Kuier vir Vaalbaas.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Dec 16, 2010
Messages
40,937
Reaction score
7,691
Location
Stellenbosch
Bike
KTM 690 Adventure
This is more of a sufferings report than aride report, and to make matters worse there is no photos either.

Yesterday morning I left Stellenbosch at around 10H00 and took a slow cruise on the 701 along the R44, and via the dirt road along the Berg river to Hermon.

Then along the railway lines to Gouda, where I had a beer and a chat with Vaalbaas, in that nest of Boxers. :pot:

I then trundled to the entrance to Nieuwekloofpass, where I climbed onto the old pass. After about 2kms I came to a dead-end, with wire closing the road off. At that instance a coloured woman walked past, over the edge and down a steep footpath to some labourers houses. I looked and it seemed do-able.

I drove off the edge of the old pass and onto the very steep footpath, which I realized I would not be able to get back up again, so it was forward only. I managed to eventually reach the tar road just as it exits Nieuwekloof on Tulbach's side, and continued into Tulbach. I rode through the town and turned left at the old hotel to go in search of a small farm where we spent a bit of time as primary school kids.
I could not find this place, so returned through Tulbach and towards Wolseley.
Just before Wolseley I felt the rear tyre deflating, and found a piece of wire sticking from the tyre. With both TUBLISS systyems still lying on my workbench at home. :xxbah: :xxbah: :xxbah: :xxbah:

Wolseley was closed. Solidly. Ironically the little Express shop at the garage had a tubeless repair kit. :imaposer: :imaposer:, but no tyreweld or such. I carried no tools either.

I continued at about 80kmph towards Wellington, stopping a few times to try and keep tyre temp manageable, but a few kays past Kalabash the beadings came off the rim and the tyre became too loose on the back for safe riding, especially through Bain's kloof pass.

I parked the bike and started hitching a ride. 4 Bikers stopped but I told them I'd rather leopardcrawl to Wellington than ride on a BMW. So they left in disgust. :peepwall:

I started hitching a ride, and almost immediately a coloured guy stopped in a Government bakkie. He dropped me in Wellington, at the robot by the big cemetry, and about 5 minute later I found myself with a white family in an Isuzu bakkie. They dropped me at the R44 4-way stop outside Wellington.
I stood for around 10 minutes, and then got a lift in a Fortuner with a young black couple in it. They dropped me almost in front of my house. Wonderful people all over our country.

I then raced back in a Kia with a trailer in hot pursuit, I just could not shake that trailer off. :eek7: I was back at home again at 19H00.

Now I have to repair a puncture. :xxbah:
 
Top