SuperJuice
Race Dog
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2006
- Messages
- 1,337
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- Johannesburg
- Bike
- New Hudson (all models)
Having just both acquired our 950's last week, Voodoo and myself decided to head out to Groot Marico for our inaugural ride on Sunday (11/11).
Voodoo sold his 640 and bought his 950 and I sold my 1150GS and bought my 950 and we were keen to hit a route with some tar and dirt and put some kilometers on the bikes and get to know them a little better. I have ridden this route a couple of times in the past on the 1150 so it was also a good chance for me to do a direct comparison on the bikes.
We met at 7:00 in Fourways and headed out towards Krugersdorp then off to Magaliesburg.
The 950's are heavy on juice and Voodoo had to fill up at a garage well frequented by bikers...
Voodoo filling up the thirsty horse.
The BMW brigade. We chatted to one of the riders in the group and they were off to Rustenburg via some gravel. There were a lot of riders who hadn't been on gravel and this was a 'learning' exercise.
Happy snaps of the 950...
From there we headed out to Magaliesburg and happily cruised at about 140-150km/h. I still had around 100km's to go to fully scrub the tyres so we took it easy. Superbikers like this road and a couple of them came past us making it look like we were looking for parking!
We stopped at the Biltong Hut and had a lekka breakfast and fueled our bodies up for the day ahead, it was a glorious day and the sun was beginning to remind us that it was summer, after all. After having a quick honey mampoer taste tester we were off and headed past Boons then to Derby.
Passing through Derby and on our way to Koster the excitement in both of us was building. We both bought these bikes to have fun in the dirt and still be able to commute long distances with ease and carry pillion passengers. The 950's handle well on tar and the v-twin is effortless in it's power delivery.
Just outside Koster we took the dirt road and stopped for a ciggy.
Voodoo was complaining about a little bit of head shake and snaking at speed on the tar, I thought it was the crosswinds that were blowing, we we to find out later that I was wrong...
This is what awaited us...
A quick pic to capture the excitement on Voodoo's face...
I don't look that excited, I know, but I was keen to get moving and haul some ass on dirt!
We headed off, hit the dirt and proceeded to head out to the Eye of Groot Marico where we would swim and enjoy the foofy slide.
We had little ciggy break and compared notes.
My reply to Voodoo asking me not to roost him again... >
The dirt roads here are great in some sections and a little hairy in others, especially at speed. Snaking through some sections brought on a little 'wooohooo' shouted under my helmet every now and then. Voodoo was battling to keep up and once we stopped he said he didn't feel comfortable or confident on the bike at all between 120-130km/h the bike kept snaking badly and just didn't feel right.
I, on the other hand, was loving the 950 and the WP suspension was soaking up every bump, rock, ditch, divot and soft sandy area I could throw at it even at 150-160km/h and had a smile so big it made my helmet feel smaller! ;D
Arriving at the eye we found some shade and I proceeded to get changed into my board shorts while I had Voodoo bitching about not bringing his boardies and that I hadn't reminded him, even after showing him pics of the eye during the week and saying we gonna go swim there. :
The foofy slide!
Me shouting out another 'woooohoooo'...
Entrance to the Eye of Groot Marico
Diving board just to the right of the entrance.
There were a lot of divers going there to do their basic's I assume. Approaching from this side you need to swim under the fence then the eye is a couple of meters further.
After a lekka swim we returned to the bikes and we met by 'Oom' ( the farm owner) and a lighty from the farm who had spotted the bikes and begged the Oom to come and see them.
The Oom kept us there for around 30-45 mins telling us tales of his youth, his family and gyroscope accidents...
The lighty just stared at us and the bikes and was in total awe, so much so he never uttered one word!
From the Eye we headed out to Groot Marico via dirt again and lunch was calling. The thirsty 950's needed juice, me more so than Voodoo...
Some more glorious gravel!
We pondered riding up those trails you see on the hill in the background and decided we'd save it for the next time we come out this way... 8)
Awesome screnery all around.
The Marico river, flowing nicely.
Marico River bridge and the road to Marico.
The shocker pose...
