GS Challenge 2006

[toucan]

take a week off an spend time with some maats an plan your own routes..

i don't have any friends, i work too hard and ride too little. i hate you all.
     

[JourneyMan]

take a week off an spend time with some maats an plan your own routes..

i don't have any friends, i work too hard and ride too little. i hate you all.
     

Beggars can't be choosers. I'm with you Toucan. Lucky bastids! Complaining the whole time. Jeebers. I wish I was so lucky to go on a run for 4/5 days!    

[>Herman<]

"The GSC Report:"  


http://www.gagsc.com/GAGSC%202006/event_report.html


I agree with some of the points posted by everyone here, and with some of the report writer's.  I enjoyed the GSC, but thought that the green routes were pretty tame (maybe we are to good, hey Fun?) and that they could have done something about the cold food (below 0 degrees food will not stay warm for long when consumed outside, but they could have tried to keep the plates warm :? )

I don't want to talk about the toilets!!! By Friday some of them were full, thus out of order.  But let us not forget about some of the entrants behaviour - shitting all over the toilet, puking next to the bowl... not nice.

Yes there was 600 odd people, but we knew that before hand, so we can't complain about that.  

My suggestions to better the GSC:
- Have more difficult "special stages" on the green routes, or have alternative "special stages" for those who are more daring.
- 1 toilet for 10 people (at least!).
- choose a warmer venue (twice in a row the entrants complain about the cold - we have warmer spots in SA!!).
- Maybe have some juice with the meals.

Overall I did enjoy the GSC.  I've met new people, some from the forum and others not.  I had time to chat with people I've met earlier in live but there was no time to get to know the person.  I realised that some of our forum members can snore louder that an Akra on a 950 KTM.

Will I go again? Properly yes.

Remember: This is one HUGE marketing campaign for BMW.  The more entrants, the more successful they are.  :roll:

[>Herman<]

Some pictures of the event:

http://shots.co.za/shop/browse_events.php?elevel=L2&event_key=GS%20CHALLENGE

Enjoy!

[Welsh]

take a week off an spend time with some maats an plan your own routes..

i don't have any friends, i work too hard and ride too little. i hate you all.
     

We can cure this social disaster of yours, when you gonna buy a beer?

Welsh    


"When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let's all get drunk and go to heaven!"

[Leo]

...I realised that some of our forum members can snore louder that an Akra on a 950 KTM

......... if you're refering to me - I was busy with the Leeuloop after a bottle of brandy  - scary combo !!!  :roll:

[popipants]

I have done two GS events now, and I have to say last year was better. I think there were two many riders this year.
But I did enjoy it.

[Adventurer]

Don't go getting all bent out of shape Camojo, yes I did enjoy the event to some extent, I did enjoy the 'geselskap' with all the guys, you included, but are we not allowed to bitch about things that COULD have been done a bit better. They employed a professional catering company, if you pay me R1500-00 I WILL make sure you have a hot meal at a one night stand, even Mr Delivery will do this.
The toilets were a huge stuff up on their part, 20 toilets for 600+ is crazy, especially when these are used at peak times.
I do beleive the event was ok, but I also do beleive that they can improve on certain points. And yes, I do have the choice to attend or not, and again everyone to their own. I think the way you did the Challenge was lekker, and in retrospect I should have joined you, I had no problem with the dust, it was a given that we would ride in dust.
Only if next year's GSC is held in some fantastic area will I attend, but if BMW think they have hit the nail on the head this year, they are making a mistake.

[funacide]

There was some really good things about the GSC this year, riding with the new peeps that I met (Scribble and friends, Popipants) and the old faces again. Then hurting ourselves in the bar at night, Leo has some of the funniest friends you can imagine and those boys don't know when to stop buying drinks (they really hurt me on the first night, but I did not feel the cold so much).

The skills challenge was awesome to watch (man some of those guys can handle a PIG in the slow technical stuff). The funniest part of the weekend was a friend of a forum member called Sir Tent Walker and hearing the posers (40 km/h on dirt roads) moaning about the hooligans (Kurt you speed demon) overtaking them doing 100km/h + on dirt roads.

My only point was that it is not for me and that I will rather do other trips with my limited time available.

[Leo]

........was a friend of a forum member called Sir Tent Walker

...............for now we will call him "Wim Skywalker"

....cheers Wako Jaco  :roll:

[FortyZA]

This is my second GSC and maybe I can put my 2 cents worth on the subject.

This years green rout was like the novice route from last year, mild and boring.  I personally think that the could have had special stages on 1 or 2 farms on the routes.  The effort put into the green route was poor, almost a second thought.  That area has some beautifull views, mountain tops and they did very little to allow us to see the area, except on dirt highways.

The red route was made to be extremely hard, except that day 1 and 2 was similar to last years route and the last day was definitely a bike breaker, (spare parts sale with added mark-up on BMW's side).  In the sick, lame and lazy padock, there were more HP2's broken, that being BMW's offroad bike.  I feel that BMW must either do the job properly or not do it at all.

The venue was great, cold but if you took precautions, the cold weather was not too bad.  The food, toilets and attitude of the workshop staff could have been much better.  I know that it cost money to organise such an event, but the outlay from BMW was the same as last year (except for the 60K addedd to the bike price), the entrance price more than doubled and what we got was less than last year.

If they force a rider to attend Coutry Trax advanced course before doing a red route, the BMW image thing as far as I am concerned, can get stuffed and I will tell them to stick it up their butt where the sun don't shine.  I am not going to make BMW, Country Trax rich just to ride a red route, thats for sure.

Would I attend another GSC, definitely but I will do the red route as the green route is not a challenge but an absolute waste of time, money and leave.  

Nice to see some new forum members on the ride / BMW rally as well as some of the more regular riders.  Nice to see you all again.

[bmad]

I think what BMW are aiming for, is for the participants to say that this year was better than last year, unfortunately i cannot say that, Last year was way better (forgetting about the facilities)

I cannot imagine what it is like to please 600 odd adventurers, so i sure as hell am pleased that that was not my job.
Based on my riding skill, the green routes were too soft and i was not prepared to potentially damage my bike on the red routes (given all the hype made). In the evenings in the bar and around, you heard guys saying how tough the green routes were and how many times they fell, etc.
Essentially i think it is difficult to please everybody!

Bla Bla has hit the hammer on the head - Th organisers can keep the green routes what they were, as they will appeal to that group of riders, but add in some technical special stages where you have an option to complete it or not. That would stimulate the more proficient riders.

If it had rained, man that would have been an event to write home about!
Will i attend again? depends on the venue next year and the potential number of entrants.

Best moment of the event:
On Saturday evening, the CEO of Freestate Tourism thank us for being there, etc. Close to the end of his brief speech he said "If you do not return next year to the Free State, he will make sure that all gravel roads will be tarred!"




 

[Lito]

Too busy to even take a piss?

[Leo]

As mentioned the forum members met at Blockhouse at 7 to travel to Moolmashoek.

AL in all we were 14 bikes that took to the road from there. We travelled on tar to Sasolburg, from where we took the gravel ways to Moolmanshoek.

Fun was had by all.

Now let the pics do the talking

The start at Blockhouse. Old faithful fully loaded



The rest of us



Ufudo and the missus had this on their bike ? the rear



??..and the front



Smoke break in Petrus Steyn ? that?s Fun having a Camel 



Adventurer on his way



Glen and Wim Skywalker??..



Pitstop in Paul Roux



Dead Horse vs Iron Horse



Vinnige Fanie popping a wheelie



Paul Roux fuel stop Day 1 Green route


Somewhere on Green 1 & Green 2



More



Scenery



More



More



Somewhere on a special stage



??more









This is the Visierskerf??.. certainly looks the part


 
Rock of Gibraltar..



