quarterly newsletter of bmw motorcycle club, pretoria, south africa

Transcription

June 2014 | Volume 19/2
quarterly newsletter of bmw motorcycle club, pretoria, south africa
www.bmwclubs.co.za
Spoke & Piston | BMW Motorcycle Club | Pretoria, South Africa
1
club INFO
Thank you to all the contributors who made this issue possible! Thanks for allowing us to use your photographs!
Visit our website www.bmwclubs.co.za and register on the forum.
Send your email address to [email protected] to ensure you receive our weekly Club correspondence:
The Triple R - Reminders, Rides & Requests
committee members
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Chairman
Sias Wagenaar Vice Chairman,
Webmaster & Publications Daleen Dudley Secretary & Membership
Karin Botha
Treasurer
Hendrik Pelser S Captain
Hein van Rensburg GS Captain
Alwyn Engelbrecht Regalia
Elmarie Bierman Wellness & Bramley Rudi Britz
Clubhouse & Events John Reynolds Clubs Africa Reps
Sias Wagenaar Dani du Preez [email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
VISION AND MISSION
Our Vision: Shared riding pleasure
Our Mission: To foster fellowship through safe, supportive and
responsible riding and enjoyment of BMW motorcycles, in a
courteous manner.
www.bmwclubs.co.za
EDITOR:
SPOKE & PISTON
Daleen Dudley
[email protected]
Cell: 083 386 8281
IMPORTANT!
Non-Club members are welcome to attend Club riding events as guests.
They are, however, required to sign an indemnity form before participating.
The form can be down-loaded from the website. The Club has an official
policy regarding the use and financial compensation of support vehicles on
official overnight Club trips.
Spoke & Piston also appears on our website. Please send articles, pictures,
comments, etc. to [email protected]
INDEMNITY: Although reasonable care has been taken to ensure the
correctness of all material contained herein, the publisher cannot be held
liable for any inaccuracies that may occur or damage/loss sustained as a
result of advice given.
UPCOMINGEVENTS
SUNDAY RIDES
OTHER EVENTS
6 July 3 August
7 September
S to Magaliesburg & GS to Pretoria East
S & GS to Mystic Monkeys
S to Vaaldam & GS to Bela Bela
5-6 July 5-6 July 12 July 20 July 24 August
S Groot Marico overnighter
GS Rooiberg overnighter
On Road Training at BMW Rider Academy Zwartkops
Off Road Level 1 Training at BMW Rider Academy Zwartkops
Off Road Level 2 Training at BMW Rider Academy Bloemendal
GS ECO | 11 - 14 September
The GS Eco will be held at Maselspoort this year. Registration to open soon.
2
FROM THE CHAIR
SIAS WAGENAAR
We like riding our bikes, no, we love riding our bikes and with
this in common, we also want to be safe, enjoy our riding and
arrive safely at our destinations.
Our training for 2014 has just this in mind and as we want to
reach out to as many of our members as possible, we made
our training very affordable for 2014 subsidising it more than
ever before. This resulted in the training being fully booked
within a week once registrations opened. This means that 70
of our members will attend the different training courses this
year. That is really awesome!
Have we done enough? We are over 500 members and
70 represent a mere 14%! If you did not register for our
subsidised training, please enrol at the BMW Rider Academy
at Zwartkops for these courses, they cater from novices to on
road and off road training and remember as a paid up Club
member, you will be granted 10% discount!
This leads to the following question: will training be enough to
ensure our safety? Training will assist you in becoming more
skilled, to trust yourself and your bike more and this will leave
you more in control whilst riding. But, we need a lot more. We
know the term ATTGATT – All The Gear All The Time, but even
this means different things to different people. Some would
say a helmet, jacket and gloves, whilst others would add the
pants, boots and the neck brace, but we see too many riders
still not adequately dressed.
One of the most important things motorcycle riders seem to
ignore is the mindset, our reaction to other road users and
especially to those that are deemed to be inconsiderate. It is
easier just to move past these guys, or if they are speeding,
let them move on than to get involved with someone you do
not even know, someone who frustrates you so much that
you would risk your life to settle this. Every time I read of road
rage where a motorcycle is involved, one tends to think it is
the guy in the cage that is to blame, is it? Motorcyclists do not
have the right of way, yet some ride that way. You will know
when it is best to ignore such a party and move on, even
when the other party can be blamed. After all, you want to
arrive safely!
2014
We have again grown to more than 500 members, to be
exact, 508 members and it is only June. We wish to thank
you, our members for joining our club and for making this
such a fantastic place to be. It has many times been said
that members of a motorcycle club have at least one thing
in common: their love of riding their motorcycles. With this,
everything else, age, gender, looks, economic background
etc. disappear. This is where you relax, laugh, talk or simply
observe; it is up to you…
Our very successful Slow Skills day is evident of this and 2014
will stand out where 109 members registered to attend the
day and contrary to other years, they just did not want to go
home.
We have many rides awaiting us and nearly 30 members
attended the Magoebaskloof ride, whilst the next ride to
Groot Marico is already fully booked for July. With the BMW
GS Eco in September coming up, our YEF in November, all of
this underline with what I have started: Yes, we like riding our
bikes, no, we love riding our bikes!
Keep riding and safe riding!
Sias
REGALIA
Regalia is available for sale at every club night.
• Club shirts
R150 (S to XL), R160 (2XL & 3XL)
• Long sleeve shirts
R190
• Fleece jacket
R220
• Pit shirt
R250
• Short sleeve golf shirt R150
• T-shirts (grey)
R90
• Caps
R100
• Life Caps R50
• Mugs
R50
3
club RIDES
APRIL
GS EASY | PRETORIA EAST
Sunday morning, 6 April 2014 was once again a perfect day for
GS riding. A few of us did the recce ride with Pieter Steenkamp
the previous Saturday, and once again I can confirm, every ride
on the dirt is a different experience with the ever changing
road surfaces.
23 bikes & 2 pillions left at 07H30 and soon we were on the dirt
to the east of Centurion. I thought Pieter is stopping to allow all
to switch off their ABS / Traction Control, but as I stopped next
to him he pointed at his rear wheel. We tried to inflate with
foam, but to no avail, a few kilometres down the road it was
time for “BMW On-Call”.
I took over as ride leader, with John Reynolds (Spud) continuing
as sweep. The route took us on some nice gravel highways,
some very scenic sections next to the railway track, and
involved 2 mandatory and 1 optional water-crossings. All the
riders took the challenges in their stride. Egos were dented a
bit, but as far as I know no damage to any bike or rider.
GS LONG | MARAISBURG
Ah, but the road to the west is neither a straight nor an easy
one, should one choose to take the GS route! 6 bikes met up
on a cloudy Sunday morning to embark on a journey that
would see us wrestle mud, sand and rocks, cross ditches, build
make-shift bridges, find detours around construction sites,
climb sand dunes and witness a fallen comrade cracking his
ribs.
The air above the N14 was cold and the sun still hanging low
as it attempted to warm our backs. A few short kilometres
A few of us took an alternative route back home in our quest
for more dirt and mud. The end result was that I was forced to
wash my steed to get all the muck off before it dried out!
Thank you to all who joined the ride. We were really an
awesome group enjoying the great country we are privileged
to call home.
PS: Pieter, from all of us: We really appreciate the effort in
planning, doing the recce as well as arrangements with the
venue to have made this day such a success. - Pikkie du Plessis
TOWNSHIPS, SAND, ROCKS AND WATER
Every year I join a couple of outrides that will stay with me until
I die. Cullinan’s sand, de Wildt’s rocks, Star crater’s, well crater,
and of course – Maraisburg! This April, I had the privilege of
taking our club’s GS riders to the dunes of Maraisburg.
4
The ride officially ended at Kitty Hawk Airfield in the East of
Pretoria. An Alouette 3 helicopter (better known as a Draadkar)
made a few passes and came in for landing as we got there,
which really gave character to the setting. A very reasonably
priced buffet breakfast was available in addition to the
standard menu which I think caters for all tastes. The venue
will definitely feature in my planning a ride out in the area.
passed before we could leave the boring straight tar line. We
stopped for quick introductions and to prepare our bikes to
best take us into the unexplored ahead of us. Excitement and
anticipation hung like mist over the group and everyone was
anxious to get going. The first stretch was good, solid gravel
roads next to a township and our only obstacles were the litter
that had found its way onto the roads. Soon the road took a
sharp turn to the right, but our pack continued straight onward
onto a winding single track with Johannesburg laying peacefully
under the crisp blanket of cool air in front of us. Some sharp
twists allowed the more adventurous to start bringing out the
back wheel and our sweeper reported long skid marks that
now remain in the corners behind us. As our single track led us
back to larger plot roads, it also led the way to areas blessed
with more rain the week before…
another challenge I knew lay in front of us - the bridgeless
watercrossing. As the group stopped we came to realize that
crossing the two large exposed pipes will take a lot of effort
and time. Alwyn ended a debate on whether we should try
and continue or turn around and find another way with a very
definitive “Man, ons is GS bikers. Ek gaan oor. Pelser, kom jy
saam?” Like a class of standard 4’s being offered their first
cigarettes we swiftly succumbed to the peer pressure and were
building a bridge using any materials we could find.
The last bike left the crossing just as the water level appeared
to rise due to all the sweat now dripping from 7 tired biker
pilots! Now, only the last stretch of plain-sailing gravel stood
between us and the promised beaches at Maraisburg.
Entering Maraisburg was easy enough, but crossing the final
dune proved too tough a task as we started to run out of
talent. Eventually the team could get a couple of bikes to the
pan where we had lots of fun in the now blistering hot sun,
practising our brake slides, power slides, show off moves, sand
riding and steep hill climbing.
This served for more fun and smiles were to be seen
everywhere. Everything was going well according to plan and
schedule, but what good story has ever done that? Soon the
ride leader (yours truly) found his front wheel stuck up to the
stanchions in a thick wet clay. A road construction team had
started to dig up our route and the loose gravel, combined
with the recent rains, made for a challenging playground.
Halfway through our journey to the dunes we came across
our most difficult obstacle: Krugersdorp. Taking a group over
the mountain through the traffic of Krugersdorp is a difficult
and long task, but the group showed their experience and
we navigated the tar with relative ease. Leading the group
on a single track through a field, my mind started to dwell on
Sadly, Steve had a mishap during a landing and was thrown
off the bike eventually ending up below the bike’s still spinning
rear wheel. Quick responses had the bike off him, but he had
the wind knocked out of him and complained about his chest.
(We later heard that he had indeed cracked a couple of ribs).
Manning up like Chuck Norris after eating Popeye’s spinach
and wielding Thor’s hammer, he got up and rode his bike
through the sand right out of Maraisburg. It was getting late
and we decided to take a shortcut to Soweto and cut the rest
of the route. Feeling like Allied soldiers on D-day we took on
the traffic as cars sped toward us like bullets from a machine
gun. Luckily everyone kept their calm and we arrived safely at
our lunch stop next to Vilikazi street for some local, Sowetan
food.
Thanks to Alwyn for sweeping and everyone else for joining!
The final reward presented itself not as Cor and Corna’s, now
legend, cocktail of cold beer and Dry lemon, but in the ride
itself as was evident from Alwyn’s smile as he took a bite out of
his Sowetan polony broodjie.
- Hendrik Pelser
S | SUN CITY
Early Sunday morning 6 April 2014. 22 bikes and 8 pillions.
My first time to lead a ride as member of the “Rides
Committee”
The Weather was promising and we were off. Along the
Krugersdorp highway, past Lanceria airport, through Brits, past
“Beestekraal stasie” all the way to Sun City.
It was a nice Sunday morning ride of around 194km with a few
stops to get the blood circulation going. Our arrival at Sun City
was flawless and we arrived at the Cabanas without any hiccups.
On arrival we all stored our rider gear in a boardroom provided
and off we went for the famous breakfast. This once again
proved to be of good standards and numerous comments were
made on the quantity of food consumed.
At this point some of the riders departed for home, others went
for a stroll and the rest of us made our way to the “Valley of the
Waves” with our towels and costumes for the promised free
entrance included in the price. The weather played its part and
by now the sun did itself proud in baking down on us.
We swam, tube, swam, sat, swam, tube for the rest of the
afternoon and the last bikes left Sun City by 17h00. What a great
day, what a great ride, what great weather, what a great group
you all were.
Thank you to all who made the day special.
- Rudi Britz
5
club RIDES
CONTINUED
MAY
GS | LOSKOP DAM
The GS ride to Loskop Dam was very dusty but a brilliant
ride and enjoyed by 21 riders and 4 pillions. Some
comments from the participants:
I will remember this ride as the “Dusty Ride”... It is always
enjoyable, thanks everyone!! Thanks Richard for the lead and
Martin for doing the sweeping duties.
- Cor
As a first timer and not an old timer, I would like to thank the club
for their warmth from the time that I met the group at the BP
garage in Centurion up and including our destination at Forever
Resort, Loskop. The warmth from everybody was overwhelming
from the conversations to meeting up with Johan that took me
under his wing during the dirt roads and I must say I almost
bought two farms during the trip. I would say I will do it again and
without a doubt not have second thoughts how it would feel as
a outsider to come into a family of fun loving bikers. To Richard I
would like to say thank you very much for the conversation at the
buffet table.
- Howard
S | CULLINAN
- Sias Wagenaar
Cullinan is a mere 30-40 km’s from Pretoria and always a
challenging ride in the sense of giving the tar riders something
extraordinary. One would say this is not possible, really?
We were able to vacate the tables before their Mother’s day
lunch time guests arrived and I must say, probably one of the
best breakfast runs I had the privilege to lead.
We found the perfect road for road bikes and took 33 riders on
this chilly Sunday morning along the R50 to the N12, although
for a very short stretch and then on the R42. Believe me, many
tar riders with big smiles, what a fantastic stretch of tar road, a
few twisties, but such a great surface, certainly a road that will
be travelled much more in future. Over 130 km of pure bliss!
We then went past Bronkhorstspruit and stopped at the robot
controlled bridge, a first for many, before embarking on some
back roads to Cullinan unknown to most. If you have a false
sense of direction, you could easily end up in the wrong place.
We had quite a few pillions, but one stood out. As this was
Mother’s day, Ewald Fock brought his 86 year young Mom with.
What a special lady, only smiles and nothing too difficult and
she was our highpoint of the day!
What our members said:
By Cullinan standards, we arrived later than normal at about
09h45 at the Whispering Oaks where Senette and Keron
spoiled us in real Whispering Oaks fashion. A big group, OB on
arrival, all our seats reserved and remember this is Mother’s
day, A La Carte menu and they served us in no time, certainly
the place to support when you visit Cullinan.
6
My first ride with the S Group - it was a pleasure riding with all
of you! Really enjoyed myself thoroughly - hope to share more
memorable rides further.
- Neil
What an awesome ride we had through Mpumalanga to Cullinan.A
beautiful tarred road for Abe to enjoy his bike in his own “Natural
Way” - FAST - What else!! Sias, well planned and an awesome group
of riders to enjoy good conversations over breakfast. To have a
Mother there who is 86 years old to share her children’s passion
on the back of their motorbike,this teachers us it is never too late
to do anything adventurous. One couldn’t ask for better “Mothers
Day”, Breakfast Run” and time to still spoil my Mom for lunch.
Thank you Sias and Amelia. It was LEKKER!
– Sue
It was a great trip and some awesome people that made it a trip
to remember. Thanks to one and all and thanks for the great
conversations.
– JohanB
JUNE
GS EASY | CULLINAN
The morning started bitterly cold with temperatures around -1
arriving at BP. Nevertheless there were some brave souls who
got their asses out of bed to join for the day’s biking on the
gravel.
A total of 15 bikes on the ride with one pillion. Three of them
were total newbies with one gent at the age of 68 doing his first
gravel trip. I take my hat off to you. Just shows that age is not a
limiting factor on a bike.
The route took us north on the N1, turning onto the N4 east
up to Solomon Mahlangu where we left the highway. Taking
the old road to Bronkhorstspruit we soon turned onto the first
dirt where a stop was called for. We did a quick introduction
of everybody to break the ice and reminded all about the sand
waiting as well as to prep the bikes for the dirt.
pulled into the Station Restaurant at Cullinan for a well-deserved
breakfast. Service was prompt and most opted for a cup of
coffee to warm the bodies.
The feedback from all was very positive and it was pleasing
to see the smiles on the newbies’ faces after they successfully
conquered their first gravel ride. All I can say is well done to all
that went along, you guys and girls were an absolute pleasure
and made the work of the leader and sweep very easy.
- Pieter Steenkamp
I believe some had to do snake riding in the sand but nobody
went down, so all was good. Along the way one bike’s battery
decided to die on the spot and my sweep, Pikkie, quickly
resolved the issue with BMW on Call.
The riding in places was not that easy with roads being very
rutted as well as the sand patches. This caused some persons
to pay attention to the road and not have wandering eyes on
the scenery. All too soon the ride was done and dusted and we
GS ADV | de wildt
There were only 3 people that braved the chilly morning of June
8. . . . . Mike, Problem Child and Myself all on R1200GS(A)’s!
Dewildt is just west of Soshanguve, thus a bit of tar travelling is
needed, but then the fun starts. Because we were only 3, the
going was a little faster than with a bigger group, negotiating
rocks, sand scattered in some single tracks through the
bushveld with numerous dry river bed crossings with technical
lines. Some MX rider we met on the route, again stated we were
crazy, but brave! But we had great fun! The 1200, with its small
turning circle, low centre of gravity and tractor-like 1st gear is a
pleasure riding technical terrain!
Dewildt did claim its toll, the trio all had a spill – but that comes
with the territory.
Unfortunately Mike’s trip was cut short, but Problem Child and I
decided we are going to continue to Jericho Rock as we were in
the vicinity. We played around there… and then headed back to
Pretoria.
Thank you Vaughan and Mike for joining me on an adventure!
- Alwyn Engelbrecht
7
club RIDES
CONTINUED
S | 3 dams
We were a total of 25 riders/pillions on 18 bikes who gathered
on a fresh Sunday morning at BP. Due to the freshness of
the weather we had warm refreshments at Umfula and then
enjoyed an incident free ride past Buffelspoort and Olifantsnek
dam to BruaHaus am Damm where we were treated to
samples of the micro-breweries offerings.
The final stretch to Route 66 was completed with a bit more
urgency due to some members suffering from hunger pains
SAFETY TIPS
1. It is that time of the year again when frost sits on the
roads in the morning and evening. Avoid all painted road
markings and stripes like the plague. It is slicker than oil
and just waiting for you not to pay attention. Also watch
out for spilled diesel. It is everywhere.
2. Always ride within your capabilities. Especially when you
are a new rider or have a new bike, take it easy and enjoy
the ride. At club rides stay in the back and we will wait for
you to catch up. You will not get lost.
3. ALWAYS be extremely paranoid when riding alongside
parallel parked cars, or even worse, stopped traffic lines.
When the idiot who’s in a parallel spot, or in line, pulls
out, or even worse, does a U TURN (!!) out of their parking
spot, you’ll be flying over their car onto the pavement.
8
and the time was catching us due to lengthy but sociable stops.
We arrived at Route 66 at 12:00 where members fuelled their
bodies (a bit slowly) and enjoyed some live entertainment.
Thank you to Nicole for making all the corners on the ride her
own and Neil for taking over the sweeping duties at the last
minute. Also thanks to Nino and Regina of Route 66 for being
great hosts and making us feel welcome as usual.
- Neill Weldon
5 TIPS
AN
H
W ICH C
R
U
O
Y
SAVE
LIFE
With Credit to Bike Riders
worldwide who contributed
to this. Contributed by B2R.
It just happened to one of our club members who has a
broken leg and more.
4. Bikes can slow down awfully quick without using brakes,
so when decelerating by engine compression alone tap
on the brakes to warn the driver behind you and let them
know you are slowing down.
5. On the highway, if you’re in the quick lane, and cars
abruptly stop ahead of you, PULL OFF QUICKLY AND
CAREFULLY ONTO THE SHOULDER, to avoid being
sandwiched between two cars. Do not stop exactly next
to the car that was in front of you but move down at least
3 or 4 cars to avoid the accident.
ATGATT
Lots of SAFE riding.
JOY&SORROW
CONGRATULATIONS!
Alwyn en Michelle het
hulle paadjie as Mnr en
Mev Engelbrecht begin
stap op 26 April. Ons
wens vir julle ‘n lang,
geseënde en gelukkige
huwelik.
Congratulations to
Gideon and Sarah
Cronjé who got married
in Mauritius on 12 May.
May your life together
be filled with love,
laughter and happiness.
CONDOLENCES
Petra Labuschagne lost
her life in a tragic accident
in the Golden Gate area
on 25 April. Our deepest,
heartfelt sympathies go
out to Faf, family and
friends. May the happy
memories of your loved
one give you strength to
find peace and healing in
this time of loss.
GET BETTER SOON!
Faan Geyser was injured in a motorcycle accident on 26 May.
He is still in hospital but is getting better every day. We wish
oom Faan a quick recovery and hope to see him back on the
bike soon!
OPEN TO ALL BMW GS RIDERS AND PILLIONS
MASELSPOORT
11-14 SEPTEMBER 2014
REGISTRATION & BOOKINGS TO OPEN SOON!
9
THE BMW MOTORCYCLE CLUB
FAMILY
sias wagenaar
Who are we and where do we fit in? Are we part of a BMW dealership? These questions are asked even by our
members and one of the most recent was, ‘Are we employed by the dealers?’
The answers to all of this is no. All the South African BMW
Motorcycle and Motor Clubs are independent Clubs, affiliated
to BMW Clubs Africa which is again affiliated to BMW Clubs
International. None of our clubs are dealer owned or managed.
This also applies to our Club. We are definitely not part of
Bavarian Motorcycles or any other dealership. For those new
to the BMW Club scene, we as your committee members are
all members like yourself, all either employed by our own
employers or self-employed. The committee members work
in their respective clubs without any remuneration of any kind
as they are passionate about the BMW Club environment. Our
Club is no different; we as a committee enjoy the club and we
are indeed passionate when it comes to the BMW brand and
our club.
What is the structure of the BMW Clubs, one would ask. All the
South African Clubs are affiliated to BMW Clubs Africa which
is like all other umbrella Clubs all over the world affiliated to
BMW Clubs International. This ensures all the BMW Clubs
are aligned on many matters and for one, all our logos were
approved by BMW AG in Germany; you will see the similarity
in the lay out. This also gives us as a Club the right to use the
BMW emblem in our Club logo, within certain requirements.
Why do Clubs have close relationships with dealers? We as the
BMW Motorcycle Club Pretoria have a very special relationship
with Bavarian Motorcycles which comes over many years. The
founder of our Club was the late Bruce Meyers, the founder
and Dealer Principle of Bavarian Motorcycles. In those years
Bruce provided a clubhouse, a tradition which was pursued
by the new owners, Roger Faulkner-Smith and Eric Teixeira. As
we all know, relationships are only cemented over many years
of working together and forming this special bond of mutual
understanding.
The President of BMW Clubs International, since 2013, is
our own Mr David De Bruyn and it is indeed something very
special that this position is filled by a fellow South African.
Over and above David’s life-long involvement with Clubs
Africa and Clubs International, he is also a member of our
Club, but it does not end there. Our own Ms. Dani du Preez is
also the Vice President of Clubs Africa. These are distinctions
which make one proud to be a member of our Club, but also
to be part of the family of BMW Clubs in the World.
10
In forming a BMW Motorcycle Club, one of the objectives is
to align the Club with the dealership/s in its area. These are
the people who will support and sponsor the club with its
events and many other activities. They would also be the link
to inform perspective new members of the existence of such a
BMW Club in that area.
Over and above this, our dealers support us in our many
events in many different ways. We will always cherish and
maintain this special relationship with our local dealers; they
are after all our brand champions in the area where we are
situated. They are our points of call when rider gear and
motorcycles are bought. We ride the best bikes in the world for
a very good reason, the same applies to the BMW rider gear,
but the service and relationship is far more personal.
This is indeed what we have with our dealers. Bavarian
Motorcycles have granted us the use of their facilities as our
base and Clubhouse, but then extended their support by giving
us as a Club, irrespective of how many would turn up for a Club
night or noggin as many would call this, the complimentary
light meal during these evenings, all with no cost to us or
our members. Bavarian has extended this even further with
discounts to our members and invitations to their functions.
We also saw that the guys on the Magoebaskloof weekend
gathered at Zambezi Motorrad before they leave and again
Zambezi MC will look after them. This is the support we as a
Club get from the BMW dealers in our area.
We are very proud of the BMW Motorcycle Club Pretoria, its
history and heritage. After all, we will be celebrating our 20
years of existence next year!
David de Bruyn
Chairman: BMW Clubs
International Council
Dani du Preez
Vice President:
BMW Clubs Africa
Clubs International does not only look after Motorcycle Clubs but also Car Clubs and Classic Car Clubs:
Prof Dr Phillip C Abrami
Vice-Chair Automobiles
Canada
Matz Rosenquist
Vice-Chair Motorcycles
Sweden
Dr Bernhard Knöchlein
Vice-Chair Classic
Germany
The below logos depict the 10 different BMW Motorcycle Clubs in South Africa, all affiliated to Clubs Africa and you will find BMW
Clubs all over the world and this is where likeminded people passionate about this brand, meet and interact with their likeminded
friends, all following the same structure in their parts of the world. We are indeed part of the world of BMW clubs!
More on our Club with our next edition.
