If you have read my blog, you will know that I have posted three Ride Reports so far, all done in 2007 / 2008. In case you missed them, here they are:
My very first ride, hey let’s just do Sani…..
Sea, Sand, Beer and R&R in Mozambique
Those three have been my biggest trips of 2008, but obviously I did some other riding during the year as well. I am not going to create a blog post for every single ride that I do, but I will post a “Recap” of every year, starting with 2008. In these “Recap” posts, I will cover all the other interesting rides / travels and things that happened outside of the main ride / travel reports. Think of it as filling the gaps.
Here is an interactive map of all my travels in 2008 (I exclude daily commuting) – you can zoom in and out, and view in full screen mode, just click the map)
[map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;” kml=”http://etiennexplore.com/wp-content/uploads/EtienneXplore_2008.kml” elevation=”no” download=”no”]
As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I decided to join the Pretoria BMW Motorcycle Club in January 2008 to get more involved in riding and to get to know more people interested in the same things I was getting interested in. The biggest advantage of this move was that I have met the best people and made some lifelong friends! The club also did monthly rides, and this got me more and more into riding, and my confidence grew with each ride.
My very first ride with the club, we were only seven riders on that ride. A few years later, these rides became so popular that there was 40+ riders on a ride!
We visited various places all around Pretoria, and the riding and company was always top-notch.
During 2008, I got hold of a little Honda CRF230F Enduro bike. My thinking was that more enduro riding would improve my Adventure Riding, and it certainly has. The only issue was finding time to ride between all the other riding! The main problem though was transporting the enduro bike to where I wanted to ride. I did not have a bakkie (Pick-up) or a trailer. So this proved problematic. I eventually sold the enduro bike for this reason. At least I did manage to go on a few rides, and loved every minute of it. You can see that even a KTM950SE can be an enduro bike, just don’t go swimming with it!
During the winter, I hooked up with my friend Sephton and his KLR yet again and we decided to ride some mountain passes over the Drakensberg Escarpment between the Freestate and Kwa Zulu Natal. We rode a bunch of awesome mountain passes. I also did my first trip through the spectacular Golden Gate.
The spectacular Brandwag Rock in Golden Gate
During 2008 I also visited the annual AMID motorcycle show in Johannesburg. This was my first time at such a big show and it was awesome to see all the motorcycles and all the stuff you could blow all your hard-earned money on! There were bikes and accessories for every taste under the sun. It was really a worthwhile event to visit!
It was also at AMID where I met this cool chick for the first time, I would never had guessed that we would actually become very good friends. If you do not know her, have a look at her blog: The Adventures Skinny and Kraai
I did not only do motorbike riding in 2008, I also did something that I never thought I would ever do…..Skydiving! I must admit, I am very glad that I did it, but I would not really do it again. It did not really grab me and I don’t get what all the fuss is about. I mean it’s nice and all, but not really my thing. I would rather ride my motorbike to some dodgy shebeen and sit under a tree drinking a beer with friends than jump out of a plane…..
So there you have it, a brief summary of my 2008. This was a year of many firsts for me and the stepping stone for so many things to come. I was well and truly bitten by the travel bug, and mainly the motorcycle travel bug!
Thanks for reading, please don’t be shy to share, leave a comment or a suggestion!
Etienne
This is the right blog for anyone who wants to find out about this topic.
You realize a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I personally will need
to…HaHa). You definitely put a fresh spin on a topic which has been written about for a long
time. Wonderful stuff, just excellent! adreamoftrains
hosting services
A motivating discussion is worth comment. I believe that you ought to
write more on this topic, it might not be a
taboo matter but usually people do not talk about such topics.
To the next! All the best!!
I got this web site from my buddy who informed me about this site and now this time I am visiting this website and reading very informative content here.
yivyddvwv kisxd ytdqmdj dwws olqfbbxitvaxvkb
I am actually grateful to the holder of this web site who has shared this great
post at at this time.
Hi! I’ve been reading your website for a long time now and
finally got the bravery to go ahead and give
you a shout out from Houston Tx! Just wanted to mention keep up
the great job!
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back
to your weblog? My blog is in the exact same niche as yours and my visitors would genuinely
benefit from some of the information you provide here. Please let me know if this alright with
you. Thanks a lot!
We’re a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community.
Your web site offered us with valuable information to work on. You have done a
formidable job and our entire community will be grateful
to you.
It’s awesome for me to have a site, which is good for my knowledge.
thanks admin
We stumbled over here different web page and thought I may as well check things
out. I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to looking at your web page for a second time.
WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for cheap flights
Hey there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my twitter group?
There’s a lot of folks that I think would really enjoy your content.
Please let me know. Thank you
Excellent goods from you, man. I have consider your stuff prior to
and you’re simply extremely magnificent. I really like what
you’ve acquired right here, really like what you are saying
and the best way by which you assert it.
You are making it enjoyable and you still care for to stay it smart.
