Cape Town to Namib Desert ~ Yamaha XT500
| Who | Graham Blyth ~ email ~ website |
| Profession | Businessman |
| Born 1956 | Nationality South African |
| Previous travel experience | All over the world including Antarctic |
| Previous bike travels | All over South Africa ... mainly on dirt roads |
| This trip | Cape Town to Namib Desert |
| Departure date | 1991 |
| Number in group | 1 |
| Trip duration | 3 weeks |
| Distance covered | About 3000 km |
| Cost of trip (not incl. bike) | About R1000 ($128.00) |
| Best day | Reaching the coast at Oranjemund and seeing the sea... |
| Worst/ hardest day | Riding while hot ... 53°C! |
| Favourite place | Along the Orange River, Richtersveld |
| Biggest headache | The sand! |
| Biggest mistake | Riding when it was too hot |
| Most pleasant surprise | How well the XT500 handled everything and never let me down |
| Any illness | Nope |
| Other trips planned | Karoo, and Namibia next year |
| One travel tip | Take the right tools and enough water |
| Bike Model | 1978 Yamaha XT500 |
| Age/ mileage on departure | 42,000 km |
| Modifications | All standard, but made a 24 litre tank over the existing tank ... great! |
| Mods you wish you'd done | Maybe a small wind shield |
| Type of baggage | Soft panniers |
| Tyres used | King Tyres |
| Number of punctures | none |
| Bike's weak point | none |
| Bike's strong point | Easy to handle and does not die! |
| Bike problems | None |
| Number of accidents | None |
| Same bike again? | Yes, or my KTM 950 |
| One biking tip | Before leaving, check and re-check the bike and your tools and your luggage ..& take care |