Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

When on the trail in the cuds, self rescue is part and parcel.  and it is immensely satisfying to  effect self rescue.

In fact some of us go out in the hope we encounter shit so we can get out of it (Wayne Shepp and Mitchels pass is an excellent example of resourcefulness)

If you think you will rely on ON CALL, then please do not go off road into the cuds, stay close to Big Lights. You need a spirit of adventure.

Here is a case study.

Annie n I recently summitted Sani Pass on our R1200GSA's in full battle order- tents, chairs, fishing tackle, equipment and and and.. We did this in case the mood grabbed us and we rode on further into Lesotho.

We were riding into met. Conditions were heavy swirling mist. vis down to 50 metres, intermittent light rain.

Exprienced campaigners will read between these lines.... "hard work on the pegs, over-heating bodies from the work out in rain gear, visor congested with both droplets and fog, spectacles off because they too are just fogged out, the rules of right-of-way for mountain passes difficult because descending vehicles cannot see the ascending vehicles and thus cannot give them right-of-way. Headlights on dim as brights only cause back scatter which is worse than no lights at all."

The pass was busy, so many hoots n toots and vehicles meeting face on and one or both having to reverse to make room and often as not the vehicles on their '6' s also having to back up, or back down as was  many an incidence.

So with 500 metres to go, Annie unlimbered and waited while I rode her bike to the top. she watched over my bike.

Then I called on the radio and she then hitched a ride with an ascending 4x4, me doing the same thing on a descending 4x4.

Then I took my bike up the pass and Dave was making his own way between cars.  We had a lekker hot chocky, a  beer and lunch at the highest pub in Africa.

I was seriuosly impressed that Annie allowed herself to be talked into riding up SANI on a bike fully loaded for a 12 day campaign trail. What a girl!

We met Wynand from Strand and his wife at the top. Lekker people.

He had run his rear shoes to the metal the day before on the 7 hour marathon ride from Katse dam.

He had started down and made 2,4 kilos (mas e menos) and found no brakes on the rear too hairy and so he rode back up and arranged a 1/2 tonner to load his bike and take it down.

So here's the rub, and also the crux of my diatribe.

There was no need for a 1/2 tonner to take you down 9 kilometers to the level.

What could he have done.

Ask one of the many 4x4's to take wifey and kit to Himeville hotel, but ride behind him to guard his 6 and to be on hand for any mishap.  That leaves him alone on the bike so he has no other stress of kit and pillion.

Easy peasy.

As easy said as done.

So  to test my theory, I kept all my gear on my bike and rode down without touching the rear brakes. Not once, to simulate a no rear brake scenario.

Anne also rode down fine- the met had cleared and we had awesome vistas and full vis all the way to eternity.

I put my weight well back and let the compression resistance take me down at its own speed, which was slower than if I had brakes to use.

Twice when I got too much way on, I simply toggled the 'kill' switch. As the engine died it stopped. 

So did the bike. to get going I let the front brake go and hit the starter and the gravity assisted the starter and then I ticked on down against compression.  I never let the clutch in either.

At 2.4 kilos I noted we were well out of the 1-in-5 gradient and onto manageable descent gradients.

Thereafter I got to 4th and fifth gear and with discretion playing the beeter part of valour kept my pace down so that I could kill engine stop case need  I met upcoming vehicles or need to stop in short distance.

So its sad that what could have given immense satisfaction at very little risk was lost.  The adventure was diluted.

Could've picked up gear and wife lower down, well before Himeville.

Also saved several hours delay and had a lekker story to tell.

Afterall, the fun is in the journey, not the destination.

Learn to effect self rescue, to use resoucefulness and acquire the basic tools to effect self rescue.

But if you have common sense and slow down and assess, then you probably have enough to get out of most situations.