11
club RIDES
MAGOEBASKLOOF
13-16 JUNE 2014
RUDI BRITZ
The weeks before the trip had me worried, exhausted,
enthusiastic, and excited. The bookings came in slowly for
the weekend trip and I at some point thought it will only be a
handful of us travelling to Magoebaskloof. Boy was I wrong. 20
Bikes and 29 people (19 GS and 1 RT)
The post on the club forum grew, so did the bookings and soon
there were many names on the list.
Willem Nordeje agreed to take charge of the GS- group and I
could concentrate on the arrangements and the S- group.
Lood, Pricilla, Brenda and the staff from Sanloo Lodge in
Tzaneen gave us an excellent package for the weekend which
included a generous dinner, bed and breakfast. We were
treated like kings and never have I met a friendlier chef.
Numerous positive comments were made on the Saturday
evening spitbraai and the big Sunday night meal with “malva
poeding” and custard.
Our trip started at BMW Zambesi Motorrad where the S and
GS group had an opportunity to do last minute workshop
and showroom visits. Udo Paro and his friendly staff made
sure that all of us had a warm coffee and muffin on the cold
morning to warm us up. If that was not enough, we all received
a hamper, discount voucher and Claudette Hanekom was the
winner of the lucky draw prize. Thanks Udo, we will definitely
visit again soon.
Both the S and GS rides to Magoebaskloof went flawless and
both groups arrived safely at the lodge Friday afternoon.
The rest of the weekend was filled with plenty of bike riding.
Saturday and Sunday saw both groups ride different routes to
different locations.
For those in the S group that thought they will only be riding
tar roads, a surprise awaited. We also had our fair share of
12
gravel roads. Not as technical as the GS group, but perhaps
just as dusty. We had riders who never went off the tar road
before and who were so confident after a few corners on the
gravel that they looked like pro`s.
The GS group had the fortunate advantage that they were lead
by a local, Gerrit du Toit and his team. They did 90% gravel
roads, more technical challenges, a few spills along the way but
no serious harm done. You could hear from the stories in the
evening that they fully enjoyed the routes planned by Gerrit. I
was so jealous that I made myself a promise that I will get my
off-road skills up to standard and that I will definitely join the
GS group next year.
I could see on the last evening that everyone was tired of all
the riding and perhaps sad to go back to the rat race. Sunday
night saw us all saying thanks to everyone at Sanloo lodge en
Gerrit and his team for making sure we had a weekend we will
remember for a long time to come.
The first riders left Monday morning early, some leaving a bit
later together with Willem who lead them back on the shortest
highway route and the rest with me on the non highway route.
Allow me to say thank you to everyone who had something to
do with the arrangements for the weekend. I could not have
done this on my own. Thank you to each and everyone joining
us on this memorable weekend trip. It was great riding with
you all. Not sure if you’re BMW `s had something to do with
your professionalism, but you were a great bunch of people.
I will ride with all of you any time again. Greetings,
- Rudi Britz
Ladies Weekend
The Ladies Weekend took place on the weekend of 24-25 May 2014. Sixteen ladies attended. The venue this year
was the Sparkling Waters Hotel and Spa near Rustenburg. Apart from indulging in spa treatments, some ladies also
enjoyed the Magaliesburg Canopy Tour on Sunday.
Some comments about the weekend:
The weekend was a blast!
All will agree it was
very successful and will
look forward to more
Ladies only events in
the future.
Thanks to each one of the Beautiful
Marvellous Women for making it such an
enjoyable experience, without everyone’s
teamwork it would not have been the
success that it was. I am definitely looking
forward to the next one.
Thanks for a lovely weekend. Enjoyed the
company.
I agree, it was absolutely fantastic to
spend time with the ladies and have
lekker girl talk!
It was really great, a lot of fun and
interesting chats.... And to catch up with
women I met the last time one year ago
for the first Ladies weekend.... Should
meet more often...
13
OTHER RIDES
BIKEFEST
BMW Clubs Africa with the help of BMW MCC Durban hosted
this year’s event which took place over a long weekend in
April. What a great feeling it was to arrive at Midmar Resort in
perfect weather and even Zulu dancers to welcome the riders.
Several routes on tar and dirt were available to choose from.
The beautiful sound of bikes leaving the resort, some with the
first sign of day light, was a sure sign that riders were there
to enjoy their bikes and the splendour of the KwaZulu-Natal
midlands. Thanks to all who contributed in submitting their
pictures!
Many of our Club members joined Trevor Donald on ‘The Oaks’
route with breath-taking scenes on interesting dirt roads which
included Hella Hella Pass.
14
DANI DU PREEZ
Sithe with his wife Yvonne as pillion were awarded for true
bikers’ camaraderie when helping a fellow rider experiencing
trouble with his bike on Sani Pass. We’re proud of you Sithe
and Yvonne!
The Nelson Mandela Capture site, just outside Howick, was one
of the many attractions of the Midlands Meander.
Clint & Ghapi took the stage on Saturday night. More than 400
BMW enthusiasts enjoyed the festivities of a great weekend!
Well done to Club members Clive Porter and Robert Hennig
who finished 2nd and 3rd in the Skills Challenge!
MY BIKEFEST EXPERIENCE
The 2014 Bikefest was my first “long” ride on my bike. After
having many debates with myself about the right type of bag to
pack my gear in, I was finally packed.
DEON BEZUIDENHOUT
•
Meeting a “total stranger” at breakfast and after chatting
for a while we realised that we were the two people who
stuck together through some tough riding and having him
get up, shake my hand and say “Hey, thanks for sticking
with me it was great to know you were always looking out
for me”.
The Richmond twisties. Wow, awesome corners.
4°C on the bike, but feeling warm and excited.
Seeing a youngster (about 18) ride a 1200GS with
incredible confidence and skill.
More good food.
Increased riding confidence.
A great ride back thanks Don, wife and Phillip.
A brilliant tip I read on the Cape Town BMW club site was,
“Pack everything and go for a dry run a day or so before”. Was
I glad I did this! After making a number of critical adjustments
to my gear that made the world of difference to both my safety
and comfort, I was ready for the trip.
•
•
•
It started with a really cold start, 1° Celsius! I must say a big
thank you to Rudi for doing a great job of leading a group
down to the fest.
•
•
•
My highlights were:
• After an unfortunate incident with one of the group
members hitting a pothole and badly damaging the bike,
the whole group stayed together until they were safely on
their way with BMW on-call. Camaraderie.
• A great golf shirt.
• Good food.
• I met Trevor Donald from the Durban club. What an
amazing person. This man knows the Midlands backwards.
He has a wealth of riding experience and so my Saturday
ride with him and a group of 25 others was a great
experience.
• Stopping for a break on a narrow road (off-road), feeling
afraid of being so close to the edge of a sheer drop but yet
having the most breath-taking views.
A great trip to remember.
15
WELLNESS
PROGRAMME
RUDI BRITZ
My first request came in shortly after I was appointed in my
new roll on the BMW Club Committee, namely Wellness.
Bramley, The Child Welfare Tshwane children’s home in
Pretoria came to me with a letter requesting help in acquiring
two fridges which should replace the broken fridges in two of
the four children’s homes.
The Bramley children’s home facility houses boys and girls
from all ages and ethnic groups in four houses. Two for girls
and two for boy`s. All houses have foster parents who look
after the children’s needs. They do get various food donations
and need the fridges to keep the foods refrigerated.
A post was made on the Club forum and the responses were
unbelievable. Many people made money donations into the
club’s bank account, but the most amazing of all was the fridge
donations we got. More than the need, this means that we can
now utilise the money for other needs that may arise.
The next action that blew my mind was the request I sent last
week on the forum and RRR , where I asked that everyone
should please bring a fleece blanket and toiletries for the
children with to the club evening. My expectations were hugely
exceeded when there were so many bags and boxes that it
nearly did not fit into my car. I roughly counted 53 blankets,
which should help the children in the cold months ahead.
Thank you very much to everyone who helped in making life a
little bit easier for these children.
Steve Biko
Duvet/Thari Drop-off
It has become an institution for our Club to part-take in the
yearly duvet / thari drop-off at Steve Biko Academic Hospital.
This year it coincided with the Presidential Inauguration
activities at the union buildings, making the ride to Steve Biko
with all the road closures that much more fun.
But, let’s start at the beginning. Shirley and Shaun are avid
bikers, and have created a Charity Organization through which
they can direct their energy to better the lives of the less
fortunate (www.inthespiritofriding.com). The duvets that are
delivered to the hospital are specially made for infant use, and
all hand made by Shirley and her team (well… mostly Shirley
who clearly has an abundance of energy).
To spread the message that the goods are from the biking
community, we have been approached a few years ago to go
along for the “last mile” to deliver the goods to ensure that the
event has a biking flavour.
