The perfect Cederberg ride

[jimjim]

Going down the second hill before you get to Oasis I could feel the rear tyre biting into the loose Cederberg gravel, spitting out the excess stones as I powerslid around the corner at 148km/h. I had already left the DR and the KLRs behind in a cloud of dust and now had the watercooled boxer in my sight. I could see his front wheel getting nervous as he desperately tried to outrun me. At the bottom of the hill I caught up, wheelied next to him through the thick sand in the short narrow straight and passed him on the steep uphill as the superior power of my steed outstripped his best attempts.

At the top of the hill I saw the 1190R. He had passed me with some aplomb on the wide flat straight gravel - there where we saw the two, who had left three hours earlier, at the side of the road struggling with what I presume respectively would be a broken water pump on the Dakar and electrical problems with the 690.

The big Orange was at the bottom of the long downrun of the last hill. I could hear the loud V-twin breathing deep. It didn't sound strained but I knew it was close to the limits. I was now doing 203km/h and only slowly catching it, the muddy stretch taking some oomph out of the grip. I blipped another bit out of my throttle, felt the chain jerk the last few horses out of the crank, whooped over a small bump and aimed for the red rear light I could now discern through the thick dust.

Pic of Cederberg road:

 

[Robski]

Sounds like you had a better day than I did today!

 

[Piston Pete]

:imaposer: this should be good...

 

[Chrisl]

and then you woke up? :eek7: :imaposer:

 

[subie]

and then you woke up? :eek7: :imaposer:

:imaposer:
Dink ook so  :ricky:

 

[jimjim]

I know this road well. There is one last left-turning fast bend and it has a few nasty potholes and usually some loose rocks. It would be a challenge to my finely-tuned Italian suspension and the ultimate test to that Austrian setup.

Entering the corner, I was next to its back wheel, the big can of the 1190 growling into my ear. That tells you that I was on his outside. I couldn't see it but I could feel its rear wheel sliding toward me and I matched it, leaning just a little to control the already-excellent balance of my bike. The potholes churned the race into a tumble dryer filled with empty wine casks but neither of us was going to give an inch. This was do or die.

Coming out of the bend, missing a loose rock by nanometres, I caught a glimpse of the finish line up ahead. I gave the handlebar a slight bump to take it early out of countersteer, a fraction of a second earlier than the big R. And then I made myself small behind the aerodynamic screen, reducing every gram of resistance that could steal a victory. We were now out of the corner - I think I saw the speedo reading 224. There was no mercy. He had the horsepower, I had the weight advantage. He had the torque, I had the grip.

To give you an idea, here's a pic of a KTM 1190R trying hard:

 

[jeff]

:happy1:

 

[DirtyHarry]

:imaposer: :imaposer: :imaposer:

 

[jimjim]

It was the better engineering that gave my bike the edge. The tolerances were honed long ago by professional craftsmen with years of experience instead of quickly-assembled Chinese robots. And I think the weight distribution of my bike carried the day, the perfect balance bringing an extra km/h here-and-there into play. Then there is the weight issue. My bike is not dragged down by fancy electrical systems, heavy crash bars or suchlike afterthoughts. My bike is a 113kg Cagiva W8. A 125cc smoker. And it allows me to take the checkered flag when it comes to daydreaming.

But, of course, you realised the story early on in the report because a dawg will always stop to help a stranded rider... even in his dreams.

Pic of perfectly balanced W8 chassis:

 

[jimjim]

Ah, the Cagiva W8! Bought it off the tree from good folks. Riding it home, the first 10km went OK, albeit slow. That's when I dreamt of the perfect Cederberg ride. The wake-up call came when it spluttered and then went silent. Had to push it home over the last 5km... on the national road in Friday afternoon traffic.

Needless to say, it was a hot and sweaty affair, with the appropriate groans and grunts.

Pushed the little bike into the garage, had a shower. drowned my perplexity in a cocktail that coincidentally had something to do with drift and stone.

Pic of yours truly almost home with the Cagiva:
(Pardon quality - taken from cellphone video)

 

[jimjim]

The next morning I walked into the garage, took one look at the W8, actually was pleased with my purchase and ultimately decided that this little Italian is much better than the Chinese 200cc I had because this one I only had to push it 5km while I once, in the Overberg heat, had to push the Chinese bike 15km. Thank goodness for little bikes! Running or not, they are an adventure!

En, ag wat, elke oompie het 'n droompie. Every day is like a ride report. Some days are dry and dusty, some are rainy. Some days include a powerslide, some a flat. The Cederberg mountains ain't going anywhere soon. Maybe next time.

But this whole escapade did make me wonder: how far will one be able to push an 1190R?

Pic of Chinese 200 that made it to Die Hel and back. The mentioned big push happened later.

 

[jeff]

at least the story was entertaining

 

[jimjim]

I take this opportunity to thank all the adventurers who inspired me to get a small bike:

Carl Clancy, Arthur Grady, Robert Fulton, the Mondo Enduro team, John Gerber, Walter Muma, Sasha Teplyakova, Nathan Millward (Sydney to London on a Honda called Dot), Francois and Tania Steyn (Cape to Cairo on Motomias), Ed March (C90 Adventures), Dusty Rusty (Mighty Little XR) and all the other small-bike-big-heart heroes.

Now, will any of you buggers come fix this big hole in the little piston?!

 

[Sprocketbek]

You left out Walter Mitty!
Check him on Wikipedia 

Thanks, very entertaining.

 

[Stofdonkie]

You also left out Lois Pryce!


Entertaining read!!  :biggrin:

 

[Dusty Rusty]

Ag jinne shame man Jim-jim!

Dis n bad ene daai.  Ek voel sommer  vir jou part, ma' ek moet se, jou attitude is  awesome!

Ek hoop jy kan daai swart karnallie uitsort en as hy reg  is, laat weet jy vir my en Nismark dan gaan ry ons met die buksies. 

Sterkte!

(Dalk moet jy n thread begin en ons op hoogte hou van wat aangaan)

 

[DirtyHarry]

Nice one Jim. I had a good laugh  :thumleft:

I am looking forward to your next dream.

 

[jimjim]

at least the story was entertaining

Thnx!

You also left out Lois Pryce!

Entertaining read!!  :biggrin:

She rides a 250 Yamaha and certainly should be included in the small-bike hero list. I did mention, "and all the other small-bike-big-heart heroes." For those who don't know her, read more about Lois at https://www.loisontheloose.com/

Glad you enjoyed the ride.

You left out Walter Mitty!
Check him on Wikipedia 

Thanks, very entertaining.

"Walter Mitty was a fictional character in James Thurber’s short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” published back in 1939. Mitty was a meek, mild man with a vivid fantasy life where he imagines himself as a wartime pilot, an emergency-room surgeon and devil may care dreamer."

Please note that I do not dream of being an emergency-room surgeon

 

[jimjim]

Ag jinne shame man Jim-jim!

Dis n bad ene daai.  Ek voel sommer  vir jou part, ma' ek moet se, jou attitude is  awesome!

Ek hoop jy kan daai swart karnallie uitsort en as hy reg  is, laat weet jy vir my en Nismark dan gaan ry ons met die buksies. 

Sterkte!

(Dalk moet jy n thread begin en ons op hoogte hou van wat aangaan)

Hoef rêrig nie jammer te voel nie, maar dankie. Ek's baie opgewonde oor die fietsie en het heelwat planne met die dingetjie. En, natuurlik, ek sien daarna uit om saam met die brawe brigade te ry. As hy dan breek, dan kan jy my asb maar so bietjie jammer kry

Die vorige eienaar het ingestem om die fietsie reg te laat maak en ek behoort dit binnekort terug te hê.

Oor die medium/langtermyn is die idee om 'n lugverkoelde vierslag enjin in te sit maar 'n Rotax 247 lyk ook baie aantreklik. Die res van die fietsie is uitstekend: Brembo brieke, Marzocchi shocks met 215mm travel voor, Boge shock met 270mm travel agter, 280mm (11 duim) ground clearance, Akront rims (18 en 21"), dik speke, sterk sub-frame.

 

[jimjim]

and then you woke up? :eek7: :imaposer:

:imaposer:
Dink ook so  :ricky:

O, ek sien julle ken daai droom van eendag 'n 1190R te kan verbysteek  ot: