johanp
Race Dog
We started off with me, my buddy and his wife, all riding the same bikes - BMW F650GS Twins.
She had an accident less than a year ago screwing her knee up pretty badly so what was going to be a Namibia trip was then recently changed to an easier Eastern Cape trip, consisting of tar mostly.
All the bikes were serviced and checked before the trip.
Day 1 included a fairly boring ride from Centurion to Gariep Dam where we stayed over.
Gariep Dam:
Day 2:
Set off early morning from Gariep with the plan reach Wilderness before dark.
Middelburg:
From here the heat became almost unbearable - around 38deg.
Made it to Jeffrey's, had something to drink and headed of to Wilderness, but soon after my buddy's wife signaled something was wrong and we pulled over. Her bike was not happy - it sounded like a marble bouncing around inside the head. It would idle and the sound would go away for a bit, not RPM related either but then it would come back and after a while stumble and die. Checked the oil on a tissue in the sun and couldn't see any shavings.
Phoned the AA who said they'd send a tow truck but at that point it was getting late and we still had quite a distance to go. It was decided that my buddy would stay behind while me and his wife went 2 up to Wilderness, my buddy would join us later. Distributing her luggage between the 2 bikes was not easy but we managed and off we went - into the sunset, literally.
It got dark quite quickly and by the time we got to Bloukrans it was pitch dark. Stopped for fuel and off we went again - the spot lights I've fitted recently came in extremely handy but even so I found me a truck and simply stayed behind it for as long as possible, doing around 80kph through the Tsitsikama.
We EVENTUALLY reached Wilderness around 9PM or so, exhausted and hungry. Everything was closed, we found a hotel but their kitchen was also closed so had to settle for a dop(which went down VERY well) and going to bed hungry.
It was decided earlier that my buddy would stay over in Plet with family as it would be too dangerous to ride.
Day 3:
My buddy waited for BMW PE to open while we went to Knysa looking for breakfast and also decided to visit the motorcycle museum which was quite something:
We weren't too sure of the plan going forward. At first we thought my buddy's wife would take a plane back from George and we continue the trip but then we thought it may be a better idea to go 2 up and continue together but on tar only.
We met up with my buddy again in Wilderness but something was clearly not right. Turns out he became dehydrated with kidney bruising and a bladder infection. It was then decided that my buddy would be going home via plane and his wife would take his bike.
Day 4:
We dropped my buddy off at George Airport with some of the excess luggage and decided to go riding. Angie's G spot/Prince Alfred pass was on my trip bucket list so that's where we went.
Prince Alfred:
Started chatting with some people at the farm stall nexct to Angie's and they suggested we keep left at the split and go check out Nature's Valley.
Prince Alfred was quite something, you start off with a very winding decent and massive drops. Scenery like you cannot believe and then you eventually reach "civilization". From there on it's another 50km or so with varying terrain. Not all easy but manageable - muppets in their Rangers coming from the front were the biggest challenge, and the heat of course.
This was at the end of the pass at which point we turned around as it was getting late and headed back via the pass and then the N2. Reached Wilderness again just before sunset.
Day 5:
Headed back via George, Outeniqua pass, Uniondale, etc.
Wilderness:
Willowmore on the way back:
The constant wind from the left between Willomore and Aberdeen - Graaff Reinet was almost unbearable, were were constantly battling to keep the bikes in the middle of the road, at an angle. This took quite a toll on the body and by the time we reached Gariep just before sunset we were knackered.
Farm stall somewhere in the middle of nowhere:
Gariep Dam:
Day 6:
Pretty boring ride from Gariep via Bloem back to Centurion...
Overview
Distance travelled - 3200km, average fuel cons 4.22l/100km.
Our bikes are identical other than the fact that I had gone 1 tooth down at the front. My bike on average used 500ml more fuel between fill ups.
Other than the fact that we had some drama I'd do it again without thinking twice. We've learned some lessons, made some mistakes but it all made for an unforgettable experience.
As you can see from the pics I've added some farkles over the months since buying the bike, some more useful than others:
-Screen extender: I wouldn't ride without it, it makes a massive difference and it's easily adjustable while riding.
-Hand guards with the extra spoilers: Could live without but they do help directing wind away from your shoulders.
-Tool tube: I've got all the tools to remove the front and rear wheels plus dismantle almost anything on the bike, as well as spare clamps, cable ties, etc.
-Side tool bag: Contains a small Airman compressor, full rain suit plus repair kits for tube and tubeless
-Tyre iron: Mounted on the crash bar.
-Spare tube: 18" to fit both front & rear in case of emergency. Learned this lesson the hard way previously.
-Tank bag: Used for carrying water & other odds & ends.
-RAM phone mount: Even though I've got a Zumo, on tar I found Waze much more useful.
-Soft luggage: This is something I need to sort for the next trip. Having a big top box does help but if something happened such as a spill or whatever it would be difficult to repair and probably end up on the side of the road. I did have a duffle bag inside the box so if that did happen I'd be able to strap the bag to my bike.
-Spots: turns out they're not just for being visible, they helped a LOT when I had to ride in the pitch dark.
-Sargent Seat: The stock F650/700/800GS seat/plank is absolutely horrible. This seat was an awesome investment.
-Kaoko "cruise control": A bit of a waste, especially riding in a group. The speed is never constant which makes it difficult for the people following you. It was useful for being able to wrest your right hand a bit so I wouldn't say it was money wasted.
-Kidney belt: I have never ridden this far without one so I can't really compare but my lower back didn't take as much punishment as I thought it would. It did get bloody hot.
As for the helmet, I do have a touring helmet but I've ended up taking the flip face which I reckon was a good choice. It's a lot quieter than the Arai and being able to flip it up when you stop in 38deg is a massive bonus.
I wore ear plugs most of the time and this is also something that needs sorting. I've tried 4 different types - small foam, bigger, foam, foam with a center support and silicone - they all hurt my ears, some to the point where I couldn't touch my ears after a couple of hours. I'm not too keen on it but I'll give the wax ones a try. It may be worth having custom ones made I guess.
Lastly, I love taking photos - this poses a bit of a problem on the bike since you can't always stop when you see something nice. For the next trip I'll get a handlebar mount or something for the GoPro remote and play around with actual mounting options for the camera.
She had an accident less than a year ago screwing her knee up pretty badly so what was going to be a Namibia trip was then recently changed to an easier Eastern Cape trip, consisting of tar mostly.
All the bikes were serviced and checked before the trip.
Day 1 included a fairly boring ride from Centurion to Gariep Dam where we stayed over.
Gariep Dam:
Day 2:
Set off early morning from Gariep with the plan reach Wilderness before dark.
Middelburg:
From here the heat became almost unbearable - around 38deg.
Made it to Jeffrey's, had something to drink and headed of to Wilderness, but soon after my buddy's wife signaled something was wrong and we pulled over. Her bike was not happy - it sounded like a marble bouncing around inside the head. It would idle and the sound would go away for a bit, not RPM related either but then it would come back and after a while stumble and die. Checked the oil on a tissue in the sun and couldn't see any shavings.
Phoned the AA who said they'd send a tow truck but at that point it was getting late and we still had quite a distance to go. It was decided that my buddy would stay behind while me and his wife went 2 up to Wilderness, my buddy would join us later. Distributing her luggage between the 2 bikes was not easy but we managed and off we went - into the sunset, literally.
It got dark quite quickly and by the time we got to Bloukrans it was pitch dark. Stopped for fuel and off we went again - the spot lights I've fitted recently came in extremely handy but even so I found me a truck and simply stayed behind it for as long as possible, doing around 80kph through the Tsitsikama.
We EVENTUALLY reached Wilderness around 9PM or so, exhausted and hungry. Everything was closed, we found a hotel but their kitchen was also closed so had to settle for a dop(which went down VERY well) and going to bed hungry.
It was decided earlier that my buddy would stay over in Plet with family as it would be too dangerous to ride.
Day 3:
My buddy waited for BMW PE to open while we went to Knysa looking for breakfast and also decided to visit the motorcycle museum which was quite something:
We weren't too sure of the plan going forward. At first we thought my buddy's wife would take a plane back from George and we continue the trip but then we thought it may be a better idea to go 2 up and continue together but on tar only.
