Go West on the N14

[machanicmike]

So Go west on the N14

Started out last year when the Misses said she wants to see the Namaqualand flowers in Bloom . So I said Ok when she suggested on motorcycles .
Dates for the trip were 5 august -12 august
So the planning was fun  organising the bikes luggage and the route was all helped to be easier thanks to this forum .

https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=211634.0

Bought both motorcycles , comms and luggage from peeps on the forum . Great help thanks Lads

So bikes  The Misses is on a 2012 Honda Tornado  and I was On A 2011 KTM 690 Enduro R
Luggage was giant Loop and some oxford soft luggage that would be divided between the 2 bikes.    I would be the ''watercarrier'  so spares tools and the like with Me and the soft light stuff with the misses .

The route was the last part of the N14. Upington ,Spingbok Kleinzee, hondeklipbaai ,Klein Pella and back to Upington

Friday Evening was eventful to say the least loading bikes and unloading bikes took its toll on my patience but i got it all done by about 10 pm . Try and load bikes the night before  and then park the bakkie in the garage  :-\      bIkes too tall for the garage door. unload .......    you get the picture .. 

Saturday  we left for Upington at about 8;30    and made our way done the N14  . Can somebody explain all the lefts and rights on that road  . 
Any way  we stopped in Kuruman and had a quick look at the eye  and decided to get the car/bakkie section of the trip done first  . We pull into Upington at about 16;30 .  Dinner and then sleep ... :bueller:

The following Morning was to be a sink or swim moment. Loaded bikes fuel tanks and off we went . Keimoes was the first port of call for Coffee
mistake number 1 dress correctly    Mistake number 2 .. Do a test with all the luggage and kit before departing on the Journey
But with eskom not working on a sunday in `Keimoes for a short while . No Coffe  we had to Plod on  . We did the photo thing at the Orange river and continued to Kakamas for Coffee  ......
Mistake number 3 remember where you pack your ear plugs ..... and DONT TELL THE MISSES TO HURRIE UP  ( very steady and safe rider  only been on a
bike since last year this time ) Helmet comms went silent for a while while tempers calmed and Poffadder  drew closer > Lunch in Poffadder mmmm wasnt the best but better than going hungry . Topped off tanks and headed for Springbok  at 90kph  it was a long but with regular stops and pics we were there at about 16;30    . This was to be Home for 2 nights  . a bit of a rest day as this was the longest We had ever ridden in 1 go .
Dinner and BED    was lights out very quickly .

The following Morning was a quest to find where the Flowers were Blooming and where  there were ,,,..... :-[  You Guessed it not a good flower year    ....
So what to do  go searching for flowers .

The First real taste of Sand roads

https://goo.gl/maps/1qW3mZcrvq82  Click the link to see the route

By now  mistake number .....  Get some time on gravel /sand roads so you dont travel at a snails paces. Ive ridden some off road but the Misses hasnt  so time was taken but in retrospect  it was a good thing . Sun was out the birds were singing and we were riding ours Bikes  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Sand road was not too bad on the 690  if it got squerly Lean back and gas it    on the Tornado Paddle for all you worth Or try and lean back and gas it  again Newbie Rider the Misses is ploding along like a camp....  8)

Lunch In kamieskroon and return via the N7 back to Springbok with some stops to take pics of flowers    a bush here and a bush there....

More to follow
Pics to follow

 

[machanicmike]

some Pics from the trip

 

[Laban]

...[emoji106][emoji255]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[machanicmike]

So Where  was I ....  life gets in the way . o yes flowers   
With it being a not very good flower year we had hoped for we still had to do some searching but it wanst to be  . very few and far between  . So Our time in Springbok came to and end and we had to make our way to Kleinzee  via the RED road thats the one that goes through Kpmmagas . So from Springbok bwe departed and headed for Spectakel Pass  Man that was a beautiful pass  . Haven't done much touring but it will always be my first ... So The Misses was coping with the distances that we had set in the route Planning and we were happy with where we were heading . At the Bottom of the pass we stopped at a road side stall to get some refreshments and water and to get some road info .  There is the Wit Pad and the Rooi Pad    trying to understand the locals with there different afrikaans . So we decided to take the Rooi Pad it was tar till Kommagas  nice little climb ot of a valley and a gentle run into Kommagas Slow trundle through the town  kids waving and old people sitting outside    Rural South Africa  awesome ..

