life on two wheels Archives

Riding the BMW Motorrad R 18

Oct 29, 2020 | On The Road

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....

A day riding the Triumph Tiger 900s

Jul 30, 2020 | On The Road

In this social distancing times, the back of a motorcycle is probably the best place to be. Recently, I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to go on a media ride with Triumph South Africa to experience the two new Tigers – the Tiger 900 GT Pro and the Tiger 900 Rally Pro. I must confess that, while I do enjoy the dirt a bit, I always thought that my first time on a Triumph would be a Bonneville or Thruxton. But, starting on the Tiger 900 GT Pro was not bad at all, especially on the windy back roads towards Maropeng and then Hartbeespoort. It comes with five driving modes, namely...

The Joy Of Riding The BMW R Nine T

Sep 26, 2016 | On The Road

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...

Riding Harley-Davidson’s 2016 Softail Slim S

Aug 11, 2016 | On The Road

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...

Motorcycle Madness

Apr 15, 2013 | On The Road

A few months ago, I decided that I am middle-aged enough to get a motorcycle and randomly ride somewhere on Sundays for pancakes and scones, joining the mass exodus of men and women who do the breakfast runs on weekends out of Joburg. My last experience on a bike was about 20 years ago, messing around with friends so I wrangled my way into the BMW Rider Academy for their Novice course. A full day of some theory - where what is on a motorbike - and a lot of riding. Had a lot of fun and it's made me want a bike even more, especially because, to do the next few courses, I need my own bike. I...