Kickstarter
Pack Dog
Hi. I recently did a roadtrip on my newly acquired Royal Enfield. I planned to ride to Hogsback in the Eastern Cape, from Cape Town. I wanted to avoid national roads and ride as many minor routes as possible. I was on the road for 14 days and covered 2800km. Here are some pictures I took as I went along.
The bike that would carry me - a 2013 Royal Enfield C5 Classic 500.
Preparing the bike the night before. I added heated grips from Trac-mac, a crash bar, steel pannier racks and my own Poor-a-tech wooden top rack (which worked like a charm).
The first night I camped in Montagu at de Bos.
The Poor-a-tech rack worked well as a firewood carrier.
Heading out on Route 62, snow on the mountains to remind me how cold it was. At least my hands were warm.
Outeniqua pass.
Picked up some upgrades to my packing system in Knysna. Dry tubes, and just in time for the rain!
R102 to Natures Valley
R102 continued
Spent a few days at Grahamstown fest, then it was off to Hogsback. I left Grahamstown too late and was caught riding the R345 at night. Many cows, people and other animals around here at night makes riding quite dangerous.
The next day I rode to Addo. I took the R400 to the R335 and once again was caught out in the dark on Zuurberg pass, which was quite a memorable experience. I stayed at Orange Elephant Backpackers, which is run by a fellow dog, John. He was amazingly hospitable and it is a wonderful place to stay if you stopping over here.
No serious damage on the bike from last nights abuse. The speedometer cable was broken, but I had a spare one which I replaced in minutes.
The next day I headed into the Karoo and set my sights on Steytlerville. I took the Cockscomb road from the R75, and the next 3 hours flew by like a dream. The bike handled superbly on dirt, feeling smoother and more planted than I expected. I stopped in Steytlerville for lunch and found a place to stay called 'Marlu Farm Stay' and camped the night under an Acacia tree alongside the river.
The next morning I headed out to Calitzdorp. I had breakfast in Willowmore and took the R407 to Prince Albert, where I bumped into fellow dog 'Mr T'.
Arriving to my warm, wet welcome from Cape Town.
The bike that would carry me - a 2013 Royal Enfield C5 Classic 500.
Preparing the bike the night before. I added heated grips from Trac-mac, a crash bar, steel pannier racks and my own Poor-a-tech wooden top rack (which worked like a charm).
The first night I camped in Montagu at de Bos.
The Poor-a-tech rack worked well as a firewood carrier.
Heading out on Route 62, snow on the mountains to remind me how cold it was. At least my hands were warm.
Outeniqua pass.
Picked up some upgrades to my packing system in Knysna. Dry tubes, and just in time for the rain!
R102 to Natures Valley
R102 continued
Spent a few days at Grahamstown fest, then it was off to Hogsback. I left Grahamstown too late and was caught riding the R345 at night. Many cows, people and other animals around here at night makes riding quite dangerous.
The next day I rode to Addo. I took the R400 to the R335 and once again was caught out in the dark on Zuurberg pass, which was quite a memorable experience. I stayed at Orange Elephant Backpackers, which is run by a fellow dog, John. He was amazingly hospitable and it is a wonderful place to stay if you stopping over here.
No serious damage on the bike from last nights abuse. The speedometer cable was broken, but I had a spare one which I replaced in minutes.
The next day I headed into the Karoo and set my sights on Steytlerville. I took the Cockscomb road from the R75, and the next 3 hours flew by like a dream. The bike handled superbly on dirt, feeling smoother and more planted than I expected. I stopped in Steytlerville for lunch and found a place to stay called 'Marlu Farm Stay' and camped the night under an Acacia tree alongside the river.
The next morning I headed out to Calitzdorp. I had breakfast in Willowmore and took the R407 to Prince Albert, where I bumped into fellow dog 'Mr T'.
Arriving to my warm, wet welcome from Cape Town.
