Thumpers; a triple and 3 midlife crises men through SA and Lesotho/China ...

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XRRX

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I’m starting this ride report on behalf of myself; Skolla and Baked Beans. They will add their own opinions/moments as we go on, and lots of pictures will follow…
I’m no priest or angel, but “praise the Lord” for being safely home – all of us!!

This is not about trying to convince you that this little story is the biggest accomplishment in biking the last 100yrs – no, neither can a amateur story or pictures really explain it – but, to me it was quite an experience, not necessarily in terms of biking, but more about life in general – especially in South Africa and Lesotho/ China B ….

It started off as an idea between me and Skolla to do a bit of riding this winter holiday  ::), while at the same time working in a visit to my elderly parents in Bethlehem, as well as a visit to his son in Richmond - Natal Midlands. A small “cheers” to GlenInk while passing Bastervoet was also on the cards  :(. The rest was left to the spur of the moment…  :eek7:

11 days later we’ve travelled 3275km through 5 provinces, as well as Lesotho and Transkei. We stayed 2 days/3 nights at both my parents and his son respectively, and did some local riding while there during the “off” days.
The bikes:
1. Triumph 800XC (10 500km after trip)
2. Suzuki DR650 (41200km after trip)
3. Honda XR650L (20 300km after trip)

Bike problems:
DR stripped front sprocket 20km from destination on Day 4, late at night…  :snorting:
Triumph had 3 punctures on rear tyre - none connected to each other.  :snorting: :snorting: :snorting:
So, actually all 3 bikes behaved impeccably – Baked Beans himself is to be blamed for the sprocket  >:D, but I won’t say anything, as I also held my breath for my XR’s 20000 hard km old chain and sprockets…  :-[

What was bad?
Dust....dust....dust....
Icy cold in places; rained dripping wet near Hogsback and then frozen up!!!
Icy stormy cross-winds for 100’s of kms from Hogsback to Jansenville…
Animals (especially goats); reckless local drivers  :patch:; road works; sewerage running down streets  :eek:; no logical system or pattern and severe poverty surrounding you for days on end!!

What was good?
We survived unscathed!
We probably saw some of the most beautiful places on earth!  :drif:
Camaraderie  :patch:!  Lots of laughs and partying around fires!  :lol8:

WE ARE FREE AND RODE OUR BIKES UNTILL IT HURT!!!

Here are just a few pics for tonight….
 

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