I came back from the Desert Run on roads in the vicinity of Mopopo River, Kuruman River, VanZylsrust, Bray, Mafiking etc. I phoned my Farmer / Doctor friend (Dr. Rex Barnard) in Bray to tell him about it.
Rex told me of his latest motorcycle crash casovac out of Botswana last Friday. It occured on one of the sand roads from Bray to Lobatse. It involved difficult border crossing at night, taking the seats out of Rex's little aircraft and getting the guy to Bloemfontein. He is still unconscience. Rex has two small aircraft.
Rex asked me to warn motorcyclists who plan to travel the very exciting roads on the Botswana border (The border patrol road), the Big Molopo River valley west of Vanzylsrust and the lekker sand roads from the various Molopo border posts north into Botswana. Not to mention all the South African gravel roads in the North West and Northern Cape. Rex says every long weekend he is involved in a motorcycle rescue of some kind. Rex is the only doctor in that area, at Bray. The only hospitals / intensive care are at Bloemfontein, Vryburg and Kuruman - Maybe Mafiking. Many kms away. I personally know of 3 WDs who all ended up in Vryburg hospital after three seperate crashes in the Bray area last December. Rex is an experienced off road and gravel road rider, he blames heavy overloaded bikes in most crash instances.
I do not offer any absolute solution, but I agree with Rex, light loads seem to crash less, and when they do seem to minimize the injury.
These roads are certainly the place to learn, but learn slowly.
Rex told me of his latest motorcycle crash casovac out of Botswana last Friday. It occured on one of the sand roads from Bray to Lobatse. It involved difficult border crossing at night, taking the seats out of Rex's little aircraft and getting the guy to Bloemfontein. He is still unconscience. Rex has two small aircraft.
Rex asked me to warn motorcyclists who plan to travel the very exciting roads on the Botswana border (The border patrol road), the Big Molopo River valley west of Vanzylsrust and the lekker sand roads from the various Molopo border posts north into Botswana. Not to mention all the South African gravel roads in the North West and Northern Cape. Rex says every long weekend he is involved in a motorcycle rescue of some kind. Rex is the only doctor in that area, at Bray. The only hospitals / intensive care are at Bloemfontein, Vryburg and Kuruman - Maybe Mafiking. Many kms away. I personally know of 3 WDs who all ended up in Vryburg hospital after three seperate crashes in the Bray area last December. Rex is an experienced off road and gravel road rider, he blames heavy overloaded bikes in most crash instances.
I do not offer any absolute solution, but I agree with Rex, light loads seem to crash less, and when they do seem to minimize the injury.
These roads are certainly the place to learn, but learn slowly.
