The HP2 Jamboree

The idea for an HP2 event started way back in March 2010 and the guys on the Wild Dog Forum have been talking a storm about it - 56 pages to be exact - but I never read or partook in that thread for obvious reasons. When I got an invite days before the actual event I quickly familiarized myself with what's happening and before I knew it I was on my way to the HP2 Jamboree - on a TransAlp!

This party was no small thing. There were attendees coming from all over - Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Grahamstown, PE, Gauteng - you name it. I live less than a 100km from the venue so I only left on the Friday afternoon via the forest route.

And what a route it is!

I was riding along taking in all the sights, sounds and smells, leaving a stressful week behind.

These forests are magical. Sometimes I'll stop and just listen. Instant tranquility.

It was still Friday afternoon and most people were still working. As I came around a corner and spotted some horses. I immediately killed the engine as to not spook them and soon saw that these horses were also working still. Even in this modern day and age they remain a better option to move around in the forest over difficult terrain and recover the tree trunks being harvested.

I waited for them to disappear back into the plantation before I started up and headed along.

On these roads sometimes the forest canopy totally closes overhead. You ride along having been swallowed by the forest in a dark green "tunnel". Suddenly you feel a bit colder and you smell the damp forest floor, only to be spat out again into the warm sunlight and bright light. It's a total sensory experience. I love it!

I have said this before and I will say it again - it is such a privilege to live and ride in this area. One must never ever become blase about it.

I arrived at Angie's in De Vlugt to find... no-one.

Did I have the right venue? Luckily Fenderbender emerged and I knew I was at the right spot. The other riders haven't arrived yet, still playing on those insane 1200cc scramblers.

I pitched my tent and as the riders started arriving the party started in all earnest.

Jacko right after he accidentally swallowed a mouthful of neat rum.

Unfortunately I did not take a lot of pics on the first night but it was one hell of a party!

The food was great too - with three huge potjies having been prepared: Curry Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork and a delicious lamb stew all served with home baked bread. Everybody clicked instantly and my fears of being a "odd man out" was totally unfounded. I am personally not a fan of one-brand-only rides or gatherings (as can be seen in my Ride Reports that always has a "mengelmoes" of bikes and brands of all sizes), but this was different. There were no snobs or elitists, just a bunch of guys with a common interest partying up a storm.

I have no idea what the time was when we went to our tents, but I am pretty certain it was in the small hours.

The next morning we were up surprisingly early. Some pics around the campsite:

Luckystriker's World:

007:

And all the HP guys:

Jacko's "Witblits" aptly named Raka:

BMWPE's HP2 with the bigger tank:

What I really liked about these HP2's were the fact that each and every one was different, customized to each owner's specific needs.

Big Dom on his very farkled HP2:

Cool number plate:

There were HP's all over, all different:

Jacko got his little shop going and started handing out the event shirts, HP2 shoes etc:

Some guys decided to have an early start on their outrides today, while others (me included) had breakfast first. The food this weekend was excellent!

(Photo by Dustdevil)

Various groups headed out on different rides. I decided to do my own thing today, riding solo and looking for all the points of interest on Prince Alfred's Pass (as seen in the first post). Usually when I ride over this pass I am in a group and do not have the time to stop for every little thing. Today I had a whole day to explore the pass, the points of interest and De Vlugt. Bliss.

The other guys had longer rides in mind, some pics of that ride courtesy of Fenderbender:

Later, back at Angie's I ran into Cassie, LGF and Rocstoma who were on their own ride.

We hijacked Cassie, convincing him to stay the night and LGF and Rocstompa continued their ride at a faster pace.

Meanwhile another HP2 arrived from Knysna - once again a unique bike.

(Photo by Losper)

We had a relaxed afternoon with some cold ones waiting for the guys to return.

Harold preparing dinner on the spit:

Meanwhile Paulsky arrived on his KTM, complete with KTM gear and tent.

Luckystriker chilin', watching the rugby:

Cassie needed a place to sleep so I lent him my army bivvie. He had a spot right next to the tap (yeah, I know, what followed later was inevitable

)

With everybody back the party continued!

Dinner: That lamb has been on that spit since 9am that morning. I can not describe how tender that meat was - it basically fell of the bone. Yum!

(Photo by BermRooster)

Fenderbender sporting his new HP2 shoes.

(Photo by Fenderbender)

Leker plek - lekker mense!

After dinner Harold even treated us with the biker cult movie "On any Sunday".

What a weekend.

The party continued into the wee hours, with riders going to sleep one by one. Cassie went to sleep before the others... Big mistake!

(Photo by BermRooster)

Sleeping with his head next to a tap was not the best idea...

He also realized the next morning that his bike mysteriously disappeared during the night.

Luckily this time his bike was not hung in a tree like happened at the Outriders event in Oudtshoorn:

Paulsky also found new objects around his bike.

(Photo by Cassie)

The last morning and time for the group photos. I wonder if this many HP2's have been together at a gathering in South Africa before?

A last breakfast before everybody said their goodbyes and headed home.

(Photo by Paulsky)

I took a slow and leisurely ride home, very happy hat I didn't have to ride hundreds of kilometers after consecutive late nights.

Some random pics of the ride home: