Molopo Kalahari Puncture bash

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schalk vd merwe

Race Dog
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
2,636
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Location
Johannesburg
Bike
Yamaha XT660
6 puncture and plenty of pumping
Hi all we left early on Thursday from Kilroy’s house. The group consisted of Jacquedup and his wife Riana on an Africa twin and myself on a XT660R and then the following Rebel dogs.
1 Orangeswifty  950SE
2 Anorexia  990 Adv
3 Subie  XT660R
4 Smokes  990R  
5 Bushtrotter  990 Adv
6 Hondsekierie  950 SE
7 Minxy - 950SE
8 Kevin ZA  950 SE

Hanno - Backup vehicle driver
Kilroy-also backup
Just past Harties I got my first puncture. My first victims to help change the tube was Jacquedup and Riana. As we took off the rear wheel we found a nail slap bang in the middle of the tyre. The tube was duly changed and we used the Africa twin’s side stand to brake the beat. We pumped the tyre to 2 bar. About 40 k’s from Zeerust on a dirt road I felt my bike bottoming out on some bad rocks in a drift. I past Smokie, Minxy and Hondsekierie who was having a wee next to the road little knowing that they will be my 2nd group of victims. 2 Km further I felt the bike would not handle and puncture no 2 appeared. The side wall of my fairly new Continental knobblie had a cut in. My second group of victims arrived and Smokie and Hondsekierrie helped me to brake the beat as they both had the weight advantage. I had to bum a rear 18 inch tube (my wheel is 17 inch) from Smokie as the first tube was still disabled. As I reached Zeerust I first went to look for some tubes at a hardware store and found some cheap (R250-00) Chinese tubes there. I bought a 18 for Smokie and a 17 for myself just a backup. I arrived at Tallies bush lodge Pup and Grill just as the rest of the group finished their lunch. I told them to go ahead so long as I did not want to hold them up any more. From there I travelled through Mafeking and after 45 KM turned right on the R375 which is a 200km sand road to Bray. The first 105 km went well until flat tyre no 3 appeared. I jumped a fence and walked 2 km to a farm house and back with my riding boots to see if I could find a compressor but the house was locked up. I went back to the road and started to take the rear wheel off. It was nearly sun set by now and a farmer in his old Ford Bakkie +/- 1965 came past. He became victim no 3. He invited me to his farm and we went to his workshop and took the tube out. The tube was rubbed through on the side where the side wall damage was. The old farmer put some wooden spacers between the rim and the tyre in order for us to put a gaiter over the side wall cut and we also fitted the “cheap” Zeerust tube but I never realized what happened. Anyway we pumped the rear wheel and the farmer asked his son to take me back to the R 375. By now it was dark and with torch light and a little bit of perseverance we fitted the rear wheel. With 85 km to go and being the eternal optimist I thought just another hour to go and I will be united with my mates at Bray. Hardly 5 km on the sandy road and flat no. 4 made its appearance. I then thought no ways could I phone the helpful farmer again. So I phoned Bushtrotter, Hi budy I am 80 km something from camp can you help ? Sure he said but first they have to change a tyre on the back up vehicle as well. Buy now my cell phone battery indicated that it was going to call it a day. I just managed to sms my coordinates through to Bushtrotter when my cell went off. Now it was myself and the cry of the black back Jackal. Eventually the 8 degree temperature got to me and I started my bike and sat with my back against the engine for warm and comfort while watching the stars and looking at solutes that look like hyenas running down the road. At about 10.30 pm Bushtrotter and Franna arrived. We loaded my bike and after we left I could see the manne was lekker gekyer. Bushtrotter had to keep Franna awake by talking to him all the time. Well with many a Koedoe jumping in front of us we made it alive to Bray by midnight. The next morning there was no time to fix puncture no 4. I left the bike on the trailer and instead took a lift in the back up vehicle with Kilroy and Hanno. All the way to Molopo lodge Kilroy and myself got a course on sexual education from Hanno and I must say at 64 years of age I learned a lot for one days tutoring. We arrived at Molopo Lodge in good time and it was party time that night. The next day my victim no 1 offered to help me fix puncture no 4. Great was my amazement when we took out the tube and found a piece of wood inside the tyre. The wood was the same piece that the farmer used as spacers the previous night. I decided to rather ride home by tar with Jacquedup and Riana seeing that I have such good luck this weekend. So Sunday at 7 am we left early. All went well and we met up with the other dogs at Vryburg. Braai was the order of the night and the Monday  morning Jacquedup and Riana and I got going just after 7 am. About 20 km past Vryburg my back wheel said hoesit my China and puncture no 5 brought me to a standstill. Being the experts that we now have become my victim no 1 no. 4 and no 5 and I just took off the wheel ripped out the tube, patch the tube no 1as we are by now out of stock of any local or Japanese or Chinese virgin tubes. Kilroy and Hanno stopped by briefly but they could see that we are experts by now and carried on. Then we were on the road again until 100 km before Klerksdorp when puncher no 6 appeared. Stuff you man and Jacquedup thought it a good idea that we just pump it every time. So every 10 km we stopped pumped the tyre, I then would go 140kmh until the handling would get out of hand and stop pump and so we made it to Speed bike in Klerksdorp where puncture no 6 was sorted with a brand new tube and it brought me home no sweat. So I think the morel of the story is the Wilddog bash does not like me as last year a bush buck fractured my leg 18 km before the Transkei bash and I had to spend a week in hospital. So who is worried about the morel of the story, see you at next year’s bash. Many thanks to all who helped me over the weekend and I still enjoyed the ride.
 

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