Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

 10 PASSES – 1 DAY CIRCUS

we are a group of friends that does short breakfast runs on Sunday mornings, we are the Old Timers...still sparking after all these years.

We started our trip this morning 7:00 with one rule…you are responsible for the rider behind you

We decided on an extended breakfast run for a change, not having an idea what we let ourselves in for, we even made t-shits for the trip. Let’s do a 10 passes trip they said, it will be fun they said. If only we knew.

Meet the team:

1. HD Rossouw “HIGH DEFINITION” – BMW1200 GS(BMW CLUB MEMBER)
2. Elzaan Rossouw “PAPARAZZI”– Pillion on BMW1200 GS LC Adv (BMW CLUB MEMBER)
3. Johann Rossouw “JOHN WAYNE”- BMW1200 GS LC Adv (BMW CLUB MEMBER)
4. Johann Steenkamp “DIRTY HARRY”– BMW1150 GS Adv (BMW CLUB MEMBER)
5. Johann Ackermann “CAPTAIN SLOW”– BMW1200 GS (BMW CLUB MEMBER)
6. Johann Bosman “J&B”– BMW1200 LC GS(BMW CLUB MEMBER)
7. Jacques Vermeulen “SMURFIE”– BMW650 GS (BMW CLUB MEMBER)
8. Frans – BMW1200 GS
9.  Piet Bothman – BMW1600
10. Edward Woolls – BMW1200 GS Adv
11. Ruben Woolls – Pillion on BMW1200 GS Adv
12. Steve Kay – Honda Varadero
13. Gill Kay – Pillion on Honda Varadero
14. Ettien – Honda VFR800 CrossRunner
15. Herman Brits – Honda CBR600F
16. Blacky Blackbird – Honda Blackbird
17.  Dries “PIANO MAN”– Yamaha 1200 Super Tenere
18. Jaco Sadie– Boulevard Cruiser
19. Christo Heenop “MR MIN”– Triumph 675 Speed Triple

We got together at the Shell garage at Suikerbossie in Blomtuin on Sunday 27 November at 6:45 for our pre-trip briefing where our 1 rule was explained…you are responsible for the person behind you. We were 19 people and 16 bikes, we kept BMW’s name high with 9 BMW bikes. We started our journey at 7:00.

The first stretch of our trip was just a normal bike run, we decided that our first stop will be Dassiesfontein for breakfast. With no hik ups we went in for our first pass, Sir Lowry’s and soon Houhoek pass followed. There was a confusion at the turn off for Hermanus because of a gathering of a few bikes, in the confusion we lost 3 bikes (Smurfie, Piano Man and Jaco) at the turn off who decided to keep on straight heading for Dassiesfontein. Soon after this we were information that Steve Kay’s wife, Gill got sick and they had to turn around. We stopped to regroup at the turn off for the Hemel en Aarde road that lead to pass number 3, Shaws Pass. Before we could depart we had to wait for a big group of about 50-60 bikes who were on their way to the Toy Run, during these events our beloved sweeper, Captain Slow was missing. On our way to Shaws’s pass, we saw two of our lost ducklings, Smurfie and Piano Man standing next to the road, not having an idea how they ended up there. This so happened that they came to search for us via Shaws pass, in other words they did 11 passes, doing Shaws pass twice. We had a very slow ride up Shaws pass, where luckily the big group of bikes went their own way and we could pass them and speed up a bit. Soon our beloved sweeper found the group again. Unfortunately, Blacky Blackbird had to turn home because of a mechanical problem. By this stage, we were 2 bikes less. We arrived at Dassiesfontein and enjoyed a nice breakfast as usual.

 While waiting for our breakfast we soon discovered why restaurants are always sceptical when it comes to bikers, BMW Member I might add.

 At Dassiesfontein we decided that myself (pillion) and JOHN WAYNE would go ahead and take photos of the guys at the Theewaterskloof dam bridge after  Floorshooghte pass, pass number 4, unfortunately JOHN WAYNE missed the bridge but was certain that there is another one ahead, yeah…we didn’t get our photos, but not to worry when we stopped at Villiersdorp we had a plan B for our photos and our first petrol stop. Jaco decided to drive ahead, only to be seen again in Ceres

The next pass, Rooihoogte, was the one we were waiting for, again myself and JOHN WAYNE went ahead to get our place for the pictures. After waiting in the hot sun and two cars slowing down, thinking I was hiking, TA-DA we did it…  

After the successful photo session, it all turned sour.

 We were heading for our next pass, Hex Rivier when all of a sudden half of our group was standing next to the road waving like crazy for us to stop, they informed us that 4 bikes gone straight at an intersection where we should have turned right for our next pass, we told the group to go ahead and we arranged to meet them at the N1 intersection. So, yet again myself and JOHN WAYNE rushed after the bikes that was now heading in a completely wrong direction. We caught up with them and drove in a hurry to the intersection to join the group that was waiting. Nobody was waiting so we assumed that they were already on their way towards Hex River pass, pass 5. In the meantime they turned to the right to look for shade and we turned left were neither of the two groups saw each other. We were speeding up Hex River pass thinking that they were waiting for us at a lookout point, again no one in sight so we kept on going. At the Ceres turn off there were no body so we knew something was wrong. We drove to Touws River for refreshments. As we got off our bikes our beloved sweeper phoned to say that they are still waiting at Worcester. Knowing that they are at least a half an hour away, we decided to wait a bit and then to drive ahead, look for a tree and wait for them next to the road where they must pass. We then drove on with this road to stop in the shade, with our luck this road is blessed with absolutely no trees.

 By this time, and it was 13:30 and we found a tree and made ourselves comfortable. Keeping in mind that at this stage none of our phones had signal, so we had to go back to old school. After about 30 minutes in the 38degree sun some of us had developed hallucinations

HD decided to listen if he can hear them coming.

Then JOHN WAYNE wrote them a note in the gravel: “Ons is weg. Van: Old Timers Stadige Groep”.

 Then the boys asked the most reasonable question of the hour: “how are they going to know we wrote them a note” easy, lead them to the note.

By 14:38 we had enough and decided to go to Ceres and wait for them at the Wimpy. We drove over Die Venster pass and Theronberg pass were we finally got signal, as I looked at my phone, a message from Captain Slow (sweeper): “Ons is in Ceres” my heart sank when I saw that that message was sent at 14:00. We got to Ceres and joint the rest of our group. As you could imagine there was some expressions from the guys who was burning in the sun for no reason. The Wimpy was closed so we headed for the Spur as a complete group.

 We then said goodbye to Piano Man and Jaco who went home and the rest of us were having refreshments before heading for Mitchells pass, pass number 9.

Our route took us through Slanghoek and faced our last pass for the day, Du Toit Kloof. Luckily, we finished our trip as a group with no incidents. After Du Toit’s Kloof pass we said our goodbyes and we went our separate ways home. We completed our trip with an average of 530km, as you could imagine, some of us had more kilometres than others. This was the most fun I ever had on a bike trip, and believe me, I had my fair share

We ended our trip at 17:23 with new 498 rules

                            Luckily we get to choose our family