- Joined
- Oct 15, 2008
- Messages
- 9,472
- Reaction score
- 2,559
- Location
- Out of Africa
- Bike
- KTM 950 Adventure S
And then it happened - the inevitable - luckily not me. :thumleft: :thumleft:
The thought of changing a tube on the 950, on a hot day, in the middle of nowhere, on a steep slope fills me with dread. So I have UHD tubes fitted with Tyreshield inside - the best combo I have used so far.
I did manage, however, to square off my front rim with a few big hits on the rocks but I only really feel it on the road when traveling at high speed. So that will stay as is until I need a new front tyre.
Anyways, we carried on on the dirt - left, right, left, right, ad infinitum ................. there are no straights in Lesotho.
20 kms on and we were back on tar - and yet again, no straights. Here the 950 came into it's own. Smooth and easy to ride, it just cruised around these corners, using all of the tyre for a change. But Neil was on my arse all the time, on the KLR - he seemed to be able to flick it let and right a lot more easier than me. Could it be the rider/bike weight ratio or is he just braver than me?
Those new tar roads are amazing, though, a rider's dream. The surface is so smooth and well cambered it puts our SA engineers to shame. No matter who built them, they are way better than our roads. The only drawback, being in Lesotho, is the rocks lying in the road, having fallen off the mountains alongside. So,a few obstacles to avoid, but worth it AND a bigger plus was that we were the only ones on the road.
It was probably the best 100kms to Semonkong I've ever done on tar - you have to do it, before the road deteriorates.
Some views on the way - Near Serofong ...........
We arrived in Semonkong, filled the tanks and stopped for a beer before heading onto Ramabanta. There were some serious clouds in the sky so we waited and had another beer ............................. and another ............................
Had some great fun with a few locals as can be seen.
Note how the 950 got the sexy one - check those eyes - I was in love :biggrin: :biggrin:
I even took a ride on one of the local KLRs ...............
So now plans changed - time was short, we were slightly pissed, were in need of more sustenance and in the mood for a party. Why not stay in Semonkong and see how things pan out????
Cleverly (surprisingly) we stashed a beer or 2 and headed off to the Maletsunyane waterfall. Famous for something but when you look at it it's hard to see why. Granted, we're in a drought, so the show was piss-poor - better luck next time.
A late lunch at the falls ..................................
Now what? Well, I could see Semonkong Lodge at the end of the rainbow, so that's where we headed.
Booked a couple rooms, headed for the pub, met a busload of tourists from Holland and some other interesting people and started to party ...................... :ricky:
The thought of changing a tube on the 950, on a hot day, in the middle of nowhere, on a steep slope fills me with dread. So I have UHD tubes fitted with Tyreshield inside - the best combo I have used so far.
I did manage, however, to square off my front rim with a few big hits on the rocks but I only really feel it on the road when traveling at high speed. So that will stay as is until I need a new front tyre.
Anyways, we carried on on the dirt - left, right, left, right, ad infinitum ................. there are no straights in Lesotho.
20 kms on and we were back on tar - and yet again, no straights. Here the 950 came into it's own. Smooth and easy to ride, it just cruised around these corners, using all of the tyre for a change. But Neil was on my arse all the time, on the KLR - he seemed to be able to flick it let and right a lot more easier than me. Could it be the rider/bike weight ratio or is he just braver than me?
Those new tar roads are amazing, though, a rider's dream. The surface is so smooth and well cambered it puts our SA engineers to shame. No matter who built them, they are way better than our roads. The only drawback, being in Lesotho, is the rocks lying in the road, having fallen off the mountains alongside. So,a few obstacles to avoid, but worth it AND a bigger plus was that we were the only ones on the road.
It was probably the best 100kms to Semonkong I've ever done on tar - you have to do it, before the road deteriorates.
Some views on the way - Near Serofong ...........
We arrived in Semonkong, filled the tanks and stopped for a beer before heading onto Ramabanta. There were some serious clouds in the sky so we waited and had another beer ............................. and another ............................
Had some great fun with a few locals as can be seen.
Note how the 950 got the sexy one - check those eyes - I was in love :biggrin: :biggrin:
I even took a ride on one of the local KLRs ...............
So now plans changed - time was short, we were slightly pissed, were in need of more sustenance and in the mood for a party. Why not stay in Semonkong and see how things pan out????
Cleverly (surprisingly) we stashed a beer or 2 and headed off to the Maletsunyane waterfall. Famous for something but when you look at it it's hard to see why. Granted, we're in a drought, so the show was piss-poor - better luck next time.
A late lunch at the falls ..................................
Now what? Well, I could see Semonkong Lodge at the end of the rainbow, so that's where we headed.
Booked a couple rooms, headed for the pub, met a busload of tourists from Holland and some other interesting people and started to party ...................... :ricky:
eepwall:
