Gael warning in the Congo

Simon, absolutely inspiring and as I consider myself mechanically inept, it seems you just find help where you are - which is reassuring. What a way to learn how your bike ticks, but with massive stress though.

I always think that even on solo journey’s there’s you...and your bike, so don’t leave her behind, you’ve been through too much.

Good luck and with you all the way.
Glenn
 
So after changing the coils around and examining the injectorsall the other changes, it now seems a fuel supply issue further upstream. On one view, once the tank is half empty the engine seems to starve of fuel.

Given we have fitted a new pump, could we have missed something in doing that?

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It’s not something simple like a blocked breather in the filler cap is it? Obviously this can be discounted if you’ve been messing about and opening the cap between fills but it won’t be the first time this has caused problems.
 
Thanks G&T but I have Jim travelling with me for this leg and he is far more mechanically adept than me.

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Thanks guys for support. We have made it to Luanda despite the dodgy fuelling.

A fuller update to follow. Just a couple of nuggets

My Kalashnikov-toting petrol-station guarding new best friend
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The dogs are quite big here
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And at Carlos house in Luanda, the Landy of Maxi the 28 year old German we met in Congo Brazzaville.
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Sadly he seems to have got malaria in DRC as has Dave the Aussie KTM we so Carlos is preparing their jabs as we dine
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I'm no mechanical genius either but could it be a legacy of having the tank off - partially blocked fuel line or breather, unseated choke or throttle cable, electrical cable shorting ?

Kinda clutching at straws here but if you're not making forward progress I've nothing to live vicariously to / with / by :rob
 
We caught the small plane from Cabinda to Soyo, getting a good view of the coast and the mouth of the Congo river. After a long delay and some frustration we repossessed the bikes off the boats in Soyo. However the next 24 hours were focussed on getting Simon's bike running better. With changing some parts, adding some petrol and the assistance of a local mechanic we got it running. Simon has described the work in more detail above. That afternoon we headed south, initially just 100 miles and stayed in N'zito. Today we covered the other 150 miles to the large city of Luanda.

This is my cut, mostly in photos, of the last few days:

This was the tiny plane that took us over the DRC and the Congo River. Below is Simon asking the co-pilot if he wants to borrow his GPS
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Once we got to Soyo we took a taxi to the beach where the boats were landing, expecting to pick them up. This was the drive down the "road" we would have to ride out to get to tarmac. The thick sand did not fill me with enthusiasm. As the day wore on and no bikes appeared, that became the least of my worries.
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While waiting at the beach we saw them try to load this 4x4 on a boat, get stuck half way and have to be taken off. Our bikes however were unloaded, undamaged and we rode, up the sandy track onto the tarmac and parked up outside our hotel. I concluded the best way following a GS through sand, is follow its tracks.
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Next morning we did a lot of work on Simons bike and at one point I went off to get petrol, the 3 garages I visited had no petrol but I got this picture of the Congo estuary.

Later we got help working on Simons bike. The photo shows the mechanic with the red top, some helpers and an interested bystander, with yellow shorts, a blue top and what is that on his head? Only in Africa!
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When we finally got the bike running Simon thought he'd take the bike for a test run but the mechanic had other ideas. He jumped on the bike himself, rode off like a Dakar rider, kicking up sand, so quickly no pictures were taken. This one is Simon getting the bike back for his own test ride.

Although into the afternoon, we packed the bikes and rode off 100 miles to N'zito where we parked up outside the local church.
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We found room in a local hotel, a courtyard to park up and a very alert guard dog. Above in the trees were a colony of village weaver birds with their pendulous nests hanging from the branches.
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In the morning we set off for the 150 miles to Luanda. The road was great and the trees to the side were stunning(I'll load some pictures from my headcam when time allows). These poor creatures were for sale at the side of the road. The seller even offered to dress them for us, we declined.

As the heat built up we arrived in the large city of Luanda and weaved our way through the traffic for about 45 minutes, which demanded our full attention.
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At a fuel and cold drink stop I had my bike protected, for the first time, by the Kalashnikov toting security guard, who loved having his photo taken, and everyone joined in.

This in Maxi's Landy, driven here from Munich, including through the mud of the DRC, with a KTM 990 In the back. I've seen the video!

We'll rough it tonight in this poor excuse for a hotel:)
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A couple more shots of our 30 km flight over the River Congo estuary. Did Jim say it was quite cosy?

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Glad things are going to well. I'm sure you will get local advice there but Ihla do Cabo is a narrow spit off town that certainly used to be a peaceful haven worth going to.

Where do you plan to go into Namibia?
 


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