Author Topic: Horizons Unlimited UK 2006 meet (Read 2751 times)

Maverick · « **on:** June 25, 2006, 09:45:42 pm »

My morning yesterday started at 5:00 am trying to get organised to meet Chad at 6:30 on the M25/A127 junction. As you would expect things do go wrong such as my bike keys gone missing from the night before. After frantically searching every where eventually found them on the kitchen floor :roll:

Our trip towards Derby took us via the A1 and ermmmm a few interesting detours thanks to my amazing GPS reading capabalities, luckilly Chad decided to say something by the time we got close to Kings Lynn :shock: Fanus showed his complete trust in me getting us there by buying a proper map book

Here is some pics I took the weekend, Chad and Fanus checking the sexy lines of the new KTM 990 Adventure

Nick Plumb's 650 Dakar GS

Chad's very clean AT in a field :shock:

And my not so clean AT in the field

but wait there is more.....Faantjie's Transalp .....in the field

Nice R80GS Basic

Harley Davidson with rotax motor

The new 1200GS Adventurer is also very nice

Honda Valkerie is also good for touring....

There sure was more than enough space for camping with the extra field being opened

Who said you need a DS bike to see the world

Chad had to endure some South-African eating habits ranging from biltong, boerewors and good old rusks with his coffee

We sure had enough stove between the three of us!

Metal Mule panniers is really cool though expensive

Don't know how many beers we consumed yesterday but it was alot, amazingly got up this morning without a headache

Was good to meet up with old friends and again make new friends. If you need information about travelling the world do visit http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/

Welsh · « **Reply #1 on:** June 26, 2006, 07:56:54 am »

What, and it didn,t rain?
Nice pics Mav, some cool machines there, I hope to be sampling one or two of those beers soon.

Welshie

Can an atheist get insurance against acts of God?

funacide · « **Reply #2 on:** June 26, 2006, 08:01:59 am »

Real nice pics Mav, good to see some roadies out camping and seeing the country side....

Welsh · « **Reply #3 on:** June 26, 2006, 08:25:13 am »

Nice to see you had some biltong and rusks, we also had a get together, check out the skap and pap Mav, I think I can see you drooling already!

http://wilddogtours.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?p=21127#21127

Welshie

Maybe, just once, someone will call me "sir" without adding, "you're making a scene."

funacide · « **Reply #4 on:** June 26, 2006, 08:35:48 am »

One thing I do notice looking carefully at the pics is the many more options the UK boys have for luggage, there must be at least 10 different luggage types there, in SA we have probably only 3 or 4!!!

LuckyStriker · « **Reply #5 on:** June 26, 2006, 09:58:55 am »

Howzit Mav
Was it just camping or did you have lectures as well? Please tell more about the activities and interesting people.

I like this pic:

I think I might do my beemer up in them colours

Kev · « **Reply #6 on:** June 26, 2006, 10:16:18 am »

OUMA RUSKS!!!!!

You bugger... thats just being cruel!!

Maverick · « **Reply #7 on:** June 26, 2006, 10:33:40 am »

Quote from: "LuckyStriker"

Howzit Mav
Was it just camping or did you have lectures as well? Please tell more about the activities and interesting people.

There was lectures from the Thursday up untill yesterday afternoon. Guys who give presentations and show their films. Alot of variations from Chris Scott to girlies like Tiffany who's done and seen it! Grant and Susan who started Horizons also do their 3 hour talk about the basics of get up and go do your trip or if you don't have time do it over a couple of years in week stints.

What is facinating about this is these hard core travelers don't really give a shit about what they ride. It's merely a transport method to get them from A to B to see what they want to see - that's it. Over the whole weekend not once did I hear this bike is better than that or this can do that which the other can etc etc. The fact of the matter would be there was guys who's done the Sahara on Honda C90's and people travelling through South-America on roadbikes where some of us Dual Sport bikes will never have the privilige to be.

Simon and Georgie who went through India was there with their few month old baby as well, they are of the Sorebums Rattling through Asia fame. Just showed that kids, pets etc should not be an excuse not to travel and see things.

What I enjoyed most was meeting mates I have not seen in a year or two who's still the same guys just riding their bikes and getting on with it. Problem of course is sitting at work today you wonder what the hell am I doing here

I like this pic:

DO you feel LUCKY punk...do YA!

I think I might do my beemer up in them colours

Yeah man be different dude, thinking of respraying my AT in brilliant white without the Honda decalls

Maverick · « **Reply #8 on:** June 26, 2006, 10:35:49 am »

Quote from: "Welshman"

Nice to see you had some biltong and rusks, we also had a get together, check out the skap and pap Mav, I think I can see you drooling already!

He he yeah Welshie saw you guys having fun around the spit and a lekker skaap en pap mmmmmm. If it wasn't for the fact that we had a skaap spit three weekends ago down in Devon at a mate's b'day I would of been very jealous

PS. Yes it did rain on our way there Saturday morning and took the boys for a detour close to Kings Lynn on the east coast after my GPS threw a wobbly

This event was in Ripley, Derby which is the complete oposite way

Maverick · « **Reply #9 on:** June 26, 2006, 10:41:52 am »

Quote from: "funacide"

One thing I do notice looking carefully at the pics is the many more options the UK boys have for luggage, there must be at least 10 different luggage types there, in SA we have probably only 3 or 4!!!

Funacide there is a variety of stuff here even though you have to know about it and the only way is to go to travelling meets and see what the guys have on their bikes. Then it is ask ask ask, don't be afraid to ask where did you get this and how much.

