28/09/2026
🏍️ MEET JONATHAN – THE BIKE WHISPERER
Jonathan has been part of Sama Tours since day one. He started the company alongside Darryl when he was just 18 years old, and it’s probably fair to say that his obsession with motorcycles has only got worse since then. 😂
Jonathan has never been particularly interested in simply riding a motorcycle. He needs to know exactly what it can do.
Dynamic Mode? Obviously needs testing.
How far can it lean? Let’s find out.
How good are the brakes? There’s one way to know.
Can he get his knee down? Challenge accepted. 😎
Around Sama Tours, we call him “The Bike Whisperer.” Jonathan test rides our motorcycles and has an uncanny ability to know when something isn’t quite right. Sometimes he only needs to listen to an engine to tell you that something sounds off - usually long before the rest of us have noticed anything.
For years, Jonathan’s heart has belonged to the big bikes. The BMW R 1250 GS and R 1300 GS Adventure have always been his kind of motorcycles: big, powerful and capable of taking on just about anything Africa can throw at them.
But recently there’s been a plot twist...
Jonathan has taken quite a shining to the new F 450 GS. 👀
His thinking? Smaller, lightweight adventure motorcycles that are fun and easy to handle, but still have enough power to keep up with the big boys, could very well be the future of Sama Tours.
And when the Bike Whisperer starts getting excited about a motorcycle, we tend to pay attention. 😂
Of course, there is another side to Jonathan once he’s actually leading a tour. In 2015, he travelled to Germany and qualified as an official BMW Motorrad Tour Guide, and he takes his responsibility as a guide incredibly seriously.
Client safety always comes first. He’ll go out of his way to look after his riders, answer their questions, share everything he knows about South Africa and do whatever he can to make sure they have an unforgettable tour.
So if you find yourself riding through Africa behind Jonathan, you’re in very capable hands.
Just don’t challenge him to find out how far your motorcycle can lean. 😜🏍️
