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AdventureM a g a z i n e

Africas only Adventure and Dual Sport Ezine

Sub R2500 Mx Helmet Comparison

Adventurized Ktm Super enduro rold vS new A HondA trAnSAlp tAleepic SoutHern cApe AdventureKlr 650 penny pleASer

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www.adventuremagazine .co .za

Welcome to our first issue of Adventure magazine. I know most of us were anticipat-ing a printed magazine lying on a rack somewhere in a bike shop or CNA, alas, things changed. Everything changes. It’s evolution to be better and move in a different direction and almost be labelled as an outcast.

The internet is a portal of in-formation; you can find any-thing you want, anyplace, any time. It can’t make coffee though, I’ve tried.

Anyways back to basics.This issue sees us compar-ing and reviewing a couple of adventure bikes, looking at where they came from and how they are perceived to-day. We have an MX helmet comparison from our mates at MXalliance.co.za and we also have a look at what to buy with your hard-earned dosh. There

are so many bikes available, but what tickles your fancy?

We turn a monster enduro bike into a tourer. KTM Adventure riders... Eat your heart out! We compare father & son in the old vs new Honda Trans-alp comparison as well as taking a look at the affordable Kawasaki KLR650,

Trailrider and Bike Vettie also takes us through a unfor-gettable trip in the beautiful Southern Cape.

This is our first little baby, things grow bigger and better. Like I mentioned about evolu-tion...

We are here to stay.

Cheers

Stev0

HOWZIT

Get your advertising sorted by advertising in Adventure Magazine - [email protected] Subscriptions - [email protected]

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Under R2500 Helmet Comparison

Double D Dual Sport

Bargain Buys

New Vs Old

28 Passes

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Under R2500

Helmet comparisonmxalliance.coza




Fly Racing’s exciting new DOT helmet. This helmet offers incredible light weight that only DOT can offer. 10 big vents are able to shove high volume air flow through the liner cooling your head and giving the rider less fatigue to focus on the task at hand. Complete with Lathrop graphics and helmet styling, this is one helmet you’ll be seeing a lot of on the track. You can’t beat the quality and the price.

Features:All new shell and interior designA full featured helmet with a

lightweight poly-alloy compos-ite painted shell with U.V. clear coated custom graphics“Quick-Snap” removable,

washable linerHigh flow mouth piece design10 functional intake vents create high volume air flow

FLY KINETIC R1525

FLY TROPHY R2150This helmet is hard to beat. From it’s SNELL and DOT rat-ings to the precision engi-neered styling you will fall in love with this helmet. The fit is superb and glides on your head to a snug even fit. No scratchy cheek pads to scuff your face. Just soft and supple materials for pillow soft com-fort. Get your Trophy and start

riding with style and comfort at a great price.Features:All new shell and interior designA full featured helmet with a lightweight poly-alloy compos-ite painted shell with U.V. clear coated custom graphics“Quick-Snap” removable, washable liner

ANSWER COMET R2290Rockstar® gear has been such a hit that Answer just had to offer a helmet to match the style and performance! This model offers all the necessary features to get you across the finish line and onto the podium!

Features:Powercore resin tec shell and injection molded visorFull EPS liner, including chin bar with snap in liner and cheek padsLiner is removable/washable and is made with moisture wicking fabricsAdjustable front intake and rear exhaust venting keeps your head coolSnell and DOT approved

Oneal 309 R1525O’Neal Racing 3 Series Helmet

The entry level helmet offers all the features you want and need to get out and ride!

Unbeatable value and protec-tion!Crafted from durable polycar-bonate

Rear vents for improved aero-dynamics and ventingRemovable, washable linerIntake and exhaust vents aid for maximum ventilation and coolingExceeds DOT, ECE 22/04 and AS standards




Powercore resin tec shell is durable and meets DOT standardsEPS liner and removable/washable nylex and mesh liner keeps you comfortable and freshAdjustable visor with finger set screwsAdded details like rear exhaust vents, goggle grip pads and replacement partsAggressive graphic designs in three popular colorways

Answer Nova 1 R1225

Shift Agent R1850Polycarbonate outer shell with EPS inner shell

Custom contoured shape with multiple air vent channels

Removable cheek pads and comfort liner with Nylex mois-ture control fabric

Exceeds Snell and DOT safety standards

FOX V1 R2450Vent channels in the shell suck out moisture and heatIntegrated roost guard shields your face

Innovative cheek pad ventila-tion channels keep cheeks cooler and dry out quickerMesh comfort liner & cheek pads for superior fit & moisture control performanceInjection molded polycarbonate shell design provides style & function

HJC CL5XN R1995* Advanced Polycarbon-ate Composite Weave Shell: Lightweight, superior fit and comfort using advanced CAD technology.* 3rd-Generation “ACS” Ad-vanced Channeling Ventilation System:* Full front to back airflow flushes heat and humidity up

and out.* Bioceramic Nylex® Moisture-wicking Interior: Anti-bacterial, removable and washable.* Large Eye Port and Maximum Range Adjustable Visor: For maximum visibility and supe-rior goggle fit.* SNELL/DOT Approved




Powercore resin tec shell is durable and meets DOT standardsEPS liner and removable/washable nylex and mesh liner keeps you comfortable and freshAdjustable visor with finger set screwsAdded details like rear exhaust vents, goggle grip pads and replacement partsDistinctive graphic designs in three popular colorways!

Answer Nova 2 R1225

Oneal 709 R2300

Packed with features that the other guys call out in their top end helmet. O’Neal puts them all into the 7 series! Venting,

soft comfy liners and the lab tested protection you can count on.

Style, comfort and features that are incomparable!Crafted from durable polycar-bonateMultiple vents throughout helmet for improved aerody-namics and ventingRemovable, washable liner with soft yet durable micro fiber materialExceeds SNELL, DOT, ECE 22/04 and AS standards




Reporting For Duty




When the term ‘dual sport’ comes to mind, you think of an old DR500 or XR500 something from your army days or something that you could have used on the farm, right? Yes, I can relate to that. But dual sport riding or adventure riding is a lot more involved these days. Sure, you can ride with just about anything that will get you mostly anywhere at any given pace, but you sit with so many options in the market it sometimes gets really hard to choose you next “scrambler”.

You love technical riding, but owning 2 bikes is not really a practical or an affordable option.Enter the KTM Super Enduro... a 70 odd “killerwatt” dirt monster - something for just about every occasion. Being the brother of the highly recom-mended Adventure, the Super Enduro is aimed at the serious off-road enthusiast who does not take to the dirt lightly. The owner usually knows where they are going and that they are willing to get there.

But a bike with only 13 litres of fuel, and a rather narrow seat with added fuel gulping economy, is hardly an adventure tool. It’s more of a drug, something that begs you to ride it enthusiasti-cally, and something that makes you feel like a kid again.

Why would somebody invest in a Super Enduro to go touring? Simple. The amount of accessories available is astounding. There is no need to buy the longer, more distance friendly adventure and have the sight of seeing one on every corner. It’s true - see how many you see daily.The Super Enduro is far more exquisite and unique.

Planning for distance with a little more than a couple of coke bottles for fuel could be frustrating.This brings RV Aqualine to attention. They manufacture the Safari 30litre tank which is about as easy to fit as putting on your shoes, extending your low fuel range from about 160km to around 350km. It is available in orange/black and translucent (for those of you who like to see how much fuel you do have left), retails for around US$ 800 and is easy attainable.

There is also a rally-type rear tank available that holds around 8liters of fuel and its rear passenger peg friendly but does require to have a 2 into 1 rear can setup. Even when full, the tank is still lighter than the factory stock pipe. We would not want to ride with an un balanced bike through Lesotho and have to keep compensating for any lean angles due to a badly packed bike. Retails around US$ 400 and is only really necessary if you intend on really travelling far.




One thing that strikes me is the wind protection. Riding naked bikes or any bike without a screen is okay up to about 130kph. After that the wind blast gets really tiring on your arms and neck. This is when riding becomes a pain. There is a universal screen specifically available for the Super Enduro which is very easily adjustable (up or down) and is made out of D.O.T approved acrylic. This will definitely compliment the trip and is a real asset to any naked bike. Prices vary but start around US$ 70. If importing is not your thing, speak to Trevor @ Adv Rider in Cape Town at 021 511 1007.Rumours also have it that the KTM690 has a screen available from KTM and this would also fit the Super Enduro, although it’s not as high, but it will cure a little of the windblast.

