I got that proper riding feeling while standing there with a rumbling tummy, shivering, on top of a majestic mountain and looking out over a beautiful valley.

OK so this’ll be a short report as it was a short trip. Rain was forecasted for Sunday so we didn’t know what to expect. It certainly looked like raining when I left home and I rode into a howling Northwesterly wind all the way into Cape Town. I thought that going to Worcester was maybe the safest bet.

When I got to the One Stop just before 8, Axel was there, having his first cup of coffee of the trip. I filled up and went to get some coffee myself. There were 2 guys from the Airborne Warriors, one on a Bandit and one on a yellow 1300 Kawa smoking cigarettes and admiring their bikes as well as some old geezer on a Blackbird, complete with
taped up GP number plate, fanny pack and a bit of luggage strapped to the bike. He was marching up and down and doing stretching excercises and looked like he wanted to come over and talk but didn’t (Axel can be quite intimidating when he glares at you).

This guy looked very relieved when his buddy on a VTR (he was old and fat and could hardly walk in his fancy one-piece leathers and Alpinestar boots) finally showed up.

SO when our coffee was finished, and having waited for 15 minutes for someone else to show up we decided to bugger-off. It was only the FZR and the TL and we decided to go over Du Toitskloof and have breakfast in Worcester. It was still early and both of us complained about the cold (both wore only T-’s under our jackets). When we went up the
pass we rode into thick mist. We stopped for a leak halfway up the mountain and admired the view. I got that proper riding feeling while standing there with a rumbling tummy, shivering, on top of a majestic mountain and looking out over a beautiful valley. The bulk of the trip to look forward too.

After we fought the mist, it was down the other side of the mountain. I don’t remember seeing a single car for this pass. We rode into the sun and things started warming up.

We had breakfast at the One Stop in Worcester, discussing where to go next. I was tempted to head up the N1, maybe as far as Touws River and then heading inland towards Montague or Robertson wherever the road leads, but it would have made it a longer trip than we planned and as I later found out Axel was eager to get home early. So we
settled for another mountain pass and left for Bains Kloof where we rode past the Airborne Warriors while they were drinking breakfast at the Calabash Bush Pub.

I found it almost impossible to keep up with Axels fast disappearing FZR up that bumpy pass. Those sharp white painted mountain rocks they have put into the cement on the cliff side of the road looked as menacing as sharks teeth - even more frightening than the terrible
drop into the river, way, way below.

There’s a lot in that pass to motivate you to take it easy. Axel is a very smooth rider and gets away from you without you realizing it.

While stopping for another leak and once again admiring the stunning view, we couldn’t decide which way to go (”I could go east, I could go west, it was aaaaawwllll up to me to decide” years free IUB subscription to the one that can name the song). I was leaning
towards going into Wellington and then riding to Wolseley and back to Worcester and then to Villiersdorp and home over Sir Lowrys pass. I could see Axel was tempted but he said he needed to be home as early as possible as Gill was sick (hope you feel better soon LadyHawk). We decided to push on to the N1 and split up at the R300 turnoff.

Once in Wellington we took the Agter Paarl pad - which is now a joy to ride - and then turned off towards Durbanville. This was backroads and we had the opportunity to open the bikes up - Axel almost running me over from behind when I thought I saw a dog running towards the road while a farmer was opening a gate.

Then a short blast to the N1 and after missing my R300 turnoff (looks different from the other side) I had to ride through Bellville, stopping at Droomers Yamaha and Bikes Immaculate to look at the bikes, before getting on the R300 and home.

I got home just before 12. I think we rode about 200 k’s or so, I didn’t check. Then spend a nice, rainy afternoon in front of the fireplace watching Rush Hour 2 and Swordfish on DVD.