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Two things: 1) What is it with Namibian giraffes trying to take you fellas out? I remember riding around there and the damn ostriches seemed to be trying to do the same. Always running across the damn track! Maybe the desert addles their brains. Kenyan giraffe are well behaved... ostriches less...

Forgot to include this video Panic and I made showing fellow XRR riders how to setup their forks like Borynack suggested back in the day. https://youtu.be/PiMKs7D2UNM :snorting:

A combination of a million little things has kept us from going on many long rides this year. Mostly, I guess it can be chalked up to Covid, but I’ve also been trying to kickstart a new business and it’s been two steps forward, one step back, keeping me in town whether I need to be or not...

Well, you are mistaken at least on two counts: - My 990s were only marginally more expensive than XRR. I paid R65k for the first one, which is probably only about R10k more than I would have to pay for reasonably well preserved XRR. - 990 battery can heal itself as was proven by this experiment...

You get into some fun riding for sure, and a lot more often than me these days. Making me jealous as hell! That slippery mountain track looked refreshing alright, after all those flat tracks. Also, there is a sure-fire method for sorting out you KTM when one of its many adorable little "known"...

Very cool pics of that pass. You're doing it right... sort of... if you insist on riding that giant tub of metal up rocky passes you might want to bring your sleeping bag at least!

Amazingly, the following day brought no hangovers and apart from a lot of grumbling about the firmness of beds and coldness of the showers, everyone was in great spirits. Breakfast was served on time and we were on the bikes BEFORE our advertised departure time, which is simply unheard of. I was...

2020 has been disruptive, you could say. Months of lockdowns globally and economic turmoil. The globally popular Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride even had to change their format, encouraging everyone to go for a solo ride this year instead of toodling around in dapper mobs. So, this year’s Kenya...

Looks freezing man, but any ride on an XRR is a good ride!

Zanie I knew the Kori Bustard was some kind of title... "Biggest flying bird" or near to it. It's a whopper alright. We see them all the time, but they usually opt to scurry behind a bush rather than actually fly away. At 20kg, I'm not surprised!

Xpat - If you make your millions, save them up for July-August. It is definitely a much cooler time of year to hit those deserts. You remember the heat in Sibiloi I'm sure... Suguta's meant to be worse. 50 degrees if you don't go at the right time of year. The river crossings were...

That Southern African bush is something else. Looks just like where I was in Zambia... dry this time of year, not a chance of rain, not a cloud in the sky all day long... and windy. I can smell it! But again, Xpat, why the hell didn't you just take the 500? You could have been drifting all those...

Xpat - Glad to see you posting something again! Don't get why you'd choose to ride that big buffalo for any reason, but I won't judge. I also won't judge your wise decision to stay at a posh lodge with a pool for a bit! We just did 8 days in the North again. Highlights: Sent home a guy on a...

Up early to enjoy the morning light. We needed to vacate sharpish as the lodge had guests arriving early and there are now special Covid cleaning procedures to perform. The breakfast was amazing, the views delicious. We reluctantly kitted up, bid the place farewell and descended into the bush...

I was still shaking sand out of my trousers (not just a little either, a kg of the stuff), boots and hair by morning, but the feeling of tackling the Suguta was lingering. We were in no rush to leave. Baragoi had been fantastic. Cool weather (Panic even pulled out his puffy jacket while we were...

At the river, we wised up and rode the bastards across. I went first, but bogged down half way and Panic had to push me across again, but with much less drenching. By the time he walked back to his bike, he was seeing double and it took a long pause and a sweet or two to muster the energy to...

Before arriving, we’d talked a big game about dumping luggage under a palm and ripping up the dunes, hooligan-style, letting the sand fly! The reality is, on a self-supported trip, this place is too hostile for that shit. We don’t want to be forced to go back to get something in the heat, and in...

I’m not sure the proprietor believed me when I said we wanted to depart at 6AM, but the mama had breakfast for us at 5:45 and we were on the road as promised. Mottled, feathery clouds covered the sky and kept the dazzling sun at bay as we rode East into Suguta Valley. I remembered this track as...

Up in good time, we watched the Desert Locust guys take off for one final spray. The funding’s drying up, so they’re all heading home. Too bad the locusts aren’t! We would find plenty as we went along. Above: Taking off from the Cradle in Lodwar With bikes in good nick, we confidently raced...

Before calling it quits the day before, we’d lubed the chains and given the bikes a once-over. The last hour had been high revving, high speed, and we wanted to make sure all was okay. At one point, I’d stopped to see what was smoking, and realized it was high-temp ATV burning off of the heat...