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Bike Shop Rivonia Is Full of Christmas Cheer This Year

Motorcycle News

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Dec 11, 2025

Not being satisfied with its huge Black Friday sale, Bike Shop Rivonia is entering into the spirit of Christmas with a further R700,000-worth of savings.

Christmas is a time for giving, and Bike Shop Rivonia is giving back to the motorcycling community and their customers with a huge chunk of savings across the board.

You’ll find discounts on every type of bike from every manufacturer, from the smallest scooter to the largest cruisers and adventure bikes, not to mention the fastest sports bikes.

What you mustn’t forget is that Bike Shop Rivonia also deals with brand-new bikes from the likes of Honda, Kawasaki, Sym, Lifan, CFMOTO and Beta, so if your dream is riding a brand-new bike out of the showroom, then there really isn’t a better place to go.

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If you love your Hondas, then these current specials have to be mentioned and highlighted. Young, old, adventurer or first-time rider, Bike Shop Rivonia have some great deals, and dare I say it, near dealer billing costs. So, if owning a Honda has been the dream but finances have been a bit tight, then now is the opportunity to take advantage of some of the best pricing we’ve seen on new Hondas.

Just to make it even more tempting, there will also be savings on brand new models from all the above-mentioned makes. So, it really doesn’t make any sense to go anywhere else for your Christmas gift to yourself or your loved ones.

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Call into Bike Shop Rivonia any day leading up to Christmas and talk to the friendly staff to learn more about the deals on offer. We get the feeling you won’t regret it.

The Hobby Show 2025 – Suzuki Showcases New Models

Motorcycle News

Harry Fisher

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Dec 10, 2025

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The Hobby Show 2025 – Suzuki Showcases New Models

At the recent Hobby Show at NASREC, the first edition of this new family event, Suzuki took the opportunity to showcase four new models to the South African media and public.

On display were two cosmetically-updated versions of the already-successful GSX-8, parallel-twin-engined range, in the form of the GSX-8T and GSX-8TT, plus two new DR-Z models, the DR-Z4S and DR-Z4SM.

The two GSX-8 models bring a lovely retro touch to the range, with alternative colour choices, and some neat styling touches. The GSX-8T is the fully naked roadster model, while the GSX-8TT adds a headlight cowling, incorporating a small clear screen. Both models have bar-end mirrors. Price is R179,950 for the GSX-8T and R189,900 for the GSX-8TT.

For modern urban riding conditions, the two DR-Z models will surely find an appreciative audience. The DR-Z4S a dual sport model – what older riders might have called a trail bike in days past – a road-legal off-road bike, in effect.

Powered by a liquid-cooled, 398cc, single, the DR-Z4S is equipped with 21”/18” spoked wheels, and comes as standard with dual-purpose tyres. It retails for R159,950. The DR-Z4SM is, as the name tells us, the super motard version, featuring 17” spoked wheels front and back, equipped with road tyres. Price is the same as the DR-Z4S.

Both models have full LED lighting, an LCD dashboard and come in at a reasonable +/- 150kg weight. ABS is present, as is traction control, which also features a ‘gravel mode’, allowing for a limited amount of rear wheel slip.

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All four models will be in Suzuki showrooms countrywide and, having seen them in the flesh, we can’t encourage you enough to go and take a look at them for yourself; the pictures really don’t do them justice.

Subaru Southern Africa and Liqui Moly: Seeking Perfection

Lifestyle

ZA Editorial Team

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Dec 9, 2025

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Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Lifestyle

Many car and motorcycle OEMs enjoy technical partnerships with a particular lubrication brand. One such partnership – and perhaps one that you were not aware of unless you were the owner of one of their cars – is Subaru Southern Africa and Liqui Moly. Both are companies renowned for their technical expertise and unstinting pursuit of safety and reliability, and thus are natural partners.

In an attempt to delve deeper into this alliance, and also into the fundamental philosophies behind each brand, we had the opportunity to put questions to both the new CEO of Subaru Southern Africa, Mr Toshimitsu Tanaka, and Melicia Labuschagne, CEO of Liqui Moly South Africa.

Firstly, the technical partnership. What does each brand get out of it?

Toshimitsu Tanaka, CEO of Subaru Southern Africa;

“We anticipate a synergistic effect that will widely promote the quality of both brands to the market. The use of Liqui Moly products has a material effect on the longevity of a Subaru because of the high quality, enabling our vehicles to keep running for longer.”

Melicia Labuschagne;

“Our partnership with Subaru Southern Africa is built on shared values — a passion for quality, performance, and people. Both brands believe in engineering excellence, reliability, and creating experiences that customers truly trust. Subaru drivers are passionate and loyal, just like Liqui Moly fans, which makes the connection feel natural and authentic. Over the years, this partnership has grown into more than just a collaboration — it’s a relationship built on mutual respect and a shared vision of delivering consistent quality and building strong communities around our brands. It’s about two teams who care deeply about what they do and the people they serve.

“We don’t formulate new products based on feedback from Subaru, but we have a complete fleet of Subarus for our sales team and staff and with our testing (fuel and oil), we also have the opportunity to test our products on fuel consumption and injection performance and share our findings with Subaru. Constant testing, improvements, all related to new models and our fleet, are shared and optimised to ensure we can make improvements together to benefit the consumer.

“We never just supply products; it is a partnership, so always a 2-way conversation. We support with failure analysis where needed, oil analysis, training, and support to all the dealerships around SA. We support with equipment and opportunities to grow inside the dealership and marketing together, where possible. With new models and engine changes with new spec oil requirements, we are involved to ensure the best possible application with results and tests to prove it. This is also why our fleet consists of Subarus; we trust the brand, but also it gives us a hands-on approach to optimise all applications and have that 2-way communication from our engineers to theirs.”

Subaru has an unsurpassed safety record in its cars, something that the company trumpets much less than rival manufacturers, but it is something about which Subaru is very proud, and it has significant goals in mind for the future.

TT: “Subaru is steadily working towards the goal of zero fatalities in Subaru vehicles by 2030. Throughout all our vehicles, we concentrate on 4 core principles:

Design:

“It is important to not only look at technology but also at design. Our vehicles are designed to offer great visibility all around the car, reducing blind spots. Another design feature that enhances the overall safety is fatigue-reducing seats, which minimise fatigue and maintain driving focus.

Driving Safety:

“Subaru thoroughly refines fundamental driving performance and control to ensure stable, predictable handling not only in rain, snow, and rough roads, but also during sudden evasive manoeuvres, with features like the Boxer engine and Symmetrical AWD system delivering predictable handling from city streets to rough terrain. The Subaru Global Platform responds to driver inputs even during sudden evasive manoeuvres. On a local front, our vehicles have also proven to be among the least stolen or hijacked.

Preventive Safety:

“Aiming to eliminate automotive accidents, we equip vehicles with diverse advanced safety technologies, including EyeSight Driver Assist Technology that supports avoiding collisions. The system uses cameras and radar to detect pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles, supporting collision avoidance in emergencies.

“Pre-Collision Throttle Management & Reverse Automatic Braking: Prevents unintended sudden acceleration forwards or backwards.

Collision Safety:

“Equipped with collision safety performance designed not only to protect occupants and pedestrians, but also to mitigate damage to cyclists and the colliding vehicle. New ring-shaped force-absorbing body structure and nine SRS airbags protect occupants from various collisions.”

Is the reputation for both advanced passive and active safety innovation justified?

TT: “Yes, and Subaru has the awards to prove it. All models have the highest rating in NCAP, JNCAP, ANCAP and high ratings with the IIHS, with many of our models achieving Safety Pick+ awards from the IIHS. Subaru continues to refine and enhance safety features on each new model to ensure that it continues to receive the highest safety ratings globally.”

Of course, Subaru really came to prominence through its World Rally Championship success, thanks to drivers such as Colin McRae and Richard Burns, driving Impreza STi models. In recent years, the manufacturer seems to have taken a back seat in the sport, while the STi seems to be a thing of the past.

TT: “With the unveiling of the two STi prototypes at the Japan Mobility Show this year, Subaru has shown that it is not turning its back on the performance market. Subaru has not distanced itself from rally either, but rather allowed certain markets to focus more on it while they continue to make a driver’s car. The American market has a rally team that continues to do well in rally.

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“With greater concerns for the environment and making vehicles that are ‘greener’, Subaru has chosen to further explore what is possible when it comes to performance. One of the prototypes that was unveiled is a hybrid. Subaru will never truly step back from rally or performance vehicles, as it is part of our heritage. We use technology developed in both fields in every car manufactured.”

The market seems to be in some turmoil at present, with Chinese manufacturers becoming increasingly aggressive and, as a result, increasingly dominant. How does Subaru view this changing of the guard?

TT: “As a brand positioning itself as premium, Subaru believes it stands apart from Chinese brands in terms of price point, sales approach, and customer relationships. In the short term, precisely because of the challenging environment, Subaru sees this as a stage to gradually increase its fan base by carefully providing each vehicle to each valued customer. Long-term, Subaru aspires to be a brand whose circle expands primarily through customer word-of-mouth, rather than through large-scale sales promotions.”

Another area that is gaining traction is the EV (Electric Vehicle) market, in which Subaru is notably absent at the present time. Is this likely to change in the future?

“Subaru is not yet among the frontrunners in large-scale EV line-ups, but it is expected to significantly expand its EV offerings over the next 5-10 years. While the introduction to South Africa and the extent of EV adoption remain uncertain, Subaru aims to preserve and enhance the ‘absolute confidence on snowy and rough roads’ that many brands are beginning to lose, even in its EVs. Furthermore, regarding safety technology—Subaru’s greatest strength—the company consistently refines practical, high-precision technologies like the ‘combination of high-resolution stereo cameras and radar’ to steadily advance toward zero fatalities.”

That’s a tall order, but one has to believe that Subaru is confident it is possible; otherwise, why say it? Those reading this article might wonder how Liqui Moly products can have a measurable effect on this safety quest of Subaru’s, but, in reality, safety at its basic, passive level is inextricably linked to reliability of both individual components and the car overall, to which effective lubrication and protection is a huge contributor.

Make no mistake, Subaru will achieve its goals, and Liqui Moly will be right alongside them throughout the whole journey.

EVs might not be on Subaru’s short-term South African radar, but the brand-new 2025 Forester model very definitely is. Subaru has always had a compact and concise model line-up, and the Forester has been a mainstay of the range for many years, thanks to its beguiling combination of style, space and ability. For 2025, all those elements, alongside further improved safety, have been enhanced, creating the best Forester yet.

Even better, if you test drive a Forester at any Subaru dealer, from now until the end of January, you could stand a chance of winning a Liqui Moly/Subaru hamper.

Simply fill in the form at the bottom of this article and send it in with a photo of yourself standing next to the 2025 Forester for a chance to win.

The winner will be announced in February 2026.

Get Wired in and Save Big With CarPlayMotorcycle.com

Features

Bjorn Moreira

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Dec 4, 2025

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Get Wired in and Save Big With CarPlayMotorcycle.com

Photo credit: Meredith Moreira / ZA Bikers

I’ve been lucky to have been a part of some exceptional motorcycle tours and adventure rides whilst working at our publication, some were led by riders with years of experience, others were gnarly “let’s wing it” rides, but the best have to be the detailed treks. You don’t always have to be prepared for anything and everything, but you do want to have a great ride and see everything you planned on seeing along the way. For years, the simple GPS has helped the adventurer do so, I mean, early versions of the GPS that used the Doppler Effect helped the United States track satellites back in the “Sputnik Era”. GPS systems have been around for years and have helped us track, log and share some amazing routes and experiences with other like-minded travellers.

Nowadays, more and more people are beginning to get the adventure itch, and the less hardcore travellers are also looking to get off the beaten path and experience the same lifestyle, but not as intensely and not as far off the grid. Technology, although overwhelming to most, is always adapting, getting better and also simpler for the average Joe. We see this with these new and seriously affordable CarPlay & Android Auto displays. Yes, it’s no Garmin, but it also doesn’t pretend to be; it’s a simple plug-and-play unit that you could use daily to listen to music, answer calls, make notes, find local coffee spots, or, in fact, mirror most Apps off of your phone.

There are what feels like hundreds of these displays online, and they cost you less than a quarter of the price of what we’ve come to think is the only navigation option out there. Maybe your top-of-the-range adventure or touring bike already has turn-by-turn navigation or cell phone connectivity built in, then maybe one of these systems isn’t for you; maybe it’s for your mate who is struggling to keep up.

With so many options on the market, and yes, Chinese ones, it’s tough to decide which company to trust or which brand to go for. We found carplaymotorcycle.com to be the most informative, well laid out and easy to understand and order from. There’s nothing wrong with going to an AliExpress, Temu or any other online website, but ‘CPMC’ is so much simpler, direct and therefore, in my opinion, trustworthy.

On the tail end of “Black Friday” and heading into the Christmas festive season, CPMC has two units on promotion, in particular the CPMC P7 (7-inch) and the Aoocci C3 Plus (5-inch). These units with the ZaBikers30 code are 30% off till the 5th of December and are thereafter 22% off with the code ZaBikers22. Both units are hands-free voice-assisted (once you connect your helmet intercom), feature a 60FPS refresh rate for smoother performance, are waterproof and dustproof, have glove-friendly touchscreens, and are compatible with any motorcycle.

When it comes to setup, carplaymotorcycle.com gives you a few fitment and wiring options to choose from in the box. In the neatly branded and packaged box of the CPMC P7, you’ve got a 360° adjustable mount and a choice of USB or battery to fuse wiring. I like the idea of having a temporary touring setup, so the USB ticks my preference, but for full-time use, the latter is the best route. In the Aoocci C3 Plus box, we see a bracket kit for a handlebar or GPS bar mount, which is attached to a 4-hole shock-absorbing bracket. Wiring is similar to the P7, but with an additional option of wiring directly to the battery supply.

In due course, we will bring you a review of both units tested in the Southern African adventure environment. As for now, both units are feature-packed and even come with tyre pressure monitors that screws directly onto the front and rear valves. For under 3K for the P7, I doubt you will find something that can compete at this screen size and for 2K on the dot, the C3 is sleek and just about all the light-weight traveller needs.

For more information, please visit carplaymotorcycle.com and remember to use the ZA Bikers discount code ZaBikers22 for even more of a bargain.

BMW R 12 G/S – A Modern Blast From The Past

Bike Reviews

Dave Cilliers

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Dec 4, 2025

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BMW R 12 G/S – A Modern Blast From The Past

That may seem a little oxymoronic, but let me explain. ‘Modern Classics’ is a genre of motorcycle that has gained significant traction in recent years. Bikes that hark back to an age where manufacturers were building functional, simple motorcycles meant to provide two-wheeled transport that worked for a particular application. If we are going to stick with Bee Emms that fall in this category, there is no better example than the original R80G/S built in 1980. The ‘GS’ suffix said it all. ‘Gelande Strasse’, a range of motorcycles suitable for travel on both paved and dirt roads. Simple and reliable with longer travel suspension. Something suitable to circumnavigate the globe on any kind of road, and in some cases, where there was no road at all.

I am certain that in many cases, individuals do things with motorcycles that the manufacturers never quite had in mind when launching a new model. Helge Pedersen, a Norwegian adventurer, rode 400,000 km on a 1980 BMW R80G/S, two years after BMW spawned the adventure motorcycle as we have come to know it. Not satisfied with doing what others may have done before him, Helge ‘rode’ the Darien Gap between the Americas. Let’s just say he traversed it. There was more jungle clearing, machete chopping and dragging his GS than what we could call riding, but the point is he made it. Not wanting to seem cynical, but frankly, I don’t believe a BMW R 1300 GS, with its cutting-edge technology, would have a snowball’s hope in hell of achieving that feat today. Why?

Well, let’s take weight for starters. The R80G/S that Helge rode weighed 186 kg fully fuelled. The R 1300 GS weighs 51 kg more than Helge’s R80. Helge’s ride had 50 hp and 57 Nm of torque. BM’s finest now has 145 hp and 149 Nm of torque. And here is the kicker. To control all that power and torque to make the beast even vaguely rideable, there are enough electronics to choke a mule. Traction control, 4+ riding modes, hill ascent control, electronic suspension adjustment, ABS and keyless ignition, just to name a few. Helge would have choked in his beer! He could fix his bike with pliers and ‘bloudraad’ and drag it where he couldn’t ride it. In the world we live in, the simplicity ship sailed a good few years ago. The R 12 G/S is BMW’s modern take on the spirit of GS, born in 1980.

It certainly looks the part. My test bike was in khaki with a red frame and tank accents. The tall stance and high front mudguard look the business. The headlight cowl does little for rider comfort but also contributes to the big Enduro look. I personally like the BMW Motorsport red/white and blue colour scheme, but the Khaki has a kind of African appeal too.

For simplicity’s sake, the G/S uses the bulletproof 1170 cc air/oil cooled boxer motor from yesteryear. 109 hp and 115 Nm of torque provide all the propulsion that you could ever need or use. It does it in a linear and buttery smooth manner that is highly addictive. You never need to rev it, but it is huge fun when you do. The bike I rode had the optional Enduro Package, which uses an 18” rear wheel allied to the 21” front, ideal for decent off-road rubber choice. The 6-speed gearbox is perhaps the best I have ever experienced on a boxer motor, especially when using the quickshifter, which is also part of the Enduro Package. The knobblies, which also come standard, make the bike even more proficient off-road, but that comes at the cost of some on-road ability.

45 mm upside-down front forks are adjustable for compression and rebound damping and offer 210 mm of travel. The sensation of a boxer-engined bike diving heavily under braking initially takes a little getting used to, but in no time, you are riding it like you stole it! The back monoshock adds preload to the mix and offers 200 mm of travel. The suspension quality is a standout feature of the G/S.

This is not an off-road show pony. It is the real deal, definitely the most off-road competent modern GS. 310 mm front discs with 2 piston callipers and a 265 mm rear disc, also running a 2-pot calliper sort braking out completely. Scarily, despite a 15.5L tank versus Helge’s 19.5L, the G/S tips the scales at 229 kg, a full 43 kg porkier than its Grand Pappy. Despite modern lightweight materials, adventure bikes get heavier and heavier, whereas Sports bikes have gone the other way. In the 1970s, the BMW R90S weighed 215 kg fully fuelled, versus 199 kg for the current four-cylinder S 1000 RR.

Seat height, with the Enduro Package Pro, is a tall 875 mm. The Enduro Package Pro also kicks the steering head angle out ever so slightly. The shorter, very firm seat on the G/S takes away a traditional strength of a GS, its 2-up ability, as well as its distance-smashing prowess. It has passenger pegs for a quick jaunt to the local coffee shop, but that’s as far as a pillion would want to go.

This bike is about standing off-road on dirt tracks and strutting your stuff. The wide off-road pegs and brake lever make this a doddle. The whole setup of the bike screams dirt worthiness, and that it is. Those with stellar off-road prowess will probably do wonders on any kind of off-road terrain that you can ride with an adventure bike. For me, its forte is less technical stuff where you can up the speed and revel in its suspension and strong linear power. This is more due to my lack of technical off-road skill than any shortcomings on the R 12’s part. This is where I am in two minds about the G/S.

The specs on the G/S are a little confusing. It has shift assist, cruise control and heated grips as part of a Comfort Package, as well as what I have alluded to in the Enduro Package Pro. The bike has no fuel gauge, only a warning light that comes on when you are running low on motion lotion. The high front mudguard looks wicked but wets you twice, with the rain doing the first job after which the front wheel feeds the rainwater onto the mudguard, which throws it forward, whereupon the wind created by your progress blows it over you at rider level. Great on form, but low on function.

The lack of wind protection makes high-speed hard work. Essentially, it is a very large, and as such, astronomically expensive, enduro bike. The base price is listed at R273,000, but then you need to choose a colour, package option or options, which will bump the price north of R300k. Using the configurator, I estimated the cost of the bike I rode to somewhere in the order of 345k. This is a lot of ammo for a bike that is so narrowly focused.

If, like in my case, you do two-up trips on your big adventure bike, then this cannot be your only bike. I would even say that if you are not particularly masochistic, you would not choose to do an extended tour on this bike. Then, to totally confuse the ‘simplicity’ of the bike, it has keyless entry? Let us also face the fact that BMW recovered its tooling and design costs on the 1200 air-cooled mill aeons ago. Taking these issues into account, it is an expensive package for what is a narrow focus indulgence. Do I like the bike? Oh, hell yeah! Would I swap my 2016 BMW GS Trophy for it? No way! The Trophy is GS simplicity with a wide array of talents, but without all the electronic intervention.

Having said all that, my mate Leon, one of the BMW faithful, shelled out for an R 12 G/S as soon as he laid eyes on it. He loves the bike, and I get it, but it is for each to decide how it fits in their mix of bikes. I must add that he also owns a R 1300 Adventure. If off-road is your thing and you dig the soulful boxer motor, then you’ll get your fix on the splendid R 12 G/S.

Big Boy Decisions: TSR 250 vs Pacer 200

Bike Reviews

Bjorn Moreira

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Dec 4, 2025

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We’ve ridden many Big Boy motorcycles over the years, and in this time, we have both seen and experienced the importers SAM (Southern African Motorcycles) and Big Boy’s range grow. Big Boy is well known as the “leader” in the commercial segment in South Africa, with the highest sales figures, strong backing, and pricing that has been very tough to match. However, Big Boy has also put a lot of effort into their pit bikes, scooters, electric transport, commuter and agricultural vehicles. It’s fair to say that they have a broader net these days, while still focusing on what they do best in the commercial segment.

We get to ride all the latest motorcycles in the market, but 90% of the time, it’s the more affordable and smaller capacity vehicles that get the non-motorcyclists’ attention. Motorcyclists are a passionate bunch, and we often forget where it all started. Most new riders are stepping into the motorcycle world purely for a more affordable means of transport these days. Yes, those who buy motorcycles because they love them will always stick around and support the industry, but the entry point into motorcycling is crucial to keep our two-wheeled ecosystem not just surviving, but eventually thriving.

Smaller capacity bikes have always been more approachable to the first-time motorcycle buyer, and for many good reasons, too. They are lighter, which makes the learning curve less steep, lower seat height, better fuel economy, lower servicing costs, and they barely cost you a short December family holiday to the coast these days. At just over 20k, these motorcycles do way more than what their spec sheet suggests; they are crucial for the industry’s growth by expanding the customer base and addressing transportation and affordability needs. These little bikes serve as an essential entry point, encouraging new riders to develop skills and move to larger, more premium bikes later on.

From Big Boy’s line-up, there are two clear commuter favourites at the ZA Bikers office. We are talking about the TSR 250 and Pacer 200; these two bikes bring their own quirky characteristics to the table and a world of simplicity. To try and make the decision easier for you, we swung a leg over both and have come up with a few reasons why you should consider either.

The long in the tooth favourite has to be Big Boy’s TSR. The TSR 250 for me is the modern-day Honda XL 185 S, offering riders a superlight and compact dual-sport that gets you wherever your imagination or gravel road may lead, but also the daily commute with proven reliability, modern LED lighting, decent power, good fuel economy of over 30 km/L and a “take my money now” price of just R28k before licensing fees.

Unfortunately, the Japanese kings of the 80s, those who brought many new riders to the roads, cannot keep up with the rising production costs and inflation. Luckily, there are brands and yes, Chinese ones, but brands that are trying their best to provide decent quality for the up-and-coming rider, for old years’ money. The TSR is a perfect example, coming in at a third of the price of its modern-day Japanese competitor, and it performs better, looks the part and has been proven to get many students to classrooms and budget adventurers across borders. In my book, the TSR deserves some respect and is worth looking at as a daily means of transportation or as a “plaas” bike and even a bit of weekend offroading fun.

The TSR is for the rider who likes the dual-sport scrambler look, occasionally rides on roads less travelled and enjoys the upright scrambler ergonomics. I’ve gotten a few non-motorcycle friends from my high school days onto TSRs, and coming from 4-wheeled backgrounds, they never rode motorcycles during high school or university. Recently, one of the best men from my wedding bought a TSR as well and is enjoying affordable transport, but also some freedom over the weekends. Seeing non-motorcycle riders jump onto two wheels for the first time as adults and enjoy it is such an awesome thing to behold.

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This leads us to one of Big Boy’s newer models, the Pacer 200. Like the TSR, the Pacer has some scrambler characteristics but more 60s Bonneville rather than 80s monoshock era. In essence, it’s a road bike with nobblies, which means you get a wider and softer seat, lower bars, a bigger 18 litre fuel tank (TSR is a 12 litre) and a centre stand, a classic headlight protector, crashbars, a USB charger, forward splayed footpegs and a heel and toe shifter. Yes, you don’t have as much travel and ground clearance as the TSR, but you have more range, better fuel economy and a centre stand for chain maintenance.

The Pacer 200 is a great city runabout, looks handsome and can tackle light gravel roads with ease. If you aren’t interested in riding off-road, then I would recommend swapping out the tyres for something more road-biased, but if you do enjoy the occasional ride into the sticks, then the Pacer 200 is a great do-it-all all out of the box.

The Pacer may outshine the TSR in features, but it does cut back with an analogue dash, a rear drum brake and does not come with LED lights as on the TSR. What about the 50 cc less? The 200 cc motor surprisingly doesn’t lose out much compared to the 250 cc in the TSR. The Pacer makes 2.5 kW less at 10.0 kW @ 8,500 rpm and 6 Nm down at 12.5 Nm @ 6,500 rpm. In reality, you barely feel it as the Pacer has more torque lower down, so you end up quick-shifting through the gears, and this translates to almost a litre less per kilometre than the TSR.

If you are looking for an all-rounder, great commuter, open road bike with range to match and a very accommodating seat height for shorter riders, the Pacer will look after you. After showing the mates the Pacer, one of them would have actually preferred the Pacer over the TSR, while the other two were very happy, as they have taller frames and enjoy riding off-road. The Pacer is extremely attractive in price at just R23k, leaving you plenty of extra money for a year’s worth of commuting.

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So, there you have it! Whether you swing towards the TSR or the Pacer, you won’t be disappointed in what your twenty-odd grand can buy you. For more information, visit – www.samotorcycles.co.za

Big Boy TSR 250 and Pacer 200

For more information on the bike/s featured in this article, click on the links below…

2024

Big Boy Pacer 200 Commercial

Pricing From R22,999 (RRP)

Brand: Big Boy

2022

Big Boy TSR 250

Pricing From R27,999 (RRP)

Brand: Big Boy

Volkswagen Amarok King of the Whip Delivers an Unforgettable Evening of Freestyle Motocross

Motorcycle News

ZA Editorial Team

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Dec 3, 2025

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Intense battles in both the Best Whip and Best Trick contests at the 2025 Volkswagen Amarok King of the Whip saw the USA’s Wyatt Fontenot crowned the new King of the Whip, while Australia’s Pat Bowden successfully defended both of his Best Trick titles. The action unfolded in front of a sold-out crowd at Montecasino, Johannesburg. The event was presented by LW Mag in association with Monster Energy, Yamaha, Garmin, Motul, GoPro, Fox Racing, PlayTSOGO and Estrella Cerveza.

Top Freestyle Motocross and Motocross riders took to the ramps to compete in the Best Whip and Best Trick contests, all vying for a share of the R250 000 prize purse. The 2025 rider lineup featured 21 South African competitors and nine international athletes: Julien Vanstippen (Belgium), Wyatt Fontenot (USA), Pat Bowden (Australia), Genki “Wanky” Watanabe (Japan), Vicki Golden (USA), Ry Hazell (Australia), Marc Pinyol (Spain), Julien Mannon (France) and Stav Orland (Uganda).

Event organiser Ryan van der Spuy said, “Seeing what we achieved this year is something I’m extremely proud of. I can confidently say that King of the Whip has grown into one of the world’s premier Freestyle Motocross events. The calibre of international athletes who come out to South Africa to compete against our local stars was insane. The action was non-stop from start to finish, with energy building all the way through to the final and prize giving.

A huge thank you to everyone involved and for helping turn this vision into reality, and most importantly, to our riders who put it all on the line – this event is for you and for the sport. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

The Best Whip contest kicked off the day with riders going head-to-head across four qualifying rounds, each battling for a spot in the next stage. Judges assessed amplitude, style, and variation as they narrowed the competitors down to the 16-rider semi-final. From there, eight riders were eliminated, leaving the top eight to advance into the highly anticipated Finals.

Before the King of the Whip could be crowned, the spotlight shifted to the FMX riders as they showcased their skills in the Best Trick Right-Side-Up and Upside-Down competitions, where each rider had three chances to take to the ramps and pull off the best trick possible. Defending champion Pat Bowden dominated both categories, reaffirming his status as the undisputed King of the Tricks.

Bowden claimed the top spot in the Right-Side-Up category with his electrifying Christ Air Stage Dive (No-Hander Lander). Genki Watanabe unveiled his new trick, The Octopus — a whipped-out seat-grab Indy to Aeroplane — earning him a well-deserved second place, while Julien Vanstippen followed in third with a whipped-out Aeroplane to Seat Grab.

In the Upside-Down category, Bowden once again dominated, this time with his show-stealing Rowedova Backflip to One-Hander Lander. Marc Pinyol, who won the 2023 Best Trick contest with his iconic California Roll Body Varial, brought the trick back for 2025 to secure the runner-up position. Julien Vanstippen completed the podium with a powerful Backflip Tsunami.

Pat Bowden, winner of the Best Trick contests, stated, “It means a lot to me, honestly. I was lying in a hospital bed in Russia six weeks ago, and I honestly didn’t think that I would be here. Obviously, the first place feels good, but what really means the most to me is the fact that I’m even here right now. Just so grateful for Ryan (van der Spuy) for putting this event on, everyone who supports it, the hospitality here is absolutely crazy. This is definitely a world-class event. I was here last year, and he somehow manages to step this thing up year after year, so I think the future looks bright. It will be interesting to see where this event goes.”

Before the evening’s main event, the Best Whip Final, fans were treated to Monster Energy’s Rig Riot – a spectacular laser and light show that transformed Montecasino’s façade into a breathtaking display, marking a first-of-its-kind experience in South Africa.

As riders got ready to send it into the final, the tempo intensified, enhanced by pyrotechnics and a crowd brimming with anticipation. Riders left nothing on the table as they attempted to dethrone reigning champion Julien Vanstippen.

The Final delivered a fiercely contested showdown between Julien Vanstippen and the two Stark Varg riders, Wyatt Fontenot and Ry Hazell. Vicki Golden, the event’s first female competitor, was also in the mix along with Genki Watanabe, Stav Olrand, Ryan Adler and Trent Valsecchi.

With each jump, the whips got bigger and crazier. In the end, Fontenot rose above the pack to claim the crown from Vanstippen. Hazell delivered an outstanding performance to secure third place, with Stav Orland and Vicki Golden rounding out the top five.

Best Whip winner Wyatt Fontenot said, “It’s amazing. The guys out here pushed me to the fullest. Julien (Vanstippen) has always been a big inspiration to me, and to be able to ride with him and compete with him is crazy. South Africa has the sickest crowd I’ve ever seen. Since I’ve landed, I’ve had the coolest people around me. South Africa, I’m definitely coming back. Nicest people out here.”

Ryan Adler delivered an impressive performance throughout the day, advancing from the qualifying rounds to the semi-finals and ultimately earning his place in the Final. On his opening jump of the last round, he unleashed one of his biggest whips of the event but suffered a heavy crash. Despite returning to a badly damaged bike, Adler managed to get it patched up well enough to make another attempt before the Final wrapped. His determination, spirit, and unwavering energy throughout the competition earned him the newly introduced Ricky Raaff Award—presented in honour of the late Ricky Raaff.

King of the Whip 2025 Final Results

Best Whip
1st Wyatt Fontenot (R60 000.00)
2nd Julien Vanstippen (R40 000.00)
3rd Ry Hazell (R20 000.00)
4th Stav Orland (R15 000.00)
5th Vicki Golden (R10 000.00)
6th Genki Watanabe
7th Trent Valsecchi
8th Ryan Adler

Best Trick Upside Down
1st Pat Bowden (R28 500.00)
2nd Marc Pinyol (R18 000.00)
3rd Julien Vanstippen (R14 000.00)

Best Trick Right Side Up
1st Pat Bowden (R18 500.00)
2nd Genki Watanabe (R13 000.00)
3rd Julien Vanstippen (R8 500.00)

Ricky Raaff Award
Ryan Adler

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BobHead Lumberjack Protective Shirt

Features

Harry Fisher

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Dec 2, 2025

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I have to admit that I’ve got a thing for riding apparel, jackets especially, and particularly the modern textile jacket. A good leather jacket is great and stylish, but I appreciate the features, comfort and flexibility of a well-designed and practical textile jacket.

The only problem, if it can even be called a problem, is that they’re not always suitable for ‘social’ events; you always look as if you’re wearing a bike jacket, which isn’t always appropriate, no matter how much we might like the look.

I hope you have all read Bjorn’s review of the latest arrival to these shores, the BobHead range of biking apparel, brought in by the guys at Behind The Bars. In BobHead, there is a range of products that tick a lot of boxes not ticked by other offerings on the market right now.

(Yes, I know that two reviews of the same product in a short space of time is slightly overkill, but, having tried them for myself, I couldn’t resist singing their praises.)

There are two types of jacket; leather and what BobHead call ‘protective’ shirts, with a cotton outer. It is with the latter that this review is concerned.

Basically, what you are looking at is what looks like an ordinary brushed cotton ‘lumberjack’ shirt, but with a very useful level of built-in impact and abrasion resistance.

Behind the cotton layer is a layer of Kevlar, which provides the abrasion resistance as well as a surprising level of wind protection. Behind that is a mesh lining and, incorporated into that, is shoulder, back and elbow armour; not full, thick armour, as you might find in a dedicated adventure jacket, which would be too bulky, but protection all the same. High-quality YKK zips fasten at the front and the cuffs, with gunmetal poppers finishing it off.

It’s stylish, comfortable and could literally be worn anywhere. In the heat of a Gauteng summer’s day, it is a warm jacket – there is no ventilation – but, given the tendency for evenings to be cool, you would appreciate the insulation on the ride home in the dark. Similarly, it’s not waterproof, but again, I don’t see that as a deal-breaker, given the number of waterproof over-jackets that pack up super small and are carried easily.

If I have any slight criticism, it is that there are only two chest pockets, neither big enough to fit a modern smartphone (that’s an issue that you don’t have with the Camel Protective Jacket as introduced by Bjorn in his review). It’s not a deal-breaker and is rendered null and void if a backpack or waist pack is worn.

But, really, in the face of style and comfort, any minor criticisms melt away, and this jacket is supremely comfortable and, to my mind, very stylish. It’s the apparel equivalent of a modern classic motorcycle, such as a Triumph Bonneville; retro style on the outside, modern engineering and safety on the inside.

One thing I would point out is that, when ordering online, make sure to go for a larger size than you might normally expect to. I generally take a Medium and, while the Medium Lumberjack shirt fits me like a glove, I would appreciate a little more room, which a Large would afford, if only to be able to wear more than a t-shirt underneath. To their credit, this is something that BobHead recognise, stating on their website that the sizing is based on European measurements and that other countries should consider moving up a size or two when ordering.

I’ll bring you a long-term report in a few months, but for now, I can’t recommend the Lumberjack Protective Shirt highly enough. It’s something different.

For more information on BOBHEAD gear, visit – www.behindthebars.co.za

Mahindra Karoo Dew 4×4 – Old School Cool

Lifestyle

Dave Cilliers

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Dec 2, 2025

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To be frank, I’m tired of vehicle manufacturers, and this applies to motorcycles and cars, answering questions we never asked. Modern-day vehicles are drowning in electronics that I almost feel are meant to score brownie points on a spec sheet rather than be indispensable to drivers or end users. If we look at 4x4s in particular, two vehicles come to mind when we think of what we consider vehicles that opened up Africa. First on that list must be the Land Rover, and then, in more recent times, the Toyota Land Cruiser. If I look at these two vehicles and what made them so successful, I believe that first and foremost, it was their rugged build, followed by their simplicity of design and execution. Fact is, they were venturing into the African hinterland where few, or no roads, much less manufacturers’ dealerships.

Times have certainly changed! To diagnose problems on modern vehicles, they get plugged into diagnostic computers, which spit out fault codes after chatting to the vehicle’s onboard computer. The technician then addresses the problem, often by unplugging an electronic component and plugging in another one. Alternatively, they will re-map the software of the engine management unit to rectify the problem. I suspect if that had been the level of complexity, ‘back in the day’, Africa, and many other remote parts of the globe, would not have been traversed. I am a child of the seventies, so I remember those simple times rather well.

For me, the secret lies in keeping things as simple as possible in the crazy complexity of the modern world, whilst utilising modern technology in a way that it does not detract from that simplicity. The subject of this driving impression is an excellent example of the point I’m trying to make. Mahindra’s Karoo Double Cab 4×4, in this instance in ‘Dew’ guise. We also live in a world that in many cases favours form over function. Things have to ‘look the part’. Manufacturers dress up their vehicles, in most cases doing nothing to enhance their function, but to make them more appealing to the egos of their buyers.

The ‘Dew’ version of Mahindra’s Karoo range is a case in point. It certainly looks the part! Front and rear bumpers are replaced for hardcore off-road numbers, and a fat roll bar gets bolted to the load bed. The wheels get shod with mud terrain tyres, which further enhance ‘the look’. Visually, it is certainly a successful exercise; it is for individuals to decide whether the extra spend is justified.

I did not have the time to exhaustively assess the Dew; however, there were some points that I am well able to chat about. I drove a route that included city snarl, open road, highway and some gnarly and rutted dirt roads. This was the first time that I had driven a Double Cab Mahindra. I didn’t really know what to expect. On the surface, the rugged look and spec suggested a rather uncompromising ride and driver experience. I expected a utilitarian implement-like feel where comfort is totally sacrificed for rugged reliability. On a visit to India, I saw a number of 40-year-olds and older Mahindras running around New Delhi. If they can last that long in Indian conditions, then reliability is a given.

I was genuinely pleasantly surprised by the driving experience. The 2.2 litre mHawk turbo diesel motor is a beaut. It is refined and smooth with 103 kW and 320 Nm of torque between 1,500 and 2,200 rpm. It has more than adequate power. The Auto box shifts smoothly and complements the motor well. I was surprised at the lack of road and wind noise at cruising speed, despite the aggressive mud-terrain tyres fitted to the bakkie. The leather-clad front seats are supportive and comfy with an armrest for your inside arm on each seat.

The driving position is commanding with a good view for Kruger lovers. The back seats are a tight fit for tall adults but perfect for kids. The radio and reverse screen incorporate a nav system that I cannot comment on, as I found it difficult to operate. Take that more as a reflection on my ability rather than problems with the system. I did not persevere as I was more intent on the driving experience than the tech on offer.

With consumption of around 9 litres per 100k’s, the 80-litre tank gives a decent range. The Mahindras are well known for their good off-road ability, enhanced by a mechanical diff-lock when needed. The steering is positive, and it is easy to keep the Mahindra pointed where you want it to go. Whilst firm, the suspension is not uncomfortable but rather what you would expect from a vehicle as competent off-road as this one. The commanding size of the vehicle demands respect. You look at taxi drivers eyeball to eyeball. The brakes are good and add to the general feeling of control that the driver enjoys. Being a big vehicle, the turning circle is rather wide; however, the well-weighted power steering makes manoeuvring a doddle. The aircon is excellent and kept us comfy on a hot and humid day.

To sum up, the Karoo left me really impressed. It is refined and comfortable enough to be a daily driver and will make a great base for an overlanding vehicle. Speaking overlanding, the purchase price of the base Karoo 4×4 Auto is around R440,000, leaving you with plenty of rands to pimp the vehicle to your needs. The mud terrain tyres on the test vehicle are more of a hindrance than a help. They are heavy, aggressive and noisy compared to a tyre like our favourite General Grabber AT3s, which are great all-round performers in most applications. The cost of the Dew is north of R600,000 with all the farkles fitted.

For me, Mahindra’s Karoo DC 4X4 offers the bargain buy of the class. It has no pretentious bling but rather everything that you need to enhance your African adventures. If you are one of those people who appreciate function over form, you should seriously consider a Mahindra spec’d to your preference. Rather than paying a premium for features that you do not need or necessarily value, spend your loot on the adventures that you bought the vehicle for. I will endeavour to get this vehicle for a Kruger trip and comment after extended time together. My initial impressions are overwhelmingly favourable. The Karoo does everything it promises on the packaging, and more!

For more information, visit: www.mahindra.co.za

Volkswagen Amarok King of the Whip returns

Motorcycle News

Harry Fisher

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Nov 28, 2025

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Volkswagen Amarok King of the Whip returns

As a motorcycle enthusiast, it’s inevitable that you have your preferences in terms of motorcycle sport, while there are many other strands that completely pass you by. Then you delve a little deeper, and you understand that there are some incredible athletes out there performing some pretty amazing and gravity-defying stunts on two wheels that really should be consistently on your radar.

Around 30 of those athletes are in Johannesburg this weekend, competing in the King of the Whip competition at Montecasino. This is an event that has grown year-on-year for the past ten, twelve years into an event that attracts riders from all over the world, cementing its status as a must-attend event.

On the Thursday before the Saturday event, the riders were introduced to the press and select members of the public at World of Yamaha, and it was fascinating. Naturally, all the competing men and women are disgustingly young – maybe that’s the secret of their success! – but they all possess a skill that is as beyond mere mortals such as you and I as the MotoGP or WSBK riders we watch week-in, week-out.

This is a sport that is constantly evolving, as riders push the boundaries of what is physically possible while soaring metres high in the night sky. Listening to them, it is clear that what they bring to the competition is as varied as their accents, and they are all constantly thinking about how to add something new to their routines.

If you have never witnessed first-hand what these guys and girls can do with two wheels and an engine and a scarily-steep ramp, then you really owe it to yourself to make an effort to attend a King of the Whip event. 6,000 tickets have been sold for the 2025 event at Montecasino, giving you some indication of the popularity that has been generated over the years. If you miss out this year, then definitely make a plan for 2026.

New King of the Roof Crowned and World Champion Decided at Thrilling Hard Enduro World Finale in Lesotho!

Motorcycle News

ZA Editorial Team

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Nov 27, 2025

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The final round of the Hard Enduro World Championship (HEWC) Series, the iconic Roof of Africa, concluded on Saturday, 22 November, with a stunning blend of high-octane racing, navigational drama, and a triumphant new champion being crowned the “King of the Roof.” The challenging three-day event in the Maloti Mountains of Lesotho delivered a spectacular finale to the 2025 HEWC season.

The final day of racing saw riders start and finish at Music Box near Roma (which also served as the DSP), under great, clear weather conditions that were notably warmer than the previous day. Competitors faced two loops, requiring them to sweat it out as they tackled gruelling climbs and descents. The primary challenge of the day proved to be navigation, demanding precision alongside physical endurance.

International riders were challenged not only by the brutal terrain but also by the navigational requirements – an element where many of the South African riders, more familiar with both the landscape and GPS tracking, held a distinct advantage.

Moore Takes the Roof Title, Lettenbichler Secures the World Championship

The drama unfolded early on in the Gold class. James Moore (Brother Leadertread KTM/Rigo Racing) opened the stage but suffered a major setback when his GPS failed, costing him significant time and positions as he got lost in the mountains.

After the first loop, the standings at the DSP saw Teodore Kabakchiev (Sherco Factory Racing) and his teammate Mario Roman looking strong, with Matthew Green (F61 Racing) also maintaining a good pace with the leading group. Both Billy Bolt (Husqvarna Racing) and Mani Lettenbichler (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) were aggressively pushing to close the gaps and position themselves for podium contention. Moore arrived outside the top 10 after Loop 1, putting his bid for the Roof title on shaky ground.

However, the young rider, leveraging his lead from the previous day and demonstrating a tenacious spirit, dug deep and finished the final day in an impressive sixth position. This critical finish was enough: James Moore, who was also recently crowned the Junior Hard Enduro World Champ, was officially crowned the new 2025 Roof of Africa Champion. The “Mother of Hard Enduro” has a new title holder – the young guns are coming through the ranks!

Meanwhile, Mani Lettenbichler crossed the final finish line in second place for the day, a result that secured his overall season victory. Mani was subsequently crowned the 2025 Hard Enduro World Champion!

The final stage win of the Roof went to an on-form Billy Bolt, while Mario Roman took third for the day. A serious incident occurred when Kabakchiev suffered a bad tumble while climbing a waterfall, sadly ending his day early. Mitch Brightmore (X-Grip Racing) put in a consistent ride to finish fifth, just two seconds behind Matthew Green in fourth for the day. Sandra Gomez (Gomez Racing Team) won Top Performing Woman in the HEWC, a huge accolade in hard enduro racing.

2025 HEWC Series Final Podium:

Mani Lettenbichler (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna Racing)
Mitch Brightmoore (X-Grip Racing on GasGas)

2025 Roof of Africa Overall Top 5 (Gold Class):

James Moore (Brother Leadertread KTM/Rigo Racing)
Mani Lettenbichler (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna Racing)
Mario Roman (Sherco Factory Team)
Mitch Brightmoore (X-Grip Racing on GasGas)

Top Performing Woman in HEWC

Sandra Gomez (Gomez Racing Team)

Final Results Across All Classes

The spirit of Hard Enduro was on full display with brilliant riding from all classes. The final overall results for the supporting classes are as follows:

Silver 2025 Roof of Africa Overall Top 5:

Grant Burton-Durham (Beta Racing South Africa)
Branden Swanepoel (Trademore Sherco)
Matthew Burger (KTM)
Barend JL Du Toit (KTM)
Charan Moore (Triumph Racing)

Bronze 2025 Roof of Africa Overall Top 5:

Stiaan van Den Heever (KTM)
Geoff Patterson (KTM)
Jamie Wilson (KTM)
Michael Morris (Sherco)
Altus de Wet (Altie Create KTM)

Iron 2025 Roof of Africa Overall Top 5:

Gideon Malherbe (Sherco)
Ian Rall (Brother Leadertread KTM)
Seamus McCarthy (Beta)
Tom Classen (KTM)
Zane Do Amaral (KTM)

Community Outreach and HEWC 2026 News

Riders, support crews, and spectators provided overwhelmingly positive feedback on this year’s Roof of Africa. The people of Lesotho were once again lauded as gracious and welcoming hosts.

As a showing of gratitude to the local communities most affected by the event, the organisers have arranged a free dental clinic. They have partnered with four dentists from Spain, part of the One Life, Smile organisation, to offer free dental check-ups and assistance, alongside handing out clothing, toothbrushes, and gifts. The One Life, Smile clinics, led by Dr Pablo Beardo, will operate throughout the week in various communities, starting with the village near Music Box.

In a key announcement during the wrap-up festivities, Glenn Olsson, CEO of KONG Event and Forza Orza Event Manager, confirmed that the Hard Enduro World Championship will be expanding in 2026. Sweden will join the series with the new event, Forza Orza, taking place in Orsa Grönklitt on August 20–23, 2026.

Final word from Roof of Africa 2025

“What a phenomenal week! As the 2025 Roof of Africa concludes, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed to its success. Thank you to all the dedicated participants for tackling the Maloti Mountains with such heart. A huge thank you also goes to our invaluable partners like LORA, Lesotho Tourism and ISSC, and all our sponsors, including FNB Lesotho, LNDC, ZMG ISUZU, Plews Tyres, Avani, Starlink by T-Connect, Beta South Africa, NPL, Lizzard, Econet, MGC, Maluti, Tib Insurance, Sox, XCO and Bandit Graffix. And of course, a special shout-out to our fuel partner Trademore Sherco and the ever-popular Motul Bike Wash for keeping the machines running and shining. We couldn’t have done it without you all!” – Ross Whitehead, Event Director.

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For videos, photos and interviews from this thrilling finale, follow The Roof of Africa on Facebook and Instagram. For results from all the classes over all the days, go to: www.theroofofafrica.com and click on Results.

Road trip pleasure = NC squared!

Features

Dave Cilliers

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Nov 27, 2025

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‘Adventure’ is defined in the dictionary as ‘Unexpected or exciting experience, daring enterprise, hazardous activity’. Now, as motorcyclists, we know that even cruising to a coffee spot by motorcycle is a minor adventure as opposed to rolling there in a four-wheel shopping basket. Sometimes the planned adventure takes a twist before you even get going, and so it was on this occasion. Let me explain. My son Dave trains and mentors staff in the motor industry. On this occasion, it involved visiting a Ford dealership in Kokstad. When he saw that getting to Kokstad involved traversing a large part of the KZN Midlands, he started thinking of a motorcycle trip, and I got a call, ‘Hey Pops, are you up for a road trip?’ ‘Hell yeah!’ was my predictable response. Let the planning begin! That’s when I thought of what could make a great story, so I contacted Rory at Honda SA.

My idea was to do a touring comparison between Honda’s ubiquitous NC 750, which is a road bike with dirt road capability, and their TransAlp 750, which is decent off-road but with great road manners. With a special deal running on the TransAlp at the moment, which comes in at a purchase price of around R190,000, it is a huge amount of bike for that money. I have always been of the opinion that the Trannie is vastly underrated and one of the gems in the Honda range for someone in the market for a do-it-all bike. Rory arranged for the knobblies on their demo bike to be swapped for Pirelli STRs, which are ideal tyres for the skills of the TransAlp. I picked up the bike from Bikers Warehouse, and a new 750 manual NC 750 was dropped off at my home. Let the games begin!

We planned to leave on a Thursday at lunchtime when Dave had completed his online training of Ford staff in Cambodia and Myanmar. Ain’t the internet something! This meant a brisk ride to Nottingham Road, where we planned to overnight at the iconic ‘Notties’ hotel, then leave early the next morning to ride from Howick to Underberg and on to Kokstad. The bikes were packed and ready to roll, so we kitted up and hopped aboard. Dave was going to do the first stint on the TransAlp and wheeling it out of the garage, he gave a cry of dismay. The front tyre had totally deflated overnight. Pressed for time, we had to change our plan. My NC DCT 750 was wheeled out, luggage transferred, and we got on our way. Adventures don’t always happen as you planned, and over the years, I have, on a few occasions, had to roll with the punches that Murphy throws at me.

I rode my DCT, and Dave was on the manual NC. We successfully negotiated hectic Johannesburg lunchtime traffic and felt a sense of calm wash over us as we headed towards Heidelberg. The first tollgate eradicated that sense of calm. For at least 4 kilometres, the highway approaching the tollgate was gridlocked solid with trucks. I thought that there had to be a massive accident, but no, it was simply an accumulation of the trucks that infest our roads, creating total chaos. We idled past the mess and nipped the tollgate and proceeded on our way, so grateful to be on bikes. We settled into a comfortable 120 plus VAT and enjoyed the laid-back and relaxed demeanour of the NCs. There was a brisk headwind which was going to haunt us for the duration of our trip. Inexplicably, the wind changed direction as we did and, by and large, smacked us in the beak. Despite this, our fuel consumption was typically NC frugal, with the manual consistently giving an extra kilometre on every litre consumed.

We rolled into Nottingham Road in a heavy mist so typical of the Midlands. The temperature also dropped dramatically. ‘Notties’, as the hotel is affectionately known, is a typical Old English-style country hotel. The pub is a watering hole for some interesting locals. There was a TOPS festival being hosted at the hotel in full swing, with superb snacks and various purveyors of fine wines, whiskeys and gin with their wares to sample. Because of this, the kitchen in the hotel was closed, so we voiced our displeasure at not being advised when booking that this would be the case. We unpacked our kit into our room whilst mumbling and grumbling about where we would find a meal. As if on cue, the receptionist arrived and issued us with complimentary tickets to the festival. Score! We punished a couple of ‘vuil cokes’ in celebration of the first day of our road trip, then joined the festival for further refreshments. Chatting about the ride as bikers are wont to do, I could sense that the NC was weaving its magic on Dave. He commented that it is endowed with the sweetest clutch and gearbox that he had ever experienced, and he was gobsmacked by the general refinement.

As is customary, we rose early on Friday morning. We needed to be in Kokstad by 9 AM, and the road to Kokstad is ‘technical’ in nature. It would be a real-world crucible of fire, testing the abilities of the two NCs to the max. It meant getting on the N3 to turn off at Howick, where we would ride the mountainous route through Bulwer and a number of rural Zululand villages before Underberg, literally in the lee of the mighty Drakensberg. All these villages must have got a special deal on speed bumps, as you first negotiate rumble strips before bunny hopping a bunch of speed bumps. From there, the road opened up for the run down to Kokstad. The weather threw a huge challenge. We rode out of Nottingham Road in heavy mist, which was destined to envelop us in varying degrees of density all the way to Underberg. The road surfaces were slick and wet, pothole-strewn and incredibly bumpy in places. In some places, feeble attempts were being made to repair potholes, leaving big rectangles of dirt devoid of tar to traverse. The two NCs were a revelation! The perfect power delivery and dialled suspension, allied to a perfect rider triangle, simply gives great rider confidence despite the dire road conditions. To add to our misery, it was extremely cold with temperatures hovering around 7 degrees. Well, as the old saying goes, ‘a bad day on the bike is better than a good day in the office’.

Thankfully, we dropped out of the mist as we exited Underberg and descended down the mountain to Kokstad. To lift our spirits even more were the incredible mountain vistas in all directions. The road surface was also vastly improved. The NCs swept through the sweeping bends with commendable accuracy. I normally ride the DCT NC in Standard mode, dropping a gear with a quick prod of my thumb on the paddle shifter to drop a gear for more go. Needing to get a hurry up, I selected Sport mode, powering through the sweeps and then upshifting with my index finger. We were able to make up time lost on the road to Underberg and rolled up to the Ford dealership in Kokstad at exactly 9 AM. It was straight to work for Dave while I went in search of a cup of coffee and some chain lube. The wet roads had washed all the lube from our chains, and being endowed with a big dollop of mechanical sympathy, I wanted to sort that situation. I also wanted to study my map as I didn’t want to ride that shocking bit of toxic tar twice on the same day. I decided we would ride the road to Pietermaritzburg, which, chatting to the locals, was in reasonable nick. Dave had to see more staff than anticipated, so we only managed to get back on the bikes at 2 PM, with a 420-k ride in the offing to our destination, Amphitheatre Backpackers near Bergville.

The ride to ‘Maritzburg was a goodie. The first stretch out of Kokstad was brand new and apparently goes all the way to Port Shepstone. It undulates and sweeps through stunning mountain scenery. We then turned off onto an older, but relatively decent road, which took us into ‘Maritzburg. We got to strafe some serious mountain passes where we had the opportunity to thoroughly test the handling capabilities of the NCs. Suffice to say, we wore all the hero knobs off the tyres and had a whole heap of fun. Even bumpy sweeps do not deviate the bikes from their course, and ground clearance is good. We rolled into Maritzburg at rush hour and eventually found our way onto the N3 and made haste towards Bergville. Bikes rock when it comes to maintaining speed through heavy traffic, and so it was through the course of the ride, slicing and dicing traffic with aplomb. We eventually pulled into the Backpackers at 6.15 PM, properly weary from muscling the bikes over mountains and fighting headwind for the better part of the day.

With a shared sandwich, our only meal of the day, we were properly famished. The Amphitheatre Backpackers is highly recommended. It has an amazing view of the Drakensberg in the distance. We watched the last vestiges of sun kissing the peaks of the Berg as we sipped on our first drink, before tucking into a plate of tasty pasta. Needless to say, we had no trouble sleeping. We were not sure what the next day’s ride would bring, with weather apps predicting significant rain just about everywhere. The wind, which had transpired to be in our faces irrespective of which way we rode, picked up even more during the night. I opened the door the next morning to an angry, windswept sky but no rain as yet. The power was out, so coffee was not in the offing, so we packed the bikes, took some pics, then hit the road. The R74 past the Backpackers takes you over Oliviershoek pass and past the Sterkfontein dam to Harrismith. What transpired was one of those epic rides that stays etched in the memory for aeons.

It was cool but not cold. The bikes were running sweetly, and the light on the pass was sublime. Streaks of sun played on the mountain, doing its best to penetrate the clouds. The views from Oliviershoek pass must be experienced, especially at first light. It was so good to be alive and on a bike in that place at that time. All too soon, we pulled into the Harrismith Wimpy for a triple-shot mega coffee, then it was back on the bikes. It was one of those rides where everything just feels good. The bikes were singing their 4200 rpm song at 135 kph, devouring the distance effortlessly. It is a speed which allows you to relax and enjoy the ride without fatigue. It seemed like no time before we were past Heidelberg and pulled into the Steers for a brekkie. The weather had been kind thus far, but the bank of dark clouds over Jo’burg told a different story. We pulled on rain kits and rode straight into spots of rain, which varied in intensity all the way onto the R21 from OR Tambo to Pretoria, where it was raining steadily, and the NCs were throwing up plumes of spray in their wake. We had made short work of a 400-odd km ride home.

Dave and I chatted about the NCs that had carried us far and wide without so much as a murmur. When you fire them up in the morning, the motor instantly settles into this even idle that shouts refinement and reliability. These bikes are beyond dependable. The 23-litre locked storage space or ‘frunk’, as it is affectionately called, is a game changer.

Weatherproof and instantly accessible, you wonder how you can get by without it. My rain suit, spare gloves, puncture repair kit, camera, wallet and cellphone were gobbled up effortlessly and with space to spare. Having experienced the wide array of talents of the NC, I will be the next guy who labels it ‘a commuter’ in the nether regions! This is a travel bike par excellence! In stock trim, it is extremely comfortable. Spend a little loot, and you can kit it out for far more adventurous journeys. I have Honda’s touring screen with a wind deflector and the excellent quality SW-Motech crashbars, soft luggage racks and bashplate fitted for a bit of dirt road without pain. Barkbuster handguards keep the worst of the weather off my hands. The final pieces of the puzzle will be a radiator guard and mainstand, then my NC will be totally sorted.

