This must rate as one of my favourite trips! No mindless distance to cover. Jump on a plane, land in Eastern Cape and you are 30min from some of the best adventure riding SA has to offer. No camping, only lodge and hotel accommodation and some awesome adventure!
Well it’s never that easy! We started the planning in late January 2009 when Gordon got together a group of ‘ old trials riders ‘.This group grew until we eventually had 17 bikes in all. This was going to be some trip!
So firstly I needed to get 15 motorbikes down to PE and back from George, no problem with 2 vehicles and trailers.
But here began a series of events which people tell me are sent to build character!
The transporter’s driver had mislaid Riaan’s motorcycle key. Now he was already in PE and we were in JHB. No amount of searching could produce the key or the spare key, Riaan was sure he had taped the spare to his bike.But we couldn’t take the chance so at midnight on the Friday night they dispatched a driver with a new rental bike to PE so that Riaan would have a bike!
As it happens they didn’t need to hurry. We all met at OR Tambo on Saturday morning and after everyone had checked in, Riaan was told he was too late! Now I was right there with him, he was not late, the flight had been over-booked. Our friendly national carrier could care less, they were totally unconcerned.
Nothing for it but for Riaan to fly down later that afternoon. But SAA were not finished with us yet, on arrival in PE we were told that none of the luggage had been loaded at OR Tambo. This was getting ridiculous! So we hung around PE in the rain waiting for Riaan and our luggage!
Sunday morning dawned dry, was our luck changing? Everyone was up early and keen to ride.
Now Thys was the only non BMW rider but we don’t hold that against him BUT the fact that we spent more than an hour trying to get his bike going only to find the fuel tap on ‘OFF ‘ meant he owed us a round of drinks that night. First though we had to get there!
I had sent the group ahead to the breakfast stop while we worked on the KTM, now trying to make up time I come over a rise to find a motorcycle parked, Adrian has a flat! Ok, this is a small test, and we sort it quick quick.
Tummies full we head into Baviaans, the most beautiful riding you will find anywhere. The riders ranged from very experienced to real novices and everyone managed fine. The water crossing was particularly long and deep but with a little help here and there everyone managed. Except Frik, he took the look up and open up a little far. He didn’t fall but hit the water at such speed it flooded the motor. Not thinking he hit the starter and was lucky not to damage the motor but did strip the starter motor. Jiri quickly pulled the plugs, drained the water and we were in business, except that Frik would need to be push started for the rest of the weekend.
By now we were running pretty late and when Vince blew a seal on his rear drive just before the end of Baviaans I knew we were in trouble! Again I sent the group ahead and after summoning the back-up vehicle we decided to push on anyway with Vince and see how far we got.
Well Vince ended up riding the whole weekend with no obvious ill effects.
As a result of being so late we missed our fuel stop and we pushed on, most of us just making it on a whisper. But not Frik, he ran out and we loaded him onto the trailer for the final stretch.
Here I made a decision to take a short cut route to our lodge on an unknown gravel road. This turned out to be the most fantastic piece of gravel and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately it was here that Wilma decided to lie her motorbike down just briefly! Probably the result of a very long day on the bike!
A great lodge, good food and splendid nights sleep saw everyone ready for Die Hel on Monday morning. The ride was awesome and although a few bikes did lie down a few times a great time was had by all.
Now here I must express a great truth! As with 4x4’s having a GPS doesn’t mean you can use it!!
4 guys who shall remain anonymous decided to take the ride back on their own, they got totally lost, split up and used various routes to find the way back.
Tuesday morning warned of bad weather and we got away early, staying ahead of the rain until 60km before Knysna. As the weather turned ugly we stopped to don rain wear.Knowing that the Knysna forest roads get very slippery when wet and that the heavy BMW motorcycles would become a real handful in the mud, I let the riders go on ahead while others battled with rain –suits.
A short while later, while waiting for the guys to regroup we heard the news that Steven had been in an accident, head-on with a bakkie. The bike was a write off, the bakkie badly damaged and the rider had a broken leg. After an ambulance had collected Steven, the bike had been taken to Angies G-Spot (thanks very much for the help) we all continued on to Knysna and eventually George airport where our eventful 4 day weekend was going to end. The bikes were loaded and we boarded our flight for O R Tambo.
This is definitely an easy way of doing this trip. We managed to fit in roughly 1000km of riding on some of the most superb dirt roads in the Eastern Cape and most guys can manage a 4 day weekend from work in the present economic climate.
Thanks to Gordon, Paul, Jiri, Andrew, Adrian, Thys, Riaan, Deon and Wilma, Frik, Chris, Steven, Aldo, Hendrik, Kevin and Vince for a memorable Baviaanskloof Fly-In Weekend!
