Fd Breaking Limits: Road to Europe

By Ogbonnaya Kanu

In 2012, prompted by the spirit of adventure, Ogbonnaya Kanu set off on his first unaccompanied and longest biking tour, with his faithful 2010 BMW R1200GS, codenamed Blanks, to ride from Lagos, Africa, to Europe and back.
Characterized by interesting food stops, peculiar border crossings, different degrees of culture shock, relationships with nature and her elements, and a rather unusual road obstruction, FD, Breaking Limits: Europe is more than just a guide for the adventurous biker.
Beautifully written, FD, Breaking Limits: Europe will take readers into the heart and mind of a man as he travels alone on a road less travelled but with his goal always in sight.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Jan 8, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504934978

Ogbonnaya Kanu

Ogbonnaya Kanu, FD, is an engineer, bike enthusiast, adventurer, and a self-professed “too doer.” He has ridden motorcycles in twenty-six countries of the world, twenty-three of which were with his own Nigerian-registered motorcycle. FD has a knack for making history and being a pioneer. He became the first and only Nigerian member of the Iron Butt Association, with a Saddle Sore of 1600K. FD is the first Nigerian to ride from Nigeria to Europe and back, and he is also the first Nigerian to ride to the southernmost tip of the African continent. He is currently the highest certified motorcycle instructor in Nigeria, having completed Probike UK’s Motorcycle Instructor Training, Levels 1 and 2 training at the California Superbike School, UK and Levels 1 and 2 GS, BMW Off-Road Skills. He nurtures a passion for the growth and development of motorcycling in Nigeria and, as such, is a founding partner of the Ride Easy Motorcycle Training School in Lagos, Nigeria, the only riding school in Nigeria with certified motorcycle training instructors. FD lives in Lagos, Nigeria, with his wife and two daughters.

Book preview

FD

Breaking Limits;

ROAD TO EUROPE

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OGBONNAYA KANU

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AuthorHouse™ UK

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© 2015 Ogbonnaya Kanu. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 01/02/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-3496-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-3495-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-3497-8 (e)

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1 The Genesis

2 Navigating the Bustle

3 Memories … Exotic Pulse

4 Bumpy, Dusty Ride

5 Racy Tracks of Hope

6 Late Start, Heady Ride

7 Early Start, Warm Encounters

8 Decision Trawl

9 The Crossover

10 Droning Sail

11 Behold the Harbour.

12 Emotional Departure; Embark on Euro Tour

13 Breathtaking Sceneries.

14 My Fellow Nigerians—Panic, Recovery

15 The Crossing, and on to Tiznit

16 Steely Ride through Desert Countryside

17 Beyond the Flanks of Dense Vegetation

18 Home at Last!

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The graphic account of Ogbonnaya Kanu, the daring bike enthusiast who rode from Nigeria to Europe and back.

To the only wise God

Acknowledgements

I bless the Almighty God and give Him all honour and glory for enabling me to do this epic trip. He stood by me, guided me, and shielded me throughout my trip. He always has my back and is the one responsible for this book ever coming to life. He strengthens me and is the reason why I live.

I also thank my wife, Eseohe, and my daughters, Tara and Didi, for upholding me in their prayers, always. My good thing (Proverbs 27:22) and my gifts have endured so much during my trip while always encouraging me whenever we spoke.

Last but not least, I thank and acknowledge the influence of the man who introduced me to riding, Mr. Segun Obagun. He is my brother from another mother and is the kind of friend that the Bible refers to when it says that there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). He has sharpened and continues to sharpen my countenance (Proverbs 27:17).

Introduction

The year 2005, for me, remains a milestone: the year I commenced an immensely fulfilling pastime. This passionate foray has left me breathless with each passing day of highly engaging and extremely rewarding adventures.

From dense vegetation to vast desert lands, my first three years saw three bikes pass through my life: a Suzuki RF400, a Suzuki GSX400F, and a Honda CBR600F. With these bikes, I improved myself, sharpening my skill and honing my focus on the bike that would satisfy me for the time. I bought my brand new Honda VFR800 in September of 2008, and that bike unveiled my touring yearn.

By the end of 2008, the passion I had nurtured for biking had bloomed and become so strong that I was not content enjoying it alone. A couple of friends and I birthed the Easy Riders Motorcycle Club (ERMC) that year, and the club has grown to be one of the most outstanding clubs in Nigeria. We also launched the Riding School, an arm of the club with the aim of bringing aspiring riders into the riding sphere. Today, the Riding School—registered as Ride Easy Motorcycle Training—is independent of the club and has its sessions overbooked.

Life as a rider is a potpourri of expeditions, from the highs to the lows across hills and valleys. Riding through magnificent scenery and awesome sights makes the experience exhilarating for bikers, an experience that has made me catalogue this journey for emerging and aspiring bikers to break existing myths and dare to do the impossible.

As a rider, I have participated in the RIM Nigeria in 2008, Ride to the Mambilla Plateau near the Cameroonian border in 2009, The West African Trip in 2009, Ride to Dakar in 2010, and most recently, in July–August of 2012, I made Nigerian riding history by being the first Nigerian to ride to Europe and back.

As BOT and founding member of ERMC, I served the club as financial secretary for the first two years from inception. Subsequently, I was re-elected to the position of treasurer for another two-year term in 2012. At the national level, I was elected in 2010 as founding vice president of the ANMC and was re-elected for a second term in 2012.

My passion has continued to soar, from narrow lanes to broader and wider outreach, stretching through climes and continents and then, the world. Join me as I take you through my graphic diary of starts and stops across blazing dawns and dreary dusks. Welcome to my world.

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1

The Genesis

14 July 2012

Day 1: Ikeja, Lagos to Sokode, Togo

Temps: low 23°C | high 28°C

Distance covered: 622 kilometres

After some hitches with my phone, we finally leave home around 07:30 a.m.—me and my Easy Riders brethren, who have come to ride with me to the border and wish me a safe trip.

We eventually get to the border, although some of us get separated. I clear all formalities in no time, and it’s time to go. Bye, guys! And I am off.

I cross over to the Benin side of the border, and the adventure begins. I have already cleared all formalities, but am stopped as I am about to leave the border. I show my papers, but the official there says my papers are wrong and that I have to pay to pass him. No sir, I will not pay. Instead, we can go back to the Customs Post, and I will do the right thing. So we go back, and he is told that I am okay and should be allowed through. My first mini-adventure and so, so early on my trip.

Riding through Cotonou is uneventful, and I am soon bound for the Togo border. At the border everything goes as usual. I have actually passed through this border several times, so I know the ropes. Stamp my passport, get laissez passer, and register with the police. Once I’m across the border, my destination is Sokode. This town is familiar to me, as we (the GS boys and Baba Ibadan) passed this route about two years ago.

I miss my way slightly in the town of Lomé but am soon back on track and on the highway. The road is nice, and the clouds overhead provide a much-appreciated cover from the otherwise scorching sun. As I ride I pass the alma mater of all bikers, the WAHALA School, so I stop for a photo. I believe we all must have passed through this school or its twin campuses. Or else, why do we ride?

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