Goodday Wilddogs!
This is my first real contribution to the Wilddogs site, so I’m pleased to meet all of you. I’ve spent quite some time on checking out all the great trips and tips which have been loaded by different Dogs, so I’ll start off with a big thanks to the knowledge already shared.
Quick intro: I’m 26, grew up in Naboomspruit, studied at Potch and I’m working in Joburg. The idea of motorcycling through Africa started brewing in my head about 4 years ago, long before I knew that there was a lot of other people dreaming about the same thing. My dad then told me about this guy from our town which has done a similar thing, so when I went home during one holiday I made the effort to go and meet this “Uncle Lodie de Jager”.
Looking back, this encounter had a big impact on where I am today. Lodie graciously presented adventure biking to me, and I went away with a rather cocky attitude of ‘if he can do it I can do it’ – I guess time will show us if that is indeed the case or not. He also introduced me to the “draad-en-tang” KLR, and gave me the advice of “picking a day in the future, and sticking to it”.
Time passed, I got my KLR in October 2011, and I made my date which currently stands as 1 October 2012, 6-8 weeks.
I’m going solo, since I’m the only biker between my varsity buddies. But I have to say I’ve met some awesome fellow bikers in the last year or so - no doubt I’ll have some adventurers with fellow riders to come. But for now I’m looking forward to a solo, deeply personal and challenging experience, and even though the idea is scaring me a little, I am super exited! Got most of the necessities as well as some vital tips from Doctor KLR, but I still have a number of things to finalize to tick off my list before I go.
This is the very rough route I’ve been planning… The plan is to do around 80% tar, 20% dirt for most of the trip, but I’ll figure that out as I go along.
The one favor I would like to ask is for help with contacts on the way – always good to have that as a backup in case of an emergency. Please let me know of people you might know on the way, maybe even fellow Dogs, I would very much appreciate that. Also, please shout if there’s any specific towns / places that I need to go and see that might be out on the “roads less travelled” – not every day that I’ll get around to some of these places.
I’m planning to give updates as I go along, so WHATCH THIS SPACE ;D
Keep well.
This is my first real contribution to the Wilddogs site, so I’m pleased to meet all of you. I’ve spent quite some time on checking out all the great trips and tips which have been loaded by different Dogs, so I’ll start off with a big thanks to the knowledge already shared.
Quick intro: I’m 26, grew up in Naboomspruit, studied at Potch and I’m working in Joburg. The idea of motorcycling through Africa started brewing in my head about 4 years ago, long before I knew that there was a lot of other people dreaming about the same thing. My dad then told me about this guy from our town which has done a similar thing, so when I went home during one holiday I made the effort to go and meet this “Uncle Lodie de Jager”.
Looking back, this encounter had a big impact on where I am today. Lodie graciously presented adventure biking to me, and I went away with a rather cocky attitude of ‘if he can do it I can do it’ – I guess time will show us if that is indeed the case or not. He also introduced me to the “draad-en-tang” KLR, and gave me the advice of “picking a day in the future, and sticking to it”.
Time passed, I got my KLR in October 2011, and I made my date which currently stands as 1 October 2012, 6-8 weeks.
I’m going solo, since I’m the only biker between my varsity buddies. But I have to say I’ve met some awesome fellow bikers in the last year or so - no doubt I’ll have some adventurers with fellow riders to come. But for now I’m looking forward to a solo, deeply personal and challenging experience, and even though the idea is scaring me a little, I am super exited! Got most of the necessities as well as some vital tips from Doctor KLR, but I still have a number of things to finalize to tick off my list before I go.
This is the very rough route I’ve been planning… The plan is to do around 80% tar, 20% dirt for most of the trip, but I’ll figure that out as I go along.
The one favor I would like to ask is for help with contacts on the way – always good to have that as a backup in case of an emergency. Please let me know of people you might know on the way, maybe even fellow Dogs, I would very much appreciate that. Also, please shout if there’s any specific towns / places that I need to go and see that might be out on the “roads less travelled” – not every day that I’ll get around to some of these places.
I’m planning to give updates as I go along, so WHATCH THIS SPACE ;D
Keep well.
