Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

I should have a bumper sticker on my bike that says "My other car is a Suzuki".  This report describes a part of our second honeymoon trip to Hogsback, where we rode through the Baviaankloof in our Suzuki Jimny.

We rode from Cape Town to Willowmore along the R62, with lunch in Barrydale at the Country Pumpkin.  The food and service there is always great, and the owner rides a BMW and looks after bikers.

At Willowmore, we checked in to The Willow Historical Guest House.

We have recently returned from an ambitious (and I'm happy to say, successful) 8 day filming trip to the Eastern Cape to capture 55 pre-determined passes on video. It turned into quite a trip, with lots of mud, deserted roads, cows, goats, pigs, dogs, warthogs and other ancillary hazards - like road signs, so old and rusted as to be illegible. In our news release today we take you into the details and offer some pics of the trip plus a short video of a hugely talented singer we discovered in a pub in Hogsback. That alone is worth the click-through!

Prequel

The initial plan for the December holiday season was a different type of RR: Rest and Recover; not Ride Report. Yet all it took was an invitation from previous neighbours (now living in Plett) to visit. That got the brain ticking. Why only Plett? Is not Baviaans somewhere in that general direction? Leave applications were sent, accommodation bookings were hastily made and Lance and I headed off 2 weeks later.

What do you get when you take a brave and intrepid ride leader - Oh Captain (& crème soda) my Captain! Add in a mob of disparate yet eager adventure riders, a more or less equal mix of 800's and 1200's and you have all the ingredients for a real live adventure. And so our brave explorers gathered bright and early one Friday morning for breakfast at the Winelands Wimpy to fortify themselves against the tribulations sure to follow.

Come and ride the wonderful Baviaanskloof with a group of like minded BMW enthusiasts over the period 26th to 29th February.

Our route will take us on a lovely detour as we head to and ride through this unforgettable Kloof.

The water crossings are sure to create lots of excitement and there will be many photo opportunities as we slowly make our way through the ever changing tracks and scenery.

Some think it folly, others madness, even dangerous and few are in agreement, to take long bike trips by oneself is the ultimate riding experience.

Is it not lonely, boring or intimidating are often the responses to hearing about such a trip?  Well it is actually wonderfully selfish.  You go, start and stop when or wherever you want.  Travel at a speed that suites yourself.  The Route can be changed on a whim and places explored without considering anybody else.

This report covers a five day ride in March 2013 from Cape Town to Baviaans over a variety of roads – myself on a R1200 GS and my son, Jethro, on a KLR 650.

Last minute work and preparations led to an afternoon start with a firm plan to end up in Calitzdorp for the night, but looser ideas on how to get there.

Antoniesberg - is dit die Baviaans se B-veld (soos beskryf as Grootrivierpoort in WegRy Desember 2007) of dalk die A-veld?

Die toer was oorspronklik deur Johan du Preez gereel, maar ongelukkig kon hy op die nippertjie weens onvoorsiene omstandighede nie saam met ons gaan nie.
Ons (Dries van Zyl, Aré van Zyl en GeelKameel) het inderhaas die roete bietjie aangepas en op 21 Des vertrek.

I wasn't able to post this then, as I was Computer Challenged... hence a BC ride. After Tonyt's post I was reminded, this is a small yet lovely section of the ride. The first photo was taken after having ridden through Zoar then Seweweekspoort and now turned right to ride through Bosluiskloof to the Gamkaspoort Dam. Old house in ruins Just past the ruins the road opened out to these strange red things.... pockets and pockets of onions. Field of Onions...pockets and pockets..