The Joy Of Riding The BMW R Nine T

Sep 26, 2016 |

It is a Sunday morning. Outside the Bonafide Barbers shop on the border of Parktown North and Parkhurst in Joburg, there’s a melee of motorcycles parked. Predominantly Harleys and Triumphs, there are also a couple of Ducati Scramblers, KTMs, and BMWs. I have been looking forward to this Sunday for over week because, firstly, I have been wanting to go riding with the Bonafide peeps, secondly, it’s a decent length ride out to the Nigel Pan and, most importantly, I’m riding the BMW R Nine T. My soundtrack for the ride was the new Frank Ocean album, Blond, which fit the occasion to a T. I...

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Riding Harley-Davidson’s 2016 Softail Slim S

Aug 11, 2016 |

It all started with a tweet. When I finally got my motorcycle license, I had a twitter exchange with the people over at Harley-Davidson about getting the opportunity to get my butt on a couple of their bikes. It was perfect timing, with their having recently launched their 2016 S Series of bikes. And, just like that, I was being dropped off by a friend at Harley-Davidson Johannesburg in Sandton to pick up the Softail Slim S. The Aesthetics There is something about a Harley-Davidson. It taps into emotions that you never thought you had. And the aesthetics makes you feel some type of way It...

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I Don’t Have A Death Wish

Jul 4, 2016 | ,

“Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience.” Psychology Today With the sheer weight of demands on our lives today, the idea of mindfulness or living in the present is becoming increasingly important. Our app ecosystem, incorporating social media, the internet, instant messaging, emails, etc. take up so much of our headspace and time in the physical...

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Let The Ride Begin, Life On Two Wheels

May 30, 2016 | ,

There is a time for everything. And when it comes to my life, the time for a motorcycle was definitely not in my 20s. I was a bit of a speed freak and I probably would not be writing these words, if I had explored bikes then. Three years ago, as I drifted into my 40s, I decided that it was time to try life on two wheels. My clichéd line was “I reckon I’m at the age where I can ride somewhere on a Sunday for pancakes, especially because I love pancakes.” At that point, my only previous experience with riding a bike was attempting to ride in a friend’s yard at 16, dropping it on my thigh and...

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A Weekend At The Jaguar Simola Hill Climb

May 18, 2016 |

The annual calendar in South Africa is filled with many a gem that doesn’t register beyond specific audiences. I had heard about it but never really engaged until I was invited by Jaguar to attend the Jaguar Simola Hill Climb in Knysna between May 6th and 8th, 2016. To begin with, Knysna is a beautiful part of the country and where we were put up, the Leisure Island Lodge, was exquisite. We stayed in Leisure Island Villa which used to be the owner of the Lodge’s home and is now available for short-term rental while it is on the market. With views of the ocean and the Heads, it was an effort...

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Wesbank Drives Uber

Nov 17, 2015 | ,

When Uber first launched in South Africa, I enjoyed chatting to the drivers, in particular about what they did before driving an Uber Black, which was the only one available, initially. I met former taxi drivers, a factory supervisor, a truck driver, the unemployed, and even a tour guide. While Uber was something new for all of us, the potential was evident from the get-go, as an avenue for decent earnings for the drivers. And, despite the well-documented challenges Uber has faced, not only in SA, but globally, it is available in 344 cities across 63 countries and 6 continents (according to...

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