Spokey

I have just been thrown a curve ball…. I am in Joburg heading home tomorrow and have been to see a really interesting little Laverda 750 S Formula in bright red. I expect that is even more rare but in all honesty it is unlikely I would ride it much. Very pretty Italian exotica though.

Been far too long away from my bike, had a couple of rides recently up behind Witfontein in George. Was great getting back into it though the 60 year old body did take some strain!

I am unable to get the info I require before dropping Randellas on the Ducati 748 that I was looking at. There is no service history, no books and no info on the last belt service. There are no spare keys. The bike was on display in a house. Anyways a rather interesting Yamaha MT01 has come up at a good price. I have bought from this seller before and have trust. Just wondering what you enthusiasts may think of this as collectible potential. Rare and quirky springs to mind. However a nice addition to a collection of early 2000 V twins. photo is of the bike by the seller.

Those R models will have a premium price. I do like a 999 too. I saw your XT advertised…I like it. The 748 I have been looking at does not have the Ducati books nor a spare key. No idea on the last belt service so I would feel the need to get that done. I may make an adjusted lower offer with this in mind.

Funny guy hey

Yeah, that yellow 748 would look lekker in this short line up.

Don’t be jealous, I just bought her a Giant Trance as she struggles with the little Titan hard tail. I am trying to get her into this MTB malarkey with some comfort, my old Titan was an interesting buy. I had a Soma steel hard tail frame and bought a complete Titan with Shimano XT so I could remove that to my Soma and swapped out marginally lessor components to the Titan frame. The Giant full susser will be her Christmas pressie……………the Ducati will be for me ha ha!

Only if you run off the tar………

I have several bikes that I am keen to add to my perhaps less than modest collection. I would welcome comments from you guys as to what you may think. I am totally out of the market for things like Honda CB 1100 RC/D etc and Aprilia RS250. I delayed on a Yamaha RD350 recently and now it is gone…….perhaps my moment has past. Currently enquiries are in for a Ducati 748 in the striking yellow paint job to sit alongside the 749 Dark and gorgeous red 1098. Beyond that I am after a small Ducati Monster, 600 perhaps, perfectly formed and pretty. A KTM 950/990 as not small and still perfectly formed. A Yamaha XT from 500 to 600 and even better a 750 twin. An Aprilia RSV 1000 twin as not small, still perfectly formed and a gorgeous addition alongside the 1098 Ducati for modest cost. Anyways, here is a pic of what may well be the Christmas present to my long suffering wife……..after all…….she did say the next bike must be a yellow Ducati…..this is the best I can do.

I really like the look of these bikes.

Thanks! Late reply! I am out at work, currently in US and heading to Mid East tomorrow. This 1190R is everything I expected. I am a huge fan of my S model and that old girl has 75000 kms on and is well used. She will be able to take a break!

Right, so I went and did it. Bought the 1190 R. I was sold on a ZZR1400 and then realised that I do not need such a road bike. I took my ZRX1200R around my local tar loop and decided the roads are shite! So…..my Big Orange 1190 S now becomes my road bike and this is my new dirt bike. Okay……..this is a ridiculous big enduro bike. I will never be able to ride it to its full capability but am willing to give it a go! It is a delight in the dirt despite its weight. The difference to the S model is absolutely evident. The S is way superior on the road and this undeniably offroad. I reset the suspension to standard as the previous owner had it on comfort. Way to wobbly for me. So…….swapping the crash bars between the bikes and semi restoring the S model Big Orange! Pics to follow. The exhaust is an interesting thing. It is a KTM option extra but is surprisingly quiet. The baffles can be removed but with a lot of extra work.(drilling out the rivets) I will leave it as is. The Ostriches in the Klein Karoo were not disturbed by my passing!

Seems that this little 1190 R may just follow me home in the next day or two. 2015, just 24000 kms on the clock. I am looking to put the panniers on to my old S model and all the off road bits from the S on to the R. I am a big fan of these LC8 engines. My S model has 76 000;kms on her.

So I decided I need to try motorcycle camping…. Eeisshhhh, okay, was great, but my choice of destination was perhaps a bit much…. I left home for the Roggeland plateau and Sterland Camping. It was a good 400 kms, Kamanassie road to Oudsthoorn then the tar to Seweweekspoort with a lekker breaky at Bella de Karoo on the R62. Dirt to Laingsburg and a bit more to the Sutherland road. In camp and fire on by 1730………..and the cold set in……OMG, the kipsack was not up to it. Tonight was due to be colder, so I broke camp and road down to the Tankwa via Ouberg Pass…..that was a huge work up with a loaded bike! Travelled via an exceptional dirt road to the Maitjiesfontein road then dirt to Laingsburg again. Tonight in a hotel in Prince Alfred, no camping until I upgreade the kipsack!!

I lost my Mom during Covid, not from Covid but I believe as a result of the isolation from friends when she was ill from an unrelated issue….so Covid, anyways, it has brought my brother and I closer together. He is looking to do his bike license and I hope wevan ride together some day. Hope you and your boet can be involved together in the bike way.

Gosh. This is stupid money!

Certainly sounds like it. Mine is similar…..encouraging my bike purchases, well, to a point! She still thinks we need a yellow Ducati to go with the red 1098 and Matt Black “dark” 749.

Jeeze, sorry to read this. I have a bit of an interest in a 950 in Josie at a dealer……..lots of rands though……then I take my T7 on some trips and wonder why I still feel the need for the earlier Katoom…..and I am a Katoom fan boy!

I need to find a nice 1980’s XT 600 in same colours to be a garage partner!

I took my T7 for its first “long….ish” jaunt to visit the Hederberg Motorcycle Museum. What an excellent few days. Meed to rethink my packing but overall was a good trip. Bike did not disappoint with easy enthusiastic cruising on both tar and dirt. Pics show a little of the home stretch around Greyton and the dirt roads south of van Wyksdorp.

Instead of flying to Josie for my aviation medical, I chose to ride Big Orange up. Has been an excellent trip, crossing the Orange River on the R717 and a short dirt track to Springfontein. Hot during the day in Josie. Tomorrow I head back……..looks to be a cold ride and a really cold start on Thursday after my overnight tomorrow in Middleberg.

This past week we left Kuwait to take the aeroplane to Biggen for a 3 week long maintenance event. The pics show the end of the Red Sea with Aqaba and Eilat then the Suez Canal from FL430. There is Charles de Gaul with Le Bourget behind. The Nice photo displays a bit of our aerie’s performance. Zero pax and 14800lbs fuel at take off. Airborne of 04R at Nice, cross wind turn, downwind turn and just about to turn right to cross the landing threshold at FL120……Yes, headings, released from the SID.. Finally the gorgeous IWC sponsored Spittie!

I have been home for a week during my normal work rotation. The Boss is chilling on his boat so sent us home. I have managed two long “ish” rides on my smaller ADV bikes. 400 kms on the 690 around to Calitzdorp via van Wyksdorp and Rooiberg Pass and then 380 km’s on the T7 to Calitzdorp via Outdshoorn and back along the track running just south of the Swartberg. Different bikes and different experiences. The lightness of the Katoom is a winner but the CP2 engine in the T7 is a dream on any tar stretches. Over all the comfort of the T7 would likely win the day……though I cannot get rid of the 690 yet! Perhaps the tyre choice has much to do with it. Pirellii MT21 on the Katoom and Michelin Anakee Wilds on the T7…….The MT21’s are harsh on the tar.

I do like this bike……a lot!

I was in London for RIAT but decided that the return travel on public transport was too much trouble. I would have loved to see some of those aeries but the thought of 2 to 2, 5 hours each way did it in for me.