The chronicle: a preamble.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

IDR

Grey Hound
Administrator
Joined
May 24, 2006
Messages
9,365
Reaction score
297
Location
Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
Dear whomever it may concern,

My name is IDR.  I'm an 80's baby - '81, in fact - and I am sure that I don't need to remind anyone that the best people are born in February.  Math, in general, is hard, but even a South African Apartheid education should be sufficient for you to deduce that I will be turning 34 in approximately 3 months. I am a 2nd generation South African male (96kg right now) of Dutch origin (1.9m) and I am rather enthusiastic about anything and everything related to motorcycling. 

There are, of course, a myriad of advantages to being tall, as I am sure any vertically challenged person will attest - aside from all the hilarious short jokes.  Our very own Dwerg, here on this forum, has to do a pretty fine little dance to mount anything higher than a Shetland pony.  For reference:

Shetland_Pony_Grand_National%2C_Somerley_Park_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1143202.jpg

Aren't they just the cutest...

However, this doesn't stop anyone from doing amazing things on tall bikes.  Again, for reference:


The one on the right, in case you were wondering (click for further information)

Right.  So I should probably start ambling on towards some point.

I have been riding motorcycles for approximately a lot of my life and, regularly, as in practically daily, for at least the last half.  I was blessed with opportunity by a fortunate change of jobs by my old man when I was 6 years old.  I remember lying in bed drooling (nothing more) over all the colourful Kawasaki pamphlets that he used to bring home for me.  I literally grew up around bikes and the industry, and with no small amount of favour either - how fortunate is that?  But... that same old man is now retiring - more about that later.

So in any case, a not insignificant amount of bikes (and one solitary car) later, I don't think I'm entirely useless on a bike.  I'm quite good at keeping it the right way up (mostly), but I'm most definitely not good at doing anything impressive at any turn of speed.  Really just your average nice, responsible (mostly), gentleman motorcyclist.

I also fear that, at my age, my generally over-active self-preservation and injury avoidance preference is starting to turn IDR into a bit of a dull boy.  Recently, some fairly major life changes have also been dealt with and I'm looking forward to a bright and exciting future full of promise.  In other words, it seems that I might be going through a bit of an early mid-life crisis! 

Hur-rah!

So - on to the actual point!  Drawing inspiration from my incredibly talented, ambitious and capable close friends, as well as all other competitors of the Amageza (and maybe just a little bit of hype after last week), I would like to start setting my sights on competing.  It will most probably not be 2015.  Realistically speaking the cashflow will most probably simply not allow it.  If things take a favourable turn perhaps I would reconsider, but let's be honest, this is not a financial decision that should be taken recklessly.

There is a plan however.  It goes as follows - on a very broad, high-level overview type level:
  • 1) Buy motorcycle
  • 2) Modify motorcycle
  • 3) Learn how to ride good
  • 4) Finish Amageza Rallye
  • 5) ...
  • 6) Profit!

Now, as a salaried drone with a shady history of financial decisions this is, to say the least, quite ambitious.  There will probably have to be some transfers of ownership doing the rounds, and quite a bit of slightly used gadgets (one lady owner) placed in the for sale section.  But the direction has been chosen, and the plan laid out.  Onwards!

As I'm sure you all know, step 1 is the easiest part of the whole plan... especially when you know what the sole purpose of said motorcycle will be, namely Rallye... or is it?  There are still a couple of really hard decisions to be made.

The video below makes the hair on the back of my neck stand just a little on end, and the family jewels tighten ever so slightly:
[flash=640,480]https://www.youtube.com/v/yhWR5jjGzfM[/flash]

I currently own a KLR (the only bike of it's sort available to me at my time of buying) and, with all the very expensive modifications I have applied to make it more off-road worthy, does not come even remotely close to this.  Yes, it is extremely reliable and capable, it packs like a donkey and has taken me to all kinds of beautiful places, but it has one major downfall, and this it lacks in spades - the tightening of the family jewels department.  It is far, far removed from anything even remotely resembling exciting.  I realise that boring, reliable and capable are perhaps qualities that you would want in an endurance-type event - there was even a KLR among the finishers of the Amageza this year (well done Cracker!), but I want to shift focus a little.

First, a little detour, and this might seem slightly familiar...

The Fish River Canyon.  It's quite the hike, and I can not recommend it enough to anyone that likes to sleep under the stars.  Look, it's tough, literally not just a walk in the park, but the main attraction of it to me is the solitude.  You can be a group of 20 people, but you will never feel as alone as you do in that canyon.  There is absolutely nothing - no pollution of any sort (smog, radiation, noise) and you have but the river and what you can carry to make it down the 80-odd km over 5 days.  That is all you have to do - eat, sleep and put one foot in front of the other.  It pushes you down a little on Maslow's pyramid:

maslow.gif

Fish River Canyon - Maslow rating: 2 out of 5

I expect pursuing the same on the back of a motorcycle will be slightly harder - you can cover vastly more distance over time and the world is just not big enough to be able to find solitude for 5 days (nevermind that pesky fuel requirement), but I do think that some solitude can be attained - even when trying to find it in a group of riders.  I like the minimalist idea - and I expect it is a reflection on our society today that human beings (or at least this human being) needs to put in significant effort to "get away from it all" - to knock yourself down Maslow's pyramid by a couple of notches every now and again to gain some perspective.  I think even the Amageza is similar, in fact possibly even more so, since you are without a doubt encroaching on the need for safety!

OK, but back on track... The KLR, faithful servant that it has been, must make way for something that will be:
  • Family jewel tightening
  • Capable of finding solitude (i.e. minimalist, technical touring a-la sidetrack and cronies)
  • Easily modifiable to:
    • complete a 5-day rallye
    • compete in a hare scramble or similar
    • possibly commute 9 km every now and again (SM anyone??)
    • reliably do said minimalist trips

After much reading and much drooling and much research on bling, I have come to a decision.. more or less. 

My old man is retiring, and thus the 25-year old mantle of oppression that is the KMSA brand restriction* is lifted, to suit the requirements as set out above, there will finally be an orange beast in the garage (soon!).

But I leave you with a question...  Considering the above:

KTM 500 XC-W OR
KTM 450 XC-W​
500_XC-W_90Grad.jpg
450_XC-W_le_front.jpg

*  Really, really not oppressive!!!

PS: Thanks for reading

 
Top