NIMMO
Race Dog
A RR about, fuel, flats, friends, fish, and the fine
Waver: Alone I tend to take photos with the bike sooooooooo no low blows, I was lonesome… :deal:
I originally wanted to attend the EC Bash again as it was such a AWESOME bash (thanks Jupiter :thumleft
, however my schedule looked like it might interfere with the date so at short notice I started thinking about attending the WC Bash. I only decided on this 4 days after payments were due, however a call to Riebeeker and all was arranged – Man I love WD’s
I have done a trip through Sutherland up to Calvinia before (meaning N/S) but never from Colesberg (E/W). Looking at the map it became apparent it was not going to be a straight route. All the roads leading to Lamberts Bay run N/S. I would need to zig zag all over the place to make it there and back.atch:
FYI 2011 BASH: https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=81038.220
With some advice from ChrisL I started planning my route, my main concern however was fuel.
The HP’s range was 18.5L with the Markus and the fuel points were FAR apart.
I was looking forward to this trip – the only drawback was the area would be desolate and I was on my own as I could not get someone to ride with me. :-\
I left Thursday morning just after 08H00. Due to time constraints tar all the way to Beaufort West. It was the start of the long weekend and I was expecting speed traps to be the order of the day, however between Colesberg and B/West I counted 9 traps excluding the static cams. It has become money making racket now…
Riding to B/West it was cold enough for me to zip some vents close.
In B/West I filled up the HP and my stomach and set off. Just past the Karoo National Park I turned right for Fraserburg. This road runs all along the National Park border.
Less than 4km in the first steenbok ran into the road in front of me. Not good… Seemed like the area had not seen much rain and hence the animals would be feeding in the “gange”, I would have to be careful.
The road to Fraserburg was a hidden gem I tell you ;D - every now and then a small ‘driffie’ and a cutting and then eventually it opened up into a HIGHWAY. It leaned itself to some nice fast road sections.
Arriving in Fraserburg I could not believe my eyes – it was a CLEAN little town, coming from Colesberg and knowing how municipalities are run these days in small towns it was an eye opener. Give credit where credit’s due – Well done!!! :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft:
I filled up again and headed off to Sutherland via the R356. By now it was getting warm…
This too was a superb gravel road; I saw the observatory from at least 60km away.
As the turn off was on the R356 I decided that I made good time and it gave me a chance to ride up to the mountain to go have a look from atop. :ricky:
I made it to Highlander’s place (Jupiter) probably around 16H00, had a nice shower and went walking through Sutherland.
You could not believe the main street madness at the start of the long weekend. :imaposer:
Pondering this I thought of fellow dogs sitting in traffic in larger cities – life was good… :biggrin:
Theo has a very nice clean place and the HP was stored in his huge event hall for the night.
I had a GIGANTIC sparerib :drif: and while working my way through it Theo offered to organize me fuel for my return on Sunday and that I would stay there again Sunday night. I hit the bed early
Friday morning
I set off to Middelpos probably just before eight thinking most guinea fowl would by now have left telephone lines and roadsides. It was a perfect morning, somewhat cool but thinking to myself I would much rather zip up than be grilled.
Arriving in Middelpos I had to look up Hannes to fill up. I filled everything to the brim and also filled 2 * 1.5L bottles as emergency fuel.
Standing there looking at the 3L strapped to my luggage I could not but help see the irony in the fact that just below the seat was the “Markus” tank ordered from Germany and costing about R7000 holding 7.5L. :bueller:eepwall:
The 2 1.5L bottles cost me R6 from Hannes at the shop – What a joke… :laughing4:
Anyhow I had plenty of time to ponder this on my way today, I left direction W heading for Gannagapas.
The roads were dead quite. The view from the pass was beautiful.
Somehow I got my directions wrong and plotted a small road turning off the road leading from the pass towards the west. I soon realized this was not the right road and doubled back and made a bit of a roundabout to join up with my next way point. I just hoped this would not come and bite me in the ass as far as fuel was concerned later on. :'( :xxbah:
The roads nice and fast and you could see far ahead. Not long after joining up with the R355 I took a sub road to the R364, which joins up just before Botterkloof pass.
Here I decided not to make for Nieuwoudtville and fill up but to chance it to Clanwilliam…
Steadily but surely fuel was becoming an issue. In the Botterkloof pass a friendly young blond waved me down – she had a flat and the spare was stuck. I stopped and quickly helped her.
:biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:
Here comes the ringer – in 2011 while refueling in Sutherland a bakkie drove into Sutherland and had a flat as well. Louwtjie and Mapsource offered to help the innocent young lady back then, when we asked where she was heading she said Calvinia she was a medical student… When I asked ‘my’ blonde where she was heading – to Calvinia she is a medical student…. :spitcoffee: :laughing4:
2 Trips 3 years apart and the same answer what is the chance?
Any case I pressed on and made Clanwilliam with 7km range left. :sip:
By now it was scorching hot. I filled up and headed towards Lamberts Bay. After going downhill and up the other side a traffic cop pulled me off. I thought would be a regular inspection but nooooo speeding. At the bottom section was a camera and I was welcome to “go have a look”… I just accepted the reading and asked him to hurry up I was “haastig”… Also R150 for 137km/h was a bargain. ;D
I made Lamberts Bay and pressed on to the camp site
Waver: Alone I tend to take photos with the bike sooooooooo no low blows, I was lonesome… :deal:
I originally wanted to attend the EC Bash again as it was such a AWESOME bash (thanks Jupiter :thumleft
, however my schedule looked like it might interfere with the date so at short notice I started thinking about attending the WC Bash. I only decided on this 4 days after payments were due, however a call to Riebeeker and all was arranged – Man I love WD’sI have done a trip through Sutherland up to Calvinia before (meaning N/S) but never from Colesberg (E/W). Looking at the map it became apparent it was not going to be a straight route. All the roads leading to Lamberts Bay run N/S. I would need to zig zag all over the place to make it there and back.
atch:FYI 2011 BASH: https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=81038.220
With some advice from ChrisL I started planning my route, my main concern however was fuel.
The HP’s range was 18.5L with the Markus and the fuel points were FAR apart.
I was looking forward to this trip – the only drawback was the area would be desolate and I was on my own as I could not get someone to ride with me. :-\
I left Thursday morning just after 08H00. Due to time constraints tar all the way to Beaufort West. It was the start of the long weekend and I was expecting speed traps to be the order of the day, however between Colesberg and B/West I counted 9 traps excluding the static cams
. It has become money making racket now… Riding to B/West it was cold enough for me to zip some vents close.
In B/West I filled up the HP and my stomach and set off. Just past the Karoo National Park I turned right for Fraserburg. This road runs all along the National Park border.
Less than 4km in the first steenbok ran into the road in front of me. Not good… Seemed like the area had not seen much rain and hence the animals would be feeding in the “gange”, I would have to be careful.
The road to Fraserburg was a hidden gem I tell you ;D - every now and then a small ‘driffie’ and a cutting and then eventually it opened up into a HIGHWAY. It leaned itself to some nice fast road sections.
Arriving in Fraserburg I could not believe my eyes – it was a CLEAN little town, coming from Colesberg and knowing how municipalities are run these days in small towns it was an eye opener. Give credit where credit’s due – Well done!!! :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft:
I filled up again and headed off to Sutherland via the R356. By now it was getting warm…
This too was a superb gravel road; I saw the observatory from at least 60km away.
As the turn off was on the R356 I decided that I made good time and it gave me a chance to ride up to the mountain to go have a look from atop. :ricky:
I made it to Highlander’s place (Jupiter) probably around 16H00, had a nice shower and went walking through Sutherland.
You could not believe the main street madness at the start of the long weekend. :imaposer:
Pondering this I thought of fellow dogs sitting in traffic in larger cities – life was good… :biggrin:
Theo has a very nice clean place and the HP was stored in his huge event hall for the night.
I had a GIGANTIC sparerib :drif: and while working my way through it Theo offered to organize me fuel for my return on Sunday and that I would stay there again Sunday night. I hit the bed early
Friday morning
I set off to Middelpos probably just before eight thinking most guinea fowl would by now have left telephone lines and roadsides. It was a perfect morning, somewhat cool but thinking to myself I would much rather zip up than be grilled.
Arriving in Middelpos I had to look up Hannes to fill up. I filled everything to the brim and also filled 2 * 1.5L bottles as emergency fuel.
Standing there looking at the 3L strapped to my luggage I could not but help see the irony in the fact that just below the seat was the “Markus” tank ordered from Germany and costing about R7000 holding 7.5L. :bueller:
eepwall:The 2 1.5L bottles cost me R6 from Hannes at the shop – What a joke… :laughing4:
Anyhow I had plenty of time to ponder this on my way today, I left direction W heading for Gannagapas.
The roads were dead quite. The view from the pass was beautiful.
Somehow I got my directions wrong and plotted a small road turning off the road leading from the pass towards the west. I soon realized this was not the right road and doubled back and made a bit of a roundabout to join up with my next way point. I just hoped this would not come and bite me in the ass as far as fuel was concerned later on. :'( :xxbah:
The roads nice and fast and you could see far ahead. Not long after joining up with the R355 I took a sub road to the R364, which joins up just before Botterkloof pass.
Here I decided not to make for Nieuwoudtville and fill up but to chance it to Clanwilliam…
Steadily but surely fuel was becoming an issue. In the Botterkloof pass a friendly young blond waved me down – she had a flat and the spare was stuck. I stopped and quickly helped her.
:biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:
Here comes the ringer – in 2011 while refueling in Sutherland a bakkie drove into Sutherland and had a flat as well. Louwtjie and Mapsource offered to help the innocent young lady back then, when we asked where she was heading she said Calvinia she was a medical student… When I asked ‘my’ blonde where she was heading – to Calvinia she is a medical student…. :spitcoffee: :laughing4:
2 Trips 3 years apart and the same answer what is the chance?
Any case I pressed on and made Clanwilliam with 7km range left. :sip:
By now it was scorching hot. I filled up and headed towards Lamberts Bay. After going downhill and up the other side a traffic cop pulled me off. I thought would be a regular inspection but nooooo speeding. At the bottom section was a camera and I was welcome to “go have a look”… I just accepted the reading and asked him to hurry up I was “haastig”… Also R150 for 137km/h was a bargain. ;D
I made Lamberts Bay and pressed on to the camp site