We met up with my buddy again in Wilderness but something was clearly not right. Turns out he became dehydrated with kidney bruising and a bladder infection. It was then decided that my buddy would be going home via plane and his wife would take his bike.
Day 4:
We dropped my buddy off at George Airport with some of the excess luggage and decided to go riding. Angie's G spot/Prince Alfred pass was on my trip bucket list so that's where we went.
Prince Alfred:
Started chatting with some people at the farm stall nexct to Angie's and they suggested we keep left at the split and go check out Nature's Valley.
Prince Alfred was quite something, you start off with a very winding decent and massive drops. Scenery like you cannot believe and then you eventually reach "civilization". From there on it's another 50km or so with varying terrain. Not all easy but manageable - muppets in their Rangers coming from the front were the biggest challenge, and the heat of course.
This was at the end of the pass at which point we turned around as it was getting late and headed back via the pass and then the N2. Reached Wilderness again just before sunset.
Day 5:
Headed back via George, Outeniqua pass, Uniondale, etc.
Wilderness:
Willowmore on the way back:
The constant wind from the left between Willomore and Aberdeen - Graaff Reinet was almost unbearable, were were constantly battling to keep the bikes in the middle of the road, at an angle. This took quite a toll on the body and by the time we reached Gariep just before sunset we were knackered.
Farm stall somewhere in the middle of nowhere:
Gariep Dam:
Day 6:
Pretty boring ride from Gariep via Bloem back to Centurion...
Overview
Distance travelled - 3200km, average fuel cons 4.22l/100km.
Our bikes are identical other than the fact that I had gone 1 tooth down at the front. My bike on average used 500ml more fuel between fill ups.
Other than the fact that we had some drama I'd do it again without thinking twice. We've learned some lessons, made some mistakes but it all made for an unforgettable experience.
As you can see from the pics I've added some farkles over the months since buying the bike, some more useful than others:
-Screen extender: I wouldn't ride without it, it makes a massive difference and it's easily adjustable while riding.
-Hand guards with the extra spoilers: Could live without but they do help directing wind away from your shoulders.
-Tool tube: I've got all the tools to remove the front and rear wheels plus dismantle almost anything on the bike, as well as spare clamps, cable ties, etc.
-Side tool bag: Contains a small Airman compressor, full rain suit plus repair kits for tube and tubeless
-Tyre iron: Mounted on the crash bar.
-Spare tube: 18" to fit both front & rear in case of emergency. Learned this lesson the hard way previously.
-Tank bag: Used for carrying water & other odds & ends.
-RAM phone mount: Even though I've got a Zumo, on tar I found Waze much more useful.
-Soft luggage: This is something I need to sort for the next trip. Having a big top box does help but if something happened such as a spill or whatever it would be difficult to repair and probably end up on the side of the road. I did have a duffle bag inside the box so if that did happen I'd be able to strap the bag to my bike.
-Spots: turns out they're not just for being visible, they helped a LOT when I had to ride in the pitch dark.
-Sargent Seat: The stock F650/700/800GS seat/plank is absolutely horrible. This seat was an awesome investment.
-Kaoko "cruise control": A bit of a waste, especially riding in a group. The speed is never constant which makes it difficult for the people following you. It was useful for being able to wrest your right hand a bit so I wouldn't say it was money wasted.
-Kidney belt: I have never ridden this far without one so I can't really compare but my lower back didn't take as much punishment as I thought it would. It did get bloody hot.
As for the helmet, I do have a touring helmet but I've ended up taking the flip face which I reckon was a good choice. It's a lot quieter than the Arai and being able to flip it up when you stop in 38deg is a massive bonus.
I wore ear plugs most of the time and this is also something that needs sorting. I've tried 4 different types - small foam, bigger, foam, foam with a center support and silicone - they all hurt my ears, some to the point where I couldn't touch my ears after a couple of hours. I'm not too keen on it but I'll give the wax ones a try. It may be worth having custom ones made I guess.
Lastly, I love taking photos - this poses a bit of a problem on the bike since you can't always stop when you see something nice. For the next trip I'll get a handlebar mount or something for the GoPro remote and play around with actual mounting options for the camera.
