For some time, Jacqui and I had talked about doing the Lamgat. It had been one of those ideas that pops up in conversation every now and then—usually over a wine, a map, and a bit of day-dreaming about open roads. On the 9th of February we finally decided that talking about it was enough. It was time to actually do it.
The weather forecast for the upcoming week looked good, which meant the planning began immediately. Out came the calculators, maps, and route apps. Our aim was simple: complete the trip in the shortest time possible. Naturally, this meant a proper checklist.
- Same range fuel tanks
- Comms set up, charged, and checked
- Ryan’s bike serviced
- Jacqui’s bike given a full 60-point check (while she checked out the merchandise)
- Bags packed and strapped onto bikes
- Route and times checked… and then checked again, including all fuel stops
By the time we were done, NASA would probably have approved our launch procedure.
On the morning of the 16th of February, Jacqui and I climbed onto our Harleys at 3 a.m. sharp and headed out into the darkness. Our plan was to ride down to Cape Town, but during the planning we realized that if we went straight there, we would be about 200 km short of our goal. The obvious solution was to add an extra 200 km locally while we were still fresh and on roads we knew well. The last thing we wanted was to arrive in Cape Town exhausted, after dark, and then have to ride another 200 km on unfamiliar roads while arguing with GPS directions.
After kicking off at 3 a.m., we headed down the N3 toward Harrismith. The road was dark and almost eerily quiet. The temperature was sitting at about 10°C, but at 130 km/h the wind chill dragged that down to what felt like about 3°C. By the time we arrived at the Engen Bergview 1 Stop in Harrismith, we were shaking so much from the cold that holding a cup of coffee without spilling became an advanced skill.
At that moment, the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, and we were praying for heat like two frozen lizards on a rock.
From Harrismith we headed along the N5 toward Winburg to join the N1. By that point our extra 200 km had been ticked off, and from there the real journey began. Surprisingly for a Monday morning, the road was wide open with almost no traffic—one of those rare moments where it feels like the highway belongs only to you.
As we pushed further south, the temperature began climbing steadily. And I mean steadily. I made sure Jacqui knew this too. Every few minutes.
“Temperature just went up another degree.”
A few minutes later.
“Another degree.”
And again.
“Yep… definitely another one.”
I’m fairly certain she was considering disconnecting the comms system at some point.
By the time we reached Beaufort West, we had gone from freezing riders to overheating riders. Layers were coming off at every stop. Jackets, liners, neck warmers—everything that had been absolutely essential that morning was now completely unnecessary.
When we reached Laingsburg at around 16:00, the heat was intense. It wasn’t even a scheduled stop, but I insisted we pull in.
“For fuel?” Jacqui asked.
“No,” I said. “For ice cream.”
Some decisions in life are simply non-negotiable.
By the time we hit Worcester at 17:30, the temperature had climbed to 39°C. At that stage there were no more layers left to remove without attracting unwanted attention from the local authorities.
Then we rolled into Cape Town… straight into peak hour traffic.
Something we had absolutely not planned for.
In fact, the reason we hadn’t planned for it was because we had arrived almost two hours earlier than expected. Apparently our carefully calculated schedule hadn’t accounted for empty highways and two determined Harley riders.
Despite the traffic, the heat, the freezing morning, and my ongoing temperature commentary, it was an incredible experience to share with my wife. A day filled with laughter, adventure, and a lifetime of memories.
Both bikes ran like absolute dreams, not a single issue the entire way.
And in the end, another day in the saddle, we were both simply grateful to have arrived safely—although Jacqui might still be recovering from hearing about the temperature every time it went up by one degree.
A trip well worthwhile which I would recommend to any enthusiast longing for the open road.