The NC has such an easy-going nature, it works with you no matter what terrain you are traversing. It carries its weight low and is extremely comfortable. In real-world riding, it punches way above its weight. Reliability is a given, and fuel consumption is spectacular; our average for the trip, despite the headwind, settled at around 25 km/L, giving a range of over 300 km between fill-ups. The option of DCT [Auto] and Manual shifting is another winner. Both versions function superbly in their own way. 6th gear is an overdrive, which keeps the motor relaxed at highway speed. With maximum torque at a low 4,750 rpm, it results in a punchy midrange, easily accessed by dropping a gear.

In 20,000 k’s of travel on my personal DCT NC, I have never experienced under 20 km/L, even after extended 150 kph cruising. For someone like me who rides his bike every day and everywhere, there is quite simply nothing like it. It is like that dependable buddy who never lets you down and never says no. Dave’s parting shot was ‘Pops, there is definitely an NC in my future’. I get it! Needless to say, thanks to that sod Murphy, I have unfinished business with Honda’s TransAlp. Watch this space.

Honda NC750X:

For more information on the Honda NC750X featured in this article, click on the link below…

2025

HONDA NC750X (DCT)

Pricing From R165,599 (RRP)

Brand: Honda

2025

HONDA NC750X

Pricing From R153,899 (RRP)

Brand: Honda

GoRider.co.za: Let Your Car, Bakkie or Bike Earn Money

Motorcycle News

Harry Fisher

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Nov 27, 2025

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With the South African manner of living, where each household is likely to have at least two or more cars or bikes, some of which will stand idle for weeks, maybe months, wouldn’t it be a great idea if your car or motorcycle could earn its keep while you’re not using it? That’s where www.gorider.co.za comes in.

This was the thought that came to Menachem Altman after he sold his bike; “After selling my previous bike, I still wanted something to ride over December, but there were no proper rental options in South Africa. I ended up buying a bike on Facebook Marketplace, using it for two months and then having to sell it again. The entire process was unnecessary. That experience made me realise riders needed a simple, safe way to rent bikes without the hassle, which pushed me to build GoRider. As we developed the platform, the same need became clear across all vehicle types, but the biking community remains the origin and heart of the start-up.

“We are currently in the pre-launch stage, focused only on onboarding owners. Bike owners and car owners can already sign up, submit their vehicle details and complete verification so their listings are ready before launch. Early owners receive founding-owner perks, and their vehicles will automatically appear on the platform when we open to the public at the beginning of February 2026.”

Registering your vehicle for rental couldn’t be easier; all you’ll need are the vehicle details and photos, proof of residence, ID document and a facial scan for identity verification.
Small rental businesses can also onboard now, with additional tools to manage larger fleets, business details and multiple staff members. This provides a streamlined way for smaller agencies to sync their vehicles and operate through one unified system.

Naturally, at the top of everyone’s mind will be indemnification in the event of accident or theft – insurance, in other words.

“Insurance is handled through our insurance partners, who provide full comprehensive cover for all bookings made on the platform,’ said Menachem. ‘Our tracking partners support the system with device installation where needed, live monitoring and recovery teams, ensuring strong protection for owners.

“There are two ways for the owners to insure their vehicles under the scheme. The first way is that they switch to an insurance policy under GoRider for personal and the rental vehicle, for which GoRider have negotiated very good rates, or they can keep their regular insurance, and there is an additional insurance policy for their vehicle during the rental period.”

GoRider is still in the formation stages, ahead of the anticipated February 2026 launch.
“The renter side of the platform is fully built and ready. We are holding off on opening it until we have a strong national pool of vehicles, so that renters have a real choice and availability from day one.

“Because GoRider began as a biking solution, we especially want the biking community involved at this stage. Pre-listing bikes now helps shape the platform from launch and ensures riders lead the way in this new access-first mobility model.”

The other big question is, ‘how much will this both cost and earn?’ Menachem again; “The daily rental rate is whatever the owner decides to charge, obviously within reason. There is a user fee, or service fee, which is based on how much the daily rental rate is and the rental period. GoRider take a 10-15% commission per trip, again based on each individual trip’s details.”

If this seems like something you’d be interested in getting involved with, you can contact Menachem on 064 751 1160 or email him at [email protected]

Alfa Romeo’s first EV, the Alfa Romeo Junior.

Lifestyle

Brian Cheyne

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Nov 26, 2025

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Photo credit: Brian Cheyne / ZA Lifestyle

Somewhere in the heart of Italy, you can feel the ground trembling. It is widely believed to be past Alfa Romeo purists turning in their graves after hearing that the new Alfa Romeo Junior is now available as a full electric vehicle. Through a logistical challenge, I got to drive an Alfa Romeo Junior for a weekend.

When I came back from my recent road trip in the Opel Grandland, and the driver came to collect the car, he was dropped off in an Alfa Romeo Junior. This was even before they were officially launched in South Africa. I was blown away by how this car looked. I wanted to drive one, just to experience what this car has to offer. As luck would have it, one of my colleagues had a double booking for a press car, and with no space in his garage for both, the beautiful Alfa got to spend a weekend with me. I was not complaining!

Being a motorcycle guy, I had to learn a lot of new car terms, and even more so with the electric powertrain. My dad always used to measure fuel consumption in miles per gallon, and I am used to kilometres per litre. Now I have to learn about efficiency as kWh/100. Also, you have to listen differently. When a petrol engine expires, you are well aware of the event due to the noise that will naturally follow the failure. But what can go wrong in an electric vehicle, and what noise do I have to look out for? Who knows… All part of the learning curve.

Wherever I went, people asked me questions I had to Google the answers to. From “What is the range?” to “How many kilowatts does it deliver?” I always find it curious that the first question asked about EVs is the range. Somehow, only electric vehicles seem to suffer from the situation where you run out of whatever juice makes it go. No one has ever asked me about range on a motorbike, unless it is electric, of course. That being said, I can confirm that you are constantly aware of the ever-decreasing range, and you do need to put a bit more effort into planning trips.

The Alfa Romeo Junior shares a lot of parts with the other cars in the Stellantis group, but the exterior is what drew me to this car in the first place. It has arresting good looks, and the finer Alfa touches are described in Italian. It has things like a “scudetto grille, the signature trilobo front, and a sleek coda tronca tail,” according to the press release. On the side, it has the biscionne emblem to further cement the Alfa heritage.

There are two variants available – the Elettrica and Elettrica Veloce – each featuring a single electric motor driving the front wheels. The Elettrica delivers 118 kW and 260 Nm of torque, while the Veloce variant delivers 207 kW and 345 Nm. This equates to a 0-100 km/h time of 9 seconds and 5.9 seconds, respectively. Top speed is given as 152 km/h and 200 km/h. Obviously, this will affect the usable range, which differs quite a bit between the two models. For the sake of those who ask, the standard Elettrica will do around 410 km, whereas the Veloce should be good for around 350 km.

We were lucky to get the Veloce, but sadly, it was not finished in red. It also came with the optional bucket seats and sunroof. The driver’s seat adjusts electronically, whereas the passenger seat is a manual affair. The seats are racing seats, so they provide a lot of support. Getting in and out of them takes some practice, and they are a bit on the firm side. In its rearward position, there is very little room left in the back, which means that this is not a good option for a family car.

Every conceivable driver aid is available, and I assume, once you have read the manual, you will be able to make sense of all the bings and bongs. This car has lane centring, adaptive cruise control, LED matrix headlights and even emergency braking for pedestrians and cyclists. A car that takes control of the steering wheel while driving is always a bit unnerving.

Once seated, you put your foot on the brake and press the start button. The dash lights up, and you can then select your desired direction of travel with a simple rocker switch. Incidentally, it is the exact same rocker switch that I saw in the Opel Grandland. When you depress the ‘petrol’ pedal, the car moves eerily forward in silence. A few fans are blowing, but there is no noise to give you a sense of speed or movement. The movement is felt when you bury the loud pedal in the carpet. The car lurches forward, pushing you back into your seat while the front wheels are fighting for grip. Everything is beautifully coordinated by all the electronics.

The car feels solid and planted, even though it carries a hefty battery pack with it. There are three driving modes to choose from – Dynamic, Natural and Advanced Efficiency. The letters spell DNA, which I quite like. You can also switch on regenerative braking, and in each mode, it sets the level of regeneration it will do. In the lowest mode, the regen is the most aggressive. So much so that you can basically drive this car without ever touching the brakes. This mode also makes the performance far more sedate.

Once the power is depleted, you have to recharge the car, obviously, and I was pleasantly surprised to see how many charging stations were already in operation. I had heard many stories about charging stations being occupied by non-electric vehicles, but I was lucky that on both occasions I topped up, I had an open charging bay. The process itself is somewhat of a fiddly affair, but we managed. Charging at home obviously takes longer, but if you have a solar installation, it should be relatively cheap to top up the Alfa. This particular aspect of an electric vehicle always elicits negative comments, but you adapt. I can see myself coping perfectly fine with the options available to me. I had limited time with the car, so I can honestly not say if my power consumption was good or bad. But, we will drive more and learn more!

I was mighty impressed by the Junior, both in the performance and the fit and finish. It is definitely not a family car, as I already mentioned, but, as a daily commuter and something to have fun in, the Veloce version hits it out of the park.

They say that people cannot call themselves true petrol heads unless they have owned an Alfa at some point. To make the Alfa experience complete, I think the car must have an oil dispenser in the front to drip oil on clean driveways. The car must also randomly cut out, and before you can get going again, you have to open the bonnet and gently tap random parts with a hammer. I am obviously joking, but the world is evolving. Alfa Romeo has come a long way, and even if this new car probably had no input from an Italian in any way, shape or form, I think the Stellantis group has done a sterling job to give this car its own unique character. If you can get past the eye-watering price, you will have a lot of fun in this car.

The Elettrica retails for R799 900 and the Elettrica Veloce for R999 900. Both models come with a 5-year/100,000 km warranty and service plan. The battery carries an 8-year/150,000 km warranty.

Lifan CG175 Express – toughing it out in Jo’burg’s traffic

Bike Reviews

Dave Cilliers

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Nov 26, 2025

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COVID had one positive outcome for the motorcycle industry. It provided a huge tailwind to online sales with a corresponding growth in delivery/commercial motorcycle sales. Checkers 60/60, Takealot and the like went on a shopping spree for commercial motorcycles. To take advantage of this stream of new business, KMSA started doing their due diligence on value-for-money offerings from the East. Kawasaki itself has never been a big player in this space, so their eyes turned to reputable Chinese offerings. What transpired was the subject of this story.

KMSA struck a deal with Lifan Industry (Group), a manufacturer of motorcycles since 1992 and motor cars and commercial vehicles since 2005, located in Chongqing, China. As with most Chinese offerings, Lifan builds motorcycle engines that visually show design cues harking back to Japanese stalwarts of the late ’90s. The Lifan CG175 Express is an example of this. In the infancy of the Japanese motor Industry, a similar strategy was employed. Japanese companies copied European engine design so well that, over time, they improved significantly on the originals. One of the best examples of this was the superb 2,800cc straight-six engine built by Datsun, which was derived from the Mercedes 2.8-litre straight-six.

The Chinese build motorcycles in such volumes that an economy of scale results in significant value for money offerings. I was keen to understand what the riding experience is for the average delivery pilot negotiating the urban sprawl of SA’s biggest city. I popped in to KMSA and picked up a Lifan CG175 Express on which I planned to spend a morning negotiating typical Jo’burg city congestion. I planned on taking photos at Simon’s Linden property, which gave me some time on the freeway as well. Literally half the traffic lights in Jo’burg were out of action, adding to motorists’ misery. The mismanagement of the city is becoming more and more evident.

True to form, the Lifan was filled with fuel and spotlessly clean when I picked it up. KMSA run their demo fleet in an exemplary manner. The extra torque of the 175cc motor was immediately evident. It makes for a more relaxing ride as you don’t have to rev the motor off the clock to keep it on the boil. The bike is generally smooth and solid.

Braking performance is decent, given that it is, as most of the bikes in this class, drum-braked. The CG175 has analogue instrumentation with a tachometer incorporating a trip meter and a gear indicator, and a separate speedo with a fuel gauge. I had no trouble accelerating away from traffic at the stoplight GP, and my stint on the freeway showed the Lifan up to the task of maintaining 100 km/h without much bother. In top gear, it takes advantage of the extra torque with slightly longer gearing, allowing a higher cruising speed without feeling that you are killing the motor. This will translate into longer engine life.

The bike, whilst electric start, has a backup kickstart in case of a flat battery. The gear lever has the heel and toe variety, making shifts effortless. A USB charger is handily mounted on the handlebars, essential for powering a Google map-equipped ‘phone, helping riders find their customers. The bike comes standard with a sturdy rack, making fitting a delivery box a doddle. All in all, the Lifan CG175 Express is a decent offering at a price of under R18,000, which represents excellent value for money, in this day and age when a decent bicycle would cost you much more.

I am reminded of the Cape Town couple who bought two Chinese motorcycles with which they embarked on a Trans African trip. The plan was to ditch the bikes and fly home, as they were convinced that at some point on the journey, the bikes would cry ‘no more’! As it transpired, they got to Kenya and had bonded so with their plucky little steeds that they shipped them home from Mombasa, fitted new chains and sprockets, and pressed them into commuter service.

I did gain a new respect for these brave young men who run the gauntlet of Jo’burg traffic daily. It is rather exhausting staying alert to the chaos around you. The little CG175 coped admirably. The clutch did get a little grabby after extended time in heavy traffic, but that is a characteristic I recall well from my days spent on similar bikes in previous years. All in all, it is an honest little motorcycle that will run on the smell of an oil rag and make a lot of money for the business employing it. Take one for a trundle at a qualifying Kawasaki dealer. Your delivery pilots will thank you!

Lifan CG175 Express

For more information on the bike that we tested in this article, click on the link below…

2025

LIFAN MACHETE 125

Pricing From R16,495 (RRP)

Brand: Lifan

The Trek Story: It’s the Sizzle, not the Steak!

Lifestyle

Dave Cilliers

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Nov 26, 2025

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The Trek Story: It’s the Sizzle, not the Steak!

What, you may ask, am I getting at? Well, here’s the thing. Is it the steak we are really after, or is it the opportunity to spend quality time with loved ones while the steak sizzles on a grid over an open fire? The steak is simply the means to a much bigger end. In some cases, the sizzle we were after becomes the catalyst of something much bigger than we could ever have imagined. The story of how the iconic Trek bicycle brand came about is a prime example of the point I’m trying to make.

The story of Trek officially started with its founding in 1976, but like many good tales, that is not really where it began. What really birthed this cycling phenomenon was a chance meeting on an aeroplane and an epic father-son road trip. A 41-year-old businessman by the name of Dick Burke got home from work and told his son John, aged 12, that they were going on a bicycle tour. It seems that the bikes they may have owned at that point were not quite up to an extended tour, as Dick told his boy that they were going shopping for new bikes for their ‘tour’.

Dick mentioned that he had met a South African fellow by the name of Bevil Hogg, whilst on a flight, who owned a bicycle shop in Madison, Wisconsin and was looking for an investor. John, excited at the prospect of a new bike, paid scant attention. I am sure he was already revelling at the thought of hanging out with his dad on their cycling adventure. By all accounts, the trip, although physically challenging (given that they would be riding up to 112 km a day, well in excess of John’s typical 20-odd km bicycle jaunts), was, in a sense, life-changing. Little did they know just how life-changing that trip would be, and not only for them.

Dick ended up investing in Bevil’s shop, leading to the opening of a second shop. As it turned out, the shops didn’t make money, and after scarcely a year, Dick and Bevil pulled the plug on these two enterprises and got together after work at a local pub and steakhouse called The Pine Knoll to plot a way forward. Cosseted in the homely ambience of the steakhouse, the two determined that they needed their own brand rather than retail other manufacturers’ offerings. Something that would be mid to high end. Bevil favoured the name Kestrel for their new brand, conjuring up images of speed and raptor-like excitement, but Dick felt that Trek was even more powerful. I have no doubt that the memories of the adventure that he had with his young boy influenced his choice. A name that would be synonymous with exploration, adventure and bringing families together around a common passion. And so, Trek was born.

In their first year, Trek built 900 hand-brazed frames out of an old carpet warehouse with a staff complement of five. The frames they built were mid to high-end for touring bicycles. Incredibly, within three years, the fledgling company experienced sales approaching 2 million dollars. To continue their stellar growth, they realised that they needed a better manufacturing facility, so they built a bespoke factory on the outskirts of Waterloo, Wisconsin.

Dick Burke reminisced, ‘It was not until we built the new factory that we became a business’. The Waterloo factory was destined to undergo numerous expansions over the years as Trek grew and embraced new cutting-edge technologies. As time progressed, so too did their offerings. Trek built tourers, then racers, and in 1983, they built their first mountain bikes. In 1984, Trek Components Group was launched, supplying frames and accessories, and in 1985 built its first bonded aluminium frames, a departure from hand-brazed frames. Also noteworthy about 1984 is that a young man of 21 joined Trek, who had his destiny changed when, as a 12-year-old boy, his dad got home from work one day and said, ‘Son, we are going on a bicycle tour. ’

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In 1986, they built their first carbon composite frames, and in 1988, Trek Wear, their bespoke cycling apparel brand, was born. 1989 was the year that Trek went international with expansion into the UK and Germany. Trek, in an alliance with a carbon manufacturer, Brent Trimble, built a monocoque frame set with an aluminium fork which was incredibly light, weighing in at a scant 1,5 kg. Reliability issues with these early offerings led to Trek establishing its own in-house carbon manufacturing facility. They developed a Hybrid bike in 1990, which they dubbed ‘Multi Tracks’, with the comfort of a mountain bike but with some of the speed of a road bike. Dare I suggest that this was the forerunner of the Gravel bikes that we have today?

Studying Aerospace technology gave rise to the OCLV (Optimum Compaction, Low Void) carbon frames. The 5500 frames that resulted exceeded Aerospace standards and at 1,11 kg were the lightest production road frames ever built. In 1992, Trek produced their first full suspension mountain bikes, the 9000 series and used their OCLV technology in 1993 to build the 9800 and 9900 series mountain bikes with frames weighing a mere 1,29 kg. The lightest production MTB frames that the world had ever seen. In the same year, Trek acquired Gary Fisher bicycles. Gary Fisher is considered a doyen of the mountain biking genre. Trek ‘Exercycles’ were born in 1994, and in 1995, Trek’s ‘Y’ bike frame design won Popular Mechanics’ prestigious Outstanding Design and Engineering Award.

1995 was also an acquisition year. Klein and Bontrager were added to the Trek stable, and a licensing agreement was signed to design, build and distribute LeMond Racing Cycles. Greg LeMond was a 3 times American Tour de France winner. 1995 also saw the opening of a new assembly facility in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The Waterloo factory went back to its roots as a frame building facility only. 1997 to 2005 can be seen in the history of Trek as ‘The Armstrong Years’.

Trek signed Lance Armstrong onto the US Postal Service Pro cycling team, which they sponsored. In 1999, Lance won the Tour de France on a Trek, becoming the first American, riding an American bike, for an American team to win the prestigious Tour. With Armstrong in the saddle, Trek enjoyed 7 consecutive Tour de France victories. This gave rise to the Madone racing bike from Trek, a legend in its own right, as well as the TTX Time Trial range in 2005. 2005 also saw the establishment of the first European Trek manufacturing facility in Germany.

Photo credit: Tim De Waele / Getty Images

In 1997, after 13 years of grooming, John Burke assumed the reins as President of Trek, a position he holds to this day. Although not stated anywhere, I suspect that John took over the Presidency when Dick retired at 63. Dick passed away in 2008, leaving an indelible legacy within the Trek family. Employees share many stories of how Dick ‘did right by them’. When questioned about these random acts of kindness, Dick’s response was typical, ‘Because it’s the right thing to do’. He lived his life based on a biblical verse, Luke 12:48, which says, ‘to whom much is given, much will be required’. This remains the ethos of the Trek family to this day. Dick’s wealth was ploughed into the Burke Foundation, which continues his philanthropic activities, particularly with providing education for youth in the Milwaukee area.

Today, Trek has subsidiary companies in Europe, Asia and South Africa and employs over 1800 people. Their products are distributed in 90 countries worldwide. Their bicycles are built in facilities in the Netherlands, Germany, Taiwan and China to contain manufacturing costs; however, design and testing still happen in the USA. Acquisitions include Swiss bicycle builders Villiger and German Diamant bikes, both of which are active in the European leisure bicycle market. The Elektra Bicycle Company is also Trek-owned.

John, the current President, is a chip off the old block. He rides over 8,000 km a year on bicycles. His wife Tania, is President of Trek Tours, an affiliate company which organises luxury bicycle tours in Europe and the USA. He has built Trek into a Global giant with a worth estimated at two billion US dollars. Trek sponsors Pro cycling racing teams, the Trek Women’s Triathlon series and World Cup Cyclocross, where they pay equal prize money to male and female athletes. Why? ‘Because it’s the right thing to do!’ It is incredible to consider that this amazing story had its origins in the sizzle resulting from a bonding bike trip undertaken by a loving father and his 12-year-old son.

It has also given me a totally new perspective on why decent bicycles cost what they do. An unbelievable amount of time, effort and money goes into the development of the bike that you ride out of the shop. It is so much more than the sum of its parts. This is not just the history of a bike brand, it’s a story of human endeavour, of family, of ethics and of passion. The success of Trek has taken an incredible amount of dedication, sound management and hard work, but when we get back to basics, they have simply reaped what they have sown. For me, they are a shining light in a world that no longer puts ethics and morality first.

They deserve all their success and more.

For more information, visit: www.trekbikes.com

Bikeshop Rivonia Black Friday Deals

Motorcycle News

Harry Fisher

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Nov 20, 2025

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The annual spend-fest that is Black Friday is almost upon us, and the lovely people at Bikeshop Rivonia have jumped on the bandwagon for your benefit.

They have discounted around 100 units, which is close to around R1,000,000-worth of savings in total. The majority of bikes are discounted by R10,000, while some have discounts of up to R20,000 or as little as R5,000.

All the discounted bikes will have their own special Black Friday price tag fixed to the bike. As you walk into the shop, you will find the majority of the bikes on special on the right-hand side of the showroom, with others dotted around the shop.

In addition, all the discounted bikes can be found on the Bikeshop Rivonia pages on Autotrader, identified by a corner banner, stating that they are subject to Black Friday discounts.

If that wasn’t enough, there will also be some brand-new bikes featuring special trade-in assistance. The best way to find out about those is to talk to one of the staff members.

If you hadn’t realised, Bikeshop Rivonia also has a car section and there will be around 20% of the stock featuring Black Friday special offers, ranging from R10,000 off to R20-30,000 off. Again, these will be identifiable by special price tags on the cars. You can find these in the vehicle showroom, which is downstairs from the bike showroom.

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So, if all you needed was a small push to get you onto your next bike or in your next car, then head to Bikeshop Rivonia and see what they have on offer.

Sawubona, I See You – 2025 Cancervive Flagship Ride

Lifestyle

Meredith Moreira

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Nov 20, 2025

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Sawubona, I See You – 2025 Cancervive Flagship Ride

Another year has gone by, and the time for the 2025 Flagship ride has rolled in. This year, we would finally be making our way to the hot and sunny province of KZN; it’s been in the pipeline for a while, and it would now be official.

As with every year, there is a theme for each ride, and this year, in true Zulu spirit, the theme was Sawubona, which means “I see you”. This is a reflection of the heart and soul of Cancervive as a whole. They strive to show individuals that they are not alone; their courage, strength and resilience are seen and acknowledged.

We started the 8-day journey at the exquisite Tafin Royal Hotel in Centurion, Pretoria. Warm embraces were shared with friends who could be considered family, and excitement brewed for the journey ahead. After our briefing and prepping of riding gear, we attended an educational session led by CHOC – Childhood Cancer Foundation. We were introduced to what childhood cancer is, how early warning signs present themselves differently from those in adults and the importance of awareness regarding childhood cancer since only half of children with cancer are diagnosed. This information was vital for the individuals of Cancervive, not only because it increased their own knowledge regarding the topic, but also because they could now use it to educate the communities they visit in the future.

The next day would be the official send-off as we hit the road towards our first stop, which was the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Diepkloof, Johannesburg. We visited the Children’s Oncology department, where we saw 147 patients, including infants. With the sponsorship from Astral Cares and Goldi Chicken, we were able to give each patient a care package, which was received with great appreciation. The Cancervivers spent some time with the mothers and children, providing them with a space to confide and connect with people who have a similar understanding of how this disease impacts a person. Based on the theme of this year, it was evident that people need to know that they are seen in their struggles and that there are people who are there for them through it.

After a 385km ride to our accommodation, we arrived at the breathtaking Grey Goose Game Lodge in Newcastle, where we would spend the next three nights. We enjoyed a relaxed evening before turning in for the night, as we had an early morning ahead of us.

It was a rise and shine kind of day as we woke up early, enjoyed a cup of coffee and a rusk before setting out on a morning walk in honour of loved ones lost to cancer and people who are still fighting. The trail led to a beautiful cave down by the river called the Mosgat. It was a mixture of grassy fields and a small rocky descent to a path that continued to wind through a forest area before it opened up to the most amazing view of the moss and fern-covered cave. Reflecting on the walk, I found a strong similarity to life in general. I realised that most people have a beautiful, easy life, much like the grassy fields, but sometimes they encounter hardships and life takes a decline, similar to the rocky descent. We then find ourselves winding through the dark unknown, but somewhere down the line, we will reach the break in the overhanging canopy and experience the beauty of pushing through and winning the fight. With the right mindset and support, we can get through the tough times that arise, and we can look back knowing that we made it.

While we took a break with the entertainment team taking advantage of the acoustics in the cave, we were allowed to write down the names of loved ones who have been lost to cancer, which we then pinned to a string in remembrance with the rhythmic music echoing in the background. The atmosphere was very emotional, yet there was a sense of release as everyone spent some time in silence before heading back to the lodge for a well-deserved breakfast, as well as our first educational show.

The Cancervivers entertained and educated the guests who joined us on the walk. We also had the opportunity to introduce the new mascot, “Thuto”, which is Cancervive’s educational ChatBot; he is literally a digital character brought to life, ready to entice people to interact with the information available. With an insightful morning behind us, it was our turn to be educated, this time by Grey Goose Game Lodge itself, on their fully organic ecosystem, and they invited us to participate in planting Cancer Bush seeds—a medicinal plant with endless health benefits. It was such an inspiring experience, and it made one realise the importance of knowing what goes into the food we consume.

This year would be Suzuki Auto & Motorcycle South Africa’s 3rd year of being the vehicle and motorcycle sponsorship for the annual Flagship ride, 3 years of making it possible for Cancervive to travel to various locations across South Africa to spread awareness. As with the past few years, the team from Suzuki are a constant support throughout the ride, available to assist whenever and wherever needed. Their partnership is without a doubt irreplaceable.

We made a stop at the Suzuki dealership in Newcastle to show them support and to spend some time chatting with staff members before heading to the Ziphakamiseni Secondary School to educate the learners of the community about the importance of early detection and how it can save lives. We learnt that one of the staff members is a survivor of a childhood cancer and is now in his 40s. What a special moment it was to connect with another person who has endured and conquered the battle.

Our new Thuto mascot created an amazing atmosphere amongst the learners at the school, and it opened up a new opportunity to encourage them to use the information that is available to spread awareness amongst their communities. The stigmas and myths around cancer are unfortunately still very real in many communities, and it’s one of the main causes of people going undiagnosed, along with the lack of knowledge regarding the disease. We would visit a few schools along the ride, and in my opinion, it’s important to understand and acknowledge that it is the youth who will make the difference we want to see. By educating them, we are setting up a generation that is aware of the disease, and they will be the ones saving lives by talking openly about early detection and its importance.

Connecting with underprivileged communities is a big part of what Cancervive stands for, and the community of Thembelihle was one of the communities that we visited. This small community is filled with vulnerable women and children who are supported by two people who are passionate about helping their people. Sifiso and Ruth started a small centre where they feed and care for the people from the area. They dedicate their time and effort to these individuals to the best of their ability. We had the opportunity to prepare a meal for them, and thanks to Goldi Chicken, we were about to feed over 50 children and their families. BIC also sponsored school supplies to the children, as well as the community’s school, to ensure that the learners had the supplies needed to further their education. There is something special about serving people in need, and throughout the ride, that was the one aspect that stuck with me. Seeing the gratefulness on the faces of the children, especially, is something you’ll only understand if you’ve experienced it yourself.

After spending three days travelling to the different communities throughout Newcastle, it was time to move on to our next location—the small town of Wakkerstroom and its surroundings. With 237km ahead of us, we hit the road in order to make it to the Wakkerstroom Hotel for lunch and refreshments. If you have never visited this quaint town, I highly suggest you add it to your travel list as it is one of my favourite places along our +-1300km round trip. Filled with history and kind folk, you’ll understand why every person who passes through always returns. We spent the next few nights at Wetlands Game Lodge, hidden away in the tranquil mountains just outside of town.

