In the tracks of Sun chasers

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Kamanya

Andrew to most
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Joined
Feb 6, 2006
Messages
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Location
Cape Town, deep in the lentils
Bike
KTM 990 Adventure
Mark Hardy chased the sun the other weekend.

I was meaning to go a bit further but ended up following his route.

I get away from Claremont at about 7.30, I was wanting to get to Sutherland and then back via the passes that Mark took. So i was pinning it to take some of the tar distance off of the trip.

Made excellent time to the Engen one stop to fill up and whilst there I checked the oil.

Agh! Just above the bottom of the stick. These bikes like exotic, very thin synthetic stuff and no One Stop or any other shop for that matter would have it. I was not prepared to ride with a low oil level in the back of my mind. So... no time to really dwell on this, around I go and back home via the KTM dealership, which with my early'ish rise is still not open.

Fill it up and back on the road, passed the One Stop at 8.40 and 90K's later.

Had a short dice with a V-Rod on the N1 before the Troll Gate. They were going over the hill. Me? I shot the troll gate.

See can you see the Trolls in the Tunnel?

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Ahh, morning air in the Du Toits Kloof.

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But, places to go things to ride. So I really was moving and just past here

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The pass to Ceres and 200K's almost on the dot, in went 21.55litres.

That's what cruising at close to the max will get ya!

So off to the Karoo, first bit of Gravel the back feels a little loose?

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Funny that on tar it felt and seemed like so much more left. Well, I am going to have to leave Sutherland and Follow directly in Marks footsteps. Still it is stable enough to cruise at 170.

Where have we seen this before?

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The tar up this pass is still pretty loose with lots of small stones on it that makes it interesting. Getting up a bit with the Kein Karoo behind. It had taken me 2 hours and 15 minutes with all the rond fokkerry to get here which is pretty quick, so now to slow down and enjoy the views.

Stopped at some ruins, I always wonder who were the people that lived in places like this and why did they leave?

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Took a walk around and found out that God is a biker.
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He had to have been one, that's why he didn't give this chap wings! Imagine him on your visor!

See?

Anyway mosey on down checking out this and that.

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Down the other side I see these huge dunes?
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Coast is miles from here they must be lost, better go a test the sand skills then.

Pretty place, would hate to have to get stuck here

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The sand needs a bit less tire pressure, its great fun, feel a bit like being in the Dakar.

Untill this happens

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Front disappears and I nearly eat the windshield. Managed to stay on but it must have looked a funny.

Then just a bit later same again but this time over the front, I had picked it up before I took the photo as petrol comes out when it lies down and I didn't want any flooding. Not going to be doing any push starting here.

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Ok, enough of that back to Ceres and down the Gydo Pass.

Just as I was getting into the pass I see the old road;

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Well! just have to go and have a look then.


It had been burnt out recently and as I was riding down this very rutted closed in path with rocks all over.

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I was thinking it can't be too much fun having to ride up it, thank goodness I found this going down.

Oops spoke too soon. Ahh, well not going to get across this then.

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It wasn't so bad going back up.

Through Ceres and a bite to eat and onto Bains Kloof via the bush pub

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Watched the start of the rugby and then before I decide to switch to Larger from the Lites I headed off.

I was going to slowly putter up the pass but as I was getting my gear on, a 950 and 990 come flashing past.

Damn, there goes the puttering up the hill thing.

I'm going to have to catch them to see who they are.

Jeez this bike is brilliant. It was very addictive having a full go up there. A few heart stopping moments but just before the top I caught them.

Willy and Rean, Ahh! I've bumped into them before at Kleinmond. Rean had just swapped from a TA to the 990.

He's babbling on about how much fun they have been having. They were away for two days and went around the Karoo having fun.

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We shoot the breeze for a bit and then head off down.

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From Wellington the wind is humping something fierce and it is a lane swapping affair back to home.

The back tire about 500k's later is toast and so was I.
 
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