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Into the Baviaanskloof
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BMW R 1200 GS Adventure
Jeff Buchanan
09/01/2006
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Canadian Thomas Bain was a prolific road builder. In the waning years of the
19th century he designed and constructed an extensive labyrinth of dirt roads
opening South Africa’s vast interior to the primary mode of transport of the
day—the ox wagon. Among the 24 significant routes he created, there is one that
stands as his magnum opus. That road was destined to become one of his last,
most assuredly the longest, and arguably the most famous. When he cut the narrow
87-mile dirt passage through the rugged Baviaanskloof and Kouga mountains in the
1880s, he couldn’t possibly have envisaged that, in time, it would become the
renowned off-pavement destination it is today.
 The BMW R 1200 GS Adventure takes us into the heart of the Baviaanskloof. (Click image to enlarge)
The laborious engineering
endeavor resulted in the Baviaanskloof Road. Located in the Eastern Cape
Province, 75 miles west of Port Elizabeth, it has become legendary among the
world’s adventure treks. The rugged dirt passage runs through a protected
wilderness area encompassing 467,000 acres of unspoiled scenery teeming with
wildlife. The isolated route traverses towering gorges, deep valleys, steep
cliffs, and breathtaking plateaus that were created by tectonic movement that
curled the mountains up on themselves 300 million years ago, and then patiently
waited for man to invent vehicles to tackle it.
 Coincidentally, as Bain’s
convict labor was gashing their way through the dense mountain passes, halfway
around the world Gottlieb Daimler was dabbling with his first forays into
marrying a combustion engine with a bicycle. The German inventor (who later
teamed up with Karl Benz to form the Daimler-Benz Corporation) was rewarded for
his efforts in powered, two-wheeled experiments by officially being credited
with building the first motorcycle in 1885. (Click image to enlarge)
In the years since,
motorcyclists—enjoying the fruits of prodigiously evolving technology in their
mounts—have become some of the Baviaanskloof’s most avid and adept conquerors.
The route’s broad range of terrain, challenges and length, combined with the
remoteness of its location and kaleidoscope of scenery, renders one of the most
pleasurable and rewarding off-road experiences in the world. We couldn’t have
asked for a more appropriate locale to ride BMW’s latest incarnation of its
revolutionary off-highway machine, the R 1200 GS Adventure.
The GS series
represents one of BMW’s most successful lines of motorcycles. An iconic machine,
it emerged in 1980 from the company’s goal to design a long-distance touring
motorcycle with off-road capabilities. In doing so, BMW virtually invented the
Adventure category of motorcycling. The Munich-based company has continued to
refine the prized creation since its inception, ensuring its status as one of
the finest, most versatile machines in the class.
 The Adventure moniker
denotes modifications that extend the capabilities of the standard R 1200 GS (an
accomplished machine in its own right) and result in an even more impressive,
globe-trotting workhorse, specifically targeted at conquering overland
expeditions. The new machine’s functional elegance and impressive performance
both on and off the road, combined with its Swiss Army knife practicality, cries
out for travel and, yes, adventure. The African continent and Thomas Bain’s road
beckoned. (Click image to enlarge)
Although our assault on the legendary Baviaanskloof would be
undertaken with the typical challenges of an off-road venture—eating dust while
wrestling motorcycles over rocks and through water crossings under a scorching
sun—demanding a “roughing it” kind of attitude during the day, our evening’s
accommodations would be anything but. Our trek began with a stay at the
extraordinary Pezula Resort Hotel and Spa, South Africa’s premiere luxury resort
hotel. Located in The Garden Route region in the township of Knysna, near the
confluence of the Atlantic and Indian oceans, Pezula is an oasis of relaxation.
The atmosphere helped dissolve the drain of 36 hours in transit from the States
and let us gather our strength for the excursion ahead.
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