There will be no argument when we say that the big-ticket items for all motorcycle manufacturers are adventure bikes. Similarly, there will be no argument when we cast incredulous glances at the price tags for such bikes: R300,000+ is nothing unusual for a brand new 1,000cc+ model, a price that can be almost endlessly added to when the accessories catalogue is brought into play.

There is another factor to bring into the equation and that is the used bike market, which is often flooded with low-mileage, excellent-condition models, which are a few years’ old, often barely used and which are available for fractions of the new costs.

Regular updates to existing models cause a glut of the previous model to appear on the used market. Many of these have had accessories fitted to them, which makes them even better bargains. Currently, the bike that is making waves in adventure circles is the new R 1300 GS from BMW. Being slimmer, lighter and having more power and torque are one thing, but even a higher price tag has not put off fans of the model from trading in their R 1250 or R 1200 models, meaning there are a lot of virtually brand-new used models coming onto the market.

All is well and good, but you’re buying a model that hundreds of people already own, so you’re not going to stand out from the crowd. One way of personalising your new-to-you bike is to fit an after-market exhaust, either the full system or a slip-on silencer, which might have benefits to power, torque and weight but the main reason is to improve the sound of the exhaust note, which is often rather muted thanks to noise legislation in the country or continent of manufacture.

Akrapovič is the established leader in the market and there’s no arguing with the expertise that goes into each system, just as there’s no getting away from the, often, steep price tag. For some, there is simply no substitute. However, if you’ve saved money by buying second-hand, do you particularly want to lose some of that savings by spending a large chunk of money on an after-market exhaust system?

For a long time, there have been few alternatives to Akrapovič, especially if you’re looking for a South African-manufactured alternative. Happily, that situation has now been remedied with the arrival of the Vykon brand, designed and manufactured right here in SA.

The new Vykon X silencer has been specifically engineered for adventure bikes and a mere R11,445 will give your bike a whole new character, without being so loud as to spoil your ride. The quality of design and manufacture leaves nothing to be desired and it looks just as good as its more expensive rivals, equally as important to many owners.

We tried one on an R 1250 GS and the rather flat, drone-like exhaust note of the original system was transformed into something altogether more aggressive and purposeful. Being a slip-on piece of equipment means it can be fitted in minutes by anyone with even the most rudimentary understanding of how to bolt things together and requires no alteration of any hardware so that the original can be re-fitted at any time.

As we have said, new adventure bikes are unbelievably expensive, making a used buy a tempting proposition, especially when a four- or five-year-old model gives very little away in terms of outright performance or ability to brand new models. When something like a four-year-old R 1250 GS with a tiny mileage showing can be bought for the same price as, say, a new Yamaha T7 or Triumph Tiger 900, while possessing arguably more all-day riding practicality, the argument against buying used simply fades away.

Adding a Vykon X exhaust silencer not only supports local industry but elevates your purchase to something individual for relatively little cost.

For more information, visit www.vykon.co.za

I mentioned in my DJ article last year that the ‘DJ’, as the legendary Vintage motorcycle event that takes place annually between Durban and Johannesburg is known, was originally a flat-out race. Some dudes with bikes back in 1913 decided to race to Johannesburg from Durban. Motorcycles were still in their relative infancy back in 1913, a very far cry from what we ride today. 1936 was the last time that the event was staged as a race. It was then deemed to be getting too dangerous and the idea was birthed to continue with the DJ as a Regularity, or TSD Rally. ‘TSD’ being Time-Speed-Distance. In this form of rallying, the route is divided into segments (the DJ has 34 control points) that competitors need to complete in a specified time. Competitors need to calculate the average speed which they must maintain to arrive on time. Being early or late incurs penalties. Simplistically, the rider with the least penalties wins the event. There are neutral zones where riders fuel the bikes and themselves, whereafter they ride to a designated point to start another timed section.

Bikes are equipped with various instruments which will assist the rider in his calculations. Odometers, speedometers, stopwatches, and in many cases typical motorcycle rally ‘road books’. These are route maps which can be scrolled as you go to follow instructions concerning the route to be followed. The route is only revealed to the competitors shortly before setting off. Blimey! As if simply riding these old bangers is not difficult enough!

The 76 bikes scheduled to start averaged 92 years old, taking us back to bikes built in 1932. The oldest bike at this year’s event was the immaculate old 1922 Harley-Davidson of Hans Coertse. I chatted with Hans at the stopover in Newcastle. He was dressed in period ‘Cannonball Run’ clothing, complimenting his magnificent old machine. He shared that the bike has been extremely reliable and a joy to ride. The one interesting modification that he has made in the interest of safety is a front disc brake, ingeniously attached to the spokes of the front wheel. The bike originally came from the factory with only a back brake, which made for some adrenalin rush moments when trying to slow down.

As if that is not enough to contend with, the old Harley, as well as several other old bikes have what has come to be known as ‘suicide’ clutches. This foot clutch is at such a strange angle that contorting your booted foot to pull away smoothly is nigh on impossible, resulting in a 1922 version of whisky throttle. A hand-operated lever grafted into the clutch linkage helps, however it is located on the left side of the bike under your left thigh.

How the rider engages the clutch, operates the tank-mounted gear lever and opens the throttle to get off the line smoothly is a mystery to me. Not to mention advancing or retarding the spark with the equivalent of a left-hand ‘throttle’. On some bikes, the rider pumps an extra squirt of oil on long hills too. Hans says that once on the open road, things get a lot easier and the old Harley lopes along just fine. I got ahead of myself. Let me explain what I was doing there.

Ryan van de Coolwijk, the Business Unit head for Cyber, Art and Tech, (which includes Classic cars and bikes) at iTOO, the Special Risks division of insurance giant Hollard, suggested that we go down and spectate at the DJ, given that iTOO has been the prime sponsor of the DJ for the last two years. Ryan is a petrolhead of note, having owned a Triumph 1050 Speed Triple and Triumph Bonneville amongst others. This got me thinking. I chatted to Bruce Allen, the affable head of Triumph SA and he had no hesitation in hooking us up with two modern classics for the trip. We at least wanted to look the part as we shadowed the DJ riders. So it was that we rode out of Jo’Burg on two Bonnevilles, T120 Black and a Scrambler 900, planning to meet up with the DJ competitors between Ladysmith and Newcastle. The tale of two Triumphs is a story of its own, so let’s get back to the DJ.

We got to Newcastle on the Thursday evening and rode out to Fort Mistake on the Friday to wait for the first old bikes to roll by. It was apt I thought, to await the bikes in a setting that has seen so much historic activity, dating back to the days when the Zulu nation ruled Natal even prior to the first Anglo-Boer war of 1880/1. The old fort, dubbed ‘Fort Mistake’, still stands as a silent sentinel, having witnessed every DJ to date. Enjoying a coffee at the Fort Mistake farm stall, we heard a big single reverberating off the hillsides. The first of the DJ bikes thudded into view. We saddled up and rode up and down taking some photos, all the while marvelling at the magnificent old machines. Back in Newcastle, we watched the bikes roll into their overnight digs. It is hard to explain what a thrill it is to see these men, and a few ladies too, engage with these special old machines, coaxing them along and honouring them in the best way possible, by riding them.

Saturday saw the field up early and on the road. The bikes leave individually at specific intervals and day two held the spectre of negotiating the Amajuba Mountain to Volksrust and then on to Standerton, lunch in Balfour, and then the final run into the finish at Benoni Northern Sport Club. Riding the route with the old bikes gives one a whole new respect for the competitors who engage with the old bikes constantly, eking the best out of them, whilst trying to keep to their individual schedules. Respect! The weather was warm out of Newcastle but got progressively colder as the elevation changed. Out of Volksrust, there was mist which further contributed to the chill. Rolling to Balfour it got properly hot and remained so, all the way to the finish. The heat took its toll on man and machine.

It boggles my mind, having ridden a significant part of the course that the winning margins are so small. Gavin Walton clinched his sixth DJ win out of twenty DJs aboard his 1936 AJS 500, a mere 19 seconds ahead of second man Martin Kaiser on his 1934 Sunbeam 500. Hounding these two all the way, was last year’s winner Mike Ward, 11 seconds adrift in third, on his 1935 Velocette 500. Of the 76 starters, 56 bikes made it to the finish. The oldest entrant was Cliff Le Roux who unfortunately had to retire his 1936 AJS 500 on day two. Finishing as the youngest entrant was Sasha Corlett, 28 years old, on her 1936 BSA 500. Her mom Valerie finished four places behind her in 43^rd spot. Sasha’s dad George, a previous DJ winner, popped the motor on his 1928 CSI Norton 500 International after forgetting to open the oil tap. Ouch!

The weather was favourable for the event, albeit rather hot at times. The rain and accompanying cold which descended on Ryan and me when we rode into Newcastle on Thursday afternoon late had abated by mid-morning on Friday, with DJ Competitors arriving in splendid weather. The road conditions were also generally good, a big issue when you are riding a rigid-frame bike! The consensus amongst competitors was that the 52^nd running of the DJ was well organised and run. Only two riders came to grief, with neither suffering serious injury. Chairman of the Vintage and Veteran Club, Brian Noik, was also encouraged to note that 2024 saw 15 new entrants to the event.

I got some unique insight into this epic event when I was chatting with Jason Anderson on his 1929 AJS 350 on which he finished a creditable 9^th overall. Jason shared that his bike had been in the family since new, with him being the third generation of Anderson men to own the bike. How amazing is that? Bears thinking about how many of the bikes we ride today will see three generations of the same family ride it. The other huge shout-out needs to go to event sponsors iTOO. Without the involvement of corporate sponsors, events like this may well not be able to continue. I would seriously encourage owners of these magnificent, virtually irreplaceable bikes, to contact them and get a quote to insure your pride and joy. You will be surprised at how inexpensive it can be to insure your bike. Put the word out guys, iTOO deserves your support.

RESULTS:

1st Gavin Walton (1936 AJS 500), 453 seconds error
2nd Martin Kaiser (1934 Sunbeam 500), 472
3rd Mike Ward (1935 Velocette 500), 483
4th Mike Venables (1933 BSA Blue Star 500), 636
5th Neville Nicolau (1935 BMW 750), 745
6th Kevin Kohler (1933 Sunbeam 500), 746
7th Martin Davis (1929 Ariel 500), 787
8th JC van Rooyen (1936 Ariel Red Hunter 350), 889
9th Jason Anderson (1929 AJS 350), 958
10th Ryan Duncan (1934 Norton 500), 996.

For more information visit – www.djrally.co.za

Three whole weeks between races just as the season has started! What are they trying to do to us? Of course, the organisers of MotoGP could not have foreseen the cancellation of the Argentinian race, leading to the gap between the Portuguese and American races but it still sucks, especially as the opening pair of races gave a tantalising glimpse as to what we can expect for the rest of the season.

The lack of on-track action hasn’t meant that there is a lack of news, however: quite the opposite, in fact, with one hugely significant event taking place, not to mention ongoing speculation regarding who will ride where in 2025, fuelled by the majority of the grid being out of contract at the end of this year.

The biggest news by far is the buyout of Dorna, which owns the rights to MotoGP in all its forms, as well as World Superbikes, by the current ‘owners’ of Formula One, Liberty Media. Right now, it’s unclear what effect this will have on the championships, especially as Dorna remains to run them. Liberty’s acquisition should not influence what happens on track or with individual teams but its efforts will rather be focused on growing the following and influence of the sport, much as it has done with Formula One.

For anyone who was labouring under the misapprehension that MotoGP and World Superbikes are sports only need to look at the presentation literature accompanying the announcement of the takeover, describing MotoGP as having a “significant opportunity to grow, especially in underpenetrated (sic) markets”. In other words, motorcycle sport is a business just like any other.

So how exactly does Liberty plan to achieve such growth?

The answer comes under the heading of ‘Liberty Partnership to Accelerate MotoGP Growth’ which details the following six moves:

1. 1. Leverage Liberty’s Ability to Scale Leading Global Sports Assets
   2. Expansion Opportunity Especially in Key Growth Markets including the US
   3. Amplify Marketing Support and Storytelling Capabilities
   4. Broaden MotoGP Reach and Appeal to Drive Competition and Boost Commercial Partnerships
   5. Expose Sport to a Wider Fanbase and Fuel the Value of the Entire Ecosystem
   6. Improve Hospitality and Fan Experience

Liberty CEO Greg Maffei is quoted as saying: “(MotoGP) is an unbelievable product, we are not planning to change this sport. “Our goal is to open that up to a broader audience. Open it up to a broader set of commercial partners of all flavours. Those go hand in hand.”

So, there you have it. I hope that all it really means is that changes will take place everywhere other than the race track, although there are changes ahead with a major rule change coming in 2027, mandating 850cc engines, and a reduction in aero technology and shape-shifting suspension. But these are a matter for Dorna and the F.I.M. and Liberty should, by rights, have no say in that whatsoever. Time will tell.

“Silly Season”, that time of year when riders and teams jockey for position for the next season’s contracts, is well underway, with a huge amount of speculation being thrown around. All that is known at the moment is that Binder, Zarco, Bagnaia and Marini have confirmed seats for 2025. That leaves a lot of seats to be filled and it’s getting complicated.

At the factory Ducati team, Bastianini’s seat is under pressure, despite his good start to the season. Ducati will naturally be keen to snap up one of the big names for 2025 and this might happen before Bastianini has had time to prove his worth in 2024 after a torrid 2023, which was marred by injury, preventing him from showing his true potential. It would be galling for Bastianini to fight for – and potentially win – the championship in 2024, only to know that he would not be on that bike in 2025.

Ducati has already signed Fermin Aldeguer from Moto2 for 2025, but where he will be placed is another matter. Rumours have Marc Marquez as a target for the factory Ducati, although Ducati might baulk at his financial demands, stating that huge salaries are a thing of the past, Bagnaia’s rumoured 7 million Euros per year notwithstanding. How much Marquez would be willing to forego a large salary for a chance to fight for the title is another matter.

Jorge Martin is on record as stating that he will leave Ducati if he doesn’t get promoted to the factory squad in 2025 and you’d have to say that it is only KTM that could offer him the best chance of continuing his successful run. That wouldn’t be an entirely unhappy move, as it is widely acknowledged that the KTM is the bike most likely to challenge Ducati this year and it can only get better in 2025.

Fabio Quartararo has to be getting sick and tired of Yamaha’s lack of development speed, although the M1 is showing signs of improvement so far this season. As Quartararo said; “There’s definitely a choice to make and it’s not easy. I know I have to make it in a very short time, but on the one hand, you see Yamaha doing things that I’ve never seen in six years, they’re really making big changes. The other thing, there is the possibility of riding bikes that are already in front. It won’t be an easy choice. The atmosphere is very good and I would also say that it motivates Yamaha enormously.”

Aprilia could be an interesting destination for Quartararo, given that the V4-engined RS-GP is the closest in terms of handling to the inline four-cylinder Yamaha M1 he currently races. Regarding the possibility of leaving Yamaha, he said; “Money is an important factor for everyone, but I want a project that I like and allows me to achieve the results I want.” As a former World Champion, his worth is there for all to see so he wouldn’t be paid peanuts at Aprilia – or any other team, for that matter – but it is clear that results are the real currency he is concerned with.

There is no denying that Honda is in trouble, so would Joan Mir be looking for a get-out clause? Another top rider becoming available. Then again, Honda has to fight back, although that might only happen from 2027 onward: why spend millions developing a bike that will be outdated in three years’ time? If Honda can justify being on the grid with an uncompetitive bike for those years, they could well hit the ground running in 2027, having spent three years developing that bike.

It’s not just the riders who are in a state of flux; four teams could see change. VR46 has done great things with Ducati machinery but, thanks to Valentino Rossi’s relationship with Yamaha and that manufacturer’s desire to add two more bikes to the grid as soon as possible, it could be that VR46 becomes a Yamaha satellite team. Similarly, KTM is looking to add to its four-bike presence on the grid, having had to drop Pol Espargaro to accommodate Pedro Acosta in the GasGas team. KTM will be desperate to retain Acosta and he could likely only be satisfied with a factory KTM, in which case, Jack Miller will be out of a factory ride, which would be harsh for the Australian but there’s nothing fair about MotoGP!

LCR, long associated with Honda, would be an obvious target for KTM, given its experience but, so far, statements made by team boss Lucio Cecchinello have indicated no desire to change the status quo. Similarly, Pramac, out of contract with Ducati for 2025, could be a target for Yamaha, even though the close relationship between Pramac and Ducati would suggest that it was unlikely.

Gresini has a contract with Ducati to the end of 2025 but, given the desire by Yamaha or KTM to increase its presence, you’d have to think that an approach by either of those manufacturers to Gresini would be logical, given the team’s success.

Another tantalising development could be the arrival of BMW to MotoGP in 2027, coinciding with the new engine rules. “2027 could be the perfect time to get involved in MotoGP as this is when a new regulation will be introduced,” Markus Flasch, Head of BMW Motorrad, said. “We are in contact with Dorna and we are talking about the regulations. It is part of our evaluation. The 2027 season would be an obvious time to start.” This is one of those rumours that has done the rounds for years; perhaps 2027 might see it actually come to fruition.

At the time of writing, Pierer Mobility Group, owners of KTM, GasGas and Husqvarna, has bought a majority shareholding in MV Agusta: could this lead to KTM adding a third team and two more bikes to the grid in 2027 under the MV Agusta name? “I don’t rule out the possibility that we will enter MotoGP as a separate brand with MV Agusta in 2027,” Stefan Pierer is quoted as saying.

Regulations would mean that an MV Agusta entry would have to be in the form of a motorcycle developed and homologated separately from the KTM but another opinion floating around is that KTM would really like to have Marc Marquez on an MV Agusta from 2027 onwards! With Marquez on a single-year contract with Ducati, that’s not at all out of the question but there’s also the possibility that it could all be a lot of hot air.

On a less serious note, it was feared that the take-over by Liberty would result in MotoGP following Formula One by banning grid girls. The absence of scantily-clad women on the F1 grid was seen as being a positive move in terms of women’s rights but it appears that MotoGP will not be going down the route of excessive woke-ness.

Carmelo Ezpeleta, the CEO of Dorna, was quizzed about the future of ‘grid girls’; “I think it’s a matter of freedom,” he said. “We can’t tell anyone that they can’t be there. “Banning umbrella girls I think would be a gesture against women, not in their favour.”

Melissa James, a former F1 grid girl, said after losing her job on the grid: “I absolutely loved it. You want me to wear a super comfortable outfit and go to the VIP areas and watch what I was already going to pay to watch?

“Yeah, that’s fine by me. It was a dream job.” She added: “You’re not just standing there on the concrete. You’re meeting fans, you’re posing with photos and, because you’ve got the branding on your clothes, it’s going out on Instagram.

“Saying that we’re just a pretty face is absolutely ludicrous. We’re saleswomen at the end of the day. We need to learn how to talk to people and get people on board with the product.”

May sense prevail for a long time to come.

In the meantime, we can all look forward to the Circuit of the Americas on the weekend of the 14th of April; it will be refreshing to concentrate on the relatively simple on-track action for a change!

The second round of the National Motocross fell nothing short of a great weekend for the Red Bull KTM team held in Port Elizabeth this past weekend. Star rider, Cameron Durow, delivered a stellar performance, securing a clean sweep with double wins in both his classes and heats, for a perfect 4-4 wins on the day.

Durow’s dominance wasn’t the only highlight for Red Bull KTM. Teammates Luke Grundy and Trey Cox also impressed, securing a podium finish with a second-place finish for Grundy and Cox rounding off the podium. This comprehensive team effort solidified Red Bull KTM’s position at the forefront of South African motocross and their championship points for the rest of the season.

Durow commented, “All in all a real good day again in the bag for me. Took all four heat wins, got two great starts in MX2 had good races”.

He continued to say, “I had a bit of suspension trouble at the start of MX1 but still got it done and pulled a gap. I jumped on my KTM 250 SX-F for the second moto just to see what I could do on it, got a bad start but came through the pack put my head down, and managed to take the win in the heat as well. It was a real great day, and I extended my championship lead.”

After a tough day out on the bike, Luke Grundy was determined to redeem himself after getting a banner stuck in his bike in the first round and managed to claim second place for the MX2 class on Saturday.

Grundy said, “Had a bit of a challenging day, had to work myself back up in both heats but I just put my head down and my fitness came into play and I got second overall for the day.

Trey Cox, who looked forward to sending it on the track did not have the day he had hoped for. Cox commented on the weekend saying, “Bittersweet day for me, really like the sand and was looking forward to the day but sadly it didn’t work out for me as I wanted to. Heat 1 was the better part of the day, I finished in P2 and had a really good rhythm.”

He went on to say, “I knew I had to put my head down for heat 2 but a few laps in my bike started making funny noises, I stopped to check it out and got back to the race but then I had to push a bit from the back. I got better managing to come back from 15th to fifth which was a good comeback and taking third for the day.”

Team manager Kerim Fitz-Gerald was visibly happy about the results of the weekend stating, “It was a great round at the second round in PE, all the riders rode well. An unfortunate second moto for Trey, fighting his way back after what had happened so still managed to get a great result. All the guys really enjoyed the sand and the hard work showed that they have been putting in the time since round 1. We’re looking forward to round three.”

The Husqvarna Racing Team put on a strong showing at the second round of the National Motocross Championship race in Port Elizabeth this past weekend. With thrilling performances from the riders, Barend du Toit and Davin Cocker, the team delivered outstanding results amidst intense competition.

Du Toit, a rising star in the MX2 class, showed his skills with a hard-fought battle, ultimately claiming a well-deserved third-place finish after a couple of crashes. He commented, “I had a good day on the bike, the first heat wasn’t as good as I hoped and I had a few crashes but I was riding really well and I caught the top group quite fast.”

He continued to say, “I got the holeshot in the second heat but then Cameron overtook me and I was sitting in second the whole moto through, but I know what I have to do for the next race to come back swinging. Overall, I got third which I am happy with and I can keep on working and build on that.”

Teammate Davin Cocker battled it out in the highly competitive MX1 class, ultimately securing a commendable fifth place after having a nasty crash in the second heat.

Cocker commented, “I had a great ride in the first heat getting a decent start and battling it out with another rider for second place but fell back down to 5th after I had a fall.” He went on to say, “The second heat I got the holeshot and was leading for two laps until I hit a kicker on a jump and I flew over the bars having a crash and fell behind so I had to fight my way back up from the back up to 5th.”

Team Manager Kerim Fitz-Gerald commented on the riders’ performances, “We’re proud of Barend and Davin’s efforts this weekend. Both riders showed us what it is to be determined for good results. Barend’s podium finish is a testament to his hard work and dedication, while Davin’s strong ride in the MX1 class demonstrates his ability to compete with the best and we look forward to seeing what the rest of the season holds in store for these two riders.”

The organizers of the Roof of Africa, one of the most esteemed events in the world of Hard Enduro, today announced a revision to the event dates for 2024. Following careful consideration and significant feedback from the riding community, the Roof of Africa will take place from November 28th to November 30th, 2024.

Originally scheduled for November 6th to the 9th, the organizers received valuable input from participants, particularly school and university-age riders, urging a reconsideration of the dates to accommodate their participation better. Recognizing the importance of these young riders in shaping the future of the sport, the organizers undertook thorough discussions with stakeholders to find a suitable resolution.

“It has always been our intention to ensure the Roof of Africa remains an inclusive and internationally renowned event,” said Ross Whitehead, Event & Operations Manager of the Roof of Africa organizing committee. “We understand the significance of catering to the diverse needs of our community, from top-tier athletes to local enthusiasts, and finding the right balance is paramount.”

The revised dates aim to strike a balance between accommodating the broader riding community, including participants in the Hard Enduro World Championship and Super Enduro World Championship, while ensuring the event remains competitive and challenging for all involved.

“We acknowledge that there are no perfect dates, and one of our concerns which remain is that the later we have “Roof” in the year the higher the risk of summer rains, but this is beyond our control and the community has spoken for 2024,” added Ross Whitehead. “in saying that, we believe that the November 28th to 30th window offers the best compromise for our diverse community of riders for this year.” We will be doing an in-depth date survey later this year to see what dates suit all the stakeholders for 2025 and beyond.

The Roof of Africa organizing committee is grateful to the riding community for their invaluable feedback and understanding during this process. They assure participants that they are fully committed to delivering an exceptional event in 2024, and efforts are underway to ensure every aspect of the Roof of Africa exceeds expectations.

As preparations continue, the organizing committee encourages the riding community to rally behind the Roof of Africa 2024, demonstrating their unwavering support as the event approaches.

Entries will be opening soon and places will be limited so hurry and get yours booked to be sure you don’t miss out.

For further updates and information, please visit www.theroofofafrica.com where the refreshed 2024 entries and info pages are going to be launched.

That was a lot of firsts! Maverick Viñales’ first victory on an Aprilia (although, sadly, it won’t be counted as a MotoGP victory as it occurred in a Sprint race, so he missed out on being the first rider to win for three different manufacturers even though, technically, he has done just that), Marc Marquez’ first podium on a Ducati, Pedro Acosta’s first podium (that happened a little sooner than we thought, no matter how inevitable a podium this year seemed) and the first time Jorge Martin will lead the championship for more than 24 hours!

The Portimao circuit has to be one of the best circuits on the calendar, thanks to the sharp elevation changes and the nature of the track with some real balls-out corners. In a way, it’s a little like Texas’ Circuit of the Americas, to which track we’ll be heading in three weeks, and the Sachsenring in Germany, both of which feature elevation changes.

It was a weekend of real upsets, involving many of the riders, from qualifying right through the Sprint and Main races. No one predicted Bastianini taking pole, nor Viñales joining him on the front row, especially when Aleix Espargaro on the second factory Aprilia couldn’t make it out of Q1. With Martin and Bagnaia lining up third and fourth, it seemed as if it would be business as usual come lights out. Jack Miller burst through to take the lead on the first lap but there was the nagging doubt that he would be there come the end of the race and so it panned out, although he was spared the indignity of dropping like a stone through the field, ending the Sprint race in fifth, repeating the result in the Main race.

Binder, starting only tenth after a qualifying tumble, was obviously looking forward to a strong showing but that was not to be as he slid ingloriously out on lap five: Sunday would be another day for the South African.

Meanwhile, Bagnaia was looking ominously comfortable at the front but Viñales, Martin and Marquez weren’t letting him get too far ahead and, it has to be said, it was great to see both Viñales and Marquez fighting at the sharp end. It was a fight that was worth having as, with one mistake under braking by Bagnaia, he was wide at turn one and Viñales, Martin and Marquez swept by. It’s those mistakes that have made both of Bagnaia’s titles a real fight to the very end as he loses points unnecessarily. If he thought that was bad, however, worse was to come in the Main race.

Normally, in this situation, Martin would be past Viñales and away but, for whatever reason, he simply did not have the confidence in the tyres to attack although, ironically, Marquez did, or else it was just sheer balls, and he dived through to take second, which he held to the finish, Martin rounding out the podium. Bagnaia salvaged fourth, which kept him on top of the championship table, but not by much, while Wunderkind Acosta was seventh; neither result could have prepared us for Sunday’s action.

Sunday’s Main race could have been a procession, with Martin leading from start to finish and never looking as if he would be seriously challenged from behind. It was behind, however, that all the drama was unfolding.

Once again, Viñales ran a strong second, keeping Bastianini at bay but little did we know that the Aprilia rider was nursing a gearbox problem, which finally did for him as they crossed the line to start the last lap. Bastianini swept past before the first corner, while Viñales ran wide before the gearbox seemed to seize and throw him off. That was really poor reward for a brilliant ride and it wasn’t entirely out of the question that the Aprilia could have snatched the lead, no matter how comfortable Martin was looking up front.

But that wasn’t it! That pesky kid Acosta was making a real nuisance of himself. He despatched Binder for sixth on lap seven and made quick work of getting past Marquez, with Bagnaia next in his sights. He found the reigning World Champion a harder nut to crack and had a couple of attempts to pass thrown back in his face but, as if any reminder was needed, Acosta is no respecter of reputations.

Eventually, he made the move stick, taking fourth, but a podium was surely out of the question, as Bastianini in third was a couple of seconds up the road. Viñales’ misfortune, however, was just the luck that potential champions have handed to them on a plate, and the podium was his.

Still, we weren’t done. Marquez was really hounding Bagnaia coming into the final laps and then, almost inevitably, it happened. Marquez dived down the inside and was past, but he was a little wide having carried too much speed into the corner. Bagnaia saw an opportunity and went to dive back inside before they had even reached the apex of the corner but he too was carrying a little too much speed and rode into the side of a recovering Marquez, taking them both out.

They both remounted but the chance of any points was gone. Quite rightly, the race stewards ruled it a racing incident. It’s far too early for this to be a disaster for Bagnaia’s hopes of retaining the championship but this certainly wasn’t the weekend he was wanting this early in the season.

The incident and, indeed, the whole weekend, was a warning that Bagnaia is really going to have his work cut out in 2024; Marquez remains as dangerous as ever now that he is on a competitive bike; Acosta has the ability to really upset the apple cart; Martin has lost none of his speed; the factory KTMs are giving very little away to the Ducatis and Aprilia will be right up there, although perhaps more susceptible to suiting some circuits more than others. Binder needs to find a bit of consistency in qualifying but he too will be a threat over the course of a full season.

If anything, 2024 is shaping up to be the most unpredictable season for a while, even if Yamaha and Honda have taken themselves out of the picture. It hardly matters: Ducati, KTM and Aprilia are providing more than enough entertainment and, if the smart money would be on Martin or Bagnaia to take the title, there’s nothing to say that any of the other riders on those bikes can’t mount a challenge through consistent points-scoring finishes. What a tantalising prospect.

For the second race weekend in a row, there was little or nothing said about tyre pressures, which is a relief for anyone who thought that it was going to ruin the racing.

Also, for the second time, Yamaha and Honda had nothing to write home about. Quartararo at least managed to finish the Sprint race in seventh, “only” eight seconds off the winner and took points, while he was ninth in the Main race, albeit 20 seconds behind the winner. At least that was better than Honda, the best-placed being Joan Mir in 12th in the Main race and 14th in the Sprint. Oh dear!

There’s an interminable three-week wait to the next round in Austin, Texas, the Argentinian round having been cancelled, apparently due to political issues in that country. At least it gives us time to catch our breath!

As we reported a couple of weeks ago, Husqvarna has now officially announced the latest iteration of the Svartpilen street scrambler, upping the number from 701 to 801.

As predicted, the 799cc, parallel twin, 105 horsepower, 87Nm engine has exactly the same tune as found in the KTM 790 Duke which won’t take a genius to decipher, as both brands are a part of the Pierer Mobility Group. What the Svartpilen 801 has that the KTM doesn’t, however, is the distinctive style that has been a part of the Svartpilen story since the beginning.

All the bells and whistles are present: Power Assist Slipper Clutch, quick shifter, adjustable WP Apex suspension front and rear, offering 140mm of fork travel and 150mm of rear shock travel, and Pirelli MT60 RS tyres on 17-inch rims front and back. Brakes are by J.Juan, a Brembo subsidiary. All-in weight is 181kg and service intervals are 15,000km.

On the electronics front, there are three rider modes – Street, Rain and Sport, traction control and corner-sensitive ABS, while the optional Dynamic Pack adds Motor Slip Regulation for controlled deceleration and an anti-wheelie mode. All the usual connectivity is available via the TFT dash.

Accompanying the announcement of the new model, came a second release detailing a brand new range of Husqvarna apparel, including streetwear, off-road, casual lifestyle, team wear and something called Rockstar Casual Collection.

Details of all the above can be found at your nearest Husqvarna dealer.

Pepson Plastics Kawasaki Factory Racing with Michelin, Motul, Bikewise and Scottish Cables continued its impressive 2024 Cross Country Motorcycle season with another strong performance at a rough and tough second-round GXCC Gauteng Cross Country Motorcycle championship at Rysmierbult on Sunday.

“Our Masters champion Pieter Holl drilled them again, Geoff Den won Vets and young Jake Pretorius took the OR4 win too,” Pepson Plastics Kawasaki team principal Iain Pepper confirmed. “Jaycee Nienaber was also third overall and in OR1, Cameron Becker third in OR3 and Wade Den had a good run into fourth in OR1 and sixth overall.”

“Rysmierbult is not one of my favourite races,” Pieter Holl confessed. “But the vibe at the Pepson pit was awesome with everybody ready and Iain handing out new kit and hats. I got the holeshot and really enjoyed my ride and my pit crew was right on point to increase my two-minute lead for the win. My Pepson Plastics Kawasaki suspension worked wonders, the pit crew was exceptional and huge thanks to Iain for keeping this special wheel turning!”

“Rysmierbult lived up to its really tough reputation,” Vets winner Geoff Den reported. “The heat wave made it even tougher, but I’m now right at home on my Pepson Plastics Kawasaki KX 450 X and had a great start to holeshot and lead. I slipped back in the lurkers and dust, but our super crew did a really fast refuel to get me out in front and I kept ahead to win. Thanks to Pepson Plastics Kawasaki for all the hard work and support.”

“I had a decent day in the saddle and my Pepson Plastics Factory Kawasaki KX 450 X performed brilliantly,” Jaycee Nienaber reported. “I made an average start going out mid-pack, so I had to fight through the dust and made a few passes. My team was fantastic with our super-fast pit stops to help me end the day third overall and in PR1. As always, a huge thank you to the Pepson Plastics team.”

“That was another good day out on my Pepson Plastics Kawasaki KX 450 X,” Wade Den added. “I made a good start and ran third in OR1 for the first few laps and I was happy to get through the day without any crashes on a rocky route with so many lurkers about. The best part of the day was the fast pit stops and teamwork from the crew! A big thank you Iain Pepper and all the sponsors who make it possible!”

“We were also a bit unlucky today when OR1 rider D’artagnan Lobjoit fell and sliced open his arm so I stopped him from continuing and Wian Wentzel had an issue while leading OR3,” Iain Pepper concluded. “Still, Pepson Plastics Kawasaki Factory Racing with Michelin, Motul, Bikewise and Scottish Cables continued to impress with another good result today. It’s upward and upward from here!”

The Brother Leader Tread KTM Team faced a tough challenge this past weekend at the gruelling Rocky Bay season opener in KwaZulu-Natal. Scorching temperatures, oppressive humidity, and blinding dust pushed riders and machines to their limits.

Brad Cox, sporting the coveted #1 plate for the season in the Open Class. While a crash forced him to withdraw after a few laps, fortunately, the only damage was bruising on the chest, diaphragm muscles, and ribs. Despite this setback, Cox still managed to score valuable points, finishing 12th in the Open Class.

“Not the start I wanted,” said Cox. “The heat, humidity, and dust were brutal, and a crash unfortunately ended my day early. The bike had to be rebuilt but unfortunately, the crash made me feel worse as I kept on racing and decided to stop. On the positive side, I only have some bumps and bruises, and I was able to salvage some points. I’ll be back stronger for the next race.”

Kerim Fitz-Gerald, fresh off his 2023 Seniors Championship win and a challenging Dakar Rally appearance where he sustained a wrist injury, demonstrated his toughness by completing a lap in the Seniors Class, enough to secure a sixth-place finish.

“Competing with a wrist injury wasn’t ideal and definitely not how I wanted to race,” said Fitz-Gerald. “But finishing the race is a credit to the team and my will to push through. I’m focusing on recovery and I’ll be ready to fight for the Seniors title and points again soon.”

Matthew Wilson, the defending OR3 Champion, faced a couple of difficulties and battled through the dust, ultimately finishing fourth in his class also managed to bag some valuable points for the season.

“It was a real tough one for me, my time trial started off well but got held up in dust and came in 10th overall for the start of the main race,” commented Wilson. He went on to say “Getting stuck in the dust early on in the race made it very difficult for me to catch and pass riders on a rough track. Despite the difficulties, I managed to get some valuable points, and I’m already looking forward to redemption in the next round.

Scott Heygate, fuelled by a thirst for redemption in the 2024 season, secured a podium finish on his rip-roaring 450 XC-F for the season with a hard-fought third place.
“A frustrating day in the dust riddled with mistakes on my end. Nevertheless, I am glad to have walked away with good points in the bag and I will build on this going forward”, he stated.

Heygate continued to say, “Racing conditions were extremely demanding due to the heat which made hydration critical all day. Track conditions weren’t favourable but happy to have walked away healthy.”

“We’re proud of the team’s fighting spirit at Rocky Bay,” said Group Marketing Coordinator, Megan Prinsloo. “The conditions were harsh, but our riders showed their determination. We learned valuable lessons this weekend, and we know the Brother Leader Tread KTM Team will be back in top form for the next race.”

The Husqvarna Racing Team had a dream start to the 2024 Cross Country racing season, winning both the Open and OR3 classes at Rocky Bay in Kwa-Zulu Natal this past weekend.

Cocker, who claimed the OR2 championship in the 2023 season took to the Open Class with confidence and had a golden day in the saddle finishing 1st in his class and bagging the overall win for the day!

Cocker commented on the day saying, “This was an amazing race! It was close out there, but I dug deep and grabbed the win in both my class and overall. The track was rough, but the team’s support and my Husqvarna FX350 made all the difference.”

In the OR3 class, young gun Luke Walker wasn’t fazed by the competition. He rode his FC250 to victory in OR3 and an impressive third place overall, adding another win to Husqvarna’s fantastic day.

Walker commented, “I had a blast racing and a great day out. I managed to finish fourth in the time trial which helped me a lot in the main race with the dust. I managed to get out of the dust for most of the race and pull a gap on the rest of the guys in my class.”

He continued to say, “The track had some tricky bits, but my FC250 handled it perfectly and I am extremely happy to start my season off with a win and to put the Husqvarna brand on top!”

Megan Prinsloo, Husqvarna’s Marketing Coordinator commented, “We are very proud of both rider’s performances this weekend and looking forward to a strong season ahead for Husqvarna Racing”.

Michelin is a company that needs no introduction, over the years their rubber has done all the talking for them. Their entry into the road racing market started with a bang, we are of course talking about 1976. The story of ‘76’ was an epic one, Barry Sheene won his first championship title on his XR14 500 cc Suzuki, Suzuki won their first title in the premier class and Michelin carried home their first-ever circuit racing title. The rest is history as they say…

Fast forward to the present day, Michelin has 130 years in the tyre manufacturing industry, over 500 race wins and 33 world titles in the FIM world championship. Although history is set aside, “Mich” still carries out their track first and production later philosophy, where their tyres are developed first on the track before they ever hit the company’s production line for mainstream manufacturing. All of this intensive on-track and in-the-field R&D work with top riders winning races on the MotoGP stages has concreted Michelin as a trusted leading motorcycle tyre manufacturer, not only for the track rider but for the everyday rider too.

I myself am a big fan of the Michelin Power Cup series track-biased tyres and I’m currently testing their high mileage heroes, the Road 6. On a recent trip to Almeria Spain for the 30 years of KTM Duke launch, I was surprised to see Michelin Europe stepping in as the new Duke range tyre sponsor. Not only did they sponsor the launch, but they allowed us to try out two of their newcomers: the Michelin Power 6 and the Power GP2.

The Power 6 greeted us on the opening day’s ride on the KTM 390 Duke. We got to have a little taste on a 150 km ride through Almeria’s tight and winding country roads as well as pushing the Power 6 on an even tighter and more competitive KTM parking lot gymkhana session.

