On Sunday, 24 Nov 2013, she again stood at stone marker in Cape Agulhas indicating the dividing line between the Indian and Atlantic oceans. For her this marker signifies a coming together. Behind her stretched over 40,000 kilometers, the indelible memories of 26 African countries and the culmination of six long years that turned the dream of becoming the first woman to circumnavigate the African continent into a reality.

Jolandie Rust is quiet and reserved. Almost introverted. This 29 year old, who calls Melville, Johannesburg home, has an easy smile and infectious laugh. Her green eyes hide tales of pain and heartache, but they light up at the mention of the open road, of an adventure.

Her first two-wheeler was a pink BMX she got as a Christmas present at the age of 4. For the young Jolandie this would be the key to exploring and achieving the seemingly impossible. Throughout her teens she could be seen criss-crossing the streets of her home town, Kempton Park, on her bicycle.

In 2004, taking time off from working on a kibbutz in Israel, Jolandie and a friend cycled through the Occupied Territories from Nazareth to Arad. Experiencing the harshness of the semi-desert and the sweltering heat, negotiating their way through military posts and dealing with Arabs chasing them on donkeys gave Jolandie a taste of real adventure.

Back in South Africa, she struggled to settle down. The hum-drum of a 9 to 5 routine did just not resonate with the spirit of adventure that had been awakened. The untimely death of someone dear to her in 2007 made her painfully aware of how fragile and precious life is, of how short a life could be. It emphasised the importance to take control of her life and to shape and form her own happiness.

It was then that a dream began to take shape. A dream to become the first woman to circumnavigate Africa on her own.

Africa, the world’s second largest continent, but also one of the poorest, has always fascinated Jolandie. She is passionate about Africa and her people. She felt that by embarking on a journey no other woman has undertaken on her own, she could inspire people across the continent. She could show them that all you needed was a dream, a desire to realise that dream and to take responsibility to fulfil that dream.

‘Get out of the pool of fear and swim in the ocean of possibility.’ ~Jolandie Rust

With little money and a bicycle as the only means of transport, Jolandie set off in 2008 to cycle from Johannesburg to Cape Town to raise awareness and attract sponsorship for her trip around Africa.

Whilst awareness about Jolandie’s crazy dream was increasing, sponsorship wasn’t forthcoming. In 2009 she set off from Johannesburg again. This time she became the first woman to ride around South Africa on a bicycle. On her own.

Money was trickling in, mainly through a few well-wishers and friends, but determined to realise her dream, Jolandie left Camps Bay on 27 April 2011 to cycle around Africa on her own. She made it to Northern Angola where a group of four knife-wielding thugs took her bicycle and all her gear from her.

Dejected, Jolandie was forced to return home. Whilst the governor of the Angolan province where her bicycle was stolen had personally re-embursed her for her loss, the Angolan Minister of Local Government reached out to her and offered to sponsor her to complete her journey by whatever means she chose.

Jolandie jumped at the opportunity and planning started in all earnest to set off again but this time on a motorbike. The BMW 650 GS Dakar was immediately christened Dax, meaning ‘the truth that will conquer the world’. On 1 April 2012 Jolandie left Johannesburg and headed towards Cape Town once more.

She met up with a group of well-wishers and fellow bikers at Cape Agulhas on 7 April and launched her second attempt at becoming the first woman to circumnavigate Africa on her own.

The road up the West Coast was by now familiar territory but, crossing into Angola, misfortune struck. On the first night she spent in Ondjiva, her hosts were the target of an armed robbery. The police were aware that Jolandie was in town but didn’t expect to find her taped to a chair when they dropped by to welcome her. Unharmed but unnerved a plan was formulated that she would have police escort every step of the way whilst in Angola. In spite of some challenging roads, Jolandie had a great time in Angola and was treated like royalty by her sponsors.

Travelling through Congo and Gabon, she met up with a Czech rider on his way to Prague. It was the rainy season and the roads were rivers. And the Czech seemed to have a particular fondness to drop his BMW F 800 GS in muddiest spots.

Meanwhile Jolandie was eagerly anticipating crossing the equator, a significant milestone on her journey. Whilst now on a reasonable tarmac road, there were roadworks to deal with, masses of people from the many little villages alongside the road and hordes of dogs chasing her. And then she spotted the sign, obscured by a truck at one of the many ‘stop ‘n go’ systems, but the photo opportunity was lost.

Crossing into Nigeria was a particular concern. She wasn’t short on warnings about how dangerous this country was, however, much to her surprise, the police at the checkpoints just waved her through and wished her well. But ahead lay Owerri, the most chaotic town she had the unfortunate privilege of having to negotiate her way through and in the pouring rain. Single lanes bursting with vehicles of all descriptions led traffic in and out of town with rubbish dumps in the centre dividing the two lanes. Hundreds of little stalls and thousands of shoppers were happily trading on the curb sides. All this chaos was controlled by a female police officer, baton in hand. Chancers who ignored her instructions were wacked on their vehicles or any protruding body part!

In Côte d’Ivoire she was advised against going through Liberia and Sierra Leone as originally planned. This meant heading north to Bamako in Mali. Northern Mali was in turmoil following a military coup, but this didn’t deter Jolandie from spending almost two weeks in the south. Visas, a perennial frustration, for Mauritania and Morocco needed to be sorted out before she could take Dax to Dakar, the city she was named after, and the western most point on the main land.

Mauritania doesn’t hold many happy memories for Jolandie. The Rosso border between Senegal and Mauritania lived up to its reputation as being one of the worst borders in Africa to cross. Relieved that she eventually made it across, together with hundreds of camels cruelly being beaten onto the ferry by their handlers, she settled into her hotel room. The guy who had helped her with her paperwork at the border offered to bring her something to eat. It was soon clear that he expected payment in return that didn’t involve money but Jolandie’s extensive self-defence training came in handy.

Even though it was by now Ramadan with food during the day not easy to come by, Jolandie safely made it to Rabat in Morocco. However, visa issues would again bring her journey to a halt. With the border between Morocco and Algeria being closed for the past ten years, the only way to continue further east is to take a ferry to Europe and from there to Algeria or Tunisia. She was forced to return to South Africa to apply for a Schengen visa as well as a Tunisian visa.

Back home, Jolandie went scouting for new touring routes with a friend in Mpumalanga. As her beloved Dax had to stay behind in Morocco, she was riding pillion when, at a farm gate, the BMW 1200 GS came down on her ankle. Her right fibula snapped and the ligaments were torn. This necessitated a slow 6 month recovery.

In July 2013 Jolandie was back on the road. After a frustrating few days in Morocco to get Dax released from customs, she did a whirlwind trip through Spain, France and Italy before crossing back into Africa in Tunisia. A proud and hugely relieved Jolandie made it to the northernmost point in Africa, Cap Blanc near Bizerte. Another milestone ticked.

Waiting to hear whether she would be able to cross through Libya despite the political unrest in that country, she took in some of the sights Tunisia had to offer. Top of her list was the Star Wars set near Matmata. Soon she was transported to the planet Tatooine and, disappointed that Luke Skywalker wasn’t home, she returned to Tunis. By now it had been confirmed that she would be able to collect a visa for Libya at the border.

The single decision that speaks volumes about Jolandie’s bravery, her determination and ability to tackle challenges head-on was the decision to take on Libya. For any person this is a daunting prospect but even more so for a woman on her own and on a motorbike. Besides the visa being pricey, a further requirement is to have a guide or escort every step of the way. As she crossed the border at the Ras Jdir post, she was surprised to find a group of more than twenty bikers to welcome her to Libya and to escort her to Tripoli. News of her arrival in Libya had spread and the Ministry of Tourism put her up in a very comfortable hotel for four days. The Libyan motorcycling federation made a generous donation towards her trip and arrangements were made to give Dax a well-deserved service free of charge.

When she reached Misrata her fellow riders informed her that they wouldn’t be able to continue with her and that she would have to ride to Ajdabiya on her own. More than 600 kilometers for a woman alone on a motorbike through Libya? Unheard of but nothing deters Jolandie! She pulled the throttle on Dax back and rode on. She was waved through at the first checkpoint but at the second checkpoint she was met with the by now familiar surprised look on the officer’s face when instructed to remove her helmet and he realised a woman was standing in front of him! She phoned a friend who could explain her situation to the officer in Arabic. The officer told her to proceed, to take care and not to stop for anyone until she reached Ajdabiya. And thankfully nobody did.

Since Gaddafi was toppled in 2011, Libya’s political reconstruction has been marked by brutal violence and instability. Yet, this country revealed its softer side to Jolandie. The kindness she experienced in Sirte, a city heavily damaged in the civil war, was a moving experience: ‘My heart breaks as we ride through the city and I bear witness to the catastrophic consequences of war. The pain and anguish is so tangible it’s like a thick fog that hangs in the air.’ Arriving in Tubruq she was welcomed by a television crew and an interview with her was aired on Libyan TV that evening.

By now violence following the ousting of Morsi had erupted on the streets of Cairo. A curfew had been imposed yet Jolandie was determined to forge ahead. A fellow adventure rider met her at the Egyptian side of the border and what initially looked like an easy border crossing turned into a  nine hour delay on the Egyptian side. In Cairo it was again the time consuming process of visa applications and Dax was in need of a service.

Spending almost three weeks in the capital of the ‘Mother of the World’ meant there was time for some sightseeing. First up was a much anticipated visit to the pyramids and a camel ride, then a weekend excursion to the Bahariya oasis and the amazing white and black deserts.

With the paperwork sorted, the journey south could begin. In the coastal town of Hurghada the Governor presented her with a medal to honour her efforts and in Luxor she could visit the ruins of the sandstone temples. Aswan was the last stop in Egypt before boarding the ferry to Wadi Halfa in Sudan. But before leaving Egypt the Goodwill Ambassador of Cross-cultural Tourism in Egypt presented her with a trophy. Incredible!

Whilst making arrangements to have Dax loaded onto the ferry, Jolandie met a French guy on a BMW R 1200 GS who was heading to South Africa. Together they hit the new main road through Sudan and on to Ethiopia. After the northern Africa desert, the lushness of Ethiopia was a welcome change. Entering Ethiopia Jolandie got the feeling for the first time that she was really on her way home and on her way to realising her dream. Though the roads through Ethiopia were very good, she had never experienced so many people, donkeys, oxen and goats along the side of the road. It was impossible to stop without being swamped by people whose only vocabulary seemed to be: ‘You, you, you, you … money, money, money!’

Ahead lay the notorious Hell Road through the north of Kenya. And Hell Road quickly claimed Dax’s rear shock. Despite continuing with extreme difficulty with a fully laden Dax and severely compromised suspension, Jolandie safely made it to Nairobi, extremely proud not to have dropped Dax at all on Hell Road.

‘Learn to smile through tough times and you can overcome anything!’ ~Jolandie Rust

Whilst waiting for a new shock absorber to be shipped to Nairobi, unrest was brewing in northern Mozambique. This necessitated a change in route. With Dax’s rear suspension replaced, Jolandie headed through Tanzania and on to Malawi. She was exchanging money at the border when a group of guys surrounded her and demanded that she hand over the money she was about to exchange. Being outnumbered she had to part with $100 which is a lot of money when the budget is running extremely low.

After relaxing for a day next to Lake Malawi, home was calling and only one more country to go. In Mozambique Jolandie stopped off next to the ocean again for the first time since leaving Egypt at Inhambane. But on the day before she entered back into South Africa, the sub-frame bolts on Dax simply snapped. The load had been heavy and the road had been long! Fortunately Jolandie had spare bolts and by now a masterful mechanic, she and Dax were back on the road in no time.

Crossing into South Africa on 14 Nov 2013 was an emotional moment. Reaching that dream that had taken so many years to plan, that had so many ups and downs, was within reach. On Sunday, 24 November, a remarkable young woman and her Dax had truly conquered Africa. Next, the world?

We've all got bikes that absolutely pushed us over the edge when we were young. For me it was the RC30.

On a recent trip down to the Cape I had the amazing opportunity of being invited to one of our reader’s (Robin McConnel) homes in Noordhoek to go and have a look at his collection of bikes. Well what a sight and he obviously knows my weakness because on arrival he had the RC30 parked outside but, as if that was not enough, parked just next to it was a pristine Yamaha OWO1. And when I say pristine I mean in absolutely showroom condition. To explain in words even more pertaining to what condition these bikes are in, when we planned our route, he did the planning so that the bikes would not park in the sun for too long; I think this explained the level of preservation he exercises over his bikes to me, fantastic! He lifted the garage doors and on the inside the amazing collection carried on; RC45, 888, 900 Bevel, 900 Ninja, old BMW R50 with sidecar, RD350, VF1000R, CBX, SP1 and 2, KTM SMT and then finally, just to prove he is not out of touch with the new stuff, a BMW 1000 R. Robin is a collector and a collector of truly rare bikes that stood out in their era.

If you are a motorcyclist and a true one at that, your passion runs deep. I've always thought that people would be surprised by how many bikes I would own if I won the Euro lottery and I think a small aeroplane hangar would suffice. Robin's collection is as close as damnit to how I'd see mine. It is something dreams are made of, especially for people like us. The next bike in his sights is a R7 and I feel a 998R needs to park next to it, albeit a half a wheel ahead. Ah, you see, it's a disease.

We planned a route over Chapman's Peak for the pictures and we left his home. Even now, after all these years, the RC30 felt sweet, the motor was smoother than what I thought it would be and I think me coming from a V-twin background gave me this perception. The power was smooth and built up linearly, the riding position perfect. The brakes and chassis actually surprised me, making me wonder how this bike could possibly be 20 years old! Yes, we are always on about technology, but let’s not forget that bikes like this lapped the Isle of Man at 118.35mph in 1990 in the hands of Carl Fogarty. These bikes only made 102hp which was so much power back then so it does put it into perspective that the handling had better be sweet as they had to cope with inferior tyres compared to now. I wound it up a little but always treated it with the respect an old lady like this needs to be given because, even though you could attach a price to this bike, for those that are in in this condition, it's actually priceless. This RC30 was the Japanese model with the smaller headlights if any of you were wondering.

En route back I sampled the OWO1 which in monetary value is more valuable than the RC. Robin was right; you could immediately feel the absolutely focussed design of this bike. It's a focussed race bike and afterwards reluctantly they fitted some lights. The bike has no bottom end but as the revs climb it all starts making sense. Yes it’s not a match for the 200hp missiles we ride now, but as a nostalgic time travel, I loved having this experience.

Thanks Robin, you made a dream come true for me and I truly loved and appreciated the experience.      

Who is Robin McConnell?

Robin started riding when he was 15 years old and recently celebrated 50 years of racing and riding motorcycles, accident free. During his petrol-head life he has raced, with varying success, motorcycles, karts, inflatables and jet skis. He is actively involved in the Ducati Owners Club in the Western Cape, IMOC Cape Town and in running the Cape Town Toy Run. Robin says he is privileged to have a wonderful group of mates who meet almost every Sunday morning. Between them they have found the best breakfast venues in Franschoek, Ceres, Kleinmond, Napier and Greyton, etc.

Robin has a vast collection of motorcycles with his favourite being a Honda RVF750 RC45. Included in his collection are a KTM SMT which he uses for business travel, longer trips and pillion rides, an S 1000 R and RC51 SP-2 which are used for fun at weekends. He does a fair amount of riding and averages around 30,000km per year on two wheels. Robin is now looking for a Yamaha R7 to complete his personal wish list. Because he is slightly obsessed with bikes some of his happiest times have been spent in his workshop because, as we all know, you need to spend a fair amount of time working on your babies if you want to keep them running properly.

Robin enjoys all forms of motorcycling – scooters, cruisers and touring bikes - but always naturally gravitates towards nimble sports bikes with character. 

Robin is married to Sue, who is as passionate about running as he is about motorcycling (well almost). They will be celebrating their 30^th anniversary in 2015.

Article from Clinton Pienaar from Superbike Magazine South Africa

MV Agusta continues diversifying its portfolio and the Stradale 800 is something as exotic as a bread and butter, this new 800 is certainly going to get some huge sales, why because the Stradale 800 is the most comfortable and practical MV Agusta ever.

“Straddling the Stradale at its agent and media launch in the south of Spain, I immediately understand that this is the most considerate and caring MV to date concerning my bum and back, the beautifully stitched leather seat is comfortable, and not too tall or too short.” said Doug Acheson co-owner of Cayenne World who attended the launch and got to have the first ride of the Stradale.

The standard 86.9 cm seat can be equipped with an 84.8 cm seat as an option. The reach to the handlebar allowed me to sit with a straight back without straining my wrists. Who would have thought the bespoke maker of sports motorcycles would launch a quasi-sport-touring motorcycle with bags and a small windscreen.

The soft, lockable saddlebags are fitted with LED lights to replace the ones covered up by the bags. In true MV Agusta style, there is minimal compromise in terms of original design. Even the bags looks like they always were meant to be there. They will swallow nine liters of luggage each, but no more than 5 kg. On the road they are slightly squishy, but that’s to be expected from soft bags. A large top box can also be fitted as an accessory.

At the front, the Stradale 800 is fitted with an adjustable windscreen, this is designed more to help avoid helmet buffeting on motorways rather than full wind protection and it works just fine.

These touring features are what separate the Stradale 800 from the Rivale 800 visually. The fairing and cowling design is the same but that’s it. Everything else is pure Stradale.

The first and last part of the test ride was on fast highways. The riding position is comfortable and relaxed, allowing me to enjoy the transport stages much more than on any other MV Agusta. There are very limited vibrations and I never got tired even on boring straight highways.

The chassis on the Stradale 800 is completely dedicated to this bike and is not shared with the more extreme MV Agusta models. The single-sided swingarm has been stretched to 60.4 cm making a wheelbase of 145 7 cm. The suspension now has 14.9 cm travel both front and back. Together these changes make for a sure footed and neutral handling experience.

In the mountains the neutral handling also comes to its right albeit not as quick steering as the Dragster but still sporty. I prefer the Stradale 800 handling for road riding because it caters to all situations. The suspension soaks up the bumps better, providing both comfort and confidence.

The 800cc triple engine also has its own dedicated tune for comfort, with a bias towards torque rather than all out top-end power. Max torque is 58 ft/lbs @9.000 rpm and max power 115 horsepower at 11,000 rpm.

The Stradale 800 is very easy to get going in first gear, and the power delivery is less aggressive than on other 800cc trepistoni models. The engine is still more than capable of providing thrills by twisting the throttle.

With a longer swingarm, the Stradale will never surprise a rider with an unprovoked wheelie and the whole experience is solid. The larger silencer still provides a hearty soundtrack from the three racked pipes.

Take the lower top end power out of the equation and the Stradale 800 is still one very fast motorcycle in the mountains. The EAS 2.0 quickshifter (both up and down) is standard on the Stradale 800 and provides smooth and effortless progress through the gearbox.

The brakes are the same high quality radial Brembo’s with ABS as on other MV models. There’s no lacking in stopping power, which can be attributed to the Brembo’s and low weight. Even with bags the dry weight stops at 181 kg dry.

MV Agusta claims good fuel efficiency, and the 19 litre fuel tank should last a good few kilometers. The new dash now shows fuel consumption from a relatively large graph on the top left. The 2015 MV Agusta Stradale 800 is jam-packed with electronics as we have come to expect. The package includes traction control, quickshifter, riding modes, ABS with rear wheel lift mitigation and more. This MV Agusta though is also probably the best in the range to ride with rider aids turned off. This is all due to the stability of the chassis and the suspension and a milder engine top end.

Everything works really well but on a sunny day I preferred to ride with minimal traction control just to give me that emergency fail safe. I would only use intrusive settings on the TC when riding in the rain or very slippery surfaces.

“In conclusion the Stradale 800 made me feel comfortable and at ease from the word go. Setting the electronics to the levels that I like all I had to think about was ride. The bags are stylish and highly practical, though this is the very first model from MV Agusta with such practical features.”

“I think it must have taken some guts to plan this model because it differs somewhat from the MV ethos, I salute it nevertheless because it gives me the opportunity to say that this is the best for the road-only MV I have ever ridden,” said Doug Acheson. “We’ll be getting one more pure road biased MV Agusta soon in the Turismo Veloce, but for now it’s the Stradale 800 that owns the road in the MV range, my feeling this is the perfect MV Agusta for South Africa and I have a feeling that we’ll see more Stradale’s on our roads next year thanks to this model and the very special unheard of MVA price for the this new machine.” 

MV Agusta Stradale arrives in Jan 2015 launch price R 169 000

For more information call Cayenne World on 011 244 1900