Southern Africa on a Honda CTX200 Bushlander

[TechnomadicJim]

Jim,
Some of us old bullets did some of our national service training on that terrain in Riemies.....enjoy the scorpions, snakes & spiders with jaws....

Cool Been learning about a few of the nasties up here from the locals.

As a photographer I like the way you do your shots with yourself in it.  Epecially the riding ones.  Timer or video frames?

Thanks! Video frames from a GoPro 2 shot at 720p 30fps. They arn't the best quality but fine for the web. I hope to edit together a video at the end of the trip. I just picked up a couple of new GoPro mounts today. I could share a bit more of info about my camera / film setup if you or anyone else is interested ?

Love your RR.

You are traveling in the area at the moment where i was born. Kakamas to be exact.

Enjoy our beautiful country and save travels.  

I will thanks Its really cool up here. Such nice people too. I've been though Kakamas a few times now and even had lunch at Die Pink Padstal :

[landieman]

Fantastic!!!!!!!!!keep it coming and ride safe

[woody1]

Nice one... thanks for sharing.

[Topie]

 

[dw1]

Thanks! Video frames from a GoPro 2 shot at 720p 30fps. They arn't the best quality but fine for the web. I hope to edit together a video at the end of the trip. I just picked up a couple of new GoPro mounts today. I could share a bit more of info about my camera / film setup if you or anyone else is interested ?


Hey T Jim - I woul dlike somemore info on your camera setup etc. Am quite interested in the GO - PRO stuff and mounts etc. I am getting one of the new Hero 3 + cameras in the next couple of days.

Enjoy your ride report so far. I love the small bike idea also. I just bought a small bike and am in the process of buying another. Want to also do some small bike rides. Makes you want to enjoy the surroundings more. I find on the big bike one ends up sometimes going faster when you hit somemore boring stretches and then you lose out on some good scenery etc.

Keep up the report. Lots of people are really enjoying it.

[Tiger8]

Really enjoying your RR TJim  It seems that the small bike idea is catching on, especially as the cost of big bikes and their maintenance costs climb, besides more fun throwing a small bike around than picking up a beast (not that I would think of getting rid of my 950Adv  )

I use OSM on my gps too, but find quite big gaps in the info at times, not so much the Roads, as I add them as tracks to my unit, but the Info like Fuel/Food/Accom. I am going to read your thread on OSM and getting involved in expanding the map/knowledge base. Thanks Bud and ride Safe.

[TechnomadicJim]

Thanks for your comments and message so far 

Hey T Jim - I woul dlike somemore info on your camera setup etc. Am quite interested in the GO - PRO stuff and mounts etc. I am getting one of the new Hero 3 + cameras in the next couple of days.

Enjoy your ride report so far. I love the small bike idea also. I just bought a small bike and am in the process of buying another. Want to also do some small bike rides. Makes you want to enjoy the surroundings more. I find on the big bike one ends up sometimes going faster when you hit somemore boring stretches and then you lose out on some good scenery etc.

Keep up the report. Lots of people are really enjoying it.

Cool. I will work on this when I next get some downtime. I would also like to document how I pack the bike and my general luggage setup too.

I'm really enjoying my little CTX. Apart from the odd highway I haven't found myself yearning for any more power and I try and avoid them anyway. There are other advantages too like being able to pretty much ride it anywhere as its so nimble and light.

Its really nice that my trip is also being enjoyed by so many others

Really enjoying your RR TJim  It seems that the small bike idea is catching on, especially as the cost of big bikes and their maintenance costs climb, besides more fun throwing a small bike around than picking up a beast (not that I would think of getting rid of my 950Adv  )

I use OSM on my gps too, but find quite big gaps in the info at times, not so much the Roads, as I add them as tracks to my unit, but the Info like Fuel/Food/Accom. I am going to read your thread on OSM and getting involved in expanding the map/knowledge base. Thanks Bud and ride Safe.

Good stuff! I've met a lot of people who are loving the little bike. I've had 7 offers to buy it when I come back already! I think its because I essentially sell it to them so well by explaining why I like it so much for my trip  and then they want to buy it. heh.

I'm getting about 24 km's per litre so the fuel economy makes for a good saving too. The service is about 500 rand for parts and labour which is cheap too. I have dropped it a few times in deep sand and even with all my luggage on it I can still if it without problem.

Glad to hear you're helping out with the OSM project. I'm a big open source proponent and use open source software almost exclusively. My laptop is running Ubuntu 13.10 which is run by a company called Canonical which is owned by a South African (you may already have known this):  Mark Shuttleworth.

If anyone else is reading this and wants to get involved here's the basic's :

1. Sign up for an account here : http://openstreetmap.org/
2. Navigate to an area of the world you are familiar with.
3. Click "Edit" and begin filling it in by tracing.

Its really as easy as that. I find it fun as maps are pretty cool. Also there's the knowledge you are helping create something great that's free and worthwhile.

[TechnomadicJim]

Augrabies Falls Gorge walk. Was a crazy hot day to go hiking but the views were very impressive :



Two balloons took off at 5:30am from the backpackers. Pretty cool to watch. The wind was up and it was touch and go whether they would make it.



Just south of the Namibian border crossing at Onseepkans. You leave the N14 by Pofadder and travel 50 km 's on gravel / sand to get there.



I made it across the border. The guys on the South African side were really sound. I was chatting them for about half an hour. I crossed at 2pm and I was their second crossing that day. Somehow I managed to loose my little disc along the way as it was attached to the swing arm. Fortunately the cape town municipality issued me two by mistake

Goodbye for now South Africa! 

[TechnomadicJim]

After crossing the orange river the Namibian's weren't so friendly and berated me for not quite filling out their form's. I was also asked if I was a spy and asked to explain why I wanted a 2 month visa. The small bike was also criticised as the only bikes I think they see are BMW's or KTM's. After stamping me through and reluctantly giving me change for the bike 140 Nab$ fee the guy came out for a cigarette and completely changed his tune. He was interested in my trip and even wanted to buy the bike from me when I was finished! Random...



There hasn't been much tar in Namibia. Its all pretty much like this. I drove to Warmbad and tried to get some accomodation but was told there's nothing as the hot springs has shut down. Pretty much a ghost town! I drove up the C21 to Karasburg and stayed in the Zebra B&B for 250 NAB. It's run by a nice old man who was more than happy to point out places of interest on my map.



After Karasberg I drove to the fish river canyon via Grünau where I stopped for a coke and got told a joke about the English leaving Namibia and promising to come back and then they did with land rovers of something. I didn't get it...

This is my hammock camping setup where I have been for the last 3 nights.



Yesterday I went to visit Fish River Canyon via Hobas and parked by the edge of the furthest viewpoint. Very easy to bypass all the barrier's and road blocks with the smaller CTX.



Parked on the edge of Fish River Canyon :



Namibia is still waiting for it's rains so the river is running almost dry at the moment. This was taken with my Canon from the main viewpoint.



Same shot but with the GoPro2 :



After the canyon I headed down to Ai Ais camp site / resort for the afternoon and chilled by the pool as a day visitor (20 NAB$). Came across this old bullet ridden truck so had to stop for a photo or two.





Pretty cool!

[MegaPix]

The more I read about these little bikes and see what you guys are doing the more I think this is what I must buy.
I am not a speed freak, so just perhaps the bike to get

[Dorsland]

What sort of daytime temps are you having Jim?  Maybe around 33ºC - 36ºC?  Might be difficult to gauge without any temp gauge but does it feel as if the small motor is running near a dangerously hotter temperature?

[4 Kays]

Enjoying your RR Jim, the Namibia section is definitely in my bucket list. Safe riding and keep the RR rolling

[Ginger Bread Man]

Sub

[oldmannorman]

Thanx. Keep it coming. 

[TechnomadicJim]

The more I read about these little bikes and see what you guys are doing the more I think this is what I must buy.
I am not a speed freak, so just perhaps the bike to get

Its great fun at a great price. I hope to go far with this little bike. Lets see what its capable of! I do ride a Honda (Hornet) 600FA7 back in the UK but for off road a small bike like this is great.

Here's my bike back in the UK :



This was taken in the black forest in south western Germany.

What sort of daytime temps are you having Jim?  Maybe around 33ºC - 36ºC?  Might be difficult to gauge without any temp gauge but does it feel as if the small motor is running near a dangerously hotter temperature?

It has been over 40 here so VERY hot. I am slightly worried. I'm not stopping and starting all the time which means there is good consistent air flow and I do most of my driving in the morning or late afternoon. I also take regular breaks for both me and the bike. I may get the oil changed early just in case. The bike is performing exactly as it always has so no difference there. As far as I understand its very difficult to know when your engine is overheating until its too late. If anyone has any tips I'm all ears

[Flouw]

these bikes normally go up and down on farms, with apple trees etc. not going allot faster than 20-30km/h. at times it stops and idles for minutes at end.
i wouldnt be too concerned. but a oil change is VERY cheap. personally i change oil on my smaller bikes every 1000km. sometimes drain and use the same oil again, but its a good indication of anything going wrong inside. metal flaking etc.

how far north will you be going?

[Flouw]

you could get the mechanic at the next service to "richen" the mixture a little. the consumption will go up a little. but she will be running a little cooler.

[Laban]

Shot Jim...

[TechnomadicJim]

Some extra photo's from fish river canyon :

My Wild Dog sticker PistonPete put on the bike :



Inside the Canyon Roadhouse bar :



Some of the old trucks outside :





An old Honda :



This is Derek. He's cycling the same route I'm doing :



Gotta do my laundry! :

[pietas]

Enjoying the read. Thanks for sharing