Now that I’m ensconced in Angola, I’ve gotten myself a KTM EXC-F 250. It’s a 2014 in near-new condition. Unfortunately, I can’t get out and about on it until I get my new visa in place, and a helmet might help, too.
my new
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I took it for a ride down South in Angola, with some learnings along the way:
1) 3,000km (a large part of it blacktop) on a vibrating KTM with knobbies can destroy one's iPhone. Now my iPhone camera replicates the journey by just showing wobbles whenever I turn it on.
2) Riding the above with a back-pack (with a fuel bladder strapped to it) totaling up to 20kg can destroy an old bloke's back, shoulder, arse, and will to live.
3) Petrol, in the South, shares availability properties with Unobtanium. I had to creep my way South by ensuring I could back track to the last available fuel (except for the time that I didn't, and had to lay the bike down on its side to trickle the last mouthful across to the fuel pump pickup). At one village stop, a policeman ordered the uncooperative pump attendant to fire up the bowser, after I'd told him that I was about to become a resident, due to not having enough petrol to go forwards, or go back.
4) The years since I rode offroad, along with my couch-potato training regime, have not done much for improving my skillset. I only fell off a couple of times, but I did get myself into 'situations' in the middle of nowhere, out of water, out of steam, and out of any human proximity - It was fun, though...
5) Riding a KTM EXC-F in a congested Angolan town, loaded up with back-pack and fuel bladder, on a hot day, can lead to overheating bike and body, with steam coming from both of them.
It was very good, though. I was onto my 3rd numberplate by the time I crept back to Luanda, My only pair of jeans had lost the whole crotch, I couldn't lift my left arm above horizontal, and I'm sure that I smelled like Sun-dried road-kill, but it was very satisfying, and I know what to change for the next adventure. I met some great people along the way, and learnt a lot about Angola, and about myself (mainly that I'm no longer 20 years old...). I took some video, but haven't had any time to look through and piece it together.
It's very difficult to get anything imported into Angola, but I have a bunch of kit headed this way in May, to make the next venture a bit more comfortable, and better able to cope with the fuel constraints.
www.gt-rider.com
