Global launch of the Suzuki Van Van XT 600 hybrid.

Well "oow bloody la lar ".

Had a 'To Do ' list for today. Find somewhere to get twenty more passport photos. Buy some more tinned food,that cost less than its weight in plutonium. And adjust the chain on the bike.

Having bought a knife off a Toureg tribesmen. Who 'seemed ', I'll say that again. 'Seemed',to speak English. I employed him to explain in French, what was needed with the bike chain. As these guys over here,just potter on slow Chinese mopeds. They simply tighten them to the max. And I couldn't explain, that their was going to be more luggage. ( my tent and sleeping bag ).Going on, the rear axle actually needed to be perfectly straight. And the chain at the right tension, allowing for the future weight increase.

I can't convey how frustrating it is when i can't make my point understood. And.....and...it turned out Soro. Captain English.  Knew about as much English, as I knew French! !!! So there was the mechanic talking in tribal language to Soro. Who did a great job, in translating, to bloody French !!! Mon ami !!! Jai non compronde !!!

I started to get somewhat frustrated. Needed not have. As the good news kept on a coming. The previously broken frame and suspected broken rear shock absorber,turned out to be true. Not just the frame. !!! " oooo ##### la lar ### lar "!!!!

Knowing how rare the Suzuki Van Van shock absorber is in the UK. I knew there was no chance in Mali. They don't even sell the bike here !!

So it was literally 'game over', or make something fit. Bring on to the stage the Yamaha XT600. The shock absorber , longer and the top fitment, much wider,our hybrid ' delux avec le bodge Gti ', started to take form.

We agreed a price, translated wonderfully into French for me. And work began. The top of the shocker was cut by 10 mm. Made more narrow. The chain re adjusted. Fitted...and tad dar !!!! 

Admittedly, the Van Van looks like it's hit the gym. And is giving it 'billy big poatoes'. It's seat now, about 3" inches higher. But....it seems...it seems, to work! ! I've gone two up, over rough ground and all is well.

So fingers crossed the global  launch, here in Bamako,of the Suzuki Van Van XT goes well. It's proving ground is from Mali to the Congo. Angola to South Africa. So one shall jolly well see. :))

Some final bits to get tomorrow morning. Then I'm going cup in hand, to a Army training camp. On the scrounge for. ...well anything they might have :)  namely, boil in the bag rations. I've lost so much weight, it's a bit shocking.

Wish me luck. Triggers 'original' sweeping brush 'springs' to mind. See what I did there ?? Comedy genuis me. :)

And once again. Thank you to Suzuki GB. Who gave absolutely no assistance or support, what so ever. But at this rate, I shall be arriving on a Yamaha anyway !!

Ok. Some pics below of product development. Lol.

Top tips. Cheers and fears.

Ten days stuck waiting, here in Bamako, are nearly over. I'm no mechanic or linguist. But as far as I can tell, my bike luggage frame broke in several places. My rear tyre subsequently getting worn out,by the rear Fender scraping on it. The rear shock absorber seems ok,but there is a noise occasionally from that area. Whilst going over rough ground. And my engine at high revs,makes a tinging noise.

The locals only see and work on Chinese mopeds and speak French. Trying to explain anything, is nigh on impossible for me. Despite taking my pocket note book,with drawings and sentences in French. That I've copied when using wifi.

Today 'Soro',a Toureg tribesmen is meeting me at 11 am. He does speak some English. I'm taking him with me to get my chain adjusted correctly. And engine noise diagnosed properly. It maybe the tappets need a tweek. Also on the 'To Do' list, are getting twenty passport photos. As the ten I brought from the UK, have all been used up. ? I still have ten plus countries to get visa's for.

I wanted to say a massive " thank you ," to all those who have supported and helped me over the past ten days. In times of need you truelly find out the value of those around you.

So to Nick Bayes, a guru of IT, Twitter and administration. " Thank you very much. I look forward to that beer." And Darren Hinch,who I've known since school. "Thank you inchy ". He's always promoting the challenge and being there for me. And finally Simon Hayes,who I was in the army with. He has raised and donated £1,500 to my charity page. Sent over the most expensive tyre,outside of F1,to me here in Mali. Not to mention loads of technical bike support. I don't know how to thank these guys enough. I do know that Tennants are sending Nick a crate of beer. So that can be a start point :))

Outcome of this ? You can not do this alone. You need an address in the UK. And a support team.

Tips . Photocopy your passport 30 times. Have thirty passport photos. Know all currencies exchange rates written down prior to departure. Not your home currency to. But for example. CFA to Ghana GHS.and so on. No.1 tip??? If riding solo,do a course in French. English is worthless here. Worthless.

And remember, your plan is only as good as the information you base it on. Research, research, research. But insure the information is accurate, credible, up to date. And applicable to you. ie. On the complcated subject of African visas. A French passport holders requirements are different to a British passport holders. And so on.

To any 'Overlanders'. Bamako is pretty safe and a nice place to be. Hotel Plage Bamako. On Rue 92. Toroboroboogoo. Is a great place to stay. Whilst you get visas etc. I pay 4,000 cfa a night, to camp 15 meters from the pool. There is wifi and a restaurant, security and helpful, informal staff. I've learnt about forty French words here. They are always keen to teach me.:) 

( just stop bring me omelette. When I'm asking for butter. )

You may note also Overlanders. I managed to get the infamously difficult Nigerian visa here. 66,500 cfa. One form. Two photos and 24 hrs. Saves going to Niger and getting it there. Despite it being 42,000 cfa there. You are saving on about 1,000 km of fuel and time. Accommodation and of course, the visa cost for Niger.

My route now is dictated by the need for visas. Angola being the most difficult in Africa. So I'm taking in as many Angolan embassies on the way. So after Burkina Faso.  I drop into Ghana. And apply at Accra. Failing that I still have Togo and Benin. Before I get to Nigeria. Where I am most likely to get the Willy Wonka Golden Angola Visa ticket.

The terrain is going to change rapidly now. The Sahel region is behind me. That being desert or sub desert. Fears ?? Well, lots of new wild camping mates!! Crocodiles, hippos and elephants. Replace,sand,sand,bugs and snakes. Looking forward to the challenge. (No ravioli will be left out. That's for sure. )

It's been a very costly and frustrating week. I've seen the true colours of some folk. And been humbled by others. I won't forget the help and support I've received.

Will

Rear suspension has broken. Help !!

I'm some 600 km inside Mali now. I found a hotel complex in Bamako, the Capital, that let me camp outside. It has security and wi fi. What a result !!!

On route to Mali: Wild camping !!Low quality food every day, i am afriad.

The past 1,300 km from the Gambia to here have been hard going at times. The road sometimes being perfect. And clearly brand new. But other times,completely destroyed. Off road or dust track is  one thing. But huge,deep pot holes. Sometimes the size of car,connected together by a slither of tarmac has broken the seal on my rear mono shock absorber.

frame and the shocker have been damaged !!

Result being the rear mudguard is banging on the tyre,at the slightest bump. To counter,I have been stood up on the foot pegs for most of the past 360 odd kms. Not easy when you have lost 8 or 9 kg in weight.( over a stone in English. Or 18 lbs ish ) It wasn't like I had a lot available to loose in the first place. :)))

I have two requests folks. Firstly, this Challenge, despite mine and others best efforts, has only raised €100 in the past two weeks. £4100 in total.  Christian Walking Around Britain, in aid of homeless servicemen, has raised over £100,000. Difference being his charity donate page went viral on Facebook. Due to folks ' SHARING 'it. And most importantly, his challenge is constantly in the public eye,via the papers. He's even had international interest from TV broadcasters.

This isn't about him and it isn't about me. It's about helping men and women, who have served our country and returned in a wheelchair. Their arms and legs blown off by IED's. And over 70% of our servicemen who have lost an arm,get turned down for Incapacity Benefit !!! As if its their left arm and they are right handed.The governments paid for doctors, say they can still work and do not qualify! !!!

Can you please help me ? A.) Make a donation via the Help for Heroes logo top right. B) SHARE this blog on Facebook and Twitter.

As I mentioned before, my suspension is broken and my rear tyre is now worn. Due to the bottoming out. The mudguard rubbing against the tyre.

With the bribes and over charging of everything, my budget is 100% going to run out, way before Johannesburg.

Can you help me ?

The further and longer I go. The more charity donations we recieve. If you like what I am doing,please make a donation via THE TEAM FUEL BUTTON.

Ive had £85 donated. But the cost of shipping a rear shock absorber and tyre, plus fitting,will be more like £300. And I simply can't cover the cost.  Plus Visas, Passavonts,bribes for the next ten odd countries.

Please don't just hope someone else will do it. Because they will be thinking the same.

Im stuck here in war torn Mali. With my fingers crossed.

Below are some photos I took for you all along the way.This guy looked happy to see me.....not !!! Came over as the kids were showing me their school books. Kids so far, have been lovely. Heart melting stuff.

Super No1 make this bike. Check his tank !

Kids suround me; proudly shows me his school book

I am only ever one incident away from major trouble: personal protection:

on the roqd i hqve q knife under my tank bag:

You can see the where the tyre is bottoming out on the fender :

Senegal

I left Saint Luis yesterday morning, leaving Pelican Auberge. Which I recommend. Over inflated prices because you are a rich white man ? Yep. The camp site was full with a Dutch Rally. But the Pelican staff said a room was 20,000 CFA. I'd done my homework and knew it to be 10,000 CFA. I said it was too much and offered 7,000. And surprise, surprise, the room was 10,000 CFA really.  See what I mean ? Multiply that by every single purchase.

Whilst in Saint Luis,I had to find the Senegal Customs Office. And extend my bikes Pasavont. So I had time to have my Mali Visa processed. And take some photos for you guys. Cost? 7000CFA. And a morning waiting. Not too bad.

Walked about the town.  Took photos of the boats being built outside the Pelican and the local taxi rank.lol Check out the Renualt 12's are they ? I like the people, always saying " bonjour",to me.;)

Whilst about 255 km from Saint Luis to Dakar is about right for me in a day,on the 125 Van Van. I have done close to 450 km. Trying to clear the Al Queda pro north Mauritania. But Senegal is very humid. The air, as I rode, was actually hot. I went through 4 or 5 litres of water. My Camel Bak now tasting ok. As I flushed it through with hot water from the shower. It had black bactetia in the pipe. Not a nice flavour.

The road to Dakar of Paris Dakar fame was good.  Not many pot holes. The small towns all looked the same. Women sat under one tree. The men sat under another. Sand was where you'd expect a pavement.  And there was always an Orange mobile shop.lol. But it rarely actually sold phones. Work that one out. See photo.

Kids waved as I touted my horn through the villages. And would surround me when I stopped for water and to have five. Always asking for " caduex",a gift. All smiling and happy. The best toy being a car tyre and stick. And our kids moan if they don't have the latest PS 3 game !!

The bike is well due a service now. And has a noise at the rear and slightly louder tappets. I'd always planned a four day stop in The Gambia, as it's English speaking.  And would be able to explain myself properly.  Hopefully the British Embassy will be able to help me out. In desperate need of compo,hexi blocks or a duel fuel cooker, that works. Puri tabs and a beer !!

In Dakar as I write this.  The camp site was closed when I got here at 7 pm last night. So had to pay for a hotel, that I can ill afford.

Went to the Mali Embassy today, to arrange my Visa.  It should be 48 hrs,but I explained my bikes Pasavont ran out tomorrow. ( its like a Visa for the bike.)

Very helpful and without a bribe,it will be ready at 4 pm today. Result!! 40 hrs quicker than normal. Cost ? 15,000 CFA .But I guess business isn't great at the moment.  As Mali is in civil war. Armed Muslims refusing ' man made laws ' and imposing Sharia Law. The French Army is there at the moment. So we shall see how that goes. I believe the south is relatively safe. But there are no guarantees.

Riding in some of the cities here is a just mental. No rules,none. People just walk out, some with pots on their heads. Some hearding goats and donkeys. Traffic lights mean nothing. Lanes and pavement s are just guidelines. Man holes with no covers. The list goes on.

On my way back from the embassy to the hotel. A taxi slowly pulled out and hit me. Trapping my leg between his bumper and my bike. The bike now at 40 degrees, as I struggled to hold it up. I punched his bonnet and asked him nicely to move back. To release my leg. He didn't.  Didn't even get out the car. Whole different rule book here. But not surprised. Just got to roll with it.

Off to get some food. Lost a fair bit of weight. Got to look after myself.  Even if I am number four of priorities. ( water,petrol,bike and then me.)

All is well, slept for England last night. Broke £4,000 with Gift Aid yesterday. But please, if you like what I'm doing.  Click the Help for Heroes logo,top right. All this is so you will donate to help wounded servicemen.

You can find me on Facebook.  London to Johannesburg. Click LIKE. And get the updates.

Will.

Suzuki RV 125 Van Van Transformation

My Army mate, Dave, is  preparing the tank, side panels and mud guards for painting. He is also making brackets and doing a spot of welding. And other things I do not understand. Chances are, Dave is a Wizard or Druid or something. But I am very impressed. The bike is going to be all white. Ready for the " London 2 Johannesburg " logo on the tank. Daz, at Graphics.net, is also putting on the Union Jack and South African flags, blending into each other.

Can you see what it is yet ? Two that Dave made earlier. They are extension brackets for the front fender. To raise it off the front wheel by a further 40 mm. This to give all that lovely African mud some clearance. Whilst I am  going down the West Coast of Africa. The Rainy Season will kick in on route, for about two weeks. Rock hard mud tracks can turn into meter deep bog, over night.!!

There is an account on Horizons Unlimited of a Landrover getting stuck in 1 meter deep mud. The " Overlanders " having to abandon the vehicle. And had to live with the local tribesman for 40 days !!! Until the rain stopped and the bog returned to drivable dirt! Lol. There is no way they'd put up with me for 40 days.....I have got Justin Bieber on my i pod to motivate digging me out.

Front Fender bracket fitted, you can see that it will lift it up above the tyre. But still will clear the frame when steering .( Hopefully ).

Yep...it's Dave's hand working some magic, wizardry. Thingy ma jig.The fiber glass needs some work, so yet again, Dave is sorting that out. You might be wondering why we are making the bike look so good. When it's going to get dropped about 80 times on it's journey south. The reason is, when the bike is " Help for Heroes " logoed up. I shall be returning the favour to my sponsoring companies. Such as Suzuki Haslemere. Ask for Mark in Sales or Tom in Service. Say I sent you. Click Suzuki Suzuki Haslemere  After I have done the Press Release, I shall be poodling to the given sponsors. Meeting the local paper, and getting the Mighty Van Van and the challenge cause, in the public's eye. Placing the Mighty Van Van at the center of all the photos. I just hope people understand how much effort is going into this challenge. And throw their hat into the ring. And donate a few pennies. If you like what we are doing and who we are helping. Click my charity page. Help for Heroes.

Guess who  this is ? He's London to Johannesburg's Stig !!  "  Some say.............."

You tell him he's not the London to Johannesburg Stig !!!

The Stig . Aka Dave, ( or is it ), has been doing some more prep work on the fenders.

Rear Fending getting filled and sanded ready for primer and then top coat of white paint. The bike will look great when Dave has finished. Once all  the graphics and new seat have arrived. Complete with non slip Help for Heroes blue cover. I shall put it back together and get the pics up on this blog. Then its Public Relations time.Getting the papers, and TV outside sponsors premises. taking the bike and my Pop Up Help for Heroes banners to bike events. Asking the folks to " text WALK to.." donate a fiver and running around with my collection tin.



If you have an event that you would like us to attend. Use the comment box or e mail me.Dave will be on hand with his blow torch to assist with motivating donators. " And on that bomb shell.........".

To chuck a tenner into my charity pot click here. Help for Heroes  YOU will make a difference.

Mighty Van Van goes on a diet

So....the bike has gone on a crash  diet ....

Suzuki have taken the mud guards, side panels and tank off. Another great job done by Tom and the guys at
Suzuki Haslemere..Click to go to  Tom in service dept.

They are now on their way to be painted white. Courier collects on Monday. £11 to the other side of the country. Not too bad! The bike will be a blank canvas then. As the graphics will be going on. Including "London2Johannesburg" and the Union Jack blending into the South African flag.  Should look very cool. And with the "text2donate" number on the side,hopefully some well earnt donations should go to our wounded servicemen.The charity I am doing this challenge for,is called Help for Heroes. They do amazing work for wounded servicemen. If you who I am trying to help by doing this 20,000km challenge. Dont leave it up to someone else. Please donate,the "others" never donate!!! It's up to you. Click donate,quickly and safley....Click below..
 Donate to Help for Heroes 

Dave Lythcoe is going to work his magic on the might Van Van. With his spray gun. Really looking forward to seeing the bike done.  Easy day today, Mount admin is about covered, for the time being. As soon as the bike is finished,it will be Press Release time and lots of Public relations work. All to raise awareness of our wounded servicemen. Who serve our country with such dedication,humour and ability. Over one £££thousand pounds now. Can you please donate to my challenge.Click here to go to HELP FOR HEROES donate 2 seconds is all it takes..

Time to get some work, so I can pay for this challenge!! :)