Is motorcycling allowed?

[Kranswurm]

Guy on the Harley can ride and then some.

That's the secret

[Spokey]

Of all my bikes my Katoom 1190 has proven to be the easiest to ride, around town or blitzing the open road. Yeah, she chews back tyres up if a little enthusiastic on the throttle but is a delight. The growl from the pipe is very satisfying either at a slow 60kph with a deep rumble or picking up the pace a bit, howling at a gallop! I am really enjoying this bike.

This is one of my go to shots. The Kamanasie Valley, Deyseldorp to Heimiesrivier. Craddock peak in the background.

[BSG]

Of all my bikes my Katoom 1190 has proven to be the easiest to ride, around town or blitzing the open road. Yeah, she chews back tyres up if a little enthusiastic on the throttle but is a delight. The growl from the pipe is very satisfying either at a slow 60kph with a deep rumble or picking up the pace a bit, howling at a gallop! I am really enjoying this bike.

This is one of my go to shots. The Kamanasie Valley, Deyseldorp to Heimiesrivier. Craddock peak in the background.4CB4CD58-6D89-4A76-940B-A127C26AD809.jpeg

Now, I know this question is going to open a very, very big debate. But do you rate it a better, cheaper bike to use and maintain than a BMW GS and in our area where we don't have a KTM dealership? Edited May 2, 2021 by BSG

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

Who ever said a Harley can't hang on a track and take a few corners!

 

 

This dude is like "hold my beer.....":

[Hairy]

This dude is like "hold my beer.....":

EVERY CORNER HE TAKES I GET A COLD SHIVER DOWN MY SPINE ... COULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO WEAR A PROPER JACKET IF YOU ARE RIDING LIKE THAT

[Andymann]

I've been following this series - 

 

 

To be fair they aren't really Baggers, but still fun to watch!

[Hairy]

I've been following this series - 

 

 

To be fair they aren't really Baggers, but still fun to watch!

Would love it if one of the HD riders shows a sense of humour and rides with tassels ... though I am sure it would be illegal RE safety!

[Andymann]

Got the seat back on Monday so fitted it last night.  That's pretty much it now.  I must put the numberplate on and the mirrors at some stage but I've been a bit busy so haven't really had a chance.

 

And the Silencer needs to be finished, but I have to actually ride it first before I do that 

 

Took the bumblebee (as my Wife has christened it) out for a ride this weekend.  I didn't go crazy because the engine is still very new, but glad to report no major issues.  Still has that nice 175 bottom end, but you can feel it revs a lot easier than a standard one.

 

A few teething problems - It needs a new fuel tap which isn't cheap, and the front wheel has a buckle, but all things I can sort out over time.

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

Would love it if one of the HD riders shows a sense of humour and rides with tassels ... though I am sure it would be illegal RE safety!

 

It is way to competitive for that.

The fact that they run panniers is already a surprise to me.

 

BTW, saffa's doing well in AMA. Scholtz got a 1st and 2nd, Cam got two 4ths. Awesome stuff.

[Hairy]

It is way to competitive for that.

The fact that they run panniers is already a surprise to me.

 

BTW, saffa's doing well in AMA. Scholtz got a 1st and 2nd, Cam got two 4ths. Awesome stuff.

Without panniers they would not be baggers.

 

I did see them interviewing a bagger team on some or other YouTube vid a little time back, and these guys really cut as much weight off those bikes that they can!

 

OK .. so tassels on the ends of the levers is a no no then .... surely a couple of tassels on the leather jack trim should be mandatory! 

[Hairy]

Not the brightest truck driver at the 12min mark

 

[kosmonooit]

Yea I know that pass intimately, having cycled up there a couple of times. In fact I remember that corner. What was that articulated truck diver thinking ffs?  Guess there was no turning back though.

 

I am really enjoying itchy Boot's vlogs on her SA trip, it's giving me impetus and motivation to get my Thumper restomod done  so I hit the back roads! its been way too long,

[Spokey]

Now, I know this question is going to open a very, very big debate. But do you rate it a better, cheaper bike to use and maintain than a BMW GS and in our area where we don't have a KTM dealership?

Ha ha yeah, GS is a great bike, a wonderful tourer. I truly did not even bother looking at one as every man and his dog rides one in our area. The Katoom was bought on a pretty rash decision by the heart and not the brain. I was actually after a Yammie XT1200 Super Ten which is a perfect bike for me, but no.......the Katoom hooked me the minute I saw it. Till now I have not regretted it. I have been to Josie and back, Scottburgh and back, several times to Aberdeen and several day rides of 400 to 600 kms. Tomorrow or Wednesday I am off to Cape Town.

I am after a Beemer for my collection but it would not be a GS. The 90 Racer is it!

 

For me when I open my garage the bikes must all have a meaning and invoke a passion. I fancy a Honda MB50 simply because a black one was my first bike in the 80’s. All of them must put a smile on my face when I ride them. Even my humble KLR is a wonderful machine and truly capable of great adventures. Would be my choice for a solo long distance ride in remote areas before a GS or my Katoom!

