Amazing motorcycle adventures in Southern Africa

Monday, 24 October 2011

Day1 - Leg7 - Bots+Zim - Petrol stop

This is the daily blog from Africa4Adventure.com, in particular a short series on the Botswana and Zimbabwe - Giraffe tour we attended during July 2011. Check out the plans and route for the trip here.

Check out and "like" our Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/Africa4Adventure.MotorbikeTours
Check out our Blog site: http://africa4adventure-motorbiketours.blogspot.com/
Check out the main website: http://www.africa4adventure.com
Follow us on twitter @Africa4Adventur

Earlier on in the day riding 3 abreast

Stop at a foot and mouth control to dip feet and wheels

Chap spraying our bikes full of white chemicals in the sunset

Petrol stop on an old road next to the main road

A time to stretch and also see whos using more fuel than the others

The Triumph seemed a tad thirsty for an 800

Quick CharlieB & Rich - sun's setting...

Good chance to rest the now weary bums

Saturday, 22 October 2011

Day1 - Leg6 - Bots+Zim - BW Border Post

Check out and "like" our Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/Africa4Adventure.MotorbikeTours
Check out our Blog site: http://africa4adventure-motorbiketours.blogspot.com/
Check out the main website: http://www.africa4adventure.com
Follow us on twitter @Africa4Adventur

More South and Southern African motor cycle tours on our list of tour route summaries are available, where we explore these sorts of motorcycle tour routes. Just choose one of our events and reserve yourself a place on one of the future motorcycle adventure safari events.

http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/tour-routes/all-summaries
http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/reserve-menu-item
http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/events

Once over the river we got to the Botswana side of the border post. Most of us sailed through with a few smiles and some chirps to the ladies behind the counter. We almost all got charged different amounts and had differrent processes depending on the smile, but the money varied by small amounts so no-one really minded too much.

Then poor old CharlieB who was last in our group, because he changed as he was getting too hot, got to the counter as the printer stopped working. It took them something like an hour and a half to decided to start working in manual mode or to fix the printer. Probably only ran out of ink!

Anyway while we were all sitting in the garage having drinks and relaxing, poor old CharlieB was waiting for printers. Not a happy chappie when he came out - don't blame him. We then went off in search of lunch at the local lodge but they were not very helpful so stayed at the garage and had a great chicken burger.

As we arrived at the border post on the Botswana side

Johno

Love bikes as they just bypass all the trucks and cars

Chirping the ladies at the payment counter

Looking for lunch at the local lodge - but it was not going to happen

Nice elephant at the main entrance

We all smiled at this poor chap in thick sand on a 1200 with pillion loosing it! Fantastic pics

Outside the garage where we ate

Fantastic Chicken Burgers all round

Friday, 21 October 2011

Day1 - Leg5 - Bots+Zim - Grey-Green Greasy Limpopo

Check out and "like" our Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/Africa4Adventure.MotorbikeTours
Check out our Blog site: http://africa4adventure-motorbiketours.blogspot.com/
Check out the main website: http://www.africa4adventure.com
Follow us on twitter @Africa4Adventur

More South and Southern African motor cycle tours on our list of tour route summaries are available, where we explore these sorts of motorcycle tour routes. Just choose one of our events and reserve yourself a place on one of the future motorcycle adventure safari events.

http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/tour-routes/all-summaries
http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/reserve-menu-item
http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/events

Well - we had made it to the border post into Botswana from South Africa. We did the one half of the border process and then rode across the Limpopo river to the Botswana side border control.

It is so true what Rudjard Kipling said in his - Just so stories . The Elephant's child 'Go to the banks of the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, and find out.'

As you can see in the pictures its a rather long narrow bridge which only allows traffic across in one direction at a time. We were not sure of the protocol, seeing no traffic lights, so just went anyway. With the bikes it is easier to pull up on the side and take photographs.

The main narrow bridge over the river

Looking down the river - it is grey-green

View from the other end of the bridge

Charlie B followed by Doggie riding over the bridge

YES! Were here! What a great day's riding

Nothing like holding up the traffic posing with the bikes for pictures!

Kieran on his KTM

Thursday, 20 October 2011

Day1 - Leg4 - Bots+Zim - Boyz will be boyz

Check out and "like" our Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/Africa4Adventure.MotorbikeTours
Check out our Blog site: http://africa4adventure-motorbiketours.blogspot.com/
Check out the main website: http://www.africa4adventure.com
Follow us on twitter @Africa4Adventur

More South and Southern African motor cycle tours on our list of tour route summaries are available, where we explore these sorts of motorcycle tour routes. Just choose one of our events and reserve yourself a place on one of the future motorcycle adventure safari events.

http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/tour-routes/all-summaries
http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/reserve-menu-item
http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/events

Having riden for about 250km or so, in total with only a quick stop for breakfast, we felt it was about time for a stop and stretch rest. We stopped at the Vaalwater hotel which is apparently a well know biker stop and also hosts the odd rally.

It was also time to start paying dues for things we had done wrong so far. CharlieE was the first to have to buy a round for all, because first thing in the morning as we met and were about to head off, he lost his bike keys. Looking everywhere and not finding them, he started assuming it was a trick and that someone had taken them on purpose just to see his reaction! Turns out that they were in his helmet with his gloves and he'd fitted his gloves then put the helmet on before taking the keys out without feeling the keys inside the helmet. Round 1 was bought by CharlieE!

Dismounting for a quick drink

Full line up of all the bikes at the hotel

Getting some sun and getting to know each other, with the banter flowing quick and fast

Richard sharing stories of previous rally's at this hotel

Back on the road again - waiting at a "stop and go".

Waiting for road works

Wednesday, 19 October 2011

Day1 - Leg3 - Bots+Zim - Survey the Steeds

Check out and "like" our Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/Africa4Adventure.MotorbikeTours
Check out our Blog site: http://africa4adventure-motorbiketours.blogspot.com/
Check out the main website: http://www.africa4adventure.com
Follow us on twitter @Africa4Adventur

I was interested in the new Triumph Tiger 800 which until now I'd only read about.

Good to see all the bikes in a long line parked together

The three 800's - two BMW's and one Triumph - in the foregound

White is a strange colour for a muddy & dusty Adventure bike. Why?

Doggies wretched spare Petrol canister - would be the reason for many punishment beers starting now

KTM 990 Adventure - what a cool monster

Another KTM 990 Adventure

Good old trusty BMW 1200GS with a KTM 950 behind it

Tuesday, 18 October 2011

Day1 - Leg2 - Bots+Zim - Breakfast then 500km

Check out and "like" our Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/Africa4Adventure.MotorbikeTours
Check out our Blog site: http://africa4adventure-motorbiketours.blogspot.com/
Check out the main website: http://www.africa4adventure.com
Follow us on twitter @Africa4Adventur

More South and Southern African motor cycle tours on our list of tour route summaries are available, where we explore these sorts of motorcycle tour routes. Just choose one of our events and reserve yourself a place on one of the future motorcycle adventure safari events.
http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/tour-routes/all-summaries
http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/reserve-menu-item
http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/events

The first day when you get a bunch of people together who do not quite know each other it is always a little less free and easy as people try and get to know each other. Only after a bit do people start loosening up and being more relaxed. Usually after the first night party! In this case one or two people in the crowd pretty much knew all the others so it was easier for them to converse and be themselves, which got things going much quicker.

We were also trying to suss each others riding ability out, each thinking the rest were a bunch of pro's! As it turns out we had a really good mix of riding skills from one chap who was relatively new, but even then had been riding quad bikes and his own bike for a year or so. Right through to one of the chaps who had in the past planned to do the Dakar rally. In general through everyone knew how to ride and we could get on with it and trust each other to do the right thing.

We also had a great mix of bikes, KTM's 990 and 950's, Honda Africa Twin 750, Triumph Tiger 800, BMW 1200 and 800s. So interesting to see how each of the bikes performed and watch their fule consumption, comfort, etc.

Outside the breakfast place. We needed that warm Coffee!

John on his white BMW F800GS looking good!

A great selection of bikes LTR: Triumph Tiger 800, BMW 1200, Africa Twin, 2 x BMW 800GS, 2 x KTM 990 and 1 x KTM 950.

Stopped in some one way road works "Stop and Go's" they are called here

Us chatting to the little lady at the back in the farm truck warning us about the bad road conditions coming up - Great!

Meeting each other and thawing out

So this is the group who are going to adventure together for the next 7 days! Bring it on!

Monday, 17 October 2011

Day1 - Leg1 - Bots+Zim - A Cold Start

This is the daily blog from Africa4Adventure.com, in particular a series on our Botswana and Zimbabwe - Giraffe tour we organised during July 2011.

Check out and "like" our Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/Africa4Adventure.MotorbikeTours
Check out our Blog site: http://africa4adventure-motorbiketours.blogspot.com/
Check out the main website: http://www.africa4adventure.com
Follow us on twitter @Africa4Adventur

More South and Southern African motor cycle tours on our list of tour route summaries are available, where we explore these sorts of motorcycle tour routes. Just choose one of our events and reserve yourself a place on one of the future motorcycle adventure safari events.

http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/tour-routes/all-summaries
http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/reserve-menu-item
http://www.africa4adventure.com/index.php/events

A group of 8 riding mates - not all of whom knew each other initially - decided to do a one week ride from Johannesburg, through Botswana, into Zimbabwe with the aim of attending the Giraffe Rally at Todds Motel in late July 2011. Some came from Durban some from Cape Town and the rest for Joburg.

We met at 7:00am at the Ultra city in Midrand to head off. We had a mega day ahead, some 700km to get to Francistown including crossing the border into Botswana, only on tar which made it a bit easier. We headed out in 3 degree temperatures, through some pretty busy traffic and were glad when we got off the N1 onto the back roads towards Botswana. After a bit we stopped for breakfast and a chance to warm up a little.