By all accounts, the Ducati DesertX is selling like hotcakes. And why wouldn’t it? It’s a modern classic that’s also a capable adventure bike and a Ducati. So it scores high on looks, ability and Italian exoticness.
Its liquid-cooled 937 cc Testastretta engine makes 110 hp and 92 Nm, and its 21F/18R wheel combo and long-travel suspension keep it planted when the going gets rough. But while all reports point to the DesertX sporting an impressive level of off-road capability, its looks are arguably its biggest selling point.
Image source: Ducati
It’s a delightfully minimalistic motorcycle, with numerous design touches that recall the big Dakar race bikes of old. From its tall front end to its generous camel tank and vintage enduro-style fender, every detail is pitch-perfect.
Add to that the twin headlights, and the simple white livery that it debuted in, and it’s one ‘Lucky Adventurer’ decal away from being a modern-day Cagiva Elefant. (In fact, I’d bet good money that Ducati would have named it the Elefant if they owned the rights to the name.)
Image source: Ducati
The question is whether the DesertX would look as good in any other colour. And the answer is heck yeah.
Ducati has just thrown the wraps off a second look for the DesertX. Dubbed ‘RR22,’ it’s a predominantly black scheme with frenetic grey and red graphics, and a matching hit of red on the seat. And although inspiration came from a strange source, it looks wild—with a modern vibe that counterbalances the white scheme’s classic roots.
The RR22 livery will feel familiar to anyone that follows the Dakar Rally. It’s the same look that the Audi RS Q e-Tron wore in last year’s running of the iconic rally raid. And it’s the same design as the DesertX that Danilo Petrucci rode at the bike’s original unveiling (so even if you can’t ride like Petrux, at least you can cop his style).
Image source: Ducati
Why is a factory issue Ducati motorcycle wearing the same paint as a hybrid rally race car? It could be because both have their roots in desert racing, or because Ducati is owned by Lamborghini, who, in turn, is owned by Audi. It’s a stretch, no doubt… but either way, there’s no denying the DesertX looks good in the RS Q e-Tron’s clothes.
The RR22 option is only coming to European dealerships for now—but with any luck, it’ll reach our shores eventually. If it does, would you take the DesertX in black or white… or hold out for Ducati to release it in red?
2022 marked a, somewhat, frustrating year for the Husqvarna racing team as they were faced with turmoil throughout the year as the team was plagued with injuries and even a forced retirement from the sport entirely in the form of David Goosen. Nevertheless, the team diversified and conquered. With the help of heroic efforts from fill-in riders and the remaining members, there were still fantastic results throughout the season.
To bring stability to the team across the 3 facets of racing, Husqvarna racing has acquired the services of 3 extremely capable riders.
Image source: Husqvarna
Travis Teasdale is no stranger to the Enduro scene in South Africa and brings with him, years of international experience as he looks to tackle the Enduro and Extreme Enduro series onboard his Husqvarna te300 in 2023. Travis has proven his outright speed and phenomenal endurance time and time again and will look at dominance in the E2 and gold classes.
Image source: Husqvarna
Ryan Pelser will contest the OR3 cross country championship for the team onboard the; championship proven, fc250 and commented, “It truly is a dream come true to end up on a factory team and I look forward to a year of top results and lots of wins.”
Last, but certainly not least, the motocross team will field Barend Du Toit on the completely new tc125. Barend oozes talent and speed and is bound to be a front-runner again in the mx125 class this year.
Image source: Husqvarna
Grant Frerichs, the KTM group motorsports manager, gleamed with excitement and commented, “2023 is an extremely exciting time for the team as we welcome new riders in each discipline of racing. We have a team filled with passion, determination, and raw talent and that is a combination which will give us the ability to fight for race wins every time we line up for a race.”
The Dakar Rally has come to an end for another year and, for Hero at least, there will be mixed feelings. For the second year in a row, the Indian newcomer to the sport recorded stage wins while teammate Franco Cami finished the rally in the top ten, both incredible achievements for a fledgeling team.
Against that will be the disappointment of human error, that saw both Branch and second teammate Stefan Buhler run out of fuel due to a consumption calculation error. This caused a five-hour delay for the pair which put them well out of the running for a podium finish overall but the commitment and potential of the team were emphasised when Branch went on to take two out of three stage wins.
Image source: Hero MotoSports
Third teammate Sebastian Rodrigues, unfortunately, crashed on Stage Four and broke a femur, bringing an early end to his Dakar.
Hero has to take heart in that none of their motorcycles suffered any form of mechanical failure, which in itself is an astonishing feat for such an inexperienced team and manufacturer. The Hero 450RR is prepared and run in Germany by Hero Motorsports Team, comprising German and Italian personnel. The 450RR is built entirely by Hero Motocorp and it is certain that lessons learned in the Dakar will be incorporated into Hero’s products such as the XPulse 200, which is already making a big impression in South Africa.
Image source: Hero MotoSports
With at least three new models expected in South Africa during 2023, the future for the Hero brand in this country is looking bright. In 2024, Hero South Africa will be sending one lucky XPulse customer and the top-performing Hero dealer to the 2024 edition of the Dakar Rally.
Ducati, among all the major motorcycle manufacturers, has remained strangely silent on the whole issue of electrification of motorcycling, which is why it was all the more surprising when it was announced that the Bologna-based company had won the contract to supply motorcycles and associated technology to the MotoE championship in place of previous supplier Energica, starting in this, the 2023 season.
Well, the season is almost upon us and the latest news to come out of the Borgo Panigale factory is that production has commenced on the 23 ‘V21L’ motorcycles Ducati will supply: 18 race bikes and five spares.
Image source: Ducati
This is an important development for Ducati and the project’s aims are to develop skills for the future, experimenting with technological solutions and working to ensure that everything developed in this area can be transferred to the development of electric road motorcycles. This is the first indication that Ducati is seriously contemplating an electric future.
The V21L has taken a year to develop, with Michele Pirro, Alex de Angelis and Chaz Davies performing the bulk of the track testing and development. The first opportunity that the MotoE teams and riders will have to test the new machinery will be on the 6th, 7th and 8th of March at the first official test at Jerez, followed by a further three days at the beginning of April in Barcelona.
The first MotoE championship race will take place at the French Grand Prix on Saturday, 13th May, the first of eight rounds comprising the season, with two races at each round, both on a Saturday.
It remains to be seen whether television channels will start to feature the MotoE races in their broadcast schedules, a move that one feels Dorna would be keen to encourage to boost interest in what many are saying is the future of the sport.
I don’t think it would be too far off the mark for me to claim to have more experience on TVS Apache motorcycles than anyone else in South Africa. It all started with the ‘Apache Indians Raid Victoria Falls’ in 2011 which was followed by the ‘Delta Dawdle’ a couple of years later. I led a band of ‘Apacheans’ on two epic unsupported tours through Botswana, down the Caprivi, as well as to Victoria Falls and back down through Zims. The reliability, comfort and fuel economy of the Apaches blew us all away.
Traversing the Okavango Delta
With ETG bringing a whole range of TVS motorcycles into SA, I couldn’t wait to lay my hands on the latest version of the Apache, the RTR200 – 4V. WOW! It is a very different beastie indeed.
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Quality. There has, in recent years, been an explosion of small cc bikes entering the SA market on the back of extortionate fuel prices. Most of these have been of Chinese origin. Cheap and cheerful may be a kind way of describing them. It is not uncommon to see the same bike being sold by at least three different brands. It has you wondering just who to appeal to if something serious goes wrong with your bike.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
What the Indian-built bikes bring to the market is something very different. Having visited India and the TVS factory in Hosur in particular, I was struck by the intense passion and pride with which these bikes are designed and built. Little wonder then that BMW Motorrad saw fit to have their 310cc bikes built by TVS in a successful joint venture. TVS has established a brand which is synonymous with quality and reliability, generating tremendous peace of mind for potential customers.
Visiting TVS Head Office India in 2012
TVS have campaigned very successfully in the 200cc class in road racing in India for just on 38 years. Much of what they have learned in the harsh cauldron of competition has found its way into the Apache. The latest version is testimony to that. The engine is an oversquare 197,75cc 4-stroke single with an overhead camshaft and 4-valves. It is air/oil-cooled, sporting a decent-sized oil cooler in its nose. Power is a respectable 20,82 PS @ 9000 rpm and 17,25 Nm of torque @ 7500 rpm, driving through a slick 5-speed gearbox.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The chassis is where the RTR200 shines. Showa forks which are adjustable for preload grace the front, with a preload adjustable mono-shock controlling rear wheel movement. The steel frame is taught and this all combines to really decent handling, clearly a benefit of the racing heritage. The ride is firm yet supple and controlled, totally at odds with what you would expect from a bike in this segment and price point.
Brakes are by discs on both wheels and, whilst requiring firm lever pressure, provide decent linear stopping power with no grabbiness. Wheels are tubeless alloy mags (great for plug, pump and play roadside puncture repairs) with a 90/90×17 up front and a 130/70×17 on the back. Seat height is accessible to all at 800 mm. Speaking of the seat, the foam density is superb, providing genuine all-day comfort.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The RTR is equipped with both a side and main stand, which makes cleaning and chain maintenance a doddle. The side stand could be a bit longer though, with the bike leaning over at a serious angle when employed. It certainly won’t fall off the side stand in a stiff breeze! Function is essential, but it becomes all the more appealing when the ‘form’ is attractive too. The TVS Apache RTR200 4-V is a serious looker!
The test bike was a shiny black with red highlighting, featuring lovely Apache raised mustang logos on the tank. This is all packaged in totally modern lines complemented by LED lighting and daytime running lights. The exhaust is interesting in that it is black and slim with an expansion box attached to the underside, negating the need for the typical box underneath the bike which robs ground clearance. It emits a surprisingly fruity burble on start-up.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Instrumentation is comprehensive, with all the typical info you need to know displayed in an attractive digital display. Allied to that is TVS’s Connect, an app by which you can access turn-by-turn navigation operating via blue tooth to your phone. There is even a lean angle readout with which to claim bragging rights. Got to appeal to the Playstation Generation after all. Taking all of this in and familiarising myself with the new Apache got me really looking forward to the ride.
Image source: TVS Motor
Turn the key and the dash tells you to Gear Up and welcomes you as an Apachean, this all before you press the start button. An immediate difference to my ‘old’ 180 Apache is the lack of a kick start as well as the immediacy with which the RTR200 fires up and settles into a remarkably steady idle, all courtesy no doubt to the new fuel injection. You have three rider modes to choose from. Sport, Urban and Rain. Having experienced India first-hand, as well as seen the effects of the monsoon on the roads, these modes are not as gimmicky as you might think. Urban limits your top end to just over 105 km/h, so Sport is the obvious choice for SA. Fuelling is faultless in all modes.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The brake and clutch levers are both adjustable, so fitting the RTR to you is a doddle. The bars fall comfortably to hand with the rider in a slight forward lean but without excessive weight on your wrists. Legs fit snugly into the recesses in the tank and the pegs are mildly rear-set into what is a sporty yet comfortable riding position. The rearview mirrors give you a decent view of the traffic behind you and remain clear at all speeds. I literally pulled away and knew I was going to enjoy this little Apache. The motor is smooth, torquey and willing. Allied to the slick gearbox it makes for decent progress. It is no problem at all to dispatch typical city traffic. The slim dimensions and nimble handling allow you to filter with ease.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
It is not uncommon to see a family of four on an Apache in India. Highway speeds in India are also significantly lower than in SA due to sheer traffic volumes. In that scenario, a five-speed gearbox is just fine as you will seldom need to cruise faster than 100 km/h, at which speed the TVS is totally chilled with a few thousand revs in reserve. In SA we need to travel a bit faster. I went up one tooth on the front sprocket of my 180 and found that it performed better all round. 4th became a better overtaking gear and fifth was more relaxed, cruising with ease at 110 km/h. Long hills saw the 180 shedding speed, dropping from 120 odd to around 110 by the crest of the hill. Riding the same hill on the 200 was a totally different ballgame, with the RTR running all the way to the top at 129 km/h.
With the torque peak coming at 7500 rpm, you are actually revving out of the torque. A tooth bigger on the front would drop you smack back into the maximum torque and give you a higher cruising speed which is ideal. I believe that the already outstanding economy would get even better too. Coming back from Jo’Burg I hit a monster storm. In my endeavours to outrun the rain I tucked in and gave the little RTR its head. I was gobsmacked to see that the top speed logger showed that I had nudged 148 km/h. It must have been revving into the red. I was too unnerved to repeat the run to see exactly what it was revving. The bike was so smooth and composed that it didn’t feel strained at all.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Generally, the TVS ran the highway with ease. I, for the reasons mentioned above as well as for sheer mechanical sympathy, would definitely recommend a tooth bigger on the front sprocket. A R200 mod that will transform the bike for SA conditions (watch this space for more on this). Despite this sort of robust riding, as well as thoroughly putting the excellent handling repeatedly to the test, the RTR200 returned 33 km/L, which translates to 400 k’s on the 12-litre tank. Looking at independent Indian tests of the RTR, I saw figures of 47 km/L in the city and 49,81 km/L in the country. I have no doubt that I could improve massively on fuel consumption with more ‘normal’ town and around riding.
The TVS Apache RTR200 4-V is considered the segment leader in India, and for good reason. It is a thoroughly modern, refined, comprehensively equipped, comfortable and sweet handling package which in many ways punches way above its weight. I actually gifted a friend of mine my Apache 180 as he was going through some very hard times and I was trying to lighten his load. The RTR200 made me realise how much I have missed an Apache in my life. It is quite possibly the urban dweller’s best friend. I definitely see an Apache RTR200 4-V in my future. The allure of another Delta Dawdle on this brilliant little motorcycle is just too hard to resist.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
At R41,999 (while stocks last, as they say in the classics) it is an absolute bargain. Become an Apachean and thumb your nose at the fuel prices. Your fuel saving will literally buy the bike for you.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kevin Benavides has won the 2023 Dakar Rally! At the end of what has been a hugely successful race for the team, Benavides led home a KTM one-two with Toby Price securing second place, just 44 seconds behind his teammate. The result marks KTM’s 19th victory at the iconic rally-raid event.
Taking the win on the 13th and penultimate stage yesterday, Kevin Benavides closed down the gap to provisional rally leader Toby Price to just 12 seconds. And with the start order reversed for the final day of racing from Al Hofuf to Dammam, the two KTM 450 RALLY racers would set off right from the back – Benavides leaving three minutes ahead of his teammate.
Image source: KTM
Although the final timed special had been regarded as a relatively simple sprint to the finish, the 136 kilometres of gravel tracks, sand, and dry lake beds threw up a considerable challenge to all riders. However, it was Benavides who piled on the speed and mastered the terrain to take his second consecutive stage win of the event, and more importantly, the overall rally victory.
Kevin’s journey through the 14-stage race has been one of outstanding consistency. Even though the Argentinian didn’t pick up one single second in bonus time for opening any stages, he finished inside the top 10 every day for the whole two weeks of racing. It was this skilful and calculated approach to the event that earned him his second career Dakar Rally victory.
Image source: KTM
The result makes it two Dakar titles for Benavides – 2021 and 2023 – and marks KTM’s 19th win at the Dakar.
Kevin Benavides: “It’s been an amazing day! I just focused on every kilometre from the first to the last. I didn’t think about the position or the result I just gave my 100 per cent over the whole stage and tried to enjoy the day. The special was really fast and tricky, and so muddy – thankfully I didn’t make any big mistakes, but it would have been easy to have an issue out there today. I have worked so hard for this. This year’s rally has been one of the closest ever and there wasn’t a single day where you could afford to ease off. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my team, and all my family and friends. It’s going to take a little while to sink in, I can’t describe this feeling right now.”
Image source: KTM
Leading the standings going into the 14th and final stage of the race by just 12 seconds, Toby Price was the last rider to enter the special. Aiming to chase down Benavides who had set off three minutes ahead of him, Toby got his head down and gave his all right from the start. A couple of issues early in the stage cost the Aussie the valuable seconds he needed to stay in front, and despite clawing back close to one minute on the latter half of the special, it wasn’t quite enough to overhaul the flying Benavides.
Toby has produced an incredible performance over the course of the two-week race. Securing no fewer than 10 top-five stage results, and a win on the event’s opening prologue, the two-time Dakar champion was undoubtedly the man to beat throughout the rally. Missing out by less than one minute after more than 44 hours of racing is of course frustrating, but knowing he gave his absolute all every single day, Toby is happy with how he rode and with the hard-fought runner-up result he’s secured at the world’s toughest rally-raid.
Toby Price: “So, so close. Yeah, a great job from Kevin, he did really well today. I knew it was going to be tight, and of course, I pushed right from the start all through the stage. I just missed three waypoints by virtually meters, and it dropped me back. Obviously, the goal is to win, and it’s frustrating to miss out by such a narrow margin. But I’m fit, healthy, and I’m going home with a trophy, so that’s the most important thing. I’m ready for another one next year.”
Image source: KTM
After a heavy crash on stage two where he injured his wrist, Matthias Walkner demonstrated his grit and drive by continuing with the rally. As his condition improved, the Austrian was able to deliver stronger and stronger stage results as the race went on. At the close of stage 12, Matthias had moved back up to a highly commendable ninth overall. Unfortunately, disaster struck on the penultimate stage 13 of the event where a heavy crash off the top of a dune left Walkner with considerable back pain. Thankfully, after being airlifted to hospital for further checks, the 2018 Dakar winner was found to not have broken any bones or suffered any serious injury. We wish Matthias all the best for a speedy recovery.
Norbert Stadlbauer – Rally Team Manager: “It’s been an incredible Dakar – one of the toughest in history and definitely the closest! It’s been such a close battle inside the Red Bull KTM team with Toby and Kevin separated by just 12 seconds going into the final day today. Thankfully, the performances of both riders gave KTM a one-two in the race, with Kevin earning his second win and the 19th for KTM. Of course, you can’t have two winners, but Toby claiming second place is still an incredible achievement and down to the hard work he has put in over the two weeks. The team have also done an amazing job, not just at the event, but also over the whole of the past year building up to this race. Now it’s time to celebrate before we look ahead to the next race in the season.”
Image source: KTM
Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director: “Beside the riders, I’m maybe the happiest man on the planet right now. It’s amazing after this long journey and this tough race, to have only 12 seconds separating the two guys coming into this final day. And then for them to push so hard over the stage and reach the finish line safely and in first and second is incredible. After around 5,000 kilometres and over 40 hours of racing, to have them so close is unheard of, and the whole team did an amazing job to get them here in this position. What it came down to was basically a motocross race for 130 kilometres. Both riders did an amazing job, and even though you can only have one winner, I’m hugely proud of them both, as the pressure was really on today. KTM now have 19 wins at the toughest offroad race in the world, but we won’t stop there. We’re already looking forward to this season and then the 2024 Dakar next year.”
Our Suzuki DL650 V-Strom remains a firm favourite in the ZA Bikers stable with its wide array of talents. Suzuki seems to have a knack for building relevant real-world bikes. The New V-Strom 800 launched at EICMA looks to be exactly such a bike, with specifications which hint at excellent all-around ability.
To equip our DL650 with even more usability we fitted a Givi alloy top box. Top boxes add massively to the convenience of bikes that are used for daily duty, allowing you to stash the odds and sods you need to carry with you and give you lockability.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
GIVI is a quality product that never disappoints. They re-invest a huge amount of their profits into developing relevant market-leading products. The clever design and durability are apparent even at first glance. Everything is accurately manufactured and superbly finished, inspiring confidence. The Alloy top box also really looks the part on an Adventure bike, enhancing the looks of our handsome ‘Strom.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The other mod which has also enhanced the all-around ability of our DL650 entailed spooning on a set of Dunlop Trailmax Mission tyres. They are rated as 50/50 tyres. That can be interpreted in two ways. The first is that they are half as good as road tyres on tar and half as good as knobblies on the dirt, or that they will give you enhanced off-road ability without compromising your tar road performance by too much.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The second interpretation certainly holds true. So in reality they are more 80/20 tyres in that they give you 80% of the performance that dedicated tyres would give you in each area. You need to be a real hard charger on the tar to feel in any way compromised. Similarly, they will give you vastly better dirt road performance than the really road-biased original rubber. In other words, they will satisfy 90% of users who will find them great for all-around use.
When a company like Dunlop decide to do something you can be sure it will be proper. The Dunlop Fort tyres that we fitted back in the ’70s if we were planning a rough trip were arguably one of the first Adventure tyres on the market. They never really played much in that space for years, so the Trailmax Missions were received with wide interest and acclaim. A vast amount of research and development went into these tyres. The front and rear tyres are subjected to different forces and as such a set of ‘Missions’ sport different tread patterns fore-and-aft.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Wraparound sidewall lugs are claimed to increase durability and help the tyre track straight through mud and sand as well as enhance their ability to climb out of ruts. The front tyre has “hollowed out” blocks for a more excellent grip as well as “staggered step” technology. As one block wears away it exposes another sharp-edged block for decent traction. 30 prototype patterns were assessed and tested over an intense 12-month period before the final patterns emerged.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The feedback is tyres that exhibit no “groove wobble” and are stable at speed. The grip is decent in wet and dry when used sensibly. Firm, thicker side walls make them more puncture resistant and also enhance high-speed stability. Dirt performance is surprisingly good, hooking up well and providing front-end feedback. Oh yes, they look frikken’ cool too! All of this is achieved without being noisy on pavement, something that can make 50/50 tyres almost impossible to live with.
So there you have it. Our trusty ‘Strom powers on with even more all-around ability and simply continue to satisfy on all fronts. What more could you ask of any bike?
If the global pandemic did one thing, it accelerated the rush to online shopping for many businesses that previously wouldn’t have considered such a move.
We might all now be mobile and free to move around, but the online shopping concept is here to stay and one manufacturer that has fully embraced it is Yamaha SA.
But don’t think they are solely for purchasing accessories, apparel or any other products these stores carry. Not only are you able to purchase any motorcycle in the Yamaha line-up, but also products from the entire Yamaha product catalogue, which includes boats, bikes, WaveRunners and outboard motors, all from the comfort of your own home.
For more information, head to www.linexyamaha.co.za, select your store of choice and start shopping.
Charan Moore crosses the finish line of the final stage and wins the Original by Motul class / Image source Motul
31-year-old Charan Moore (bib number 40, riding for HT RALLY RAID HUSQVARNA RACING) returned to the dunes and wadis of Saudi Arabia with one goal: to win the Original by Motul class in what was only his second Dakar Rally. The fact that he succeeded despite almost impossible weather conditions, was a testament to his dedication, and the skills he has honed on the equally challenging gravel plains of Namibia and in Lesotho’s Maluti Mountains (where he is the Race Director for the Roof of Africa).
After a rollercoaster of two weeks which contained everything that makes the Dakar both magical and immensely tough, Charan emerged victorious. His ultimate winning margin of 20:01 belies the challenges he’s faced during the event. The combination of mechanical issues, injury and flu made this Dakar even more difficult. Charan twice built up a substantial lead over his nearest rivals, only to see it whittled away by a determined field of experienced and committed riders in what was previously known as the Malle Moto class.
Competing in the Original by Motul class tests not just riding ability, but also a competitor’s mechanical competence, organisational abilities, and capacity to perform mentally and physically in the face of extreme and cumulative fatigue.
Charan Moore out on the Dakar route competing in the Original by Motul class / Image source Motul
Just like everyone he was up against, Charan was essentially on his own. Other than world-class lubricants and oils supplied by event sponsor Motul, he had no support: he was responsible for carrying out all the maintenance on his bike, including running repairs made necessary by rocks, sand and overheating. The reward for completing each stage and working on his own bike was a too-short night’s rest in a tent on the floor.
While 2022’s Dakar had been criticised in some quarters for being uncharacteristically easy, this year’s event was anything but. Saudi Arabia is not a country that you would typically associate with heavy rains and flooding, but this year’s Stage 7 was cancelled due to extreme weather conditions.
By this point, Charan had rebuilt his lead over his friend and sometimes riding companion, Dakar veteran Javi Vega, the Spanish rider who pushed him hard all the way. Charan had recovered from his bout of flu, but further challenges were just around the next sand dune.
Charan Moore and fellow South African Stuart Gregory / Image source Motul
In the second half of the Dakar, disaster struck. A faulty gearbox necessitated an engine change that cost Charan 5 hours of mechanical hard work – and a 15-minute penalty. Radiator issues for Moore on Stage 11 saw Javi Vega reclaim the lead he had last held after Stage 5, and set the scene for a nail-biting climax.
On the penultimate stage, it was Vega’s turn to suffer, and Moore ended the day with a 17-minute lead. The final stage is typically a procession, but overnight downpours and hail meant that conditions were extremely wet and muddy with many bikes getting stuck. This last hurdle meant that Charan could not be certain of victory until the very end. Charan not only won the Original by Motul category, but came 28th overall in motorcycles and 12th in the Rally 2 Class, an awe-inspiring performance by anyone’s standards.
Bikes at the start of stage 11 of the Dakar 2023, Charan Moore (40) competing in the Original by Motul class / Image source Motul
“This year’s Dakar has been a real rollercoaster, physically and emotionally. I wanted to build on my 4th place in Original by Motul and 34th placer overall from last year, and I have done it!” commented a delighted Moore at the finish line. “It’s an honour to have won a trophy of this calibre, and I’m proud to say that I’ve left nothing in the tank,” he added.
Charan confirmed that after a well-earned rest, he’ll be heading home to start planning this year’s edition of the “Mother of Hard Enduro” – the Roof of Africa 2023.
“On behalf of the entire Motul family, I’d like to give my warmest congratulations to Charan Moore on his epic achievement in winning the Original by Motul class,” commented Mercia Jansen, Motul Area Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa. “He showed the determination, passion and dedication that we value so highly as a company, and his feedback will help us further improve our high-performance products. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Charan and to many more successes in the future,” she added.
Charan Moore wins the Original by Motul class in this year’s Dakar Rally / Image source Motul
To find out where all our riders and teams have placed go to The Southern African Dakar Group on Facebook and Instagram. You can also follow Charan Moore on Facebook and Instagram for his personal take on his Dakar Adventure.
Proudly South African and raising the flag high at the start of this year’s Dakar Rally, Charan Moore / Image source: Motul
Charan Moore is no stranger to challenging terrain and the thrill of extreme Enduro racing. As the founder of Live Lesotho and Race Director of the iconic Roof of Africa event, he has a great deal of experience in putting some of the world’s best riders through their paces.
Having temporarily exchanged the Maluti Mountains of Lesotho for the deserts of Saudi Arabia, Charan is currently taking part in his second Dakar Rally. He took some time out from making running repairs to his rally bike in the bivouac to answer our questions. Moore is taking part in the toughest of all the categories, Original by Motul, where riders must compete without the benefit of a support team.
Riders in the Original by Motul class need to maintain their own bikes, as Charan Moore does here / Image source: Motul
Monday, 09 January 2023 is an official rest day, with 8 stages already completed and 6 still to complete. At this approximate halfway point, Charan is in first place in the category, with a lead of 15’ 26” over second-placed Javi Vega (Pont Grup Yamaha).
Moore (bib number 40, riding for HT RALLY RAID HUSQVARNA RACING) actually extended his lead by winning Sunday’s Stage 8 from Al Duwadimi to the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh.
Q&A with Charan Moore
Question: They said they were going to make this year’s edition tougher, and they have! What are the main elements that you feel have made Dakar 2023 so much harder?
Charan Moore: Yes, the organisers have made the Dakar much tougher this year, and the first week was hectic. Compared to the 2022 race, the stages are much longer, and there are also long liaison sections to contend with.
Last year, most stages were 300km or less in length; this year, we’ve already had five stages that were each over 400km. This means more of every kind of terrain, from sand dunes to camel grass to rocky riverbeds.
Fighting his way through the dunes / Image source: Motul
The weather has also been terrible – cold, rainy and wet – so the whole event has been more intense and “in your face”. The frequent changes mean you have to be adaptable as otherwise you could easily be thrown out of your rhythm and routine.
Arriving in cities at the end of some stages and dealing with traffic on a rainy night after a long day in the saddle is just part of what makes this one of the toughest races in the world.
Question: You come into this as both a competitor as well as a race organiser – what has impressed you so far this year about the organisation of the event? Also, with regards to the calls that have been made, are there areas you would have maybe treated differently?
CM: I’ve been impressed by the number of people involved in organising the Dakar – ASO has a core team of around 300 staff, plus up to 3 000 workers. They’ve all been really competent, and the decision-making has involved considering a lot of viewpoints, including our opinions as riders. The riders’ representative has been regularly engaging with us and then sharing our feedback.
Amazing scenery as participants make their way to the finish each day / Image source: Motul SA
The organisers have made some good calls both for safety reasons, and to maintain Dakar’s reputation as the ultimate Rally Raid challenge. During last year’s event, there was a perception that the course was too easy – that’s certainly not the case this year. In fact, even Dakar veterans are saying that this is one of the toughest Rally Raid events in years!
The greatest logistical challenge has definitely been the weather – this amount of rain is unusual here in Saudi Arabia, and it quickly pools up in low-lying areas, creating a bit of havoc. The organisers have a great set-up for moving the bivouac to a new location, if necessary, which definitely helps.
Question: A two-week event like this is an assault on your physical, mental and emotional well-being – any secrets to share on how you cope with it all?
CM: The easiest way to cope is by having the right mindset. For me, that means always having a smile on my face, being the best possible version of myself and embracing all the difficulties and changes that this year’s Dakar has involved.
I’ve had moments where I’ve felt down and out, but then I just need to remind myself why I’m here. I’m doing this for all the people who can’t be here, and for the army of people back home who are behind me and sharing their regular support. I know I’ve got what it takes to deal with any situation, so bring it on!
Charan Moore keeps his smile through all the challenges and changes that this Dakar has thrown at the participants / Image source: Motul SA
Question: You’re entered…and are leading…the most difficult class in the race, the Original by Motul category by 15 minutes over Javi Vega going into the rest day, the lead has changed a couple of times this week and it’s turning into a really good dice. Do you spend any time together, either out on the course or afterwards in the bivouac?
CM: Over the first 3 stages I was able to establish a good lead but having a fuel pump issue on Stage 4 meant that I lost a lot of time syphoning fuel. Overall, I’m trying not to push too hard, and I feel that I’ve got a lot left in the tank to gain more time if I need to.
Javi is a cool dude and a real character. We’ve been riding together a lot and hanging out in the refuelling zones. Of course, we’re competing against each other, but the camaraderie in the Original by Motul category makes us all feel like family.
Image source: Motul SA
Question: As part of the rules of the class you are doing your own maintenance and servicing after each stage, are you changing your set-up as well, maybe suspension clicks or riding position or do you stick to one formula for each stage?
CM: I did a lot of testing in advance to work out the best suspension settings and rider position, so I’ve not been changing too much during the actual race. My main priority each day is making sure that the bike works, so it’s more about fixing than tweaking. I already feel really good on the bike, so I’ve been concentrating each evening on making sure that everything is 100% ready for the next day.
Question: You’re receiving so much support and encouragement from so many quarters; it must make a big difference to your morale, particularly on the tough days?
CM: I’m very conscious that while I’m just one person in the race, there are a great many people behind me watching the results, sending me messages of support and following my story. The Dakar Rally has a huge impact on people and helps them escape from the mundanity of everyday life. It’s great to have this level of support and competing in the Dakar is much easier when you know you have a whole country of passionate enthusiasts behind you.
Image source Motul
The 2023 Dakar Rally has now resumed and concludes on Sunday, 15 January in the Gulf coast city of Dammam, after crossing the notorious Empty Quarter.
“Although there is a lot of riding still to come, we’d like to congratulate Charan Moore on his achievements in the Original by Motul class at this year’s Dakar Rally,” commented Mercia Jansen, Motul Area Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa. “The Original by Motul class is very much aligned with our core Motul values – to succeed in this class, you need perseverance, tenacity, passion and camaraderie or brotherliness. We’re particularly proud that a South African and Motul partner, is in the lead at the halfway stage,” she added.
As part of Motul’s commitment to supporting motorsports, the global brand is a main partner of the Dakar Rally. The presence of the Motul Lab offers competitor support and oil analysis to keep them running.
Motul products are also available for all the Original by Motul riders. Motul also sponsors drivers, riders and teams as a way of testing their products in the most demanding circumstances.
Charan Moore from Live Lesotho and Roof of Africa Race Director, leading the Original by Motul class of Dakar 2023 / Image source: Motul SA
Motul South Africa has partnered with the Southern Africa Dakar Group to offer all the enthusiasts and fans a chance to win much sought-after Motul merchandise. To stay up to date and get the inside scoop on all the Southern African participants at this year’s Dakar, follow The Southern African Dakar Group on Facebook and Instagram.
You can also follow Charan Moore on Facebook and Instagram for his personal take on his Dakar Adventure. To learn more about Motul’s product range and commitment to motorsports, visit – www.motul.com
Given that our tyres are responsible for making the final connection between your vehicle and the road, we should pay serious attention to their wellbeing. In the crazy-paced world that we live in, this vital aspect of vehicle maintenance is often neglected. I say ‘vehicle’ because the principles are the same for both four and two-wheelers. When we had our first proper foray onto the dirt with our Jimny sporting its General Grabber AT3 tyres, we were very impressed with the all-round performance of the Generals.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Chatting with Ryan Visagie from General Tire SA after the trip, he asked us some questions about tyre pressures etc that we could not answer, and this really got us thinking.
He sent us a short information video to elaborate.
So, to sum up…the demands placed on tyres on modern vehicles with their advanced dynamic ability are huge. When you don’t pay proper attention to tyre pressures you not only compromise performance you often put your life on the line. This is true for cars, but especially for bikes, where if stability is compromised a mishap is highly likely. Tyre pressure maintenance is an absolutely essential part of vehicle maintenance that should be performed weekly without fail. Just a quickie – when last did you check the tyre pressure on your car and bike, or worse, on your wife’s car? Gotcha!
I put my newfound tyre info to the test during our December family holiday. We took the Jimny down to the Wild Coast, we decided to take the road less travelled driving down via some of the scenic dirt roads skirting the Berg (Lower Loteni) and then one particular stunning dirt road between Port St Johns and Coffee Bay.
Photo credit: Simon Morton / ZA Bikers
Armed with an accurate tyre pressure gauge and a portable mini compressor, I diligently inflated and deflated my tyres according to the terrain we were traversing. The results in enhanced comfort and dynamic performance were nothing short of spectacular.
Photo credit: Simon Morton / ZA Bikers
Driving out of Jo’burg with a reasonably laden car, required harder tyre pressures. Obviously, this will depend on your particular vehicle and load. Typically your Owners Handbook will give the recommended pressures. Most vehicles display the pressures with a sticker on the driver’s door frame making for quick reference.
Care should be taken not to overinflate your tyres. This increases centre wear and reduces traction significantly. On irregular surfaces it can cause your tyres to skitter over, rather than ride the road surface, compromising overall stability.
Photo credit: Simon Morton / ZA Bikers
Consider that your tyres are your suspension’s first line of defence. Overinflating your tyres can result in uneven wear too. Conversely, tyres should be deflated significantly for off-road duty. With more give in the tyres, the ride comfort improves significantly over corrugations and road imperfections.
Traction also improves significantly as the footprint lengthens. Be aware that the greater tyre flex builds up heat which can damage the tyre if you neglect to re-inflate the tyre when you get back on tar and speed up again.
Photo credit: Simon Morton / ZA Bikers
One should also be careful not to deflate the tyres too much. This causes the sidewalls to bulge which makes them vulnerable to damage from sharp stones and the like.
What we are essentially saying is that we need a high level of awareness when it comes to our tyres. Running the correct pressures will not only maximise the performance of your vehicle, but it will give better tyre life and general safety too.
Hero and their motorcycle range have been making waves in the South African motorcycle market since their arrival. These days it’s not unusual to see a pair of Xpulse 200 adventures on the back of a bakkie heading to some trails on a weekend or even the Uber Eats guy knocking at your door on an Eco 150. It’s clear to see that Hero South Africa have penetrated both the urban and small cc adventure market.
Now one of Hero’s most popular models has been their all roads Xpulse 200, surprising many riders with its all-round performance and frugality at the petrol pumps. It’s not unusual to see a dual sport or adventure bike do well in South Africa, however, with a lot of praise going towards the Xpulse we almost forget that the Xpulse has an on-road sibling called the Xpulse 200T.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Most of us South Africans own some form of off-road vehicle almost as a habit, with the idea of someday heading off-road for that family camping trip or dream 4×4 dirt holiday. Unfortunately, when money is tight you can’t afford to have a vehicle that complicates your daily needs in order to fulfil one’s wishes, only every blue moon. This is the decision we money-strapped and maybe more mindful daily commuters face when purchasing a daily ride. Now, this is when the Xpulse 200T comes into the equation.
This year sees the Xpulse 200T enter the urban sprawl with some refinements, making it a more attractive proposition in the commuter bike market. The T gets an improved neo-classic look thanks to its new liveries and offers riders neo amenities like LED lighting, single-channel ABS, USB charge station, LCD display (that has onboard navigation), fuel injection and now an oil cooler.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
For me, it’s the small details that paint the picture in the 200T’s favour. Let me explain. The Xpulse comes standard with a fly screen, fork boots, crash bars, wavy discs, pillion grab handle, centre stand and Pirelli C.T tyres. These details don’t only put the Xpulse high on the shopping list, but reveal how Hero have made sure that the daily commuter is completely sort after.
The heart of the Xpulse is a newly updated 200cc single-cylinder fuel injection 2-valve motor, which has increased the performance from 13.5 kW to 14 kW and from 17 Nm to 17.8 Nm. These figures don’t sound like much but Hero has focused on making the motor smoother, more flexible in its power delivery and even more fuel efficient. What this translates to on the road is a torque-rich motor that likes to be short-shifted through its lower rpm range—you could chug along in 5th at 40 km/h if you really wanted to.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Once speeds start to climb the Xpulse sits most comfortably at around 100 km/h, without feeling in any way stressed. Compared to the predecessor the latest 200T is significantly less vibey than before, with rubber foot pegs and a softer seat adding to the overall comfort. With low city speeds ridden on the test, a commuter should see high 2s to low 3s when it comes to litres per kilometre and with a 13L tank that gives you plenty of commuting freedom.
When it comes to handling, the Xpulse 200T behaves really well on our slick city streets with a well-damped suspension. I honestly wasn’t expecting the 200T to handle much better than the Xpulse 200 Fi, but I was completely wrong. The 200T is way more competent and stable in its shoes and it actually makes for quite an enjoyable ride around town. For one the suspension is stiffer with much less rebound damping, giving the 200T a more planted feel through the corners.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
With the added confidence coming from the stiffer setup and Pirelli tyres, you then feel how it has transformed the braking characteristics of this little Hero too. Although single-channel ABS (only upfront), the 200T’s braking is progressive and not overpowering for the size of the bike. I actually prefer not having ABS on the rear as it gives me more control over the bike in some situations.
At R45,999, the Xpulse 200T offers fantastic value and has very little competition within its class thanks to the number of features and hardware it offers as standard. Hero has truly packaged a lot of bike within the Xpulse and offer their buyers a 5-year/100,000 km warranty. With the current fuel prices, and with mindsets slowly starting to focus on daily needs, the Hero Xpulse 200T should be an inner-city commuter’s top pick.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Hero XPulse 200T
For more information on the bike featured in this article, click on the link below…
If you met Wayne Buys, you wouldn’t peg him as someone who’s just won R250,000 in a custom bike build-off. Hailing from Pietermaritzburg, and currently living in Gqeberha, he has an unassuming nature that belies the depth of his skill, talent and imagination. But when you look at the show-winning BMW R nineT that he built, you fast realise that his nickname, FabMan, is well deserved.
Dubbed ‘Storm,’ this aircraft-inspired nineT looks like it rolled straight out of a science fiction movie. It’s also impossibly smooth, like it was designed in CAD and moulded out of carbon fibre. But Wayne did neither; instead, he shaped every inch of this custom BMW out of aluminium by hand, using an English wheel he built himself.
Photo credit: FabMan
Wayne originally apprenticed as a millwright, and eventually found himself living in Canada for 15 years. Upon his return to our sunny shores, the company he was working for shut down, and he suddenly had time on his hands.
A lifelong motorcycle fanatic, Wayne found himself with a renewed interest in custom motorcycles—and specifically the Japanese scene. Enamoured with a BMW R nineT built by the Japanese superstar shop, Cherry’s Company, he set out to replicate the style in his home garage, with a BMW R1200S as a base.
Photo credit: Andy Lund
The learning curve was steep. Thanks to his career, Wayne could TIG weld and fabricate just about anything, but the dark art of metal shaping was new territory. Through copious amounts of trial and error, he eventually figured it out—and now, ten years later, he’s built a new business as a custom bike builder and parts fabricator.
“I don’t use CAD or do any hand drawings— just form ideas in my head of what I want to incorporate,” Wayne tells us. “For me, the journey of the build is equally as rewarding as the final product. Though the hand cannot match the intricacies produced by a CNC machine, given free rein, I will always choose to jump on a band saw or milling machine to rough out parts, then dress them up with a file and grinder.”
Photo credit: Andy Lund
Wayne’s award-winning nineT is the culmination of that decade of bike-building experience. The obvious visual hit is the hand-shaped aluminium bodywork that envelopes it. (Reminder: Wayne built all of that freeform, with not so much as a sketch to guide him.)
Every angle reveals a new detail. Cutouts on the front wheel enclosure provide access to the brakes, while side pods direct air to the BMW’s boxer motor’s cylinder heads. The bike’s final drive is cleverly shrouded too—tight enough to look cohesive, but with enough clearance to allow movement.
Photo credit: FabMan
A series of Allen head fasteners connect the various panels to each other, while creating the illusion of rivets on aircraft. Multiple vents allow air to flow ‘through’ the bike, along with a couple of strategically place fans. As for that scoop in front of the rear wheel, that’s there to direct air to the relocated oil cooler.
Some of Wayne’s best work on the nineT, however, is only noticeable when you get very close to the bike (or it’s completely hidden). Take the exhaust for example, which exits via a boxy muffler integrated into the belly of the bodywork. And the fuel tank; an aluminium reservoir under the outer shell, connected via a locking ring.
Photo credit: FabMan
The rider’s view is equally impressive. Wayne built an impressive dashboard, fitted with an Acewell speedo and push buttons to perform the most crucial functions. He added a keyless ignition too, and did a considerable amount of wiring work under the hood to repackage everything.
The handlebars are also handmade, and are hollow so that wiring and cabling can run inside of them. Reverse levers use cables to actuate the brake and clutch master cylinders, which now hide under the bodywork.
Photo credit: FabMan
It took Wayne eight months to build Storm, and he did everything himself, save for one detail—Dolf at Auto Trust was responsible for the elegant matte silver paint job.
Hosted by BMW Motorrad and The House of Machines, the Lighting Bolt show saw Storm stacked up against some stiff competition—including a stunning bobber from the last event’s winner, Marnitz Venter, and a radical Harley Sportster from Cape Town local, Alex Stoos. The judging panel included Bike EXIF editor Wes Reyneke, Revival Cycles’ Alan Stulberg, House of Machines founder Paul van der Spuy, and the head of BMW Motorrad International, Dr Markus Schramm.
Photo credit: Andy Lund
Each bike had to complete a riding challenge, before being judged on its creativity, originality, overall design, and the quality of its fabrication, paint and trim. In the end, Storm ticked all those boxes… and Wayne walked away victorious.
To keep up to date with Wayne’s latest builds visit – www.fabman.co.za
It’s that time of the year again. Boney M and Mariah Carey Christmas hits fill the halls of bustling malls, while the last-minute Christmas shopping rush rapidly approaches fever pitch.
If you’re wondering what to get us for Christmas, look no further than this list. We’ve looked back on 2022 and picked five bikes that we’d love to park in our garage. Each one meets a specific need, and each one piqued our interest when it hit the scene this year.
Read on, and let us know what you’d like to find under the tree this festive season.
For cruising: The Harley-Davidson Low Rider El Diablo
Image source: Harley Davidson
We’re kicking off our list with a motorcycle that only comes in one very festive colour. It’s the Harley-Davidson Low Rider El Diablo, and it’s extremely rad.
El Diablo is a limited edition, we’re-only-going-to-build-it-once Harley Softail. It’s limited to 1,500 numbered units, and only comes in this totally insane livery, inspired by the 1983 Harley-Davidson FXRT. Layered with bright red, ‘sunglo’ red, dark red, dark red pearl and gold striping, each El Diablo is hand-painted by the same shop that does Harley’s CVO models.
Image source: Harley Davidson
Sure, El Diablo is effectively a Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST with a fancy paint job (and a Rockford Fosgate sound system)… but so what? The Low Rider ST is a pretty sweet bike itself, powered by Harley’s Milwaukee Eight power plant. And this isn’t the 104 ci or 114 ci variant either—the Low Rider ST and El Diablo get the monstrous 117 ci version of this modern V-twin.
Image source: Harley Davidson
It’s a retina-searing homage to the 1980s So Cal custom scene, and one of the best-looking cruisers on the market. Add to that an extra hit of performance, and what’s not to love?
For adventure: The Honda CB500X
Image source: Honda
It’s an excellent time to be an adventure rider. The scene is jam-packed with full-sized, full-spec adventure bikes for munching miles over any sort of terrain. But it’s the mid-sized market that really has us excited right now.
Mid-sized dual sports make a whole ton of sense. They’re cheaper to buy and less intimidating to ride than big rigs—but in most cases, just as much fun. And our pick of the middleweight crop right now is the Honda CB500X.
Image source: Honda
The Honda CB500X has been out for a couple of years now, but Honda have just treated it to a significant refresh. And, for the first time, it’s now available in South Africa.
The CB500X will currently set you back a paltry R119,999—less than half the price of the current Africa Twin, which is why it’s affectionately known as the ‘Halfrica Twin.’ That gets you an adequate amount of suspension, an adequate ride height, adequately large wheels and an adequate amount of power from the 471 cc parallel-twin engine.
Photo credit: Beam Productions
So while it’s not going to set the street (or trails) ablaze, it ticks a lot of boxes. Which is why we’re willing to bet that ours isn’t the only Christmas list it’s on.
For twisties: The Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR
Image source: Triumph
Imagine your favourite mountain pass. Now imagine traversing it on a 177.5 hp triple that not only sounds and looks great but handles sublimely.
On paper, the Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR is a bit like the answer to a question no one asked. The Speed Triple 1200 RS that it’s based on is already more than capable—and arguably a whole lot more comfortable. Why would you add clip-ons and a pseudo-café racer-style fairing to it?
Photo credit: Devin Paisley
Get it out on the road though, and the Speed Triple 1200 RR starts to make a whole lotta sense. While its sportbike-like riding position might rule it out as a long-distance machine or daily runner for most riders, it’s an undeniably brilliant corner slayer.
Before you’ve finished plotting the next corner’s approach and exit, the 1200 RR has already pitched into it, gripped an invisible set of tracks and railed its way through. It helps that the RR’s equipped with a semi-active electronically adjustable Öhlins suspension package, of course.
Image source: Triumph
Supermotard enthusiasts will bellow that nothing beats a motard in corners, while superbikers will champion their preferred make and model of superbike as the ultimate tool for twisties… and neither of them is technically wrong. But once you’ve ridden the Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR, it dawns on you that there’s nothing else quite like it.
For touring: The BMW R 1250 RS
Image source: BMW
You heard it here first: sports tourers are the future. They offer a measure of the fun of superbikes, but without the back pains. And they can cover great distances with ease, sans the bulk of ‘pure’ touring bikes.
Our pick of the bunch is the BMW R 1250 RS. Slap a pair of hard cases on it, and we’d happily take it around the country… twice. It’s quick, stable, comfortable as heck, and handles great.
Image source: BMW
In fact, it’s one of the most underrated bikes around. The ‘ShiftCam’ boxer motor spools up enthusiastically, with ample torque and power on hand throughout the rev range. That’s why the R 1250 RS only received mild updates this year, mostly with its electronics package. Yes, it’s that good.
Image source: BMW
It hides a neat little trick in its cockpit too. As an aftermarket accessory, BMW offers a kit to swap the clip-ons for street bike bars with a little more rise. Good news for those of us that aren’t as spritely as we used to be.
For bread and milk runs: The Italjet Dragster
Photo credit: Brian Cheyne
Nothing beats a scooter for running errands. And no scooter is quite as attention-grabbing as the Italjet Dragster.
Admittedly, the Dragster is hardly the ideal grocery-getter. The passenger seat is laughable, the under-seat storage holds little more than your phone and wallet, and there’s no convenient shopping bag hook up front. But we’ll compensate with a backpack because the Dragster looks completely bonkers.
Photo credit: Brian Cheyne
It wears less bodywork than most scooters, putting its elegant trellis frame and aluminium junctions on full display. Its quirky ‘independent steering system’ not only looks radical but reportedly performs well too. And its 12” front and 13” rear wheels look like they were modelled after an Italian sports car.
Photo credit: Brian Cheyne
The 125 cc version of the Italjet Dragster lacks a little poke, but there’s a 200 cc (technically 181 cc) version out now that’ll do just fine. Weighing just 125 kilos, it’s good for 17.5 hp and 15.5 Nm, with a claimed top speed of 125 km/h. So it’s zippy enough to get up to mischief on.
We’ll take it in red and white (in the spirit of Christmas, of course), thank you very much.
My history with TVS motorcycles is well documented in the two Tiddler Tours we did with 160 and 180cc Apaches. The first dated back to 2011 when we took some Apaches through Botswana and Zimbabwe, visiting Victoria Falls [read the article here]. The second, a year or so later involved more bikes in a trip around the Okavango Delta, along the Caprivi Strip and back to Botswana and home [read the article here]. Both trips were unsupported and we carried everything we needed, camping as we went, on the plucky Apaches. The incredible economy and perfect reliability of all the bikes despite the harshest conditions made me a firm believer in the brand.
It came as no surprise when BMW partnered with TVS in their G 310 R and G 310 GS projects. I have also been fortunate to visit the TVS factory in Hosur outside Bangalore, where I witnessed the pride and commitment to quality that goes into every TVS product. TVS is currently the fifth-largest manufacturer of motorcycles on the planet. Indian brands are becoming a force to be reckoned with in world motorcycling, growing at a pace that defies belief. TVS is one of the brands leading that charge.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
TVS is now being re-introduced to South Africa by an importer with significant financial muscle. We will see a broader swathe of the TVS range. I got the opportunity to be the first journalist to review their flagship road bike. The TVS Apache 310 RR.
When I collected the bike from one of the first dealers to be appointed, Speed Hut (TVS Fourways) located in the Pineslopes Centre behind Monte Casino, I literally stood back and feasted my eyes on what can only be termed a magnificently styled bike. As the RR in the name suggests, this is a 310cc little Sports weapon. Well, 312,2cc’s if we really want to be precise. The motor is the familiar unit utilised by BMW in their 310cc range, with Bosch Fuel Injection utilising a fly-by-wire throttle.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Let’s talk about the engine. I say in my header to this review that this bike, in my view, represents a shot across the bow of other bike manufacturers. The motor design is one of my reasons for making a statement that may be considered by some as somewhat outrageous. The motor is a 312,2cc liquid-cooled DOHC single. It features hollow cams (to keep the valve train light) and a hydraulic cam chain tensioner. But then it gets particularly clever.
TVS have turned the cylinder head around, so the inlet faces forward and the exhaust backwards. The advantage is that the air flows directly into the inlet for a Ram effect, pressurising the air box. The exhaust does not have to make a U-turn to exit out the back of the bike as it is already pointing backwards. The end result is a more efficient flow, resulting in more power. A liquid-cooled oil cooler also keeps engine temperature down when the little mill is singing its high rev song. The bore and stroke is massively ‘over-square’ at 80 mm x 62,1 mm. The short stroke allows the engine to rev freely without generating dangerous piston speeds.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The motor is indicative of the engineering excellence that is becoming a feature of TVS design. Power is 25 Kw @ 9,700 rpm, with Torque at 27,3 Nm @ 7700. This is channelled through a slick and accurate 6-speed box via a slipper clutch. Bolted into a trellis steel frame with 140 mm of front wheel travel via non-adjustable KYB 41 mm USD cartridge forks. Back wheel travel is 131 mm, also via a KYB shock with preload adjustment only. Observant folk will recognise the 17-inch wheels as identical to those 5-spoke mags on the 310 Beemers. Properly pretty they are too.
Tyres are 110/70×17 in front with a 150/60×17 in the rear. To show their intent with the bike, TVS have superb Michelin Road 5’s spooned onto the bike. Brakes are discs at both ends featuring braided hoses and Brembo’s Indian brand Bybre, callipers. Braking is progressive, with decent feel. Dual Channel ABS is standard. The fuel tank is 11-litres and gives decent range thanks to an economy of around 30 km/L at commuting speeds.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Instrumentation is via what TVS call their Smart Connect Multi-Function race computer. Longitudinally mounted in the cockpit, it tells you all you need to know about the bike’s vitals, as well as trip info, fuel consumption and engine modes. The three engine modes start off with Urban, with linear power delivery, Rain, with a softer torque response, Sport, with full power and torque as well as Track, which is virtually a Data Logger with lean angles, acceleration and deceleration and engine rpm data displayed graphically. In Track, the dash is dominated by a large tachometer and clear digital speed indicator. A Satnav and ‘phone app gives connectivity for those that want it, as well as a ‘Ride Planner’, with distances, ETA etc.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
So, by now you need to get the picture that this is a totally engineered, seriously impressive modern motorcycle, with all the bells and whistles and then some. Nothing is tacky or kitchy but really well executed. The kind of displays and features that you would expect, and that would not be out of place, on a bike four times the price of the 310 RR. It is the styling and bodywork that makes a first favourable impression on you. You start to realize what level of competence is on display from an Indian manufacturer. If and when they start to build bigger cc motorcycles, the other manufacturers better take note. They will be a force to be reckoned with, especially when you consider the inexpensive skilled labour in India which allows quality bikes to be built at decent price points.
I went on a KTM Breakfast run to Magaliesburg on the bike. Even the most hardcore “Ready to Race” KTM enthusiast commented most favourably on the truly beautiful TVS. Finished in red with a white stripe down its length, it looks for all the world like something that only the Italians could build. TVS put it so well when they say “Design is not simply art, it is the elegance of function”. This bike is elegant function indeed!
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
When I picked up the TVS I rode back to Pretoria. As I got to grips and familiarised myself with the bike, I found the ergos comfortable for my 6’2” frame. The bars are not too low and the pegs are perfectly and intuitively positioned in their rear-set position. Friday traffic in Jo’Burg is a pain, but the lithe RR slipped through the snarl-up with ease. All the controls work smoothly and seamlessly, allowing you to focus on the road.
The first gear requires a touch of clutch slip to get you rolling and to allow the torque to kick in, then it is plain sailing. As you get familiar with the power characteristics of the bike you start to revel in its ‘planted-ness’ and flickability. 170 kgs never was this easy to toss about. The non-adjustable suspension is perfectly set up. It is firm yet impressively supple over bad surfaces. I have ridden bikes with adjustable suspension costing many multiples of this bike with less accomplished ride quality.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Once on the highway, I settled into what felt to be a relaxed 125 kph, only to find the little TVS nudging 140 if I wasn’t paying particular attention. I got reminded again why smaller lighter bikes are so much fun. The beauty of the 310 RR is that it isn’t compromised by inferior build quality or components. Everything feels proper and works well. I spent the whole of Saturday hooning around and getting a feel for the bike.
Sitting at a Hazelwood pavement Cafe’ devouring Gelato, I did what we motorcyclists have done since the first engine was slotted in a frame. I just sat and ogled the bike. It is spectacular looking. Inspired by the shark, the designers sought to build something that resembled the functional lines of an Apex Predator. I found out the next day that they have succeeded superbly.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
I was back on the highway to Jo’Burg at 7 a.m. the next day to join RAD KTM on an end-of-year breakfast run. Just for giggles (and because I didn’t want to get off of it), I decided to go with the TVS rather than one of my ‘big bikes’. We made our way out of town onto the Hennops road which undulates and sweeps through the koppies to Hartebeespoort dam. Obviously outgunned on sheer straight-line speed by bikes with engines double or triple the cc, the little RR could be run down that road flat out.
The chassis, suspension and brilliant Michelin rubber work together to inspire confidence that allowed me to keep the bike pinned whilst the more powerful bikes became a hand full. Much of what they gained on the uphills and straights, I could pull back in on the sweeping bends. A different kind of Apex Predator indeed! Keeping them in sight was way more fulfilling and fun on the brilliant little TVS than it could ever have been on a big bike. The Apache 310 runs on to the rev limiter in sixth gear at an indicated 173 kph. (Don’t ask me how I know…).
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
After breakfast, I needed to get back for another engagement, so I rode back on my own. This is when the TVS really rocked. Riding the back roads, it ran up Hekpoort, strafing slower traffic effortlessly. Riding briskly and without hammering the bike, I could maintain a swift and satisfying 135-odd kph, all the while totally engaged in piloting the bike across the countryside. “Engaging” sums up what riding a smaller slower bike relatively fast is all about. I would revel in this bike on any mountain pass, the tighter the better. On a road where horsepower and weight become a liability, the TVS is in its element. Damn, a one-make race series on these bikes would be indescribable fun, and affordable! On that note, TVS make a Dynamic Kit for the bike with aggressive clip-on bars, raised rear-set race pegs and even race graphics emulating the TVS race bikes that are campaigned in India by TVS.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Now here is the thing. The economy is punishing us. Big Sports bikes are becoming the preserve of the really well-heeled. Consider also, if you will, which MotoGP class is the most enjoyable for the riders? It has to be Moto3. Small, agile bikes that showcase their rider’s skill rather than the engineering excellence of the manufacturer. We saw this year that to win MotoGP you had to be on a Ducati. In Moto 3 by comparison, the young gladiators traded blows on an equal footing, making for an unparalleled spectacle.
Why don’t you fellows scaring yourselves silly at hyper speed every weekend on the breakfast run on your crotch rockets shell out and buy yourself an RR? Keep the heavy weaponry for “ET” (Eastern Transvaal) and the distance trips. Commute in the week on your TVS, saving a bomb, then match your riding skills at sane speeds on the weekends. You may just rediscover the joys of slow bikes ridden fast. Dynamically, economically and stylistically, the TVS 310 RR is at the top of the list of contenders, a wonderful example of how less can indeed be more. All this fun is to be had for only R79,999, backed by a two-year unlimited mileage warranty.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
As TVS is looking to expand and establish their nationwide dealer network, they are inviting interested parties to make contact via e-mail to: [email protected]. With bikes like the Apache 310 RR, Apache 200 and 125, as well as their bulletproof commercial units and Scooters, this is a significant business opportunity.
If I may borrow and adapt the oft-misquoted words of Mark Twain, the reports of Indian Motorcycles’ death in the South African market have been greatly exaggerated. How do I know? Because I have just returned from riding seven of the 2023 models at the invitation of Tuning Fork (Pty) Ltd in Johannesburg.
If that sounds a little confusing, then an explanation is required. Previously, Cardinals Motor Group was responsible for the presence of first Victory and then Indian Motorcycle in South Africa. This was a very important development in the cruiser segment of the market, for there was an alternative to the dominant Harley-Davidson presence: customers finally had a choice if an American cruiser was what they needed in their lives.
Photo credit: BEAM Productions
Then came the worrying news that Cardinals was giving up the import licence, an understandable move in the economic circumstances. However, as it turned out, Tuning Fork (Pty) Ltd was ready to step into the breach and the transition was smoothly made. A year later and the first consignment of new models has landed and Indian Motorcycle South Africa is open for business once again.
It is a deeply impressive line-up, not only for the quality of the motorcycles but also for the way that “Indian” has quickly established itself as a viable alternative to that other American manufacturer. Not for Indian a long and protracted getting-up-to-speed process: they’ve dived in at the deep end and started swimming straight away. Looked at with a cold, calculating eye, there is nothing Harley-Davidson does that Indian doesn’t do just as well and, in some cases – and depending on personal preference – better.
Photo credit: BEAM Productions
While Victory utilised a thoroughly modern design language, that of Indian is unashamedly retro, which is, of course, a large part of its appeal in today’s market. That’s not to say there’s anything old-fashioned about the quality or performance.
The majority of the models are in the traditional American cruiser idiom, whether it be the Scout, Chief, Chieftain, Springfield, Roadmaster or Challenger lines. But then Indian threw us a curveball back in 2019 when it gave us the FTR1200 flat-track-inspired model. That particular model was a great example of what Americans can achieve when they think out of the box and is simply a really interesting alternative to all the other naked sports bikes on the market.
Photo credit: BEAM Productions
It might sound lazy to simply say that all the models ridden over the course of two days are brilliant but, really, one would have to get really nit-picky to come up with any reasonably pertinent criticism. The Scout models all have smooth, punchy performance courtesy of the liquid-cooled V-Twin 1200cc engine allied to a chassis that doesn’t behave as a long, low-slung junior cruiser should.
The larger Chief and Chieftain models are powered by air-cooled 116cu.in (1,900cc) V-Twin Thunderstroke engines that possess typically mountainous amounts of torque but are still uncannily smooth. Again, the chassis dynamics are not those of a heavy American cruiser.
Photo credit: BEAM Productions
Then, there’s the Challenger, Indian’s newest model. Again, typically American: large, supremely comfortable, epically equipped, effortless performance from the liquid-cooled PowerPlus 1,768cc V-Twin engine, which develops 122bhp and 178Nm of torque, a motorcycle upon which to cross continents.
Photo credit: BEAM Productions
And the FTR1200? It’s been ridden before when it first arrived in South Africa, but it’s still so surprising when you get back on it. Taut, hard suspension, wonderful chassis, Brembo brakes, great soundtrack, strong performance and unexpected comfort. It would be a blast on the track but is supremely entertaining on the road.
Across the whole range, the quality, attention to detail, fit and finish are second-to-none. If you want chrome, it’s there: if you don’t, you can opt for the Dark Horse models. There is barely a jarring note on any of the bikes.
Photo credit: BEAM Productions
Currently, there are two dealerships: Indian Motorcycle Sandton in Johannesburg and Indian Motorcycle Lynnwood in Pretoria. Both stores carry a comprehensive range of accessories and apparel as well as a full range of motorcycles. More dealerships are planned for the future but, right now, it is a period of consolidation and re-establishing the brand in the SA market.
Indian deserves to succeed because the products are just so good. The only thing I can say is to do yourself a favour and test-ride an Indian: only then will you fully appreciate them.
Photo credit: BEAM Productions
Keep an eye on ZA Bikers for more in-depth road tests of all the models in the months to come.
Indian Motorcycle Range
For more information on the bikes featured in this article, click on the links below…
Motorcyclists are a simple breed of human, give us an open day and we’ll be riding our bikes with our mates. However, sometimes our riding group and close friends get tied up with the works of life, leaving us with a solo and less than social ride at the end of our throttle cables—other times we are just not sure where to ride. Thankfully, we have lifestyle brands like KTM who open their doors and relight our fires to ride with loads of weekend riding activities.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
With the laptop flipped open and sweet Google at my fingertips, I paid a visit to RAD_KTM’s events section on their website and found a weekend ride I could join. The Social Sunday Breakfast Run…
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
With registration out of the way, we all suited up early this past Sunday for an 08:00 a.m. departure from RAD in Rivonia. Warm cups of coffee and water, a mixture of 20-odd rumbling twins, a host of smiles and good old bike talk were all in the air before hitting the road. All bike brands were welcomed on the ride out as all walks of life are always welcome to experience what the KTM lifestyle has to offer—it won’t take long to become the converted. RAD also had a selection of demos available on the day, ready for the riders that pre-booked.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
A quick riders briefing was given and on the road, we were, following the RAD_Moto crew out to Magaliesburg—arguably, one of the best areas for riding in Gauteng. After a scenic 100 km loop on some stunning B-roads, we found ourselves at Black Horse Brewery, perfectly situated on the edge of the Magalies River for breakfast.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
It’s during days and on rides like these when you’re surrounded by beautiful views, good food and like-minded motorcyclists that you really appreciate riding motorcycles. We at ZA Bikers are really impressed to see motorcycle dealers like RAD focusing on bringing customers into the brand and building long-lasting relationships.
Certain claims don’t demand to be explained once stated. For example, the fact that Yamaha Distributors South Africa is and will always be the home of innovation. Their formula has long been held by two pillars which are no secret to those whose hearts they continue to rev. Firstly, they keep their customers on the move be it on the road or on water. Two, they move with the times!
The reputable distributor of everything motor and marine has proven this once again with their recent announcement. They have officially launched an expanded full-service e-commerce platform for their company-owned retail outlets that will allow their existing and new customers to get their hands on the Yamaha marine and motorcycle product catalogue together with various other brands, such as Kymco, online.
Image source: Yamaha
You read that right, customers can now purchase everything on offer on the websites with just a click. From both new and used motorcycle and marine products to accessories and apparel.
The expanded e-commerce platform is an extension of the company’s initial online store which was launched in 2021. While it afforded customers the convenience they needed, the store had limitations as it only offered a variety of motor and marine accessories and apparel products.
Image source: Yamaha
Having identified the demand for even more convenient ways of shopping along with the success rate of the original site, the next best thing for Yamaha Distributors SA to do was to get with the times by availing their entire product listing online so shoppers can do their thing with ease.
This is an exciting milestone for the brand as the site currently stands as the first of its kind in South Africa, further positioning the business as a leader in innovation in both its product offerings as well as the way it markets them. And we say this because where else can you shop for a bike, a boat and some goggles online without switching websites in SA? Exactly!
Image source: Yamaha
The platform is implemented across all three existing dealerships owned by the authorised distributor of Yamaha products, Tuning Fork (Pty) Ltd (trading as Yamaha South Africa). These dealerships are Linex Yamaha Randburg, Linex Yamaha Lynnwood as well as World of Yamaha, all located in the Gauteng province.
The origin of all these three stores began when Linex Yamaha Randburg opened its doors for the first time in 1977. Attracted by its status as the top-rated Yamaha Motorcycle dealer, Tuning Fork purchased Linex Yamaha Randburg in 2018 and has since expanded its retail territory to various locations including online!
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Jessica Jooste, Marketing General Manager at Yamaha had this to say about the new upgrades on the e-commerce platform:
“We are excited to see years’ worth of strategy and hard work culminate in an amazing finished product allowing customers to not only browse but purchase lifestyle-orientated products, from multiple brands, online. It has always been our aim to bring our product range closer to our existing and new markets.”
The platform holds an extensive range of products. From bikes and boats all the way to accessories. Get clicking…sign up to shop all the Yamaha products on your wish list!
30 Freestyle Motocross and Motocross riders from all over the country competed in the Best Whip and Best Trick competitions. Montecasino’s venue was sold out, with 5,000 stoked spectators enjoying the wild show of riders throwing massive whips.
“This event started as a small event five years ago at a quarry,” said event organiser Ryan Van Der Spuy. “It has been incredible to see the event grow into what it now is and to witness the excitement from both the riders and spectators.”
Photo credit: Eric Palmer
It was high action from the outset, with each rider going bigger and more extreme with each attempt through the earlier rounds. With judges taking style, amplitude and variation into account, 14 riders qualified through to the semi-finals that would see them battle it out for a Top 8 spot to advance to the final. As the sun started going down and the lighting started filling up the Montecasino events arena, it was time for the big tricks.
In the FMX Best Trick contests, Dallan Goldman took the Right-Side-Up win and the R10,000 first prize with his 1-Hand 9 O’Clock Nic Indi (Airplane Indy), followed by Julien Vanstippen’s Holygrab to Double Hart Attack in 2nd and Michael Oyston’s Dead Body Indy in 3rd. And, in the Upside-Down segment, Julien Vanstippen took the win and the R20,000 first prize with his huge Ruler Indy Backflip ahead of Dallan Goldman with a Backflip Indy in 2nd.
Photo credit: Eric Palmer
“Having an event like King of the Whip in South Africa is exactly what this country and sport needs,” said Goldman. “Ryan Van Der Spuy has done an awesome job setting this venue up and ensuring that all the riders are here. I just see King of The Whip getting bigger and bigger, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we start selling out some stadiums soon. The potential for this event is massive.”
Then it was time for the big whips in the Best Whip contest final that saw Jesse Wright, Dallan Goldman, Dirco van der Westhuizen, Matt van Galen, Dalton Venter, Ricky Raaff, Ryan Adler and Julien Vanstippen take to the air. With each rider pushing hard, and the crowds roaring in excitement on each jump. Some of the inverted jumps were hard to believe, but the riders recovered from what looked like some impossibly tweaked whips to land safely and successfully.
Photo credit: Eric Palmer
The Best Whip event, the premier division of the evening, was won by the current X-Games Best Whip gold medallist, Belgium’s Julien Vanstippen who showcases some of the biggest whips the world has ever seen. Dallan Goldman, who has podiumed at every King of the Whip event, was runner-up, and Jesse Wright’s ability to whip big both ways saw him claim 3rd.
“Everyone was riding so good, so it was hard to do better than them, but yeah, good times for all,” said a jubilant Vanstippen. “For sure, I will come back for this event. I think more people will want to get involved in this event, train harder, and see bigger whips in the future. So next time we will come for a month and then go down to Cape Town to party. Let’s go!”
I am fortunate to get to ride the latest and most excellent bikes to hit our shores. The problem is I can’t just leave it there. From time to time I smash my piggy bank and put my hard-earned loot on the line. Having sold my brilliant BMW 1200 GS Adventure after a shoulder injury, I needed a lighter replacement. A few bikes made my shortlist.
I wanted a bike that, like my GS Adventure, was suitable for smashing long distances, two up, in comfort. I also wanted that bike to be competent both on tar and dirt. Value for money was the third criterion. My needs immediately excluded the Yamaha T7 and Aprilia Taureg, both great machines, but too small for two-up distance travel. BMW’s 850 GS is a solid option, but a bit long in the tooth. Ultimately it came down to a two-bike shortlist: the Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin and the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro. Specifications are one thing, but given that I will spend hours on the bike it must be good to ride too.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers
Both contenders offer a fantastic riding experience. The Honda with its torquey twin never fails to satisfy. The Rally Pro, with its growling cross-plane big-bang motor, is similarly engaging. So, what swayed me in favour of the Triumph? Quite simply, the Rally Pro offers absolutely astounding value for money. When I started looking into the standard spec of the two bikes the Honda started looking pale by comparison. At this point, let me say that I have, and always have had, a soft spot for Big Red. The build quality and reliability of Honda motorcycles are the stuff that legends are made of, however, over the years I have matured into an unbiased rider with an appreciation for fine motorcycles, full stop. So what features tipped the scales in favour of the Triumph?
Let me list the features that come standard on the Rally Pro which the Honda does not have. You may not rate all these features but bear in mind that you would have already saved R11,000 on the purchase price of the Triumph versus the Honda. Tubeless Akront rims, tyre pressure monitors, spots/riding lights, main stand, heated grips, heated seats, wind deflecting hand protectors, quick-shifter, adjustable windscreen, lower engine protection bars and two power points plus a USB charging point. Damn! That is a helluva goody bag of pimped parts!
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers
Add to that Brembo Stylema brakes, a bigger 20-litre fuel tank, and 10 mm more suspension travel back and front (Both bikes have Showa suspension). The real kicker for me was the tubeless tyres and the main stand. Changing tubes down a dirt track is simply not on my bucket list of things to do! I will take the plug-and-play convenience of tubeless rims any old day. Having said that, I don’t ride my Adventure bikes where you should go with plastic. Baviaans is as wild as I choose to go. The Honda has the edge on power and torque, but both bikes have more than enough go to satisfy. So, Triumph made the cut at the end of the deliberations. With 7,000 k’s on the clock, I can tell you a bit about Triumph ownership.
I bought my bike from my nearest dealer, Triumph in Hatfield, Pretoria. I have bought a few bikes over the years from Paul Kersten and have consistently enjoyed great professional service. I have also known Damian, the Dealer Principal, for years, so it was like visiting old buds for my new bike. It was a really great buying experience from a smart and attractive dealership. Oh yes, lest I forget, Damian is a Barista of note, the coffee is always top drawer.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers
I have enjoyed the Rally Pro from day one. I fitted a GIVI top box and GIVI panniers for touring convenience when Irene keeps me company. What we needed was a proper long trip for me to bond properly with the bike, and to see how the Triumph stacked up against my GIVI-equipped BMW R 1200 R, as our two-up touring bike of choice.
I have been overdue a visit to a good mate in Cape Town, so when BMW’s Lightning Bolt event at House of Machines was imminent I decided that this was a reason for a road trip. I chatted to Danie at BMW about a loan R 1250 RT, BMW’s Uber Tourer, as ideally, I wanted to tell an all-BMW story. As our departure date came closer, and with no word from BMW, I decided it was an excellent opportunity to test the Tiger properly in a touring role.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers
Irene suggested that we fly down, but I quickly reminded her that we are ZA Bikers! “No sweat”, she retorted, ”I’m up for it”. So it was that at 5 a.m. on a Thursday morning, we headed south out of Pretoria. We had a big day in the saddle planned. It was make-or-break for the Rally Pro two-up comfort test.
We were blessed with cool crisp weather as we sped south. With the cruise control set at 135 km/h, the Tiger growled along happily, devouring distance effortlessly. Bloemfontein and breakfast, then coffee in Colesburg and the Tiger was unfazed and we both still felt fresh. Our destination for the night was Victoria Bay, just outside George, where we stayed with an old friend and fellow biker Ian Wesson at his Guesthouse, Pier Plesier. I have categorically never experienced such an unimpeded sea view! Truly spectacular!
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers
1264.5 k’s at an average of 113 km/h in 11.08 hours. What a day. Our route was through Graaff-Reinet and down the Langkloof, then down the magnificent Outeniqua Pass and into George. At one of four stop ‘n goes in the Free State, we passed 49 trucks nose to tail. Try that in your four-wheeled shopping basket! Tap down twice on the brilliant quick-shifter and let the Tiger off the leash. Bye-bye trucks. Irene was gobsmacked by the comfort of the Triumph, stating categorically that it was the most comfortable she has ever been on a bike.
The seat density is obviously spot on, but the kicker is the brilliant supple suspension. I dialled in preload to compensate for the two up and pannier loads, and then added a bit of rebound. The bike was incredibly comfortable and composed over all surfaces, as well as when enthusiastically strafing the mountain passes. You would never say that the Rally Pro runs a 21” front wheel. It steers with an accuracy that is amazing.
A planned fuel stop went awry, with empty pumps, so it was a bit of an economy run down a cold, at 12-degrees, Outeniqua pass. We rolled into George with zero fuel range indicated on the TFT display for over 20 k’s. Filling up showed that we still had 1,5 litres in the tank, despite 380 k’s on the trip meter. Dinner and a bottle of red was just the reward for a great day’s riding. Both Irene and I were smitten by our splendid Tiger. We relished the idea of cruising what was now a short hop to the fairest Cape of them all, down the scenic N2.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers
The splendid weather continued as we rolled out of George on Friday after a memorable stay at Pier Plesier. If you plan to travel to that area, try an overnight with Ian. You will be blown away! The comfort and setting are truly unparalleled. Our first stop was for breakfast at a wonderful farm stall just before Riversdal. A group of German Tourists on Harleys were nearing the end of a memorable SA tour. Chatting with them reminded me of what a splendid scenic country we live in.
The Western Cape leads the charge by a country mile when it comes to touring in SA. Superb, well-kept roads, clean and tidy towns and spectacularly beautiful scenery. Oh Lord, why can’t the rest of our land be like this? Forget the politics people. Vote for who gets the job done! Period. The Cape prospers while the rest of the country decays. Being on the N2, we did a quick detour through Gordon’s Bay along what must be one of the best drives on the planet. The fynbos bedecked mountain on your left as the road snakes and meanders along a pristine coastline. We stopped for our customary Flat White at Curbside Coffee’s roadside trailer and just soaked in the view. It was a good day to be in the Cape on a motorcycle.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers
We cruised into Cape Town at lunchtime and rode straight to House of Machines on Shortmarket Street in the city centre. What a cool and funky vibe. Cape Town sports some truly “interesting” people. Sitting and sipping on a cold one and watching the “show” is endlessly entertaining. We still had to get to my buddy in Kalk Bay so we were grateful to be on the Tiger as we negotiated the Cape Town traffic.
That Mountain with the flat top is ever so beautiful, but it played havoc with the poor town planners who had to lay out the network of roads. No sweat, you don’t want to live in CT (or anywhere else, for that matter) without owning a bike. Traversing Boyes Drive above Muizenburg with its magnificent sea views, we again revelled in the scenic splendour of it all. Catching up with Peter as we dined on a superb curry, washed down by the red that the Cape is renowned for, made for a marvellous evening to cap a splendid day.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers
The Lightening Bolt event kicked off at lunchtime on Saturday, so we could take our time, visiting the Waterfront for a Gelato before meandering into town to ogle the custom bikes on display at House of Machines. What followed was a great day and evening of bikes, music and refreshments.
BMW’s two events in conjunction with House of Machines, Head for the Hills at the splendid ADA facility in Hartebeespoort, and Lightning Bolt in the Mother City, have been great successes and hopefully will be repeated in the future. It is certainly something to diarise and not miss if possible. We rode back to Kalk Bay in the early evening. Cape Town was putting her best weather foot forward for us. Dinner at the Kalk Bay harbour capped another pearler of a day.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers
Sunday was another absolutely perfect weather Cape day. We cruised the Peninsula, stopping for breakfast in Simonstown before following the Argus cycle route past Smitswinkel, Scarborough, Kommetjie and over the incomparable Chapman’s Peak. It is a must for every motorcyclist visiting the Cape. If the weather plays ball you will experience one of the best days out and about ever.
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, so Irene and I sadly said our goodbyes on Monday and got the Triumph growling along the N1. In the interest of time, we endured the shortest route home. We overnighted in Colesburg after a pleasant enough ride through the Karoo, which has a charm of its own. Its endless vistas make you feel small and insignificant. We stopped after Laingsburg for photos at an old Boer War blockhouse. Built to guard a railway bridge against marauding Boer commandos, it must have been a shock to the system of the British troops stationed there. Sadly some brain donor with no sense of the significance of our country’s history has seen fit to deface it with graffiti…we live in sad times indeed!
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers
After the days we had smashed on the Rally Pro it was a short hop home. The traffic build-up at the stop ‘n goes was light, so they didn’t impede our progress much as we set the cruise control to 150 km/h and the Tiger revelled in the crisp and cool morning air. The t-plane crank and odd firing order makes the bike a bit more gruff than the silky 800 that it replaced. The plus is that it feels less “busy” than the previous motor. The low-frequency vibes felt through the bars are not intrusive, but rather compliment the character of what is truly a special bike.
We rolled into Pretoria before lunch after a memorable trip. The Triumph Tiger Rally Pro was put to the touring test properly and delivered over and above expectations. Washing the bike as I do after a trip, I was reminded of the amount of thought and design detail that makes the current crop of Triumph bikes so special. The main stand cross brace takes the strain from stones flung off the front tyre and becomes pitted and even rusty as the paint is sandblasted off. Typical of the Triumph attention to detail, there is a sleeve of rubber encasing the stay. When the small details have been addressed like that, it gives me total piece of mind in terms of how the rest of the bike is designed and screwed together.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers
The Tiger is an absolutely perfect blend of road function and off-road ability. It has a spread of talents that make it deeply satisfying in either role. 3,374 k’s later, at an average of 106 km/h and after 31,45 hours in the saddle, Triumph, take a bow! I am one very happy and satisfied owner! And Irene? She loved her time on the Pro. As they say, happy wife happy life!
Just a final word and shout out to GIVI. My Tiger has GIVI Trekker 33 panniers fitted. Typical of GIVI products, they work superbly. They fit securely and provide peace of mind that your kit will stay dry and clean irrespective of where you ride. They have an added feature in that you can open the top of the pannier without having to open the whole side and have the kit fall out. Between them and my GIVI top box, it was effortless to pack all my kit.
The top box has an elasticised cargo net over the top which is handy for rain suits or the like. The pannier brackets are cool for securing my soft luggage when doing off-road trips. The right bike and the right kit make for great road-tripping! Bring on December when I plan to introduce the Tiger to Botswana. I can’t wait.
If the recent EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, Italy, is anything to go by, then fans of MV Agusta have a lot to look forward to in 2023, including the incredible new Lucky Explorer 5.5 and 9.5 adventure bikes and the SuperVeloce Series Oro.
But that still leaves the rest of 2022 to get through and what better way of doing that than by rewarding yourself for a year’s hard work than with one of these Blow-Out Specials! from MV Agusta South Africa, both in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
All offers are while stocks last (starting on Black Friday), trade-ins are welcome and excellent finance packages are available.
Image source: MV Agusta
Here is the full listing of demo 2021 and 2022 and brand new 2022 models available under this offer:
MV Agusta Dragster Rosso (MY22 New Spec)
Was R299 900 Now R199 900
MV Agusta Brutale Rosso (MY22)
Was R299 900 Now R199 900
MV Agusta Dragster RR (MY21 Demo)
Was R249 900 Now R199 900
MV Agusta Dragster RC SCS Limited (MY22)
Was R399 900 Now R349 900
MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Lusso SCS (MY22 Full Spec)
Was R399 900 Now R299 900
MV Agusta F3 Rosso (MY22 Demo New Spec)
Was R249 900 Now R199 900
Agusta F3 800 RR carbon (MY22)
Was R399 900 Now R399 900 (includes Race Kit worth R85 000)
MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR (MY22 Demo)
Was R599 900 Now R399 900 (includes an MV Agusta e-bike worth R80 000)
MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR (MY22)
Was R599 900 Now R499 900
MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RS (MY22 Demo Silver)
Was R459 900 Now R379 900
MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RS (MY22)
Was R499 900 Now R399 900
MV Agusta SuperVeloce (MY22 New Spec Yellow)
Was R399 900 Now R299 900
MV Agusta Turismo veloce Rosso (MY22)
Was R329 900 Now R259 900
MV Agusta RUSH 1 of 300 (MY22)
R899 900 – Now includes the following extras worth R100k (MV Agusta E-Bike ‘RC’ valued at R99 900 and MV Agusta Original Dainese Jacket valued at R6999)
MV Agusta Nürburgring 1 of 200, the only example in SA (MY22)
R799 900 – Now includes the following extras worth R100k (MV Agusta E-Bike ‘RC’ valued at R99 900 and MV Agusta Original Dainese Jacket valued at R6999)
We got to sample Honda’s CB500X when members of the motorcycle media and other ‘influencers’ were invited to ADA’s excellent facility for a day on the new bikes. I believe that this bike is particularly relevant at this time, given the dire economical times that we are facing. Bikes have, in the main, become overpowered, overpriced, complicated, large and heavy. Many riders are looking at ways to downsize without too much of a compromise. Honda may well have come up with a viable solution alternative.
Honda’s CB500X is not a new model in the sense that it has been available in other markets since as far back as 2013. Having said that, it received major upgrades early this year which significantly improved what was already a popular motorcycle in Europe. The CB received 41 mm Showa SFF-BP big piston USD forks and another disc up front. Given modern brake efficiency, I am not sure if that was really necessary, given that their heavier NC750 makes do with a single disc. Be that as it may, double discs always provide reassuring stopping power.
Photo credit: Beam Productions
The CB500X has an absolutely tried and tested motor. Variants of the parallel twin have been used in Honda models for yonks, with typical Honda reliability. It produces a stout 39 Kw @ 8600 rpm and 43 Nm of torque @ 6500 rpm. Power feeds through a light-action slipper clutch. The gearbox is a 6-speeder and shifts are light and accurate. As aforementioned, it has 296 mm dual discs up front complimented by the usual smaller single rear, with 2-channel ABS. Wheels are handsome mags with a 160/60×17 rear and a 110/80×19 on the front, perfectly suited to its all-road purpose, with the advantage of plug-and-pump tubeless tyres.
Despite a reasonable 830 mm seat height, the 500 X still manages a decent 181 mm of ground clearance. Instrumentation is via a neat and functional LCD display which is adjustable for brightness.
Photo credit: Beam Productions
Styling is typical Honda beaky adventure bike, (think Crosstourer 1200) and with the 17,7-litre tank topped up, the bike tips the scales at a reasonable 199 kg. I say reasonable because I am of the opinion that modern bikes should be significantly lighter. The grandpappy of adventure bikes, the BMW R80 GS, weighed in at 186 kg, fully fuelled! Get my drift? The CB has LED lights all around and is undoubtedly a handsome beast.
Photo credit: Beam Productions
It is not a small bike and as such feels substantial without feeling frumpish. Taller, larger riders will have no trouble getting comfortable. The seat is well-shaped and has decent density foam, so smashing long days in the saddle should not be too painful. The colours are a red/black combo which looks spiffy and Pearl organic green/black which looks almost more spiffy!
Photo credit: Beam Productions
Ok, so now you got an idea of the standard package. Honda have quite a comprehensive accessories package to complement the bike. Very different to when the Africa Twin CRF1000 was launched. We waited for ages for goodies for that bike. Because the CB500X has been available offshore for ages, there is a cottage industry which has sprung up around accessorising this bike. From on-road commuter/tourer to a full-on Rally Raid setup. It is a great platform from which to “roll your own”.
The team at Honda SA know the psyche of SA riders all too well. We take unlikely bikes and put them through the wringer off-road, all in the name of adventure. With a CRF1000L in the lead, and shepherded by a CRF250L and a CRF250 Rally we sallied forth. After the torrential rain of the previous week, sections of the “tweespoor” trail we rode had been transformed into stinky glutinous mud by the first rotation of riders. Watching the Africa Twin trying to find traction and crabbing sideways, I was thankful for less power and weight and a lower seat height. A huge benefit for the CB500X right there!
Photo credit: Beam Productions
Once we had slipped and slithered our way through the quagmire, we were faced with a steep rutted and rocky climb. The X has surprising torque just off idle and there was zero tendencies to stall as we bobbed and weaved up the broken incline. Throttle response in first is a trifle abrupt but easily modulated with the smooth clutch. Overall, the gear ratios are nigh perfect.
A big shout-out to the standard suspension. The front fork has no adjustment but is supple and gives great feedback and control. At no point did it bottom under my 83 kg load. The back shock did bottom lightly when I hit some dips with enthusiasm, however, upon inspection, I found it was only on its second step of preload, with another three stiffer settings. Dialling in more preload would have sorted the bottoming for sure! Anyone short of a crazy hard charger will have any need to spend money on suspension upgrades.
Photo credit: Beam Productions
The rubber on the footpegs became super slippery when given the mud treatment, so off-road chaps will be a must if you are likely to take your X into the dirt regularly. A bash plate and radiator guard as well as bark busters would also be well advised. Why am I telling you this? Because the CB500X is a blast to ride down a dirt road and surprisingly capable. The motor has enough oomph without spinning up with every application of the throttle. The result is good forward motion with a minimum of fuss.
Both tar and dirt road handling is stable and confidence-inspiring. Riding behind Mojaki Rammoneng, the winner with Claude Deyzel of the 2018 Honda Quest, I was impressed with how smoothly he rode. We rode a rutted dirt road with rock lurkers and occasional treacherous patches. It was such a patch that provided a serious spectacle. Mojaki hit the soft spot at pace and had his bike do its damnedest to swap ends. Testimony to both bike and rider that they saved that one!
Photo credit: Beam Productions
At 6000 rpm the CB is hauling along at 125 km/h, with still 2500 rpm in hand. It is incredibly light on fuel at this speed, giving around 30 km/L. This translates to a range of over 500 k’s on a tank. Buy one of these and the fuel saving over your 4-wheel shopping basket will pay for the bike, not to mention the hour less time that you will spend stuck in load-shedding traffic snarl-ups. At R119,900, the Honda CB500X represents a lot of bike for the money.
Some may argue that their NC750 doesn’t cost a helluva lot more, but the fact is you then really don’t have anywhere near the dirt road ability of this bike. KTM’s 390 Adventure plays in the same space with similar performance, however, it lacks the all-around polish of the twin-cylinder Honda. Both the KTM and BMW G 310 GS need to cost significantly less to be considered alternatives. The all-around package, coupled with the legendary Honda reliability, and the real-world capability that we experienced on this launch, may just find Honda with a big winner on their hands.
Photo credit: Beam Productions
Honda CB500X
For more information on the bike featured in this article, click on the link below…
So, on a Sho’t Left recently to the Republic of the Western Cape. My better half and I spent a very restful week at an Air BnB in Simondium – “where?” you may mutter…well, if you draw a triangle linking Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Paarl, it lies pretty much in the centre of that triangle, surrounded by mountains and wine farms – does it get better than that? The short answer is a resounding “yes”, as nestled between a number of wine farms and on the L’Ormarins estate is the Franschhoek Motor Museum, steeped in SA’s recent history, it is the relocated contents of the erstwhile Heidelberg Museum, which was opened in 1974 by Dr Anton Rupert and closed in 2004 by its then owners, British American Tobacco as it wasn’t part of the core business…duh, who would have thought…
Enter stage left, Johann Rupert, son of the good Doctor who, wanting to keep the legacy alive bought the entire museum contents and relocated it to Franschhoek in 2004 opening the current display venue in 2007.
Photo credit: Russell Heins
Now it has to be said, Samantha (the better half) is very far from a petrolhead but agreed to ‘take one for the team’ and join me, so we booked a slot online; (you can’t just pitch up like a normal museum – and that starts to set the scene for the differentiation between the FMM and other transport orientated museums I have visited).
At the appointed hour we arrived at the boom gate and were welcomed by the security guards, characters in their own right who permitted us entry into the pristine grounds of the L’Ormarins Wine Estate, with its manicured lawns and gardens, set against the stunning backdrop of the Drakenstein Mountains.
Photo credit: Russell Heins
The collection itself is absolutely beautifully maintained with not a speck of dust evident anywhere in the four climate-controlled halls and comprises in total around 220 vehicles, of which around 80 are on display at any given time, thereby encouraging repeat visits, I guess! Hall A starts with an 1898 Beeston Motor Tricycle and Hall C chronologically ends with a 2016 Chevrolet Br’Ute modified Corsa bakkie, whilst Hall D just takes it to a whole different level…
So, let’s have a bit of a deeper dive into the contents of each of these halls of excellence, which left me absolutely stunned, starting with Hall A, containing the earliest vehicles including the Beeston trike I mentioned earlier, some beautiful Bugatti’s, a Bentley, a Rolls Royce, all dating from 1898 to 1935. Henry Ford’s very first attempt at a motor vehicle is also represented in the form of a 1903 Model A, boasting a flat twin 1668cc motor developing an eye-watering 8 bhp…
Photo credit: Russell Heins
Bikes on display in Hall A included a 1917 Triumph Model H, 550cc producing 4bhp, a beautiful 1926 BSA S23 500cc, and a 1936 AJS Jarman 350.
Moving along to Hall B, which on a personal level didn’t talk to me at all, displays various Fords from 1923 to 1938, most of which looked like extras from the ‘Cars’ animated movie series, but on the upside; a 1956 Velocette Valiant and a 1926 Triumph Model P with its ‘bow’ front brake mechanism and 494cc four-stroke side valve single, brought some interest to an otherwise uninspiring display for me.
Photo credit: Russell Heins
Hall C starts with a 1939 Fiat ‘Topolino’ and ends with the 2016 Chev I mentioned previously, but in between, there are some absolutely stunning Alfa Romeos, Jaguars, and a gorgeous 1959 Austin-Healey 100/6 2.6L roadster. It was somewhere in the middle of this hall that I came to a conclusion that has only taken me 58 years to reach, in my humble opinion when it comes to the design of both cars and bikes, the Italians and the Brits are the only ones who can really do it, with all due respect to the Germans, the Japanese, the French, the Americans and assorted others, visual rightness and jaw-dropping head-turnability belong almost exclusively to the Italians and the Brits, at least to my mind!
Photo credit: Russell Heins
This Road to Damascus moment was reinforced when we entered the hallowed Hall D, which I have to admit has some absolute classic ‘Rest of the World’ sports cars including; the wild 1967 Renault Gordini, a 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo and the Corvette Z06 piloted around Zwartkops by the late great Sabine Schmitz, to name but a few; however the drool factor awards had to go to the two Astons posing nonchalantly in the bottom corner, a DB2/4 Touring Spyder and a DB4GT looking cool and aloof like that iconic James Dean photo. But conversely, wow they are beautiful… Incontrovertible proof if any was needed that my hypothesis isn’t too wide of the mark! This was further reinforced by the bikes in Hall D. Starting with the 1980 900 Ducati Hailwood Replica Mk 2, and my personal favourite the 1950 Manx Norton 500, the original ‘featherbed’ frame machine that dominated at the TT for a number of years, the 499cc single produced 40 kW and topped out at 230 km/h – for a 1950 steed.
Photo credit: Russell Heins
Hall D is rounded out with some legendary classic SA motor racing machinery including the Gunston liveried Chevron B25/3 Formula 2 spec Cosworth, Ian Sheckter’s 1976 Lexington Formula Atlantic and brother Jody’s 1974 Tyrrell Ford 007. Not the one that looked like it was two cars in a permanent dice – the 6-wheeler, but the previous 4-wheel-only model, boasting a 3 litre V8 Cosworth producing 358 kW, in which he finished 3rd in the 1974 Formula 1 World Championship. A tiddler compared to the current 750 kW F1 hybrid monsters or the 1000 kW beasts of the mid-’80s, but the simplicity, lack of electronics, driver aids and extremely basic engineering are just astounding – RESPECT!!!
Photo credit: Russell Heins
So, after an hour and a half of wandering and pondering, even a die-hard non-petrolhead like Sam admitted that she had loved the entire experience, the stunning environment and backdrops, the ambience, the pristine exhibits and the passion of the staff for their charges. This is a fantastic piece of SA and global motoring history, beautifully preserved and presented, and well worth the effort of pre-booking a slot next time you are in the area!
I do apologise for the excessive use of superlatives in this piece; they are, however, totally deserved!!
Saturday 26th November is a red-letter day for Harley-Davidson in South Africa. For many years, Harley Davidson Mzansi has occupied a prime location in Sandton but times move on and so has Harley-Davidson Mzansi.
The new showroom and workshop are in state-of-the-art premises at 3 Sunrise Boulevard, Lonehill, Sandton. Travelling north on William Nicol, pass underneath Witkoppen Road and turn right at the next traffic light. The new showroom is right behind the McDonalds – you can’t miss it.
The main reason you can’t miss it is that the new Harley-Davidson Mzansi showroom is one of the largest Harley-Davidson dealerships in the world and certainly the largest in Africa.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
It promises to be a fantastic day, with live music and DJs, food and drink on sale and the chance to take a look around this stunning new facility.
Bring your wallets along as there will be Black November deals on all merchandise – up to 50% off in some cases – and also special deals on selected new and used Harley-Davidsons.
Proceedings start at 8 a.m., with the official ribbon cutting, and carry on throughout the day to 3 p.m.
In a previous post, I gave a passing thumbs up to Liqui Moly’s Quick Detailer when I used it to polish the dust off my car. It worked so well in this application that I thought to give it a bash on my bikes as well. Well, to be frank, the results have been superb!
The Quick Detailer comes in a 500 ml spray bottle, is pink and smells like mangoes. Not only does your bike look sweet after rubbing it up, but it smells good too! Let me tell you how I discovered what an excellent product it is.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
I recently had a BMW R1800 Transcontinental on review. The bike is painted black with a subtle silver metallic sheen. It has the classic BMW pinstripes in white, highlighting the classic retro lines of the bike. As always, in typical BMW fashion, the bike was delivered spotlessly clean.
The Transcontinental is an imposing large motorcycle and unfortunately too large to fit in my garage with my other bikes, so it was parked under my carport, out of the weather. We have had an odd amount of wind lately, so the bike collected a fine coating of dust. To add insult to injury, we had a spattering of rain which blew some drops onto the bike. Wanting to take photos for our review, I found the bike looking less than pristine. It wasn’t dirty as such, but rather dusty and spotted with dried water marks.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Liqui Moly Quick Detailer to the rescue! Not having time to wash the bike, I thought I would see if the Quick Detailer would restore the bike to its pristine glory. I shook the detailer well, then literally walked around the bike squirting strategic sprays all over the bike’s bodywork including the copious chrome that bedecks the bike. Then I rubbed it evenly with a microfibre cloth, turning the cloth often as per the application instructions.
Editor’s Note: To photographically demonstrate the cleaning process in this article we used a Ducati Scrambler.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
What impressed me was that it didn’t leave a typical hazy polish bloom on the bike, but rather brought out an immediate shine. I grabbed a second microfibre cloth, as the original was now damp with Detailer and rubbed the whole bike up without applying any force but rather just polishing up. The results were spectacular.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The paintwork had a deep lustre and the chrome work gleamed as never before. Even the fairing screen had got the treatment and looked all the better for it. Standing back and admiring my handy work, I was blown away by the results. The bike looked better than ever, with every inch shining in all its glory. The kicker for me was how easy it was. I have polished bikes hundreds of times over the years and worked up a proper sweat doing it. Liqui Moly Quick Detailer is a cinch to use, effortlessly putting the shine on your ride. There are additional benefits too.
Water is not good for your bike. It gets into all the nooks and crannies and corrodes places we can’t dry properly. With Quick Detailer, we not only need to wash the bike less, but it also repels dirt, so your bike stays cleaner for longer. It’s also water-repellent. It leaves a protective coating on the polished surfaces, protecting them from atmospheric contaminants. Leave it parked under a blooming jacaranda tree and you will see what I mean! Whilst they mention painted surfaces and didn’t particularly mention chrome or glass/screens, I can report that these surfaces polished up a treat too.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
At R218.00, the Liqui Moly Quick Detailer is not what I consider cheap, but then again, really good effective products seldom are. A little goes a long way, so to my mind, given how well it works, it is something of a bargain.
Add to that the protection it offers to my two-wheeled investments and it becomes a downright steal! Once again this is a Liqui Moly product that delivers and then some. I wholeheartedly recommend it. Order some online. Your car and bikes (and bicycle) will thank you for it!
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Liqui Moly Quick Detailer
For more information on the product featured in this article, click on the link below…
I don’t know about you, but my riding career started out with dad’s well-worn riding jacket, a pair of jeans, sneakers and a passed-down helmet. This mentality quickly changed once I grew into motorcycling and proper gear was purchased for the slide rather than the ride. However, one thing always seems to creep back into a motorcyclist’s life; our favourite pair of jeans. Most riders, myself included, find gravitating back to riding jeans over textiles a common reality, but even then, most double-layered Kevlar jeans are just so uncomfortable, sad looking and just too hot for summer. Unfortunately, this leads the majority of us to make the mistake of sliding a pair of non-riding jeans back on for our daily commutes, adventures and even open-road riding.
With that said, a few companies have made this silly excuse almost inadmissible with brands like the Italian company PMJ ditching the dinosaur of heavy double-layered Kevlar technology for something called ballistic Twaron—the material that makes single-layer riding jeans possible. Single layer? Is that even worth it and is it any safe? Well, recent tests in material technology have seen single-layer riding jeans achieve CE ratings of AAA, which is the highest possible rating for abrasion resistance and construction. So, we are talking about a riding jean that offers phenomenal cooling, comfort and in PMJ’s case, trendy slim-fitting motorcycle jeans.
Photo credit: Meredith Potgieter / ZA Bikers
With myself being intrigued by this new tech and at the same time in the market for an inner-city riding jean, I got into contact with the South African importers of PMJ, IMI (Italian Motorcycle Importers).
So, who are PMJ? PMJ are an Italian-born and bred company that has had its roots planted deep into high fashion for the last 30 years, collaborating with famous brands like Hugo Boss and Versace to name a few. They take pride in being a 100% made-in-Italy brand that handmakes their protective motorcycle jeans. With almost 14 years in the motorcycle industry, they have now become the best-selling protective motorcycle jean in Europe.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
After having a close look at PMJ’s line-up, Sean Powell hooked me up with a pair of “street” jeans, which come with a single “A” rating to compliment my town and around riding. The street jeans are your more traditional stone-washed ripped jean, with a slim upper leg fit and straight leg cut at the bottom to fit riding sneakers. The first fit saw me go a size bigger than usual going for a size 32 as opposed to my usual 30 waist, which is not unusual for a European fit. In saying that, ‘IMI’ do bring in sizes 30 to 42 with a variety of leg lengths to go with it.
Before hitting the road, Sean paired my riding jeans with one of PMJ’s latest classic denim jackets, called the West jacket. Not only did this add to my off-season Steve McQueen look, but it too was backed by a class AAA PPE rating.
Photo credit: Meredith Potgieter / ZA Bikers
After two months of literally living in the jeans and with the seasons starting to head into summer, I was enjoying my new skin. The first two positives, which are major for me, were how flexible the jeans are when changing riding position on the bike and how well-ventilated they are out in the field. I spend a lot of my time riding but a majority of it standing still photographing motorcycles, which means 20 to 30 min on location in the hot sun, pushing the bike around and getting low for those aggressive shots. I was impressed with how easy they were to live with not only on the bike but off the bike too.
Photo credit: Meredith Potgieter / ZA Bikers
Again, the above is all thanks to the material that is used and how the abrasion resistance comes about thanks to aramid fibres woven into the denim itself, allowing the single-layer denim to form the protection. It is just awesome to see and understand how these protective motorcycle jeans look like normal, everyday slim-fit jeans but they’re lined with ballistic Twaron abrasion-resistant material. This material also gives the street a slide time of 1 second on the “Cambridge machine” (equivalent to around 4 seconds on asphalt).
The level of protection one gets from their gear should always be considered, and for me, that was made simple. I knew these jeans were going to be used for quick pop-around meetups and slow-town riding. So, the safety rating of just a single A was acceptable, while considering an AA or AAA was going to be overkill for town riding, much more expensive and heavier.
Photo credit: Meredith Potgieter / ZA Bikers
The layout of the jeans is pretty simple, with your traditional five-pocket design and your level-1 knee armour, which for once, lined up perfectly with my knees. I’ve always hated knee protection as they tend to scratch the hell out of my knees, but with PMJ this was not the case. For washing, you can also remove them when necessary and they are cleverly relocated with Velcro to make sure they don’t move around. The street jeans are also hip-protector-ready.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
When it comes to fit and use, these jeans have their small compromises and I mean dinky. If you have rugby player thighs you are not going to fit in a pair of PMJs and if you like your pocket space, then again, the tight fit offers very little. If you’ve got a small credit card wallet like mine, all good, but if you’re rolling in the green then you are going to run out of space. You also have a button up front instead of a zipper system, which really isn’t a compromise and I think it adds to the overall classic look and feel of the jeans.
Photo credit: Meredith Potgieter / ZA Bikers
All in all, the PMJ street jeans, offer great value at R2999 and I think PMJ are bringing in products that suit the daily commuter and inner-city riders’ needs with a middle-ground offer. They also have a more subtle pair called the “new rider” jeans which retail for R2400 and come in a darker blue.
After taking a closer look at what other riders wear on the road, I’d say only 25% of motorcyclists wear protective trousers, but I think new products like these can convince more riders to gear up rather than down. So, pull into IMI in Bryanston and give their PMJ line a browse as they have an array of styles for both men and ladies. I’ve already got my eyes set on their Cargo and Café riding pants.
The custom bike scene has grown exponentially globally over the past 20 years and, if you listen to the naysayers, South Africa lags far behind. Well, if last weekend was any indication of the state of the custom bike scene here, then all I can say is that it is in rude good health, and what is being built is the match of anything coming out of the traditional centers of excellence in the U.S., Europe, and Japan.
Photo credit: The Lightning Bolt / Andy Lund
Perhaps surprisingly, TheLightning Bolt competition is an initiative by BMW Motorrad, although do not make the mistake of thinking it is solely open to BMW-based customs. The line-up in Cape Town comprised all makes and both classic-based and new bike-based creations. Far from being a South Africa-only competition, it is open to entries from all over Africa and it was, in fact, the biggest custom bike-building competition in the whole of Africa, with a winner-takes-all prize of R250,000.
This year’s event took place in Shortmarket Street in the center of Cape Town, the home of The House of Machines, a bar/coffee shop/music venue with the coolest motorcycling culture vibe to it. The organizers of the event, under the expert guidance of Alan Shenton from tenbüro Brand Operations, put in a huge amount of work, not only with choosing the bikes, which was the visible tip of the iceberg, but also putting together an unbelievable line-up of music to keep the roughly 1000-strong crowd who had succeeded in getting tickets entertained.
Photo credit: The Lightning Bolt / Andy Lund
There was not one dud band in the line-up, which ranged from local Cape Town bands to the biggest SA stars, such as Jack Parow and Fokofpolisiekar, ably supported by PHFat, Angie Oeh and The House of Machines favourites Jak Tomas, The Ghouls, Sam Turpin, Laliboi, Julian Place and Murray. The P.A. was one of the best I’ve ever heard and the whole event was so slickly run: even a bit of rain, later on, failed to bring things to a halt.
Photo credit: The Lightning Bolt / Andy Lund
But, of course, the bikes themselves were the stars of the show. There were 12 finalists, whittled down from 30 entries, and they were all of extremely high quality, both in terms of design and engineering.
It was an eclectic mix, from a traditional and hugely elaborate Harley chopper to a Honda flat-tracker, from a Yamaha RD350 to an ultra-futuristic BMW with all-enveloping bodywork, from a Honda Super Cub to a Ducati.
Photo credit: The Lightning Bolt / Andy Lund
There were four judges: Dr. Marcus Schramm, head of BMW Motorrad, Alan Stulberg, a master custom builder from the U.S., Wes Reyneke, Cape Town-based Senior Editor of leading custom bike website BikeExif and Paul van Der Spuy of House of Machines. Quite how they were able to choose a winner from such a diverse selection of custom machines, all of which displayed incredible talent on the part of their creators, each with their own vision, imagination, and skill levels, I do not know. All I do know is I’m glad I didn’t have to choose.
Photo credit: The Lightning Bolt / Andy Lund
In the bright sunlight, the machines were parked in the length of Shortmarket Street while the crowds mingled, ate, drank, listened to music, caught up with old friends, and made new ones. But, of course, the whole point of the day was to crown one of the bikes a winner, and that winner – a worthy winner in a lot of peoples’ eyes – was Wayne Buys and his incredible BMW with fully-enclosing bodywork: a masterpiece of design and fabrication.
Photo credit: The Lightning Bolt / Andy Lund
The Lightning Bolt was one of those events that, after it was all over, you really wished it was continuing for a few more days: perfect location, perfect weather, great music, a perfect crowd of people, and perfect motorcycles: what more could you want?
The next Lightning Bolt competition takes place in New York next year. South African fans will have to wait for a couple of years for our next one but, rest assured, the wait will be worth it.
I think it is true to say that the heavyweight “Full Dresser” motorcycle is not a genre that has ever really caught on in SA. Having said that, it has been the backbone of the American motorcycling scene for yonks. In 2020, 67,859 heavyweight tourers were sold worldwide, with by far the lion’s share being sold in the US. (Of these, 57,178 were Harleys!) 49,331 Harley “Dressers” were sold in the US alone. At an average price of around $21,000, that is over a billion dollars worth of motorcycles!! Little wonder then that BMW wants a piece of that pie. Enter the R18 Transcontinental.
It only takes a glance to tell you that this is a seriously opulent motorcycle. It is a “Full Dresser” in the sense that it has a ‘Batwing’ style handlebar fairing crammed full of gauges, a 10,25” TFT display and two Marshall Gold Series speakers. Running lights, panniers and a top box, or trunk, as it is known in Dresser parlance, complete the picture. It is a handsome picture too. The bike is metallic black with a subtle silver fleck which becomes apparent in sunlight. In classic Bee Emm fashion, it is finished with white pin striping. The bike is awash with high-quality chrome everywhere. Even the clutch and brake lever reservoirs did not escape the chrome treatment. Chrome panels cover both the fuel tank cap as well as a smartphone cubby on the top of the tank. You literally need a dark visor, or shades, to stave off blinding sunlight reflected off all of these shiny bits at midday.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers
To call these bikes ‘heavyweights’ is no exaggeration. Fully fuelled, the Transcontinental punishes the scales at 398 kg. That, my friends, is close to half a ton of motorcycle! This is also before you and your passenger have climbed aboard! Moving this considerable mass, is a 1803cc pushrod, 4 valves per cylinder Boxer twin. It makes 91 hp @ 4750 rpm and more significantly, 158 Nm of torque @ 3000 rpm. There is over 120 Nm available from 2000 to 3000 rpm. This is consistent with the other bikes in this category, both weight, power and torque-wise.
Riding these bikes take total commitment in all of your actions. There can be nothing flighty or frivolous. Just lifting it off the side stand is serious work. It does get a little easier once you are rolling, but it is only once you get out on the open road that you can relax and actually start to enjoy the ride. The front forks are non-adjustable 49 mm units which do an adequate job of dealing with road imperfections. The rear shock is self-levelling for load and isolates the rider from the worst road issues you will contend with. Given that it is meant as a good road tourer, the suspension is totally up to the task, in terms of ride quality, as well as keeping things tidy through the bends. Ground clearance is a reasonable 35-degrees.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers
Comfort is top drawer. The seat is wide and supportive and the rear perch is all-day comfortable, with its built-in back and armrests. The bars have a good bend and there are floorboards for both rider and passenger, something that Irene found made climbing off and on easier, as well as negating foot fatigue. Vibes from the huge twin are low amplitude and subdued at cruising speed. Downshifting causes significant increases in vibe levels though. Shifting is typically dry plate clutch BMW. Clunky but solid. The gear lever has a heel-and-toe function, given that it can be difficult getting a booted foot under the gear lever with floorboards. The rider has fewer leg options than a comparable V-Twin, as the huge cylinders restrict the movement of your lower legs. At a push, if you have long legs, you can rest your heels on the crash bars for a while.
A 24-litre fuel tank, coupled with a decent economy, gives a range of over 400 k’s at typical touring speeds. Cruise control is adaptive and does a decent job of allowing you to chill on the highway. I personally am not into 2 wheeled Boom boxes in the slightest, but for those of you who get your jollies by annoying everyone you ride past, the R18 system is top drawer. A total of six Marshall Gold Series speakers will blow the cobwebs out of the most hard-of-hearing ears. These are fairing, pannier and back seat-mounted, for adequate surround sound. BMW have cleverly designed adjustable wind deflectors that can cool you down on hot days, yet deflect cold off of you during the winter. Heated grips and seats will be a pleasure on cold days.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers
Packing space is so-so on these full dressers. Panniers are 27-litres and the top box, or ‘trunk’ as the Yanks call it, swallows 48-litres of kit. Given the price, BM should toss in the optional inner bags for free to facilitate loading. Once you have got the Transcontinental out of town, up until when, to be honest, it is a bit hair-raising to ride due to its sheer bulk and ponderous weight, you can relax and start to enjoy the ride. The bike lopes along at 135 with the motor ticking over effortlessly. The torque flattens hills and makes holding its speed easy. Once in top gear, you just leave it there.
The screen deflects air over both rider and passenger effectively and cocoons you in a bubble of reasonably still and quiet air. There is a problem, however. At 6’3” I look directly into the line created by the top of the screen. I don’t really like looking through screens, so I need to stretch my neck like a Meercat keeping watch, to see over the screen. The alternative is to slouch, neither posture which is conducive to long-distance rider comfort. An adjustable screen would have been a winner.
The cockpit has both analogues as well as TFT displays. A line of analogue gauges rides atop a 10,25” TFT display. Left to right are a fuel gauge, speedo, rev counter and “power reserve” gauge, whatever that may be? “Berlin Built” is emblazoned on the bottom of the Speedo, as well as on both brake and clutch reservoirs. BMW want you to be in no doubt that it is a piece of German Engineering that is carrying you across the country in style!
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers
The TFT has the typical menu that gives you access to all the information that you could possibly need, as well as to control the sound system and Nav. The navigation is enabled via the BMW Motorrad Connected app. There is a cell phone receptacle on the tank, underneath a chrome flap, which can accommodate your phone. My Sony is too long, so it is probably Apple or Samsung compatible… BMW utilise their Multi-Controller wheel on the left handlebar to facilitate navigating through the various menus. As with the other manufacturers, this embracing of a “PlayStation generation” has come at the cost of simplicity. They took something that wasn’t broken and tried to fix it.
The BMW R18 Transcontinental is Bee Emm’s attempt to woo riders away from the established H-D V–Twin recipe of big, rumbly, torquey twins, with all the creature comforts that they can think of, and then some. Oh yes, there is a reverse gear for when you can’t move half a ton of bike backwards with your puny little pins. In typical Bavarian fashion, they have turned out a truly classy Teutonic alternative, which can certainly go toe to toe with the Yankee offerings. As to how well it will be accepted, only time will tell. Similarly, only time will tell if this genre is embraced by SA riders in significant numbers. It could not be my only bike, as it is too narrow purposed and at over R430,000, it is not easy to afford more than one bike. Kudos to BMW for offering their full range of bikes to SA riders though.
Sadly, we are not blessed with the best riding roads in Gauteng; to find those, we have to ride east or south for a few hours, something that is not always possible in the course of a Sunday morning. A weekend, maybe, but how many of us have time to do that every weekend?
I used to think it was the same for adventure riding; the flat veldt surrounding Johannesburg not providing much in the way of hardcore trails and hills. Thus, it was always a problem when adventure bikes came up for a test to really put them through their paces without taking a couple of days off, which just wasn’t possible, both financially and time-wise.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
I laboured under that impression for a long time, whilst being aware that people did seem to come back with dirty bikes from a morning’s riding: which I just couldn’t fathom.
Then the opportunity came to ride the Husqvarna Norden 901 over a weekend and I was determined to make the most of it, to actually take it off-road and not just confirm what I already knew: that it is, in line with all adventure bikes, great on the road.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The problem was where? A chance conversation with a friend revealed that a friend of his rode off-road virtually every weekend with a bunch of mates. Typically for a fellow motorcyclist, the invitation to join in, despite being a total stranger to them, was instantly forthcoming. All I had to do now, was to remember how to ride off-road!
That might sound strange coming from someone who does this for a living but you have to remember that, by and large, we journalists are jacks of all trades and masters of maybe one or two. Our lives are filled with many different bikes but rarely do we have the time to ride any one bike for longer than a few days and, equally rarely do we have a succession of one type of bike, not to mention access to the type of road, trail or track to get the best out of them.
Adventure riding is one of my favourite two-wheel disciplines but I simply don’t get the chance to do much of it, so the prospect of heading out into the unknown with a group of talented riders was just the ticket, despite my own personal lack of talent.
Of course, there was no cause for worry. In my experience, no one who rides bikes resents passing on some hard-won knowledge and makes no fuss about helping out a less-experienced rider if asked, or waiting patiently while the tortoise brings up the rear.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
So, to finally get to the point of this article: where did our route take us? We headed north out of Bryanston and up past Broadacres, towards Lanseria. Then we turned off the road and proceeded to wend our way further northwards towards Hartebeespoort, alternating dirt with tar and, from there, we simply followed kilometre after kilometre of irrigation canals, all of which have an access road running alongside.
Now, that doesn’t sound terribly exciting but it was such a revelation to find off-road trails along which to ride, a stone’s throw from where I lived. Ok, so the going was largely flat and not very technical but, still, it was off-road and thankfully dry: it would have been a different story if it was muddy!
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Eventually, we popped out onto the R511 heading towards Thabazimbi and headed for a roadside eatery for refreshments. With that came the chance to assess the Husqvarna and the first thing that came to mind was how different it feels to the KTM 890 Adventure which, of course, is essentially what the Norden 901 is under the skin.
I have no idea how they have done this and, in actual fact, it doesn’t really matter. Maybe we should think along the lines of being happy there is another choice of an adventure bike. It might seem strange that the KTM Group would launch a competitor to its own bike but I doubt the Husky will take sales away from the KTM and I only hope that it is a sales success in its own right because it deserves to be.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
It was nothing but confidence-boosting off-road, being beautifully balanced and wearing its weight down low. The engine has a broad spread of torquey power and the quick-shifter gearbox is light and precise, although some care was needed to not snick inadvertently down a gear when standing on the pegs.
The Norden 901 is an excellent adventure bike and it is the existence of models such as this, the KTM 890 Adventure and the Triumph Tiger 900 that begs the question: why would you need anything bigger? Compared to these middleweights, the litre-plus adventure bikes seem so incredibly large and heavy.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
These middleweights lose nothing to the bigger bikes, whether on tar or off-road: you can cover huge daily distances in comfort and, of course, the lighter weight and reduced bulk pays dividends off-road.
Comfort: good, performance: good, ability: good, appearance: good, equipment: good, brakes: good, suspension: good. Yet another glowing report in a sea of glowing reports: not just for the Norden but for the vast majority of bikes on the market today.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Having said that, while it is not a criticism, there is something that you need to be aware of. The Norden 901 is a handsome bike but those good looks are exposed to disfigurement. The main culprit is the large bodywork panel that stretches from the headlight all the way along the flanks to meet the seat. Because of its convex shape and the positioning of the apex of the curve, even the mildest lay-down will scratch and damage that panel. To protect it would take crash bars of such size and expanse that you might as well build a roll cage around the bike and have done with it.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
I can’t imagine that replacing that panel would be cheap, either. Given the company’s experience in building off-road machinery, it is a strange design feature, even if it is attractive.
Is it a deal-breaker? In a word: no. The Norden 901 is just too good for this to be a barrier to ownership. What is a more pertinent question is how do you choose between the 901 and the KTM 890 Adventure? For once, you can buy based solely on looks, safe in the knowledge that both bikes will not only flatter the novice but satisfy the expert.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The Husqvarna Norden 901 will cost you R246,999 or thereabouts. This compares to the KTM 890 Adventure R at R249,999, while the base model 890 Adventure is R229,999.
Husqvarna Norden 901
For more information on the bike featured in this article, click on the link below…
At the recent press and dealer launch for the Honda Quest, I noted with interest that the Honda Africa Twin CRF 1100’s were all sporting crash protection in the form of RUMBUX bars with integrated bash plates. For those of you that may not be familiar with RUMBUX, they are a South African company that over the years have designed and built robust crash protection bars for a variety of Adventure and dual sport bikes. I caught up with the brains behind Rumbux, Deon Lak, to find out what is happening, as well as what’s in the pipeline.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Covid was a huge handbrake on the SA and World economies. Deon took advantage of this downtime to re-invent his business as well as to bring his product line up to date. The upshot of this is a line of products that are really second to none in terms of function and build quality. To operate at maximum efficiency and to deliver a cost-effective product, Deon makes the following products to order:
Full Spec Endurance protection bars: Honda Africa Twin CRF1100L Base (Small tank)-Manual & DCT (Upper & engine crash bars with an integrated skid plate)
Full Spec Endurance protection bars: Honda Africa Twin CRF1100L Adventure Sports-Manual & DCT (Upper & engine crash bars with an integrated skid plate)
Full Spec Endurance protection bars: Husqvarna 901 Norden (Upper & engine crash bars with an integrated skid plate) and Endurance rear protection / Pannier bars
You don’t have to be a motorcyclist to have heard about the Indian motorcycle manufacturer called Bajaj. Bajaj has been servicing the needs of the delivery market across the African continent for years, selling more than 5 million units in Africa in the last 10 years. Another important thing to note is that Bajaj Auto, the motorcycle division, is just one of the many divisions run by the Bajaj group. Focusing on the motorcycle division, they have grown and built their company over the last 70 years and have now become the world’s fourth-largest two-wheeler manufacturer and the largest three-wheeler manufacturer.
There’s no denying the fact that Bajaj is a juggernaut in the motorcycle industry with a big focus pointed in the direction of the delivery market across the world. Although very focused on the delivery space, Bajaj has also been in charge of building engines and motorcycles for many European and Japanese motorcycle companies over the years. This surely gives buyers peace of mind when investing in their products—knowing that quality and engineering are at a high and trusted level.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
So, who are we dealing with in South Africa? They go by the name of TransRev Bajaj; a passionate team who are the sole authorised distributor for the South African region. After slowly growing their footprint in SA thanks to the Qute (four-wheeler), the tuk-tuk RE4s and the CT125, they are now ready for the big leagues. Ready to take on the competition, they contacted us to give their new player a test. Welcome to the Bajaj Boxer 150…
The Boxer 150 enters its way into an already very competitive delivery market with importers selling their workhorses like fresh bread at a bakery. However, this does not faze Bajaj one bit, with the Boxer bringing its years of experience from upper Africa and India to the growing South African market. With that said, let’s turn the key.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
So, what is the Bajaj Boxer 150 all about? The Boxer is a born and bred city dweller with drum brakes at each end, plush but well-damped suspension, a fully enclosed chain guard, standard crash protection, centre stand, USB charge port, gear indicator and a 145cc single-cylinder motor. The Boxer is as simple as it gets when it comes to “form vs function” leaving you with a satisfactory feeling once you’ve taken a step back and considered everything.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The Boxer fires up from a cold start with ease (considering it’s a carbureted motorcycle) and idles with little to no vibrations—you can hardly tell the bike is running. Run the little 145cc single-cylinder motor does, eking out 12 hp at 7,500 rpm and 12.1 Nm of peak torque at 4,500 rpm, not much parked next to a Panigale but right up there with its competitors. On the road you find yourself tapping through the smooth 5-speed box with enough low-down torque to short shift and lug off idle speeds without any hesitation. The Boxer excels at inner city speeds where 80 km/h and below are expected. With that said, the Boxer is more than capable of doing the odd bit of highway travel too.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Bad road conditions, congestion and any other form of downtown roughness is where the Boxer comes in handy. The Boxer’s lightweight is complimented by a well-mannered suspension setup, with the front forks working well for budget chaps and the rear SNS suspension double spring taking care of the rest. The rear suspension compared to the comp may seem stiff, but add a box and some weight to the equation and it all starts to make sense. The only thing that I wish the Boxer came equipped with was a front disc brake, as I felt the brake pressure and stopping power could have been a bit better.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA BikersA long day in the cockpit is made bearable by a comfortable seat, narrow 11L tank, rubber footpegs and low handlebars. When ridden at moderate speeds you can comfortably see a return of 50 km/L, which works out to 550 km on a tank filled with R247 of fuel. If you take your average Uber Eats rider’s 150 km daily trip into consideration, that’s just under R70 a day on fuel. Crazy right?
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Bajaj makes it even more of a no-brainer for the micro-enterprises and micropreneurs by providing a ‘rent to buy’ payment option at affordable instalments of R650 per week for 18 months (this includes two free services).
The Boxer comes with a 20,000 km / 2 years warranty plan that allows riders to service their own fleet, as long as they keep to the service intervals (5000 km) and use Bajaj servicing parts, their warranty will stay intact for the duration of the 2 years. A factory-fitted box and bracket are available for the Boxer at an additional price of R3000.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
So, what is it going to cost you? The Bajaj Boxer 150 doesn’t come in cheap, nor does it come in at a premium, but rather a mid-range price of R22,900. The Boxer offers a lot of value at its price, with lots of room for riders to have flexibility when servicing and again a quality motorcycle backed by a juggernaut so parts shouldn’t be an issue. TransRev Bajaj has said that they should also have around 30 dealers by next quarter.
When Albert from GoGravel asked me to put the Airman Mini Compressor to the test, I was quite intrigued. The fact is, with the profusion of Adventure bikes out there, as well as almost all road bikes running tubeless tyres these days with plug-and-play convenience, the ability to pump flat tyres anywhere is almost essential. Puncture repair kits come with ‘bombs’, tiny cylinders filled with compressed air that screw into a tyre valve adaptor. This is all good and well, but if you are unlucky enough to have a few punctures on an extended trip, or even have a slow leak, then this is where a small mobile compressor comes into its own. Knowing that you can pump your tyres will bring you peace of mind all on its own.
I have had the Airman Tire Inflator for a while now and, as the saying goes, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”, I have not made work of testing it. It seems rather silly to deflate a perfectly good tyre and then pump it up. Almost not authentic if you will. So when Bjorn came over to my place to download some photos and on leaving, saw a screw impaled in the back tyre of his Yamaha XSR900, a wicked part of me thought “hee ha, now’s the time for the Airman to strut its stuff!” I whipped out my puncture repair kit and we removed the screw, reamed the hole and inserted a worm plug into the now totally flat tyre.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Inspecting the Airman, I was immediately impressed by a number of features. A lot of thought has clearly gone into its design. There are three separate power cables. One that plugs into a regular cigarette lighter socket, another that can be permanently affixed to your battery terminals (which can also be used with many battery chargers), and a third that connects with crocodile clips. Powering up the Airman is thus fast and easy.
The unit itself measures a tidy 14,5x12x6 cm. It comes in a neat bag which keeps all the bits together. A recess in the bottom houses the power cable which is fuse-protected and measures over 3 m when attached to the desired adaptor, making it easy to plug in and get the compressor close to the tyre that you are pumping. The pipe that screws onto the valve is housed in a recess on the top of the unit and extends 26 cm, making it easy to attach to the wheel that needs inflating.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Also stored under a cap at the top of the unit are adaptors for bicycle tyres, balls and air mattresses. Clever! No more shlepping your (or the kids’) bikes to the garage just to pump the tyres. Also at the top of the unit are the on/off switch and a clearly legible gauge calibrated in psi and kPa (bar). The size is such that it literally fits into a corner of your top box or pannier.
With the puncture repaired, I attached the cigarette adaptor, plugged it into my car standing in the carport, which I could reach easily thanks to the generous length of the power cable, and started the car as per the instructions which come with the Airman, screwed it onto the tyre valve and switched the compressor on. 4 minutes later the tyre was at 2,5 bar. Sorted. Typically, these compressors generate significant heat in the pipe, so care should be taken when unscrewing it. In no time I could pack it up, pop it back in its bag and all was good.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
I cannot, for obvious reasons comment on the longevity of the unit, however, if you stick to the instructions and use it when required to inflate or adjust tyre pressures, I see no reason why it won’t deliver years of service. The construction is robust and cleverly designed to be compact yet functional. This is really an essential piece of kit for any touring motorcycle, especially Adventure bikes.
Riders will have no problems lowering tyre pressures when venturing onto sandy surfaces and the like, secure in the knowledge that they can inflate their tyres to road pressures for the tar ride home. Quite likely reducing the chance of capsizing in the dirt. Tyres sometimes also take the rap for delaminating, when in fact it was due to overheating when riders travel at speed on under-inflated tyres. R950 buys you a huge amount of convenience and peace of mind. A solid double thumbs up from me!
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Airman Tour Adventure Compressor by GoGravel
For more information on the product featured in this article, click on the link below…
As the overnight leader in the Gold Class, defending champion Wade Young (Sherco Factory Racing powered by Motul), led from the off today to cross the line in first place and notch up his seventh Roof victory. This was no procession, however, as he was pushed hard the whole way by Mani Lettenbichler (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and for some part of the morning, Travis Teasdale (ASP Rope Mclarens Racing), who finished second and third respectively.
Photo credit: Black Rock Studio
With heavy overnight rain once again necessitating a change of route due to swollen rivers, conditions, on the whole, were much better than the previous day, with riders able to adopt a more flowing style as the route dried out slightly in the sunshine.
Photo credit: Black Rock Studio
In Wade’s own words, he went out ‘hot’ and tried to ride as smoothly as possible, maintaining his intensity and minimising mistakes so that the riders in pursuit would have to push hard, and take more chances on the unforgiving terrain. By halfway, just after Soldiers Way, he had pulled a 4:30-minute lead but Mani clawed some of that back to just over 2:24 minutes by the finish.
Mani was happy with his result, being only his second Roof, and while he pushed hard in the morning to stay with Wade, he conceded that navigation was a challenge for European riders like him who are not used to the Roof’s race format of pure GPS routes with limited marking. ‘With so many bushes and so many different paths to choose from, reading the terrain around you becomes so important and I’ve definitely learnt a lot for next time.”
Photo credit: Black Rock Studio
This year’s Roof of Africa podium featured not only the 7-time winner of the Mother of Hard Enduro, but the 2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Champion and 2022 SA Extreme Enduro Champion. With seven Roof wins under his belt, Wade is now just two wins away from equalling the all-time record held by Alfie Cox, whose last victory came in 2001.
“The Maloti Mountain weather presented us with some serious logistical challenges this year – even more so than usual,” commented Charan Moore, Roof Race Director and Founder of Live Lesotho. “We’re therefore especially proud that we were able to deliver another classic edition of the Roof, and that we could provide a rewarding challenge for everyone from the world’s top Enduro riders to the weekend warriors in the Iron Class,” he added.
Photo credit: ZCMC
Once again, it was the riders in the Silver Class who had the longest day in the saddle, and this is where perhaps the greatest upset happened. Overnight leader Austin Stuart (Orange County KTM) saw his 25-minute lead whittled away due to technical difficulties, leaving the way open for a trio of young Durban riders to occupy the podium.
Luke Walker (Motorex Alfie Cox KTM) and 16-year-old prodigy Thomas Scales (Ride KTM Durban) both passed Walker’s teammate Daniel Schröder, with Walker’s winning time being 9h32:27 across the three days of the Roof.
Photo credit: Black Rock Studio
The battle for the Bronze Class honours was hard-fought to the end, with Tate Ströh ultimately emerging victorious on one of just four Yamahas in the finishing field of 200 bikes. His winning margin was just over 22 minutes from Stiaan Potgieter (KTM), and Stefan Tolmay (also KTM) in third.
Photo credit: Black Rock Studio
Meanwhile, riders in the Iron Class completed the full route for Day 2 with the winner being Tom Classen (KTM) who led from start to finish. He was joined on the podium by Pieter Kritzinger in second and Jack Brotherton in third, both on KTMs too.
To see the full results of the 2022 Roof of Africa and a gallery of great Enduro racing images, visit the official website HERE.
After heavy overnight rain, the organisers of the “Mother of Hard Enduro” took the decision to adjust the routes to limit and, where possible, avoid swollen and impassable mountain rivers. Depending on the class, this involved the routes for Day 2 being shortened by between 50km and 90km.
The shorter-than-expected day for the Gold Class riders was not without its share of drama. With no other way around, the first to attempt a major river crossing was Mani Lettenbichler (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) who succeeded only in drowning his bike, and then had to watch as his rivals left him on the riverbank while he drained the water out of his motor.
Photo credit: ZCMC
However, assertive riding by Lettenbichler saw him catch up to the leading riders before they reached the revised finish line at the DSP. On one of the final downhills, Wade Young (Sherco Racing Factory Team powered by Motul) pulled away to establish a slight advantage over Lettenbichler and Travis Teasdale (ASP Rope Mclarens Racing). These two rivals locked wheels (as well as horns) just as they crossed the line coming into the DSP, to highlight how close the racing was today.
Photo credit: ZCMC
This extreme competitiveness has set the tone for tomorrow’s deciding stage, with three current Champions in Enduro racing going head-to-head for the ultimate prize. According to the provisional results, defending Roof Champion Wade Young holds the lead, but with FIM Hard Enduro World Champion Lettenbichler only two minutes behind and just a single second separating the German rider from SA Extreme Enduro Champion, Teasdale in third, there is everything to ride for tomorrow.
Photo credit: ZCMC
The first Silver Class rider to cross the line, Austin Stuart (Orange Country KTM), has built up a potentially commanding lead of some 23 minutes over second-placed Daniel Schröder (Motorex Alfie Cox KTM), with Schroder’s teammate Luke Walker completing the podium line-up.
Photo credit: ZCMC
Tate Ströh (Yamaha) is the current leader of the pack in the Bronze Class, with Stiaan Potgieter (Husqvarna) 16 minutes behind and Corbin Pape (KTM) a further 7 minutes back.
“Having seen the state of the river crossings on the original route for today, I erred on the side of caution and made some last-minute adjustments to the routes,” explained Charan Moore, Roof Race Director and Founder of Live Lesotho. “We wanted to make sure that we stayed true to the spirit of the Roof, kept all the riders safe, and still gave the fans the Enduro action they’ve come to expect,” he added.
Photo credit: ZCMC
Moore went on to confirm that the final day will be a short, steep route, with plenty of no holds barred ascending and descending – ideal for determining which of the three Champions on the Gold Class podium will be crowned King of the Maloti Mountains. The stage is set for a nail-biting Roof showdown for tomorrow’s final stage.
Photo credit: ZCMC
For more info and the full programme of events, including all the latest results, visit the official website HERE.
Contributor: because we don’t live in India or any of the Asian countries and I’m not a delivery rider.
Editor: Do you like your job?
Contributor: On my way, boss.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
OK, so the above might be a dramatisation of the conversation….well, more a complete figment of my imagination, if I’m honest. But it sums up motorcyclists’ attitudes and mentality toward any bike from anywhere east of South Africa. The idea that a small-capacity motorcycle could be anything other than a workhorse is totally alien to many motorcyclists.
Hero might be a new brand to South Africa but the company’s influence on global motorcycling cannot be understated. The figures are simply staggering: around seven million motorcycles are produced every year – that’s more two-wheelers than the second, third and fourth-placed motorcycle manufacturers combined! In the second quarter of 2018, 2.1 million motorcycles were sold! Since the company was formed in 1984 as a joint venture between Hero Cycles India and Honda of Japan, more than 100 million motorcycles have been built.
Photo credit: Donovan Fourie
What makes the figures so impressive is that the vast majority of these motorcycles are sold in India but now, with the dissolving of the partnership with Honda, which prevented Hero from exporting to markets other than Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, Hero Motor Corp is making inroads to international markets, including South Africa. Hero South Africa’s operation might be small beer compared to India, but momentum is gathering as the qualities of Hero become increasingly apparent, not only to fleet managers but also to the average motorcyclist on the street. Having ridden the latest XPulse 200, I am beginning to understand why.
We live in interesting times, where living costs, including fuel prices, are rising relentlessly. Motorcycling might be seen as a playful pastime for the wealthy but, more and more, the logic of running a small motorcycle for practical purposes is getting ever more difficult to ignore.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Another barrier that has to be broken down, is the idea that small-capacity motorcycles are dull and boring. Certainly, alongside a near-R400,000 adventure, sports or cruiser bike, the sub-R50,000 Hero XPulse 200 looks underwhelming, with a specification that hardly screams ‘luxury lifestyle’. But that’s missing the point. This is transport we are talking about here, in all its mundane practicality.
Not that I would call the Hero XPulse mundane. OK, a single-cylinder, 199.6cc, 18bhp engine might not get the heart racing, but it’s not there for that. What it’s there for is to provide inexpensive transport. But don’t ever think that “inexpensive” means “cheap”. We all know the guilty parties building cheap motorcycles, but Hero is not among them. This is a quality product: the type that we have all forgotten about in the rush to go bigger, better and faster as our motorcycling lives have progressed. Didn’t we all start out on something like this?
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
It’s all a case of readjusting expectations. Jump off your 200bhp superbike and, yes, the XPulse is going to feel a tad slow. But see it for what it is and get on with the right mindset and things quickly start to come into focus.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
It performs as you would expect a 200cc single to perform: no fireworks but enough performance to keep up – and ahead – of urban traffic. And, boy, does it sip at fuel. One 13-litre tank of petrol took me 350 km and I was using all the performance all the time, with the throttle on the stop more than it was shut. The riding was a combination of road and off-road, for the XPulse 200 is nominally a dual-sport bike, with a 21-inch front wheel and decent Metzeler Sahara Enduro 3 tyres fitted as standard, an engine bash-plate and crash bars.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
It has tall suspension (but still nowhere near the height of most adventure bikes, making it eminently accessible to everyone), wire-spoked wheels, a high-mounted front mudguard, LED lights, bark-bashers protecting the hands and an LCD dash onto which can be projected turn-by-turn navigation from your phone. There’s an oil cooler mounted within the left-hand crash bar. The suspension is on the soft side and soaks up any bad road surface you’d care to mention.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
For the off-road portion of the test, I rode out to Mooinooi and up Breedtsnek in the company of Donovan Fourie riding another XPulse, and what a hoot that was: light, manoeuvrable and, with enough power to get you anywhere without scaring yourself silly, the XPulse is utterly unintimidating to ride off-road. Because of that, you feel that you can attempt routes that would have you thinking twice about on larger adventure bikes. I mean, it’s not entirely out of the question that you could carry the bike out if you found yourself at a dead end, either of road or talent.
Photo credit: Donovan Fourie
No, the suspension isn’t as good as WP Xact found on KTMs or the semi-active set-up on a BMW GS and others, but it doesn’t need to be. I feel we have been brainwashed a little into thinking that we absolutely must have all this expensive technology and, on the behemoths that pass as go-anywhere adventure bikes today, maybe we do, but there’s no denying that the simple suspension on the Hero took everything I could throw at it and it never lost its composure.
On a bike this size, you’re not getting anywhere in a hurry: top speed is around 125 km/h, in a crouch, downhill, with a following wind so not terribly practical for long-distance journeys but it will sit at 100 km/h all day long and, what’s even better is that you will not regret the decision to ride all day because the comfort is surprisingly good, the seat being thick and relatively softly padded.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The simple fact of the matter is that the more I rode the Hero XPulse 200, the more I liked it. It’s all very well having 150bhp at your fingertips but, with today’s standards of driving, is that really a good idea around town? The Hero was never outrun by a car, was super nimble threading through traffic, comfortable, frugal, practical and not a little fun: there is something about going as fast as you can everywhere knowing that the speed is never going to rise to the point where things can go wrong very quickly.
Another thing about the XPulse 200 is the looks: it’s really not a bad-looking bike and anyone who saw it was impressed and couldn’t believe it cost less than R50,000. It would be fair to say that it took me by surprise and I find myself struggling to think of an argument against having one in the garage.
Photo credit: Donovan Fourie
Hero XPulse 200 Fi ABS
For more information on the bike featured in this article, click on the link below…
The first day of the 2022 edition of the Roof of Africa was bookended by summer downpours, but even the rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of Lesotho’s Hard Enduro fans. Nor could it affect the dedication and commitment of the over 400 competitors who found themselves at the start line in Maseru on the morning of November 10th.
Among the crowds was the newly elected Prime Minister of Lesotho, the right honourable Mr Sam Matekane. A self-confessed petrolhead and ex-Off Road racing driver, he is a big fan of the Roof of Africa. Combined with the excellent turnout of local fans, the future certainly looks good for the Mother of Hard Enduro.
Newly elected Prime Minister of Lesotho, the right honourable Mr Sam Matekane (centre) and some of his cabinet attend the curtain raiser for the Roof of Africa 2022
Early rainfall in the capital raised the prospect of wet, slippery tar, but the return of the popular Round the Houses opening segment proved too great a draw to resist for a large and vocal crowd. Besides which, the sun soon emerged, and riders of all four classes (Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron) enjoyed beautiful conditions. The streets of Maseru echoed once again to the roar of Enduro bikes and excited cheering.
Photo credit: ZCMC
The riders clearly relished this road-racing component of the Roof, with competition being especially tight in the Gold Class. Reigning champion Wade Young of (Sherco Racing Factory Team powered by Motul) once again showed his Roof credentials by pipping long-time rival and 2022 South Africa Enduro Champion Brett Swanepoel (Husqvarna Racing) to the post.
Photo credit: ZCMC
Much as Round the Houses is an iconic component of the Roof, the Mother of Hard Enduro is of course all about the Maloti Mountains and Bushman’s Pass certainly delivers. The combination of challenging terrain and “four seasons in one day” weather – of which today was a classic example – has earned the Roof its daunting reputation.
Photo credit: ZCMC
This year’s Roof was to have been the first time that Gold and Silver Class riders took on the new “Ntoa ea Thaba” or “Mountain Battle”, but the elements clearly had other ideas. Early afternoon hail and thunderstorms dictated a slight change of format, with the organisers using the top 20 Gold Class practice times and instead sending riders out for a single hot lap, the outcomes of which were used to determine the results for the day.
Photo credit: ZCMC
“We were delighted to see such a strong turnout of local Roof fans for Day One of this year’s Mother of Hard Enduro,” commented Charan Moore, Roof Race Director and Founder of Live Lesotho. “While the weather certainly played a part today, we can look back on a thrilling and hard-fought day of racing with old rivalries renewed and new challenges laid down,” he added.
Much like the weather, the Day One results caught many people off guard – and have set up an intriguing day’s racing for Friday. The Roof can be a race of very fine margins and so it proved in the Gold Class, with Micheal Walkner (GasGas Factory Racing) notching up the win by just two seconds from Mani Lettenbichler (Red Bull Factory KTM Racing). Last year’s runner-up, and the highest-placed southern African rider so far, Travis Teasdale (ASP Rope Mclarens Racing) rounded out the podium.
Photo credit: ZCMC
Today’s rain especially impacted the Silver Class, with practice times from qualifying having to be used to determine who occupied the Day One podium. Daniel Schröder currently sits in first place, followed by Austin Stuart and then Luke Walker.
In the Bronze Class, Brian Burrows (Coral Transport KTM) has built up an almost five-minute lead over Tate Ströh (Yamaha), with Stiaan Potgieter (Husqvarna) in third at this early juncture.
Photo credit: ZCMC
The Iron Class Day One podium was a clean sweep for KTM riders, with off-road veteran Tom Classen followed by Jack Brotherton and then Pieter Kritzinger.
For more info and the full programme of events, including results as soon as they are available, visit the official website: www.roofofafrica.co.ls
The notorious Roof of Africa is back in full force and star rider Brett Swanepoel will be flying the Husqvarna flag high in the Maluti Mountains.
An excited Swanepoel commented on the weather conditions, “Looks like it’s going to be another wet Roof, but the team and I are ready for whatever gets thrown our way. Feeling strong and ready for some tough racing ahead, bring on the week.”
Group manager Grant Frerichs said “This is the smallest team we have ever had at the Roof of Africa but it means there is 100 percent focus on Brett and all the teams attention can be on him to get the best result possible” He went on to say, “Brett has had a phenomenal year on a national level but really bad luck at all the international races he competed in. We are hoping the stars align this time around and he gets the result he deserves.”
We are excited to see how the 2022 Roof of Africa unfolds and wish Brett Swanepoel the best of luck.
Oh, the statistics geeks have had a field day with this one: first all-Italian championship for 50 years: 50th anniversary of Ducati’s first podium in Grand Prix racing: 50 years to break the record for non-Japanese manufacturer victories in a season (all 1972, when Agostini won the 500cc title on the MV Agusta, Ducati placed third in the Italian Grand Prix and MV Agusta won 12 races): largest points deficit overcome to win: only rider to crash out of five races and still win the championship: first Italian since Rossi to win: first Ducati victory since 2007. OK, those last two are pretty boring. In fact, all of them are really insignificant in the face of one of the best season’s racing we’ve had for a few years.
Without the figures in front of you, it seems as if Quartararo’s championship was all but signed, sealed and delivered before Bagnaia started his withering assault. However, while Bagnaia did close a huge points deficit, in actual fact Quartararo was only ever as much as 34 points ahead of the second-place rider which, for seven races, was Aleix Espargaro. More often than not, the gap was appreciably less. Looking at it that way, Quartararo certainly was not having an easy run to the title: it’s just that Bagnaia was relentless at a time when Quartararo was looking vulnerable.
Image source: Yamaha
The Valencia race was a bit of a belter, although you had to be patient as the director chose to concentrate on Bagnaia going backwards rather than the action up front. Rins shot into the lead at the start and was never bettered, despite having Jorge Martin, Jack Miller and Marc Marquez breathing down his neck for the majority of the race before an inspired Binder took second place with a couple of laps to go and also made Rins’ neck hot with his breath. Quite how Binder made his tyres last at the pace he was riding is anyone’s guess.
Image source: KTM
Rins’ performance – the second in three races – must have made the good people at Suzuki wonder just what the hell they were doing, quitting the sport. I mean, a Ducati not being able to get past a Suzuki on the straight? Imagine what Suzuki could do next year if that development curve continued. Another championship would certainly not be out of the question. You can only hope that whoever made the decision to leave MotoGP was looking a bit sheepish on Monday morning as the newspapers and websites were pored over, with a picture of a Suzuki in every single one of them. You can’t buy that sort of publicity but if it has no relevance to what you are actually building, then does it make sense?
If Suzuki has previous form in leaving MotoGP, this time it is for real and permanent, rather than leaving to lick its wounds and come back stronger. Sadly, it makes sense for Suzuki to leave: already news is coming through that Suzuki’s range of sports bikes – the venerable GSX-R line – will soon be unavailable in various territories which signals a change in direction for the company and this new direction has no need for a flagship MotoGP effort costing millions of dollars a year: dollars that could be poured into the development of bikes that are actually selling, as well as electric technology. Still, it’s hard to accept the loss of Suzuki from the grid. MotoGP is still healthy, with five manufacturers but, as Suzuki has shown, it only takes one to quit to leave the paddock reeling amid a scramble for seats: musical motorcycles, anyone?
Image source: Suzuki
The opening couple of laps in Valencia were brilliant as Quartararo threw caution to the wind in order to try and get to the front. Bagnaia was involved as well, losing a front wing as the action got extremely hot. They both survived the skirmish virtually intact but fourth was as far as Quartararo got. Race day was hotter than practice and qualifying days, and his front tyre couldn’t keep up the pace.
He might have lost the title to Bagnaia but Quartararo’s riding this season has been incredible, on a bike that only he has been able to tame and, more often than not, riding way over the limit – and surviving – in order to bend the Yamaha to his will. You only have to look at the other Yamaha riders to understand the job Quartararo has done: the reason Morbidelli is still at Yamaha is not only because he has a contract for 2023 but also because Yamaha themselves know the bike is a dog and to blame Morbidelli for his performances would be grossly unfair. Bringing in another rider is not the answer: a good racing M1 motorcycle is!
Image source: www.motogp.com
What can’t be ignored is Bagnaia’s strength of mind throughout the season. Not only has he had to battle extremely strong Ducati opposition that has never, for one second, let him relax, but also had a crisis of confidence after crashing five times. To rebuild momentum after that is a testament to Bagnaia’s ability to dig deep, analyse the mistakes and make sure they don’t happen again. In the second half of the season, he was imperious, winning four races on the trot after his fifth crash in a race in Germany. That was what set up his championship challenge: that, and the fact that Quartararo’s consistency left him just as Bagnaia was racking up the points.
Pity poor Aprilia: for both bikes to retire from the final race within laps of each other due to technical malfunctions was cruel luck for the most-loved team in the paddock. Aleix Espargaro’s six early-season podiums, including that famous first victory, not to mention Viñales’ three podiums, was the best season for Aprilia ever in MotoGP but the consistency to keep up the title challenge just wasn’t there, with silly mistakes and mechanical fragility scuppering their season. We can only hope that they come back next year just as strong.
Image source: Aprilia
Ahh, next year! Now begins the summer of our discontent with the only minor bright spots being test days here and there. No doubt the teams all need a bit of a break, especially in light of next season, with more races than ever – 21 – looming large. We’ve said it before in this column, but the only thing certain about MotoGP at the moment is the uncertainty. In seasons past, we have been able to predict by and large who will be the dominant force. Since 2020, however, playing such a game has been solely for the clinically insane and next year will be no different.
Image source: Honda
Marc Marquez will no doubt be fully fit but will he have had enough input into the 2023 Honda to turn it into a winner? Will the Ducatis be able to maintain their dominance? Will Yamaha be able to up their game? Will 2023 be KTM’s turn to shine (not an outlandish scenario, given Binder’s performance on a new chassis in Valencia)? Will Bagnaia and Bastianini take points off each other every race, allowing another rider to sneak up from behind and steal the crown? Can Aprilia continue the upward movement?
The questions are many and the answers, naturally, few. For those, all we can do is wait: not for the first race of the season but the last because, only then, will we know who got it consistently right and who didn’t.
It’s EICMA week, which means that we can look forward to a slew of major OEMS confirming some of the industry’s worst-kept secrets. And no secret has been kept worse this year, than the fact that Honda have been working on a new Transalp. Now Big Red’s confirmed it; here’s the brand new 2023 Honda XL750 Transalp.
Honda first released the Transalp back in 1986, but it’s the early 2000s XL650V and XL700V variants that you’ll see all over South Africa’s streets and trails. The Transalp has always sat in the middle of the Venn diagram where versatility, reliability and affordability intersect. It’s never been the most exciting adventure bike on the market, but it’s arguably one of the most iconic.
Image source: Honda
That’s why it’s been sorely missed by scores of adventure riders since Honda cut it from their lineup roughly a decade ago. But it’s back, now with a bigger engine and a host of new features.
Powering it is the same 755 cc liquid-cooled eight-valve parallel-twin engine that’s in the new CB750 Hornet. It’s good for 67.5 kW (90,5 hp) at 9,500 rpm and 75 Nm at 7,250 rpm, and uses a 270-degree firing order for added character. It uses the same Unicam head as the Honda CRF450R, which helps to keep the motor compact, and a slip-assist clutch.
Image source: Honda
The throttle’s a ride-by-wire setup, with five rider modes—one of which is customisable, and one of which is dedicated to off-road riding. Each mode regulates power delivery, engine braking, ABS and traction control. Riders can switch off traction control too, as well as the rear brake’s ABS.
Honda’s claimed fuel consumption figure is 23 km/L. With its 16.9 l tank, that should be good for 390 km between pit stops—which is perfect for South Africa’s most popular adventure riding routes.
Image source: Honda
Its engine size puts the Transalp squarely in the gap between Honda’s CB500X (which is reportedly coming to our shores soon), and the wildly popular CRF1100L Africa Twin. Its styling reflects this too, combining the CB500X’s angular lines with the Africa Twin’s stature. Although it’s not quite as aggressive as the latter, it stops short of being completely bland, with a utilitarian vibe that’s sure to appeal to its intended audience.
Honda’s designers call this look “friendly toughness”—it sounds goofy, but it sort of makes sense. The bodywork is sleek, with ergonomics that look like they’d work just as well whether you’re sitting or standing. The seat height is respectable, but not excessive, 850 mm.
Image source: Honda
The Transalp might be bigger than the CB500X, but its frame is actually lighter. Honda have given it a steel diamond frame that weighs just 18.3 kilos, said to make the bike more agile. The total wet weight is 208 kg, the rake and trail are 27 degrees and 111 mm, and the wheelbase is 1,560 mm.
There’s Showa suspension, with preload adjustment only, at both ends. 43 mm upside-down forks with 200 mm travel do duty up front, with a remote reservoir shock sporting 190 mm of travel at the back, hooked up to Honda’s signature ProLink system. The aluminium swingarm uses the same castings as the Africa Twin’s.
Image source: Honda
Off-road fanatics rejoice: the new Transalp now rolls on 21F/18R spoked wheels, with 210 mm of ground clearance. Sadly, there’s no mention of those wheels being tubeless in Honda’s press release. Braking is courtesy of what appears to be standard-issue Nissin callipers, with dual 310 mm discs up front, and a single 256 mm disc out back.
Standard equipment includes a full complement of LED lighting, a USB charge port, a rear luggage rack and a 5” TFT screen. The dash is packed with info, can be cycled through various display modes, and includes a full Bluetooth connectivity suite. What you don’t get out of the box, are hand guards, a bash plate, or an adjustable screen… but most of those can be purchased separately, naturally.
Image source: Honda
Honda have a full catalogue of parts for the Transalp, ranging from protective bits to luggage. Everything can be bought individually, or in five accessory ‘packs.’ The ‘Urban’ pack includes a 50 l top box (with a pillion pad and an inner bag), a tall screen and a centre stand. The ‘Rally’ pack has a quick-shifter, engine guards, bash plate, burlier foot pegs and hand guards.
The 2023 Transalp takes everything that made its predecessors popular but ramps it up with modern tech and a very respectable spec sheet. There’s a lot to love here—not just for fans of the original, but for anyone looking for a middleweight dual-sport that can commute on weekdays and travel on weekends.
Image source: Honda
There’s no word on what it’ll cost when it gets here—or when it’s arriving. But if the price is right, you can expect to see a lot of these in the wild.
Suzuki has announced the replacement for the long-running and much-loved V-Strom 650 in the form of the V-Strom 800 DE. A ground-up new design, gone is the venerable V-Twin engine and, in its place is a brand new 270°, 776cc DOHC parallel twin which will also power a new middleweight sports roadster, the GSX-S 8S. It features twin balancer shafts to damp out vibrations and, thanks to the 270° crank, it will feel more like a V-Twin than a parallel twin, with attendant excellent torque.
Image source: Suzuki
Power output is claimed to be 83bhp at 8,500rpm, with 77Nm of torque at 6,500rpm. That puts it right in the mix with the Yamaha T7, BMW F 850 GS and the newly-announced Honda XL750 Transalp. In terms of weight, it also sits in that same ballpark.
Image source: Suzuki
If you assumed the V-Strom was so-called because of its V-Twin engine then you might have been right at one point in the model’s career but Suzuki has obviously opted for continuity with the newly-engined model. Of course, the benefits of the parallel twin configuration are significant: simpler, lighter, cheaper to manufacture and maintain and, crucially, much easier to package into a motorcycle for optimum chassis performance.
Image source: Suzuki
Suspension is by Showa and offers 220mm of suspension travel and 220mm of ground clearance. The chassis is all new and has brought the seat rails closer together for a narrower seat where it meets the tank, which will enhance control by bringing the legs closer together when standing. The rear subframe is bolted on to ease and lessen the expense of repairs.
Image source: Suzuki
The electronics have been completely revamped, with three levels of on-road traction control alongside a ‘G’ mode for off-road, which will allow more spin of the rear wheel. ABS can be turned off at the back wheel for off-road riding. There’s also a bi-directional quick shifter and Suzuki’s easy-start system with a low-rpm assist, which helps prevent stalling. There’s a five-inch, full-colour TFT dash via which all the rider aids are controlled.
Image source: Suzuki
Suzuki is clearly aiming to improve the model’s off-road performance to keep it in line with rivals. The suspension changes point to that, as does the 21” front wheel. The airbox has been positioned under the seat, leaving more room for fuel capacity without adding excessive bulk.
Image source: Suzuki
Two model variations have been announced: the standard V-Strom 800DE and the 800DE Adventure, which comes with crash bars, a stronger aluminium sump guard and panniers. It will be available in the yellow/dark blue colour scheme that will be familiar to fans of the outgoing V-Strom 650, as well as ‘Matt Mechanical Grey’ and ‘Glass Black Sparkle’.
Image source: Suzuki
The styling is the only element that has not undergone a huge change which is no hardship as the old V-Strom 650 was already well-endowed in that department. The headlight treatment now echoes that on the latest GSX-S1000, with stacked square LED lights.
Image source: Suzuki
Expect to see the new V-Strom 800 DE in showrooms at some point in 2023.
On a recent visit to Liqui Moly, we got to spy out their new premises. They are now situated at 84 Park Avenue South, Highway Business Park, Rooihuiskraal, Centurion. It is effortless to find as there is a bold Liqui Moly sign on the front of the building. Walking through the building, it seems absolutely made to measure, meeting Liqui Moly’s needs to a T.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The building is light and airy with a distinctly upmarket feel. Totally in keeping with Liqui Moly’s premier “Made in Germany” range of oils, additives and care products for vehicles, machinery, workshops and trade and industry. We have certainly been hugely impressed with every single Liqui Moly product that we have tested to date.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The snowballing success of Liqui Moly in South Africa necessitated the move, as they were bursting out of the seams of their previous premises. The new spot has state-of-the-art warehousing, administration, reception, product display, training and staff R&R space.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
What particularly impressed me was the clinically tidy and organised spaces, abounding with subtle yet effective Liqui Moly branding and product displays. It looks like a great work environment conducive to taking this excellent brand to new highs.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Melicia Labuschagne (Managing Director Liqui Moly SA) Commented:
Our amazing Liqui Moly SA team, really put their heart and souls together as 1 unit to make this move possible. This is the same magic team that also takes care of Liqui Moly’s clients. I am really proud to have this team behind me as we strive to take Liqui Moly SA to the next level.
Photo source: Liqui Moly
ZA Bikers would like to wish the Liqui Moly management and staff much happiness and even greater success in their new home.
Having only a handful of long-distance riding experience under me, it was quite the experience, to ride down to East London with Suzuki SA in support of the Buffalo City Riders bikers meet. What was most notable about this particular rally hosted at Orient Beach was observing the extent to which Suzuki SA was actively involved. Historically, having such a strong brand presence from entities such as Suzuki SA tends to be as frequent as a blue moon.
Photo credit: Thabang Khatide / ZA Bikers
Early Friday morning, the 21st of October, we departed from Aliwal North and made our journey down to East London with myself on the Boulevard and Chris Kuun (Motorcycle Marketing Suzuki SA) on the GSX-S1000GT. The 350 km trip was a spectacle in its own right. The vast open road, beautiful landscapes to either side and the spontaneous mountain regions boasted a series of corners that both bikes handled with ease. I will say, the overall riding experience on the Boulevard was sublime!
The ‘Bully’ surprised me on the open road by ticking what I think are ideal travel companion boxes. The Boulevard has comfortable ergonomics, in that the low cupped seat, wide bars and cruiser pegs set you up for a relaxed and stretched-out ride whilst keeping you tucked low enough to minimize wind blast. Suzuki’s legendary 1,783cc V-twin motor feels like it was born on the open road, with plenty of torque low down to overtake (without having to tap down on the box) and also plenty of rpm to allow for a decent cruising speed.
Photo credit: Chris Kuun / Suzuki SA
A fine masterpiece of Japanese engineering all-round, an absolute head-turner. It sure did make me wonder…what was it about this head-turning smile-initiating cruiser that had the average Joe and Palesa in their feels? Was it this young African dude riding it or the eye-catching black and chrome design or perhaps it runs even deeper?
You see, this event didn’t only bring bikers and biker clubs together, it openly invited the motorbike-loving public. Right from the entrance to the main stage, the ladies came out in their summer wear and the gents walked unsteadily with cooler boxes in hand. A fully diverse crowd, above and beyond the mix of ethnicities.
Photo credit: Thabang Khatide / ZA Bikers
Soon, the nostalgia hit, I recall a time when I was often met with glittering eyes riding through my hometown of Mamelodi. There is a certain gaze we receive, particularly as African riders in our respective communities which actually stems from that, “I wonder how it must feel to be him or her on an actual motorbike” afterthought.
That right there, that’s the deeper, for many years catching sight of the odd Harley riders group every other weekend, was the main stimulus that gave us Africans’ aspiration to ride motorcycles. At that moment, I realized the sheer wonder of the Boulevard. Particularly why it thrives in the African community. It is now to the African community what the Harley-Davidson has been to the Caucasian community for many decades—a freedom machine.
Photo credit: Chris Kuun / Suzuki SA
Additionally, having founded a scooter touring company in Pretoria called Velatswi. That was one of the main objectives I was hellbent on, rewriting the script when it comes to inclusivity and being a gateway for first-time pillions. An element which has staggered the steady growth of the biking industry within African communities is the reality that most start their riding journey right in the deep end—most heading straight into the supersport or superbike class without first steadily climbing the ladder.
A brand as big as Suzuki SA being actively involved in such events shows much-needed solidarity from the top, as they lead and take the initiative most have not. They didn’t only show brand presence but went the extra mile to provide much-needed standby mechanical support. It will be interesting to see the long-term future impact such collaborations have on the biking communities across the nation.
Photo credit: Chris Kuun / Suzuki SA
After helping set up the Suzuki tent, all was good to go for the main event on Saturday. From start to finish, the event went according to plan. The weather gods smiled favourably upon us and we had a merry time all-round. Games, challenges and sponsored giveaways from Suzuki were some of the fun activities explored.
Photo credit: Thabang Khatide / ZA Bikers
Before we journeyed back up to JHB, I had the privilege of going on an exclusive M109R ride with one of the members from the “M109R SA” group Makhenzo and a close friend, Lucky, out to Port Alfred. We travelled approx 130 km from Orient Beach, with ample opportunity to open up the V-Twin of the 1800 VZR Boulevard, leaning ever so comfortably and securely corner to corner. We were served with nothing short of breathtaking views as we took a lunch break by the docking bay.
Photo credit: Thabang Khatide / ZA Bikers
All in all, aside from all that, I can only describe my time with the Suzuki SA team members, Chris and Doug, as nothing short of wholesome, engaging and all-round informative. I was in a position to learn about the finer mechanics of the brand’s initiatives and missions to reach the motorcycling community as well as their various planned approaches and so much more. It is safe to say, that there most certainly isn’t a nonchalant frame of mind from Suzuki SA.
I would also like to end with a quick word of thanks to ZA Bikers for welcoming me to the team and recognising the need to cultivate growth within this fast-growing market.
In October, almost two years ago – Dave Cilliers published an article on what he had done and still planned to do to his mid-2020 vintage Triumph Speed Twin, however in June last year Dave, a kindred spirit in terms of generation, interest and expectation, grudgingly sold me the Twin, thereby passing the baton in terms of further modification and removing the temptation from him…
I was born, educated and learned to ride in the UK, “the muddy island” as my sons who live there call it, and started my riding career on a Yamaha FS1-E – now relegated to museum pieces…. And yes, it was a bright yellow one!
Image source: www.nationalmotormuseum.org.uk
I ‘graduated’ to a Honda CG125, which along with Kawa’s KH125 was as far as you could go at the time on a Learner’s licence (and all I could stretch my schoolboy weekend salary to).
I took a sabbatical from bike ownership whilst raising a family, with only the odd loaner or rental experience just to keep my hand in. However, once school fees were paid a few years back, I was tempted back into the two wheels market, starting with a 2014 Tiger XC, which with the relaunch of Triumph in SA, was upgraded to a 2018 Tiger XCa, which at 800cc jointly held the record with my Tiger XC for the largest bike I had owned, until mid last year…
Photo credit: Triumph
So having covered my adventure needs with the Tiger, I just needed to supplement the fleet with a modern classic. Now I love the Thruxton and Thruxton R’s, but my 6’2 frame objects very quickly to the café racer riding position on anything other than a quick spin around the block, so after a deal of trying out, debates and discussions, enter Dave Cilliers, with his tweaked twin, in the colour scheme I wanted, which he was eventually cajoled into parting within my direction after I fell absolutely in love with it!!
I am not going to rehash everything that Dave had done to it (‘Tweaking the Twin’), but there were a couple of things which needed doing to turn it into the dream machine (no, not those Honda’s from the ’70s), which both Dave and I could foresee and wanted to get to, Dave was planning to continue tweaking, so I picked up the ball and ran with it!
Photo credit: Russell Heins
So where did I start – suspension… which to be fair as the stock was ok, but just that – ok, compared to the Thruxton R or Tigers with adjustable suspension it felt, well, a bit agricultural, especially hitting bumps mid-corner, which is becoming an occupational hazard on our roads, where it lost its poise and felt quite nervous.
I looked at the options and ended up talking to Justin Waddington at Shock-Logic the importer and local agent for UK bike suspension kit producer, KTech. Now while I love the feel of the Thruxton R, I am a purist in terms of looks, I’m not big on bling and the Öhlins gold was a statement I didn’t want to make on a black and silver Speed Twin (quite aside from the price tag that comes with Öhlins kit…). The black and silver of the KTech Razor and Tracker kits perfectly complement the OE colour scheme, whilst remaining understated.
Photo credit: Russell Heins
The front-end original fork internals was replaced with adjustable KTech Tracker cartridges, which come with external adjustment for spring preload, compression and rebound—it immediately removed that feeling of crashing through bumps and undulations on the road surface.
There were two options for the rear, both were direct replacements of the original shock assembly, the Razor 3 or Razor 4 piggyback options, the latter was the most expensive but also the most flexible, so that was where I went. The Razor 4’s allow for length and preload adjustment as well as individual compression and rebound adjustment, which are easily adjusted by hand, allowing 14 clicks of compression and 16 clicks of rebound.
Photo credit: Russell Heins
Once these were fitted, even with Justin’s ‘middle of the road’ settings applied, the difference in handling and road surface absorption was absolutely astounding. Riding home from Justin’s premises I headed for a section of Rabie Street that I know is absolutely horrible, and was making my teeth rattle previously, now, whilst the bumps were still there, the suspension response was controlled and far less unpleasant.
So now with Dave’s engine, exhaust and transmission tweaks, supplemented by the suspension upgrade – what was left…well the short answer is not very much, however, the sloppy/snatchy throttle on some of the ‘ride by wire’ throttle Triumph classics was certainly an area. Whilst, not a major issue, it was certainly an irritant, especially at low speed and in traffic, so some YouTube and Instagram searching yielded the answer in the form of the ‘Ducati throttle Spacer’ kit. These were originally developed for the sloppy throttles on some of the Ducati range (would never have guessed from the name…) which apparently use the same source of throttle assembly as some of the Triumph classics and suffer from the same free play when opening the throttle, this, coupled with the awesome power of the Twin made for quite a snatchy low-speed experience.
Image source: www.ducatispacers.com
These spacers probably cost a few cents to produce (and I mean Rand cents – not even hard currency), but are not cheap, however on the upside they do come complete with the correct screwdriver bit for two of the housing screws, which I am pretty sure you would struggle to buy locally. So, I closed my eyes and hit “Buy Now”, when they arrived they took precisely ten minutes to fit, with the longest part of the process being finding the screwdriver in my toolbox – and wow, what a difference, a nice taut, progressive throttle application.
So is there anything else left to do, certainly nothing, for now, it is time to sit back and admire the Twin and most of all ride and enjoy her.
Photo credit: Russell Heins
Over capitalisation? – probably, over modification? – definitely not, and at the end of the day, the money spent is about maximizing your own experience not what you can get back for it – ask any Harley owner. Now all that remains is to catch up with Dave and let him ride it, although that may not be fair on him, crystallising his loss, but it is definitely my gain – Thanks again mate!
I rode through to Jo’Burg from Pretoria during peak traffic to pick up the Kymco for review. After acquainting myself with the handsome Taiwanese Scoot, I headed back out into the traffic. It was immediately apparent that scooters are, without a shadow of a doubt, the answer to conquering the urban mobility challenge that we are all facing. The low centre of gravity, slim proportions, punchy performance and agile handling make it a cinch to slice and dice the heaviest traffic snarl-up. It made my BM feel ponderous by comparison. So what makes the XCITING S 400i special?
Photo credit: ZA Bikers
The heart of the beastie is a wonderfully smooth SOHC 399cc 4-Valve single, which churns out a seamless 35,54 hp @7,500 rpm and 37,7 Nm of torque @6250 rpm. The bike weighs 195 kg, which is quite light for a Maxi Scooter. Consider that a Suzuki Burgman 650 weighs a full 77 Kg more! This negates the extra power to a large degree. The CVT gearbox is snatch-free and accelerates from a stop with a simple twist and go verve. The scooter lifts slightly under hard acceleration, reminiscent of the older BMW twins which jacked up on the shaft under power. It is a pleasant sensation as the bike drops traffic for dead and gets up to highway speeds with surprising ease. Cruising at 120/130 km/h is absolutely effortless, with the engine operating around its torque peak, yet still more than 2000 rpm from the redline. It will run the claimed top speed of around 155 km/h easily.
Photo credit: ZA Bikers
The styling is really handsome, with clean sporty lines. The windshield is adjustable, allowing the rider to set it to suit. The bike hums down the highway with the rider cocooned in a bubble of still air. Weather protection will benefit from this adjustability too. The seat is spacious and comfy for the extended touring that this scooter is capable of. The suspension is on the firm side, accentuating the sporty nature of the XCITING S 400i. Handling is flawless, limited only by the slight lack of feel from the 120/70×15 front tyre and the 140/70×14 rear. They did not let me down in any way, it is just that I started to feel too brave given the excellent handling and chickened out before things got messy.
Photo credit: ZA Bikers
The brakes blew me away. The twin 280 mm front discs have radially mounted callipers. The rear disc is 240 mm. Braking is progressive with an excellent feel and is really powerful and would not disappoint on an out-and-out sports bike. ABS is standard. The Kymco has a taught, quality feel, which is both rewarding and confidence-inspiring. In typical scooter fashion, there is decent storage space under the seat. It comfortably accommodates a full-face helmet, however, access to the storage is slightly limited by the shape of the aperture.
Photo credit: ZA Bikers
There are three ‘Cubbies’ in the front bodywork, one of which has a 12v charging port. A luggage hook allows for a shopping bag between your legs. The fuel cap of the 12,5l tank can be accessed without raising the seat. Fuel economy of around 27 km/L will see a usable range of over 300 k’s.
Photo credit: ZA Bikers
Lights are bright LEDs and include daytime running lights. You have no excuse for speeding given that you have no less than three gauges measuring your speed. A conventional analogue speedo is on the left as well as an analogue and digital speedo in the centre. To the right of the dash is your fuel gauge, clock and trip info on an LCD display. All are very neat and tidy. The whole bike has a well-made and quality feel. It is equipped with both main and side stands. I did not attempt it, but apparently, you can pair your phone via Bluetooth to the LCD display for navigation, to make and receive calls and receive notifications.
Photo credit: ZA Bikers
All in all, the Kymco XCITING S 400i is an excellent scooter which offers exceptional value at around R85k. In fact, given its spread of talents, build quality, good looks and superb real-world performance it may just be the ‘Sports Touring’ and commuting scooter buy out there at the moment. I would highly recommend that you seriously consider it if you are tired of traffic jams and spending hours in traffic. For heaven’s sake, get a life, get a Kymco XCITING S 400i and replace your traffic frown with a smile!
Photo credit: ZA Bikers
Kymco XCITING S 400i
For more information on the bike featured in this article, click on the link below…
One of our favourite motorcycles, the Triumph Street Triple 765, has just had a major update. Revised for 2023, the Street Triple R, Street Triple RS and limited edition Street Triple 765 Moto2 Edition take Triumph’s proven formula, and dial it up to eleven.
All three bikes featured an upgraded version of the Street Triple’s 765 cc triple-cylinder power plant, more aggressive styling and a smorgasbord of electronic and chassis updates. The ‘base’ model R now makes 120 PS (118.4 hp), while the RS makes 130 PS (128.2 hp). The Moto2 Edition makes the same power as the RS, but ups the ante further with top-shelf suspension, carbon fibre parts and an even more aggressive riding position.
Image source: Triumph
Taking lessons from their work in Moto2, Triumph have reworked the Street Triple’s engine with a 4.7% higher compression ratio, along with new pistons, con-rods and gudgeon pins. They’ve also optimised the combustion chambers and added new valves and camshafts.
The R now makes 120 PS at 11,500 rpm (2 PS up from before), with the RS and Moto2 Edition hitting 130 PS at 12,000 rpm (7 PS up from before). Torque’s been bumped up by 1 Nm to 80 Nm, with the same usable torque curve the Street Triple’s loved for; there’s a tangible increase from 7,500 rpm before it peaks at 9,500 rpm.
Image source: Triumph
The gearbox has been revised too, with shorter ratios for snappier acceleration—so the new Street Triple should be even livelier than it already is. The clutch is a new slip-and-assist unit, and an up-and-down quick-shifter is standard issue. Triumph have also rebuilt the exhaust system from front to back, to increase flow and fine-tune the 765’s unmistakable soundtrack.
Moving to the chassis, Triumph have tweaked the RS and Moto2 Edition with a steeper rake and raised tail to make them nimbler on the road. The handlebars on the R and RS are 12 mm wider than before, while the Moto2 Edition goes all-in with race-style clip-ons that sit forward and low. Seat heights are listed as 826 mm (R), 836 mm (RS) and 839 mm (Moto2 Edition), but there’s a low seat option that can shave 28 mm off of that, and a dealer-fitted linkage that can bring it down by another 10 mm.
Image source: Triumph
As for suspension, the R runs with Showa components at both ends, while the RS gets Showa forks and an Öhlins piggyback shock. Both setups are fully adjustable for preload, compression and rebound.
Once again, the Moto2 Edition tops the charts. 43 mm upside-down Öhlins forks do duty up front, with an Öhlins piggyback shock out back. All three bikes have 115 mm of front wheel travel, with 131.2 mm rear travel on the RS and Moto2 edition, and 133.5 mm on the R.
Image source: Triumph
All three are also equipped with Brembo brakes, but the RS and Moto2 Edition both get the company’s high-end Stylema callipers up front and come standard with Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 tyres. There’s a linked braking system in use too.
Also notable is the Street Triple’s updated ‘gullwing’ swingarm, fitted across the whole range. It’s been developed to optimise both torsional rigidity and lateral flexibility, to improve stability at higher speeds, and to help the chassis feel more confident when you fire it out of a corner.
Image source: Triumph
Moving to the electronics, Triumph has updated the Street Triple’s ABS, traction control, front wheel lift control and riding mode systems. Like with most of Triumph’s range, the rider has control over how much ABS and traction control intervention is employed in each riding mode. The usual ‘Road,’ ‘Rain’ and ‘Sport’ modes feature, along with a fourth, custom-tuned ‘Rider’ mode, and a fifth ‘Track’ mode on the RS and Moto2 editions.
The two top-tier models also get new 5” TFT displays, along with Triumph’s usual Bluetooth connectivity suite, and a lap timer for track-day use. Leaning into its racing influence, the Moto2 Edition’s display has its own Moto2 startup screen as well.
Image source: Triumph
Then there’s the most obvious change: all three Street Triples have been restyled to look even more menacing than before. They all wear redesigned 15-litre fuel tanks with new side panels, and sharper LED headlights that take cues from those on the Speed Triple 1200 RS (with the same daytime running lights too). The front end even features a tiny little headlight ‘spoiler,’ just like the one on the Speed Triple.
The tail’s been redesigned too, and the RS comes with a colour-coded (and removable) passenger seat cover. As for the Moto2 Edition, it’s dripping with carbon fibre trim. And it’s kitted with a gorgeous machined top yoke, with its series number etched into it—because Triumph will only be producing 765 units.
Image source: Triumph
Each version of the new Street Triple comes in a handful of fresh liveries, but there’s really no contest. The ‘Triumph Racing Yellow’ paint job on the Moto2 Edition is by far the most eye-catching. It’s finished off with some trick Moto2 branding on key parts.
Naturally, there’s a wide range of accessories coming for the new Street Triple too, including cruise control on the two top models, heated grips, passenger grab handles, luggage and fly screens. Judging by the official photography, it appears that bits like the license plate bracket and passenger pegs can be ditched easily, which is a boon for track riders.
There’s no word yet on when the new Street Triple will hit South African shores, which models we’ll get (it’s unlikely we’ll see the ‘R’ here though), or what it’ll cost. The only thing we do know is that we’re frothing for a ride.
Yes, the title says it all, the Liqui Moly MotoGP competition has run its course and we finally have a winner. The comp was extended from last year’s MotoGP final to this year, but after such a pumped-up season of racing, I think all things happen for a very good reason. Winners Anton Frost and Chanel Emslie have already jetted off to sunny Spain for the Valencia GP and a trip of a lifetime.
Before setting off we got to meet the lucky and very much so deserving winners of Liqui Moly’s epic competition. It’s just so awesome to see a petrol head or in this case ‘heads’ win something like this, as this would be right at the top of the bucket list for any GP fan—a dream brought into fruition. What puts the icing on the cake is that Anton has been feeding his rides with Liqui Moly since his 50 cc days and has grown fond of the brand and its well-engineered products.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The love of motorcycles doesn’t stop there, Anton loves scratching knee himself and shares his love for MotoGP with his partner Chanel. You could just tell that Chanel loves GP by the colour of her nails. Yes, yellow, white and Brad Binder’s lucky 33 number on both hands. With racing running deep in the bloodstream of Liqui Moly, they have made sure that both Anton and Chanel get a proper VIP paddock experience with the Liqui Moly Intact GP Team—the team Darryn Binder will be joining in Moto2 next season.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
How did they win? Well, like I said Anton loves his Liqui Moly products. As the competition stated: If you spend R1000 or more on Liqui Moly lubrication products, you are eligible to enter the Liqui Moly competition. So, that is precisely what Anton did and after Liqui Moly captured the lucky receipt number, Anton was notified that he had indeed won.
So, there you have it, this pays tribute to how Liqui Moly South Africa shows their clients appreciation for supporting and using their products. Liqui Moly really has pulled out all the stops and has given these lucky winners a trip of a lifetime to the value of 200k.
Sometimes, buying the hottest magazine cover motorcycle isn’t enough. That’s where famous tuners like Brabus come into the picture. Yes, you heard me right, Brabus. So, how does the notorious Mercedes-Benz performance tuning company appear on a motorcycle platform? Well, a simple handshake it seems…
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The rumoured partnership started floating around towards the back end of 2021, leaving many people scratching their heads and yelling Mr Trump’s favourite word: “Fake News”. Thankfully fake news it was not, with the first-ever Brabus motorcycle rolling out into the spotlight this year in a limited number of 77 bikes in two unique colour variants; Magna red and Signature black. The beast also received a new maiden name, the name of BRABUS 1300 R.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Now you must understand, KTM does not struggle to sell special editions, in fact, it’s not unusual to sell 500 special editions in just a matter of minutes—the Super Duke RR sold out in just 50 minutes and the RC 8C in just under three minutes. With that said, you can just imagine how crazy it would be to walk into 1 of 77 motorcycles in the world at RAD KTM in Rivonia. After a quick rubbing of the eyes, the Brabus 1300 R was still there and glistening in all of its carbon fibre and Gucci-like glory.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The 1300 R is obviously built on the base of the SuperDuke Evo platform, so lots of KTM can still be seen beneath the more mature modern neo-classic exterior. Exterior aside, Brabus has left the mechanicals alone, with the standard bike already rolling out of the Austrian manufacturer’s factory with impressive specs. Instead, Brabus has concentrated on the style of the bike, completely re-dressing it in a whole new design language.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Taking a closer look at the Brabus creation and you can see where the heart of the rebel meets the soul of the gentleman. Starting from the front of the bike, the round LED headlight grabs your attention like no other and it is finished off with a neat Brabus branding inside the light.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Your eyes then fall onto carbon elements like the double-sided air scoops, fly screen, engine protectors, the front carbon mudguard and integrated calliper cooling system, rear carbon tail section and the integrated chain and rear mudguard. Wow, that was a mouth full of carbon!
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Then there are the subtle yet elegant details, like the forged BRABUS Monoblock Z wheels which have a machined edge, a designer custom-made seat that gets the Brabus stamp of approval, machined Brabus rear sets and finally a Brabus dual-pipe exhaust system, which uncorks its unmistakable v-twin rumble.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
So there you have it, sometimes owning your dream bike isn’t enough. And in this case, the Brabus is a bike that was designed to offer customers the chance to express as much about themselves as possible—a bike that is personalized deeper than what the company originally planned.
If you were hoping to see one in the flesh, now is your chance and better yet if you are interested in owning quite an exciting and rare beast then make sure you get to RAD KTM in time.
William Slater has joined the Brother Leader Tread KTM team heading into the Roof of Africa next week.
Slater is no stranger in the enduro scene and boasts a host of accolades including IMPI hard enduro overall titles and a 4th place finish at last year’s Roof of Africa race in the Gold class. The likeable man from KZN is looking to stomp his authority at this year’s event as well as across the enduro calendar in 2023 for the team. William is very well known for his impeccable mechanical skills as well as his technical riding ability and looks forward to showing up at the Roof with a brand new 2023 KTM 300 XC-W ready to race the best in the world. He commented, “I’ve got the right people backing me and I am looking forward to racing my bike in the Maluti mountains”.
Image source: www.zcmc.co.za
Grant Frerichs, KTM marketing manager, commented “Having William join the team is a great investment for us. He has been helped by KTM Durban for the last few years and has shown great potential, especially in the technical hard enduro races. We look forward to supplying him with all the tools to get the job done and hope to help him reach his lifelong goal of being crowned South African champion in 2023.
This weekend saw the 2023 MX National Championship draw to a close giving Husqvarna Racing some time to reflect on what on all counts was a challenging season. Grant Frerichs from Husqvarna South Africa summed it up saying he has every reason to be proud of the team. “2022 is a wrap and we faced some significant adversity this season like losing star rider David Goosen to a career-ending injury mid-season and being forced to try patch things up, yet still managing some solid results,” Frerichs said.
Both Josh Mlimi and Davin Cocker showed promise moving on to the 2023 season he commented. “Phenomenal result from young Neil van der Vyver who went out swinging bringing home 1st places in both heats, he did everything possible but he had to settle for 2nd overall in the Championship, this kind of sums up our season” Frerichs added. “We are all looking forward to some downtime to recover and refocus for the 2023 season,” he said.
Image source: Husqvarna
Van der Vyver had the perfect weekend and got some redemption by taking the win ahead of rival Trey Cox in both heats. “The first heat went smooth for me being able to control things from the front but the second heat I had to battle from mid-pack and bashed bars with Trey for a couple of laps before managing to pass him and take the win,” he said. “It is frustrating that I still fell short with a few points, but it was a great season with a lot learnt in the process. Of course, I need to thank my Husqvarna team for all the effort they put in for me this year” van der Vyver said.
Cocker and Mlimi battled bravely and both brought home solid results as they continue to build for what is set to be a significant 2023 season.
Image source: Husqvarna
Mlimi finished 2nd in MX1 and 4th in MX2 saying “I had a few hiccups and made some mistakes that cost me, but nonetheless I’m really happy with how I’ve progressed over the last couple of nationals, the team and I have a really good base to build on for 2023.”
Cocker, in turn, said, “So happy to be back racing MX again, I’m slowly getting back to where I left off and I can’t wait for more of that next season.”
