Have you ever had an Easy Rider fantasy? The kind of reverie in which you are seated on the spine of a motorbike as it grumbles across the countryside. A daydream where the wind strips you of all concerns leaving only a leather-clad husk of coolness. If you have then join in the BMW Motorrad Days.Based on the original German festival, BMW Motorrad Days is a motorcycle gathering in Clarens in the Free State.Fanatics and their families bond over their mutual love of the two-wheeled temptresses. But it's not all about the bikes. The festival's attractions include music, food and, most interestingly, Jolandie Rust.In the mood for a life change, Jo, as she prefers to be called, decided it was time to go big or stay home."I wanted to do something big with my life. I didn't want to be that person with a heap of regrets. The biggest thing I could think of was to be the first female bicyclist to circumnavigate the continent," she said.She got to northern Angola before an armed robbery made her rethink her strategy."It was at that point, watching my bike go over the horizon, that I knew I wanted to start again."Using a combination of charm and luck Rust returned home, hustled a motorbike and trip sponsorship and restarted her adventure. Eighteen months later she was the first woman to conquer Africa on a bike."Despite what happened in Angola I found that 95% of people would rather protect me than try to harm me," she said.Rust is not the only Motorrad enthusiast with an interesting story to tell. Actor Neo Matsunyane is a founding member of the Blaque Diamonds Motorcycle Club, one of the largest black biking groups in the country. The Blaque Diamonds have become well known in Soweto for dispelling myths about black people and motorcycles."People in the townships often associate having a biking licence with being a delivery boy or have the knee-jerk image of the big, hairy white guy on a Harley. We want to change that," he said.Unlike Easy Rider, BMW Motorrad Days does not promise an existential journey punctuated with failed drug deals and general debauchery. Instead, it offers the infinitely more pleasurable alternative of being in a space where bike nerds can get together and geek out about their common interest, with Lesotho looming in the background.BMW Motorrad Days takes place this weekend. For more details visit www.bmw- motorraddays.co.zaSize mattersBeing on a motorbike is not just about strapping on some leather and going full throttle. Veteran biker Neo Matsunyane has some dos and don'ts:Size Matters - Get a bike you can pick up. Every biker falls at some point. If you can't pick up your bike you'll have a big problem.Don't Spare Expense - Biking can be an expensive hobby but don't cut corners, even on stuff like gloves. You'll regret it when your budget gloves skid along the road.Stay Alert - Just because you have right of way does not mean you're safe. Drivers will take chances with you.Don't Drink and Ride - Not even a drop. Remember you're in the open with no crumple zones to protect you...