Mozambique Dec 08

Talking of breakdowns took the Triumph to 4 ways dealer today and it looks as though the crank bearings are going. Started smoking, losing power and then clacking noise. Only done 23000 km and just had its 20 000 service. Not sure why but the dealer thinks that it has been using a lot of oil and suspects it could be collapsed rings. Always check the oil level and topped it up the other day. They normally need about 500ml between the 10 000km service interval so not sure what has happened. I am a fairly conservative rider and very seldom redline the engine. Just hope that it will covered by warranty otherwise not sure what to do with broken 18 month old Triumph. Very sad as I wanted to do ride on Sunday with club. Oh well Cest la vie.

I thought we’d get up at around 8h00 and be on the road just before 9h00. But given that it gets so hot during the night (remember the generator is switched of during the night, so no fans), Corlia got up just before 6h00 because she couldn’t take it anymore. So with only four hours’ sleep we got up and were at the border by 7h00. I phoned Abdul just before we left and he met us at the border. Again he helped us get through the border in under half-an-hour.

In Komatipoort we stopped at the Sasol to refuel and get drinks and snacks for breakfast. I was surprised at how cheap petrol was, as the price dropped yet again since we’ve left. I filled up the tank for just over eighty rand. In Mozambique it would’ve been around five hundred meticais (around two hundred rand). The ATM didn’t work and neither did the card machine at the cashier so Corlia had to exchange some of our meticais for rands at a rate of 3 meticais to the rand (from rands to meticais the rate 2.5).

In between the 2M’s Collin gave us directions for an interesting route, avoiding the toll road as far as possible. Luckily I made notes, so trying to make sense of these we headed off. Just exiting Komatipoort, we turned left in the direction of Strydomblok and at the next T-junction left again. Although this didn’t seem right, we carried on hoping that I interpreted my 2M-affected notes correct. About six kilometres further we turned right in the direction of Malelane. Two kilometres past the toll gate we turned left towards Barberton, where we had breakfast. This truly is a beautiful route to ride, with Barberton nestled right in the middle of this beautiful landscape.

After breakfast we headed for badplaas and from there we took pretty much the same route back as from last year’s year end function. We stopped at Corlia’s grandmother in Carolina for something to drink and got a bit lost in and around the mine areas close to Witbank (riding on a gut feel and heading in a general direction). Well I like to look at getting lost as “exploring”! From here we headed to Pretoria over Bronkhorstspruit. Home sweet home!

Total distance for the day: ±400 km

That is it from my side folks! Sorry for no photos at the end here. I will be sure to take more photos during our next trip. Hope you’ve enjoyed it though.

Till next time!

Very nice trip Sias and Corlia,

Really enjoyed reading, and thanks for sharing !!!

Sias wrote:.........Hope you’ve enjoyed it though.

I certainly did. Thank you once more for sharing

Tony R wrote:Talking of breakdowns took the Triumph to 4 ways dealer today and it looks as though the crank bearings are going....... .

wow Tony that is not good. Normally posting a problem with a Triumph (and a big one like this) on a BM site, will get you blown out of the water but since you had the courage to do so, I'll sympathise. Would be interesting to learn what Kawasaki SA? is going to do about it. Please keep us posted

Tony R wrote:......Very sad as I wanted to do ride on Sunday with club........

now then........if there ever was an opportunity for a sale..........
where are the guys from Bavarian?........a demo GS on this occasion might be a worth while proposition .........I would say more than half way there - I mean just look at the man's bike/s under his avatar



ps. like your new avie Sharkie .......that you when you turned 21?

MadnohB wrote:now then........if there ever was an opportunity for a sale..........
where are the guys from Bavarian?........a demo GS on this occasion might be a worth while proposition .........I would say more than half way there - I mean just look at the man's bike/s under his avatar

...suggesting a GS over the K1200S or even the R1200S. Wow! - do I maybe detect a GS on the horison for a certain K/Honda rider???

and good morning to you too........there where you are served breakfast in bed.......by default

hey I owned a GS before the K ..........and ever since there has been a GS on the horison...........as a second bike

nah........there are no more K1200S demos and I know Mr T is leaning towards a GS
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come to think of it TONY - there is an absolute beautiful K1200S (a very fast one) for sale at Bavarian! All the usuals apply - never been dropped, immaculate condition, wif a pipe (a full one), RIDDEN BY AN OLD MAN, and at a good price too



sorry Sias

MadnohB wrote:RIDDEN BY AN OLD MAN, and at a good price too

Note not "ridden LIKE and old man"

MadnohB wrote:sorry Sias

No probs! My report's finished...

Thanks for the wishes. Will keep you posted on the outcome. GS is the way I will go when cash flow improves. Hope that the Triumph is covered by warranty but time will tell.

Hoping that the very large hint that you dropped might get read. !!!!
Think that the K is stunning but am tired of cramped legs and want to be able to stand up and ride.

Tony R wrote:Hoping that the very large hint that you dropped might get read. !!!!
Think that the K is stunning but am tired of cramped legs and want to be able to stand up and ride.

TONY!!!! PLEASE PM ME YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER...........I HAVE NEWS!!!!

will be off air between 09:30 and 11:30 today.

If you see this in time (before Bavarian close) contact Eric and refer him to last night's conversation between himself, Roger and me

MadnohB wrote:will be off air between 09:30 and 11:30 today.

If you see this in time (before Bavarian close) contact Eric and refer him to last night's conversation between himself, Roger and me

You going for a ride on your new bike?? 1000km for the weekend?

nope......unfortunately not , still in a crate somewhere .........I miss my Beemer........a lot!

@ Tony

it seems we missed each other.

let the record reflect that I have tried

Yes I kicked myself all of Monday. Did not look at my computer on the weekend. I am still kicking myself. 250 km on a GS !!!!!