I’m not going to beat about the bush, I was originally scratching my head when I saw an overkill Michelin on a 390 Duke. But, Michelin understands that the under 400 cc motorcycle market is growing much like KTM does. The factor that plays a major role is that in the Eastern, Asian and African countries where sub 400 ccs sell like hotcakes, the 400 cc motorcycle is the biggest bike most will ever lay their eyes on—a 390 Duke is equivalent to a 1390 Super Duke R to many riders in that sense. So just like KTM going balls to the wall in tech and hardware on their 390 Duke, Michelin has now made their Power 6 range available in smaller sizes.

Replacing the Power 5, we see the Power 6 build on its everyday usability and increase its sportiness. From the stunning Barcelo Cabo de Gata hotel we headed out onto a sunny but chilly ride up the twisty countryside of Almeria. Right off the cuff, the Power 6 was lent over onto its cold sidewall without any trouble. It reminded me a lot of my Road 6s, especially when it came to confidence right from the word go. The Power 6 aren’t touring tyres, but with that being said they offer a much quicker heat up and a soft sidewall that inspires confidence and on the 390 Duke you could feel a lot of feedback through the suspension thanks to the tyres.

As mentioned, they aren’t touring tyres but Michelin has brought some knowledge down from their Road 6. What they’ve done on the Power 6 for 2024 is focus on increasing the mileage and offering better grip in both wet and dry conditions. With Michelin choosing to focus on these aspects it just goes to show that Michelin understands that although riders want grip for sporty riding we also want the extra mileage for the occasional road trip we may plan on doing.

Without going into major detail on the carouse of the tyre (we will do this later in the year), we feel that the Power 6 is going to be the go-to tyre for the daily rider in the Michelin range—for the rider that wants to do it all with less compromise.

Next up we took a trip down to Circuito de Almería, a track that has birthed many MotoGP riders such as Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa and it’s also a track that many riders use as a preseason training camp. The reason why so many riders flock to Almeria is not just because it’s a Western movie ghost town, but because the circuit lends itself to practising all of the most technical aspects of riding a motorcycle. You’ve got blind double apexes, sharp chicanes, fast sweepers, off-camber corners, hard braking sections from top gear and flowing rhythm sections.

KTM and Michelin also felt that this would suit the almost 200 horsepower animal that’s now the 1390 Super Duke R and R EVO. Again, this was a motorcycle launch not a tyre launch so we had no idea what Michelin had fitted on the bikes. Without tyre warmers, we climbed onto the ‘Beast’ for an early morning track session.

I swung a leg over the ‘R’ fitted in the familiar Michelin Power Cup2 and headed onto the cold and dusty circuit. It took about 3 laps before I got comfortable and for that riding on-ice feeling to go away. Once the tyres warmed up, the Cup2 Michies stuck to the circuit like melted cheese to a toaster.

It was only on my second session where by chance I took a Duke outfitted with a different tyre. Cold track, dust and loads of wind, but this time grip from the third corner on. I thought to myself: “Maybe the track temperature has picked up because these tyres feel like they’ve just done a few laps and are already up to temperature.” My thoughts were wrong, they were Michelin’s new Power GP2.

The Michelin Power GP2 is a track tyre homologated for the road, a tyre that’s meant to live two lives. Michelin says that the GP2 is an evolution rather than a revolution, their sole objective was to increase the dry and wet weather grip levels for those who wanted a fast weekend warrior track day tyre but also something that could grip on the road.

After spending over six 20-minute sessions out on track, it got me thinking: what would make you buy a GP2 over a Cup2? Out of recent experience and being more of a fast road rider and less of a fast-track rider, the GP2s stood out as the choice for me. The GP2 warms up much quicker, it offers better grip in bad weather and road conditions and it’s a tyre that’s going to give you better mileage on the road.

Even after 2 sessions on a set of Cup2s fitted to a Super Duke, the wallet is going to hurt. The fact is track days are an expensive hobby so if you can buy a tyre that’s going to suit your riding skill, it might just suit your budget too and even get you more track time in the long haul.

It goes without saying, that the GP2 is an awesome tyre for supersport, middle-weight and even super naked motorcycles. If you are looking for a sporty tyre that can do both road and track riding on the weekend, the GP2 will keep up and maybe even surprise you.

We will inform all of you as soon as these two new Michelin tyres arrive and we look forward to giving you a more in-depth writeup soon. As for now keep an eye out on AutoCycles website for any updates and pricing.

We all have a favourite circuit, one that appeals because of its historical significance, or because of a particular race and result or simply because it appeals to our aesthetic sense. There are obvious ones – Spa Francorchamps, the Nurburgring, Silverstone, Monza, Suzuka – and there are others that mean nothing to us apart from the fact that a race in our favourite racing series takes place there.

It’s doubtful that Qatar registers very highly on anyone’s list of all-time great race tracks but, as a venue for the opening race of a season, it’s hard to beat, for one very simple reason: the race is run at night, under millions of watts of illumination. Here, for the first time, we get to really look at the bikes and they never look better than under artificial light. It’s a breathtaking debut and perfectly sets the scene for the season ahead.

The first race of the season has another special quality, for it is here that we get the first indications of the pecking order and, even if it is obviously too early to tell, an idea of how the championship is going to pan out. With that in mind, Qatar gave us nothing that we didn’t already suspect would happen and plenty to get excited about.

It was no surprise to see Ducati, KTM and Aprilia at the top of the time sheets and, sadly, it was equally no surprise to see Yamaha and Honda struggling. It’s nothing we haven’t become used to over the past two seasons, of course, but it is still incredible how far they have fallen: 13th on the grid for Zarco’s Honda was the highest Japanese grid position, the first Japanese bike in the Sprint race being Quartararo’s Yamaha, which also headed the Oriental contingent in the main race, finishing 11th. The balance of power has definitely swung to Europe and, if this continues, how long will Honda and Yamaha top brass continue to pour money into MotoGP? We’ve said before that there is a lot of strength in depth in both teams and they can’t be written off but, unless the results start coming, expect the worst.

The Sprint race was a little processional, if not an enticing glimpse into the future. Jorge Martin, Brad Binder and Aleix Espargaro filled the podium, with Bagnaia fourth. A close fifth was Marc Marquez, giving hope that, with more races under his belt, he will be challenging for wins. Of more interest was the performance of the new Wonder Kid, Pedro Acosta. Eighth in qualifying and eighth in the Sprint race was a debut that many had predicted but no one could have done so with any certainty, other than taking into account the fact that he is a phenomenal and precocious talent.

If Acosta’s Sprint race was relatively low-key, he really made people sit up and take notice in the Main race. Belying his rookie status, he casually picked off Aleix Espargaro, Jack Miller, Enea Bastianini and Alex Marquez before sitting behind Marc Marquez for a couple of laps. A clean move at turn one took him past the six-time MotoGP champion into fourth and, all of a sudden, it wasn’t out of the question for a podium finish as the top three certainly hadn’t made a break at the front.

Perhaps it was inexperience managing tyres over a race distance, but Acosta then started to drop back down the order as his rear tyre went off, eventually finishing ninth. It didn’t matter: by any measure, it was an impressive debut and, if any confirmation was needed, it would be a brave person who would bet against him ending the season with several podiums and perhaps even a race win.

Up front, no one could do anything about Bagnaia, who had the bike underneath him that he hadn’t had in the Sprint race. Binder and Martin might have been able to do something about it and, certainly, Bagnaia wasn’t getting away at the front, but a strong battle for second place between Binder and Martin distracted them from catching the flying factory Ducati. After the Sprint race, Martin had joked that it would be good to lead the championship for more than 24 hours (all he managed in 2023) but it was not to be and the day ran out with Bagnaia heading the championship table, with Binder two points behind and Martin a single point behind Binder.

It was a particularly heartening performance for Binder, who has always gone well in the Sprints but largely struggled to match it in the main race. To finish second to Bagnaia – not very far behind at all – will give the team a huge boost, especially in light of Miller’s pretty awful race, where he crashed out very early on, remounted and finished dead last. Miller’s contribution to the team cannot be understated and he is very well-liked but he’s going to have to up his game in the races if he is not to lose his seat to Acosta in 2025 (which might already be a done deal).

We all know that championships are won just as often on percentages as on outright victories. If that is the case, then Martin and Binder could very well launch a bid for the title by winning Sprint races – something they are both very good at doing – and placing well in the main races, especially if Bagnaia is inconsistent, although that looks like optimistic thinking right now. Both Bagnaia and the GP24 Ducati seem to have everything well under control, which is ominous for the chasing pack.

After the Sprint race, Aprilia had hopes of doing even better in the Main race, after Espargaro had finished on the podium in the Sprint, having started from second on the grid. The RS-GP had no vices whatsoever, other than a slight lack of straight-line speed, while the Ducatis suffered from chatter and Binder wanted more edge grip to improve acceleration out of corners. But Aprilia’s expected challenge for victory in the Main race failed to materialise, no doubt much to the frustration of the team and its riders. Espargaro had a poor start and, when things had settled down, he simply could make no impression on the Ducatis and KTMs ahead of him. If consistency wins championships then Aprilia need to generate some.

There were several interesting things to take away from Qatar. The first and most astonishing was the fact that the total race time for the Sprint race was 11 seconds faster than four months ago when the circus was last at the Lusail track. That’s a huge improvement, especially when the bikes are largely the same, with no significant rule change in the interim.

Here’s another thing: did you hear anyone mention tyre pressures? It was a huge talking point last year but there was barely a whisper about it this weekend in both Sprint and Main races. Before the weekend, Michelin announced that the minimum permitted pressure for the front tyre would be lowered to 1.80 bar, from 1.88 bar; not as much as some riders wanted but still a step in the right direction. In addition, it was announced that disqualification from the results due to running under pressure for too long during the race would be ditched, with a 16-second penalty replacing it. While that would be pretty devastating in itself, it’s not the tragedy a full disqualification would be.

Finally, a word about the artistic merits of the livery designs. It’s purely subjective, of course, but the Prima Pramac Ducatis looked spectacular, with a darker version of last year’s red and purple colour scheme. The LCR Hondas brought back a lot of memories with the green and white Castrol livery while the Pertamina VR46 Ducatis wore striking Day-Glo yellow paint that really made them stand out. The Gresini Ducatis looked positively drab by comparison, although it might be that their colours aren’t at their best under artificial light. No one knows what the factory Yamahas and Hondas look like as we barely saw them the whole weekend…!

Portugal coming up next, in two weeks’ time but then Argentina has been cancelled so there will be a three-week gap before we’re in the U.S. of A.

There are five siblings in the BMW R18 family. R18, R18 Classic, R18 Bagger, R18 Transcontinental, and the newest addition, the muscular R18 Roctane. Funky name, funky motorcycle. The most noticeable difference between the Roctane and the other R18s is the 21-inch front wheel which, combined with a rake of 34.7 degrees and trail of 7.3 inches, lends it an authentic American cruiser look.

The Roctane is a long, low, lurking beast with a seat height of just 720mm. The gloss black engine, drivetrain, front forks, headlight, handlebars and alloy wheels are complimented by the black chrome exhausts and the Mineral Grey Metallic Matte tank, mudguards and luggage. It’s a dark symphony in which the beautiful whole is greater than the sum of its Berlin Built parts. Best of all, the Roctane is completely naked as all mega cruisers should be even if your intention is road-tripping instead of cruising the boulevards on the hunt for a foxy pillion.

On Thursday morning I met Riaan Schickerling and Samantha Potgieter at BMW Montana in Pretoria North. Over coffee, we discussed the remarkably robust sales of the R18 family. The standard R18 is priced from R325,550 and the top of the range Transcontinental starts at a mere R436,050. Seems that well-heeled South Africans are developing an affinity for these BMW flagships, direct competition for Harley-Davidson. The Roctane is designed to sharpen that competitive stance. The weather forecast for the weekend was a little daunting. Rain was expected for the entire route that I and a bunch of conneckos would ride. Then again, I’ve never been a fair-weather biker. I had excellent rain gear stashed in the hard luggage and, in any case, what’s a ride without a bit of adversity?

Since I moved to Nelspruit two years ago, I’ve spent as little time as possible in Gauteng. As I rode the N1 south towards Johannesburg I realised I’d forgotten the daily stresses of living in that massive conurbation. The N1 was choked with five lanes of traffic in both directions, and this was 11:00 on a weekday morning. It got even worse on the four-lane N3. It’s one of life’s great mysteries that in South Africa all the idiots and their retarded relatives in their crappy little Renault Kwids and Kia Picantos head straight for the fast lane and refuse ever to budge. I took it easy and rode mainly in the less congested left lanes.

Just past Alberton, I took the slip road onto the R59. It was a relief when I left the main arterials and followed the country roads to Henley on Klip and thence to Deneysville. On the deserted back roads, I soon found that 150km/h was a comfortable cruising speed despite the absence of a windscreen. It felt great to be in the wind on a big bruiser with the aerodynamics of a brick, an elemental experience which took me back fifty years to the days when all our bikes were naked, days when I dare say, we were tougher riders than we are now. My destination for the day was Lake Avenue Inn which used to be home to the legendary Deneysville Motorcycle Museum. After John Boswell’s untimely death, most of the motorcycles have been returned to their owners and the museum is no more. I spent the afternoon and evening reminiscing with John’s life partner Charmaine and the locals about the heydays of the museum, ate an early supper and was in bed by 21:00.

My rendezvous with the Joburg-based boys was at 10:00 in Heilbron, a mere 80km from Deneysville. I ate breakfast, said my farewells and rode south under low wimpled clouds, the colour of a television tuned to a dead channel. There was rain in the air but it didn’t seem imminent so I didn’t bother to don my rain gear. Thanks to the bountiful summer rains the Free State scenery was a feast for the eyes. The R57 traverses beautiful bucolic countryside; limitless green pastures grazed by fat cattle, brimming dams teeming with wildfowl, fields of tall mielies stretching to the distant horizons, willow fringed streams meandering through the veld, and stands of towering ancient bluegums. It was a tonic for the soul.

Five maats were waiting for me at the garage in Heilbron; Gus, Andy, Jim, Roman and Rob. They were all riding BMWs, GSs and RTs. We weren’t in any hurry and rode at an easy pace as we continued south on the R57 to Petrus Steyn and thence to Reitz. We stopped at the Royal Hotel in Reitz for midmorning toasted sandwiches. I wasn’t sure of the Roctane’s range because, for reasons known only to BMW, there’s no fuel gauge and the almost illegible digital readout in the headlight nacelle doesn’t show range.

Reitz was founded in 1889 and named after Orange Free State president, Francis William Reitz, father of Deneys Reitz the Boer War warrior and author. Reitz to Kestell is 70 kilometres. That “road” bears mute testimony to the scourge of corruption that has plagued this land since 1994. The first 40 kilometres are littered with vicious potholes that will speed you on your journey to Valhalla, the hall of the slain, should you hit one of them. In places, the tar surface is non-existent for hundreds of metres. If it had been raining we would have been in trouble on a slimy dirt track. This nightmare is Ace Magashule’s legacy. He was Premier of the Free State for a decade and in that time he and his despicable spawn looted the province. Of course, nobody went to jail. The upside to that hellish ride was that we had the opportunity to view the massive shallow pans which are a feature of that landscape and home to flocks of hundreds of flamingos. After that horrible ride, we needed a drink and stopped at the Kestell Hotel for a cold one before continuing south.

The road to Phuthaditjhaba arrows towards the picturesque sandstone Maloti Mountains which loom ever larger on the southern horizon. Near Phuthaditjhaba there’s an archetypal flat-topped mountain where I habitually stop for photos because it provides such a dramatic backdrop. Today was no different. I signalled to the rest that they should ride on and they disappeared in the direction of Harrismith. I rode up a rutted sandy track and stopped in a field to take pictures. We had ridden into warm early afternoon sunshine and the cloudscape over the mountains was equally dramatic.

Pleasant duty done I set off in pursuit of the others. Approaching Harrismith I turned right onto the R74 which parallels the shores of Sterkfontein Dam to the summit of Oliviershoek Pass. It was turning out to be a great day in the saddle on a brilliant bike in Big Sky Country. Full of the joys I set cruise control at 100km/h and trundled along bellowing road songs in my helmet; Bon Jovi’s – Dead or Alive, Neil Young’s – Long May You Run, Deep Purple – Highway Star, The Doors – Riders on the Storm.

Viewed from the top of the pass the lush rolling hills of Natal spread out like a thrown blanket to the distant vanishing point where land and sky become indistinguishable. Oliviershoek Pass is a favourite road for bikers. It’s fast and challenging and descends 471 metres down the Drakensberg escarpment. There was construction on the pass. In four different places, tar gave way to gravel and the intelligent thing to do was to take it easy. At the foot of the pass, I gunned the Roctane across the flatlands and short before long turned off to Amphitheatre Backpackers where we met our maats Rodles and El Gordo who rode inland from the coast. Now we were eight for the road. Backpackers turned out to be a most convivial, cosmopolitan joint and we spent an hour and a half swapping stories with a gregarious bunch of wimmen of many nations.

Back on the road we blitzed to Bergville. On a long downhill I tucked in as best I could and saw 200km/h on the Roctane speedo before I backed off. Pretty good for a big, butt nekkid behemoth. We fuelled in Bergville then rode the R616 towards Ladysmith, a road I had never ridden before. We rode under a threatening sky across a verdant bushveld landscape. I had never seen bushveld so green, the lush veld grasses standing dense and thigh high. It seemed as though nature was taking over the planet as the greens splashed sprays of apple, antique bronze, celadon, olive, and jade across the veld like rivers of paint on a massive palette. Captivating scenes like this are the reason we bikers ride the backroads, roads that lemmings in their cages will never know. After 50km we turned left onto the R103 towards Ladysmith and almost immediately turned right onto the narrow paved track that winds across the veld for a few kilometres to Platrand Lodge.

When we checked into the hotel we realised we were the only guests. It was a strange, subdued evening. The bar had the ambience of a sepulchre. The dining room echoed around our lonely table. The lamb curry and lamb chops were not lekker. My usual bottle of Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc seemed to have fishhooks in it. Our jokes and stories fell flat and conversation flagged. Even a round of Captain Morons couldn’t resurrect a gloomy evening. We were conscious of being the impediment standing between the staff and their families so we finished our drinks and went to bed early.

Wakkerstroom was our Saturday destination. It was a cool overcast morning that augured well for a trivial day in the saddle, less than 300km. Friday night blues were a thing of the past and we enjoyed a lively, leisurely breakfast before heading out. Jim, Roman and Rob had only planned for a one-nighter and rode north on the N3 to Joburg. The rest of us rode into charming, teeming, downtown Ladysmith. Sheesh! What a mess. Hawkers, taxis, dogs, goats, potholes, broken traffic lights, jaywalkers and litter everywhere.

We got out of the cesspit as fast as we could and followed the N11 north for 60km to the start of the R68. We rode across rolling green countryside that became more mountainous the further north we travelled. Many years ago the junction of the N11 and the R68 Sunset Rest Hotel was a welcome sight for weary travellers. It was an attractive yellow-faced brick hotel surrounded by gardens. Sadly, those days are gone. The roofless ruin of the hotel is a hollow shell. Every piece of metal has been ripped out of the walls and every room has been vandalised. I have tried to discover what happened to Sunset Rest but even Google doesn’t know. I assume the hotel closed down and barbarians descended on the defenceless property.

In a sombre mood, we rode due east to Dundee and stopped on the far side of town at the Talana Museum. The Battle of Talana Hill was the first major clash of the Second Anglo-Boer War, fought on 20 October 1899. 4000 British tackled 3000 Boers and won a tactical victory in that the Boers abandoned their positions. But the British lost 41 killed, 185 wounded and 220 captured or missing, heavy losses for an opening skirmish against a wily enemy. The museum is home to fascinating artefacts from the battle, a well-tended graveyard with headstones that tell poignant stories of young lives that ended too soon, and massive machinery from the coal mines in the area. The museum and its extensive grounds are immaculately curated. We spent two educational hours scoping the exhibits and taking photos. If you’re in Dundee with time to spare the museum is well worth a visit.

Our planned fuel stop and lunch stop was Utrecht 90km away. We rode the R33 and R34 at an easy pace enjoying the bikes, the cool weather, the scenery and the camaraderie of the open road. We rode straight through Utrecht and stopped at the country club on the eastern side of town. The staff were super busy preparing for a big wedding later in the day. We ordered toasted sandwiched so as not to complicate matters. I think they appreciated the consideration because the sandwiches were stuffed with delicious fillings and we each got a mega serving of delicious freshly fried chips.

From Utrecht, we rode due west on the R34 and rejoined the N11 north of Newcastle. The bulwarks of the Drakensberg loomed large on the northern horizon and soon we were hauling up Laingsnek with Amajuba, Hill of Doves, silhouetted against the western skyline. The Battle of Majuba Hill on 27 February 1881 was the final and decisive battle of the First Boer War and a resounding victory for the Boers whose fire and manoeuvre tactics left the British shooting at ghosts. The British lost 92 killed, 134 wounded and 59 captured. The Boers lost 1 killed and 5 wounded. It was a rout.

On Laingsnek the Roctane was in its element. For such a big heavy bike the Roctane displays excellent handling capabilities and it was my great pleasure to grind the hero blobs on the hinged footboards through the tight corners on the pass. At the top of the pass, we cruised through Charlestown and into Volksrust. That town is infested with so many 26 and 34-wheel juggernauts that it’s almost impossible to navigate, but we persevered and eventually rode east on the R543 to Wakkerstroom.

The Wakkerstroom Hotel is a very pleasant old-world hostelry which serves a community of artists and bohemians who have made the hamlet their home. Fortunately, Wakkerstroom has escaped the crass commercialisation that infected Clarens. These days Clarens suffers an infestation of Range Rover, Mercedes Benz, BMW and Lexus SUVs sporting delicate splashes of designer mud. To date, Wakkerstroom has escaped that ignominious fate. We settled at a shady table in the grassy courtyard of the hotel and sipped our beers as the shadows lengthened and purple twilight descended. The walls of the hotel dining room are decorated with the stuffed heads of many antelope. At dinnertime, it was kind of weird to chow down on a dik steak while imagining the judgmental stares of dozens of herbivore glass eyeballs. But I soon recovered from the awkward pangs of guilt as I dispatched my vleis washed down with an exceptional bottle of Rupert & Rothschild Classique. It was a riotous soiree as the five of us made up for the disappointment of the previous evening. We eventually sashayed to our rooms sometime after 23:00.

I never saw the other four on Sunday morning. They all decided they needed to get home in a hurry and that suited me fine. I was in no mood to get up early and I was looking forward to a chilled ace pilot ride back to Joburg. Over the years I’ve been to Wakkerstroom many times and in all those visits I’ve never been able to get a decent photo of the NG Kerk that dominates the centre of the town. The gates are always locked to keep mischievous people away. But on this morning as I ate breakfast on the hotel verandah the church bells rang out. Pink Floyd’s lyrics sprang to mind: “Far away across the field, the tolling of the iron bell calls the faithful to their knees to hear the softly spoken magic spells.”

I finished breakfast, packed the Roctane and rode into the grounds of the church. In every Platteland town, the most significant building is invariably the NG Kerk. I love the numinous beauty of these magnificent edifices and the history and nation-building they represent. I stepped into the vaulted interior and sat quietly for some minutes listening to the dominee’s words. The church can seat hundreds of people but on this Sunday there were less than 50 in the congregation. Die ontvolking van die platteland – the depopulation of the rural areas – began after WWII as industrialisation boomed. Wakkerstroom is fortunate. Many NG Kerk in small towns stand empty for weeks or even months.

I took my photos and rode west to Volksrust thinking solemn thoughts about the perilous state of this fair land. I took the most direct route to Joburg via Standerton, Greylingstad, Balfour and Heidelberg. It was one of those lovely summer days when the air seemed luminous and tangible. I experienced a strange feeling of timelessness and unreality as I cruised homeward bound, ace pilot tracking across a vast highveld landscape.

That was a splendid 1600km weekend in the saddle. The Roctane was an outstanding steed; comfortable, surefooted, swift and reliable. If the opportunity arises I’ll happily ride serious distance on a Roctane. There’s an allure to riding a big naked beast and braving the elements that you don’t experience on a touring bike shrouded in body panels. I loved the Roctane. Perhaps you will too. The R18 Roctane is priced from R391,050.

BMW R18 Roctane

For more information on the bike featured in this article, click on the link below…

Despite the KTM Group owning Husqvarna, the latter’s road models have resolutely followed their own path: the Svartpilen and Vitpilen look like nothing else in motorcycling, let alone anything in the KTM line-up.

True to its roots, Husqvarna has a range of dirt-friendly adventure bikes, even if they could be dismissed as KTMs with a styling and paint job. However, it must be said that the Norden 901 possesses its own personality distinct from the 890 Adventure, with which it shares much of its architecture and electronics, along with the engine.

News has just come in, however, of a new addition to the Husqvarna range that has all the appearances of taking the fight to its stablemate. The new Svartpilen 801 looks basically like a KTM Duke model and, while technical details will only be released on the 19th of March, the power output of 105 horsepower indicates that it shares the parallel-twin engine with the KTM 790 Duke.

A weight of 181kg and the fact that it comes as standard with a quick-shifter are the only other details that have been released.

While this might seem like a strange move on KTM Group’s part, it’s not unusual. The Pierer Group, owners of KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas, have a carefully delineated range of dirt and enduro bikes, positioned at different cost points of the market and, with the popularity of naked sports bikes in Europe, it makes sense to attempt to gain a bigger slice of the pie with another name on the tank, rather than yet another naked KTM model.

Whether we’ll see the model in SA before the end of the year is unknown at present but all should be revealed on the 19th March.

What the hell is a water-sprite you may say? Well, it gave rise to the name of a range of scooters that became a household name both in Italy and then worldwide. But I digress. Let me start at the beginning. Italy emerged from the Second World War in tatters. It was virtually a case of starting all over to rebuild the shattered economy. Infrastructurally the Italian landscape had suffered too. Roads were pockmarked with bomb craters and the rubble of buildings was strewn everywhere. Mobility was a major issue. There was a desperate need for inexpensive utility transport which most folk could afford.

Ferdinando Innocenti of Pescia moved his seamless tube-making business from Rome to Milan in 1931. His factory was virtually bombed out of existence by the Allies trying to hobble the Italian war effort. Innocenti recognised the desperate need for post-war urban mobility, and the Allies, in a roundabout way helped him come up with an idea. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention! US paratroopers and Marines made use of olive-green Cushman scooters, manufactured in Nebraska, to help them deploy rapidly, despite destroyed roads and bridges, upon landing. At the end of hostilities, many of these Cushman pipe scooters were left in Italy.

Innocenti enlisted an Aeronautical engineer, Corradino D’Ascanio, the designer of the first Agusta helicopter, to design a robust, simple, and inexpensive vehicle. The brief was ease of use for both men and women, could carry a passenger, and then, typically Italian, not soil the riders’ clothes. D’Ascanio disliked motorcycles and decided that he would do things differently. He came up with a design that mounted the engine directly onto the rear wheel, a spar frame and a shield that would keep road detritus off the rider.

Women could ride the vehicle without their skirts getting caught in the rear wheel, courtesy of its step-through design. Using his aeronautical experience, he made the front suspension reminiscent of aircraft landing gear, with an easy-to-remove wheel. An internal mesh drive to the rear wheel was maintenance-free and clean. Innocenti clashed with D’Ascanio over the frame design. The aircraft man preferred a stamped spar frame, whereas rather predictably, Innocenti wanted to resurrect his original company and use a tubular frame. In a typical fit of Italian pique, D’Ascanio took his design to Enrico Piaggio who put it to good use in his Vespa scooter design in 1946.

Innocenti finalised the design of his scooter with the help of Cesare Pallavicino and Pier Luigi Torre, both engineers with roots in aircraft construction. Torre designed the engine and set up Innocenti’s factory for mass production. Now they needed a name. The Lambro River, which flows through Milan, ran past the factory and was inhabited, according to local folklore by a water-sprite (a fairy-like mythical creature) named “Lambretta”. The rest, as they say, is history. In 1947, the first Innocenti Lambretta 125s rolled off the production line. The Aero and Cushman influence is clear when you see the end product.

I went a little further. I laid my hands on a Lambretta 150dl from the early fifties. Beautifully restored, right down to the white wall tyres it is a thing of functional beauty. Not too unlike the original 125, it shares many of the original design features. A 3-speed hand shift on the clutch hand, kick start, with a two-stroke 150cc engine. It features a tubular frame with a flat aero-influenced leg shield and foot rear brake. The front brake is not up to much, so the rear brake is literally a lifesaver.

Riding the 150d is like stepping back in time. Open the fuel valve on the under-seat fuel tank and then, with the little scoot on the main stand and in neutral, kick the little stroker into life. It takes a few prods on the forward-facing kickstart before the beastie settles into a sputtering smoky idle. Hop on, push it off the stand, pull the clutch and twist the left handlebar assembly up, thereby engaging first gear and easing out the clutch as you twist the conventionally placed throttle and away you go. When the little mill starts four stroking you hook the next gear until you are in top gear (3rd) and cruising along. There are no gauges, so the speed is utter guesswork. The sprung seat and shock absorbers do a decent job of bump absorption and you kind of get into a rhythm as you putt down the road.

I am not sure how well it will cope with a passenger, but all things considered, it goes amazingly well. I rode it on a 25km round trip to take some photos and thoroughly enjoyed the leap back in time. Savour the photos of this beautiful little scoot. It has elegance and charisma which is somehow lost in modern design. Sort of a Citroen 2 CV or Volkswagen Beetle of the motorcycle world if you get my drift. It throws the crazy, bells and whistles world we live in today into stark relief. Its simplicity is timeless and a far cry from the often-trivial features which adorn modern vehicles to make them more appealing to buyers.

So where am I going with all of this? This stunning little classic belongs to Corrie Moolman, who was so taken with the process of restoring the scooter to its former glory that he started researching Lambretta as a brand. As affluence returned bit by bit to post-war Italy, the focus of families moved to family transport such as Fiat’s little ‘Topolino’, the diminutive 500cc classic. Scooter manufacturers found their markets dwindling and reserves evaporating.

Innocenti was acquired by British Leyland in the late 60s and they in turn saw their export market in India and the Far East came under pressure from the flood of small Japanese motorcycles flooding those markets. Lambretta’s were built under licence in various countries across the globe, with India being at the forefront of scooter production. In 1972 Scooters India Ltd bought the entire Lambretta manufacturing and trademark rights. Innocenti employees set up the factory in Lucknow as all the manuals and machinery instructions were in Italian.

To cut a long story short, Indian production stopped in 1997, and a new entity, Innocenti S.A., known as Lambretta Consortium, based in Lugano Switzerland acquired all rights to the Lambretta brand. Under their guidance, a new range of modern Lambretta’s are manufactured at factories around the world. 125, 200, 300 and 350cc thoroughly modern scooters are now once again in production with four-stroke engines sourced from Taiwan. In recent years Taiwan has established itself as a premier manufacturer of scooter engines, with brands like Kymco and SYM gaining an enviable reputation for performance and reliability, selling their scooters across the globe.

And now for the good news! Corrie Moolman, the owner of the 150 dl which I tested has acquired the rights to import the magnificent range of modern Lambretta’s into SA. Over the next few months, we will review their range and tell you all about them. I have had a glimpse of what is to come, and I can report that they have all the flair for which the brand is famous. More good news is that pricing is going to be extremely competitive. The impish water sprite is once again alive and well!

It’s far too easy to bemoan the state of the motorcycle market in South Africa and we’re as guilty as anyone else, so we’re very happy to be kicking off 2024 with a second good news story, following on from the trial of a new kind of AMID (Association of Motorcycle Importers and Distributors) motorcycle expo that took place at Red Star Raceway in late January.

That event signalled a welcome effort by virtually all the major importers to get out and in front of their audience rather than waiting for that same audience to walk into one of their dealerships. For a first tentative toe-dipping into the water, it was a great success and will surely lead to it becoming an annual fixture.

More recently, on the 3rd of March, adventure riders were encouraged to head to the brilliant Grotto to Gravel venue on the Rustenburg road in Magaliesburg, where there was a mouth-watering selection of adventure bikes, waiting patiently in the sunshine to be put through their paces by anyone who made the effort to attend.

The effort for attendees was well worth it and the manufacturers and dealers are again congratulated for putting in a lot of effort to ensure an excellent representation of adventure models.

Bikers’ Warehouse, being a Honda, SYM/Kawasaki, Suzuki and Husqvarna dealer, was there with the Honda CB500X, Honda Transalp, Honda Africa Twin, the SYM NHT 300 and Kawasaki Versys-X 300, the Suzuki V-Strom family – 250, 800 and 1050 – and the Husqvarna Norden 901 and 701 Enduro.

Hero South Africa, which is making good gains in the SA market, had its surprisingly good XPulse 200 there. BMW Motorrad Montana had the impressive-looking new R 1300 GS, the 850 GS, the 310 GS and a 1250 GS. Raceworx KTM was KTM South Africa’s representative, with the 1290 Adventure S and R, 890 Adventure and 390 Adventure.

So, as you can see, almost every significant adventure bike on the market was present and they added up to an unparalleled experience for what is arguably the most important class of motorcycling in SA.

Riaan Fourie and Stuart Baker, of Honda SA and Suzuki SA respectively, who are both staunch supporters of any initiative that involves getting potential customers onto their products in the environment for which they were designed, expressed great enthusiasm for the day and, with around 350 people registering beforehand and turning up on the day itself, it can only be deduced that this is the type of event that the market really needs right now; getting bums on seats and trying the bikes out in person, rather than simply reading about them in the media or looking at them in showrooms and taking them for a ten-minute test ride on the road.

If we have been critical of the SA motorcycle industry in the past, then we’re going to have to seriously assess that viewpoint, if not ditch it altogether, in the light of both the Red Star Expo and now the Grotto to Gravel Adventure Demo Day. These are important initiatives that show that the industry is realising that there is far more strength in working together than always pulling in their own directions: it’s good for the industry and it’s great for us, the customer.

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As MotoGP fans worldwide turn their eyes to Qatar for the curtain-raiser of the 2024 season – the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar – one rider, in particular, will be attracting a great deal of attention as the race weekend gets underway at the Losail International Circuit on Friday 8 March.

19-year-old MotoGP rookie Pedro Acosta’s meteoric rise through the ranks of MotoGP has been nothing short of sensational. In 2023, he triumphed in the Moto2 World Championship, just two years after becoming the youngest-ever winner of the Moto3 World Championship in his debut season in the class.

His teammate this year in the Red Bull GasGas Tech3 Team, Augusto Fernandez, is also a previous winner of the Moto2 World Championship and will begin his second season in MotoGP. Together, Acosta and Fernandez, with the support of Motul, are generating a great deal of buzz ahead of Qatar.

Acosta has already notched up some significant results in 2024, with consistently impressive times during pre-season testing in Malaysia, that would have put him on the podium in the 2023 round at the Sepang circuit. His work ethic is also noteworthy – in the recent Qatar tests, he completed more testing laps than any other rider, thereby demonstrating his hunger for success at this weekend’s race.

Motul’s return as a lead sponsor of Tech3 (along with Red Bull) for 2024 sees the rekindling of a successful partnership that previously spanned a decade (2008 – 2018). In addition to MotoGP, Motul will also be supporting the Tech3 teams in the Moto3 World Championship (Red Bull GasGas Tech3 Team) and the MotoE World Cup (Tech3 E-Racing).

Motul has a common vision of mobility with Pierer Mobility AG, owners of the GasGas brand, and together with a shared commitment to performance and innovation with Tech3, these synergies can be expected to translate into great results on the track.

Hervé Poncharal, Team Principal of the Red Bull GasGas Tech3 Team, outlined his excitement about the revived partnership with Motul: “Our deep connection with Motul is more than a friendship; it’s a family affair. 98% of Tech3’s history is intertwined with Motul, and now we are returning to our roots with the premium lubricant manufacturer. Beyond the technological aspects, this partnership is a heartfelt connection,” he commented.

“At Motul, we’re privileged to live in a world where high performance is the rule rather than the exception. That said, we’re excited to see just how far the Red Bull GasGas Tech3 Team can push the envelope in the 2024 season,” commented Mercia Jansen, Motul Area Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa. “Our shared passion, human focus, and dedication to performance mean that our brands are very closely aligned, and we can look forward to great things this year – especially from the exciting young rider Pedro Acosta,” she added.

To follow Pedro Acosta and the Red Bull GasGas Tech3 Team, visit the Tech3 website. For more information about Motul’s full product range, visit the Motul ZA website.

It’s easy to be negative about the future of motorcycling in SA at the moment, with sales figures falling steadily, it’s good to be able to report some positive news.

Linex Lynnwood has been a feature of the Pretoria bike scene for many years and is proudly announcing that the dealership is expanding. The Linex Lynnwood team has been working hard, preparing for a move to a more spacious location to improve customer satisfaction.

The new premises will be located at 224 Simon Vermooten Road, Silverton, Pretoria, 0184. However, before that move happens, Linex Lynnwood will be hosting a relocation clearance sale at their existing premises, both as a way to thank customers for their support over the years as well as clearing the decks ahead of the move—the new premises will be a completely new start.

The sale is on lifestyle products – sadly, not motorbikes – and more details will be released in due course. Linex Lynnwood will also share information about the grand opening of the new premises nearer the time. Alternatively, you can contact Linex Lynnwood directly for more details.

The Dakar Rally is surely the toughest challenge of man and motorcycle ever conceived; two weeks of unending effort requiring not only a motorcycle that will stand up to intense punishment but also a fit body and mind that can withstand the same.

However, many riders will tell you that the event itself is only half the battle; simply getting there can pose just as many seemingly unassailable problems and takes just as much effort over weeks and months, if not years.

A recent event organised by Rally Rampage at ADA, near Hartbeespoort, one of South Africa’s premier off-road training facilities, brought together Dakar participants Charan Moore, Bradley Cox and Stuart Gregory, to talk about the challenges faced prior to competing in a Dakar Rally event.

The talk was preceded by a four-hour adventure ride, open to all comers, both in and around the ADA grounds and out on the open road. More than 50 bikes and riders turned up to do battle not only against the terrain but also the 31-degree heat. After that, Moore, Cox and Gregory took to the stage, while the adventure riders listened as their stories unfolded. Nothing, it seems, is easy on the road to the Dakar!

Stuart Gregory kicked things off. 2024 was his fifth Dakar and, as has to be the case for so many entrants, the challenge to begin with was to qualify for inclusion. That, it seems, was the easy part: raising R500,000 was a lot more daunting. That, and making sure his bike, which has already done two Dakars, would be strong enough to complete a third.

But, within Stuart’s story was a familiar theme of private entrants into the rally. It seems Stuart has a love/hate relationship with the event, one which has him questioning why he is doing it again when the last one brought him to his knees. You could see the pain written on his face as he talked about it. But still, he goes back, regardless of the huge effort and logistical nightmares.

Not for him a factory-backed service area, with all the spares necessary and a team of mechanics to carry out any work. Stuart had an allowance of two, 23kg bags on his flight to Saudi Arabia and that had to hold all his personal gear as well as any spares he thought he might need. Any work that needed doing to the bike, he had to do himself, among other important things at the end of a day’s riding.

In the event that he needed a spare part that wasn’t in his baggage, there was a parts truck that followed the route and was there at each night’s stop, full of everything an entrant might need in order to continue. The thing is, none of it was free, so that had to be factored into the financial calculations. When you’ve got that far, it must be galling to have to stop through no fault of your own.

Next up was Bradley Cox. The name of Cox is well known in motorcycle sport, not only in South Africa, but at the Dakar. Bradley’s father Alfie Cox needs no introduction, although Bradley sometimes wishes he didn’t have the pressure of living up to his father’s achievements, no matter how much of a help the name might be at times.

Even though Bradley grew up in a Dakar household, his goal was never to take part in the desert race. His focus was to compete in local and overseas enduro, off-road and MX championships. Unfortunately, lockdown hit, and his dreams were put on hold. This started him on the road to building an interest in the Dakar, which needed a whole new set of skills: learning how to read a road-book being a top priority. Before he knew it, Bradley competed in the 2021 Rallye du Maroc, finishing 3rd in the Rally2 class. He then went on to win a few rallies in Asia. The Dakar was on his horizon.

Although racing for the BAS World KTM Racing team, Bradley had a tough time raising funds to take part in his second Dakar in 2023. This is where Dakar spirit comes into play. Nasser Al-Attiyah, five-time winner of the Dakar (on four wheels) and a friend to the Cox family donated his race suit so that Bradley could auction it off to help get closer to his R2 million budget. Toyota saw this and questioned why he was auctioning the suit; after Bradley explained, Gazoo Racing jumped on as a sponsor and this year was his main sponsor heading into the Dakar (even after a disastrous DNF in last year’s Dakar Rally in stage 1).

Bradley was literally just a few months away from the Dakar and a few hundred thousand Rand down; without the Toyota Gazoo Racing lifeline, all the hard work would have been for nothing. The Dakar is a demanding race, and if just being accepted into the Dakar is hard enough; raising the funds is just as demanding, if not more so. You’d think that once the race starts, you can leave all that behind, but you can’t; the financial worry never stops, even when you’re wrestling your 450cc bike at 160km/h through the desert: all the way you have to be thinking, ‘I’ve got to go fast, but too fast and I’ll break the bike or myself and then it’s all for nothing!’

Charan Moore’s story is a little different to Gregory’s or Cox’s. Just like them, on his first Dakar, he had a mountain of funds to raise, but only 6 months to get it all done. Charan signed up for the Rally, not really knowing if he would qualify to race. Twenty minutes later he gets a call from Darryl Curtis who coordinates the singing-up procedure saying, “You don’t need to take part in any qualifying events as your racing background already qualifies you.” Before Charan knew it he was just a month or so away from the Dakar on his machine, with precious little seat time under his belt and a lot of organisation to take care of.

Charan took part in his second Dakar Original by Motul class in 2023 (formerly the Malle Moto Class) and represented SA with flying colours as he crossed the line in first place. Riding a bike is tough; raising funds on your own is hectic; servicing your own bike on your own after each stage (including an engine change), planning your road book and then still riding at a pace sufficient to take the lead and win the Original by Motul class is an amazing achievement.

Three different approaches to the Dakar but three similar stories of hard work, perseverance, stamina, skill and, let’s face it, a fair dose of luck. If you ever thought the Dakar was easy, maybe have a chat with any one of these three guys and let them put you straight!

For more information on epic events like this visit – www.rallyrampage.com

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Everyone obsesses about pre-season testing simply because it is the first time we have been treated to MotoGP bikes in action since the November season finale. As good as it is to see bikes, riders and teams back in action, the actual significance of testing is minimal and has very little to do with confirming or denying our predictions regarding the coming season.

All of the teams have incredibly complex testing schedules, with dozens of set-ups to compare, probably hundreds of new parts to properly assess and perhaps two or more chassis and engine configurations to try. No two teams are doing the same thing at the same time and that includes trying for a lap time or evaluating long-distance runs, let alone agreeing on a final specification, one that will be used for the bulk of the season, which is the only time where we will get the opportunity to compare one team’s efforts with another on a level playing field.

Nevertheless, we will make predictions and all those predictions centre around Ducati again being the team to beat, with Francesco Bagnaia leading the charge, while it is looking likely that Jorge Martin will not be far behind. In fact, there are no Ducati riders whom we should be prepared to ignore, even if there is one who will garner the lion’s share of the headlines, no matter how – or perhaps because of how – he will perform.

That rider, of course, is Marc Marquez, making his debut on a 2023 Ducati GP23. You have to feel a little sorry for his brother, Alex, who has been with Gresini for a while and who has immediately been relegated to number two in the team, not only in terms of (potential) performance but also in terms of the outside world’s perception and that includes the media in particular.

Should Alex manage to beat his brother and teammate, then it will be “because Marc is still learning the bike.” If Marc beats Alex, then it is because Marc is a multiple world champion and should be winning, thereby rubbing Alex’s lack of achievement in his face. No one has said that Alex will be fighting for the win from the season’s first race, but they have said that about Marc. Whether that is accurate or not, it doesn’t matter the fact that someone has said it, does!

It has to be a destabilising effect. No professional rider lacks the belief that they are the best in the world, conveniently ignoring the statistics, but when a rider who is arguably the best in the world joins your team, you have to feel the pressure, brother or not.

So, testing merely confirmed what we already know, which isn’t surprising: Ducati has been the team to beat for two seasons and it is hard to see any other manufacturer getting a consistent look-in in 2024, especially when you look at the depth of talent Ducati enjoys with its riders – Bagnaia, Martin, Bastianini, Marquez One and Two, Bezzecchi, Morbidelli and di Giannantonio – not to mention the machinery superiority. Yamaha and Honda still look all at sea, while KTM, despite its own depth in talent, is inconsistent. Aprilia could spring a surprise, but it too is inconsistent.

What is more fascinating is the contract situation heading into 2025. As it stands, only three riders have contracts for 2025; Brad Binder (to the end of 2026), Marini and Zarco (both to the end of 2025). Acosta has signed a one-year deal, but that is understood to be only because KTM has two factory riders signed for 2024 on water-tight contracts (although that didn’t seem to matter in the case of Pol Espargaro…) and he will be on a factory KTM in 2025, likely at the expense of Jack Miller.

That leaves virtually the whole grid looking for a ride in 2025 and what a fascinating prospect that is. Of course, no one would dare to presume that Bagnaia will be tempted away from Ducati but stranger things have happened. If Honda and Yamaha – and, to a lesser extent, KTM and Aprilia – don’t get their act together this year, then expect the Ducati seats to be the most hotly contested.

Of equal importance is the fact that three satellite teams are without signed contracts with manufacturers for 2025: VR46, Pramac and LCR. VR46 has been strongly linked with Yamaha, finally giving that team more than two riders on the grid, although why any team would willingly ditch the manufacturer and bikes of the moment is hard to fathom. However, Rossi remains a Yamaha ambassador, so the commercial prospects of a tie-in between the VR46 team and Yamaha are hard to ignore.

Given Pramac’s performance last year, it is hard to believe Ducati will allow the team to slip through its fingers, although KTM is keen to increase its presence on the grid and Pramac would be an obvious target. But, were Pramac to defect to KTM, would Jorge Martin relish a change of manufacturer (should he again miss out on a promotion to the factory team, in which case, he might tire of Ducati’s procrastination over employing his services and be open to a new challenge), KTM’s progress notwithstanding?

Similarly, LCR has long pinned its fortunes on Honda and faces the uncomfortable prospect of having to make a decision sooner rather than later to secure a Ducati or KTM contract, before anyone really knows how well Honda has progressed. Honda has floundered recently but who’s to say the company won’t get its act together, if not completely in 2024, but in 2025? Who is to say Honda won’t hit a sweet spot just as Ducati begins a decline? The history of the sport is riddled with examples of both riders and satellite teams making the wrong move at the wrong time.

It’s all part of the fascinating world of MotoGP, where the on-track action is merely a small part of the overall picture. As this is being written, there are less than two weeks to go before the first race of the season; a race that will no doubt throw up more questions than answers. We can’t wait!

The season kicked off with a bang for the Red Bull KTM team, delivering an exciting performance at the inaugural round of the Motocross Nationals held at Legends MX Track this past weekend. Cameron Durow, Luke Grundy, and Trey Cox were firing on all cylinders to make sure they bank some valuable points and get ahead of the game early in the season.

Cameron Durow emerged as the undeniable star of the weekend, securing victory in all four of his heats. His impeccable execution and unshakable focus propelled him to the pinnacle of success, setting a high standard for the rest of the season.

Durow commented on the weekend saying, “I really put in a lot of work in the off-season which gave me a lot of confidence going into the first round. I am so stoked to have started the 2024 season off on such a high note walking away with both red plates for the MX1 and MX2 classes.” He went on to say, “I am going overseas soon to race in the Netherlands, so my main focus is to stay healthy, strong and fit for the year ahead.”

While Cameron’s remarkable achievements stole the spotlight, Luke Grundy new to the MX2 class had an admirable day in the saddle finishing in 5th overall after having an off-track excursion and getting a banner stuck in his wheel in the first heat.

Grundy commented “I am happy with how I rode; I am still finding my feet but I’m excited for what the year has in store for the new class”

Youngster Trey Cox, who got back behind the gate after almost 9 months off also had a commendable weekend behind the handlebars. Claiming 3-1 in the first and the second heat and snatching up the second spot on the podium overall.

“I made a small mistake in Moto 1 making me come from quite far back, but I managed to turn it around in Moto 2 with a holeshot and managed to lead from start to finish”, commented Cox. He continued to say, “Happy with where I’m at and really excited for the next round,”

Group marketing coordinator Megan Prinsloo commented, “The Red Bull KTM team’s outstanding performance at the first round of the Motocross Nationals positions them as strong contenders for the remainder of the season and we are excited to see what the rest of the year will have in store for this powerhouse team.”

The first race of the season officially kicked off the past weekend at Legends Adventure Farm in Cullinan, where the Husqvarna Racing team had a great weekend behind bars and bagged valuable points for the season ahead.

Davin Cocker and Barend du Toit charged ahead, proving their strength as contenders for the upcoming season.

Taking the front line in MX1 class is Davin Cocker, having a bit of a difficult weekend coming in fourth in the first moto and sixth in the second moto putting him in P5 overall. Cocker commented, “The weekend was good with some ups and downs. I felt like I had the pace and fitness in both heats, but some unfortunate mistakes cost me some positions.”

He continued to say, “I’m happy with my performance overall and will come to the next one fighting and hungry for that podium spot.”

Rounding off the team is young gun, Barend du Toit, new to the MX2 class and who’s been off for a few weeks due to a minor injury had a surprising weekend and gained some valuable points for the team.

He commented, “Really happy that I got the holeshot in Moto 1 and came in for P5 and taking P7 in the second Moto.” He went on to say, “I had a lot of fun on the track Saturday and I’m keen to get out there and show what I’m made of.”

“I’m incredibly proud of the way both Davin and Barend rode over the weekend,” said Group marketing coordinator, Megan Prinsloo. “They’re off to a strong start and we are looking forward to building on this momentum as the season progresses.”

Friday the 16th saw the BMW faithful flock to Bavarian’s superb facility in Centurion for the launch of the long-awaited, and much anticipated, R 1300 GS. BMW’s GS range has been a motorcycle success story unparalleled in the annals of adventure motorcycling. With their latest offering, BMW has pulled out all the stops. I wonder if Max Friz had any inkling of what a revolution he was starting when he came up with the ‘boxer’ engine design for the R32 released in September of 1923? The horizontally opposed twin made huge sense then, and in many ways makes even more sense now.

The original air-cooled, pushrod, 2-valve per cylinder of the R32 is a far cry from the engineering masterpiece that is the R 1300 engine, but its advantages remain relevant. It carries its weight low, makes gobs of low-down torque, places the crankshaft longitudinally in the bike making shaft drive a doddle, and allows easy access to the valve gear for servicing. Let’s chat about the engine powering BMW’s latest GS, shall we?

Firstly, you must understand that it is a totally new design, unlike any boxer motor that has come before. The design brief for the R 1300 was ‘lighter and tighter’. BMW has succeeded in meeting those requirements admirably. To make the motor more compact they moved the gearbox under the motor. Obviously, this also centralises and lowers significant mass. Whilst horizontally opposed motors are inherently well balanced, with the movement of the one piston being negated by the movement of the opposite piston, there are still “rocking couples”, secondary vibes which need calming. Typically, this is where balance shafts come into play. BMW have been fiendishly clever. Using a bobweight on their left cylinder cam drive gear, and a combination of a weight and balance shaft on the right-side cylinder, they have kept it relatively simple and achieved a beautifully balanced motor.

The R 1300 GS also utilises the now familiar “shift-cam” technology, albeit modified for application to the fresh motor. So, there you have it. A totally new motor to power a totally new GS. Visually the bike looks smaller, and as is so often the case, just looks stunning in the flesh. Or should that be metal? I do not doubt for a second that the 1300 will be a huge sales success. It may well be the pinnacle of GS design before European bureaucrats stuff it up for all of us. Now comes the hard part, trying to figure out what the 1300 that you want is going to cost you. I spent some time on the online ‘configurator’ trying to spec my GS and eventually gave up.

Do yourself a favour, go into your local BMW Motorrad dealer and chat with them. The chaps at Bavarian managed to bring clarity to my confusion in no time, making it all seem so easy. The price of your GS will vary, based on how you want it specced, and it will not be cheap. But then again, this is a state-of-the-art motorcycle that we are talking about. The pleasure and pride of ownership of a premium GS makes it feel worth every cent. Thank you, BMW, it was well worth the wait! I cannot wait to sling a leg over the 1300 and tell you all about the riding experience. Watch this space.

BMW R 1300 GS

For more information on the bike featured in this article, click on the link below…

2024

BMW R 1300 GS

Pricing From R377,750 (RRP)

Brand: BMW Motorrad

Husqvarna Motorcycles proudly announces their powerhouse racing team line-up for the 2024 season, featuring talented riders Davin Cocker, Barend du Toit, Travis Teasdale and the newest addition to the team none other than young gun Luke Walker. Four skilled South African riders, confident to challenge for National Championship glory across multiple disciplines and primed for an exhilarating year.

Leading the charge in the MX1 class is Davin Cocker (#87) armed with his potent Husqvarna FC450, along with Barend du Toit (#101) taking the reigns in the MX2 class on his weapon of choice, the Husqvarna FC250. Du Toit, a rising star overflowing with electrifying raw talent, has his sights set firmly on leaving his mark on the MX2 class.

Cocker, a seasoned competitor known for his aggressive riding style and fresh off the bat after taking the top step in the OR2 class in the 2023 season is showcasing his adaptability in the Open Class in Cross Country on board the powerful Husqvarna FX350.

Luke Walker (#312) the latest talent to join the team, is a multi-discipline dynamo. He’ll take on the Enduro E1 class with his Husqvarna FE250, push his limits in Hard Enduro on his Husqvarna TE250, and even dive into Cross Country OR3 class with his Husqvarna FC250. Walker’s versatility and endurance make him a true standout and a force of nature.

Travis Teasdale (#69) tackles the Enduro E2 class with his Husqvarna TE300. His technical finesse and his iron-clad focus make for a stand-out season of conquering challenging terrains and hungry for the championship title.

“We are so thrilled to welcome Luke Walker to the team this year. He has shown real talent over the past 2 years, and we look forward to giving him the best tools to elevate his career and make a name for himself in the industry. It goes without saying that we are going racing in the 2024 season with clear intentions to win and challenge for championships once again with Davin, Barend, and Travis who have all had race-winning success in recent years”, commented Grant Frerichs, Husqvarna racing team manager.

Meet the team! Dive into the full team announcement video below:

The highly anticipated 2024 racing season is about to kick off, and the Brother Leader Tread Enduro and Cross Country KTM Team, along with the Red Bull KTM Motocross Team, is geared up for an exhilarating year of intense competition and championship pursuits.

The Brother Leader Tread Cross Country team is poised for success with a line-up of skilled riders ready to tackle the season head-on. Matthew Wilson, a two-time OR3 champion, is set to defend his title once again on the 250 XC-F. Scott Heygate will be on board his 450 XCF, while Brad Cox will pilot the 350 XCF in the Open class, both aiming for championship honours. Kerim Fitz-Gerald, defending Seniors champion on a 350 XCF, will continue to fight for his first overall win, adding another layer of excitement to the team’s prospects.

The Brother Leader Tread Enduro Team consists of William Slater, who is set to conquer the E2 class with his 300 XCW, Dylan Jones, in the E1 class on his 250 EXC-F, brings his skills to the forefront, and young talent Matthew Stevens rounds out the team on his 150 XCW 2-stroke machine in the Highschool Class. This dynamic team is ready to showcase their endurance and skill across diverse terrains, aiming for podium finishes and championship titles.

The Red Bull KTM Motocross Team with Cameron Durow, the reigning double champion of 2023, is set to dominate the Motocross scene donning number one plates in both the MX1 and MX2 classes on his 450 SX-F and 250 SX-F. Luke Grundy, making the step up to the MX2 class also on a 250 SX-F, is prepared to go head-to-head with Durow for the championship. Meanwhile, Trey Cox, on board his 125 SX, is eager to secure his second South African championship in the competitive 125 High School class, promising intense battles and thrilling races throughout the season.

The Motocross season kicks off this weekend at Legends Adventure Park in Cullinan followed by the Cross Country opening round in March.

Unleash the excitement! The full team video announcement awaits below:

The Out of Africa Monster Energy Yamaha team is entering its 9th year of partnership with Yamaha SA and is bracing itself for the 2024 SA Motocross season, as hungry as ever and with the goal of continuing its run of success.

Established on a foundation of passion and expertise, Out of Africa Monster Energy Yamaha has solidified its reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the SA Motocross Championship. Led by Guy Henley, the team boasts a roster of talented riders; Jesse Wright MX1, Jayden Proctor MX1 & MX2, Garrick Henley MX2, Thor Johnson 125H/S and Aiden Henley Supermini & 125H/s. The team strives to have the perfect combination of skill, strategy and innovation, and there are few informed spectators who would disagree with the depth of talent.

In the lead-up to the 2024 season, Out of Africa Monster Energy Yamaha has endured long days of preparation and testing sessions, fine-tuning both the machinery and the riding talent.

With an impressive track record behind them, Out of Africa Monster Energy Yamaha enters the 2024 season with a string of notable achievements to their name. From podium finishes to championship titles, the team’s legacy of success serves as a testament to their commitment to raising the bar and pushing the boundaries in South African Motocross.

As the team prepares to take on the challenges that lie ahead, one thing is certain – the 2024 season promises to be a spectacle like no other, and Out of Africa Monster Energy Yamaha is ready to lead the charge.

Who doesn’t know the name of Clint Seller in motorcycle racing circles? To put it simply, he is the rider who has dominated the National Superbike Series for the past decade, with an unprecedented ten titles under his belt.

Heading into the 2024 season, Clint will again be in action on the race tracks of South Africa but, this time, in the unfamiliar (for him) SunBet Kawasaki ZX10 Masters Cup. As with so many riders who have won multiple titles, adding yet another in the same series would do little to inspire the sporting competition appetite that obviously still burns brightly inside him so a move to the impressively supported ZX10 series makes a lot of sense: he will get to prove that the talent lies within him and not only in the bike he is riding (not that anyone ever thought that, of course, but, well, you understand…!)

Even for such an experienced rider, a new series will throw up plenty of challenges, not least of which is building an unfamiliar bike that still conforms to the stringent regulations, while also making it competitive. Due to the relatively late decision to enter the SunBet ZX10 Masters Cup, Clint has had little opportunity to ride his new mount in anger, as all the available time has been taken up building the bike. However, it would be a brave man who would bet against Clint and his very experienced and skilled team fighting at the front from the very first round.

As before, one of Clint’s main sponsors will be lubricant and associated product manufacturer Liqui Moly. This is a partnership that has been in place since Clint started his own team;

“I started my team in 2019 and I knew that I needed a fast bike cause I wanted to show I could win the championship as a rider and team owner,” said Clint. “In years past with previous teams I rode for, we did back-to-back horsepower tests and with Liqui Moly oil the bikes made the most power. Therefore I was either going to buy the Liqui Moly products or bring Liqui Moly in as a sponsor to make sure I won, but I was extremely fortunate that Melicia Labuschagne (head of Liqui Moly SA), believed in my team’s dream and has backed me from day one.

“Continuing the partnership into the 2024 season, Liqui Moly is a financial partner of the team as well as a product sponsor. They will also be invited to all our races to give technical advice where we need it. We give them feedback after every race and ask for advice as much as possible, which they are always willing to give. It’s a partnership that benefits both parties.”

If it seems strange that Clint is turning his back on the National Superbike Series, the answer, sadly, comes as no surprise.

“The National Class unfortunately has lost all TV coverage and spectator support. Our team was spending huge money and massive budgets to race at what felt like a track day, with little publicity return for the sponsors and partners. The SunBet ZX10 Masters Cup class races as part of the Extreme tour alongside the National car racing class. This helps to bring in large crowds and excellent TV coverage. This is not only important to me as a rider but important to our partners and sponsors.

“Another thing to take into account is the fact that there are 45 riders in the ZX10 cup series, which is by far the most riders in a single class in SA racing. I can’t wait to pit myself and my team, sponsors and partners against riders who have been in the series for years: it’s going to be a great show and a big challenge for me and the team but one we are confident of meeting.”

Clint’s King Price Xtreme racing team also hopes to continue its association with promising up-and-coming riders Blake and Cayden Robert. At the time of writing, however, these plans are yet to be finalised but we’ll be sure to bring you any news or developments as they happen.

In the meantime, do yourselves a favour and attend a round or two of the SunBet ZX10 Masters Cup rounds, which will be taking place at race tracks all around South Africa (more info here).

Stop Press

The first round of the championship has just taken place at Red Star Raceway and Clint showed the field just what class is by taking pole position and the win in both races. What’s more, he really stamped his authority on proceedings by setting a new lap record for the ZX10 class at the circuit in the low 1:53 bracket, while his rivals were mostly lapping in the 1:57+ bracket, only AJ Venter and Damion Purificati below that time. If he can maintain that level of superiority throughout the rest of the season, the rest of the field is going to have a thin time of it although now they know what they are up against, they are sure to up their game, which we hope they can do so that we can enjoy some close racing with the result in doubt to the last corner of the last lap of each race.

Pepson Plastics Kawasaki Factory Racing with Michelin, Motul. Bikewise and Scottish Cables got its 2024 Cross Country Motorcycle season off to a flying start at the GXCC Gauteng championship opener at Lekoa Lodge in the Free State on Sunday. The team picked up where it left off with one of its champion riders straight back to his winning ways, while another team rider made a triumphant return.

“Out Masters champion Pieter Holl smoked them again on Saturday, while D’artagnan Lobjoit made a stunning return with third overall while filling in for Taki Bogiages on his first time back in the saddle in anger in over two years,” Pepson Plastics Kawasaki team boss Ian Pepper confirmed. Others to impress were Wade Den in fourth OR1, Ryan Angilley had a good ride to fourth in OR3, and Geoff Den won Vets.

“Jake Pretorius was third on his first time out aboard a 250 in OR4, stepping up from an 85 last year, while Jayden Boyce had a good ride in OR3 Pro-Am and Dylan Human had a positive day in 85cc Juniors.

“Jaycee Nienaber’s bike unfortunately had a harness wire break on the fuel pump relay, which caused him to retire while out front on lap 1. Cameron Becker stood in for Wian Wentzel and was leading OR3 after 3 laps when he knocked his chin on bars and I would not let him go out again “Wian is not yet fully recovered, so he only started to allow this to count as a drop race.”

D’artagnan Lobjoit’s stunning comeback was however among the highlights of the Villiers race. “Iain Pepper rang me up a month ago to ask if I wanted to fill in for Taki Bogiages on a few GXCC races this year,” Lobjoit explained. “Then Taki called a week ago to let me know he was injured and I grabbed the opportunity to ride with both hands.

“So, with no training and less than ten hours riding in two years, I arrived with no expectations and just went out to have a blast on the Pepson Plastics Kawasaki KX450X. My start was mediocre, but I charged hard and surprised myself with an overall podium third. I was blown away by the bike’s speed and handling and happy to say that I’ll be back racing the full season ahead! I can’t thank Pepson Plastics Kawasaki Factory Racing and all our sponsors enough for making this comeback dream come true!”

“It was great to re-join my Pepson Plastics Kawasaki Factory Racing team for the season-opening GXCC today,” Pieter Holl admitted. “The guys were once again just awesome, my Kawasaki and its suspension worked wonders, the pit crew and the guys who service the bike and set up pits were on point throughout and it all came together for another win at Lekoa Lodge today. Huge thanks to Iain Pepper for keeping this special wheel turning!

“It was great to be back at the races with the team after over 18 months of injuries,” Wade Den explained. “So a big thank you to Pepson Plastics Kawasaki Factory Racing and First Capital Bank Botswana for all their help in getting the season rolling. Looking forward to building on this as the season goes on.”

“I have been working hard since I came back to race Cross Country with Pepson Plastics Kawasaki Factory Racing last year, and it is starting to pay off with today’s fourth in OR3,” Ryan Angilley admitted. “I’m now really starting to get into the swing of the cross-country style of racing and thoroughly enjoyed this weekend, so I can’t wait I be back and fighting for podiums and wins.”

“The season got off to a good start at the Lekoa Lodge GXCC regional opener,” Iain Pepper concluded. “Now we look forward to keeping the momentum going into the second round on 16 March.”

For years women have been forced to settle for less flattering gear, that is if protection was a priority for them. It was a consent struggle to find rider gear that was not only comfortable but could be worn in a non-riding environment. That was until 2015 of course, when a woman saw this struggle and made the choice to change all of that, and so MotoGirl was born–a company that is dedicated to bringing women-specific protective rider gear to the market.

As mentioned in my previous article, Inspiring Confidence On The Road, I was in desperate need of protective gear as I was not planning on attending a track day without the proper protection. All of this research led me to MotoGirl and I finally settled on a kit–the Jodie Summer Jacket and the Lara Cargo Trousers. I am equally excited about both of these amazing products, however, I’ll discuss the trousers in my next piece. For now, let’s focus on this lightweight airflow jacket.

It goes without saying, that the Jodie ticked the box of flattering, with its fitted shape design it hugs your body in all the right places eliminating that “box” like figure. Let’s be honest ladies, hiding our curves has never been an option!

What I absolutely love about this jacket is the adjustable buckles that are situated on the arms, waist and hips. This gives ladies of all body types the option to tailor their jackets to their specific needs. I have a slightly pear-shaped body, so being able to loosen the hip buckles to provide a little more room was super helpful, of course with my small waist and arms I was able to pull them in to sit snugly which eliminated the flapping of fabric at higher speeds.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to loan a Trident from Triumph JHB as I am on a journey to finding my next motorbike, and with the weather being the perfect kind for a ride, we headed out to the cradle to put the jacket and the bike to the test on the open road. (More on the bike later.)

The Jodie is made of a combination of highly abrasion-resistant cotton fabric with mesh panels which provide sufficient airflow on our hot summer days. I opted for the khaki green colour, and I haven’t regretted it one day. Why go for your average black colour scheme when you have different colour options available, after all, it’s not every day that we ladies get any form of variety when choosing rider gear, let alone several different colours.

You might wonder how safe this “stylish” rider jacket is, but let me assure you that all MotoGirl products are CE & UKCA certified and have achieved AA class, and you can also trust the mesh panels as they offer AAA safety. Naturally protective gear wouldn’t be sufficient enough if there weren’t protectors present, with that said the Jodie has Level 1 elbow and shoulder protectors included. The jacket is back protector ready, an optional extra for individuals who would like that additional protection. I currently don’t have it as of yet, but it is on my list to add to my already protective kit.

As every rider will tell you, pockets are a necessity when riding motorbikes. The Jodie has two front pockets with high-quality zips ensuring that your belongings are safely tucked away, and if you want that extra reassurance, it also has two inner pockets that close with a strong velcro. I personally prefer to keep my phone tucked in the inner pocket as it feels safer and with it being against my body I can easily feel when I receive calls.

Talking about high quality, this summer jacket has a padded neck and cuff that provide the rider with extra comfort. The cuff zips have a cool design feature where once you flip the zip tag up it prevents the zip from sliding. At first, I thought it would be a problem because as I rode the zip would slide up, but I quickly realized I simply had to flip it over and the problem was solved. This is a handy design when it involves gloves with big cuffs. I was unfortunately not blessed with the longest arms which resulted in the sleeves being slightly too long for me. Because of this, I can’t pull the zip closed completely as the sleeve comes down lower over my gloves. Usually, this would be a problem, but because of the snazzy zip design I can leave the zip slightly open, flip the tag over and it’s secured in that position.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a women-specific design if it didn’t have specific features just for us. I’m not the only woman rider who felt the need to buy a jacket that is longer in the back or high-waist pants to prevent the wind from blowing my shirt up and possibly exposing my undergarments… If this was the case then MotoGirl wouldn’t have thought of designing their jackets with an additional zip on the lower back section that attaches to their belt accessory which keeps your jacket and pants secured together–we can now say goodbye to tucking our shirts into our pants and praying the wind isn’t exposing us! This is more proof that MotoGirl is a company that focuses on the needs of women riders, but on top of that, this feature adds to the protection aspect which prevents your jacket from riding up in the case of a fall.

In summary, MotoGirl is here to give us ladies the protection we need as well as the style we desire. For me, after spending a few months with this jacket I would never go back to the bland mainstream designs that we have been presented with for all these years. Every woman deserves to feel and look her best; this brand understands that and brings us the quality and protection required to give us peace of mind on every ride.

For more information visit MotoGirl and be sure to look out for my next piece on their highly sought-after Lara Cargo Trousers.

Without innovation we cannot advance, the helmet is the perfect example of consistent innovation especially so in the last decade; making helmets lighter, safer, and more feature-heavy than ever before. I think that helmet weight and safety standards are at their all-time peak this year, a peak that makes you wonder how much more innovation can be done. Well, helmet shell aside, visibility is the next and possibly the only missing piece to the puzzle. Fancy graphics and reflective paint are always welcome, but what we are starting to slowly see internationally are helmet manufacturers and aftermarket accessory companies now offering safety features like LED lighting, brake lights, and even flickers for helmets.

Although the universal clip-on units like the “STEELMATE” helmet light system and the “Brake Free” helmet light are convenient, they are still going to set you back a few grand (if you can get them into the country) and secondly, they just look like an afterthought stuck onto the back of your helmet. Yes, it’s convenient to take off one helmet and put onto the next, but that takes time, and again it’s going to make your premium helmet look “el cheapo.”

So, if it’s a “no” to the nasty stick-on units, what should you rather be looking at? Well, a smart helmet should be on your list. A smart helmet could be a helmet with a built-in com system to you guessed it, LED and brake light systems. Right now, the only premium company in the country that can offer the latter is Shark. Welcome to the Shark Skwal i3…

The Skwal i3 is Shark’s new chip off the old block and is one of their best lookers for 2024. Just like the OG 2015 Skwal, the ‘i3’ builds onto the lineage not just with its forward-facing LEDs, but with the additional feature of intelligent active brake lights behind the rear spoilers as standard. This feature has been cleverly designed to function without the need for a Bluetooth connection or wires, the industry-leading tech uses an in-built triaxial accelerometer to activate red LEDs on the rear of the helmet during braking.

This is a feature that I think for the South African motorcycle commuter makes total sense, especially with our load-shedding schedules being increasingly unpredictable and with a lot of SA folk driving bakkies, SUVs, and lifted vehicles. For myself, I ride two older motorcycles that don’t have the best lights for evening or daytime visibility and when you ride a classic that needs consistent tweaking, any additional lighting for a quick fix or adjustment can save you hours on the road. A nice safety feature on the i3 is its second button press which activates a ‘Hazzard’ light setting, allowing you to tweak your motorcycle whilst your helmet is sitting on the road behind your bike, keeping you visible to oncoming traffic.

At the end of the day, as the sun is slowly making its way down, this is where the button located on the left side of the helmet comes in handy. The button activates the front lights and rear brake lights that flash three times a second during normal braking, and five times per second when braking hard. I’ve tested them out on the road with friends driving behind me, and even with a Tough Dog 125 mm lift kit on their Landcruiser, they could easily see me in the distance. Without the rear helmet LED brake light, they would have to keep a distance of at least 6 meters to see my motorcycle brake lights which would make it impossible for them to see me when parked at a traffic light.

After the i3’s 12 hours of internal battery life is over, a USB charge port behind the neck pad for charging is easily accessible. My commute from Pretoria to Sandton usually takes me around 35 minutes and the LED function only gets used late in the afternoon on my way back, so that’s more than two weeks’ worth of battery life and commuting before it needs a full charge.

I have been riding with the Skwal i3 RHAD edition since last year November and I can honestly say that it has easily become one of my favourite daily riding helmets to date. The i3 is simple to navigate as far as LED lighting and features go, the build quality is fantastic, the interior feels premium, visibility out of the wide cut-out visor is what you expect out of a road helmet and for those who wear glasses, there are additional sliders for comfortable positioning. The i3 has fixtures for the Sharktooth® Prime intercom, but I’ve snuck on an Interphone U-COM 6R from Langston’s, which works like a treat (more on that soon) as the helmet seals off a lot of road noise compared to what I’ve ridden with in the past.

Riding aside, I tend to gym later in the day and I also enjoy the nightlife so I tend to get back home when the lights are out. The front-facing LEDs help me navigate parking my bike in the garage and help make my way into the house without waking anyone up super easy—just like walking around with a head torch.

All those extra lighting features must make the helmet unbearingly heavy, right? What intrigued me about the i3 is that it only weighs 30 grams more than the D-Skwal 3 (the same Shark helmet without the LED lighting) with all the added LED lighting at 1570g in a medium. In summary, the Skwal i3 is an extremely attractive helmet and offers the daily rider everything they could want and more in a street helmet.

So, there you have it, if you are craving a new lid or want something that stands out, give Shark Helmets a closer look because it’s not a gimmick, it’s brilliant. Warning: Switching on the LEDs can be addictive, even if it’s just for peacocking.

Shark SKWAL i3

For more information on the product featured in this article, click on the link below…

Pepson Plastics Kawasaki Factory Racing with Michelin, Motul and Scottish Cables heads into the 2024 Cross Country Motorcycle season looking for even more titles since the green machines returned to the sport in 2021. It’s all systems go as the team prepares to get its fourth racing season off in style at the opening GXCC Gauteng championship at Lekoa Lodge in the Free State, Saturday 10 February.

“We have a crack Pepson Plastics Kawasaki Factory Racing with Michelin, Motul and Scottish Cables team ready to race at the opening round GXCC race at Lekoa Lodge on Sunday,” team boss Iain Pepper confirmed. “Our two 2023 champions, Jaycee Nienaber and Pieter Holl are out for more of the same and the rest of the lads are just as ready to go for gold in the various classes.”

Jaycee Nienaber will be out to defend the open class 450 cc OR1 class and he aims to do so with more overall wins aboard his Pepson Plastics Kawasaki KX 450 X. “I am very excited for the season to start with the Pepson Plastics Kawasaki team,” Jaycee admitted. “I am fit, my Kawasaki KX 450 X is prepared and ready to take on this weekend’s GXCC at Lekoa Lodge!” Nienaber will be supported by Taki Bogiages, Wade Den and when he is available, Dart Lobjoit who returns to the saddle to do some guest rides in the top class.

Wian Wentzel will be going for gold in 250cc OR3 aboard his Pepson Plastics Kawasaki KX 250 X. “I’m super excited for the upcoming season of racing!” Wian owned up. “I had a shoulder operation during the off-season and have worked hard to be back at full fitness and race pace and so grateful for another season with Pepson plastics. So a big thanks to oom Iain Pepper for believing in me! Let’s get this thing going.” Wentzel will be supported by former motocross star Ryan Angilie in OR3, while Cameron Becker will also ride some guest races in that class aboard a Pepson Plastics Kawasaki.

Pieter Holl will be out to defend his Masters title for Pepson Plastics Kawasaki. “It’d be great to be starting a new season, so I’m really looking forward to the first GXCC race at Villiers this weekend,” Pieter confirmed. “I may be the reigning champion, but it all starts all over again, I am ready and looking forward to racing all my old rivals again this year.” Holl will be backed up by fellow Masters rider Geoff Den and team boss Iain Pepper once he has returned to race fitness.

Pepson Plastics Kawasaki’s Senior cross-country team comprises Lee Thompson and 2022 champion Kenny Gilbert when his Ford Dakar car commitments allow him to ride. Jayden Boyce will race in OR3 Pro-Am, while young Jake Pretorius steps up to OR4. He rides a Pepson Plastics Kawasaki KX 250 X as part of the team’s two-year plan to prepare him for OR3, while Clayton and Dylan Human will race in green in Junior 85cc.

“Pepson Plastics Factory Kawasaki Racing salutes our loyal sponsors Michelin, Motul, Scottish Cables, Bikewise, and Arai, who continue with us for another year,” Iain Pepper concluded. “Our program will concentrate on the GXCC championship for now. Our plans to race in the MSA National Cross Country Motorcycle Championship will remain on hold until we are confident that the championship can run to the same white book rules for all competitors.”

Motorcyclists have had a lean time of it since the pandemic, in terms of shows to attend involving the whole motorcycling industry, like the much-missed AMID Motorcycle Expo, which is why AMID’s latest initiative, in close cooperation with Red Star Raceway, was so welcome.

Taking place over the weekend of the 27/28 January, attendees who enjoyed the free entry to the show at Red Star were treated to new model displays by the likes of BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, KTM, Husqvarna, GasGas, Suzuki, and Yamaha to name a few, plus there were some motorcycle accessories/gear on display from DMD and Autocycles.

Riders who booked with Suzuki also got to attend the Suzuki South Africa “Rider Safety Day“—a classroom and practical training program to uplift road riding skills and safety. Cancervive was also in attendance, flying the flag for cancer awareness, whereby early detection can save lives.

Given the fact that it was all arranged very last minute, ‘Red Star’ and AMID were very happy with a two-day attendance figure in the region of 1,600 people. The organisers were keen to stress that this first edition of what many hope will be an annual event was very much a fact-finding exercise to gauge the appetite for such a show. From the feedback received, it appears that all parties are hungry for such a show and lessons learned this year will be incorporated into future shows.

One consistent request was for demo rides to be made available on the track and, as Red Star has extensive land around the circuit, an adventure/off-road course could be laid out as well. This was a distinguishing feature of the AMID shows held at Kyalami and proved to be very popular, the importers were quick to appreciate the fact that a brief ride on a model was far more persuasive than merely looking at a static display.

On the whole, the response from attendees was positive; free entry was a good idea and offset the distance that some would have had to travel and it appeared that people were simply grateful to have the opportunity to see the majority of new models available in one place. For those who attended and left slightly disappointed, please remember that this is just the beginning of what all interested parties in the motorcycle industry in SA, including the customers, hope will become as much a fixture of the motorcycling calendar as any other well-established two-wheel event.

Thanks must be given to Quinton and all the staff at Red Star for generously donating their time, energy and, of course, the Red Star facility, to the cause. Thank you also to Arnold Olivier of AMID and, naturally, all the importers and accessory suppliers who committed similar time and energy.

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The 2024 edition of the Dakar – regarded by many veterans as the toughest staging of the ultimate Rally-Raid event since the 2020 move to Saudi Arabia – saw Motul-backed participants achieve notable successes and occupy several of the category podiums.

For Motul, the Dakar is not just a legendary challenge for athletes and vehicles. It also provides the ultimate real-time testbed for their products, and in keeping with their commitment to continuous improvement, the company sponsors and works with teams and athletes across all the Dakar Rally categories.

The Bike GP Category podium belonged entirely to riders using Motul’s innovative 300V lubricant, with new chapters being added to one of the most compelling stories in motorsport. After duelling for almost 8,000km, overall motorcycle winner Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) won by less than 11 minutes from fellow Motul-sponsored rider, Botswana’s Ross Branch (Hero MotoSports Team Rally), who secured his first Dakar podium on what was his third attempt, with Brabec’s teammate Adrien Van Beveren taking third place.

It was also an extremely close race to the finish in the highly competitive Rally 2 bike category, with India’s Harith Noah (Sherco TVS Rally Factory) finishing less than 5 minutes ahead of the reigning Rally 2 champion. In the process, he became the first rider from India to win a Bike category overall and also gave Sherco their first overall Rally 2 win. This measure of success is a natural extension of Sherco and Motul’s first-fill partnership, with Sherco having chosen Motul as their official lubricant partner for all 39 models in their current range.

The Motul Lab is a world-class oil and lubricant analysis facility that’s available to all Dakar competitors and moves from bivouac to bivouac for each stage, constantly providing insights that can make all the difference in an event where the margin between success and failure can be razor thin.

One of the prime examples of this was eventual Dakar Quad category winner Manuel Andujar (7240 Team / Drag’On Rally Service), who took full advantage of the technical services provided by the Motul Lab on his way to winning his category for the second time. Of the almost 400 analyses conducted during this year’s event, perhaps the most significant was the sample that enabled the Motul technicians to predict what would otherwise have been an unforeseen, catastrophic and potentially race-ending engine failure for Andujar’s Yamaha Raptor 700. Following a late-night meeting between the Motul onsite team, Manuel, and his mechanics, the decision was taken to change the engine – and the rest is now part of Dakar history.

Cristina Gutiérrez became only the second woman ever to win a Dakar title, and the first since 2001. She pulled off a remarkable comeback victory in the Challenger category after the initial category leader, Mitchell Guthrie, was forced to drop out due to mechanical issues on the second to last stage. A Motul-supported athlete, Gutiérrez then sealed her victory over Guthrie on the final day.

Motul’s impact was however most keenly felt in the Original by Motul Class, where competitors relied on their own mechanical skills plus a trunk containing all the Motul products they needed to stay in the race, stage after stage. The riders in this category showed the exceptional determination and resilience that are hallmarks of the Motul brand. Active participation in events like the Dakar generates real-world data and insights that can be used to improve Motul products for all customers.

“Our commitment to the Dakar is matched only by our focus on innovation – and indeed the two go hand-in-hand,” commented Mercia Jansen, Motul Area Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa. “By constantly testing and enhancing our products, we empower everyone from Dakar competitors to everyday drivers,” she added.

I typically plan a bike trip to kick off my December break. December is not great motorcycling weather, either too hot, humid, or wet, depending on where you are planning to ride. Botswana is my go-to place, despite being afflicted by all the above weather conditions, because it frees me from an even greater evil…people! I don’t put roaming on my phone, so I am free from this curse of our modern age too. Blissful solitude!

My son Dave is a chip off the old block, so when he heard my plan for Bots, he was all in. It was at this point in the conversation that the planning took another twist. Instead of heading north on the Tiger Rally Pros, we decided to go slow and simple. I would ride my Suzuki 250 V-Strom SX, and Dave would ride his BMW 310 GS. The so-called ‘commuters’ would carry us and all our kit far and wide. You all know how anticipation grows as the date of departure draws near. We just wanted to ride and forget all our daily strife for a while.

The bikes carried all our gear to camp, cook our food on occasion, and the few items of clothing we would need when not riding. What to take and how to pack it is just part of the fun. At last the 14th of December dawned and we rolled out of Pretoria, both maybe just a little apprehensive as to how we would adjust to the more sedate pace of ‘Tiddler touring’.

We stopped for lunch at the Vaalwater Hotel. As expected, it was hot and humid so the ice-cold draught that washed down our burgers went down singing hymns. We planned to sleep over near the border to cross over into Bots early on day two. The bikes had allayed all our fears. They were revelling in their open road duty. Both bikes were running a tooth bigger countershaft sprocket to allow for higher speed cruising at lower revs. The little Beemer is transformed. It has sufficient torque to run up all but the steepest hills in top gear and cruise way more smoothly. The tiny ‘Strom does need the gear lever stirred on occasion but now has a usable fourth and fifth, providing good overtaking or hill climbing drive.

Cruising at a relaxed 100 to 105 km/h true speed, we averaged 30 km/L for the trip. Headwinds and hilly terrain hurt consumption, but conversely flat roads and tailwinds are your friend. This is motorcycling in its purest form. You engage with the bike constantly, eking out the best from the diminutive engine. As the kilometres rolled by, our admiration for these superb little bikes grew.

Long rides develop a rhythm of their own. You find yourself getting settled and comfy on the bike and you are acutely aware of the engine’s sweet spot. Both bikes could easily run 300 k’s before fill-ups. This is on a 12l and 13,5l (BMW) tank. We rode the quieter road from the border up to Selebe Pikwe, then joined up with the A1 for the last 80 km run into Francistown.

Splash’n dash and we soon despatched the 180 k’s to Nata, stopping at Nata Lodge, that oasis for thirsty travellers. Checking the weather app, we were chuffed to see that the chance of rain at our planned stop at Elephant Sands was a mere 3%. Camping at one of our favourite spots in Bots was a go, or so we thought…

It is only a 56 km hop to Elephant Sands, north of Nata. We rode out of Nata anticipating putting up our tents, then chilling in the pool with a cold St Louis, toasting a superb day of tiddler touring. Those weather app guys would not know their arses from their elbows! Literally 3k’s from Elephant Sands we stopped and pulled on our rainsuit jackets. The sky had turned as black as night and the 3% looked more like 103%.

With big fat raindrops starting to hit us as we climbed back on the bikes, we rode into an apocalyptic storm. The road was instantly awash, with the bow waves from oncoming trucks almost engulfing us. We were almost blown off the bikes by the gusty wind-driven rain. The visibility was so limited that I overshot the entrance to the lodge and had to turn back as I saw it out of the corner of my eye.

The blessing was that the deep sand was now packed hard by the rain, and we easily rode the 2 odd k’s of dirt to the lodge. In the immortal words of Kenny Rodger’s song, The Gambler, “You got to know when to hold it and know when to fold it.” After a couple of “vuil cokes” to settle our nerves, we booked a safari tent for the night. Any thought of camping faded away as we watched a camper chasing after his dome tent as it was blown across the campsite.

In typical wild African weather fashion, the storm abated, and we watched as elephants revelled in the abundant water and the cooling downpour. Showered and in dry clothing, we cooked dinner on the veranda of our tent, then we strolled across to the lodge, sat by the fire and sipped on a bottle of red, toasting our first night in Botswana. All was truly well with the world. The rain, unexpected and ferocious as it was, had brought an indefinable bonus to our first day. It was almost as if Mama Africa was saying, “I’m wild and free and unpredictable as ever, take me for granted at your peril.” She rolled back the storm clouds and the stars, like pearls around her neck, shone brightly in the Botswana sky. Watered and fed and pleasantly weary from an eventful day, we climbed under the duvets on our comfy beds and slept the sleep of the truly blessed.

The life of a triathlete never lets you off the training hook, so at first light, Dave was off on a run with me riding along on the ‘Strom, giving him a flight option if part of the Botswana wildlife put in a sudden appearance. The air was still cool, and puddles of water reflected the early morning clouds in spectacular fashion. It was one of those moments which you wish you could just capture and hold for posterity.

I rode ahead down the main road, stopping every so often. The remains of a young elephant a few metres off the road told the story of Africa from the beginning of time. Life and death are constant companions. Embrace life in its entirety as you never can tell when it is your time to cross the rainbow bridge. The Bible tells believers that we are “sojourners in this land. It is not our home; we are just passing through.” We do not get to decide the length of our individual journeys. We just need to fill our journey with as many moments as this, as possible. That, my friends, is why we ride motorcycles.

After a hearty breakfast, we were back on the bikes and riding ever north. The landscape in Botswana is predominantly flat, with endless open vistas. Perfect for small bikes as you don’t have much in the way of hills to contend with. The mechanical cruise control on my Suzuki worked a treat. Resting on the brake lever, it holds the throttle open allowing you to rest your throttle hand.

Pandamatenga is the breadbasket of Botswana. As far as the eye can see the bush has been cleared to make way for crops. There are several SA farmers managing farming operations at Panda, so it is common to hear Afrikaans spoken by women doing their shopping. It was then on to Kasane, stopping only for the odd Eli to cross the road. We surveyed the damage to a truck that overturned just before Kasane. It’s load of steel girders strewn across the veld like a giant game of pickup sticks. ‘How’ is the question that comes to mind when you see this carnage? Open road with long benign bends. Most likely falling asleep at the wheel, lulled into sleep by the monotony of endless k’s at the wheel, ferrying the goods that feed the infrastructure of our complex world.

A cold beer at a lodge overlooking the magnificent Chobe River and then it was the ride through the Chobe Game Reserve. Because this is the road that takes travellers to Namibia and the Caprivi Strip, the authorities allow motorcycles to traverse the park. You sign a register when entering as the only formality. We cruised the park at the speed limit of 80 km/h, game-spotting as we went. It was already hot so there was not much to see.

Some magnificent kudu and the ever-present elephant were about it. Our destination was Mwandi View, a lodge overlooking the Chobe River floodplain. We had enjoyed sundowners and experienced a magnificent sunset at Mwandi during a 4×4 trip through Savute and Moremi earlier in the year. This was when the plan to return on bikes was hatched. We enjoyed two relaxing days at Mwandi, with Dave doing his obligatory training runs, after which we chilled around the camp, letting the tension from a busy year ebb away. We watched zebra on the floodplain, feeding on the nutrient-rich grass. It is hard to imagine this savannah submerged annually by the water that flows down from Angola. A good reason for another bike trip perhaps?

Our two days at Mwandi flew by and it was back on the bikes for the long haul home. We left in the cool of the early morning, entering Chobe just after 6 AM. What a different game-viewing experience that turned out to be. Barely into the park, we stopped to watch Wild Dog right next to the road. I love these painted dogs! Elusive and scarce, they make for amazing viewing. A bare 10 k’s further on a journey of four huge giraffes ambled across our path. Then it was a breeding herd of elephants, with the matriarch leading the tiniest mini-me newborn calf across the road, surrounded and protected by the herd.

The final wildlife act came in the form of a herd of buffalo grazing next to and crossing the road. Almost a ton of African bovine mean. When you pass these guys bare metres away on a bike, and they fix you in their bright-eyed beady gaze, it makes for some arse-puckering moments! That is literally the only moment on the trip when I would have liked big bore accelerating ability! Luckily, they let us pass through their turf and we continued on our way, super chuffed with our Chobe wildlife experiences.

We decided to put in a big day to shorten our last two days, so we smashed over 600 k’s and after traversing 8 k’s of dirt from the main road, pulled into Woodlands Campsite, 16 k’s before Francistown. Spoiling ourselves after the long haul we decided to forego camping and booked into a well-appointed and superbly comfortable chalet overlooking a verdant lawn down to a dry riverbed. Each chalet has a dedicated braai area on the river’s edge. Woodlands is a must for your first or last night in Bots. It offers excellent value and is in the bush away from hustle and bustle. The shop at reception does pre-cooked meals, braai packs, wood, beer and wine, so your every need is catered to. The campsites are shady and tidy, with a pool for hot travellers.

Sitting at our campfire we gazed fondly at our two plucky little bikes that had carried us in absolute comfort across Botswana. Big bikes are obviously cool but there is something to be said for the simplicity and engaging demeanour of light and agile small bikes. You don’t mess with settings and modes; you just hop on and ride. They traverse dirt effortlessly; you don’t find yourself fighting excess power and weight.

Whilst both bikes performed faultlessly, perhaps the Suzuki deserves an honourable mention. It is comfy and well-appointed. The USB charging port was a boon for charging cell phones while riding. It would be perfect for powering your GPS too if that is how you roll. The riding position on both bikes is comfortable, I never felt cramped or fatigued despite my 6’3” frame. We swapped bikes on occasion. The extra grunt of the BeeEmm was welcome, but it was not as refined as the little Suz. The kicker for me is that the Suzuki will set you back under R60k. You could do your RTW trip on this little beast, and it will not let you down. Dave too bonded with his little GS all over again. We agreed that tiddler touring is a blast, and we are already planning the next trip.

We got back on the road early the next morning and after breakfast at the Francistown Wimpy, it was to the border and back into SA. Let me just say that the border crossing at Grobler’s Brug/Marti’s Drift is an absolute shamble. The border is swamped by hundreds of trucks that carry goods up and down through this border. The management on both sides is non-existent. Trucks clog the bridge, not allowing tourist vehicles to cross. We crossed on the pedestrian walkway adjacent to the road across the bridge, thanks to the tidy dimensions of our bikes.

It is obvious that a commercial port of entry should be created to alleviate the present mess, but that would be expecting too much, I suppose. I am certain that tourism is being negatively affected, but I don’t think that either country gives a fig! Officials look like they are on a go-slow. The sad story of Africa. It is paradise ruined by arrogance, greed, bribery, corruption, and the lack of vision which, if addressed, could transform it into a powerhouse. These are the things which you reflect on when you have significant helmet time.

We pulled into a spot called De Kuile, 10 k’s before Lephalale (Ellisras). It is an old-school campsite with air-conditioned chalets on the river, we stocked up on grub and drinks in town, then settled down to the final night of our tiddler tour. We braaied, drank and chatted into the night. We reflected on another epic motorcycle-fueled adventure. The bikes performed flawlessly. Lubing the chains was the sum total of the maintenance required. Nothing broke or fell off. They consumed no oil and very little fuel. They ran for hours on end still 3,000 rpm from the redline, courtesy of the altered gearing, so we never felt that we were even stressing them. They are epic bikes!

The next morning, we got back on the road so early that we were too early for breakfast in Vaalwater, so we lashed a coffee and rode on. Back on the highway, we dialled the little bikes to 120 km/h and in no time we rolled into Pretoria. As is my habit, I unpacked the bike, allowing it to cool completely, then washed and polished the wee ‘Strom. What a beastie! The gateway to real adventure may not be as inaccessible as you think. Why not make 2024 the year that you embrace life again? Do it your way and for you. As flawed as it is, it remains a truly wonderful world out there.

Suzuki V-Strom 250SX

For more information on the bike featured in this article, click on the link below…

2026

Suzuki V-Strom 250SX

Pricing From R63,050 (RRP)

Brand: Suzuki

It’s not been an easy period for Italian motorcycle manufacturers in South Africa; Aprilia and Moto Guzzi importer IMI sadly closed their doors in 2023, with no obvious party coming forward to take over the two brands. Happily, however, that other iconic Italian manufacturer has a much brighter future in SA.

It was announced last year that the Pierer Mobility Group, which owns KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas, had also taken a controlling interest in MV Agusta, signalling a new era of hope for the manufacturer, as it will be able to piggy-back on the global dealership network of the Austrian brands.

In South Africa, it is FAST KTM, based in Alberton, south of Johannesburg, and Cape Town that will become the new home of MV Agusta, which can only be good news for MV owners present and future, for what FAST doesn’t know about excellence in customer service isn’t worth knowing.

The Alberton FAST KTM branch is home to the first of the new MV Agusta showrooms, with Cape Town FAST KTM becoming the second dealership, hopefully sometime this year. Within a few months, the full range of MV Agusta models will be present and limited edition models will be available on a special order basis.

FAST MV Agusta in Alberton has factory-trained technicians able to tackle any servicing or maintenance tasks on your pride and joy, and any spare part not kept in stock can be delivered from Austria, where MV Agusta spares manufacturing has been moved, within two weeks.

For the time being, there are two demo models available for test rides. An F3 800 and a Brutale 1000 RS. Naturally, FAST MV Agusta will also consider your used MV for part-exchange and will undoubtedly carry some used models for sale as well.

All this is great news for MV Agusta in South Africa: FAST KTM is celebrating 20 years of bringing the best in sales and service, with an always-present commitment to put the customer first which makes FAST the ideal home for MV Agusta.

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For more information visit: www.fastktm.co.za

We might be about to have the longest season ever, with 22 rounds and 44 races, including the Sprint races, but that doesn’t change the fact that the wait between the end of last season and the start of this year is interminable; March still seems like a long way away.

It promises to be a fascinating season, which only adds to the impatience. The prospect of seeing Marc Marquez on a Ducati is something to savour: we all know the troubles of previously dominant riders jumping onto a machine from Bologna – Rossi and Lorenzo spring to mind – but the modern Ducati is a completely different beast to five or ten years ago and there is no doubt that Marquez is an other-worldly talent, but how he will fare on a bike that has not been tailored around his riding style is another matter. There will be many fans who will rejoice if he doesn’t make the grade and walks away with his tail between his legs but I won’t be one of them: MotoGP needs Marquez to be fighting at the front.

Actually, MotoGP needs all teams and riders to be fighting at the front, even though it has rarely happened throughout the history of the sport. But there’s the possibility that 2024 could see another season with multiple winners – we had eight different winners in 2023, nine in 2020 and 2016 – and another title fight that goes down to the wire.

It’s fairly safe to assume Ducati will be dominant again, with KTM hopefully keeping Ducati honest. KTM has mercurial talent Pedro Acosta on its strength, riding for GasGas, which is, of course, a KTM in different colours, and it will be interesting to see how he adapts once again in the short period that has been his career in top-flight racing. The KTM/GasGas has been getting better and better every year but lacking that final leap required to challenge Ducati at every circuit, which is doubly difficult to achieve given Ducati’s rate of development. Could Acosta come in and embarrass the factory KTMs? Now, that would be worth seeing and would really shake up the riders’ market in 2025, with a lot of contracts up at the end of 2024 (only Binder, Marini and Zarco are guaranteed a seat in 2025, Binder for 2026 also).

But there is also strength in depth in the factory KTM team. Brad Binder remains with KTM, as does Jack Miller. Binder had a solid season in 2023 and it would be easy to point to Miller’s lack of success on a bike that is a proven winner in the hands of his teammate (and Miguel Oliveira) and express disappointment. The suspicion was forming that he might not be as good as we all like – and want – to think but listen to the insiders at KTM and they have nothing but praise for his talent and work ethic and he is universally loved at the Austrian manufacturer. As his team boss pointed out, he was faster at every circuit in 2023 than he was in 2022. It’s just that other riders had also improved, thus putting Miller’s achievements slightly in the shade.

Sometimes he ran at the front but other times he languished down the order, unable to display his talent, but to take his 2023 performance without understanding what was going on in the background at KTM would be to do the man a disservice.

Elsewhere, we have Alex Rins jumping onto the Yamaha from LCR Honda, riding alongside Fabio Quartararo. Talk about jumping out of the frying pan into the fire, given Yamaha’s dire 2023 but, as Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha’s test rider, said, neither Yamaha nor Honda have forgotten how to build a good motorcycle and they will do so again. If you listen to those who can be reliably said to be in the know, it is the Japanese way of working that is to blame, with decisions about radical changes taking too long and the factories not being flexible enough in terms of the speed of design thought necessary. If that is true, then both Yamaha and Honda are aware of this and it is hard to believe they won’t be making changes in order to catch up.

There is no doubt Honda paid the price for concentrating too much on Marquez’ input into the RC213V’s development which bit them in the arse when he was sidelined by injury in 2020. In the three years that followed, Honda looked completely at sea, failing its riders hugely. Have they done enough for 2024 to address the problems around the bike? Joan Mir is joined by ex-VR46 rider Luca Marini and, whilst it has to be tempting to accept a factory seat, you have to wonder how many questions are running around Marini’s head.

It’s the same for Johann Zarco, who leaves Ducati, after scoring his maiden victory in Australia, to jump onto the LCR Honda seat vacated by Alex Rins. There’s no doubt it was a big money move and perhaps it was that that swayed the Frenchman’s mind, given his age and the fact that he doesn’t have all that many years left in MotoGP. It seems ridiculous to talk of a sportsman’s career being almost over at the age of 34 or 35 but that’s just the way of it. Rossi competing into his 40s was the exception rather than the rule but even the most ardent Rossi fan would admit that he was past his best when he finally retired and was no longer the force he once was.

Rossi being Rossi, however, he still had a reputation as a rider who wasn’t very far off the top of his game when he retired, a stark contrast to some sportsmen throughout history who have carried on long after they should have hung up whatever sports kit they wore. The other factor, of course, is – and always has been – just how much punishment the body can take in a sport that is relentlessly hard on it as bike racing is. There must come a point where you’re simply not prepared to risk your life or, at least your mobility, if all you can expect is to be finishing way down the result sheet. James Hunt was the perfect example of this: he was only excited and enthused about racing if he knew he had a chance of winning, otherwise, he wasn’t interested, for exactly that very reason.

Anyway, I digress. Zarco is at LCR, while Fabio DiGianantonio was thrown a last-minute lifeline (it was all rather distasteful how he was made to feel very much like a second choice after Acosta was signed to KTM and Marini went to Honda) to take Marini’s seat at VR46. If Ducati has a lot of bikes on the grid, they’ve also made sure they have some brilliant talent riding them: mixing the experience and race-craft of Marquez and Bagnaia, into the same performance pot as Alex Marquez, Bastianini, Bezzecchi, Martin, Morbidelli (from Yamaha) and DiGianantonio can only mean fireworks.

Let’s not forget Aprilia, either. If they can continue the upward trend in the efficiency of their design and engineering, then I would love to see them mount a proper, consistent challenge for the title: don’t mind which rider is leading the challenge – I just want to see that team winning more races.

On that basis, it’s going to be a great season of racing. I can’t see Honda or Yamaha getting it right just yet so it’s up to KTM and Aprilia to challenge Ducati. It could be that there is so much infighting in the Ducati camp in the races, with all of their eight riders snatching points away from their stablemates, that consistent podiums could see a non-Ducati rider right up there in the championship table. You’ve got to admit it’s unlikely and that, really, wins are the only way to guarantee being in the top three or four but it’s happened before.

As usual, the only thing we do know for certain is that, despite the predictions, we don’t know anything: we actually have no idea until the lights go out for the first Sprint race in March. And that’s still a bloody long way off!

Biker’s Warehouse Race Team, a force to be reckoned with, has stamped its mark in the racing world over the past 7 remarkable years. The team has flourished and now comprises of 16 exceptionally talented riders for 2024, all united under the exceptional leadership of Wayne Farmer, an icon in the riding community. Farmer’s impressive track record boasts multiple championship titles across various disciplines, solidifying his prestigious status.

When you support the Biker’s Warehouse Race Team, you embark on an exhilarating journey of competitive racing. Witness their riders’ unparalleled skills as they face the challenges in GXCC, National Cross Country races, EWXC, FarmJam, the Impi, and the Roof of Africa.

For their team, the bond they share goes beyond a mere sport—they consider themselves a closely-knit family. Biker’s Warehouse Race Team fosters a strong sense of camaraderie, dedication, and passion within their riders.

The Biker’s Warehouse Race Team owes its existence to the invaluable support and participation of its sponsors and riders.

GXCC/ National Cross Country/ Northern Regions Cross Country

• 29 Wayne Farmer – Masters – TX300
• Gavin Young – OR2 Pro – FX350
• John Botha – OR1 Pro – TX300
• J458 Hanju de Kock – Senior 85cc – TC85
• 358 Hanju de Kock – High School – TC125
• 713 Juan Wilken – OR1 Pro – CRF450RX
• 130 Ruan Merry – S1 Pro – TE250

FarmJam

• 29 Wayne Farmer – Masters – TX300
• Gavin Young – S2 Pro – TE250
• John Botha – S1 Pro – TX300
• 713 Juan Wilken – OR1 Pro – CRF450RX
• 698 Ruben Pieters – S1 Pro – TE300
• 507 Matt Battersby – S1 Pro – TE300
• 506 Mike Battersby – Masters – TE300
• 504 Luke Battersby – Silver B – TE150
• 306 Chris Swart – Masters – TE300
• 307 Buzz Swart – S1 Pro – TE300
• 940 Liam Lea – Pro B – TE300
• 225 Fergal Mc Adam – Seniors – TE300
• 130 Ruan Merry – S1 Pro – TE250
• 47 Chris Kruger – S1 Pro – TE300
• 11 Blake Kruger – 50cc – TC50 Mini

EWXC

• 698 Ruben Pieters – S1 Pro – TE300
• 507 Matt Battersby – S1 Pro – TE300
• 506 Mike Battersby – Masters – TE300
• 504 Luke Battersby – Silver B – TE150
• 306 Chris Swart – Masters – TE300
• 307 Buzz Swart – S1 Pro – TE300
• 940 Liam Lea – Pro B – TE300
• 225 Fergal Mc Adam – Seniors – TE300
• 47 Chris Kruger – S1 Pro – TE300
• 11 Blake Kruger – 50cc – TC50 Mini

Sponsors

Biker’s Warehouse, Fly Racing, Michelin, Husqvarna South Africa, Vantage Power & Energy Partners, R&M Battersby Developments, Pharon7, BuddyCool, Northern Offroad Equipment
100% Goggles, Gaerne, Motorex, Tork Craft, Enduren, Enduro Engineering, ODI, Bikewise
Renthal, SBS Brakes, D.I.D, Acerbis and Leatt.

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When you’re shopping for new tyres, you really need to think about what kind of riding you do, and where your rubber spends most of its time rolling. Even with all the latest information at keyboard reach, most of us still over overcompensate and end up buying tyres that are overkill for our skill level, not suited to the kind of riding we do or just wrong for the season. It took me a good few years to realise this, and just one set of sports touring tyres to change my point of view. A point of view that has since seen me convert to sports touring rubber almost indefinitely for the daily and the weekend open road shenanigans.

Sports touring rubber has come a long way, especially with tyre companies spending millions on tyre development over the years. Michelin and their “Road” range is a good example of years of development starting back in 2002 with their Pilot Sport range—now the Road 6 and Road 6 GT. Sports rubber is awesome, but only when conditions, road surface and heat all play ball. Even when they do play ball, the game isn’t very long—6000 to 8000 km on a Sport or Super Naked, that’s if you’re lucky. With sports touring rubber, at least in the last 8 years, both grip and mileage have come to the game.

With my daily ride, I have turned away from sporty rubber-like Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa, Dunlop Q3+ and instead, I have moved to sport touring biased tyres like the Pirelli Angle GT II, Dunlop Road Smart III and Metzeler Roadtec to name a few. Has my riding become more boring or slower on the road? No, what has happened is I’ve ended up riding more often, quicker out of the blocks (because less heat is needed for them to grip optimally) and without worrying about what the weather conditions might be.

With that said, the last year has seen Michelin’s Road 6 and Road 6 GT make headlines all over the internet and this got my attention. With my Yamaha XSR 900 needing some rubbery love, the guys from Auto Cycles delivered the notorious rubber that I’ve been keen on getting my hands on for months. Welcome home ‘Mich’!

On paper and in design the 6th generation of Michelin’s “Road” family promises to improve on its well-known all-rounder capabilities in being a good corner rocket and mile muncher come rain or shine. The Road 6 is now fitted with Michelin’s 2CT+ Tech, meaning not only are they dual compound but they also come with reinforced sidewalls—providing better rigidity at lean and resulting in more stability through the corners. The ‘GT’ is pretty much the same tyre as the Road 6, but with an extra ply in the rear tyre to handle the extra weight of heavyweight sport-touring motorcycles or adventure motorcycles with a 19-inch front now available.

My very first day with the Road 6 saw me ride out of the tyre bay and into the pouring rain. Last year November and December had no mercy for us riders, which meant Mich and I would start our friendship together in what should have been pretty dodgy riding conditions. Ironically, the Road 6 was made for these exact conditions and I can vouch that they are hands down the grippiest and safest tyres I have ever experienced riding in the rain with, even with TC completely turned off and ABS in full effect. I was surprised because there is a lot of slick edge for sporty riding, but Michelin has done their research and has placed the sipes just before the soft slick edge, giving you plenty of grip and confidence with enough lean angle.

Michelin’s special formula is all in the blend of their Silica technology tread compound and their “water evergrip tech” tread pattern. The 6th generation now offers 15% more wet grip than the Road 5, while also having a 10% increase in tread life than the predecessor.

This is thanks to less of a “V” shape and more of a “U” shape, allowing more of the hard compound centre of the tyre to be in contact with the tar and also longer siping which helps with increasing traction and water evacuation. A simple change with big results and I personally enjoy riding with the U-shaped Road 6 on the road, as they feel very progressive when changing lean and when having to trail brake on constantly changing road surfaces.

With the need to get out of rainy Gauteng, Simon and I planned a two-day trip in and around Nelspruit where we would ride the twisties past Kaapschehoop down to Sabie, cutting through Pilgrim’s rest before making our final stop in Dullstroom. It was here where we got to experience 4 seasons spread across two days and thus I got to know the Road 6 in all road riding conditions. It goes without saying, that we didn’t escape the rain entirely, but for the most part, the ride to Kaapschehoop was dry and fast sweepers were plenty.

The D799 is a fun and fast mountain pass with a smooth as-butter road surface, and runs down to Sappi’s massive paper mill and connects with another tighter more technical twisty heading up to Kaapschehoop. This is an area I’ve ridden on my MT-09, Tracer 9 and XSR 900 all set up similarly in suspension and geometry with all the above-mentioned tyre combos. I must say the Michies felt super planted on their edge and even though typically harder than a sports tyre, they inspired confidence and at no point did I wish they were anything stickier.

After lunch in Kaapschehoop, the next challenge for myself and the Road 6 was half stormed out Robbers pass, which by the way was more like a gymkhana with merely wet tar to actively rained on patched potholes to pavement with varying levels of standing water. This is where a rider needs to be smooth on their inputs, look far ahead and as we riders usually do, ride the road once or twice to spot all the imperfections first. Even with the XSR having a softer fork setup and springy rear shock, the front-end grip from the Road 6 under hard braking and hard fork compression was plenty. Rear grip was ample and TC never had much to argue about.

Taking the Road 6s out on a rainy and badly maintained road revealed excellent traction, allowing leans as far as I was personally willing to test. As for mileage testing on these tyres, Michelin has had their test riders reach upwards of 18,000 miles (28,000 km) and one of those test riders was on a light 1050 Speed Triple. With our hotter climate and washed-away roads, I would say anywhere between 16,000 to 18,000 kilometres would be very respectable. You could probably cheat the system and put the Road 6 GT on your lighter naked bike like mine and ride smoothly to reach 20 odd thousand km with ease, but it might become a very hard ride forcing you to ride with a lower tyre pressure to compensate for the harder centre compound of the GT. So, just stick to the Road 6 on your light Naked and your GT on your Adventure and Sports-Tourer.

At the end of the day after riding just over 2500 km in crappy conditions I am happy with the Road 6 and hope to report more good news as the riding season becomes hotter and clear-skied. I can’t say it enough, sports touring rubber is the road rider’s dream for all things tared. The Michelin Road 6 comes in a variety of sizes and will set you back around R6611 (120/70-17 front and 180/55-17 rear), but if they last the mileage, offer all the sporty fun and great wet weather grip, they are worth every cent. As for me, I look forward to bringing you guys more feedback as I rack up the mileage.

Michelin Road 6 (Combo: 180/55-17 – 120/70-17)

For more information on the product/s featured in this article, click on the link below…

The 46th edition of the Dakar Rally has ended after a thrilling duel between Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda powered by Motul) and Botswana Off-Road legend Ross Branch (Hero MotoSports Team Rally powered by Motul) in the Motorcycle category that saw the pair chase each other all the way to the finish in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, where Brabec emerged victorious. Brabec and Branch stayed in close contention throughout the event by getting onto the overall podium from Stage 1, with Branch leading the rankings until the 48-hour Chrono on Stage 5. Brabec took the lead on Stage 6, and that’s the way it stayed until the 12th and final Stage, with Branch ending a mere 10:53 behind the American for his first-ever Dakar podium.

It was an incredibly close race for the entire 2-week duration; at the end of Stage 7, the overall gap between the two riders was 1 second after more than 32 hours of racing. They didn’t have it all their own way though, Brabec’s Honda teammate Adrien Van Beveren also joined the fray from Stage 9 and put pressure on the pair all the way to the end, eventually ending up just over a minute behind Branch in third, resulting in a podium lock-out for Motul and their 300V backed riders.

Brabec’s performance was a showcase for consistency, though: he only won one stage of the entire event, but he made sure he stayed in the running on every stage and was never off the podium. It was a very successful event for the entire Monster Energy Honda team who won 9 out of the 12 stages, with each member of the 5-person team winning a stage at some point, proving just how capable the Honda effort was this year.

The race for the Rally 2 podium was no less exciting, and while all bets were on the reigning Rally 2 champion Romain Dumontier taking the victory after dominating the first part of the race, it was an incredible charge to the front from Sherco powered by Motul star, Harith Noah, that got everyone talking and made him one of the revelations of this year’s event. The off-road star from India is the first competitor from his home country to win a bike category overall and he can add another astounding achievement to this year’s event because he did not look at the standings or social media once throughout the entire event. He preferred to go out and do his best every day, and this approach paid off with a highly coveted victory in the Rally 2 class.

South Africa’s Bradley Cox (BAS World KTM) suffered from early navigational challenges which held him back. Still, he put in an incredible effort towards the end of the Rally, almost pipping Dumontier (Dumontier Racing) to the post in the process. Still, the Frenchman managed to secure 2nd place overall by a mere 2.8 seconds over Cox who finished in third.

The Original by Motul Class was a masterclass by Austrian Dakar Rookie Tobias Ebster (Kini Rally Racing) who led from the start and ended up almost 2 hours ahead of Frenchman Jerome Martiny (Anquety Motorsport), followed by Spaniard Albert Garcia (Pedrega Team). The top 3 in the toughest class of the Rally had race times of over 60 hours for this year’s event and considering that they race with no assistance, to be on the podium is a remarkable achievement.

With Motul-backed performances from Honda and Hero on the overall podium and a remarkable ride from the Sherco-Motul Harith at this year’s Dakar, Mercia Jansen, Motul Area Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa, shared her excitement as the final results came through, “Motul is incredibly proud of all our partners in this year’s Dakar. In the bike category alone these three teams have put our products to the ultimate test and when they perform as well as they have in the toughest Motorsport race in the world, we are grateful to have played a part in their success.”

As the 46th edition of the Dakar Rally enters the home stretch to the finish in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, the world’s toughest Motorsport race has lived up to its billing and once again delivered a nail-biting adventure and almost unbearable heartache.

The Dakar Rally is an event for adventurers first and foremost, and while many of these intrepid riders are signed up to well-funded Manufacturer and Factory teams, there is one group of riders who truly embody the spirit of the pioneers as they take on Saudi Arabia’s rugged and varied terrain, unassisted.

These determined competitors are riding in the Original by Motul Class (previously the Malle Moto Class). They face the ultimate test of endurance and resourcefulness as they must brave the conditions solo, without team support, technical assistance, motorhomes, or extensive sponsorships. They must pack everything they need for the entire event into a single trunk (Malle Moto literally translates to Trunk Motorcycle) and maintain their bike, body and mind throughout the two-week-long event. This category is sponsored by major event partner Motul, who provide each rider in the category with their superior oils and lubricants designed to ensure optimum performance in even the most challenging conditions.

As a testament to the character and determination of the Original by Motul Class competitors, just 5 of the 26 starters in this category have dropped out so far in this year’s event, with only two days remaining. This compares to an overall attrition rate of over 50% across all other categories including top names like Sam Sunderland, Skyler Howes and Joan Barreda in the bike category. All 3 of these riders were in with a chance for a podium this year and instead are now watching from the sidelines.

The Original by Motul Class riders come from all corners of the world and all walks of life; from fearless firemen to ambitious businessmen, intrepid mountaineers and those carrying on family legacies. This eclectic mix spans all ages while being united by a common desire for adventure and a determination to live life to the fullest.

Rookie entrant Tobias Ebster currently holds a lead of just over one hour at the front of the Original by Motul Class pack. He is the nephew of Dakar and Motocross legend Heinz Kinigadner, who won several stages across seven Dakar Rallies in the 1980s and 1990s but was denied a finish on each occasion by a series of mechanical breakdowns and injuries. Ebster is determined to break the family jinx and emerge victorious, an achievement which would undoubtedly make his uncle proud.

Gioele Meoni is also making his first attempt at the Dakar Rally. He is on a quest to honour the legacy of his late father, two-time Dakar Rally winner Fabrizio Meoni, who tragically lost his life during the 2005 event. Gioele’s main aim is to complete the Rally, after which he will auction his bike to raise funds for the Fabrizio Meoni Foundation’s school-building programme in Senegal. He is currently in 6th position with 2 stages to go.

US soldier Kyle McCoy, who completed 5 tours of duty in Afghanistan, returns to Dakar with a sense of unfinished business. McCoy brought a team of 5 US riders, including himself, to the event in 2022 in an attempt to get more US riders to finish the toughest class in the Rally; ultimately, only one did – and it wasn’t McCoy! He is back to get that finisher’s medal for himself, with his determination echoing the resilience found in the heart of a warrior. McCoy is currently sitting 11th in the Original by Motul class.

South African Charan Moore, the 2023 winner of the Original by Motul Class, shares his thoughts on what’s needed to go the distance in this most demanding of categories: “Firstly, what’s really important is that you need to have a very good mechanical understanding of how your bike works because you’re the one who has to fix it if it breaks. Your knowledge needs to extend across electronics, hydraulics, engines, suspension… the whole lot! In 2023 I had all the difficulties; my bike had a slow leak from Day 1, and I also had fuel pump issues in that first week. Then the motor went, and I had to change it by myself, which was a major challenge and led to a time penalty for the engine change that nearly cost me my win. And just for good measure I also had radiator issues the very next day that needed fixing. Fortunately, I was able to overcome these challenges, push hard and still take the win!”

Moore continues: “Which brings me to the next critical element: if you want to finish, you need to be able to manage yourself and your immediate environment. Time management, body management, bike management and nutrition are all crucial to success because fatigue is the enemy of planning. When you’re typically up at 4 am every day after sleeping in a tent on the ground, and you’re on the bike in the toughest conditions for at least another 8 hours, your mental stamina comes into play because it takes a minimum of 3 hours to prep the bike in the evening for the next stage. You then still need to set up a tent, have dinner and catch a shower, if you’re lucky, and all of this makes for a very long day, for 2 solid weeks.

Moore is competing in Rally 2 of the 2024 Dakar Rally, as the updated rules stipulate that winners of the Original by Motul category cannot compete in this class again. Charan is currently sitting in 9th in this class.

“At Motul, we have always embodied the same pioneering spirit that the riders in the Original by Motul Class must demonstrate if they are to succeed,” commented Mercia Jansen, Motul Area Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa. “Throughout our history, we’ve consistently pushed boundaries in our quest for ultimate performance, which is why we’re delighted to sponsor the toughest category in the most demanding Rally-Raid race in the world,” she added.

Addendum

As this press release was being prepared for publication, we received the very sad news that Dakar Rally competitor Carles Falcon, who was injured in a heavy fall on Stage 2, has succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in his native Spain. Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this very difficult time.