The infamous “sand round” of the National Motocross Championship took place at Rover in PE this weekend and it was a mixed bag for Husqvarna Racing. Grant Frerichs the newly appointed group Marketing Manager for KTM Group described the weekend as a mixed bag for Husqvarna Racing.

“It was good to see Michael Docherty leading the race and his experience in the sand having lived in Dubai for years clearly showed,” he said. It might be a case of him still building up his fitness as could not quite sustain it to the finish but third is a good result as he continues to build both his fitness and confidence after joining the team halfway through the season.

Docherty had this to say: “All in all it was a pretty good weekend and there were some improvements from previous rounds, I felt good running at the high pace and even managed to hold off Tristan for a while before a small mistake cost me.” He commented that he knows he still has some work to do but that he is happy with the progress shown and the result from the weekend. This season was all about consolidating and building towards the next season for him as a start.

Neil van der Vyver put in a solid effort “I have always loved racing in PE, so after qualifying third quickest I was really stoked, but the pace just wasn’t quite there and I just couldn’t catch the guy in front of me” he said. “After finishing second in the first moto I got another good start but Trey Cox was on fire and passed me in the very last corner pushing me into third in the moto and overall” he added.

There was a visible improvement for Joshua Mlimi as he is also settling back into racing speed and fitness. He got blinded in a corner that cost him the lead in the first moto and even managed the holeshot in the second moto. “I knew it was going to be tough to keep the pace to defend my position but after seeing my brother crash that hard and lying on the deck was very demotivating but I kept it together and managed to grab my first podium of the season,” a visibly distraught Mlimi said. The next round heads off to Phakisa in the heart of the gold fields of the Free State.

Red Bull KTM put in a stellar performance in the sand of Rover MX track this weekend when the fourth round of the National Motocross Championship took place in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

The first mention has to be a standout performance from Tristan Purdon as he stormed to the overall victory in both MX1 and MX2 classes in a near-perfect run only finishing in second in one of the four respective heats. Purdon clearly on high after his wins commented: “It was a great day on the bike, bring on the next round”.

Cameron Durow who was only ten days post-op after suffering a broken collarbone proved he was tough as nails by deciding to ride still and try to consolidate some points to stay in contention for the overall championship. Visibly in pain, he still managed third in both MX1 and MX2 classes.

“I went into the day not expecting anything really, I qualified first in MX2 and second in MX1 with my collarbone holding up well,” he said. He went on to say: “I made a big mistake in the first moto where both my feet came off the pegs landing on the bike that hurt me quite badly and had to manage the pain and effort from there.”

It was a case of “what could have been” for Jonathan Mlimi after getting a great start and leading the race had the bad luck of a red flag coming out after some riders crashed hard forcing a restart. Mlimi’s second start was not relatively as fast and he had to fight back only to suffer a significant crash that sent him to the hospital calling a harsh end to his day.

Luke Grundy has been untouchable in the high school class and executed another flawless event with 1st place in both moto’s securing yet another 1st overall.

Trey Cox was a sensation in the sand securing the top spot overall after a superb show throughout the day. “PE did not disappoint, I wasn’t feeling it but after getting a good start I managed to control the race” Cox commented. Cox crashed on the second lap of the last moto but after a heroic comeback still managed to catch and pass Neil van der Vyver to take the overall win.

When I phoned Jaco van der Merwe, importer of Zontes motorcycles, to ask him if he would be interested in doing a 500-odd km roundtrip with me, he immediately said yes. Even though that would be disrupting his Friday completely, and weighing up a bike trip against fighting with auditors only had one clear winner. The reason for me wanting to go on this trip involved a waterfall that I have probably driven past a dozen times, without even knowing it was there.

I recently started documenting the waterfalls of South Africa, and in my research, I came across the Elands river waterfall. Even though it is right next to the N4, just past Waterval-Boven, I was unaware of its existence. With the singular purpose of getting a decent photograph of the falls, I packed my camera and we set off early from Pretoria, just to get the boring section of the N4 behind us.

Jaco was on the new Zontes ZT 310-T2, and I was on my BMW G 310 GS. The Zontes was recently updated and now boasts a new TFT screen, spoked wheels and a 19” front wheel. On top of that, it has a 19-litre tank. So, when I had to fill up the GS, the Zontes soldiered on. Not bad for a pocket-sized adventure bike!

Just past Belfast, we stopped at the Berg-en-Dal monument. It looks like Tin Tin’s rocket and it is one place I always stop for an obligatory photo and to stretch a leg. The thing about travelling on smaller bikes is that I love going slower and just taking in the scenery. I also stop often, regardless of the bike’s capacity. It is just the way I like to travel, and for that, any small bike is perfect. Both bikes have similar performance, but the Zontes has the edge over the BMW. On uphills, the Zontes kept its speed relatively well, while the BMW ran out of puff. Of course, I blamed my weight, not wanting to admit defeat.

We stopped in Waterval-Boven for some cold drinks and drove to the NZASM tunnel. The tunnel was completed in 1894 and was in use as a tunnel for trains until 1908. Now you can enter the tunnel from the Eastern side on foot or by motorcycle. The tunnel has a curve in it and grows darker the further you enter. There is a point where you cannot see either end of the 211 m structure.

For the safety of pedestrians, there is a small nook cut into the rock face about halfway in. Should a train approach and you are already in the tunnel, you could get in that nook and be out of harm’s way. On the other side of the tunnel, there is a wooden deck that overlooks the Elands river waterfall, the reason for our trip.

From here we made our way to the historic Five Arches bridge that crosses the Elands River. It is wonderful to see all these old sandstone structures still standing.

While contemplating a route to Dullstroom on Google Maps, Jaco spotted a cemetery in one of the nearby plantations. We decided that we would go there first, and then tackle a gravel section over Mareskop to Dullstroom. The cemetery is situated in a Sappi plantation and was for four British soldiers that died during the Battle of Helvetia.

As we headed up Mareskop, both bikes were equally at home. We stopped at the top, where I jokingly said to Jaco that it is a pity that we were on the 310s. Here we are, two friends, in the middle of nowhere, having the time of our lives, but others will not count it as an adventure because we are not here on a bike with a 1200 cc engine and the word “Adventure” somewhere in the name. Nothing could be further from the truth though. I am still convinced that we have a lot of would-be adventure riders that are not riding because they cannot afford, or are intimidated by the behemoths that the likes of BMW and KTM sell as adventure bikes.

Both bikes traversed the pass with no issues. Onward we went and I had to stop at a peculiar sign. Just before we got back onto the R540 to Dullstroom, we saw a sign that said “Dentist”. What on earth is a dentist doing here in the middle of nowhere? My only explanation was that the condition of the road might leave you with a loose filling or two.

We rode into, and straight through Dullstroom, to the end of town. There we had a quick lunch at the Anvil Brewhouse. Even though we had to face the tedious N4 home again, Jaco was adamant that I must disrupt him more often. What a pleasant day out on small bikes that are often overlooked as adventure bikes, but are more than capable! Just remember, adventure is not measured in the size of the engine, but in the size of the smile after a day’s riding!

For more information on the bikes that we tested in this article, click on the links below…

2023

BMW G 310 GS

Pricing From R123,300 (RRP)

Brand: BMW Motorrad

As motorcyclists, we all share the same passion, the passion for hitting the open road. It’s on the open road where the bond between man and machine is made. Love, at first sight, is an often occurrence at a Harley-Davidson dealership, but it’s what happens after the first touch that matters the most.

We love our machines and after putting up with all the blood, sweat and tears in order to obtain one, it’s always worth it. In motorcycle ownership, the romance needs to flow both ways and this means you need to keep your hog in tip-top shape, so it can not only look good but perform at its peak.

Talking about hitting the open road, earlier in the year I attended the Harley-Davidson Gold Rand 1903 Rally in Clarens, where I got chatting with a few Harley folk. The feedback from most of the H-D owners was good, but some had formed their own opinions. The most commonly talked about topics, were that Harley-Davidson has a shortage of parts in the country and servicing your hog comes at an extortionate price. To find out if these myths were indeed true, I decided to do some of my own research.

Is it more expensive to service at a Harley-Davidson dealership?

From our findings, the hourly rate at an authorised Harley-Davidson workshop is a fraction more expensive than your average motorcycle workshop. However, at a Harley-Davidson dealership, your bike is serviced by technicians that eat, sleep and ride Harleys. What this means is that the ‘techs’ that work on your bike are specially trained to understand Harley motorcycles and this shortens the time spent wrenching on your bike.

H-D techs are also equipped with the correct tools and diagnostic systems for the job, unlike most of the staff at an independent service provider—no work needs to be outsourced. So, therefore, the so-called “hourly rate” isn’t a true reflection of the overall job.

Another benefit, of taking your HOG to an authorised Harley-Davidson workshop, is that they are willing to go the extra mile without adding additional costs or fuss. For instance, something as simple as an oil change is never just an oil change. Every time you roll into a H-D dealer, they complete more than a 20-checkpoint service to make sure your bike is operating at its best. Then there’s the oil… Harley uses their own premium oil which is exclusively developed for Harley-Davidsons—this gives you peace of mind every time you roll out of the workshop. An American machine, running on American oil.

Is there a parts shortage?

After asking the main Harley-Davidson importers about the supposed parts shortage, they stopped me in my tracks and took me for a walk through just one of their warehouses. Packed to the brim it was, as far as the eye could see with parts and accessories—the rumours are just a laughing matter.

For sure many importers have had issues with getting parts into the country during the pandemic, but they cannot be the ones to blame. We can report that this is definitely not the case now, especially not with Harley-Davidson.

After doing this research, it’s clear that maintaining your Harley-Davidson at an authorised H-D dealer just makes sense.

For more information contact Harley-Davidson Gold Rand here – www.hdgoldrand.co.za

Apart from the BMW R 18’s signature Big Boxer engine, its willingness to be shaped by customers is another of its standout features. The latter was put into effect recently by BMW Motorrad South Africa’s retailer network, which demonstrated the customisable features of the R 18s.

BMW Motorrad South Africa retailers in Bloemfontein, Stellenbosch, George, Mbombela, Umhlanga, Pinetown, Pretoria and Johannesburg were set the task of demonstrating the customising abilities of the BMW R 18 and BMW R 18 Classic over a three-month period from February to May 2022.

All eight entrants were rated on the updated design; including innovation, aesthetic, and attention to detail; quality pertaining to finishes, paintwork and functionality; and a well-rounded exhaust note.

The custom-build project reached a crescendo on Wednesday, 15 June, when BMW Motorrad Mbombela’s R 18 Classic was adjudged the winner based on the voting criteria. BMW Motorrad retailers in Umhlanga, Centurion and Fourways were voted as the runners-up.

Penny Sterley, Head of BMW Motorrad South Africa, said: “It was really fun putting the creative ball in the hands of our enthusiastic retailers! Well done to the team at BMW Motorrad Mbombela for their take on updating a classic-inspired model with a new flavour. We do, of course, understand that owners within the cruiser segment often have very specific custom requirements. Looking at the completed models, we know that our retailers will definitely be able to support those customers and their requests.”

While the R 18 masterfully straddles the line between the iconic style of its classic ancestors, such as the signature BMW R 5, and thoroughly modern technology, the BMW Motorrad South Africa retailers ensured the recognisable features such as the teardrop tank and open-running driveshaft were maintained. The R 18’s conversion-friendly design certainly aided them in their projects. The R 18 was designed from the outset to have an easily removable rear frame, for example, along with careful consideration of attachment points for hydraulic lines.

Disclaimer: The vehicles shown may be modified and fitted with third-party accessories and/or proprietary parts that are not manufactured, distributed or tested by BMW. BMW Motorrad South Africa accepts no liability for the modifications (including the fitting, characteristics and use of the accessories shown).

South Africa’s two current MotoGP stars, Brad and Darryn Binder, will be in the country on the 16th of July 2022 to attend a special event in their honour: The Binder Brothers Meet & Greet Street Festival, organised by Smashton Industries.

Taking place at Lock, Stock and Beer in Pineslopes Boulevard Shopping Centre, on the corner of Witkoppen Road and The Straight Road, the racing brothers will take part in a Q&A session and, afterwards, a meet & greet and autograph signing session.

The event starts at 11 AM: the Q&A will take place from 1-2 PM. and the Meet & Greet from 2-5 PM

Keeping the crowds entertained will be some of South Africa’s best DJs and bands, including DJ Tashy, Justin Serrao, The Kiffness, Kyle Cassim, and many more. Music starts at 12 PM and goes on right through the afternoon and evening, up to the 1:30 AM. closing time.

Tickets will cost R220 and you can book them through Quicket.

If you want to take a chance and pay on the door, it will cost you R250 but the organisers cannot guarantee that there will be any on-the-day tickets available so, to be on the safe side, book ahead.

With their busy racing and training schedule, the Binder brothers rarely get the chance to come back to South Africa, so this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the boys, and ask them all those burning questions you’ve been storing up and get all your merchandise signed.

It’s going to be the racing event of the year!

Africa’s biggest winner-takes-all bike building competition returns in November with a R250 000 prize

This coming November, The House of Machines in association with BMW Motorrad South Africa is closing down Shortmarket Street for the return of The Lightning Bolt, the biggest winner-takes-all bike building competition on the continent, it invites builders from across Africa to compete for a grand prize of R250 000.

Competition entries will be scrutinised by a panel of judges which includes an international guest judge from The Golden Bolt, the premier Bolt event scheduled for Europe in 2023. Builds are judged on all the usual criteria, but uniquely The Lightning Bolt also incorporates a ride-out challenge. All builders must ride their bikes on a pre-determined route. If their bike fails to complete the ride, they are exempt from winning.

South African motorcycle journalist, Wes Reyneke, said: ”Africa’s custom scene might be small, but it’s not lacking in creativity or talent. Shows like the Lightning Bolt create a platform to showcase—and reward—that talent.”

The event will take place over two days, 11 and 12 November. The first day mostly concerns the builders and their bikes, until that evening’s party at The House of Machines which is open to the public.

The second day is open to anyone with a ticket and includes a full music program, headlined by Fokofpolisiekar and Jack Parow, with more acts to be announced, as well as various on-site activations from our partners and hospitality providers.

Ticket pricing and purchase options will be announced soon. Until then, The Lightning Bolt is calling all builders, tinkerers, garage enthusiasts and professionals to submit their builds, or builds in progress at – www.thelightningbolt.co.za

Follow the journey of The Lightning Bolt Africa on @thehouseofmachines_cpt and @thelightningbolt_africa.

Every year, around June/July, Suzuki hosts the Suzuki Weekend Away in Hazyview. With the slightly warmer climate, it is always welcome to head in that direction when Gauteng feels miserable and cold. The first weekend away was held back in 2010 and it was attended by a handful of riders. The whole idea was for the riders to hone their road riding skills, and what better place to do that than on the wonderful roads near Graskop, Sabie and Hazyview. This year marked the eleventh running of this event, and as Suzuki wanted to showcase their new GSX-S and GSX-S GT models, I was offered the opportunity to ride the GT to the event.

Dave Cilliers and I left early on Friday morning as Dave had to be in Graskop for an appointment, so we decided to ride together until we got to Sabie. It was bitterly cold when we left and I rued the fact that my Grand Tourer did not have heated grips. It did, however, have cruise control. That meant that I could occasionally get my throttle hand out of the wind. As we headed further east, the temperatures did creep up a bit. After breakfast near Belfast, we headed further on the N4, as we did not hear good things about the road between Dullstroom and Lydenburg. It pains me to see our road network crumbling like this, and not a lot being done about it.

As we rolled into Sabie, Dave headed straight on, while I contemplated my course of action over coffee at The Woodsman. I was running way ahead of schedule, so I decided to take a quick run-up Long Tom pass. The road surface was bumpy, yet still enjoyable. The Suzuki did not disappoint. After coffee from my flask, I pointed the GT back to Sabie and headed straight onto the Twenty-two. Apart from a handful of potholes, the road delivered exactly what I was expecting. I sometimes wonder if this road was laid out by a motorcyclist, or if the natural contours of the land just worked out that way to deliver the swooping curves. Either way, the GT and I had a good time.

