We live in an age of influencers. Product providers see merit in their products receiving exposure when used by people who are in the public eye. A case in point is Honda Wing Brits. A hometown celebrity is the popular Afrikaans musician and songwriter Christoph Kotze’, who goes by the stage name Appel. Honda Wing Brits has given him an Africa Twin 1100 to use in the medium term. Part of the deal involved rider training at the spectacular ADA Training facility located on the ‘Satellite road’ near Hartebeespoort Dam. We took a ride out to take a peek at proceedings.
We watched Appel following his instructor through a series of drills, after which we got an opportunity to chat with him during a coffee break. I think that Appel’s songs resonate with a lot of South Africans. He typifies guys who engage in outdoor pursuits like hunting, fishing, 4x4s, rugby, motorcycles and weekend braais with buddies, where the odd beer or ‘vuil coke’, courtesy of ‘Rickie Louw’, would be consumed.
For Appel, adventure motorcycles are a firm favourite on that list. Kudos to Honda Wing Brits who saw an opportunity to get exposure for their Africa Twin 1100. Appel has written songs for Theuns Jordaan as well as producing five albums, one of which, ‘Patriot’, topped the iTunes chart. He has quite a stage personality, belting out lifestyle-oriented songs in his pleasant gravelly voice. Country and western SA style!
Appel’s wife and daughter were also enjoying getting to grips with a little Honda CRF under the watchful eye of an instructor. Appel’s rationale is that his little girl isn’t ever going to play rugby, but she can get into bikes like her dad. Referring to his own experience at ADA, Appel shared that despite owning an Adventure bike of his own, he was benefiting hugely from professional instruction. The finer nuances of motorcycle riding skill are often lost without exposure to decent instruction.
I would earnestly recommend doing an ADA course, irrespective of your level of skill. The old saying, ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ does not only apply to relationships, but to skills too. Sometimes we get sloppy over time and neglect some of the foundational skills that enhance our safety and enjoyment of riding bikes. Professional athletes use coaches to stay sharp and excel in their sport. Why are we, as riders, any different?
Thanks to ADA Bossman Heine Engelbrecht for the invite to hang out with Appel and enjoy some typical ADA hospitality. We had a ball!
For more information on the bike featured in this article, click on the links below…
