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TRAVEL JOURNALS, Travel tips and advice, Cultural Magazine

Left the Office for the Open Road – How we started motorcycle riding the world

michnus

13th April 2025

We Took a Chance Riding Motorcycles Around the World, and it Changed Our Lives.

I recently had a groovy chat with Neil from ADVRIDER.com and the podcast The Lowdown. We covered all sorts of ground—how we got into motorcycling, why we ditched the corporate grind, and how that leap of faith eventually led to the birth of Turkana Gear.

It all started back in 2010 when we set off on a motorcycle journey through Africa aboard our trusty BMW Dakar 650s. What began as a simple plan to explore turned into a lifestyle—and along the way, a brand was born. Turkana Gear grew out of a need for rugged, purpose-built gear designed by long-term motorcycle adventure enduro overlanders, for overlanders. Built tough in South Africa, by folks who’ve lived the dirt-road life.

We also chatted about the highs, the lows, and all the muddy bits in between—plus what it’s like to balance a love for two wheels with building a business that stays true to its roots.

Watch the interview on YouTube

English is my second language (and if you’ve ever heard a South African try to be serious in English, you’ll understand 😅). So yes, there’s some accent, some rambling, and probably a few spots where I ran out of airtime… But it’s real, it’s unscripted, and it’s very us.

Give it a listen—or don’t. Just let the video run in the background to boost the algorithm and send some digital love Neil’s way. That way, we can all pretend we’re social media pros.

 

You can listen to this week’s Lowdown Show podcast here, or via the embedded link.

Gear & Equipment Reviews what is hot & what not

michnus

Michnus, GenX’er born and bred South African product. Known on ADVrider for his epic ride report Michnus & Elsebie Piki-Piki Around the World. Not known to follow or believe his own advice however he loves to share stories and inspiration with others. Michnus and his better half left South Africa 10 years ago on an initial 6 month planned trip up to Europe through Africa. Sold the family pets and mom, hit the road motorcycling on a semi-permanent basis to this day.

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