Sidecar Touring Garden Route

Sidecar Touring Garden Route (Knysna)

Exhilarating African touring adventure on three wheels in the Western Cape, along the famous Garden Route. Based in Knysna, but offering chauffeured half day, full day as well as longer sightseeing trips in the area. Experience the thrill of side-car touring through rock, sand, dirt as well as mud. Travelling in the side-car of a motorbike, (a small vehicle attached to the side of a motorcycle) exposed to the elements, discovering and exploring the countryside.

Sitting in the open and not very far from the ground from where you can observe nature passing by from a very unusual angle. Feeling the wind and sun (and rain!), as well as the occasional flying insect hitting your helmet. Smelling the fynbos and dust and hearing the noise of the bike and the wheels on the road. No amount of words can come even close to fully describe the sense of freedom and joy of a motorbike ride out in nature.

Sidecar Touring Garden Route has three 750 cc Russian side-car motorcycles as well as one 1150 cc BMW side-car motorbike. These tours, of course are not about speeding from one point to the next. The sole purpose of these three-wheeled tours is to satisfy your hunger for adventure in a unique way by offering you a terrific thrill of a ride. Perfect for those who might otherwise never have the opportunity to experience a bike ride in the country.

Sidecar Touring Garden Route – Certification

All drivers at Sidecar Touring

• Hold valid motorcycle driver’s licenses
• Are PDP certified (Professional Driving Permit)
• Are qualified Tour Guides

They can also provide a tour guide who is specifically qualified for a specific tour.

Sidecar Touring Garden Route – Safety

Safety is, of course very important to these tour operators.

• Protective/safety clothing has to be worn when riding which means helmets, jackets and gloves as a minimum. On hot days this can be uncomfortable when you stop, but a sensible biker dresses for a possible slide and not a fashion show. And such driver will see to it that the passenger is equally dressed for protection
• If you have your own helmet, jacket and gloves, etc., you are welcome to don those, but they also have protective clothing to lend to you. Just inform them in advance of the size you will be needing
• The company is insured and is PT covered (passenger transportation) which is also included in the fee
• All drivers have First Aid qualifications
• There is always a First Aid kit on board
• All essential tools are also on board

Sidecar Touring Garden Route – Sightseeing Tours

They offer chauffeured fixed/scheduled as well as personalised tours. Booking is essential because days are booked on a first come, first served basis. The starting point is the Belvidere Manor Hotel in Knysna. They also offer a discount for couples.

Fixed/Scheduled Sightseeing  Side-car Tours

• Sunset cruise
• Sunrise cruise
• Half day cruise – Harkerville Market (Saturdays only)
• Another half day tour – Wild Oats Market (Saturdays only)
• Half day tour – Map of Africa; or Pili Pili, Phantom Pass or Buffalo Bay
• Full day tour – Angie’s G Spot, Gouna Forest (deep indigenous forest in the Gouna area of Knysna forest) and Prince Alfred Pass (between Knysna and Avontuur)
• Another full day tour – Seven Bridges Pass road to George and back
• Full day tour – Boplaas wine tasting
• Full day tour – Kranshoek and Radical Raptor tour (Birds of prey)
• 3 day tour – Montague, Swartberg, Meiringspoort and Prince Alfred passes
• 4 day tour – Karoo meander

Personalised/Self-Planned Chauffeured  Side-car Tours

Clients are welcome to request a tailor-made tour route according to their own needs or interests. For instance, a photographer wanting to take photos of certain places combined with the adventure of riding in the side-car. Or a wine-lover wanting to tour the wine-route visiting different wine tasting cellars. The client can request where they should go and when/where they should stop on their self-planned route/tour. Talk to these tour operators about your needs and they will put your personalised package together.

Side-car Hire

• You can hire a sidecar, but before you can take it, you need to know how to drive one. Speak to them if that is your intention and they will ascertain that you have the necessary licensing and biking experience
• Driving a side-car motorcycle is quite different from driving a normal two-wheeled motorbike. Therefore you will need to have an introductory lesson on the basics of riding a side-car. (Extra cost)

Helpful Info

Starting time, Starting point, Parking

• Starting time of the trip – normally the trip starts at 08:00 with breakfast, followed by the trip (all included in the package)
• The starting time of the Sunrise and Sunset cruises will typically depend on the time of the year. Remember that you could request you own route here as well
• Pick-up and drop – they pick you up where you are staying in Knysna as well as drop you there again
• Or they pick you up and drop you at a venue of your choice in Knysna
• Or you can come to the Belvidere Manor Hotel in Knysna, another starting point for the tour
• If you come to the Belvidere Manor Hotel, you can park your vehicle there safely for the duration of the tour

Refreshments

• Breakfast is included in the package if the time of the tour is over breakfast time
• Otherwise you are welcome to bring a cooler box with cold water and soft drinks
• Passengers may drink alcohol, but the drivers do not take any alcohol themselves
• They also stop at interesting places for drinks
• Their advice is that you do not use vacuum flasks because they tend to break on the rough road. Rather make use of metal containers

Necessities

• Do not forget sunblock, lip-sunblock, sunglasses, warm clothing (it can become quite cold what with sitting exposed to the elements) Moving fast also increases the wind-chill factor
• A rain suit is also a good idea especially in areas where the weather tend to change suddenly. It is no joke to be wet on a bike. On a longer trip, a rain suit is of course a must
• If you are going on one of the longer trips, pack your things in a dust-proof as well as waterproof bag to prevent your change of clothes from becoming wet or dusty (or both)

Mike Sankey

Cell: 082 377 3924

Syspanmotorfietstoere in Knysna op die Tuinroete

Opwindende Afrika-avontuurtoere op drie wiele in die Wes-Kaap op die Tuinroete. Hulle is gestasioneer in Knysna vanwaar hulle halfdag, voldag en so ook langer toere in die omgewing aanbied. Geniet ‘n unieke toer met ‘n syspanmotorfiets as vervoermiddel waar jy naby die grond sit en alles vanuit ‘n heel ander hoek kan betrag. So sien mens dinge in die natuur raak waarby jy andersinds sou verby jaag. Die blootstelling aan die elemente daar in die oop syspan maak elke sintuig wakker. Jy hoor ander geluide, sien ander dinge, voel die wind en son (en soms dalk reën) en jy ruik die veld, fynbos en stof. En so raak jou binneste vry en los en skoon en begin jy een voel met die natuur om jou.

Daar is drie 750 cc Russiese syspanfietse en een 1150 cc BMW syspanfiets. Die doel van hierdie toere is nie om so vinnig as moontlik van een punt na ‘n ander te jaag nie. Dit is bedoel om jou die geleentheid te bied om ‘n unieke, onvergeetlike avontuur te beleef. ‘n Rit op drie wiele in een van die mooiste en so ook amper ongeskonde dele van Suid-Afrika.

Sidecar Touring Garden Route – Sertifikasie

Al hulle bestuurders het wettige motorfietsbestuurderslisensies en so ook Professionele Bestuurspermitte en is ook opgeleide toergidse.

Sidecar Touring Garden Route – Veiligheid

Soos dit hoort, is veiligheid vir hierdie besigheid baie belangrik.

• Beskermende klere soos ‘n helmet, baadjie en handskoene word te alle tye gedra. So word jy beskerm indien daar ‘n onverwagte situasie ontstaan
• Indien jy self sulke klere het, is jy welkom om dit aan te trek, so nie, sal hulle vir jou klere leen. Laat hulle net vooraf weet wat jou grootte is
• Hulle is verseker om passasiers te vervoer (PT)
• Al die bestuurders het eerstehulpopleiding
• Daar is altyd eerstehulptoerusting aan boord
• So ook al die belangrike gereedskap

Sidecar Touring Garden Route – Toere

Daar is toere waarvan die roete vasgestelgeskeduleer is en so ook selfbeplande toere. Dis belangrik om vooraf te bespreek want hulle volg ‘n eerste kom, eerste kry-beleid. Die wegspringpunt is die Belvidere Manor Hotel in Knysna en daar is ook afslag vir paartjies.

Vasgestelde/Geskeduleerde Besigtigingstoere

• Sonsondergangsrit
• Sonsopkomsrit
• Drie verskillende halfdagtoere na interessant plekke
• Vier verskillende voldagtoere in die omgewing, die Knysnabos en so ook die bergpasse
• Een 3-daglange toer verder weg van Knysna tot in die Klein Karoo
• Een 4-daglange toer al kronkelende deur die Karoo

Selfbeplande Toere

Kliënte is welkom om ‘n eie roete aan te vra volgens hulle eie behoeftes. Sommige wil dalk konsentreer op foto’s, ander wil graag ‘n uitgebreide wynproetoer doen. Nog ander wil dalk net op teerpaaie ry en so wil ander dalk net grondpaaie ry. Praat met hulle, hulle wil graag vir jou jou eie pakket saamstel.

Huur van ‘n Syspanmotorfiets

Jy kan ‘n syspanmotorfiets huur. Dit behels egter dat jy die regte wettige lisensiëring moet kan toon en so ook moet jy eers ‘n les kry in die basiese dinge rondom die bestuur van ‘n syspanfiets. (eksta koste)

Nuttige Inligting

Aanvangstyd, Wegspringpunt, Parkering

• Normaalweg begin die toer so teen 08:00 met ontbyt (ingeslote in die pakket) waarna die toer dan ‘n aanvang neem
• Sonsopkoms- en sonsondergangtoere hang af van die tyd van die jaar
• Die beginpunt is by die Belvidere Hotel in Knysna waar jy jou motor kan laat as jy self soontoe gery het
• So nie, sal hulle jou kom optel waar jy woon of en jou weer daar gaan aflaai

Verversings

• Ontbyt is ingesluit as die toer oor daardie tyd plaasvind
• Jy is welkom om drinkgoed in ‘n koelboks te bring
• Passasiers mag wel alkohol gebruik, maar die bestuurders nie
• Daar word by interessante drinkplekke gestop
• Maak liewer gebruik van metaalhouers want glasflesse kan breek van die geskud

Noodsaaklikhede

• Onthou die sonblok, lipsonblok, donkerbril, warm klere (dit kan koud raak so in die oopte op ‘n fiets)
• ‘n Reënpakkie veral op langer toere – jy wil nie nat wees op ‘n motorfiets nie!
• As jy ‘n langer toer doen, (paar dae) is dit wys om jou goed in ‘n waterdigte, stofdigte sak te pak sodat jou spaarklere nie nat word as dit sou reën nie

Mike Sankey

Cell: 082 377 3924