Currently have BMW GS 1200 in Abuja Nigeria. Need to travel to east Africa where I'll head down south to Cape Town. Can't pick the bike up loaded. Have heard roads are bad if not just trails. Advice please

Get a smaller bike or change your travel plans.

Ground anchor & Z Rig pulley system

Many types of ground anchors about
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ground-ancho...487775-5711916

And then make a basic Z Rig Pulley system, if you look at the video below you will be using your ground anchor where this guy use's the tree.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_8SfGMpF6g

For the pulley system this man use's in the video use a extra pulley and then you can attach the rope to the upper frame section and pull towards you the rope whilst pulling the bike up yourself the rope always stays tight due to the teeth on the jammer. the more pulleys the easy it gets I man can easy pull/ lift 300kg with the correct set up

very easy and this kit will weigh less than <5KG and as your bike already weighs that of a small house a extra 5KG does not really matter

Any fabricator can make a ground anchor as you are in Nigeria the oil/gas capital of West Africa so they have great fabricators. for rope and pulleys you can use any strong rope but you will need 3 pulleys and jammer which you can source from a climbing shop

Thanks. After 49 country's I just don't know if I have the heart to look her in the headlights and tell her that now she is to to heavy for me!

Thanks for the pulley system but getting the bike up even if there are trees around only means I'm upright in the same deep mud or sand that I crashed in in the first place.

After 49 countries you must have learnt by now. Surely you have dropped it before! Just do what you did last time.

To be honest if you can't unload, pick up, load and move on you really need to look at getting another bike or not traveling the route alone. You need to be safe! But again after 49 countries.................

You're bang out of options, there aren't you buddy?
Not sure what you were expecting to hear here......

Thanks for the answers. Yes I can unload and pick up my bike. Traveling trough deep sand or slippery mud 30 yard can be a long way to go before dropping it. Having to travel hundreds of miles through it would make some great story's but at 53 that wouldn't be my idea of fun. Woodsmanrides.com

Can you clarify your route.... Nigeria to East Africa, then south to Cape Town? What countries are you planning?

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Have decided to just head south. Cameroon, Congo, Democratic of Congo. After that I'm thinking it's no problem.

Nototure,

Depending on when your heading back to continue I will be heading down through West Africa leaving Morocco in July. This is not the best time to head south but I have to get my bike out of Morocco. Id be in Nigeria maybe August I want to beat the wet season for the DRC.

It has been parked up while I recover from a crash in the Sahara Desert in January.

But even I am going to have a tough time through some of these countries because of the time of year Ill be now heading down through them. Cameroon, Congo and especially the 2500km through DRC will be very tough on the big BMW especially if its wet.

Im not saying its not doable just its not going to be very easy.
Im a good rider, riding a fully setup KTM690R with long travel suspension that that I have built just for this West Africa trip. It is 175kg fully loaded with its 30Lt of fuel and my gear.

I have driven Overland Trucks through African red jungle mud and it was hard. I know Im in for a tough time.

I am looking for someone to do that part of Africa with for just that reason because 2 people working together through terrain like this will be easier.

I would still be keen to catch up for a and Im always up for an Adventure and I know this trip will be!!

Patrick


https://www.facebook.com/drcanafricanadventure

Hello Patrick
Hope you are doing well .I have a flight into Abuja sept 15 but I could change it if I need to. I'm considering shipping my bmw back and shipping over a more suitable bike for the trip.
Josh

Hi Josh, if you could be there late August you could travel with me down through Cameroon, Congo, and DRC. A lighter bike for that part of the trip would be a lot better. I really want to beat the wet season for DRC as its 2500km of proper off road. Are you getting your DRC visa in the US as they say get it from your home country. I'll have to try get mine in Africa as we do not have an embassy here in Australia.
Patrick.

Hello Patrick
I've been getting all my visas in the US. Started my trip in Texas. Rode to Canada where I flew with my bike to Ireland. Us to Africa I will need to ship it by boat. Not sure how long it will take. I shipped from Us to Malaysia and if I remember right it took about 2 months. I'm going to check into a 2016 ktm 500 and freight.
Thanks
Josh