One community visit that stood out to me was our visit to the BPG Langfontein Farm. With our setup done in one of the farm’s warehouses, the setting was amazing with the sun beaming through the skylights, hitting the dust that was being blown up by the wind. Mr BP Greyling opened up his farm to the people from the surrounding areas to join us, and the queues of people were a sight to behold. We spent the afternoon speaking to people from all walks of life, educating them about what cancer is, and also encouraging them not to remain silent in their suffering. Most people from similar communities believe that they have been cursed or did something wrong, and it’s Cancervive’s mission to remind them that it’s not their fault. Unfortunately, everyone has been touched by cancer in some way or another, but even though it is frightening, with early diagnoses and treatment, it’s not a death sentence.

The ride was drawing to a close, and looking back and reflecting on the past 8 days, you realise how there are people who are truly struggling; be it a diagnosis of cancer or poverty, each person is fighting their own battle. One thing that is incredibly important in every person’s life is self-care. We remain strong for the people we meet throughout the ride and general life, but it’s important to reflect on our own experiences as well. Looking back at my own life, the past few months, this year’s ride had its own personal challenges. During the ceremony, where we had time to release and reflect on the journey, I had the opportunity to truly accept the weight of my reality at the time and allow myself a moment to connect with my emotions. We sometimes choose to shove things down and ignore how we feel because it seems easier than making time to deal with it, and this is true in many aspects of life. We forget that by ignoring our situations, we are weighing ourselves down and preventing ourselves from moving forward. So I would like to remind you that whatever you are going through, allow yourself to feel it.

The ride was slowly reaching the finish line, but we had one final stop at the Goldi Chicken processing plant before heading back to Pretoria. The Cancervivers performed their last educational shows to two sets of groups consisting of Goldi Chicken employees. The edu-shows involve both cancer education as well as empowering entertainment, and the groups responded with great interest and enthusiasm. It was the perfect ending to a successful journey of creating awareness, providing hope and changing lives.

Each year is special in its own way, and this year was no different. Once again, Cancervive has educated people in areas where cancer awareness is scarce and hopefully, in the coming years, they will continue on their path of spreading the message of hope throughout South Africa.

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For more information, visit Cancervive. To access Thuto, save this number: 010 442 5324 and WhatsApp “Hi.”

EICMA 2025 – Rising To The Urban Mobility Challenge

Features

Dave Cilliers

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Nov 20, 2025

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EICMA 2025 – Rising To The Urban Mobility Challenge

Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori, or just EICMA for short, is the world’s foremost and longest-running Motorcycle and Accessory Expo. Hosted at the spectacular Milano Rho Fiera Expo Facility in Milan, it gives a whole new insight into the motorcycle and accessory industry. We have already told you about most of the standout bikes launched this year, so what I want to do is give you some different perspectives on this spectacle. I was privileged to have been invited by the Italian Trade Agency to cover the event, which, to my mind, not only lived up to expectation, but raised the bar significantly.

Living on the Southern tip of the African continent as we do, our cities are all relatively ‘young’ when compared to your typical European city. These cities were established before cars were even a figment of our imagination. As populations have exploded over time, the mayhem of the modern world is real, and it is imperative that solutions be found that make inner city living a pleasure rather than a pain.

In South Africa, motorcycles have generally been considered an indulgence rather than a necessity. When I consider the daily ‘lemming run’ of commuters between Pretoria and Jo’burg, the craziness of Cape Town traffic, and the congestion around greater Durban during peak hours, I believe we should adopt a more European way of thinking. EICMA put together some panel discussions on the challenges of urban mobility with European city management, as well as motorcycle manufacturers’ representatives, which were very illuminating.

European cities have many inner-city dwellers as well as businesses that are established in the cities. The city dwellers need to get around, and commuters to work from the suburbs also need to be considered. An interesting statistic is that one third of the car owners in European cities seldom use their cars, preferring more practical means of transport, be it buses, trams, motorcycles, scooters, trains and bicycles. For the first time, listening to the issues that they face, I started to understand the relevance of smaller vehicles, electric vehicles and practical solutions like small three-wheelers (two front wheels and a single rear driving wheel) that take up much less space, whether driven or parked. In many European countries, these can be ridden without a special licence. Your car licence will suffice.

Remember the BMW scooter with a roof, which could be ridden without a helmet, the BMW C1? Watch that space as manufacturers design simple, practical motorcycles for urban travel. The exciting thing for me is the change of thinking required by South African motorcyclists. Motorcycles as essential urban transport? Why not? I hear the naysayers suggesting that urban motorcyclists are vulnerable. Yes, they are, but the more bikes on our roads, the more motorcar drivers will consider them. Decent safety, skills, and awareness training also play a huge part in keeping you safe on the road. I have literally ridden bikes daily for 55 years and have had very few near misses, thanks to a constant high level of situational awareness.

A huge thumbs up to the EICMA organisers for putting the spotlight on the vital issue of urban mobility and bringing stakeholders together in a constructive manner to collaborate and come up with workable solutions. One thing was clear… two-wheelers have a vital role to play. Nothing deals with city snarl-ups better than a bike. That’s a fact! Motorcycles take up way less space, have a smaller eco footprint and require little space to park. It was refreshing to see that a significant number of the many thousands of people attending the Expo were there to find practical solutions to make their daily lives easier. Of course, there were enthusiasts aplenty drooling over their dream ride, and oh boy, there were plenty drool-worthy bikes to be seen! Hall upon hall was packed with two-wheeled kit. There were also plenty of excellent food and drink stalls to chill at and reflect on the experience. An outdoor display and a programme of events paid homage to Dakar, with riders strutting their stuff in the dirt.

Honda is huge all over the world and certainly in Europe. They had the biggest presence at EICMA by some margin. Having said that, they had all their models on display, so they needed lots of space. Goldwing to Grom and everything in between. The new V3R Electronically force-fed engined roadster looks proper! Slim, thanks to the narrow engine, with good suspension components and quality brakes. The tyres on the test bike showed proper track time use! Ricky Brabec’s 450 Rally bike was eye candy for the off-road boys, as was Luca Marini’s RC213V for those MotoGP fans. The 1000 Hornet, its retro CB1100 F-inspired sibling, and the stunning GT Sports Touring derivative, which all share the same 150-plus horsepower motor, drew huge attention. Africa Twins, TransAlps, NX500s and especially Honda’s incredible NC 750-derived X-ADV 750 Adventure drew huge attention too.

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Ducati never fails to impress. On the mainstage backdrop to their stand was their all-conquering MM93 emblazoned GP25 MotoGP weapon, flanked by Nicolo Bulega’s Panigale V4 R and their Desmo 450MX. Also noteworthy were the two Panigale V2 tribute bikes, honouring Marc Marques and Pecco Bagnaia, sporting special paint jobs, subtly incorporating their race numbers. The stand was swamped by current and potential Ducatisti, ‘trying on the various models for size’. The Brembo stand next door had one of Marc’s GP25s in a glass case, showing off its super trick braking system. Huge carbon discs dominate the front wheel while a tiny metal disc rides on the rear. The cockpit of a modern MotoGP bike is a confusing array of buttons, levers and dampers. How the riders play such spectacular tunes on these instruments while exceeding 350 kph and then absorb eye-popping braking G forces is way beyond me.

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Royal Enfield is making massive inroads into the world motorcycle market. Their magic mix of simple, real-world motorcycles that hark back to a time when the world made sense has struck a chord with the motorcycling world. Their stand sported all their current models as well as some cool custom takes on some models. A crated race-prepped Interceptor looked particularly sweet. A similar crate contained a dusty 750 Himalayan test bike. Adjustable shocks, tubeless spoke wheels, and what looks to be all-day comfortable ergonomics hint at a potentially hugely successful model when it comes to market, probably to be launched at EICMA next year. RE’s blend of real-world performance at excellent prices across their range is a sure-fire recipe for success, especially when you throw a whole bunch of soul into that mix! I’m a fan! Their electric bike, under development, the Flying Flea, looks unique and quirky in an old school cool kind of way.

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Somewhere around 14 halls, each the size of a rugby field, jam-packed with motorcycles and every conceivable accessory that you can think of, is almost a system overload! If you can’t find what you are looking for at EICMA, it almost certainly isn’t made! Having said that, KTM, focusing on restructuring and getting the iconic Austrian brand back on track, chose not to indulge in the significant spend to have an EICMA presence. I suspect they will be back next year, all the better for it.

The premier Chinese brands had large stands. CFMOTO unveiled their V4 Superbike with variable front aero. It looks superb. I suspect that we may see a World Superbike contender in the near future. These brands seem to have a bottomless pit of funding to draw on as they churn out model after impressive model. Honda led the way back in the day. The sale of millions of humble C50 Step Throughs provided the cash flow for the legendary CB750 and all the other amazing models that we have seen from the big H over the years. The Chinese benefit from the huge market for small commuters in Asia, which they also satisfy in their millions. KTM could well learn from these examples. Tiny Dukes sold in huge numbers can fund the next generation of Super Dukes….Cash flow is king in business.

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Kove continues to impress with attractive, well-built bikes with modern tech, at an affordable price point. The Chinese are also managing to build competitive bikes which are significantly lighter than their Japanese and European counterparts. The market has called for lighter bikes for ages, yet somewhat arrogantly, the established brands have ignored the cry, leaving the door ajar for attentive Chinese brands looking for every chink in their armour to exploit. New ‘old kids’ back on the block are Norton and BSA. Norton, now owned by Indian giant TVS, brought a svelte range of new bikes to EICMA. BSA, also now funded with Indian money (Mahindra, I believe), launched an incredibly good-looking 350cc adventure bike called the Thunderbolt. If it goes half as well as it looks, it will be a roaring success. The price point is also likely to be very attractive, going by comparative pricing with Royal Enfield models in the UK.

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Familiar brands like Benelli, Moto Morini, Mondial, SWM, Loncin, QJMotor and Voge all had impressive stands. The scooter flag was also properly flown by Italjet, with their new 700cc beast making huge waves. Vespa displayed their range on a classy pastel shade stand, mirroring the classic colours of their scoots. Particularly impressive was the Lambretta stand with its beautifully crafted and coloured range spread on a classic white floor. They displayed a numbered, limited-edition range as well as a truly beautiful electric offering. Resisting the general urge to make electric bikes look sort of space age, their offering is thoroughly modern, but at the same time, classically Lambretta. It was cool to hang out with the South African Lambretta importer Corrie Moolman, sipping on cappuccinos surrounded by two-wheelers.

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Taiwanese scooter manufacturers Kymco and SYM were also well represented. SYM featured two separate stories of their scooters used for extended tours by their owners. In one instance, a 20,000-kilometre return trip up the Dalton highway in Alaska, and the other an 8,000 km trip through part of Africa, over dirt roads and sand dunes. This emphasises the point I have always made. The adventure lies in the trip and not in how appropriate the bike is on which you do it. In fact, the less appropriate the bike, the greater the adventure.

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BMW had their full range on display, including the parallel-twin-engined 450 GS, which was featured as a concept bike at EICMA 2024. Various versions of the new 450 were on display, but pride of place was undoubtedly the wire-wheeled GS version, resplendent in BMW Motorsport red, white and blue livery with gold wheel rims. I can’t wait to see the pricing on the 450s in South Africa. The CFMOTO 450, Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, and KTM 390 range have even more competition. The middleweight wars are hotting up!

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Suzuki presented all the models that we are familiar with, from the iconic Hayabusa and GSX-Rs to the V-Strom Adventure bikes. An interesting new bike launched was the SV-7 EX, a middleweight Sports tourer powered by the iconic 650 90-degree V-Twin from the discontinued SL range. Triumph too had its full range, including their recently launched dirt bikes on show. Beautifully turned out and meticulously finished, their bikes ooze with class. I have yet to be disappointed with any new Triumph. Every bike they build takes the iconic brand up another notch.

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The Indian manufacturers have certainly drawn a line in the sand. Hero unveiled a range of innovative electric urban mobility solutions under the ‘Vida’ banner. This included a super funky single gull wing door car, a motorcycle and, get this, a backpack which morphs into a ride-on electric tracked platform. Amazing! I bumped into current World Rally Champ and next-level nice guy Ross Branch on the Hero stand. His Championship-winning rally bike was on show, as well as a special Ross Branch signature edition 210 X-Pulse, complete with the no 1 plate numbers proudly displayed. He chuckled when I suggested that, whilst blasting his dirt bike through the Botswana bush as a kid, he could surely never have imagined putting his signature on thousands of bikes commemorating his world championship win. What an athlete and what an incredible brand ambassador! The other special bike on the Hero stand was an electric dirt bike for kids, the ‘Dirt e Bike’, which can literally be expanded in size as the child grows. Clever!

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TVS had their new Apache Adventure model on display, which looks great, as well as their scooters and even a Shimano XT-equipped, full suspension, TVS-made mountain e-bike. Yamaha also went big. The R9, R7 and similarly engined Tracers, as well as their ‘Dark Side of Japan’ XSR range. Two XSR900 GPs in Kenny Roberts’ classical yellow and white colours looked fantastic, one with an endurance racing style half fairing, and the other with a full belly pan. Stunning! This is a bike that really blew me away when I had it on review. The superb CP3 900cc Triple is housed in an excellent chassis with suspension to match. An incredibly rewarding and competent real-world sportsbike. The ‘Blu Crew’ range of dirtbikes also drew much attention, as did the venerable T-Max scooter range. Both Harley-Davidson and Indian had ‘Battle of the Baggers’ race bikes on their stands. It takes real men to ride those monsters!

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The sheer scale of EICMA could have me going nigh on forever. Every accessory manufacturer of note, Givi, Shad, Kappa, Puig, SW Motech, Wunderlich, Oxford, LS2 and then some seriously good new ones such as Loboo from China all impressed with brilliant, innovative and quality kit. Helmet brands like Arai, Airoh, Shoei, HJC, AGV and others, and lubricant maestros Liqui Moly and Motul were all represented. The array of Chinese and Taiwanese suppliers of comms systems, bespoke machined alloy goodies, replacement instruments and TFT displays, brake and clutch levers …you name it! If you can think of it, someone at EICMA will be displaying it.

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What I have tried to bring across is the incredible array of manufacturers and accessory suppliers who bring their wares to EICMA. If you are looking to expand your motorcycle or urban mobility offering, you need to be at EICMA. For over 100 years, EICMA has served players in the two-wheeled industry by providing a platform for them to gain exposure to world markets. If you have a product or are looking for a product related to motorcycles, bicycles, or that enhances urban mobility, you need to be there! There is quite simply nothing like it! Take a ‘stroll’ through some of the pics I took to try and convey the scale of this remarkable event.

MotoGP 2025 Valencia – End of Season Race…

Features

Harry Fisher

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Nov 20, 2025

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MotoGP 2025 Valencia – End of Season Race…

And so, the season draws to a close, without champion Marc Marquez but also with a pair of new stars coming to the fore in the shape of Aprilia and Marco Bezzecchi.

Aprilia has been knocking on the door of sustained success since Aleix Espargaro scored the manufacturer’s first podium in 2021 and the first outright victory in 2022. Coming into 2025, it seemed as if the stars were aligning thanks to the signing of Jorge Martin, fresh from his championship year on a Pramac Ducati. We all know how that worked out, with Martin competing in only seven GPs thanks to persistent injury problems and not doing his stock any good through a messy contractual argument.

And don’t forget that, coming into 2025, Aprilia and Bezzecchi weren’t necessarily on the cards; Aprilia was trying hard to retain Maverick Viñales to ride alongside Martin, but Viñales chose to go to Tech3 KTM, leaving the door open for Bezzecchi, who might have been seen as a consolation prize for Aprilia, not a guaranteed star.

True, he won three GPs in 2023, but struggled to make the podium in 2024, scoring only one visit to that exalted piece of real estate. But his arrival at Aprilia was one of those happy coincidences of the right rider on the right bike at the right time in its development. Put simply, Bezzecchi is the reason why Aprilia has finished second in the manufacturer’s title race, and he himself is third in the rider’s title race; three GP victories, six further GP podiums, five Sprint race podiums and a single Sprint victory. This has been a very happy year for both team and rider.

Aprilia has another reason to be very happy, and that is the existence of a satellite team that is capable of winning races and therefore giving more-than-relevant technical feedback. Yes, Ducati has that in place as well, but the same can’t be said for KTM or Yamaha and, to an extent, Honda, although Zarco won for LCR in France. Frequently sporting the best livery, Trackhouse has shown that, if Aprilia continues to give it the equipment, the team can be expected to spring a surprise or two.

What has been interesting in the last four races of the season without champion Marc Marquez is the realisation that a championship season needs a leader. Yes, the title was decided already, so his absence had no effect on the outcome, and yes, it was good to approach each race weekend without any knowledge of who might be dominant and to potentially see new winners come to the fore, but it all felt a little directionless. Some of that can be attributed to the absence of the champion and some to the fact that there is not an obvious pretender to the throne.

Marquez’s teammate Bagnaia was nowhere; his brother had his moments in the sun, as did Bezzecchi and Acosta and Quartararo, but none of them, in all honesty, had a title-winning season. No, without Marc Marquez, the season ended on a slight whimper, not a bang.

That is, of course, all subjective. Personally, I was looking forward to watching Marquez, free of the pressures of delivering a title, continuing his dominance, and there is little to suggest that he wouldn’t have won the final four races as he pleased. Maybe he wouldn’t; maybe the rest of the front-runners, freed also from the shackles of trying to win the title, would have gone out to just have fun, and this might have thrown up some surprise results and hard fights at the front. It’s all conjecture, of course, but still fun for all that.

One rider who will be happy the season is finished will be Pecco Bagnaia. The series of events in the past four races couldn’t have been made up by even the most fanciful script writer, and then came Valencia, running out of fuel in qualifying? Who does that? Then, getting taken out by Zarco during the first lap of the GP. That’s five DNFs in a row for the Ducati rider. He, more than most, will be looking forward to concentrating on next season, starting on the Tuesday after the Valencia race, perhaps because the GP26 Ducati is widely acknowledged to be in reality a thinly-disguised GP24, with which Bagnaia did great things in 2024.

Pedro Acosta has enjoyed a strong finish to the end of the season, but he will be hoping that KTM can solve the RC16’s appetite for tyres, spoiling any chance KTM’s riders have of fighting to the finish. It’s the same for Yamaha, which will, of course, be putting all its eggs in the V4 basket from Tuesday’s test onwards. The engine has been raced at the end of the 2025 season, without any startling results, which does beg the question: Is Yamaha holding back in this area? The YZF-M1 chassis is widely acknowledged to be one of the best-handling on the grid, but that means nothing if they get swallowed up on the straights and cook their tyres trying to make up the difference in the corners. With every team using V4 engines, will Yamaha’s version be enough to pick the team up from the gutter? Certainly, Fabio Quartararo will be hoping so. As with Acosta, Quartararo has stated in no uncertain terms that he will jump ship if the manufacturer can’t give him a machine with which he can fight for wins and titles. We shouldn’t necessarily expect the Yamaha V4 to be topping time sheets just yet, but it would be good to see them making progress towards the front.

And so, the season is over, and we head into an extended period of testing, with two new faces to get used to: WSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu and newly-crowned Moto2 champion Diogo Moreira. The first race of the 2026 season is at the end of February and, as usual, the wait will be interminable, even with the distraction of Christmas to while away a couple of weeks.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read these MotoGP reports throughout the year. I hope we’ve brought some insight to the season and entertained you along the way. Rest assured that we’ll continue to cover the off-season, as and when anything of interest occurs, but like you, we’re setting the alarm for February, when the real action begins again.

Brother Leader Tread KTM Close Cross Country Season on Top

Motorcycle News

ZA Editorial Team

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Nov 19, 2025

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The 2025 National Cross Country Championship came to a thrilling close at The Carousel in the North West this past weekend, where the Brother Leader Tread KTM team delivered a flawless final round. Scott Heygate, Matthew Wilson, and Kerim Fitz-Gerald each stormed to victory in their classes. with Matthew and Kerim securing their championship titles in the process.

Adding to the orange glory, KTM also claimed the National Cross Country Manufacturer’s Title, sealing a powerhouse season in true Orange style.

Scott Heygate set the pace for the weekend with a controlled and confident ride that placed him firmly at the front of the race. Reflecting on his win, he said, “It was the perfect way to close out the season. My bike felt incredible from the start, and the team had everything dialled in for the conditions. I had a lot of fun out there! Huge thanks to the Brother Leader Tread KTM crew for the support throughout the year, ending the season with a win feels unreal.”

For Matthew Wilson, the final round was the ideal end to a standout year. He shared, “The final round was an absolute blast! I got a good time trial on Friday which set me up for a great race on Saturday. An amazing track was set out by GXCC and the team consisting of everything, the rain started to come down which made it even better! Thank you to everyone for such an amazing year, it wouldn’t be possible without all your support KTM South Africa and Uncle Kev! That’s the end of the 2025 season, looking forward to a good 2026 year!”

Kerim Fitz-Gerald wrapped up his season in dominant fashion, securing his championship title with another polished performance. He commented, “What a way to finish off the championship! The layout at The Carousel suited me perfectly, and once I found my pace, everything just clicked. The team has been unbelievable all season as usual, their effort behind the scenes makes days like this possible. I’m proud to bring the title home for KTM and extremely grateful for everyone who plays a part in getting us to the line each round.”

Team Manager Fitz-Gerald expressed immense pride in the squad’s all-round effort, saying, “This team has delivered something special this season. Every rider, every mechanic, and every person behind the scenes has played a part in making days like this possible. To walk away with race wins, championship titles, and the Manufacturer’s Championship is a massive achievement. The riders showed incredible focus today, and everyone behind the scenes backed them every step of the way. A huge thank-you to our sponsors and supporters, this success belongs to all of us! ”

A powerhouse season comes to a proud finish as KTM secures the top step. Built on passion, performance, and a united team, the 2025 campaign ends on the highest of highs. The Brother Leader Tread KTM team extends sincere thanks to all supporters, families, and partners who made this journey possible.

Husqvarna Racing Team Closes With A Podium-Packed Finale

Motorcycle News

ZA Editorial Team

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Nov 19, 2025

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The 2025 National Cross Country Championship came to an electrifying end at The Carousel in the North West, where the Husqvarna Racing Team delivered a standout final round. Davin Cocker and Luke Walker kept the pace high all day, each securing second place in their respective classes to close off a remarkable season.

The weekend also marked a massive milestone for Davin, who wrapped up both the Open Class and Overall National Cross Country Championships, capping off a year of consistent speed and top-tier performances!

Reflecting on his championship-winning season, Davin Cocker shared, “What an unbelievable way to end the year. The track was fast and flowing that suited us well, and the team had my bike feeling spot-on. I knew what I needed to do to secure the titles, so I focused on riding smart and keeping it clean. Huge thanks to the entire Husqvarna Racing crew, everyone puts in so much effort behind the scenes. I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved together this season.”

Luke Walker delivered a tight battle this weekend in a back-and-forth race with Matthew Wilson. He said, “That was proper racing from start to finish. Matthew and I were pushing hard the whole day and keeping the pressure on. The route was awesome, and my bike felt great from the first lap. I’m happy to end the season off on the podium, big credit to the team and my family for all the support. It’s been a great year of racing.”

Team Manager Kerim Fitz-Gerald expressed his pride in the squad’s effort, saying, “The guys showed real pace today and closed the season exactly how we hoped they would. Davin bringing home both the Open and Overall Championships is something incredibly special, and Luke had one of his strongest rides of the year. The whole team worked hard all season, and days like this are the reward. A huge thank-you to every supporter, family member, and our amazing sponsors, we wouldn’t be able to do it without all the love.”

A massive thank-you goes out to the entire Husqvarna Racing Team, the families and supporters who show up round after round, and all the sponsors who back the blue and white brigade. This truly is a team effort, and every success this season is shared with everyone who played a part.

A proud finish to a memorable season for Husqvarna Racing!

Three titles, four wins for Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha

Motorcycle News

ZA Editorial Team

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Nov 18, 2025

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Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha Racing with Tork Craft and Dunlop closed its National Cross Country motorcycle championship season with an exceptional outing at the Carousel resort finals near Hammanskraal in the Northwest on Saturday. The Yamaha team, which returned to Cross Country Racing after a sabbatical of several years, totally dominated to clinch championships in the three Junior classes it raced in 2025, with a Masters second and a splendid fight back to third overall over the weekend too.

“First of all, congratulations on our three champions and stars of tomorrow, Murray, Ruald and Ryan, who also all won on the day,” team boss Harry Grobler confirmed. “Also to Masters winner Warrick and our Open man Maddy for an exceptional come from behind third overall, and of course the entire Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha Racing team on a brilliant day at the National Cross Country Finals.”

Everest Wealth Ridgeway Racing Yamaha’s National Junior lineup shone without exception in 2025. Murray Smith made it four wins in five races aboard his Yamaha YZ125X on Saturday with second in the other race to romp to the National High School championship at the Carousel.

Ruald Potgieter likewise won in the Northwest on Saturday to make it four wins out of five starts to claim the 85 cc Seniors crown aboard his Everest Wealth Ridgeway Racing Yamaha YZ85. Perhaps the hero of the team in 2025, Ryan Wichman, went one better to remain unbeaten as he romped to the South African 65 cc Junior title riding his Everest Wealth Ridgeway Racing Yamaha YZ65.

It was a case of what could have been for Open class rider Maddy Malan in the Seniors race. Maddy led from the outset aboard his Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha YZ450FX, when he fell and snapped his handlebars. He made it back to the pits, where the team mastered the change of bars as fast as possible, but still Maddy plummeted into the chasing pack as a result of the delay. Malan, however, dug deep and charged back through the top ten to take a famous third overall.

Further back, Warrick van Schalkwyk returned to his fearsome best as he charged to a fine Masters second aboard his Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha YZ450FX. Gerhard Vorster, meantime, rode his similar machine a close second in Seniors, and Tyron Beverley came home an impressive fourth in the ever-competitive OR3 class on his Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha YZ250FX.

“What a wonderful comeback for Yamaha in the South African Cross Country Motorcycle championship!” Harry Grobler concluded. “Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha Racing with Tork Craft and Dunlop Yamaha came, saw, and conquered the Nationals this year. We salute each and every member of the team for their great contribution and look ahead to moving onward and upward in 2026!”

2025 Bajaj Dominar 400; A Whole New Ball Game

Bike Reviews

Harry Fisher

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Nov 13, 2025

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2025 Bajaj Dominar 400; A Whole New Ball Game

It is difficult, living in South Africa and exposed to a manufacturer’s products solely through their use as much-derided delivery bikes, to fully understand the importance of that manufacturer in global motorcycling.

Bajaj Auto is the world’s third-largest motorcycle manufacturer, the second-largest in India, with around 30% of the domestic market, and is the world’s most valuable two-wheeler company. Put another way, in 2019, Indian motorcycle manufacturers exported 2.9 million two-wheelers, which is impressive, but pales into insignificance when you realise that figure represents only 17.5% of total sales, the vast majority in India itself.

Make no mistake, Bajaj Auto, with its slice of that market, is hugely important, thanks to its majority shareholding in KTM.

Until recently, the SA range has solely comprised the 150cc Boxer, in delivery-bike form, complete with a huge top box. It’s a sturdy machine, with no frills, but acceptable performance and excellent build quality. You will also be familiar with the diminutive – and very yellow! – Qute four-wheeler, as used by Bolt taxis.

All well and good; here’s a manufacturer that understands its place in the motorcycling scene in SA and is sticking to what it does best.

Well, maybe not. The Bajaj Dominar 400 has been around in limited numbers in SA since at least 2019, but even though we published a test of the model back then, it seems timely to revisit the model, given the increasing importance to the local market of sub-500cc models, not to mention the fact that Bajaj SA is now importing the model officially.

The origins of the model are obvious; with Bajaj Auto building the KTM 390 models, it makes sense that Bajaj, having access to the engine, created its own 400cc model. At first, the model was equipped with a single overhead camshaft version of the DOHC KTM 390 engine, but this has since been uprated to a DOHC configuration for the current Dominar model. Power output is similar, at 40bhp, against 44 for the KTM, and torque remains the same, at 35Nm.

That’s where the similarities stop. The Dominar has an aluminium beam perimeter frame in place of the KTM’s signature tubular frame. Whether this gives any more stiffness is rather academic, as with relatively little power, the engine is never going to challenge the rigidity of the frame. But it does give the Dominar a completely different look from the KTM.

It’s not an unattractive motorcycle, especially in the matte black finish of the test model. Alloy wheels, chunky upside-down forks, ByBre brake callipers, small screen and a digital dash, supplemented by a small secondary digital readout on the tank top, with traction control and ABS completing the specification.

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One odd feature is a vestigial ‘sissy bar’ for the pillion, which may, depending on the size of the pillion him- or herself, might be rather uncomfortable. But the rear carrier, suitable for fixing a top box, is useful.

Happily, it shares all the general qualities of the 390 KTMs, especially the 390 Duke, which it most closely resembles. The riding position is comfortable and certainly not cramped for taller riders, while the seat height is low enough for shorter riders. You sit ‘in’ the bike, thanks to the low seat and high curved tank top, which helps with a feeling of security on the road. The reach to the ‘bars is natural and gives a slight forward tilt to the upper body.

