Golden rule number One! Never travel on a bling bling bike up in Africa! Big bikes like the GS, AT, etc attracts to much attention and you are looking for trouble...Fact!

That is one of the reasons, besides reliability, resilience and repairability, why I travel in Africa on big bikes that are 40 to 50 year old. Never found one local showing a bit of commercial interest. A lot of them are awestruck. They are not that thick, they can identify an old machine when they see one and they can immediately figure out that it is not going to move on the black (no pun intended) market. They admire it, comment on it and keep their distances.
Besides, on those bling bling bikes they may think that you are part of a big, corporately sponsored, Hollywoodish set-up with lots and lots of dollars behind you and eager producers with a deadline angstfully waiting to get you back onto the production stage.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to stay low keyed, under the radar. Not only your bike, but also your latest designer clothes and electronic, satelite operated equipment, ray-ban Tom Cruise pilot sunglasses, etc. Loose it. Yet, if you are the only uncircumcised male in a 1000km radius, it can be problematic.