(Cape to Cairo bikers for the J9 foundation — written for Offroad & Adventure in 2015)

It’s a dreary Tuesday when the news comes in. My life-partner, Annette, the editor of our local newspaper, the Theewaterskloof Gazette, is privy to all local happenings in the Overberg and its surrounds and she copies me in on something that cheers me up no end. Four adventure motorcyclists are to ride from Cape Agulhas to Cairo, and they leave in a few days’ time. I make contact immediately and arrange to meet them along the way.

“Ja, Nick, sorry, we are running late my friend. It’s been hectic trying to get away here,” ride leader of the Kortpad Noord team, Edrique Botha explains to me from his cell phone headset as they set off from Cape Agulhas to rendezvous with me in Stormsvlei. Of course, I tell him I understand and try not to think of the hectic rain storm I would have missed had I left later. But being wet was a small price to pay to meet this team; dedicated as they are to boosting awareness of Motor Neuron Disease for Joost van der Westhuizen’s J9 foundation.

The origin of the Kortpad Noord moniker is interesting. Apparently Edrique is famous among his riding buddies for always suggesting that he show them a “kortpad” (shorter route) when they embark on adventure riding trips together. Invariably, these “kortpad” detours involve circuitous dirt tracks that are much longer than the conventional routes; so when the group decided to team up and head north to Cairo via the roads less travelled, the name was an obvious choice.

And, because of this penchant of theirs for following Edrique blindly along dirt track detours, I persuaded them to put similar trust in me and led them on the Klipfontein back road from outside Bonnievale to Swellendam.

With their 370 kg motorcycle and baggage combos, which some of their number were battling to keep from falling over in the parking lot in Stormsvlei where we rendezvoused, I hoped that the muddy track I’d chosen would not be too much of a baptism by fire.

I felt for them, because even on my much lighter KLR, I had to be very careful through some of the slippery patches. Of course, my almost bald Metzeler Karoo 2 (T) on the front and my reasonably worn Pirelli MT-60 on the back weren’t doing me any favours. But the Kortpad

Noord team did well in the trying conditions and had no qualms about squirting through some deep muddy puddles along the way, either.

Clearly, these were no novice riders. Along with their own experience as adventure motorcyclists over the years, and the recent sand riding course the team did in Kosi Bay, they were also sat astride the latest BMW R1200 Adventure machines. These state-of-the-art editions of this classic adventure touring bike have a number of rider aids which help you stay in the saddle when engaging trying terrain; a welcome addition to one’s own skills when you’re carrying close to 110 kg of baggage — excluding your own bodyweight.

These include features like a steering dampener; Automatic Stability Control (ASC); ABS; adjustable suspension and various riding mode options; plus a new heavier flywheel, *“which together with a new vibration damper between the gearbox and shaft drive, is said to improve powertrain smoothness.” Complimenting these dirt track handling enhancements and the riders own skills were the full knobbly tyres fitted (Continental TKC 80s) and the additional confidence they  gave the team in the challenging conditions reminded me to fit the same or similar myself. *(quote courtesy of cycleworld.com)

We arrived in Swellendam with mud-caked boots which looked like they belonged to World War 1 foot soldiers who had been fighting in a muddy bog for days on end. But our spirits were high and I sensed the team were pleased they’d given their loaded behemoths a bit of a test; one they’d all passed with flying colours.

Needing to top up our bikes’ fuel tanks and our caffeine levels, we stopped in at the perennially favoured Buffeljagsrivier BP petrol station. Over coffee and roosterkoek I got to know the team (Edrique Botha [48] - businessman; Heiner Meyer [43] – businessman; Bruce Myburgh [31] – lawyer and Charl Meyer [30] – doctor] better and realized from their accounts of the months of planning and preparation what a mammoth undertaking and costly exercise a trip through Africa is.  

Besides the cost of their motorbikes (even though they got them at a nicely discounted price from supporters and sponsors, Zambesi Motorrad) each member of the team has budgeted on R120 000 for travelling and living expenses for the 95- day trip — see route and destination spreadsheet. Included in their equipment are things like spare oil; battery water; tyres; water filters; UV light sterilisers, camping equipment and a medical kit that will allow Dr. Charl to treat most injuries.

The group had been pretty exhausted when they set off from Cape Agulhas earlier that morning. Apart from all enervating planning and preparation of the past few months, not to mention a send-off party the night before, the group was quite emotional about the time they would be spending away from their families and loved ones. Besides this, crossing strife-torn Africa and braving its many corrupt officials makes you consider your own mortality. Edrique told me that when he said goodbye to his family and pets on his smallholding outside Pretoria, he had a sense that it may well be the last time he did so — it was a poignant and sobering juncture in our conversation.

Having experienced enough mud and slime for one day, I led the Kortpad Noord team towards Barrydale (I was to say goodbye to the team there) on a secondary tar road, via the beautiful Tradouw’s Pass. We stopped for some photographs at the one of the viewpoints and I noticed how similar these four guys, in their new BMW Rallye outfits, looked to astronauts about to embark on a mission to outer space. Certainly, their across African mission is not a great deal less adventurous and, with their goal to increase the awareness of MND and raise money for the J9 Foundation, not much less heroic either.

To follow the Kortpad Noord team’s progress visit www.africauncut.com  or take in their Facebook page. Team member and avid photographer, Heiner Meyer is also writing a blog: www.heinermeyer.com   To donate R30 to the J9 foundation, sms “kortpad” to 42305.  

About MND and the J9 Foundation:

What is MND?

•  Nerve cells (neurons) control the muscles that enable us to move around, speak, breathe and swallow. Motor Neuron Disease is the name given to a group of diseases in which these neurons fail to work normally.
• Muscles then gradually weaken and waste. The effects of Motor Neuron Disease – initial symptoms, rate and pattern of progression, and survival time after diagnosis – vary significantly.

The J9 Foundation’s Goals

• To educate the general public about Motor Neuron Disease and its devastating effects on both the patient and their families.
• To educate and raise awareness amongst medical practitioners and nursing staff to enable them to make earlier and correct diagnoses and provide better emotional and physical care on initial diagnoses of a patient.
• To host unique and different fundraising events with the intent to, firstly, raise funds for the foundation and secondly, to be of such a newsworthy nature that it triggers Media attention (TV/Print) and ultimately contributes to raising awareness through various marketing channels.