for home, returning along roads where you've had laughs and small races with your friends remembering that this was the straight where 2XA pulled a minger on his transalp, this is where New Zealand's fastest Indian came by at 200kph,there's that coffee shop you needed so desperately to stop for a piss on the way 'down'. Then You know that another adventure is coming to a close, and your thoughts come to home.You cherish the last few hours but you also hate them because it's ending. Bikes get put away and your normal life takes over. Oh well better start planning the next one,for us it's Boxing day and The Long Lunch, oh and next Tuesday night for the weekly step out. Thanks to all my friends both old and new it was a blast and a real pleasure to ride with you all.A privilege to be able to experience things like this with like minded people.and finally j will leave you with a little moment from a previous trip south That changed my way of thinking "Where we going now Gary"? " Down the road". Perfect . Till next time.

Well it was a stellar year and it seems like the only way to start it off is with a bit of bubbly. It's OK as motorcyclists we are allowed to drink this stuff now and again. lets get this party started and off to a flying start.