Nelis+
Pack Dog
I decided to do a road trip and visit a few friends along the way. Depart Sandton, Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg, Umtata, East London, Port Elizabeth, Cookhouse, and back. A number of my riding rules include:
- Atgatt
- Avoid riding at night
- Avoid riding in rain
- don't ride when the visibility is poor
- don't ride when you are under stress
- check tyre pressure each time before you ride
- have proper tested gear before going on a long trip
- fill up when you are not sure where the next stop is
- don't rush to arrive at a target before nightfall
Well, I broke all of these except the first one, and I paid the price.
I set of to Newcastle from Santon at 15:00 Wednesday a week ago, ca 350 km. I thought I will be there at dusk. Big mistake. The weather wast probably the worst riding weather for as long as I can remember. Extremely strong wind, light drizzle 11C. In Bethal I stop at a garage to put on long johns. This is a major pit stop for all the taxis and I was joined in the cramped ablutions by continuous stream of passengers. My stripping of gear and pushing said passengers around to make space must have looked surreal. The zip that joins my jacket and pants strip and get stuck. There is nowhere clean to put anything down. This simple exercise takes what feels like 15 minutes.
I arrive in Volksrust at 7:00. It is now properly dark, I am wet, cold and starting to shake almost uncontrollably. I have only 50 km to go, little realizing that my problems are yet to start. Down the Majuba pass we go- cold, dark, heavy mist/light drizzle, absolutely no visibility. I tuck in between 2 trucks, and follow the red lights of the truck in front of me. This way at least I won't be taken out by a vehicle from the front or rear.
The trip from Newcastle to Pietermaritsburg along the scenic R103 is nice, but cold.
I attach a picture of the bike outside Umtata. For breaks I wil turn into a small road to village and look for a spot about a km from the main road. Without fail, all passers by will ask if I am OK, and greet friendly.
Nice part of trip. At this point my new shark helmet is pushing my jaws apart, and my custom made earplugs are painfully squashed into my head. At Port Alfred , I get silicone plugs, and they work like a charm.
Between East London and Port Elizabeth I see a giraffe and the ocean at the same time. It remains strange to me.
I planned to stay at Cookhouse and search for some family graves (Geyer). Cookhouse is now only a township, and was quite sure that I would have struggled to get info on the graves. I push on to sleep in Cradock. One of the guests (underway in his pick-up) is proud of his new KTM 1190, 6 months old, 20km on odo, and never to be taken on gravel road.
I arrive safely back in Sandton after 2800km.
Yesterday afternoon I visit my father in Pretoria. Not learning from my mistakes, I do not check the tyre pressure-Pretoria is nearby anyway. I leave from Pretoria at sunset. On the N1 south at the Allandale off ramp, the bike starts to shake. I am doing 140km/h in the fast lane, and the traffic is heavy. I reduce speed with the throttle only,and start making my nerve wrecking way accross 6 lanes to the left shoulder. The back tyre is completely flat, and pumping it makes no difference. I attach a picture below. A very helpful motorist stops and offers to take me home. He is an engineer at Eskom- and also a biker. Many thanks Robbie.
The tyre picture shows an Acacia thorn, as well as what looks to be a puncture and chip out of the tyre caused by a metal object.
I count myself lucky that is was not the front tyre.
- Atgatt
- Avoid riding at night
- Avoid riding in rain
- don't ride when the visibility is poor
- don't ride when you are under stress
- check tyre pressure each time before you ride
- have proper tested gear before going on a long trip
- fill up when you are not sure where the next stop is
- don't rush to arrive at a target before nightfall
Well, I broke all of these except the first one, and I paid the price.
I set of to Newcastle from Santon at 15:00 Wednesday a week ago, ca 350 km. I thought I will be there at dusk. Big mistake. The weather wast probably the worst riding weather for as long as I can remember. Extremely strong wind, light drizzle 11C. In Bethal I stop at a garage to put on long johns. This is a major pit stop for all the taxis and I was joined in the cramped ablutions by continuous stream of passengers. My stripping of gear and pushing said passengers around to make space must have looked surreal. The zip that joins my jacket and pants strip and get stuck. There is nowhere clean to put anything down. This simple exercise takes what feels like 15 minutes.
I arrive in Volksrust at 7:00. It is now properly dark, I am wet, cold and starting to shake almost uncontrollably. I have only 50 km to go, little realizing that my problems are yet to start. Down the Majuba pass we go- cold, dark, heavy mist/light drizzle, absolutely no visibility. I tuck in between 2 trucks, and follow the red lights of the truck in front of me. This way at least I won't be taken out by a vehicle from the front or rear.
The trip from Newcastle to Pietermaritsburg along the scenic R103 is nice, but cold.
I attach a picture of the bike outside Umtata. For breaks I wil turn into a small road to village and look for a spot about a km from the main road. Without fail, all passers by will ask if I am OK, and greet friendly.
Nice part of trip. At this point my new shark helmet is pushing my jaws apart, and my custom made earplugs are painfully squashed into my head. At Port Alfred , I get silicone plugs, and they work like a charm.
Between East London and Port Elizabeth I see a giraffe and the ocean at the same time. It remains strange to me.
I planned to stay at Cookhouse and search for some family graves (Geyer). Cookhouse is now only a township, and was quite sure that I would have struggled to get info on the graves. I push on to sleep in Cradock. One of the guests (underway in his pick-up) is proud of his new KTM 1190, 6 months old, 20km on odo, and never to be taken on gravel road.
I arrive safely back in Sandton after 2800km.
Yesterday afternoon I visit my father in Pretoria. Not learning from my mistakes, I do not check the tyre pressure-Pretoria is nearby anyway. I leave from Pretoria at sunset. On the N1 south at the Allandale off ramp, the bike starts to shake. I am doing 140km/h in the fast lane, and the traffic is heavy. I reduce speed with the throttle only,and start making my nerve wrecking way accross 6 lanes to the left shoulder. The back tyre is completely flat, and pumping it makes no difference. I attach a picture below. A very helpful motorist stops and offers to take me home. He is an engineer at Eskom- and also a biker. Many thanks Robbie.
The tyre picture shows an Acacia thorn, as well as what looks to be a puncture and chip out of the tyre caused by a metal object.
I count myself lucky that is was not the front tyre.
