Old Lady and the Purple Hooligan

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Ri

Grey Hound
WD Supporter
Joined
Jul 4, 2014
Messages
5,476
Reaction score
983
Location
Somerset West
Bike
Suzuki DR650
Credits
The Lord, for a mostly trouble-free journey and some truly astounding rescues.

Kodgehopper + Tracks4Africa for a phenomenal road and gravel trip

Background
So after one riding lesson and a lot of research, in January 2015 I bought a Suzuki DR650 with a long range tank, dropped the suspension, and covered the seat in purple. I also fitted a windscreen, which turned out to be unsuitable for off-road riding or, more accurately, off-road falling.

Everyone said I should start with a smaller bike - and everyone was right. But I love my bike and I've learnt to ride it, more or less.

The Journey
For one reason or another, I only had the bike for the last 4 months or so, and I wanted to do a long adventure tour before 2015 was over. I asked Kodgehopper to organise something that went through Anysberg Nature Reserve, which I really REALLY wanted to do since I went through it in a SUV in 2014.

Kodgehopper managed to do a little better than that, and on 18 December 2015 we set off on a 4-day ride.

Day 1 - Cape Town/Stellenbosch to Montagu
We started late in the day due to heat and me trying to pack my bike for the first time. After dropping the bike 3 times before I'd even left the yard (twice while only strapping on soft luggage), I was a little apprehensive about the whole trip. Luckily the bike had seen some rough times before me and was already pretty scruffy. There are after all only so many bits that can bend  :biggrin:

Stopping at the outlook on Franschhoek Pass, we met a friendly photographer, also a biker, who took some photos:
 

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