Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

Hi Lovies - Brenda here. Let me tell you about my 100 thousandth birthday spent on a trip up the West Coast. The tour was organized by Geoff (my hero) and was combined with the Offroad Adventures Motorcycle club - led by Greg Van Der Reis. I got to chat with a lot of new faces - not just the grey and silver BMWs - bright red KLRs, orange KTMs, a dapper black Yamaha XT. By the sounds of things Charles enjoyed the people that came with those bikes too... ==Day 1: Swartland 1-Stop, Vanrhynsdorp, Bitterfontein, Kotzesrus, Silverdoos== Anyway, it started early on Saturday morning, and I got quite a shock when I discovered that Julie was coming too. Charles had a really tough time of it in June when he did this tour, and I didn't think he would be able to look after me and his wife judging by his last performance. Well, things start off as they always do - breakfast at the Engen, meeting the other bikes, fiddling and fussing, then setting off on tar to find the dirt. At last, we stop at the top of Piekeniers Kloof to let down tyres... KTM buddy: Clive Lucas became a good friend to Julie and Charles on the trip. He is a trial rider and his bike had only nice things to say about him - it was very pleased that he did not drop it once. The road took us through stunning scenery, and was sandy in parts, but nothing compared to what I knew was coming. Julie told Charles not to stand for too long because her knees were getting tired. I overheard him tell her that he would sit as much as possible, but that if he stood, then it was because he '''really''' had to, and she had better stand pronto too. I must say, she was very diligent in this regard and I was glad that I was not one of the two bikes that ended up injured on the trailer! Julie calms her nerves The next stretch of dirt had some rather tricky sections and I could feel Charles tensing up and struggling a bit. When we reached a resting spot, he quickly took off his warm clothes. But, we waited there for ages and eventually the backup vehicle arrived with Phillip inside (along with Adri his wife who is the driver, and Laura, Gunther's wife). Phillip's Dakar was on the trailer with a broken clutch lever. The Dakar told me that Phillip has gotten too accustomed to his ABS system, and without thinking had used the front brake on dirt with ABS turned off. Naturally, like any self-respecting bike, his Dakar had taken him down for doing such a stupid thing. Don't use the front brake Luckily Phillip's parents live in Lutzville and he was able to take the bike there and organize a replacement clutch lever. Geoff's bike told me later that Geoff was hoping this incident so early in the trip would not be a sign of things to come. ''more to follow - need sleep and I can hear Charles coming around to lock up...'' ''Ok, back again...'' Where was I - oh yes, one down, a few more to go... I remember the road was quite tricky, but the scenery stunning. Eventually we get to Rietpoort and Julie ''and'' Nolene decide to join the festive ladies in the backup vehicle (Laura and Adri). I don't think it was Charles' piloting that caused the departure, because he seemed to be doing fine. It was just tiredness on the part of the ladies. There are now only two pillions (Sue-Marie with Richaard (GSA1200), and Tracy with Tony (XT650)), as the road gets steadily more ''off'' road. Just before Kotzerus we turn towards Brak Rivier Mond and start the now familiar trek to the sea. One thing about this road: when you do it in the afternoon of the first day, it is sandy and treacherous. On the second day it doesn't even qualify as a sand road anymore compared to what you have been through. Brak Rivier Mond Last Stretch: Only 4 kays to go Geoff explains to the group that this is it - the sandy bit. But luckily it is only 4 km to go. What a liar! I'm not sure if Charles has noticed, but it is actually almost exactly 10km on my odometer. We've done this stretch 3 times already (on the last trip), and Charles' nervousness about handling it with a pillion is gone now that Julie is with Nolene and Tracy in the backup vehicle. Sue-Marie and Richaard (brave souls) are going all the way. Geoff laments Phillip's absence, saying that Phillip usually leads the charge and makes sure there is a double vodka and coke waiting for Geoff when he brings in the tail-enders with a good deal of bike-picker-upping and shoving and pushing (hint hint). Personally, I prefer my refreshment to be pure petrol... The other piece of advice buzzing through the bikes is that you either ride slowly and walk the bike through, or your speed must be above 40km/hr. I hope Charles gets us in near the front of the group because I do not want to lose my indicators again by slowing down for a rider in front. True to form, Charles gets all nervous and then dashes off for a pee just as everybody gets going. So I end up near the back after all >:( When you are a clumsy clot like Charles is (and I have gotten to know him quite well), you are forced to develop good skill just to get through the day! Thank heavens for that. Charles let me attack the sand with gusto, and we were flying along until we came upon Chris Dunn's GS1200 in need of a picker up. Charles brought us to a (fairly) controlled stop, and helped Chris. Though I don't know why because Charles is so tiny and weak his presence could only have helped