Rimba Raid 3 – Mat Daling Ride

Rimba raid is an annual gathering of motorcycling enthusiasts started in 2015 at the vicinity of Kampung Bukit Mat Daling, Jerantut Pahang. 

Finally met the man, whom indirectly brought me into this world.

Led by Dato’ Captain Nik Huzlan (Capt), a prominent figure in adventure motorcycling circle, it was an event for offroad enthusiast, primarily for big dual-purpose (Big DP) bikes and enduro bikes.

I was hoping to join this gathering since the first event but our path hasn’t crossed until last weekend. The third instalment was held at the same place at Pak Engku Chalet where participant can choose either to rent a room or to camp.

This is my 2^nd time in Mat Daling and my last trip was in 2015 with Syahril Zulkifli

It was 6.25am on Saturday morning when I departed from home towards the first RV point at BHP Station, Karak Highway. By 7am, when I arrived, most participating riders, were already on site. Around 7.15am, a short briefing was held and we began riding towards Temerloh exit shortly after.

RV2 at Exit 819 Temerloh

We regrouped at Restoran Kak Ani at Kampung Paya Keladan after Exit 819 Temerloh and we had breakfast there. 

The weather that morning was beautiful with morning mist hovering along the Karak Highway and the traffic was light. The road surface on route 98 towards Jerantut was excellent and I passed Kuala Krau around 12 noon. We regrouped again at Caltex Jerantut Feri for the last petrol point before entering route 1508 towards Kuala Tahan. 

From here I rode with Asmaruddin, as I have promised him to stop at a scenic point for shooting.

We stopped just before Kampung Pagi and shoot the convoys passing through the beautiful terrain. 

Asmaruddin at work

Picture credit to Asmaruddin Jamaluddin

We arrived at Kampung Pagi around 1.30pm and the weather was scouring hot. A couple of dark cloud formations were visible, signs that we could be having rain later that day.

Capt briefed us around 10 minutes and we started riding into 65km offroad leading to Kampung Mat Daling afterwards. He led us into a river crossing just minutes after Kampung Pagi.

The water was deeper than I have anticipated and it has rocky bottom. I was stopped in the middle of the river when my front wheel hit a big rock and I took some time to ride across it. 

Picture credit to Asmaruddin Jamaluddin

Picture credit to Asmaruddin Jamaluddin

We converged back at the main road still under construction afterward and it was dusty journey into the jungle.

Ijal was the only participant riding Honda C70 to Mat Daling. He set off at 4am from Puchong to join us at Kampung Pagi

Ijal on C70 with elephants drop

Asmaruddin's fully loaded bike

Huge, moving obstacle is blocking us. All of us move aside and gave him a way to pass through.

Boy Razali on Super Tenere

Super fast ATV with women rider - superb!

Rider on the road! Riders to the rescue

Rider on the road again!

About 2km from Felcra Kampung Bantal gate, I slipped my front wheel, lost balance and fall. 2 other riders behind me helped to lift the bike and I continued riding to the gate.

From the gate we have 2 options to get to Mat Daling, which is through the Felcra road or through a track which Capt called Bukit Neraka (Hell’s Climb). Bukit Neraka has 3 steep climbs with soft and slippery surface while Felcra road is much easier option with only one mud pool. 

Felcra Kampung Bantal gate

Faudzi Din on Ducati Scrambler

Gate exit towards Mat Daling

Keeway Kimi

The mud pool was dry and compacted when we entered

Arrived at Kampung Mat Daling

I went in with other riders without any incidents and arrived at the chalet around 4.00pm.  About 5.15pm, after finished setting up our tents, we went to Tembeling River to bath, with a drizzle began pouring down.

Photo Credit to Yusuf Musa

Photo Credit to Yusuf Musa

After an hour dipping in the river, we went back to camp and clean ourselves. Most of us tested Ducati Scrambler and newly launched Multistrada 1200 Enduro.

We had dinner around 8.15pm and a live band started jamming as we were eating. Around 9pm, it began to drizzle again and it is still raining when I went to bed around 10.30pm.

Our dinner: Patin Lemak Tempoyak, Tilapia Sambal, Telur dadar & sambal hitam with rice

Rimba Raid: Day 2

After breakfast that morning, Saharudin and I went to the highest peak in that village, which stood around 168m high. The grass surface was still wet with morning dew and our bike couldn’t climb the steep trail. We parked our bike halfway through and walked to the summit. The summit was still covered with fog and it was slightly colder than the campsite.

