RideFast July 2020 2

DAY 1 AND 2
Excitement, the wind, and a start to one of
the most amazing rides to the cape.
The initial 1000km have seen the team
through Clarens, Alwali North and down to
Port Elizabeth.
As for me, tomorrow is the Soweto
marathon and then I’m out of here however
the 899 is slowly making its way down with
the team in luxury...soon we will re-unite.
the excitement and nerves,
considering this is a long trip for
everyone to truly bond with their
steed and experience the most
amazing parts of this country,
whilst fostering new friendships
and just being simply ‘wild’.
Pre-trip dinner concluded and
thanks to the amazing Harald for
hosting us at his home throughout
the year as we planned every
detail of the trip. The final
preparation detail concluded,
luggage delivered and ready for
support vehicle, and trailer loaded
with support bike(s). This is where
my trip frustration started as I
also had to load my bike on the
trailer, as my part of the trip
officially started on the 4th of
November where I would connect
with my 899 Panigale in George.
You may ask why George, well
sometimes we give ourselves
stupid challenges in life which we
simply cannot turn away from. I ran
the Soweto full marathon on the
3rd of November, which I had been
training for the whole year. So it
would be interesting jumping onto
a bike afterwards and immediately
going straight into Outeniqua pass
with tired and painful legs.
Officially, our route plan kickedoff
with Clarens to shake the
bikes a bit and make sure they
were all running perfectly, and we
expected 100% positive response
considering part of the trip
conditions was making sure every
bike got a service.
After Clarens, we made our way
to Aliwali North where we spend
the night and enjoyed our first
dinner (and some star gazing),
not to mention the much needed
sleep because the next day would
see us smell the ocean for the first
time in East London, and the start
of the most beautiful and exciting
biking routes in the country.
This also marked the point of
no return, as we made our way
down to Port Elizabeth, aka the
Windy City, the following day. The
roads got more interesting whilst
the wind picked up - but Paolo
talked us through some strategies
to deal with the wind... it had to
do with keeping one knee out
towards the direction of the wind
and we had more than enough
opportunities to test this.
After what promised to be
a good breakfast, the team
connected me with the 899 at
the George airport. After which
we made our way to Route 62
and to our stop for the day at the
beautiful town of Oudtsthoorn.
The next day, having survived
Tractor Oil and many versions
of the The Cutback, we kissed
the shores of the Cape Agulhas
and this brought us closer to
Stellenbosch where we planned a
few nights to allow us to experience
the local culture and taste some of
their produce, which seems to be
famous around the world.
Stellenbosch is also the last coast
before we started making our way
inland towards Prince Albert.
We hoped to enjoy the spoils of
the Orange River on the way back
and at some point we would find
ourselves in Bloemfontein. At this
point we felt like those guys in that
movie, the Wild Hogs. From there,
we hit it hard back to Joburg with
stiff necks and all.
This is a trip of a lifetime
and some of our other friends
wanted to join but due to
other commitments and timing
challenges things just didn’t work
out as planned. Let’s all live to
see another day, maybe things
will be different.
DAY 3
Man and his machine, with amazing friends
make everything worth it.
Today saw the team make their way
down to Cape St. Francis, it’s a beautiful
stretch of long winding roads and very
scenic. Judging from the big smiles, it was
a day well enjoyed.
I managed to complete the Soweto full
marathon sub 4 hrs, super proud although
there’s not a single part of my body that’s
not painful. Crazy route, just heat and hills!
All packed and ready to join the team
in the morning at George, just the perfect
place considering we will be right on R62 -
amazing riding / tourist route.
Until tomorrow...
DAY 4
It’s day 4 of the trip and the team kept me
both motivated and increased my urge
to just get on the 899 and ride with their
messages and pictures of the experience.
I’m sure the 899 couldn’t cope with the
separation even though she was well
looked after - talk about trailer luxury whilst
Bruce, in the support vehicle, enjoyed a
lovely drive tracking every bit of the trip
and absorbing every bit of the scenery.
While nursing my self-inflicted misery,
thanks to the Soweto marathon, the team
kept me updated with pictures of the trip
and the vibe along the way which made
the wait even more difficult, but this was
also motivation to make sure I wake up on
time for my early morning flight down to
George to re-connect with the 899.
These trips are better done in a group,
it is just a different experience and a
chance to learn something new, meet
112 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JULY 2020
RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JULY 2020 113