By Coetzee Zietsman.
Yes, it’s true. We are now that age where we can pass as geriatrics. But that doesn’t mean we are slowing down. We are rather discovering our true speed.
When I saw the advert for Thomas Bohm’s Geriatric Bike Weekend, I knew I could not miss it. Thomas and I have some history. I met him at one of the GS Eco events in Clocolan and again when I attended his Sabie Dual Sport Challenge. That was many years ago and one of the best events I ever attended. So the time was right for a reunion.
My weapon of choice was the Kove 800, supplied by Conrad at Off Road Cycles in Pretoria. The Kove is one of the new Chinese kids on the block and a little bit of an unknown. I was looking forward to testing it thoroughly.
Day one was spent getting there. I like to take the easiest route to an event. I don’t want to break myself and the bike just getting there. It would also give me a good chance to test the Kove on the open road. It was fantastic. Nimble, light and fast. I saw on the trip log I reached speeds of 185 km/hour. I will deny it, but that’s what the computer says. It never felt like I was going that speed.
At the event site, ten kilometres outside Sabie at the Horseshoe Falls, I pitched my tent with all the other geriatrics. Around the campfire we reconnected with old friends and quickly made new ones. There were some people older than I, but not many.
After breakfast and a briefing from Thomas, we hit the road. I kept the setup on the bike exactly the same as I found it when I picked it up – tight and hard. The bike tracked like it was on tracks. There was power everywhere, even if you were in the wrong gear. It just goes. I was impressed.
But I was not only there to ride the bike, I also had to take pictures for this article. It was easy enough to get to the front of the pack, have time to dismount and get ready to shoot, before the pack caught up. Yes, sometimes I had to go a bit faster than what was comfortable. The bike handled it better than I.
Thomas knows how to design a route; a bit of rough stuff, some open dirt road, enough technical challenges to keep you awake and a very scenic lunch stop. I was having fun and so was the rest of the group. Even the one or two GS Challenge contenders were having a blast. Like the old saying goes; if the route is too easy, go faster.
Back at camp, we had many stories to tell. Nothing tells a story like dirty bikers with big smiles. I had to answer many questions about the Kove. Some riders were impressed and others sceptical. I rode it and I can tell you, I was impressed.
Day two took us in a different direction through open fields and plantations. It’s incredible how many tracks there are that nobody knows about. Thomas knows them all and can negotiate with farmers and plantation owners to take a group through. We were riding routes that you could not access on your own. It was a once in a lifetime privilege.
That night the stories around the campfire were different. It was more contemplative and less “good to see you again”. We all realised we were part of something special, something we knew we would do again.
The Kove was the right bike for the event. It’s nimble, sniffs on fuel, light, yet powerful enough to leave many of the more known brands behind to eat its dust. I’m not one of the best riders out there, but on the Kove I felt like a champion. I was sad to take it back.
Thanks Conrad, thanks Thomas and thanks all you Geriatrics. Let’s do it again.
