MarkB
Puppy
The trip to Namibia resulted in a lot of research and a lot of questions. There were so many opinions that I felt I was a pioneer in some cases. This is a summary of the research, the use and the practicality. During the trip I had an OFF and the choices I made became critical. Elsewhere in this forum it is advised that you ride within 70% of your skill level and that you take things slowly.
I came off the 1200 GS at 120kph on a wide dirt road after hitting some corrugation and sand. We had previously done approximately 1300km in much worse conditions and in much thicker sand. The key was that we were going at 80 - 90kmh and were able to power out of the sandy conditions which sometimes lasted for a kilometre or two.
This accident was the result of going too fast (120kmh), limited visibility due to dust from the front, a little fatigue and complacency. Oh yeah I had the beast tamed. She was doing exactly what I told her to do!
This had nothing to do with the bike and everything to do with the rider. At a slower speed that patch of sand would not even have attracted attention.
Gear:
Helmet was a Shoei DX and was trashed in the accident. My head did not know it was in an accident as the helmet fitted like a glove. An open face helmet would have resulted in serious facial injury.
Neck Brace was a leatt GPX PRO which after close examination of the damage to the helmet and all other injuries was a definite factor in me not having severe neck injuries or worse.
RST Adventure suit The RST suit was an absolute pleasure. We were in HOT country and the venting on the suit worked well. I matched the adventure jacket with the airflow pants and a leatt cooling vest which proved to be a great combination and I had no problem keeping my gear on all the time.
BMW Sandiago Boots Excellent choice for protection, stability and general walkability.
BMW GS gloves Comfortable and ventilated.
Had I not had this properly fitting gear on for this OFF I would of been in serious trouble. When you buy your gear work backwards from the accident. Everything got a chance to touch the gravel and everything did its job.
Flying Brick Soft Luggage There is so much out there and everyone has an opinion. I went back to my army days when we lived out of a finite backpack for almost a year and decided on what was important to me.
I did not want luggage on the side of the bike and I wanted robust design with lots of accessibility. The flying brick offers lots of space and lots of pockets including a large section underneath for tools. I played with it for about a month until I found my ideal packing configuration. I packed everything into it including my sleeping bag and self inflatable matrass. The tent was strapped on top. I feel in hind sight that I still had too much clothing. Like it or not you will be in and out of that gear several times a day. It comes with a dust/ rain cover which I did not use and everything remained dust free. It is an easy on/ easy off option.
After the OFF where the bike did at least two end over end summersaults and some other gymnastics, the flying brick had some scuff marks and most of the attachment clips were broken, but it was still attached to the bike with the help of two rock straps and all my gear was still inside and dust free. No need to find alternative luggage for the flight home. The bike was a write off.
It is easy to pack once you decide on your preferences, easy to carry to your tent or B&B, tough and dust proof - excellent bang for your buck. When I got out of hospital I took the bag to the folk at Flying Brick and asked them to quote on repairing the buckles. They attached new snap on buckles and cleaned up the scuff marks free of charge. Its good to go! No song and dance, just a call to say my bag was ready for collection. Great product and great service.
I am glad I bought good gear and I hope someone going on a trip reads this and listens to what is said elsewhere about travelling to Namibia - You have a one in three chance of having an OFF.
Dress and pack for success!
I came off the 1200 GS at 120kph on a wide dirt road after hitting some corrugation and sand. We had previously done approximately 1300km in much worse conditions and in much thicker sand. The key was that we were going at 80 - 90kmh and were able to power out of the sandy conditions which sometimes lasted for a kilometre or two.
This accident was the result of going too fast (120kmh), limited visibility due to dust from the front, a little fatigue and complacency. Oh yeah I had the beast tamed. She was doing exactly what I told her to do!
This had nothing to do with the bike and everything to do with the rider. At a slower speed that patch of sand would not even have attracted attention.
Gear:
Helmet was a Shoei DX and was trashed in the accident. My head did not know it was in an accident as the helmet fitted like a glove. An open face helmet would have resulted in serious facial injury.
Neck Brace was a leatt GPX PRO which after close examination of the damage to the helmet and all other injuries was a definite factor in me not having severe neck injuries or worse.
RST Adventure suit The RST suit was an absolute pleasure. We were in HOT country and the venting on the suit worked well. I matched the adventure jacket with the airflow pants and a leatt cooling vest which proved to be a great combination and I had no problem keeping my gear on all the time.
BMW Sandiago Boots Excellent choice for protection, stability and general walkability.
BMW GS gloves Comfortable and ventilated.
Had I not had this properly fitting gear on for this OFF I would of been in serious trouble. When you buy your gear work backwards from the accident. Everything got a chance to touch the gravel and everything did its job.
Flying Brick Soft Luggage There is so much out there and everyone has an opinion. I went back to my army days when we lived out of a finite backpack for almost a year and decided on what was important to me.
I did not want luggage on the side of the bike and I wanted robust design with lots of accessibility. The flying brick offers lots of space and lots of pockets including a large section underneath for tools. I played with it for about a month until I found my ideal packing configuration. I packed everything into it including my sleeping bag and self inflatable matrass. The tent was strapped on top. I feel in hind sight that I still had too much clothing. Like it or not you will be in and out of that gear several times a day. It comes with a dust/ rain cover which I did not use and everything remained dust free. It is an easy on/ easy off option.
After the OFF where the bike did at least two end over end summersaults and some other gymnastics, the flying brick had some scuff marks and most of the attachment clips were broken, but it was still attached to the bike with the help of two rock straps and all my gear was still inside and dust free. No need to find alternative luggage for the flight home. The bike was a write off.
It is easy to pack once you decide on your preferences, easy to carry to your tent or B&B, tough and dust proof - excellent bang for your buck. When I got out of hospital I took the bag to the folk at Flying Brick and asked them to quote on repairing the buckles. They attached new snap on buckles and cleaned up the scuff marks free of charge. Its good to go! No song and dance, just a call to say my bag was ready for collection. Great product and great service.
I am glad I bought good gear and I hope someone going on a trip reads this and listens to what is said elsewhere about travelling to Namibia - You have a one in three chance of having an OFF.
Dress and pack for success!
