Goby
Pack Dog
Weekend trip to Nieu-Bethesda.
I am a great fan of the TV Show â??Going Nowhere Slowlyâ? and through this program and the â??Long Way Roundâ? DVD, I was converted from a speedfreak, to a pilgrim on a motorcycle with knobs on the tyres. Therefore the purchase of the 2008 KLR650.
I saw the â??Owl Houseâ? on the TV Show, and fellow off-road pilgrim, Crab, gave me some detail and an insight of what was happening in Nieu-Bethesda.
Started work early on Friday morning in order to leave at 12h00. At 12h50 we (just the pillion and myself) pointed the KLR in the direction of Uitenhage and rode off into the already â??lateâ? afternoon. First stop at Kleinpoort Padstal on the R75. Leg stretch and Coke, and off we go. Stopped in Jansenville for a legstretch and then on to Graaff-Reinet. Because of my limited experience on dirt roads, I was pushing on to reach Nieu-Bethesda before dark. Although the Kawasaki has proper headlights, I did not want to take a chance with sand and loose gravel in the dark. We had delays just before Graaff-Reinet, first a solid downpour for 5 minutes, reducing visibility, then some traffic officials with interesting questions. The burger and chips in Graaff-town also delayed us a bit, and we hit the Middelburg road at 17h15. Now I was worried. The 23km dirt road was still waiting at the end of the day. Not to fear, the dirt road proved to be in excellent condition, and I could manage 80-90km/h most of the way, right into the setting sun!! I left the tyres at the â??road pressuresâ? of 1.5bar front and 2.0bar rear. Weight on the bike was 95kg+52kg+12kg tailpack. I did not want to reduce pressures at this stage. The brand new Anakee rear proved to be a really capable tyre, and the OEM Dunlop at the front could handle the odd â??lane-changingâ? over the loose gravel â??middelmannetjieâ?. Just beware, there is a sign warning for slippery road in some sections, it is slippery, although the locals have never noticed the road sign!! Got to Nieu-Bethesda in one piece just after dark.
It is a small place, be prepared! No ATMâ??s, no credit card facilities, no SPAR, no fuel, and everything is very expensive. (Sounds like ZIM!) Well, I loved the perfect roads, friendly people, and piece and quiet. I felt afraid to start the KLR and blip the throttle, the standard exhaust sounded like a Two-Brothers exhaust on a Fireblade!! The roads around the town are great to explore with a two-wheeler, and the scenery is breathtaking. Go and see it for yourself.
Woke up on Sunday with a donkeyâ??s shout in the dark somewhere, rushed outside in the cold to press a thumb against the knobblies. Yep, there was still some air in those!! Started packing the Oxford tailpack and wrapped the spare tubes in the bikeâ??s cover, and at 08h00 we started the return journey. Plan was to ride around the Lake Mentz area, but the strong winds and coldness in the air prompted me to continue to Graaff-Reinet for a quick bite, and then on the PE, being pushed along by the gale at a comfortable 130km/h. My fuel consumption seemed to be around 18km/liter, and I kept the needle between 120 and 130 on the dial most of the way, with the odd 145km/h for overtaking.
What a perfect weekend!!
I am a great fan of the TV Show â??Going Nowhere Slowlyâ? and through this program and the â??Long Way Roundâ? DVD, I was converted from a speedfreak, to a pilgrim on a motorcycle with knobs on the tyres. Therefore the purchase of the 2008 KLR650.
I saw the â??Owl Houseâ? on the TV Show, and fellow off-road pilgrim, Crab, gave me some detail and an insight of what was happening in Nieu-Bethesda.
Started work early on Friday morning in order to leave at 12h00. At 12h50 we (just the pillion and myself) pointed the KLR in the direction of Uitenhage and rode off into the already â??lateâ? afternoon. First stop at Kleinpoort Padstal on the R75. Leg stretch and Coke, and off we go. Stopped in Jansenville for a legstretch and then on to Graaff-Reinet. Because of my limited experience on dirt roads, I was pushing on to reach Nieu-Bethesda before dark. Although the Kawasaki has proper headlights, I did not want to take a chance with sand and loose gravel in the dark. We had delays just before Graaff-Reinet, first a solid downpour for 5 minutes, reducing visibility, then some traffic officials with interesting questions. The burger and chips in Graaff-town also delayed us a bit, and we hit the Middelburg road at 17h15. Now I was worried. The 23km dirt road was still waiting at the end of the day. Not to fear, the dirt road proved to be in excellent condition, and I could manage 80-90km/h most of the way, right into the setting sun!! I left the tyres at the â??road pressuresâ? of 1.5bar front and 2.0bar rear. Weight on the bike was 95kg+52kg+12kg tailpack. I did not want to reduce pressures at this stage. The brand new Anakee rear proved to be a really capable tyre, and the OEM Dunlop at the front could handle the odd â??lane-changingâ? over the loose gravel â??middelmannetjieâ?. Just beware, there is a sign warning for slippery road in some sections, it is slippery, although the locals have never noticed the road sign!! Got to Nieu-Bethesda in one piece just after dark.
It is a small place, be prepared! No ATMâ??s, no credit card facilities, no SPAR, no fuel, and everything is very expensive. (Sounds like ZIM!) Well, I loved the perfect roads, friendly people, and piece and quiet. I felt afraid to start the KLR and blip the throttle, the standard exhaust sounded like a Two-Brothers exhaust on a Fireblade!! The roads around the town are great to explore with a two-wheeler, and the scenery is breathtaking. Go and see it for yourself.
Woke up on Sunday with a donkeyâ??s shout in the dark somewhere, rushed outside in the cold to press a thumb against the knobblies. Yep, there was still some air in those!! Started packing the Oxford tailpack and wrapped the spare tubes in the bikeâ??s cover, and at 08h00 we started the return journey. Plan was to ride around the Lake Mentz area, but the strong winds and coldness in the air prompted me to continue to Graaff-Reinet for a quick bite, and then on the PE, being pushed along by the gale at a comfortable 130km/h. My fuel consumption seemed to be around 18km/liter, and I kept the needle between 120 and 130 on the dial most of the way, with the odd 145km/h for overtaking.
What a perfect weekend!!