Hard cases at the moment in the uk what I know of is

Metal Mule - Expensive but well made and the pannier system is easy and quick

Hepco Becker - I like their alu cases

Touratech which you guys should know well by now

Alpos Alu cases - Very good value for money

Then there is various soft luggage manufactures ranging from Ortlieb to Oxford stuff. When I bought my zega's did not know of any other alu cases around but it has served me well in 5 years.

Maverick · « **Reply #10 on:** June 26, 2006, 10:43:22 am »

Quote from: "Kev"

OUMA RUSKS!!!!!

You bugger... thats just being cruel!!

PM me your address and I will post you a box or two dude :thumbleft: They are so lekker I am actually sitting here posting whilst eating some karringmelk beskuit

Welsh · « **Reply #11 on:** June 26, 2006, 11:15:48 am »

Quote from: "Maverick"

This event was in Ripley, Derby which is the complete oposite way

Derby, that is Theakstons "Old Peculiar" country if my memory serves me well?

Welshie :oops:

Every time he opens his mouth he subtracts from the sum total of human wisdom. -TR

JourneyMan · « **Reply #12 on:** June 26, 2006, 11:44:59 am »

Lekker one!

Good to see all the different bikes. Nice pics there.

"Lucky Explorer" - Good one.

LS. You can do your white suit in the colours as well.

Kev · « **Reply #13 on:** June 26, 2006, 11:51:32 am »

Quote from: "Maverick"

Quote from: "Kev"
OUMA RUSKS!!!!!

You bugger... thats just being cruel!!

PM me your address and I will post you a box or two dude :thumbleft: They are so lekker I am actually sitting here posting whilst eating some karringmelk beskuit

Can you buy them in the UK? Karringmelk... hoe water my mond nou

Oh well, I had to do with a croissant with ham and cheese for breakfast today. Not quite the same thing... but acceptable.

droffarc · « **Reply #14 on:** June 26, 2006, 11:54:51 am »

As opposed to a rally like the Buffalo, Rhino etc etc Why do we not have something like this in our nek of the woods?

Looks to me like a lot of good camaraderie and good times with interesting people as opposed to drunken over-revving and just plain nonsense jolling like we have.

Maverick · « **Reply #15 on:** June 26, 2006, 12:17:25 pm »

Quote from: "Kev"

Can you buy them in the UK? Karringmelk... hoe water my mond nou

Ja boet there is more SA shops in the UK than you would find in the East Rand Mall. Anything you want...Peppermint Crips, Nik Naks, Beskuit, Klipdrift, Creamed Sweetcorn, Matabela, Romery Creams

Send me a list of things you haven't had in a while and will send you a few goodies dude

Quote from: "droffarc"

As opposed to a rally like the Buffalo, Rhino etc etc Why do we not have something like this in our nek of the woods?

Get a few guys together somewhere one year with a few laptops and powerpoint presentations telling about their trips and you will have a national event the next year dude. It only takes one guy with the balls to phone a camp site who has rooms to do the seminars in and the rest with follow. You think Touratech SA etc etc won't want to be part of something like this

Keep the entry fee's low and don't rip people off - pretty basic. The cost for the weekend was Ã?Â£30 which included 4 nights camping, t-shirt and stickers. You could take your own beer into all the seminars or buy it there, the same with food.

LuckyStriker · « **Reply #16 on:** June 26, 2006, 12:41:37 pm »

Actually Grant Johnson organised an HU meet at Golden Gate last year.
It was cancelled due to a slight problem between the two major sponsors.

It would have had a nice line-up too with some 10 international travellers sharing their tales

Leo · « **Reply #17 on:** June 26, 2006, 01:40:49 pm »

Thanks for the post Maverick. Lovely!

Hell those AT looks like they never saw a dust cloud in their lives!

I think one of us will pretty soon organize something similar here in SA.

We were talking about it on Sat, although maybe it was the Slangbyt talking, but anyhow I can remember discussing something similar.

Will confirm with Excalibur, as he normally stays sober, so I can get all the detail from him

Ufudo did something like this at Garieb dam, maybe 4 year's ago, so the know how is here, we must JUST DO IT!

Kev · « **Reply #18 on:** June 26, 2006, 01:53:55 pm »

Quote from: "Maverick"

Quote from: "Kev"

Can you buy them in the UK? Karringmelk... hoe water my mond nou

Ja boet there is more SA shops in the UK than you would find in the East Rand Mall. Anything you want...Peppermint Crips, Nik Naks, Beskuit, Klipdrift, Creamed Sweetcorn, Matabela, Romery Creams

Send me a list of things you haven't had in a while and will send you a few goodies dude

They do Mev. Balletjies Blatjan too?!! Mav, why the hell do you want to leave? It will soon be more South African than South Africa in England soon! (What a horrible bloody sentence) Anyways, when the lis is greater than the wil, I may take you up on that offer! Cheers matey!

Maverick · « **Reply #19 on:** June 26, 2006, 02:39:03 pm »

Quote from: "Kev"

They do Mev. Balletjies Blatjan too?!! Mav, why the hell do you want to leave?

Jip they do Mevrou Ballas Chatny even at Sainsbury's supermarkets here now

Why do I want to leave you ask, hey my china have you checked how kak the weather is here :shock: That is one small factor but the other is certainly the amount we miss our parents and family back home.

It's like having all the money in the world and a sickness that no money can cure

These events at least give you some new perspective and dreams to get through the next couple of months again irregardless of the circumstances. We love to travel and certainly the right side of the world to do it from. There is loads of people heading down your way for the Stella Alpina rally dude, will do that next year for sure