Three weeks after I got the learners it was time for the TW's first weekend trip. The 2 GSes that would accompany us rode there on Friday, but since the TW is a very new noob, we loaded the bikes on the bakkie and drove to Golden Gate late on Friday night.
The 55 km ride from Golden Gate to Fouriesburg was the longest I've ever been on a bike - and that was just to breakfast. (Die Plaasstoep - go there if you're in the area)
After we filled up (including the jerry-can for the TW's small tank) it was a small hop to the border.
Riding through Butha-Buthe was a bit of a challenge for my non-existing car- and people-dodging skills - but once we were outside town, it was a beautiful ride.
The tarred roads were in beautiful condition - recently tarred and with little traffic and no heavy vehicles. The roads are quiet. Vehicles from the front are sometimes in the middle of the road, but not too fast - around every corner there may be a few sheep or a donkey-cart in the road. Enter the Bokong nature reserve, and then on to the Mafika Lesiu pass - which surely must be on every biker's to-do list.
Towards the top of Mafika Lesiu the TW was reduced to first gear, because it's so steep and because the top is just over 3 km altitude. We stopped at the look-out point just before the last stretch up the pass.
After we packed up camp on Sunday morning, we went back to the lodge for breakfast, then started making our way home.
while the Honda and TW just had to go back to Golden Gate.
Already trying to find available weekends to repeat this!
The 55 km ride from Golden Gate to Fouriesburg was the longest I've ever been on a bike - and that was just to breakfast. (Die Plaasstoep - go there if you're in the area)
After we filled up (including the jerry-can for the TW's small tank) it was a small hop to the border.
Riding through Butha-Buthe was a bit of a challenge for my non-existing car- and people-dodging skills - but once we were outside town, it was a beautiful ride.
The tarred roads were in beautiful condition - recently tarred and with little traffic and no heavy vehicles. The roads are quiet. Vehicles from the front are sometimes in the middle of the road, but not too fast - around every corner there may be a few sheep or a donkey-cart in the road. Enter the Bokong nature reserve, and then on to the Mafika Lesiu pass - which surely must be on every biker's to-do list.
Soon after this pass you get the first glimpse of the dam. The ride was beautiful, but the day was getting long ... The total distance for the day was around 230 km - way more then the 20 km that has been my longest distance on a bike before this.
We checked out the campsite above the dam wall, then went to the lodge for sundowners and supper.
After we packed up camp on Sunday morning, we went back to the lodge for breakfast, then started making our way home.
The GSes had to go all the way back to Gauteng ...
while the Honda and TW just had to go back to Golden Gate.
Already trying to find available weekends to repeat this!
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