I recently ‘bumped into’ an old colleague from the days when newspapers were still the news. Photographer Peter Morey, who spent many years behind the lens at Pretoria News, popped up on Facebook looking thoroughly content with life on his BMW 1200 GS somewhere between Pretoria and Cape Town, travelling via Bloemfontein, De Rust, Wilderness, and Prins Albert, and a healthy scattering of small South African towns in between.
In short, Peter is doing what many riders dream about and few actually do: a proper solo trip, with no deadlines, no convoy, and no backup.
“Riding a motorbike just reminds me how blessed I am,” he tells Farmer’s Weekly after returning home from his 16-day journey. “Being able to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air of our country on a bike is absolute bliss. It puts life back into perspective.”
I asked how he manages to approach long solo-trips with such casual confidence.
“Riding in groups has its perks, but I need to get my long solo-trip fix at least once a year,” he says. He’s fully aware of the risks of travelling alone, but believes preparation is the best way to reduce risk.
Much of his confidence, he admits, comes from the bike itself. He rides a BMW R1200 GS, a machine with a reputation for reliability if properly maintained. “I don’t race. I take it slow,” he says.
“My daughter keeps an eye on me through the Life360 app, and if she sees me speeding, she phones to give me a proper dressing-down.”
Packing, as any seasoned rider will tell you, is an art form. Too little and you’re uncomfortable. Too much and the bike feels like a moving cupboard.
“I pack clothes and personal gear in two side panniers and a top box,” Peter explains. “I always take two folding chairs; you never know when you’ll meet a fellow biker on the road,” he adds with a glint in his eye.
He also travels with a fold-down aluminium table, two umbrellas and a gas cooker for coffee. Peter is, by nature, a social creature. “I am always ready for a chat and a proper South African kuier,” he says. “I’m also the Temu king, buying a lot of comfort gear online. If it doesn’t travel well, I can throw it out.”
Mounted to the front crash bars are two small containers.
“One’s for water, the other’s for my Southern Comfort,” he says. At the back, he carries a two-litre water bottle on one side and a container filled with ice on the other, “for the Southern on the rocks, you see”.
A small canvas bag on the crash bar keeps rain gear close at hand, and the JBL speaker for ‘good vibes’ travels everywhere. “I’m never without my music.”
On top of the top box sits a portable braai, complete with charcoal, spices, and a bottle opener. “All I need is a tjoppie from a local butcher and I’m sorted for the night.” In the Karoo, he often turns off onto a gravel road, rides until the view feels right, pitches his braai, cooks his chop, and watches the sun set.
Just in case, he also carries an electric pump and a battery booster. Motorcycles have been part of Peter’s life for a long time. As a youngster, he competed in the 1984 Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race on a Yamaha XT500, one of Southern Africa’s toughest endurance events following a murderous 1 000km route. He also raced flat track at the Mahem circuit outside Pretoria.
These days, Peter is also a devoted Vespa enthusiast. One of his most memorable trips was a six-day Vespa ride along Italy’s Amalfi Coast in 2013.
“That trip taught me why people have bucket lists,” he says. “Riding through narrow coastal streets where cars simply don’t fit was unforgettable.”
If you think a long motorcycle trip requires months of planning and detailed maps, think again, at least if you’re Peter Morey.
“I just tell the tjomme on Facebook that I’m heading to the Cape,” he says. “Then the route sorts itself out as the invitations to stay over start coming in.”
