I never expected to be so happy with my bike or the bike to be so dependable that I would ever get to this (centurion)-stage. Anyway, here is my story.
I was a biker earlier in life (see the list below), but family and finances kept me bikeless for a long time.
Me on a friend’s PD Classic with my boet, his son and his father-in-law on the Vespa
In 2007 I got a three-year-late insurance payout, and jumped at the opportunity to buy a big adventure bike. Killroy (when still in Cape Town) actually introduced me to the 1150 and I was convinced that this was the bike for me.
I bought a Yellow 2000 BMW 1150 GS with 37,000 kms on the clock, and lost the rear seat in the demo run !!! Not a good start to our relationship.
I just used the bike to commute on the road for a few months until I eventually ventured onto gravel. My first trip was a Sept 2007 MotoAdventure trip to Veldrift.
I was introduced to some fellow dogs by Ride-a-lot and Joyride and joined them on trips up the West Coast, to Middelpos and to Wupperthal.
I also attended the rainy 2007 Breede Bash where YellowFever planted his 1200 while trying to sneak away ….
2008 rides included:
Doornbaai https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=14793.0
Middelpos https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=15668.0
Wupperthal https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=17490.0
In the middle of the 2008 winter, Highlander (aka YellowFever) put together a Baviaans-trip ....
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=19505.0
After the Baviaans trip, on about 60,000 kms we went for little spin to Wellington for breakfast when a cloudburst broke over us. At about 80km/h, I did not see that the gravel changed to clay and next moment I was sliding on my back with old Pumba making summersaults next to me. After the fall, we had to push-start the beast and I rode on to Wellington for the breakfast. The bike was eventually written-off, but I managed to buy it back from the scrap yard with some bits and piece to fix it. Because the BM topbox was shattered, I also (temporarily) fitted a “pizza delivery box” for the next trip …..
After the rebuild, it was the Kalahari trip in October with a detour to Verneukpan on the way back. What an EPIC trip …… https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=23724.0
Over 2008 December I did a short trip to Cape Agulhas and attended the next Breede Bash.
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=28152.0
In 2009 it was Strandfontein https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=29501.0
...and in April we went to Namibia !! My son Archangel also suddenly decided to get a bike (650 Funduro) and joined us. It was magic to have my whole family along for this trip. Namibia https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=32003.0
After the Namibia trip I decided to fit an Adventure tank and did a bit of “cutomising”. Now I really had a unique and distinctive bike !!
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=33834.0
Next was a Flower trip in August https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=36777.0
…. a Canola run in September and
….. again an Agulhas trip in December, Archangel this time on his new KTM 950 !!
2010 kicked off with another EPIC, our Mozambique “Bike & Surf trip” but this time Archangel did the trip planning and navigation …….
My bike tipped over the 100,000 km on the clock during this trip.
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=48013.0
In June we did a Sutherland snow trip and a Groenrivier sand jolly …..
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=56406.0
..... and a Swartland, Dasklippas trip ....
For 2011 we decided to do a Karoo trip which included Sutherland, Swartbergpas, Klaarstroom, the Hel and Warmwaterberg.
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=69057.0
.... and in August for a Darling flower trip ….
For the 2011 Breede Bash, Archangel decided that we must take an alternative route. What a trip !!! We nearly wrote off both bikes on a route from Greyton to Villiersdorp through the mountains ….
2012 was a very busy year on the work front and so trips were less and shorter.
At the end of April, I went to see Archangel ride in the 2012 Amageza and so played around the Sutherland gravel roads.
In the first week in May the clock turned over to 137,000kms so completing 100,000 kms as a combination !!!
See you guys on the road !!!
eepwall:
