Some time ago bought a Honda XL250S which has quite a nice history.
The first owner drove this bike around Africa from 1982 to 1985 before driving back to the Netherlands in 3 months’ time.
Via the 1st owner received a number of photos and the underlying story.
It’s too good of a story not to share.
Photo 106 is from 1982.
I was just in Guine-Bissau at the time. I worked there for 3 years for SNV in a drinking water project. I lived and worked there in Gabu. The bike still had an aluminium tank at the time, but it didn’t last long (due to a fall leaking at a weld). I had a new tank come over, it’s still on it, I saw it in your pictures.
Just before the Sahara trip I bought the same bike from a Dutch tropical doctor This because mine used a lot of oil. I then exchanged some parts and sold mine there. That of the tropical doctor is the bike with which I made the Sahara trip.
Photo 11 is from 1985. I had started the journey through the Sahara together with another person (colleague in Guine Bissau). This photo was taken in Guine-Conakry. Photo 18 and 20 as well.
On photo 20 you can see that there were two side racks on, for the jerry cans (1 for gasoline, 1 for water). The rack that is still on with the 2 side racks I made just before we started the tour. Before that, there was a small rack on it.
Photo 34 was taken in Djenne, Mali. Beautiful city, where the buildings are made of clay, mud. I had a big chest on the back of the rack, for all the stuff, parts, etc. I then had to shorten the saddle, to push that box forward as much as possible because of the center of gravity. Incidentally, the other bike is also a honda xl250s.
Photo 68 and 69: Dogon Valley, Mali. Really off-the-road..
Photo 77: at the border between Burkina faso and Niger
Once in Tamanrasset it was just asphalt. Through Tunisia we crossed into Sicily and through Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium back in the Netherlands. We were on the road for about 3 months. Wonderful experience! It’s a shame it can’t be done now, not just because of corona, but certainly the last 30 years because of rebels, terrorist groups that are in charge in the Sahara. Unbelievable, there was nothing going on at the time (some tensions between the Tuaregs and the governments).