I finally figured out how to post pictures of the forum. You might believe my stories more readily now.
Set off fishing into the mountains yesterday, stopping at the local pub, pizzeria, post office and store to get post and some bread and milk before they shut. Left the stuff at the pub which would be open when I got back. Met Rod (nickname Faulty) who had taken his 26 year old Suzuki 650 out for a ride on a beautiful spring day.
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I admired the Victory's chrome and curve. Rod is confirmed bachelor and she takes pride of place in his living room where you might find a wife in another house. He rebuilt her from derelict condition some years back. Now he is lving in the countryside he reckons he has another roadbike he is selling and will buy something else for the dirt roads like the TW which he admired. He said he is looking at a Honda CTX 200. They have been the TWs competitor on the farms here since the 80s. You can buy them complete with racks quite a bit cheaper than the TW. Those of you in the first world won't know them since they were not aimed at or sold in that market. I did a little research:
http://www.visordown.com/features/honda-ctx200-vs-lesotho/17830.html
http://trailriderreports.blogspot.com/2006/10/bike.html
I went fishing down at the river on a mountain track that the fishing club said is four wheel drive only. I did well with one wheel drive and went where 4x4s can't go to get through rocks and swamps right onto the river. The Brown trout were not feeding in the river but on the way back the rainbows were rising in the lake which was stocked a year ago by the club when they took it over, but is still closed while the fish grow.
I had to stop and watch. It was a bit frustrating and the Nikon could not do justice to the sunset colours with our Inhlosane mountain reflecting on the water.
I stopped back at the pub on the way and had a few beers with the owner. His manager rides a chinese 250 Bashan to work which costs nearly a third of the price of a TW but he has had more problems with his new bike than I have had with my 1995 TW. You can see his bike skulking in the background.
I have found another 1995 for sale an hour away which I might buy as a spares department or as a project to make a pavement commuter. R3500 is $438. What do you think?
http://durban.gumtree.co.za/c-Cars-...-200-OFF-ON-ROAD-SCRAMBLER-W0QQAdIdZ316528651
The guy says he spent nearly that much at Yamaha on engine spares and has a good CDi. Am going to go and look at it and take my bike on the van to see if it will run with his CDi. He says he has the parts missing off the bike in the picture but abandoned ship whern the payments never came. If I offer him less say $400 it will still be worth it in spares methinks.
Malcolm