We rolled into Groot Marico and juiced up the steeds and headed out to the only restaurant on the main road and a favourite spot of the Wild Dogs (judging by how many times it's appeared in trip reports)
The first thing the waitress told us was there was no beer as they're not licensed, without us even ordering one! Apparently some biker was there a couple of weeks back and was quite upset by this, but ended up taking a photo anyway...
We ordered lunch, had a couple of cokes and shot the breeze.
Mmmm, tasty!
Tjop but no dop!
After a very good lunch we hit the road again and took the same dirt road back. It was time to push the 950 a little and see what this beast can really do.
The Old Mill
An arb photo of the road that Voodoo took while I was draining the cokes and water on the side of the road...
The ride back was better than the ride there on these roads. I pushed the 950 and had some great fun. The Scorpion(back) and MT63(front) combo was working very well and with the up and down, flowing roads I was getting to know the bike a lot better.
Stopping for a ciggy again, we took the chance to take some photos of the scenery and the beautiful day that was yesterday.
There is quite a lot of slate in the area and the dirt roads are little with slate outcrops sticking their heads out of the gravel roads. Voodoo said he was bouncing around like a hippo on a pogo stick and decided to fiddle with his suspension settings while enjoying some shade.
On our way again to Magaliesburg via Koster, Derby and Boons. I stopped just as the dirt ended and you meet up on the tar road to Koster and waited around 5-10 minutes for Voodoo. I wasn't worried as I knew he was playing around with his suspension settings trying to find the best settings he could using real world testing grounds.
Once he arrived he had a smile that rivaled mine and had found a better setting that made him feel much more confident on the bike and brought back the grin factor. The bike had been set to it's hardest front and back and we contemplated if it had ever been off tar at all!
We stopped again in Magaliesburg and enjoyed and ice cold Zamalek and watched the old steam train passing by.
On the road back I was going over all the ways the KTM suited me better compared to the BMW. I don't want to go into now as this is not a band bashing report but all I will say is that for the riding I do and the way I ride the KTM is a definitely a btter bike for me. I love this bike and I'm very happy with my purchase.
We arrived home after 16:00 having covered over 500km's still with HUGE smiles on our faces.
Voodoo sold his 640 and bought his 950 and I sold my 1150GS and bought my 950 and we were keen to hit a route with some tar and dirt and put some kilometers on the bikes and get to know them a little better. I have ridden this route a couple of times in the past on the 1150 so it was also a good chance for me to do a direct comparison on the bikes.
We met at 7:00 in Fourways and headed out towards Krugersdorp then off to Magaliesburg.
The 950's are heavy on juice and Voodoo had to fill up at a garage well frequented by bikers...
Voodoo filling up the thirsty horse.
The BMW brigade. We chatted to one of the riders in the group and they were off to Rustenburg via some gravel. There were a lot of riders who hadn't been on gravel and this was a 'learning' exercise.
Happy snaps of the 950...
From there we headed out to Magaliesburg and happily cruised at about 140-150km/h. I still had around 100km's to go to fully scrub the tyres so we took it easy. Superbikers like this road and a couple of them came past us making it look like we were looking for parking!
We stopped at the Biltong Hut and had a lekka breakfast and fueled our bodies up for the day ahead, it was a glorious day and the sun was beginning to remind us that it was summer, after all. After having a quick honey mampoer taste tester we were off and headed past Boons then to Derby.
Passing through Derby and on our way to Koster the excitement in both of us was building. We both bought these bikes to have fun in the dirt and still be able to commute long distances with ease and carry pillion passengers. The 950's handle well on tar and the v-twin is effortless in it's power delivery.
Just outside Koster we took the dirt road and stopped for a ciggy.
Voodoo was complaining about a little bit of head shake and snaking at speed on the tar, I thought it was the crosswinds that were blowing, we we to find out later that I was wrong...
This is what awaited us...
A quick pic to capture the excitement on Voodoo's face...
I don't look that excited, I know, but I was keen to get moving and haul some ass on dirt!
We headed off, hit the dirt and proceeded to head out to the Eye of Groot Marico where we would swim and enjoy the foofy slide.
