One long sore ass ride.....

[TornadoF5]

Ok so myself and Jughead planned a ride earlier last week for this past Saturday and well on Friday Jughead reckons he can't make it, so I decide well I haven't touched my bike in like 3 weeks I have withdrawel symptoms so I'm gonna go solo.....
Needless to say battery if flat Saturday morning, so I put on charge for 20 and wala it kicks into life....

The route planned see below:  All in a perfect world I was to do just over 400km's for the day.......

 

[TornadoF5]

Hit the Cockcombe turnoff outside Uitenhage and turned right I think it was the Glenconner turn.. Roads were very nice uneventful at that. Once I hit the tar on the R336 took a left hook and then drove a few kays till the Pardekraal turnoff. This was a nice out in the mountains road with some pretty kloofs... Stopped for a quick break and to enjoy the sounds of silence very pretty out there

 

[TornadoF5]

Ok so the Pardekraal dirt went on for what must have been about a million kilometers at least my ass thought so. Lets face it KTM seats ain't the most comfy on a long haul....... Anyway got to the Darlington Dam turnoff and consulted my newly aquired "lying" Garmin Zumo 660. Which told me about a look-out point about 18 clicks down the drag. Ok I consulted my fuel gauge (this is a regualr thing us KTM drivers do....) and saw I had about roughly 60clciks left in my tank and of course my wonderful newl aquired lying Garmin Zumo 660 said nah don't hassle plenty of fuel stops like 29km's away 35km's away and you get the point. So I took off to the look out point and the route just dissapeared of the GPS..... nice one and when speaking to a eranger reckons nearest fuel is Jansenville 50clicks back so off I set to Jansenville got the with about 200ml of fuel.

Alright so back from Jansenville to Darlington dam which was rather nice but surrounding areas dying from the drought... Saw quite a few dead animals from the drought and some animals quite aliove coming out the bush looking for food and water.

Seems such a contrast a dam flowing with water and everything around it dying.... go figure.

 

[TornadoF5]

Typical long dead Karoo roads everything so dull but yet so beautiful......

 

[KTM BIGGER]

nice one. I like your GPS

 

[TerrorSA]

I love riding in that area, lekker roads  :thumleft:

 

[TornadoF5]

Ok so off from Darlington about I dunno how many k's up the road and the "lying" Garmin says take the turn to the right which is a bushtrack. Ok so I zoot up there really not much more than a 4x4 track and guess what it dies and the track dissapears off the gps and from sight, so I backtrack about 12km's and the gps reckons take the next one right which I transversed and this was filled with speedhumps this was quite a bit of fun until the gps neck on the baal and socket kept looseing and the gps would end up facing down. Must say this was an interesting track that too went through some rather tech bits and ended up going nowhere again! Damn wish I could figure out how the hell this thing plotted a route!!! Maybe someone could tell me what I did wrong..

Ok on the way backtrackiong from the 2nd false turn I came across these graves. Always makes me wonder who it was what they were doing out there???? check the dates...... Maybe someone knew who these people were (other than their names...)?

 

[TornadoF5]

Well after all the miscalculated tracks I hit it off to the R400. By now I had no clue what the time is, didn't care much either, but my stomach told me it's gotta be near lunch time...... Found this really kewl little coffee shop calleds the Caraft Shop run by Rene have excellent brekkies and lunches all at very reasonable price......

Rene was kinda upset the adv bikers ride past and never stop and wants to invite you guys to please stop for a bite to eat in traditional fiendly Karoo hospitality. They about 150km from PE on the R400.

Had an excellent burger and chips. Then called wife tro say all is ok only to be asked what time tonight am I coming home....

 

[krister]

Nice report and pics! Whets my appetite  :drif:

 

[TornadoF5]

Ok I didn't quite tell you after I spoke to the wife I realized it was 14:40 and I still wanted to go via Suurberg home but that was not to be so hooked back on the R400 all the way to the tar and killed the remaining 150 odd km's home at pace. Ps not good for a TKC80 by the way......

Sorry couldn't write the report yesterday as arms legs and tennis elbow are killing me!!
My day ended up doing 510km's tks to the lying Zumo 660 in about 6.5hrs, so a good ride was had and my listness cured!

Yours truly,


Sore Ass!

 

[Camelman]

:biggrin: Great one TornadoF5. I would like to do a ride in your part of the valley. Looks awesome!

 

[TornadoF5]

:biggrin: Great one TornadoF5. I would like to do a ride in your part of the valley. Looks awesome!

Sure anytime you around pull in and we go ride!

 

[ShaunF]

Hi Guys, a buddy and myself stopped there on Saturday on the way to stay at the Karoo to support them, she also told us how many bikers just ride pass, that really pissed me off, stop for a cool drink at least. Please support them.  :thumleft:

 

[TornadoF5]

Hi Guys, a buddy and myself stopped there on Saturday on the way to stay at the Karoo to support them, she also told us how many bikers just ride pass, that really pissed me off, stop for a cool drink at least. Please support them.  :thumleft:

If you gt the waypoints post them? If not I got them will post them tomorrow....

 

[Gee eS]

Lekker RR and nice picks.
Old grave yards and abandoned buildings always give me a strange longing feeling.