So we heard the fraise the Rooi Pad    it was white to begin with but slowly got redder and SOFTER  .    WE would be staying about 15 km out of Kleinzee we were on the right road for our accommodation ( Hout Hoope)and we were making good time  stopped to have a look at the Kameldoring forest  photos and  retighten Luggage

The 40 km stretch from Kommagas to our accommodation wasn't too bad  and we were off loaded with a coffee in hand by 11;30    that meant we had some exploring time  off to Kleinzee .    We arrived in a very overcast sleepy town with a interesting history .  had a look at the museum and got lost in Kleinzee .....  So we ask the police  where a certain restaurant was    they drove in front of us to where it was    . it was Closed  and then Guided us to another spot where the coffee was good and the company was awesome (same day as ZUMA no confidence Vote)
We went to the beach before heading back to the accommodation  .

Following Day was  Womans day and had to get to KoningNass  before 12 for petrol from Oom Dudley    then to HondeKlipBaai    another short day
Again food company were amazing .

So to the 2nd Last day of traveling our route we had planned . Hondeklip baai springbok goodhouse to kleinpella  350 odd with some small tar roads sections   
:laughing4:

So the day  was to be a testing one  Widlepadehoek Pass  was supposed to take 2 hours it took us 3    . soft sand had raised his head and was trying to eat the misses and her bike    so she was paddling for a while that day . slow and cautious  she was taking it  then a cracked tower support slowed me down not to have to much vibration in the tower    . its a difficult decision  ride fast and get through the section or slow and steady and make sure the Misses isnt left too far behind . Her first time riding on softish sand and not having the confidence and experience on what to do when and where .
The road is in a awesome condition of an experienced rider  but not for a newbie ....
We make it to springbok  i jerrie rig  a tower fix  Zippties and ductape as a backup . then Food from wimpy and fuel. while eating food we discuss a route change  to Klein Pella  no more Goodhouse  but a more direct route  about 35 km before Aggenyse turn Left  and about 85 km you should be there .........

So thats what we did  N 14  with a steady cross wind  that 80 km between springbok and the Turnoff was very frosty over the helmet comms    Now its race against time ,  leaving hondeklipbaai 30 min late . then fixes in springbok and a redirected route I was  now  worried about riding in the dark .....

 

[m0lt3n]

nice ride with your wife. How did she experience it in retrospect? Or rather....do you still have the Tornado or not?

 

[machanicmike]

nice ride with your wife. How did she experience it in retrospect? Or rather....do you still have the Tornado or not?

Yes wen still have the Tornado    and no its not up for sale yet    ....    She was a true Cham . She has told me se had a few moments and she only dropped it 1 time  that was in hodeklipebaai .

 

[machanicmike]

Some more Pics  and our  google maps route to Klein Pella Guest Farm
https://goo.gl/maps/9RHQhRWxebM2

 

[Pilchie]

well done to he misses - nice report

 

[NoRush]

Well done to you and your wife  :thumleft: I have more or less same issue. My wife stared riding also about a year or so.... we had n similar comms frozen issue.  :imaposer:
I have patience on my side, the icy comms storm soon left us. Thanks for sharing about the trip. 

 

[machanicmike]

Well where did I leave the ride report .... turned left the N14  about 35 km Before Aggneyse    https://goo.gl/maps/9RHQhRWxebM2  .

Not sure of Where we were and what the road conditions were like I was a bit nervous the say the least  but hay thats why they call it adventure biking ...

So we Stopped to get gps details  and confirm with a Tracks4AFrica map we Headed into the unknown and so we started down the road . A quite sandy road ... With Instant regret i had to stop and open a gate    let the Misses through  get my bike though and then close said gate    . She was to be padelling for the next few kms . The road got worse and I was having  2nd thoughts but about the route because of broken tower mounts that were being held together with BIG ZIPTIES .

