Spokey

Think I need to test ride one of these machines. After ring my Katoom I love the V twins......mmmmm, then again, I like my big single and inline fours too!

Yup, the Orange beast covers ground very quickly. It is ridiculously easy to ride way too fast! It is very comfy too so I find I take the long way.........everywhere! The Missus is very comfy on the back at “highway” speeds too. And the rumble of that big twin.......ahhhhhh! I appreciate why the guys love their Harley’s! But the Katoom can also hustle rond die hoekies! I need to ride my dream Ducati 1098 sometime to check it out........anyone got one to lend me for the weekend, ha ha!

I have been super keen on the T7 due to the performance gain and comparison to my KLR650. Now my KLR is worked on suspension wise and handles quite nicely actually, but just for some more ponies there in! Perhaps a KTM 690 Rally second hand will be a better deal. After all, my 1190 is turning me in a Fan Boy of the Orange!

Touratech, came with the bike.....I have a love/hate relationship with it. I do not like the look, but it sure is useful. I do add straps over it when on the dirt, heard too many stories of these things falling off! I am going to get a small soft bag for the back and a I think a small tank bag would be lekker.

Yesterdays lekker 517km rondry for an essential Pepper Steak Pie from the Country Pumpkin in Barrydale. As the Missus makes pies in our patisserie in Hoekwil, it was deemed a business excursion to sample the very distant competition.............. N2 to Heidleburg and then inland to Tradouw Pass, Barrydale, Route 62 and back through the Kamanasie and Paardepoort Was a fine ride.

Sad to read that. I remember him. I have spent many hours there looking for bits and pieces for my various old bikes over the years. Still have a welded up sump for my CB400F, was replaced with a shiny new one from David Silver when my career finally allowed me to shop online from the UK!

Wow, some good work there by our Brad, hope he can keep it up tomorrow.Going to be interesting with the reduced time gap between races. No chance to recover from even small injuries. Although the races are full length it is a full on sprint season.

Perhaps I need to look at those too!

Anakee adventures are highly recommended by me. I have some on my Katoom 1190S. I still have the Anakee Wilds which are really really good and will be back on the bike in about another 1000kms. They only have 500 k,s on. Reason for the Adventures was a couple of long tar trips, mainly Hoekwil to Josie and back. Those tyres are awesome, excellent on wet tar and dry dirt. I use them happily on the wide Karoo dirt roads. However scary in the mud!! I ride two up happily in dry dirt. However the Wilds will go back on as they are brilliant, even on tar.......but no longevity. The rear is wearing quickly, I think I will be lucky to get 3000 kms out of it. The Katoom shreds it if you are heavy handed on the tar. Man, I still have my KLR.......maybe the Katoom will Get more Anakee Adventures after all!!

Wow, what a cool ride. Awesome day out!

Man, disappointing and very irritating.

Yup, that is the one I thought you meant!

I am sure I know which one you mean. There is a wicked hairpin on the Calitzdorp side perhaps a third of the way up if heading south to Van Wyksdorp.

If you can live with agricultural machinery and an engine that can barely pull the skin off a rice pudding ......the KLR is for you!........did I mention I really like mine!

I have a KTM 1190 as well, which puts big smiles on the face, very quick, but ease of use and on rough terrain as the Rooiberg Pass currently is, man the little KLR is a winner. I have upgraded the suspension, long progressive fork springs and a heavy duty rear spring. It has made a huge difference in the off road handling and ability. A few more ponies would not be amiss though, which is reason I am keen to try the Unicorn 700 by Yamaha when it gets here. Just 9kg heavier than my KLR but around 50% more ponies! KLR is a keeper what ever future bike I may decide on.

A trip for essential chutney and hot sauce saw me end up at Van Wyksdorp Mall. Long trip home over Rooiberg Pass was the result.......the things we do for hot sauce hey!

Been thinking the same. Focus is trying to get to Dubai now. KLM have a repatriation flight to Amsterdam on Sunday, but booking is closed due to the paperwork requirements for Government. Possible flight to Cairo this month and I know SAA is planning a London one but no dates set yet.

I have no idea what flying training costs these days ( I suppose Google is my friend there!) but you should give it a go if able. One of my dreams is to fly a Spitfire. About £5500 in UK. Includes time in a Tiger Moth and a Harvard too but you do not achieve a rating on any. That is likely to remain a dream!

Hope you make it home soon. I have a friend who has been stuck in Lagos this entire time....family is taking strain. I am desperately trying to get to Dubai or Dallas for sim recurrent at the beginning of August. The previous repatriation flights to Dubai did not work for me due quarantine and sim dates. I have rebooked sim 3 times now! Just booked Dallas in order to gain more options.

Man.....this accident makes me mad. I am so sorry for this youngsters family and friends, so unnecessary. I gave up instructing about 12 years ago but as a (and I say this truly humbly) more experienced member of my current employers pilot pool, it hurts to read this. I really feel for the instructor who signed off the Solo and solo consolidation and I truly hope the instruction given is not found lacking. Sadly IMHO, this type of accident, baring mechanical failure is totally avoidable with a firm grasp of basic aerodynamic principles and aeroplane operating procedures. A Cherokee is perhaps one of the most docile training aeroplanes. Very upset to have learned of this........I have been off Avcom several days.

A little of my last few days rond ry, must have missed the turn off for essentials.......was actually looking after my mental health. Coffee on Robinsons Pass, a pic just west of Herolds Bay and the north side of Montagu Pass.

I rode one of these around Kyalami when the 1200 first came out. It is a sweet ride, beautiful handling. The engine seems so lazy compared to my four cylinder bikes but the machine is deceptively fast! I like them a lot.

Perhaps my favourite Motorcycle vids on U Choob, high quality productions. Actually Fort9 and MAD TV.I sure hope that I can test ride one of these some day, I feel it would be perfect for me, Like my KLR on ‘roids!

Looks steep to me!

This pic has been finding its way on to my social media......I like! Tis the Rally Raid edition.........sadly we do not even have the regular edition available yet.