The future of DS riding. Are we destroying it?

[Ama ride ride]

DS riding = Dual Sport. So if we look at that word it means riding on different surfaces.

Generally speaking, DS riding is still in its child shoes. However it’s one of the fastest growing segments of the biking market. Good or bad, that’s not for us to say.

Now let’s go and take something along the lines of DS riding and see what happened there.  --- 4X4 ing. --

Years ago when I was just a young oke. 4X4’s was a bit of a rarely and the okes who owned then usually was real and semi really type of a camel man. They mostly did that for the love for what they did. They rode old landies and croozers and jeeps wagoneers to get to the fishing spots, to get away from the crowd to get out there and enjoy the outdoors. Poser value was not yet invented. Then the 4X4’s got better and comfortable and suddenly every second rykgat bought one.
Most of these okes bought them just because they could. Now as with a toy, you must use it. And suddenly the beaches along our coast (for example) were being ride in their malle moer. We all know what happened next.

Look what is happening in the Hel and Baviaanskloof. Control is being implemented.

Back to DS biking.
More and more I read in RR’s that okes ride where they are not supposed to ride. They know it but got the attitude. “Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission” Suddenly “stealth” camping becomes fashion. One WD even says it’s the best kind of ride. Others ride to a spot just to do “stealth” camping. I am not saying it’s wrong but it can’t be right. Remember we are advertising in our RR’s what we do. And the next okes says. "Wow it looks lekker. Let’s do it."

I am merely pointing a pattern and the history.

So I ask. Where is DS riding heading?

[Varadero]

Would you be happy if someone pitched up and camped on your front lawn or rode around your garden just because they felt like it?  Didn't think so. 

Ama I totally agree with you

[Battlestar]

Would you be happy if someone pitched up and camped on your front lawn or rode around your garden just because they felt like it?  Didn't think so. 

Ama I totally agree with you

+1

We need to keep within the bounds of reality/acceptability and keep it sensible 

[Billbob]

AMA is making a very good point. A lot of ground has already been lost to us due to regulation, none of it due to DS bikes, but impacts on us as-well. ie: beaches, game reserves, forest area's, farms, river / water courses, etc., etc. Most of these have been regulated because of 4x4's, quads and dirt bikes. As far as the uninformed are concerned any bike that goes off road is a dirt bike, so whether we like it or not we are labled with this sticker.
In amongst all the strengths of having no official club / organising body, we have a major weakness, that of having no representation.
What we do about it is the question?

[plonker]

Where can I  get a "cammo"tent so I can also start camping in some farmers back yard without being caught.
Image a Katoom in cammo like the okes do with those kwats.

[metal mojo]

Unfortunately as in all sports  there are the few bad apples that will eventually spoil it for all.A couple of lunatics  causing kak on some farmers ground will be enough for him to say NO MORE and I do have a shotgun.

A few weeks back myself and some friends went through the Cedarberg (3bikes and 5 quads)All well behaved.However at a farm where we stopped along the way we were informed that quads are banned.He lt us through but wasn't happy.Reason was noise pollution and he has had quads charging through his vineyards.Guess that would piss me off too.

Think it's up to us to ensure that we behave and even police each other.Old Short pants Van Schalkwyk is already trying to ban all offroad activities.As far as 4x4 is concerned by 2014 every 4x4 owner has to have a seperate training course and license to drive on any trail.This will be regulated by the trail owner or he loses his license to own a trail.

[Etienne2T]

How can you ride quads through the cederberg? Its a public road! Do you see quads on the N2?

[Malibu]

It's simple guys, if we can't self-regulate our riding, bearing in mind safety, environment and the community, it will be regulated for us. 

It's up to each and every one of us to bear in mind the impact we have when out there, and modify our behaviour so that legislation does not become part of our world.  All of us at the moment are riding with the kind of freedom seldom afforded to other riders elswhere in the world, but it can not continue as is unless a lot us take a good long hard look at our practices. 

[metal mojo]

Some quads are registered and road legal..Not a quad fan anyway.

[morpheus]

More and more places I have been lately, are banning bikes outright. When asking why you get the usual, okes on bikes came there and rode where they were not supposed to or roosted everything in sight.

Result: Bikes are banned. We carry on like this and soon there will be nowhere left to ride. We need to start protecting ourselves by kicking these d00ses out where we find them!

M

[TVB]

Hypocrisy is in the order of the day. I once was quite annoyed when one oke on the forum told the guys who were planning a trip that that is going against Mother Nature’s rule in a quite appalling way.
Not long after his statement he posted an RR and guess what; ‘also on forbidden land’. Pity, I have to agree with you on this one. As there are a few quad riders who gave them a bad name in general, same is happening nowadays to DS biking or bikers. You will get the extreme sides; bunny huggers on the one side and hell riders on the other side. However, there is a golden middle path which brings everything into balance. Its called respect to Mother nature and fellow being.

