ET 11 - 13 July

Ok I know, not a lot of Beemers on this trip - 1 to be exact - but at least I'm a proud BM owner and I had my BMW thermals on……..it should therefore be fine to share our trip with you.

This past weekend we set off to the former Eastern Transvaal and we could not have choosen worse weather but as they say.....everyday is a good day for riding. For those of you that don't know, we are a biking family and it is always special to share the joys of the open road with family and in this case, some friends as well. The pictures are somewhat dull as a result of the absent sun.

Friday -

It was bitterly cold when we left.



brunch stop in Belfast....still cold, very cold



Farm Stall close to the Sudwala caves......they sell the best dried fruits and nuts there.



After we had done the notorious "22" which is basically 22km of constant twisties from Sabie to Hazyview, I stopped to congratulate the first timers. This was when things went a bit pear shaped........let's just say it had all to do with looking backwards whilst riding forward........and I had an altercation with a pavement........all right let me call a spade a spade......I came off at 30km/h......there I have said it..........embarrassing, very embarrassing

woeps waps daar lê ek, het gehoor iemand sê jy moenie te gou opstaan nie, tel eers tot 10, kanse is, jy gly nog so ek lê en ek tel………deels ook om te keer dat ek nie f#%&*n verskriklik aan die vloek raak nie. Pel sê, jy kon maar opgestaan het, mens gly nie eintlik teen 30km/h nie. Het opgestaan en gelyk soos 'n voelverskrikker, gras in my helmet en elke moontlike ander plek......ok, genoeg gesê hieroor.

Saturday -

the "team" that went on the outride.



Kowyns Pass



breakfast of a different kind in Graskop



why a different kind? Pancakes at Harries for breakfast, that's why



and the bad weather continues, absolutely no view at Gods Window......so we took a group photo instead



the clouds gave us a peak of the 3 Rondawels.........sjoe, foreigners can do stupid things sometimes



his and hers, man that ST looks sooooooo sexy



a few “action” shots…………

Mermaid (the mother)



yours truly (the father)



and the father again



the son



and the other son



Sunday -

We had big plans for riding but the weather and mist kind of hampered the enthusiasm.

ready to go back home and it sure was good we did not know what was to come. The next 180km were arguably the most difficult riding conditions I have ever encountered. Rain, cold and fog and more fog. Between Milleys and Belfast sight was reduced to 10m at best, speed to 40km/h and a lot of hoping and praying that there is nothing in the way.



All in all, wonderful weekend and one we will remember for a very long time albeit for some of the wrong reasons

Thanks for sharing your ride with us.

Too bad the weather did not play along, but now all the more reason to do it again !!!

mmmmh! 18 hours and 1 reply

maybe not such a good idea to post pictures of Hondas and a Suzuki on a BMW site

Well, I posted a pic with a BMW-GS on the ground and a KAWA standing up.

At least you did not post a pic of the "pavement"

MadnohB wrote:mmmmh! 18 hours and 1 reply

maybe not such a good idea to post pictures of Hondas and a Suzuki on a BMW site)

Heyy.. meant to tell you how great it must be having your children around you on the road - doesn't matter what bike (At least we can take our girls along scuba diving, but they make no secret of it, that they will never ride their own bikes . . maybe a blessing??)

Thanks for sharing - great action pics! - you all look like pro's is in the corners!

- - ok i won't mention the pavement - -

Sharkie wrote:......At least you did not post a pic of the "pavement"

BMW wrote: - - ok i won't mention the pavement - -

ouch, ouch , ouch

wie het nou vyande nodig met sulke vrinne

julle moet "polite" sê.......moenie worry nie man, dit gebeur met die beste van ons........

aan die anderkant, as jy stupid wil wees moet jy suffer.....nê

maybe I must go into hiding......just for a while

Don't hide, wear it with pride !!!

I felt like a real @$$ when I toppled over too.

But, it DOES happen to the best of us !!

from elsewhere on this forum

MadnohB wrote:.....during the last 4 years, we have collectively done almost 200 000km together......each and every kilometre very memorable, very enjoyable and dare I say - with the exception of 1 incident - all of them safe kilometres........

I knew I should never have posted this............make that 2 incidents

Hey Jamie,

Always like your trip reports and must say your photo's is always some work of art.

Thanks for sharing!!!

PS - Your most welcome to post pics/reports even if it's not on BMW. Should actually get Pieter, Colin and the rest of the gang to post some ride reports on the WFO's, offroad trip they do.

At least there is no photographic evidence of the small mishap. I once dropped the LT just as i was pulling off out of the drive-way - front wheel on the tar and back wheel still in the driveway. Lying amongst the roses.

Power cut out for some unforeseen reason. You lose power on the LT, in a turn and it drops like stone. Lekker ne - imagine me and Elsabe having to pick up al 380Kg by ourselves. Luckily it was the old LT, and it sustained no damage. So i do think most of us have had suchlike mishaps at any given time.

So watch out for the pavement, cows, chains, taxi's - and the list goes on. LeRoy

BMW wrote:
- - ok i won't mention the pavement - -

What pavement? I didn't see the pavement! Neither did Jamie!

Thanks for sharing.

Ps thanks for sharing about the trip too!!

Hope damage to the bike was less than damage to the pride


....but at least you not the first that something this silly happens to and will also not be the last. At least it was slow and you OK.

DaveS wrote:.......Thanks for sharing.

Ps thanks for sharing about the trip too!!

Yeh right.........another one of the friends showing their colours

DaveS wrote:Hope damage to the bike was less than damage to the pride

Nothing bent or broken, just scratches. Close to 10k money wise but you right, still substantially lower than.............the other damage

Sorry - forgot to ask - was it a highside or a lowside???

neither......a frigging pavement, a 2 feet high one.

Slid down the high pavement, then fell off - the bike countinued sliding (still leaning against the pavement) without me because..........I mos look backwards - as in over my shoulder - whilst riding forward

top left picture is the damage when the bike lost momentum and toppled over

I can ‘see’ you still p@$$3d with yourself.

I would be too if it was me – just like when I dropped the Adventure on a club ride when someone did not stop at a turn.

When I stopped to decide which way the group had gone the front wheel slipped on some gravel on the sloping curb – and down I went!

If the frigging person who was supposed to have stopped had in fact stopped it would never have happened!

I swear I would not try to blame someone for my stupidity.

But for the record, I was on my merry way just after stopping to congratulate the first timers on the "22". Two corners later, the bikes behind me were gone. I turned around to go look for them, found them parked again, they took off, I turned around again and then........the pavement..........tried to cut me off.

MadnohB wrote:I swear I would not try to blame someone for my stupidity.

Not at all - I should have looked and been more careful.

Should be a law about these pavemunts that jump out at you!!

Repair (replace) work in progress






mmmh.......sexy even without clothes on

Can someone help here?

Why is it automatically inserting the picture at the start of the post?

It’s never nice to see a brand new bike damaged! But getting it repaired (replacing damaged parts) is like getting the new bike AGAIN! How’s that

MadnohB wrote:mmmh.......sexy even without clothes on

I think you have a different perception of the term “NAKED BIKE”