At Hotel Numbi & Garden Suites in Hazyview, I was greeted by Suzuki’s Stuart Baker who promptly parked the GT at reception. By now, the temperature was quite mild, and after a quick shower, I made my way back to where the attendees were gathering. Much to my surprise, I saw other brands of bikes as well, not just Suzukis. Stuart explained that this event is hosted by Suzuki, but is open to all manufacturers. I saw a lot of couples attending, so this weekend was intended to be a relaxing affair. Clive and Elsa, for instance, have been on all of the events thus far, bar the first one. There was also a large contingent of riders from Richards Bay, all with matching T-shirts.

Hotel Numbi laid on a feast for the hungry souls on Friday night, after which we had a quick rider briefing. We then had to register some teams, as the following day would involve team sports. We got a Suzuki cap and sweater and also a nice goody bag from Cartrack. They used the opportunity to tell us about their unique, locally developed, tracking device and encouraged us to have one fitted to our motorcycles as crime statistics are on the rise.

The next morning, after breakfast, the bikes lined up and we were given route instructions, as well as instructions for a scavenger hunt. There were also a few Suzuki cars lining up, so it seems this event is more than just a motorcycle event. They made a note of our odometer readings as our navigation skills were going to be put to the test. Points were awarded to the riders who got closest to the measured distance of the route.

There were two routes laid out, but both routes took us to Kaapschehoop, where we got to play a memory game for points. This was also a good spot for some coffee. The routes were well planned and certainly scenic. No points were awarded for how fast you completed the route. The idea was to take it easy, and just enjoy the ride.

As Suzuki had just launched their new Baleno car the week before, the scavenger hunt involved collecting items on the road that starts with the letters that spell Baleno. The eventual winner of the scavenger hunt gave a hilarious presentation of his items that had everyone in stitches.

Back at the hotel, there were some more games to play which resulted in lots of laughter. Some relationships were also tested when one team member had to give instructions to another team member on how to guide a golf ball through a maze.

That evening we were again treated to a feast at the prize giving. Numbi hotel certainly knows how to lay on a dessert table!

This Suzuki Weekend Away was another resounding success. Not only for the sublime riding but because the medical team present was not needed. They only attended to a minor knee graze and a migraine.

A big thanks to everyone who joined in and especially to the motorcycle team at Suzuki SA for entrusting me with the GT. Thanks to Cartrack for caring enough about our motorcycles, so much so that you developed a device for us.

If you missed this year’s event, then keep an eye out on Suzuki’s social media pages for the 2023 event. I can assure you, this is really a relaxing weekend away!

The Ride Train Race academy (RTR) is all about introducing youth to the thrill of Off-Road Motorcycling and Motocross by offering training programs that encourage both boys and girls to get into this exciting sport.

Through their extensive network of contacts throughout the industry, the founders of Ride Train Race are uniquely well-placed to inspire the next generation to achieve their full potential in the saddle and hopefully nurture future champions.

Springbok Motocross legends Tony Riddell and Ryan Hunt (Director Vermont Sales/Tork Craft) are both former MX champions. They won multiple championships, retired, and then came out of retirement to win again. Today, with support from leading brands including Tork Craft and Motul, they are focusing on helping young RTR riders achieve their own goals.

Tony & Ryan’s aims in establishing and supporting RTR are to give back to the sport and to the Motocross and off-road riding communities. Along the way, they are helping kids to have fun, stay safe and even compete in the Inland, Regional and National Championships, if they want to.

Ryan and Tony are committed to making the sport more inclusive, and as such their training programmes are geared to both boys and girls aged from 3 to 16 years old, starting with 50 cc all the way up to 125 cc classes.

The young riders can choose their own brand of bike, and as members of RTR, they get great value from their monthly training package fees. This includes four training sessions per week. To expand their reach and engage with more young riders, RTR also works with other well-known pro-riders to coach some sessions (such as Hippocrates “Taki” Bogiages from the Pepson Plastics Kawasaki Motul Team and Technical Manager at Motul) at different tracks nationwide.

In addition to receiving training, students get logistical support at races and events. The RTR offering has already attracted 80 riders with 35 actively racing – National MX, Regionals, Inland series, GXCC, Madalas and Enduro – across SA. Recently young riders from neighbouring Botswana have joined the academy choosing to travel to SA for training.

“We’re delighted about the response to Ride Train Race from young riders and their parents,” commented Tony and Ryan. “It’s extremely rewarding to see how well our efforts to give back have been received, and we’re excited to see our young mentees develop and progress in their riding ability,” they added.

“At Motul, we are passionate about making motorsports more welcoming and more diverse,” commented Mercia Jansen, Motul Area Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean. “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to help nurture riding enthusiasts, whether they are future world champions or weekend warriors, as well as the trainers who are making it happen,” she added.

The best way to understand what makes Ride Train Race so special is to hear from some of the riders:

Qhamani ‘Q’ Thu (8 years old), MX, currently racing in WOMSA Inlands, MSA Regionals and Nationals. When asked about the sport, Q commented that “Dirt biking needs a lot of concentration and dedication, so be brave, stay calm and enjoy the sport.”

Zoe Jae Botha (14 years old), MX, currently racing in WOMSA Inlands, MSA Regionals and Nationals, has this advice for any child wanting to take up the sport, “Start joining the racing community at a young age and don’t give up when it gets hard!”

Katelyn Pretorius (12 years old) Offroad, currently 7th in National Cross-Country and 9th in GXCC says that “Making friends with kids who have the same interests, improving ourselves and motivating each other to become better riders is what I enjoy most about being part of the RTR academy.”

Rayden Woolls (9 years old), Offroad, currently 1st in MSA Free State Regional Championship, 1st in MSA Northern Regions Regional Championship, 3rd in MSA National Championship. Rayden described his best moment this year as “Being chosen to represent South Africa once again in the 2022 FIM Africa MXOAN (Motocross of African Nations) event.”

Any young rider keen to join RTR should ask their parents to DM Ride Train Race via their Instagram page – @ridetrainrace

How do you justify continuing with an event when so many competitors have been killed in pursuit of glory, even if that glory is purely personal and there is no chance of standing on the top step of the podium?

In its 115-year history, 265 riders have been killed on the Isle of Man Mountain Course, in either the TT races, the Manx Grand Prix, or the Clubman’s Races. That number includes five riders/sidecar riders and passengers in 2022, a pretty horrific statistic by any reckoning.

How is the continuous running of the event justified? While every year there are calls for the races to be banned, there is never any shortage of riders who come forward to pit themselves against the 37.75-mile mountain course.

23-time winner John McGuinness – at 50, the elder statesman among riders – put it succinctly when he said that no one holds a gun to anyone’s head to compete. The TT remains one of the great challenges and is the last bastion of freedom of choice and should be celebrated as such.

Peter Hickman, the star rider of 2022, said: “It’s a difficult sport, we’ve had a difficult couple of weeks. Not everyone understands that, and I get that. But we’re all here for our own choice.

“We want to be here and not one of us would want to see it stopped if we don’t make it home, should we not make it home. I get people don’t understand that, but that’s the way we are. If you’re here and you’re racing, you accept the risks before you start.”

Yes, it’s tragic when a rider is killed but they enter the event knowing the statistics. And yet they still choose to throw themselves down the terrifying opening drop of Bray Hill at speeds well in excess of 170mph, with a full tank of fuel and on unscrubbed and cold tyres, going on to average over 130mph for the entire lap.

Glenn Irwin, competing in his first TT (and coming away with the fastest-ever newcomer record), was clearly awed by the whole thing but aware of, and unafraid to talk about, the consequences:

“The grid stuff [immediately before the start of the race], I nearly f***ing couldn’t talk up there,” he said after Saturday’s Superbike TT, his first race. “It’s weird.”

“There’s a lot of emotion, you’re about to do something that, let’s face it, people don’t [tell you] the reality. But people shake your hand and they f***ing look at you when they say good luck: you see your brothers and – I don’t care what anyone says, I’m not going to bottle that up – they look at you like they don’t know if that’s the last time [they will see you].

“People don’t say that. But I’m a real person and when you get that before you ride your motorbike, obviously part of your brain is going to go ‘what are you doing, why the f*** are you doing this?’ And the other part is going ‘f***ing shut up, I want to do it.’ So, there was a lot of emotion on the grid.”

To watch, either in person at the event or on television, is to endure up to two hours of terrifying speed along bucolic country roads, with trees in full leaf and lichen-covered, ancient stone walls to punish the mistakes. There is beauty alongside the terror: watching a rider thread his or her way around the course is to witness skill and judgment that is just not visible in any other form of motorcycle sport and which has an aesthetic all of its own. If you love motorcycles, then you can’t fail to be hypnotised and humbled by the sheer speed. What the riders – and the machines – do shouldn’t be possible, but it is.

As good as MotoGP is, it is a sanitary play school next to the TT. Several MotoGP stars have visited – Valentino Rossi and Loris Capirossi to name but two – and, despite their undoubted skill and familiarity with speed and danger, even they are left open-mouthed at the challenge. If they know they can’t do what the likes of Dunlop, Hickman, and McGuinness do, then what chance do mere mortals like you and I have?

Of course, up to 1976, the TT was part of the motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship. To the likes of Duke, Surtees, Hailwood, Agostini, Read and Grant, it was just another round of the championship to be contested and won.

By 1976, however, Barry Sheene and others were calling out the race as an anachronism and simply too dangerous and it was dropped from the calendar. Even 10-time winner Giacomo Agostini boycotted the races after his good friend was killed there in 1972. For many years, the TT suffered in terms of public perception, even though those who knew, knew it was still the ultimate test of man and machine.

Into the 2000s, however, a new era of TV coverage was ushered in to make it what it is today: an event that is watched worldwide and attracts tens of thousands of people to the small island in the Irish Sea.

This year, 2022, saw an important new development: live streaming of the whole two weeks – practice week and race week. For the first time, it was possible to watch every second of the action live, rather than wait for edited race highlights later on in the evening of each race.

There are compromises to such an approach: in the live feed, there is no onboard footage, for example, which does detract a little from the experience. But, as a way of being there as it happened, it was brilliant, even if it was detrimental to a day’s work..!

The racing was as mind-blowing as ever. Lap records weren’t broken but no one cared – they were just happy to be back after two years away. 2022 was the year of Peter Hickman, who took four victories – Superbike, Superstock, Super Twin and Senior TT, and made it all look so easy. He is only the third rider in the event’s history to achieve the feat: Phil McCallen won four in 1996 and Michael Dunlop did the same in 2013 and 2014, while only Ian Hutchinson has won five races in one week (in 2010).

Michael Dunlop excelled in the two 600cc Supersport races to bring his victory tally to 21, and he’s only 33 years old. His uncle, Joey Dunlop is regarded as the greatest-ever TT protagonist and won 26 TTs by the time he was killed in 2000, aged 48.

For a time, it looked as if John McGuinness was the rider most likely to match, if not beat, that record but it seems that his personal tally of 23 victories won’t be added to; the young guns are no longer snapping at his heels but devouring his carcass. Michael Dunlop, however, is as certain as it is ever possible to be to beat his uncle’s record and there’s a nice symmetry to that.

Racing has been a cruel mistress to the Dunlop clan: Joey was killed in 2000 in a minor race in Estonia, mere weeks after winning a hat-trick of TT wins, while his brother Robert – Michael’s father – was killed in 2008 while competing in the North West 200, another road race, this time held in Northern Ireland. Then, in 2018, Michael’s brother, William, was killed in the Skerries 100 road race, also in Northern Ireland.

Michael Dunlop is fearsomely fast and is completely aware of the dangers, commenting in the TT: Closer to the Edge movie, that, on the start line, “my mind goes completely blank and descends into madness.” That line alone describes the mentality needed to compete at the TT: if you think of the danger, if you can’t blank it out of your mind and concentrate solely on the job at hand, then you have no place being there.

Watching the TT is completely different from watching a short-circuit race. Riders set off at ten-second intervals and it is rare for those fighting for podium positions to ever see each other on the race track unless they happen to start one after the other and the second rider is catching the first. They are all essentially racing against the clock and the track but, for all that, it is often very exciting.

There are various points around the track where sector times are taken and it is not unusual for the gap between first, second and third to be in tenths of a second. Waiting for the next sector line to be crossed by both riders, sometimes as much as a minute apart, to see what the new gap is, who is leading who, it is tense.

On a course such as this, anything can happen and, despite the casualty rate, more often it is the machinery that fails, which is hardly surprising given the merciless thrashing they take. To fail through no fault of your own while leading or in being in the leading group, must be galling.

Behind the established stars – McGuinness, Hickman, Dunlop, Cummins, Harrison, Johnston, Hillier, et al – are around fifty amateur racers, all competing on a shoestring, a wing, and a prayer, there for their own personal glory. Sadly, it is from this group that the majority of the fatalities come, although it has been known for top riders to pay the ultimate price. This year, two solo riders died and three sidecar riders/passengers. None of them could be considered front-line competitors but it is a measure of how important the TT was to all of them that they considered the risks worth taking.

An oft-quoted line comes from American author Leo Buscaglia: “The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing.” Sentimental, maybe, and it certainly doesn’t justify the deaths at the TT, but who are we to tell another how to live their lives? If they consider it worth the risk, is it for us to impose our own morals and principles on them? Many riders claim that they live more during one lap of the TT course than most people live in their entire lives.

That, of course, is a matter of personal opinion and, for everyone who watches and enjoys the TT, there are ten thousand who are not even aware of it and only hear about it when a rider is killed. In the UK, the BBC only mentioned the races when there was a fatality and there will be many who heard the news and would have been outraged that it was allowed to continue.

And yet, there have been fatalities in MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3, Formula One, NASCAR, Indycar, Rallying, etc. in recent years and yet the voices clamouring for banning those sports have been strangely silent. What’s the difference? It could be argued that the level of risk at the TT is so high that it can never be justified, while short-circuit tracks have undergone huge changes to make them safer. But this is motorsport: it can never be completely safe. As Stirling Moss once said, “take away the risk completely and you take away the challenge.”

The great pre-war Italian motor racing driver Tazio Nuvolari was once asked if he was afraid he would die in a racing car. He replied by asking a question: “Do you think you will die in your bed? If so, how do you find the courage to get into it every night?”

And that is the crux of the matter: no one who races thinks they will pay the ultimate price for their passion. Yes, it happens, but do you forsake life and living, just to be safe?

Racing riders – and drivers – don’t do what they do for our entertainment: they do it because they have a skill that those of us who don’t have it will never understand. But that doesn’t mean that it is unimportant. To them, it is the most important thing in the world.

If you, for some strange reason, have no idea of what the TT is all about, take 17 minutes out of your day and watch this lap of the course by Guy Martin back in 2015 as he leaves the pits behind Michael Dunlop and stays behind him for the whole lap. Mesmerising!

“May you live in interesting times”

(Ancient Chinese curse).

We are indeed living in “interesting times”. Coming out of a Covid ravaged economy we are facing escalating prices which are playing havoc with family financial resources. At the core of these soaring prices is a fuel price which has absolutely blown out in recent times. The reasons are plentiful, the Russia/Ukraine conflict, taxes euphemistically called “fuel levies” and heaven knows what else. Add to that the stress of returning to offices in a post-Covid environment. It seems as if the urban snarl is worse than ever. The fact is the urban commuter is under duress never experienced before. So do we just grimace and take the hit and carry on as best we can, or is there a viable, and dare I say fun, alternative?

When will we wise up and learn from folks in Europe who already had to contend with these issues years ago? We should be ‘Scooting’ around our cities. Realistically e-bikes are not yet viable. Slow, limited range, and prohibitively expensive, they also exist under the spectre of unreliable power delivery.

With these challenges in mind, at SYM South Africa, we believe that ‘Scooters’ (such as our Jet 14) are fit for purpose & right for the dynamic world we’re living in today—a means to sustainability.