Biggest Sand Stone structure in SA





Green 2 somewhere???.



Wim Skywalker just before having a go at the skills challenge



One of many spills



Excalibur, Poppiepants & Leo



Fun & Bla Bla Black Sheep



Bikermice pissing off the beemer people



Hennie doing his thing?. He came 4?th in the end.



Spectators had lovely stands



This laaitie on the KTM, sorry Dakar also rode very well



Doing what we do best??..



Wiesman starting the fire. He?s the son of the owner of Moolmashoek



Jerome ? nice French chap be befriended. He never knew man can drink so much



Herman & Herman



Vinnige Fanie & Wim Skywalker feeling the freeze



Yes it was cold



Collin, Excalibur, Larrysleguana



Bill, Nico & Glen



The usual bunch



As most probably know I returned to Pta for a funeral on Friday. Here?s just before sunset on the way back to Moolmanshoek, somewhere before Heilbron



Early morning Day 3



Camojo watching Camojane cleaning his boots



Adventurer & friends talking k@k



First obstacle on Red day 3 ??.nothing worth mentioning



Fisrt rock obstacle. This one destroyed about 40 R1200GS bash plates?







View from the top



The mudhole from the top of the mountain. Claimed many victims..



Yes the route went over that rock ? check the white arrow



This HP2 was one of a few that cracked a sump



Jan showing how deep the mud is.



??.. but some okes sukkeled here Big Time



This was the most intimidating obstacle for me, as an oke on a 1200GSA had just tumbled down here as I got to this point



..after



Some okes apparently tried 7 times to get up here



Deon van Zyl having a good laugh at some of the antics



Stephen showing how it should be done



View from the top???.absolutely awesome



??.another mud hole



There a zanghoma school down there somewhere??



Somebreak





A very tricky extreme down section. Yea I know the camera flattens it out!



Another sandy up



??.which some okes spinned to pieces



Some game on the farm ??. Swart wildebeeste



Bles & Springbok



Zebras



More Blesbok trying to pass infront of us



The end of Red Day 3 and a welcome break



Stephen looks satisfied..



The camera was there to interview all



more game



Only damage was a cracked mirror (hit by a branch) and the sump rubbers..



Final of the skills challenge??. Extreme down (Hein Klum)



Wim Skywalker drinking water for a change???



Poephol & Portret



Wise words



Old army pel from Worcester, Niel van Niekerk. Saw him last in 1984



Roger going down..



Funny ??. I can relate



Mud on Skills Challenge Day 3. This is Eugene th eeventual winner  



Tauren Wings  taking a tumble



??.. and wheelying out of there



Gerrit Mocke getting stuck in the mud



Bikermice & Son loading their Stofdonkie



Chrisjan & wife



Camojo & Camojane



Larrysleguana & Excalibur



Nico



Vinnige Fanie



Wim Skywalker



A loaded dirty  GS



Some members from the Pta BMW club



My forum sticker



??. So the cops can?t catch me



Isn?t that a beautifull ass???



Getting very drunk in Clarens







Visiting Andre & Alta in Clarens. It was their son?s funeral I attended



Lovely house we stayed in, Clarens



?.. more of Clarens



Not everyday you see this ? 5 GS 1200?s in one garage



Man this is a trusty beast



??.. what friends are for



??Last stop at the Villiers hotel on Monday afternoon



?.. and so the story end. Will do it again, and again. I had a moerse lekke time
 

[Leo]

OK Michnus........ hoop jy is nou tevrede.    

Di s'n moerse werk hierdie posting spulletjie  

[Welsh]

Nice report LEO,

Welsh

[SGB]

Thanks for all the pic's Leo.  Nice work!

[funacide]

Hey Leo

If you loose your job, you can always go into photography, some really nice pics there, thanks for sharing.

[Kev]

:thumbup:

[shark_za]

Thanks for showing us your trip Leo.
Great coverage of the event.

How many guys did the red route?
Out of the 600+ that were there?

Good to see a 650 winning!