Cape Town’s motorcyclists are evangelists for the Mother City. We can’t help it—not only do we have amazing scenery, food and people, but the riding here is top notch. Tell a local motorcyclist that you’re visiting Cape Town, and he or she is likely to drop everything to take you riding.

Which is exactly what I did, when ZA Bikers editor-in-chief, Simon Morton, informed me that he was heading to Cape Town for the holidays. I hit back with my standard response: “Of course we’ll go riding. It’ll be amazing. You’ll love it.”

We put a call into our friends at Triumph South Africa, and managed to hustle a couple of bikes via their Cape Town service centre, MHM Motorcycles. Then I mapped out one of my go-to routes—a 250 km loop that includes Helshoogte Pass, Franschhoek Pass, the Elgin Valley, Clarence Drive, and very little highway.

If you’re a local, you should know it well. If you’ve never ridden it, stop reading right now and go tick it off the list immediately. It combines some of the Cape’s best roads with some of its best vistas—and it’s one of the best days out you can have on two wheels.

Triumph have a few bikes in their line-up that would have smashed that particular route, but Simon and I had planned to take it easy. So we opted for supreme style—and picked up the Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster and Bonneville Bobber Black.

Both bikes are proof that Triumph’s modern classics are about both style and substance. Under the hood, they’re powered by the same punchy 1 200 cc parallel twin motor, good for 106 Nm of torque. It’s a gem of a motor, with enough grunt to launch the bikes off the line and fire them out of corners. And it’s backed up by an equally good fuelling, clutch and gearbox package.

Simon went for the Speedmaster, which meant his ride was decidedly more comfortable than mine, thanks to a well-padded seat and forward pegs. I hopped on the Bobber Black—and began questioning my life choices about 50 km into the ride.

Don’t get me wrong—I absolutely love the Bobber Black (so much so that I hung onto it for an extra couple of weeks after the ride). But its mid controls, drag-style bars and slim, cantilevered seat make it more suited to bombing around the city, than munching miles and miles of countryside. So we broke the ride up with breakfast and lunch stops—and plenty of photo ops too—which gave my back and legs lots of time to recover.

And whenever we stopped, both bikes were mobbed by passersby. It was totally expected; the Bobber Black’s burly, murdered-out aesthetic, and the Speedmaster’s classy black and white livery, are both impossible to ignore. I almost felt sorry for my friends, Stephen and Teresa, whose Yamaha XT660 and Honda CRF250L didn’t get quite as much attention.

But the day wasn’t about bragging rights, or even brand bashing. It was about buds on bikes—soaking up the scenery, chatting away, comparing notes and collectively taking a breather from everyday life. Between Ou Meul Bakkery in Simondium’s R49 breakfast special, and pies at the insanely popular Peregrine in Grabouw, there was plenty of time to wag chins.

In between, we put the Bobber Black and Speedmaster well through their paces. Even though our route included some relaxed stretches, it also included my two favourite roads: Franschhoek Pass and Clarence Drive.

Once we’d shuffled our way through the tourists overrunning Franschhoek, the famous pass unwound before us. It’s as much fun going up as it is going down, with endless turns, and sprawling views on both sides of the mountain.

Clarence Drive—the road that stretches from Rooi Els to Gordons Bay—is even more epic. Think of it as a long ribbon that twists and tilts alongside False Bay’s shoreline. I’ve ridden both pieces of road many, many times, and I’m still not bored of either.

Neither Triumph has much ground clearance—so on roads like these, you either need to take it easy, or push as hard as possible until the peg meets asphalt. “I just adapted my riding style to suit the bikes laid back ergonomics,” Simon tells me, “and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings that I was in—as opposed to riding as if I was on a race track.”

The day ended up being a mixed bag of chilling and hustling; riding and shooting the breeze. There’s a million ways to show a friend the Cape—but I’ll pick the back of a motorcycle every time.

Located approximately 8500 kilometres away from South Africa across the Indian Ocean, Indonesia is a world on its own. ZA Bikers went on a motorcycle trip over the two islands of Java and Bali, to discover how different they can be, as well as enjoying the essence of slow pace touring on a Royal Enfield Bullet 500.

Indonesia is surely a world on its own. The country is a sprawling mass of 17508 islands where over 700 dialects are spoken. There are 268 million inhabitants, 87% of them being Muslims, which makes it by far the biggest Muslim country in the world. There are over 400 volcanoes, of which more than a hundred are still active and unfortunately, Mother Nature wakes up more often than not, with resulting natural disasters.

The biggest island, Java, covers nearly a tenth of South Africa’s surface area, however, Java hosts 168 million inhabitants, over three times the South African population… Density is the keyword.

When it comes to motorcycles, Indonesia is also a world on its own! In 2017, 5886103 two-wheelers were sold! Yes, nearly six million! However, the market is suffering a recession, as more than 7 millions units were sold in 2012 – if only South African recessions where this mild.. Hey?

Honda is, by far, the giant, with a steady 74,5 % market share, followed by Yamaha (22,9 %), Kawasaki (1,3 %) and Suzuki (1,2 %). Locals are passionate about motorcycling and racing but although you’ll find millions of “99”, “93” and “46” stickers on the machines, it’s mainly a scooter country, as the best seller is the Honda Vario, a big wheel commuter.

On the main streets of most villages, I was surprised to cross a “start” and “finish” line. Reason: drag racing is popular amongst youngsters and the best racers are seen as heroes and can make quick money.

It’s not compulsory to ride with daylights, but wearing a helmet is, although the rule is barely obeyed, especially in the rural areas. The most popular motorcycle gear is by far… wait for it, flip-flops! However, we dressed in full riding gear to cover nearly 1600 kilometres of road over the Bali and Java islands.

A genuine tourer!

Surrounded by several dozen 150cc scooters, the Royal Enfield looks like a genuine tourer. With 28 hp, compared to approximately 10 for most of the two-wheelers encountered on the road, the Bullet has enough torque for easy overtaking and making its own way. You can’t really ride fast in Indonesia and this is why the Bullet is the perfect weapon for touring. Due to the traffic density and the amount of trucks, reaching 80 km/h is not so easy on the main roads as well as in the countryside, where the tar is not much wider than a Toyota Avanza. (These tall-narrow-and rather-ugly MPV’s sell like hotcakes there, and it’s easy to understand why, due to the road conditions). You find yourself mostly cruising between 50 and 60 km/h.

Indonesia is definitely not a big, wide open-space country, such as SA, but our tour guide whipped up some magic. After comprehensive research on all sorts of modern tools (such as Google Maps and Google Earth), he managed to find some extraordinary routes through exotic, charming and out of this world paths in the middle of primary forests, inhabited by the local version of the Big Five, being monkeys, varan-lizard, cobras, giant bats and last but definitely not least, some lone tigers!

The first couple of kilometres were done near the Sacred Monkey Forest natural area; and predictably, there are monkeys all around and when you stop, you need to be careful to not leave a pair of gloves or a set of keys around or else they will be stolen. Although to be fair, the local monkeys are not aggressive, like the Capetownian baboons. After this first taste of the Indonesian wild life, our tour guide, François, shared with us his deep knowledge of the Indonesian countryside and suddenly, our ride took on a different dimension. We find ourselves surrounded by a patchwork of several shades of bright green, being rice plantations, which nearly cover every square centimetre of the Indonesian countryside. Their clever irrigation system and shape of the terraces are so unique that UNESCO classify some of them as World Heritage Sites, such as the Jatiluwih, in Bali.

Much more diverse than it seems

Twelve days Adventure riding and Indonesia reveals its wonders – a lot of people, a lot of rice plantations, Hindus in Bali and Muslims in Java. You can’t assume that Indonesia is simple – it isn’t; it’s busy and it’s complicated.

In the heart of Java island, we start to get into altitudes as high as 2300 metres above sea level, a mission which our Bullet coped with very easily, thanks to the torque of the thumper. Here in Java, there is another cultural group settled in the mountains called the Tenggers and they offered us, by chance, an extraordinary night, as we stayed over at the remote city of Podokoyo. They live in some 30 villages around a volcanic area, where the perfectly round craters of the Bromo and the Semeru volcanoes shape the landscape and are visible from a dozen kilometres away as they eject a small cloud of gas every twenty minutes or so.

Reading in the stars, a local Shaman decides on an evening of celebration. The Tengger believe in the man-horse divinity. Tonight there is no other Westerner in sight but we quickly find ourselves surrounded by a dozen Tenggers, each one bearing a friendly smile and over-excited mind. Twelve Tenggers – in gold and purple outfits, complete with bells and trinkets, start a dance while straddling small wooden horses that are as colourful as the ‘riders’. The dancing becomes more and more animated; the Shaman contributing to the rising tempo by slamming his lash on the ground. A pot is filled with flowers, eggs, rice and the contents of a small perfume bottle. When this is done one of the wooden horse ‘riders’ drops to the floor, gathers up the pot, drinks half of its contents and throws the rest over his head. From here on in, things get much wilder. The drum beats deepen and the dancers become more and more ecstatic and entranced, some of them rolling their eyes back into their heads, a trickle of saliva dribbling from their mouths. Soon the scene turns into a frenzy where it becomes difficult to disassociate people from horses. One of the Tengger grabs a live chicken, rips its neck with his teeth, drinks some of the blood then shares it with whoever looks interested. Not content to end it here another celebrant takes a neon tube, breaks it, gathers together the shards and starts to eat some of them. I take this as my cue to leave the party and get some sleep. Was it a dream? Or was it true?, I ask myself.

The next morning’s ride brings us back to reality. After a lekker morning of sand riding around the volcanoes, we ride down again to sea level, going across an incredibly dense primary forest in which, for sure, tigers, cobras and many monkeys abound. Indonesia is truly fascinating and blessed with a variety of natural wonders…

Acknowledgements: many thanks to Vintage Ride travel agency, who gave us the opportunity to discover the Indonesian marvels. If you are tempted, several dates are scheduled for 2019. For more information visit www.vintagerides.travel .

You also might meet our tour guide François as he will now be leading the Vintage Rides tours in the Western Cape. Check out if you meet a bunch of Enfield riders near Worcester or Paarl.  

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A TOUCH OF THE KAROO

Cast the window wider, sonny;
Let me see the veld
Rolling grandly to the sunset
Where the mountains melt;
With the sharp horizon round it.
Like a silver belt

Years and years I’ve trekked across it;
Ridden back and fore
Till the silence and the grandeur
Ruled me to the core;
No one ever knew it better;
None could love it more.

There’s a balm for crippled spirits;
In the open view.
Running from your very footsteps
Out into the blue.
Like a wagon track to heaven.
Straight ‘twixt God and you.

There’s a spot I know of sonny,
Yonder by the stream;
Bushes handy for the fire,
Water for the team.
By the old outspan sonny,
Let me lie and dream.
P. GIBBON.

At 4.40 am on the 17th of December I rolled out on to the N1 highway on my heavily laden metal beast of burden, my orange and black Kawasaki KLR 650, affectionately nicknamed “the Killer bee”. KLR, killer, get it? I was expecting a really hot ride so wanted to exploit the cool of the morning to allow me to smash some serious k’s before the day got really warm. My destination for day one was the lovely little Karoo town of Nieu Bethesda, 30 odd k’s before Graaff-Reinet. It is always difficult to wear the right kit for early morning starts, when the wind chill factor can make one quite nippy. Too warm a jacket becomes a heavy liability later in the day, so I dress in layers, with a wind proof shell over my airflow jacket. The sky was heavily brushed with clouds which leaked the odd drop on me as I skirted a still silent Jo’burg and on to the Grasmere toll plaza which was experiencing a traffic jam. Rows of holiday makers queued ten deep at the booths. As you know, bikes rock! So I rumbled past to the head of the queue. “what’s going on?” I asked the chap. “Eish, we offline!”, came the reply. In the interest of good fuel economy and decent tank range coupled with mechanical sympathy, I was cruising at 115 kph on the KLR’s speedo. [Interestingly enough, this would equate to around 123 kph on my KTM 1090, Africa Twin or Yamaha Super Ten which all over read by an almost unacceptable margin.] The “ancient” cable driven speedo on the KLR, when checked against my GPS, is almost spot on. This got me thinking about the Tortoise vs Hare effect that I started noticing. The KLR was able to stay glued to it’s speed. When trucks impede your progress, you simply pass the row of cars stuck behind it and overtake without having to cross the centre line. Cars which flew past you earlier at 130 are now restricted, sometimes for kilometres, to 80 kph. It is amazing how many k’s pass before they fly past you again only to be hindered once again by the next truck, of which there are many on our roads these days.

I had a fuel “splash and dash” in Ventersburg, then rolled on to Bloem, with the KLR throbbing along sweetly at a relaxed 4,500 rpm. The One Stop was so overrun with holiday lemmings bound for the coast that I ditched breakfast plans, settling for a take away coffee and a lunchbar, then got back on the bike. Bloem was actually really cold and heavily overcast and the skies to the south appeared black and heavily pregnant with rain. As it sometimes happens the road seemed to follow a lighter path through the dark skies and I only hit 5 odd k’s of proper rain before I scudded out from under the bank of clouds and reached a dry and hot Colesburg. It was only midday and I had only 150 odd k’s to go.

As one enters the Karoo proper, and as I would experience over the next few days, there are huge swathes of our magnificent country that are still in the grip of a devastating drought. Riding through the Great Karoo under a cobalt sky and through a wall of relentless heat, I found myself wondering at the tenacity of the people and animals that inhabit this arid land. The turn off to Nieu Bethesda took me off the national road and after a short while I trundled into the town, heading straight for the Two Goats Deli and Brewery that I had discovered on a previous adventure. I wolfed down a sandwich to quell my hunger and slaked my now considerable thirst with two tankards of “Honey Ale”. If you have not yet visited this little gem of a town, put it on your bucket list. No streetlights, banks or ATM’s, and with tree lined dirt roads emanating from the typical steeple’d church at it’s centre, it oozes old world charm. It was also home to the famous “owl lady”, Helen Martin. In fact, it is probably thanks to the outsider art works of sculpture created by this somewhat tortured soul, that Nieu Bethesda rose to prominence as a tourist destination. The town also has some of the finest dinosaur fossil beds to be found in the Karoo. I always stay at a lovely little B ‘n B called Starry Nights. A real “home from home” spot. Give Bronwen a buzz [0834427734] if you are looking to stay over, you will not be disappointed.

There is a lovely little pub and pizza spot in the middle of the village, opposite Helen Martin’s Owlhouse. This was my supper venue, so after a shower I strolled through the early evening glow for a sundowner. Earlier in the day, just before the turnoff to the village, I was passed by a couple on a BMW 1200 LC GS. So it was, in typical kindred spirit fashion that I spent a delightful night in the company of Rudie and Rene’ Kruger, a couple from Centurion, also on an extended road trip that would take them to the West Coast and back. Rene’, in the interest of sensibility had left her own Bee Em at home and was riding pillion with her man. You are never lonely on a motorcycle road trip. Watered and fed, we strolled back to our accommodation in the cool of a star speckled Karoo evening, tired but content.

True to form I was up early and on the road out of the valley and over the Sneeuwberg to Graaff-Reinet by 6am. Taking advantage of the decent range from the 22 litre tank on the Killer Bee, I fuelled in Willowmore, a full 440 k’s from Colesburg. The solitude and vast vistas of the Karoo accompanied by the reassuring throb of the big single feed your soul. Oh yes, I must tell you about Roelof. About 30 klicks south of Aberdeen, I stopped where a farm road spills out onto the main road to secure my rainsuit bag which was trying to go AWOL. A farm bakkie emerged, and the driver, who was accompanied by his young son, asked if I was OK. So this is how I met Roelof. Turns out he is a hectic adventure biker who rode his KTM 990 with mates through the Darien Gap in South America. After running a fruit export operation in Pretoria, he is now farming the family farm near Aberdeen in the Karoo. A mere 4k’s from the main road he has self catering farm stay cottages on his farm, and plans to host adventure rides from this venue in the future. Watch this space for details! In fact the town of Aberdeen has plenty to offer, so before just haring through, stop and linger a while.

Around 40 k’s after Willowmore I took a right to De Rust. This road undulates and curves through some amazing scenery before it makes a T-Junction in De Rust. Turn right and the road leads you through Meiringspoort, with the most spectacular scenery you can imagine!. The road follows the course of the river which over the ages has cut it’s way through the mountain to create this spectacle. Once you exit the Poort it is a short hop to the Prince Albert turnoff, where I was to meet my mates from Montagu. If you have not yet visited Prince Albert, do it! Again, a tidy little Karoo town with lots of history and, nestled at the foot of the Swartberg pass, perfect as a base for Karoo travellers.

I pulled in to the Lazy Lizard, a funky little eatery that makes a damn fine coffee, on the main street of Prince Albert, to wait the arrival of my bud Cobus, on his 700 TransAlp, together with his sons Eckardt and Krisjan, riding another KLR and a TVS 180 Apache respectively. The tiny TVS, commandeered for the trip from his wife Tersea, is no stranger to the open road, having been ridden down to Montagu from Pretoria a few months back. We had slight reservations about it’s ability to negotiate the somewhat extreme road that we intended riding down Gamkaskloof to Die Hel. I was on my third coffee when the troops arrived. The typical banter of an easy friendship ensued as we planned our assault on Die Hel. We sought out the local camp site, pitched our tents then went shopping for provisions for the next two nights of camping. “Ons gaan nou braai”, was the popular call, so Karoo chops and wors were on the menu, with a stew planned for the next night at our Die Hel campsite. Captain Morgan, the travellers mate, got things off to a great start as the fire burned down to braai ready coals. The sky was clear and the weather warm with the earlier gusty wind having died down. Tents pitched amid the organized chaos of unpacked bikes formed a wonderful backdrop to another memorable “kuier”. The evening drew to a close as we sat chatting and sipping on the now customary, Captain laced, “Renoster” coffee. With the heady anticipation of an epic ride in the offing on the ‘morrow, we snuggled into our sleeping bags for some welcome slumber.

As is typically the case when camping I rise early, so at first light I showered and started striking camp. One by one the troops too followed suit. We arrived at the town butchery for our meat for our planned stew, topped our fuel tanks then headed out of town. The bottom of Swartberg pass is reminiscent of Meiringspoort before they tarred the road. The road starts to rise onto the pass proper, opening up magnificent vistas. Not even 20 k’s up the pass the turnoff to Die Hel goes off to the right. Two signs at the turnoff help build the excitement. The first reads “Dangerous road for 48 km! Use at own risk”. The sign is covered in stickers put there by fellows who have ridden the road, such as “GPS for Africa” and “GlobeBusters MOTORCYCLE EXPEDITIONS”. Numerous 4×4 clubs have added their logos too. The next sign reads “Gamkaskloof 37 Travelling time two hours”. Slightly confused by the discrepancy in distance between the two signs, which are a 100 metres apart, we rode off. A bunch of guys on adventure bikes were parked under a tree in the shade, waiting for their backup vehicle, having just ascended the pass. We stopped for a chat. Their was a KLR, a couple of airhead GS’s and an 800 GS. After exchanging typical questions about where we were from and where we planned on going, one of the guys said “Oh, you that guy from ZA Bikers, I just read your blog about the Doohickey, now you are on the trip you spoke about!”. Youbetcha!, I’m that guy!. We shared a few war stories, as is the custom amongst adventure bike riders then got on our way. The guys gave a parting glance at the little TVS that had us wondering if we had perhaps brought, in the case of the 180 Apache, a knife to a gunfight.

Die Hel was so named by an early visitor to Gamkaskloof who exclaimed “die plek is so warm soos die hel!”. [this place is as hot as hell] The name stuck. We planned to complete the ride before the heat of the day really manifested. With the occasional cloud looking like white brush strokes on a blue canvas, the weather was splendid. Speaking of names, “Gamkaskloof, in the language of the Khoisan who named it, means Lion Kloof. I marvelled at a time when lions, in abundance, roamed this land. The descent makes for excellent riding. Loose and rocky in places, open and flowing in others, the road ebbs and flows through fields of proteas in places, with the occasional stream crossing, now reduced to a trickle by drought. Some mountain bikers making the descent became the odd moving chicane as we endeavoured to get past. The more skilled riders match a motorcycle for speed as they strut their stuff down the gnarly dirt track. The final part of the descent gets steep and somewhat rutted with hairpin bends and drop offs. A sign at the foot of the pass announces that you are entering the Swartberg Nature Reserve, Gamkaskloof. You then ride on a few more k’s to a beautiful small valley dotted with the renovated homes of the early settlers. These dwellings can be booked by visitors to Die Hel, or alternatively, like in our case, you can camp.

I waited for everyone to arrive, with Krisjan on the TVS bringing up the rear scant minutes behind the pukka adventure bikes. He reported that some of the rocky sections had been a bit hairy but that the light weight of the little 180 had allowed him to pick the best line down the road. He was full of praise for the plucky and tough little Indian bike. The TVS once again proved that it is not the size of the bike in the adventure that counts but rather the size of the adventure in the bike!. The Killer bee was huge fun to ride in the dirt. Running down steep inclines against compression allowed minimal use of the brakes, whilst the steep uphills were despatched with torquey tenacity. The adequate suspension travel, 21 inch front wheel and relative light weight make technical sections a bit of a non event.

It was late morning by now and the heat was building. We sat under the shaded veranda of the shop and quaffed a couple of cold beers and feasted on freshly baked farm bread, cheese and jam. The thatched shop is scattered with items that bear testimony to the history of the valley and the people who made it their home. Only in the early 1960’s did the road get built, finally linking the kloof to the outside world. Prior to that goods were brought into and out of the kloof by donkeys on a bridle path. The nearest town is Calitzdorp, so travel in and out of the valley was no mean feat. To this day there is only one road, the one that we had traversed, in and out of the Gamkaskloof. The shop and its surroundings, consisting of a small swimming pool and some green lawn flanked by a small vineyard, and dotted with the odd restored dwelling is an oasis in the harsh heat and singed landscape. We paid our camp fees, a paltry R50 each and rode a short distance to our campsite. We pitched tents, dispensing with the need for the flysheets as we expected the evening to be both dry and warm, then lay in the shade for a siesta.

In the late afternoon, wilting in the relentless heat, we went for a swim and a cold shandy. Rejuvenated, we returned to our camp to prepare our evening meal. Cobus and I got our trusty Trangia stoves going and sucked on a mug of red while I prepared our stew consisting of cubed rump steak, butternut, tomato, onion, potatoes and peas in their shells. As the light seeped from the sky and the heat softened to a balmy glow, the delicious aroma of the bubbling stew permeated the air. We shot the breeze for a couple of hours before ladling stew over the rice on our plates and tucking into what, even though I say it myself, was a damn fine chow! The mandatory Renoster coffee put the seal on what had turned out to be a really special day. The next day would see us going our respective ways, with Cobus and his boys meandering back on scenic dirt roads while I had in mind to ride Prince Alfred’s pass from the Langkloof over the mountain, to hit the national road near Keurbooms river, then on to PE.

Up at 5am we hastily packed up and rode out of our campsite by six. As is often the case, the ascent of Gamkaskloof in the early morning was a blast. The air was still cool and we were blessed with another splendid day albeit with signs of more serious heat in the offing. We gathered at the spot at the top of the pass where we had chatted with the bikers the previous day then rode back onto Swartberg pass. The pass, closed until a year odd back for the repair of storm damage, is in good nick. Cresting the pass and descending into the valley on the Oudtshoorn side is great adventure riding. The surface, whilst rocky in patches, is good and the views spectacular. At the foot of the pass we said our goodbyes and I sped off to meet with my buddy from Sedgefield, Mike, with whom I was to ride Prince Alfred’s pass.

The ride into Oudtshoorn is amazing. Back on tar, the road sweeps through twisties that beg for full leathers, knee sliders and a Sports weapon. Even the KLR was a blast pitched on its ear through the bends. I met up with Mike at the foot of Outeniqua pass on the Karoo side, where we punished a quick breakfast before riding the N9, and a short piece of route 62, before turning off at the hamlet of Avontuur. Back on the dirt the two KLR’S ran in tandem up and over Prince Alfred’s pass. The guys in the western Cape are seriously blessed with fantastic adventure bike routes. Once again, great views and good dirt roads made for splendid riding. With the day now properly hot we stopped at the well known “Angie’s G Spot” for a cold coke. I had a good chuckle at the welcoming sign at Angie’s which advertises Hot beer, lousy food, bad service, “kak” accommodation – welcome to Angie’s G Spot.

Only when you ride these roads do you fully appreciate the devastation wreaked by the fires which have ravished these areas. Charred stumps stand as stark reminders, on blackened hillsides, of the fury of the blaze. Typically I would have continued straight along this road through a section of the magnificent Knysna forest. The fires however, have reduced this area to a blackened wasteland, so we veered off left to eventually meet the N2 just east of Plett. Once again it was time for goodbyes as Mike returned to Sedgefield and I hopped on to the N2 to PE, which I reached by around 3pm after being buffeted for the last 80 k’s by a proper side wind. Welcome to the windy city indeed!

After a few days with family it was time to return home, so at 5.15 am on the morning of the 26th, I again hopped on the Killer Bee and in the cool of the morning ran at 5000 rpm’s to Cradock. This equates to around a true 122 kph but interestingly increases the fuel consumption significantly. The KLR had, to this point, running at 4,500 rpm, averaged better than 19 kpl consistently. An extra 500 rpm dropped the consumption closer to 16 kpl, reducing the tank range from 450 k’s to around 350. I rode the more scenic route to Gariep Dam and then to Bloem where I downed a quick milkshake before once more braving what was now consistent 38 degree heat. With a total travelling time of 11 hours and 15 minutes I rolled up to my gate in Pretoria, having smashed a 1100 k ride. The Killer Bee had passed the road trip test with flying colours! Total oil consumption for the just on 3000 k trip was a mere 400 ml. Given the heat and sometimes extreme conditions, that is more than acceptable. The simplicity of this honest motorcycle totally won me over. Even the comfort was a surprise. A reasonably plush seat [for a dualsport bike] and a neutral riding position both contribute to the ability to crack long days in the saddle. A fuel range of at least 350 k’s minimises fuel stops and gives piece of mind. The speeds at which I rode allowed proper sightseeing, as opposed to the typical full speed ahead trap we typically fall into. The standard screen, whilst taking all the blast off my chest, allowed enough air to still bring a degree of cooling on the sweltering parts of the ride.

MY KIT.

I often get asked how I carry my gear when on an extended road trip. On this trip I exclusively used the excellent products produced locally by All Terrain Gear. My tent and camping equipment, being groundsheet, pillow [a super comfortable memory foam “visco elastic” pillow available from XKULCHA], sleeping bag, thermal liner and self inflating mattress all fit into my ATG dry bag which is easily secured to the back seat with its adjustable straps. It forms a great backrest too. My cooking kit goes in my topbox together with an Olympus “ruggedised” camera. A small cooler bag carries the days food and hip flask for “Renosters”. A chamois for visor cleaning lives here too. The rest of my kit, being clothes, tools, puncture repair kit and running shoes go in a set of ATG 20l soft luggage panniers which come with all the straps to secure them properly to the bike. Despite the extreme riding conditions they kept water and dust out and stayed securely in place. The waterproof and dustproof roll top inner bags allow you to remove your kit without having to take the pannier bags themselves off the bike. I was impressed by how nicely they cleaned up post trip after a brushing with a soft brush and soapy water. Highly recommended. [Also available from XKULCHA as well as other selected motorcycle accessory outlets]

As for clothing, I protected my feet with my trusty and comfortable Forma Adventure boots. [Available from DMD] Riding pants were my ancient, but still serviceable Fox freestyle motocross pants which have serious cooling vents. I don’t think you can get them any more but XKULCHA Dakar pants have served me well on similar trips in the past. In this heat an airflow jacket is essential, so my trusty Alpinestars airflow was pressed into service. It also gives the peace of mind of good soft armour. For cooler early mornings I pull my Alpinestars Enduro jacket over the airflow as a wind proof shell. It is tough and rugged and suitable for extreme offroad conditions. It is very well vented too. It has no armour so is only suitable as a shell and for some abrasion protection but not for knocks. My helmet is a Bell Adventure helmet which I find extremely comfortable with a visor that seals particularly well. I do however find that it is more wind affected than my Airoh Adv helmet, but about on a par in this regard to my Arai tour X. Gloves are a brand called FIVE-5, and are a mix of tough textile with leather reinforcing in high stress areas and are well ventilated. They have proven to be hard wearing and durable and very comfortable without any bunching in the palm area. Unfortunately I have no idea where I got them. So there you have it guys and gals!

I may have rattled on a bit with this account, but I really tried to recount what an absolute joy it is to ride a motorcycle far and wide across our magnificent land. Maybe you are a strictly tar rider. It doesn’t matter. Get out of town with like minded buds and live a little. You owe it to yourself! Motorcycles offer a unique opportunity to enjoy a real modern day adventure especially given the weather and countryside we have in SA.

From the moment that engine got mounted onto a bicycle to create the first motorcycle, men have tried to make these contraptions go faster. Quite why we have been obsessed with speed, I really don’t know. Ego and testosterone I suppose! As volatile a mix as nitromethane! Two German gents, Hildebrand and Wolfmiller, went one better then old Gottlieb Daimler (credited with building the first ever motorbike in 1888) when they built a 1500 cc liquid cooled twin cylinder bike that managed 25 mph (40kph). Scarily fast when you consider that the brake was a metal bar that dragged on the ground to eventually bring the whole plot to a stop.

The Americans really got things going when, in the early 1900’s, Indian, Harley Davidson and Flying Merkel started vying for the bragging rights to building the worlds fastest motorcycle. The Flying Merkel may have provided inspiration for KTM’s of the future as they were painted bright orange and had V-twin engines. In fact V-twins have powered Harleys ever since! The “Indian” was resurrected by Polaris, who added the iconic brand to their range of four wheelers, snow bikes and Victory motorcycles. A brand new Indian Scout was launched at the 2014 Sturgis Rally in the States. Back in the day the Scout made the Indian a household name in America as Indians performance model. It was popular as a “Wall of Death” racer. A popular fairground attraction was watching riders on Indian Scouts blast around a cylindrical wooden drum with centrifugal force pinning them to the vertical walls. That darned testosterone again!

Lets get back to the 70’s to explore what was happening to motorcycles in the quest for speed and world records. Drag racing! Racing over a quarter mile from a standing start (Not men dressed as ladies running with their skirts up) Gotcha! The wildest class was known as “Top fuel”. 8 inch M + H slicks, or “gumballs”, mounted on custom built MTC rear wheels, would distort, then spin wildly off the line, desperately scrabbling for traction as nitromethane fuelled engines belched flame from stubby unsilenced exhausts. The rider, stretched out flat on top of his monster, would desperately try to keep the bike straight and “hooked up”, drag racer speak for rear wheel traction. This was made all the more difficult by the accelerative g-force draining the blood from the brain as the roaring, flame belching, tyre spinning beast left a 100 meter black, torque induced, rubber footprint as proof of it’s passing.

The men that ruled motorcycle drag racing in the early mid seventies were, Joe Smith, T.C Christenson and Russ Collins. Honourable mention must go to Terry Vance, Boris Murray, Danny Johnson, Marion Owens and Sonny Routt. All legends in their time. “How fast did these bikes go through the quarter?” you may ask. Drag racers strive for two numbers. ET, or elapsed time is the absolute measure. How long does it take from when the light on the “Christmas tree” goes green to when the bike breaks the beam at the end of the quarter mile? The second, less important number, but certainly allowing for considerable bragging rights, is the terminal speed. The maximum speed that the bike attained through the quarter mile. In early 1976 the World record ET by a top fuel bike was posted at 7.861 seconds. The highest terminal speed? 182.55 mph.

The venerable Colt sixgun may have ruled at the showdown at the OK Corral, or on the streets of Dodge. We saw different weapons of choice at Ontario, Pomona, Bakersfield, Englishtown, Indianapolis, Fremont, Bowling Green and National Trail in Columbus Ohio. Innocuous names for the venues around the States and Canada that witnessed the tyre shrieking, smoking cacophony of sounds and sights of Top Fuel drag racing!

Strangely enough the man who consistently allowed Top fuelers to run in the seven’s and eights was a fellow named Marvin Rifohin. “Who the flip was he?” you may ask… Well, Marvin was head honcho at M+H Tire Company. The introduction of six inch and eight inch wide racing skins immediately rendered single engine drag bikes obsolete. At last the huge power of double and even triple engine monsters could be harnessed. Riders could “hook up” that rear gumball and slingshot down the quarter in previously undreamt of elapsed times. Even to this day traction has been the Holy Grail for motorcycle performance in general. In the past it was tyre technology and to a lesser extent, engine design which sought to harness all the available traction. Today these two have been joined by electronic traction control wizardry, but more of that some other time. Lets get back to drag racing, 70’s style.

Joe Smith learned his trade with a single engine Harley 74 powered bike. Marvin blew the head off that box and Joe came to the fight with two enormous Harley 74 engines lashed together in tandem! Long, low and lean, the guttural stutter of the beast firing up was a sound you would not easily forget. The gentle potato – potato beat of a stock Harley was amped into a staccato blast of unbridled power. Radical cam timing and hot drag pipes would ignite unburned fuel and flames belched from the short exhausts, what a sensory overload! Aptly dubbed “The Sledgehammer”, there was nothing subtle about Joe Smith’s Harley 74 double.

A familiar sight in the opposing lane that would strike fear into the heart of the opposition was the diminutive T.C. Christenson stretched out on the double engine, John Gregory tuned Norton. This bike went by the wishful, yet prophetic name, “Hogslayer” (for the uninitiated, Harleys have always been known as “Hogs”). The Norton engine bike, with it’s engines of British origin, brought diversity to the start line. Running a mix of 95% nitro, 2,5% propylene oxide and 2,5% methanol through those Norton mills produced sparkling performance. Probably the most consistent of the three bikes featured here, it was testimony to T.C’s brilliance and Gregory’s technical acumen. Joe Smith’s Harley Davidson motors displaced over 3 litres. Hogslayers’ Norton motors were tiny by comparison, running 810cc per engine. despite a wicked state of tune, and standard 1960 Norton Atlas conrods, the Gregory built bike drew from the vast well of knowledge acquired with their earlier single engine Norton drag bike. Consistent and fast, the stuff of which champions are made.

If you think that bikes are impressive, and they are, you will be utterly gobsmacked by the Russ Collin creation! “Atchinson, Topeka and Santa Fe” was the name Russ gave to his three engine Honda four powered bike. Yes Lavergne, you heard right! 3288cc, 12 cylinders, 850 pounds of fuel injected fury, pumping out almost 500 horse power! The Honda was the bike that was the first into the 7’s. 7.861 seconds at Ontario. New elapsed time world record. Can you imagine that spectacle? 400 horse power being dumped into and 8 inch M+H slick with 850 little gravity gremlins trying to give it to the ground. That massive gumball distorting, spinning, smoking as it deposits a strip of rubber on the tar. Accompanied by the shriek of three nitrous fuelled fours building up to an 11,000 rpm crescendo! I told you the 70’s were heady days indeed!

I own a Triumph Street Twin, which I bought back in late 2017. Since buying the bike, I have been gradually customising it to my liking.

When I first got the bike, I found the suspension to be a bit on the soft side, especially around corners the front-end felt somewhat squishy. So, I took it to Justin Waddington from Shock Logic and he fitted a set of K-tech shocks at the rear, and upgraded the standard front forks with progressive stiffer springs. These modifications really improved the bikes handling.

Annoyingly, Triumph had restricted the 2016 (first generation) Street Twins, and as a result the bike’s power would feel sluggish in the mid-range. I did a ton of research about this online, and I found that they had done this not in the traditional way via the ECU, apparently they had been restricted mechanically via a restricted Camshaft, resulting in a max output of only 47 hp.

The guys on the forums speculated that Triumph did this because a none restricted Street Twin would have similar power to the more expensive T120, and therefore why would a consumer ever buy the T120 at a more expensive price?

Whatever the reason, the 900cc motor on my Street Twin obviously had a lot more to give, so I made it my mission to try and get more performance out of it. Having done more online research, I came across a company in Germany called Classicbike Raisch who had developed a performance Camshaft for the 2016 Triumph Street Twin.

Long story short, I fitted the Camshaft into my bike, along with a BMC Air Filter and a Rapid Bike Easy fuelling module. The results were outstanding! She now has a max output of 62 hp, and the bike now pulls much stronger than before, and delivers way more power in 3rd/4th gear. It has totally changed the characteristics of the bike, and I am really enjoying it so far. An expensive upgrade at approx 15k, but worth every penny.

Please note: for 2019, Triumph has added an extra 10 hp to their standard Street Twins, so the engine modifications that I have done would only be advisable on the first generation models.

In the paint department, I visited Kim from The Air Brush Studio in Pretoria, who did a frikken awesome job. She painted the tank in a dark metallic blue and silver, with gold leaf pinstriping and logo.

The fender and side covers became black with a blue pearl tint that sparkles in the sun. Kim added her personal touches by airbrushing a Union Jack design with Street Twin logo on one of the side covers – it looks Rad!

I also had some custom leather work done, which included a tank protector/bag and the re-upholstering of my seat. This was done by Dion Korkie (Leather Man D), who is also based in Pretoria; his craftsmanship is incredible, and his prices are very reasonable too – check out his Facebook profile for more information.

Other upgrades included; a new set of Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tyres, Vince and Vines full system high pipe, anodized gunmetal grey gear selector and foot rests, and Triumph laser etched valve caps.

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Because of budgeting reason’s, it has taken me the best part of 2018 to finish my ride to my liking, and up until that point, I had not ventured anywhere outside of Gauteng. So, when I received a newsletter about the 2018 Sabie Bubble Run, I was very keen to go along for the ride, as this trip was going to be the perfect place to mingle with other like-minded Triumph enthusiasts, and for the first time, I would get to ride and experience my bike on some of South Africa’s finest undulating roads.

What is the Sabie Bubble Run?

The Sabie Bubble Run began in 2014 by Joe Fleming, Leroy “Black” Tulip and Marnitz Venter. It was inspired by a few different traditional runs from the United States (The Gypsy Run and El Diablo Run), but was given a South African flavour.

During the inaugural run, the first two days were filled with rain. It was pretty miserable, and their only saving grace during those days was their “Bubble Shields”, and the word “Bubble” stood out to them. So, they decided to call it the Sabie Bubble Run.

Simply put, a traditional run is high mileage and low drama. While the modern run is essentially a forty mile coffee run with a lot of bolt on chrome compliments, a traditional run is riding, camping and a hell of a good party. They are geared towards the rider who feels out of place at a “major rally” or anywhere you find an excess of “LIVE TO RIDE” patches.

This years Bubble Run

I have known about the “Sabie Bubble Run” now for a number of years, and I have always wanted to go and experience it for myself. Unfortunately in years gone by, I have always had other commitments but this year I was free. So, I quickly signed up and paid my entry fee of R1 800, and that was that.

Amazingly, for a mere R 1 800, the trip included; accommodation, dinner each night at camp, an endless supply of coffee and beers, plus a few other gift items. Honestly, this is really good value for money, and I cannot figure how they made such a trip of a lifetime so affordable – what a Bargain!

Reading the itinerary for the first time made me extremely excited for the trip. A mixture of; stunning scenery, some of SA’s best twisties, Mpumalanga’s finest tourist attractions, waterfalls, lots of coffee stops & pub lunches along the way, and evening chilled camp fire vibes by the Sabie river – it sounded awesome.

The Bubble Run is aimed mainly at classic bikes, although there were a few non-classic bikes on this year’s ride. The organisers seem to be very chilled about what bikes are allowed, in-fact on their website it states:

“It does not matter what you ride. So long as you ride.”

Packing for the Ride

Planning for any kind of bike trip is exciting, it always starts to build the anticipation weeks before the trip. Especially when considering how to pack everything that I was going to need for a 5 day camping adventure on the back of a Modern Classic motorcycle.

For this particular trip, I decided that I was going to use my OSAH Drypack 40L Duffel bag, because it was fully waterproof and came with X4 tie down straps, that easily attached to my frame (underneath the seat), and tied my bag down into position without any movement – a perfect fit!

Now for the fun part, trying to figure out how to fit everything that I would need for a 5 day camping trip into a 40L bag. Luckily, there was already tents supplied by the organisers (Bonafide Moto Co.), so this was one item that I did not need to worry about.

The first thing that I considered was my sleeping stuff. I pulled out my old self inflating sleeping mat, to find that it had a puncture. I tried to fix it using the repair kit that came with the mat, which was not a great idea as it made a real dogs dinner of the mat, and after all the faffing around, it still did not fix the puncture.. Aaagh!

I then came across a very compact stretcher by a company called All Terrain Gear (ATG), at R2,200. This was a bit more pricey than simply buying another inflatable sleeping mat, but my thinking was that it would last a lifetime and would never get a puncture, so I bought it. I am very happy that I did because it sleeps lekker!

I took my old sleeping bag along which I fitted into a dry sack, then using some bungee cords, and the very handy D buckles that are cleverly paced on-top of the OSAH bag, I was able to easily secure down my sleeping bag on top of my OSAH bag. Oh, and I also bought a memory foam compact pillow which I bought from Xkulcha which took minimal space in my bag.

Instead of packing a lot of t-shirts, I bought two Under Armour non-iron t-shirts, which I was able to wash at camp each day. Shopping at Outdoor Warehouse, I found small bottles of laundry and body wash, which helped to keep my toiletries downsized. I love the fact that you can pretty much get everything you need in a mini version of sort. When you apply your mind to it, you can really pack allot of essentials into a small space.

So that was that, everything I needed for my trip packed easily into my bag, and then fitted onto my bike – I was now packed and ready to go!

My Impressions

The trip was an absolute blast! I really enjoyed riding around the beautiful roads of Mpumalnga, and riding my bike now with the upgrades on these roads was pure motorcycling bliss.

The absolute highlight of the trip for me was visiting and swimming at Forest Falls, which is located near Pilgrims Rest – it was totally epic! All the people who attended the ride were really cool and easy to get along with, and it made for a magical experience.

The daytime was spent cruising around the Eastern Transvaal region, at a leisurely pace, stopping at pubs along the way and visiting some of the local hotspots.

After a long day in the saddle, a quick dip in the pool before winding down for the evening, and then sharing stories of the days ride, whilst enjoying a scrumptious dinner – was a wonderful experience it was.

I have to give a shout out to both Richard Harper from Ride Motos Take Photos, and Joe Fleming from So Tall Right Now, as they are masters at taking tracking photos whilst riding on their bikes. I was very impressed with their techniques and skills – Respect!

Another memorable occasions for me, was riding Ashleigh’s (from Triumph South Africa) Street Triple, and on the famous 22 road. Oh my soul, what a machine!

What I forgot to mention earlier, is that the itinerary had a RULES section, which explained the do’s and don’ts of the trip – they read:

“We aren’t one for all kind of rules when it comes to the run. Just one simple rule that can be applied to life and will ensure that you’re safe, treat everyone with respect, and have a great time…

DON’T BE A DICK”

When I first read this statement it made me chuckle. However, I had to remind myself of this rule, whilst riding over Long Tom pass and overtaking a few slower riders through some of the bends. It occurred to me that I was actually being a dick, so I retracted back to a slower cruising pace. What seemed like a joke at first is actually a very true and clever statement, and I will always remember it going forward through life’s journey.

Overall I really enjoyed the trip, and I will be back on one of Bonafide Moto Co’s adventures again next year – for sure.

Bonafide Moto Co.

Bonafide Moto Co Adventures? I thought this was the Sabie Bubble Run?

Since the Bubble Run which started in 2014, Joe and his good friend Alan Shenton created a brand called Bonafide Moto Co. which has now evolved somewhat, and offers throughout the year numerous adventures and rider training events – such as; In Search of Swazi Gold, Adventure to Sani Pass, and One Night In the Dirt. Again, these adventures/training events are mainly aimed at classic bikes, but it seems that anyone is actually welcome, you certainly won’t get frowned upon if you arrive on your KTM, on the contrary these guys make you feel welcome whatever you ride.

To keep up to date with all things Bonafide, follow their Facebook & Instagram pages below… #HeresToTheNextAdventure

Facebook – Instagram

I get it horribly wrong as I brake-slide into a tight left hander, attempting to bush-up on my rusty enduro bike skills. It is the first outing on my trusty KTM200XC-W in more than a year. My two wheeled companion high-sided me and I get that weightless feeling as I fly through the air like Superman…. Off course, my landing was less graceful than that of the superhero on the silver screen. I am heavily winded from landing on my right shoulder and thereafter flat on my back. I lie there for a few seconds before even attempting to get up. “Why do I keep doing this?”, I ask myself while shaking my head. I can only laugh as I try and regain my composure before the arrival of my riding buddy.

Yet there was something funny and almost out of place in this scenario. I have donned myself with the latest Acerbis adventure bike jacket and pants. Some might argue that this is not the appropriate gear for where I find myself deep in the woods on a very technical enduro bike trail. I agree wholeheartedly!

But there is method to my madness…. I am here to test and review this new addition to the world of adventure riding gear. This is what I call the torture test. Slow technical riding in hostile bush and thorn trees, with virtually no breeze to cool me down in a warm, humid setting. This often comes with the territory, so to speak. “Africa is not for sissies” is how the saying goes.

Most adventure bike owners also own what we call a “plastic bike”. This is something in line with what I was riding in the opening paragraph. Something that resembles the likes of your favourite motocross, enduro or trials bike brand. Acerbis is best known for supplying OEM and aftermarket body plastics for these small, lightweight specimens at affordable prices. For a few hundred rand, thanks to companies like Acerbis, you can buy a plastic, bolt-on body kit that will make your enduro or motocross bike look brand new again. That is the beauty of plastic bike riding, as it is certainly easier on the bike than the rider.

Back to the riding gear. Upon my visit to Adrian Bac, well known and likeable chief in charge at AMP distributors, I was very surprised to learn that Acerbis also make adventure bike riding gear. Adrian himself is deeply rooted in the world of motocross and adventure biking. He keeps himself close to the action on weekends, supporting his son who participates in motocross on a national level. Whenever Adrian gets a break, he boards his Yamaha XT1200Z for the other passion in his life, adventure biking. He has been using this same Acerbis outfit for quite a while now and was very excited to get me to share in the experience. I was a little reluctant, to be honest.

The time came for me to see this adventure wear up close and in person. As we tried for size, it soon became apparent that I underestimated the Italians! The fit is perfect for my body size and type. Perhaps I have Italian blood somewhere in my past! I soon remembered that the Italians are renowned for fashion, style, art and beauty. This is what they do, to be frank!

The attention to detail is typical Italian. Fine, meticulous stitching and well shaped inlays personify this suit. A well laid out ventilation system forms the central theme from the front 4 openings, all the way to the two exhaust slots at the rear, facilitating good flow-through of cool, fresh air. I certainly found this adequate in the conditions encountered as described in the opening paragraph.

Furthermore, the four front pockets are well placed for easy reach. The left hand vertical opening is ideal for my smartphone, while the horizontal opening on the right is ideal for securing my wallet and other documents of consequence.

The two bottom pockets are very roomy, but I seldom use these, as I do not want my adventure suit to become too heavy. I would much rather stow other items in my top box or panniers. The winning pocket for me, is the transparent left hand sleeve pocket, it’s ideal for storing a garage card or cash, and gives you quick and easy access at the famed toll gates, which we so often encounter on our motorways.

At the rear is the famed bum bag for stowing the included thermal and waterproof inner. Once again, pockets that I seldom use for similar reasons.

The back also sports a pocket for a water bladder, with comfortable, easy to reach channeling for the feeding pipe on more challenging rides.

The advantage to this is that you no longer have to carry a separate backpack to facilitate the water bladder. This is a feature offered on a wide range of adventure jackets nowadays.

Adventure Pants

The matching pants, sold as a separate item, also sport vertical ventilation slots and two “secret pockets”, as I call them. This I mostly used for carrying my cash with me. An obvious oversight on part of the pants, is that the pipes are not roomy enough to fit over most adventure boots. I was fortunate to pull them over my adventure touring boots, but would certainly not have been able to fit them over my more rugged plastic motocross boots. This leaves most with only the option to tuck them into their boots, negating the waterproof capabilities offered by the included waterproof liner. Who likes wet boots??

Funny that, as the rest of the suit is very well presented and practical to use. The waist adjustment belt is nicely tucked away and fairly easy to use once you get the hang of it, although the one fastener did rip out of the pants main body due to sparse stitching, it could also be my middle age bulge putting too much pressure on the waist tackle, off course. Other than these complaints, the pants are comfortable and cool on the body.

Carbon G3.0 Gloves

Adrian was also kind enough to give me the above mentioned gloves to test. These were certainly very impressive. This is a light, easy-on glove with good knuckle protection and more than adequate hand protection for low to medium speed adventures. They will not be suitable for high speed crashes, as this is not what they were designed to do. These gloves offer excellent feel on the grips and all important controls, which will certainly afford you less mistakes in technical riding.

They are the closest thing to riding with bare hands, which suits my style of riding to the tee! The fore fingers on both gloves, have a silicone outer patch that offer even better grip on the levers in wet conditions. Nice touch! I can certainly recommend these gloves, bearing in mind that they were not designed with weather and high speed protection in mind. Time will tell how durable they are, yet so far, so good!

Conclusion

At the time of writing this conclusion, I have been on many adventures wearing this suit as described. I have yet to experience extreme cold and wet conditions wearing these, but for everything in between, I found this to be my suit of choice at this present time. The jacket retails for R 5200, the pants for R 3000 and the gloves for R 1100.

The pricing is spot-on, offering good value for money, in my personal view. The outstanding theme in this article, is the comfort levels and how good the suit makes you look. The cut has been well defined and is tasteful on the eye. After all, who does not want to look cool while practising the coolest lifestyle…..?

For more information visit: www.ampsa.co.za

Here’s something that would top any three-year-old’s Xmas list: a wee little wooden balance bike, styled to mimic a full-size café racer. Sure, these pint-size two-wheelers don’t have motors—but if they don’t put a smile on your dial, you might want to check your pulse.

They’re the work of Johann de Wet, who builds them under the label ‘Lawless Bikes.’ Johann’s not a carpenter though—he’s actually a business intelligence consultant based in Paarl, and Lawless is just an after-hours creative outlet.

Johann fell in love with café racers six years ago, when he stumbled upon a custom 1976 BMW R75 online. Then, this time last year, he had an idea…

“It was December vacation and I was on a woodwork high after a table and chairs project for my two daughter’s rooms,” he tells us. “Somehow, between browsing motorcycles and woodwork pics, some motorcycle-inspired balance bike pics popped up.”

“I had a few days of vacation left and some wood from the aforementioned project, so I decided to take a stab at building one for my daughters. It came out pretty well, so I went on to build a second bike, inspired by the BMW model which started it all.”

“That one in particular drew enough attention from a few friends and colleagues, who asked me to build some for them a well.”

Since that first attempt, Johann reckons he’s built about 10 Lawless balance bikes. “I only really build on order,” he says, “and also have to juggle it with a full time job and being a dad and husband, so time is limited. The range of customers has been interesting though…from kids to art galleries, and everything in between.”

Each Lawless build is based on one of two templates that Johann’s designed: a classic BMW boxer, and a Triumph modern classic. (He’s also in the process of figuring out a third, Harley-Davidson-inspired design.) There’s room for customisation too; one of the bikes shown here is styled as a café racer, and the other a scrambler. And Johann’s even built a bike to match a client’s custom-built Triumph Bonneville before.

Each build starts out as a stack of Bitch plywood sections, CNC-cut by Cam Craft in Salt River, according to Johann’s CAD drawings. “The first five bikes were cut by hand using a jigsaw,” says Johann, “which was very labour intensive and time consuming, and the quality was inconsistent. I then downloaded a CAD program and went about capturing the designs on there.”

Once Johann’s assembled the parts by hand, there’s still a surprising amount of work left. That includes sanding and treating the wood, cutting the bolts to their ideal lengths, and carefully spray painting bits that need colour.

Despite their size, Lawless bikes are loaded with thoughtful details. The distinct shapes of the BMW boxer and Triumph parallel twin motors are instantly recognisable, and Johann even builds ‘exhausts’ for the bikes. There are more subtle touches too; check out the sculpted fuel tanks, the ‘fork boots’ and the baby Triumph’s side panels.

The Triumph also wears a café racer-style tail section, with low slung handlebars. And the scrambler-styled BMW has straight up bars, knobbly tyres and a bench seat. The seat’s covered in genuine leather too, courtesy of Kingdom Upholsterers in Paarl.

The wheels, tires and grips are all standard kiddie bike parts, but Johann trims to grips to get the proportions right. His bikes even have faux headlights. They’re made from the lids of a particular set of coffee and tea cannisters, with laser-cut perspex lenses.

Each bike’s finished off with a tank badge, bearing the Lawless Bikes logo. The bikes shown here feature the logos of their respective marques, but Johann usually only does this on his personal bikes, to avoid legal hassles.

Naturally, every Lawless bike rolls and turns too—but Johann officially markets them as display pieces rather than balance bikes. “Aside from my own daughters using them, I have not done any rigorous testing,” he explains.

“Most bikes I’ve built have been for display purposes, so there is still very little feedback in the way of kids using them. I tend to alter the design slightly with each iteration in an attempt to improve it—but until a three-year-old has owned one I will not know what their true limits are.”

Any toddler lucky enough to be picked as a test pilot, is sure to be the envy of his pre-school classmates…and a few adults too!

For more information visit Lawless Bikes Facebook page.

Travelling for extended periods by motorcycle presents one with some logistical challenges, especially when you need to carry a fair amount of stuff. “Credit Card” travel is popular in places like Europe and the USA where you can hop on your bike with minimal kit and have plenty of overnight options which simply require swiping your credit card. Travel in “the Colonies” is more of a challenge. Adventure biking often takes us off the beaten track where infrastructure is either minimal or totally non existent. We need to carry some essentials along with us. Tent, cooking stuff, tools and clothing all need to be stashed securely, especially when our route may deteriorate into a real goat track. To keep the weight of your kit as low as possible, panniers are your best bet. Mass centralisation is a modern buzz term meaning keeping the weight of your bike as low and “central” as possible. This prevents the bike feeling top heavy and wanting to topple over without much provocation. Picking the bike up after capsizing is also much easier if the weight is low.

Panniers are either “hard” cases, typically mounted to either side of the bike, or soft luggage, a modern version of saddle bags used for ages to stash provisions on horses. Which system is better? Like with so many things relating to motorcycling, each has pros and cons. Hard cases are securely mounted, don’t move around and are easy to pack and lock. This is a serious consideration when your bike is parked unattended. Especially when travelling through poor countries with many opportunistic thieves. Negatives of hard cases are weight, vulnerability to damage in a spill and how they encourage you to “fill that space”. You tend to take stuff that is not essential to your trip, simply ‘cause you have the space!. If your travels take you over rough terrain there is another major consideration. Let me quote a passage from Ted Simon’s book, “Dreaming of Jupiter”, the account of his second round the world trip, to illustrate. “I am already out of sight of the junction and halfway through the second patch of mud when I lose it, but this time my right foot is stuck in the glutinous clay, and the forward motion of the bike drags it under the alloy pannier before I fall. It’s very bad. For the first time in my life I hear the loud snap of a bone breaking. Then I’m on my side with the full weight of the bike pressing down on my foot”.

For me, the solution is to use my hard luggage for tar and dirt highway travel, but if there is any serious off road riding to be done, I opt for soft luggage. Enter ATG’s soft pannier system. The bags are rectangular in shape with a firm plastic back and bottom to allow them to keep their shape to facilitate packing. The broad band of material which throws over the passenger seat is velcro equipped, allowing you to adjust to the width of your bike. Pannier brackets are required to keep the bags out of the back wheel, as well as to secure them to the bike. The bags are equipped with “D” rings at each corner to help tying them down. A lot of thought has gone into the design and how to secure them to just about any bike. The instructions which come with the bags has cleverly colour coded the various straps, to act as a guide as to how to use them.

The bulk of the weight is carried by the broad velcro top strap, supported by two adjustable straps which straddle the seat and clip to each bag providing additional support. Another adjustable narrower strap fits through the bottom “D” rings and right around the bottom of the bags to hold them against the bike, and preventing them from splaying outwards. Four additional loop and velcro equipped straps allow additional fine tuning to secure the bags totally for complete peace of mind no matter where or how you ride.

The bags themselves are made from a heavy duty, wear and abrasion resistant cordura. Each bag has a roll top inner water proof bag with it’s own carry harness. This means that you can leave the bags secured to the bike and simply remove the inners filled with your kit, free from dust or rain. The bags have a velcro secured roll top with a clip on each side to close snugly and keep dust out. The roll top allows you to keep the bag snug irrespective of how full it is. Each bag has a recommended weight limit of 11Kg’s. That allows you to stash a lot if kit!. The bags are strategically reinforced with strapping to protect against abrasion and to add to their general strength and ruggedness. Reflective flashes are sewn across the back of each bag to enhance visibility.

The bags fit best and ride most securely when fully loaded, with the weight providing stability. Your heaviest items should go at the bottom of the bags, with items you may need to access, such as rain suit or fleece, at the top. With these bags fully packed and an ATG waterproof carry bag secured across the back seat, you are sorted for really extended travel on any kind of road, in any kind of weather. The quality of materials and workmanship is excellent and on a par with the best similar products, such as Enduristan, from anywhere in the world.

Let Ted Simon, now halfway around the world in Australia, have the final say. “When we got back to Dave’s place I made a momentous decision. I took off the big metal boxes and put on some canvas bags that a friend of Dave’s had designed. I had two good reasons. First, I thought it would be almost impossible for Malu [his partner] to sit comfortably on the bike with those boxes there, because they were too long. Just as important though was my desire to lighten up. I felt that I had never really given the bike a chance with all this weigh on it. Andy White’s bags were clever and convincing, and I went for them. I sent the boxes back to England, and I never regretted it”.

Get yourself a set of ATG soft luggage, also clever and convincing, if you have an epic adventure in mind. You too, will never regret it.

For more information visit: www.xkulcha.co.za

Thank heavens corporate South Africa seems to be seeing the light at last. One of the absolute worst carry overs from the colonial era is the suit and tie culture. British explorers traversed the African continent wearing suits and ties and pith helmets. There was no way you could “go native” and dispense with the silk snake that was strangling you. Take off your jacket? Never! You sweated up a storm on your stiff upper lip. For some inexplicable reason the locals started to emulate the European dress code. Before you think that we are the only “doff” fellows, consider the Indians. Many of them did the same thing. Thanks to dudes like Bill Gates and many of the other Tech wizkids it became cool to pitch for work in jeans, tackies and T shirts. Slowly but surely it dawned on us that the old waistcoat, jacket and tie could be put out to pasture and we started to dress in a manner befitting our hot African climate.

Unfortunately we still see the odd brain donor riding his bike in shorts and flip flops. You only have to have one off to realise that tar and skin don’t gel. Tar always wins! Jeans or chinos offer only marginally more protection. Thanks to the savvy and stylish guys at proudly South African company XKULCHA, we can now ride our bikes “smart casual” and not go unprotected. With the latest addition to their Klassic range we can now look so smooth that we can almost slide uphill without falling off of our scooters! Previously only available in black denim, we now have a chino type material, also in black, which looks really smart, and would not look out of place in any boardroom.

The cut is similar to the jeans, but without any loud branding. Protection is provided by hip pads as well as dense foam knee inserts, neither of which are visible or detract from the classy appearance of the garment. Comfort in hot weather is aided by the cotton lining. Sizing is a doddle, with various leg lengths available. My only criticism remains the knee inserts which, when seated on the bike ride up too high. The thigh is well protected but the patella is only just covered. I would like to see the whole panel move down by 4 or 5 centimetres. I can only comment on the long leg garment. It may not apply to you more vertically challenged dudes with shorter pins.

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So there you have it. Really smart black denims or chinos in that classic cut for when you need to “dress up” a tad. As with all XKULCHA products you can have them repaired, or replaced if necessary, for free if you do land on your butt. No more excuses to not wear all the kit all the time, beauty is you don’t have to look like a biker “heavy” while doing business. Stylish, smart and tough, they are a steal at a little over two grand.

For more information visit: www.xkulcha.co.za

Done the what? Is that some kind of dance? Like first cousin to the Macarena, perhaps? No dudes, it is just KLR speak. Kawasaki’s venerable KLR 650 has been around, in various forms, for almost 40 years. Actually incredible that you can buy a bike that has been made, without many changes, for this length of time. The other interesting thing is that the KLR is not really good at any one thing, yet it has enjoyed huge popularity wherever it has been sold. Google any epic ride around the world, be it a Round the World trip or traversing the Great Alaskan Highway, and I will bet that a KLR has done it. So to what can we ascribe the KLR’s success? In essence, simplicity, practicality, reliability and fantastic value for money.

Current KLR’s have been upgraded to the point that they must be close to the most reliable bike on the planet. The bike sports a fairing and screen that allows comfortable cruising at the legal limit. It also has a decently sized tank, upwards of 22 litres. Allied to reasonable consumption you have a good range of around 440 k’s or more, depending on cruising speed and conditions. The seat is good, by dual sport standards. It is also endowed with a sturdy rack incorporating a tool kit. The frame is steel, and able to mount panniers without buckling, like alloy framed dual sports. The motor is a water-cooled single, with twin cams, in a mild state of tune. The gearbox is a 5 speeder.

Oh, the Doohickey!, I’m sure you are chomping on the bit to know what that is. It is the tensioner mechanism on the balancer shaft chain. In early years this was prone to failure. If your bike started vibrating significantly it was a sure sign that your “doohickey” had come apart. If you were unlucky the bits would get into, and often trash your motor. Kawasaki eventually upgraded the tensioner around 2009. Most KLR aficionados will tell you that you should still do the aftermarket mod, ‘cause the Kawi mod was a bit iffy. So now you know. Get your Doohickey done!

In the final form of KLR that came to SA, the bikes were pretty sorted. Firmer suspension, thicker spokes and upgraded alternator to power accessories, it was all there. So, whilst the KLR is good at nothing, it is quite decent at damn near everything. I love it’s old world simplicity. Turn the key, rotate the handlebar mounted choke lever, give a whiff of throttle  and the KLR leaps into life. Back off the choke to a fast idle and by the time you have donned helmet and gloves, you are ready to roll. Oh yes, turn the tank petcock to “open”.

Right off idle you have torque. Some of the forums I have read reckon that the KLR will rotate the earth before it stalls in first gear. Although heavy for a dual sport, when compared to a Honda XR 650L or a Suzuki DR 650, the kawi is a much better touring ride. Both the other bikes are better off-road, but have no wind protection, small tanks and racks for seats. The Honda also vibrates like a demon at highway speed. The Kawi might not dance off-road, but it will always get you there in it’s reliable workmanlike way.

The KLR has been around for such a long time that you can get any accessory that you can ever want, or think of. Despite upgraded piston rings, also around 2009, the bikes tend to use oil if revved over 5000 rpm for long periods. I suspect that the crankcase breather can’t quite cope at high revs, so it tends to build crankcase pressure and blow oil out of the breather and into the airbox, from where it is sucked back into the motor and burnt. This is not uncommon amongst big singles and twins. With a 16 tooth front sprocket installed, the Kawi runs at just over the legal limit at 5000 revs. At this speed, you get around 22K/litre.

Happy days. The motor is smooth and happy at this speed, and runs up the steepest of hills in top gear without bother or shedding any speed. You kind of get a serendipitous feeling as you thump along, just knowing that all is really well with your KLR. It is probably similar to the feeling that Toyota Landcruiser owners get when they are overlanding. The pleasure of knowing that you can take the reliability of your wheels for granted, so just bring on the adventure. The less electronic features your bike has the better.

Let me give you an example of electronics gone wrong. Traction control works by two wheel-speed sensors, feeding front and rear wheel rotation data to the engine management computer. Should your back wheel rotation speed exceed that of the front wheel by a certain margin, the computer assumes the back wheel is spinning up. It cuts the power to your back wheel to equalise things again. All good. Until, for example your front wheel sensor stops working. The computer assumes the back wheel is spinning out of control and, yes, you guessed right, cuts the power. A mechanical error message appears on your dash, telling you, according to your handbook, to take your bike to the dealer to run a diagnostics programme.

Problem is, you may be on the road of bones in Mongolia when your pride and joy says, “Houston, you have a problem”. Fact is, in essence, there is nothing wrong with your bike! But, and here is the thing, you don’t know that. You see yourself stranded in the wilderness, and promptly curry your rods! See why I want to do my next really “wild ride” on a KLR?. Every fancy electronic gizmo on your bike, that looks so good on the spec sheet, could become an unsolvable ball ache, when you are stuck in the back of beyond. Just ask the guys who’s bikes stopped reading their “keyless entry” fobs when they were far from home. Or near to home, for that matter!

Ultimately we will have to just don our big boy pants and tough it out. Fact is, the industry will keep playing with things that aren’t broke, trying to fix them. In the meantime I am just going to enjoy my KLR, thanking the gods of things mechanical, rather than electronic, that my Doohickey is fixed!

On the 18th of December the KLR and I are cruising to Nieu Bethesda, overnighting there, then on to Prince Albert, where i am meeting a couple of mates. Together we will traverse the rugged and magnificent Swartberg Pass, then wind our way down Gamkaskloof to Die Hel. Then i will simply go where the fancy takes me and my trusty KLR. Can’t wait! Tell you all about it in the new year.

Our buddy Johann Claassen, who served as road captain on Cancervive, heads up the Rustenburg chapter of Steelwings. For those who don’t know, Steelwings is a dedicated club for Harley–Davidson owners. Members come from all walks of life, but the common thread is a passion for the iconic American freedom machines. Johann invited us to spend a night or two with him and his Missus at the Steelwings “Back to basics” Rally at the Gariep Dam Forever resort.

Early on the morning of Friday the 9th of November, we trundled out of Pretoria southbound. I was riding my GS Adventure, Bjorn was on a Kawasaki Z900 RS Green Meanie and Simon was on a magnificent Harley Road Glide Special. We negotiated the early morning Jo’burg traffic with “Born in the USA” belting out the speakers of Simon’s Glide. Cruising south at a leisurely pace, all was particularly well with the world. By early afternoon, after a brekkie in Bloem, we rolled into Gariep Dam.

As the sun bid goodnight to the sky, we revelled in the magic of  another magnificent African sunset. We joined the now plentiful rallygoers for the evenings festivities in a Marquee. After a few “lemonades” had flowed, things got typically lively. A really good time was had by all. We retired by about 10 pm allowing the Harley faithful to reconnect with old friends and party into the early hours.

Take a look at some pics of the Steelwings guys, birds and bikes. Thanks Johann for the invite and hospitality. You rock Bro!

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We planned to get an early start on our second days riding to Bethulie, birthplace of Sir Laurens Van Der Post, and then along the Maloti route to Clarens.

We spent the night at Clarens Inn & Backpackers, which was also host to a Ulysses contingent, as well as a bunch of lowveld KTM riders, on there way back home after riding Lesotho. All the bikers created a lot of cheerful banter, and a really fun time was had by all.

We dined at one of the many street cafe’s, which make this town so quaint. By this point the days riding and good food increased the gravitational pull on our eyelids, so it was off to bed.

We got going bright and early the next morning, and passed a group of road tripping Ural side-car rigs on the way to Villiers.

We punished a quick breakfast, and cruised into Pretoria well before lunch. Our Free State road trip, took in some amazing scenery and covered almost 1500 km.

Bring on the next one!

Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / Bjorn Moreira.

I am standing on the line, waiting for the lights to go out and the race to start. Every nerve on full alert, I hold the revs steady at 7 000 rpm, waiting, waiting, waiting. The moment of truth as the lights go out and more than 30 angry racers storm into the first left hander, jockeying for position. Modern day gladiators, battling it out in modern day Colosseums.

In many ways very little has changed since the days of old. It is no less intense alongside the track, as screaming, blood thirsty fans wave their fists in support of their chosen gladiator, living in the moment. We see this scenario repeated weekend after weekend in different sports all over the world.

Motorcycling has been my chosen profession for the last eighteen years. Counting my blessings every single day, I could not imagine a life much different! As the tempo of my professional engagements evolved from time spent on the sales floor to time spent in wind, rain and sun, rider gear has become a central part of my everyday life. The demands placed on the latter means that virtually every strength and weakness gets exposed. I truly wear them through from the inside out. Long hours in the saddle doing photo shoots, product reviews, selective rider training scenarios, off road events and shootouts all form part of my daily routine.

The one piece of equipment that gladiators from every era depended on most was and still is their helmet. This is plain logic and common sense. Helmets get worn wherever hazard lurks. Motorcycle helmets have evolved more so than any other sport. The helmet has come into its own as more and more emphasis is placed on safety.

Strangely enough, this was not always the case. Open face helmets used to be the norm as recently as 30 odd years ago. Motorcycles were simpler and freedom of movement received first priority. Full face helmets were an expensive luxury afforded by a fortunate few. Over time, full face helmets became the norm. This was almost more of a fashion statement. Realization of obvious safety benefits transpired with time and the fashion statement soon became a most vital safety benefit. For once, fashion served a purpose in protecting the masses. Gradually, our vanity became responsible for jackets, pants, boots and gloves to become main stream.

A certain German helmet and motorcycle manufacturer, saw the direction the market was taking and seized an opportunity in 1980 to manufacture a helmet that incorporated the freedoms afforded by an open face helmet, as well as the protection and shielding afforded by a full face. These revolutionary helmets were called “System” helmets. Their sales story grew from scepticism, to acceptance, to huge sales successes, before other manufacturers sat up and took notice. Nowadays almost every helmet manufacturer of consequence offers this unique style of one button metamorphosis from open face to full face.

Personally, I never made the transition into this new direction, which was for one reason only. As far as I was concerned, these helmets never really matched the sharp styling of the racing full face and enduro style adventure helmets. They always seemed quirky and I could not envision myself wearing one anytime soon. That was until recently, when I got a phone call from a specific importer.

It was with an open mind that I visited Mark from Henderson Racing Products. He sounded very excited over the phone as he explained that he had just received the first shipment of Scorpion helmets. As an active adventure rider, he wanted me to come and view the new Scorpion ADX-1. On arrival and presentation, it took me about ten seconds to get equally excited as he explained the features to me.

Here I was, looking at the helmet that I had secretly hoped for. What I saw was an adventure type helmet, complete with peak, sun visor, simple venting system, simple “open-to-closed” conversion mechanism and road helmet transformation properties. But what impressed me the most was that it was just “drop-dead-gorgeous” in the styling department!

Mark took time to explain the TCT Composite shell. This is a proprietary 5 layer blend of interlaced and specially formulated fiberglass, Aramid and organic poly-resin fibers. It sports ECE 22.05 standards approval, which is the toughest standard of testing worldwide and required for all forms of premier racing. This piece of information convinced me to give it a go.

Trying out the different styles it became obvious that the medium was too small for me and the large slightly too big. A word of advice to any prospective helmet buyer, is to always go for the smaller size when in doubt. It took a good part of 3 000 km for the helmet to eventually settle to my specific head size and shape. It certainly was worth the initial pain and discomfort and she now fits like a glove.

More than 6 000 km later, from Namibian desert, to Botswana heat, to just about anything in between, prompted me to pen my conclusions to paper.

After settling in, the helmet has now become as comfortable as any premium helmet on my shelf. The clear visor is thick and durable, seats tightly and certainly keeps the wind out. The sun visor, as always is a big plus and helps in the brightness of the Route 62 sun. It deploys at just the slide of a button.

I have been spoilt by the open-to-closed conversion and find myself riding in open face mode during slow traffic conditions, in the dunes and gentle cruises along the coast. At higher speeds, the helmet is more quiet than any other full face in my arsenal. This is especially noteworthy, as wind noise is what most “open-to-closed” helmet owners complain about.

The quality of the inside padding is spot-on and it has now been tested in diverse conditions. High speed testing is usually the final insult for many adventure type helmets, as the very design is in conflict with certain envelopes of the speed spectrum.

I tested this helmet on a recent adventure bike launch up to speeds of 195km/h on an F750GS with virtually no wind protection and found it ultra-composed and tracking straight.

An interesting feature is that the helmet can be converted for street use by removing the peak and fitting the included side plates. It then fools anyone into thinking it’s a proper sports helmet, even stylish enough to satisfy all but the most avid from the naked bike clan. It looks especially menacing with the optional dark visor!

I have been thinking long and hard about possible criticisms with this product, but fail to find anything concrete. Perhaps the weight of the helmet would bother some, although mass specification is on par with similar offerings. The sun visor conversion slider work counter intuitively for me and took some getting used to. In the closed configuration, the cheek pads put quite a lot of pressure on the jaw, which in my case is reassuring more than a drawback.

In conclusion, the recommended retail price of only R 5 500 blew me over for the level of quality and features on offer. When collecting the helmet, the price was not yet finalised and my expectation was that it would certainly be more expensive. The array of colours available will suit most tastes and replacement parts are readily available from this very approachable distributor.

Do yourself a favour and check out the new Scorpion helmet range, you may just find your next purchase to be one of these.

When you spend the amount of time on bikes that I do, and especially on less than perfect roads off the beaten track, it is almost inevitable that you will capsize at some point. Earlier in the year I rode down to Port Elizabeth to spectate at the Ironman triathlon. On my way home I made a detour to a game farm, 70 odd k’s from Colesburg. The last 30 k’s was on a reasonable dirt road. Reasonable that is until I had to leave the farm the next day after 15 hours of rain. My KTM 1090 R was shod with Pirelli road rubber, as I was keeping the knobblies fresh for dirt trips. The rain took me totally by surprise.

I rode straight onto a road that had literally turned into a quagmire overnight. Feeling my way gingerly, I tried to get a feeling for what traction there was. Very little, to be frank. Wanting to get the dirt done with I foolishly, with hindsight, sped up from a manageable 60 to around 80 kph. All good, until I hit some water filled potholes that is. Not wanting to do anything sudden to upset the bike further, I tried to keep a constant throttle and ride out the bumps. What followed is a bit of a blur. The bike started getting a porpoising action going which got more and more violent, until I abandoned ship. The bike went down on its left hand side. I must have tried to save it till the last moment, because the 1090 landed on my left lower leg before doing its own thing and I slid and rolled down the road.

Those of you that have fallen off your bikes in similar fashion, will know that even as you are sliding on your bum and other extremities, you are counting the cost of your loss of talent. Standing up, I hobbled back to the bike on a seriously painful ankle. Picking up the bike there was ominous clicking and crunching from my lower leg. The standard KTM crashbars did a reasonable job, together with my soft pannier brackets, of protecting the bike. The soft, muddy road also helped to absorb a lot of energy from the crash, as did my lower leg. I decided it would not be a good idea to remove my boot to asses the damage because I was pretty sure I would not get it on again. What followed was a cold, wet and painful 600 odd kay ride home. Why do I tell you this tale of woe? Enter RUMBUX protection bars.

I made the error of being pennywise and pound foolish. If I had really thought about it, I would have realised that the factory crash protection, whilst better than nothing was not totally up to the job of protecting the bike, and perhaps more importantly, the rider. There is no way that you will escape with no damage, however RUMBUX products show that an incredible amount of research and development goes into their design. My handlebars and front flicker needed replacing. I took my bike straight off to RUMBUX and asked the guys to fit the top section of their 1090 R system. I have the KTM factory bashplate fitted. The full RUMBUX system sports a bashplate incorporated into their design as well as engine casing protection.

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Studying the fit of the RUMBUX bars it is obvious that they hugely improve both bike and rider protection. In my case, my leg would not have been trapped under the bike. The wider top section of the RUMBUX bars not only offer greater radiator and body work protection, they prevent the bike from landing fully on its side. The fit and finish is superb, and look for all the world like they were designed and fitted in the bike manufacturers factory.

Honda equipped all their Africa Twins used for the Honda Quest event, with RUMBUX bars. Neither their bikes or riders could afford to be damage to the extent that they could not continue the ride. Despite numerous offs, the RUMBUX bars kept the bikes operational.

Now here is the thing. South African Adventure bike riders ride through some of the most demanding and hostile riding country in the world. You simply cannot afford to render your bike unrideable after a dirt or tar off. I believe with total conviction that when it comes to comprehensive protection for you and your bike that RUMBUX bars have no peers. Riders all over the world have cottoned on to this fact and this proudly South African product flies the flag on Adventure bikes all around the globe.

I would strongly suggest that for what is a small amount of money compared to the value of your bike, you give the guys at RUMBUX a shout. You owe it to your bike and yourself. Pray that you don’t crash, but dress your bike for the occasion.

For more information visit: www.rumbux.co.za

Total concentration, I make myself a promise in the privacy of my helmet; “one day I will ride this gravel mountain pass to watch the scenery, rather than enjoy the corners”.

Off course I am talking about Prince Alfred pass. This well-known adventure bike trail joins the settlement of Avontuur with the very popular coastal town of Knysna. My bike is fitted with a set of Dunlop Trail Smart Max tyres and these will be the topic of our story.

Dunlop is the world’s oldest and most successful tyre manufacturer! The company was founded in 1888. To their credit, they have more than 138 World Championships, in multiple disciplines. They take pride in 13 consecutive Isle of Man TT wins. To rub salt into the wounds of their competitors, BMW and Dunlop achieved the new lap record at this famed road circuit in the hands of Peter Hickman earlier this year. Despite all this, Dunlop as a motorcycle tyre is not well known and supported in South Africa. Hard to understand why.

Over time, I have concluded that motorcycle tyre choice is as personal as the choice of underwear. I have been in endless discussions where self-proclaimed gurus defend their choice of rubber to whoever cares to listen. Tyre choice is one of the most hotly contested topics on local adventure bike forums.

Let us zoom in for a moment. Local adventure riders expect a lot from their motorcycles and equipment. Rightfully so, as our standard of rider is probably the best in the world.  South Africa being the reigning GS Trophy World Champions only enforces this argument. Furthermore we are fortunate enough in that SA offers some of the best riding terrain and freedom of movement. Adventure biking is therefore a serious past time for most of us.

But these wide expanses of seemingly unlimited riding also come with unique challenges. Most of the population is urbanised, thus getting to the most beautiful destinations often include long periods spent on paved roads. Being a warm, sunny part of the world also means high surface temperatures. Combine this with high speeds and heavy loads and you soon come to realize just how important the correct tyre choice is.

The main consideration is whether to fit the knobbly type tyres that offer good grip on gravel surfaces but limited lifespan or choose the option of a more road based tyre that provides better grip on paved surfaces and also offer much better lifespan. Adventure riders lament the fact that they seldom get more than 5000km on these knobbly type tyres. Combine that with rising tyre prices in recent times and the argument gets stronger for those selecting the more road based option.

When I was offered the opportunity to test the new Dunlop, I conceded with a smile and an expectation. I knew very little about this tyre, but knew also that Dunlop could be trusted to production of the highest standard.

The first superstition I perform when inspecting a new tyre is to test the compliance of the rubber with my finger nail. This specific example seemed very fresh and the feel of the compound impressed me.  So far, so good. Over many years of racing in various disciplines, I have seen the effect of heat cycles on rubber. With frequent heat cycles most tyres gradually dry out and become less compliant. Over time, grip levels start to suffer, which hampers overall performance. On this topic, it must be said that these tyres gripped like new, even after 5000km of all-surface riding.

Shortly after fitting these new hoops, I went on an eight day journey, traversing some of the most scenic gravel passes in the fairest Cape. This would provide opportunity to test them thoroughly on a vast array of gravel surfaces as well as the odd paved roads. The tough life of a journalist and product tester!

These tyres impressed from the word “go”. Contrary to popular wisdom, I kept the tyre pressures at 1.5 bar front and 1.8 bar rear. I did this while fully loaded with panniers and top box. It helped a lot in smoothing out the ride and I experienced a very cushy feel from both the front and back of the bike. Few riders realize that the tyre provides the all-important first line of suspension. These pressures certainly suited my setup and intended use. I still remember how I laughed in my helmet when negotiating the smooth tar surface of the Huisrivier Pass, just outside Calitzdorp. I was wondering when I would feel the metal panniers scratching against the tar surface. Man, was that an enjoyable moment in time? The kind of moment we, as motorcyclists, live for… We have all been in that “zero zone” where it seems that everything is just working perfectly. Respect!!

Yet the greatest claim to fame with these new tyres is longevity. With most press releases, where new tyres are concerned, promises are made about better mileage and better grip, yet this seldom materializes in the real world. You can just imagine my apprehension when the local importer mentioned the longevity part! The only way, was to ride the tyres as hard as possible, for as many kilometres as I could pack in before having to feature this article. Included is a photo taken earlier today after almost 5000km of all terrain use. On the picture, one can see that the contact area has barely been compromised. Very impressive indeed. I have now used this set for 4 months at the time of writing and will continue to use them to the end of their life span.

In conclusion, the Dunlop Trail Smart Max is exactly what I was hoping for. It adds an impact player that could well upset the local status quo. Especially on the longevity aspect, it seems that the Dunlop is going to deliver more than current options. I loved the feel on the road, even more so in spirited riding situations. I cannot fault it in general off-road adventure riding.

The more popular Front 120/70R19 retails for R 1625,00 and the Rear 170/60R17 retails for R 1895,00. Combined with the durability aspect, this offers good value for money. You are then certain to buy into a heritage that has been built over many years.

In this beautiful world of ours, trust is earned not given!!

Why do you suppose I refer to the Optimate3 as a “system” rather than simply a charger? Quite simply, because that is what it is. Let me try and explain. I need to come clean at this point that I am the original, and I am sure the world’s worst, technophobe. Please understand that “smart phones” are much smarter than me! Don’t ask me to programme anything electronic. I am so bad that even setting the time on my bike’s dash is a major endeavour and there is no way that I would even attempt it without reading the manual. My head simply does not wrap itself around electronics. Give me mechanical any day and I will suss it out, but electrics? No way!.

I am in the blessed position to own more than one motorcycle. I do, also, contrary to popular belief, own a car. [unfortunately there are times when just can’t do the job with a bike and the only option is then a four wheeled shopping basket] Problem is, I can’t ride them all, all of the time. Sometimes weeks go by where a particular bike does not get started. Modern bikes, with their sophisticated electronics do not like weak batteries. They are invariably fuel injected too, so when you try to start the bike the fuel injection needs to deliver a squirt of mixture before, or as the motor turns over to light the engines fire. All of this needs power and then spark. Even push starting doesn’t work because said fuel injection doesn’t work. How do I know this? Half an hour of working up a serious sweat trying to push start my KTM 1090 Adventure R is how I know this! Enter battery chargers.

Old world battery chargers did exactly that. Irrespective of how charged your battery was they kept on charging. If you didn’t keep on monitoring the state of the battery, by trial and error, it would simply cook your battery. The world, thankfully has moved on and we now have, like “smart” phones, smart chargers. The Optimate3 is one of those, and a devilishly clever one at that. I have already told you, ad nauseam, how technically challenged I am when it comes to things electronic, so I am not going to try to tell you how it works technically, but rather how it works practically!

The Optimate3 comes equipped with two means of connecting it to your battery. Firstly, there is a connection which can be permanently attached to your batteries terminals and cable tied to the bike or car. If you want to periodically top up and maintain your battery charge you simply plug the male\female and it is then simply a matter of plugging the charger plug into a wall socket and switching it on.

The second option, and the one that I use because of my multiple vehicles, is the crocodile clip equipped wire. Two colour coded [for elecro-idiots like me] crocodile clips with the said male/female connector get attached to the charger, clipped on to the relevant battery pole, plugged in and switched on. Bob’s your uncle!.

And that friends, is the wonder of this device. No further intervention is required. The Optimate3 tests where your battery is at and starts remedial action by applying an appropriate level of charge. It even has a “Dave proof” feature which will tell you if you have connected the crocodile clips to the incorrect poles. How cool is that? An explosion in my garage could wreak some havoc but thankfully Optimate3 has got that covered.

A panel of lights on the charger itself indicate what the battery is doing, so that you know when your battery is sorted or still “undergoing treatment”. Once the battery is fully charged, it automatically goes into a maintenance mode, whereby it monitors and maintains an optimum charge.

The Optimate3 comes with very comprehensive instructions and specifications for you guys who understand, and get your jollies from reading stuff like that. For us lesser mortals, we simply read how to attach it to our batteries and then forget about it till we unplug it and go ride. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Well I suppose I can. I bought one. ‘nuffsaid!.

For more information visit: www.bikewise.co.za Or call Bikewise on: 011 566 0333

At the best of times we should take really good care of our bikes and riding kit, however in these financially taxing times it becomes even more relevant. We need kit as well as bikes to weather well so that we can extend their working life and give us more value for our hard earned loot. Enter the Motul motorcycle care range of products. Rather than raiding your local hardware or grocery store for general cleaning agents that may contain chemicals or other agents which may harm, instead of enhance our gear, the French lubricant giant has some bespoke products with which to pamper our rides and kit.

The first two products I wish to tell you about are formulated to keep your skidlid, brain bucket, pip protector, OK then, your helmet, in tip top shape. Harsh South African riding conditions invariably leave your helmet and visor dusty, dirty and bug bespattered. Motul’s helmet and visor clean comes in a 250 ml plastic bottle with a trigger type spray applicator. Specially designed and tested to loosen dust, dirt, oily road residue and bug innards without compromising your helmet and visor materials, you simply spray it all over helmet and visor, leave standing for a minute or so, then wipe clean with a clean soft cloth.

It penetrates all the cracks and crevices and loosens the grime so that you can easily coax it out. Rub up nicely, and your lid is left shiny and clean, with nary a streak. Magic. So much for the outside.

The said SA riding conditions allied to some spirited riding sometimes causes us to work up a sweat, which can leave your helmet somewhat funky, and not exactly smelling like the proverbial roses! Don’t stress, Motul interior clean to the rescue. At the end of the ride, spray the inside comprehensively and leave the helmet in an airy space to dry. Active ingredients called Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone, [I kid you not] kill all the smelly bacteria and leave your helmet sweet smelling and fresh. Sorted!

The third product tested is really relevant for the current crop of bikes and riding gear which sport a matte finish. It is specially formulated to clean, enhance and protect matte surfaces. Damn! Where was this when I had my matte green Triumph Scrambler? Conventional polishes change the matte finish to a “flat” finish. The Motul matte surface clean does exactly what it says. The 400ml aerosol can with a conventional spray nozzle makes it a doddle to apply. Spray on, leave for three minutes and polish off with a clean dry cloth, and Voila! Like new!

I put the spray to the test on my two matte black helmets, as well as the panniers on the beautiful Harley – Davidson Sport Glide that I have for a medium term review. The bike is a magnificent deep glossy black, with the exception of the panniers, which are matte black. The Motul muti did it’s magic, restoring all my matte goodies to their former glory. Descent kit this Motul MC Care range. It’s a definite thumbs up from me.

MOTUL MC Care

For more information on the products used in this article, click on the links below…

I have owned a pair of XKULCHA Dakar pants for a couple of years now and done many miles in them. To be frank, they are my Adventure pants of choice, even above the Adventure pants which form part of my suit. I choose to wear them [the Dakar pants] with my jacket. Why? You may ask. Let me tell you. Firstly, the comfort. They are cut high in the waist, especially at the back. They also have a broad, wide belt. These two features provide proper kidney cover with a nice supportive feel. They are also long enough. I am tall and slim. Typically if I get pants that fit properly around my waist they hang half mast.

With the “long” option Dakar’s they are perfect, even when seated on the bike. The cotton lining is comfortable, even in Botswana heat. This is aided by the mesh vent in the crutch. A perceptible stream of air keeps the nether regions cool in the African heat. In winter I simply wear running shorts under the pants, to keep the “heat in”. The pants lower leg can be zipped open to accommodate MX boots, allowing easy fitment. Subtle features abound. There is a cell phone pouch on the front upper right thigh with a secure flap. Pockets are reinforced on the edges for durability. The right pocket sports a key clasp to secure your house keys while bouncing around rough terrain.

The soft armour covering the knee is really comfy and keeps the old patella’s warm in winter. They could perhaps be moved down by three odd centimetres as they just cover the knee when seated. Removable soft hip protection can be attached with velcro if desired, and comes standard with the pants.

I just waxed lyrical about my old Dakar’s, so what is up with the newest derivation?. Whilst the old style came in a heavy duty grey fabric, the new pants are made from 500 denier ATF high abrasion resistant cordura nylon. They come in an earthy dark salmon type of colour which is both attractive and practical. Like the old models they have a eshweshwe print cotton inner for comfort and breathability.

Crash zones have been subtly reinforced with ballistic nylon panels. Knee pads are removable, allowing fitment of hard shell armour if so desired. Compact foam knee and hip protection is once again standard. The new material, whilst equally protective, is more attractive and lighter, making for even higher comfort levels.

The crutch airflow mesh is also retained. In short, the new Dakar adventure pants from proudly South African Xkulcha, retain all the features of the originals with a more contemporary look, and even better performance. Having worn them extensively on a 3,500k trip recently, I can confirm that they are real winners! The peace of mind of knowing that you can have them repaired or replaced free of charge in the event of a mishap, ensures no buyers remorse. Highly recommended.

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For more information visit: www.xkulcha.co.za

This years Pirelli BOTY is a really interesting one! Before we get into the meat of things I would like to give a huge shout out to Pirelli. We are living in challenging times to put it mildly. The motorcycle industry, like the general economy, is under siege, yet Pirelli, stalwart sponsor of this event since inception stood in the gap once again! It is one thing to be recognised for a sponsorship but it would be remiss not to commend Pirelli on the excellent quality tyres that they are currently engineering. The bikes on test were all Pirelli shod and I truly believe that a significant amount of their handling prowess, both on the road and track, is partly due to the confidence inspiring Pirelli tyres. Back in another age Pirelli Phantoms were my tyre of choice on my Kawasaki GPZ 550 endurance race bike and let me tell you, if I was racing a production bike today it would also run Pirellis. ‘Nuffsaid!

Right, let’s talk BOTY. In previous years I went out on a limb and gave my winner and runner up and so on. I am going to break with that tradition simply because there were so many stand out bikes in their respective classes this year that to pick a winner would almost disrespect the others. I will need to cast my vote, and I will, but right here and now I will tell you what stood out for me and why.

TRIUMPH 765 STREET TRIPLE R

This middleweight sports naked is damn near perfect. As a motorcycle journo I try to analyse the various aspects of a bike like brakes, chassis, suspension, engine, ergonomics and then how all these facets hang together to give the rider a “feel” for the bike. The styling and looks of the machine also contribute to this “feel”. This is an almost extrasensory aspect developed from riding bikes daily for over 40 years. Bikes that may be a real buzz to ride for a day might be a pain to own in the long run. The 765 is quite simply sublime. Refined in absolutely every area. The suspension rides bumps on the road with aplomb yet gives perfect feedback on the Gerotek dynamic handling circuit. Probably not surprising with Ohlins in the rear and Showa USD forks, all fully adjustable for preload and damping. Brembo monoblocs provide faultless brake feel and action and that fantastic sonorous triple engine drives with authority from low in the rev range. This bike will make average riders good and good riders brilliant. Flawless and incredible value given it’s performance and spec at just over R150K.

KTM 790 DUKE

KTM’s latest addition to the Duke family absolutely redlines the fun counter. Our test unit was blinged out to the max from the Powerparts catalogue and had, especially the younger journos, drooling! The parallel twin motor pumps out impressive power right off idle and keeps that up till redline. A responsive chassis channels all this performance in an impressive manner. It is the perfect size and power for the dynamic handling circuit, and a really fun time was had by all on the little Duke. Only when ridden back to back with the Triumph does it come up short. It feels a trifle loose by comparison with slight brake fade from the “budget Brembo’s”. It matches the Triumph blow for blow in the engine department, albeit in a twin cylinder way. Hugely appealing to younger, less discerning riders out there but perhaps less so to those really experienced pilots. Ridden in isolation it will certainly thrill prospective owners, and it’s flaws will be easily overlooked by those with a hint of orange in their blood!

KAWASAKI NINJA 400 SE

Oh Lordy! What a fantastic bike! I had never ridden this little green rocket before and after a couple of laps memories of my giant killing Yamaha RD 350 came flooding back. Obviously the parallel twin four stroke delivers it’s power differently to the legendary little ‘stroker, but it is no less impressive. Nothing about the bike feels built down to a price. It is a genuine sports motorcycle that will give larger capacity bikes a hernia on a tight windey road. The motor generates surprising power in a linear fashion. I even managed to stay ahead of a decently ridden Husky Vitpilen, despite a 300cc engine disadvantage.  This incredibly competent little green meanie can be had for a paltry R79995. Personally this is my bike of the decade!

HONDA GOLDWING

What can one say about a bike that has evolved over a period of 43 years from the original GL 1000? Especially when that evolution has been undertaken by Big Red. It is the quintessential super tourer, especially when the 1800cc flat six engine is mated with the seamless DCT gearbox. It is built with only one purpose in mind, and that is to take it’s rider and passenger far and fast in absolute comfort. It hits the bulls eye in every respect. The only criticism, if you can call it that, is an element of “playstation” in the way it goes about it’s business. The rider feels almost detached from the bike in the real world, if you get my drift? It is like flying a jumbo versus a Pitt’s special. Both are incredible aircraft, just very different in the way they go about their business. At R392000 it is only really accessible to a limited few which is perhaps also a consideration in these trying times.

BMW K1600 BAGGER

Any motorcycle with an inline 6 cylinder engine is going to be special, and this is no exception. In “Bagger” guise the K1600 is a magnificent steed. With a fit and finish on a par with Honda’s Goldwing, it is a wonderful way to reel in the horizon, aided and abetted by that brilliant motor. Like the Honda it has raised the Super tourer bar in a “cruiser” like fashion. Fans of the blue and white propeller brand will not be disappointed. At R348100 it is also only for a privileged few and also gives one the “playstation” riding sensation.

TRIUMPH TIGER 1200

Every time I sling a leg over the latest incarnation of Triumph’s biggest Triple I am reminded of why it has placed so high in previous competitions. It is an excellent all round motorcycle which is competent in many roles. Still very much a riders bike, it is a hoot to ride. Whether trundling down the superslab or attacking the twisties it feels equally at home. Rider and passenger creature comforts are at an all time high. The wonderful gruff ‘n tough triple is a pleasure at all speeds. An excellent all round motorcycle.

DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1260

The Italian take on the Swiss Army, do it all motorcycle theme, albeit with a road bias. Lovers of the V – Twin Testastretta motor will not be disappointed. The 1260 motor is a belter! The long travel suspension initially makes really fast riding a trifle disconcerting, but once you get used to the amount of suspension movement you can really hustle this beast down a windey road. You sit very much “in” this bike as opposed to on it. Hugely versatile, it is a jack of all trades but it’s weakness is that perhaps it is not really “master” of any.

HUSQVARNA VITPILEN 701

I commented to a fellow journo that the Husky was predominantly an artistic expression with it’s almost “art deco” styling. That was before I rode it. What an impressive motorcycle, especially on the dynamic handling track. I was in “super single” heaven. The big single pulls with reasonably smooth authority right from the basement. Handling is top drawer. The Vitpilen gives excellent feedback as you dive into turns, rail through sweeps and climb on the impressive stoppers. It is not quite as at home on the street, where high speeds have it feeling somewhat extended, with the big one lunger breathing hard. Despite it’s unique styling and competence I cannot help feeling that it is perhaps R20k too expensive to be a real contender.

KAWASAKI H2 SX

If, like me, you are a fan of Sports Tourers, then this bike will properly blow your hair back, and a whole lot more besides. The supercharged H2 motor has found it’s natural home in the Sports Tourer. Endless power and speed are accessible at the twist of the wrist. The rest of the bike can be set up to complement your preferred riding style. An amazing motorcycle. The only nagging thought from a BOTY perspective is whether, when all is said and done, the H2 SX is a better motorcycle than it’s brilliant sibling, the ZX 1400. I get the feeling that in the real world the way simpler ZX delivers the goods with less mechanical complexity. That is, of course, until you hear the waste gate on the supercharger chuntering and chirping. Damn, this is a tough job!

KAWASAKI Z900 RS

I love this bike! It does not rely on it’s old school cool styling to win you over, as some retro’s do. Underneath that sweet styling is a fundamentally good and versatile motorcycle. The motor delivers real world performance that totally satisfies, as does the suspension and chassis. It is the kind of bike that you ride, and then start doing the ownership sums on. A real contender.

BMW R310 GS

WIthout taking anything away from it’s real world usefulness and performance, the little Bimmer felt out of it’s league in this company. It’s tiny road focussed sibling punched so far above it’s weight last year, astounding all with it’s performance, that we were perhaps expecting too much from the littlest GS. The attributes that make it perhaps better in day to day use, like comfort and versatility and suspension travel when compared to the regular G 310 R, hampered it in fast road and track riding. Great little beastie, but as a BOTY contender, no cigar.

DUCATI PANIGALLE V4 S

Last, but oh so definitely not least, is this all conquering Italian that redefines the word Superbike. No one can argue that this bike, sporting the largest capacity Superbike motor of them all, with a fair amount of Ducati’s MotoGP DNA in it’s makeup, raises the bar in almost all respects. If you are up to it, that is. To be brutally honest, precious few riders have the skill to utilise this weapon to the full. In fact, around the dynamic handling track, if you had the gonads to do it, you hardly could get it out of first gear. In a way, for me, it’s like being married to a super model who you feel you can never really satisfy in the bedroom. Her pretty, girl next door type sister almost becomes more appealing. It exposes your lack of ability, because everyone knows that the machinery that you are on is not deficient. So, for me, for all it’s undeniable brilliance, it is simply a bridge too far.

To sum up. I tried to give you some insight into my thought process as a judge at this great Pirelli sponsored event. No matter what wins, you may well think differently. Please forgive our choice. At least we have ridden them all in the same environment and have tried to be ruled by our heads and not our hearts. As passionate motorcyclists that is not an easy task, especially given that there was genuinely not a bad bike there.

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At the end of the day, it is you the motorcycle rider that ultimately wins. We have never been so spoilt for choice!

The diversity of motorcycle motorsport never ceases to amaze me! Everyone is familiar with the likes of MotoGP, World Superbikes and Supersports, the TT Races, and so on. Then we have MX, Enduro and its allied disciplines. In the States, Flat-track racing on dirt ovals is huge. Speedway attracts crowds in Europe, as does ice racing, which is like speedway, but with studded tyres. If we put our minds to it, we could probably come up with many other forms of motorcycle sport, like Observed Trials, and so on. I want to throw you bike fundi’s a curved ball. How many of you are familiar with Japanese Auto Racing? If, like me when I first heard the term, you now have a rather blank stare, let me elaborate.

Back in 1950, post war Japan was trying to shrug off the devastation visited on the country by years of brutal conflict. Not the least of which was the total destruction, with catastrophic loss of life, of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, by nuclear holocaust. People needed forms of recreation which blotted out, even if it was just temporarily, the misery of what they had endured. If there was also an opportunity to make a quick buck, then what a pleasure! So it was, that Japanese Auto Racing started.

Perhaps it was the influence of the American troops that occupied Japan after the war, that determined that this racing would be on an oval circuit.

A big advantage of oval racing, is that it is very spectator friendly. Dedicated stadiums now host these events. The bikes that are used are really strange beasts. They look like speedway bikes gone wrong. Originally they were powered by Triumph Twin engines. With the passing of time, these engines died out, [literally] and were replaced by dedicated motors.

The bikes all run the same motors. Built by Suzuki, they are designated “AR 600”. It is a 599cc parallel twin, pumping out 59 Hp and 45 ft lbs of torque. As with speedway bikes, there are no brakes, and a separate two speed gearbox.

The exhausts are what we would term “straight shot” pipes, which at 8000 rpm, add a mean soundtrack. Unlike American flat-track, which is run on dirt, Auto racing is on a tar oval. Races run six laps of the oval, so the bikes only need a tiny 1,9l tank. Races run anti-clockwise only, so the bikes have a padded rod that sticks out from the right hand side, over which riders hook their right leg. The handlebars are not symmetrical. On the left the bar rides high and wide, whilst on the right, it is down and back.

This is to facilitate control while sliding the bike on tar. Essentially, the bikes have a rigid frame, with a rudimentary form of front suspension. Imagine spindly front forks with a steering damper mounted length ways on each fork leg. In essence, a sprung fork leg with externally adjustable damping.

Riders wear brightly patterned, cloth helmet covers and tops, similar to the colours worn by jockeys, over their leathers. This allows spectators to recognize “their” rider. Why is this important? Because they gamble on the result, that’s why! To make racing even closer, they run a reverse grid. Fastest riders at the back. Tyres are shaved KR73 Dunlops. These are favoured because of their triangular shape, which benefits traction when the bike is heeled over. The tyres are shaved for less squirm under load.

Back in the day, the Yakuza, or Japanese Mafia, so influenced race results, that huge, ill-gotten gambling profits, were generated. In 1967, the Japanese Motorcycle Federation stepped in, and instituted a strict race regime to eradicate the skulduggery. Riders are now required to be quarantined before each race meeting. They are searched, have their cell phones removed, and move into a dormitory before the race. Sounds like a lot of schlepp, so why bother? For the pay, that’s why! Top auto racers earn millions of US Dollars annually. One of the original stars was none other than Mitsuo Abe, father of Norifumi Abe, the late MotoGP star.

A roadracer of distinction, Mitsuo found that he had much greater earning potential in Auto Racing. Speaking about the technique required to be really fast, he says, that as in dirt tracking, you need to slide the front first, and then the back. Holy cow! Sliding the front of a motorcycle is the stuff of loose stools, at the best of times! Imagine barrelling into a sweep at 150kph, foot down, sliding both ends as you pitch the bike sideways. Throw a whole bunch of riders, jockeying for the lead, into the mix, and you have the stuff that spectacles are made of.

Riders develop cult hero status in Japan. Fans would trample Valentino Rossi, to get their favourite Auto racers autograph. With bikes that are so even, with strict rules limiting what mods are allowed, really small things make a difference. The money that rides on the results, is another massive incentive for attention to detail, in bike setup. An example of this, is changing valve springs after every two races. It makes no horsepower difference, but improves acceleration. In recent years, Auto racing has seen an influx of woman riders.

Rules require that riders be at least 17 years old, no taller than 5’ 10”, and weight no more than 60 Kg’s. The recent death of an Auto racing woman star, spawned national mourning of Princess Di proportions in Japan.

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There are six tracks around Japan that host Auto racing. Riders slug it out for six laps, in a spectacle of sight and sound, that lasts a mere three minutes per heat. The overall winner of the days racing will come away with anything up to 1 million USD in prize money. That makes most MotoGP stars earning paltry, by comparison. How wild is that? Darn. We learn something new every day, don’t we?

For more information about Japanese Auto Racing, visit the official website: www.autorace.jp

What a truly brilliant idea these Enduro thorn sleeves are! Back in the day I used to do a lot of riding with my buddies in De Wildt. Anyone who has ridden in a bushveld environment will attest to the fact that thorn bushes make mincemeat of enduro shirts. Unfortunately, by default your arms take terrible strain as well. I know of riders who have had to have thorns, which have become imbedded so deep in their arms, surgically removed.

Enduro riding is seriously hot work. Especially in summer. Manhandling your bike through technical terrain generates a real sweat. If you wear an enduro jacket for protection over your chest protector you take real strain. The folks at the proudly South African enterprise, XKulcha, have come up with a unique solution. Enduro sleeves. Available in various sizes to accommodate medium to 3XL, these shaped sleeves are joined at the back by two stretch strips which keep them snugly in place on your arms. The shoulders are specially shaped to fit perfectly over your shoulder and arm. A “B” embroidered on the back means that even the most dyslexic riders will put them on the right way round.

The sleeves are made from really heavy duty 600 denier laminated polyester material that is properly rip and puncture resistant. Bring on those thorns! The fit is such that they fit comfortably over your elbow guards without restricting arm movement at all. The fit is so good that you totally forget that you are wearing them. They are available in a funky cammo design as well as black and brown. These things are brilliant, and to my mind, an essential piece of every enduro riders kit.

Keep your cool and protect your arms while you are at it. I actually found another use for them on a recent adventure bike trip. I encountered some really cold weather, like between 1 and 7 degrees C. I found my jacket keeping my torso warm as it was out of the wind behind the screen on my bike. My arms, out in the wind, were taking strain. On an impulse I had packed my sleeves. What a difference! I will never do a winter trip without them. Putting layers under your adventure jacket makes you feel like a stuffed toy. The sleeves fitted nice and snug, effectively wind proofing my jacket, without the Michelin man effect. Excellently designed and properly made, these X Kulcha Enduro sleeves are brilliant. At only R360 a set, your saving on enduro shirts will pay for them in no time. Get some. It’s a no brainer!

For more information visit: www.xkulcha.co.za

On the 30^th of September around 120,000 mostly classic or unique motorcycles rolled through the streets of 650 cities all across the globe. Riders don all manner of gentlemanly garb. Tweeds, waistcoats, cravats, brogues, spiffy hats, you name it. I even saw a fellow in a typical kilt and tunic getup. Back in 2012, an aussie by the name of Mark Hawwa came up with the idea of immaculately turned out riders on classic motorcycles riding for a cause. That cause is prostate and testicular cancer as well as men’s mental health. The inaugural ride saw 2,500 riders in 64 cities. The ride has grown out of all proportions, and rightly so.

Johannesburg hosted a Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride which saw over 1000 riders cruise through Greenside and Melville, up to Constitutional Hill for a group photo, and then on to the funky Victoria Yards urban project.

All in all a great day for a worthy cause. Check out our photo gallery to catch the cool vibe. Almost 6 million dollars and still counting was raised worldwide this year! You gotta love that.

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Photos by: www.zcmc.co.za

So, how can boring cars be exciting for bikers? Boring, self-driving, reading-the-newspaper-on-the-way-to-work kind of cars? A thought was developing in my mind while driving home on a Sunday evening and observing the drivers around me.

What. A. Stressful. Drive.

I was sort-of amazed by what I saw. Now, I am not going to go on a tirade about driving standards or how bad drivers are, and I am not going to make any claims of being a better driver than anyone and how I don’t make mistakes but others do (I am very much an average driver just trying to keep me and my family safe). But attitude is something I do want to highlight. On the drive this evening I saw the usual distractedness and lawlessness, but the icing on the cake was seeing a person happily chatting on a facetime call with his possibly better half while cruising along my local main road, blissfully unaware of happenings around him (and the red traffic light he drove through)! The attitude I observed was that the distraction is more important than the action of driving. Attitude.

Further events just added to the thought pattern forming in my mind. Speed differences with cars trying to go fast sharing the road with cars driven by learner drivers, slow drivers or drunk drivers, making the road a slalom course full of chicanes and 4-wheeled beacons to be avoided. And this is a Sunday evening, not the Monday morning rush as the economy awakes from the weekend slumber. So, nothing unusual, therefore I was only sort-of amazed, because this is the normal road use we are exposed to every day. Things that make us upset but are not surprising. The new normal of driving in this age of cell-phones, audio-streaming, video calls, bought licenses and low levels of enforcements.

And to the person driving the bakkie who slowed dramatically for a left junction, without a care for an indicator or looking behind them, thank you for clearing the statement in my mind (no, not that statement….). Clear in my mind was the thought that drivers are not looking around them. Perhaps slightly ahead, but not to the sides and definitely not behind them. There are many factors to this. They could include distractions in the car such as passengers and cell-phones, poor driving education and skills, or even a poverty line that means that the meagre earnings go towards feeding your children, not replacing the side mirrors or maintain tyres, brakes etc. It’s a selfish driving style, and I don’t mean selfish in an aggressive, confrontational way, but more in a closed-minded, focus-on-self, lack-of-empathy-for-others way.

To the above-mentioned bakkie driver, luckily for us both I was driving conservatively and had a generous following distance, allowing me gentle braking time and my 12-year-old son didn’t even notice the potential for carnage.

Let me move on to the thought in my mind: If drivers aren’t even looking for other cars, how could they ever be looking for motorcycles? Statements such as “the bike came out of nowhere” ……. How is that even scientifically possible?! Please rather write “I didn’t see the motorcycle coming”.

This brings me to autonomous cars. In my line of work, I have been studying the development of this technology and have a fair understanding of it, from the sensors, cameras and radars around the vehicle to the algorithms that are programmed to look for obstacles and plan routes around them. Some cars already can steer, slow and accelerate themselves, keeping themselves in lanes, slowing for traffic ahead and resuming cruising speeds when traffic clears. Limitations include elements such as low-visibility weather conditions, poor road markings for the camera and a great deal of other infrastructure challenges that are part of the development and improvement of this technology into the future. A further point to add is that it’s quite a challenge to engineer an autonomous motorcycle, and many speculate that motorcycles as we know now, with a (hopefully) attentive rider, will be sharing the road with autonomous cars in the future.

But there are some interesting positives. A camera doesn’t need get fatigued. A computer is always making calculations. Sensors send millions of data points to a processing centre every second. There is very little variance in performance, it is almost boring in its continual search for algorithmic input and output.

It is always looking. Looking for everything. Cars, road markings, pedestrians, road signs.

And motorcycles.

So, my thought is: Wouldn’t it be nice to share the road with cars that are actually looking for you? This excites me because I can focus on the enjoyment of riding, not on avoiding death. It is almost time for me to ride again of a serious crash last year, and I can’t wait. But other roads users? Well, they terrify me. I almost trust the boring computers more than the person on the cell phone.

No, wait, I trust the computers more.

I recently had the opportunity to do a really proper test of GoGravel’s 40L duffel bag. The bag looks good in a grey material finish emblazoned with a funky Go Gravel logo in yellow. As technical motorcycle luggage goes, it certainly looks the part. The bag is made of a material called TPU, which is rated at 450 denier. It is light, abrasion resistant, UV resistant and can withstand big changes in ambient temperature. All the seams are welded for weather band dust proofing.

The bag has a double layer bottom for strength and durability. The neck is as wide as the bag making packing and unpacking hassle free. The top of the neck has two firm strips with a wide strip of velcro in the middle. This facilitates proper closure, keeping the closing strips aligned as you roll the top and secure it on each side with two clips.

The handles are robust and reinforced. You will have to really abuse the bag to have any problems toting it around. A shoulder strap comes as standard and can be attached in seconds for further carrying convenience. The bag has a IP 66 dust and waterproof rating, if that means anything to you. So there, you have the specs, how does it work in the real world?

I did a two week roadtrip on my BMW R1200GS Adventure and needed to take a really huge amount of kit. With the panniers full, I put a lot of bulky clothing in the bag as I was expecting cold and grotty weather. Attaching the bag was really easy. The four cinch straps provided have a clip on the one end to attach to the well placed heavy duty plastic loops on the bag and a loop on the other end to attach to the bike.

They are long enough for any imaginable application and I literally had the bag secured in 5 minutes max. A nice feature is the plastic screw type air bleed valve which allows one to pull the bag tight around the contents with the two integrated compression straps, then close the valve to keep the contents snug and airtight. Almost “vacuum packed”!

Over my 5000 odd kilometre trip, I encountered hours of rain and cold, yet had absolute peace of mind that the contents of the bag would emerge unscathed, and indeed they did. If water cannot penetrate the bag then neither will dust. I would go anywhere with this bag in a heartbeat. Two parallel strips of heavy duty loops run the length of the bag, allowing you to strap a tent or sleeping bag on top, if needs be.

This typifies the amount of thought that has gone into the construction and design of this bag. Perhaps the only improvement I can think of is strategically placed velcro on the cinch straps to stop excess strapping from flapping. Come to think of it, I don’t really know of any manufacturer that has solved that problem yet.

In summary, I think that Go Gravel can be justifiably proud of this “proudly South African” product. At a suggested retail price of around R1200, it offers decent value for money, and judging by the build integrity and material quality, it should give years of solid service. Check out the Go Gravel website at: www.gogravel.co.za, for other products in their ever expanding range of goodies for adventure travel.

The setting is Sutherland, Northern Cape. Commonly known as the coldest place in South Africa. As an adventure traveller, I cannot believe my luck as I drive into this small gem. The place is covered in snow! a Cold wind howls through my open visor as I start laughing in my helmet! It is the heart of winter.

But why is this fact even significant? Well, as an adventurer you often find yourself stacked against the elements and the odds. That is off course, if you are doing it correctly. An adventure should be exactly that. The element of surprise must always be there, at least to a certain extent. The one thing an adventure rider must always regard, is their safety and their mortality. With ever changing terrain and weather conditions, you want to keep yourself both happy and safe.

Over the years I have been in a great deal of difficult circumstances chasing after “sunsets” and “horizons elusive”. I have tried many different variants of rider gear and camping equipment. In an ever changing landscape you want a few constants, a few items that help you feel at home, pardon the expression. If you are wise enough to formulate what you want from your rider gear, then half the battle is won. I have very strict parameters that I incorporate to feel safe, comfortable and protected. I have a closet full of dependable, battle hardened, tested and proven riding equipment.

Enter Mark Henderson, the brain child and owner of Henderson Racing Products, home to Metalize riding gear. Visiting with this man, you cannot help but feel the passion he has for his business and what it offers. With his keen sense of awareness, he offered me a brand new Adventure Jacket and a set of Off Road touring boots to test for an upcoming expedition into some very hostile terrain. I accepted the gesture with a certain amount of apprehension, as I already have my favourite riding gear waiting for me back at home. It felt like infidelity when I donned the new orange Metalize jacket for the first time. My old Savanna Jacket has served me like no other and I was not keen to replace it anytime soon.

This is where the story gets interesting. I remember coming home, gracefully laying down the new Metalize kit on my bed, starting to investigate every nook and cranny. I soon came to realize the amount of thought, development and passion that went into the birth of what seems something quite special.

I remember Mark specifically mentioning that he developed this range of clothing for local conditions. He is forever busy fine tuning and tweaking on the feedback he receives from local test pilots. For me, the most critical part was inspecting the frequency and positioning of the ventilation system.

Adventure jackets, much like Adventure bikes fall victim to unrealistic expectations. From sub-zero degree temperatures as I experienced in Sutherland, to fourty degree heat, as we so often find in our sunny country. The expectation is to be “Jacks of all trades”, answering to all things correctly.

Getting a bit more technical, the Metalize Adventure Jacket comes fitted with 6 vents front and one huge exhaust vent at the back, which filters through the cool air in hot conditions. I find this system adequate in most conditions, the only time I found it to be inadequate was when riding very technical sections in the hottest of conditions.

The jacket certainly offers more than enough pockets. Eight pockets in the front, to be exact. Four of these are small pockets for storing vitals like your ear plugs, ninety degree elbow for tyre inflation, an extra valve for tubeless arrangement, etc…

The jacket comes with both a thermal and a waterproof inner, which are two separate items, and are included in the suggested retail price of roughly R 4 300. The “bum-bag” pocket at the rear is large enough to store either one but not both of these inners, I used it to store the thermal inner, and I found that the bottom right-hand front pocket is adequate in size to store the rain inner. Another great feature I found is the hidden pocket located inside the thermal inner. When combined with the waterproof lining, this acts as a waterproof arrangement so your most valuable electronics will be safe in all but the most adverse riding conditions.

In summary, the Jacket has all the potential to become a faithful travel companion, that favourite piece of “go-to” kit, allowing you the freedom to focus on the job at hand. As Adventure jackets go, this one will serve you well in all but the hottest of technical conditions. At the suggested retail price of R 4 300, as mentioned earlier, Metalize can expect to sell stacks of these.

Now, turning our attention to the boots, as mentioned earlier in this review.

Yet again, as an adventure traveller I demand the impossible from my footwear. In my view, boots must fit comfortably and protect well, as I found out when dabbing my foot in the thick sand and the aluminium panniers hitting the back part of the boots’ calf protection. Mishaps like this happen so quickly and all too frequently. Comfort for prolonged hours in the saddle is also critical. Being a barefoot country boy most of my life, hot stuffy feet is no option when traversing and exploring.

Many from the adventure family believe in the better protection of the so called “plastic boots” used in Motocross and Enduro sports. I beg to differ. In my opinion, an adventure touring boot should have extreme levels of comfort, feel, excellent grip from the sole, and a metal shank or stiff sole for prolonged hours of standing on the foot pegs. The leather Metalize boots as tested, adhered to all these qualities and exceeded my expectations. At a suggested retail price of R 2 900, these boots punch well above their weight. Even better, is the fact that spare parts can be readily obtained from the importer.

A further bonus is that the fastening system is screwed on, rather than riveted, making roadside repairs a reality. These boots took a bit of time to become comfortable, which is to be expected with these levels of protection.

In conclusion, apart from excellent, affordable product, I see an importer/distributor in Henderson Racing Products that are both enthusiastic and committed to bringing the best to their clients. When taking the time to go and visit this fine team, I cannot help but notice their vision. This kind of commitment filters through to the deepest levels of service, availability and product. Now for the next journey, the next adventure….

For more information visit the HRP Facebook Page.

It’s fascinating to page through one of my 1977 bike magazines. The articles are fascinating in that emission standards were introduced and enforced in the ‘States for the first time. The Cycle magazine editorial was entitled “Here come the Bureaucro – Bikes”. In essence, the feeling was that bikes had reached the zenith of their performance, as future models would be strangled by power robbing technology aimed at lower emissions. With the hindsight we now enjoy, we see that manufacturers where up to the challenge and more then doubled, in fact almost tripled, the output of superbike engines by employing smart technology. Fuel injection, electronic control units and the like have also shed about 50 to 60 kg of lard over their 70’s ancestors. No wonder modern superbikes are so devastatingly fast!

What I really want to talk about is the adverts that appeared on 70’s mags. On the inside cover of the April 1977 Cycle, Triumph punt their 750cc Bonneville. The ad shows a typical 70’s style macho dude, dressed in heeled boots, bell-bottom trousers, collared blue shirt and an open leather jacket, in the process of kick starting his Triumph. The bike is propped on the side stand, with the rider standing on the left peg whilst lunging down on the kick-start with his right leg. His only concessions to safety attire are the short black leather gloves he is wearing while holding onto the handlebars. There is no helmet in sight. Talking of sight, you can see pretty far as the bike is standing on salt flats. Presumably the legendary “Bonneville” salt flats. Geddit? The header on the ad says, “Some bikes challenge egos”.

Advert scriptwriters are sharp-witted chaps. This ad is a prime example of this skill. Honda’s 750 four introduced 8 years earlier, featured an electric, push button starter. Turn the key, thumb the button, and the big Honda fired up instantly and settled into a four-cylinder purr. Starting the Triumph, and most other twins of the time, was a hit and miss affair. The canny scriptwriter decided on a unique angle. Why not turn this glaring flaw into a selling feature? This is how they tried exactly that.

The ad reads, “You don’t just jump on a Bonnie and take off” “The Bonneville is a motorcycle that demands involvement. A vertical twin that demands involvement. A vertical twin that insists you learn exactly how to tickle the carbs… throttle… just right… so one healthy kick brings it roaring to life. Bonneville riders – over two generations of them – understand and appreciate this intimate bond between man and machine. Most egos aren’t up to the kind of a trip that today’s 750cc Bonnie demands. But if yours is, we have a most rewarding motorcycle for you”.

Intimate bond my arse! I remember watching guys in black leather “lummies” jumping repeatedly on the starter lever, hissing, “Start you bitch” as sweat poured down their pained faces. To make matters worse, they wouldn’t always get the engine on the right power stroke, and the starter lever would kick back viciously, inflicting serious damage on the poor sod trying to fire “the bitch” up!

Ok, let’s move on. Cigarette ads. Winston, Camel, Marlboro (remember the movie Harley Davidson and the Marlboro man?) and even Antonio and Cleopatra Grenadier cigars all had full page ads that intimated that if you had any testosterone at all, you would complete the picture by having a twenties pack of their finest in your denims shirt pocket. We all know where the world’s gone with this one!

After market exhausts were big business in the 70’s. Under the heading, “The power pipe”, Denco claimed that their Tricone headers were “the absolute tops in rear wheel horsepower”. The Denco pipe shown bolted to a Kawasaki Z1, exists on the chain side of the bike, which was unusual, and looks like some aggressive cornering would turn the Tricone megaphone into a “flat cone”. Clearly they were designed more with drag racing in mind than road racing. Come to think of it, the Z1 probably had similar design objectives. Any kind of corner, or moderately fast sweep, would induce wobbles that made your eyes water!

Hondaline (what the hell happened to them?), Honda’s own accessories company of the 70’s, showed off their line of “Tough nylon MX pants, featuring goats skin and spandex inserts”, MX boots, featuring that new fangled “Velcro closures” and steel shin plates (sort of riveted to the shin area of the boot on the outside. Looks kinda cool in a retro kind of way). Pre-curved gloves of supple sheepskin (seems Honda had it in for goats and sheep in the 70’s!) Even your red, white and blue helmet and goggles, as well as polyester Action designed T-shirts, were courtesy of Hondaline. It all looked damn spiffy to say the least! Those “Tough nylon MX pants” worked up some serious humidity in your nether regions whilst on a trial ride during a typical S.A. summers day.

Very few bikes came with mag wheels back in the day. Ads displaying their wheels were placed by Lester, Carol Shelby (he of the Shelby Cobra car fame) and Morris. Other bikes featuring in full page colour ads were Kawasaki with their 650 /4 Custom. Another featuring the various KZ-400 models (a two pager), and their Z-1000Ltd with a full three page colour ad. Kawasaki was obviously running a huge advertising budget because those weren’t built, let alone ever came to S.A.

Other then BMW and Triumph, the only non-Japanese bike advertised in the April ’77 Cycle is the Moto Guzzi, “Guzzimatic”. Touring screen, panniers and broad flat seat. Floorboards to appeal to the American touring set and automatic transmission. Given the Yanks love for Auto V8 cars, maybe and Auto V2 was not a bad idea. The other obvious feature of the bike is a set of standard crash bars. Not just any crash bars however. These are the most humungous bars I have ever seen! T-boned at 80mph by an Oshkosh and I swear the Oshkosh would be totaled!

Other manufacturers with ads were Sony turntables (for your vinyl’s), Kerker, S+S Headers, Dunstall exhausts, Dodge, Toyota, Datsun, Jeep cars and even Cessna aircraft. Lockhart oil coolers, S+W shocks, Bell Helmets and Chilton motorcycle manuals. Craig Vetter advertised his Windjammer fairing, effective no doubt, but definitely fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down!

Paging through these old mags is a nostalgic walk through motorcycle history. A generally laid-back world embracing exciting times. Sadly, many of the advertisers, especially the accessory builders are no more. Manufacturers now offer factory spec bikes catering for all riding styles. There just isn’t much need for the after market products of old. Yes the 70’s were heady days indeed!

Our trip to Swaziland wasn’t in search of real gold, but the metaphorical gold of adventure.

Over the past few years we’ve explored a substantial amount of South Africa. The wonders of Mpumulanga, deserts of the Klein Karoo, coastlines of the scenic Garden Route, the concrete jungle of Johannesburg, and of course, the beautiful scenic drives of our mother city, Cape Town.

Although we’ve covered quite a bit of ground there’s an always insatiable desire for us to seek more and explore Southern Africa and the world around us. This is how three adventure seekers end up in Swaziland with nothing but the clothes on their backs and some cameras to capture it all.

The plan was pretty straightforward. Map out a route, find accommodation along the way that met our needs and see if it was an adventure we could replicate for a larger group of people.

Spoiler alert: The Bonafide Moto Co. Swaziland Adventure is happening in 2018!

Day 1: The Adventure Begins

The three of us (Alan Shenton, Richard “Uncle Rich” Harper, and myself, Joe Fleming) met at Bonafide Barbers in Johannesburg on a Thursday morning for some coffee. The motorcycles we embarked on were Alan’s new Triumph Street Scrambler, Uncle Rich’s Triumph Bonneville T120 and I was testing out the new BMW Urban G/S.

We left Johannesburg by 9 a.m. and set off for Uncle Rich’s uncle’s (more about that later) house in Barberton for the first night, about 360 kilometers outside of Johannesburg. The roads getting out of Johannesburg aren’t all that glamorous for the first few hours as they’re just wide open highways. Once you’re past that, you turn off the highway for your first taste of the back roads and you begin to embrace the silence.

Our only major stop that day was for lunch in an old gold mining town known as Kaapsehoop. It’s a quirky little place that sits on top of a mountain surrounded by beautiful cliffs. The town is synonymous with the wild horses that roam freely through the town.

From Kaapsehoop, we veered off the tar and took our first dirt road the majority of the way to our destination in Barberton.

We arrived at Uncle Rich’s uncle’s house (let’s just call him Uncle Mike) just in time to get settled in, drive into town for some beers, and hike up the hill to catch the last rays of the sun. Uncle Mike has a beautiful property where he breeds nyala (a spiral-horned Antelope native to the region.) That night we sat around the campfire, indulging in too much Wild Turkey whilst Al cooked up some boerewors rolls (local sausage, synonymous with a South African braai) and we shared some stories and laughs.

Day 2: Into Swaziland

Barberton is just 50 kilometers from the Swaziland border, and only 65 kilometers to our final destination for the next day so we had plenty of time to explore the region. We pulled into Barberton for some early breakfast and to map out our plan for the day and fuel the bikes. Our desire was to find a few places that were off the main road and that would offer some dirt riding for our “modern classics.”

Alan managed to spot a long dirt road that was just before the border leading to Shiyalongubodam. We were keen! So we made our way up the twisty roads leading to the border and were pleasantly surprised—it ended up being one of favourites in the region. We found the dirt road fairly easily and at first sight, it seemed manageable.

The road started off winding its way through what felt like a jungle. That changed within 15 minutes and for the next hour, we found ourselves in full sun making our way through long dusty and bumpy roads. In total, the road to the dam was only about 40 kilometers, however, I’ll be honest, it wasn’t the easiest we’ve done.

Eventually, we made it to the Shiyalongubodam where we parked and found the first spot we could to take a breather. The water was nice and calm, and we took a break under the trees. From that point, we had a choice to either turn around and go back on the long dirt road we came from to the border, or continue another 10-20 kilometers on the dirt road that would lead us back to a tar road to Barberton, where we would retrace our steps back to the border. Considering that beautiful tarred road, we opted for option two.

Once we passed the damn turnoff again, the tar road leading to the border seemed to turn quite majestic. It snaked its way up to the Swazi Kingdom, and we were honestly the only people on the road to enjoy it. After speaking to some locals, it turns out it’s the oldest geological trail in the world. With every corner, a new lookout point presented itself with some information about the rocks in the region. We moved on swiftly.

We arrived at the small border post manned by three people. One guy at the ticket office to check your passport, one guy manning the boom pole, and another taking your ticket. Not your typical African border post scene.

From the Swaziland border post our accommodation was a short ride to the small town of Bulembu. The town had a strange sensation to it, almost ghostlike. Probably due to the abandoned gold mines, since the industry was almost entirely replaced by forestry.

Our accommodation that night was amazing, a large four-bedroom house with a front porch, yard and a three-car garage that came with a fresh pile of cow dung. Nice job, Alan.

The only downside to the town of Bulembu was that it was a dry county. For three dudes who’ve been out on the road all day that’s the last thing we wanted to hear. The receptionist at our hotel did tell us that there was alcohol in the next town, but you’d have to take a dirt road to get there. That didn’t seem so bad until we asked her how the dirt road was. Her response, “Eish, it’s not so nice.”

We’re always up for a challenge and we were thirsty so we set out for the dirt road. We realised quickly how right she was. This road was destroyed by trucks and riddled with random rocks all over the place; we really had to stay alert and pick the right lines with every twist of the throttle. The road was covered in a fine powder of dust, and eventually so were we.

We made it to the next town where we pulled into the only restaurant we could see that seemed to be a legitimate option. On a good day, it would be average at best. We at least got something hot to eat and head back on the dirt road before it got dark.

The ride home seemed much easier, either because we knew what to expect, or it had experienced less traffic in that direction, but we all had an enjoyable experience.

The rest of the night we sat outside around the table, went to dinner, cleaned up our gear, and talked about our full day before we all tapped out nice and early.

Day 3: Heading to Mbabane

Nothing but Swaziland on this day.

The three of us all wake up pretty early so it’s helpful that there’s no one going against that grain. Our bags were packed fairly early, we made our way to breakfast and got the bikes loaded up quickly so we could take on the dirt road again. Just like the way home the night before, the dirt road seemed quite manageable now that we knew what to expect from it.

This was another day of a short distance to travel. Bulembu to Mbabane was only 83 kilometers so we didn’t have very far to go, but plenty to see along the way. We stopped at a restaurant at the Komati Damn, which stores an enormous body of water and generates hydroelectricity for the Swazi people.

We had a couple instant coffees from the restaurant and a long chat with the manager who was very curious as to what exactly we were doing there. I suppose riding motorcycles for pure leisure and not transport is unusual in the region. He was a very interesting fella.

After an hour or so there, we set out again on some beautiful twisties through the mountains where the temperature began to drop. The previous days on the road were quite warm, but a cold front was coming through and we were starting to get a taste of it. If you’ve never ridden through a country in Southern Africa, it’s an absolute must. The tar roads are generally well maintained, and the topography bestowed upon us the most beautiful twisties and scenery.

Our final destination that day was a wildlife sanctuary just outside of Mbabane, the capital city of Swaziland. After the previous 2 days of riding through remote towns it was quite strange to be screaming through the highways of the city with a feeling like we were back in the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg. And of course, along with that came the traffic control. Uncle Rich was first to get caught and issued a speeding ticket, which took the attention off myself and Alan.

The accommodation that Alan had booked for that evening was at Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. This place very quickly turned into the highlight of the trip for me.

After checking through security, we rode on a smooth dirt road leading through fields where animals freely roamed. The dirt road led to a patch of woods where there was what seemed like a small village, complete with cabins, huts, tents, horses, bicycles, guests walking around, fire pits and a massive restaurant under the trees that opened up to a small pond filled with wild birds flying about. The weather was looking ominous, with large storm clouds surrounding us, creating a moody atmosphere.

We had arrived at the wildlife sanctuary well before noon and had no plans for the rest of the day. So we walked over to the restaurant, ordered some food and drinks from the bar and relaxed. Hearing a vast array of languages around the lunch tables is truly what makes Southern Africa so interesting and diverse. Once lunch was finished we left the restaurant and immediately noticed a huge fire pit with three massive logs that were slowly burning with chairs around it. We turned around, ordered some drinks from our waiter, and pulled up three chairs around the logs. We didn’t leave that spot for the rest of the day.

Just before nightfall, the weather started to get quite cool, and we noticed there were a lot of general game roaming around the area. Slowly, a sounder of warthogs who were curious about our fire joined us. Turns out they’re regulars to that fire pit every day and enjoy the warmth of a large gum tree slowly smoking next to them in the pit. We sat there by the fire, the warthogs resting within arms reach of us.

The funny thing was when people would head to dinner and walk by the fire they would barely even notice the warthogs lying so close. Eventually, they caught on and a crowd formed around the fire with more people amazed that these animals were so comfortable that close to humans.

Dinner was served later that evening, a buffet cooked mainly over hot coals, and it was damn good. We might have just been the only locals there that evening as there were some large groups of American and European tourists.

After dinner, we went back to the fire pit where we shared some more laughs and stories with our four-legged friends. There’s a lot to do at the sanctuary (game drives, bird watching, bicycle hire) yet we were quite comfortable right where we were.

Day 4: Heading Home

On our last night of the trip we were awoken to bellowing sounds of thunder in the distance which slowly made its way through to the sanctuary. The place we stayed that night was in a massive grass hut with four bedrooms. When the storms came, you felt like you were actually lying outside. It was great.

Riding in the rain is one thing, but having to pack your bike and leave in the rain is not the most pleasant. Sometimes that’s just the way it goes.

The weather on the route home remained ominous. We spent the first three hours cruising just under the speed limit in a constant, soft mist of rain. Our visors kept fogging up, our gloves were now soaked from wiping away the rain on the visor, but we were all cool. After 3 hours on the back roads, the weather started to clear before we made it to the highway and some food.

We sat down for some lunch at a massive rest stop, caught up to some cell phone signal, and tucked our rain suits away one last time for the warm sunny ride back home to Johannesburg.

This Swaziland adventure left a warm spot in our hearts, and we know it’ll leave one with you when you make it this way. In September 2018 we’ll be offering this same adventure to those who might want to join us in search of the Swazi gold.

Are you ready for the next Bonafide Moto Co Adventure?

Our next big trip of the year takes you into the heart of Swaziland, where you’ll spend 3 nights (breakfast & dinner included) at some rad spots. This trip will be a mix of both tar and dirt roads as exploring Swaziland sometimes is best done on dirt.

Keen to join or want to hear more details about this next adventure? Send an Email to: [email protected] or you can go ahead and RSVP below.

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Having just watched a compilation of Marc Marques’ miraculous saves, situations where all other riders would have crashed, a question came to mind: How will Marc Marques be remembered? Will it be for the statistics he will no-doubt achieve in his career, or will it be for his sheer talent?

There is a similar debate in many other motorsport arenas, such as the Formula 1 world. Drivers like Michael Schumacher have achieved amazing results and have enviable statistics, yet there will always be this ongoing debate around the likes of Ayrton Senna and Gilles Villeneuve, with many saying for sheer talent and speed they are the true greats.

I must state here that perspective is important. We are discussing the rarefied space of top motorsport. Any driver or rider in these categories are all supremely talented and deserve to be there, able to ride or drive at barely comprehensible levels for us mere mortals. We are discussing the tiny differences, the split seconds, the amazing moments, the superhero status that is attained. It is also impossible to compare different genres, the likes of Agostini rode in a different era with many different aspects. But for the sake of interest and a bit of a pub debate let us look at some statistics.

These statistics come from the trusted resources of motogp.com and other reputable motorsport sources, and are up to early July 2018. And with current riders their statistics will surely change as their careers progress. Lastly, the measurements are only for premier class results, thus excluding Moto2, Formula 2 etc, and focusing only on MotoGP and Formula 1 data.

If we look at race wins as a percentage of total races Marc Marques is at 39,8%, whereas Jorge Lorenzo is on 25,3%, Valentino Rossi is on 28,4%. Interestingly, Ayrton Senna comes in at 25,3%. Thus a clear win for the number 93.

Pole Positions as a percentage of total races makes for more interesting reading. Ayrton Senna, the pole master, measures at 40,1% and Marques is on 48%. Closer but still a win for Marques. FYI, Rossi is in 17,6% and Lorenzo on 22%.

Percentage podiums out of races shows an interesting perspective. The statistics are: Senna 49,4%, Lorenzo 61,5%, Rossi 62,3% and Marques is on 70,4%. For those who say Marques either wins or crashes, the stats definitely show otherwise. To win championships you need to finish, and finish well.

Finally, race speed also shows some interesting data. Fast laps in races shows the following: Senna, 11,7%, Lorenzo 15,9%, Rossi 24% and Marques………41,8%.

So statistically Marc Marques is definitely writing new records. This brings me to the opening question: Will he be remembered for the stats?

Martin Brundle often said of Senna that he was easily the toughest racer out there. In overtaking situations Senna would put his vehicle in a position that would leave it to his opponent to choose if they were going to crash or not. Aggressive, daring, dominant. Marc Marques has a similar style about him. His opponents, when they see on the board that the 93 is behind them, expect an overtaking move, without any doubt. He is aggressive, daring, and dare we say, dominant.

When it comes to his riding style, Marques has defined a whole new generation of riders, with a lower-to-the-ground, almost chin-on-the-deck cornering style. This is then coupled with a sliding style, with both the front and back tyres often well over the limit, black lines from both ends of the bike being painted on the road (where for us normal riders we can only gaze and admire, realising that for us those kinds of moves would result in brown skids and crashes).

Marc Marques recover slides from the brink of disaster. Other riders might recover, but from small slides, not the large, far over-the-limit status that Marques achieves. Marc recovers from beyond the point of no return, it seems.

He is already a legend. Will he be remembered for his statistics or his talent?

In my opinion he will be remembered for the most eleven-tenths rider we have ever seen, the rider who had the skill to live consistently over the limit on the track, rescuing impossible slides, showing all of us how defy the laws of physics. A qualifying lap from Marques and a qualifying lap from Senna, the 2 most surreal on-board videos you will ever watch.

For those of you that started your motorcycling in the early 70’s, do you remember learning to ride? Invariably it meant getting to grips with a 50cc bike or, as schoolboys of the day called them, an “Aut” – probably short for autocycle. Believe me, ditching your bicycle and upgrading to an “Aut” gave you instant street cred amongst your peers. Arriving at a “session” (sort of open parties frequented by teens “back in the day”), with your right pants leg tucked into your sock to avoid chain grease from your bicycle, was decidedly uncool! Making an entrance on your “Aut”, with baffles removed from the exhaust of course, was way cooler!

Speaking of removing baffles, a two stroke 50 relied on some back pressure to perform optimally. Whipping out the baffle paralysed the already lethargic little beast. The exhaust note went from muted buzz (hence the name “buzzbikes”), to the sound of a virile young man peeing into a jam tin. Not quite a Ducati Desmo at full chat you understand?

Four stroke 50’s were another story. Whilst the two strokes would run them ragged in the performance stakes, the tiny four strokes sounded the goods! The throaty beat belied the puny performance, and was music to the ears of “Aut pilots. Perhaps this is what influenced my choice of a Honda S50 as my first bike. The S50 was a bit of a hybrid. The frame was like that of the first C110 Honda, with pressed steel monocoque type chassis and front forks. The engine was the single overhead cam type, replacing the pushrod version of the C110. It, like the C110, sported a four speed gearbox. All subsequent Honda 50’s had 5 speed boxes.

My acquisition of this little Honda was the culmination of a long and drawn out campaign. Despite the fact that I was only 14 and therefore still not able to ride legally, I lusted after a motorcycle. Thus began a psychological effort of unprecedented proportions to convince my dad that I truly needed a bike. Endless conversations on the topic plus brochures on relevant models were left lying all over the house. My poor dad couldn’t sit, sleep, eat or even relieve himself with out facing a pamphlet on Honda’s finest! Eventually he wilted under the relentless pressure and thus began my motorcycling odyssey.

For the substantial sum of R95 I acquired my first bike, a glossy black and chrome Honda S50 in really decent nick! There was only one minor problem; I did not have a clue how to ride it! So when all else fails, read the instructions! In truth I didn’t just read the instructions, I absorbed them. In no time at all I understood the theory of every aspect of motorcycle riding and maintenance. Now for the practical.

Let me just set the scene for you dear reader. We lived in a town house complex with an L shaped drive, which in total, was perhaps 150m long. Over the course of the next month, I clocked up over 100 kilometres in riding in the confines of the driveway. Thank heavens the tenants were all at work in the afternoons as I completed lap after endless lap, practising pull-aways, clutch control and first to second gear changes. A demonstration of my newly acquired skill eventually convinced my dad, who in turn had to convince my mom, that I would survive a foray onto public roads. I then started to plan my first foray onto the streets of unsuspecting Pretoria and what an entrance it would be!

Friday evenings was “Youth club”. A whole bunch of guys, and much more importantly girls, would get together at the Methodist Church in Hatfield for a really fun time. As already alluded to, many childhood romances blossomed during this interaction with the opposite sex. Most of the kids attended Pretoria Boys High, and the sister school Girls High, so somewhat starved of interaction with the fairer sex, youth club was not something to be missed! Oh yes, the seeds of Christian faith were also sown during this carefree time. The reason I am telling you this is to explain my master plan.

If I got my timing right I could make my grand entrance on my S50. Polished for the occasion, while all the guys, no well actually girls, were standing outside chatting just before the start of the youth club. Just imagine, the Knight of the open road, roaring, well ok then, “putting” up on his shiny steed. Surely this would awaken some primal urge in the loins of every fair maiden viewing this virile specimen of masculinity on his handsome beast? Fact is, I thought, every other contender, arriving by bicycle, “pants in sock”, would instantly become an “also ran”.

Let me set the scene. The church hall where youth club took place was on the right hand side of the road, about 100 metres from where I would swing into view as I negotiated a right hand corner. The way I imagined it, the bystanders would hear the unmistakable sound of an S50 at speed. Luckily it was a downhill to the right-hander, so speed was a possibility. Needless to the say, the baffle from the exhaust was long gone! To add to the aural assault, I would drop a gear or two before peeling into the turn. Oh imagine the sweet sound of that beast running on compression, popping and banging on the overrun! Once around the turn I would jump on the mainjet once again, accelerate to the church hall and brake to a stop. At this point I was sure that every nubile maiden, tongues gently moistening, slightly parted lips, hand sliding provocatively over pert breasts (or where breasts would be in a year or two), would flock to my side, clammering for my undivided attention.

Well, it didn’t turn out quite like that. Up to this point of my riding experience, I had yet to hook third gear, let alone fourth. Suffice to say I was somewhat unnerved by the turn of speed when I gave the little Honda it’s head down Schoeman street. The speedo crept past 70kph and marched towards 80! Nothing I had ever experienced had prepared me for the adrenalin rush I was now feeling. My eyes were glued to the speedo needle with the odd glance to ensure that the road was clear. No problem, traffic was non-existent in the late 1960’s. Before I knew it, my turn was approaching at warp speed!

To slow for the turn I dropped from top gear into third and got hard on the brakes. What brakes? The puny little drums were simply no match for the hurtling Honda. With the intersection upon me, I started to turn in. At this point, with me putting tooth marks in my heart, I realized that I could not make the turn. Survival instinct kicked in and I started looking for an escape route. With everything happening way too fast, I picked the bike up straight and ran off the road on the outside of the turn. What I didn’t realize at that point was that the bellowing exhaust and pathetic attempt at braking had attracted the rapt attention of everyone standing outside youth club.

Back in the 60’s there was no pavement as such but rather a wide gravel verge from the road to the fence around the house on the corner. In fact a school buddy, Gary, lived in that particular property. Like many houses at that time there was a diamond mesh fence around the property, over which a hedge had grown. In a desperate attempt to stop I put my feet down and dragged them through the dust. This was to no avail. At a good 20 kays an hour, I smacked the huge hedge head on.

If any of you have seen photos of nuclear explosions you will be familiar with the mushroom cloud of the dust hurled skywards by the force of the explosion. Years of accumulated dust shot in all directions as the hedge swallowed me and the bike – WHOLE!!! Through the dust and scattered bush and twigs, all that bystanders could see was a dusty Honda tail light sticking out of a somewhat second hand hedge.

Folks let me tell you, it is impossible to extricate yourself from a hedge, covered in dust, scratched by twigs and after your clenched sphincter has tried its best to take a bite out of the saddle, with any kind of decorum! All that you could really make out was the whites of my eyes, which were so wide they would have looked at home on a giant eagle Owl. Apart from a shattered ego I was unhurt. The huge old hedge worked like a giant cushion, holding the bike and me upright. At least a compound fracture of the femur, and lots of blood, might have elicited some concern and sympathy from the aforementioned maidens, but it was not to be. Instead I had to wallow in misery as I witnessed the unbridled mirth of all and sundry.

Never has a learning curve been so steep! Those were heady days indeed. From “hero to zero” in a millisecond. Fact is, egos and bikes just don’t go!