Cape Town, South Africa - April 2007
Four and a half
months and 19,700 kms after leaving Kilkenny on a stormy
weekend in December I arrived in Cape Town – bike and
me in one piece. Below I detail my choices of gear and
equipment – and how they performed.
Bike
• First of all the bike. A low mileage 2002 F650
Dakar, there wasn’t much I needed to do to prepare it
for the trip. I took care of it, and it took care of me,
never giving me any trouble, never let me down. In
Mauritania, Nigeria, and Namibia I changed the oil, incl
two oil filters. Also changed spark plug twice, air filter
three times. Fuel consumption was between 22 and 28 kms to
the litre. At the end of the trip, myself and Thomas
(www.600.xt.ms) did the equivalent of the BMW 40,000 km
service which gives the bike a whole overhaul and check.
This included checking the valve clearance, which needed no
adjustment.
• Despite BMW advice, I went with the standard rear
and front suspension and didn’t have any problems. My
payload was approx 70 kgs plus fuel plus rider.
• Front forks. BMW advised against protective fork
gators, or socks, as the factory line is it may interfere
with flow of air to the radiator. One fork seal began
leaking (actually pissing oil over the rim) in Gabon. My
attempt at cleaning it (see Updates) kept it under control
until Angola when it was stressed a lot, but over the
border in Namibia there was a BMW dealer. Learned of
another Dakar on same route with both fork seals gone,
replaced in Windhoek. Have now fitted neoprene protective
socks.
• Headlight had thick clear plastic stuck on to
prevent shattering. No cracks. Next time, I would improve
the illumination capacity – maybe extra Xenons or
something cheaper if available. My practice was never to
ride at night, though at times this had to be done. The
factory headlight is not adequate for overlanding purposes.
• DID X-Ring chain and carbon steel sprockets,
supplied by IDL in Dublin. New sprockets and chain fitted
in Dublin before departure, changed in Cameroon for new
ones couriered over. I very rarely greased the chain as
much of the riding was in dusty or sandy conditions. After
11,000 kms there was still a lot of life left in them,
gratefully accepted by Roland the off roader in Yaounde for
continued use. I changed the drive sprocket from a 16 to a
15 tooth in anticipation of riding conditions where more
control is needed at slower speeds. See picture of used
sprocket in Cameroon Update.
• New brake pads were fitted at the beginning of the
journey. The front ones were fairly worn by Cape Town and
were replaced. Rear ones fine.
• The original double exhaust with cat converter was
replaced by Dion with a much lighter, used Micron exhaust,
leaving extra space on one side where I now pack my tent.
The noise of the exhaust meant I rarely had to use my horn.
I have now muffled it with a new ‘blanket’ and
had a washer welded into it decreasing the exit hole size.
Still very ‘throaty’ it now sounds more
acceptable!
• Tyres were Continental Escapes and TKC 80’s
supplied by Cambrian Tyres through Iggy in BMT. I’m
very happy with the two options – the Escapes
surprised me with their capability on poor and unstable
surfaces, and are durable. The TKC’s are great on any
loose gravel or mud (unless the mud is too sticky and clogs
up the treads!). I fitted new TKC ‘s in Cameroon. The
front still had half of its life left until I put a two
inch gash in it during an off road galavant in South
Africa. The rear is still on with about two thousand kms
left. So one set of tyres wouldn’t suit for the whole
journey – the Escapes would have the durability but
not the suitability for road conditions south of Nigeria,
and the TKC’s would wear too quickly on tarmac and
wouldn’t last. I am planning a return trip up the
east coast and across North Africa and will start with
Escapes, with the intention of changing to a set of rougher
tyres in Nairobi. I have heard good reports about Michelin
Deserts – an off road tyre that is very durable too.
However there has to be some compromise - perhaps its
hardness makes it unsafe on wet tarmac?
• The wheel rims, standard with the bike, are Behr.
Not the lightest they are however strong. I’m amazed
to have just one dent in the front after some of the
punishment it got. Two KTM 950’s I encountered in
Gabon, and a subsequent KTM 640 in Cape Town after a trans
Africa, had lighter alloy rims that were quite beat up.
• Replaced battery in SA. Understand its not possible
to fit a sealed battery on the F650. This would be
preferred as whenever the bike takes a tumble, it loses
battery fluid.
• I fitted a protective wire mesh over the radiator (a
few euro from the local garden centre) secured with little
wire ties through drilled holes in the plastic surround. I
had slight problems with the radiator leaking, Radweld
keeping things together sufficiently. In South Africa
brought it to be pressure tested, two holes repaired from
within and repainted - €14.
Bike extras
• Handlebars. Handguards already fitted from factory.
Heated grips I was considering disconnecting before
leaving, but they were actually useful! Moroccan Atlas
mountains, along with a few other cool spots.
• Touratech handlebar risers. I liked the extra
height, both for cruising and when standing on pegs for
extended periods.
• Touratech auxiliary fuel tanks. These are expensive
though TT offered them to me at a generous discount. I
didn’t fancy the idea of strapping on extra jerry
cans –messy, and destabilising. The extra tanks were
very useful and avoided the anxiety of not knowing if
you’re going to make the next fuel stop. The fuel is
gravity fed to the main tank, with on/off taps. I tested
different breather tube options for a while, eventually
settling on the original tube in place for various reasons.
