WC Alternative Route - 4 1 2009

[the_wes]

I was really really looking forward to this ride. the_priest, karl and i were planning a little ride of our own for today, but when XT660 sms'd me I changed the plans... the_priest unfortunately had to pull out at the last minute, so myself and karl met up at richwood with wayneh, xt660, go girl, kat, crossed-up, keithk, mrbig and simon (who has yet to register on the forum)

The ride was beautiful as always, with 1 water crossing (the one we usually do, but with less water) along the way for fun... weather was great, all in all it was a perfect ride...

until of course my bike started acting up again, and i headed home JUST before the awesome bits near Piketberg at least I got a lot of riding in until then...

XT660 having a go:

go girl:

kat:

what awesome scenery:

karl looking good:

and getting stuck:

wayne to the rescue:

o yeah, styling, check that reflection:

action shot!

unfortunately crossed-up had a puncture... xt660 to the rescue!

yamaha rider in its natural habitat:

Thanks for a great ride everybody! and thanks to XT660 for the route and Wayne for dashing ahead and giving me something to chase  :thumleft:

 

[Operator]

Looks like a lekka ride !!  :thumleft:

Good to see GoGirl back in action again. :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft:

 

[Karl]

Thanks guys for an awesome ride. And thanks esp to all those that hung back with me, your patience is appreciated.  Thanks also to Wayne for getting my bike unstuck :biggrin:

Between Mooreersburg and Piketburg I had an off. I was going along the tweespoor when it turned to cross the railway line, which I wasn't expecting, so instead of just going across I hit the brakes and the rest is history...broke the mirror off my bike and have some nice scratches on the side  Apart from that the bike was fine. Unfortunately, soon after The_Wes's bike started acting up so I headed home with him and missed out on the mountain. Hope the rest of you guys had a blast  :thumleft:

So where is the track  ???

The_Wes

 

Go Girl

My bike minus one mirror 

Da scratches 

 

[Bakkie]

ooo not nice scratches but looks like a very lekka ride  :mwink:

 

[GO GIRL]

Nice to see some noobs on the ride Simon and Karl (the Priest) I presume, also good to kat there too......

Well to all what an AWSUM Kck Ass ride to Kick start 2009 :ricky: :ricky:

The route, the company and the weather all made for a GRT day

Karl pity about the óff' but we will see you back there soon.....

Crossed up those railway tracks......... ??? ???

and theWes you gotta do the Piketberg Mtn even, the Spur on the other side is the reward :ricky: :ricky: :ricky:

GRT WayneH, XT660 and KK for initiating the ride...... :ricky: :ricky: :ricky:

 

[GO GIRL]

Looks like a lekka ride !!   :thumleft:

Good to see GoGirl back in action again. :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft:

Operator you have no idea how GOOOOOOD it feels to be back in that saddle :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft:

 

[Disselboom]

I take it there are some new cams in that 950?

 

[the_wes]

Nice to see some noobs on the ride Simon and Karl (the Priest) I presume, also good to kat there too......

karl is "karl". the_priest is another friend of ours, geoff  :deal:

 

[Giraffe]

Good one guys, looks like you you all had a great time. Wes, whats wrong with the scoot??

 

[Karl]

Good one guys, looks like you you all had a great time. Wes, whats wrong with the scoot??

Something to do with his ignition, he is waiting for a new one...

 

[Andy660]

Many thanks to all who came today.

As usual , The Alternative Route had its suprises.

This is how deep the water was last year in that puddle today

There was still some water around , plenty of dry grass and some sand and lots of marbles and rocks.
Its still one of my favourite rides that has somthing of everything on it.

After the bull rushes  , at the railway crossing , I was expecting that difficult farmer in the nissan 1400 bakkie to be waiting there again , insted he had locked the farm gate to the national road.
But he did us a favour , as we found another unridden track to Moorreesberg.Where we stopped for the usual re-fuel and a lekker cooool drink !

After the_wes left us , crossed-up tried riding up the railway line bank to cross over the bridge and binned it , no damage or injuries.
Then further alng the track , some 2km , Simone ( Dakar 650) spots a havasack lying on the track , and figuers its fallen off wayneh`s bike and stops to recover it , he`s just busy dismounting  and Crossed-up , looking at the scenery , only spots Simon at the last minute and clips his back wheel and bins it again.Handle bars a bit bent , and no injuries.

It appears these two youngsters , about 9 years old , have just scaled a bag full of grapes and are walking down the 2 spoor only to see the bikes coming , so they turf the rucksack and dive under the bushes , to hide away.

Anyway , we gave them the bag back and the two pairs of scissors lying in the road.

At the turn off for the Goedverwagt , crossed-ups bike starts surging and he decides to head home.
That left 4 off us to go up Piketberg Mountain.
The road condition up the mountain was the worst its ever been.
The last time we went up , was in the rainy season and it was bad then.
There is still plenty of water and now the little bit of sand is double.

Gogirl nearly lost it going up the mountain , she hit the gas , and the bike made a sharp left turn and then a RH turn , before she managed to go straight again(I thought she found a short cut ! )

But before long , we were at the Piketberg Spur thinking of Wes while eating our lekker Burgers !!!

We took that fast dirt road from Moorreessberg to Malmsbury.Is been graded and other than a lot of shale on the surface , it was nice and flat.
Just the last 5 kms before Malmsbury that is always in bad condition.

I will load some pics tomorrow.

And Simon ! with those slick tyres on your Dakar and your limited experience on dirts roads , your riding rocks !

 

[stevgh0]

Wes, i think you should bin that bike.. its cursed i tell ya!

 

[Mark Hardy]

Wes, i think you should bin that bike.. its cursed i tell ya!

:thumleft: good idea    time too buy that SE I think.  >

Nice one guys and gals  :thumleft:

 

[Andy660]

Buy Toni`s xt , and you wont have breakdowns or punctures.

And u will have more time on your hands to fix other riders punctures !

 

[Mark Hardy]

911 on

Andy, your avatar. That looks like Cape Town, is it anyone we know?

911 off

 

[LeonDude]

Nice ride guys and girl!

 

[GO GIRL]

I take it there are some new cams in that 950?

Yep Disselboom there are, not that the others gave any indication of any hassles The Beast just went in for a regular service.... ;D

 

[Crossed-up]

Great ride guys.  That water is my nemesis!  Last time I fell memorably in front of every camera there.  This time I sailed through but picked up a puncture.  I suspect there's a piece of barbed wire under the water 'cos that's what the hole looks like. ???

Thanks to Andy for organising it all and for the help with the puncture etc etc and WayneH for leading so steadily.  My "new" DR650 is huge fun :ricky: - but I must remember that it's not a TeeDub.  My humblest apologies to Simon for clipping him.  I looked down to check out the bag in the road and when I looked up there was a stationary Dakar in front of me in the left hand track and some movement on the right.  Major lock-up and slide, nearly made it but clipped his swing-arm in passing and down we went.  Bugger!

This probably disturbed crud in the tank and the motor started missing terribly so I headed home with the bike managing a heady 80 km/h downhill and 40 on the longer uphills in the southeaster.  It was a very long ride.   I'll pull the carb off this morning and have a look.

Thanks again to you all.

 

[Piston Pete]

Nice one guys! ;D

 

[GO GIRL]

Hehehe whew XT 660m I must admit that must have been a sight to see...... :ricky: :ricky: :ricky:

maybe somebody really let The Dawgs Out...... :ricky: :ricky:

it was a case of hold onto that Beast and getting her back ......... :ricky: :ricky: