There’s a specific kind of silence that follows the roar of thousands of motorcycles leaving a rally site, but the silence following the 2025 Buffalo Rally at ATKV Hartenbos feels different. It feels heavy. For those of us who measure our lives in miles and engine oil, the news that this might have been the final “Buff” is a bitter pill to swallow.
You see, the Buffalo Rally isn’t just an event; it’s a living piece of South African motorcycling history. It all started back in 1966 when Les Hayden founded the Nomads Motorcycle Club for men on British iron—500 cc and bigger, back when bikes had real character and even more oil leaks. The idea for a national rally was born during a camping trip at Silversands in 1969. Seventeen Nomads members, Edon Mendel, Tony Bayley, Peter Flor, Tony Ferguson and Ray Bergman, to name a few, scribbled their names onto a paper plate, which served as the official attendance register. From those humble, grease-stained beginnings, a legend was born.
The first rally took place in the town of Bathurst, nominated by Hilary Watts (editor for Motorcycle SA at the time). Tony Ferguson took up the role of club chairman and led the rally, which drew 250 entrants.
The Buff has survived a lot over the years. It survived venue changes from Bathurst to Aliwal North, and even a nine-year “dark period” caused by government bans and council red tape back in the eighties, but it was Luderick, with the assistance of the late Mark Schreiber, who helped resurrect the rally in Oudtshoorn in 1993.
For the last thirty rallies, the heavy lifting has been done by one man: Luderick Jacoby. Ably assisted by his wife, Helewese, Luderick has steered this massive ship through the highs and lows of the industry. He saw the glory years in Mossel Bay, where attendance peaked at over 7,000 riders, and he saw the club through the lean times of the pandemic.
After three decades in the saddle of event management—a job that takes a full year of logistical gymnastics to pull off—Luderick is hanging up his organiser’s hat.
Now, the question is whether the current generation of Nomads has the fire in their belly to keep it going. The club’s numbers were whittled down to just 70 members during Covid-19, but as any rider knows, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight—it’s the size of the fight in the dog.
Unfortunately, the reality is stark: unless a member of the Nomads Club steps up to take the handlebars, the 45th Buffalo Rally will be the end of an era. It’s a voluntary gig, driven by nothing but pure passion and the kind of camaraderie you only find in the biking world.
If this truly was the last one, the 2025 gathering in Mossel Bay wasn’t just a rally; it was a wake for a giant. But I’d like to hope there’s someone out there with the grit to ensure the Buffalo keeps roaming.
If you think you’ve got what it takes to carry the torch for the Nomads, you can reach Luderick Jacoby at 082 559 7729 or [email protected].
Let’s hope this isn’t the final chapter. South African motorcycling would be a much quieter, lonelier place without the Buff.
