Towards the end of May this year, we were invited to the World Of Motorcycles shop in Centurion to attend the opening of the new Royal Enfield dealership. Jos Matthysen, who heads up the store, made a bold promise that evening. The first few people who bought Royal Enfields from World Of Motorcycles would be treated to, as he termed it, ‘A Royal Night Out’. As I was one of the first people to buy a Himalayan, I was quite pleased when I got my formal invitation to the World Of Motorcycles Royal Night Out. The invitation was beautifully presented with golden letters on a blue background. The dates were set, and as with the bike, I was probably one of the first people to send my RSVP.
As someone who has successfully organised a few Ducati Mystery Rides, Jos was tight-lipped as to our final destination. With only the distance to be covered on both days known, the guessing started. I thought I knew Jos well enough to know that he loves the bushveld. That made most of us guess somewhere north. As we lined up in front of the World Of Motorcycles shop, the destination was still a mystery. Before we could set off, though, we had to go for a quick rider briefing, and receive our goodie bags. The bags each contained a cap and mug, all emblazoned with the Royal Night Out logo.
We set off just after 7:30, and as we turned toward Krugersdorp, everyone was still quite confident about their guesses. We rode through the Cradle of Humankind, negotiating a lot of cyclists, but instead of turning north after that, we headed ever further south-west, in the direction of Carltonville. Jos said that we would be having a late breakfast at around 10, which could only mean Parys.
In Parys, we had a delightful breakfast at Plum Tree restaurant. They served big mugs of coffee with even bigger rusks. After that, a hearty breakfast arrived, complete with my favourite ‘krummelpap’.
The next stop would be the town of Petrus Steyn, and Jos gave the riders who wanted to ride gravel roads the option to go with Braam Smit. Knowing my propensity to make motorcycles fall over at the mere sight of sand made me choose the tar road with all the others. My Himalayan did get a slight workout, nonetheless, as the roadworks before Heilbron made us ride next to the road anyway. We had two Royal Enfield Super Meteors in the group, and with its short suspension travel, I was feeling sorry for both rider and bike on this section.
Past Heilbron, the road did improve, and we regrouped in Petrus Steyn. By now, it was clear that we were heading towards Clarens. We headed through Bethlehem, and before we got to Clarens, we stopped at the Ash River Outfall. This construction formed part of the Lesotho Highlands water project. The project was to construct a water-carrying tunnel from one of the dams high up in Lesotho, to feed into the Ash river. This 38-kilometre-long tunnel is known as the Trans Caledon tunnel and supplies the Ash river with around 1.27 billion cubic metres of water each year.
After our history lesson, Jos took us to the Mont d’Or Hotel, and, being Jos, made sure we had a room and that everything was in order with it. We set a time to meet for dinner, which left me some time for photos. I asked Jos if I could take the Bear 650 for my sunset shoot. Hearing about my plans, two fellow riders, Schalk and Ivan, tagged along. Even though the sun was mostly behind the clouds, the beauty of Clarens on a motorcycle was very difficult to put into words. The Bear is a raw, naked motorcycle. Fitted with knobblies, it sure makes for interesting riding on the twisty sections! We got some fantastic shots, and headed back to Clarens when we ran out of daylight.
We all met up at Gosto restaurant and, being a small group of like-minded people, I found it easy to connect with everyone. Of course, no ride with Jos is complete without fines for various transgressions being dished out. Our fines master, Anton, did a sterling job of meting out punishments, all in good spirits though. Yours truly was also duly fined for “not opting for the gravel route”. The restaurant served a mean rib-eye steak, and the food was really tops! A passionate busker entertained us with his melodious voice. I always wonder about these people – about their hopes and dreams, and what they set themselves to achieve in life.
We were all pretty knackered by the end of the day, and that evening a thunderstorm rolled in and lightning lit up the night sky. As I closed my eyes, I could hear a heavy downpour outside. It was the perfect bookend for the day.
The next morning, I was hesitant to look out the window. I was ill-prepared for wet weather, but again, a beautiful, crisp morning awaited the 18 riders. The air had a nip in it, but not enough to make it unpleasant. Jos led us out of town and through the Golden Gate National Park. We took one of the side roads through the park, and then he called us all together.
He instructed us to take our bikes up to any spot on the side road, stop, and take ten minutes to disconnect from life for a while to just soak in nature. Just be still, and take it all in. From where I sat, I could see Royal Enfields dotted all over the mountain road. Everyone had their moment. Their quiet time. It really was a spiritual experience. As we headed out of the park, I left a piece of my heart behind. I want to come back and reconnect with that moment sometime in the future.
We headed toward Kestell, and on to Reitz. Here, the road was in such a bad state that I felt my Himalayan was getting a proper workout. Somewhere near the middle of the section, there was a sign that read ‘Potholes’. I found it amusing that they were using the plural form. They might as well have just put ‘pothole’, as this is exactly what this section was.
Past Reitz, the road did improve, and we headed to Villiers. The backup van went ahead, and by the time we got to Villiers, they had already set up tables, and the coals were well on their way to being ready for preparing our lunch. They initially went to the local holiday resort, but they had some issues with us being there, so they found a lovely line of bluegum trees across from the cemetery instead. So even if our location was a bit dodgy, our final meal together was something we will remember for a long time.
Jos and his World Of Motorcycles team put together a spectacular event for us, inducting us into the Royal Enfield family. Ronel, Wayne, Braam, Sean and Louis (affectionately named ‘Outlaw’) all contributed to making this event a resounding success. From here, we all went our separate ways, but not before the question was asked: “When is the next one?” Jos was quick to add that he wants to make this an annual event, and maybe expand it to more than two days. You can sign me up already, Jos!
This was a gentle ride, as we had a few 350s in the mix, but I would not have wanted it any other way. This is the way I love to travel. I loved the moment we had to ourselves – it is these small gestures that make travelling with Jos so special. Thanks, Jos! Until we ride again!
