Adventure motorcycle expedition: Making dreams come true, even if it is 16 years later
When I bought my first BMW GS in May 2008, I quickly got sucked into the world of adventure biking. I remember watching a short movie of guys doing a trip to Van Zyl’s Pass in Namibia. And I remember that I yearned to also experience an adventure like that, with the challenges, hardships, and all. But life happened and dreams fade….
Zimbabwe is an offroad adventure riders heaven. Free from tourist and Starbucks this is grid in the teeth
Fast forward 16 years, 8 bikes and many off-road courses, competitions and skills challenges later, I received a phone call from a certain Mr Mark Taylor: “Come join us on our next Zimbabwe adventure”.
And just like that, all these memories came tumbling back. All those dreams covered by layers of, well, mud, dust and sand, were back. And I realised, this is the one, the adventure I always dreamt of..
Looking back, this was the dream trip I had always hoped for, and I could not get enough!
To ride 2500km through bush-veld, mopani veld, past majestic Baobab trees, and to never (not once) encounter a fence or a closed gate. That is real adventure riding.
We saw sand tracks, river beds, easy to mild rocky single tracks, gravel roads, forest roads, granite boulder koppies, and a few very tough rocky climbs. We saw the Chimanimani mountains, rode through Big 5 territory, saw waterfalls, swam in Tessa’s pools (icy cold water), magnificent vistas from massive Gomo’s.
We even slipped into Mozambique incognito for the most spectacular lookout. We experienced original bushmen drawings in a cave not open to public (still in pristine condition), and sunrises and sunsets to wax lyrical about, in leopard country.
Donkey carts by the dozens (2, 3 & 4 donkey powered), met people who had never seen white people in real life, rode through villages that had never seen a vehicle in it. Some days we rode without ever seeing a vehicle the whole day.
And in every village we stopped for something cold, locals would approach inquisitively, asking “where you’re from?” “where you’re going?”, and the inevitable “what is the top speed of your bike?” (300km/h of course). But always friendly, never aggressive or confrontational. Everyone lives a hard life, but they remain friendly. And everywhere we felt safe and welcome.
One gets the feeling that they want to improve, want to rebuild their country, pull themselves up with their bootlaces. And it is sobering to realise that our country is heading down the same road, just 30 years behind.
Was it hard? Yes it was, I won’t lie. Day one is not regarded as separating “the walkers from the talkers” for nothing.
You better know (or learn quickly) how to ride sand because there’s a lot of it. That’s why weight is so important, this is not a trip for heavily laden beasts of burden….
As the days went on, the riding got easier as the going shifted to more rocky terrain. In true Mark Taylor style, every day had its challenges, but none selected just to wear you out, but rather to take you to a beautiful view or some other reward – and boy oh boy, did we see spectacular vistas!!
There were sections of road (two in particular) that we all wished it would just end (fesh-fesh over ruts and rocks), but sometimes one has to take the bad with the good. But the rewards on the other side of those roads made it worth while.
What about my body? I won’t lie, every evening I was tired, and every morning had a few stiff limbs, aches and pains. But I have a solid base fitness, and I made sure I was fit and ready for the trip. You have to be fit to ride red/black routes 9 days in row and not break yourself. So be ready, and don’t say you weren’t warned. There’s a reason this trip is “by invitation only”…..
My bike and gear was carefully chosen and well researched. The KTM 890 Adventure R was my weapon of choice, and she did not disappoint. The 890 did not put a foot wrong, did not miss a beat or puffed an ounce of blue smoke (several punctures aside).
Nothing was too hard; sandy riverbeds, rocky climbs, water crossings, sandy tracks, all I had to do was point and shoot, and she cruised through it with no hassles. What a bike!!
The other important choice was a luggage system.
The criteria was strict: it had to be lightweight but strong, yet large enough for this and other trips, and keep the weight as little and as low as possible.
My luggage weighed just over 6kg. I search far and wide, looked at videos from Chris Birch and others, until I stumbled on a YouTube clip by Michnus Olivier about their Turkana Mad Mules luggage system, and I instantly saw this was by far the best of all the offerings. Michnus did me a good “Easter deal” that I couldn’t resist.
It is a fantastic system; it’s fully adjustable and carries the weight down low. It’s dust- and waterproof, made from extra sturdy material, seams are double stitched and strengthened, really solidly made. It’s all made in SA and comes with a lifetime guarantee. And compared to the competitors, by far the best value for money.
I had a strap failure (wag-‘n-bietjie’s thorns are not friendly), and Michnus replaced it with a smile (and some mild banter). It’s good to know they stand by their products, will repair any little misdemeanours, and are always ready with advice and support. Now if he can only polish out the scratches from the thorn bushes, he’ll be my hero (I guess that’ll remain as memory stripes)….
If you read this far and yearn for a great adventure, this is the trip for you. Adventure Riders SA’s Mark Taylor and Treffon Smith put up a great show; every day is better than the previous; logistics were seamless; they were always ready to help where something went wrong without dragging a whole workshop with them. I was impressed with what they brought with in such compact luggage and what they could fix with seemingly no tools. These guys know how to put a great trip together. Bravo Mark Taylor & Treffon Smith (Adventure Riders SA & KHWELA ADVENTURES ZIM GRAVEL TRAVEL)
Article and photos: Theo van Niekerk