There is no sensible way travelling with just a ruck-sack when going over land or even just a few short days around the country. The Super Enduro is a difficult bike to kit out. There are a couple of options available in the soft luggage department, but finding ad-equate hard luggage poses to be a problem. The reason we would

rather opt for hard luggage is the durability factor. Hard cases are often stronger than soft luggage but it’s also not indestructible. Denali make a soft luggage rack for the Super Enduro that’s a 1-piece unit and can easily be removed for storage or cleaning should the need arise. The Unit can also be used without mounting a tail bag. The Denali soft bags are really Cortec units and do their job rather well. They provide around 20liters of space each so it will get you going and exploring the world in no time.

A stock Super Enduro is fitted with Continetal TKC80’s. The front tire produces a slight headshake above 140km/h if the pressure is too high. I felt that if I drop the front to just under 2bar it went away. The rears provide enough grip in gravel but it is not a Moto-cross tire and it’s designed for the pavement with off-road In mind. It’s a 50/50 tire. It provides good grip upfront on the tarmac. If you intend spending a lot of time offroad , I would change the front to a more aggressive Dunlop D908 Rally Raid. I found the front TKC80 to wander in the loose terrain and it did not inspire much confidence.

One tire that has impressed me is the Heidenau K60. For a dual-sport tire, these are hard to beat. They are priced very reasonably and handle off-road just as well as the TKC80 rear. They look more road orientated but don’t let that fool you. They mean business. The tarmac life should be longer than the TKC’s but yet again, if you want to wander into the more technical terrain with sand and mud, have a look at the Dunlop D908 Rally Raid.

All in all the KTM Super Enduro is one mean machine packed with a lot of power. Almost too much power to be sensible at all times but it’s all in the name of fun. You no longer have to buy only the Adventure model if you are interested in the range and want to go touring. The more aggressively styled monster enduro bike can now be kitted for anything from around the block to around the globe.

Thank you to Charl at KTM Cape Town for the loaner unit. Much appreciated!




OLD VS NEW




When a new bike is released from a manufac-turer, it’s more often than not better than its predecessor. Otherwise why replace a perfectly good bike with something that’s not in the same line as the model it replaced?

I’m afraid that Honda has taken the legendary Trans-Alp and moved it slightly away from the dirt. It’s by no means a bad bike, just small subtle things which a person as a rider picks up. The Trans-Alp originally saw life as a 600 - I’m not going to go into little 589cc and things as such -let’s just call it a 600. That bike had a cult follow-ing. Then Honda gave it a bit more oomph with slight power upgrade to the 650. This bike proved to be very popular with commuters and also light tourers who don’t really see themselves going around the world, but rather a Joburg – Durban trip or Cape town to Knysna type of ride. Initially this bike is what Honda replaced. It had a 21” front wheel, weighed in at 191kg and had fuel ca-pacity of 19litres. The ground clearance was not too bad either, almost 20cm. It’s no wonder every now and then you would see foreigners from Europe coming through Africa on it. It is indeed a perfectly popular adventure bike. Fuel consump-tion was a modest 5l/100km and that gives you a good range. Even with the power being only 38kw there is enough there to take you up any hill. The bike featured a 34mm CV type carburettor so sorting out fuelling issues was an easy task, it would also run on bad fuels.

The new Trans-Alp 700, a Deauville based engine (nice bike, though we never got it) with upped power to 44kw and still the same 5speed gearbox (6th would have been nice) is very smooth. It feels more refined on the tarmac than the previous bike. The front end feels loose on the gravel, but as most of us know that is simply a tire change away. The 19” front wheel is a bit of a slap in the face for the Trans-Alp followers who were hoping for a recreation of the Africa-Twin, - nice power with go-anywhere type of ability. Make no mistake, the smaller wheel feels a lot more at home in the bends on the back country roads cruising to Ceres. It’s a bike that just wants to ride for-ever. The fuel capacity is increased by only a litre and that puts it up to 20l, but the weight of the bike is increased by 23kg. That is some serious flab which was picked up on the design bench. Fuel consumption was around 6l/100km. slightly heavier than the 650, but it’s not a train smash, is it?




