The Unforgiven Trail - and the legends that tamed it

[Hardy de Kock]

This tour, more than any of our tours before it, has the potential to be the most legendary tour we have ever hosted. It has all the ingredients to be the ONE we will tell our grandchildren about.

The Crew:
Chantal @Chantal Burger
Jaco @hartebees
Alan
Sharon
Hardy @Hardy de Kock
The Guests:
Bart @BuRP - 3rd tour veteran - KTM 300
a Quick witted retired 21 year old with a healthy zest for anything that happens on two wheels. Together with ETS and Johan Liebenberg our favorite ooms.
Andrew Catchplole @Catchy - Yamaha T7
a Good rider and good friend of Runner, Bart and Steve Stuart. I see it as a personal achievement to have this guy on tour with us. - first time guest
Conrad Koen @Runner - KTM 500
a Seriously good mechanic and bike shop owner who constantly strives to give new meaning to the term foul mouth. - first time guest
Jean de Villiers - Suzuki DR650
Brother of Pierre de Villiers - first time guest.
Pierre Venter @dirtWarp - KTM 500
a Good rider who now lives in the Netherlands with strong opinions on geo political matters Friend of Runner and Bart - first time guest
Kobus Etsebeth @ETS - 3rd tour veteran - KTM 500
The secret ingredient for fun and laughter on any tour. a Purist and semi-nudist who enjoys riding bikes more than most. Better known for his plastic shoe fetish. Everyone's friend.
Fanus Schoeman @Aprilian - Husqvarna 350
a Broken shoulder kept him out of our tour in 2022 - looking forward to riding with Fanus. Friend of Gerry.
Fred Knoetze @FredK - 2nd tour veteran - KTM 500
Good to have Fred back for another rendezvous.
Gerry Brynard @Gerryb - 2nd tour veteran - KTM 500
One of the coolest and friendliest people you will ever find - Always willing to help with anything. Brother in law of Jaco Noteboom and friend of Fanus.
Jaco Noteboom - Yamaha WR450
Contractor who lives in Canada and brother in law of Gerry. First time guest.
Johan Liebenberg - 4th tour veteran - KTM 500
a Clinical psychologist who enjoys bike riding in beautiful places. Showed his metal through 4 tours and one near death experience. Super happy to see him back
Justin Bennets @JustBendIt - Suzuki DRZ 400
Media and Sunday School prefect - first time guest
Martin Steenkamp @Molten - KTM 990
Soft spoken good guy that will attempt this year's routes with a 990. Happy to have Martin on the tour. first time guest
Pierre de Villiers - Honda CRF300L
Brother of Jean de Villiers - First time guest
Robert Adams @darthvader - Husqvarna 501
Friend of Justbendit and a good rider - first time guest.
Steve Stuart - KTM 890 R
Seriously good rider and friend of Runner and Catchy. - first time guest
Werner van Zyl @Renrew - KTM 500
Good rider and all round good guy - Has serious OCD tendencies which comes in handy when you buy a bike from him. Good to have Werner with us on the tour - first time guest

For the first time ever we had no cancelations - a somewhat disappointing fact for the 7 guys on the waiting list.
The name and meaning of the ride report will reveal itself when the discussions around this year's tracks starts..

@hartebees will be the major contributor of this ride report and the rest of the guys can chip in if they feel like it.

2 weeks to go before the crew heads for Windhoek....

 

[Tony the Boney]

This should be great. Nice bunch

 

[Runner]

My fok

 

[JustBendIt]

Kiff

I am so excited I am fizzing at the bum

 

[BuRP]

I am 32 already Hardy, so hardly an Oom yet: foei man, moenie my oud laat voel nie!

Because I struggled endlessly with my 500 the previous tours I have decided this time to get something smaller and less intimidating, and because I smoke it (pic below) does too - fair's fair after all!

Pierre @dirtWarp will have to manhandle the 500 instead this time.
Of course I'll sadistically watch him, from a comfy chair in the shade with a coffee, change both filters & oil somewhere halfway the trip, this whilst I only slap a new airfilter in my bike - Yay! He's a good mechie though, he babies his 501 at home himself, so I may have a beer then instead. Whilst I type this he (plus a handfulls of other Dutch Saffers) are driving back to the lowlying country again after having finished a nice adventure trip in the Pyrenees.... which I missed due to other commitments, the filthy 701 in the pic a hint in this respect. Oh well, they'll go on more so 'next time'!

And, only because Andrew (dankie Mater!) & me teamed up putting Conrad under solid continued relentless peerpressure he eventually got so gatvol that he decided to join us - which is great, and about time too because he's a workaholic and needs to get out more: watch this space, he'll come back a new man with a new vocabulary!

But eh, Hardy, I think you got a bit deurmekaar with JustBendit's & JustinBieber's characters if not profession?
If not that'll be a Sunday school of Hell then, indeed worth the attention of any media!

Nice to see ou Fred again! He needs a second chance to stamp his authority on that measly stroompie, so prepare the filmcrew for him to wheelie through it!!!
And on that note, Johan may well take this opportunity to take revenge on that rock which, eh, erm, well, scratched his 690? Better check his luggage for certain 'kerse', and if he's got a lighter then that must be a dead giveaway!!!!!

Gerry (lekker dat jy ook weer saamkom!) better shadow Werner during this entire trip!
You are after all medically versed, and because Werner's throttle often sticks in the open position this may come in handy...

