|
Suggested order of
purchase. |
|
Rural off-road
touring including poor surfaces, all weather, mud etc.
|
| No |
Accessory |
Which bikes |
Explanation |
| 1 |
Engine protectors |
All motorcycles |
Motorcycles fall over - fact, often at walking
speed. Engine protectors can avoid expensive repairs to your bike
but also give additional room for your legs should they be trapped
under the fallen bike. On the big BMW GS models (see pic) the tappet
cover is made of a soft magnesium and is easily damaged. |
| 2 |
Pannier frames (and panniers and topbox) |
All motorcycles |
Without a luggage solution you're staying at home!
Pannier frames in conjunction with the engine protectors help to
avoid costly repairs to your bike when it falls over. When touring off road the chance of dropping your
motorcycle is greater. Therefore one must consider the wisdom of
fitting expense hard panniers. Soft panniers with a hard, lockable
topbox is perhaps the best route to take. |
| 3 |
Engine bashplate (sump guard) |
BMW GS1200 and others |
The design of the underbelly of the GS1200 is
unfortunately significantly different from its predecessors and the
addition of an aftermarket bashplate is essential when riding off
road. This one is available from
www.touratech.com |
| 4 |
12v power point |
Where a power point has not been provided i.e.
mainly older motorcycles |
Power for camping lights, compressors, GPS units,
electric vests and heated handgrips to name a few. Modern
motorcycles have at least two. |
| 5 |
Mini electric compressor and tyre gauge |
All motorcycles |
The ability to vary the pressure in one's tyres is
essential when touring on-road and off-road i.e. as low as 1 bar in
loose sand and as much as 3 bar when riding on the tar. In addition
working compressors with accurate tyre gauges are difficult to come
by in rural petrol stations. Many hard-core long distance off road
bikers have a high pressure hand pump as a backup. |
| 6 |
Wide footpegs |
All motorcycles |
Wide footpegs are not about comfort - they are about
control when riding standing up. One's ability to deftly manoeuvre
one's heavy bike on a technical off road surface is improved by 20%
with the addition of solid, wide footpegs. Rubber inserts into the
footpeg moulding are useful for reducing vibration through the feet
when touring long distance on tar when one rides in the seated
position. |
| 7 |
Aluminium reinforced hand guards |
All motorcycles |
The job of hand guards is to protect your hands when
the motorcycle goes down and the handlebars smash into the road
surface. In addition the guards protect the vulnerable clutch and
front brake levers which snap easily on impact. A broken clutch
lever in particular can mean the end of a tour. |
| 8 |
Oil cooler protector |
On bikes where the cooling fins are exposed |
Radiator cooling fins are delicate. If they are
exposed like the oil cooling fins on this BMW GS1100 then it makes
sense to protect them from flying stones etc. A damaged oil cooling
radiator can mean the end of your tour. |
| 9 |
Radiator protector |
On motorbikes with radiators that are exposed. |
Radiator cooling fins are delicate. If they are
exposed like the water cooling fins on this BMW F650 then it makes
sense to protect them from flying stones etc. A damaged water
cooling radiator can mean the end of your tour. |
| 10 |
Long life, no maintenance battery. |
All motorcycles |
More calls outs are received by towing services for
defective motorcycle batteries than any other single reason. In
addition maintenance on a regular battery is difficult and time
consuming resulting in the job being neglected. Therefore it makes
sense to fit a sealed battery that requires zero maintenance. |
| 11 |
GPS and fully adjustable GPS holder |
All motorcycles with a 12v power point |
A GPS is seldom an essential piece of equipment
unless you want to tour through wilderness and desert areas. If you do own one a handlebar mount
is essential. |
| 12 |
Spotlight Kit |
All motorcycles |
Motorcycles should not be operated at night on
rural, off-road tours.
Especially in Africa with potholes, diesel spills, stray animals and
drunken pedestrians.
If you are part of a group motorcycling through Africa, you may
be forced to travel at night through circumstances beyond your
control. In this case a
spotlight kit is an essential accessory. If you are able to make
your own decisions then this item appears at the end of this list.