The test bike had very low mileage, and I was told that, after 2,000km, the engine would free up and the ECU brain would allow the engine to produce a bit more power. Not that it felt underpowered in any sense; acceleration was excellent for city riding, and it would cruise happily on the highway at well over the legal limit without feeling stressed. The smoothness of this single-cylinder engine is uncanny, forcing me to, at first, check that a parallel twin hadn’t quietly been installed; the wonders of modern balancer-shaft technology.

After a couple of weeks’ acquaintance, I found it hard to understand how I would need anything more in the way of performance for daily riding, even if it included frequent highway miles. Likewise, the suspension inspired nothing but confidence, and the same can be said for the brakes. If they lacked initial bite and had a slightly wooden feeling, they certainly never gave any cause for concern in emergency braking situations and gave no concerns in general everyday use.

It would be fair to say that the Dominar 400 isn’t necessarily a bike to raise the heart rate, but neither is it a bike to dismiss out of hand. It feels well-built and solid, and, at R89,950, is priced right to provide serious competition to other players in the market, from the likes of Triumph, Kawasaki, CFMOTO and, yes, KTM. We are being forced to reconsider products from anywhere other than the traditional centres of motorcycles production – Europe and Japan – and, while there might still be resistance to Chinese-sourced motorcycles, thanks to their relatively recent entry into the global two-wheeled market (with a few notable exceptions, such as CFMOTO), India’s motorcycle industry is well-established and, if the production figures are anything to go by, they have got the engineering absolutely bang-on.

Reliability shouldn’t be an issue; after all, you don’t build millions of motorcycles every year without getting a handle on reliability. The only concern I can foresee is acceptance of the Bajaj name by the frequently fickle South African consumer, for whom status and the security of a ‘name’ appear to be more important than practicality or price.

Motorcycling is a passion-driven pastime, so it feels strange to encourage consumers to put passion to one side and consider practicality and price – put head over heart, in other words – but the fact is, should we be able to do that, we will discover that it is possible to be budget-minded and also enjoy fun and interesting riding. The rest of the world seems to be able to do just that, so we surely can?

The Bajaj Dominar 400 is certainly not a budget product, despite the price. It is in every way as good as its rivals and deserves to be mentioned in the same breath and considered as a very real alternative to the established (in this country, at least) brands.

Bajaj Dominar 400

For more information on the bike that we tested in this article, click on the link below…

2025

Bajaj Dominar 400

Pricing From R89,950 (RRP)

Brand: Bajaj

Triumph Finance Offers; Bringing Style Closer to Reality

Motorcycle News

Harry Fisher

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Nov 13, 2025

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Triumph Finance Offers; Bringing Style Closer to Reality

There aren’t many of us who can afford to buy a motorcycle outright and so we have to rely on finance in order to swing a leg over our dream bike. It’s not a bad thing; reducing what might seem like a formidable purchase price into much easier-to-digest bite-sized chunks brings all of our dreams that much closer to reality.

If your dream is to own a Triumph, then there is some very good news. Triumph is offering deals on the 400cc, Street Triple and Tiger 900 and Tiger 1200 models, all with an average of 3% below prime interest when financed over 72 months. That means you can get your hands on a Speed 400 for a measly R1,449 per month or, at the other end of the scale, a Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer for R4,690 a month, with many offers in between.

There’s never been a better time to buy into the magic of Triumph.

SPEED 400 | FIND YOUR FREEDOM

From R 1,449 per month

For today’s originals, now more attainable than ever. Whether it’s the daily commute or a weekend escape, the Speed 400 delivers character, performance, and unmistakable Triumph quality. For a limited time, enjoy an interest rate of 7.40%, which is 3.10% below prime, when purchasing a brand-new Speed 400. Starting from just R 1,449 per month over 72 months. Price shown for standard model. Optional paint variants are available at an extra cost.

SCRAMBLER 400X | BUILT FOR FUN

From R 1,599 per month

Adventure, attitude, and all-out fun, the Scrambler 400X is built to explore without limits. For a limited time, enjoy an interest rate of 7.67%, which is 2.83% below prime, when purchasing a brand-new Scrambler 400X. Starting from just R 1,599 per month over 72 months. Price shown for standard model. Optional paint variants are available at an extra cost.

STREET TRIPLE 765 RS | TRACK DNA ROAD READY

From R 3,109 per month

Pure exhilaration, born on the track, built for the street. The Street Triple 765 RS delivers Moto2™-inspired performance and razor-sharp handling. For a limited time, enjoy an interest rate of 6.88%, which is 3.62% below prime, when purchasing a brand-new Street Triple 765 RS. Starting from just R 3,109 per month over 72 months. Price shown for standard model. Optional paint variants are available at an extra cost.

TIGER 900 GT PRO | ADVENTURE REDEFINED

From R 3,519 per month

Adventure meets comfort in the Tiger 900 GT Pro, the ultimate middleweight explorer for South Africa’s open roads. For a limited time, enjoy an interest rate of 7.07%, which is 3.43% below prime, when purchasing a brand-new Tiger 900 GT Pro. Starting from just R 3,519 per month over 72 months. Price shown for standard model. Optional paint variants are available at an extra cost.

TIGER 900 RALLY PRO | ADVENTURE REDEFINED

From R 3,810 per month

Go further and ride harder with the Tiger 900 Rally Pro, the benchmark in true adventure capability. For a limited time, enjoy an interest rate of 7.31%, which is 3.19% below prime, when purchasing a brand-new Tiger 900 Rally Pro. Starting from just R 3,810 per month over 72 months. Price shown for standard model. Optional paint variants are available at an extra cost.

TIGER 1200 GT PRO | BUILT TO GO BEYOND

From R 3,949 per month

Engineered for the long haul, the Tiger 1200 GT Pro blends power, comfort, and precision for the ultimate grand tourer. For a limited time, enjoy an interest rate of 5.96%, which is 4.54% below prime, when purchasing a brand-new Tiger 1200 GT Pro. Starting from just R 3,949 per month over 72 months. Price shown for standard model. Optional paint variants are available at an extra cost.

TIGER 1200 RALLY PRO | BUILT TO GO BEYOND

From R 4,239 per month

Take on every horizon with the Tiger 1200 Rally Pro, built for riders who demand distance, performance, and adventure in one. For a limited time, enjoy an interest rate of 6.23%, which is 4.27% below prime, when purchasing a brand-new Tiger 1200 Rally Pro. Starting from just R 4,239 per month over 72 months. Price shown for standard model. Optional paint variants are available at an extra cost.

TIGER 1200 GT EXPLORER | ADVENTURE ELEVATED

From R 4,399 per month

Ready for every challenge, the Tiger 1200 GT Explorer combines long-distance capability with premium comfort and control. For a limited time, enjoy an interest rate of 6.38%, which is 4.12% below prime, when purchasing a brand-new Tiger 1200 GT Explorer. Starting from just R 4,399 per month over 72 months. Price shown for standard model. Optional paint variants are available at an extra cost.

TIGER 1200 RALLY EXPLORER | ADVENTURE ELEVATED

From R 4,690 per month

The Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer redefines endurance. From untamed trails to endless highways, it delivers confidence, comfort, and capability in every ride. For a limited time, enjoy an interest rate of 6.60%, which is 3.90% below prime, when purchasing a brand-new Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer. Starting from just R 4,690 per month over 72 months. Price shown for standard model. Optional paint variants are available at an extra cost.

For more information, visit: www.triumphmotorcycles.co.za

MotoGP 2025 Portugal – Changing of the Guard?

Features

ZA Editorial Team

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Nov 13, 2025

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Only three Ducatis in the top ten, or four Ducatis in the top 15; when did that last happen? Despite the absence of Marc Marquez, qualifying, the Sprint and Main races in Portugal showed that Ducati really can’t afford to rest on its laurels heading into 2026, as solid as those foundations have looked throughout 2025.

It would be unfair to say that Ducati’s dominance of the 2025 season is solely down to Marc Marquez; despite his problems, Bagnaia has had his days (even weekends) in the sun, while Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer have tasted success to a greater or lesser extent, but the last three races have shown that, if we take Marc out of the equation, then Ducati is not as far ahead as the 2025 results sheets show.

The second half of the season has seen excellent progress made by Honda, a double DNF for Mir in Portugal with technical issues notwithstanding, while Yamaha has sparks of brilliance thanks to Quartararo and KTM, in the hands of Acosta, has punched way above its current weight. With no changes to the regulations in 2027, leading to a virtual development freeze for many manufacturers, it’s not unfeasible to expect the fight at the front to be closer than ever in 2026.

Leading that charge will be Aprilia. The team will be keen to build on its best season ever, with three outright GP victories, and there’s every indication that it will be able to do that. We’ve been denied the sight of Jorge Martin getting to grips with the RS-GP, and it is hard to ignore the suspicion that he might have achieved great things on what is certainly the second-best bike on the grid; maybe even the best at times. Marco Bezzecchi has been outstanding in the fifteen rounds since his victory at Silverstone. At nine of them, there has been an Aprilia on the podium at least once in the two races, mostly thanks to Bezzecchi – but imagine what the team might have done with two top riders fighting at the front. If Aprilia can maintain the momentum into 2026, then expect the title race to be much closer.

Of course, there’s no reason to believe that Marc Marquez won’t have it all his own way again in 2026, as long as he remains injury-free. And could Bagnaia rediscover his love affair with the factory Ducati? Alex Marquez will get his hands on a GP25, which could go either way: Marc-like dominance or Bagnaia-like disaster. Alex will be loath to abandon his beloved GP24, although, as the GP25 is suspected of being a GP24+, maybe it won’t be too much of an imposition.

One thing that has occurred to me, looking at the results table for the season, is that Bagnaia’s season started relatively well, despite the impression that, overall, it has been disastrous. The first twelve rounds’ results read as follows: 3rd, 4th, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 16th, retired, 3rd, 4th, 3rd, 3rd, 4th. There are a lot of riders who would kill for results such as those.

Then, from the Austrian round onwards, it all fell apart: 8th, 9th, 7th, retired, 1st, retired, retired, retired, retired. What puts it into context is the eleven GP victories and six Sprint race victories he scored in 2024; rarely has there been such a slump while the rider has been able to complete a full season. If Bagnaia feels hard done by, then how must Jorge Martin feel, given his complete inability to defend his crown in 2025?

The Portuguese Sprint race was one of the best of the whole season, with Alex Marquez, Pedro Acosta and Marco Bezzecchi fighting at the front. Acosta was brilliant, leading half the laps but unable to mount a full challenge to Marquez, while Bezzecchi couldn’t keep up with either of them, although he finished a mere half a second behind Marquez at the flag.

In the Main race, Bezzecchi was transformed, leading from lights to flag, while Marquez tussled with Acosta but then ruined his front tyre trying to keep up with Bezzecchi, although he was able to keep Acosta at bay to take second place. It wasn’t a vintage Grand Prix, with the top five separated by eight seconds at the flag, the top ten spread out by 26.5 seconds. But in terms of significance for 2026, it was very important.

There’s only one race left, at Valencia this coming weekend. With the championship title and second place already decided, everyone will be going racing simply for the fun of it, although Bezzecchi could very well seal third place in the championship ahead of Bagnaia. No, the real significance of the final round will be the first test of the 2026 machinery over the following two days after the GP. Not only will we be getting our first glimpses of 2026 bikes, but also new riders, Toprak Razgatlioglu, fresh from WSBK success, and current Moto2 championship leader Diogo Moreira.

YAMAHA: Nothing To Gamble At The Carousel

Motorcycle News

ZA Editorial Team

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Nov 10, 2025

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Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha Racing with Tork Craft and Dunlop heads to the Carousel resort near Hammanskraal in the Northwest for the South African Cross Country motorcycle championship finals. But it’s not leaving anything to gamble at the 11-12 November race. With three of its Juniors leading their title chases and most of the Seniors on the podium or thereabouts, the focus is purely on racing this weekend.

“We’ve enjoyed a brilliant first season in blue on our first season with Yamaha and arrive at the National Finals with three of our riders leading their championships and several others still very much in the chase,” Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha Racing team boss Harry Grobler explains. “Our Juniors are leading all three titles and we are ahead in that Manufacturer’s chase too. Several of seniors in the Seniors are in with a shout too, so this is going to be one hell of a weekend!”

Twice on the National Open class podium so far this season and fourth in that championship chase, Maddy Malan will be after overall honours. He has Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha YZ 450 FX teammates, the consistent Hayden Louw on his case in fifth with Slade Smith sixth in OR1.

Shimwells man Marco Cocci sits second with a decent chance of the Seniors title with Everest Wealth Ridgeway racer Gerhard Vorster third. Race winner Warrick van Schalkwyk is looking to bounce back in the Masters. And Tyron Beverley will be keen to do the team proud after a trying 2025 250cc OR3 campaign.

Everest Wealth Ridgeway Racing Yamaha’s strength in this year’s Nationals chase however sits in the junior ranks. Murray Smith has won three times and ended second once in the four 125cc High School rounds to lead the way to the Carousel. 85cc Seniors lad Ruald Potgieter also leads the chase with three out of the four wins, and Ryan Wichman remains unbeaten in the 65cc Juniors.

Yamaha meantime leads the National Junior Manufacturer’s Championship and sits second in the National Senior Manufacturer’s chase. “It is patently clear why the Carousel is a huge weekend for Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha racing with Tork Craft and Dunlop,” Harry Grobler concludes. “So best of luck to all our riders and the entire support crew for best results all-round!”

Another South African Star On The International Scene

Features

Harry Fisher

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Nov 7, 2025

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Image source: Monster Energy Triumph Factory Racing

If you sit in blissful ignorance of any form of motorsport, then you could be forgiven for thinking that South Africa is poorly represented outside of its own borders. Maybe you might be aware of Brad Binder, but that’s about it.

However, those in the know realise that South Africa is well represented in many forms of motorsport around the world; not only well represented but well respected.

Recently, and courtesy of Triumph South Africa, we were introduced to another SA star, Camden Mc Lellan, who has been a member of the Monster Energy Triumph Racing Team since the beginning of the 2024 season. And, just so you know how significant that is, we’re talking the Triumph Motocross team, riding that company’s brand-new MX bikes. That’s a really big deal.

Cam’s been racing in the SA National MX series since 2011, winning five national titles before decamping to Europe in 2018. He first took part in the European MX Championship; his first year in the World MX Championship was in 2023, and he signed a two-year deal to ride for Triumph in 2024.

As with all young riders, Camden’s progress throughout his young career would not have been possible without enormous support from his parents. That support has certainly paid off as Camden finds himself fully in the world MX spotlight.

Joining a fledgling squad such as Triumph, with the world’s attention on you and the team, can’t have been easy, but Triumph has not done things by half and has hired the best of the best to work tirelessly behind the scenes.

“Training with the new Triumph Racing Team is unbelievable; the guys that they have hired are nothing short of the best, from mechanics to engineers, to management, they are the best in the business, for sure. Coming from smaller teams to a legitimate brand has been a big step for me to become a professional athlete, but it’s unbelievable. The Triumph team is so good, both in developing the bike and also helping me to develop.”

“My whole life is dedicated to the sport; my day starts early, we drive to the nearest track, spend the whole day there, testing and working on my technique, go home, eat, sleep and start again the next day. The new Triumph MX bike is unbelievable, and it’s up to me to earn my position and put just as much time in as the engineers back at the factory.

“Being part of something brand new and so legit with a big brand is scary; there’s a lot of new stuff for me to learn and figure out, but it’s been nothing short of amazing; I’ve enjoyed it so far, and I really don’t want to stop!”

Triumph has limited itself to the 250cc MX2 class for both 2024 and 2025, but the team has made incredible progress, Mc Lellan scoring five podiums in 2025, including one victory, to lie fifth in the championship behind three KTMs and a Husqvarna, but ahead of all the Yamahas, Hondas and Kawasakis. That’s simply incredible and shows that Triumph isn’t in this for any other reason than to win, and they seem to be making all the right moves to achieve that.

And that, of course, includes employing Camden Mc Lellan to take the fight to the competition. This is turning out to be a match made in heaven, and he and the team are looking forward to 2026 with great anticipation.

Having a local star making such an impact on world MX is big news, and Triumph South Africa has to be commended for seizing the initiative to give Cam an opportunity to talk to his home fans, young and old. He is the perfect ambassador for the sport, and it is events such as this that enable him to inspire the next generation of SA riders. Thank you to Triumph SA for making this possible, and of course, thank you to Camden Mc Lellan for taking the time out of his busy schedule to give back to the sport.

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For more information on Triumph’s dirt bike range, visit: www.triumphmotorcycles.co.za

A Trip To Orlando Stadium With Suzuki Auto South Africa

Lifestyle

Meredith Moreira

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Nov 6, 2025

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We received an invite from Suzuki Auto South Africa to join them on their “On The Ball Media Day”, which kicked off on the 22nd of October. I’ve never attended a live ball game before, so the excitement was overflowing!

I opted for the “shuttle” option, but to my surprise, it was a full-on tour bus. How fancy. We made our way to the home of the Orlando Pirates, the Orlando Stadium, to watch them take on Polokwane City F.C.

You probably know by now that Suzuki Auto South Africa has announced a two-year partnership as the Official Vehicle and Premium Sleeve Partner of the Orlando Pirates Football Club. A partnership that brings together two trusted names that aim to achieve a mutual success both on and off the field. With Suzuki having the same values of excellence, resilience and community, they continue to support one of the giants of South African Football.

With that said, we arrived at Orlando Stadium in time to enjoy some delicious pre-game drinks and snacks in a private suite, and in pure Suzuki fashion, everyone received a gift bag containing an Official Orlando Pirates jersey and a pair of socks with bold Suzuki branding on them, as well as a flag.

The game kicked off at 19:30 and within the first 10 minutes our team scored the first goal. The stadium was roaring, and the drums were echoing through the grandstands; it felt almost empowering to hear it. At halftime, we also had the opportunity to meet some of the players, and of course, we took advantage of the opportunity to take some pictures with them.

Throughout the 90 minutes, we were on the edge of our seats as they attempted to score another goal, even though they got close a few times, the game ended at 1-0. As someone who has only watched European Football, I enjoyed the different style of playing, specifically the footwork of the Orlando Pirates team. The technique and gameplay were so much more entertaining to watch than my previous experience. They definitely got me interested in watching the game! I guess the motto of “Once a Pirate, always a Pirate” wasn’t just a phrase…

I am super excited for Suzuki’s partnership with the team, and to be a part of the excitement, even for a day, was one of the highlights of my year. So thank you, Suzuki, for once again showing us why you are so iconic.

The Pirates’ next game is against the Golden Arrows on the 5th of November. Fingers crossed that they keep up their winning streak from the past 4 games.

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Trek Bicycle Pretoria: Hitting its Stride!

Lifestyle

Bjorn Moreira

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Nov 6, 2025

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Trek Bicycle Pretoria: Hitting its Stride!

South Africa has a rich cycling history dating back to 1892, when the South African Amateur Cycling Union was established. It almost sounds like the beginning of time, doesn’t it? Since then, we’ve had plenty of local talent bringing back Goldware from some of the most prestigious road, mountain biking and track racing events around the globe. For me, growing up and enjoying the youthful fruits of bicycles and cycling was made even more inspiring when seeing local riders like Greg Minnaar winning multiple UCI Downhill World Championships and Daryl Impey flying the SA colours and yellow jersey at the Tour de France. The pioneers of yesteryear have given the rest of us South Africans a microscope and a ticket to the cycling moon and back, and the results are evident, as evidenced by Alan Hatherly’s recent win of the UCI Elite Men’s Cross-country (XCO) World Championship in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

It’s not just about the rider or the teams, but also the much-forgotten bike and manufacturer that gets them to the finish line. Just like South Africa, Trek has a very inspiring history dating back to the late 1970s. From two men enjoying a casual beer at a pub over light conversation quickly brewed into the now popular bicycle brand Trek. I never knew this, but did you know that one of the founders, Bevil Hogg, was a South African? Bevil owned a bicycle store in Madison, Wisconsin and was looking for an investor and along came Dick Burke. The rest is history, as they say.

What started as a small operation out of a garage has grown to include over 5,000 independent dealers globally, with Trek distributing its products to more than 90 countries. The original ethos still exists today, and the ethos is that, to succeed, you cannot just sell any brand; you need something special. Simply selling another bicycle brand in another generic bicycle store just doesn’t cut it.

I sort of have to agree. Having a single bicycle brand store makes the experience so much more premium, from sales to after-sales, and even the lifestyle element that is associated is so much stronger, which gets you loyal and a longer-lasting customer base. Trust me, we see it in the motorcycle industry and even in the tech industry, where walking into an iStore is a world different compared to walking into a Makro, Game or Incredible Connection. I think you get my point, it’s special and tailored, and some buyers are buying a product because of what the brand is associated with rather than the spec sheet.

Trek South Africa has just over 40 dealers countrywide, and some of these dealers are what Trek call “DOT” stores. These “Directly Owned Trek stores” are linked to Trek global, and what that brings you is a completely immersive experience, a home away from home, seeing almost every model in the catalogue on display, lines of Bontrager products, bike setup and services like tune-ups and repairs, and even group rides and events. The top models of the range are also available at these stores, which is truly mouth-watering, featuring top-of-the-range components, world-class build quality, and paintwork designs that capture everyone’s attention.

Trek Pretoria is the perfect example of a DOT store and has been running as one for the past 5 years. Located at the Lynwood Bridge Shopping Centre, Trek Pretoria offers a diverse range of gravel, mountain, road, and e-bikes, boasting a strong and growing reputation in the area. Located amongst a dozen of Pretoria’s best coffee shops and restaurants, and being located in the east brings plenty of foot traffic to the store.

The team at Trek Pretoria are accommodating, knowledgeable, well known for their workshop skills and passionate about their brand, but also focused on their customers’ needs. For example, they have a section of the store designated for bike setup, where they adjust the geometry and suspension of each bike’s setup for Trek owners, tailored bike service packages, a fan wall of all their Pretoria Trek faithful and a selection of demo bikes to test. Their team also carries years of experience on their shoulders, so any advice that they can give you is well-received.

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Besides seeing the decked-out Bontrager accessories and Leatt gear, Trek Pretoria has the largest sock collection I have ever seen. If you are a Funky Socks fan, then this is more than a good enough reason to swing by. The store really does feel like home, whether you’re buying, visiting for a coffee, chatting away with the staff or just browsing through their range of bikes, it’s a great place to lose track of time.

For more information, visit: www.trekbikes.com

EICMA 2025: New Model Highlights

Motorcycle News

Harry Fisher

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Nov 6, 2025

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Any misgivings you might be having about the rate at which 2025 is drawing to a close can be slightly comforted by the fact that it is November, and November is the traditional month for all that is great and good in motorcycling, as displayed at the annual EICMA show in Milan.

Absolutely every company that has even the merest connection with motorcycling is present at this incredible show, filling at least five enormous exhibition halls on the outskirts of Milan. Of course, all the major manufacturers are present, as well as some that you will never have heard of.

EICMA is the show where every manufacturer reveals their new models, either for the coming calendar year, or maybe a year or two hence. Suffice to say, it’s a very big deal.

Some years, there is an embarrassment of riches to drool over, while other years feature slimmer pickings, but this hardly matters as, if you are fortunate enough to attend, you will be awed into a stupor by the sheer scale and variety of the show, the stands and all the glorious spectacle.

2025 seems to be one of the quieter years in terms of brand-new models on display, certainly in terms of models we are likely to see in South Africa, but there are still some interesting developments.

There is always one manufacturer that steals the show and, this year, it is the turn of Honda. Last year, the company unveiled a concept with a V3 engine, complete with an electronically controlled compressor (or supercharger) attached. This year, a more production-ready version was shown, called the V3R E-Compressor.

The engine has a displacement of 900cc, but thanks to the compressor, the torque value is more like that of a 1200cc engine. The advantage of the system is that it gives more power with the efficiency of a smaller engine, much as is happening in the automotive world. The prototype is clothed in asymmetrical bodywork with camouflage graphics, designed to highlight the mechanical technology, rather than the overall appearance.

Will it make it to production, or is it another technology showcase? As yet, there are no production plans, but it would be strange if Honda has poured a lot of resources into it to not incorporate the tech into future production models.

Honda also showed the ‘retro-styled’ CB1000F, inspired by the Freddie Spencer CB750F from the 1980s, as well as the CB1000 GT sports tourer, with electronic suspension and panniers.

Fans of the old Suzuki SV650, who were disappointed by the arrival of its ‘replacement’, the 800cc parallel twin-engined models such as the GSX-8S and 8R, will be happy to hear that the 650cc V-Twin engine is not dead, even if the rest of us are a little confused.

The new SV-7GX is to the V-Strom 650 what the GSX-S1000 GX is to the V-Strom 1000; an adventure sports model with the stance of an adventure bike, but equipped with 17-inch road wheels and tyres. The engine remains the faithful 645cc 90° V-Twin engine that first saw the light of day in 1999. Producing 72.4bhp and 47.2 lb-ft of torque, Suzuki has managed to make it comply with Euro5+ emission standards, giving rise to the hope that the SV models will eventually return to markets from which they were recently discontinued.

Another big news model has come from BMW. Despite the existence of the G310 range, BMW has now given us the F450 GS, with clear styling influences drawn from the range-topping R1300 GS.

The engine is a brand-new 420cc DOHC parallel twin, developing 48bhp and 32 lb-ft of torque. A 135° crankpin gives the engine more of a V-Twin feel, and there’s a counter-rotating balance shaft to reduce vibration.

An interesting innovation is the Easy Ride Clutch (ERC) — standard on the GS Trophy variant — which allows the rider to start and shift without use of the clutch lever. The ERC’s centrifugal system automatically engages based on engine speed. The clutch lever remains functional for manual control, allowing riders to override when needed. The system maintains full engine braking and can be manually overridden at any time.

As with Suzuki, those who lament the disappearance of the Kawasaki KLR650 from SA might be encouraged by the new KLE500, announced at EICMA 2025. Powered by a 451cc parallel twin engine, it’s clearly a full-spec mid-size adventure bike, the likes of which are becoming increasingly popular thanks to the sheer size and weight of 1000cc+ adventure bikes. Expect all the usual bells and whistles, hopefully we see it hit our shores…

Elsewhere, Kawasaki has updated the ZX-10R and ZX-10RR with a new fairing featuring winglets and redesigned headlights.

Even though we probably won’t see them in South Africa, there was a lot of interest around the Norton brand, which announced four new models, all borrowing names from Norton’s illustrious past.

Flagship of the range is the Manx R superbike, powered by a 206bhp V4 engine of Norton’s own design and manufacture. There will also be the naked Manx version.

Joining the Manx models are two Atlas models, the adventure Atlas and road-going Atlas GT, which will be middleweight models powered by a 585cc parallel twin engine, running a 270° crank. In appearance, there is a lot of Kawasaki Versys in the design, although all the models were shown in a rather muted silver and black colour scheme that may hark back to Norton’s history, but does little for the looks.

Triumph revealed the Trident 800, with a 798cc three-cylinder engine, to supplement the Trident 660 model. Will we see it in SA?

Finally, amid plenty of Chinese manufacturers reveals, not many of which concern us, CFMOTO revealed an incredible superbike, powered by a 1,000cc, V4 engine, called the V4 SR-RR. It’s a concept/prototype for the time being, but it shows that CFMOTO is gunning for the big boys in the motorcycling world.

And that’s about your lot as far as EICMA 2025 is concerned. Despite the lack of really big news from any of the manufacturers, it is still an incredible experience, and we would urge any of you reading this to make plans to be there in 2026.

Dave Cilliers is currently at EICMA 2025 and will report back with a more in-depth report of his experience of having visited the show. So stay tuned!

Suzuki GSX-S1000 GX: Farewell to a Friend

Bike Reviews

Harry Fisher

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Nov 5, 2025

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In the life of a motorcycle journalist, where motorcycles come and go in a matter of days, giving no opportunity for anything other than the briefest of acquaintances – which is no time at all to form a lasting bond – the long-term test bike is very much a highlight.

Now you have the opportunity to test the bike in every conceivable riding condition, over every manner of road, in the city and out in the open country, through rain, cold and sunshine. You get to know its personality, its good and bad points, its quirks and foibles.

Every bike has two wheels and an engine; it goes and stops, has suspension and brakes, handlebars, a seat and varying levels of dynamics and performance; they’re similar in concept, but isn’t it amazing how they also have such different personalities? It’s no surprise, of course, but it’s still fascinating.

The Suzuki GSX-S1000 GX does nothing that the BMW S 1000 XR, the Ducati Multistrada V4 or the Triumph Tiger Sport (sadly not available here in SA) don’t do, but the Suzuki does it in its own way. And that’s the beauty of it.

We’ve had the pleasure of getting to know the Suzuki over six months, and all of us at zabikers.co.za – Dave Cilliers, Bjorn Moreira and myself – have had our time with the bike and we’ve all formed our own opinions. We’ve all liked some things and lamented the absence of others, but I think I am safe in saying that we’ve all enjoyed our time with what can only be said to be an excellent variation on the GSX-S1000 theme.

To recap, the first GSX-S1000 model arrived in 2015, taking the much-admired inline four-cylinder K5 engine from the 2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000 in detuned and re-mapped form and putting it in a more accessible sports/touring chassis configuration, in both naked and faired forms.