The 700 just feels more like a touring road bike than an adventure bike, suspension travel is almost identical on both units, but the older model would feel more at home in the dirt. The bigger front wheel just feels more comfortable. The new model has a very vul-nerable plastic bash plate that doubles up as an engine cover too. It looks nice but serious adventure riders would want to upgrade it.

Overall if we had to choose a model, we would opt for the older model. Only reason is the affordability of them. You can currently pick them up around the R40 000 mark. That’s about half the price of the new model, and prices are set to go up around 20% as you are reading this.




Bargain Buys

The KLR650 has been around since 1987 and received great status by the US Navy. The motorcycle has a huge ‘cult-like’ following around the world. The bike has been turned into tourers, commuters, farm bikes and even used as a reliable rent-a-bike. It features DOHC 4 valve single cylinder configuration with a 23l tank. The power is extremely linear, and it will tractor up almost any hill. It also features a counter balancer to aid in comfort of the rider.The engine design is 20 years old. The newer bikes are still plain and simple and it’s not uncommon to fix a problem with a mere coat hanger. Like they say; “n boer maak n plan”. The KLR650 will happily cruise at 120kph, but they have always had a tendency to over-use oil. It’s an old KLR trademark, so if you’re worried about it, you needn’t be, it’s normal. There are a couple of problems to look into when purchasing a used KLR650.The Doohickey; find out if it was replaced.Look for oil leakage around the Cam Shafts.Weak front brakes; solved by using high-quality brake pads or braided brake hoses.Some bikes tend to have sticky valves so if the bike is still at a young age, this will work itself out.Over tensioned chains damage the counter sprocket shaft.

From the factory the KLR is very restricted. A filter box modification is not uncom-mon after factory departure and with that there would usually be a performance exhaust system and a re-jetted carb. If the bike is standard, don’t worry about added modifications, it’s not necessary and is usually done according to prefer-ence.

Windscreens and luggage systems are available from Adventure Rider in Cape Town. Crash bars can be sources from SW-Motec.Our recent market analysis has shown that the 2002 and higher models can be found from around R22 000 to R40 000 for the last model in 2007.

Kawasaki KLR650




28 PassesA journey of lifetime memories




DAY 1This morning excitement was off the charts. I get that way before a trip. The bike was packed and ready, sporting a brand new TKC rear tyre.

My riding companion arrived from Gauteng equally excited. He is a veteran biker, but relatively new to the Dual Sport scene. He rides a BMW 1150 GSA and has clocked up 80 000km (including a trip well into Africa) in the last two years. This would be his first time riding the “real Southern Cape”.

This guy has ridden to some places I still dream of, so it was a tall order to give him a trip that would not disappoint. On the menu today: Montagu Pass, Paarde Poort, the Oude Muragie Road, Schoeman’s poort Pass, Swartberg Pass and the road into “The Hell” (Gamkaskloof Pass).

Introducing, Bike Vettie.How, between the two of us, he’s the one that got stuck with that nick-name only he would know.

Back to where we were - Mon-tagu Pass. What a Pass to start a ride with! This Pass is one of my favourites and I guess it’s easy to see why.

Barely 8km into the trip we’ve taken a heap of photos. The scenery here laid the founda-tion of a truly Epic Southern Cape ride. Montagu Pass

Construction of the magnificent Montagu Pass commenced in 1844. The pass is 10km in length, of which about 9km is said to be “blasted out of solid rock” using gunpowder

(Dynamite - which is safer and with 8 times the disruptive power - was only discovered

in 1867). The steepest section has a gradient of 1 in 6 and is known as “Regop Trek”.




The Pass was officially opened on 19 January 1848.

Montagu Pass was the first Pass built under the new sys-tem of convict labour neces-sitated by the emancipation of the slaves in 1838. It was declared a National Monument in 1972, and is today the oldest unaltered Pass in South Africa.

*The Romance of Cape Moun-tain Passes - Graham Ross

Barely over the Pass and you descend into the Klein Karoo. Instantly the climate, plant life, smells and scenery changes. I love how in one ride you can have such a variety of scenery.

Just past the hamlet of Herold and into Paarde Poort.

We were cruising along without a care in the world. This trip was about scenery. Taking it easy, stopping a lot, sharing the ride. I’ve always liked helping people, showing them places and sharing experiences. I find joy in seeing people really enjoying themselves. Bike Vet-tie was really enjoying himself, drinking in as much of the scenery as possible. We rode past the Kammanassie dam and all the way to Dysselsdorp.

Dysselsdorp started in 1838 as a mission station. In 1877 John X Merriman (who later became prime minister of the Cape Colony) gave the land to the 148 coloured families that lived there. Dysselsdorp’s most interesting feature is a Roman Catholic Chapel at the top of a Hill. The road to the Chapel “zig-zag’s” up the hill and rep-resents the different “stations” next to the “Via Dolorosa” en route to Golgotha (Calvary).

We continued on the Oude Muragie Road, through Schoe-manspoort Pass and on to the Swartberg Pass.

We had nice weather and very little traffic. This was a week day and most people were probably at work Poor sod’s.

Swartberg Pass

Thomas Bain suggested the construction of the Swartberg Pass as a possible solution to the flooding of Meirings- and Seweweeks Poorte. Bain found 4 possible lines with a maximum gradient of 1 in 8 (as opposed to the 1 in 6 of Montagu pass).

This was the last of many passes built or supervised by

Thomas Bain in the Cape. On 10 February 1988 a memo-rial plaque was unveiled near the summit to mark the 100th anniversary of the opening of Swartberg Pass. It was declared a National Monument later the same year.

Source: *The Romance of Cape Mountain Passes - Graham Ross

Shortly after we reached the road to Hell.

For those who have not been to Gamkaskloof before a broad description:

The fertile valley runs in an east-west direction and is approximately 20 km long and 600 metres wide. The Kloof can be divided into 4 pieces: The first, as you enter the Kloof, be-longs to Cape Nature. The 2nd (Fonteinplaas), privately owned by Annetjie Joubert, offers visi-tors overnight facilities in two historic farmhouses as well as on shaded campsites (you can read more about the Fontein-plaas here). Fonteinplaas has the Kiosk and restaurant.

If you continue along the Kloof you enter the 3rd “farm” or

piece of land also owned by Cape Nature. There are quite a few beautifully restored houses available as accommodation here also. As you follow the road to the end of the Cape nature land you come to the locked gate of the fourth Pri-vate farm, “Bo Plaas”. Visitors to Cape Nature or Fonteinplaas can only explore the Kloof up to here.

Today though, we will travel onto this private farm to the house we’d call home for the night - “Oom Hannes se Huis”. I was especially excited about this as I have never, in all my previous visits, been that far into the kloof. What an experi-ence awaited us! We continued through the kloof over rocks and sand and passed a “Road closed” sign. That can’t be right... We sleep on the other side...

This was the reason - they were working on the causeway.

A “step” off the concrete, into thick mud with a “step-up” on the other side - twice - with the second being the worst.

There is no other option...




No problem! TKC’s make us invincible! Soon we were at the house we’d call home for the night.

Green grass. Well maintained. This is heaven!

I have stayed in various houses in Gamkaskloof and without a doubt I can say that this is the best. This is not just a house. It’s got a lawn and a garden and there are still some farming activity going on. Here I really felt what it must have been like to live in the Kloof when people still worked here. From here you’ve also got access to the rest of the kloof including “The Ladder” - the entry into the kloof before the pass was built.

For more info on Bo Plaas see their website @ www.diehel.co.za

That night we had a nice braai under the pepper tree and the vast Karoo skies. What a start to our trip. Bike vettie remarked that I should have left the best for last. Little did he know...

Day 2

On the menu today: The road out of Gamkaskloof, the rest of Swartberg Pass (the best part IMO), Kredouw Pass, Meiringspoort, Kammanassie Road, Nuwekloof Pass and the first 50km of Baviaans - a total distance of 352km.

As riding partners go we were a pretty good match. We both like to get on the road early and we both don’t worry to much about breakfast. We were packed and on the road just after 7am.

