Is motorcycling allowed?

[Spokey]

So……gosh, bit of a long one if you chose to read it all. In  Josie,on the way back to the Sandpit. I did my FAA flight medical in Josie today so am good for another 6 months of causing mayhem in the airways………just kidding….I hope. Yesterday, my last day at home for a while, I took the little Orange for a rather slow 300 km jaunt over Montague Pass, Paarde Poort and Swartburg Pass. The top of Swartburg was in the clouds but 10 mins up there and it opened up fully. I rode back down on the south side and the clag returned! Home via the really lovely Lategansvlei Road and of course my highly rated Mount Hope Road. The ride down Outeniqua Pass was in the mist and rain……no photos, was challenging myself to get it right in the conditions. I find I ride the 690 more often as the performance is really good and the bike is very light. At 59 I appreciate the lighter machine. Of course on the tar it is a bit of a mission beyond 120 but she will run 150 if you like……..much vibration, wobbles and ruining the rear tyre. My MT21 only got 2800 kms on the back…………The 1190 has been set up more as a street touring bike with Dunlop Trail Max Missions. The 1190 is still an absolute beast and a most enjoyable ride. The Dunlops are fine on the dry Karoo roads although the rear braking is a useful as a chocolate Tea Pot! Sorry for the rambles but heading back to work, I miss these things already! Pics are a little mixed up. The No entry is top of Montague Pass, I had already come up it. The flood damage is really bad, I think it will be closed to 4 wheel traffic for a long time. I did not get pics, was too busy riding the trail. 

Edited March 21, 2023 by Spokey
Much work on the post!

[Hairy]

13 hours ago, Spokey said:

Visit  me in Hoekwil and I shall afford you the opportunity. Not real trail bikes though but ADV machines. KTM 690/ 1190, Kawa KLR 650 or Yammie DT125 ha ha. I would of course need to be home in SA as in not in the sandpit at work. I would love to do a guided tour of routes in my area with someone such as you who is a Harley man.  These offers only come up when I am in a fine mood and enjoying my wine! In fact I am looking at doing a bizz venture in this regard……Honda HR650’s. Not self ride rental at all, but guided……….when I retire from my aviating malarkey!

Hi Spokey

Thank you for the generous offer!

Towards the end of this year I may have a project in Prince Albert that I would ride out to ... and that is kind of around the corner from you

[Hairy]

This little vid got me even more interested in trying out some dirt .... welcome to The Western Cape

 

[Spokey]

11 hours ago, Hairy said:

Hi Spokey

Thank you for the generous offer!

Towards the end of this year I may have a project in Prince Albert that I would ride out to ... and that is kind of around the corner from you

Awesome, just let me know and hopefully I will be in SA! It is a fine ride from Prince Albert to Hoekwil. Through Meiringspoort and Oudtshoorn then the Outeniqua Pass and the Seven Passes road to Wilderness, to stay off the dirt bit. 

Edited March 21, 2023 by Spokey
Content

[Hairy]

9 hours ago, Spokey said:

Awesome, just let me know and hopefully I will be in SA! It is a fine ride from Prince Albert to Hoekwil. Through Meiringspoort and Oudtshoorn then the Outeniqua Pass and the Seven Passes road to Wilderness, to stay off the dirt bit. 

And today I am just going to have to settle for my weekly ride out to Stellies via a longer back road route that avoids any busy national roads

[Spokey]

Am toying with the idea of a new ADV bike……..Yamaha T7 World Rally or Ducati Desert X. Both pretty pricy new. But last new bike of my biking career. Then along comes a Ducati 999 2004……….eeish! Quite a bit cheaper and rubbish in the dirt but arguably a safer money maker ha ha!

Anyone own or ridden the Desert X? The reviews are great but I expect the Yam is a safe bet for reliability. The wife thought I would go for a Katoom 1290 but honestly for 10HP more than my 1190 and the extra weight…….no. 

Edited March 22, 2023 by Spokey
Apparently I used a word I was not supposed to!

[Hairy]

8 hours ago, Spokey said:

Am toying with the idea of a new ADV bike……..Yamaha T7 World Rally or Ducati Desert X. Both pretty pricy new. But last new bike of my biking career. Then along comes a Ducati 999 2004……….eeish! Quite a bit cheaper and rubbish in the dirt but arguably a safer money maker ha ha!

Anyone own or ridden the Desert X? The reviews are great but I expect the Yam is a safe bet for reliability. The wife thought I would go for a Katoom 1290 but honestly for 10HP more than my 1190 and the extra weight…….no. 

Earlier this year I was on a flight back from JHB, with a guy next to me that looked like he was going to fall asleep right away.

Can not recall how we got on this topic, but he started hauling out his cell phone and showing off pics of his biking adventures. These included many adventure in SA and Neighbouring countries ... oh, and some Dakar stuff.