The SYM Jet 14 is inexpensive, runs on the sniff of an oil rag, and is perfectly suited to traversing the greater urban sprawl of the typical South African city. 14-inch wheels and decent suspension deal with ruts, bumps, and manhole covers, whilst the fuel-efficient peppy engine keeps you ahead of city traffic.

Twist and go riding ease makes the Jet 14 accessible to just about anyone, with excellent weather protection and storage space under the seat for all your odds and ends. The saving realised at the pumps will literally pay for the SYM and save you money over your current commuting spend.

In our frenetic world, time is at a premium. You will literally save hours a week, which are currently spent stuck in traffic jams. Not to mention the frustration and stress that this creates. The Jet 14, is not just another scooter.

It’s your Urban Mobility weapon of choice. Be wise, Scooterise!

SYM… RIDE FOR THE TIMES!

How much do you love your father? With Father’s Day fast approaching, Gold Rand Harley-Davidson has some fantastic deals on brand new 2021 Harley Davidson models that are too good to miss and which are the perfect way to show your father how much you appreciate him.

Harley’s for Dad

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Wesbank Finance Offers

If you need to finance your purchase, there are three very special deals from Wesbank to help you onto your brand new Harley Davidson.

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Gold Rand Harley Davidson, located in Boksburg, has a huge selection of new and used Harley Davidsons for you to choose from and a knowledgable and dedicated team to help you choose the right one, along with a full range of accessories and apparel.

For more information on Harley-Davidson Gold Rand visit: www.hdgoldrand.co.za

Through an internal campaign; titled “Yamaha Empowers Future Leaders”, Yamaha SA has responded to the reported low literacy levels by encouraging staff to donate educational books to an underprivileged school. The campaign became established; upon verifying low literacy levels through credible research conducted by the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University. This research reported that 58% of South African children do not learn to read fluently and with comprehension in any language by the end of Grade four. Further reporting that an enormous 29% are illiterate as a result.

The book drive will also coincide with Youth Day collaborations by providing the youth with the power of knowledge, which in turn builds confidence-allowing youngsters to become great collaborators in society and decision-making.

Drop off points are located at World of Yamaha, Linex Lynwood Yamaha and Linex Randburg Yamaha.

Yamaha SA is excited to be lending a helpful hand in empowering the youth of South Africa.

Washing a motorcycle can be a real pain, but it bears riding a dirty bike. To keep my bike clean for longer, without taking up too much time and effort, I use a trio of Motul products. Part of Motul’s MC Care range, they’re called Moto Wash, Wash & Wax, and Shine & Go.

These three bottles are literally all I need to keep my bike smiling from the outside, and I’ve been using them as a combo to achieve a longer-lasting shine.

If you’d like to do the same, here’s how…

Start with Moto Wash—a powerful biodegradable degreaser for the entire motorcycle. Spray it onto the bike, let it soak for a few minutes, and then spray it off with some water. Make sure you spray it on thick enough—as I do on my engine covers to get rid of anti-freeze splatter and other debris. The degreaser really does work a treat, and once rinsed off with water it dries without streaking and leaves a corrosion-resistant film to protect the paint.

Once you’ve dried the bike off, give it a good old spray with Motul’s Wash & Wax. The best part is that you don’t need a bucket of water, so you can use Wash & Wax anywhere. All you need is two microfibre cloths, a shaded-off area and Wash & Wax. ‘W&W’ cleans and shines up all surfaces in-depth, leaving a protective wax film for extended effectiveness.

Shine & Go is essentially a travel companion, or what you spray onto your bike after a short ride to keep it in tip-top shape. Yes, it’s not a habit just anyone can form, but boy is it better than cracking out the soapy stuff at the end of the week. It too has a clever formula that helps revive the colours of your motorcycle’s plastic surfaces, like fairings, paint, fenders, and mirrors—leaving a long-lasting non-sticky protective film.

So, there you have it! Wash it, wax it and keep it shiny with three simple motorcycle care products from Motul.

MOTO WASH:

Moto Wash is what you use to get it all started, it’s a powerful biodegradable degreaser for the entire motorcycle and leaves a corrosion-resistant film to protect the paint and metallic components parts.

WASH & WAX SPRAY:

There is no bucket of water needed when using Wash & Wax Spray and therefore you can use it anywhere, all you need is two microfibre cloths and a shaded-off area. Wash & Wax Spray is a dry cleaner that cleans and shines up all surfaces in-depth leaving a protective wax film for extended effectiveness.

SHINE & GO:

Using Motul’s Shine & Go, will make cleaning and polishing your bike quicker and enjoyable, as you see a new sheen start to appear—Motul is here to keep your rides shiny side up. Its clever formula revives the colours of motorcycle plastic surfaces: fairings, paint, fenders, and mirrors—leaving a long-lasting non-sticky protective film.

Now, we haven’t seen that for a long time – one rider disappearing into the distance at the beginning of the race and winning by over six seconds – and it doesn’t bode well for the rest of the riders on the grid in the remaining races.

The fact that it was Quartararo surprised some until it was remembered that he is the master of his machine right now and, in clear air, he’s well-nigh unbeatable. With the ultra-high track temperatures over the weekend of the Catalunya race, the Yamaha’s front tyre was going to suffer mightily if it was stuck behind another bike and Quartararo would have been powerless to do anything about it. He made sure he wasn’t and that was it as far as the race for the victory was concerned.

There are shades of Lorenzo about Quartararo’s performances right now: given the space to do as he pleases, he just crushes the opposition. It might not make for good racing but it’s clinical and effective as hell.

Another factor is Quartararo’s new mental attitude. He doesn’t get riled or impatient, just waits for the odds to turn in his favour. At the beginning of the season, he knew there would be tracks that suited the Yamaha and tracks where he would be compromised and, rather than throwing his toys out of the cot when things aren’t going his way, he makes the best of the situation and gathers points until such time as he can take control again.

Such mental fortitude is going to be difficult for his rivals to break down. In addition, the confirmation of Yamaha’s belief in him by signing a new two-year contract, with promises of engine development to counter the top speed attacks of the Ducatis, must make grim reading for the rest of the paddock given his superiority right now on a compromised Yamaha. Four titles in a row on the Yamaha doesn’t seem like too much of a problem all of a sudden.

Quartararo’s cause was helped by the mistakes of his closest rivals. Bagnaia’s exit wasn’t his own fault but it has certainly hurt his championship hopes: a 56 point deficit will be extremely difficult to overhaul. Even should Bagnaia win every remaining round, all Quartararo has to do is finish on the podium behind the Ducati and there’s nothing Bagnaia can do about it.

Quartararo’s saving grace in Catalunya was getting a good start and having the balls to risk everything by out-braking Bagnaia and Espargaro into the first turn. If he hadn’t done that, then he might have been the unwitting target for Nakagami’s wayward LCR Honda. Instead, Bagnaia was skittled out and Quartararo’s biggest race rival was gone.

And then there’s Espargaro! If proof were needed that these guys are human, then Aleix demonstrated it perfectly. Instead of relying on his pit board, which was difficult to see given the Aprilia’s garage position close to the exit of the last corner, when the riders are slightly pre-occupied making sure they get the best drive onto the straight to look to their right and search for the pit board, he was using the digital tower that gives race positions and laps left to run for the spectators.

The only problem with that is that, while his pit board would say L1 for the last lap, the tower says L0 for the last lap. Espargaro forgot this and read L1 on the tower as the last lap. As he crossed the line, he was already congratulating himself on a job well done – yet another podium – only for that euphoria to turn to dismay a few seconds later as he realised his mistake and got back on the gas to finish fifth and give away more points than he could afford to Quartararo in the championship. Titles have been won by much less than the nine points difference between second and fifth and Espargaro will have only himself to blame if he loses the title to Quartararo by a point or two.

Mistakes such as this are uncommon – usually, the result of a mistake is a crash – but not unknown and, at least, it does show us that these supermen are at least human.

The beneficiaries of Espargaro’s mistake – apart from Quartararo – were the Ducatis of Martin and Zarco, who had refused to give Espargaro an easy time of it all through the race and reaped the rewards at the end. Martin has had a torrid time of it in 2022, his second place in Argentina notwithstanding. Crashing in five out of nine races is not the way to build a championship-winning campaign but perhaps that is all behind him as he reverted to 2021-spec Öhlins forks which he much prefers over the 2022-spec units. They just suit his riding style much better and a happy rider is a fast rider.

Enea Bastianini had a disastrous race, crashing out for the second race in a row, scoring no points while Quartararo has added 45 to his tally. The crash might not have been Bastianini’s fault – track temperatures were making it difficult for everyone and, at one point, it seemed as if there might not be that many finishers as riders were flying through the gravel all over the place – but that is not the consistency that wins championships.

Bastianini’s three wins so far might be one more than Quartararo, but Fabio has three second places as well, while Bastianini has no other podium finishes. See what I mean about Quartararo making the most of the days when he knows he can’t win?

What also makes Quartararo’s results so incredible is the fact that the other Yamaha’s are so far behind: Darryn Binder was again best of the rest in a creditable 12th, with poor old Morbidelli behind in 13th, while Dovizioso failed to finish. Never before has Yamaha had such a poor-performing supporting cast for its star rider: indeed, often the supporting cast member has fought tooth and nail with the number one rider and beaten him – Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, anyone?

Darryn Binder’s performances are doing his MotoGP prospects no harm, of course, but that doesn’t solve the problem of where he might slot in next year. We touched on the silly season last time but it is still in full swing.

Since last weekend, not only has Quartararo inked a new two-year deal with Yamaha but the rumour mill has Jack Miller tucking a two-year KTM contract into his back pocket, signed and sealed. There’s been no official word as yet but that doesn’t mean there’s not a grain of truth in the rumour. Miller is clearly on the way out of the factory Ducati team and so is Oliveira from the factory KTM team and while Oliveira is certainly not taking Miller’s seat –  that will go to Bastiannini or Martin – signing Miller would be a bonus for KTM.

With Suzuki on the way out, both Mir and Rins are looking to make big impressions on the other teams to ensure a seat in 2023, which makes it all the more galling for Rins who was the second rider to be skittled out by Nakagami. However, while Bagnaia and Nakagami walked away undamaged, Rins broke his wrist, putting his participation in the next races in doubt: not what he needed.

Mir, on the other hand, did his prospects no harm by finishing a strong fourth after starting seventeenth. Yes, he was helped by riders falling out ahead of him but that doesn’t take away from his race pace: if only he can qualify better.

Similarly, Brad Binder needs to get on top of his qualifying performance if he is to take advantage of his race pace, which saw him finish in eighth after starting fifteenth. The drop-off of lap times in the race compared to his qualifying pace is less than the other riders but that’s not much help if he is left with too much work to do during the race. Only his good start helped him to his finishing position: imagine what he could do if he qualified in the top ten.

Marc Marquez has had surgery on his right arm for the fourth time and the doctors proclaimed the procedure a success but that doesn’t answer when Marquez will be back to racing. If the last two years have taught him anything, it is to not rush rehabilitation. If he wants his career to continue into 2023, the best thing he can do is to do nothing before he is fully fit and ready. No Marquez on the grid is a huge loss but let’s rather have a fully fit and dangerous Marquez than a shadow of his former self.

It’s ironic that the next race is the Sachsenring which has been the sole preserve of Marquez for so many years. 2022 will finally see a different rider on the top step after eleven years of Marquez’s domination at the circuit. In current form, it is difficult to see anyone other than Quartararo picking up the mantle.

Postscript: as we were going to press with this article, the confirmation came through that Jack Miller has signed a two year deal with the factory KTM team to ride alongside Brad Binder in 2023 and 2024. No news on where Miguel Oliveira will ride, but a move to either LCR Honda or taking the place of factory Ducati-bound Enea Bastianini at Gresini Ducati are the most likely options.

What is it about the Italians? They make cars and motorcycles that look as though they’re going 100mph when they are standing still, as well as being fast when it matters. Another thing they are rather good at is making race tracks that not only look fast but are, in reality, bloody fast as well.

It gets rather boring when people go on and on about the speeds down the main straight at Mugello. Yes, it’s fast; the fastest on the calendar, but look at the rest of the track. Get over the obsession with top speed and look at average speed: look at the on-board footage: look at the helicopter footage: it just looks insanely fast. It’s one of the few tracks where you watch and hold up your hands and honestly say: there is no way I could do that!

I’m not saying I could do it at any other track, either, but Mugello is so fast and flowing and obviously requires balls the size of steel footballs. It’s poetry in motion and the distillation of everything that’s great about MotoGP.

For so many years, Mugello was synonymous with a certain V. Rossi: nine victories including seven in a row from 2002 to 2008 – no one else got a look in. Even now, in 2022, with the Doctor no longer racing, he made his mark via the VR46 Mooney team and riders Bezzecchi and Marini. While it was clear that Ducati would be front runners, given their top speed advantage, I’m sure there weren’t many who had either of the VR46 riders up at the sharp end. And yet, there they were second and third on the grid, with another satellite Ducati – the Gresini bike of DiGiannantonio on pole. Not only that, but Bezzecchi led the race for a few laps at the start, before finally fading to fifth at the finish. Not bad for a new team and rookie rider, continuing the Rossi/Mugello love affair.

Ducatis took the first five places on the grid and six places in the top ten, which will have made the other manufacturers blink! One factory Honda, one factory Aprilia and one factory Yamaha, plus one LCR Honda in the top ten on the grid didn’t bode well for the non-Ducati contingent.

Brad Binder also shone in qualifying. Taking a gamble on slicks when the rest of the field was on wets, he looked to have timed it perfectly as he set a time three seconds faster than anyone else in Q1. Had it rained right then, he would be through to Q2 but other riders had time to get laps in on slicks and Binder ended up 16th on the grid, having hit a wall in terms of lap times.

He then produced one of the rides of the season as he made up seven places at the beginning, eventually finishing the race in seventh after Bastianini’s late-race crash. That was impressive but not as impressive as his lap times late in the race, which were as good as anyone’s. That was much more than the KTM was worth so the performance came from within himself and yet again, we were left to wonder how he would have faired in the race had he been able to qualify better.

With the news that the RNF Yamaha team would be switching to Aprilia machinery for 2023, Darryn Binder’s place at the MotoGP table is looking shaky, even if no decision on riders has been made as yet. A move back to Moto2 could be on the cards but he did his MotoGP prospects no harm at all by being the second Yamaha home, albeit in 16th. The important thing to note, however, is that he was ahead of factory Yamaha rider Franco Morbidelli, while Andrea Dovizioso continues to play the role of loneliest man in the pit lane as he struggles to get anywhere on the Yamaha. Will we see him on the grid next year? Right now, it seems doubtful: if he has no chance of doing well, then he has no motivation and it’s easy to see his point.

As it was, Fabio Quartararo once again showed his skill by dragging the Yamaha up into second in the race and, while he didn’t really look as if he could challenge Bagnaia at the front, neither did he let the Ducati man off the hook for one second. Bagnaia is getting used to soaking up pressure from Quartararo and, it has to be said, does it extremely well. Yes, he crashed out at Le Mans while fighting for the lead (not due to pressure from Quartararo) but, at that point, the only pressure was from within himself. Against the top speed of the Ducati at Mugello, even the sweeter-handling Yamaha couldn’t make an impression and the second half of the race was a little processional, if not without tension.

As usual, the biggest stories from the weekend came from off the track. We are right in the middle of the silly season, where riders jockey for position in 2023. We’ve spoken about this often before but there is always something new to report on.

The strongest rumour that circulated at Mugello was the possibility of Jack Miller taking Miguel Oliveira’s seat at KTM, alongside Brad Binder. Not sure that anyone saw that coming. If not on the factory Ducati, everyone assumed Miller would be demoted to one of the satellite Ducatis, which Miller himself said he would be happy about as long as he was still on the grid, doing what he loves best.

But the potential KTM move is a real curveball. Is it Miller clutching at straws? Let’s face it, the Ducatis, whether factory or satellite, are looking insanely strong this year and it would be a brave man who turned his back on the manufacturer. Mind you, the KTM ride would be a factory ride and that is what all riders value over anything else. Whether the bike is capable of winning or challenging for the win consistently is another matter. Brad might have a long-term contract but surely even his patience will wear thin as he squanders away his best years on a bike that, at best, is inconsistent.