I cant wait to read far more from you. This is actually a
wonderful site.
Simply desire to say your article is as amazing. The clearness
in your post is simply spectacular and i can assume you are an expert on this subject.
Well with your permission allow me to grab your feed to keep updated with
forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please carry on the
gratifying work. 32hvAj4 cheap flights
Nice post. I was checking constantly this blog and I’m
inspired! Very helpful info specially the closing part 🙂 I deal with such info much.
I was seeking this particular info for a long time.
Thanks and best of luck. yynxznuh cheap flights
Right here is the perfect website for everyone who would like to understand this
topic. You realize so much its almost tough to argue with you (not that I personally will
need to…HaHa). You certainly put a fresh spin on a topic which has
been discussed for a long time. Wonderful stuff, just wonderful!
31muvXS cheap flights
Awesome! Its really amazing piece of writing, I have got much clear idea regarding from
this article. cheap flights 34pIoq5
I always used to study paragraph in news papers but now as I
am a user of internet therefore from now I am using net for content, thanks to web.
32hvAj4 cheap flights
Hi to all, the contents present at this web site are in fact awesome for people experience, well, keep up the
good work fellows. 32hvAj4 cheap flights
If you would like to grow your knowledge just keep visiting this web site and be updated with the newest gossip posted here.
Everyone loves it when folks get together and share views. Great blog, stick with it!
cheap flights yynxznuh
What’s up, all the time i used to check webpage posts here in the early hours in the break of day, as i enjoy to
find out more and more. y2yxvvfw cheap flights
Hi to every one, the contents present at this website are actually amazing for people knowledge, well, keep up the good work fellows.
cheap flights 3gqLYTc
I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your sites really
nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website
to come back down the road. Many thanks
Simply want to say your article is as surprising. The
clearness in your submit is just cool and i can suppose you are an expert on this subject.
Well with your permission let me to snatch your feed to stay updated with coming near near post.
Thanks a million and please continue the enjoyable work.
Thanks for some other informative web site.
The place else could I get that type of info written in such a perfect manner?
I’ve a challenge that I’m simply now operating on, and I have been at the
look out for such information.
Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular
post! It’s the little changes that produce the largest changes.
Thanks a lot for sharing!
Appreciate the recommendation. Will try it out.
It is not my first time to pay a visit this site,
i am visiting this web site dailly and obtain good information from here
everyday.
Wonderful, what a webpage it is! This blog presents helpful information to us, keep it up.
Great post! We are linking to this particularly great article on our website.
Keep up the great writing.
It’s enormous that you are getting ideas from this
post as well as from our discussion made at this place.
I used to be suggested this website via my cousin. I am not sure
whether this publish is written by way of him as no one
else recognise such specific approximately my trouble.
You’re amazing! Thank you!
Good article. I am going through many of these issues as well..
Hi there colleagues, how is everything, and what you would like to say regarding this paragraph, in my view its genuinely awesome in favor of me.
Informative article, just what I was looking for.
Thanks very interesting blog!
I am curious to find out what blog system you have been utilizing?
I’m experiencing some minor security issues with
my latest website and I would like to find something more
safeguarded. Do you have any recommendations?
Your means of telling everything in this article is really good, all can effortlessly be aware of it, Thanks a lot.
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wished to say that I have truly enjoyed surfing around your weblog posts.
After all I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I am hoping you write again very soon!
Greetings from California! I’m bored to tears at work so I decided to check out your website on my iphone during lunch break. I love the knowledge you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m shocked at how quick your blog loaded on my mobile .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, amazing blog!|
Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It really useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something back and aid others like you helped me.|
Доставка алкоголя якутск
Доставка алкоголя якутск
Hi, I wish for to subscribe for this webpage to obtain latest updates, so where can i do it please help out.
I am truly thankful to the owner of this web site who has
shared this fantastic post at at this place.
For most up-to-date news you have to go to see world wide web and
on the web I found this web page as a best site for latest updates.
Hello there! This blog post could not be written any better!
Reading through this article reminds me of my previous
roommate! He always kept preaching about this. I am going to forward this information to him.
Fairly certain he’s going to have a great read. Many thanks for sharing!
Amazing! Its really amazing article, I have got much
clear idea concerning from this article.
Hi! I know this is somewhat off-topic however I needed to ask.
Does building a well-established blog such as yours take a
lot of work? I’m completely new to running a blog however I do write in my journal everyday.
I’d like to start a blog so I can share my experience and feelings online.
Please let me know if you have any ideas or tips for brand new aspiring bloggers.
Appreciate it!
What i do not realize is in fact how you are no longer actually
much more well-liked than you may be now. You are very
intelligent. You know thus significantly in terms of this subject, produced me individually believe it
from numerous various angles. Its like women and men don’t seem to be involved except it is something
to do with Lady gaga! Your individual stuffs outstanding.
Always take care of it up!