 

Cost wise, I have no idea as to how the GS racks up. The Katoom I have serviced at Tex in George. I have a lot of respect for them and trust their knowledge of the bike. It is after all a 2013 model so I do not worry about service plans and factory maintenance.

I can say that a GS riding mate is ready to change to the Orange simply because of weight and agility. That is his choice.......there are of course guys who haul the big GS around like an enduro bike!!

Edited May 3, 2021 by Spokey

[Hairy]

Ha ha yeah, GS is a great bike, a wonderful tourer. I truly did not even bother looking at one as every man and his dog rides one in our area. The Katoom was bought on a pretty rash decision by the heart and not the brain. I was actually after a Yammie XT1200 Super Ten which is a perfect bike for me, but no.......the Katoom hooked me the minute I saw it. Till now I have not regretted it. I have been to Josie and back, Scottburgh and back, several times to Aberdeen and several day rides of 400 to 600 kms. Tomorrow or Wednesday I am off to Cape Town.

I am after a Beemer for my collection but it would not be a GS. The 90 Racer is it!

 

For me when I open my garage the bikes must all have a meaning and invoke a passion. I fancy a Honda MB50 simply because a black one was my first bike in the 80’s. All of them must put a smile on my face when I ride them. Even my humble KLR is a wonderful machine and truly capable of great adventures. Would be my choice for a solo long distance ride in remote areas before a GS or my Katoom!

 

Cost wise, I have no idea as to how the GS racks up. The Katoom I have serviced at Tex in George. I have a lot of respect for them and trust their knowledge of the bike. It is after all a 2013 model so I do not worry about service plans and factory maintenance.

I can say that a GS riding mate is ready to change to the Orange simply because of weight and agility. That is his choice.......there are of course guys who haul the big GS around like an enduro bike!!

Where in CT are you going to view the 90 Racer

[BSG]

Ha ha yeah, GS is a great bike, a wonderful tourer. I truly did not even bother looking at one as every man and his dog rides one in our area. The Katoom was bought on a pretty rash decision by the heart and not the brain. I was actually after a Yammie XT1200 Super Ten which is a perfect bike for me, but no.......the Katoom hooked me the minute I saw it. Till now I have not regretted it. I have been to Josie and back, Scottburgh and back, several times to Aberdeen and several day rides of 400 to 600 kms. Tomorrow or Wednesday I am off to Cape Town.

I am after a Beemer for my collection but it would not be a GS. The 90 Racer is it!

 

For me when I open my garage the bikes must all have a meaning and invoke a passion. I fancy a Honda MB50 simply because a black one was my first bike in the 80’s. All of them must put a smile on my face when I ride them. Even my humble KLR is a wonderful machine and truly capable of great adventures. Would be my choice for a solo long distance ride in remote areas before a GS or my Katoom!

 

Cost wise, I have no idea as to how the GS racks up. The Katoom I have serviced at Tex in George. I have a lot of respect for them and trust their knowledge of the bike. It is after all a 2013 model so I do not worry about service plans and factory maintenance.

I can say that a GS riding mate is ready to change to the Orange simply because of weight and agility. That is his choice.......there are of course guys who haul the big GS around like an enduro bike!!

Thanks, I must add that I like the Klr 650 also quite a lot. I've looked at so many video's etc about it that I've become VERY interested in them.

[IceCreamMan]

(as sent to me ) 

 

When The Last Biker Falls...
 The old ones stand out now, their numbers dwindling down. They're a sad loss to the South African scene, these individualists with the worn down jeans, saddles and faces. You can still see them sometimes, the real ones, some in packs, not as large as a while ago, sometimes alone. The best ones are the ones who've been there a long time, staying in the life he loves, never giving into a system that sucks you up like a vortex if you slip just one foot into it.
 He's got his connections - a few like him, that care for and protect each other. Hanging onto the only unique lifestyle left, like old dinosaurs, their faces are leathered and rough by forty, but their eyes still sharp and knowing. Some are gray in the beards and braids, some are limp in their step and some pain in the kidneys. Still they know that no other life is life, but merely a dreary journey into everyone else's monotony.
 He looks at the new ones, and then turns away, knowing they will never know of life on the road and of the women who could live it that way. Wild, loving women who'll hang in with them, because they love it too. Women with wild hearts and loyal souls, that's what's needed here.
 The new bikers are shiny and young and a bit too clean. They're born into a system that has an iron grip now. The new one's don't seem to know, and couldn't take the life. I think it's a mystery, even to the old ones, why this life is theirs, but it is, and it's the only one they ever wanted to know.
 When the last biker falls, like the dinosaurs, the sun will go down on a breed of heart-of-gold, tough as nails, free spirited men and women, who even at their worst, love what's theirs and protected it.
 In a worldwide system that is making all people as alike as manufactured dolls, the earth will be a duller place...
 when the last biker falls.