This one has the advantage of being so small that it does not get
broken should you drop the bike. |
| 13 |
Disconnect side stand cut out switch |
All motorcycles |
The side stand cut-off switch is vulnerable to mud,
water and crud because it is situated so low on the bike.
Unfortunately it is the last thing one checks when your bike refuses
to start miles from nowhere and you start the fruitless task of
dismantling working components. |
| 14 |
Big foot side stand |
All motorcycles |
You will only allow your motorcycle to fall over
once in soft sand before you fit a big foot accessory. A motorbike
that falls over can inflict thousands of rands of damage to itself
as it it likely to hit some other object on the way down.. |
| 15 |
Brake caliper guards |
All motorcycles |
Mud, dust and grass seeds all conspire to foul up
your brake calipers and a guard to protect them is a good idea. This
particular example is available from
www.toursforafrica.co.za |
| 16 |
High quality long life oil filter |
All motorcycles |
Oil filters prolong your engines life. Therefore a
filter that can filter out particles only microns in size will benefit
your bike enormously if you intend to put high mileage on your
motorcycle. |
| 17 |
High quality long life air filter |
All motorcycles |
Air filters prolong your engines life. Therefore a
filter that can filter out particles only microns in size will benefit
your bike enormously if you intend to put high mileage on your
motorbike. Note that long life filters come with their own shampoo
and replacement air filter oil. |
| 18 |
Mud flap |
All motorcycles |
This rubber flap helps keep your motorcycle cleaner
and keeps your boots drier on a wet tour. No one wants
to wash their motorbike on tour and getting your boots to dry
overnight is difficult. |
| 19 |
Handlebar raisers |
Depends on how tall the rider is. |
Tall riders, riding off road in the standing
position find reaching down to the handlebars puts a strain on their
lower back. Additionally handlebars that are too low cause the rider
to ride with straightened arms which affects their ability to
control the bike over technical terrain. Raisers can therefore make a big difference. |
| 20 |
Jump start point |
All motorcycles |
Jump starting a motorcycle with its hidden battery
terminals is a big problem. A jump start point solves this by
providing a positive point for the jumper cable on the side of the
motorbike. The negative clamp merely fits onto the frame. |
| 21 |
Headlight protector |
All motorcycles |
Cracked headlamp lenses are expensive to repair and
are difficult to replace on tour. Therefore this lens protector is a
good investment. |
| 22 |
Tank protectors |
All motorcycles |
Abrasive motorcycling long pants can ruin your paint
work particularly on the sides of the tank. |
| 23 |
Comfortable seat |
Most motorcycles |
Aching bum-burn is no fun on a long tour. Neither is
a vinyl seat at 40° C or at -4°
C. A comfortable seat that is soft, cool in the heat and warm in the
cold is a godsend. This particular example is sheepskin which shrugs
off the effects of all extreme weather. |
| 24 |
High screen |
Where wind noise and buffeting is a problem. |
If your off road tours often require hours, or even
days in the saddle to arrive at your selected destination, a high
touring screen may be a great accessory if wind noise and buffeting
is a problem. This screen is available from
www.toursforafrica.co.za |
| 25 |
Omni vision rear view mirror |
All motorcycles |
Your motorcycle mirrors have to cover the real
estate directly behind the motorbike as well as the two blind spots
i.e. one on either side when riding on a multi lane highway. That
totals three areas but your motorbike only has two mirrors. The
addition of an omni mirror can cover the third and final blind spot. |
| 26 |
Long life ceramic clutch plate |
Big BMW GS models |
An indestructible clutch plate for long distance,
extreme conditions. The thrust bearing can still fail but they are
small and light whereas carrying a spare clutch plate is not
practical. This one is available from
www.toursforafrica.co.za |
| 27 |
Spotlight kit |
All motorcycles |
Motorcycles should not be operated at night on
rural, off-road tours.
Especially in Africa with potholes, diesel spills, spray animals and
drunken pedestrians.
If you insist on riding at night, then a
spotlight kit is an essential accessory. This kit is available from
www.toursforafrica.co.za |
|
This table - Rural off-road
touring including poor surfaces, all weather, mud etc.
|
|
Table 1) Long distance touring
modification mainly on tar road and in good weather.
Click here |
