On a recent road trip, which my wife Meredith and I dubbed “the ultimate road trip”, we got to experience the ever-so-green and beautiful Garden Route and Cape Town’s surrounds. The Garden Route naturally slows you down to a “smelling of the roses” pace, not because we started our trip driving a Suzuki Jimny but because there’s so much to see, taste and experience. You do see a lot when racing down a road isn’t your primary objective; in other words, it’s all about the route and not so much about the end destination. You name it, and you’ll see it along the Garden Route, from forestry landscapes and sandy beaches to towering cliffs and unforgettable mountain passes. It’s a must for anyone who loves the great outdoors and for those who enjoy a constant change in scenery, which changes from town to town.
Although the Garden Route is a top pick for those who love the open road, I’ve always heard people and especially my motorcyclist friends, rave about what’s waiting in Cape Town’s surroundings. Being a mountain pass fan since childhood, I’ve tried ticking most of them off: Long Tom Pass, the “22” (R536), Sani Pass, Outeniqua Pass (N9), Meiringspoort (N12), Helshoogte Pass (R310), etc. So, as we reached the end of the Garden Route on our ultimate road trip and started heading towards the Cape, my bucket list riding roads were slowly starting to approach, I’m talking about Franschhoek Pass (R45), Clarence Drive (R44), Bains Kloof Pass (R301) and Chapman’s Peak.
The only thing we needed was to trade our four-wheeled companion for a two-wheeled companion. That “need” was quickly met after paying Dave Griffin at FAST. Cape Town, a visit. The name “FAST” might ring a bell to you Gautengers, and that’s because the FAST. KTM franchise has been well established in Alberton under the name FAST. Johannesburg, which has worn the Orange crown as they’ve held the KTM Dealer title for the last five years, and they’ve held the GASGAS Dealer of the Year title for three years. With that said, it’s fair to say that Nathaniel Do Amaral, Dave Griffen (the guys behind FAST. KTM), and their passionate team of employees have built an extremely successful and reputable reputation as a motorcycle dealership.
You can find FAST. Cape Town, nestled amongst the nest of motorcycle stores and the motorcycle accessory juggernaut Bike Kings on 46 Marine Drive in Paarden Eiland—conveniently established almost at the halfway mark between the CBD and the Northern suburbs. Anything Orange, Red or Blue, FAST. Cape Town has got you covered, from steamy coffee, fanwear and motorcycle accessories to the latest machines on the block and a workshop that is set up to take on some serious work as well as deliver quick turnaround times.
After Dave showed us around the dealership, he recommended a Husqvarna Norden 901 for our ventures around the Cape and gave us a recommended route to ride and a stunning stopover at Ayama wines to score points with the wife.
So, our two-wheeled journey began with our maiden voyage taking us from our stay over in Bloubergstrand up to the breathtaking Chapmans Peak Drive, and when I say breathtaking, I mean it! This beautiful stretch of tarmac that essentially hangs off the side of a cliff is a road that truly holds its reputation of being one of the world’s most spectacular marine drives. It might not be a canyon carver’s dream because of the sheer drops and countless tourists, but man, it is a view you can’t beat.
From “Chappies”, Meredith chose the next stretch, which would lead to a photograph she’s wanted to capture for a while. This could only be the famous Muizenberg Beach Huts, huts that were built in the early 1900s as changing rooms for beachgoers across the world. Because Muizenberg was such an attraction back in the day, they invested in their own. Over the years, our societal norms relaxed somewhat and “bathing machines”, as they were formally known, were done away with. However, Muizenberg, with the help of the City of Cape Town, have preserved these huts and has cleverly painted them in colourful colours as a testament to the area’s rich heritage.
After some snaps at the huts, a lunch in quirky Kalk Bay, and a quick two-way blast down Clarence Drive, we turned off the sea route and headed inland towards Durbanville for a dinner with some close family. Honestly, I’m jealous of anyone who stays in the Cape. Cape Town isn’t exactly my cup of tea, but boy, all the best roads are either a few kilometres away or just a few minutes of commuting from. For us Gautengers, it’s anywhere from two to three hours of riding before we get anything twisty or beautiful to bask in. Sure, Hartbeespoort is a stone’s throw away, but it just doesn’t compare. For example, we got to ride one of the best sea side routes in the world, see a colourful heritage site on the beach, taste some world class chow and enjoy some country side riding much like back home in GP, all in less than 200 km with no numb bum over an afternoon—matchless.
Our last ride on the 901 was one of the best rides to date, just under 240 km of riding through the best wine routes in the country and three completely different but equally stunning mountain passes. From our base in Bloubergstrand, we headed out on Dave’s recommended route, which saw us head up to Ayama wines through the gem that is Philadelphia and then onto Slent road, which offers riders endless rolling vineyard hills with the occasional tractor pulling a couple of tons of grapes. These roads are in fantastic condition, and all one needs to look out for is grapes that have fallen off the back of a trailer, as they are extremely slippery and can bring your awesome ride to an abrupt end.