Mr Sleepy is a self proclaimed KTM man ............. till he bought one of the very first Desert X's in SA. The pics he showed of where he took the X on his first few rides were pretty damned awesome. Long and short is that he absolutely loved the X, and highly rates it against his various KTM's (inc. the Rally KTM whatever the name it is that he used on the Dakar). And he kept telling me all the way to landing in CT.

[Hairy]

I know he is an Aussie, but that is not the bikes fault, and you just need to look past this flaw.

 

 

[IceCreamMan]

On 3/21/2023 at 10:11 AM, Hairy said:

This little vid got me even more interested in trying out some dirt .... welcome to The Western Cape

 

The middleweight class is where it’s ll happening now. Loads of choice. 
 

think it truly is the best of both worlds. 

[IceCreamMan]

10 hours ago, Spokey said:

Am toying with the idea of a new ADV bike……..Yamaha T7 World Rally or Ducati Desert X. Both pretty pricy new. But last new bike of my biking career. Then along comes a Ducati 999 2004……….eeish! Quite a bit cheaper and rubbish in the dirt but arguably a safer money maker ha ha!

Anyone own or ridden the Desert X? The reviews are great but I expect the Yam is a safe bet for reliability. The wife thought I would go for a Katoom 1290 but honestly for 10HP more than my 1190 and the extra weight…….no. 

The Desert X is the best damn looking adventure bike on the planet. I would have one in a heartbeat. Just to look at and admire and ride on Sundays. The couple that own the bike accessory shop near me ( look em up www.Motolegends.com A proper old school biker accessory shop ) each own one and I had a good look at em last year when they got them. I would love one. Only downside is the price compared to competition. But then if you worried about price you should not be looking at Ducati I spose. 
 

And the MV range is orgasmic. 
 

norden, 890, tenure, Aprilia, 790, transalp, new Strom, gs850 etc etc spoilt for choice. 

[Spokey]

1 hour ago, IceCreamMan said:

The Desert X is the best damn looking adventure bike on the planet. I would have one in a heartbeat. Just to look at and admire and ride on Sundays. The couple that own the bike accessory shop near me ( look em up www.Motolegends.com A proper old school biker accessory shop ) each own one and I had a good look at em last year when they got them. I would love one. Only downside is the price compared to competition. But then if you worried about price you should not be looking at Ducati I spose. 
 

And the MV range is orgasmic. 
 

norden, 890, tenure, Aprilia, 790, transalp, new Strom, gs850 etc etc spoilt for choice. 

Yeah, the choice is amazing. I love that Aprilia Tuareg too. Similar price to the Ducati. I first saw the Ducati for real in Barcelona, so I trundled off to the dealer for a closer look. It is a lovely machine. I will take time over this purchase!  As mentioned, I came across a lovely 04 Ducati 999 for my collection……That might just edge in front of the ADV purchase……

I do like the look of the Norden but ultimately may just go for the simplicity of a Yam T7. I may also just stick with my current KTM’s and go totally ridiculous with a ZZR1400!

[IceCreamMan]

1 minute ago, Spokey said:

Yeah, the choice is amazing. I love that Aprilia Tuareg too. Similar price to the Ducati. I first saw the Ducati for real in Barcelona, so I trundled off to the dealer for a closer look. It is a lovely machine. I will take time over this purchase!  As mentioned, I came across a lovely 04 Ducati 999 for my collection……That might just edge in front of the ADV purchase……

I do like the look of the Norden but ultimately may just go for the simplicity of a Yam T7. I may also just stick with my current KTM’s and go totally ridiculous with a ZZR1400!

Tuareg here is much much cheaper. Some specials on so can get em for around 9500. The Ducati closer to 15 here. 

[Spokey]

Amazing that near 1000 cc bikes are classed as Middle weight adv bikes…….thanks to BM1250’s and Katoom 1290’s etc.

[Spokey]

Just now, IceCreamMan said:

Tuareg here is much much cheaper. Some specials on so can get em for around 9500. The Ducati closer to 15 here. 

Interesting, that is a big difference.

[IceCreamMan]

In fact, if you check out Motolegends Facebook page, the owner , Chris, took his out for a spin yesterday and uploaded a video. 
 

just struck me that the desert X is the only V on the class. All the rest are parallel twins. Cheaper to build a parallel i spose and it has advantages, but disadvantages too. 

Edited March 23, 2023 by IceCreamMan

[IceCreamMan]

22 hours ago, Spokey said:

Amazing that near 1000 cc bikes are classed as Middle weight adv bikes…….thanks to BM1250’s and Katoom 1290’s etc.

Yeah. Bigger is better is the adage, incorrect I reckon.

The GS started as an 800cc. Next model is rumoured to be a 1300 or even a 1400. Just no point to it. 800 is more than enough.