No other reason really, just because. But today I have managed to clean them all, drive them both and ride the other. This summer really is a goodin.
My car has a small leak. It's always been there, but is there an obvious area to check? It drips onto the RHS muffler. It really is buggar all but you can see the smoke from it sometimes.
Sometimes a bit also makes it way to the LHS but not onto the muffler. FWIW, the sign behind the car says "buggar the dog, beware of the missus" (how true)
Hope it warms up for you guys soon so you can also get the cars and other toys out.

 

Very nice !

What's the black rod behind the license plate of the 993?

 

Don't you know that Gert?

It's the front protection bar ...

Nice stable btw Graham

 

I demo'd an ST a while back; it was one of the best bikes I've ever been on, with a great symphony. You've got the perfect roads for it down there.

 

It looks like a black rod but it is actually 2 blinders for radar. They are only about 3" long.

Rinty.
Yeah there are awesome riding roads here for sure. The ST too me is the ultimate bike.
Powerfull, nimble and ultra good looking.

 

I really liked the precise feel of the front end. I had a BMW R 1150 RS with tele-lever at the time, so it was quite a treat.

What's the station wagon, a Holden?

 

You have obviously been down here before to know what a Holden is!
I bought it new last year for my business and have never had a car drop as much in value as this one has. I would NEVER buy another Holden. 10% pa is not unusual, but 40% is pushing it! Unbelievable.
The Sprint is very sure footed for sure. I totally trust this bike and I haven't had a bike I have trusted before. Hit a pot hole at speed and it just soaks it up it seems. Ruts in the road and so on. It's a brilliant bike.
I looked at a new beema but the dealer was an **** retentive ****.
He wouldn't even start it up for me unless I was going to buy it, let alone test ride it. That bike still sits on his floor. He was a dork.

 

Love the bugs on the tt, looks like it should-used with enthusiasm!

 

NZ once, Australia twice. We rented a Holden Commodore wagon when we stayed in Surfer's Paradise, Queensland. When the girls went shopping, I drove it up to Springbrook Park, way up in the mountains. The winding road was narrow and deserted, so I had fun drifting the car through the corners, developing a considerable respect for it. Saw a beautiful Carpet Python on a ledge right next to Purlingbrook Falls! I think the NA Pontiac GTO's are actually Holdens, but I could be wrong.

Probably just as well. In North America there are more than a few BMW owners who have left the marque because of dealers. But I think the ST would be more suited to the NZ driving environment, anyway. And you don't have all the other BMW mechanical issues such as driveline failures, EWS ring failures, etc.

Does this sound familiar?

 

Graham - Seriously - you are complaining about the depreciation of a Holden??? YOu should have known better - treat it like a tool. Amortise it over 4 or 5 years - and it wont be so bad..... Besides as an old wise man once told me - If you only pay $40K - the most you can lose is $40K !!

Rinty - You are correct - the GTO's were based on the commodore platform - albeit the 2 door one "The MONARO"

Simon.

 

Hahahaha, more shocked than complaining about the imminent loss's on the car.
I just about fell off my chair when the salesman told me what it's worth. I will keep this one until it falls to bits. Thats, ooooh, maybe 2 years
Actually it's not a bad car for what i use it for.
PS. $52K here. Tucked again!

 

But they last forever, don't they? And inexpensive to fix?

 

I was in Surfers last year in a taxi. It was a Holden. It was barley 18 months old and had a staggering 830K on the clock! I couldn't believe it. The driver said thats normal. They really never get turned off and run 24/7. He said every Wednesday they are off for 2 hours for a service and thats it.
So yes, I guess they last forever. Apparantly they sell them at 1 million k's?
Hard to believe but thats what he told me.

 

The cars aren't subjected to cold starts down there, either. With conventional 10W-30 oil, at -30 C, it can take up to 30 seconds for oil to get from the sump to the valve train.