Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

Another great trip to the West Coast with Geoff and Noelene, and Anna Marie and Neels our calm and dependable back-up/ and sadly sometimes,ambulance team. Jurg se Kaya; West Coast West Coast Riding...........Sand!!! West Coast For me it was my 2nd, with Charles and Jacques who were along with me on the first,it brought back good memories and the best was to see how much our sand riding had improved,( there was much scope for improvement) So on to the trip and skinner. Well perhaps at the pre-trip briefing at Geoff's home, a pre-cursor to the trip, a tone was latched upon when Geoff warned us NOT to try to out drink Jurg, and said THIS is NOT A CHALLENGE but a WARNING!!! and also warned....keep clear headed as the sand is serious, a fair few have gone to hospital through the sand.Keep calm this is not a race,enjoy it, don't push it!!! WELL some turned the evening into a pre Jurg drinking practice session, Geoff eventually went to bed and Noelene saw/PUSHED them out! Next was the kit drop-off....this SHOCKED Geoff,he had asked us to travel light( only 2x nights)....Well the kit volume suggested a bunch of Metro-sexuals were going away for a few weeks!!!!!!!!NEVER EVER has the bakkie been so full..... the October trip they will pay by weight/volume!!!!:-)Ladies You can NEVER out-do this bunch!!If any man EVER makes a comment, send them to this post!!!!! Thursday evening only 2x more sleeps and I feel the onset of FLU....:-( Thurs/ Friday some of the gents start a new competition... who can send the most detailed and elaborate weather e-mail,....don't they work or ride?? Going by the kit possibly more concerned with facials and their threads(clothes in this case)!!!!!:-)Logos nice and spruce, eh Charles??:-) The group is gathering Saturday morning arrives :-)...We meet at the N7 Engen Wimpy at 0645 for a 0720 departure, some do breakfast others coffee only. Warm inside: 48hrs later Corné was to be very much paler,and Jurg fine. A pre-departure briefing then we're off into a most GLORIOUS sunrise!What a start. The road out Riding into the sunrise Tar to Morreesburg where we drop tyre pressures, as dirt from now on. The past few days rain has made the going good, little to no dust and firm underfoot. We are riding through the area between Velddrif and Pieketberg, heading up to Clanwilliam. Charles's Damascus... my camera!!! NOW at our first regroup stop Charles realizes his camera is still at the Wimpy a few calls later he is heading back to fetch it as they have found it and are keeping it for him:-).... he and Phillip, his son and pillion, will tar it to our lunch stop in Vanrynsdorp. On-Route to Graafwater 1 On-Route to Graafwater 2 On-Route to Graafwater 3 Heading to Trawal We meanwhile head up to +- Graafwater then to Clanwilliam to fill-up, ten out the back to ride via De Brug to Trawal, then tar to Klawer and into Vanrynsdorp for lunch. Drying Rooibos tea 1: The tea was been spread out by a tractor on the slab enclosed by shade cloth. Drying Rooibos tea 2 A bridge near Trawal The area Moorreesburg to Clanwilliam was a wonderful ride...beautiful! Now this is S L O W FOOD area so the rule is... Go to the Restaurant and order, go fill-up with petrol, go purchase any drinks you want for the weekend and then get yourself a cold-drink or whatever and then your food should be almost ready,....and so it was!:-) Here a warning was seen... in a warm-headed moment a gent tried to wheelie away from the garage and had a close call with a car coming from his right, the view of it was obscured by a bakkie which was parked.Oops! After lunch onwards, tar via Nuwerus and Bitterfontein where we refueled. Now as we were departing Neels spotted a rucksac lying were some had been parked, as it could be a local's I suggested we open and check.... a camera and an orange Lookwell branded rain jacket...AH!!! me mate Charlie, that maverick,free-spirited,lifestyle loving, closet branded gear, mate is forgetting his things AGAIN, so Neels loaded it into the last gap in the full back -up vehicle.Having his son Matt riding Brenda, and the other Phillip, as pillion seems a bit much for his head. So we are now heading for the coast and who goes by heading for Bitterfontein but, "I have remembered" Charles... Neels stopped him:-) So forwards via Witklip, Rietpoort,Biesiesfontein,Kruisvlei,Kotzesrus to BrakriverMond where we regroup before THE SAND section to Jurg se Kaya. Re-grouping near Kotzesrus to ride the section to Brakrivier mond The first evening at Jurg se Kaya looking towards the sea. The last section for Day 1 was the +- 4Km stretch to Jurg se Kaya(J s K) Here Geoff split the ride, sending Phillip H with the more experienced first, then those with pillions, then the least experienced following the back-up vehicle. Well, the Sandstone Cowboys revved their bikes and were off, Jacques L and I hung back, this could go well or ......... I wanted a quiet enjoyable ride, no racing, in that sand, one can loose big time and "Moré is nog n' dag". Jacques L went, and I followed after a wait, catching up to him, as he had had a small off, gave some help, and waited as he moved off, caught up again and he then said I should pass, which I did loosing my rear on departure up then was away for a nice ride, but almost lost it at a fork in the road, by hesitating for a moment, a calm ride thereafter. J L followed in soon after and then the others, including Gisela who rode well, giving it a good try! Perhaps the elation set some off, because a late party for some ensued. Dinner was a mutton soup:-) !!!and a braai with pasta and GARLIC bread, the flu has some benefits!!!:-)I could not smell a thing. Now, some free drinks were given: Charles was invited for a few to assist his memory, as was Phillip his son. Clayton..THE Metro Bag Man, was given a large one, for winning with the Supa- Size- Me bag,its contents included, amongst other things an Espresso Machine....I KID YOU NOT!!!!! Now who received an espresso/cuppachino in bed...(bed is a mattress on sand)..... Geoff did you????Those who did kindly post, I wish to see the scope of the generosity.:-) As the flu was hitting me, and my R ear aching,I retired to my tent early, having a good nights rest.Some of the others caused JsK to be renamed...The Woodcutters Cottage.....this ABOVE the sound of the Surf...20 m away!!!! Sunday morning dawned,high mist with the promise of a warm day. Early hot shower, some coffee and rusks, others had weetbix or some other cardboard:-), kit-up, ready for the ride and a +- 0815 departure. The night before Geoff had pleaded/ warned for bottle restraint and reiterated care / not a race, same again at pre-departure briefing. The plan was for same departure order as last night....cowboys first then the rest,and regroup at Brakriviermond.(B-R M) This is another shot of the type of sand ridden in That was the plan now for the reality... rev rev...and away,I held back,then left. Riding alone I came across Johan dJ ,taking a rest with ???, asked if okay and I moved on, a bit later I was passed( I was doing +- 40kmh). My passer (not JdJ) then proceeded to give me a marvellous private gymnastic display, worthy of You-tube........... A wiggle of the rear, an airborne 270° pirouette of the bike with a slam-down worthy of a wrestler.His moves were not of the same high standard , deserving only a 2/10, his fingertips were not pointed, nor his toes, and very poor symmetry displayed.:-)I continued closer then stopped to assist...he was okay (thankfully),paddled his bike back to me then paddled forward,through the stage area, and was up and away...I refrained form asking for a repeat ...."as my camera was packed away" This was a many thousand rand display by....as his front headlight amongst other things broke. [I'm sure he thinks I'm bad karma,as the next day he followed me through a muddy section....2x pools of water in a figure 8, the LHS being larger. I cut through at the intersection...at speed with a VERTICAL bike, he hit the larger slightly leaned over.......and well..washed himself and his bike!!!:-) Geoff did say to bring a LARGE dose of good humor,200/10 for that, as this he did!!!:-)] Whilst waiting at B-R-M,news came of JdJ's off and possible broken ribs, Ruan and Rusty ferried news and a pillion or 2 to us, whilst our back-up took Johan to hospital.Geoff arrived to tell us...No back-up...No Groenrivier,so a different ride to Garies.....this turned out to be a BEAUT!!!!:-) On route to Garies The Garies lunch procedure the same...order,go refuel,back for colddrink etc.Now they have a MOST unique culinary operation...everything is hand crafted.Make....C-burger with chips.... make another C-burger and chips make 1x chips....make another chips .....make extra egg for steak...this is delivered, if fortune is on your side, whilst you are still busy with your steak!!!:-)possibly something lost in translation....SLOW FOOD???:-) Charles didn't forget anything this time, and Ruan entertained the locals with wheelies up and down the main street. The ride back to J se K had yet another twist a X-Challenge's battery?? played up so it was towed, by Rusty +- 80km to B-R-Mond and put on the trailer for the last section. The ride into J se Kaya was quieter, I rode in behind Charles with son Phillip as pillion, great to watch how well, they rode.I, feeling good after a good ride went and re-rode the section back to B-R-Mond then back to J se Kaya. Again a GRAND MEAL with Gluwein to start the evening, Corné as assistant chef made....?????, it was good though.Another fine evening. Some of the group tried to drink with Jurg....Corné was a frail, pale male the next morning and Jurg....fine!!!:-)as jy nie wil luister dan moet jy voel!:-) Monday morning dawned with some mist (this served later to make riding more difficult). The group was subdued, Corné, however was still spirited:-)....suggestions to him of the subtle aromas of the long-drop, made him pale:-) The plan after thanks and goodbyes to Jurg, was to ride to, and regroup at, the salt pans,and then ride on to Lutzville for refuel,...to Doring baai for a buffet seafood lunch.The buffett was Geoff's sneaky plan to beat the slow fooders,...it worked!!!! The reality was: Robin Rathbone riding his mom's bike had an off. Robin's off unsettled the group somewhat. He thought his R Foot was broken, Daniel and I stayed with him till Geoff arrived on the scene, we then left for the salt pan. To speed matters Ruan and Rusty recovered the bike and the back-up was again off to the hospital...the Doc. on seeing Neels and Anna Marie again suggested we should all go home!!!:-) Russell and Gisela rode out from the salt pans to the hospital,and later they, and Neels and Anna Marie with Robin, met us at Doring Baai. Strip mining ? with a conveyer running L-R A Reclamation project ? More mining activity Another veiw of the last area Some of the group going through more....sand!: Chris closest to camera. The coastline Skaapvlei??? Approaching Lutzville 1 Approaching Lutzville 2 Approaching Lutzville 3 From then on a quiet ride to Velddrif for fuel then on to Vlakvark Gat for goodbyes. In Velddrif somewhere we lost Charles and Matthew....handover at a turn not properly given:-(....suppose that was his karma after all his forgetting!:-) My Thanks to ALL for another GREAT TRIP!!!! A special thanks to my flu for waiting until after the trip to rack my body!!:-) The group: Geoff and Noelene; Jacques and Marale; Russell,Gisela and Robin; Charles, Phillip and Matthew; Ruan and Marayka; Wayne and Joanne; Daniel; Corné; Vernon; Clayton; Jacques S;Johan d J; Phillip H; Chris and I with Neels and Anna Marie as back-up/911 and Jurg. Ladies and Gents, this is not ALL the skinner so please add to this thread, if any errors please feel free to contact me.