Morocco to Cape Town

[bencooke86]

Hey guys,

So I'm green here and in the embryonic stages sorting out a ride down the west coast of Africa starting in November, probably also taking in the South African coast up to Mozambique, and I had some (okay, a lot) of queries to get me rolling. If you could give me some direction I'd appreciate it;

a) Are there any countries in the region which I must have visas for, prior to setting off? (Algeria and Libya I was thinking of tacking on as well, can you advise on this?)
b) Which countries do I require the carnet de passage for? Will one fit all with regards to Africa (I understand yes, with the exception of Egypt, which I'm not going through anyway).
c) Do you know how easy this carnet is to get this in Europe, in Germany for example? How long it takes to process, etc.?
d) The bike itself. What engine size do you think is the least I can get away with? What should I be looking at spending on it? What do I need to take with me in terms of tools and other bits and pieces? (I suppose an XT600/DR600 - or even a KTM or BMW - would be best bet, but can I get away with buying an absolute piece of shit?)
e) Any sections on the way down which are straight up impassible during this time of year? i.e. advice on route.
f) Any sections/countries that I should avoid in general due to cost/safety/general shitness?
g) Advice on anti-malarials? I seem to remember there were three different types from my trip down the east a few years back, and one which you took only once a week was the clear winner assuming you bought it in a country that didn't charge a fortune.
h) How good is the market to buy/sell in Cape Town, do you know? And is this possible given the down payment on your carnet?
i) Advice on buying a bike in general. Probably looking to do it in the UK or Germany, whichever is cheaper.
j) Anyone else thinking of doing something similar? Could do with some company. I have travelled through 90 odd countries and motorbiked through at least a dozen of them, so while I'm green here, I'm not green. If not, I understand there's a overlanders hangout in southern Morocco somewhere, no?

Cheers guys, really appreciate the help in advance!

Ben.