Just like Quartararo, however, Binder is out-performing his machine this year, something that will not be going unnoticed in the paddock, but will there be any space for him in another team after his KTM contract runs out at the end of 2024?

The fact that Miller is connected with KTM means that Oliveira’s situation is tenuous, despite being the most recent winner for the Austrian manufacturer. He has allegedly been offered a contract for 2023 but that seat might be at Tech3, which is running the satellite KTM RC16s. Oliveira has indicated that he’s not interested in that but where else he might go is not clear yet. The fact that he could move to Tech3 means that either Gardner or Fernandez could be out of a ride in 2023.

Also being suggested for the second factory KTM seat are Alex Rins and Pol Espargaro, who have no seat and potentially no seat respectively for 2023. Of the two Suzuki riders, Mir is strongly rumoured to go to Repsol Honda, while Rins is still unconfirmed. What a position for KTM to be in, with three top riders available. How would you choose?

Aprilia nailed its colours to the mast before the weekend by announcing no rider change for 2023, so that issue is settled. Yamaha would be mad to lose Quartararo, even if there was anywhere else for him to go, and Morbidelli is under contract for 2023, but will they honour that contract in the face of dire performances in 2022, admittedly not all his fault? With RNF changing to Aprilia for 2023, there is no satellite team for Yamaha to move Morbidelli sideways to, so, were he to lose his seat, where could he go?

Then, when all the dust of qualifying had settled, Marc Marquez dropped the bombshell that he is taking time out of racing to have a fourth operation on his right arm to once and for all attempt to sort out the problems caused by his 2020 Jerez crash from which he is still suffering.

How long he will be absent for is anyone’s guess. Not even the surgeons who will perform the operation in the U.S. can give any indication when he will be able to return.

Of course, the big question is, will he return? Or, more accurately, will he be able to return? Love him or hate him, a fit and strong Marquez is incredible to watch and to have him fighting at the front alongside Quartararo, Bagnaia and A.Espargaro would be something to witness. For his career to fizzle out like this would not be the way he would want it to end but would also rob us of more opportunities to watch the pre-eminent rider of the 2010s.

Of course, every career has to come to an end but you want it to be on the rider’s terms, not through outside influences. It was a measure of how the other riders felt that all of them shook his hand on the cooling down lap and Quartararo especially tweeted his support for the Spaniard. You are only as good as the riders you beat and, whilst once it was Rossi who had the target on his back, for a long time now it has been Marquez. No rider wants to miss the chance to beat him fair and square in a head-to-head fight before he hangs up his leathers. Let’s hope the surgery goes well.

Having started by saying we should ignore the top speed headlines at Mugello in favour of looking at the whole lap, it is hard to avoid the fact that a new top speed record was set at the Italian GP.

Jorge Martin (on a Ducati, obviously…!) was clocked at a frankly mind-boggling 226.2mph (363.8km/h) on the pit straight. Yes, he benefitted from being in the slipstream of another rider but, still! Balls of steel, remember?

Fire It Up! has a new offering that is changing the way you can sell your bike. More accurately, it is changing the sale and commission structure to the customers’ advantage.

Normally when selling your motorcycle to stores that send a buyer, evaluator or broker to evaluate your motorcycle and fix a price, the evaluator/buyer/broker is paid a commission by the dealer for negotiating the best price on behalf of that dealer or store. With Fire It Up’s new offering customers are paid the commission instead!

How does it work?

Well, it’s easy: sell your motorcycle to any Fire It Up! store and they will pay you for your motorcycle. When your motorcycle sells they will pay you as much as 20% commission!

Of course, there must be a catch!

Well, there isn’t: no catch at all! Just apply on their site and bring your motorcycle past a Fire It Up! store for a free evaluation. They’ll purchase your motorcycle and once it’s sold they’ll pay you the commission!

If it seems too good to be true, then you are invited to contact any Fire It Up! store for more details.

After setup on Thursday afternoon in beautiful sunshine, was it possible that the weather apps could be correct with the predicted temperature and rainfall? But, as the King Price Xtreme Honda team woke up on Friday morning, it was obvious that the apps were indeed correct. Both Leungo Gaorekwe and Clint Seller were only able to complete one practice session each on Friday morning.

The team decided to sit out the wet sessions to avoid risking the riders and bikes for the rest of the day. Saturday morning brought a few promising rays of sunshine and both Clint and Leungo were excited about the day on the famous MotoGP track.

Leungo’s 600cc Supersport class managed to get out and complete a few laps before the clouds closed in. This at least allowed the young rider to post the second-fastest time during qualifying. Unfortunately, Clint wasn’t so lucky. A small delay in getting him out meant he missed the first 2 minutes of the session and that meant he hit the track right as the rain started to fall. He still managed to do one flying lap which put him in fourth place on the grid.

Race 1 in the Supersport class saw Leungo immediately securing second place off the line. He put his head down to stay with the leader and, in the process, he managed his fastest time yet at Phakisa. However, due to the lack of setup time on the bike, he smoked his rear tyre which resulted in him being forced to bring his CBR600 home safe in third position.

As always, Clint got off the line on his Honda Fireblade in the Superbike race as quickly as humanly possible, putting him straight into the second position. A bold overtake saw him lead over the line on his King Price Xtreme Honda.

Clint maintained a strong pace to pull out a 4-second lead going into the last lap. However, he lost the gap and only managed to win by 0.035 seconds. The team later learned from Clint that he was running out of fuel and had to rely on all his tricks and experience just to get the bike over the line.

As the teams started getting the bikes ready for the second heat, the heavens opened and completely soaked the track. With the storm came powerful lightning all around the racetrack. For safety reasons, the marshals and the series members made the tough choice to cancel the rest of the day’s races in the name of safety for both riders and marshals.

The team was disappointed but also happy with their performances. Even with the challenging weather, they still managed to walk away as championship leaders in both classes.

A massive thank you to our awesome sponsors: King Price Xtreme, Honda SA, Dragon Energy, Liqui Moly, Super Signs, NGK Spark Plugs, Le Grandt Kitchens, Roy Gardner, Shark Helmets, Akrapovic, and Mass Sports Suits.

See you in Port Elizabeth on 25 June!

Kawasaki Racing enjoyed yet another great day of Gauteng GXCC Cross Country racing to return from Radium clutching the silverware of a couple of class wins and podiums galore on Saturday. Pepson Plastics Kawasaki racing with Scottish Cables, Michelin and Motul pair Jaycee Nienaber took the open class 450cc OR1 win, while Kenny Gilbert won again in Seniors. 250cc OR3 teammate Taki Bogiages was second from John Botha in 250cc OR3 and Jaden Els third in 85cc Juniors.

“Fast pits, a good mindset and a monster of a bike set me up for the class win,” Jaycee Nienaber explained. “I pushed hard throughout and was able to keep my pace until the chequered flag flew after four laps of racing. “It feels so good to have the number one podium step under my feet again. “Radium was tough and dusty, but very well organised and safe, so I felt confident and determined to bring home the win on my Pepson Plastics Kawasaki KX 450X!”

Kenny Gilbert appears to be the winning standard in Senior class South African Cross Country racing and Saturday was no exception at Radium as the multiple former champion eased to yet another win. “Radium was very sandy, which made it fun and safe to ride my KX 450 X,” Kenny pointed out. “The GXCC team put on an amazing event and it was great to race in the beautiful terrain we have around Gauteng. “I’m having so much fun racing with Pepson Plastics Kawasaki!”

Saturday was a case of so near, yet so far for Taki Bogiages as he raced to second on his Pepson Plastics Kawasaki KX 250 X. “Radium was good. “I grabbed the lead early on, but picked up a minor issue that dropped me back to fourth. “My team helped sort it in the pits and I was soon racing again and pushed hard back to second in OR3. “So a big thank you to my team and everyone who helped get me back out on track. “This was another great step in the right direction!”

For the rest, John Botha rode his Franchise Co. Tork Craft Kawasaki KX 250 X home third to make it a double podium for Kawasaki in OR3, and Jaden Els was third in 85 cc Juniors. Radium GXCC frontrunner Mike Pentecost, who was unbeatable on his OR1 Franchise Co. Tork Craft Kawasaki KX 450 X so far in the GXCC season, had a Radium to forget when he retired from the lead with a minor mechanical issue.

“That was a brilliant weekend,” Pepson Plastics Kawasaki racing with Scottish Cables, Michelin and Motul team boss Iain Pepper concluded. Pepper also celebrated his racing return in the Veteran class on the weekend he became a grandpa. “My team stared at radium to make it a great one all round. “Well done lads. Onward and upward from here!”

Team Green heads to Carletonville for the next round of the Trademore SA Cross Country Nationals on 9 July. The next GXCC round is on 13 August.

It’s been a long wait but the new Triumph Tiger 1200 has arrived and it looks as if the wait has been very much worth it. While we have yet to ride it, we were able to take a close look at the official unveiling at Triumph Johannesburg and, if first impressions are important, then Triumph has got it absolutely spot on.

The new model has shaved 25kg off the previous Tiger 1200 but, quite apart from that, it looks a lot lighter. Even a 30-litre tank on the Explorer models (20-litre tanks on the GT Pro and Rally Pro) fails to translate to more visual bulk and, overall, it looks much less intimidating than its German rival.

Why single out the BMW as a rival? Well, that’s exactly what Triumph is doing. With the Tiger 1200 being shaft driven, that puts it in direct competition with the BMW R 1250 GS and much is made of the differences in power, weight, electronics and, perhaps more importantly, price.

With the GS sitting at the top of the sales table, it is a brave manufacturer who decides to go head-to-head with the BMW but that is exactly what Triumph is doing and, on paper, at least, it has succeeded.

The engine in the Tiger 1200 now follows Tiger 900 practice in having a 1, 3, 2 firing order for its three-cylinder engine, giving the best of both worlds – low down torque and a howling red line. 150bhp is the result, which comfortably outguns the BMW’s 136bhp. The Tiger 1200 is 16kg lighter than the GS and, as mentioned, looks a lot leaner.

Triumph South Africa will be bringing in four out of the five models available, experience showing that base models rarely sell well here. The models available are the GT Pro, GT Explorer, Rally Pro and Rally Explorer. The missing model is the 1200 GT. The Explorer models have the larger petrol tank, while the GT models come with 19/18-inch front/rear wheels and have 7.9-inches of suspension travel. The Rally models come with 21/18-inch wheels front/rear and have 8.7-inches of suspension travel.

The frame and subframe are all-new and of modular construction, which should pay dividends in the event of a crash; the subframe and pillion foot peg hangers can now be replaced without disturbing the main frame which will be a lot less expensive. The Tiger 1200 is noticeably slim, especially around the seating area, making it a lot easier to get feet on the ground if the rider is of shorter stature.

The seat has two height positions – manually adjustable – and rider comfort has been a focus, with the twin radiators being carefully shrouded to direct hot air away from the rider. The screen is manually adjustable for height.

Showa semi-active suspension is standard across the board, as is a two-way quick shifter and the rest of the electronics package is extremely comprehensive. All the rider modes can now be customised, allowing riders to set the bike up with their preferred options. Off-Road and Off-Road Pro modes allow riders to use the off-road-specific traction control and ABS, or to switch them off completely.

One novelty of the electronic suspension is titled ‘Launch and Land’, which could be something to do with space travel but is not quite so exciting, if still useful. Should you take to the air over a jump, the bike senses this and stiffens the suspension to avoid bottoming when landing.

Triumph has chosen to forego radar-controlled cruise control (cruise control is fitted) but has gone for a rear-facing blind-spot radar, with a warning flashing up via LEDs in the rear view mirrors.

A feature of the rear suspension is the Tri-Link swing arm. Previous Tiger 1200s had a single-sided swing arm, housing the drive shaft. The new Tiger 1200 has the most interesting design we’ve seen for a long time. The right-hand side of the swing arm comprises a short arm, that ends well before the rear wheel spindle. There is then a triangular casting that attaches to the arm, the wheel spindle and the parallel link running from the top of the casting forward to the swing arm pivot. Doing this has enabled Triumph to make the drive shaft and housing a lot slimmer and lighter while making the whole a lot stiffer.

The new Tiger 1200 models are keenly priced: the GT Pro is R285,000, the Rally Pro, is R305,000. The GT Explorer is R315,000 and the Rally Explorer is R335,000.

The new Tiger 1200 models are extremely important for Triumph, given the size of the adventure market around the world. At first glance, Triumph has done what it is traditionally so good at: making the next generation of a model infinitely better than the outgoing model.

The new Tigers are available to view at Triumph Johannesburg and Triumph Pretoria and, from next week, at Triumph Cape Town. Once the homologation is complete, which is estimated to take a couple of weeks, there will be demo models available to ride and, of course, buy!

In the rush of modern life, it’s easy to forget that riding a motorcycle should be an occasion. We have made a conscious decision to ride a bike rather than follow the herd and climb into a car for every journey and that is something to celebrate every time we swing a leg over our ride of choice.

It is an irony of riding that, even though it is a solo pursuit (for the large part), there is often nothing better than riding with a group of like-minded people. Somehow that forces us to recognise the occasion more: riding amongst a bunch of different bikes prompts us to reflect on the diversity of design and purpose and the diversity of riders and brings home the sense of community that is such a strong part of riding.

Since 2012, The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) has brought together the motorcycling community in order to raise both awareness of and money for men’s mental and physical health. In the intervening years, millions of dollars have been raised and subjects that were previously hidden under the surface have been brought out into the open, enabling more men to talk about and deal with personal mental and health problems.

This has been achieved through the simple expedient of providing a fun and stylish environment for people to gather and ride their bikes together. A mass ride is one thing – and spectacular to be a part of – but the genius twist of the DGR is to get everyone to really make an effort and dress up. It doesn’t matter if it’s your best three-piece suit or fancy dress, the process of making the effort somehow makes the message stick in the mind. Simply jumping on your bike in your regular riding gear would not have been half as effective.

One would have thought that late spring in Gauteng would provide the perfect weather for a day out with friends, on bikes. As we are all only too aware, however, this summer hasn’t blessed us with stable weather patterns and, looking at the weather on Saturday (the ride is always on a Sunday) it was doubtful that anyone would turn up to the starting point at the Mall of Africa the following day, so foul was it: wet and freezing cold.

Whoever is in charge of the weather obviously rides a bike, however, as Sunday dawned bright and sunny and, whilst not exactly hot, at least it was warm and dry. It still wasn’t certain how many would believe what they were seeing as they opened their eyes on Sunday morning and peered out of the window, or how long it would last but, arriving at the start point, it was obvious that Gauteng motorcyclists are a hardy and optimistic bunch: there were literally hundreds of bikes and riders, all revelling in the sunshine and good company.

Going back to where this article started, it was important to me that the DGR should not simply be an occasion in terms of what clothes to wear, but also what bike to ride.

From the outset, the emphasis of the DGR has been on classic, ‘modern classic’, custom and simply ‘interesting’ bikes. Inevitably, a small element of modern machinery has crept in as not everyone has access to an appropriate ride. However, they all dressed up for the occasion—supporting what is a very important initiative.

Now, I could have happily attended on my old Vespa, had a great ride and gone home happy. But where is the occasion in that? After all the shit of the last two years, the DGR this year deserved something special – a real statement that no matter what has happened, there will always be a reason to smile and to bring a smile to other peoples’ faces.

Casting my mind back a bit, I recalled with pleasure the brief time I had spent on a fantastic custom bike built by Pat Draper of V-Customs in Centurion. To say it was a life-changing moment would be an understatement and I wondered if I would ever get the chance to ride it again.

With the thought that I might be overstepping the mark, I steeled myself and asked the owner, Paul, if he would be riding the bike himself on the DGR. As he is in Durban and the bike in Pretoria, the answer was no and, happily, the answer to my question was just what I wanted to hear: Captain America was mine for the ride!

Full black leather, open face helmet with shades and the most iconic Harley custom bike of all time in amongst 500 other beautiful bikes and their riders all riding for a good cause: now, that’s an occasion!

From the Mall of Africa, we meandered our way through Waterfall, Morningside, Sandton, Dunkeld, Rosebank, past Zoo Lake, across Empire Road and into town, over Mandela Bridge and to the midway point in Newtown.

From there, we thundered along Market Street right through the heart of the CBD, out through Kensington, Gillooleys, Sandringham, Greenstone and finally to Modderfontein and the Fourways Farmers Market. Coming through Sandringham, it started to rain and was freezing cold and it was difficult to look Peter Fonda-cool with a drip hanging off the end of my nose. The rain soon cleared, however, and, while the sun refused to make a reappearance, at least it stayed dry, if not too warm.

And so ended another DGR and the prospect of another twelve months of undistinguished riding stretches out ahead. Riding Captain America alongside 500 other dapper riders might not be an everyday possibility but that just serves to make the occasion when I was able to do just that all the more memorable.

Special thanks must go to the organisers of the Johannesburg DGR, the JMPD who did such a good job of marshalling the ride, global sponsors Triumph Motorcycles and Elf lubricants and all participants who entered fully and unreservedly into the spirit of the ride. It really was a special occasion.

It is possible to make donations to the DGR all year-round. For more details, visit: www.gentlemansride.com

No matter what bike you ride, enter “THE WORLD ADVENTURE WEEK” and be amongst the selected few who will get to live a once in a lifetime KTM experience. Pack your panniers and get set to hit the road starting July 4th, 2022.

KTM is proud to announce the world adventure week 2022 prizes to the six top finalists—they will get to live a unique riding experience, the KTM way. A selection of daily prizes are also up for grabs for the greatest adventurers, download the RISER app and make sure you register for the event now.

Spot a point on the map, get on your bike and go adventure. Back for 2022, the world adventure week is the perfect excuse to hit the open road alongside like-minded adventurers. The main challenge: is to complete 1,000 km or more in just a week’s riding.

To join, simply download the RISER app on Google Play or on App Store, accept THE WORLD ADVENTURE WEEK in the upcoming challenges section and start recording your daily rides.

THE WORLD ADVENTURE WEEK – Daily Challenges:

• July 4th: Complete a ride & share it using #theworldadventureweek
• July 5th: Ride through an altitude of 890 m
• July 6th: Visit a KTM dealer & post a picture on social media
• July 7th: Complete a total elevation gain of 1290 m
• July 8th: Get at least five rides tracked Monday to Friday
• July 9th: Ride 390 km in one go (+ or – 15 km)
• July 10th: Complete a Pack Ride with at least two friends

For 2022, KTM is proud to confirm a unique main prize for the most adventurous riders. All those riders who complete 1,000 km and at least three out of the seven daily challenges, will enter the draw to win a unique KTM experience.

The first five finalists drawn will win a VIP and all expenses paid invitation to join a pure KTM riding activity, where they will get to test the next generation of KTM adventure machinery in pure adventure conditions. The special event will take place in Europe during the second half of the year. A sixth and final spot will be given to the rider with the most significant number of kilometres completed during the week.

All riders who successfully complete 1,000 km or more during the week will receive a personalised award by KTM. For more information and the daily prizes, make sure you check theworldadventureweek.com.

Looking back at the recent idle Auto Fest, it’s clear that this event was a success – especially as it was the first major opportunity for motorsports enthusiasts and self-confessed petrolheads to celebrate their passion for all things automotive since the pandemic began.

The combination of free entry for members of the public, plus a whole range of fun and engaging competitions, meant that there truly was something for everyone at idle Auto Fest. In many ways, this was the event that the SA automotive community had been waiting for – and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

Despite the unusually cold and wet weather, a good-sized crowd descended on the Mall of Africa in Waterfall City, Johannesburg on each of the two days of idle Auto Fest to live and breathe (and see and hear) the automotive culture lifestyle and take part in fierce but friendly competitions for the prizes on offer.

The opportunity to see many of South Africa’s most impressive, customised vehicles in one venue was a major drawcard, as was the chance to shop for a wide range of products, parts and clothing.

This was the first time that owners and fans had been able to enjoy four simultaneous Show & Shine competitions, with exciting prizes on offer across classes that included Stance, Hot Rods, Muscle Cars, Classic Cars, Custom Bikes, Race Cars and more. It was clear from all the smiles just how much this event meant to the community as an opportunity to come together and enjoy the best of all things automotive.

“We’re delighted with the turnout for idle Auto Fest and thrilled at the feedback we’ve received from the public,” commented Alistair Andrew, Idle Brands CEO and Event Organiser. “It was a real privilege to be able to bring people so much joy, and to give local companies a welcome boost after a very tough couple of years for everyone,” he added.

Official lubricant partner Motul attracted a great deal of interest with their display of vintage and modern vehicles from their partners, including a customised 1972 Mini Rat Rod from One Nine Auto, a classic 1957 Chevrolet 4-door and a collectable vintage Harley Davidson from All American Muscle. In terms of more modern vehicles, the stand also featured Honda Motorcycle’s latest Africa Twin Adventure Bike and the new Fireblade, the XS Drift Motul Nissan 350Z car and one of the official VW Motorsport Polo Cup race cars.

These vehicles were perfectly complemented by the range of Motul products featured on the stand, including the latest iteration of the company’s flagship product, Motul 300V – their fully synthetic, best-in-class lubricant – and two new Motul Classic products: Classic Eighties 10W-40 and Classic Nineties 10W-30. These products perfectly illustrate Motul’s ongoing commitment to both innovation and to continuing to meet the needs of owners of classic cars from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s.

“The Motul team manning our retro-garage-themed stand greatly enjoyed meeting all the automotive fans who came along to idle Auto Fest. We were delighted to have this opportunity to answer their questions about the best products for their particular vehicles, as well as to introduce some of Motul’s latest innovations,” reported Mercia Jansen, Motul Area Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. “We were also honoured to be awarded Best Stand of the event – something our entire team can be proud of,” she added.

To relive our best moments of this year’s idle Auto Fest, visit the Motul SA Facebook and Instagram pages.

For more information about Motul’s range of premium engine oils and additives, all engineered to deliver optimum performance from both custom and standard vehicles, visit www.motul.com or download the Motul App for Apple or Android.

Who out there has found the perfect product – be it apparel, or something for the bike – only to look at the price tag and turn slightly pale with shock? The days of bargains are seemingly over…or are they?

We all love a bargain: that moment when you realise that something is within your price range and you’re not just buying it because it’s cheap but because luck has put you in the right place at the right time to buy the right product at the right price.

And right now, that place is your local Yamaha dealer in Gauteng. Linex Yamaha Lynnwood, Linex Yamaha Randburg and World Of Yamaha in Marlboro are having a huge sale on a range of accessories and apparel across various brands, as well as on selected ‘Bike and Boat of the Week’ models.

The bLU tag sale runs from Wednesday 18th May until stocks run out which, given some of the bargains on offer, won’t be very long at all. Certain special offers will be launched periodically. With the sale being applicable to in-store and online, there is no excuse to miss out.

Head to the following newly launched dealership e-commerce websites to find out more:

Linex Yamaha Lynnwood: www.linexyamahalynnwood.co.za
Linex Yamaha Randburg: www.linexyamaharandburg.co.za
World of Yamaha: www.worldofyamaha.co.za

The cold and damp third round of the National Cross Country Championship did little to slow a storming Brad Cox, back from a break after missing round 2 due to a knee injury. Cox who won the opening round was back to his old self and put in a sterling performance in OR1 taking the overall win on the day on what was described as one of the toughest and longest routes in a good while.

“Today was one of those days where you never give up until you see the flag, that last lap I just went all in and managed to catch and pass Kerim again” Cox beamed after the event. “this was just incredible, the disappointment with my knee and coming back like this after missing a round my emotions at the finish were very visible!” He added. “The track was the roughest route I ever did in a cross country, I’m over the moon taking the win here,” he said adding that he will be heading off to Spain for some Rally Racing during the short break between rounds.

What made the performance stand out, even more, was the effort from the mechanical team who managed to completely swop front suspension during decontrol. “We made it by 15seconds in decontrol and big thanks to our team in the pits for helping me take the win in the end” Cox mused.

Gunning his way through OR2 was Kerim Fitzgerald who nearly stole the show after claiming P1 in the time trial and also leading the overall on the day after a good battle with Cox to eventually finish in 2nd overall. Team manager Louwrens Mahoney said he felt the sand track might have suited Fitzgerald going into the event due to his background in MX which proved to be almost prophetic in the end.

Teammate Scott Heygate finished in 4th overall and 3rd in the OR2 class saying “that sure was five long laps and it got really rough out there”. He went on to say “I’m happy with my result both personally and for the team, it was a real team effort out there getting me through the tough and cold conditions”

Young Matthew Wilson kept it clean and made sure he brought the bike home to finish second in the OR3 class consolidating his championship lead. “I’m happy to take the championship lead into the next round after a really hard day out on the bike today” he commented clearly drained from a big effort.

Louwrens Mahoney adds “This was a great weekend of racing for us, all our planning and preparations really paid off well and I would like to say a big well done to our riders, Kevin and everyone involved, I am truly thankful and proud of everyone in the team!”

I am always fascinated by how history shapes companies. Take Vespa for instance. Were it not for the Second World War, the Piaggio company would probably still be making planes and trains. The Second World War crippled Italy and they were even forbidden from developing any military technology 10 years after the war ended.

So, if you were Enrico Piaggio, and your business, and most roads around it, were flattened by Allied forces, what do you do? You make a motorcycle, of course! You have enough scrap metal laying around and even some of the landing gear from Mussolini’s aircraft. On top of that, you have a surplus of engineers who can no longer work on military applications.

The designer of the original Vespa was Corradino D’Ascanio. He was an aeronautical engineer and hated motorcycles as he claimed they were bulky and dirty. Although he based his design on the American Cushman military scooter, he enclosed everything in sleek bodywork, probably so that he does not get dirt and oil on himself. He even did away with a drive chain, mounting the transmission directly to the rear wheel. This man’s obsession with cleanliness was the birth of an iconic shape. All it needed now was a name.

Up to this point, it was simply named “Moto Piaggio 6”. When Enrico Piaggio saw the design from above for the first time, the name came to him. The round, pointy rear, connected with the narrow waist and the handlebars that resembled antennae. Piaggio said that it looked like a wasp, or Vespa in Italian. So, from 1946, Piaggio started making Vespas and with their production know-how, they could mass produce their motorcycles. Sales skyrocketed and in 1950, they sold 60000 of them.

Fast forward to today, and the basic design of the Vespa has remained largely unchanged. I am not ashamed to say that I love the practicality of a scooter, but the Vespa was the one scooter that has eluded me. Fortunately, through a chance meeting with Clinton Lehman, who owns Clint’s Scoots in Centurion, I was able to get a Vespa GTS 300 HPE for a weekend. What is more, Clint invited me to attend their Friday breakfast run. Owning a Vespa becomes more than just a practical means of transport. It introduces you to a lifestyle that you can share with other Vespa owners.

Clint gave me a quick tour of the Vespa and its controls. The Vespa is simplicity itself. There are the normal controls you would find in your K53 manual and the only extra button had ASR on it. This is apparently some rudimentary form of traction control and I was advised to switch it off immediately. Apparently, it is rather intrusive. As with all scooters, there is generous storage under the seat and this particular model has a cubby in front of the rider as well. Both are lockable and the front cubby has a USB socket so you can charge your phone on the go.

The seat is quite spacious and tapers to the front. The foot well of the bike is quite wide, so if you are vertically challenged, the narrow seat will make getting your feet down easier. Keeping with the simplicity theme, the instrument cluster only displays the most basic information.

Because most of the Vespa still has metal body panels, the bike feels solid and well made. That also translates into a very smooth ride. The HPE pulls off with vigour and I doubt that you will easily lose a race with a cage between robots. As I turned onto the highway, the bike rapidly picked up speed and I hit the speed limit (120 km/h) in no time. Even for a 300, the Vespa does not go much faster than that, but it would keep up with most traffic situations.

It was not until the next morning that I really appreciated the Vespa. On my way to the breakfast meeting spot, there was an accident on the N1 and the traffic was severely backed up. I filtered through the traffic with a minimum of fuss. Not having to worry about gears and clutch, you can just concentrate on the road.

At breakfast, a total of 17 Vespas were in attendance. Along with two other first timers, we were introduced to everybody and we chatted about everything Vespa. I also met Bruno Gila, who looks like the type of guy I would like to follow to food. He hosts culinary tours that sound like a lot of fun.

The next day I took my wife out for breakfast and I must admit that she was not comfortable on the back of the bike. Also, the rear fold-out footpegs are set too far forward causing my wife’s feet to get in my way. But, as I learned the previous day, there is a very neat solution to the problem: just get her a Vespa too!

The thing is, on a Vespa, you take it easy and you enjoy the ride. SO, before you dismiss a scooter off the bat, go visit Clint’s Scoots and take one out for a test ride.

You might just come round!

The Northwest Kalahari is not supposed to be a cold place, but unseasonably chilly conditions did not prevent Kawasaki Racing from scoring a couple of wins and a number of podiums in the second round Trademore South African Cross Country race in the Northwest Province over the weekend.

Topping the successes, King Kenny Gilbert remains unbeaten in 2022 as he once again dominated the Seniors aboard his Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Kawasaki KX 450 X en route to ninth overall. Warrick van Schalkwyk made it a Kawasaki double victory in Masters aboard his Franchise Co. CIT KX 450 X. Fifth overall, Michael Pentecost meanwhile consolidated his open class OR1 championship advantage with second in OR1 on his Franchise Co. CIT Kawasaki KX 450 X.

Jaycee Nienaber made it three Kawasakis in the overall top ten and two green machines in the OR1 top three on his wildcard appearance on a Spherical Bearings KX 450 X. And on the other side of the age scale to Gilbert and van Schalkwyk, young Jake Pretorius rode his Pepson Motul Kawasaki to third in the baby 65s. Taki Bogiages’ Pepson Motul Kawasaki KX 250X ended fourth in OR3, while John Botha’s similar Franchise Co. CIT Kawasaki ended sixth in the quarter-litre class.

Kenny Gilbert was in crushing form as he dominated Seniors on his Kawasaki to ninth overall. “It was a cold and rainy weekend!” Kenny reported “I really enjoy Vryburg’s terrain. “It was 100% sand and the track was very safe and loads of fun, even though it became very rough and demanding to keep the pace high. “A huge thanks to Pepson Plastics Kawasaki for its efforts, sponsorship and passion for our sport, and to the organisers for another amazing event.”

Michael Pentecost was also happy with his result on a difficult day in the desert. “That was a great race “I had so much fun out there and another consistent ride to second in class and fifth overall, so I’m happy with that,” Mike admitted. “My team was on point, but our opposition outsmarted us by running sand tires, which gave them a little pace advantage that I just couldn’t match. “So well done to them and the organisers for a super fun track and a great weekend all round.”

Taki Bogiages was satisfied with his performance aboard his Pepson Plastics Motul Kawasaki KX 250X. “I ended fourth in the 250cc OR3 class yesterday, that was a solid one. “It was extremely cold, but the track was awesome and the racing was really good, but best of all I felt really good out there and my bike was absolutely awesome. “Thanks to the team for everything they do and to the organisers for a great event.”

“Two wins, five podiums and great progress in the various championships, we’ll take that!” Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Kawasaki Motul team boss Iain Pepper concluded. “Well done to our riders and the whole team on another great job.” Franchise Co. CIT team principal Harry Grobler added, “Now we head to Carletonville on 9 July, and that’s another round that should favour our team. “Bring it on!”

Husqvarna has released the new 2023 range of TC and FC MX bikes. New engines, suspension, frames, swing arms and bodywork enhance the on-track riding experience for all riders.

TC models are two-strokes and both the TC125 and TC250 have electronic fuel injection and electric start.

The four-stroke range comprises the 250, 350 and 450 models, in which the engines are all-new and repositioned in the frame for better weight distribution and improved balance.

WP XAct suspension is fitted front and rear and other top-line components include ProTaper handlebars, a Brembo hydraulic clutch and Dunlop tyres and different engine maps are accessible at the press of a button. A quick-shifter, traction control and launch control are fitted to all four-stroke models.

What is new for 2023:

• New bodywork with specifically tailored ergonomics for easier movement on the motorcycle
• New hydro-formed chromium-molybdenum frames significantly improve anti-squat behaviour
• New topology-optimised die-cast aluminium swingarm provides optimal rigidity and low weight
• New throttle body fuel injection on 2-stroke engines ensures class-leading power and rideability
• New FC 250 and FC 350 DOHC engines deliver class-leading torque and peak power
• New Quickshift sensor ensures seamless upshifting on all 4-stroke models
• New electric start on both 2-stroke models
• New aluminium-polyamide hybrid subframe construction provides specifically calculated rigidity and advanced durability
• New WP XACT 48 mm front forks with AER technology offer more progressive end-of-stroke damping
• New WP XACT rear shock design with CFD-optimised main piston and tool-free adjusters
• New multifunctional Map Select Switch also activates the Quickshifter, Traction, and Launch Control
• High-performance Brembo hydraulic clutch system
• Premium-quality ProTaper handlebars
• Electric start powered by a lightweight Li-Ion 2.0 Ah battery

Take A Closer Look…

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The 2023 Husqvarna MX range lifts the class to new levels of rideability and electronic sophistication. Contact your nearest Husqvarna dealer for more information here.

I recently did a 5,000 kay road trip courtesy of the Ducati Mystery Tour. When you are spending long days in the saddle on a Sports Tourer, you can be sure of one thing – bugs! Your head is in clean air supposedly, but as all who have travelled distance on a bike will tell you, especially in a warmer African climate, there is no shortage of flying beasties. Thinking about it, I could do a blog on the flying Kamikaze wildlife that has committed Harakiri on my visor over the millions of kays I’ve travelled across this magnificent land of ours! The worst was probably hordes of greasy flying ants, encountered on a ride back from Rhodesia, back in the day! The problem with bugs is how badly they impair your vision. What with potholes and other road detritus that we need to see and avoid these days, it is essential that we keep our visors clean.

It appals me to see what guys use to clean their visors. I have even seen spit and ‘witgoud’, I kid you not! (‘witgoud’, for the uninitiated, is bog roll, or toilet paper). I cannot comment on the effectiveness of gob as a cleaning agent, but I can tell you that paper is death to a visor. Made from wood, there are fine splinters which scour the face of your visor with devastating long term consequences. This means that you need to carry a microfibre cloth, or chamois with you, for your visor maintenance. As I have come to expect from Liqui Moly, they have come up with an ingenious and highly effective solution. In the one side pocket of my tank bag I have my 50 ml re-fillable Liqui Moly chain lube and in the other, the subject of this story.

Understanding the problem posed by dirty visors, Liqui Moly have come up with a fiendishly clever product. Enter the Liqui Moly Visor Clean Cloth Set. Bought by the box, you get a whole bunch of sachets (12 to be precise) which consist of two small packets joined by a serrated seam. In the left-hand envelope is your ‘wet’ cloth, joined to a ‘dry’ cloth. Very simply, you tear open the impregnated wet cloth, with which you wipe your visor and helmet.

The agents in the moisture remove bugs effortlessly. I find that the helmet and visor are perfectly clean after the wet application, however, Liqui Moly, being the perfectionist which they seem to be, gives you the dry cloth to polish everything to perfection. The sachets are a size that fits perfectly into a shirt or jacket pocket, which makes them a cinch to carry.

I found that on the Mystery Tour we often stopped where water wasn’t readily available and with over fifty bikes and riders, time was always of the essence. While my bike was being topped up with fuel, I would whip out a sachet, clean and polish my helmet, and be finished before the tank was full. Brilliant! The result was always riding with a clean and properly maintained visor and helmet, which kept riding safer and more enjoyable.

Given the cost of replacing visors which are marred and scratched, a little spend on properly caring for your visor is a no brainer. In poor light, or at night, when you have to contend with oncoming headlights, a clean visor is absolutely essential. I find that I can clean my helmet, visor, glasses and Irene’s visor, with one sachet. Bargain! I will never ride without a sachet or two in my jacket pocket. This is another bespoke solution from Liqui Moly which delivers more than it promises. You cannot ask more of any product.

Motorbike Visor Cleaner Cloth Set:

LIQUI MOLY Visor Cleaner Cloth...

R12.00 (RRP)

Brand: LIQUI MOLY

Pressure. The last two races have been all about pressure, in every sense of the word: pressure to retain your seat, pressure in the races and tyre pressure.

If there was a talking point after Jerez that wasn’t about Suzuki leaving the sport, then it was tyre pressures! A post-race document revealed that Bagnaia had run the whole race with a front tyre that was below the pressure stipulated in the rules – 1.9bar. With the properties of the Michelin front tyre, riders like to start with it too soft so that, when up to working temperature – especially if following another rider – it is not too hard.

Bagnaia running at the front in clean air thus caused his tyre to remain too soft for the whole race. He wasn’t the only one but, as the winner, he was more exposed than the rest who were undoubtedly also doing the same thing.

This brought miles of print from the media, although the riders themselves accepted that it had to happen because of the Michelin front tyre situation – basically, it doesn’t work! – and were pretty unfazed by the whole hoo-ha. After all, it is they who are putting their lives on the line riding the bikes so who are we to say what they should or shouldn’t do if it is within the rules….more or less. Things will be tightened up for 2023 but, for now, it’s a free-for-all.

The other pressure that is mounting, is the pressure to either retain – or find – a seat for 2023. With only four riders with contracts for 2023 – Brad Binder, Marquez, Bagnaia and Morbidelli – that is a lot of seats up for grabs, even if some riders are almost guaranteed to retain the seats they occupy in 2022. But the departure of Suzuki has really set the cat among the pigeons with the availability of two race- and championship-winning riders suddenly available. Imagine Yamaha or Honda leaving and suddenly you’ve got Marc Marquez or Fabio Quartararo available.

Of course, it is increasingly likely that the two grid slots left by Suzuki will be filled one way or another but the new team is hardly likely to be in the same league as Suzuki – a factory effort. At best, it will have current-year models, most likely from Aprilia or KTM and, while that might seem like a good idea, recent seasons have taught us that this year’s model isn’t necessarily the one to have! How many races has Gresini won on last year’s Ducati GP21? Now, how many races have the factory GP22 won? Exactly. Wasn’t it the same with the Tech3 Yamaha of a certain M. Quartararo in 2020?

There are a few riders who are likely to not be with the current team in 2023. Jack Miller is the most high-profile, Bastianini laying solid claim to the second factory Ducati on this year’s form to date. Jorge Martin was seen as a contender for that seat but five crashes out of seven races are not doing his prospects any good. It’s just unfortunate that the crash in Le Mans was not his fault – a problem with the nerves in his right hand are giving him no feeling whatsoever and when you’re trying to control 300+bhp with throttle and brake, you kind of need a bit of feeling.

Pol Espargaro’s seat at Repsol Honda is under threat from Joan Mir, even though all parties deny that anything has been signed. But why wouldn’t Honda want Mir, even if there aren’t too many in the paddock who can’t quite see how two world champions in the same team would work, especially when one of those world champions is Marc Marquez?

Franco Morbidelli might have a contract for 2023 but his recent dire form is not doing his prospects of that contract being honoured any good, especially with the likes of Alex Rins and – potentially – Pol Espargaro becoming available. Morbidelli could be moved sideways to the RNF Racing team, along with a chunk more factory support for the satellite team. Of course, that would mean sacking either Darryn Binder or Andrea Dovizioso: no-one said racing was fair!

You could think that Maverick Viñales isn’t terribly safe at Aprilia if you look solely at his results. But would any other rider be able to do any better? In Viñales, Aprilia have a seasoned race winner, so why would they want to change him for another – Rins or Mir – when there is no guarantee the RS-GP will be any more suited to them, and lose a year’s development with Viñales.

Racing riders or drivers always say that to perform well, your head has to be clear of any worries so you can concentrate fully on the job at hand. Worrying whether you have a seat next season surely has to weigh heavily on your mind and you can’t help but be distracted no matter how professional you are.

The third type of pressure was on the race track. Last time out in Jerez, Pecco Bagnaia soaked up enormous pressure from Fabio Quartararo and, despite knowing about the Yamaha’s front tyre temperature issues when following another bike, he couldn’t relax for a tenth of a second if he wasn’t to make a mistake and open the door for the grateful Frenchman.

In Le Mans, Bagnaia again soaked up pressure from first Miller, then Bastianini but this time, he cracked, although not before he had resisted the attack of Bastianini over the course of one frenetic lap. Down and out he went at the last turn and Bastianini was away, 2.7s to the good at the flag, Jack Miller second and Espargaro A. in third. He, too, had soaked up all the pressure Quartararo had put him under for the majority of the race but Espargaro hadn’t cracked and took his third consecutive podium, his fourth overall this year. Isn’t that just brilliant?

Alongside pressure in all its manifestations, the other talking point at le Mans was still the inability of one bike to follow another closely without it leading to disaster. Alex Rins gave a graphic demonstration of this while following Bagnaia into the blisteringly fast turn one.

“I braked at the exact same point as the lap before but in his slipstream,” said Rins. The slipstream meant he was travelling faster and the vacuum in which he was riding thanks to Bagnaia’s aero meant that his front brake just wasn’t as effective as it would have been if he had full airflow over his front wing.

He went through the gravel trap at 125mph – just as Zarco had done the day before – but Rins wasn’t so lucky, the bike kicking slightly sideways as he left the gravel and re-joined the track and that was it: he was down and out, thankfully without affecting anyone else’s race.

With this victory, Bastianini not only puts himself in pole position to take the second factory Ducati seat but the championship itself. Many commentators still cite Quartararo as being the title favourite, but he himself doesn’t see it that way:

“Enea is the only guy who’s won more than one race and he’s won three, so he’s the man right now,” said Quartararo. “He’s had some difficulties at some tracks but he’s consistent and when he has the pace he’s really fast, so I’m not the favourite by far.

“I don’t know what I can do, because I’m pushing myself to the limit, I’m on the limit everywhere. Even when I’m one centimetre behind these guys they accelerate and I lose one-tenth and to recover one-tenth you need to take a lot of risks. That’s why I don’t feel favourite.

“The only thing I can do is make no mistakes. If I make no mistakes I can be there, because almost every track we go to we are fast. I was fastest here on pace, but as soon as you make a small mistake you are gone.”

The change in Quartararo in recent months has been remarkable. He is managing to remain calm in spite of the problems with the Yamaha and this is translating itself to making the Yamaha perform as it should: that’s not coming from the bike – just look at Morbidelli and Dovizioso – but from himself and that is impressive. He knows the M1 won’t be good at every track so he is simply waiting for the odds to turn in his favour and not getting angry when they are turned against him. As Joan Mir showed in 2020, consistency is the key to winning a championship and, as long as Quartararo keeps racking up the points, he has to be seen as the title favourite, no matter what he says.

It’s always good to go to a new dealership, see how they’ve done things, meet the people involved and witness the passion and enthusiasm for the first time. Triumph Pretoria has been open for a few months now and, on the evidence seen with my own eyes, deserves to succeed.

The opening of new dealers in Pretoria and Cape Town points to a new era of prosperity for Triumph in South Africa. Of course, expansion always brings elements of risk but the Triumph range of motorcycles is ever-more comprehensive and convincing and an expanded footprint across the country can only open up new possibilities to fans of the venerable British manufacturer.

Triumph South Africa is making a concerted effort to arrange events for motorcyclists to participate in. None of the events are solely for Triumph riders: what is important is bringing the biking community of South Africa together to try new experiences, whether it’s track days or breakfast runs and every make of bike is welcome.

Triumph Pretoria recently organised an adventure ride, following railway tracks between Pretoria and Delmas, through some utterly lovely – and unknown to this rider – countryside.

Around twenty bikes and riders attended and I wish I could tell you exactly where we rode but when following a leader you don’t tend to really notice where you are going, just where you are, which is also a very pleasant way of going for a ride! We meandered around the countryside, following the railway lines, enjoying the scenery and the freedom that riding a bike gives.

Even if the rains had stayed away for a week or so, there were still plenty of muddy interruptions to the trail which caused trouble for some riders but, hey, half the fun of an adventure ride is the frequent stops to dig someone out of the mud, giving you time to take stock and a look around.

The pace was relaxed, the company friendly, the weather sunny and warm, the bike and rider muddy by the end of it. Perfection or what? With all the shit going on in the world at the moment, simply getting away from it all and riding a bike is the best tonic and Triumph has something for everyone in their diary of rides in the coming months. For more information, contact your local Triumph dealer or email [email protected].

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The ride was ably led by the friendly guys from iRide Adventures, who organise rides, courses and bike hire throughout South Africa. You can find their details here.

Since its introduction, the Hero XPulse 200 has taken a lot of people by surprise for its combination of performance, ability and frugality at the petrol pumps. Now Hero has refined the XPulse even further to make it an even more attractive proposition in the small adventure bike market.

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Detail work has been done to the suspension to make it even better off-road, while the ABS is perfect for off-road work out-of-the-box, as it is single-channel ABS, meaning it works only on the front wheel.

The engine has been modified for quieter running, while the Keihin fuel injection mapping has been revised to offer even greater flexibility and fuel economy. The torque profile is much more suited to off-road and an oil cooler has been fitted. Power and torque are both up slightly, to 13.9kW (up from 13.5kW) and 17.8Nm (up from 17.1Nm).

Three new colours are available – Sports Red, Polestar Blue and Metallic Nexus Blue – and the price remains a very attractive R48,999.00. There are Hero dealers all over the country: go to www.heromotorcycles.co.za to find the one nearest to you.

Hero XPulse 200FI ABS

For more information on the Hero XPulse 200FI ABS, click on the link below…

Petrolheads, it’s time to Get Revved Up! On the 21st and 22nd of May 2022, all roads lead to Mall Of Africa in Midrand, Gauteng for the inaugural idle Auto Fest (IAF2k22) which is a premium OEM and Custom Auto Expo for cars, motorbikes, 4x4s and the associated culture—supported by Motul who are on board as the official lubricant partners.

Idle Auto Fest will showcase some of the country’s best-customized rides that will be competing against each other for top honours. For the first time in South Africa there will be no less than four Show & Shine competitions run simultaneously at one Motor Show, entry of which is open to privateers. By doing so, this will highlight and give prominence to the different types of vehicle customization: Stance; Hot Rods; Muscle cars; Classic cars; Custom Bikes and Racecars thus promoting the automotive industry on a massive scale.

An array of automotive exhibitors will showcase their latest vehicles, products, and services in the Vendor Village, with offerings ranging from OEM parts and accessories, performance parts, in-car entertainment, apparel & merchandise, hobbies and much more. Indoor Go-karting and the Falken Tyres RC (radio control) Drifting will tease the racer in you!

Lights, Camera…Action!

The Shield Car Care main arena will be a hype of entertainment throughout the weekend where a live DJ will keep your head bopping and feet tapping. An MC will present various entertaining contests for visitors, all of which will be 100% free to enter! Visitors can test their Formula 1 Pit skills to see how fast they can change a wheel in the Pit Boss Challenge; there’s an “It’s A Wrap” contest to see who can wrap a vehicle body part the best, as well as a “Nailed It!” tool competition. If you feel like doing handstands in the shower, then this is easily attainable when you enter the Rocomamas Chilli Burger eating contest (you’ll have to supply your own refrigerated toilet paper). If you’re one of those weirdly talented people who can mimic car sounds, there’s a “Motor Mouth” competition where visitors must replicate car exhaust sounds by mouth. There will be great prizes awarded for all these contests.

