Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

My first ride in +- 8 months. I stood up at 5am because the excitement of going away from my daily jungle to another jungle where life stands still was just too great to miss.

Faffed around until 6.30am then left. It was a very pleasant cool morning air going through me and the butterflies were slowly settling. Arrived at 1 stop Engen on the N7 to be met by quite a few plastics. They are off to Piketberg for an enduro.

7.30am came and gone and no one in sight. Now I am doubting myself. Did I read the instructions correctly? I usually stop at line 3.
Give Eric a call just to be told that I am way too early. Ride is from 8am for 8.30am. But do not panic he is on his way.

8am the riders pull in. We get given a pep talk and we on our way.

Robert stops me at the entrance to tell me my back wheel is flat. Are you sure? I ride a bit to realise it feels funny. My words where @#$%. I pulled the compressor pipe out and blow the tire up. Abie our sweeper says let us check in Malmesbury before our turn off. Got there and all is fine. Still do not know what happened. Wheel is still the same pressure this morning.

We hit the gravel. Man was it exciting just to reach 60km/h. I was skittish for at least 30 minutes then the light bulb switched on. Do you feel that smile growing?

Some loose gravel

Go get him.

Pace went better and better to a point where the sweeper was +- 5 minutes behind the leader at stops. And we started to push a bit harder.
At one point I was in the zone until I saw that sand ditch. I had to commit. Front wheel went in and took all the spacing the front shock had before bottoming out. I am through. Not quite as here comes the back wheel. It too took the punch but with the extra weight it decided to go a bit higher on the rebound. I am wheelying…on the front wheel. I kept calm and held onto Mr Throttle. We made it. Only when we came to the camp site did I realise my bike looks a bit lighter. Number plate was half its size. Strange no damage under the wheel arch.

I am lighter now and legal

The day progressed from going in by Malmesbury then Mooreesburg popping out somewhere and ended up by a nice river bed. No I do not know where it was. I am any case lost half the time. Is that not the reason we have a ride leader. He does all the thinking and worrying and we just do the riding.

After a few minutes of chit chatting we are off. Now the sun is taking some water. I was clever enough to only wear a battle jacket with a endure shirt for this specifically for this trip. My body holds a lot of water and drains it just a quickly.

Attach video showing some corrugation, sand and my guardian angel. Look carefully he is on my left.

http://youtu.be/IszzmljG36k

We over one or two passes and the pace keeps getting better. We end up on the back road to Clanwilliam. We arrived in Clanwilliam on the coldest day so far this year…39 degrees. Had a petrol and a Coke pit stop. Well that 500ml cold coke never touched sides. Back onto the road via the N7 to Rondevlei resort.

Here we met Pete and Eve. What fantastic hosts. Eve made some fried mango for a starters while we all fought over the cooler box and its cold beers. We got changed and went down to river for a quick swim while Pete got the boat ready.

Not even a broken wrist could stop them going on that tube

The water did cool the radiator down very quickly

Just chilling
Pete took us on a nice river cruise giving some history lessons and to show us where Eric used to behave like a hooligan. He had a spot there before you know. According to Pete the biggest party was thrown when Eric moved out…hahaha. Wonder why?

Look Eric used to stayed there

What more can you ask for

After the boat trip the fire was lit. Some discussions and opinions was raised. We ate like kings and drank like alcoholics. About 11pm most where in bed. Some feared my impression of the chainsaw massacre but I believe I was more of a purring pussycat. I would not know because when my head hit that pillow lights went out.

The food

More food and....desert

The next morning we woke up to a cool overcast day. It was just what we needed and wanted. Some coffee and rusks and of course some scolding from the next door neighbour we were off. Apparently it is not nice waking up to noisy bikers.

Where the so called chain saw massacre stayed

As we pulled off Richard had a slow leak. Out came the compressor. Again it was one of those mysteries leaks. Pumped it up and off we are. We doing a reverse route back but via the backend. Skitterish for the first 10 minutes on the gravel then it was gas all the way.

Stopped here and there for a photo or two until we reached Clanwilliam. Democratic at its best. Leader says he wants to end up in Citrusdal. Rest of the cadres said no problem. Must admit when we passed the Cederberg turnoff the mind said go straight but body said turn. Cederberg Oasis is just one of those cool places to go to.

We stayed there

Eventually we pitch up in Citrusdal. Morning still a bit overcast but time ran away from us. Democracy says we take the N7 back home but we have a stop at Piketberg for a fuel stop, coffee and best value for money pie because it repeated its pepper steak flavour five times over going home.

At the Melkbos turnoff the comrades start to split off to their different destinations. I rode home as the leader of the southern suburbs pack. Got home around 2.45pm.

The champion of this trip taking us home

Enjoyed a cold one while unpacking the bike. It was really a good ride and the cobwebs was removed.

To Eric and my other companions thank you. I did enjoy myself and your company. See on the next one.

The company:
8 Riders – Eric 800GS, Uwin 1200GSA LC (really cool bike btw), Richard 1200GS, Alf (stolen) 800GS, Robert 800GS, Jeff 1200GS, Leon GS650F, Abie GS650 Dakar (our backup)

Alf wife and 7 kids (just kidding. His 2 teenage daughters and a very sad 18 year old son who dad stole his 800 for this trip). They came up straight.

Pete and Eve who never stop giving us food and drink.

Thanks again
Leon