There was 150bhp to play with, traction control and ABS, a really stable and forgiving – but still dynamic – chassis, comfort and mile-eating ability with enough balls to be fun. Reasonably priced, it deserved the success it achieved. Subsequent updates were able to merely refine what was already an excellent motorcycle.

I personally have had a lot of fun on the faired GSX-S1000F. Back in my days on The Bike Show, we raced one in the SA Endurance series, comprising four-, eight-, twelve- and twenty-four-hour races. Over two years, that bike must have competed, in both ham-fisted and expert hands, at least 100 hours of flat-out practice, qualifying and racing. Brilliantly attended to, both in terms of preparation and in-race maintenance, by Doug Lang of Suzuki SA, that bike gave not one moment of protest at the abuse being handed out and, indeed, it got better and better as it was progressively dialled in by Doug. It took a snapped chain to bring it to a halt, when the gearbox casing was cracked by the flailing chain. That was mended and subsequently it was crashed, burned (literally) and thrashed and yet it lives on today, maybe eight or nine years later, in private hands, still giving fun and (inexpensive) thrills.

No, I’m a big fan of the GSX-S1000 family.

OK, a little off-piste there, but the point is, the 2025 GSX-S1000 GX might be only a variation on a theme, but it’s a variation of an already impressive and trusted theme, and, in GX guise, it brings enough that’s different to make it worth a long, hard look.

The riding position is perfect for my six-foot frame, which means that short riders need not apply, although the seat height isn’t excessively tall. I like the sit-up-and-beg riding position of an adventure bike, the wide ‘bars giving plenty of leverage, the riding position much more relaxed and good visibility through traffic. Combine that with the feel and feedback from road size wheels and tyres, excellent suspension, and with the punch and linear delivery of an inline four, and there’s not a lot left to wish for.

The new electronic suspension might not be particularly necessary, but there is no doubt that it does make a difference, no matter how, or on what kind of road, you are riding. On the highway in particular, it gives a distinct floating quality to the ride. Push on when riding along twisting roads, and the composure is solid. Perhaps the most impressive thing is the way it works quietly in the background, allowing you to concentrate on that fantastic engine and the performance it gives.

Modern inline four-cylinder engines bear no resemblance to their predecessors of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when smoothness was a given, but, boy, did they have to be revved to unleash the performance. The Suzuki K5 motor, in the GSX-S1000 application, has torque seemingly throughout the rev range and will pull cleanly in sixth gear from ridiculously low speeds, and potter around town in that gear also. If anything, that makes it a little high-revving at highway speeds; you always feel you want to change up into a seventh, overdrive gear. But you get used to it once you’ve banished low-revving twins from your mind. Put it this way; I can’t think of anything more you might want from an engine, no matter the cylinder configuration.

I honestly have no quibbles worth mentioning about the GX; they are all definitely petty and subjective, after all, and have no bearing on my overall opinion of the bike. There are enough qualities to render any such personal prejudices irrelevant. Yes, a centre-stand would be really useful, both in my and Dave Cillier’s opinion (and I’m sure Bjorn will reluctantly agree…), but it’s not necessarily a deal-breaker, especially if you don’t intend fitting the optional panniers. Yes, no centre stand is a faff if you get a puncture or want to lube the chain, but there are solutions for that readily available on the market that can be easily carried in a backpack.

What the final assessment comes down to is this; would it give me enough excitement both day-to-day and over longer journeys to maintain my interest over years of ownership? Would it indulge me in a track day here and there? Would it be reliable? Would I spend my own money on one? The answer to all those questions has to be ‘yes’.

No, it does nothing different to its competitors, but I really like the way it goes about it; unobtrusive most of the time, but with a fire in its belly when called upon. As a further incentive, at R302,910, it is significantly cheaper than either the BMW S 1000 XR (from R337,000) or the Ducati Multistrada V4 (from R448,000! The 950cc Multistrada V2 starts at R296,000 but, with only 115bhp, is hardly in the same league).

So, farewell, Suzuki GSX-S1000 GX. You will be missed.

Suzuki GSX-S1000 GX

For more information on the bike that we tested in this article, click on the link below…

2026

Suzuki GSX-S1000GX

Pricing From R304,880 (RRP)

Brand: Suzuki

Built For Hard Enduro: Yamaha YZ250X-HE

Features

Bjorn Moreira

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Oct 31, 2025

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One thing is for certain: we South Africans love enduro, and in particular, hard enduro. In my opinion, the Roof of Africa has been the main catalyst for the ever-growing enduro landscape in SA. With more weekend warriors taking to the mountains every year thanks to well-organised and technical enduro events, we are beginning to see more local talent rise through the ranks and earn both gold and silverware overseas in the world of hard enduro, because it’s on our doorstep.

Yamaha South Africa knows this all too well and, for the past few years, has been developing a ‘bespoke’ enduro motorcycle, which has been tailored for the local hard enduro scene. Well, the wait has finally come to an end for a Japanese “pukka” enduro bike, with Yamaha South Africa unveiling their very own creation, the Yamaha YZ250X-HE.

While the YZ250X is a decent enduro and seriously attractive at just 130k, it leaves you compromised in seriously challenging terrain. No electric start, no crash protection, no radiator fan, no headlight and no hour meter, just to name a few. But what the ‘Yam’ does have from stock is a brute of a motor, top-shelf KYB suspension, decent ergonomics, a light weight of 100 odd kg and renowned reliability.

So, what is so “HE” about the YZ250X-HE? Well, from a visual perspective, we see an OEM WR/FX radiator fan, PSP radiator braces, Fisch Moto electric start, hour meter, a Teflon 69 design bashplate, GYTR Teflon chain guide, reinforcing on the tail section of the swingarm (around the chain guide) and a limited edition plaque on the headstock. Adam Bac, one of Yamaha’s test riders, had a WR headlamp on his race bike, which looked the part.

Internally, there are also a few hidden gems, but the main standout is the Fisch Moto electric start. Hard enduro with a kick starter is like fighting a war, an already lost war, just go home and forget it ever happened because the trauma is going to be unbearable. The Fisch Moto electric start is obviously an aftermarket product, but it helps get the job done. For now, the only quirk—which isn’t a biggy—is that the current model starter doesn’t charge the battery, but they are busy developing a stator plate with a lighting coil that provides the magneto to charge the battery.

What Yamaha has done to make sure the starter and radiator fan have enough charge for a full enduro is run them off of two separate batteries. The starter runs off of an antigravity lithium battery with a charging tail already plugged in, and the fan runs off of a small RC car-looking battery. Adam’s bike runs a single battery, as he isn’t a staller like the rest of us weekend warriors, so battery life lasted him two full enduros. So, in theory, two batteries for the average Joe should be sufficient and easy to quickly charge up at home. (Yamaha does throw in a battery charger for the RC battery.)

The crown jewel of the HE has to be the altered gearbox and gearing. Yamaha has changed the first and second gears, which took them quite a bit of engineering work to get right, as these lower gears are larger than what the standard crankcase would allow. In a nutshell, it’s two gears and a shelf that is changed within the gearbox. Yamaha has also moved from the standard 14-50 sprocket set to a 13-51. The flywheel on this bike is the standard flywheel, but Yamaha has added four ounces to it and has had it stringently tested to make sure the weight is correct and stable.

Adam Bac: I’ve been helping out with development on this project since 2017, running many different hybrid versions of what we see today. Compared to the standard bike, the ‘HE’ has a lot more lug torque, is very responsive, but not overly aggressive, with a linear feed of power. For example, some of the same climbs we did today, on the stock bike, I would either have to ride the clutch in second or run the bike super high in the rpms in first. On the other hand, the HE has instant and linear power straight through in second gear and tracks up every climb at Titans with ease.

Adrian Bac: What we call the Yamaha YZ250X-HE is a hard enduro. This motorcycle is developed here locally and put together in-house at our technical workshop at World of Yamaha. After years of understanding the requirements of the South African enduro environment, we’ve brought the YZ250X-HE to the niche but still relevant hard enduro market. We’ve made it our goal to bring the bike in at a decent price by squeezing pricing and subsidising labour; there really is no margin worth justifying. We are doing this because we are passionate about our brand, and to also showcase how competitive we can be.

The HE is a tailored hard enduro that has room for alteration. What I mean by this is, Yamaha South Africa has left a few things off the table as riders have their own preferences when it comes to parts, and others are just subjective, like front disc guards, handguards and tyres. Focus is the direction in which the HE is pointed toward. Yamaha even does optimum jetting depending on where you ride, rather than a do-it-all setup.

Retail price is R210K, which is quite a bit more over the 130K stock price, but if you look at the European competition, they are all sitting at roughly the same price, and for what the YZ250X-HE offers, being a unique, limited-run model and proudly South African made, I think Yamaha won’t struggle to sell to the Yamaha faithful. So, if your blood runs blue and you are in the market for a hard enduro and don’t want to parts bin your own creation, Yamaha South Africa is building a limited run of these YZ250X-HE models. Make a turn past your local Yamaha dealer and have a look for yourself.

Hero South Africa Goes From Strength to Strength

Motorcycle News

Harry Fisher

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Oct 31, 2025

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Hero South Africa Goes From Strength to Strength

One of South Africa’s motorcycling success stories in the past five years has been Hero South Africa’s increasing presence in the market, in both the commercial and private sectors. Thanks to this success, in tandem with dealers’ support, dedication and loyalty, Hero South Africa is poised to further increase this presence.

In recognition of this success, Hero South Africa recently announced a significant investment in the company by Astoria Investments to fuel the next phase of growth.

This investment will result in increased stock levels of both motorcycles and spares inventory, as well as an expanded workforce and operational systems, making business easier for everyone in the value chain.

One area which will be of interest to both dealers and customers is a significant expansion of product offerings. From February 2026 onwards, the highly anticipated Hero Leisure range of motorcycles will be available, capturing a new segment of the market. Details of this enhanced range will be announced shortly.

With positive news in short supply in the motorcycle market, it is good to be able to report this exciting development for Hero South Africa. As usual, ZA Bikers will be the first to bring you all the new model news as it arrives in our inboxes.

MotoGP 2025 Malaysia: Gresini’s Triumph

Features

Harry Fisher

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Oct 30, 2025

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If the past two seasons have taught us anything, it is that, with the right equipment, the independent team in MotoGP can rise up to shake up the established order, which is something we haven’t seen for a long time. Last year, Jorge Martin won the title on the Pramac Ducati and, if this year, Marc Marquez and the factory Ducati took title honours, then Gresini proved itself to be a strong second best by taking second in the championship with Alex Marquez (three GP wins and second in the first ten Sprint races with one victory), the Independent Team Award and Rookie of the Year for Fermin Aldeguer (one GP victory). And this was fielding GP24 Ducatis, don’t forget. That’s not an insignificant achievement by any standards.

Proceedings in Malaysia were somewhat placed in the shadows by the awful accident during the sighting lap for the Moto3 race, where Jose Antonio Rueda ran at speed into the rear of slow-riding Noah Dettwiler, sending them both flying and, ultimately, to hospital; Rueda with a fractured wrist and concussion and Dettwiler with unspecified injuries that nevertheless necessitated multiple surgeries, after which his team said he was still critical but stable.

Some MotoGP riders were critical of Dorna for subsequently allowing the Moto3 race to proceed after a long delay, suggesting that it was irresponsible to let such young riders continue in the face of a serious accident, the outcome of which no one was aware.
Bagnaia was particularly vocal: “Let’s just say that starting the day like this isn’t the best way. Especially thinking that some Moto3 kids have to start a 10-lap sprint race, after seeing an accident like that, it isn’t the best situation in my opinion. Let’s hope everything is fine.”

Marco Bezzecchi was similarly outspoken, particularly about the lack of information about the crash: “It was really hard for me to concentrate,” he said. “It’s very hard to get on the bike after what happened in Moto3. It’s not fair that we get on the bike without any information about what happened. “We saw helicopters take off with two riders. We deserved some information.”

Some pointed to the loss of warm-up sessions for Moto3 and Moto2 at the beginning of the season, to make way for a MotoGP rider parade, as the problem. This removed the last chance of testing what could easily be completely rebuilt bikes after the practice and qualifying sessions on Saturday, and it’s clear that losing those ten minutes of pre-race track time was not a good idea. The possibility that Dettwiler was having technical issues with his bike on the sighting lap, leading to his slow speed, is a direct consequence of this. It could easily have happened at the start of the race itself, with a hard-accelerating pack jostling for position into the first corner. The consequences of that don’t bear thinking about. Of course, a technical issue can happen at any time, but a ten-minute warm-up session would go a long way to mitigating against this happening on a crowded track at the beginning of a race, or even a sighting or warm-up lap.

What is certain is that pre-race procedures will have to be reviewed to prevent a repeat of this, either by mandating a minimum lap time for sighting laps or forcing riders to follow the pace car to the grid.

In Malaysia, Pecco Bagnaia’s unfathomably yo-yo season continued, and both he and Ducati are certainly unable to account for the Malaysia weekend, with pole position and Sprint race victory and a Main race podium only thwarted by a rear puncture, all this after three DNFs following his domination in Japan. I mean, you can’t deny that it’s given us all something to talk about, but I suspect that Bagnaia would rather wish the conversation were revolving around his success rather than his inability to bend the GP25 to his will.

Malaysia also threw up some similarly unexpected results, in the form of a second podium in four races for Joan Mir on the factory Honda. After the race, Mir said that he always had faith in the Honda team to turn things around, but how must his patience have been tested over the past three years? A team such as Honda doesn’t forget how to win, but it is surprising how long it is taking them to return to the top step of the podium, and Mir and Marini have to be commended for maintaining their dignified silence in the face of awful results and many crashes. Are we witnessing the beginning of a turnaround for Honda?

Similarly, Pedro Acosta’s misgivings about KTM have been largely silenced in recent weeks by KTM’s (or is it Acosta’s?) progress, the young Spaniard scoring three GP second places, a GP third place and five Sprint race podiums since the Czech GP in July. His progress is all the more marked when you consider the lack of progress his teammate and the satellite KTM riders have been able to make on the same package. Has KTM been concentrating on Acosta, given their desire to keep him in the fold for 2027 and beyond, or is it really a case of he’s simply making a better fist of adapting to the recalcitrant RC16?

But none of this should detract from Alex Marquez’s achievement, both throughout the season and this particular weekend. It was a weekend of tyre management and Marquez did everything he had to do to take victory in the Main race, his third GP victory of the season. For two brothers to take first and second in the championship is unprecedented throughout the history of the sport and just shows not only the strengths of both riders but also the strengths of the Ducati, whether this year’s model or last year’s.

Given Bagnaia’s woes with the GP25, will the satellite teams in 2026 be overly keen to adopt them over the GP24s they have enjoyed success with this year? Yes, Marc Marquez won the title on a GP25, but he’s Marc Marquez, and what he wins on has traditionally been notably difficult for other riders to ride, let alone win on.

Two races to go, and while there will be no Marc, no one can say that there won’t be anything interesting happening on track.

Triumph Factory Custom: Bringing Your Dreams To Life

Motorcycle News

Harry Fisher

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Oct 29, 2025

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Triumph Factory Custom: Bringing Your Dreams To Life

Unless you are a Harley Davidson owner, the idea of customising your bike is not exactly encouraged by a factory; even in the case of H-D, it usually entails trawling through an extensive catalogue of bolt-on goodies with which to “personalise” your ride.

Many manufacturers have an option list when buying a new bike, but they fall far short of customising as we understand it. There is one manufacturer, however, that fully embraces encouraging owners to customise their bikes, either before they take delivery from the showroom floor or after a year or more of ownership. That manufacturer is Triumph, and, as a recent informal event at Triumph Johannesburg showed, Triumph South Africa is all in favour of the initiative.

Of course, this does beg the question, what is customising? For many, I suppose it means a unique paint job and perhaps altering the configuration of the bike, either slightly or significantly. For example, bolting on new lights, seat and handlebars or going further and turning a ‘roadster’ into a bobber or a ‘desert sled’. Whichever route you choose, Triumph SA can help.

Naturally, the Triumph models that are seen as ripe for customisation are the so-called ‘modern classic’ range of Bonneville-derived models. Some might look at these models and wonder what exactly can be done to improve them, but still others see the perfect blank canvas upon which to impose their vision.

Triumph South Africa has cleverly understood that, in customisation, there is a community that loves to gather and show off their creations, while it also gives Triumph itself the opportunity to showcase what it is capable of in its own workshops. By providing a home for this community, Triumph performs the important feat of getting feet through the showroom door and creating a sense of goodwill in the motorcycle world as a whole.

What is impressive is the quality of the work carried out by Triumph South Africa. Some of the paint jobs have to be seen to be believed, and globally, the company has partnered with like-minded creators of bolt-on accessories that can completely change the appearance of bikes, while maintaining the illusion that these have been custom-made for that particular bike.

Should you want more drastic alteration of your bike, then Triumph SA’s workshops can do that as well, to an incredibly high degree of engineering expertise. It’s important to understand that it’s not only Bonnevilles, Speed Twins and Bobbers that can be customised; there were a couple of extremely pretty Speed Triples that had received makeovers, proving that any bike can be customised, if the vision is in sympathy with the original concept.

There is some incredible work being carried out by both Triumph and private owners, and it is to Triumph’s credit that they provided a showcase for this work. As it stands, there are no plans to make it a regular event, but perhaps, if we all shout loudly enough, they’ll relent and give us something to do one evening every two or three months?

In the meantime, if you have your own customising ideas but neither the skill nor time to do it yourself, give Triumph a call on 011 444 4444 and ask to speak to Workshop Manager Paul. If anyone can turn your dreams into reality, he can!

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Liqui Moly and Samlin Racing: Striving for Perfection

Lifestyle

Harry Fisher

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Oct 29, 2025

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There was a time when racing teams and drivers raced for national prestige, the cars painted in the national colours of the manufacturers or entrants; British racing green, Italian red, French blue, German white and so on.

Financial support came in the form of performance bonuses from oil, petrol and tyre companies, but their logos were rarely to be seen on the cars, and even then, they were tiny. Maybe the driver’s overalls had the tyre manufacturer’s name stitched on, but that was about it.

Then, in 1968, that all changed. Colin Chapman of Lotus, arguably one of the most innovative designers motor racing has ever known, always had a weather eye on commercial opportunities to offset the spiralling costs of going Grand Prix racing.

When the cars were rolled out for the first Grand Prix of 1968, the sleek Lotus 49 had lost its green and yellow colour scheme and was decked out in the garish red, white and gold of Player’s Gold Leaf cigarettes. Commercialism had come to Formula One and changed its face forever.

Fast forward to the present day, and a ‘naked’ racing car, unspoiled by sponsor colour schemes and logos, is so rare as to be virtually extinct. There are two main reasons for this; firstly, racing is hugely expensive, and the days of the wealthy amateur supporting his or her own track activities are long gone. Secondly, any category of racing is a valuable shop window for brands looking to increase their exposure and the wise ones hang their hat in that window.

South African racing series might be a small drop in the ocean of global motorsport, but it is no less important to brands – both local and international – who want to be involved for, again, two reasons.

For some brands, sponsorship is merely taking advantage of the exposure possibilities. For others, however, particularly those that contribute to the performance of racing cars or bikes, motor sport is an important development tool, for there are very few sports that put as much strain on the equipment as motor racing, and to test products in that environment can only be of benefit to you and I, the end user.

Liqui Moly has spent the whole of its near-seventy-year existence developing and perfecting its lubricants with the help of motor sport, and it would be a poor reflection on the company if continued participation was not still high on its agenda.

Melicia Labuschagne, the forward-looking leader at the helm of Liqui Moly South Africa, understands this all too well.

“Motorsport is deeply rooted in the Liqui Moly brand DNA,’ she explained. ‘Not only does it give us authentic brand visibility, but it also aligns perfectly with our core values of performance, endurance, and innovation. It’s a natural extension of our product promise.

“[Our involvement] is a combination of both marketing and technical development purposes. From a marketing perspective, motorsport provides high-impact exposure and credibility among performance-driven consumers. From a technical standpoint, it’s a real-world testing environment for our products — an extreme one — where performance, reliability, and innovation are non-negotiable. The feedback loop between the racetrack and our R&D is very real.”

It is with this in mind that Liqui Moly has a strong presence in South African motor sport, and one team that enjoys the benefits of a partnership with LM is Samlin Racing, currently campaigning a Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3 and a Lamborghini Super Trofeo in the SAES (Southern African Endurance Series) and the Sport and GT categories.

“We support the team with a full suite of Liqui Moly products,’ Melicia went on to explain. ‘From motor oils and additives to transmission fluids and care items. We also provide technical support, branding visibility, and collaborative media content that helps promote both parties. It’s a comprehensive partnership.”

With so many top-tier teams to choose from, how does a brand such as Liqui Moly decide which teams to support?

“The Samlin Racing team has a strong, disciplined work ethic and a genuine passion for motorsport that resonates with us. They are also relatable and committed to growing local motorsport, which is important to us from a grassroots perspective. It’s not just about winning; it’s about growing the sport and supporting local talent.”

Of course, any sponsorship has to be visible, and one sure way of achieving that is through winning races. But that’s not the only criterion;

“We don’t concentrate solely on results. While results are important, we value commitment, professionalism, and alignment with our brand just as much. Long-term partnerships are built on shared values and mutual growth, not just podium finishes.

“For us, it’s about partnering with people who truly live what they do. People who are passionate about their craft, passionate about Liqui Moly, and who naturally create excitement and energy around them. Win or lose, it’s that attitude and presence that make them stand out and make others want to be part of the journey.”

Liqui Moly’s racing support programme certainly didn’t start with Samlin Racing, and it won’t stop there, Melicia is keen to point out; ‘We’re always exploring new opportunities — from expanding our motorsport footprint to supporting emerging talent in different disciplines. We’re especially focused on programmes that align with community development, education, and driving technical excellence.’

Of course, Liqui Moly is only one half of the equation. What about the team itself? It would be tempting to think that any team will partner with any brand that’s willing to stump up the cash to enable the team to go racing, but that’s far from the truth. Damian Hammond, driver for the team, was keen to put us straight.

“While sponsorship plays a major role in making racing viable at a high level, the best partnerships go beyond just funding. At Samlin Racing, we look for sponsors who align with our values, contribute real performance, and see the relationship as a long-term collaboration. Our partnership with Liqui Moly is a perfect example; not only do their products support our reliability on track, but their brand fits naturally with the level of precision and professionalism we aim to uphold.

“Liqui Moly supports us with a full suite of race-proven products that directly impact our performance and reliability on track. From engine and gearbox oils to windscreen foam and cooling agents, every product is engineered to withstand the extreme demands of GT3 racing.

“We benefit greatly from their international motorsport experience as well as the input of their highly qualified local engineers, who work closely with us to make sure we’re running the right formulations for our cars, race formats, and conditions. Their global footprint and engineering expertise give us confidence every time we go racing; it’s a true performance partnership.

“We were already using Liqui Moly products long before the sponsorship deal was in place. The decision was purely performance-driven: every product we used proved to be superior in quality, consistency, and reliability. The sponsorship simply formalised a relationship that was already built on trust and results. When you’re pushing machinery to the limit in GT3 racing, you don’t compromise, and Liqui Moly has always delivered.”

Image source: Samlin Racing / lighthouse_media24

Earlier, Melicia spoke about the feedback loop between race track and R&D, and this is something that Samlin also takes very seriously, knowing that any advantage, however small, can make a difference; “After every race, we take oil samples from the car and send them to Liqui Moly for lab analysis,’ said Damian. “They use that data, things like wear levels, temperature stability, and fluid degradation, to support ongoing development and ensure their products perform under the harshest racing conditions.”

It is this constant striving for perfection that has contributed to the team’s success. One particular moment where Liqui Moly products gave a positive performance advantage stands out in Damian’s memory: “It would be the SAES 1 Hour Dash at Kyalami. We had to start from the pit lane, and I drove the car hard through traffic for a full hour. The temps were high, and the mechanical load on the car was intense. Despite that, fluid temps stayed stable, gearbox performance stayed sharp, and we pushed to P2 overall with zero reliability issues. That kind of performance under pressure doesn’t happen by chance; it happens when every part of the system, including the fluids, is doing its job.”

Thanks to companies such as Liqui Moly, we, the spectators, get to witness some fantastic racing by the likes of Samlin Racing. Long may it continue.

The Orange Army: KTM Orange Day 2025 – Legends Adventure Farm

Motorcycle News

Bjorn Moreira

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Oct 24, 2025

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This past weekend, we attended the annual Orange Day gathering in Gauteng at the Legends Adventure Farm near the mining town of Rayton. This year marked Orange Day’s 4th appearance for the Orange Army in South Africa. This year was nothing less than spectacular, with a freestyle motocross show (Jungle Rush team), dealers from all over Johannesburg and Pretoria set up stands, demo rides courtesy of KTM South Africa and several loops to choose from. Even GoPro made an appearance to help customers capture memories, and Motorex set up shop to showcase products and, on the odd occasion, to assist a rider.

If orange blood flows through your veins and the craving to ride fast with like-minded hooligans and talk all things motorcycles is on your agenda, then Orange Day is worth scheduling into the calendar for next year.

We are glad to see KTM grow its orange faithful and consistently change and bring a new flavour with each Orange Day event. Last year’s event took place at the tight and twisty Formula-K race circuit in Benoni and offered riders a full day of tyre screeching and clutch-popping action. We saw just over 100 attendees, and this year we saw it quickly grow to over 250, with families being heavily incorporated into this year’s event. It just goes to show how the brand brings Ready To Race families and friends together, and in this case, together for an action-packed day of riding and fun—unbeatable KTM spirit.

In Typical KTM fashion, they painted Legends Adventure Farm in Orange, from the atmosphere, thanks to roaring engines, dirt bike roosts, to the visuals with orange flags, rows of classic and new KTM models. The vibe was off the charts, with prizes and merch given to those who showed true KTM passion, either travelling from afar, answering tough questions in seconds and others for having a seriously huge beer bell or “boep” as we South Africans call it.

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Orange Day is just KTM’s way of saying family day. Seeing the smiles and the people huddling around the bikes reminded me of why I bought my first KTM. There’s just something about the Austrian brand and the people that buy into it; we all become one giant unorthodox kind of family.

Suzuki Women’s Day – Pink Carpets and Dusty Trails

Lifestyle

Meredith Moreira

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Oct 24, 2025

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Suzuki Women’s Day – Pink Carpets and Dusty Trails

This past August, I attended the Suzuki Women’s Day event held at De Wildt 4×4 Nature Park and Resort in Harties. As a Jimny owner myself, I was particularly excited about the “4×4 course” aspect of the day since I haven’t done much off-road driving in my lifetime.

It was a beautiful sunny day as I drove up the gravel road. We were welcomed by a display of funky wrapped Jimny’s. There is just something unique about every Jimny you come across, and these were no exception. I, of course, had to get a photo of Jimunji parked amongst its younger siblings.

Suzuki Auto South Africa always goes out of their way to spoil us ladies in the industry, and they certainly did it again this year. Walking into the hall, it was a stark contrast to the dusty, brown environment outside; instead, with a cappuccino in hand, you walked onto a pink carpet surrounded by beautifully decorated table settings and delicate flower arrangements. It felt as though I was supposed to be dressed in a floral frock instead of my jeans and takkies… No matter how tough a girl you are, it’s always nice to experience a bit of feminism.

We spent the morning with some amazing guest speakers, including Vanessa Goosen, a former Miss SA semi-finalist. She was wrongfully prosecuted for drug trafficking and sentenced to death, but ended up serving 16 years in a Thai prison. She had to overcome endless struggles, including giving birth, raising her daughter and then being taken away at age 3, learning a new language and living in unimaginable conditions. Through it all, she showed great courage and resilience, and today she is a motivational speaker who encourages women to never give up, that nothing lasts forever, and with God, you can find peace in the midst of the storm. The next speaker was Dr Katlego Selikane, and she took us through the importance of women’s health and how we can take charge and take care of our bodies.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Suzuki event if there weren’t some form of safety involved. We had Drive Smart join us and give us a run-through of road safety before we headed out to a parked Suzuki Swift ready for the morning’s demonstration. I love how Suzuki tailors each woman’s day event to us ladies to ensure that we walk away knowing more than we did before attending. The lesson for the day was how to change a tyre… Let’s be honest, how many ladies have to get a man to change a tyre for them? Well, no more. Each woman got to see exactly how to do it, and some were brave enough to volunteer. So next time one of them gets stuck in this situation, they can proudly do it themselves.

It was finally time for the Jimny Drive guys to take us out on the 4×4 trail, and even though I didn’t get to take Jimunji out, I still got to experience it in the new 5-door Jimny. We had a great time as we traversed the dirt trails winding through the bushveld. They certainly left us wanting more, and I’m excited to take Jimunji on the full 4×4 course where they teach you in-depth 4×4 driving skills.

After a thrilling drive, we headed back and enjoyed a delicious lunch before ending the day. Before leaving, each lady was handed a beautiful leather bag with our names embossed on the front, as if the amazing day we had wasn’t enough of a spoil!

