Wonder o wonder! Ek het gistermiddag my visum vir Soedan gekry! Wat 'n
voorreg om 'n paspoort van 'n Afrikaland te hê!
Ek begin nou my dinge gereed kry om oor die naweek weer in die pad te
val sodat ek teen einde volgende week in Soedan kan wees.
Ek het gisteroggend my fiets skoongemaak en gekyk dat alle boute en
moere nog stewig vas is na al die geskud en gestamp van Noord-Kenia.
Ek het die lugfilter met petrol gewas want dit was donker van die stof
en sand.
Dit is miskien nou tyd om weer oor die KLR te skryf.
André, jy vra op die Gasteboek of die fiets nog hou. Die fiets doen
beter as die ryer! Fiets: 0 skete. Ryer: Seer rug (danksy taxi), seer
linkerskouer, seer regterarm, seer linkerknie (danksy tweede val).
Ek het nou net oor 6 400 km gedoen sedert my vertrek. Die
petrolverbruik is net oor 22 km/l. Ek het die olie en oliefilter in
Nairobi vervang. Dit was nooit nodig om olie tussendeur in te gooi nie.
Van die belangrikste veranderinge wat Ray Muller van Cytech aan die
KLR aangebring het, was die beskermstange om die enjin en verkoeler,
om die handvatsels en die metaalplaat onder die enjin. Sonder dit sou
ek definitief al probleme gehad het.
Met die taxi wat my omgery het en ook my val op die klippe voor
Marsabit het die beskermstange swaar slae gevat met die impak. Danksy
dit was die fiets self sonder skade. Deur die klipwoestyn moet mens
ure lank oor en deur klippe ry en baie keer is jou keuse watter klip
om te tref. Dan bedoel ek nie klippertjies nie, dis groot klippe.
Hoeveel keer het ek impak op die beskermplaat onder gehad wat die
ligter plastiekplaat nooit sou oorleef het nie.
Die Hepco & Becker tasse is wonderlik. Dit is so stewig dat ek met
gerustheid snags my goed toegesluit in die tasse los. Dit is ten volle
stof- en waterdig. Ek was oor die "brackets" bekommerd maar dit het
nou al weerskante die impak van 'n val moes dra en is nog net so
stewig soos aan die begin.
Skokbreker: Die KLR het agter 'n mono-skokbreker. Daar is 'n groot
debat of dit nodig is om die standaardskokbreker te vervang op so 'n
Afrikatoer. Ek is bly ek het Ray se raad gevolg.
Vir die hele roete behalwe van Isiolo tot by Moyale in Kenia sou ek sê
dat die standaardskokbreker voldoende behoort te wees.
As jy sonder bagasie ry, as jy alleen op die fiets ry, as jy 'n
begeleivoertuig met 'n spaar skokbreker het, as jy baie gereeld stop
om die skokbreker te laat afkoel en as jy nie jaag nie, kan jy met 'n
standaardskokbreker van Isiolo tot Moyale ry. Andersins … gaan kyk
Long Way Down om te sien hoe maklik blaas 5 hoë kwaliteit skokbrekers
op daardie stukkie pad.
Onthou julle die foto wat ek in Nairobi by Jungle Junction geneem het
van die groot boks vol geblaasde skokbrekers? Ek verstaan nou hoekom.
Ek het Michelin Anakee bande op die fiets. Dis wonderlike bande. Dit
het nog geen skade opgedoen nie en behoort Kaïro te haal.
Die KLR se groot brandstoftenk maak dit baie geskik vir so 'n toer. Ek
het nog nooit meer as 16 liter van die beskikbare 23 liter gebruik
voor ek weer kon volgemaak het.
Ek het, voor ek die KLR gekoop het, baie padtoetse oor die fiets
gelees. Die fiets is as primitief beskryf, 'n plaasvoertuig, oudmodies
en baie ander onvleiende opmerkings. Op hierdie stadium stem ek met
daardie blink motorfietsjoernaliste saam. Die fiets is primitief. Dis
glad nie geskik vir Sandton-cruising om die chicks na hul asem te laat
snak nie. Maar, as ek nog tien keer 'n Afrikatoer moet doen, sal ek
elke keer weer 'n KLR kies.