We had little ciggy break and compared notes.
My reply to Voodoo asking me not to roost him again... >
The dirt roads here are great in some sections and a little hairy in others, especially at speed. Snaking through some sections brought on a little 'wooohooo' shouted under my helmet every now and then. Voodoo was battling to keep up and once we stopped he said he didn't feel comfortable or confident on the bike at all between 120-130km/h the bike kept snaking badly and just didn't feel right.
I, on the other hand, was loving the 950 and the WP suspension was soaking up every bump, rock, ditch, divot and soft sandy area I could throw at it even at 150-160km/h and had a smile so big it made my helmet feel smaller! ;D
Arriving at the eye we found some shade and I proceeded to get changed into my board shorts while I had Voodoo bitching about not bringing his boardies and that I hadn't reminded him, even after showing him pics of the eye during the week and saying we gonna go swim there. :
The foofy slide!
Me shouting out another 'woooohoooo'...
Entrance to the Eye of Groot Marico
Diving board just to the right of the entrance.
There were a lot of divers going there to do their basic's I assume. Approaching from this side you need to swim under the fence then the eye is a couple of meters further.
After a lekka swim we returned to the bikes and we met by 'Oom' ( the farm owner) and a lighty from the farm who had spotted the bikes and begged the Oom to come and see them.
The Oom kept us there for around 30-45 mins telling us tales of his youth, his family and gyroscope accidents...
The lighty just stared at us and the bikes and was in total awe, so much so he never uttered one word!
From the Eye we headed out to Groot Marico via dirt again and lunch was calling. The thirsty 950's needed juice, me more so than Voodoo...
Some more glorious gravel!
We pondered riding up those trails you see on the hill in the background and decided we'd save it for the next time we come out this way... 8)
Awesome screnery all around.
The Marico river, flowing nicely.
Marico River bridge and the road to Marico.
The shocker pose...
We rolled into Groot Marico and juiced up the steeds and headed out to the only restaurant on the main road and a favourite spot of the Wild Dogs (judging by how many times it's appeared in trip reports)
The first thing the waitress told us was there was no beer as they're not licensed, without us even ordering one! Apparently some biker was there a couple of weeks back and was quite upset by this, but ended up taking a photo anyway...
We ordered lunch, had a couple of cokes and shot the breeze.
Mmmm, tasty!
Tjop but no dop!
After a very good lunch we hit the road again and took the same dirt road back. It was time to push the 950 a little and see what this beast can really do.
The Old Mill
An arb photo of the road that Voodoo took while I was draining the cokes and water on the side of the road...
The ride back was better than the ride there on these roads. I pushed the 950 and had some great fun. The Scorpion(back) and MT63(front) combo was working very well and with the up and down, flowing roads I was getting to know the bike a lot better.
Stopping for a ciggy again, we took the chance to take some photos of the scenery and the beautiful day that was yesterday.
There is quite a lot of slate in the area and the dirt roads are little with slate outcrops sticking their heads out of the gravel roads. Voodoo said he was bouncing around like a hippo on a pogo stick and decided to fiddle with his suspension settings while enjoying some shade.
On our way again to Magaliesburg via Koster, Derby and Boons. I stopped just as the dirt ended and you meet up on the tar road to Koster and waited around 5-10 minutes for Voodoo. I wasn't worried as I knew he was playing around with his suspension settings trying to find the best settings he could using real world testing grounds.
Once he arrived he had a smile that rivaled mine and had found a better setting that made him feel much more confident on the bike and brought back the grin factor. The bike had been set to it's hardest front and back and we contemplated if it had ever been off tar at all!
We stopped again in Magaliesburg and enjoyed and ice cold Zamalek and watched the old steam train passing by.
On the road back I was going over all the ways the KTM suited me better compared to the BMW. I don't want to go into now as this is not a band bashing report but all I will say is that for the riding I do and the way I ride the KTM is a definitely a btter bike for me. I love this bike and I'm very happy with my purchase.
We arrived home after 16:00 having covered over 500km's still with HUGE smiles on our faces.
