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
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...
Motorcycle I Hope To Ride in 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...
The Joy Of Riding The BMW R Nine T
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
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...
I Don’t Have A Death Wish
“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...