To add to the elements of lifestyle over the two days, MGHHDA (Mario Gomes Hip Hop Dance Academy) will promote and run a Street Dance comp, where their competitors will show off their dance skills on stage to thousands. There really will be something for everyone.

“Other than the beautiful vehicles and interactive exhibitions our focus is to have our spectators involved with as much activity as possible and that is why we have put together these fun contests in our arena that cost not a cent to enter into,” comments Alistair Andrew, Idle Brands CEO & event organiser. He adds; “entry into the expo is completely free for spectators, but registration through the event website is mandatory to obtain your free pass. We had to make it a free experience, especially after the two years that a virus held us captive, we need to get out there and live again, promote businesses, and re-ignite the economy. With idle Auto Fest, it is our endeavour to get the automotive industry to reconnect, and what better way to do it than at one of South Africa’s largest, busiest & most prestigious malls? We will celebrate a lifestyle, and experience, where the most innovative come together to showcase their automotive passion. The Automotive community needs an enhanced event experience at no cost to the visitor, one fuelled by passion and dedication to craftsmanship, where the best car builds are carefully chosen to rise above the rest and the mix of our supportive OEM & Aftermarket exhibitors working in unison to offer this.”

The idle Auto Expo will run from 09:00 a.m. – 18:00 p.m. on both days and registrations for the free spectator pass, or to enter one of the four Show & Shine competitions, which can be done through the idle website – www.idlebrands.com.

To keep updated on the event by following us on Facebook or Instagram: @idle_auto_fest.

It’s that time of the year again when winter shows us bikers the middle finger. Heading into June means we’ll have to put up with a good three months of freezing weather at both ends of the clock—where only the brave are seen on their iron steeds. With riding coming to a minimum, motorcyclists need to start thinking about what to do with their bikes during the cold season. How about spending some time in the garage with your ride?

Our good mates at Motul South Africa gave us a few bottles of the good stuff from their “MC CARE” rang to crack open with our bikes this winter. Less time spent on the road doesn’t have to mean less time spent with our machines, it actually allows us to spend more time shinning and lubricating them for the special few days that we do decide on riding—we also tend to find any underlying gremlins that need fixing or attending to.

Motul’s six-pack has everything from bike washes, cleaners and waxes to get the beasts fit for riding and even a tube of hand cleaner that needs no water to get the job done.

MOTO WASH:

Moto Wash is what you use to get it all started, it’s a powerful biodegradable degreaser for the entire motorcycle and leaves a corrosion-resistant film to protect the paint and metallic components parts.

SHINE & GO:

Using Motul’s Shine & Go, will make cleaning and polishing your bike quicker and enjoyable, as you see a new sheen start to appear—Motul is here to keep your rides shiny side up. Its clever formula revives the colours of motorcycle plastic surfaces: fairings, paint, fenders, and mirrors—leaving a long-lasting non-sticky protective film.

PERFECT SEAT:

We all have a special way of cleaning and maintaining our motorcycles, but who really pays attention to their seat? Clearly Motul do, because they’ve got just the right product in their MC CARE range called, Perfect Seat. Perfect Seat is a powerful cleaner and restorer for all vinyl saddles. It too has a special formula that’s Non-slip and UV protective.

WASH & WAX SPRAY:

There is no bucket of water needed when using Wash & Wax Spray and therefore you can use it anywhere, all you need is two microfibre cloths and a shaded off area. Wash & Wax Spray is a dry cleaner that cleans and shines up all surfaces in-depth leaving a protective wax film for extended effectiveness.

MATTE SURFACE CLEAN:

Matte Surface Clean is a cleaner and restorer for all matte plastic and painted areas, leaving a flat, matte, and non-sticky finish. It contains a protective UV filter.

HANDS CLEAN:

Hands Clean is another dry cleaner which dissolves grease, oil, and other stubborn dirt without the help of a single drop of water.

If you are serious about maintaining your ride, then follow us over the next few weeks as we take a look at Motul’s extensive range of motorcycle care products—helping your bike hold its value.

The city of roses welcomed the National Motocross Championship roadshow for round three this weekend. The iconic Free State capital Bloemfontein turned out to be a bittersweet weekend for the Husqvarna racing team that was anything but boring. The weekend was billed to be a big “finding our feet” exercise for the Husqvarna Racing squad with some expectations but the perfectly primed red earth of BORC was not destined to yield major fireworks.

Young Neil van der Vyver despite suffering an initial setback with a rider stopping in front of him ruining his chances in the first moto battled back in moto2 with a big heart and took the overall win in the Pro Mini class for Husqvarna Racing. “The weekend started all right but hitting that backmarker that stopped in front of me nearly ruined my weekend, I just managed my race after that and came back strong in the second moto,” Van der Vyver said. He added that he was “super happy” with the weekend and his first overall win.

Thunder Valley saw new signing Michael Docherty battle with bike problems and another unlucky roll of the dice saw him battle with health problems coming into BORC. It was evident he had the speed but to quote him, “I was right in there initially but could just not keep up the battle feeling that flat”. He added, “I was happy to finish both motos and knew I could perhaps do more but it just wasn’t in the cards for me this time around, I’m hungry to battle with the guys at the next one”.

Fresh from US soil, Josh Mlimi has returned to the SA racing scene with his first National, “I made a small mistake that led to a small crash, but other than that moto2 went a lot better. I know I have a lot of work to do on my fitness and I am super happy being back, but at this stage it is one race at a time, and I’m looking forward to the season ahead,” he said.

Brand manager for Husqvarna South Africa Fred Fensham said, “We’re still bubbling along and we know the dice just rolled and fell on the wrong side for us this time”. “Josh raced back on SA soil for the first time in years and showed he was not just out having fun,” said. He added, “No matter how much you train it is very different in racing, and in 2023 you can know that he will be your man”. Fensham had a lot of praise for young Neil van der Vyfer who showed true grit coming back from that unfortunate stop in moto1. He also mentioned that “It’s just a question of time” until Docherty flies the Husqvarna racing flag high.”

The next Championship round winds down to the windy city where Husqvarna racing will be looking to crack the whip again in the sands of the Eastern Cape

When it comes to writing each Mystery Tour story, it becomes more and more of a challenge. It is not just an account of the roads travelled, but about friendships formed or old ones fostered. It is about comradery around an iconic brand of motorcycles infused with passion. Riding roads that challenge skill and sometimes endurance. It is about people. People with a deep love of the Bologna bullets. When Ducati Supremo, Jos Matthysen, bought a home in George, the seed of a Cape Mystery Tour was planted and took root.

Ducatisti from far and wide heeded the call to ride and converged on George, where the ride was scheduled to begin. Some shipped their bikes and flew down. Others, with a serious itch to scratch, left two days prior to the George departure date from World of Motorcycles in Centurion. This was going to be a very different Mystery Tour for me, as I was riding my own Ducati 950 SuperSport, acquired three days before the date of departure. Also on a 950 SS was Brian Cheyne, my journo colleague. Let the games begin!

I could babble on for reams about my experiences with the Duc on the Mystery Tour, but for the sake of brevity, I will make that part of a separate review on this particular bike.

A whole bunch of us gathered on Tuesday morning for the ride down to Gariep, where we would overnight before continuing to George the next day. True to form, Jos led a sizeable group of ‘hardegatte’ down secondary roads through the Cradle, Carletonville, Bothaville and diverse Free State backroads to Bloemfontein where Rodos, a local Ducati owner, had organised yummy lunch platters for the hungry hordes. Riding the Free State roads at this time of year has a special allure.

The air is crisp and cool and the green vistas of a month ago are now endless gold grasslands, painted by the frosty autumn mornings. Our numbers swelled with more Ducati faithful as we rode to Smithfield, where we stopped for refreshments before carrying on to Gariep. We took photos of the overflowing dam wall before settling into the Forever Resorts Chalets for the night.

Dinner was steak rolls washed down by some welcome drinks. The fabled Mystery Tour banana bread also put in an appearance for the first time. I was particularly peckish, so I quaffed a piece for pudding. Holy Smoke!, half an hour later I had a weird disconnect between my brain and my legs. Getting back to my Chalet and into bed became a proper challenge! Note to self, “steer clear of the banana bread”.

An awesome sunrise over the Gariep dam heralded in a clear but decidedly chilly day. My bike registered 4 degrees and an ice warning, as we rode south through Colesburg. Carlton Heights beyond Noupoort was mist bedecked, which made for some hairy riding. It was not long before we dropped down out of the mist and turned to Graaff-Reinet, then on past Aberdeen, refuelled in Willowmore and now had our destination, George, in our tanks.

Endless ‘Klein Karoo’ vistas topped by an azure sky beckoned us on and on. Brian and I had a ball on the sweet handling Super Sports through the impeccably surfaced Outeniqua Pass, then went straight to Garden Route Motors for our run-in service. I spent much of the time chatting with Paul and Sue, the owners of this lovely bike shop. We found we had some Honda history to reminisce about. It was late afternoon before we could settle in at Oubaai. A quick shower and then it was off to dinner and the official start of Ducati Mystery Tour festivities.

Travelling with us out of Centurion was a mini bus with “Ducati Ouetehuis” emblazoned on the side, as well as a sticker declaring “Over the hill and picking up speed”. This was for invited guests and those needing a break from riding (hardly likely!). The “sick, lame and lazy”, to use army parlance. The plight of old folk is something that is close to Jos and Lida’s hearts, so the evening kicked off with pledges from various ‘Tourists’ for alleged misdemeanours. For example, Dirk Ackerman was caught wearing KTM sneakers. Oh, horror of horrors, blasphemy to any Bologna bullet rider worth his salt. No matter that he was V4S Multistrada mounted. The offending footwear was put on display and a chastised Dirk took his shooter ‘strafdop’ like the man he is. He also contributed generously to the cause. So it went with people digging deep into their pockets.

Jos, in a move typical of the man, then announced that he, as Ducati SA, would match the pledges rand for rand. This raised over R240,000 for a local old age home! Next up was an auction of donated appliances. Again the Ducatisti rose to the occasion, paying ridiculous prices for goods, which in many cases, were given back to be auctioned a second time. I did not keep an exact tally, but at least another R100K was added to the tally. Amazing people! “As ye sow, so shall ye reap!” Next up was the draw for the 1200 Multi for which 100 raffle tickets were sold and which was pimped to the nines by 300+. A fair and transparent process saw Mr Nice Guy himself, Gerrit, walk off with a second Ducati. Having had a load of fun and filled our faces with scrumptious nosh, it was off to bed. On the morrow we would start our ride in paradise.

On a bright and fresh morning and after the customary prayer, we mounted up and fired up the Ducati’s. Multistrada’s of every description, a Panigale, three 950 SuperSports, a single Streetfighter and an X-Diavel. 50+ Duc’s filled the air with their bass baritone bellow. As we rode out of Oubaai, an oft-repeated scene played out. Bystanders spontaneously applauded and recorded the passing predominantly red cavalcade on their mobiles. Predictably we headed up Outeniqua pass, a magnet to anyone with a motorcycle. Tar which is billiard table smooth, winding through the stunning fynbos clad Outeniqua mountain.

In Oudtshoorn, Jos threw his first curved ball. Expecting to head down the famous Route 62, he headed in the opposite direction. Yes! De Rust and Meiringspoort. Shortly before entering Meiringspoort, Jos got the marshals to shepherd me and Gerardo, the Ducati Italy representative who had ridden down with us, to join him at the front of the long line of bikes. With Lida on the back of his 1260 Multistrada beckoning us to follow, Jos dropped a gear or two and sped into the delightful sweeps of Meiringspoort. If you have never ridden Meiringspoort, you need to put it at the top of your bucket list. The road meanders through the most spectacular steep sided jagged cliffs, alongside the river that cut its way through the mountain over the millennia. Words fail me, just experience it for yourself!

Now let me tell you, if you haven’t had first-hand experience, this Jos fellow can peddle a motorcycle! I revelled in the precise and stable handling of my 950 SS as I glued myself to his tail. Gerardo needed no invitation either. He slotted his Multi V4 S in behind me as we railed the bends in a high-speed trio of Italian precision. Being early morning meant that the Poort was virtually devoid of traffic. A perfect time to enjoy what the Ducati’s do so well. It seemed like no time and we were through the Poort and pulling into a rest area where we were greeted by the Ducati van with refreshments.

All and sundry were exhilarated by the spectacular ride through one of the most beautiful places in our magnificent country. War stories abounded. What a way to start a Mystery Tour in this special part of the fairest Cape of them all. Having allowed the adrenaline to abate, we retraced our steps, albeit at a sightseeing pace. Back to Oudtshoorn and onto Route 62. Having just had the first proper experience of my Ducati’s handling ability, I couldn’t wait for the sweeps and turns of the Huisrivier pass, just beyond Calitzdorp.

We rode on in Ducati heaven. Huisrivier pass, Wapadskloof and the spectacular Garcia Pass to Riversdale all flew by under the wheels of the red horde. Jessica, Jos’s daughter deserves honourable mention at this point. Doing her first Mystery Tour on a trick, Termignoni equipped 821 Monster, she was following directly behind her Dad. “Die appel val nie ver van die boom af nie” goes the afrikaans expression, and I get it. Jess handled the Monster with skill as she swept through the bends of Garcia pass. Even when she ran in a little hot, no bother or panic. She just eased off the gas, tightening her line and then I heard the bass bellow from the Termignoni’s as she got back on the power. Frikken’ magic! This is why we ride bikes! How do you even begin to explain the thrill of honing your skills through a mountain pass on a fine handling motorcycle, to someone who has never ridden?

We trundled to our lunch stop at the Riversdale Stadium, where the Ducati truck and vans were already parked. Ronel, Robbie and their team had the patties already braaing as we rode in. Scrumptious burgers and drinks for lunch. Score! A quick post lunch group photo and we were back on the bikes. What was clear from everyone’s demeanour was that an incredibly good time was being had by all! Next up was Tradouw’s pass back to Route 62, then through Montagu, Ashton, Robertson, Worcester (at rush hour) and our first-night destination, Goudini Spa near Rawsonville.

We enjoyed a good old Ducati ‘kuier’, chatting as only bikers can. Stories were told and retold, with endless good natured banter over drinks and dinner. I chatted at length with George and Mary-Anne. George retired 20 odd years ago and, at 79 years of age, (you would never say so) is awaiting delivery of his Panigale V4 S. That, my friends is what they mean when they say you must grow old gracefully! Mary-Ann and George, both slim and trim, are also both still active distance runners.

A new day dawned with a hint of drizzle in the air. We rode towards Villiersdorp, then turned right, adjacent to the Theewaterskloof dam, to ascend the Franschhoek pass. I got behind Jos, as I suspected that he may have a mild red mist moment on the pass and I wanted to share in the fun. So it was. Our fun was curtailed by mist on the descent into Franschhoek, where we proceeded to a delightful Craft Brewery for lunch. It bucketed down while we ate, but fortunately cleared for our return ride over the pass. Too wet for spirited riding, we were content to enjoy the spectacular views across the Theewaterskloof dam as we descended from the pass.

We turned right and skirted the dam en route to rolling into Hermanus, our destination, like a veritable Italian red tide.  If you remember, there are prizes for the first person to guess the daily destinations. This is the mystery of the Mystery Tour. Only Jos knows the route and keeps us all constantly guessing. We just know each day’s riding distance. We had the late afternoon at leisure as we divided into three groups at different overnight venues. Brian and I roomed at a pleasant small hotel, where we showered and then rode to a nearby restaurant on the beach called Dutchies. Seeing the two beautiful 950s parked cheek by jowl, with the sun setting over the sea as a backdrop, was something special. A splendid dinner, then off to bed for the sleep of the weary. Another tough day in paradise.

Behind the scenes, the logistics never end. Chris and Vincent, the technical boys, lube and adjust chains, change tyres (and chains if necessary) or do whatever it takes to keep bikes in top shape. Always a smile and nothing is too much trouble. Huge thanks guys! Robbie drives the truck and Ronel sees to luggage collection and drop off, bookings, food along the way and Lord knows what else! Boggles the mind how they keep everything running so smoothly, given that they too only learn our destination at the 11th hour. Somehow, almost magically, the ‘Ouetehuis bussie’ also arrives at destinations and stops as well. The planning that Jos puts into these events is nothing short of epic. Testimony to his commitment to building the brand, with a spirit amongst owners that is second to none. A veritable family of Ducatisti!