psychologically. Once Chris was going, Charles waited for some clearance and then did a spectacular takeoff. Controlled it was not. Luckily, before we hit anything serious we reached cruising speed and we were on our way. During the rest of this stretch there were several nailbiting moments when we needed to start up after a stop. Sunset on a good day When we reached sight of Jurg se Kaya, I could hear Charles congratulating himself on not having fallen, and then cursing himself for not remembering whether to stay in the left or the right track of the tweespoor leading to the Kaya. Throw in Jos filming on video, Charles being an image-conscious prettyboy, and a very sandy corner, and you have all the makings of a 'Show me the funny'. We did not fall, but we were far from elegant - an image not befitting my stature or age. I heard that as always the food was superb, the company great, and the stories tall. Amongst the bikes parked outside in the dew, we had a great time. I found that the Yamaha 650 had similar workings to mine, as did the KLR. The KTMs were quite different but certainly friendly enough. ==Day 2: Jurg se Kaya to Garies and Back while Greg flies to Cape Town== Kaya: Some bikes got to sleep under cover with their owners. Richaard sprained the ligaments in his knee in an attempt to avoid falling with Sue-Marie yesterday, so he decides to sit this day out. Having seen the sand horror, the ladies elect to start the pillion thing on the other side at Brak Rivier (or later). But it was not to be. Charles stops to help Chris again, and uses the opportunity to pass. A few kilometers further we come across Greg (chairman of the Offroad Adventure club) in the middle of the road with a broken leg. He had been leading the charge, accompanied by his club members Clive and Colin. A stop to demist his visor led to a shaky start that was exacerbated by Colin having to pass in order to avoid a fall. Greg took a slow-speed fall and his foot was in the wrong place at the right time to get broken. The backup vehicle, with Julie as pharmacist, Adri driving, and Greg in the back seat, takes Greg to hospital in Lutzville/Vredendal. Geoff accompanies them. The route is changed to avoid the sandy beach road and Jorg is placed in charge of the group to ride to Garies for lunch. But, it seems, when you are riding with the Offroad Adventure club, that is what you will have. Treacherous road: What looks like easy riding becomes impossible Jos had ridden ahead of the group, and rode to the other side of the pan at Brak Rivier mond. His bike says a short shower of rain fell, and when he tried to ride back the soil had become muddy. The mud packed onto the bike's wheels and when it was thick enough the front wheel jammed against the mudguard and locked. The bike could not help but throw Jos off. Jos tried to warn the others as they arrived, but nobody believed him and they all rode into the trap and fell. ('''Groucho Marx:''' ''Who would you rather believe? Me, or your own eyes?'') Jorg leads the group Jorg had it particularly badly. His KTM1000 took a beating because he saw Colin on the other side of the pan and wanted to ride there to tell him the new arrangements. For once, the riders were choosing to ride on sand and avoid the hard stuff that had a layer of sticky mud on top... Once the riders had gotten the mud off their front wheels the party set off for Garies along the road that was sandy yesterday but is now considered easy going. Colin Maggs Toni Ganci: sans pillion Chris Dunn Jos: I think Not Yet: Yesterday this was sand - today is it a relief Gunther Engelke and Jorg: Vee are running late, keep moofing dumkopf As the group gets to Kotzesrus, we find a little girl who is lost on the outskirts of town, crying. She is disoriented and cannot tell us where her home is. The border collie with her nearly took out one of the riders. The big KTM and I race down the road in the direction she says she came from, so that Charles and Jorg can see if they come across any farms nearby. The others stay with the girl. When we get back having found a farm and persuaded the farmer to come and help, we find that the others had traced the parents to a house in the village over the hill. Reunited: The family makes its way home Kotzesrus The road to Garies was fun. On one cattle-grid, Charles timed his little hop on my back just right and we got air. I heard him whooping inside his helmet. I must say I prefer flying over the grids rather than rattling over them with both my wheels. Lunch in Garies was the usual affair - we are all left outside on the stoep while the manne go inside for a meal and beer. After a refuel we are on our way back to Jurg se Kaya. Kotzesrus Rus After Kotzesrus it is 17 km to the thick sand and the last time we need to cross it. Charles gets to within 2 km of the end of it before he loses it and we go down for the first time. Quick as a whip Charles looks to see if anybody saw us and hoists me back up again. No harm done - it was slow and in soft sand. Even my indicators are fine. Shortly after our return, the backup vehicle returns with news that Greg would be fine - both bones in his shin broken cleanly. Greg had organised a pilot friend to fetch him from Vredendal and fly him to Cape Town. Kitchen ===Drunk Driving=== That night things were really festive in the pub. I heard the whole story from Jorg's KTM, who got to sleep in the lean-to with Chris's