The Dangers and Thrills of Africa on a Bike

The security of solo motorcycle travel in Africa is crucial. To stay safe and limit opportunities for theft and robberies I came up with a few strategies that I continually adjust as conditions and situations require. Because I carry soft motorcycle luggage and a locked waterproof bag, I try to keep the bike’s luggage in sight. While there are times when I don’t, so far I’m fortunate to have avoided mishaps. Most important has been the assessment of conditions and anticipation of tricky situations. I try to constantly stay aware and assess whether I’m in a country that is less safe (Zimbabwe), in an area that is less secure, at a time of day that is more prone to problems and if there any suspicious characters around.

While I came across a solo Russian BMW rider who fought off two robbery attempts on his crossing of Africa, most stories I heard and my own experiences have been fantastic and positive. The African people have been overwhelmingly helpful and honest. When they see an orange, strange-looking KTM approaching, they smile with wide open mouths, give me thumbs-up, requests for wheelies, air kisses and various other expressions of joy. It feels like the moment a circus comes to their village and I’m the ringleader. These are the moments that take the journey from being great to being superb and give me an extra boost of energy as I push the occasional 600- and 700-kilometer day ride.

The author keeps an eye out for wildlife while riding in Africa.

The primary danger of riding many of the Southern Africa’s roads is animals. Botswana’s roads, for example, perform double duty as the country’s pastures. There are cows, donkeys, goats, hogs and–every 20 to 40 kilometers–a cattle grates to cross. One advantage of riding a single-cylinder bike is that it makes a loud, unfamiliar noise that scares these animals from hundreds of feet away. On rare occasions I have had to use my horn, or come to a complete stop.

Amazing landscapes and wild game can be seen just riding Africa’s roads, especially those adjacent or running through national parks and game reserves. While riding a 300-kilometer stretch through northeast Botswana, the wild animals by the road were not donkeys, but wild elephants and 500-pound Oryx antelopes. By end of the day I had counted 20 elephants, some grazing within 15 feet from the road. When they heard the unfamiliar “ta-ta-ta-ta” sound of the KTM engine many of them flared their ears and did an about turn into defensive positions. An Oryx, startled by the bike, ran alongside me at 55 kmh for about two minutes before jumping onto the road in front of me, and eventually crossing to the other side and continuing its gallop.

Southern Africa’s roads are in mostly good shape, and often deserted. In Namibia, Botswana and South Africa’s Karoo region an hour or two would pass without seeing another vehicle. Africa’s road network is changing quickly. Chinese road construction companies and Chinese laborers can be seen from Mozambique to Lesotho to Botswana, laying asphalt as part of China’s development aid to the continent.

As of early February, after nine weeks and 9,000 kilometers in Africa, I have traversed nine countries: South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.

To read and see more about this project and donate to the Riders for Health organization, please visit www.AfricaHeartbeat.com or its Facebook fan page.

Planning the Route

There is one cardinal rule about travel in Africa: you have to be flexible. If you don’t you will be humbled and delayed, even stopped in your tracks. The continent offers numerous obstacles that can’t always be foreseen or surpassed: floods, political upheavals, banditry, even targeted tourist kidnappings in some countries. This unpredictability intensifies in Central and Sub-Saharan Africa: in countries that stretch from Uganda to Mauritania. [Read more]

Finding the Right Bike

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. [Read more]

Birth of an African Adventure

The idea of crossing Africa first came to me when I was 10 years old, when a large map of the world hung above my bed in a small Warsaw, Poland, apartment. At night I studied the geography of each continent, its road and railroad network marked with thin yellow and red lines. The most prominent continent was Africa, placed in the middle of the map, right above where my head rested on the pillow. I tried connecting Cape Town and Cairo using the yellow and red lines, and it wasn’t easy. In the 1970s few people traveled that route.

The seed for this journey germinated in my mind for years. I eventually learned to ride motorcycles in India and repeatedly traveled to the Horn of Africa, to write articles about the region for publications in Poland and the U.S. Earlier this year my grandmother passed away, and I decided it was time to do the trek I’ve been thinking about for so long: a 25,000-kilometer motorcycle journey from South Africa to Morocco.

Traveling for travel’s sake was no longer satisfying enough. I needed a purpose for this journey, something that adds meaning and benefits others. Originally I liked the idea of working with a orphanage organization I became acquainted with and helping them create a network of orphanages across Africa. After meeting the board of directors I become less enthused about putting my name behind an organization I wasn’t convinced about.

For several months I brainstormed ideas and eventually the purpose of the journey evolved into a something I do well: finding interesting people and telling their stories as a journalist. Other than just words on paper, I also wanted to create a project website that would become a portal for stories, photos and videos, as well as a place for feedback and getting involved.

Choosing a motorcycle was probably the most important and complicated among the list of things needed before departure. I owned a Yamaha XT600 in San Francisco and three Royal Enfield 350s during trips in India. Now, I felt that my dues were paid. I was ready to graduate to “Saxon bikes,” either a German BMW or an Austrian KTM. In terms of middleweight adventure bikes, I narrowed it down to the BMW 650 GS Dakar and the KTM 640 Adventure. Having never ridden either of these bikes, I relied on recommendations from people that have, and the KTM seemed the better choice for this journey: lighter, more maneuverable and better suited for rugged, off-road conditions. I contacted three KTM dealers in Johannesburg, South Africa, and communication via phone and email with them went well.

I flew to South Africa last week, and I hope to have my bike purchased, registered and inspected by December 1. Stay tuned….

Follow my progress at the Africa Heart Beat Project website: http://www.africaheartbeat.com/