Mzanzitravel Magazine Issue 10

Road Travel
luggage or camping gear. In addition they are light, making for easy handling, as
well as being light on fuel.
Local bike tour and rental companies say their main market is older people – the
baby boomer generation in the age group 50 plus. Most of them are experienced
riders who back home own their bikes for recreation purposes. The rental
companies recommend that you have a year or two’s riding experience if you are
going to join the longer tours. But they do cater for those with less experience on
shorter runs such as local sightseeing, a scenic breakfast run, or to an overnight
trip into the nearby countryside.
Experienced specialist companies
It is best to book your bike tour with an experienced specialist company that will
coordinate all the relevant requirements – the logistics, which often includes a
back-up car with equipment and spares, the most suitable motorcycle, additional
equipment like helmets and gloves, and provision of an experienced guide who
knows the route and weather well. The latter is important as you don’t want to end
up riding in pouring rain.
Grobler du Preez / iStock
Winelands tour. They also organise what they call Cape Craft Beer Motorcycle
Tours which takes you along some spectacular routes through the Cederberg,
Cape Fold Mountains, Cape Agulhas, and around Cape Town. Each night after
the day’s riding is done the tour members visit a local craft brewery for a tour,
tasting and great food.
If you are going to tour around on a motorcycle, you also have to adapt somewhat
to biker culture. That means, packing lean and mean. Riders must be able to
pack everything they need for anything up to a 14-day trip into small saddle bags,
while also dressing appropriately for varying weather conditions and to protect
themselves against tiny flying objects and insects. Some companies have vehicles
that follow the tours with spare parts, first-aid kits and extra fuel, but they won’t
have space for any of your extra luggage, so pack smartly.
If you have specific accommodation preferences, find out in advance what is being
offered. Accommodation during the tour can vary from camping to sharing rooms,
comfortable B&Bs, boutique hotels or luxury accommodation. It is essential to
discuss and build your preferences into your itinerary, which will differ between a
packaged tour and a tailor-made one.
Tours on offer
As mentioned, there are a large number of bike rental and tour companies operating
in South Africa. SA Motorcycle Adventures offers guided motorcycle tours on their
latest model BMW adventure motorcycles that, the company says, will take you
on the roads less travelled and introduce you to the most scenic places – from
areas with lush vegetation to unexpected barren, yet exquisite, landscapes. They
point out that the combination of scenic tours with the renowned hospitality and
diverse cultures of the Southern African people will provide you with a delightful
experience with memories for a lifetime that only this part of the world can offer.
The company says all their motorcycle tours are suitable for riders with
basic experience in off-road riding. Groups of three or more motorcycles are
accompanied by a back-up vehicle carrying luggage, first-aid, tools, spares, water
and snacks. Apart from their longer group tours they also offer a private day tour of
Cape Town or a 3-day Western Cape tour.
Another company, Ride Down South, offers tours such as 4-day Tankwa Karoo,
Swartberg and Route 62 tour; a North Trip to Africa’s Great Rift Valley; a 3-day
Cape Town, Karoo and Cederberg tour; or a 1-day Cape coast, mountains and
Chauffeured or self-drive
African Iron Horse Tours, or AIHT, does trips throughout South Africa, Namibia
and Botswana, visiting cities like Cape Town, but also going to little out-of-the-way
towns, staying at boutique hotels. They say they go out of their way to inform and
educate tourists everything about the places they visit, while they take in some
fantastic routes like the Chapman’s Peak drive around the Cape Peninsula, the
famous Garden Route, the equally famous Route 62 and the N7 highway that runs
along the West Coast between Cape Town and Namibia.
The United States-based company Eagle Rider USA, which bills itself as the
world’s largest motorcycle experience company, also offers South African tours
with highlights being Cape Town, the Garden Route, the Winelands, Route 62,
animal safaris and the Cape of Good Hope (Cape Point). They also do tours to the
Kruger National Park, Namibia, or to Mauritius.
The company uses the cult Harley Davidson as their bike of choice, supplied by
Harley-Davidson. In their case you don’t have to pack so sparingly – their tours are
accompanied by a van which will transport all your luggage. Depending on space
availability accompanying people or non-riders may also travel in the van. This
translates into you having the bike all to yourself for maximum fun on the road – no
luggage, no passengers. Just you, your machine and the open road.
Then there’s GS Africa, who says their intimate knowledge of Africa’s hidden gems
will lead you down secret while they will show you local hospitality and culture as
you enjoy the sunshine, wide open spaces – and African wildlife at its finest.
The company caters for all motorbike enthusiasts, from the off-roader to the
tourers, with everything you need under one roof. They also offer the Route 62
tour, as well as a 14-day tour from Cape Town to the Eastern Cape along the
Garden Route and back through the Karoo, a Cape Peninsula Tour, Cape Town
Sightseeing Tour, a Lesotho Tour and a Whale & Dolphin Tour.
Sama Motorcycle Tours South Africa, or simply known as Sama Tours, who are
based in Pretoria, offers guided motorcycle tours, self-guided motorcycle tours,
68 |ISSUE 10|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL