10 things we've learned riding 15,000 km across Africa

[firecoast]

 

[2kickaround]

Great thanks for asking Grunder.

Check out our latest video in Rwanda and subscribe if you want to follow along on YouTube @2kickaround. Cheers!

Here’s a link:

 

[Grunder]

Great thanks for asking Grunder.

Check out our latest video in Rwanda and subscribe if you want to follow along on YouTube @2kickaround. Cheers!

Here’s a link:

Yeah I'm there!!

Just thought we could have some more traveling tips here

 

[2kickaround]

Thanks for following!

Good idea.. now that we’ve traveled a bit further I’ll see if we can come up with some other things we’ve learned soon.

 

[Grunder]

Thanks for following!

Good idea.. now that we’ve traveled a bit further I’ll see if we can come up with some other things we’ve learned soon.

Have you tried the diesel tip for the chain maintenance? Or have you found a better solution?

 

[goingnowhereslowly]

Just found this thread and subscribed to the channel, will watch some over the weekend.
Sho, fixing that many punctures...no fun!

I've been watching a few channels similar to yours and I find it interesting (peculiar) how fast some go through countries. It could be that they're not putting everything in their videos, but it doesn't look to be.
(Don't know what your trip is like, will see soon)

Made me wonder then, when you set out on a trip like this, what is the mission? Is the main thing to cross the continent? I'm sure for most there's a budget and probably a time constraint too?
How do you choose what you want to see; planning ahead?
where and when to stay longer, go slower?
Does it all become a bit of a blur, or in some ways "more of the same"?

 

[Blou Zebu]

Nou net om my vrou te leer baaik

 

[2kickaround]

Have you tried the diesel tip for the chain maintenance? Or have you found a better solution?

Hi Grunder yes, the diesel solution works great thanks for the tip!

 

[2kickaround]

Just found this thread and subscribed to the channel, will watch some over the weekend.
Sho, fixing that many punctures...no fun!

I've been watching a few channels similar to yours and I find it interesting (peculiar) how fast some go through countries. It could be that they're not putting everything in their videos, but it doesn't look to be.
(Don't know what your trip is like, will see soon)

Made me wonder then, when you set out on a trip like this, what is the mission? Is the main thing to cross the continent? I'm sure for most there's a budget and probably a time constraint too?
How do you choose what you want to see; planning ahead?
where and when to stay longer, go slower?
Does it all become a bit of a blur, or in some ways "more of the same"?

Thanks for the comment. I would say we’ve been going fairly slow as we’re over a year into our African adventure. We try not to plan too far ahead on our route, because so many things can change so quickly on this continent. The mission is to get to know the people and cultures of the various countries we visit. We also enjoy taking in all the amazing scenery and wildlife. We stay longer in the places we enjoy and shorter times in the places that we feel are too hectic. Some places do seem very similar so we try to seek out the places that are unique. Everyone has different goals traveling. The more realistic you are with what you are looking for the better chance you have finding it. We love motorcycle travel to feel closer to the people and places we visit.

 

[goingnowhereslowly]

Thanks for the comment. I would say we’ve been going fairly slow as we’re over a year into our African adventure. We try not to plan too far ahead on our route, because so many things can change so quickly on this continent. The mission is to get to know the people and cultures of the various countries we visit. We also enjoy taking in all the amazing scenery and wildlife. We stay longer in the places we enjoy and shorter times in the places that we feel are too hectic. Some places do seem very similar so we try to seek out the places that are unique. Everyone has different goals traveling. The more realistic you are with what you are looking for the better chance you have finding it. We love motorcycle travel to feel closer to the people and places we visit.

Perfect! If I ever get the opportunity to travel an extended period, this would be my preferred way too.
I've started watching your videos, up to e6 now, looks great!

 

[2kickaround]

Thanks for your support. We appreciate you watching!

 

[Knucklhead/knuckey]

Kigali is awesome yes ...been there a few times for business for Volkswagen South Africa.

 

[Matewis]

VOLG!

 

[chicco]

My 2 cents, not that I ever traveled through Africa but did do a couple of 1 week trips

The Potato stove works with any liquid fuel, comes with various spare nozzles.

Self inflating mattress is the way to go, even with a small leak it still gives some comfort

Sleeping bag -20 and rolls very small, smaller than the mattress.

Note how most things are orange......

 

[Airguitar]

View attachment 795706

We are currently crossing Africa on two XR600R motorbikes and want to give a special shout out to Lars and Dux on this forum. Without @Lars putting us in touch with @Dux, we would never have met the magic mechanic, and without his help we wouldn't have made it this far on our journey!

What tips do you have for long distance foreign travel? We are always looking to expand our knowledge. Please respond to this thread with any thoughts. Cheers!

10 things we've learned riding 15,000 km across Africa

1. Have your bike and gear sorted before your trip. Our bikes weren't dialed before we left and we paid the price with 2 engine rebuilds and 1 new carburetor. This added a lot of time and expense to our trip. Bring your tried and true gear. Our latest and greatest sleeping pads popped numerous times. It was also difficult to find the fuel for our camp stove from home.

2. Pack everything for the "big" trip and then ride for a weekend. See what you use and afterwards separate everything into two piles. One for wants and the other for needs. Get rid of the first pile..that's what you take. Otherwise you end up shipping stuff home or give it away.

3. Realize most normal items will be available everywhere in the world. Don't pack a year's supply of toothpaste. Even motorcycle tires are challenging but can be found in far off places. Don't carry too much food. A few day supply is usually enough when supplemented with good local cuisine.

4. Have your electronic gear sorted before you leave and test everything. Our tablets don't have enough storage for all our pictures and video plus it's hard to find reliable wifi to upload to a cloud. A small laptop would be better. Also, trying to connect a GoPro to a helmets intercom microphone is an example of something you don't want to have to do on the road.

5. Practice repairing a punctured tire before your trip. We fixed flats with wild animals around in the dark. You want to be efficient to make it faster and not cause too much stress. Also, bring a compact bicycle pump. New age electric pumps are not reliable and they're heavy.

6. Invest in comfort. Bring the best boots. Not only for safety but also because you wear them a lot. Maybe splurge on a helmet if you can. Both our helmets are nice but the more budget one is a lot louder and not as aerodynamic. Above all, have a damn comfortable seat setup.

7. Route plan. We've used google maps, maps me, and in our case tracks for Africa. It is best to consult multiple resources when route planning. We also use a paper map since online maps can be unreliable. Maps me sent us through a winery in the middle of nowhere. IOverander is an amazing tool for route planning. A local SIM card can be useful as well, but we went through 6 countries without one. Overall they make life easier, we just didn't deal with it.

8. Intercoms are great. Not only to communicate but for music, podcasts and audio books. Riding up to 14 hours per day it's nice to have some entertainment.

9. The lows will be low, but the highs will be very high. i.e. Illness, injury, breakdowns...to incredible landscapes, fascinating cultures, interactions with exotic animals etc.

10. Take the trip. There were a ton of reasons not to go, ignore them as much as possible. Most of the things we worried about haven't happened. Only the things we never thought to worry of.. so why worry.

Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life—and travel—leaves marks on you.

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This is brilliant. With your permission I would like to copy and paste this advice into my thread: Heading for the Himalayas for my co-riders and myself to take into account. You will be credited.

 

[2kickaround]

My 2 cents, not that I ever traveled through Africa but did do a couple of 1 week trips

The Potato stove works with any liquid fuel, comes with various spare nozzles.

Self inflating mattress is the way to go, even with a small leak it still gives some comfort

Sleeping bag -20 and rolls very small, smaller than the mattress.

Note how most things are orange......
View attachment 833774View attachment 833775View attachment 833776

Thanks for the comments Chicco! You’re absolutely right next time we will definitely use a self inflating air mattress. We went with ‘fancy’ air mattresses for this trip and ended up paying the price.
We found a different jet for our camp stove and now can we burn petrol, which is fantastic no need to look for or carry another fuel. Only downside is petrol burns a little dirtier than white gas so we have to clean the stove more.
Cheers!

 

[2kickaround]

This is brilliant. With your permission I would like to copy and paste this advice into my thread: Heading for the Himalayas for my co-riders and myself to take into account. You will be credited.

Thank you for the comment Airguitar!
Absolutely and sorry for the late reply.
Have a fantastic journey. Cheers!

 

[Grunder]

They are on the road again