Finding the Right Bike
December 17, 2009 by Thomas Tomczyk
Deciding on the type of bike that would be capable of crossing Africa was key, but where to get one was another issue. Instead of purchasing the bike in the U.S., then flying it to Europe or even Africa at great expense (upwards of $2,000) and getting a Carnet de Passage (document allowing transit of a vehicle in many countries) for it, I decided to buy a bike in South Africa. The purchase of a bike there is not that difficult and after riding the bike to Europe at the end of my trip I would have an option to sell it, or ship it to the U.S.
After internet research I found that the Johannesburg and Pretoria prices of used KTM and BMW bikes are similar to those in the U.S. More importantly, as a foreigner you can buy a bike in South Africa and get a Carnet de Passage for it. All that seemed simple enough before actually arriving in South Africa.
I knew that traveling in Africa is, to say the least, complex. To travel legally and efficiently you need an international vaccination card, a yellow fever vaccination, Carnet de Passage, vehicle’s registration papers and international driver’s permit. Liability insurance helps as well. Each of these documents should have a photocopy kept in a separate place.
While the South African Automobile Association was more then communicative and helpful, they oversimplified the procedures of registering a South African bike as a foreigner. To register a vehicle in South Africa, one needs a traffic registry number, which requires proof of address, and “by the book” it takes about 5-8 days. Well, that is if you do everything by the book… and in Africa most books can be rewritten.
Patience is a virtue above all else, at least when you are buying a motorcycle as a foreigner in an African country. Staying at hotels and moving from attraction to attraction, most tourists don’t get to see the real life of the country. But you get such an opportunity when you repeatedly visit government offices in persistent attempts at registering a vehicle. In the end the task took me three days, and I got to see South Africa from the inside.
Between the search for the right bike, getting it documented and prepping it for my journey, time dragged on and after a week my new-to-me 2005 KTM 640 Adventure wasn’t in my hands yet. Each day of waiting added additional cost: guest house, GPS and car rental, food. Since this is a self-funded project, the additional costs became a burden. When it was all said and done, it was 11 full days before I was ready to hit the read. I couldn’t have done it without the super helpful staff at Pretoria’s KTM specialist, Biking Accessories.
Notes from the road will be coming soon. You can also follow my progress on the www.AfricaHeartBeat.com website and become a fan on the project’s Facebook page.
I doubt I will ever have the opportunity to duplicate such a great potential adventure (as touring a foreign country), but I find the information in this article very interesting and informative. Perhaps I might travel to Ireland or Norway. If so, I really would like to ride a motorcycle …. even if I have to buy one.
Don Donnelly
Santa Paula, CA