GS1200 and the two men, and overheard them discussing the evening. One incident stood out that made me proud of Charles' wife: A friend and a relative of Jurg were there to help him with running the establishment during our visit. These gentlemen had spent all day drinking, and were apparently barely standing when they announced that they were leaving to drive home to Vredendal. Julie observed that by not stopping them everybody was condoning their actions, and that everyone would be guilty if the two men caused a motor-vehicle collision. She said "What if one of your family is riding on the road they are traveling tonight?" Off course, nobody wanted to cause an unpleasantness. But Julie is a principled lady and she confronted the men and said they should not be driving in that state. The men claimed to be sober (a sure sign they were not). Julie said then that it's OK, she is phoning the police to intercept them in Vredendal, and if they are sober they have nothing to worry about. Naturally there was little she could do to stop them, so they left (when they eventually got to the car and got it going). I was outside and I must say they looked rather flooded to me too. I heard Julie tell Charles that she saw Geoff was stressed and uncomfortable after the days events, and the conflict wasn't helping, so she backed off. ==Day 3: Jurg-se-kaya, Lutzville, DoringBaai, Elandsbaai, Vlakvarkgat, home== A tough life: on the West Coast Dawn in paradise: (with bikes) Packing in Paradise The ladies opt for the backup vehicle for the first sandy bit. With Richaard injured, Sue-Marie is forced to join them. This means Nolene has to ride pillion with Geoff (my hero). He instructs the backup vehicle to ride ahead of him so that he can follow in its tracks. At the first stop after the sand, we find we have a casualty and my hero shows everybody how to repair a tyre in the field. Puncture Repair: (the first of 3) We pass a vlei full of flamingos. A stunning sight. Tyre Still Holding Out? Caravan Geoff and Nolene: Click this image Geoff, and you will get a big version of it A Break ===My Birth Moment=== Well, Charles and I had been waiting for this moment. First, my clock goes to five nines... Five Nines ...then it is my birthday and everybody wants to be in the picture... Birth Kilometer Julie at the party Charles is proud Notice Toni and Tracy arriving for the party in the background - and then we discover that Toni has a puncture... Toni Puncture Party By now the mis-adventures are piling up so that it becomes business as usual. The ladies all took the chance to come around and wish me... Girlfriends The tyre goo did not work, and neither did the electric pump, so the quickest solution was to relegate the Yammie XT650 to the trailer along with the Kawa KLR650, and put Toni and Tracy in the backup vehicle. Adventure Club on the Trailer I'll say one thing for the Adventure Club - they certainly turned this trip into one. With a third of the Adventure Club bikes out of action, us BMs started worrying that maybe we had not been friendly enough or we had played a bit too rough... ===Lunch at Doring Baai=== The excitement was over after my birthkay, and the roads became quite rideable. Julie and Charles had done really well, and eventually they event got too tired to stand in the sandy bits, and would sail through sitting. Charles even got too tired to avoid the sand and just rode straight through. Personally, I have no problem with sand - it seems to be Charles who looks down, slows down, then goes down... Anyway, there's a lovely seafood eatery in Doring Baai that does a mean platter, and the group had lunch there. At least this time they got to see the scenery as there was no mist. Richaard, Colin, Sue-Marie, Klaas On the foredeck: Adri, Phillip, Nolene, Martin, Geoff, Richaard/Sue-Marie Together: Gunther and Laura with a brutish-looking GSA1200 Great Company: Laura, Colin, Charles, Tracy, Clive, Adri Saam: Sue-Marie and Richaard Pillions Paying ===The Last Stretch=== After lunch it is a long ride back. Elandsbay stands out as being exquisitely beautiful, but we only pass through. The end of the tour is at Vlakvarkgat - a boerewors-curtain drinking-hole that was in the throes of a braai competition. We did not stay long - just long enough to transfer Charles and Julie's rather large bag from the backup vehicle to Clive's wife's vehicle so that they could collect it from Constantia later that evening. The worst part is the dreaded R27 at the end of a weekend. Traffic was intense, and the road is spectacularly unspectacular. In an interesting incident, a car overtook us '''on the left'''. Normally Charles passes vigorously on the right, but a snarlup ahead and oncoming cars made him stay in the middle of the lane, about a car's-length behind the car in front. Suddenly, a car drove past in the yellow line, and squeezed in between Charles and the car in front! It was close. The driver was obviously drunk. At the next snarlup we lanesplit the idiot out of sight ;-). ==Would you Do it Again?== With the Adventure Club? Absolutely. The other bikes were great to talk to, and their owners weren't half bad either. I overheard Charles and Julie discussing their son Matthew getting perhaps a KLR and joining the Adventure Club. These guys seemed to be very similar to the BMW club (except they drank less ;-). Not to mention the adventure they provided! ''Till next time...''