Ride Reports / Rit Verslae

[EcoRider]

Do you have any news, photos, and reports about your NC700 experience ?
Please feel free to open a new Thread, and share it under this Topic.

Regards, and ride safely.


Beskik jy oor enige nuus, fotos, en verslae oor jou NC700 ondervinding ? Wees asb vry om n nuwe Draad onder hierdie hoof te open, en dit hier te deel met ons.

Groete, en ry veilig.

[otr]

I went on my first "long ride" yesterday morning. Leaving home at 06:30 and getting back at about 10:00

I just headed south, saw a sign for Nigel, thought...... let's go see Nigel (I've never been there). I saw local junior school children playing in barefoot kit - It took me back to my youth and freezing in the name of fun.

Headed off to find a cup of coffee and not knowing the place, I ended up at the Spur, just after 8 for what is well known as the worst coffee from an establishment in SA. Anyway, I was just after the warmth of it. I cannot explain how cold I got on that ride. I would really appreciated some advise on ideas being warm on morning rides.

After the coffee (with 3 sugars to make the "medicine" go down) I went around to springs and then home.

I guess that with the land being so flat, there are few great bike rides south of Jozi. Next ride will be north to the more traditional rides that can be read about in the various blogs on riding in SA.

I was amazed at how the DCT gearbox worked, as I thought it would be a mission to down-shift when wanting to accelerate or overtake.
This was not the case. I happened upon a slower vehicle on the way through to Nigel. The gearbox responded to my yank on the throttle and in no time, the bike was in 4th, and pulling like a horse on it's home stretch. I'm loving this bike. My family and I call it "The Smile Generator"

Please let me know about any great routes from Jozi.
Happy riding.

[EcoRider]

Jup, winter is just around the corner, I can just imagine how cold it gets up there...

More reports about future trips with the DCT will be very !

As far as fuel consumption is concerned - I guess the consumption of DCT and NCX models is about the same ?

[colyvon]

Took a nice ride to Clarens and Golden Gate this past Saturday. Left Johannesburg around 06:30 and met up with a couple of guys in Dennysville around 07:30. Had a leisurely ride to Clarens, then through Golden Gate and then headed back home via Fouriesburg. Got home around 17:30. That is a really beautiful area.

[bryanp]

Looks like a great ride. I have never been to Clarens. Last Dec a friend and myself went up from Durban through that way to Denysville. I really wanted to turn to Clarens and at least spend the night there, unfortunately we never had time. That piece of road from Harry to Beth was under construction and not too nice and lots of dust, we were taked off and run through an industrial area. So it's a plan for the future, sometime when I'm doing some casual riding and not short of time, and when it's a bit warmer, I'm going to visit Clarens. I grumble about the cold, even here in Durban. Have the Oxford grips on both my bikes and am not ashamed to admit I use them coming to work at 06h00 from around this time of the year. The grips are a great investment at just a little over R1000. I see some great km/l talked about, the best I see on the Integra is around 24 km/l then I have to be very laid back and careful, normal commute and run around is more like 20-21 km/l. Seems a bit heavy (then again so am I) but all things considered it's not that bad. When I had the big Burgman and pushed it hard it was around 14 km/l so I'm happy with what I get. Thanks for sharing, ride safe. Bryan.

[revert]

Hi ALL
Took a ride up from Cape Town to Riversdale via overnight (Thursday 19)in Kleinmond. I was keen to get an early start on Friday 20 March and left Kleinmond at 06h40. Just outside Botriver on the N2, I rode into thick fog. I slowed down to 80km/hr- visibilty was poor. I was passed by bikers going to the Mosselbay Rally (I assume) and tagged along. They were going quite fast for my liking (120km/hr). But I preferred that than riding alone in thick fog.We parted company at Heidelberg. Thank you guys for your guidance.
I was later told that foggy roads are the norm from March to June on that stretch of the N2.
Coming back was worse because of heavy winds. Caledon has a WIND FARM!!
Riders take note.
REVERT

[revert]

VICTORIA FALLS - 2016

Hi All
I have just returned from a trip to Vic Falls on my NC700X. I had no pillion. My sisters accompanied me in a back up vehicle. We departed on 7 January and returned on 22 January. We travelled from Cape Town to Kimberley. From Kimberley we entered Botswana via the Ramatlabama border post and rode on to Gaberone. From Gaberone we rode to Nata and entered Zimbabwe via the Kazangulu Road border post. At Vic Falls we entered Zambia at settled in Livingstone. Our return trip was via the Kazungulu ferry from Zambia into Botswana.We rode via Francistown to Martins's Drift and encountered a 100m gravel strip just before the border. From Martin's Drift we travelled via Mokopane to Graskop. From Graskop we made our way to Ballito Bay where we settled for 2 days. From Ballito Bay we travelled through the Eastern Cape to Mthatha. After an overnight stop we rode to Port Elizabeth via Port Alfred ( the road to Grahamstown was closed due to blasting). From PE we rode to a windy Cape Town. All roads were in good condition except for patches in the Zebedelia district. Road blocks were few and far between and bikers where waved through cheerily. Border processes are slow but patience and a good sense of humour will stand you in good stead.
The NC700X performed extremely well. The journey covered 6650 km and the NC averaged 31km/l. I used about R2500 for petrol.
I loved every moment of the journey and recommend it highly.

[EcoRider]

Sounds great. Did you also experience the extreme heat in the Northern Cape ? During my trip to the western Free State, the temperature was 42 deg. C when I stopped at Hertzogville, a small dorpie not too far from Kimberley. When I stopped, the radiator cooling fan was running like hell - the fist time in almost three years it ever switched on.

I hope to forward a couple of photos of my trip during this week.

[revert]

Hi there, Yes the Northern Cape was hot, but that comes with the territory.

[revert]

Hi All
Went for a Saturday midday ride to Sutherland. N1 from CPT to Matjiesfontein is in excellent shape - no roadworks. The first forty kilometres from Matjiesfontein to Sutherland have been resurfaced with fresh painted road lines. The next seventy kilometres have not been re-surfaced but is in good condition. Be sure to get to Sutherland before 5pm in order to fill up on gas; the petrol station closes at 5 and does not open on Sunday. Booked a night tour (R80 per person- well worth it) at Sutherland and over-nighted at The Jupiter. Departed Jupiter at 7am for a leisurely ride back to CPT. I recommend this ride.