Riding the BMW Motorrad R 18

Oct 29, 2020 |

For the eventual reveal of BMW Motorrad’s new cruiser, the R18, BMW created “A Bavarian Soulstory” video series with a guy called Tommy Kerns as the guide through the journey of the bike, from inspiration and heritage to design and engineering. I watched the final online reveal, which took place in Cape Town, and, throughout the process, have been hankering for the opportunity to ride the bike. So you can imagine my excitement when I received the invite to attend the media ride in the Western Cape....

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Motorcycle I Hope To Ride in 2019

Feb 25, 2019 |

Every year, the International Motorcycle and Accessories Exhibition (EICMA) takes place in Milan, Italy. It is a trade fair for everything related to life on two wheels and has been happening since 1914. While motorcycle manufacturers will often announce new bikes during the course of the year, many manufacturers use the attention around EICMA to share what’s coming in the next year and beyond. EICMA 2018 was no exception, although there were some bikes announced prior to the fair.  We still don’t know exactly which will be coming to South Africa...

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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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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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