Our ride the next day convinced me that if anyone even dreams of voting ANC he should drive from Gauteng, through rural Free State and then into the Western Cape. The road undulated and snaked through the magnificent Cape backcountry. Stanford, Napier and Bredasdorp are beyond quaint and clean and unspoilt. By contrast, the rural towns of the aforementioned provinces are in varying states of degradation and disrepair. “By your works, you will be known”. Well, based on that biblical truth, the ANC run provinces say it all! By contrast, the DA are doing an excellent job of maintaining standards, to the benefit of all who live there. Enough of that, and back to the ride.

Swellendam saw us back on the N2 for a few kays, before again turning onto Tradouw Pass to Barrydale. We had an hour or so at leisure before gathering at Ronnie’s Sex Shop, 26 kays down R62. A number of guys used this opportunity to open their bikes up. The small Karoo reverberated to the sound of booming big V–Twins and wailing V4s. Garth from Carrera, experiencing motorcycle riding and touring for the first time ever, having been pressed into service by that persuasive Matthysen chap, told me with wide eyes that he had seen 210 on his Multistrada 1260. His excitement and exhilaration were both palpable and infectious. How many times over the years, have I not witnessed that emotion from new riders exposed to the wonders of motorcycling.

We retraced R62 to Oudtshoorn. En route, Jos and I had another special stage through Huisrivier pass. This time Braam Smit, with Marieta as pillion, joined in the fun. And fun with a capital ‘F’ it was too! Kudos to Lida and Marieta to sit on the back of motorcycles whilst scratching through the mountains. You have my utmost respect! In Oudtshoorn, we stopped at the iconic Smits Winkel for a quick bevvie before heading on to George via, you guessed it, Outeniqua pass. This time Jos got Byron on his Streetfighter to follow him down the pass with me as tail gunner. Braam once again hooked in behind us to put his 950 Multistrada to proper use. We only got baulked by cars on one occasion, so we got our money’s worth, turning the bikes on their ears and booming down the pass.

The sound of that angry Akropovic equipped V-4 Streetfighter was music to my ears as Byron ‘conducted the orchestra’ on Jos’s tail. We regrouped at the foot of the pass with the rest of the party before cruising through George, Wilderness, Knysna and on to Plett, our overnight stop. In separate accommodation, we gathered for a most pleasant dinner at the Fat Fish Restaurant, opposite the Beacon Isle Hotel. It was early to bed, as the next day was a biggie. 932 kays big, to be exact! Flip Garth, another baptism of fire awaits my friend.

With the sun just peeking its rosy cheeks out across the bay, we rode up the scenic N2 to PE, then strafed the Olifanstskop pass on the N10 to Cradock, where we had a steak roll and sosatie brekkie. Hofmeyr, Steynsburg and on to Aliwal North, the kays being eaten by a procession of bellowing Bologna bullets. Turning right at Rouxville was where things got somewhat interesting. Just short of Zastron we pulled into a side road where we were met by Peter Pan’s family with an ice chest full of bitterly cold bevvies. Sipping on a chilly chap with a typical Eastern Free State koppie, illuminated by a golden sun as a backdrop, was rather special. Just what we needed to revive our flagging energy levels.

With the sun getting low in the west, we tackled what proved to be the last leg of the day. And what a leg it was. The potholes grew bigger and bigger. At times I could not believe how deep they could get. They will totally destroy a wheel and probably suspension as well. Next was equally daunting. The ANC stalwarts who run the province saw fit to solve the pothole problem by simply covering the road in sand, effectively making it a bumpy dirt track. The Multis were in their element, but not so the sport bikes.

With visions of the sand blasting off my belly pan, I proceeded at a snail’s pace. At last, just short of Ladybrand, the agony ended and we got back on tolerable tar. As it turned out, a festive establishment in Ladybrand was our destination and we soon got showered for dinner, where the judge, Cilliers, would mete out punishment for what he considered untoward behaviour that he had witnessed over the course of the tour.

Last night on tour is somewhat bittersweet. On the one hand, another epic ride is coming to an end and yet the prospect of reuniting with your loved ones at home is also appealing. No question there is going to be some proper partying too! And so it was. Robbie, our super talented truckie, grabbed his guitar and regaled us in song. As the giggle juice flowed after a scrumptious dinner, serious festivities ensued, with the promise of quite a few sore heads on the last stage home. Ladybrand gets properly chilly at night at this time of year, so it was particularly pleasant to hop into a warm bed for some deserved sleep after a long and tiring day capped with serious festivities.

Anticipating a cold morning ride, I asked Brian what he was going to wear. “Everything” was his immediate retort. Following his lead, I too dressed for bear. When we left at 8.30 it had thankfully warmed up significantly. Riding was actually pleasant. Jos decided, after consulting locals on the state of the roads to our intended route via Clarens, to rather ride via Bloem. We cruised past Bloemfontein, Brandfort, Virginia, Welkom and Kroonstad, before riding the back road to Parys, where we joined the N1 for the final quick squirt home. Just short of 5000 kays in six days of absolutely epic riding. The tour out of George was obviously a tad shorter.

I actually struggle to find words to adequately sum up a Ducati Mystery Tour. There is so much anticipation, fun, friendship, good riding, revelry and good, old fashioned comradery, that it is a bit of a roller coaster of emotions that well up inside me that I’m not quite sure how to describe. There are times when you say to yourself, “why am I doing this?” and then others when you know exactly why. What I can tell you, is that the Ducati family is like none other. It is unique. It is what keeps bringing the faithful back, again and again.

“So Jos, what are the dates for the next one?”

Here’s an interesting fact: since 1903, Harley-Davidson has designed and built only eight different large displacement V-twin engines: Flathead, Knucklehead, Panhead, Shovelhead, Evolution, Twin Cam, Revolution and Milwaukee Eight.

That’s pretty conservative but it does adhere to the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” school of engineering thought, which is Harley’s stock-in-trade.

With that in mind, a new engine from H-D is a momentous occasion and, in the case of the new 1252cc Revolution Max, it is a statement of intent to drag the Motor Co. kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Air-cooled motors will only be permissible for an ever-shrinking period, given the difficulty of making them adhere to emission regulations, so liquid-cooling is essential.

Surrounding cylinders with water jackets enables the temperature of the combustion chamber to be much more tightly controlled, which means cleaner and more efficient burning of the air/fuel mixture, reducing tail-pipe emissions. A secondary benefit is a reduction in noise emissions.

This isn’t Harley’s first foray into liquid-cooling. The original Revolution engine appeared in the V-Rod in 2002. Designed in collaboration with Porsche, it was a bold step at the time, but it was met with considerable success. Motorcycle Cruiser magazine wrote: “The V-Rod was intended to bring in more than the usual suspects, and it did. It became the company’s best-selling bike in other countries. In America, V-Rod buyers often came from other brands, attracted by its modern engine, excellent performance and not-the-usual-cruiser style”.

U.S. magazine Car and Driver was equally gushing: “We think the V-Rod is a serious threat to its own stablemates as well as to cruisers from other manufacturers. It’s that good”.

All of which makes it strange that, today, the V-Rod is a largely forgotten part of Harley’s history: forgotten, that is, other than by the people who bought and rode one and loved it.

But it is in the V-Rod that the seeds of the latest Pan America and Sportster S were sown. While the new Revolution Max engine might have little in common with the Revolution engine of the V-Rod, there are obvious similarities, not least of which are the double overhead camshafts and liquid cooling.

The other big difference is that this time, the new engine has first been installed in the most un-Harley, Harley ever: the Pan America adventure bike.

It had to be that way, of course. The Milwaukee Eight V-twin, with its separate gearbox, was always going to be far too heavy for an adventure bike application, not to mention likely to be legislated out of existence before too long due to being air-cooled.

Weight, as much as power, is the defining design characteristic of the Revolution Max. To this end, lightweight materials have been used and the engine is designed to be a structural element of the chassis. By removing the need for frame tubes running under the engine, rigidity is improved, weight is saved and mass centralisation is made easier. A V-twin layout keeps the engine narrow and the 60° angle between the cylinders keeps it as compact as possible, while still allowing for the typical V-twin benefits of good low down torque. The presence of balancer shafts eliminates unwanted vibrations.

A large part of a Harley’s character comes from the sound and, while the Revolution Max might lose the ‘potato-potato’ sound traditionally associated with a Harley-Davidson, it still has the V-twin beat.

Another new development is Variable Valve Timing (VVT) for both the inlet and exhaust camshafts, which gives the best of both worlds: low down torque and top end power, making the engine power characteristics suitable for both road and off-road riding.

Here at ZA Bikers, we have ridden both the Pan America and the Sportster S, both of which use the 1252cc Revolution Max engine. In the Pan America, the engine produces 150bhp and 127Nm of torque. In the Sportster S, peak output is down to around 125bhp, while torque remains at 127Nm.

At the introduction of the Revolution Max, a 975cc version of the engine was also announced, with one possible application being the currently-on-hold Bronx Streetfighter model. While we hope that bike makes it to production sooner rather than later (recent trademark renewals in the U.S. suggest that Harley hasn’t completely abandoned the Bronx concept, although what final form it will take is open to conjecture) the 975cc engine has found a home in the new Nightster, the spiritual successor to the old Sportster, which was first introduced in 1957.

With 90bhp and 95Nm of torque, this engine easily outstrips the old 1200 Sportster’s power output of 68bhp but matches it for torque. We’ve yet to see the Nightster here in S.A. but if it is as good as the figures suggest and can build on the success of the Pan Am and Sportster S, Harley will find itself in a very healthy position heading into its 120th year.

Harley-Davidson Revolution Max 1250

For more information on the current Harley-Davidson’s powered by the Revolution Max 1250 motor, click on the links below…

This past weekend the 7th of May, marked the 16th annual International Female Ride Day (IFRD)—inspiring the up and coming female riders for the last 15 years. In the last few years, this event has revved up a significant increase in female ridership and it continues to roll on with positive momentum, creating and helping advance the future of motorcycling.

Every year, thousands of female riders gather in over 100 countries for a mass ride, to create awareness for and encourage more ladies to start riding motorcycles.

This year’s ride had four starting points; Ducati Centurion, Gold Rand Harley-Davidson, Biker’s Warehouse and Fourways BMW Motorrad. All rides would follow their own designated route which would lead to one destination, that being the Prison Break Market in Midrand. Myself being Pretoria based decided to start at Ducati Centurion.

Ducati Centurion/World of Motorcycles welcomed its riders with warm beverages, wide-open arms and an array of motorcyclist nirvana. Red Bellona Bullets, Japanese Samurai swords and clean pre-loved motorcycles, which we’re all up for adoption.

After filling up the heart and the soul, we hit the road at 9:15 as a band of ‘soulful sisters’ (& brothers). We enjoyed a quick group ride on the N1 towards Kyalami before heading to our final stop in Midrand. It was here where we got to see the massive backing from almost every nook and cranny of the motorcycle industry.

Shortly after arriving, riders from all four meetup spots filled the parking bays and enjoyed some great food, drinks, live music and Prison Break Market’s unique variety of crafters and designer stalls—a worthwhile visit.

To end the day off, the riders who registered on the IFRD online website were entered into the lucky draw. The lucky few names that were drawn won a selection of motorcycle related prizes. Many prizes were up for grabs thanks to the massive backing from the motorcycle industry. Well done guys!

Based on last year’s event, we can confidently say that this year’s turnout has shown a significant increase in both female riders and supporters. If you have never attended an IFRD we highly encourage you to join in on the fun and help empower more female riders.

If you are a male rider, then perhaps consider inviting your daughter along next time, or a female friend that hasn’t been introduced to motorcycling yet.

For more information visit: www.ifrd-sa.co.za

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KTM is a brand familiar with setting the standard—they’re buddies with the benchmark.

Unparalleled torque, power and weight ratios, cornering agility and the sharpest feeling, enviable starting prowess and styling: KTM’s SX model range has been dropping milestones for a number of years now. Have you ever tried one of KTM’s SXs? Look around any racetrack – hobby or Pro – to see the strength of the orange brand.

Speaking of professional racing: KTM has won a title or two in the last decade.
Right now, they are wanting your attention more than ever. Why? Well, because they have been working on something rather special. Their objectives are the same. Their MO is the same. Their processes are the same. But KTM’s achievements have reached a new sphere of performance, of conception.

It’s time to show how riding, thinking, and living motocross has changed. They will have a very special story coming out soon to drop you all right into the heart of this amazing project. Motocross fans will not want to miss it!

The 2023 KTM SX range – the evolution of Motocross Dominance Video

Curious yet? Drop an email address HERE and sign-up to be part of the next generation.

Heine Engelbrecht from ADA pulled off what I consider to be quite a coup. He has a great love for the African bush, particularly when traversed by motorcycle. Just ‘around the corner’ from ADA’s state of the art training facility on the Satellite Tracking road near Hartebeespoort, is the Lion and Safari Park. Located on the Lanseria road, it spans a really beautiful piece of bushveld. In a stroke of genius, Heine secured the sole right to take motorcycles through the Park. Irene and I cracked an invite to accompany a group of customers and friends of Honda Centurion on Sunday morning, for what turned out to be a really special experience.

We woke up to rain in Pretoria on Sunday. The forecast was a bit dodgy too. Kind of 50/50. After slight resistance, Irene put her big girl pants on and we met up with the Honda faithful at the Honda Centurion dealership at around 7 am. After a quick coffee, Jacques rallied the troops and we took a ride out to the Lion and Safari Park, where we met up with Heine from ADA. Once out of Centurion, the roads were dry and the promise of a beautiful day beckoned. With some basic formalities sorted, we rode into the Park, led by Heine. There must have been at least 20 bikes, mainly Africa Twins, revelling in being able to return to their natural habitat.

What a stunning ride it was! Idling through the bush whilst animal spotting is way up on my list of favourite things to do. Passing the big cat enclosures, we were blessed by a spectacular Cheetah sighting. When they heard us, several fully grown Cheetahs went into that familiar stalking crouch and ran along their side of the fence, spying us out. Just a tad disconcerting, even if they were behind a fence. Next up was a Giraffe, just off the road on our right. We cruised to the Hyena enclosure to say good morning to the Striped and Spotted Hyenas. A Nyala bull grazed contentedly mere metres from where we parked the bikes.

We negotiated a steep downhill to ride adjacent to a really full Crocodile river, where we stopped at a stunning vantage point for a chill, chat and group photo. The dirt roads in the park are in good nick, albeit ‘tuned’ a bit here and there by the heavy rains that have characterised our summer. The bikes were in their element. This is why you need an adventure bike! Having said that, we had a couple of NC750s making short work of the dirt roads and loose inclines, courtesy of their torquey motors. A reminder of how versatile these bikes are. Once on the plains area of the park, we spied Zebra, Wildebeest and a big herd of Eland. A herd of Tsessebe seems up for a dice as they sped along beside us.

A particular highlight happened next. We came upon a large Giraffe standing virtually in the road. We all stopped and watched as the lanky chap strolled through the bikes, totally relaxed and curious. Amazing! The early morning vistas were particularly lovely as the sun played on misty hills. Slowly the sun chased away the mistiness and we enjoyed a warm, sun kissed Autumn day. Returning to the Lodge we once again passed the Lion enclosure, to be greeted by a magnificent big dark-maned male with one of his lionesses. What a magnificent animal. You don’t realise how big a male lion actually is until you get up close to one.

Back at the Lodge, we went to the restaurant for breakfast, or just a coffee for those in a rush. The magic morning with Honda Centurion and ADA was another reminder that, no matter how many challenges we face in the ‘New’, yet somewhat tarnished South Africa, it remains a spectacular place, so well worth fighting for. Huge thanks to everyone who conspired to make it such a special occasion.