This year we decided to meet up with Shirley, Shaun and
the Johannesburg bikers at Bavarian as our regular BP shop
is undergoing extensive refurbishment. It was quite a sight
to have so many other brands of bikes in front of a BMW
dealership. Hope we convinced some to have a closer look at
what we are riding! At the ride briefing, we decided to let the Club members take
the lead using our established riding convention (second
rider stop at a turn and wait for sweep). With the activities
at parliament we planned the route past the planned closed
roads as was published in the media. Seems there has been a
communication breakdown as the road closures extended way
past what was said…
16
PIKKIE DU PLESSIS
LeRoy helped us out on the go when we needed to take an
alternative route to the hospital, where we eventually all met
up after a few bikers got lost en-route by not adhering to our
riding convention.
After the hand-over most of us stopped off at “Die Sinkhuis”
close-by. An ideal venue for a biker breakfast. Good service,
very nice setting and décor.
Thank you for part-taking in the event and hope we can
continue in enjoying riding our bikes whilst doing something
good for the less fortunate out there.
BAVARIAN
MOTORCYCLES
Keeping a Girl in SchooL
PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION
The Catholic Women’s League, Lynnwood-chapter initiative “Keeping a Girl in School” 2013 biker charity brunch, organised by
Bavarian Motorcycles, raised enough funds and feminine hygiene product to sustain 133 girls for a whole year.
2848 packets of these products have been distributed to underprivileged girls in both Tzaneen and Swaziland, thanks to the help
of the Nan Hua Temple in Bronkhorstspruit. The remainder of the product will be donated to the girls of Boitshepo Catholic School
in Hammanskraal. Bavarian Motorcycles along with the Catholic Women’s League, Lynnwood-chapter will be doing the Boitshepo
Catholic School product hangover end of July, this will help keep the girls in school and assist them in having a fair chance without
any unnecessary worries.
BMW MOTORRAD
Rider Gear 2014
The 2014 range of BMW Motorrad’s rider gear and equipment
is not only stylish and functional but also includes the latest
safety features. BMW Motorrad fans can expect only the best
from this year’s apparel, which include upgrades of tried-andtested favourites along with some brand new pieces.
All rider gear, from helmets to suits, carries the BMW Motorrad
C.A.R.E. stamp of approval. C.A.R.E. stands for Concept of
Advanced Rider Equipment, and represents the unwavering
commitment to safety, innovation, comfort and quality
that goes into designing every item of BMW Motorrad rider
equipment.
latest AirShell and NeonShell jacket models as well as in the
FivePocket trousers.
The best thing about the BMW Motorrad clothing brand is that
it not only caters for riders but for all fashion forward people.
The leisure collections from BMW Motorrad Style offer highquality clothing and trendy accessories to delight the whole
family.
This season, BMW Motorrad presents a range of state-of-theart suits, from the more substantial Streetguard professional
touring suit to the lighter AirFlow 2-part summer touring suit.
The Sport 2 suit, with its numerous new features, is ideal for
riders who are looking for a comfortable sporty look without
compromising safety. The selection of neon jackets will insure
utmost visibility, while the trendy and durable leather jackets
are perfect for all day wear. The modern FivePocket trousers
can easily be mistaken for a casual pair of jeans, even though
they are proper riding trousers, and the functional cargo
Summer trousers are ideal for short trips.
Any rider’s attire will be incomplete without the essential boots
and gloves. Riders won’t be caught off guard with the all new
adjustable Two-in-One gloves, its revolutionary dual-chamber
system will make weather and temperature issues a thing
of the past. This year’s footwear collection include the tough
leather Gravel enduro boots, made for all terrain as well as the
handy water- and-dirt-resistant AirFlow boot covers, great for
unexpected weather changes.
An exciting new addition to the range of active safety features
are the NPL protectors, developed for optimum ergonomics
with a design that boosts comfort whilst offering outstanding
impact absorption. These protectors were used in the
17
OTHER EVENTS
SLOW
RIDING SKILLS
sias wagenaar
The Slow Riding Skills Day 2014, held on 17 May, exceeded all
our expectations. 109 participants and spectators registered
for the event and we were blessed with a beautiful autumn
day, although a little chilly in the morning and late afternoon,
one just could not have asked for a more perfect day.
We started by setting everything up at the ADA facilities near
Broederstroom just after 06h00. Johan Gray was already riding
the circuit, making adjustments and finding a balance between
having a lot of fun and at the same time, challenging everyone
irrespective of their experience and skills level. The participants
started arriving shortly thereafter and after registering and
refuelling with some coffee, the event was opened and our
participants were briefed accordingly.
Some background on this event:
The Slow Skills day started at the Grey Owl Shopping centre,
more as an exhibition of our rider’s skills to the public and how
we could perform certain exercises. Out of this we very quickly
saw the need for more than just displaying a limited number of
riders’ skills and that parking areas are not always a safe place
to do so.
We saw the need to have a safe environment, with no other
traffic and rather to have the real McCoy in getting our GS
riders on gravel and off the tar, but also reaching out to all our
riders, even those less experienced.
This we have found at the ADA facility, which answered to all
our needs and requirements: A safe environment, no tar for
the GS bikes and exercises that improve skills, whilst having
fun and some competition, where friends can challenge each
other or ride their own ride within the parameters of the
specific exercises.
We had the added benefits of Johan Gray, renowned for his off
road skills, training ability and passion for this, co-ordinating
and setting the exercises up for us and continuously changing
the exercises and circuit, making this really more entertaining
and challenging for all. We also had a trained paramedic
specializing in motorcycle events contracted by the Club for the
day in attendance to ensure nothing is left to chance. And best
of all a family friendly environment with lots of grass and open
space.
This is certainly a great opportunity to improve one’s skills and
have fun with club friends in doing so. Also where you can
bring your family to watch and join in supporting our riders
and at the end of the day, where one can look back with a
sense of achievement and even more!
This year we saw the exercises getting some new names and
each related to the specific exercise.
Exercise one was the Meerkat Challenge or slow race. This was
the typical slow riding exercises but this year with a real curve
ball in the exercise not being in a straight line. Exercise 2 was
18
the Pampamakula Challenge, or basic manoeuvrability skills,
where a cool and calm attitude brought huge rewards and
success. Exercise three was the Chuckle Challenge or Beat THE
team exercise. Was this name appropriate? Certainly yes! More
than once as team pressure certainly played a role. The final
challenge was the Bavarian Motorcycle Challenge or Extended
Manoeuvrability Skills challenge. One rider, one track, choices,
style, skills, and …. A lot of determination saw excellence come
into play. This was the highpoint of the day and the real McCoy!
A day which passed too quickly, ended quite late and the
prize giving was concluded in the dark where after all left
a little tired, but certainly satisfied and with the knowledge
that this is an event you actually only want to share with your
co members of this fantastic club. Where else will you find
people consistently helping each other and yes, then they
are competing as well, while the fun part is always there and
indeed evidenced this whole day.
We want to thank all our sponsors: Bavarian Motorcycles
(Roger and Sharon) for supporting us so immensely every
year with this event; ADA (Heine Engelbrecht) for the generous
assistance with the facilities and Johan Gray who is the maestro
himself. Most of all we want to thank all our members, the
participants and the spectators, our time keepers and the main
committee who really worked themselves to pieces. We are
indeed blessed to have all of you in our lives and for making
this once again a massive success!
Congratulations to all the class winners, and especially Duncan
De Klerk, our overall winner for 2014, who successfully
defended his title of last year!
We are looking forward to see you all in 2015 at our next Slow
Skills Day: bigger, better and different!
MEMBER
RIDES
ANGIE’S
G-SPOT
DAVE SWART
With the Plett Adventure Bike Week in full swing and after
riding Swartberg pass the day before a ride was planned to
Angie’s G-spot for breakfast, then to the R62, Montagu pass
and then back to Plett. So it was 5 bikes and one pillion that
left for the day’s ride. With Anthony being new to gravel road
riding, his fiancé, Elmari pillioned with Johan to gain gravel road
pillion experience with someone used to pillioning on gravel
roads. This also gave Anthony a chance to familiarise himself
with his bike’s behaviour on gravel roads without the additional
complications of a pillion.
Angie’s G-Spot is a very scenic spot for a quiet, relaxing stop.
Breakfast done it was time to move on. As we left members of
the Africa Twin Club arrived. We said hello’s and goodbye’s.
There had been some rain earlier during the week and in some
places there was a bit of mud. At a spot where some road
works were taking place, while riding through a muddy patch
at a walking pace, Trudie ‘twitched’ the throttle a bit and the
back wheel slid out and down she went. In the usual spirit
of Adventure Bike riders, with it not being a serious fall, the
cameras quickly came out!
