I cannot tell a lie; I had a moment of “what are you doing Dave” reflection when I accepted Honda bossman Riaan Fourie’s invitation to ride a 2024 Africa Twin Adventure Sport DCT on Sidetracked with Honda’s event. Now here’s the thing. I am a seriously average adventure bike rider, so I tend to pick my fights carefully. When I heard about Footpeg Diaries involvement my bowels turned to water. Those guys do things on Adventure bikes that I normally warn people about! I have heard about the Tankwa, which is typical gravel travel, so that would be cool but the Cederberg, now that could be a different story. I had a taste of it a few years ago and had to abort the mission riding the 4×4 track beyond Wupperthal, after my mate capsized with his KLR, doing himself an injury. Riding a 253kg bike on that goat track could be hectic! Well, rather live one day as a lion than a lifetime as a sheep, they say…
The Gauteng contingent met up at ‘Die Padstal’ in Pretoria. We would connect with the Cape boys en route, either in Loxton or at Cederberg Oasis. My Twin was resplendent in red, white and blue HRC colours. It is a serious looker! I surveyed the bikes as one does. BMW 1250 GS Adventure, KTM 790s, Yamaha T7s, more Africa Twins, an F 800 GS and a well-used KTM 890 R RALLY. No pressure Dave, no pressure! Footpeg Diaries goody bags dished out, coffee and breakfast buns quaffed, and briefing completed, we got underway just before 9:00 AM.
Our route took us past Potchefstroom, Viljoenskroon, and Bothaville to Hoopstad where we stopped at Tau restaurant for lunch. Zulu, a friend of the Diaries boys met us there. He had planned to do the trip then got sidelined by a shoulder injury. He farms in the area. When it came time to pay there was “no charge” as Zulu had picked up the tab for the whole crew. What a splendid and generous gesture. Biking Boys are a unique brotherhood indeed! After lunch, we proceeded through Hertzogville and Boshoff to ride the first dirt of the day, 40k’s or so before our overnight stop in Kimberley. With the dirt came the first drama of the day. I chose to ride near the back to get a feel for the big Twin on dirt. It was shod with Motoz knobblies for the occasion.
There is a period of adjustment when you haven’t ridden dirt for a while. The bike wiggles and dances across the ever-changing dirt surface. It goes from planted on hard-pack gravel to wiggly on patches of surface sand. As you develop a feel for it you start to relax and ease your death grip on the bars. Bikes have a natural tendency to run straight so you need to let it squirm and wiggle. Easier said than done I must say! Riaan from Honda hates dust so he makes it rather than eats it! He was a consistent front-runner throughout the trip. Adrian Storm on his KTM 890 Rally was clearly in his natural element, as he too was off like a sweaty sock. I rounded a long bend to see a KTM 790 on its side in the dirt and its rider Hein, sitting next to it looking bemused. We stopped and helped him pick up the bike and he was soon on his way again, albeit rather cautiously.
I was finding some kind of dirt mojo and going along quite nicely when I saw carnage ahead. Schalk’s Adventure Sport had got away from him, and he crashed heavily. He was somewhat the worse for wear. Neither he nor his Twin would play any further part in the tour. We loaded his bike on the backup vehicle trailer and summoned an ambulance from Kimberley to take Schalk to the hospital. The Footpeg Diaries crew were decisive and calm, clearly not their first movie of this kind. They saw Schalk safely into the hospital, chatted to his family, reassured them that he was OK, and got Adrian to lead us to our overnight stop where they joined up with us later. Schalk’s wrist and shoulder were damaged and would need some fixing. Hein had a sore hip but was otherwise unscathed. Score 2 to the Sandmonster. After a slightly subdued evening, it was off to bed. Day two would take us to Loxton via Luckhoff, Vanderkloof Dam, Phillipstown, De Aar, Britstown and Vosburg. Or so we thought. The Sandmonster had other plans and would rear his wicked head again.