Meredith and I call Ayama “little Italy” as this vineyard is Italian through and through, from the owners to the grapes, starters, mains and dessert. It’s a place that’s proud of its heritage, but at the same time, it has a bit of South African aftertaste to it as well. A wine tasting for the Mrs, a pasta and a tiramisu later, we were back on the road to enjoy another twisty pass.
Bainskloof is an 18-kilometre stretch of “how the heck did they build this in 1854?” Andrew Geddes Bain built this stretch of hanging road 171 years ago, and it was the primary gateway to the northern parts of South Africa until Du Toitskloof Pass was built in 1949.
‘Bain’s’ is a narrow road that flows through what almost feels like a nature reserve with over hanging trees and then as you start to climb the already narrow road feels like it sucks in its stomach. Once at the top, you get to bask in a beautiful view of the valleys below, and towards the end of Bain’s, you ride right up against the mountain’s rock face with a few rock formations hanging over the road and flowing rivers on the opposite side.
Bain’s led us to Slanghoek Valley, which translates to “Snake Corner”, and no, it’s not because there are plenty of slithering limbless reptiles, but interestingly enough, its name is derived from the winding Slanghoek River that meanders through the area. Besides the fast-flowing road and vibrant colours, Slanghoek is known to produce the best Chenin Blanc wines in the world. So, while your wife enjoys the grapes, you can enjoy the ride.
With us riding Bain’s earlier that day and knowing a bit more history, I wanted to find out how the construction of roads had differed from 1854 (Bain’s) to 1949 (Du Toitskloof Pass). Du Toitskloof is a pass that you can stretch some cable on. The road isn’t as smooth as Bain’s, but it is wider, has more runoff, and has armco safety barriers rather than massive rocks to stop a runoff. It’s safe to say that the safety standards have been upgraded since the early pioneers of mountain pass travel started, but it is very impressive to see old roads like these still being maintained, brought to modern-ish standards and somewhat preserved for the next generation.
Nowadays, Du Toitskloof hasn’t been completely forgotten about, but is somewhat forgotten due to the Huguenot tunnel. This 3.9 km tunnel was built back in 1988 and helped shorten the commute from Worcester to Paarl by 11 km. It has helped people save millions of litres of fuel and generate money to keep the roads in tip top condition, but we petrolheads want mountain passes not tunnels, I know for a fact that I’ll probably never see the inside of that tunnel after experiencing Du Toitskloof Pass, unless it is bucketing down with rain of course.
As we dropped into Paarl, we had to make a very tough decision due to very strong winds; we are talking about 31 km/h winds, and the sun was beginning to dip. We, unfortunately, had to skip the peg scratchers’ paradise that is the Franschhoek Pass. Maybe next time we’ll bring our leathers and ride a Duke on one of South Africa’s best passes. Until then, we will never be happy and forever be envious of those who stay so near and haven’t been!
As for the Norden 901, it proved once again how good a travel companion it is. We at ZA Bikers have ridden Husqvarna’s Norden range far and wide, from East to West and from North to South and even across the border in Botswana. On this trip we spent 90% of our time riding on the tarmac and for such an occasion the base specced Norden was perfectly suited for the task offering Meredith and I a very comfortable seat with heating, cruise control, a light two up fuel average of 5,1 L/100km at a speed between 135 and north, good wind protection for my 176 cm frame and ergonomics that made us want to spend more time in the saddle.
For someone who is looking for a twin cylinder that makes you giggle every time you twist the throttle from Monday to Sunday, on tarmac or off-road, single rider or pillion, this machine always impresses. The “plenty of go” and character are matched with plenty of standard features like the up and down quickshifter, tubeless wheels, integrated spotlights, adjustable headlight beam, two USB charge ports, cruise control, and top-of-the-line rider aids—making the Norden the perfect choice for adventure and so much more.
As we speak, FAST. Cape Town are running a promotion or blowout special on their Norden 901 machines, basically offering riders a R30,000 deal assistance while stocks last. Also worth mentioning is that the Husqvarna Norden comes with KTM’s/Husqvarna’s Premium Manufacturer’s Warranty, which helps reassure customers riding into the future. What this warranty essentially covers is all the new 2023, 2024, and 2025 street and travel motorcycles with the LC8 or LC8c engine platform, with a warranty that stretches to 4 years.
So, if you are in the market for an incredible adventure bike that now offers even more bang for the buck, a motorcycle that rolls off the showroom floor adventure-ready, visit – www.fastcapetown.co.za