What a way to start the day! I love water crossings!

Unfortunately most of the water crossings were dry. We did have some water here and there though.

So we carry on to the lovely Swartberg pass. Then before you know it, you are in the Great Karoo.




Day 2Meirngspoort “The first recorded transit of Meiringspoort was by a farmer of De Rust, Petrus Johannes Meiring, in 1800.

It was here that Andrew Bain developed the rock-splitting technique which has been used by generations of padmakers since then. He would take bushes (that obstructed the road) and heap them on the large rocks and set fire to them. The effect was magical. After buckets of cold water were poured on the rocks they would crack like glass.

The 16km of road was constructed in 223 working days, crossing the river 21 times, at a cost of £5,018. The pass was officially opened on 3 March 1858.”

Source: *The Romance of Cape Mountain Passes - Graham Ross

We head on past De Rystm Dysselsdorp and the Kammassie Raod and eventually end up in Uniondale, where we met up with a friend and his daugter. Finally we reach the Nuwekloof pass and head on to the Baviaanskloof. The night we ate like kings and slept soundly. After all what more is there to be expected after beeing 8 hours in the saddle.

Tomorrow we tackle the Baviaans properly.




We were up early again this morning. The plan was to ride the 130 odd km to Patensie for lunch and return to the cave again in the afternoon. The fact that we’d spend two nights here meant that we could leave our luggage in the cave today. We’d be unladen for what could potentially be a tricky ride.

There were 3 passes in todays ride (Grasnek Pass, Holgat Pass and Combrinks Pass) and we’d ride each in both directions. We left with a sense of trepidation as we heard some reports that Holgat Pass was especially bad. On top of that some rain were forecast for today... This was Bike Vettie’s first visit to Baviaans and my first time with the TransAlp.

It wasn’t long before we met the first Baviaans Paw x Paw. I love these guys.At the first water crossing I had to stop and record the moment. I love water cross-ings.

Baviaans is very dry at the moment and the water crossings were few and shallow. The “feared” water crossing at Smitskraal was bone dry.

All of a sudden we were at Holgat Pass and we decided to go for it. As it turns out the condition of the pass was greatly exaggerated. In fact, my TransAlp with low ground clearance (I’m getting rid of that CAT a.s.a.p.) did not even touch once going up here. Make no mistake - it’s a tricky section - but we expected a lot worse.

People who’ve been here while it’s wet know how slippery this section can be. Luckily it didn’t seem that wet today. Well, not yet... We headed off to Patensie and met up with more fellow friends out on a short ride.After lunch we headed back to Baviaans.

After over 7 hours in the saddle we were relieved to be at our cave again. From Bakkrans to Patensie took us just over 4 hours with lots of photo stops and from Patensie back to Bakkrans (still taking it easy) took us just over 3 hours. Day 3




Day 4Today was a "rest" day. Not only did we have some long days in the saddle behind us, but it's also easy to suffer from total sensory overload on your first visit here. There is so much to see that it becomes almost impossible to take more in - a "condition" Bike Vettie confirmed.

We'd ride from Baviaans to De Vlugt, a short trip of only 142km, so we could take it easy.

Despite having lots of time we hit the road around 8am - we like getting on the road early. We rode slowly breathing the fresh air with the sun on our backs. Yep - this is how every Monday should start.

Easy gravel and a tame water cross-ing - no technical roads today. Out of Baviaans and through Nuwekloof Pass.

Next we had some beautiful gravel highway towards Uniondale.

A couple of km outside of Uniondale

(on tar luckily) the GS had a front flat. We searched for the hole but found none. We inflated the tyre and still could not find the puncture - the tyre stayed inflated. We never did figure out what caused this “phantom flat”, but the tyre was fine for the rest of the trip.

José Burman (Author) commented, “I have seen all the famous, and most of the minor passes in South Africa, and of all of them I love Prince Alfred’s Pass best.”

It’s easy to see why. Of all the passes in Southern Cape this is often singled out as a favourite because of it’s wondrous variety. Seventy kilometers long and rising 1000 metres, it winds through some of the wildest and most unspoilt scenery in South Africa. (Sources: *Prince Alfred’s Pass: Spectacular & Diverse - Ilse Meyer. *The Romance of Cape Mountain Passes - Graham Ross)

Today we’d only ride half of this Pass though.

Around midday we rolled into De Vlugt and stopped at Angie’s G-spot for lunch.

Very nice home made burgers and some cold ones before we headed next door to the Outeniqua Trout Farm - our home for the night. Here we found some more Dual Sport bikes. This truly is Dual Sport country!

What we did not expect was what we found next. I knew that any lodging would battle to impress after two nights in the cave, but this blew my mind! We made a reservation to sleep in one of the TiPi tents. Believe me when I tell you that this is abso-lutely 5 star!

This is camping in luxury. When you sleep here all you have to bring is your clothes, toothbrush and a juicy steak for dinner. Everything else is included and provided down to the wood and ice. The tents have beds with great linen, mattresses and even a fireplace!

Also note the “logo” on the TiPi walls. Each TiPi has a different logo (ours being the “Shaman”) and that logo is used on everything that is provided with your TiPi. There are four TiPi’s and four ablution blocks. The one with the “Shaman” logo on the door belongs to this TiPi and this TiPi only. So if you camp here you have your own bathroom and you don’t share it with other campers. Speaking of which - the bathrooms are top notch!

I was really intrigued by the Rocked Shower. It works with a little paraffin and a little cup gives you enough hot water for a 20 minute shower. Very eco-friendly!

Mid afternoon we were treated with some freshly baked banana bread and butter to enjoy with our afternoon tea, uhm, beverage of choice

This is a great destination. I am definitely bringing the Mrs back here soon!




Day 5Once in a while one finds a piece of road where all you want to do is ride and ride and ride. Today was such a day.

This day was probably the most scenic, so today’s report will be told mostly with pictures, and there are lots of them

We were up nice and early again. Our hosts told us that a massive weather system was forming over almost the whole of South Africa and that high tem-peratures and thunderstorms were a good possibility. Already there was a hot breeze, but we were not fazed. Today we’re riding the Garden route!

The skies were foreboding and here and there the first drops started to fall, but it was warm and we did not even get wet. Not your typical Southern Cape weather.

Well, “Kom-se-Pad” could be better. Every Dual Sport rider in South Africa should ride this road at least once! The view from one of the lookout points. Funny skies for the area, especially early in the morning.

We head onto George where we will hit the gravel to our destination for the night, Attaklwaskloof.

We’d sleep in tents again tonight. Bonniedale Adventure Farm has permanent tents with beds and mattresses, nice braais and wood is also provided. Today was one of the highlights of the trip. After a steak dinner we turned in. That night the heavens opened...




Day 6I love sleeping in the “open”. Very liberating!

On the menu today: Attakwas Kloof, Gysmanshoek Pass, Tradouw’s Pass and Warmwaterberg. Rural roads most of the way!We hit the road around 7 am. After the rains everything were fresh. You could smell the recent rain, the plants, the fresh air. I rode with the sun on my back and a song in my heart

Exiting the kloof you join the R327 and travel West to cross the Gourits river.After a slow cruise taking in the scenery of Attakwaskloof these gravel highways were a welcome change. It was not dry and dusty, nor was it wet and slippery. Per-fect conditions to turn it up a bit.Except for that one spot where a patch of mud really surprised us Luckily I was over it before I even realised! We did stop afterwards to “laugh” about it. TKC’s make us invincible?

And descending into the Southern Cape. What a view! Something that you cannot really capture on film.

Barrydale

There is a fertile valley lying between the coastal belt and the Karoo, enclosed by the Langeberg and Swartberg mountain ranges. To call this region the Little Karoo is a misnomer . Geographically, geologically and scenically it is not part of the Ka-roo but supports unique features of it’s own that ensure its place as a very special part of South Africa.

The region was referred to as Kannaland on a map produced in 1843, this name being derived from the genus, Kanna. This area has a higher rainfall than the Karoo, which gave rise to permanent populations of Quena or Hottentot people of the Attaqua tribe in the low lying floor of the valley and to the Bushmen / Khoisan, who inhabited the mountains.

The Attaqua had a path, parts of which are still visible today, through the Langeberg, which followed the deep, and steep, ravine known as the Tradouw Poort.

Tradouw is a Hottentot word meaning “the women’s poort or footpath”.

The Attaqua had kraals on “the other side” of the mountains, round the village now known as suurbraak, known by them as xairu, meaning beautiful.

Early visitors were Isaac Schrijver and his party, who were sent to this area in 1689 by Simon van der Stel and Lady Anne Barnard, who travelled in the Overberg and Little Karoo in 1798.

Lunch at an old favourite - The Country Pumpkin. Arrive here on two wheels and you receive a complimentary sherry and a 10% discount on your total bill The owner is a biker himself and always keen to chat to other bikers and give advise on routes etc. We even got some complimentary “Route 62” metal badges.

We did most of today’s route in half a day so we had some time on our hands. It’s was a good thing too because it was extremely HOT by now. Next stop Ronnie’s Sex Shop (only 2km from our final stop for the day at Warmwaterberg).

As it turns out the barman is from my home town, George. He arrived here on a 175cc a month ago and heard there was an opening for a barman. As you can see he’s still here The freedom of youth. I miss it sometimes.

This being our last night on the road we decided to dine in the restaurant to cel-ebrate a truly GREAT trip. We had huge fun. And we still had a great day’s riding left!




Day 7 I was up before sunrise. This is the best time of the day.

I was especially exited about today because it included some roads I have not been on before. Most notably Bosluiskloof Pass and the road toe Gamkapoort Dam. If we can get through Seweweekspoort that is. We were told the previous evening that Meiringspoort flooded in the storm the night before and was closed. Hopefully Seweweekspoort was not damaged to such an extent that we could not get through.

Seweweekspoort

“The road from Amalienstein in the little Karoo penetrates the Klein Swartberge through the Seven Weeks Poort, possibly one of the most awe-inspiring and spectacular of all the mountain ravines in Southern Africa.

Seven Weeks Pass winds for 17km through the mountains at a level of 600-1000m above sea-level. It crosses the stream 23 times, whilst the mountain slopes on both sides reach 1500 - 2000m.

The magnificent vertical rock folds, reaching for the skies on both sides of the road, reflect the inconceivable forces of the volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, forming the chain of Cape ripple-like mountains.”

Seweweekspoort is breathtaking. Truly one of the 7 wonders of the Cape. It’s impossible to capture it’s magnificence on camera. It’s just to big and too close.

Barely out of Seweweekspoort you take the road through Bosluiskloof to the Gamkapoort Dam.

Bosluiskloof

“Bosluiskloof lies on the northern slopes of the Swartberg mountain range and includes the foothills of the Groot Swartberg. Besides the western entrance to the Kloof it is surrounded by State- and other nature reserves.

To the south of the reserve lies the well known Gamkaskloof (“Die Hel”), on the eastern border is the Gamkapoort Dam and to the north is the Elands- and Blouberge, partly owned by the State and held

as nature reserves.

An interesting aspect is that the reserve borders on the Gamkapoort Dam that is the confluence of the Gamka-, Dwyka- en Bosluiskloof rivers. The confluence of these rivers is the historical departure point of water flowing to the Indian Ocean. When the water passes through the Great Swartberge through the Klein Karoo, the Olifants- and Buffels rivers joins in and eventually it becomes the Gouritz river, which flows into the Indian Ocean, close to Mossel Bay. “

What a revelation! I can’t believe it took me so long to get here - it’s a stunning pass! The road winds through Bosluiskloof Pass and eventually opens up into a Kloof (valley) that was much greener than I expected the Karoo to be. Very scenic indeed!

Soon we started seeing signs that this area did not escape the storm and the further East we rode the worse it got.

And finally Gamkapoort Dam. Surprisingly empty for an area that, according to Fox (the “guardian of the dam ) had 40mm in less than 20 minutes two nights before

This spot is a mere 9.5km from the low water bridge we crossed on Day 1, so we had come full circle of sorts (to get back around to that bridge from here we’d have to ride 172km).

So after 4 Kloofs, 28 passes and 1650km over 7 days we rolled into George satisfied with time well spent.

Thanks Bikevettie for a great trip. Riding partners like you are always a pleasure to share the road with.




More pictures...




THE END

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