if you know which end of a bike is the front, you know more than us, so choosing a bike wasnt going to be easy. what sort of roads will we be riding on? mileage? tank size? ground clearance? water / air cooled? spare part availability? expense? it seems that any trip is pretty much possible on any type of machine given time and perseverance, but obviously some bikes lend themselves to african terrain more than others.

old transafrica favourites include the yamaha XT660 and the old BMW R80/R100GSs as solid workhorses. why we then chose the yamaha XTZ 750 super tenere is a little cloudy. judging by the amount of predesigned off roading accessories made for it, the XTZ is not many overlanders first choice. quite possibly not their second either. but hey, we have two! a 1990 and a 1995. thats a start.

first on the list, a solid service. modifications? nothing major. the tank is already a decent 21L with a 5L reserve, so just lever protectors, shorter levers, headlight protectors, a luggage rack, touratech aluminium panniers, front rack, new air filters. am also looking to fit two stabilisers to the rear wheel of my brothers bike to help him along. where can i buy L plates?

bd.