POKER RUN, 15 Nov by Club Central

Our club was invited by Club Central to participate in their poker run. This ride consisted of visiting 5 casinos in Gauteng and at each casino collect a playing card, to each participant, pillions too.

Seven bikes turned up at Atterbury Shell to ride together to the start point in Randburg. We were Trudie & myself, Martin & Daleen, Willie & Deirdre, Richard & Anne, Wahl, Frik.

Upon arrival at Randburg at Northside BMW we found a lot of bikers and the hosts put down nice samies, juice and coffee. The coffee came later as power was off since about 02h00 am and the genset (that starts automatic) ran out of fuel. Sh*t happens and everybody took it in the stride



After a brief briefing the group departed, some 45+ bikes. All in a bundle with no discipline or plan We Pta-ners were immediately out of our depth and tried to bundle together. The first stop was around the corner at Monte Casino, collecting our first card.

At Monte Casino




Then we proceeded to Gold Reef City, via back roads. Nothing was said at the briefing about turns and then the deurmekaarspul started. Fortunately I had the GPS route for the ride (received from Pieter de Koker earlier) and then suddenly found some bikers in front milling about at an intersection. They lost the leaders! I turned and everybody followed... At the casino we regrouped and then the leader started to give instructions everytime to whoever is second to wait, sometimes 50m past the turn, sometimes nobody stopped (after Emperor's again). We regrouped again at Carnival.

Cards were issued - some by casino staff and some by the ladies of the organisers. We didn't mind.

The last stop was at Emerald where we received our 5th card and went for a very well arranged sit down lunch at Da Romano Restaurant (016 9828238) for R68pp. Service was excellent.

Then the card hands were judged.

Mine:




Trudie's:



We were evidently not on a winning streak that time


Scenes inside the restaurant:








When the winners were called

- A lady won the first prize gift bag with her four of a kind

- Second prize was won by the wife of one of the organisers, also one of the persons handing out cards to others - Interesting

- Third prize? I didn't give attention any more

In retrospect we found that many participants were visiters and not accustomed to group riding. The ride was very untidy; bikers passing on the left, playing in the lanes, not looking for the one behind (at turns when nobody was indicating), etc.

The group was even mentioned and commented upon on the ThinkBike forum. Read for yourself, quite interesting:

http://forum.thinkbike.co.za/showthread.php?t=36818

We were quite disappointed with the ride quality but enjoyed the day in any case. I will not easily ride there again.

Hmmm... perhaps an opportunity to educate Club Central on how to ride in a group? How about we teach them that and they can teach us how to get 40+ bikes on a ride

tj wrote:
The group was even mentioned and commented upon on the ThinkBike forum. Read for yourself, quite interesting:

http://forum.thinkbike.co.za/showthread.php?t=36818

Makes for interesting ready TJ...... ......Maahahahahahhaha!!!!!

Thanks Johan for the trip report.

Seems like it was an "interesting " ride.
Also interesting read on THINK BIKE !
This is definitely NOT how our club rides. Pity that you & trudie were singled out in the THINK BIKE report as that is NOT the norm. I'm sure that was simply as a result of circumstances beyond your control.

This definitely wasn't the case at Jamie's funeral.
The ride to the funeral was SO disciplined and controlled without ANY incidents. Was actually great to see such an organised ride.

Man, oh man !

" Wat n gedoente"

Here we are trying to build relations between the different clubs and this is the result ! Our club members are singled out from the group due to their custom number plates ( always at a disadvantage - easy to remember).

I read the THINK BIKE thread.
A few comments after reading various posts:
1. How the fun can just be sucked out of an event by something like this.
2. How stressed and enraged the Gauteng drivers are - Road Rage here we come !! What a great place to live !
3. Had to chuckle about the comment of the Harley rides. We once rode with the Harley crowd to an event and YES, they did stay in a group and YES they did stop the traffic at intersections, but one felt like you were being "HERDED" like sheep by the marshalls riding front, back AND on the sides of the group. NEVER again !
You know what, each to their own.
I just think it's a bit unfair bad-mouthing "groups" like BMWs for an outing which seemed a bit disorganised most probably by the sheer numbers of inexperienced riders. Naming them by their number plates is a bit much !
My opinion !

Have been on MANY CLUB rides and weekends away and have NEVER encountered such behaviour in our club.
I always feel safe and secure in our groups.
Johan & Trudie are ALWAYS exceptional riders !

I would like to say a few things to a Harley rider when they stop me in my cage at an intersection so the group can go past. For them THAT is ok?

Thanks Deon.
We had the same experience riding with a HD group with friends.
Maybe someone's just jealous about our numberplates and jealousy makes you nasty.

I was thinking about this harley thing and have come to the conclusion that you ride a harley to look cool and not for the riding experience.
the formation riding is all part of that image, we ride bikes that are engineering masterpieses. they handle well and we enjoy them in small groups or even alone. cant imagin turning up for a GS run with tasles on the hand grips. It must be like watching someone running when your sat in a wheel chair.

Trudie, Johan,

I now understand the

VET PRET and NET PRET,

whichever way you look at it, just have PRET !

Will ride with you guys anytime !

I tried to register on the TB forum, but I think I was hyperventilating so the thing didn’t want to let me in. (So if someone wants to copy and paste it there, it’s ok.)

So here goes: If you on the road and you are driving whatever and you come across another person driving whatever, being whoever and you think this person is not driving “lekker”. What to do... what to do???

Do you know why the other person is not driving “lekker”? Do you know what his or her state of mind is...or situation??? No, you don’t know.

If we can just learn not to burst a vein and just give the other driver some space, pass when it is safe or don’t pass.

If you are biker and the person not driving “lekker” is also a biker, even more so.
Live and let live, I say!

(se net wanneer en waar... ek is in.)