On the 3rd of August, Honda SA invited some of their local Honda dealers and motorcycle journalists to the launch of Honda Quest 2023, at the brilliant ADA Training Facility situated on the Satellite road near Hartebeespoort Dam.
Riaan Fourie from Honda SA Motorcycle division started proceedings by saying that Honda wanted to take a slightly different approach with Quest 2023. He announced a media partnership with Fanie Scholtz and Pierre Breytenbach (a Quest 2018 contestant) who have built quite a following with their ‘Footpeg Diaries’, to promote Quest with Honda dealers, and the riding public at large. What is Quest about exactly?
The catchphrase for Honda’s Africa Twin has always been “True Adventure”. Quest was the initiative that Honda embarked on to show Adventure bike riders that the new Africa Twin was not just African by name, but African by nature too. They hold a selection course that whittles 30 applicants down to an eventual 14. The 14 make up 7 two-man teams that embark on a proper African adventure riding Africa Twins. They look for men and women who are resourceful, independent, mindful of others (team players) and have a serious sense of adventure.
Skill on an Adventure bike is not a pre-requisite. They take the finalists on an extended ride through some of the harshest and most barren desert areas that Namibia and the Kalahari can throw at them. 2023 will be in the Tankwa Karoo and southern Kalahari. Who will buckle and who will get forged in the furnace of testing into unbreakable steel? The winner is selected by tallying the votes of all and sundry involved in the logistical and backup team. Essentially it is a test of character, not skill, where the contestants are the raw metal and the Africa Twins are the anvils on which they are beaten into shape.
In the past, Honda has not got the mileage out of Quest that was intended or deserved. Riaan wants to change this by engaging and including Honda dealers and their customers at every stage of the build-up to Quest. The Footpeg Diaries duo, with backup training by the ADA Training team, will take the Quest Roadshow to Dealers around the country on weekends, promoting Quest and the Africa Twin. You need to watch Honda Wing SA on Facebook and Instagram for details of when they will be at a dealer near you.
Pierre Breytenbach and Mojaki, the winner of Quest 2018, shared some of their experiences. The pressure of 1800 k’s of hectic riding and serious endurance turned a field of coal into diamonds. It seems that Quest is one of those rare events that has life-changing consequences. Many of the competitors owned different brands of bikes. After the last Quest, 10 riders chose to buy their Africa Twins, with the winner also claiming his bike as the grand prize. This is an incredible testimony to the abilities of the Africa Twin.
In Pierre’s words, he witnessed an Africa Twin get retrieved from where it landed upside down after an unplanned excursion off the side of a steep incline, get put right side up, and ridden away. Tougher than a tough thing! Mojaki, with complete humility, shared how he was filled with trepidation at what he had to face. To say that Quest plucked him out of his comfort zone is a massive understatement! Essentially a road rider with limited experience, he toughed out, kept smiling when he felt like crying, and served his teammate and others as best he could, putting their interests above his own. A worthy winner indeed!
Quest is a story that needs to be told. Entrants will be assessed and reduced to 30 individuals who will then attend ‘Boot camp’, where a final selection of the fourteen 2023 contestants will take place. Who will win though to participate in what Pierre describes as “a long journey to a seemingly unattainable goal?” The first Roadshow is at Honda Wing Randburg (Biker’s Warehouse) on 15-19 August. Let the games begin…