For the newcomers, ETS will demonstrate to you why you need to have a swembroek in your backpack...... if you snooze here you loose out!

Look forward to meet all, it'll be a lekker trip!

 

[m0lt3n]

HOORAH!

 

[woody1]

Ek kyk saam

 

[OomD]

Waiting in anticipation

 

[BuRP]

Dirk, jy moes saamgekom het - op n 500 of 350, dit sal jou sandbang sommer vir altyd begrawe!!!
Volgende jaar.....................

 

[goodtoogo]

Werner, bring a dog a bone.

 

[Tabasco]

Ek's in

 

[Chrisl]

Ek het n vermoede die RR na die trip sal n R rating moet hê!!!

 

[TVB]

ingeteken!!

 

[Hardy de Kock]

Ek het n vermoede die RR na die trip sal n R rating moet hê!!!

Toe Nick Mallet die springbokke afgerig het, het hy vir Percy Montgomery onderkaptein gemaak.
Kitch Christie het dieselfde met James Small gedoen..
Ons het vir @JustBendIt en @Runner onderskeidelik tot die groepleiers verkies.
Ons hoop om min of meer dieselfde resultate te kry..

Op 'n meer ernstige noot - Ons is almal erg opgewonde oor die "mixed bag" wat die Mei toer meemaak. Dit gaan baie interesant wees..

 

[Heimer]

Klink na ʼn full catastrophe

 

[sidetrack]

Burp 300 ! Gaan julle enduro ry ? Pierre sal ok wees op die 500 maar ek sien daar is n 990 !

 

[OomD]

Dirk, jy moes saamgekom het - op n 500 of 350, dit sal jou sandbang sommer vir altyd begrawe!!!
Volgende jaar.....................

Hierdie trip is op my bucket lys...

 

[BuRP]

Burp 300 ! Gaan julle enduro ry ? Pierre sal ok wees op die 500 maar ek sien daar is n 990 !

Na wat ek hoor van Pierre (wat ek nog nie ontmoet het nie btw) is dat hy kan gogel met n 500, plus dat hy & Conrad pelle is - en die laaste het ek ook misbruik om Conrad probeer oortuig om saam oppi trip te kry! En ja, jy weet ek's skaam en teruggetrokke, dus ek probeer altyd om al my pelle saam te sleep op toere, al was dit net om vinniger as hulle te probeer wegry as ons leeus of olifante raakry erens: ek's eenvoudig n egois, lat ek dit maar self hier opbieg.

Daai 300-rede is biki lang vir nou, ek sal jou vertel as ons weer erens innibos braai... maar ek kan, so sal - en sien selfs uit om dit op n smoker te gaan doen! Uregewys pas dit perfek, en ja Werner, ek sal n top-end (moet) doen as ek terugkom, dis dan omtrent tyd vir die eerste een.
Kraggewys sal dit my pas in die sandvlaktes asook op die biki tegniese ryery wat ons te wagte staan.
Nie soseer op die long hauls nie, maarrrrr..... daar's help at hand: Hardy het aangebied dat hy my&bike sal 'lift' op die "kyk noord en fok voort"-dag - en ek beplan om hom op te neem vir daai aangename aanbod: jinne, ek ry dan ook n dag cruiser, in geselskap nogals, luister musiek terwyl ek omtrent naaste aan die koelerboks is - what's more to wish for hmm?

Ja, ek's ook verbaas dat Martin (ook nog nie ontmoet nie) of n boffin of n masogis blyk met sy 990 - ma whatevs, hy mag maar.... en, beter hy as ek!

trip is op my bucket lys

Neeeeeeee swaerie, jy beter die BO op daai lys sit: volgende jaar Mei, maak spasie nou reeds!
Kak my hier uit later as jy dit nie geniet het nie, of kom my uitkak tuis, ek sal jou die adres sommer nou gee.... hoekom dink jy ek doen die trip weer, vir die derde opeenvolgende keer hmm?
So, jy't biki huiswerk om te doen: kry daai Mini klaar en wees nice vir jou vrou sodat jy permissie kry om 2 weke lang Himba dames te gaan fotografeer.... en as jy met n leeuloop foto terugkom dan des te beter!

 

[BuRP]

Ons het vir @JustBendIt en @Runner onderskeidelik tot die groepleiers verkies.

Hmmm, ek moet bieg ek weet boggerall van rolbal af nie..... maar wat maak dit jou dan Meneer, Nick of Kitch?
Pasop nou, daar's meer name met "ick" in........

 

[BuRP]

Kobus Etsebeth @ETS - 3rd tour veteran - KTM 500
The secret ingredient for fun and laughter on any tour. a Purist and semi-nudist who enjoys riding bikes more than most. Better known for his plastic shoe fetish. Everyone's friend.

I'm re-reading this bit again, and my ...

ETS will demonstrate to you why you need to have a swembroek in your backpack

... refers here.


Note to all (but ETS) that swimming trunks are sold only in 3 sizes quite like in the Army:
- too big
- too small
- hopelessly too small

ETS has his trunks bought by his ex-girlfriend from when he was at varsity (because he's a bitofa shy dude), so bring VERY DARK SUNGLASSES as well if you want to participate in any swimming activities at the various lodges we'll stop over at......