Around 10.00am, the main event begin with enduro bike having a familiarization lap around the track.

Time-attack race for big DP bikes started soon afterwards but I was unable to join as my battery voltage dropped to 12V and I couldn’t start the engine. After borrowing a jumper cable, I can finally start the engine but it was too late to join the time attack.
(Update: it is my starter relay that was kaput)

About 4.00pm, we went to Kampung Bantal by bike and took a boat ride across Tembeling River. We went sightseeing around the village by foot and spent an hour there. We were back in Mat Daling around 6.15pm and we went into the river again. Some of the participant went out this afternoon after the main event had finished.

Picture Credit to Asmaruddin Jamaluddin

Picture Credit to Asmaruddin Jamaluddin

Picture Credit to Asmaruddin Jamaluddin

Another C70 found!

Washed out Kembara, since 2014 big flood

The Fellowship of the River (Photo Credit to Asmaruddin Jamaluddin)

The rain started pouring down around 7pm and we had dinner under the main tent. The live band begin jamming around 9pm and I went to bed around 10.30pm.

Rimba Raid: Final Day

It was a misty morning and I started packing soon after breakfast.

Coffee by the lake

As soon as I have finished packing, I was invited to join a group of Super Tenere, Tiger XC, 650 GS Sertao and F800 riders to ride out to Kampung Pagi. We took time to sample out a few bikes that was available that morning.

Picture Credit to Ijal Lali - F800 GS courtesy of Acap

After a photograph session, I began riding with about 20 mixed big DP bikes around 9.30am.

It was still cloudy when we entered Felcra road and the surface was more slippery than Saturday. The big pool section was wet and filled with mud. With help from other riders I ride slowly across it but just after the pool I slipped my front wheel and dropped. All of us worked together to get passed this section to the Felcra gate.

  

The next section climbing was slippery and we climbed slowly. It began to improve afterwards and the road surfaces were dry gravel and dust soon after.

We arrived at Kampung Pagi around 11.30am and some of us said goodbye here. I rode with Ridwan on Super Tenere from here heading towards Jerantut Feri. We stopped for fuel, increasing tyre pressure and lunch at Caltex Jerantut Feri.

I said goodbye to Ridwan at Karak Highway, continue to ride towards Rawang solo and arrived home around 4pm.

It was a very good event for offroad motorcylists enthusiast to mingle around and exchanges stories with each other. Having the chance to try out other bike around the event site is also fun and very exciting. For those who are feeling competitive, taking part in a time attack is a good chance to gauge your skills and guts. Thank you Faudzi Din to invite me to join this event and leading us into the camp on Saturday.

Picture Credit to Asmaruddin Jamaluddin

Rimba Raid 3 - Time Attack Result
(Big DP Category - Credit to Faudzi Din)

1) Wong Chung Hing- KTM ADVENTURE 1190  (5:32:24)

2) Affendy Bin Syed Omar -BMW GSA 1200 (5:54:56)

3) Loo Soon Meng - KTM ADVENTURE  990 (6:15:91)

4) Suffri Umar - TRIUMPH Tiger (6:29:34)

5) Doc Suhaimi Bin Said - BMW GS 800 (6:25:43)

6)Tunku Mezal (DewaAhboy) - TRIUMPH street Scramblers

7) Norizuan Abdullah - BMW GSA 1200 (7:01:71)

8) Ghazi Fawas - (7:04:20)

9) Mohd Asri Md Ismail - BMW R1200 GS Adventure (7:05:14)

10) Soo Theng Seong - KTM 690 Enduro (7:11:32)

11) Amir Hamzah - DUCATI Scrambler Urban Enduro (7:15:16)

12) Rahimi Bin Dollah - KTNS RS3 (7:18:23)

13) no name -   BMB 8475 -      (7:45:17)

14) Muhammad Yusup Bin Musa -BMW F 800 (8:08:23)

15) Lee Yow Cherng - BMW F800GSA (10:41:05)

16) Mark Kon Weng - Kawasaki Versys 650 ( 11:40:56)

*17) Zulkifli Zainal Abidin - BMW - 1200 GS - Disqualified

*18) Saharuddin Jumali -Yamaha XT 1200 - Disqualified