Local steel merchant Glenn Daff ’s garage is brimming with cars, bikes, fishing and golfing equipment.

He recently sold his jet ski and caravan, but he has a boat parked somewhere.

However his most prized possession is his new BMW 1250GS Adventure bike.

It is squeezed between the door of the garage and his BMW Z4, “so that it gets first preference,” he says with a laugh.

It is the latest model and was launched about five months ago. Daff was one of the first people in the country to own one, which he bought from the Umhlanga dealership.

“In five months I have done about 4000km on it,” he said.

“I am a weekend rider, though I try to sneak in trips whenever I can. I will pop to the shops on it or call on clients.”

Aside from short rides, Daff and his friends love going for longer three or four-day trips when they get the opportunity.

“We had an impromptu ride the other day, we all got together and shot through to Wartburg,” he said.

They went along back roads through Tongaat, had breakfast in Wartburg, then rode past Pietermaritzburg through Thornville, Baynesfield and finally Umzimkulu.

“We had beers at the Harding golf club at about four ‘o clock in the afternoon.

“Then we had to find somewhere to stay that night. We managed to find a nice apartment on the beach in Uvongo and had dinner at St Michael’s, at a nice restaurant on the river.

“The next day we went back via all the old South Coast roads, following the beach wherever we could, and also stopping along the road wherever we wanted to.”

That was one of Daff ’s best trips to date, though he has also been to Swaziland where he rode 1600km over a period of three days.

The intention was to go to a bike fest, but they did it more for the ride, Daff said.

“It was a group of us, we all met up at various points and then rode together.”

Up next is a trip to Clarens.

“It’s apparently a fantastic ride. The other trip that I aspire to do is the Katze Dam trip in Lesotho. It is very popular for adventure riders. Apparently it is a very scenic route.”

Daff also has an off -road bike, which he does not use very often. He has moved on to the adventure bike category, which he said suits his stage of life.

“It’s natural progression for latter life and suits that particular market. The bike is a combination of off -road and on-road.”

Daff ’s passion started at the age of 14. His first bike was a Suzuki TS50 – a ‘scrambler’, he calls it – though he says it shows his age. He begged his parents to get it for him.

Since then he has gone through countless bikes.

He has also tried to get his 15-year-old son, Liam, into motorbikes, though he is more of a fisherman.

“Biking is something that you are interested in or you aren’t.

“I wanted to get him a motorbike when he turns 16, but he would rather a kayak instead.”

Liam does love riding on the back of his dad’s bike, though, and also has his own Big Boy 125, an off -road bike. For Daff though, it is clear he is happiest on the seat of a bike.

“I have flipped over backwards and I have hurt myself, but this is the price you pay for getting to where you want to be. It is an amazing sport, it really is.”