As always, it’s such a pleasure to attend these events, and the ladies behind them are true gems. They are so intentional with their choice of guest speakers, activities and gifts; ensuring that every attendee’s heart is touched, and mind is fed. Thank you for highlighting the women in the industry and for enriching our lives. How you’ll top this one, I’m not sure, but I’m looking forward to it!

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MotoGP 2025 Australia – The Rise Of Aprilia

Features

Harry Fisher

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Oct 23, 2025

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MotoGP 2025 Australia – The Rise Of Aprilia

Anyone else sick and tired of Ducati being completely unable to give Francesco Bagnaia a racing bike that he can actually ride? And who is really bored of watching Bagnaia with a thunderous look on his face after yet another underwhelming performance? It’s almost enough to make you want to give him a kick up the backside and tell him to sort himself out.

Is it all Ducati’s fault? That’s a hard assumption to make when both Marc Marquez and Fabio DiGiannantonio have made the GP25 work to great effect. Yes, not every bike can suit every rider, but for Bagnaia to be so far off the pace when a sister GP25 takes second place in the Australian Main race is bordering on the ridiculous.

Do we assume that the problem lies with Bagnaia? Has he been beaten into submission by his travails to the point where he has tied himself in knots trying to cure problems that might not be there in the first place?

Surely Ducati itself must be getting really bored with his complaints; his mechanics must be tearing their hair out with his constant stream of criticism, while their colleagues on the other side of the garage enjoy champagne every weekend.

It’s completely unfathomable; I can’t recall another instance where two seemingly identical bikes in the same team have had such divergent fortunes. And it’s not as if Bagnaia is a second-string rider, as so often happens in a team with one dominant rider; he’s a double world champion, for goodness’ sake and won 11 GPs last year on the way to being narrowly pipped to the post by Jorge Martin.

Even a second-string rider would be reasonably expected to back up a team’s main championship challenger by taking points off his title rivals, but Marc Marquez has won the team’s title with little or no help from Bagnaia, which is as much a damning indictment of Pecco’s performance as it is a stark reminder of Marquez’s skill.

If we expected Marquez’s absence in the final rounds of the 2025 season to mix things up at the front, then we were not to be disappointed in Australia. For the whole season, Aprilia has been best-of-the-rest behind Ducati, and it’s not too far-fetched to imagine them challenging for the title in 2026. In Australia, it was Aprilia all the way, Marco Bezzecchi himself spoiling his chance of a double win with his antics last time out in Indonesia, earning himself a double long-lap penalty for taking out Marc Marquez. His Sprint win in Australia was perfect, and to salvage a third place after two long laps in the Main race showed that he would likely have been unstoppable in the Main race.

That it was another Aprilia rider, Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez, who took his – and Trackhouse’s – maiden Grand Prix victory, shows the potential of the RS-GP25. No, Aprilia is the team to watch at the moment, and I wouldn’t like to bet that Bezzecchi or Martin – when fully fit – won’t be right up there both at the end of this season and next.

What Australia did show us was that, without Marc Marquez, Ducati might well have been struggling this year. True, both Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer have won races and taken podiums (many, in the case of Alex), as has DiGiannantonio, but what would the picture look like without the consistent brilliance of Marc? Australia also showed us that the final races of the season will be ones to watch if you like unpredictability.

KTM endured another weekend of mixed fortunes, ultimately resulting in a disappointing outcome. Third in the Sprint for Acosta was acceptable, but in the longer Main race, the RC16 exposes its weakness, which is, according to Pol Espargaro and Brad Binder, a lack of edge grip at full lean angle, which only gets worse as the tyres wear.

Binder crashed out of the Sprint but managed eighth in the Main race, while Acosta ran in the podium positions early on but faded to fifth at the end. Pol Espargaro, KTM’s test rider and enjoying a wild card ride in Australia, showed that he really should be on the grid full-time by finishing ninth in the Sprint and tenth in the Main race. With too many riders tooling around at the back of the field, a rider of Espargaro’s talent really should be better utilised. Put it this way: Michele Pirro, Ducati’s test rider and stand-in for Marquez, was 25 seconds behind Espargaro at the end of the Sprint race!

If we are in the era of Ducati, as we must be with four titles in a row, Australia provided a couple of eye-opening statistics. The last time there was no Ducati on the front row of the grid of a Grand Prix was in 2020! Also, Australia 2025 marked the first time there has been no Ducati on the Sprint podium since the format was introduced at the beginning of the 2023 season. That is, by any measure, impressive and can rightly be described as domination.

It remains to be seen, however, if the conclusion of the 2025 season will buck the trend and be an Aprilia benefit, as without Marc Marquez, the factory Ducati team is all at sea. Luckily for Ducati, there are satellite riders who are capable of winning, but none of them seem to have the measure of Bezzecchi right now.

Three races to go – Malaysia, Portugal and Spain – and then we’ll be forced to wait until the beginning of March 2026. Let’s hope the racing gods give us something to tide us over the interminable off-season.

BOBHEAD Riding Gear: By Bikers For Bikers

Features

Bjorn Moreira

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Oct 22, 2025

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BOBHEAD Riding Gear: By Bikers For Bikers

Looking good for the ride doesn’t always work in parallel with dressing for the slide. We know our passion for riding these two-wheeled works of art puts us on the front line, in the most vulnerable position when it comes to safety on our roads. Let’s not drown ourselves in depressing statistics, but the matter of fact is we cannot afford not to follow the famous acronym ATGATT, spelling out “All The Gear, All The Time”. Some have paid the price, and learning from others is much cheaper than making those same mistakes that could cost you more than what you signed up for.

I certainly learnt my lesson, and it also begged the question: was looking good, saving time and not wanting to sweat in the heat, worth the recovery, the permanent injuries and the trauma left to those around me? The answer is no.

We don’t have an excuse to not wear riding gear anymore, as there is affordable gear for those on a budget, and there is riding gear designed to not make you look like a street Rossi, adventured up Chris Birch or club rider. There’s nothing wrong with looking like any of these riders, but it’s the same bulky, narrow-focused and purpose-made gear that allows enough room for the sneaky idea of not wearing gear to creep in. We have all been there and done that, but there comes a time when you really shouldn’t ride your luck out any further.

This is where brands like BOBHEAD come into the picture. BOBHEAD is a brand that has recently landed in South Africa, and they are making it their mission to convert both the non-gear riders and the overgeared riders to wearing casual protective rider gear. The name BOBHEAD may ring a bell, and that’s because of Dragon’s Den UK. Yes, from dreams, to screens, to reality, was what came to fruition for both brothers and owners Damian and Sebastian Harris. The show allowed them to bring awareness to long-in-the-tooth issues of bulky riding gear and the need for a range of gear that’s both styled and priced to suit the average, modern-day biker. Now six years later, the brand is doing extremely well internationally with a vast range of styles to suit, and as of a few weeks ago, we see BOBHEAD pay South Africa a warm welcome.

From one set of biking brothers to the next, we see Behind The Bars proudly bringing in BOBHEAD apparel for the same reasons. Stuart and Brett are both keen motoring enthusiasts, having spent many years working in the automotive industry and have enjoyed its fruits. They have now embarked on a new mission, taking it upon themselves to pour their passion and expertise into casual protective riding gear, putting their money where their mouth is.

Stuart Cowell: I didn’t want to bring in motorcycle gear, just for the sake of bringing in motorcycle gear. I was looking for something unique, high-quality, and safe, yet effective, gear that gets the job done while also looking good in action. It’s a personal thing for me, I like things that stand out, and BOBHEAD ticked that box. Everything sort of fell into place after seeing the product’s high quality in person, and meeting Damian and Sebastian sort of brought it full circle for us. Just like Damian and Sebastian, we are bikers, and we are doing this for the right reasons, because we live it and love it.

Brett Cowell: Biking before business! We understand that there is a lot of volume stuff out there, and that’s great, but we aren’t out here to take any of that business; we are, rather, bringing something in that’s more distinctive. As Stuart has mentioned, the Harris brothers are passionate about motorcycles and riding, which can be seen by looking at their gear and also by wearing the gear. We hope to do well by the brand by showcasing “that same passion” and working with like-minded people.

It’s fair to say that BOBHEAD is a lifestyle brand and aims to continue building on its household name in SA. With all that said, Stuart handed over some riding gear for us to test, opting for their personal favourites, the Camel protective shirt and the Lumberjack. Both of these protective shirts are jackets in theory and are both UKCA-approved Armoured AAA, which gets you Rheon body armour on the elbows, shoulders, and back protector. Kevlar has also been cleverly lined between the outer cotton and inner mesh lining to help reinforce and protect.

Both “shirts” offer different looks, one more subtle and gentlemanly and another more rowdy but cool. From the stitching, embroidery and even the embossed skulls on the buttons, you can see the time, effort and detail that have been put into making this gear. I’ve ridden with casual gear before, but nothing has come close to this quality in SA.

Lastly, a pair of gloves was thrown into the mix, and boy, was I happy to see a 100% leather glove. I love a new pair of leather gloves, and BOBHEAD’s Reaper gloves look and fit the part. The gloves are simple in design and offer a level 1 protection rating, which translates to being very comfortable, and the adjustable stud closer is a neat and practical touch.

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On the Behind The Bars website, you’ll find a selection of BOBHEAD gear, from helmets, shirts, leather jackets and even gloves, all tailored to suit the SA market. So, give the website a browse and stay tuned for our up and upcoming thoughts after riding for an extended period of time in the BOBHEAD motorcycle gear.

The Battle for the Crown Returns: Volkswagen Amarok King of the Whip 2025

Motorcycle News

ZA Editorial Team

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Oct 22, 2025

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The sell-out sensation of the year is back – bigger, louder, and more electrifying than ever.
Volkswagen Amarok King of the Whip returns on 29 November at Montecasino, where South Africa’s top riders will go head-to-head with the world’s elite in the Best Whip and FMX Best Trick contests. Get ready for an evening of pure moto madness!

Presented by LW Mag in association with Monster Energy, Yamaha, Garmin, Motul, GoPro, Fox Racing and Estrella Cerveza, this unmissable event promises massive airtime and heart-stopping tricks – King of the Whip is gearing up to be the ultimate showdown of style and skill.

Doors open at 2:30 pm, giving fans the chance to meet and interact with riders during the “Pit Walk”. VIP and VVIP Ticket holders will gain early access to the event at 1 pm for an official rider meet-and-greet. The action officially kicks off at 4 pm and continues into the evening, with the Finals taking place under the night sky lit up by bursts of pyrotechnics.

Riders earning enough points through the Best Whip qualifying rounds will advance to the semi-finals and finals. Judges will score based on style, amplitude and variation when allocating their scores.

The FMX Best Trick contests will heat things up ahead of Best Whip finals, featuring both right-side-up and upside-down trick categories.

Riders will be competing for their share of the cash prize purse, along with various prizes from the official event partners.

Fresh off securing his second X-Games Best Whip gold medal, Belgium’s Julien Vanstippen is set to return and defend his crown once again. After achieving a dominant three-peat last year, Vanstippen stands as the undisputed King of the Whip champion. The question now: can anyone stop him?

Vicki Golden will be making her King of the Whip debut this year – as one of the biggest names in Action Sports, she is ready to compete for the podium position in both Best Whip and Best Trick.

Australia’s Pat Bowden stole the show in last year’s FMX Best Trick contests, wowing crowds with a mix of jaw-dropping upright and inverted tricks.

South African Freestyle Motocross standout Dallan Goldman will be on the hunt for yet another podium position in both the Best Whip and Best Trick contests, while Dalton Venter, 2024’s top-ranked Motocross rider, will be in the mix amongst a host of other Motocross racers.

Both the local and international competing rider lineup will be announced soon, giving KOTW fans the chance to bet on their favourites.

King of the Whip organiser, Ryan van der Spuy, says, “It’s incredible to see how King of the Whip has evolved into the powerhouse event it is today, drawing massive interest not only from fans across South Africa but from international audiences as well. Building on three consecutive sold-out showcases, we are proud to take things to the next level, delivering an even more elevated and unforgettable experience for spectators and riders alike. This year promises to be our biggest and boldest edition yet — fans are truly in for a treat!”

“Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is proud to be the title sponsor of King of the Whip, an event that embodies the same strength, precision and fearless energy that defines our brand. Just as our vehicles are engineered to perform under pressure and go beyond the unexpected, so too do the bike riders who take flight in this thrilling competition. This partnership is more than just branding, it is a bold alignment with a platform that celebrates South African talent, grit and the spirit of pushing boundaries, values that sit at the heart of Volkswagen’s DNA,” said Princess Ndhlovu, Brand Head, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

Whip (Noun):
A manoeuver performed on a motorcycle, usually during a motocross or freestyle motocross contest, in which the rider brings the rear of the motorcycle abruptly around to either side. Performed while the machine is airborne off a jump. In very extreme whips, the rear of the motorcycle will end up perpendicular to the direction of travel, in addition to the motorcycle being laid flat. The purpose of the whip is to show off, to alter the trajectory of the bike in flight, and to scrub speed over jumps.

Inviting everyone, families, and friends to join in witnessing this highly anticipated, action-packed event. Food and beverages will be on sale at the event. Tickets are available now from R300 at Howler.

King of the Whip event details:

Date: 29 November 2025
Time: 2:30 pm onwards
Venue: Montecasino – Montecasino Boulevard (Cnr William Nicol and Witkoppen)
Fourways, Sandton, Johannesburg
Tickets available from R300: Howler
*Ticket prices exclude booking fees.

FOUR WEEKS OUT: Routes, Preparations, and the HEWC Final Showdown at the Roof of Africa

Motorcycle News

ZA Editorial Team

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Oct 22, 2025

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The countdown is officially on for the 2025 Roof of Africa, “The Mother of Hard Enduro,” which is now just over four weeks away (19 – 22 Nov). This year’s event is set to be one of the most historic yet, as it forms the decisive final round of the Hard Enduro World Championship (HEWC), where the 2025 World Champion will be crowned amidst the rugged majesty of the Maloti Mountains.

Adding to the local drama, all eyes will be on South African hard enduro hero, Wade Young. After equalling the legendary Alfie Cox’s record of nine victories in 2024, Young now stands on the brink of history, aiming to claim an unprecedented tenth title.

Routes Ready for Battle

Route Director and veteran of 30 previous Roof of Africa events, Graham Maclachlan, along with Route Manager Tausten Gibbs and their route crew, have spent months meticulously testing and refining the courses for the Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Iron classes.

Maclachlan confirmed that the routes are looking sensational and are designed to challenge every class appropriately, offering maximum excitement for riders and maximum viewing pleasure for spectators. “We have been hard at work, riding and testing every kilometre to ensure the quality is world-class. Crucially, we have comprehensive back-up plans in place that will kick in depending on the weather conditions, ensuring there will be good, challenging riding whether it’s a dry or a wet Roof,” he adds.

Event Schedule and Key Locations

The event schedule centres around Maseru on Day 1 and the famed Music Box race village on all 3 days:

Wednesday 19 November: Registration and Scrutineering will take place at the Avani Lesotho Hotel & Casino in Maseru.
Day 1 – Thursday 20 November (Maseru City parade Time Trials): The action kicks off with a new city parade in downtown Maseru. We will do a convoy lap, taking the Roof participants right into the heart of the city. This new processional ride through the streets of Maseru offers spectators their best chance to see the riders up close before they head into the mountains. The parade will be followed by the Time Trials for the Silver, Bronze, and Iron classes, which will start just outside of Maseru and head towards the mountains in the distance. The Gold Class Time Trial will take place later in the day around Music Box, allowing the Silver, Bronze, and Iron competitors to finish their runs and then have the opportunity to watch the thrilling performances of the Pro riders.
Day 2 – Friday 21 November (Race Day 1): Racing will start and finish at Music Box, featuring one Designated Service Point (DSP) along the route—and another service point further along. Details to be shared closer to the time.
Day 3 – Saturday 22 November (Race Day 2): The final day also centres around Music Box, with only one DSP at the main venue, setting the stage for the dramatic final push to the finish line and the HEWC trophy presentation and podium finishes for all the classes.

A Focus on Support and Spectators

The 2025 Roof of Africa is placing a strong emphasis on rider support and the spectator experience. Routes for all classes have been designed to offer great opportunities for fans to witness the grit, determination, and skill required to earn a finisher’s medal.

Confirmed sponsors and partners are also stepping up their on-site activities:

Motul will once again set up their popular Bike Wash, allowing riders to relax while experienced teams wash and prep their machines for the next day
Plews Tyres will provide an essential tyre changing station, and will also be sponsoring the coveted King of the Mountain jerseys
413 will offer emergency maintenance services throughout the duration of the event
Lizzard will be set up with parts and equipment support for competitors
Supermoist will feature their commemorative Kit (don’t forget their social media competition for a chance to win 3 sets of Roof kit!)
XCO and Sox will have their stand stocked with official Roof merchandise
Maluti Lager will be on site, keeping the thirst at bay
NPL will be providing nutritional support for the whole weekend at start/finish points and DSPs
Plus, other exciting activities to be announced closer to the event…

Don’t miss your chance to be part of the Roof Legacy—only limited spaces are still available!

Entries close on 24th October 2025. No entries will be accepted after this date.

For more information, including entry details, please visit: www.theroofofafrica.com and watch our socials on Facebook and Instagram for regular updates.

Two Dates To Save With Triumph South Africa

Motorcycle News

Harry Fisher

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Oct 22, 2025

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Triumph Motorcycles is really hitting the headlines at the moment, first with the long-awaited arrival of the brand new off-road and enduro models and also with the news that, over the next year or two, there will be dozens of model changes, including brand new models and revised existing models.

Triumph South Africa is getting into the swing of things this week with two special events. The first is called Built To Inspire: Custom Bike Night and takes place on Thursday, 23rd October, from 17:30 to 20:00 at Triumph Johannesburg.

You may be aware that the workshop at Triumph Jo’Burg has the ability and skills to customise your Triumph according to your vision, both from the Triumph custom parts catalogue and through the skill of the custom painters.

At the Built To Inspire event, you’ll be able to see some of the parts and the techniques used to create unique machines. You’ll be able to talk to the technicians who will take you through the processes they employ to bring your dreams to life. If you own any form of custom bike, bring it along to inspire others.

Then, on Saturday, 25th October, at 10 a.m., you can again head to Triumph Johannesburg for a meet and greet and Q&A session with rising motocross star and Triumph MX team member, Camden McLellan.

Camden recently signed a two-year contract extension with Triumph Factory Racing, which will see him compete in the FIM MX2 World Championship through 2027.

He is one of SA’s top MX talents, and you can find out about his exploits on the international MX scene and get an exclusive look at the new Triumph MX models, which will be on display before they are shipped out to their new owners.

Both events are free to attend, but you must register, which you can do at the following links: Built To Inspire and Meet & Greet Camden Mclellan.

Another One For The Record Books: Jimny Gathering 2025

Lifestyle

Bjorn Moreira

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Oct 17, 2025

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A second Jimny Gathering was always going to be on the cards, as the 2023 gathering was nothing less than spectacular in mountainous Clarens. Let’s just be honest for a second, we all knew how popular the Jimny community was with the little 4×4 booming in SA since its launch in 2018. The little Suzuki saw waiting lists of several months stacking dealers’ desks across the country, with demand immediately outstripping supply, with the first 174 units sold in their opening month alone. We saw it coming, but we didn’t fathom the sheer size and support. Everyone bought into the hype, the communities joined forces, and the massive numbers in sales definitely highlighted the volumes of Jimny faithful, but none of us thought that the lifestyle around the vehicle would bring so many Jimny fans and Jimnys to one place.

From what we understand, the Jimny Gathering will now become a regular fixture, taking place every second year at a new venue in South Africa.

Another year, another venue and another record under the belt, the Jimny gathering never disappoints! This year’s event took place closer to the coast, but in typical Jimny fashion, it had to be up in the hills, so Louvain Guest Farm in the Western Cape was the place to meet. The weekend revolved around good music, the Springboks battling against Argentina, off-roading, a Jimny Pageant, another record attempt, and a gathering of old, new, three and five-door Jimnys—showcasing how a vehicle can bring people from all walks of life and ages together.

If you drive a Jimny, you know the journey of getting to the place is just as important, and that’s where the Jimny migration comes in. Before the event had begun, the migration was the little starter, before the mains. The migration saw Jimnys from all over the country meeting up and driving together or passing each other by on the way to the main event. This year, we joined in parts of the migration from Gauteng to Gariep Dam and from Gariep to Louvain.

The Forever Resort at the Gariep Dam was the perfect stopover for those heading down from Gauteng to George. Suzuki Auto South Africa looked after their supporters by making space available at the resort, just a mere 180 km south of Bloemfontein. The resort has a spectacular dam view, whether you opt for the camping option or the chalets. We estimated roughly 300 Jimnys staying overnight at the resort, and around 80 odd drove in a convoy the next day. For us, it went as follows: leave ‘GP’ on Thursday, drive from Gariep on Friday to Louvain for the weekend, and on Monday, the reverse of Thursday and Friday. Two awesome venues, plenty of fun in between and great memories created with close friends on the open road, and this isn’t even the Gathering part of it all.

Pulling into Lovain on the Friday saw the new location welcome over a thousand Jimnys to a spread-out numbered campsite, featuring the Tiger Wheel & Tyre Fitment and Tyre Repair Centre, a Checkers Outdoor pop-up shop, all the heritage Jimny models, new OEM parts were on show and a fully stocked merchandise store filled with Jimny Gathering and Jimny clothing and accessories. Meredith wasted no time diving in with her own funds to collect a few thousand rands worth of merch. The merch store almost sold out every single day, which goes to show that we, Suzuki and Jimny fans, want to connect and live the brand, so I hope we get to see dealers soon stock more of the merch seen at the gathering.

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Suzuki’s motorcycle division was also at the event in force, helping out at the 4×4 course, merch store, and pop-up motorcycle showcases were seen grabbing attention at the Safari Town Festival and at the start line of the 4×4 course. We tagged along with the boys on the road and during the gathering. The amazing hospitality shown by the motorcycle and Auto divisions really enhanced our experience this year at the event. There’s just something about lifestyle vehicles and the Suzuki way of life that makes perfect sense.

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Not only was this year’s gathering different, but so too was our Jimny. As our readers will have followed over the past 12 months, we’ve stepped out of our ZA Bikers three-door and into our five-door, working with some new partners and some of our old ones have joined for the new Journey with our jungle green ZA Lifestyle five-door Jimny project. Partnering up with us this year for our OEM-Plus inspired project is Front Runner, Liqui Moly, Takla Products, General Tire and Empire Graphics. Being enthusiasts and passionate about the brands we work with, we parked the Jimny at campsite 2 with the Front Runner team, erected our rooftop tent, rolled out our Easy-Out Awning, laid out some products and opened up the doors to get chatting to the public.

Takla products and General Tire have been with us since the start of our three-door build, heading into the 2023 Jimny gathering. Nowadays, every second or third Jimny that drives by has a set of Generals and, in particular, our favourites, the Grabber AT3. Over many kilometres, trips across borders and off the beaten path, the Grabber AT3 has been a fantastic do-it-all tyre for what we’ve needed over the past two years. We’ve waxed lyrical over them on our page across many articles, so for more information, READ HERE.

Hands down, our favourite interior protection specialists that have to be mentioned are Takla Products. We’ve put our Takla seat covers ‘properly’ to the test; camera equipment, motorcycle parts, dogs, the Morton family and every dusty and muddy trip… To say they have stood the test of time is an understatement. The truth is that the covers still look close to brand new. This is because of the high-quality fabrics and workmanship that we’ve come to expect from the team at Takla products—you guys rock!

The reason we keep going back is because they support every customer with the utmost professionalism, their after-sales support is fantastic, and you have freedom of expression with most of their designs being semi-customisable when it comes to extra pockets, holders, personalised embroidery and your colour of choice when it comes to stitching. If you are looking for rugged interior protection that looks and feels luxurious, we highly recommend paying them a visit.

Liqui Moly South Africa was with us at the inaugural Jimny Gathering in 2023, showcasing their massive range of Car Care products, which was well received by the Jimny faithful. This year, we took a few unique and new products that Liqui Moly had to offer, demoing their Scratch Stop, Waterless Detailer, Multi-Purpose Surface Cleaner (the old Super K) and a host of scented Windshield Cleaners. Liqui Moly was also generous to hand us some samples to hand out and some merch for all the ‘LM’ fans that we bumped into at the gathering.

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I know what you’re thinking: it’s a 4×4, why bother cleaning it? It looks cool when full of mud… Yes, but then if you’re camping, do you really want to be getting dirty every time you grab something out of the car or finding dust all over your food prep station by slamming a dusty door? Yeah, it’s a definite no from me! The Waterless Detailer was a surprise for most because you don’t need to wash your car to use it if it’s just got a light coat of dust on it. We had our Jimny cleaned before arriving, so the detailer was sprayed over the dust and wiped off with a microfiber cloth. Waterless detailers are phenomenal products, but need to be used out of direct sunlight and not left to dry. It’s a product that I personally use on my motorcycles, bicycles and on our cars too.

For the sticky cup holders, door plastics and even our shoes, we cracked out Multi-Purpose Surface Cleaner. It’s a convenient bottle to have stored in the glove compartment, in the kitchen or, like us, on a camping trip, as it just has so many purposes.

The Windshield Foam Cleaner wasn’t used at the gathering much, but definitely on the way there and back home, helping dissolve road grime and to help remove a couple of thousand bugs we collected on the way down. What’s nice about this cleaner is that the overspray isn’t harmful to rubber, paint or plastics.

Our micro-overlanding rig was more of a glamping set-up than camping. Front Runner really went to town on our Jimny, kitting us with the following accessories:

Slimline II Roof Rack Kit / R13,375
Ladder / R1,360
Front Runner Roof Top Tent / R15,399
Easy-Out Awning / R5,026
Pro Stainless Steel Camping Table Kit / R6,033
Pro Water Tank with mounting system / R1,119
Drop Down Table / R2,706
Rack-Mounted Bottle Opener / R57
Expander Camping Chair / R1,360

Total Cost = R46,435

If you aren’t a regular camper or overlander, these prices won’t mean much, but for the folks that do, 46k is a drop in the ocean for all these premium accessories. When factoring in what a top-of-the-range rooftop tent or bottom-of-the-range camping trailer costs, it’s a bargain; it’s more like double the number we are looking at here. With Front Runner, you can tailor your ideal setup, especially when factoring in that they have over 55 different items that you could fit on the roof rack. When camping for a long time over a few nights or weeks, as many people do, practicality and easy setup slash breakdown are key, and that is exactly what you get from Front Runner.

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The fact that you can drive a brand-new Jimny off the showroom floor with Front Runner accessories is a huge score. Suzuki Auto South Africa is picky when it comes to approving accessories, but with Front Runner being on the list, you need not stress no more, especially when the Roof Rack and Ladder get packaged into the deal and financed through your local Suzuki dealer when purchasing a brand new Jimny. Think about it this way: now the foundations of your blank canvas Jimny are ready for the ultimate setup from day one.

Our setup, even parked next to the seriously rigged-out Front Runner vehicles, stood out as being well thought out and practical for a weekend away, without going over the top. Getting fully set up, awning out, tent up, table, chairs, and braai takes just over 20 minutes with good practice, and tidying up takes 5 minutes longer. Having a well-set-up micro overlander, in my opinion, is just as good as glamping at some of the best stays in the country. For a more in-depth read on our setup, read our prepping for the gathering article HERE.

Before we knew it, we were shutting our doors for an official Guinness World Record of the most doors shut simultaneously, but also to an amazing time spent with like-minded Jimny enthusiasts and great friends. The official numbers were 1127 Jimnys and 1838 doors closing at once! The rest of the day was spent at the Safari Town with great artist line-ups, good food and great vibes as we wrapped up another fantastic Jimny Gathering.

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A word of thanks must go out to Suzuki Auto South Africa for organising such a well-laid-out and fun event. You can count us in for the next one!

BMW Motorrad Centurion Open Day

Motorcycle News

Harry Fisher

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Oct 16, 2025

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The month of October has become known in motorcycling circles as the official start of summer, as it’s the time that BMW Motorrad Centurion (formerly known as Bavarian BMW) throws open its doors for its annual October Day festivities.

The dealership is always an impressive place to visit, being crammed full of new and used motorcycles, always impeccably presented. For some visitors, this was the first time they would have seen the R 1300 GS Adventure, not to mention the M 1000 R. Also on prominent display was the massively impressive R 1300 RT; a technical tour de force that surely deserves the crown of best touring motorcycle in the world.

But the day isn’t solely about motorcycles. It’s always a pleasure to meet the staff at BMW Motorrad Centurion, who are never anything other than super-knowledgeable and friendly.

Then there is the extensive range of apparel, helmets and boots, much of it at very special sale prices, the barber shop and, of course, Clints Scoots sharing floor space and with its own special appeal to lovers of all things Italian scooter.

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With food and drink readily available both indoors and out and a smattering of speciality stalls in the car park, there really was something for everyone, and it will be the same again next year, so if you missed out this year, be sure to mark the date in your 2026 diary. It’s a good way to spend a sunny Saturday morning.