With a sore ankle, but still full of smiles, the bike was moved
and a damage assessment was done.
Trudie’s ankle was too sore to ride out the remaining +- 10km
to the tar road of the R62. At this point the Africa Twin Club
arrived and as bikers are, help was immediately offered. Klaus
Pille would ride Trudie’s bike back to Plett and his wife would
ride his bike. Trudie would pillion with me to the R62 as her
husband, Johan, was pillioning Elmari.
Once at the R62 riders were again shuffled and Elmari was
back on Anthony’s bike and Johan took Trudie to the hospital in
George for x-rays.
The ride back to Plett was uneventful and later it was learnt
that when the bike fell her ankle had been trapped under the
bike and the weight of the bike had broken a bone in the ankle.
Johan decided that any decision regarding an operation would
be better made at home in Johannesburg and so decided to
take Trudie to Port Elizabeth the next day for her to fly home.
The plan was for Johan to later fly down from Johannesburg
to collect the bike and ride it back. A message was relayed to
me that Ken Thrash from the Africa Twin Club had trailered
his bike to Plett and had space for Trudie’s bike. He offered to
take the bike back to Johannesburg with him, thus getting the
bike back to its owner at no additional cost.
Report back from Trudie’s visit to a specialist in Johannesburg
was positive. No operation necessary and 6 weeks of
‘moonbooting’.
While this particular ride did not turn out as we had
anticipated, we are thankful that the consequences of Trudie’s
fall were not too serious. It also reminded us that anything
can happen at any time and no journey is guaranteed to be
completed without incident.
More than this however, it demonstrated the camaraderie and
trust that exists between bikers in that a perfect stranger was
willing to change his ride plans for the day and help get the
bike back to Plett, and another was prepared to go out of his
way to collect the bike and transport it back to Johannesburg. It also showed the trust that we place in one another that
Trudie and her husband, Johan were trusting enough, without
question, to allow what were complete strangers to ride and
transport Trudie’s bike. This is an unseen side of bikers that
most people are unaware of – an unwritten biker’s code to
help a biker in trouble. Ride safe!
19
MEMBER RIDES
COMRADES
CARRYING THE
TV SPOTTERS
For the last five or so years I have assisted at the Comrades
Marathon by carrying one of the TV Spotters. I have run the race
several times so I can confirm that doing it on a BMW is a whole lot
easier.
What this entails is two bikes assigned to the leading men and two
to the leading ladies – says something, I have always followed the
leading ladies. The two bikes with their ‘spotters’ on the back then
track the progress of the leading runners by leapfrogging each
other all the way along the course. The excitement comes as you
wait for the light to be strong enough to identify the runners and
calling the positions in to the TV studio commentators. We then
call through the splits and times of the rest of the leading group
as they come through and until the studio tells us to get to the
next point. We also try to give any interesting observations such as
how runners are looking etc. So when you hear the commentator
sounding knowledgeable it’s because of information we have
fed through – I’m still tempted to one day tell the commentators
that runner number 3546783 is carrying a tea tray or something
equally ridiculous and to see what gets conveyed to the public.
Then it’s a mad scramble onto the bike, weave your way through
the runners, the other bikes (with cameras, police, marshals etc),
the pace cars, the screaming supporters, and any other obstacle
that Comrades frenzy can throw at you; all of this with a pillion
who has no clue about being a pillion and often at excruciatingly
slow speeds – real fun. Then you get to the front ahead of the
runners, find the next distance marker, stop, wait for the runners
to come through and start all over again.
MIKE GREEFF
Working with the leading ladies is particularly challenging because
of the bus of men that run with them (the twins for the last few
years) to make sure they run a good time and for the chance of
being on TV! In previous years I did this on my old R1150RT – so
much easier now on my R1200GS, way more slow speed friendly.
Yes, I did hit a runner one year – very grateful for RT side mirrors
that come off so easily. This year a woman on the side of the road
at a particularly packed stage of the race let go of her dog; a tiny,
manicured Pekingese type of thing that ran straight into my path.
My immediate reaction was ‘stand up, look up and open up’. If I
had gone over him it would have been a spewing out of note but
thankfully I just missed him, not so the unfortunate runner who
tripped over the little dog – terrified of course, both of them! Her
response? “And I washed him just this morning!”
It has become my annual Comrades Pilgrimage; good fun and
hopefully helping a bit with a proud South African event.
FATHER&DAUGHTER RIDE
SIAS WAGENAAR
7 May 2014 will be recorded in the history of our country as voting
day, but for us, this was much more than only a day to make our
votes count.
We then followed the R24 past Magalies and through Olifantshoek
and eventually ended up at the Hartbeespoort dam before
returning home.
Being brothers sometimes have amazing advantages and benefits
and Jak and I were informed by our daughters we need to vote
early, as they have decided to ride with their Dads once we have
returned from voting!
For us, really a special day with two special people in our lives,
more than 300km of pure bliss, which also left them with some
food for thought.
My daughter wanted to do this for some time and as she had
received the good news she is expecting a few days back, this was
her opportunity before this developed further to ride a motorcycle
with her Dad. Something she wanted to do for a long time and
exactly her niece’s sentiments, she had not done so either and this
was the golden opportunity to do this. My daughter was indeed
chuckling; for a change she was doing something and hubby did
not have his golf buddies around, he had an unplanned day ahead
of him and she had other plans, not really knowing what to do with
himself.
This was a first for us (and them) and we will cherish this ride as
one of those special jewels we will keep in our memory box. What
a privilege to have ridden with my Boet and our two kids and we
started slow talking to them and trying to guide them in as we
started with this ride. No need, they were naturals!
We decided to take the long way to Magaliesburg and these two
immediately caught on and we could keep going, they enjoyed
every bit of this and when we stopped at Magalies, they were all
smiles!
20
We heard my daughter say to her niece, she now knew her Dad is
indeed a responsible rider, she felt safe all the way and enjoyed
every minute of this! Not so long ago my daughters (oh, I have four of them) said their
Dad have lost it when I bought my first RT! There is hope…
SWARTBERGPAS
Ons het lank beplan aan die rit Plettenbergbaai toe vir die Plett
Bike Adventure Week. Ek moes meeste van die roete beplan en
dit was my groot droom om Swartbergpas in te sluit.
Deur die alarm wakker gemaak 03h30, het ons gesukkel om
weer aan die slaap te raak. Na 2 koppies koffie is ons deur die
stort en 05h15 reg om die pad te vat.
Omtrent 16h30 het ons voor ons kamer by Wagon Wheel in
Beaufort Wes gestop. Die pad was lekker stil en omdat ons die
N12 gery het, was ons nie so spoed gebonde soos op die N1
nie.
Dave en Dorothy het ons in Beaufort ontmoet en ons het
lekker gekuier die Saterdagaand. Ek was baie opgewonde
oor Sondag se rit en het gesukkel om aan die slaap te raak.
Ons het besluit om in Prins Albert ontbyt te eet aangesien die
olyffees daar aan die gang was. Wat ‘n pragtige plek.
Uiteindelik was ons oppad. Die Swartberge het baie naby aan
die wolke gelyk van die afdraai af. Eers biki band druk verander
en ons was op die grond…. Die rotse troon bo jou uit en lyk
TRUDIE MAREE
asof hulle aan die hemel raak. Binne die eerste 10km is ons
deur die water.
Die pad maak baie skerp haarnaald draaie en met 4x4 ouens
van voor af het ek myself ‘n paar keer yskoud geskrik!
Ons het ‘n paar toeriste bussies teëgekom en op ‘n kol wou ‘n
Duitse tannie by my weet hoekom ons staan en ry. Met regte
boere-engels moes ek maar verduidelik.
Bo op die berg by Die Top kyk jy aan altwee kante van die berg
af. Dis ongelooflik mooi. Ons is verby die afdraai na die Hel
(Gamkaskloof) en het daar en dan besluit: Ons moet terugkom
en Die Hel gaan besoek! Dit sal natuurlik ‘n oorslaap insluit.
Dit is net te mooi om net soontoe en terug te ry en dit word
aanbeveel om oor te slaap!
Ons rit het sonder enige voorval verloop en ons het in
Oudtshoorn ‘n lekker middagete geniet by die Smitswinkel
voor die teerpad Plett toe aangepak is.
Swartbergpas is vir seker ‘n “bucketlist” item wat ge-‘tick’ is.
21
MEMBER RIDES
PANNEKATTE
LEON BEZUIDENHOUT
OK, it pays to be nice with people. I invited an acquaintance to
a weekend of bike riding in the Waterberg. It rained the whole
weekend and we had lots of fun in the mud, in the mountains.
Tertius became my friend.
So two weeks later Tertius asked if I want to go to Botswana
with them, to the pans, joining a group called the “PanneKatte”.
The plan was to ride the 850km from Pretoria to Moritiwa
Selemo, 80km from Orapa. Then a one night sleep over in their
huts, doing four days on the pans and then another night in
the huts before coming back on the 6th day. 4 Bikes, my KLR
and 3 X GS1200’s, and James’s Hilux and Herman’s Prado with
trailers would also do the trip taking 5 bikes and riders. At
Moriti the two guides Pierre and Andries would join us.
We left a freezing Pretoria at 4:00 on Saturday 26 April. The
N1 took us to Warmbad and from there we rode through the
mountains to Nylstroom and then on to Vaalwater and Ellisras,
crossing the border at Groblersbrug into Botswana. From the
border to Palapye, Serowe, Lethlakane to Moriti where we met
our host Elize. 840km for the day.
Sunday we left Moriti at 9h00 planning to go north along the
veterinary fence, then across the pans to Kukonje Island where
Pierre has a concession on another island. That was the plan. If
the route was dry enough. So we loaded everything on Pierre’s
1973 Ford F250 4X4 truck, checked the bikes, deflated the
tyres, checked the oil, and we were ready. After a short detour
to the fossilized forest not far from Moriti we took the road
along the fence, running dead straight for many kilometres,
sometimes sand, sometimes grass. After the control point on
a little sand dune we encountered mud for the first time. We
went to investigate ahead and crossed a stream but it was not
looking good. The plan changed. No way across the pan.
We turned around, planning to skirt around the pan. When we
reached the Sua pan the top was hard but the bikes dropped
down into the mud as soon as you lose momentum. We
22
turned away from the pans, just to be confronted by the sand,
on a narrow road with deep sand and trees on the edges.
Most bikes went down in the sand. We eventually reached
our overnight spot. It was just beautiful, looking over the
pans to the north. We did 97km for the day. But never had I
experienced such rough terrain, and never was I so tired from
a bike. I went down three times. By 21:00 I was out for the
count till the sun came up.
The second day in the bush was the easiest, but the longest.
We decided to take the little gorge down the mountain, and
took a little two way track leading north, making our way to
Kubu Island. Along the veterinary fence, deep sand and narrow
paths, we continued until we at last reached the entrance to
Kubu. Elize and the support vehicle was not at the lunch spot
so we spend our time drinking Botswana water and eating
Pretoria snacks before we left to an island about 6km from
Kubu, where we would be sleeping over for the night. Elize
eventually met up with us after being stuck in the sand for a
few hours, but dinner, rum and Amarula turned the evening
into a happy event. 103km for the day.
Tuesday we left the camp where it was and did a recce towards
Ntetwe pan. We went off Sua pan and then on a two track road
until we got to Makgadikgadi Adventure Camp. We turned
west, first along the dusty track, past a few outposts and onto
the Ntwetwe Pan with its black surface. It was incredible to ride
across this vast flat black surface. My KLR gave some problems
and James had to tow me out of the bush. It later turned out
to be a switch that needed replacement. That night we made
a big fire on the pans and Pierre practiced his specialty- “gooi
kole”! With a spade he threw the red hot coals in the air. It
made spectacular pictures. 99km
The sun broke over the thorn trees on the edge of the pan on
the last day in the bush. We were packed and ready to go by
9h00. It would proof to be a hard day. First up was photos at
Kubu before we set off for the western gate of the pan and then
south along the veterinary fence. All went well until the fence
turned 90 degrees, and I went on straight. I hit the sand wall on
the edge of the road, became airborne and landed on the front
wheel. Again I felt the bones and cartilage on my upper ribcage
cracking when I hit the hard veld. I felt this one. We continued
along the fence until I hit another thick sand patch at 70km per
hour. Again I ploughed through the grass with the KLR making
the way. I went too fast.
When we got back to the pan the inlets were wet and slippery.
About everybody took at least one dive in the mud. My third
dive for the day was just as I was crossing about 300m of mud.
I nearly made it to the other side and with 10 meters to go my
front wheel decided enough mud is enough. I flew over the seat.
My legs and boots coming along. My shin
hit the pannier bracket and I thought my
leg was broken. I stood up from the mud,
my shin inside my boot in pain. A final
time I put down the bike, but I was still
on my feet.
We left the mud and went into the bush
again until we eventually reached a dirt
road near a village called Mmatshumo
from where some decided to go back to
Moriti while the rest of us took a road to
the North West leading to the “Kaitshe
Escarpment”. My 4 falls for the day would
only be half for the day. The 30km to
Kaitshe and back proved to be 60km.
And the sand was not 300m. That is only
how deep it was. Consistently sand with first a beautiful Baobab
forest and then Mopani trees next to the track. Then mountains
and rocks with stunning scenery at the top of the escarpment
making it all worth it. Back along another road, with the same
sand and narrow winding tracks, rocks, ditches and more sand.
I fell four times more. All 8 of us took a dive somewhere in the
60km. I soon came to learn that to paddle is not a sin. I also
learnt that the trainers made a mistake with the “stand-up, lookup and open-up” theory. The sequence was wrong. It works
this way. Look up. If you see blue sky and trees and leaves you
are still all right. If you hear harp music and angels sing, you
are most likely also all right. Then it is open-up. You stretch all
your limbs to see that nothing is dangling at the end. Only then
do you stand up. Look up, open up, stand up! Even me as an
endurance athlete was taking strain at the end. This is what
adventure was about.
We reached the dirt road near a cattle post near the village of
Mosu, and rode back the last 25km to Moriti. At Moriti I took off
my boot for the first time. It did not look good. Elize’s mother
brought me ice and I packed the bloody shin with ice. It saved a
lot of trouble. 160km for the day.
Thursday was going home. We checked the bike’s tyres and after
another big breakfast we left at around 8h00. At Lethlakane
we filled up and set off for home. Back through Groblersbrug
border post, Ellisras and Vaalwater and Pretoria, with people
leaving the group at different stages.
But still it was not the end. On my dirty, muddy bike, dressed in
my muddy boots and dirty jacket, I stood up going around the
Hardy Muller Circle. As I was entering Stormvoel I was pulled
from the road by a member of the metro police. As I rode past
his two buddies, they were whistling in
awe. I knew my number plate was so dirty
that you could not read it-even standing
behind it. The policeman walked around
my bike. I know exactly what he saw.
I took of my helmet and said “Bru I am
tired! I just did 850km coming from
Botswana!” He looked at my red eyes
and said “I see you can ride! I see it from
your eyes.” I did not feel the previous
afternoon like that. So after I showed
him a few photos of the mud he sent me
home. 830km for the day.
Aftermath:
I came home at 20 past six. I had a bath
and went straight to the doctor. I burst a
vain in my leg and had some soft tissue damage from the shot
in the mud, the previous afternoon. No ribs were cracked, only
bruised.
Tertius came back and established he torn his right hamstring
when doing the GS-Pan split on the first day out in the mud.
Pierre had his salt burn doctored. So big it would not have fitted
on Pop-Eyes front arm. Riding with vellies, a checkered short
sleeve shirt and a Nazi-helmet has its draw backs. But luckily he
does not have to fall back on it regularly.
My place for the 2015 trip is booked. To go to the pans with
Pierre and Andries is an absolute experience. They know the
area and the people. And if you ever go to the pans and get
stuck with your 4x4, and nobody can get you out, someone will
contact Pierre and Andries. They will get you out. Except for
bike and adventure trips, they make their living from rescuing
vehicles from the muddy clutches of the pans. And they are yet
to fail.
23
MEMBER RIDES
PA & SEUN
BOU HERINNERINGE
WILLIE NEL
As deel van ons klub se uitdaging om ons mooi land in die
saals van ons motorfietse te verken, het ek en my seun,
André, die afgelope 3 jaar by verskillende geleenthede ons
land deurkruis. Die resultaat was baie meer as om net foto’s
van die verste punte, dorpe se name en passe te neem. Die
ontdekking van ons land, die saamdoen en –deel en die kuiers
saans, het weer ‘n intieme band help bou aan ‘n verhouding
wat, weens my vol besige werksdae in die vormingsjare van
my seun, ‘n bietjie skipbreuk gely het. Klein goedjies is ook
van my “bucket list” afgetik, soos (vir ‘n mindrinker soos ek) om
‘n stywe brandewyn en Coke in die Pofadder Hotel se kroeg
te drink, te gaan loer wat op Tietiesbaai te loere is, Jeffreys te
besoek en by ver vriende te kuier.
