some farm quad-type bar muffs to the top of the seat pack at the last minute , just in case , and now was the time to bust them out . Am I the first person to put muffs on a gen three ‘ busa ? Maybe . As a side note , nobody seems to have told the Full of Beans Cafe in Franz that the tourist season is over . They ’ re still charging like a raging bull . $ 7.50 for a mediocre coffee . A total of $ 40 for a pie , coffee and soup . Criminal . 500km down I pull into Wanaka really quite damp and cold . Another coffee , another pie , then a divert to Wanaka Powersports to buy a new set of over-waterproofs ( my old ones are way beyond their best ) and some dry gloves - ready for the final 250km to Te Anau . I was going to bring two sets of gloves for exactly this reason , but didn ’ t at the last second thinking the weather would be fine . I ’ m bloody glad I ’ ve got the bar muffs , even though they ’ re sopping wet . The wind keeps trying to put the front brake on as there ’ s nothing to support it , but it ’ s so cold I convince myself that pushing the lever forward with my fingers is a safe alternative . It ’ s not comfortable , but it ’ s warmer . After 11.5 hours and 768km I pull into a friend ’ s place in Te Anau for the night . Tired and quite
stiff , I ’ m glad to be off the bike . Hours earlier I came to the conclusion that it ’ s not the sports tourer I thought it was .
DAY 2 Te Anau to Invercargill 287km The shortest day of the trip . Checking the rain radar , I was looking forward to getting aboard the Starship Hayabusa . A little rain to start with , it was looking like there might possibly be a little break in the damp for my trip down past Manapouri to Tuatapere and Riverton . Having left the heavily policed main road behind , letting the ‘ busa lean over through a corner was bliss . Where I ’ d been looking at the shiny wet strips of polished black tar with fear , I could start to lean the ‘ busa over , placing trust in those Bridgestone S22s a little more . The roads are a dream down here , with very little traffic , swooping lines and graceful hills . The Hayabusa is in its element . It ’ s a solid bike , but one that leans easily , if a little slowly . The mass and slight steering slowness give it poise and stability . Cruising at 100km / h the engine is smooth and creamy , in the fat of the torque . At 4500rpm ( roughly 120km / h on the clock ) there ’ s a slight roughness through the pegs , it ’ s not an issue , but it ’ s there , giving the bike a raw edge . The dry roads give the chance to unleash the
34 KIWI RIDER