South Africa tour

G1_ · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 May 2002 Karma :

I know that most people on these forums are based in the UK but am hoping to grab the attention of some South Africans as well.

I was lucky enough whiles holidaying in the the UK last year (I'm currently living in SA) to organise a short bike trip into France/Belgium. Whiles on the trip I realised that I havn't really explored much of my home country and was really keen to experience a wider variety of the South African culture.

...so...I'm hoping to organise a bike tour for next year (hopefully feb/march which is summer over here). The plan is to take 14-20 days and visit every province along the way.

My initial plan (route attached):
- Starting in Cape Town heading east along the coast.
- Still bay
- Plettenberg bay
- Jeffrey's Bay
- East London
- Durban
- then up to Kruger National Park
- Jo'burg
- Clarens
- Kimberley
- back to Cape Town

However, as mentioned, I havn't done much touring around South Africa. So if you have any experience of touring in SA I'd love to hear from you:
- Which roads to avoid
- Which roads to try and include
- Which places to visit (I want to try and include a wide variety of South African culture)
- Things to do in each place
- How much time you reckon I'll need

I'm planning on taking a small tent and wild camping when possible. Also looking for other people to join me for the whole trip or part of it.

Otherwise, I guess if no-one here has any input then I'll just use this thread to post pictures / updates Very Happy

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/g1_biketrip.jpg

colin1 · Captain Safety Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Karma :

I had been thinking of doing a holiday in South Africa starting out in Cape town. I used to live in Lesotho when I was little, so I was thinking of visiting there.

I did a little research and there is some ex motocross racer, who organises dit bike tours around the mountains of Lesotho, which caught my eye.

When you complete your trip, come back here and tell us all about it. I might do something similar one day, so it would be good to hear about someone else who has done it.

This website may be useful to you.

https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/#Africa

It has some travellers tales of people who have done uk- south africa. There are also other bits on the website about tips for preparation etc

this one is someones trip of south africa to england, so the south africa bits are at the start

https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/bayley/

What bike are you thinking of using ?
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Shay HTFC · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Karma :

Drove across SA just a few months back (in a 1973 series 3 landie Cool

).

The highways are excellent quality tarmac, but are LOOONG straight roads. In a car its not too bad, but on a bike it might not be great. I advise getting some ultra hard wearing tyres just to last the miles when you don't need superb grip.

Otherwise avoid the main (I think they are 'B') roads and take the dusty side roads that meandre around.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
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Full Motorbike License - GS500E '95

G1_ · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 May 2002 Karma :

Thanks for the links Colin. Some of those are quite interesting!

I've got a GS500 for the trip.

Shay: I know the N1 suffers that problem, the N2 aint so bad. From what I know the good roads are along the southern coast. But I'm also keen to get up to the Kruger National Park. The route mapped out on google maps is around 5000km, but I'm I'll probably fiddle with it to try and avoid the boring roads. If I can justify extending the trip by another 4 days I could head from Kimberley to Upington and to the west coast.

Clanger · Stirrer Joined: 27 May 2004 Karma :

Not done it on a bike, but travelled by car down along the coast to Hermanus, before you get to Mossell Bay, and it took a lot longer than it looked like it would. There is a particularly stunning mountain road on the way back towards Cape Town, which winds it's way to the top of the mountain - and then a dual carriageway all the way down the other side.

Enjoy your trip, would have liked to have got to Mossel Bay, as a friend of mine is from there, but as I said the distances are mahoosively longer than they appear. With this in mind, I would make sure I had extra days spare at the other side of the designated time scale (just in case). Thumbs Up

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G1_ · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 May 2002 Karma :

I think you're refering to Sir Lowry's Pass. But I think I'm going to take the coastal road from Strand to Pringle Bay. There are a lot of great roads around Cape Town, but I'm quite familiar with them. I'm keen to get beyond Port Elizabeth were I'm less familiar.

I think the Highveld and the more northan parts of South Africa will be an interesting change from the western cape. Bit more 'african'.

But it looks like I may have to delay this trip until next August or try and find some ways to cut costs.

G1_ · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 May 2002 Karma :

Here's the coastal road I'm refering to:

https://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/7682457.jpg

https://images.google.co.za/images?gbv=2&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&q=Clarence+Drive&sa=N&start=0&ndsp=20

Very Happy

G1_ · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 May 2002 Karma :

Here's an interesting link showing the roads between Cape Town to Plettenberg bay:
https://www.my-scenic-motorbike-rides.com/eastcoast-gardenrouteN2.html

G1_ · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 May 2002 Karma :

Kurger / Mpumalanga / Limpopo [further north]

https://farm1.static.flickr.com/26/58185145_6def1eeef4.jpg

https://www.krugerparktour.com/images/large/kruger_ele_road1.jpg

Shay HTFC · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Karma :

Somewhere en route to Kimberley from Jo'burg

https://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs220.snc1/8729_531978636030_263900017_1820308_6371367_n.jpg
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Full Motorbike License - GS500E '95

G1_ · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 May 2002 Karma :

Hey,

I know I started this thread quite a while ago, but came across this link:
https://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124550&highlight=camel
I thought it was a cool read and that others might enjoy it.

I'm super keen for my trip. I've planned it for the 9th-31st of October. Got a friend flying down from Canada to join me.

My route's changed a bit as it looks like we'll have dual-sports bikes for the trip and I've got a little extra time for the trip.

Also planning on taking along a couple of camera's and recording the trip. Hopefully edit it into something worth watching, and but it online.

Next year it will have to be slightly further afield Smile

GSF Jamie 600 · Scooby Slapper Joined: 17 Oct 2008 Karma :

colin1 · Captain Safety Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Karma :

I cant remember if I sent you the link to the thread I did of photos from when i visited your part of the world.

Here it is

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=192844&highlight=

Your trip looks to be far more epic Smile

I look forward to your pics or vids or whatever.

Is your GS500 working yet ?

I really like those pics in the advrider link, as my initial overly ambitious idea for me had been going to lesotho from cape town.
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G1_ · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 May 2002 Karma :

Hey Colin,

I did read your thread.

The GS500 is not working. It's at a mechanic in town. He's on the look out for second hand parts to fix it (or for a buyer to buy it as is). I must actually give him a call and get an update.

Either way I'm hoping it will be sold before the trip. Planning on getting a F650GS or a KLR650 for the trip.

I've ordered a GoPro HD for recording the trip. Might be able to get hold of another one (one per bike). I've got some cool idea's for the documentary/video I'm hoping to put together. But I'm still deciding how involving I want the shooting part of the trip to be.

colin1 · Captain Safety Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Karma :

I like the look of klr650. I saw one parked up in cape town.
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G1_ · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 May 2002 Karma :

colin1 · Captain Safety Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Karma :

looks good. Seems quite a big group of you. How do you know them all ?

I look forward to the episodes particularly as I met you on my little stay in Muizenberg. Cant remember if I'd already told you this, but funnily enough, a Job I had last year here in the uk, there was a guy at the same place as me from Muizenberg. Wierd.
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G1_ · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 May 2002 Karma :

There was only 3 of us for the first half of the trip and just myself for the second half. In that one picture we bumped into some canadians who were just finished up on their southern africa tour.

Yeah I think you did mention. Small world, as they say Smile

Dom · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Sep 2004 Karma :

That looks great, definitely whack the vids/pics up here once you’ve sorted through them. Thumbs Up

Did the KLR behave itself? By the look of some of those pics you might’ve got a narcoleptic one. Wink

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Photos and that

Tonka · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Karma :

Pictures look great and I'd be very interested to hear and see more about the trip. There have been some mutterings about trips to SA and I'm quite keen! Thumbs Up

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G1_ · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 May 2002 Karma :