Rhino Rally Harrismith GS Trip

I am sure most of you are aware that the Rhino Rally will be taking place in Harrismith on the week-end of 24-26 October 2008. Now I have been to last year’s rally with a good mate of mine, and it was, let’s say, interesting. We had a very good time, and had a very nice and wet GS/KLR ride around Harrismith. So I thought of doing a similar trip this year, but focusing more on the GS riding and less on the drinking!!!! (not like last year)

So this is what I came up with:

Thursday 23 Oct (411 km)
Leave from Pretoria / Midrand around 12pm (so only half a day of leave) and travel to Harrismith via Golden Gate. We can register for the Rhino on Thursday evening at the site.

Friday 24 Oct (610 km)
Leave Harrismith for Sani Pass. Ride up the pass, have a dop and something to chow, and ride down again. Then back to Harrismith. Simple as that. I have done this in a single day before with plenty of time to spare.

Saturday 25 Oct (303 km)
We will leave from Harrismith and ride down Bezuidenhoudt’s Pass (4x4 track), then up Tintwa Pass (Tar), then down Sandspruit Pass (4x4 track), then onto Mike’s Pass, near Cathedral Peak, also a 4x4 track. We will then see what the time looks like and then head back to Harrismith via either Oliviershoek Pass or Bezuidenhoudt’s Pass. We will then ENJOY the festivities of the Rhino Rally. Saturday night is the best anyway !!

Sunday 26 Oct (469 km)
We head out from Harrismith on the N3 towards Van Reenen, here we ride down Van Reenen’s Pass, but on the Railway Service Road. Then we ride up Normandien Pass, then to Memel, then Vrede, then back to Gauteng.

If this is a bit much, we can always leave out Sani Pass and make it one day shorter. Nothing here is cast in stone.

Should you be interested, please let me know. I have worked out the GPS routes and I can e-mail them to you, should you want them. This is not a tour, so there is no price. Everybody pays their own way. Depends on how many people are interested, I will see if we should book “group-accommodation” or not. Just remember there will be 20,000 people at the Rhino Rally and Harrismith only has so much accommodation, and to camp at the Rhino, is at our own Risk !!!!!!


Let me know !!!!


PS: Sorry…. No roadies allowed…… unless on a GS !!!!

Good idea! What about it over a different weekend other than the Rhino. I am a bit scared to go near bikers

But why ???

I can see from your three stars that you are a biker too

We don't HAVE to do this trip the week-end of the Rhino, it can be done pretty much ANY week-end.

It is the weekend before the year end function which is a must. 2 long weekends in a row is a bit tough.

Oh I see,

No problem,

We can do it later in November or even in Jan or Feb.

Like I said, "No Biggie"

Sharkie wrote:PS: Sorry…. No roadies allowed…… unless on a GS !!!!

The roadies will just have to organise their own trip then, and it will definately not include Sani Pass. I will rather risk camping at the Rhino Rally!!!

...a bit close to the Y.E.F. for me, I'm afraid.

...you have a point there Richard. Maybe we should save our energy for the YEF...Andre

It is ok - wont feel let out here seeing as the roadies are being discriminated against - am doing the train trip in Sept and a private run to the drakensberg in November, so will get in our own rides here. So to the GSers - enjoy.

LeRoy Olivier wrote:It is ok - wont feel let out here seeing as the roadies are being discriminated against.

Maybe my intentions with this "post-script" were not to clear. It was meant very "tounge in cheek" and mainly refers to the guys who owns GS bikes, but never use then for "GS", they just ride on the tar roads.

Sorry about that, I did not mean to be nasty to the roadies......

Rhino - Raai nou wie is die dronkste.

Goeie plan Sharkie.

Tydsberekening is net 'n bietjie problematies met YEF, maar beslis 'n goeie trip om te doen!!!

:-F

Yes, Pieter

Ek neem aan almal kan seker Afrikaans lees.....

Ek besef dat die Raai-nou bietjie naby aan die JEF is, miskein kan ons reel dat hierdie trip vroeg in die nuwe jaar op die Club se GS program ge-sit word.

Wat se jy ?

Ons hou ons events beplanning in November vir volgende jaar en ek is seker ons kan dit opsit. Ek sal die datum vir die beplanning sessie vir jou deurgee sodra ek dit kry van Dave of Pauli.

No offence taken - accepted it as such, getting used to be left out as we are in the minority in the club.

It is true that the roadies are the minority in the club, but as you know on a Sunday Club ride the GS group is always only about 7 to 10 riders, and the roadies are WAY more than that.

What I am saying is that I hope that more people with GS's would start to warm to the idea that the bike WILL BE OK, if it goes on a dirt road...

Remember that 70% of all roads in SA are not tarred. Unfortunately only about 10% of the club members are active GS riders. 80% of all GS are never rode on dirt.

That is the stats for you.

According to statistics the average South African has one breast and one testicle. Have you seen the average South African yet???

HAHAHAHAHA

Well, I am glad I am not average !!!!!

I will definitely be interested in the trip! Sounds great! Were do I sign up?

I’m a 1200 Adv… can’t wait for my commanding officer to take me to engage in the type of recreation that I’m built for, diving in and out of mud pools and rolling in the sand pits… But on a Sunday we just go to the dam and back… I can’t hold my head high when I pass other GS’ses. The other day a KTM laughed at me.

I have a suggestion

Babe you could rate the GS trips according to technicality? (1 to whatever) and in the beginning of the year start with an nr 1. Then request all GS guys and girls to join and promise them an easy ride.
(Please don’t tell Chris I’m using his PC when he is at work!)

Thank Heavens Statistics are 90% wrong - in any case in SA nowadays. Regards.

Road bikes MUST be cleaned after your breakfast run...


....but a GS bike looks SO COOL when you arrive at work on Monday with mud and dust on it...

No - Richard you have got it wrong - road bikes are cleaned before the Breakfast Run - still clean after the ride. At least the Off Roaders have earned their mud and dont spray it on for effect after the weekend.

On the 2007 Rhino Rally, it rained for a week before the rally and it also rained on the week-end of the rally. So when we rode the Railway Service Road of Van Reenen's Pass on the Sunday, I went through a HUGE mud puddle, a bit too fast I must admit, so I was completely covered in mud and brown water. From my helmet, all my clothes, even my luggage on the back of the bike was BROWN !!!

I got home to Pretoria to late the Sunday evening and I was too tired to wash the bike, so I went to work on it the next day. Filling the bike at the petrol station at 06:30am, again dressed in my dirty rider gear, with a VERY dirty bike, I got some funny looks from all the people in their "work clothes" - They must have thought "Where the hell does this oke come from ???" - I mean it was early on a Monday morning in Brooklyn !!!!

Was good fun though !!!

Here are some pics of the 2007 Rhino

Some wheelies on Shenanigans Street (Sorry for the blurry pics, the bikes were a bit fast for my "mik en druk"




A small R6 for a 6year old


Some FMX


The tunnel on the railway raod


Nice roads below the pass


The cleanest part of my bike !!


On the way back - This was at Sterkfontein Dam

Obiously you have earned your mud as wel. Question - the guys flying around on their bikes - cant they see that their bikes dont have wings - personally speaking i prefer to keep both wheels on the ground.

Had a very nasty experience 20 years ago on the Honda 900 Bol de Or i was then rinding - popped a wheelie at 195km - changing up to 4th, just before going into a long slow turn to the left. Not very nice.