MotorCycle Sport & Leisure
Can you see me growing? The riding is good in South Africa, but there’s plenty more to get excited about than just hooning around on a motorcycle
Since the lockdown was eased I have mostly ridden three bikes. Three VERY different bikes. The first was a Harley-Davidson Iron 1200, the friendly giant that was perfectly jolly and amenable as long as you didn’t ask it to go round any corners. Then came the Royal Enfield Interceptor, a modern classic with all the retro looks, but arguably an overall package that is more dated than retro. And finally, a Suzuki Katana, a restyled, race-bred mixture of rip-yourarms-out madness with a touch of nostalgia. All of them amazing in their own right, but all completely different from each other.
After riding all those bikes, only one of them has made a lasting impression on me – and not for any reason that stands objective scientific or technical scrutiny. I’m getting a bit soft and sentimental here, but bear withwith me...me...
The bike that really spoke to me was the Interceptor. It has had a huge influence on me. It has changed the way I ride, and the way I approach riding. Riding the bike gives you a nice warm glow: the smooth power, the tuneful twin burble, and the easy feel of riding the Interceptor are all lovely, but more importantly they encourage you to ride in a calm and collected manner.
And that makes a difference – I’m much calmer when I’m on the Enfield. I don’t get as annoyed by idiot drivers around me. I still make good progress and use the inherent qualities of the two-wheeler to my advantage, but I’m not hell-bent on overtaking every single vehicle in sight. I enjoy my surroundings. I take new routes to my usual destinations. I discover new places. The bike becomes a part of something bigger – a vehicle of exploration, not just a means of transport.
And does that calm and tranquillity last? Well, it did well into the first 10 yards of riding the stonking Suzuki Katana. But that’s a different story…
The Garden Route of South Africa tour had started strong. We had visited the Cape of Good Hope, taken in mountain passes of Tarmac and gravel, as well as desert highways and coastal twisties. But it was about to get better still.
After two nights in Oudtshoorn, we were on the move again. And we were heading to the home of South Africa’s National Elephant Park in Addo, near Port Elizabeth.
It was a long ride to Addo. We crossed the Outeniqua Mountains, pushed through the towns of George and Wilderness (which, by the way, is about as far from the wilderness as can be). Then we took a little detour to the coast via Nature’s Valley through a twisty decline. The sharpness of the bends took some careful negotiating after the fast roads we had spent all morning on. Climbing up from the valley, we took in Bloukrans Pass.
The road is officially closed to direct traffic to the new toll road that has replaced it. But it is still passable, although nature has started to claim back the land, and most of the way the road is narrow with vegetation pushing in from both sides and grass coming up through the Tarmac. It’s perfect for adventure bikes, lovely to ride, and feels like a calm sanctuary, with the wild trees proving a rare bit of shade.
Everywhere we have been so far, no matter how seemingly remote our location has been, there are always people by the side of the road. Some are walking to their destination, others selling fruit, and a fair few hitching a ride – wherever you go, you are not alone.
Cruising along the coastal (or near-coastal) roads, lined by fields and pine forests with the Tsitsikammaberge Mountains on the horizon, the vista was almost like one you’d find in Scandinavia. If troops of baboons hadn’t run across the road every now and again, you could almost imagine that you were riding along the coast of Norway, on the other side of the world.
Eventually we reached Addo, our home for the next two nights. And not a moment too soon – these long, hot days in the saddle take their toll.
Clearly well briefed that a hot and bothered motley crew of bikers was arriving, we were greeted at the car park by a very nice man offering us ice-cold beers. It was bliss!
Elephant safari
Day six was the first one when we didn’t even touch the bikes. Instead we headed off to a safari in the Addo Elephant National Park.
As we entered the park, we spotted our first animal almost instantly. A large leopard tortoise was crossing the road just in front of us. For a little while I thought that this might be all we’d see, but soon enough we spotted a small herd of kudus and red hartebeests, both antelopes with impressive horns.
A little further on we saw our first elephants – a family of six trundling along, minding their own business. We also came across zebras, warthogs and buffalos. It was magical.
But there was still more to come. Under a tree, lazing in the shadows were two male lions. At first we thought that they were sleeping, but after a few minutes they got on their feet and padded a little closer to us, only to lay down again and have another snooze.
I couldn’t believe our luck. We had spotted all the big animals that were kept in the park. Result!
More animals
At Addo, we turned round and started to make our ziggedy zaggedy way back to Cape Town.
After a relaxed safari day, it was good to be on the bike again. The temperature was nice and cool, low 20s and cloudy – perfect for riding. At one point I even considered closing some of the many vents on my jacket, but it never quite came to that. I was, however, glad that I had the wind protection of the GS. On the hotter days I would have paid good money for a naked bike and the free flow of air, but today it was all spot on.
The scenery around here was quite different from what we’d had on previous days – the flatlands and mountains were replaced by rolling green hills. It wasn’t quite like the Peak District back home, this was on a much bigger scale, but it was a stark change from the arid landscapes of the Little Karoo.
‘‘ ‘‘’‘ Im not hell-bent on o vertaking every single vehicle in sight. I enjoy my surroundings.