From Idea to Reality!

I wanted an adventure, not a trip down to the South of France or an off road adventure in Wales. Having done many trips like this over the years I wanted to do something different, more challenging, more exciting with an element of risk......Africa!

Like many of us I had seen TV programmes like Long Way Down and read some great motorcycle adventure books which all seem to make these types of adventures look easy, both to ride but also to organise...how wrong can this be!! How many times have I heard 'Just give your job up and go'. But as I have learnt very quickly it isn't as easy as it seems to leave it all behind and jump on your motorcycle and just go. There is the time off work and not earning and the actual cost of doing something like this in the first place and then there is the wife!

Fortunately for me things fell into place at the end of October 2019 when I decided to move jobs which gave me a 3 month window at the beginning of 2020, so as I start to write this blog I am now in the planning stage of the trip.

The planning alone has become an instant headache as there is so much to consider when the plan is to ride my motorbike from Nairobi to Cape Town. For instance: , what bike should I use, what route should I take, will it be dangerous, what kit should I take and not forgetting what sites do I aim to see on my trip.

Once I decided on the start and finish point I then moved onto the easy bit....what bike to take.

There are many adventure bikes on the market now and of course for the big trips BMW seem to be the most popular, but I wanted something lighter, more nimble with minimal electronics, a proven reliable engine and clear off road capabilities that will not cost me the earth to purchase.

As a KTM fan I immediately looked at the 790 Adventurer R which is an unbelievably fast bike and suited to off road, but does rely on electronics and the cost was well over £11,500. I then decided to look at the Yamaha 700 Tenere, as this bike was new to the market and uses and already proven engine. It also does not rely on complicated electronics to run and is both nimble to ride on and off road and responsive. Ok not as responsive as the KTM but over £3,000 cheaper.

So the decision was easy to make, the trip would be done on a Yamaha 700 Tenere but my next challenge was trying to find one that could be delivered in November giving me time to run it in and set it up for the trip and then deliver it to the Freight Forwarders by the 8th January.

After searching high and low I finally managed to find a Yamaha 700 Tenere for delivery in November at Skellerns Motorcycles at Worcester (https://www.skellerns.co.uk); a great dealer and thanks to Andy for sorting the bike out quickly.

Now I have a bike the planning starts........