For more information, visit: www.bavarianmc.co.za

Outdo Batteries; The Secret Ingredient to Unlocking Performance and Reliability

Motorcycle News

Harry Fisher

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Oct 15, 2025

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Not many of us give much thought to the batteries we fit to our cars and motorcycles, but the simple fact is that, without a good battery, you’re not getting very far, irrespective of the mechanical soundness of your vehicle. Similarly, not many of us will have a preference as to which brand of battery to use, but it’s never too late for a bit of education.

I’ll admit to being as ignorant as the next man about batteries, which is why it was instructional to learn about Outdo batteries, imported to South Africa by Forbatt SA. Perhaps a couple of quotes from their press release will tell the story better than I could.

‘For nearly three decades, this global leader in advanced battery manufacturing and power solutions has been redefining how people move, connect, and create. From two-wheelers to large-scale energy systems, its batteries deliver consistent performance, safety, and sustainability—powering journeys that inspire confidence and progress.

‘Built on more than 28 years of expertise, the brand combines precision engineering, strong research capabilities, and forward-thinking design to create next-generation battery solutions. Each product reflects a dedication to excellence, ensuring that every charge delivers maximum power, longer life, and dependable performance in all conditions. Its comprehensive range—spanning motorcycle, E-bike, industrial, and storage batteries—caters to the evolving needs of both businesses and individual consumers seeking cleaner and more efficient energy.’

So, there you are!

An important development in the brand’s history came when it was officially endorsed by BMW Motorrad Motorsport for the seasons 2024 and 2025 as the technical partner for its WorldSBK Team. This collaboration brought together two companies united by precision, speed, and innovation. Providing high-performance power systems for BMW’s championship-winning superbikes, the partnership showcased how advanced battery technology can thrive even under the most demanding conditions.

Outdo is trusted by leading motorcycle manufacturers and industrial operators who demand reliability, endurance, and consistency. From urban commuters to logistics companies, its technology supports mobility, safety, and sustainable growth.

Progress is nothing without innovation. Outdo’s dedicated R&D team is constantly exploring new materials, smarter energy management systems, and sustainable production methods to reduce environmental impact. Each advancement moves the company closer to its goal of shaping a cleaner, more energy-efficient future. By integrating modern design with eco-friendly technology, the brand ensures that its batteries deliver not only power but also purpose.

As the world shifts towards smarter, cleaner technologies, the brand continues to lead the charge with innovation that powers possibility. From the racetrack to the open road, from industry to everyday life, its energy drives the world forward—reliably, responsibly, and relentlessly.

Exclusively Imported by Forbatt SA

In South Africa, OUTDO Batteries are exclusively imported by Forbatt SA—a respected leader in the local power solutions market. With a trusted legacy spanning over 30 years, Forbatt SA has built a strong reputation for delivering dependable energy products and technical expertise across a wide range of industries. The company’s commitment to quality, reliability, and customer support makes it the ideal partner to bring OUTDO’s world-class technology to South African consumers. Together, OUTDO and Forbatt SA are energising the nation—powering progress, performance, and innovation at every level.

For more information, visit: www.forbatt.co

Red Bull KTM Closes Championship Season with Triple Title Triumph

Motorcycle News

ZA Editorial Team

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Oct 15, 2025

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It was a powerhouse performance to close off the National Motocross Championship season for the Red Bull KTM team, who wrapped things up in style at Terra Topia MX Club in Gauteng. The team put on a show of pure dominance, with an orange podium all around and multiple championship titles secured.

Cameron Durow delivered a flawless performance, storming to double wins in both MX1 and MX2 for the day. His incredible pace and control throughout the day sealed the deal for the MX1 National Championship title, marking his third consecutive championship win in the class. Durow once again proved why he’s the man to beat, showcasing relentless focus and a true championship mindset.

Cameron Durow commented on the year saying, “What an amazing way to end the season! It’s been a year of hard work, consistency, and teamwork, and to walk away with another MX1 Championship feels incredible. The Red Bull KTM team has been unbelievable all year, and I couldn’t have done it without their support. Ending the season with another championship in the bag is the best way to thank everyone who’s been behind me.”

Luke Grundy wrapped up an incredible year by claiming the 2025 MX2 National Motocross Championship title. Grundy capped off his season with a calculated ride to 8th on the day, doing exactly what was needed to lock in his first-ever National MX2 crown. “Becoming the 2025 MX2 South African Champion still feels unreal!” Grundy beamed. “It’s been a long, tough season with its highs and lows, but I couldn’t have done it without the amazing people and team behind me,” he continued. “Huge thanks to Red Bull KTM South Africa for giving me everything I needed to make this happen. I’m so proud to bring this one home. Here’s to another year of fighting for glory!”

Adding to the team’s success, Trey Cox continued his winning streak, charging to another class victory and securing back-to-back National titles in the MX High School class. Cox also impressed with a strong 4th place finish in MX2, rounding off what has been an exceptional rookie season in the senior ranks. Trey Cox stated, “It was a great way to end the season! I went 1–3 in the 125 class for the overall win, even after a crash in Moto 2. In MX2, I finished 4–5 for 4th overall, not quite what I wanted, but it’s all part of the learning curve in my rookie year. I’m so proud to be a three-time SA Champion, and to see all the hard work pay off is incredibly rewarding. A huge thank you to the Red Bull KTM team and everyone who’s helped me get here.”

The Red Bull KTM team couldn’t have asked for a better way to close the season, a true statement of strength, dedication, and teamwork.

Team Manager Kerim Fitz-Gerald shared, “It was an incredible way to finish the season. The team’s effort and commitment have been next-level, and to walk away with multiple championships and such strong performances across the board is something we’re extremely proud of.”

With a clean sweep of titles and an unstoppable presence on the track, the Red Bull KTM squad signs off the 2025 season at the very top and gets Ready To Race for the 2026 season!

Yamaha YZF-R9 – The Supersport Sensation!

Bike Reviews

Dave Cilliers

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Oct 15, 2025

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Yamaha YZF-R9 – The Supersport Sensation!

Over the years, we’ve seen many impressive ‘YZF-R’ models roll out of Yamaha’s stable, allowing the public to sample passed down MotoGP and WSBK-derived features, design and electronics. With emissions tightening up, it’s only a matter of time before we see our litre bikes become old posters on a wall. Luckily, companies like Yamaha have seen the writing on the wall and have introduced real-world sport bikes to fight off the restrictions and to give the public real-world performance in the form of new-age sportbikes wrapped in fairings, just like the YZF-R7 and the new YZF-R9.

Yamaha’s R1 is a heavy hitter, with 197 hp @ 13,500 rpm and 112,4 Nm of torque @ 11,500 rpm. The R9 looks positively puny by comparison with ‘only’ 119 hp and 93 Nm of torque. But here is the kicker. The R9 makes its power and torque at much lower rpm. In fact, as I was at pains to point out in my review of Yamaha’s incredible XSR 900, the CP3 motor used in both that bike and the new R9 outpowers and out-torques the R1 up to 7,500 rpm, at which point the R9 is steaming along at over 170 kph. Allied to an R9 that is 9 kg lighter, at 195 kg, and you have brilliant real-world performance.

Back to the hardware. The CP3 889cc DOHC liquid-cooled triple is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest motorcycle engines of all time. It has a velvety, yet slightly gruff power delivery, which is incredibly intoxicating, making every twist of the wrist an occasion. A 6-speed gearbox with bi-directional quickshifter feeds through a slipper clutch. Yamaha’s Deltabox aluminium frame achieves an almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution.

The suspension is by KYB, with fully adjustable USD forks and a rear shock. Wheel travel is 119 mm at each end. Braking is by Brembo, utilising their brilliant Stylema 4-piston callipers biting on 2×230 mm discs up front and a 1-pot rear calliper squeezing a 220 mm disc. Wheels are 120/70×17 front and 180/55×17 rear. The 180-section rear tyre helps in making direction changes effortless, despite a wheelbase that is 16 mm longer, at 1420 mm, than that of the R1. The fuel tank takes 14 litres.

Yamaha has thrown the electronic works at the R9. A 6-Axis IMU monitors various performance parameters to give you 9, yes, you read that right, 9 traction control modes! 3 slide control modes, 3 lift control modes and a ‘brake control’ system, whatever that may be. The TFT display can also be altered to your preference. The Yamaha App downloaded to your smartphone allows turn-by-turn navigation. So, while the PlayStation generation gets their jollies by playing with all the electronic functions, I will get mine by riding the R9!

The inspiration for the R9, I would wager, was the change in regulations that apply to World SuperSport motorcycle racing, a class which, in recent years, was dominated by Yamaha with their R6. Whilst 600cc sportbikes make incredible track tools, they make miserable road bikes. All the power is stacked up high in the rev range, which makes them absolute dogs on traffic-infested roads. Enter the larger displacement bikes like Ducati’s V2 Panigale 950 and the subject of this review, Yamaha’s R9. These bikes are endowed with power characteristics that make them eminently rideable on the street, notwithstanding their track-focused riding position.

The R9 is beautiful to look at and an absolute hoot to ride. The CP3 motor has gobs of lowdown torque yet oodles of top-end hit as well. It may not rip your arms out of their sockets like a fit litre bike, but it allows you to access the power in a manner that enables you to ride it incredibly quickly. The track biased focus of the whole package is very evident in how the bike works. I was particularly impressed by the KYB suspension.

Even when accelerating hard over less-than-perfect tar, it manages to maintain traction superbly. It is obviously firm, yet it maintains a degree of suppleness which impresses. The brakes are in the same league. Incredibly powerful yet with great feel. Trail braking is a doddle. The gearbox shifts well using the quickshifter, albeit without the absolute slickness of bikes like Triumph’s 765.

As alluded to earlier, the CP3 motor at the heart of this beast is an absolute gem. You never feel that you need more power. The fat early power and torque curves punt the bike along effortlessly and with feel that is hard to adequately describe. The motor is smooth and yet with a gruff nature that makes it a pleasure to use to the maximum. Allied to the phenomenal visceral ‘feel’ is the soundtrack that accompanies hanging on the proverbial cables.

The exhaust note gathers from a 3-cylinder thrum into a banshee wail as the motor revs up. It adds an element to the whole riding experience that is quite simply intoxicating. The aggressive riding position gets to you when you are in heavy traffic, but as soon as you take a gap and turn up the wick, all is forgiven. All aspects of the bike come together in an integral sporting package that is phenomenal.

The reality is that this will always be a relatively small volume seller. Not because it is in any way to blame, but rather because out-and-out sports motorcycles are no longer in vogue in the world in which we live. Roads have deteriorated, and traffic volumes no longer allow us to ride as we did in times gone by. The R9 will make an incredibly rewarding track tool for those with a penchant for corner carving. If you live in the Western Cape with its mountain passes and decent roads, it is worthy of serious consideration. For me, its biggest competition comes from within. The modern retro XSR 900 GP has similar dynamic ability but is packaged in a more user-friendly package. Both bikes will set you back around R290,000. The R9s are currently in short supply as worldwide demand is good.

Visit your local Yamaha dealer and put your name down. There is a demo model doing the rounds that you can get to sample. You owe it to yourself.

BMW R 1300 GS ADVENTURE TROPHY ON THE SWAZI RALLY

Features

Howard Stafford

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Oct 14, 2025

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Adventure: “an unusual, exciting, daring experience.” That’s the insipid definition Google dishes up. Sounds like the blurb for an Enid Blyton storybook. But Africa’s not for sissies! For dual-purpose bikers, adventure means thrashing through the fesh-fesh on a gnarly track, testing the limits of the tyres’ adhesion on a mountain pass, ducking behind the screen to hit maximum velocity on a deserted tar road, hauling along an unfamiliar dirt highway at sphincter puckering speeds, and riding ace pilot into unknown terrain.

On a clear day, you can see forever. Magnificent scenery between Hendrina and Carolina.

On Wednesday, when I collected the red, white and blue, fresh out of the box, BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Trophy Edition from Motorrad in Sandton, it was my absolute intention to go adventuring, to ride roads I had never ridden before, and to absorb alien sights and sounds and smells and sensations.

Once I left Sandton and headed for Nelspruit, it didn’t take long to find the first bit of dirt. Near Etwatwa in the fallow fields on the southern side of the N12, there’s an ancient ruin far away in the veld. It’s always intrigued me, and today was the day to see it up close. My mojo was with me and the GS felt agile and responsive as we bounded along the middelmannetjie track through the veld. A few minutes later, I stopped for photos at the remnants of what might once have been a farmhouse. Back on the N12, there was a pungent odour of pork products, so I did the wise thing, set cruise control at 130km/h and relaxed in the saddle for the next 100km to Witbank.

Forlorn ruin in the fields near Etwatwa.

On the outskirts of Witbank, I left the N12 and rode south on the R544 towards Vandyksdrift. It’s been a while since I took this route, and it was even more grim than I remembered. Witbank is infamous for all the wrong reasons. Witbank has the dirtiest air in the world. Greenpeace analysis of satellite data revealed that Mpumalanga is the largest Nitrogen Dioxide hotspot across six continents. The area has been plagued with deadly air quality for decades, with a high concentration of coal-fired power plants, a coal-to-liquids plant, and a refinery contributing large amounts of pollution, resulting in thousands of cases of bronchitis and asthma. The R544 is rutted and potholed because it carries a never-ending cavalcade of 26 wheel interlinks with a loaded mass of 56 tons and 34 wheel behemoths with a loaded mass of 74 tons!!! The roadside vegetation is black and stunted. The air is gritty and tastes of chemicals. At Vandyksdrift, dozens of interlinks roared in and out of the coal terminal, kicking up a filthy black cloud that hung like a malevolent wraith over the coal-scarred landscape.

From Vandyksdrift, I rode due east on the R542. Near Blinkpan, there was an irresistible scene of destruction in the veld. I left the tar and followed the railway service road to a Transnet rolling stock graveyard. Four smashed locomotives lay abandoned to the elements, and next to them were heaps of wrecked wagons, tortured metal and mangled bogies. It was a catastrophic sight, and I shuddered to think of the terrible forces that transformed proud machines into twisted scrap.

Transnet graveyard at Blinkpan between Vandyksdrift and Hendrina.

I continued east and shortly before long crossed the R35, which connects Middelburg and Bethal. I wasn’t looking forward to the next 20km to Hendrina. The last time I travelled that road, there were more potholes than tar. But much to my shock and surprise, there were roadworks taking place. Half the distance was brand new tar, and the other half was a dirt detour in decent condition. I did my best meerkat imitation and cruised the detour at 120km/h, the GS loving the dirt as much as I was. When the road works are complete, this route might just be my new favourite four-wheeled route from Gauteng to Mpumalanga and to hell with the N12/N4.

Easy detour between Vandyksdrift and Hendrina.

In Hendrina, I stopped at KFC for my customary padkos, Street Wise Two and a Coke. My lunch was interrupted by a tumult of sirens. A horde of cop cars came tearing up the main drag, clearing a path for the convoy of abnormal vehicles that followed. Six Scania prime movers thundered through town, each carrying a huge metal cylinder. As quickly as they arrived, they were gone, and it was time for me to hit the road again. The R38 from Hendrina to Carolina traverses a desecrated landscape. The plains are blemished by unsightly slagheaps, mine dumps and mountains of overburden. Coal country is ugly!

Six of these juggernauts thundered through the Hendrina CBD.

Carolina is the eastern extremity of the coalfields, and from there it’s a pleasure to ride the undulating roads through mountainous Mpumalanga. It’s 50km from Carolina to Badplaas, 50km of flatstick, pristine tar, a roller coaster road that swoops and rises over the foothills of the Hlumuhlumu range, ‘the place of much thunder’. I had cruise control set at 180km/h, but this was the perfect spot for a top-end run. I tucked in behind the windshield, the GS surged to warp speed, and I backed off when I saw 222 on the speedo. That’s what the BMW marketing material means when it coyly states a top speed of greater than 200km/h. On the far side of Badplaas, I stopped at the general dealer for photos and a Coke and then continued east towards Barberton.

Badplaas. Interesting place to stop for a Coke.

This is a magical rider’s road that includes two challenging passes, Nelshoogte and Bothasnek, both in good condition with long sweepers, tight switchbacks, and everything in between. Where the R38 intersects the R40, I turned north to Nelspruit and, like a horse scenting the stable, bolted for home at speed. By now, I was completely confident of the Michelin Anakee Adventure tyres on the GS, and I spanked up and over Hilltop Pass, maintaining optimum revs by tapping up and down on the gear lever, more of which later. When I stopped in my driveway and inspected the rear tyre, it was no surprise to see that there wasn’t even one millimetre of chicken strip. Magnificent motorcycle. Excellent tyres.

The GS Adventure I rode was equipped with BMW’s “automated shift assistant” transmission. There’s no clutch lever, but there is a gear lever. Under your left thumb, a switch engages automatic or manual modes. Full auto mode works well on the open road and changes up and down intuitively so that power is always available.

Shattered dreams on the road to Hlatikulu.

Auto is less practical around town and in traffic. Random acceleration and deceleration sometimes confuses the shift assistant as it hunts for the correct gear. The simple solution is to use the gear lever. I soon discovered that what worked for me was to always select full auto, D on the TFT screen readout, and to use the gear lever when necessary. Having said all that, when I buy my 1300, I will opt for a clutch lever and not an automatic.

On Friday morning, I packed the GS and retraced my Wednesday route to Badplaas. My destination for the weekend was Eswatini and the 32^nd Swazi Rally. In Badplaas, I took the R541 towards Elukwatini and joined the N17 at Lochiel. The weather was perfect, the N17 was almost deserted, and the bike was running like a long dog. I was captivated by that ineffable feeling of serenity and contentment that only bikers can know. When you’re riding, you are what you are right there and then. There are no yesterdays on the road. A good ride is the antidote to all the twak on social media and all the nonsense we deal with every day. Nothing clears the mind like a good day in the saddle.

I was feeling peckish, so I stopped at Flip’s Butchery on the outskirts of Amsterdam. In my experience, platteland butcheries make delicious droëwors, and Flip’s did not disappoint. Two friendly ladies, Irene and Lizelle, offered me wors and biltong to taste, and I couldn’t resist buying R200 of outrageously tasty droëwors.

Irene and Lizelle. Friendly ladies at Flip’s Butchery on the outskirts of Amsterdam. I always stop at Platteland Butcheries for droëwors.

Further into town, I simply had to stop for photos of the enormous rigs parked at the side of the road. A trio of Scania horses was hauling wind turbine blades. The driver of one of the rigs told me the blades were going to a new wind farm near Bethal. Each blade is 91.6m long and weighs 24 tons!

This is a single wind turbine blade. It’s 91.6 metres long and weighs 24 tons. Destination: Bethal windfarm.

A few hundred metres further, there were two rigs hauled by Volvo FH-16 four-axle tractors. The loads were 6.9 metre diameter steel cylinders, each weighing 104 tons. Their destination was a new fertiliser factory in Harare, 1200km distant. The rigs travel approximately 50km per day, which means they still had three to four weeks on the road.

Each cylinder is 6.9 metres in diameter and weighs 104 tons. Destination: Harare cement factory.

Amsterdam to Piet Retief is 50km of high-speed blacktop, which winds through never-ending plantations of pine and eucalyptus. This is the heart of timberland, and the air is perfumed with the heady aroma of newly felled trees and busy sawmills. I stopped at Kemp railway siding for photos.

Deep in the plantations between Amsterdam and Piet Retief.

Every year, thousands of tons of timber pass through the siding en route to consumers countrywide. I stopped for fuel in Mkhondo, a town which exhibits a striking resemblance to Piet Retief. While the petrol jockey was filling the tank, I walked across the road to take a photo of the beautiful NG Kerk, designed by Gerhard Moerdyk, the architect of the Voortrekker Monument. I was amazed, but not amused, to find the church precinct secured by an electric fence, a sign of the times in this beloved country.

NG Kerk Piet Retief. Designed by Gerhard Moerdyk. Consecrated in 1922.

Eswatini is a small country with a total boundary length of 535km. The South African boundary is 430km. The Mozambican boundary is 105km. Despite the short perimeter, Eswatini has thirteen border posts; eleven with South Africa and two with Mozambique. In the fullness of time, I plan to ride through every one of those border posts. Today, I would tick Bothashoop off the list. I rode east from Piet Retief, and after a few clicks, the tar ended and a dirt highway between plantations stretched ahead. I settled into my 140km/h dirt comfort zone and soon arrived at the border post.

Bothashoop Border Post. I was the only traveller.

I was the only traveller and in less than five minutes I was loose on the land in the Kingdom of Eswatini. The new tar road through Gege and Nhlangano is immaculate and beckons faster, faster, but you need a death wish to speed in Eswatini. The roads and roadsides are infested with goats, cattle and donkeys. Eswatini livestock has been the ruin of many a poor boy. Rather take it easy and enjoy the scenery. In Nhlangano, I headed north towards the Grand Valley of the Mkhondvo River. It was a lovely ride. The temperate spring sunlight fell through the roadside acacias, and between their trunks I saw green glimpses of riparian foliage and the distant radiance of the river. I stopped on a low-level bridge across the river to enjoy the rustic scene.

Mkhondvo River brings life to the Grand Valley.

A hundred metres upstream, young lads were cavorting in the shallows, cattle grazed the lush banks, and waterfowl bobbed on the current. I didn’t linger long. I was thirsty and borne on the breeze I heard the Sibebe Lager siren song, “Howie, come and drink me.” Fifteen minutes later, I pulled into Riders’ Ranch, home of the Swazi Rally.

This was the 32^nd Swazi Rally hosted by Carlos and Sonia Paiva. Since its humble beginnings, the rally has grown in stature and popularity. Riders come from across southern Africa for a weekend of nonstop partying, pumping music, motorised mayhem, drag racing, good food, inexpensive booze, male and female strippers, insangu aka Swazi Gold, and friendly ladies who get even friendlier if you buy them a drink!

The Eswatini biking community has at least a dozen active clubs.

Carlos and Sonia have been to the Isle of Man TT Races many times and speak with admiration of the castellated Manx castles featuring towers and battlements. Some years ago, Carlos decided to build his own Afrocastle, and this massive structure is now the focal point of the rally. The Afrocastle is home to bars, restaurants, the main stage and dancefloor, and Carlos’s priceless collection of classic motorcycles. I parked the GS and went in search of beer. Freshly poured 500ml Sibebe Draught Lager costs E30.

There were many friendly ladies at the rally. Richard Green, Master of Ceremonies, and I suddenly discovered what devilishly attractive fellows we are.

The first one disappeared swiftly, and I strolled the site, sipping the second glass of golden throat-charming nectar. It was organised chaos across the site as the party people streamed in, set up their tents, lit their fires, pumped up the volume on their sound systems and got down to the serious business of chucking booze down their gullets. I finished my beer and rode down to the Paiva homestead for my habitual afternoon siesta. There was a long night ahead.

Riders’ Ranch is Carlos Paiva’s Afrocastle. Best rally site facilities in Southern Africa

At sunset, I strolled back to the rally site and hooked up with the Nelspruit conneckos. We spent a chilled evening listening to the brilliant DJs, sipping our beers and talking twak. Intermittently, the merriment was punctuated by the merciless revving of superbikes, just normal rally behaviour. One bloke took it to another level. He trailered his Suzuki Boulevard to the rally, left it on the trailer and spent the weekend torturing the poor beast for minutes at a time, which I thought demonstrated a retarded lack of mechanical empathy. After midnight, things hotted up in the hall as the strippers took the stage.

Nelson Gulela from Maputo and his seriously kitted out R1300GS Adventure.

It was getting a bit too steamy for me, and it was long past my bedtime, so I headed back to the homestead. The sounds of revelry grew faint as I walked through the mango groves under the starlit sky bowl. The sounds of nightbirds and insects faded as I approached and started again when I passed. The cattle in the kraal lowed mournfully, and in the distance a dog barked an alarm. I was in a very happy place. I’m 70 years old, and if I weren’t a biker and a rally goer, I wouldn’t experience these simple pleasures. This day had been the essence of ‘la dolce vita’.

The Riders’ Ranch Motorsport Arena is a short walk from the Afrocastle. When I arrived at the arena at 10:30 on Saturday morning, the grandstands were filling up and the boys from Jungle Rush FMX were performing their gravity-defying stunts. For the next six hours, it was nonstop action, including maniacs in hot saloons spinning and drifting, skilful lads performing wheelies and stoppies, slow races, egg and spoon races, and the highly anticipated drag races. Swazi Rally men take the drags very seriously. Ultimately, it was a shootout between Alex from Maputo on an S 1000 RR and Jordan, the winner, on a Kawasaki H2.

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By 18:00, the main hall was a seething mosh pit of humanity. King Don, an astonishing guitarist, and his drummer rocked the joint.

On Saturday evening, King Don rocked the joint. Fantastic guitarist!

The lucky draw prize, a brand new Suzuki GSX-S1000GX, was lifted onto the stage. The crowd was at fever pitch when the draw took place at 20:00. The winner was Tsholofelo Phoku from Middelburg. The Swazi is the only rally that still has a new superbike as a prize. Prize giving over, it was party time yet again. The festivities raged until sunrise on Sunday morning. So I’m told. I wasn’t there. I was sleeping the sleep of a rallied-out man.

Tsholofelo Phoku won the lucky draw. Brand new Suzuki GSX-S1000GX. The Swazi is the ONLY rally that still gives away superbikes as prizes

When I crossed the border on Friday, the friendly Eswatini border people gave me a detailed map of the country, which prompted me to plan a new route home. I said my fond farewells and was on the road by 10:00, riding north to Manzini, Mafutseni and Luve. In Luve, I left the tar and rode easy dirt deep into the highlands of northwest Eswatini. The vistas were spectacular, range after range of mountains fading to grey where the land met the sky. Twice, I came to intersections where I wasn’t sure which fork to follow and where friendly local folk pointed me in the right direction. The dirt road ended near Maguga Dam, where I stopped on the dam wall for photos before continuing to Piggs Peak.

Piggs Peak to Bulembu – 25 kilometres of treacherous, gnarly dirt.

Many times I’ve ridden the 25km dirt road from Piggs Peak to the Bulembu border post. That road has always been challenging, but on this day it was bloody awful, rough as a bear’s arse. Just a kilometre into the dirt, I hit the first stretch of fesh-fesh. The dirt exploded beneath the wheels of the bike, and because there was a tailwind, I found myself in an impenetrable brown cloud. Fesh-fesh flows like quicksand and covers rocks and potholes, and it was a miracle I didn’t bin the GS as it hammered over these invisible obstacles. That patch of treachery ended, but it wasn’t the last. The road is used by monster logging trucks that pulverise the sand particles into talcum. It was lonely out there in the mountains, and I rode well within my limits. I had no desire to crash and find myself lying under the GS, hoping that a good Samaritan would find me. It was a relief to reach the border unscathed and to ride the scenic Geotrail www.geotrail.co.za, which winds for 40km from Josefsdal to Barberton over the rugged Makhonjwa mountains. From Barberton, it was a quick dash home through the valley of the Kaap River and over Hilltop Pass. And that’s the versatility of the GS. Riding gnarly dirt, spanking challenging tar and everything in between. It’s the motorcycle for every eventuality.

Deep in the mountains north of Luve. Eswatini is a brilliant destination for big dual-purpose bikes.

On the ride back to Joburg the next day, I had the opportunity to reflect on my time in the saddle of the GS. This latest incarnation of the legendary GS is more capable, more refined and way faster than its ancestors. It looks imposing, tall, wide-shouldered, and carries a man-sized 30-litre fuel tank. Thanks to slimmer ergonomics at the waist, it feels more manageable than its size and 269kg wet weight suggest. The 1300cc ShiftCam boxer twin produces 107kW of power and 149Nm of torque. Cruising all day at 180km/h is effortless with the mill ticking over at 6000rpm. One of the smartest changes from the 1250 is the redesigned cooling system. The 1300 has twin side-mounted radiators with carefully directed hot air outlets. On the 1250 riders often complained of cooked legs as radiator heat was blown straight onto the thighs. BMW has solved this by channelling hot air away from the rider’s legs, making the bike noticeably cooler and more comfortable on long rides. The radiators are more efficient than those on the 1250, and the engine runs at lower temperatures. On the long road, the 1250 typically runs at around 84°C while the 1300 runs consistently at 77°C. Long-travel suspension, 210mm front and 220mm rear, inspires confidence on and off road. Over 1500km on the average fuel consumption was 17km/L, giving a realistic range of 500km. The 1300 is kitted with a plethora of electronics; ABS, TFT cockpit, LED lights, four ride modes, electronic suspension settings, cruise control with radar sensors, heated grips, electrically operated windscreen and keyless ignition.

This is the mothership, the ne plus ultra, the buck’s balls, the crème de la crème, the GOAT, the motorcycle that underpins Motorrad’s success and which sells by the container load every year. You know you need one. So do I. Depending on how you configure your BMW R 1300 GS Adventure, the price will be in the region of R400,000.

BMW R 1300 GS Adventure

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2025

BMW R 1300 GS Adventure

Pricing From R417,000 (RRP)

Brand: BMW Motorrad

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No, I’m a big fan of the GSX-S1000 family.

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BMW R 1300 GS Adventure

BMW R 1300 GS Adventure

Pricing From R417,000 (RRP)

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