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Wheels24 reader DEWILDT SMITH sent Wheels24 a great video and a gallery of his dirt bike adventure near Grabouw, Western Cape. You can feel free to do the same...
Smith was riding a Kawasaki KLR 650 and was with a friend riding a BMW F800 GS.
He also shares his views on the TomTom Rider 5 – a portable satnav for riders.
VIDEO: DEWILDT SMITH'S dirt bike adventure
GALLERY: DEWILDT SMITH'S Kawasaki KLR 650
THE BIKE
I ride a Kawasaki KLR 650. It’s definitely neither one of the fastest nor comfortable bikes in the Adventure Bike category but it’s more than capable. It’s as basic as a bike can be and has a single-piston carburettor engine which means it's simple to work on - one reasons why most people entering the adventure riding scene purchase these bikes.
You can fix it next to the road with Q20, ‘bloudraad’ and a spanner. It’s reliable and owners are generally known for their *pooratech homemade modifications.
I always joke that BMW riders have their dealers on speed dial when their bikes break whereas a KLR rider will have all the necessities on hand and be able to fix anything on their bike.
It’s easily the cheapest adventure bike, retailing for R66 000, and is cheap to run and maintain.
THE RIDER
In the video I have my TomTom Rider 5 mounted on the bike. This is the premium model and comes with a anti-theft solution which means I can keep the device fitted as it cannot be easily removed.
We use the Rider not necessarily for navigation, though on occasions we will plan a trip beforehand and follow it, but we mostly use it for the recording function so we can share our trip afterwards with other riders or review where we’ve ridden.
The Rider also has a lot of the gravel roads mapped so we found it very handy in situations when we approached a fork in the road and were able to decide which direction by zooming out on the map and seeing which way the roads led.
*Pooratech is derived from the brand Touratech which sells expensive but high-quality motorcycle gear and accessories.
Smith was riding a Kawasaki KLR 650 and was with a friend riding a BMW F800 GS.
He also shares his views on the TomTom Rider 5 – a portable satnav for riders.
VIDEO: DEWILDT SMITH'S dirt bike adventure
GALLERY: DEWILDT SMITH'S Kawasaki KLR 650
THE BIKE
I ride a Kawasaki KLR 650. It’s definitely neither one of the fastest nor comfortable bikes in the Adventure Bike category but it’s more than capable. It’s as basic as a bike can be and has a single-piston carburettor engine which means it's simple to work on - one reasons why most people entering the adventure riding scene purchase these bikes.
You can fix it next to the road with Q20, ‘bloudraad’ and a spanner. It’s reliable and owners are generally known for their *pooratech homemade modifications.
I always joke that BMW riders have their dealers on speed dial when their bikes break whereas a KLR rider will have all the necessities on hand and be able to fix anything on their bike.
It’s easily the cheapest adventure bike, retailing for R66 000, and is cheap to run and maintain.
THE RIDER
In the video I have my TomTom Rider 5 mounted on the bike. This is the premium model and comes with a anti-theft solution which means I can keep the device fitted as it cannot be easily removed.
We use the Rider not necessarily for navigation, though on occasions we will plan a trip beforehand and follow it, but we mostly use it for the recording function so we can share our trip afterwards with other riders or review where we’ve ridden.
The Rider also has a lot of the gravel roads mapped so we found it very handy in situations when we approached a fork in the road and were able to decide which direction by zooming out on the map and seeing which way the roads led.
*Pooratech is derived from the brand Touratech which sells expensive but high-quality motorcycle gear and accessories.
