briv
Race Dog
- Joined
- May 3, 2006
- Messages
- 2,904
- Reaction score
- 195
- Location
- Bel-in-die-wil Cape Town
- Bike
- KTM 990 Adventure
So it’s time to go through the same procedure as last year, but with a difference….. I will be taking my dad for his last ride on a bike.
Last year same time I went up to Burgersdorp with my AT. Reason, to put my mother’s ashes on an outcrop on the farm she grew up on. It was my dad’s wish to be put there as well.. so …….. Let’s do it
All packed and ready to go. Dad’s ashes were packed in the bag and rode pillion all the way.
Last view of Table Mountain.
I went up to PE where I met up with an old school friend that would be our tour guide through the Eastern Cape. On the forum known as Tenere660 (Jannie)
Ready to roll
First stop was Zuurberg Inn and then the Zuurberg pass on the way to Somerset East where we would stay over on a farm. Jannie’s brother, Marius and his b-in-law joined us there as they would go west towards Jansenville the next day (indecently he rides a BMW X Ch and low and behold he broke down in Stytlerville…… seems like another Smithy story? BMW PE said to get in touch with BMW SA)
Got to the farm and settled in with a couple of beers and some brannas. We braaid some steaks and took some pics talked a lot of shirt. Later I tuned my IPod to some of my folk’s favourites and reminisced a bit …….
Next morning we were up at 6 and on the road by 7. Jannie took us to the Baviaans river route (not to be confused with the Baviaans Kloof). As it rained the night we were in for some muddy patches and awesome scenes with beautiful roads crossing the Baviaans River numerous times. We were heading for Tarkastad.
Close to Tarkastad we stopped and had a chat a young farmer and his wife. In closing they suggested we head east on this road …..there we would find this awesome road…. 4x4’s need diflocks to negotiate it. We declined and said we will leave it for next time….
Little did we know how soon next time would be!!!!!!
In Tarkastad we had a lekker breakfast and then on to Sterkstroom to enter the Stormberge from the east.
This is old familiar territory as we had friends who farmed this area when we all were at school. Most the farm houses are now derelict and only serve as storage. Sad….
We got to Burgersdorp and cruised around the little town for a while to see what changed, then of to Jan’s dad that still stays next to the spruit near the school.
My sister arrived and on to the farm, up the “groot berg” as we called it as children, to lay my dad’s ashes next to mom’s.
Another lekker braai and catching up on the skinner news of the dorp ensued, with oom Jan as the host.
Next morning at 6 we were packed and ready. Asking Jannie where to, he replied ..”Let’s go have breakfast at the Katberg Hotel!”
OK! Not knowing that the earlier recommendation re 4x4 diflocks was about to come true!!
We travelled along the western side of the Stormberg range with the rain hovering just left of us.
This place has some history google Bullhoek Masscare
Through Molteno and then back to Sterkstroom Karen Garmin directed us on and up through village after village until we hit a 2 track… and then it dawned on me Katberg pass here we come and it WAS WET… I must admit it was with a little trepidation that I said “ wel ou Jan ons is hier, ko’s ons vat hom”
Approaching from the west the first obstacle through the trees with the step ups was frightening and wet, me with Narki on tip toes on the level… well there was only one way, click click BANG and over we went ! Thinking that this was the end it was quickly dispelled with the last photos taken was at the summit, from there on it was downhill step down s in the wet… momentum, momentum and momentum …. Half way down I stopped to take my specs of, I was steaming and the mist hung around us, and did I say it was wet, the track became small rivers and the line is… in the rivers on the round little boulders. Jannie was having a ball on the small Ten and with his enduro back ground roosting was par for the course. I stayed away…. Here my respect the KTM with the steering damper grew in leaps, I just pointed and gooied, over and down we went!
Stopped at the little pick nick spot and had a breather and then on as the “breakfast” that now was lunch and cold Black Label was caRling !
That done we filled up at Fort Beaufort and slabbed it back to PE in the rain.
Back in PE.
I left the next morning via Vanstadens mouth over Kabeljous and on to Sedgefield for a breakfast and then home …….2592.7km and 28:51 hrs. moving time later. It started Friday morning at 7h00 and ended 16h00 Tuesday.
The only problem with the 2007 990 ADV was the exhaust brake ? When you stand up and you lean back, you accidently step on the side stand with heel, and whalla the exhaust brake comes on !!!!!!!(Side stand switch)
The rest was like clockwork orange !!