But sometimes 1 must forgo the what if and just Go    so thats what we did    Stayed the corse ... For the Next few hours it was stop open gate get my bike through then wait for the Misses to go past  then close the gate and try get past her to get to the next gate So She wouldn't have to stop start . Not fun when you are not "bikeFit" or experienced in soft sand . And  So we continued for about 30 km on the now very soft sand road  road  , We  would stop to take some pics and drink some water every so often .  The Misses would give me a signal and I  would try and find a hard piece of road to stop and streach and pic and water . Some places I had to stay  not here and then the frosty silence would return  but not for long til i had found some spot .

I think that was 1 of the most awesome day or riding motorcycles in my life  .

We reached a intersection with a farm house  with road signs    Wortel  and harmorpe  in the northern Cape      Anyway it was also a rest stop didnt know what direction to go so we were lucky enough to see and ask some locals where to go  Very Friendly people .

The road got a bit better for a short while and we could  make up some time . With 1 or two more gates and a few more soft sand sections we made it to the "main road". The last  15 km took  about 45 min  the Misses  were now just wanting to get to the accommodation 

Klein Pella Guest farm sign board was a celebration pic and little rest  . Its is a working Date farm  the biggest in the southern hemisphere
We arrived at about 16;45 in the afternoon ,

Booked in and went and organised  some cold BeersThe Misses never drinks so She must have been really tired  .

 

[machanicmike]

Well  the place is amazingly awesome food and lovely people  and cold beer what more could you want .......
They have camping spots  and a few small Rondavals that were cosy and good enouh for us for the evening . The following morning i had to do some asking about petrol  and if we could get to see the orange River  about 10 down the road and Yes they did have petrol (the farm installed New tanks this years so clean petrol )  I had also found a small pool of coolant under my Bike . So before Breakfast i had to take the shroud and the  front right hand side tank off to see where it was leaking from .
I couldnt see any cracks or damages radiators  coolant levers were in a normal position and oil was also good  . Checked ignition no flashing lights for low  fluid levers . so I was hoping that all would be well  :thumleft: :  . So being the final day of our trip we decided to go and look at the river and some date palms  .  So After a awesome breakfast we headed out . River was awesome and the plantations  of dates in an arid area are alway amazing .
And we saw wild life    A scorpion , Klip springers and some  ground squirrels  .

The bike was fine with the slow trundle to the river and back . So off to upington it was  . The last piece of sand road wasnt too bad the Misses did admit to me later that day that she saw 60 kph on that last section of sand road .

Poffadder was a Splash and dash .  We had decided that while we were near the Augrabies Falls  we should go and see them . In the planning we werent going to go past because of the distances we had to do for the last day .  275 from  klein pella back to upington .  But with the late breakfast 9 am  and the extra detour to the river we were only on the road by 11;45    ???    So  off to Augrabies we went  202km to get done fast is easy  : if you are used too 120 km but at about 90 km it takes a while    .. but we got there . 

So falls, food and fuel  we were back on the road but it was getting close to 16h00  with kakamas being our fuel stop  we were aiming for rush hour in upington .not what i was want  :eek7:

  That last Hour The misses was suffering  she was wanting to stop every 35 km  . With that happening and busy roads  the silences got louder and Longer . but the last 5 km was the worst . My leak from the morning had been fine because  we were moving 45kph  and faster  moving air was fine . I was also now getting tired  :dousing:    A number of words and shouting    it was not pleasent  . So i had to radio direct the Misses through the traffic  with a bike that was a bit hot    eventually  we Arrived at the b&B where we had left the car . :imaposer: :ricky:

And So the end of the ride . 

For a first timer at  adventure touring I have some thing I would do differently
1  less milage per day max 200 km per day Maximum    The days we did long miles we were tire and had frosty moments  never fun when you are on HOLIDAY
2  Try and get More route info    The route part in talking about it from Goodhouse to Klein PELLA  and the main reason for the northern cape was the Misses and  the flowers  ( UNFINISHED BUSINESS make it into a ride report  ) 
3 Try and time it so we would have lest traffic on the last day
3

 

[scalci]

well done, and thank you for the nice report.....

 

[SchalkL]

I like your attitude and your RR - tx for sharing  :thumleft: