Jay
Race Dog
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2008
- Messages
- 541
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Wilderness, George
- Bike
- BMW R1200GS Adventure
[size=10pt]Day 1[/size]
Here we are at lastâ? :ricky:
We awoke to the beautiful day in Pretoria. I spent most of the night before getting the bikes ready and making sure the luggage stay were they were intended to stay. I fitted all the Touratech goodies on the Beast but unfortunately had to take the handlebar risers off as there were one cable that was pulling very tight as the handlebar was in the full lock to the right. We only had to stop for some gogo juice and hit the road.
SilverLuna was quite adamant that she will do the trip on her own bike. We spoke about it and compared the pro's and cons. I felt quite comfortable with the idea and knew she could do it, but the speed and distances I planed for each day had me worried. From riding with her to Vereniging the previous day to pick up my new license card, I discovered she was still slowing down heavily going into even sweeping corners. Never the less she was rearing to do this so I gave her the opportunity to do this all on her own scoot.
The Beast loaded and ready
Dakie ready.... but not at all loaded
Two best friends, lovers, partners ready for one moerse adventure
Our first "P" stop..... I thought my tank was small ???
She did very well until she disappeared in my mirrors. I immediately slowed down and stopped. She could not have dropped back that far and with no sight of her approaching and could feel my heart beating at an unnatural pace. I turned back and as I came round a long bend in the road..... there she was on the shoulder sitting straight up with her hands in the air. 200km into the trip..... I could not believe our luck, a rear flat. I had new tubes and tires fitted two days before the trip.
According to a quick check on the trusty GPS we were about 3km outside Ballfour. I was not in the mood to change anything let alone on the side of the road, so I gooied some "gatvol" slapped the wife on the ass and sent her on her way. In the process of swearing and getting rather hot I sent my glove for a ride with Silver and needless to say never saw it again. I did however see Silver sooner than i expected...... way sooner.
I checked the GPS again and we made it extraordinary 2km..... still 1km outside Ballfour and with no more "gatvol". By this time I myself was "gatvol" and rode into town to get another bottle. I also found out where I could get the tire popped so I could fix it. We managed, but just, to get to Ballfour tyre center and proceeded to get the wheel off.
Improvised main stand...... note to self.... MAIN STAND
I asked them to just pop the tyre off the rim for me and I will do the rest. Ha my first tire change and things were going well....... until..... I realized I forgot the spare tubes at home >
Dumb ass > I asked around if there was a place that might have tubes, hellooo Ballfour what will the odds be. I spent the next one and a half hours trying to find tubes when I was told to try Heidelberg, they have bike shops and to my disgust it was.... only 30km awayâ?¦. ;D. Jumped on the Beast and 45 min later arrived back with 3 tubes one front and two rear and a R300 fine later for having a non AA size number plate only to find Silver fast asleep in a chair in the reception area.... how nice of her keeping an eye on the bike and kit :
The people of Ballfour was very kind to us and looked after sleeping Silver while I was away. I was between two tire centers one was opposite the other. The owner of the tyre center across the road from were I left my sleeping bike guard told me about his farm that had some good riding to be had..... I informed him that I might take him up on his offer and so with fixed tyre in hand headed to the Dakar to get it on the road again. With a wave and a thank you we set off.... direction Bethlehem :ricky:
450km to go and it was already 15:30. We pulled into a town called Tweeling looking for something to eat. As we rolled into town the first building we came across was... can you believe it a â??restaurant and barâ?. We soon realized the Bar was the only thing on the menuâ?¦ we bid the nice people farewell and I left them with a promised that we will be back for a beer.
BAR in Tweeling
We made a "vizer clean" stop as the sun was going down before pulling into Bethlehem. We cruised around refueled and decided to book into a B&B as I was not in the mood for pitching a tent in the dark, besides we still had not eaten the whole day. Made some calls and booked into â??Die Nessâ? a very nice spot..... it was also the only open bed we could find By now I needed a bath but not before some more sweat hit the floor. The Beast with it's heavily lauded fat pig ass dropped dead at my feet as I got off. That blerry stupid driveway. It fell over stand out and all. Luckily Silver was awake this time and we scrummed it back on the wheels. We cleaned up and took the Dakie into town for a well deserved Spur supper.
Viser stop
Die Ness B&B
At Breakfast the next morning..... at Die Ness B&B
Here we are at lastâ? :ricky:
We awoke to the beautiful day in Pretoria. I spent most of the night before getting the bikes ready and making sure the luggage stay were they were intended to stay. I fitted all the Touratech goodies on the Beast but unfortunately had to take the handlebar risers off as there were one cable that was pulling very tight as the handlebar was in the full lock to the right. We only had to stop for some gogo juice and hit the road.
SilverLuna was quite adamant that she will do the trip on her own bike. We spoke about it and compared the pro's and cons. I felt quite comfortable with the idea and knew she could do it, but the speed and distances I planed for each day had me worried. From riding with her to Vereniging the previous day to pick up my new license card, I discovered she was still slowing down heavily going into even sweeping corners. Never the less she was rearing to do this so I gave her the opportunity to do this all on her own scoot.
The Beast loaded and ready
Dakie ready.... but not at all loaded
Two best friends, lovers, partners ready for one moerse adventure
Our first "P" stop..... I thought my tank was small ???
She did very well until she disappeared in my mirrors. I immediately slowed down and stopped. She could not have dropped back that far and with no sight of her approaching and could feel my heart beating at an unnatural pace. I turned back and as I came round a long bend in the road..... there she was on the shoulder sitting straight up with her hands in the air. 200km into the trip..... I could not believe our luck, a rear flat. I had new tubes and tires fitted two days before the trip.
According to a quick check on the trusty GPS we were about 3km outside Ballfour. I was not in the mood to change anything let alone on the side of the road, so I gooied some "gatvol" slapped the wife on the ass and sent her on her way. In the process of swearing and getting rather hot I sent my glove for a ride with Silver and needless to say never saw it again. I did however see Silver sooner than i expected...... way sooner.
I checked the GPS again and we made it extraordinary 2km..... still 1km outside Ballfour and with no more "gatvol". By this time I myself was "gatvol" and rode into town to get another bottle. I also found out where I could get the tire popped so I could fix it. We managed, but just, to get to Ballfour tyre center and proceeded to get the wheel off.
Improvised main stand...... note to self.... MAIN STAND
I asked them to just pop the tyre off the rim for me and I will do the rest. Ha my first tire change and things were going well....... until..... I realized I forgot the spare tubes at home >
Dumb ass > I asked around if there was a place that might have tubes, hellooo Ballfour what will the odds be. I spent the next one and a half hours trying to find tubes when I was told to try Heidelberg, they have bike shops and to my disgust it was.... only 30km awayâ?¦. ;D. Jumped on the Beast and 45 min later arrived back with 3 tubes one front and two rear and a R300 fine later for having a non AA size number plate only to find Silver fast asleep in a chair in the reception area.... how nice of her keeping an eye on the bike and kit : The people of Ballfour was very kind to us and looked after sleeping Silver while I was away. I was between two tire centers one was opposite the other. The owner of the tyre center across the road from were I left my sleeping bike guard told me about his farm that had some good riding to be had..... I informed him that I might take him up on his offer and so with fixed tyre in hand headed to the Dakar to get it on the road again. With a wave and a thank you we set off.... direction Bethlehem :ricky:
450km to go and it was already 15:30. We pulled into a town called Tweeling looking for something to eat. As we rolled into town the first building we came across was... can you believe it a â??restaurant and barâ?. We soon realized the Bar was the only thing on the menuâ?¦
we bid the nice people farewell and I left them with a promised that we will be back for a beer.BAR in Tweeling
We made a "vizer clean" stop as the sun was going down before pulling into Bethlehem. We cruised around refueled and decided to book into a B&B as I was not in the mood for pitching a tent in the dark, besides we still had not eaten the whole day. Made some calls and booked into â??Die Nessâ? a very nice spot..... it was also the only open bed we could find
By now I needed a bath but not before some more sweat hit the floor. The Beast with it's heavily lauded fat pig ass dropped dead at my feet as I got off. That blerry stupid driveway. It fell over stand out and all. Luckily Silver was awake this time and we scrummed it back on the wheels. We cleaned up and took the Dakie into town for a well deserved Spur supper.Viser stop
Die Ness B&B
At Breakfast the next morning..... at Die Ness B&B
