2019 - Big Red Pigs in Kenya

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Osadabwa

Race Dog
Joined
Nov 8, 2012
Messages
525
Reaction score
223
Location
Nairobi, Kenya
Bike
Honda XR650R
Happy 2019 bikers!

Time to start a fresh thread for the year’s adventures. Like I did in 2017 (LINK) and 2018 (LINK), I’ll keep a running update of rides here to tempt the dirt-loving to come explore Kenya.

Karibuni!

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I’ve been hot to ride since returning from our fantastic end-of-the-year five-day Xmas Braap out in the North (LINK), but the bike needed some TLC first. Panic helped me stem the drip of coolant from LHS rad, I installed some braces for said rad to help prevent such nonsense in future, replaced a worn and slipping clutch, re-valved the forks with RaceTech Gold Valves set to my weight and riding style, changed oil, set valves, greased the linkage… it was a proper year-end service and now I’m ready.

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Above: I don’t know much about it, but there seems to be more sense in the Gold Valve setup than what I found in there…

I didn’t have a solid plan for the day. Mostly just wanted to see how the forks would feel with the new shims. So far so good. Maybe a tad harsh, but I can play with the clickers next time. I ended up dropping into the valley, sprinting over to Baby Head hill to get the blood pumping, then raced past Oltepesi and the amusingly-named Butt Brothers’ farm to Mi46 for a really cold Coke. After that, I played around in the riverbed quite a while before finding myself up on Champaign Ridge on an unexpectedly nice little track. Quick beer and home: 300km of rocks, sand and dirt all before tea-time.

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Above: Riding alone, I was able to follow my fancy and I dropped in and out of the riverbed as I pleased, just to do it. South of Mi46 though, there are big rock piles that ejected me after a few kms.

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Above: In Mi46 I had already done just shy of 200km and hadn’t really stopped to breathe. I love riding alone. You can just keep on trucking if you want to. It’s you and the bike.

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Above: After putting in a drop or two of petrol at Mi46, I decided to play in the riverbed. It was lovely and quick. About 10km up to the rockfall and 10km back was just the ticket to get the juices flowing again.

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Above: So happy to have another year’s worth of riding on my favorite bike of all time.

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Above: Seriously fun area to ride in, but it was time to head back to Nairobi (it was probably only about noon), so I split out for the Oltepesi road, but a decent looking road at the big cattle reservoir caught my eye. I took it and it led me all the way up to Champaign Ridge, a place I haven’t been in ages.

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Above: Up on the ridge it was lovely to have the heat of the valley behind me and to be enjoying big views down below. I’m surprised I’d never seen this road before, but then, the pace of development is off the chain, so maybe it’s actually just new.

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Above: High up on the ridge, the fencelines start. It’ll be like RSA before you know it. Masai are starting to settle down and carve out their own territories. Can’t blame them, just sucks.

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Above: The road is quick up there, very wide and plenty of room to see. The Pig ate it up, but it’s not my favorite. I shot back at the S. tip of the Ngongs, swung down the tar for a click to the dodgy Jordan Breeze for a cold beer.

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Above: At the Jordan Breeze having a White Cap and watching (and smelling) the lovely rain shower that was crawling down the way.

Wonderful way to start the new year with my awesome old bike!

:snorting:
 
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