If anyone is interested in my different trials and errors
with it, I’m happy to explain.
• Though confident of the tanks’ toughness
– they are made from Elkamet, a material used in car
bumpers – I had extra protective bars welded onto the
engine crash bars to protect the auxiliary tank mountings
from receiving the impact of any falls. I was happy with
this arrangement. The two tanks are quite straightforward
to take off when you need to service the bike.
• A standard F650 centrestand was adapted by Dion to
fit onto the Dakar. This has made things easier when
changing tyres, oiling the chain, or doing other work on
the bike. I carried a small square of marine ply in the
tank bag for placing under the side stand on soft ground.
• Touratech foot pegs were fitted slightly lower,
increasing the knee angle when riding and more comfortable
long distance. They are quite broad giving a decent
platform on which to stand. Very happy.
• I was given a GPS by BMW, and mounted it on the
handlebars. Though not absolutely necessary, it was useful
to know at any time where I was and what direction I was
heading. Handy too leaving a city knowing you’re on
the right road in the right direction. Eventually in Gabon,
the vibrations damaged the control panel connection,
meaning it can now only give small scale picture. I rarely
found the lack of a GPS after that a problem. There is
nearly always someone around to ask about options at
junctions.
• 12 volt socket. I thought it would be more useful
than it turned out to be. Mostly charged phone, laptop and
camera from AC.
• Spares: Water pump (unused); brake and clutch
levers, rear brake lever; fuel, oil and air filters; clutch
and throttle cables nylon tied to originals; replacement
mirror nuts and bolts; tubes; bulbs, fuses and various
other bits and pieces.
• Too many tools, (thanks to Paras Tools) but then
what if they were needed. Ultimately if I can’t do
the exercise myself (eg adjust the valve clearance), I
don’t carry the tool. Apart from a few extra spanners
– including a 10, 13, 19 and a 24 socket – the
BMW compact toolbag has what is needed. Sharp nose pliers,
duct tape, air pressure guage, tyre irons and a small
compressor were very useful!
Luggage
• Touratech frame and panniers. Very happy with them
– lightweight, quite robust (though have got a bit
bent), and simple to put on and take off.
• Strapped across the back seat, a dust and waterproof
Ortlieb dry bag was also a success.
• Tank bag €30 from Lidl. Though a bit worn and
torn, still does its job! The BMW one I was offered is
smaller, has no straps for your back, and its height
interferes with the mounted GPS on handlebars.
Gear
• The riding gear I selected from BMW was a Rallye II
suit, worn by competitors in the Paris Dakar rally and I
presumed suitable for my needs. However, though well
armoured, I found it too heavy and bulky in hot conditions
(jacket served as decent pillow though). The alternative is
to wear strap-on armour and back protector, and a lighter
jacket to go over it.
• I had an Arai Tour-X helmet from ‘Extreme
45’ in Portmarnock, with which I am very happy. The
main appeal is it combines lightness with quality. Because
of the peak to keep sun out of eyes, the visor has remained
clear and unscratched to date. It also has a removable
inner, allowing the odd wash! Also I wore earplugs.
• I wore Oxstar motocross boots also from Extreme 45
and was pleased I did. The few times I took a tumble, the
boots protected my lower leg – at least once for sure
preventing injury. They weren’t too uncomfortable
either walking around, or in the heat.
• I use a MSR Hubba single man tent, with which I am
very happy. It is self standing – handy on ground too
hard or soft for pegs - lightweight (under 3lbs), and
compact. In warm weather the internal shell was used on its
own as an effective mosquito net.
• My sleeping bag is a Vango Ultralight 900 and has
been perfect. I use a silk bag liner in warm conditions,
and as a supplement to the bag in cold.
• Cooking was done on an MSR Whisperlite multi fuel
stove. Very handy and practical as fuel can be easily bled
from my tank.
• Keeping hydrated is extremely important. I would
hold water in a bladder in my tank bag, accessible to drink
while on the move. Based on the ‘Camelbak’, it
is a ‘Source’ and has a self sealing valve and
tube through which you drink. This is very useful, as the
tendency otherwise would be not to drink enough, due the
hassle involved in stopping, etc. This, along with the bag,
stove and tent were supplied through Padmore and Barnes in
Kilkenny.
So
that’s a general report on the bike, gear and
equipment. Apart from the TT 10 litre water container with
special carrying bag to fit onto the TT pannier which I
carried through Africa unused still with its labels on, and
the Pacsafe - a lockable wire mesh to secure loose or soft
luggage similarly unused - there is little I would change
apart from maybe a lighter riding suit, extra headlight,
side stand lengthened.
What I did
discover was that it was just a matter of getting on the
bike and heading south. There was little that wasn’t
replaceable, or couldn’t be couriered over.
I would like to thank any sponsors listed above and on the
‘Sponsors’ page on the website for their help
and support, and to Iggy for coordinating much of it. It is
much appreciated. And thanks Louise from Mountjoy
Motorcycles who sadly closed their doors for the last time
earlier this year.
Hugh Bergin