Good thread

[Buks]

Well spoken Ama Ride Ride! Coming from a "quad" background - so to speak, I have a pretty good idea of what went wrong. To be honest I have always believed the so-called "quad ban" is unconstitutional and a classic example of discrimination against a minority. Yes, i personally saw many hooligans on quads f%$king up everything around them, but i've also seen way more hooligans in cars; bakkies and on superbikes, dualsport bikes, Harleys, trucks and whatever, doing more damage to the environment and the general safety of the public. But, as quads was still "young" in this country, and most people (and authorities) don't even try to understand the theme, it was so easy to ban. Yes, and it wasn't regulated at all - so instead of finding a way to regulate it, we rather banned it. What have the quad-guys done? - we gave away our quads for record low prices and many of us tried DS bikes - like myself.
Well my opinion: it's not about the vehicle/machine, but the integrity or lack there-of, of the owner/rider. The DS community is still extremely lucky, as the author of this topic pointed out, i believe the "image" of the "BMW GS" thing saved it in a way. I mean, how can a rich guy riding a GS (or similar priced) bike be capable of ill-behaving? Yes, that's what the public-perception is.
The noise thing generally thrown towards quads and plastic bikes - all of them are sold as quiet or even more quiet than most DS bikes. It's the exhaust you fit afterwards to whichever bike/vehicle that fabricates the crazy noise. My ex-AT was as noisy as hell with its Arrow slip-on, spitting oil and decibels all over the environment - but nobody complained. Try that on a quad or plastic - they'll arrest you for "high-treasan". The Baviaans is a classic example, if you haven't been there, try it - Parksboard EC is a circuss!  

[metal mojo]

I think the thing with quads and noise is high rpm to speed ratio compared to a bike.They seem to make a lot more noise for the comparative distance travelled on a bike.I used to race offshore powerboats all over the world and the same happened to Jet Skis."Wet quads"Banned in most areas.Not just South Africa.Go to a dam where they are still allowed and guaranteed there will be one going the wrong way around the dam or cutting across in front of other boats.They seem to give their owners brain fade.

[Cracker]

Regulation is part of 'progress' - that word that's used to tell us our lives are getting better.

Lot of horseshit, IMHO.

Look what they did to smokers, sent them outside, for what? To keep me healthy? Pah!!

I never see as many smiles on people's faces in the 'regulated' suburbs as I do riding in the middle of nowhere - why? (could be the KLR, mind you...... )

Riding will be regulated one day, as sure as sh--t, coz those fat f--kers in charge allways have to have control.

[Paulsky]

Interesting thread, going to follow it and form my opinion as it unfolds. Something I haven't thought about much.

[Spore]

Agree AMA! This issue does, unfortunately, not only relate to mechanical means of transport - many moons ago when me and the missus used to do backpacking the same thing happened. As backpacking became more popular and with a drastic improvement in "comfortable" camping gear, more people got involved and even in those days included those types that think they can do what they want, when they want, as they want - starting veldfires, littering, stealing plants, not closing gates, walking on property with no permission, ... etc. This resulted in many beautiful areas in our country becoming non-accessable, because landowners got gatvol.

As bikers we might be heading in the same direction - the question is how do we change attitudes before regulations are forced upon us? 

[Berm_Rooster]

Personally I fear that we are already on the downhill slope of this landslide. No form of transport (4 wheels, 2 wheel-motorise and unmotorised and even vellies ie. walking) has been banned outright in most of Bosbou in the Southern Cape. Farmers are following suit in that they just simply lock gates, put up signs whether legally doing so or not.

Who is going to regulate us? It is too late for self regulation. It is also impossible, because the guy on a plastic/quad who actually causes the commotion will never read this, so unfortunately our image will continue to be tarnished. And by that I dont mean that people with paws on their helmets/bikes are innocent either.

We have two options:
1. We hope and pray that a regulatory body emerges from somewhere and that we can can continue with at least some sort of recognisable freedom.
2. Farmers get to know that they can trust a guy with a paw sticker on his helmet and lets you through. This will have to be very organised. Like the ride leader identifies the section he want to ride beforehand. He would need to approach the farmer and  attempt to convince him of the group's intentions. When all the guys are through, the landowner must be completely 100% satisfied and should be considering to allow it again.

AAMOI, the Baviaans is a public road. The R30 story did not float and has disappeared. Ive been through there twice last week. But is is noteworthy that the farmers tried to restrict troublmakers there.

[Billbob]

As bikers we might be heading in the same direction - the question is how do we change attitudes before regulations are forced upon us?  

Regulations have already been forced on us, and it is going to get worse/ more regulated, as is the case with 4X4's and dirt bikes/ quads. As I percieve it we are seen by the powers that be to be a part of this group and as such will be governed by the same restrictions / rules that are decided on for other off road users.

[Offside]

Is it not the need for an audience that rubs Joe Public up the wrong way?

If I pass through an area and either stop or continue my journey,unless I'm riding like a real D. there cant be
too much for any one to complain about.

One only has to spend time at Ponta or Hole In The Wall to get you're fill of jet skies and 4 wheelers.
For some reason these guys are only happy if they are in your face.

No matter the wide open spaces or the expanse of ocean,the chosen play area allways seems to be right in front of
other people who are trying to enjoy their day.

The bad name that these guys have is not undeserved,although one shouldn't generalise,people do,that's just the way it is.
The riders that visit a place before us will decide weather we are welcomed or shown the door.

[forex618]

IMHO regulation through permits works well. It does for beaches in aussie. Baviaans requires entry fee for permit, plus bikes must be roadworthy and licensed. I'm very happy to pay.