Stator, The GSR travelling mascot.

[gs58]

Just got back from the Barry Sheene Memorial race meeting and although Stator didn't get there in time for a practice lap he did get a great tour of the pits. Met a chap called Graeme something who used to ride an XR69. Says he won Daytona on a GS1000S but who can you believe these days. Also bumped into a bloke called Freddie who claims to have won the World Superbike title - he spoke like a Yank so it was probably BS. Heading away again for a week or so, so will post photos and story of travels upon my return.

 

[gs58]

Oh, and there was an Aussie there. Does Phyllis ring a bell with anyone?

 

[ozman]

robbie phyllis is a legend over here he has been racing since the late 70s and still loves it
looking forward to meeting stator

 

[Colin Green]

Oh, and there was an Aussie there. Does Phyllis ring a bell with anyone?

Very cool. I wish I had been in town for it. Did Messrs Crosby, Spencer & Phillis get a lap in or were they too busy queuing for Stator's autograph?

 

[gs58]

Crosby and Merkel did some parade laps, but Phyllis was on a Suzuki TR750 replica and not messing around. This was a NZ bike that was very well presented. Apparently only about 10 of the originals left in the world - the rest were crushed by the factory. However, one of those 10 is in Southwards Car Museum just north of Wellington. I think it is the one that Geoff Perry rode.

 

[gs58]

Okay, it's time to catch up with Stator's travels and adventures. He arrived in Palmerston North (New Zealand) in time for me take him to Hampton Downs (just south of Auckland) for the Barry Sheene Oceanic Challenge. This is an event that is contested by Australians and New Zealanders twice a year - in March at Eastern Creek, Sydney, Australia. And at the end of October in NZ.

This year 60 Australians came over and all up there were about 280 entries for the three days of racing.

So, I guess that you are all waiting for some pictures of Stator with dignitaries and race bikes ..... but first I have to acknowledge the efforts of my son-in-law Mike, who spent the weekend taking photos while I played with my race bike.

with Croz - Graeme Crosby, superbike and GP racer. Sorry about the helmet but he was just about to head out for some parade laps.

with Fred Merkel - World Superbike Champion and now resident in Taupo, NZ

with Robbie Phillis - Multiple Australian Champion and World Superbike contestant.

 

[gs58]

I have to add that all three of the riders above were more than willing to have their photo taken with Stator, particularly after they had seen the GS Resources emblem that Colin Green had sewn on.

 

[Colin Green]

Awesome! What a great result to see. Little Stator hobnobbing with real heroes from the coolest period in bike racing history.

PS, I donated the patch but only safety pinned it on. Greg must be to blame for the sewing

Thank you very much for the chance to see the lads with Stator

 

[Cheryl]

Someone should collect and make a collage/album of the photos taken. Or a photobucket album with a shared password?

 

[Gorminrider]

surely, Stator needs a helmet, don't he?
Maybe a tennis ball or something used for a fibreglass mold...?

 

[UncleMike]

What we should do is connect him up to Google Maps via entries made by the participants or a small GPS tracker in him so anyone can actually see everywhere he's been.

Apologies if this has already been discussed.

 

[GregT]

My wife takes the credit for sewing the patches on. I'd assume those won't be the last pieces of body art he finishes up with...

I'm pleased to see my suggestion to GS58 that he find someone to look after Stator on race day worked. It's very hard to try and get pics and arrange stator's personal appearances while either riding or looking after a bike at a race meeting.

 

[Crankthat]

Looks like he is having a great time in New Zealand!
Not the first time I have been jealous of a teddy bear

 

[gs58]

I'm pleased to see my suggestion to GS58 that he find someone to look after Stator on race day worked. It's very hard to try and get pics and arrange stator's personal appearances while either riding or looking after a bike at a race meeting.[/QUOTE]

Dead right Greg. There was enought to keep me busy without trying to grab photos as well.

 

[gs58]

And now for some of the bikes. There were hundreds of race and road bikes to chose from so we stuck with Suzukis of the GS/GSXR era.

Someone say Stator needed a helmet?

Time to look around the pit garages.

 

[gs58]

A GSXR.

A Harris framed GSX1100

This is a really trick GSX1100 that was built for Richard Scott to race. Richard used to race as part of Agostini's race team on TZ750's etc. I've got more pictures of this bike somewhere that I will post later. The duct tape is due to a little off track excursion during qualifying.

 

[gs58]

This bike is worth a feature all by itself. The frame is a McIntosh which has just been built using the same jigs that were used to manufacture these frames in the early eighties. Over $100,000 has been spent on this bike. It was raced at the Barry Sheene Oceanic Challenge by Cameron Donald, an Australian who has a pretty good record at the Isle of Man. The plan is to take this bike to the Island, which is going to cost about $40,000. It's nice to see people with money spending it on the same things that I would like to.

I have quite a few more photos of Stator on race bikes, so I'll post them in the Racing section.

 

[gs58]

A little hunting, a little fishing.

A little hunting, a little fishing.

You can take the bear out of the wild, but you can't take the wild out of the bear.

 

[gs58]

Met up with 49er at Taupo for a cuppa and a catch up. Good to see him again, and to have a look over his GS850. Very nice.

 

[gs58]

One for the Australians

One for the Australians

Ah, the serenity

And a bit of history and geography. This is Lake Taupo (pronounced Toe-paw) which was created by a volcanic eruption in 186AD. The ash cloud was so large that it was recorded in Chinese history. The crater lake I'm told is about the size of Switzerland, and it lies dormant - not extinct but not active either. The lake waters are fed by melting snow on the nearby three volcanos and high country, and find their way to the sea by means of the Waikato river (which provides a large percentage of our electricity due to the six? hydro dams on it.

If you are into trout fishing and are visiting New Zealand, this is the place to be.