RIP peace Hennie, I hope you enjoyed it the way I did !!
Last year same time I went up to Burgersdorp with my AT. Reason, to put my mother’s ashes on an outcrop on the farm she grew up on. It was my dad’s wish to be put there as well.. so …….. Let’s do it
All packed and ready to go. Dad’s ashes were packed in the bag and rode pillion all the way.
Last view of Table Mountain.
I went up to PE where I met up with an old school friend that would be our tour guide through the Eastern Cape. On the forum known as Tenere660 (Jannie)
Ready to roll
First stop was Zuurberg Inn and then the Zuurberg pass on the way to Somerset East where we would stay over on a farm. Jannie’s brother, Marius and his b-in-law joined us there as they would go west towards Jansenville the next day (indecently he rides a BMW X Ch and low and behold he broke down in Stytlerville…… seems like another Smithy story? BMW PE said to get in touch with BMW SA)
Got to the farm and settled in with a couple of beers and some brannas. We braaid some steaks and took some pics talked a lot of shirt. Later I tuned my IPod to some of my folk’s favourites and reminisced a bit …….
Next morning we were up at 6 and on the road by 7. Jannie took us to the Baviaans river route (not to be confused with the Baviaans Kloof). As it rained the night we were in for some muddy patches and awesome scenes with beautiful roads crossing the Baviaans River numerous times. We were heading for Tarkastad.
Close to Tarkastad we stopped and had a chat a young farmer and his wife. In closing they suggested we head east on this road …..there we would find this awesome road…. 4x4’s need diflocks to negotiate it. We declined and said we will leave it for next time….
Little did we know how soon next time would be!!!!!!
In Tarkastad we had a lekker breakfast and then on to Sterkstroom to enter the Stormberge from the east.
This is old familiar territory as we had friends who farmed this area when we all were at school. Most the farm houses are now derelict and only serve as storage. Sad….
We got to Burgersdorp and cruised around the little town for a while to see what changed, then of to Jan’s dad that still stays next to the spruit near the school.
My sister arrived and on to the farm, up the “groot berg” as we called it as children, to lay my dad’s ashes next to mom’s.
Another lekker braai and catching up on the skinner news of the dorp ensued, with oom Jan as the host.
Next morning at 6 we were packed and ready. Asking Jannie where to, he replied ..”Let’s go have breakfast at the Katberg Hotel!”
OK! Not knowing that the earlier recommendation re 4x4 diflocks was about to come true!!
We travelled along the western side of the Stormberg range with the rain hovering just left of us.
This place has some history google Bullhoek Masscare
Through Molteno and then back to Sterkstroom Karen Garmin directed us on and up through village after village until we hit a 2 track… and then it dawned on me Katberg pass here we come and it WAS WET… I must admit it was with a little trepidation that I said “ wel ou Jan ons is hier, ko’s ons vat hom”
Approaching from the west the first obstacle through the trees with the step ups was frightening and wet, me with Narki on tip toes on the level… well there was only one way, click click BANG and over we went ! Thinking that this was the end it was quickly dispelled with the last photos taken was at the summit, from there on it was downhill step down s in the wet… momentum, momentum and momentum …. Half way down I stopped to take my specs of, I was steaming and the mist hung around us, and did I say it was wet, the track became small rivers and the line is… in the rivers on the round little boulders. Jannie was having a ball on the small Ten and with his enduro back ground roosting was par for the course. I stayed away…. Here my respect the KTM with the steering damper grew in leaps, I just pointed and gooied, over and down we went!
Stopped at the little pick nick spot and had a breather and then on as the “breakfast” that now was lunch and cold Black Label was caRling !
That done we filled up at Fort Beaufort and slabbed it back to PE in the rain.
Back in PE.
I left the next morning via Vanstadens mouth over Kabeljous and on to Sedgefield for a breakfast and then home …….2592.7km and 28:51 hrs. moving time later. It started Friday morning at 7h00 and ended 16h00 Tuesday.
The only problem with the 2007 990 ADV was the exhaust brake ? When you stand up and you lean back, you accidently step on the side stand with heel, and whalla the exhaust brake comes on !!!!!!!(Side stand switch)
The rest was like clockwork orange !!
RIP peace Hennie, I hope you enjoyed it the way I did !!