24
Ek verstaan so ietsie van Dana Snyman se passie vir reise
en stories en het ten spyte van my introversie, probeer om
geselsies met die mense van die streke te maak, want almal
het ‘n storie; die dronkies s’n is gewoonlik die langste en
sad’ste. My inkleurpotlode is nie so skerp soos Dana s’n nie,
maar tydens ons laaste trip wat oor 12 dae gestrek het, het
ek aan familie en vriende iets van ons reiservarings per sms’e
probeer deel. Kom ry saam.
Wroeemmm … wroeemmm … grom twee bikes op ‘n koel
Pretoria herfsoggend. En Neil Diamond sing “What a beautiful
noise, coming up from the street … what a beautiful noise …” Die begin van ‘n reis van twee baie sexy bikers in die wind en
die weer, van kyk en beleef, voel en deel, van opwinding en
vasbyt, van stories en mense, van ons land se weste, suide en
ooste, van vibrasies en verbysnellende km’s. En hopelik is ons
oor twee weke terug met ‘n gemoed en hart van jonk en vry
wees en ‘n kop vol lekker belewenisse. Groete, Willie
van die Sederberge deur en oor die verlate Knersvlakte, het
probeer wegkyk op Tietiesbaai en is om die skuinslê winde van
die Kaap en die laaglê vir die gunne van die gêngsters. Nou
veilig in die wynland en gooi ‘n goeie rooie virrie pyne innie
stêrre. Cheers op julle almal! W
Sommer met die intrapslag in Pofadder, dik tjômme gemaak
met twee Capies. Die spraaksame Trevor, ‘n spesialis sweiser,
en die nederige Ashleigh, ‘n mechanic, werk saam met ‘n groep
Spanjaarde om ‘n sonplaas ‘n ent buite die dorp op te rig. En
soos ons kuier langer om daai gedokterde Coke uitrek, raak
ons toe al slimmer en meer filosofies. Pofadder is orait, okey. Eish!
Die wiele het getol tot in George. Die Noord en Wes Kaap
is vaal en droog die tyd van die jaar, maar die Suid Kaap is
pragtig groen. Môre die Tuinroete tot in Jeffreys. Swellendam
het groot asseblief gevra dat ek daar moet kom aftree. Maar
Tulbach soek ons en ons ou Wonderboom tuiste wil ook ‘n
tender insit. So wat nou?
Geen surround sound music system op die bike nie. Op die
laaang reguit Noord Kaap paaie na die verste noordweste fluit
ek toe maar my eie deuntjies so in die ry. Ongelukkig vasgehak
op John Denver se Annie’s song, die Groot mars uit Aïda en die
Pottebakker-en-klei liedjie. Probeer dan Jan Pierewiet, maar
die verbrande Annie kom telkens terug. Groete uit Springbok,
W
Rustige lieflike geseënde dag. Wat ‘n voorreg om dit so saam
as pa en seun, maar ook as pêlle te geniet. Drink ‘n lekker
koffie by die Koperketel in die beroemde Garies. Kosbare
oomblikke. Namakwa groete, W & A
Die episode in die reeks wat elke moederhart sal roer: In die
Noord Kaap het die twee sexy bikers gou celebrity status gekry. Orals waar ons ry of stop, waai die kindertjies vir ons, chaff
die vroue (oud en jonk met en sonder tand) ons, bewonder
die manne ons ysterperde en vra elke dronkie ”ietsie vi ‘n
drôe kjeel”. Ai man, its hard to be humble! Bye, die Uwe, uit
Clanwilliam.
Dankie aan almal wie vir ons wel en weë bid. Die pik van
die Pofadder was toe mis, ons is veilig verby Aggenee (lees
Aggeneys), Moedverloor en Bitterfontein, tussen die klippe
Die verskuilde hippie in my wou nog altyd Jeffreys toe kom,
liedjies en stories skryf, sandale vleg, surf board ry, lang hare
hê en ‘n bietjie boom rook. Oeps!
Die bikes loop mooi en het ons deur die Boland tot die
suidelikste punt van Afrika en daarna die Suid Kaap en die
mooi kusstrook van die Oos Kaap geneem. Ons spoed was
stadiger, want die lekker moet jy uitrek. Die armoede, draaldie-dag-om en alkoholisme, maar ook die gasvryheid van die
Noord Kaap het ons aangegryp, terwyl die water wat lewe
bring in die suidelike dele dui op hoop. Ons is nou in die koue
Ugie in die mooi bergagtige deel suid van Lesotho. Môre na
my geliefde Cheetah-land! Groete, W
Ons is veilig tuis na 5700 km. Hierdie was ‘n baie lekker toer,
ons gees is op ‘n high, die sak herinneringe vol, maar die
liggame is vanaand lights out. Lekker slaap.
En 4 weke later.
Die son is lankal onder, maar die stapel werk bly hoog. Vanaand sit ons vriende Trevor, Ashleigh en die Spanjaarde
seker weer in die vierkant van die Pofadder Hotel om ‘n lang
bier en kuier. Hulle praat van die liggies doér ver in die stad en
‘n oorwerkte ek droom weer van die vrye wye pad ….
25
MEMBER RIDES
VAN ROOI
TAPYT NA
GRONDPAD
SUID
Van Eaton na Engelbrecht, van trourok na MX boots in 24 uur, dit was die
naweek in April toe alles verander en ons paadjies een word. Die Sondag
middag val ons in die pad vir wittebrood...op die fiets!
MICHELLE ENGELBRECHT
Die eerste stop Memel. Omdat ons so laat weggekom het,
is aandete op Villiers en ongelukkig donker pad na Memel.
In die koue gearriveer, is die hotel lekker warm en die vuur
wat knetter in die kaggel, ‘n koppie boere troos wag vir ons
en ‘n warm bed.
Die volgende oggend, soos Memel, -1°C Is daar ‘n lekker
warm ontbyt en ons is reg om in die pad te spring. Vandag
is dit Normadiens pas, Mullers pas en dan teer pad met
Bothas pas na Burgers pas en Knights pass tot in Dundee.
Die sê ding dis Memel Hemel op die platteland is so waar
met die pragtigste winter natuurskoon wat verbind word
met die lekkerste grondpaaie. In Dundee vertoef ons by
die Royal Hotel County lnn vir die aand met n aangename
aandete. En natuurlik bietjie geskiedenis van die Anglo
Boere oorlog.
26
Vreeslik opgewonde oor al die beplande passe, maar min
wetende dat dit ons rofste en mees uitdagendste dag sal
wees. Uit Dundee kort stukkie teer en die grondpad via
Collings pas na Van Reenen. Voor van Reenen pas hou ons
piekniek langs die pad met Salticrax en biltong en koffie
geur in die lug. Natuurlik stop ons op Van Reenen by die
kleinste kerkie. Lekker twisties teen Van Reenen af na die
Sand Rivier Vallei. Die mooiste natuurskoon verbind met
wildste paaie: Sandspruit pas. Een omblik voel ek bang
oor die afgrond aan my regter voet en dan oorweldig die
uitsig my wat vir my terugstaar. Met dit is dit Middledale
pas tot in Geluksburg. Na Bergville met gravel highways
vandaar kronkel teer tot by Cathedral Peak, Didima Lodge.
Waar Drakensberg vir ons loer deur die venster in luukse,
welverdiende Chalet.
Volgende dag, eindbestemming – die see!!! Ek is soos
‘n kind. Eerste aangetrek reg om te ry. Die dag was
hoofsaaklik teer, maar het eerste agter om by Wagendrift
Dam gery met die mooiste grondpad, toe deel van die
Kamberg gedeelte van die Drakensberg en naby waar die
Champange Castle staproete begin gepiekniek op ‘n rots
met die Drakensberg in die agtergrond wat die prentjie
voltooi. En toe die stukkie teer van die Lotheni grond pad
na Nottingham Road waar die Military Fuel Tanker die teer
opvreet. Die Midlands Meander was geklee in herfs kleure
en ons trek in by die Nelson Mandela se gevange Museum.
In die wind hoor ons die see se stem dit roep ons. Hoe dis
lekker by die see!
Lang ente langs die strand, son-opkoms oor die horizon….
dis hoe ons 3 dae by die see spandeer het, met die
uitsondering van ‘n uitstappie na Ushaka. Die laaste aand
besluit ons om nog n aandtjie in Frankfort deur te bring.
Sondagoggend spring ons op die fiets groet die see en
maak ons laaste roete met Griffens pas, en toe met De
Beers pas tot bo met teer, en af met grond terug na
Frankfort vir ‘n laaste bederf. Die laaste, laaste dag voor ons
die wêreld aanpak as Mnr en Mev Engelbrecht is dit oor
die Vaal River met gravel highways na Deneysville terug na
Pretoria, waar ons die lewe saam aanpak……..
27
SHARED RIDING PLEASURE
28

quarterly newsletter of bmw motorcycle club, pretoria, south africa

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