Muden Christmas Ride

[JonW]

Did a really fun ride out in the Muden area yesterday, one of my favourite riding spots.

5 of us from Pmb met up in Hilton and slabbed it along the R103 through Notties and Rosetta to Mooi river where we met up with another 10 riders who had ridden from Durban.

Fairly mixed group in terms of skill levels and bikes, the smallest (and best  ) being my KTM 520 and the biggest an Africa Twin 1000.

Started with another short tar section, then headed off into the bush at the old Willow Grange Hotel, just outside Escourt.

[JonW]

From there got onto the very scenic Middelrus Road, and after a nice little detour through the bush arrived in the humming metropolis of Muden.

First we filled up with fuel, then headed across the road to the famous Tuskers Shisanyama, who have done a fantastic job in renovating the place and adding on a lovely deck.

Well worth a visit, Reece has done an amazing job with the place.

[JonW]

After tearing ourselves away from Reece's great hospitality we hit the road again.

It would have been awesome to spend the rest of the afternoon at Tuskers dopping beers and talking kak, but we had some serious distance still to cover, and more ominously the weather reports had predicted severe afternoon thunder storms.

But for now the weather was great, the riding was brilliant and we were having loads of fun.

After a short stint on the tar we turned off onto a dirt track and headed through the Mhlopeni Wildlife Reserve.

[roxenz]

Looks like fun day!  Good to see one decent bike amongst the infestation of KTMs and BMWs... 

[JonW]

This really was a great bit of track, made all the more special by a great kudu sighting when a huge kudu bull jumped across the track right in front of me, almost but not quite, taking me out.

The track has deteriorated a bit since I last rode it, making it great fun for me and a few of the others, but there were plenty of dropped bikes and tired bodies as a result. For me it was awesome, I was not in charge of the ride, so I could just enjoy myself without feeling personally responsible for each bruise or scratched crash bar sustained on this section.

[JonW]

By now we had some seriously tired riders who were taking a bit of strain.

You can tell the guys are feeling weary when they keep asking "how far to the tar"

But as always it is the testing difficult rocky sections that get spoken about in the pub after the ride, not the easy open dirt highways.

especially well done to Simon, aged 68, who hung in there and finished the ride on his 690 despite a couple of falls.

[BIGMAC]

Nice One JonW I need to join you on few reeces in 2019, been a bit slack lately.

[Manic]

Lekker 

Thx for sharing with pics 

[JonW]

A pensive looking Highsider, not that he was taking any strain from the ride. I think he was just getting a bit worried about some of the others.

And before we knew it we were out of the shit and onto a nice dirt road heading back towards Mooi River.

Unfortunately about 50km out of Mooi River on the tar the predicted thunderstorm struck, albeit earlier than I expected, and it was a motherfucker of a storm. Apologies for the harsh language, but it really was 

At one stage I had to pull over on the side of the road and stop it was coming down so hard. needless to say we all got thoroughly drenched. Thanks to Jannie on his AT for letting me put my cell phone in his top box, otherwise it would be history from the rain. I had chosen to go minimalist and was wearing only an MX shirt, no jacket.

The planned return section through the Karkloof forests was abandoned and we stayed on tar until Mooi River. There we invaded the Wimpy and hot coffee and cheeseburgers were the order of the day. Before long the rain stopped and the durban crew headed home on the N3 and I took a leisurely ride home through the Midlands Meander to Hilton.

Days like this are what it's all about   

[JonW]

Nice One JonW I need to join you on few reeces in 2019, been a bit slack lately.

Thanks Blake, you would have enjoyed this ride

[JonW]

Looks like fun day!  Good to see one decent bike amongst the infestation of KTMs and BMWs... 

yeah you right....

I presume you talking about the AT and not the Husky

Jannie did an awesome job piloting the AT through the rocks with a pillion on board and not one spill 

Big up to Carey on her GS 800 who also rode like an absolute star.

[Highsider]

Pensive alright - my “I hope I remembered to put beers in the fridge” look...


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[CUZZY]

Lekker Jon. Impressive seeing where the boys and lady go on big bikes. But the countries best riders do come from Natal!

[BeeBob]

Always great riding that area. Bet some beers were sweated out on those mhlopeni rocks my kinda ride. Count me in next time. Klr country

[JonW]

Always great riding that area. Bet some beers were sweated out on those mhlopeni rocks my kinda ride. Count me in next time. Klr country

Will do Rob, both Kevin and I were saying on this ride what an awesome and capable bike the KLR is in the right hands.

I have yet to meet an ex- KLR owner who hasn't got the highest respect for the KLR.

Having said that, the 520 you sold me is proving to be such an awesome and enjoyable bike. Since getting it I must have done at least 10 trips on it, all of them over pretty rough terrain, and not a hint of a niggle. It's light, it's fast, and it would seem it's reliable too.

Where else you going to get this much fun for R24k   

[Been]

Nice ride report Jon, looking at the pics of the riders, myself included, all I can see is sheer and utter concentration. Great day out in the bush.

[JonW]

Nice ride report Jon, looking at the pics of the riders, myself included, all I can see is sheer and utter concentration. Great day out in the bush.

Hey Adrian, was a great day out.