So I got a bit lost...

[Chrisl]

Lekker FC!! :thumleft: :thumleft:

 

[RedDust]

Thank you for all your photos of the Eastern Cape, Firecoast,
it was really great to see the areas in which I used to ride - except for your deviation to the Kei River - I cannot recall ever riding there! :laughing4:

 

[throttle jockey]

Love your acerbic tone...

And the loaded between-the-lines observations...

MMMmmmm I dont sugar coat or indirectly state anything. So lets clear things up for those that might not know me or FC. I was BEFUCK  :dousing: by the time I could get hold of her I could have ripped her head off. And that was before I was told "All is ok!" at that moment I felt like a cat being baptized.

1. You have no idea where you are.
2. If the things went south before the other guys found you we would have never found you.
3. Hearing is not listening  :dousing:
4. Hearing / listening and not doing will hurt.
5. Two hours next to a tar road without contact is not cool.
6. Local telling us she hopes you have not gone where you did does not help.
7. These situations make me a antisocial rider that prefers riding alone.

The reason I ride bikes and not horses is that on a bike there is only one brain on the mode of transport.

This trip I liken to dropping a glass bottle of cockroaches and not being there to see them dart for cover.

On a plus

1. I/we got to ride
2. Company was good
3. Accommodation was good
4. Food was good.
5. Banter was funny. To a point! after that it ........ lets just leave it at to a point.
6. Riding the SE again reminded me why I love it so. Having your hands shake like you drank to much the night before, stuttering when you talk and catching yourself screaming with excitement in your helmet is why I love my mistress so. Riding her is like having cowboy ***. I have to remind myself all the time that she is in charge and not me. RESPECT her!

In FC's defense I should have said no you stay with the group, but she is independent and its one of the things I respect the most about her so how could I curtail that.. So its my fault! It wont happen again!

In closing thank you FC for making this weekend possible and for the effort you put in to getting us on the bikes. It is and was appreciated.

 

[Black_Hawk]

Great RR, thanks for sharing  :thumleft:

 

[Rooies]

Great report, thanks!

 

[BMWPE]

Great  Ride Report  :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft:
Thanks FC

 

[windswept]

Thanks for the RR. That extra bit that you rode made it more interesting.  :thumleft:

 

[Sprocketbek]

Nice RR and great pics FC!  :biggrin:
At least Honda can be part of the conversation nowadays, a few years ago they were not.

 

[2StrokeDan]

I really hate this type of brand-bashing. :xxbah:

ot:

 

[jaybiker]

Nothing more ridiculous than brand bashing........

 

[goingnowhereslowly]

Lekker RR , thank you :thumbsup

Makes me think I should stop putting it off and go ride the EC. How's Nov to Feb? I'm guessing on the hot side

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Great report, thanks!

 

[Sardine]

:ricky:
Great write-up.
Mike’s Yamaha looks good in white!

 

[Vis Arend]

I asked FC if I could do a little "mini rr" on this post concerning the "little detour" she took to the "police station".

So here's my take on the "mistry Police Station and the road leading to it. 

Years ago when I still had my Transalp and later my blue S10, the wife and I explored roads/tracks in and around King William's Town (day trips).  Back then I used Google Earth to look for tracks which worked quite well, but it will not tell you about locked gates and the likes.  So we blindly followed the routes that I tracked and hoped for the best. 
So one day I saw this little road on Google earth, it would take me over the Kei river into the old Transkei and from there it showed a road/track back to Bolo and then civilization.    I could not remember the distance but it was doable as a day outing. 

We saw the tracks on Google earth and this is what we experienced in real live.    :biggrin:
From Stutterheim on the N6 north bound, 23km we got a gravel road on our right.  Signs here indicated the following, Henderson Police, Bacela Police and Ferndale 4X4. 
Another 5km or so on this gravel road, which is not numbered, we reached a crossing.  At this junction we took a left and followed the road for another 11/12km where we found a tipe of T Junction.  Here we saw a very old and rusty road sign board indication various place like Henderson (left), Bacela (right), Cathcart (left), East London (back), and Toise (back).  We took the road to the right at the "T-Junction towards Bacela Police Station.  Up to this point the road was in a fair condition with some rocky pieces here and there.  We also noticed that the scenery changed a bit, we found beautiful mountains in the distance and the valleys dropping below.
We traveled for another 10 odd km's on this good condition road with magnificent surrounds until we reached a single lane bridge over the Thomas River.
2 Km's further from the bridge on this road towards Bacela Police Station, the road started to deteriorate and almost became a single lane/tweespoor.  We had rocks/mountains on our left with some heavy/scary drop offs to our right.  The going was getting slower and I had to start working harder to  keep the bike with pillion on track.  In spite of the road condition the scenery surrounding us was awesome.  We carried on a further 15km's and then we found Bacela Police Station.

Well, Bacela Police Station is/was non existing, it is and old Police Station abandoned and left to become a ruin.  We took a quick peak inside and found all sorts of documents and files in the rooms/offices.  We took some photos and left to proceed further to cross the Kei river into the Transkei.
Not more than 3km from the Police station we reached a locked gate with the Kei on our right.  This is where we had to turn around and look for an alternative route.   
 
In summary, I found the road to be a toughie back then, not really technical but rough and rocky, climbing up and over a few mountains to the bottom of the Kei River, a road that you had to concentrate and a road that gave you a workout.  The scenery however made this a great outing and worth the effort. 

We did this piece of road a couple of times in the past just for the fun off it and to have a lekka picnic at the Kei River.  We however neglected to visit this place for a good couple of years, And when I saw this rr from FC,  memories came flashing back and I though it would be good to share my knowledge of the area.  Hats off to FC for doing this piece of road on the big AT, well done girl.  :thumleft:

Attached some phodies from our last visit to that area on our S10.  If memory serves me correct is was in 2011.

1. The 1st two "maps" is where FC should have waited for the rest of the crew.  :biggrin:

2.  Some random photos from the rusted sign to the single lane bridge over the Thomas River.  Note the scenery and the green surroundings. 

3.  And then some scenic photos towards the Police Station


   

 

[Vis Arend]

Some more towards the Police Station.

 

[Vis Arend]

Bacela Police Station


Note the entries into the Occurrence Register back then, they still mention B/ Constable (Bantu Constable) and you can see why the Police Station closed down, there was not much going on.    :eek7:

 

[edgy]

Wow that looks stunning VA, cant believe how lush and green compared to how the veldt looks now!

 

[Vis Arend]

The rest of the road down to the locked gate and a bit of the road on our track back.

 

[Vis Arend]

Last bit.  Hope you enjoy, we did back then. 

 

[Vis Arend]

Wow that looks stunning VA, cant believe how lush and green compared to how the veldt looks now!

Yip, it looks horrible now.  Unbelievable compared then to now.    :eek7:  :eek7: