what bike to travel with?

the choice of the right bike really depends on your preferences and on the planned trip itself. while some bikes might be perfect for sand, others are better for long journeys on different types of road or terrain. in the end always the driver who makes the difference

BMW
the good old GS is a wonderful bike for long tours in africa. its reliable engine hardly lets you down and the shaft-drive makes driving in sand or through mud easier. its simply designed engine makes servicing a pleasure and spare parts can be found in many countries where the police use BMW, as well

in places like africa you're probably better off with the older models which have a carburetor, rather than fuel injection (the latter will prove to be near to impossible to fix in a back-yard-workshop)

however, it is advisable to replace the fork and the shock-absorbers in the back for harder, or adjustable ones. such tuning parts, as well, as bigger tanks are readily available for BMW's from brands, such as: touratech and ohlins

ralf with his KTM

KTM
most hard-core sahara bikers swear on their KTM's. these are probably the best motorbikes when it comes to rough terrain: they are lightweight, easily manoeuvrable and have an engine that can produce the force needed.

one of the downsides about KTM is spare parts. they are almost impossible to get in africa so you'll have to bring all essential parts with you, or have them sent while on the way.

another problem is maintenance: it takes a lot of finesse to do simple things, like adjusting the valves. and if you are planning to leave use it for long trips on asphalt expect to go to bed with a sore behind... it's really an off-road bike, rather than a touring bike.

honda / yamaha
there are different types of hondas and yamahas with engines around 600cc. while they probably lack some of the advantages of the bikes, mentioned above, they are unbeatable when it comes to spares and repairs.

spare parts are easily found and most mechanics are experienced with the brands. many come with 25 - 30 litre tanks which should get you through most parts in africa.

while most bikers would not drive anything under 600 cc, i have met several japanese who were travelling around the world on 250cc's, 125cc's or even on 80cc's. nothing is impossible

tools and spares

most important: get a repair guidebook for your bike!

tools
some motorbike manufacturers, such as BMW, provide their customers with excellent tool-sets that hardly need any completion. make sure, however, that you have two sets of spanners for all sizes. it's best to have one open key and one ring-key or/and a rattle wrench

apart from the obvious spanners, screwdrivers and tweezers bring along the following items:

spares
- unless your driving a BMW bring a spare chain and transmission wheel
- spare spokes
- spark plugs
- ignition cables
- oil filtres
- fuses
- break cable
- clutch cable
- cylinder-head gasket
- spare inner tubes

if you don't find a big enough tank for your bike than you won't get around mounting a metal rack for your cherry can on the back. on the other side you can attach an aluminium case for your equipment

while the big advantage of metal cases lies in the fact that they provide you with much space and that you can lock them onto the bike there are some serious disadvantages:

- a metal rack is firmly attached to the frame of the bike. the vibration, which can be considerable (depending from the ground you're driving on), is directly transferred to the frame of the bike which can break if worst comes to worst

- if you have to step down hard while driving, or if you slip off the foot rests, you are in serious danger of having your lower leg broken when it gets under the boxes

these two considerations made me decide against metal boxes. the alternative is saddle bags. you can get them in leather or you can get the waterproof motorcycle saddle-bags from ortlieb. i have used these bags for two years and can only recommend them. (careful: they have to be at least 10 cm away from the exhaust pipe)

tyres

which tyres
i the end it's, as everything, a personal decision. some people are comfortable with enduro tires, while others swear for nobble tires. as with so many things you'll end up spending less by investing more at the beginning. quality tyres are not only safer, but they last longer. you should be able to drive around 12'000 kilometres on a back tyre

michelin
my favourite tire is the michelin T63 it's a nobble tire with a round profile which gives you good traction on earth road, gravel and sand while it's still comfortable to ride through curves on asphalt. it's hard rubber gives you enough grip on dry tarmac, but you must be careful when it's wet

for many sahara drivers there is only one tyre: michelin desert. its wide and flat profile gives you optimal traction in sand and on any type of off-road environment. it's not the most comfortable tyre on tar-road, however

metzeler
the metzler karoo is a good tire for off-road and it's soft rubber sticks well on tarmac, even when it's wet. but it wears down too quickly if you drive long ways on asphalt

pirelli
i haven't driven the pirelly T-21but it is another quality option to be considered

tips on tires

i have actually managed to drive 45'000 kilometres in africa without a single puncture! i am sure that is mostly luck but there are some helpful tips:

- inner tubes: get thick, heavy-duty ones

- reduce tyre pressure when driving on gravel roads. not only does it give you a better grip but it also reduces the risk of getting a puncture

- reduce tyre pressure to around 1 bar when driving in sand. the contact area between tyre and sand gets slightly wider and much longer which gives you much more grip and control

- loosen the counter screw that holds the valve when driving with reduced air pressure! with less pressure the tyre and the inner tube can drift and slide on the rim when you accelerate. a firmly closed counter screw can result in the valves being ripped off. with the screw loosened you will notice such a movement, as it will stick out at an angle. in this case you'll have to let the air out of the tyre and pump it up again.