Damage?

Motorcycling the Southern & Eastern Cape of South Africa

Over the 2001 Easter weekend I did some riding with the BMW Western Cape Club, altogether I did 2,025 km in 4 days of riding, most of which was dirt track under extremely wet, muddy and treacherous conditions. Location was Southern and Eastern Cape mountains.

Friday, April 13, 2001

Leave Cape Town at 9.00 from Engen Winelands N1. Ride via du Toitskloofpass to Worcester and on to Barrydale, already in the rain from the start of du Toits. Lunch at the Country Pumpkin. After lunch onto dirt about 30km outside Barrydale towards Swartberg pass, all dirt and very slippery in these conditions. Barry, the club captain drops his new R1150GS with his wife riding pillion right in front of me. Extensive damage to the pannier holders and a pillion footrest, Gill has a sore ankle as the bike fell on her ankle and both come away with minor pain to the ribs and a hugely damaged pride.

On we ride towards Calitzdorp and as I go over the crest of a hill I see what looks like baggage lying next to the road/path, as I pass I realise that one of the famous BMW top boxes did its trick again, this was not going to be the only one. We all make it to Uniondale in one piece but very tired and cold. I try the camping ground which we confirmed the previous day has warm water and ablutions, but alas no such luck, there is not even anyone there to let me in, so back I go to the local B&B called Townhouse, to share a room with Donald a 75 year old biker who snores loud enough to shake the foundations of any building strong enough to withstand an earthquake of 7,4 on the Richter Scale. Donald has been down the Amazon a couple of times ridden cape to Cairo a couple of times and is not a man of many words. He now rides a F650 GS PD. After a couple of bottles of red and supper we all went to sleep off our wary bones.

Saturday, April 14, 2001

After breakfast assemble outside the townhouse and split into two groups. Group one are taking an easy ride over Prince Albert pass to Knysna for some oysters and beers - moffies. Group two wants to ride Willowvale to Steytlerville onwards through the Baviaanskloof Mountains to Patensie then back up the Baviaanskloof. Trick - the first 200 km or so are easy riding, at worst gravel. Then we get into more treacherous territory where things get a bit slippery, and promptly Gavin Cooper puts his 1150 down in front of me with his girlfriend riding pillion, flying through the mud. OK no damage and everyone is kinda all right and off we go again. Next 40 km are done at a maximum 40km/h meanwhile Neil W is riding his 1980's R100s all along with us, no problem.

Next comes a river crossing of about 100 metres, and the water about knee height. No slab underneath, only big loose boulders, meant more for vehicles that can't fall over. Mark and Cathy cross first on their R11GS and go through OK. You can see he's done this before. Next goes John on his Honda 750 Africa Twin and goes through OK. Long story - short Gavin stops in the middle of the river and the guys on the other side have to carry his girlfriend off the bike to dry land. The rest recover Gavin and R1150GS to dry land. Mike drops his Honda 600 Alpine Express in the water and the water comes running out of the electronics, obviously water cooled electric system. Next is me very nervous after having seen all the rest drop into the water. Surprise! I made it across although I nearly took out some innocent spectators, Mark and Cathy. Next is Neil W who's exhausts are definitely going to be under water and his bike also stalls in the middle of the river, time for the recovery team to leap into action. By now everyone is well and truly soaked, but after wringing out socks and boots on we go again.

Next hurdle is not such a difficult one but even so very treacherous if you do not think�which with hindsight you can always do! Anyway this is where yours truly drops his R11GS at the breakneck speed of 20 km/h into a donga in the track, (i.e. very slippery muddy and GS tyres do not disperse mud too well any more). Oh fuck - indicators broken off on the front, fairing bracket broken one side, tank scratched. No problem - all sorted with some duct tape. Rider unhurt from the tilt but as I tried to pick the bike up my right foot slipped in the kak that caused me to fall in the first place, and I drop the bike on my wedding ring finger. Ouch this is hurting and my finger starts looking like a lollypop and about as hard as that too. Bike slightly war ravaged. This was going to become an expensive outing, unbeknown to me at the time. At least my top box did not jump off at strange times strewing my dirty underwear all over the road.

On we go. Next Mike, in his enthusiasm, drops the 600 Express at speed, again the mud and kak taking its toll. Uphill Donald appears a bit insecure and falls over to the verge of the road, into the tall fynbos. But we all make it back to Patensie and take a group-photo. Gavin, Sharon-Gene and I still have to get back to Uniondale and there is no chance we will make it through Baviaans, as it is already past four in the afternoon, The rest are going to sleep at the entry to the kloof and tackle the kloof in fresh daylight, the clever plan we found out. Uniondale is another 200km to go so off we go on to route 62 directly into the setting sun. This is kak to say the least.

So off we go back to base camp. I eventually take the glove off of my left hand as my finger is swollen so much I can't keep it on any longer. Aaah - cool air does help a little in terms of relief. Eventually we take the first turn off from route 62 towards Uniondale and find ourselves going through a poort with the most amazing twisties with fantastic road surface all of 13 km or so of it. WOW - what a climax to an eventful and tiring day! Now for a cold beer and a hot shower and scrub.

Sunday, April 15, 2001

Next morning most of the gang are packing up to head back to Cape Town, I will take an extended ride and sleep over at Arniston, but first I have a bit of riding to do. So off I go back through the poort with the twisties, aah this must be close to heaven! Now for Prince Albert pass, all dirt road and twisty, narrow, and slippery at times, now I know what I want to do when I get to Valhalla!! Eventually after about 3 hours of riding I reach Knysna and contemplate having a cold beer and some Oysters, but after two days of riding this place is far too crowded and I still have some riding to do. Phantom pass and all the little forest passes on the way to George still have to be explored. From George past the airport towards Groot Brak - a lovely wide tarmac lots of long twisties with good surface. I think I should ride for a living.

Now for the N2. Nightmare with 3 speed traps but at 160 km/h that is quickly put behind me and I am hoping to watch the Grand Prix somewhere along the way, but in this part of the world people watch Rugby on an Easter Sunday so I guess I will have to carry on riding towards Witsand. From there to Malgas and cross the Breede River with the punt/ferry. All of R1.00 it costs to get me over and the guys in the bakkie had to pay R20. Ha!! Justice!! From here to Bredasdorp and sun is out but there is a 50km/h wind blowing from the side. The gravel surface is not too bad, so at 150 km/h I approach Bredasdorp and then to Arniston. My friends are not back yet so I go and have a couple of beers at the local hotel, a very yuppie establishment. I get a couple of skew looks as I probably look as if the cat has just dragged me out of the drain. Spend the night with our friends Dudley and Marie at the local camping site.

Monday, April 16, 2001

It is raining and it is still quite a ride back home, especially if you have not planned a route. So off I go towards Cape Aghullas to find the most southerly point in Africa, I have done a total of 1,635 km to this point. Along the way I find some very strange looking people on horses with these home built caravans being drawn by horse. They look somehow inbred but perhaps they smoked too much homegrown!! It is pouring at the most southerly point and I decide to ride towards Elim a very quaint little village in the middle of nowhere. You can ride these little farm roads and no-one bugs you all the way back to Caledon. From here the traffic is a nightmare again and its time to get off this main route. Head towards Villiersdorp via some gravel roads, but I am not the only one as there are cars doing the same, so "eat dust and let them eat dust", becomes my motto! Again some idiot in a BMW car decides it is time to show everyone how you wipe out three cars and a bike with one foul swoop, by overtaking on a blind spot, but everyone gets through this OK. I decide I better leave this guy behind me, and go fast. This pass to Franschhoek is really exciting but road surface can really catch you out. Franschhoek is packed with all sorts of bourgeois and the traffic is not pleasant to get through but I eventually get back home very tired and saddle sore, in fact my hamstrings were sore for another 14 days from sitting so long.

Now for the interesting part. I take my motorbike into the local BMW dealer and let them do an estimate on the damage, today is 8 May and we are standing at R 10,000 and we have discovered the frame that holds the headset is cracked, hence we shall say R 10,000 and counting........

I will attach some pics, and if anyone wants to go riding the Southern/Eastern Cape back roads, count me in.

  Click on the links below to see Holgers photos from the ride:
  - Photo 1       - Photo 2      - Photo 3       - Photo 4      - Photo 5       - Photo 6
  - Photo 7       - Photo 8      - Photo 9       - Photo 10     - Photo 11     - Photo 12
  - Photo 13      - Photo 14     - Photo 15     - Photo 16     - Photo 17