My fiets dra baie swaar omdat ek alleen reis. Tot nou toe nog het dit
foutloos geloop. Komplimente aan Kawasaki met hul KLR.
Naskrif: Gisteraand het ons 'n glasie op my Soedanvisum geklink en
veral op Anne en Archie wat gister 32 jaar getroud was. Herzliche
Glueckwuensche an Euch beide!
Addis Ababa
A miracle happened. Yesterday afternoon I got my visa for Sudan! It
helped to have a passport from an African country.
I've started with my preparations to leave Addis Ababa over the
weekend. I hope to be in Sudan end of next week.
Yesterday morning I gave the KLR a good check and washed it to get rid
of all the mud and dirt. I checked all the nuts and bolts after the
punishment of Northern Kenya. The air filter was so dirty!
It is again time to write a few words about the KLR.
André, you asked on the Guest book how the Kawasaki was doing. It is
easy to answer: Much better than the rider. KLR: 0 problems. Rider:
Sore back (thanks to taxi), left shoulder hurting, right arm hurting,
left knee hurting (compliments to the second crash).
I've done just over 6 400 km since my departure from Naboomspruit. The
bike has done just over 22 km / liter until now. I changed the oil and
oil filter in Nairobi. In between it was never necessary to add any oil.
Ray Muller of Cytech did some changes to the KLR. Most important were
the crash bars at the engine and radiator, the hand protectors at the
handle bar and the protection plate below the engine. Without these
protection I would have had some serious problems.
With the collision with the taxi and my crash before Marsabit the
crash bars took a heavy impact. Thanks to the bars the KLR was not
damaged at all. On the route Isiolo – Moyale I was riding for hours
over and through quite big stones. Constantly one was hitting stones,
and I mean big stones. I had many impacts on the protection plate
below the engine. The standard protection plate would never have
survived that.
The Hepco & Becker panniers are wonderful. At night I leave my stuff
in the lockable panniers. It is dust- and waterproof. I was a bit
worried about the brackets, but after two impacts, one on each side,
they are as sturdy as in the beginning.
Shocks: The KLR has a mono shock at the back. It is debatable whether
it is necessary to replace the standard shock with a better one on an
Africa tour like this.
I would say that for the whole route, except for the stretch Isiolo –
Moyale, the standard shock should be sufficient.
If you travel without luggage, if you are riding single, if you have a
support vehicle with a spare shock, if you stop regularly to let the
shock cool down and if you are not racing then you can try the stretch
Isiolo – Moyale with a standard shock. Otherwise … go and watch Long
Way Down to see how easily 5 high quality shocks blew on that stretch.
I am glad that Ray fitted a better shock on the KLR.
Do you remember the photograph of the box with the blown shocks at
Jungle Junction? Now I understand why those shocks didn't survive.
Tyres: I am using Michelin Anakee on the KLR. The tyres are doing well
and should reach Cairo. There is no visible damage after the Isiolo –
Marsabit stretch.
The big fuel tank of the KLR makes it ideal for these kinds of trips.
I've never used more than 16 of the 23 liters on this trip.
Before I bought my KLR I read many road tests on the KLR. I read many
descriptions of the bike, like "primitive", "farm tool", "outdated"
etc. I have to agree with all those shiny motorcycle journalists. The
KLR is primitive. It is not suitable for Sandton cruising to impress
the chicks. It is made for travelling up and down Africa. If I had to
do another ten such tours I know what bike I would select: The KLR.
My bike is really carrying a heavy load as I am traveling alone. Up
until now it has never missed a beat. Compliments to Kawasaki for the
KLR.
To end off: Last night we drank a toast on my Sudan visa and
especially on Anne and Archie who were married 32 years yesterday.
Herzliche Glueckwuensche an Euch beide!
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