Trans Karoo, Going Postal and a Return Adventure

[Minxy]

Day 9 - Lets head home, Fouriesburg to Pretoria

We rode from Fouriesburg to Clarens for a nice breakfast. We decided over coffee to just hit the most direct route back home. The fun was over now, the back roads heading back to Gauteng are really not anything to write about, unless your idea of fun is riding 100's of km on some dusty, corrugated dirt highways next to mielie fields. So 350+km on tar it is... Anyway, we'd rather get back early so we have time to unpack our bags etc.

I didn't take any more photos, we didn't even stop except for fuel halfway.

So after a journey of a combined 5000+km's we are finally home. What a most memorable trip it has been! As mentioned before, we had no mechanical breakdowns, no punctures, no incidents, just pure riding bliss.

How did the bikes hold up?

You might notice some duct tape on HSK's 990s headlight protector, what broke it? He pushed it off accidentally with his belly when walking around the bike and stepped on it :imaposer: I saw it happen in slow motion, so funny :ricky: Otherwise, not a scratch

This tyre was put on when in Capetown so only did the return trip, still looking snazzy.

The rear tyre (Motoz Tractionator RallyZ) was put on just before the start of our trip.

I pulled off some of the sticker kit which was coming loose on the safari tank of the 950SE, it's quite old and needs a replacement anyway. Other than looking a bit shabby cosmetically (already fixing that) the bike did brilliant! I enjoyed the 950SE so much again that I've pretty much jacked it for myself. This is also the reason I cancelled on the 790R pre-order l > Previously on my 950SE (which I sold four years ago), I did over 25,000km problem free, a truly bulletproof and capable adv bike.

Same front tyre as on HSK's bike, did the entire round trip. Still plenty of life!

The rear tyre, also the same as HSK's has done close to 6000km now. It did a trip to Limpopo and now this entire trip too. Very impressed with the Motoz! Will fit one again, nothing else has ever lasted anything longer than 3000km on this bike.

Anyway this is a wrap, thanks to everyone for following along on our ride, we really enjoyed everyone's comments. I'll be doing another ride report on our more extreme trip the 23 Rivers shortly

 

[Grunder]

Thank you for a great read!!

:ricky:

 

[Fuzzy Muzzy]

Fantastic route.. lovely read.  :thumleft:

 

[OomD]

This was a lekker read, thanks! Lovely trip.  :thumleft: :ricky:

 

[2StrokeDan]

All I fit on the front are those Pirelli Rallycross', really great all-rounders.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Great trip, and nice to see some familiar places, thanks for sharing.

8)

 

[Clockwork Orange]

Brilliant as always. Thank you :thumleft:

 

[DirtRebell]

You are are styling it,
Epic trip with great memories.

 

[Chrisl]

Thanks for the lekke RR Minxy. :thumleft: :thumleft:

 

[Offroadrider]

This is the **** legends are made of

 

[windswept]

Well written, enjoyed it. :thumleft:

 

[Zanie]

Thanks for a lekker RR. Most of the route is our backyard, but Katberg is still on my bucket list, alongside Bastervoetslaanpad and, thanks to your RR, Devil's Bellows! I'm going to go peak at your 23 Rivers RR now. Extreme = extremely interesting.  ;D

Did you ever finish the Namibia RR where things went wrong? I can't seem to find it and last I read, things were still ok, but going South.

 

[Minxy]

Thanks for a lekker RR. Most of the route is our backyard, but Katberg is still on my bucket list, alongside Bastervoetslaanpad and, thanks to your RR, Devil's Bellows! I'm going to go peak at your 23 Rivers RR now. Extreme = extremely interesting.  ;D

Did you ever finish the Namibia RR where things went wrong? I can't seem to find it and last I read, things were still ok, but going South.

Thanks Zanie :thumleft:

You guys really do have some awesome riding right on your doorstep, like Matroosberg 4x4 I'd love to come and do sometime as well :ricky:

When you guys go up to do the Bastervoetslaanpad, why not do the Ben 10 challenge while you are at it. Most of those passes are spectacular and everything is quite close to each other.
https://www.mountainpassessouthafrica.co.za/find-a-pass/ben10.html

23 Rivers is a MUST. Please do contact [member=24722]malmens gerrit[/member]  from Oppie Oewer if you guys want to ride in that area as you do need permissions (there is a locked gate, forestry roads etc). He offers awesome accommodation as well.

And the Namibia trip ride report I never finished, I will get to it at some stage. Trip ended up as a bit of a downer though with my bike breaking, but we'll go again :ricky:

 

[Zanie]

We are really spoiled for choice, in the Western Cape and South Africa as a whole. When you read of the nanny-state shenanigans in, say, Europe, you can only be happy we haven't reached that point of policing yet. "Thou shalt take that one authorised dirt road." Can you imagine?

Speaking of which, unfortunately Matroosberg is now a no-go zone for bikes as far as I am aware, which is a real pity. Unless this has changed again? Though, I must say, I don't think I'd ever want to tackle it on a motorbike. I did it by mountain bike and the steep downhill was absolutely hair-raising! I would have bailed if not for the fact that once you hit it there are two options: ride or fall. The back keeps wanting to overtake the front whenever brakes are applied. As an uphill, it was bloody steep. Longest ever trail I went "hiking" with my mountain bike...

I've been eyeing the mountain passes site's Ben 10 Challenge. Lance and I were thinking of possibly doing it with my parents: us on the bikes and them in the "back-up" 4x4. It will be nice to have a light bike when tackling those roads. I'd remove the time limit though. No challenge awards for us. I like slow, as can be seen!

Thanks for the 23 Rivers contact. Is that area in Limpopo? Flipping far for us Capies, but it must go on the bucket list. Just like South America: bucket list. We can always dream hey?

 

[Minxy]

We are really spoiled for choice, in the Western Cape and South Africa as a whole. When you read of the nanny-state shenanigans in, say, Europe, you can only be happy we haven't reached that point of policing yet. "Thou shalt take that one authorised dirt road." Can you imagine?

Speaking of which, unfortunately Matroosberg is now a no-go zone for bikes as far as I am aware, which is a real pity. Unless this has changed again? Though, I must say, I don't think I'd ever want to tackle it on a motorbike. I did it by mountain bike and the steep downhill was absolutely hair-raising! I would have bailed if not for the fact that once you hit it there are two options: ride or fall. The back keeps wanting to overtake the front whenever brakes are applied. As an uphill, it was bloody steep. Longest ever trail I went "hiking" with my mountain bike...

I've been eyeing the mountain passes site's Ben 10 Challenge. Lance and I were thinking of possibly doing it with my parents: us on the bikes and them in the "back-up" 4x4. It will be nice to have a light bike when tackling those roads. I'd remove the time limit though. No challenge awards for us. I like slow, as can be seen!

Thanks for the 23 Rivers contact. Is that area in Limpopo? Flipping far for us Capies, but it must go on the bucket list. Just like South America: bucket list. We can always dream hey?

I've seen ride reports on Matroosberg before, not sure if things changed since then, would be nice to know, but yes it looks hectic, proper challenge

It's always a good idea to go with backup, especially in some of the remote places you ride through on the Ben 10. Well worth it though, such a stunning area! And I agree with taking time to see the place. I know some people have done it in a day, but I'd take at least a couple of days to explore that beautiful area. No point rushing through so quickly you cant even take a photo and appreciate the scenery.

And yes, 23 Rivers is near Tzaneen in Limpopo. Quite far from the Cape haha, but you could put the bikes on the train to Pretoria? Could be quite the adventure

 

[Zanie]

The Matroosberg ban is a recent change and is reflected on their website: https://matroosberg.com/4x4-trail/. I guess some hooligans spoiled it for everyone. I know there's a story attached to it, but can't remember the details. I think there was a bike-car altercation.

If we do head to the Eastern Cape, we will set aside proper time to do it justice: maybe two weeks. At least now I have a bike that I can trust to last the distance!

 

[Minxy]

The Matroosberg ban is a recent change and is reflected on their website: https://matroosberg.com/4x4-trail/. I guess some hooligans spoiled it for everyone. I know there's a story attached to it, but can't remember the details. I think there was a bike-car altercation.

If we do head to the Eastern Cape, we will set aside proper time to do it justice: maybe two weeks. At least now I have a bike that I can trust to last the distance!

I see, that is a pity

And yes, I think you found a winner of a bike with that Honda!