Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

Geoff would be a brilliant fisherman. Imaging him casting the lure: ''Join the Club on this intermediate level GS Off Road ride in the lovely Overberg area on Sunday 22nd November.'' Turn left at the third bush He had 19 takers, two being clever enough to ride pillion. (Neels and Annamarie piloted the back-up vehicle.) From the Engen on the N2 near Somerset West, we vroomed up Sir Lowrys Pass, turning right onto the Highlands road just after the Peregrine Farmstall. Our esteemed tour leader, wiggling the line ever so slightly Clean bikes... but not for long: (Doing the tyre thing) The Highlands road turned out to be a bit corrugated and gravelly towards the end, but we were all hooked and off we went towards Karweiderskraal, from where Geoff took us on a farm road. Now, I have no problems with farm roads ''per se'', but shortly after the turn-off, this one turned itself into this: Farm road... Ooops "No, don't worry, it really gets better just around the corner. There's just this one little steep hill with a little loose gravel," he wiggled the line some more. Yeah right. Breathing a sigh of relief at the top of a rather interesting climb We then went through Caledon, stopped briefly at the local garage to refuel, and off onto the Tesselaarsdal (?) road; nice and wide and friendly enough to let the backmarkers slowly get some breath back. Just after regrouping on the tar, a large group of Harleys came past; friendly waves all round. We even waved at the Hogs... And then, while there was a perfectly good tar road (and even a road sign) leading to Napier, Geoff snapped the line tight and took us on a little detour. Now, his pre-trip "lure" on the forum said: ''The ride will be a full day affair and excluding the sand ('''there isn't any''')...'' Yeah right! Like any good fisherman, Geoff may have fudged things a little. There were indeed a few sandy patches. Then bigger patches. Then sommer stretches of the stuff. The Main Manne What Count were long gone, leaving the girls with our Trusted Sweep and a few helpers to pick the bikes up out of the sand. But, we made it. Eventually. "Oh ja, last time I rode this road, this section was really something else with a thick layer of fine sand for most of the way," Geoff fondly remembered afterwards. From here the roads thankfully (as far as the girls were concerned) opened up, and we reached Riviersonderend just after 1, where we stopped for lunch. Just when we thought the line was going slack and we could relax, Geoff took us on another of his little detours through the farms towards Tierhoek (?), to join up with the road leading to Greyton. You guessed it, there was a bit more rock, a bit more sand, even a river crossing and a sidestand incident or two. But... We made it. Eventually. I don't think the MMWC waited ''too'' long. For some obscure reason there was no coffee stop in Greyton, and we hauled off on the gravel road past Genadendal; onto the Villiersdorp road, and back onto the gravel section leading up to the Theewaterskloof Dam for our final bit of dirt for the day. Over Franschhoek Pass, stopping at the BP Garage to pump up the tyres. "Sheesh," Leon said, looking at the pattern on the tyres. "You must have really been leaning the bike in the corners." If only, Leon, if only. Then most of us went off to the Bush Pub at Lanners Landing for a 'loopdop' before going home, the Ingilsman instead going off to listen to the Kirstenbosch Concert. In all, a GREAT day, and thanks to the men who did not complain too much about having to wait for the girls on the odd occasion. This is how we learn, and being able to do so in the club environment where there's lot of support, makes the experience so much nicer. Now, let me now go and straighten that gear lever before washing the bike... ''PS: Would have taken more pics, but we did not stop all that often'' ;-)