My very 1st ride report - Pre DS days on the FJ1200 ...

[Eisbein]

Hallo!

I was very active on a music forum (before I discovered this place !) and the people started to chat about what the scenery you get in the different countries.
Somehow we started to chat about other hobbies and motorcycling came up.
So I did this on a spur of the moment.
Was (mostly) an American audience...

Hi there !Just thought I'd drop in to say that I've taken leave tommorow (wednesday) 'till Friday.I call it 'keep-me-from-killing-my-coworkers-insurance' So I've got about 1000 miles ahead of me on Route 62 and the Garden route down the south coast of our beautiful country on my FJ.I'll hopefully be able to bore you with fotos on monday.W.

Hi there again !I had an awesome time !Scott, it is good to sometimes do the unexpected.Ian, at one time I wished I had some aircon. It was bordering on 40 degrees celcius (it is after all high summer here !). I'm sure you wouldn't be a stranger to heat over in the UAE ...I ended up not taking as many photos as I wanted, but here are a good couple of some of the places I've been to:

This was the 2nd morning just before departing from very good friends in Rawsonville - a little farming community town about 50 miles from my house (only left the Wednesday about 13:00 to visit them).

This is the entrance to the farm where they rent a house.

This is the view from the entrance.

This is the view from their house....



part II... The next couple of photos was taken so that you would believe me when I say there are mountains all around ...I've parked the FJ on the side of the road and took photos with it in the frame each time so that you could see in what direction it is pointing, so you could get an idea of where (in relation to it) you are looking. This is about 55 miles from my house.\

The following two photos are in an area that we call the Little karoo. It is a little dryer than the area the previous photos (Boland), but as you can see a very nice place to throw the bike  around a little. The pass is about 6 - 7 miles of this type of terrain - this is about 250 miles from my house.

The following was taken the next evening on the way from Oudshoorn to George (George is on the Garden route). Notice (still) the mountains all around.

Then (about 20 miles on), this is what it looks like.
Auteniqua pass. Notice how the environment is already less harsh. More soft and green. It's difficult to describe how much the climate can change in about 30 miles.

part III...The next morning I continued back home on what is known in South Africa as the Garden route.This is on my way into a holiday town (Glentana). I've 1st entered it on a little back road, and then I went back on the main road for about 10 miles so that I could take the wider sea photos (the highway is higher against the mountains)

This is a place in the Overberg  (translated meaning 'Over the mountain'). It is close to one of the prime whale watching spots on our coastline.

Betty's Bay.

The last part of the trip was a place called Rooi Els. The 1st picture shows the little pass down with the sea at the back. On the other side of False Bay (right at the back of the photo on the right) the landmass that is visible is the back of table mountain. Behind that is Chapmain's Peak and CapePoint, but that's another day's story...

The following is taken from the same spot, but just looking towards the right.

Lastly, this is a little further looking back at where the previous photo was taken. At the right of that last 'bumpy' landmass you can see a couple of houses. Those are the same houses than what the previous photo is looking down on...

If you made it this far, thanks for indulging me. Hopefully this would have given you a little glimpse of the beautiful surroundings that we have available to us in the Western Cape. I must also say that this is a fraction of what is available just around the corner from my house (Rooi Els is something like 50 miles from home).There are countless mountain passes that are equally beautiful. You can literally drive for 300 miles in any direction and be surrounded by mountain ranges.Cheers !Wihan

 

[Marlene]

Nice!!!

 

[Slainte Mhaith]

.

 

[Eisbein]

Van daai fotos laat my verlang na George.
Eendag as ek groot is gaan ek daar bly.

Ek voel ook so... *sug*

My oom noem daardie omgewing die voorstad van die Hemel...

 

[Trailrider]

Cool.  8)

You have come a long way since then... ;D

 

[Eisbein]

A couple of ways ...

;D


I still enjoy the odd N2 trip. If you come from a superbike its difficult to say goodbye to long fast sweeping twisties as presented by the Gordonsbay to Rooi Els road or the N2 over Sir Lowreys and Houwhoek...

 

[mountainboy]

so when did you come over to the 'dirt' side???

 

[Eisbein]

so when did you come over to the 'dirt' side???

Hahaha!

I actually grew up on a smallholding and had only ever been on the dirt while learning to ride. (Got my 1st motorcycle in std5 - a Suzie AC50).
Then did the natural progression and had a MT-5 and eventually rode a Yammie 175 enduro.
Had to go legal after that and got a Honda SS50 and later a RZ50. Then I got the P150x.
man I loved that mcahine. Went touring a little on it (never offroad touring though, but I did lots of dirt with it. I also took that Vespa into wholes and places where other people wouldn't even walk... had myself in lots of trouble a couple of times almost losing it seriously...
I've always felt more comfortable on dirt as for me it is more predictable than tar road.

By that time I've met Vicky and she loved riding with (We also went on the 1st outing of the current Vespa club in 1995 - I'll dig some photos out to show you at some time).
I got a Suz GS450 after that and then I got a Suz GS650G katana (shaft model).
At that time me and Vicky was hooked on riding together, but there were just no big bikes that could carry us both for a distance, being comfortable while still being affordable (I got the katana for R6500 in 1999 - No way I could afford anything more and even DRBig's were way out of my price range). I then got the opportunity (in 2002) to get the FJ1200 (for R15 000) - still nothing in the two up DS side for that price that I could afford.  A friend of mine had a XR500R and I always took that out for a quick play.

Me and Vicky have a very relaxed and 'exploratory' style when traveling together. More than once I've been frustrated when I couldn't really take the FJ down a side road. Make no mistake, I did take it on the odd gravel road, but it never could shake the feeling that I'm abusing the bike a little. It did amazing powerslides on gravel though. 110 horses to the rear makes for interesting power delivery .

I got the FJ in 2002 - for the 1st 2 months I still thought that the 'natural upgrade path' was going to be to a 1100XX Blackbird.
The only proper DS bikes (that fit my style and my requirements) was an 1100/1150.
I all of a sudden then started to realize that a GS wasn't that far out of reach anymore.
So in the beginning of this year (January) I finally got around to sorting all the stuff out and sold the FJ and got the 1100.

The rest is history...

I will still someday have a BlackBird (or even a ZZR1100) alongside the GS and the Dr650 (that I also still need to get), but 'till then the GS is fast enough on the open road and through the twisties to keep my superbike side happy.

There's still nothing like an inline-4  one liter class engine of a superbike getting into the sweet spot of the rev range and that mad rush as it is screaming towards the red line with the front wheel feeling like it is just about to let go and reach for the sky...

I must say that is the only thing I miss on the GS. But all the other advantages are so huge that it doesn't even bother me in the least.

I take it I answered your question and then some...
;D


W <- over sharing as usual ;D

 

[mountainboy]

errrrrr.........

I think you answered my question 

 

[Eisbein]

errrrrr.........

I think you answered my question 

;D

 

[ITrider]

Very nice, but how does that big FJ1200 handle in the dirt?

 

[Eisbein]

Very nice, but how does that big FJ1200 handle in the dirt?

Gravel highways no problem...

Watercrossings and bolderhops presented a little bit of and issue.






;D ;D

 

[letsgofishing]

Cool report, Eisbein - and nice wheels you had then.

 

[Eisbein]

Cool report, Eisbein - and nice wheels you had then.

Thanks !

 

[surf]

Van daai fotos laat my verlang na George.
Eendag as ek groot is gaan ek daar bly.

Eks in...

"almal wil n plekkie by die see he..."