We lashed a breakfast and got going. The karoo was beckoning. We turned onto a reasonable dirt road to Luckoff after about 100k’s of tar. The racing snakes, allergic to dust, were gone. The rest of us followed at a slightly more sedate pace, trying to keep a dust gap apart. Rounding a long right-hand bend about 20k’s from Luckhoff, I again came across Hein lying in the road next to his Katoom. He had been riding carefully after his tumble the previous day. I can’t say for sure what happened, but I suspect he may have hit some slight stutter bumps as he exited the bend. At speed he would probably hardly have noticed them but at his more sedate pace, they may have got a tank slapper going. He unfortunately fell badly and had a bad break to the bone above his elbow. His bike was loaded, and he was taken in the backup bakkie to the clinic in Luckhoff from where he was ferried by ambulance to Kimberley.
So much time had been spent that the decision was made to ride tar to Loxton, stopping for pics at the Vanderkloof Dam and a quick bite at the KFC in De Aar. We rolled into Loxton in the late afternoon. Some of the Cape contingent were already there. GS Adventure mounted Dirk, a top-class fellow from Graaff-Reinet, Kalla on his thundering V-Strom and Skippie, a lanky teacher from Oudtshoorn, on his Honda XRV 750 Africa Twin. I looked up as he arrived, having heard the unmistakable V-Twin rumble from his laser exhaust, which was reminiscent of an identical bike that I owned in the early 2000s. He and ‘Zorro’ have over 60,000k’s of dirt under the belt. He rides the beautiful old black and gold Honda fast and smooth, with a familiarity that comes from years of back-road bonding. It had me wondering whether we have, in real terms, made much, or any real progress. My 2024 ride needs any number of fettles to settings via an array of electronic gadgetry before you can set off, in the hope that it is now “right”. The XRV 750, with its basic twenty-year-old “get on and ride” setup just works! Manufacturers now cater to a market that demands gadgets and gimmicks, with enough electronics to choke a mule. What it has done is hoist the price of modern bikes exponentially, but to what real advantage?
We kuiered at ‘The Windpomp’, owned by Pierre’s older brother. What a lovely spot. The brandy specials went down like mother’s milk, and we dined on some of the best pizzas, pulled lamb bedecked nogal, I have ever tasted. We were probably all rattled by the misfortune suffered by two of our own and needed to let our hair down a bit. I notice that some of my photos of the evening are a little blurry, I can’t think why. We slept in local guesthouses. A number of us ended up in Deon Meyer, of BMW and crime writer fame’s house. What a delightful place. Sitting on his front stoep sipping on coffee and gazing across the karoo had me thinking of that poem ‘The Veld’, by Percival Gibbon – “Cast the window wider, sonny, let me see the veldt, rolling grandly to the sunset, where the mountains melt, with the sharp horizon round it, like a silver belt”. The third verse sums it up – “There’s a balm for crippled spirits in the open view, running from your very footsteps out into the blue; like a wagon track to heaven, straight ‘twixt God and you”.
Tankwa! The very name conjures up visions of vast open spaces! We ate breakfast, fuelled up and rode straight out of Loxton onto the dirt. The next stop is Sutherland, renowned for being the coldest spot in our fairland. The road was decent, albeit corrugated and, towards its end rather bumpy. The views were stunning. From Loxton, we descended the tar road through some sweeps which had me wondering about the traction of my Motoz knobblies. They surprised me. Just before the road straightened out, we stopped at the iconic ‘Tjol se Gat’ pub. Tjol looks for all the world like a real-world elf, with a long snow-white beard and tufts of white hair sticking out from under his cap. A lovely dude. Eleven years ago, he and his wife moved into what was the original Toll house on the pass and turned it into a pub. On the opposite side of the road, he has established a neat campsite in the lee of the mountain. A quick drink and we were on our way, turning onto the dirt after about 20k’s. Next stop, Tankwa Padstal.
This was karoo cruising at its best. The road undulates and sweeps through the spectacular Tankwa, with some tight twists and turns and steep descents and ascents in places. You are so absorbed by the ride that it feels as if you arrive at the Padstal in no time at all. What a cool place. It almost has a Mad Max vibe with its eclectic furnishings and ornamentation. The rest of the Sidetracked with Honda crew were waiting for us there, having ridden up from Cape Town. After a brief sojourn, we got back on the bikes and rode over the delightful Katbakkies Pass, then hooked a right for a stunning 40k’s of dirt over the mountain to Cederberg Oasis, our base for the next 2 nights. Cederberg Oasis is a very pleasant spot, basic but comfortable with a backpacker’s vibe that endears it to nature lovers. I love the honesty bar. You open a file for yourself, record what you take, and settle up before you leave. Pleasantly weary from the day’s dirt riding, we downed burgers and chips, sipped on a couple of cold ones, then showered and hit the hay.
