Field Testing

This weekend here was another long weekend and I went for a ride out into the Karoo (arid region North of Cape Town) with Dave and Angela for some "Field Testing" of the new bike...

The country started out quite green and then we rode up a mountain pass and onto a higher plateau and things suddenly got very brown and arid.

 Dave and Angela and friends are mostly KLR riders so the planned route was virtually all dirt roads of varying qualities... The first day was the "approach" so the dirt roads were very good quality and we had no problem running at speeds upto 120Kmh ( I was very happy with the feel of the new bike... the long travel suspension and the 21" front wheel made easy work of the corrugations and potholes.)

I took my full luggage load to see how the bike would handle and how the new racks that I just had welded up for the side boxes would work... They were great... barely moved even with the worst of the rough roads...

... They are about 10cm wider than need be which makes for a very wide load but it was gonna cost me way too much to have the welding shop spend the time to "adjust" everything, so we got what we got and Im happy with it as is.

We camped at a place appropriately called Oasis and early next morning we took off the bike luggage and went of to explore the very rough back roads in the area for the day... More testing for me with the new bike...

 

 At breakfast I had a mishap with the toast... which side do you think it landed... Yep, Butter-side-down of course !

The back roads were quite technical but again, even though the bike is more than 200Kg, it was significantly easier than it would have been with my old VSTROM 650.... Im really sold on long travel suspension and the big front wheel :)

We even had a full-on river crossing...It was about 75m across and was about mid thigh deep for most of the width and had quite a few big boulders in the water, which of course we couldn't see at all and just had to ride ahead :)

Then it was more dusty gravel roads back to camp for about a 400Km day which we managed to complete right on sunset.

The next day we rode back to the city all quite tired out but well pleased with our efforts.

As for me and my bike, Im now feeling very happy with it for off-road adventures that will no doubt come up as I ride North.

For the moment Im back in the city till next weekend while I get a few bits and pieces for the bike and wait for a Carne d' Passage (effectively a passport for the motorbike)... Hopefully I get it by Friday.