The next day we were a full contingent at last to ride the Cederberg. For those of you who haven’t been to the Cederberg yet just go! The profusion of craggy rocky mountain outcrops is breathtaking. Photos truly don’t do justice to the spectacular views. We stopped at the Matjies Rivier nature reserve to view the amazing cave formation and take in the views. On the ride in, the Sandmonster struck again, scuttling a GS and an Africa Twin who tried to avoid riding over the Beemer. Gadget on the AT got a proper ding on the ankle, but otherwise, all was well. It was not going to be the last appearance of the Sandmonster however. Back on the bikes we rode into Clanwilliam for fuel and snacks.
Fuelled and filled, we rode out of town over a great tar road pass to the turnoff to the town of Wupperthal, established by two German missionaries in 1830. On the 31st December 2018, a wildfire swept through the town causing widespread devastation, leaving only the church and a few houses standing. Over 200 people were left homeless. The road to Wupperthal is also rougher than I experienced when I rode it about ten years ago. From Wupperthal we rode the 4×4 route over the mountain to the little town of Eselbank, stopping en-route to take a dip in a waterfall and braai some wors for a boerewors roll lunch. However, I digress. This route would expose us to, and I quote, “100 metres of sand”, which they said, “you can just paddle through”. The first part is a very steep concrete track winding up and over some rocks, and then sections are interspersed with some of the aforementioned sandy sections.
The Sandmonster was licking his slavering chops! A T7 bit the dust, followed by a GS and then it was kind of open season for the Sandmonster. I was really fortunate in that I ran off the track on the rocky section, luckily without mishap. In gathering my composure, I realised that I was looking just in front of the bike to thread my way up the track. Rookie error! I then made a concerted effort to stand up, look up at the other side of the obstacle, and open up. Game changer. I showed the finger to the Sandmonster, and later in the ride, when we encountered beds of pigeon egg-sized rocks, I did the same to good effect. I managed to end the day unscathed. A special experience was to hand out pre-packed goodie bags to the kids and residents of Eselbank who have tolerated droves of adventurers trundling through their town. The Footpeg Diaries boys thought that it was payback time. Good job guys!
A really good time was had by all, and after a shower and cold bevvie we gathered for dinner and our end of Sidetracked with Honda in the Cederberg round-up. Strafdoppe were dealt out with gay abandon, with Pierre, ably assisted by Fanie, making the Jagermeister flow like water as the judgement was passed and punishment meted out. This brought an amazing event to a close. Hats off to the Footpeg Diaries crew. Injured riders became their priority until they were certain everything was under control. Only then would their focus change. Adrian Storm on his Katoom Rally was always willing and able to stand in the gap, taking the lead seamlessly. Friendships were forged and old friendships renewed. Arriving at Cederberg Oasis, I saw my old mate PM with whom I rode the ‘Parys to De Aar’ Adventure rally back in 2013. He rides a KTM 890 R which he pedals with alacrity. Another one of those fellows who often rides in the dirt makes smooth and fast look easy. Other guys of that ilk are Paul and Danie on their T7s, and Andrew, an Aerospace engineer and Honda brand ambassador from Cape Town. As I mentioned earlier, Skippie on his XRV 750 is poetry in motion. Riding behind him and observing his calm unflustered riding is a joy to behold. There was a fellow from Cape Town doing things on Honda’s Trans Alp that would make you think it is the best adventure bike on the planet. I think he has some kind of media affiliation. He railed berms, powered through sand as if it wasn’t there and flowed through the bends like smooth magic.
Riaan, Glen (of Dirt and Trail fame) and I decided that we would start heading homewards the next day, planning to overnight in Nieu Bethesda and then belt it home on the Monday. The rest of the Footpeg crew were off to Merweville, and then on to Nieu-Bethesda a day later. After a quick breakfast, we said our thanks and goodbyes to the Footpeg bunch and our Cape cronies and got on our way, retracing the spectacular road by which we had entered the Cederberg and then on to Ceres. To get on the Graaff-Reinet road we cruised through the awe-inspiring Meirings poort then sped north to Graaff-Reinet. A brutal sidewind battered us without respite, and as we departed town it started to rain steadily. The descent into Nie-Bethesda was hairy, with a wet road and limited visibility, a combination of damp and cold. We were very grateful to pull up to our guesthouse, ‘The cow jumped over the moon’, and get out of wet clothes and into a warm shower. The facilities are real “home from home”, so we settled into our individual suites for a warm and comfy evening.
Our last day dawned with the promise of more rain, so we got going and ran hard over Lootsberg Pass to Middelburg, then Carlton Heights, Noupoort, and on to Colesburg for a Wimpy brekkie. It was another windy day. With the bikes topped up we sped to Bloemfontein. The wind was playing havoc with our fuel consumption, so we fuelled and rode on. At the Verkeerdevlei toll plaza, we hit the first real rain. It increased in intensity as we neared Ventersburg and then turned absolutely bizarre. The wind was so hectic it uprooted a huge National Road sign and flung it into the road, blocking one complete lane. All the while the rain was now a complete white-out with trucks crawling along at snail’s pace with their hazards flashing. At this point, I was leading and had to concentrate so hard to stay alive that I lost touch with Riaan and Glen, who wisely pulled into the Shell garage to wait out the storm. Unaware that they had stopped, I soldiered on, encountering hail falling out of a puce-coloured sky with swirls of mist. It was genuinely an apocalyptic scene. I then thought that gravel had washed across the road, feeling a crunch under my wheels. It was a shock to realise that I was riding through hail that covered the road like snow. All the while the wind slammed into the bike throwing me all over the road.
With shattered nerves, I tried to drive in the tracks of trucks or cars that had made a path through the hail bed. Eventually to my huge relief the hail path cleared, and the rain stopped but as the old advert says, “that was not all”. For the run into Kroonstad, the wind picked up to an even more ferocious intensity, blowing dust and sand across the road off the still unploughed lands. This carried on for at least 40k’s or more until at last some vegetation held the sand in check and I only had to contend with the wind. I rolled into Jo’burg at 4 o’clock rush hour, which is a sh*t storm of its own. After the freedom and tranquillity of the Tankwa, this was a rude welcome back to the Big Smoke. I trundled through the traffic to my home in Pretoria, pulling up to my gate at 4:30 PM, feeling somewhat spent. Without a doubt the most hectic day in the saddle that I have ever endured!
What about the big Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sport? It wears the days of dust and grime from roads less travelled with pride. It coped with everything I and nature could throw at it and never missed a beat. It remained a stable platform in extreme weather that I had never before experienced. The DCT performed seamlessly, delivering in every situation. It takes some getting used to in order to find the best electronic settings, but once done it performs well. It remains unnecessarily complicated, and the biggest improvement Honda could make would be to re-think the electronic interface. It is slow to respond to input as if it has too many electronic functions and not enough RAM to drive it. It will keep the PlayStation generation busy for days trying to figure it all out. Build me one with the functionality and simplicity of Skippie’s XRV 750 and I will place an order. Oh, and give it a main stand.
The comfort and wind protection are good, with decent adjustability on the windshield. The motor is beautiful. It lacks the punch of a big GS but has more than adequate real-world shove. At no time in almost 3,500k’s did I feel at a loss for go. A prod or two on the handlebar paddle shifter and it lifts its skirts and goes. In the dirt, it hooks up very well. To rear wheel steer, you need to drop a gear and whack it, whereupon it responds beautifully with a perfectly linear response of smooth power. Riaan helped me to set the bike up as I preferred it in User 1. I then only had to zero the traction and wheelie control after they reset when the bike was switched off and on. For short stops, I would kill the motor with the kill switch so that it would hold the settings. I am also not a fan of electronic suspension as it does not remain consistent in all modes. Having said that, once set up in User 1 it was way better.
We probably took these bikes beyond their typical all-road travel touring design parameters. I think the design engineers would have choked on their Saki if they saw what we put them through. Typical of Honda design excellence they coped well with everything we threw at them. Their stability, despite not being equipped with steering dampers, is exemplary. In my opinion, the 19-inch front wheel has not hurt the offroad ability but rather enhanced the tar road ability. All in all, another great Adventure option from the big H! To Riaan and Honda SA, thank you for entrusting me with this magnificent bike on an epic ride. To Pierre, Fanie and the Footpeg Diaries crew, you guys rock!
