We caught up with Taki Bogiages to chat about all things oily and Motul’s ‘Know your Oil‘ initiative. Taki’s journey with Motul started way back in 2013 as a sponsored off-road racing athlete and Motul Ambassador. This long term relationship grew to the next level when Taki, a B.Sc Chemistry graduate, was appointed as Motul’s Business Technical Manager in August 2019. He graduated top of his course in Tribology. In case, like me, you don’t know what the hell ‘Tribology’ is, it is the study of lubricants. Well, now we know! As soon as he starts talking oils and lubricants his enthusiasm is palpable. Here is a guy living his dream.

I asked him about Motul’s race oil, 300V (The ‘V’ is for victories). Under development since 1971, it is Motul’s first 100% synthetic race oil. They brought the first semi-synthetic oil, Century 2100, to market way back in 1963. 1953 saw Motul develop the first multigrade oil. I asked Taki if it is a good idea to run a race oil like 300V in our road bikes. His answer was really insightful. Whilst there is no doubt that it will provide superb lubrication, one must understand that it is a specific race oil and, as such, does not contain additives like antioxidants normally found in regular road oils. It also has no specs as such. Motul is not likely to share their race oil recipe with all and sundry! This can be a problem in that bike manufacturers specify certain specs for their recommended oil. This could be a problem in the event of a warranty claim. 300 V will certainly offer the best protection and performance for your engine. If you do use 300V, then it is advisable to change the oil more often than with a regular road spec oil.

Why is a premier oil essential? Taki points out that reduced fiction results in more power, better fuel efficiency and lower running temperatures. Incredibly, tests on his race bike showed an 8% power gain just by changing the oil, whilst bolting on an R20,000 aftermarket race exhaust, only gave a 6% gain. Go figure! If you run neck and neck with your mate, perhaps you need to do an oil change and smoke him! You can do a lot of oil changes for R20k!

We chatted about Motul’s race Lab deployed at big race events such as Dakar. They serve all the competitors, irrespective of what oil they are using. By analysing all these oils they can give feedback on engine health to the racers and also, if analysing another brand, see if any competitor has any advantage over their own oil, which then allows further development to maintain their competitive advantage. They simply never rest on their laurels, but always strive to reach greater heights.

The current 100% synthetic offering from Motul, their 7100 4T, matches and exceeds every manufacturer’s specification for engine lubricants. This is the sort of information that Taki is trying to get across to users with Motul’s Know your Oil campaign currently running on Facebook and on Mix FM. Motul have an Oil Selection App which once downloaded to your smartphone can give their recommendation for your specific vehicle. For example, bikes with wet clutches require JASO MA2 spec oils which are compatible with wet clutches.

Taki stresses that as users, we should consider the cost of lubrication, rather than just the cost of the lubricant. For example, by just buying the cheapest oil we often end up with inferior lubrication, less engine power, shorter engine life and increased fuel consumption. Our saving is thus very costly in the long run. As the old South African saying goes, “goedkoop is duurkoop” (cheap is ultimately expensive).

Being an offroad fundi, Taki also mentioned that a problem that he has encountered is guys with fuel-injected 2-strokes using their old faithful oils, which are not great for injected 2-strokes, sometimes with disastrous consequences. Motul 710 2T is the right oil to use for injected 2-strokes. Wow! I thought that it was all just brown slippery stuff! Taki welcomes technical questions which give him the opportunity to share his expertise to the benefit of all. He told us about a test conducted on a diesel Toyota bakkie over 40,000 k’s of typical driving. Half the distance was done using a top mineral oil and the second half was done on 100% synthetic Motul. The average fuel consumption on the mineral oil was 10,1 km/L, versus 10,9 km/L on the synthetic. The fuel-saving totally negated the extra cost of the synthetic oil and then some.

So guys and gals, a lot of food for thought. When you think about the cost of bikes today, it really does not make sense to cut corners when it comes to lubrication. Pony up that little extra and you will more than recoup the cost in the long run. In the meantime, you know that your baby is more than likely going to keep running sweet as a nut!

For more information on Motul visit their profile on ZA Bikers.

Mpumalanga, or ‘ET’, as it is affectionately known by motorcyclists, is an area endowed with spectacular scenery and sweeping mountain roads, the best of which is the legendary ‘22’, between Sabie and Hazyview. Over the years that I have ridden out east, I have been way too destination focussed. The fact that the roads favour spirited riding hasn’t helped much. If like me, you tend to focus on the road rather than on the scenery, you end up missing out on a lot of interesting historically significant sites. This Easter I decided to cruise east and take in some fascinating Anglo-Boer War sites which I have researched and which really got me thinking about what went down in this area in the early 1900s.

I packed the GS and rode east under an azure sky, with occasional clouds like tufts of candyfloss. The first stop was adjacent to the Balmoral off-ramp, about 30 kays before Witbank. There is an old, overgrown cemetery, next door to a recently opened Anglo/Boer Restaurant, which sports some great Boer war murals. The dilapidated state of the graveyard is exacerbated by the immaculately trimmed lawns around the eatery. I grabbed my camera and strolled through the cemetery, allowing my mind to wander and contemplate the events that had caused the death of the almost 200 souls buried there.

Flyback with me in time. When the old Transvaal Republic was forced into declaring war on Britain on the 11th October 1899, the British public expected it to be all over by Christmas. There was no way, they mused, that a bunch of peasant farmers could take on the might of the most powerful empire in the world at that time. By the end of January 1900, a scant four months later, instead of celebrating victory, the Empire was drenched in mourning. Battles fought in Natal at Nicholson’s Nek, Talana, Colenso and Spionkop and in the Northern Cape at Belmont, Graspan, Modder River, Stormberg and Magersfontein saw 5,575 British troops killed, wounded or captured. The dream of a quick victory evaporated like mist under the harsh African sun. The ‘peasant farmers’, by contrast, had suffered a loss of 1156 men. The Empirical greed was being paid for with the blood of its fine young men.

By the end of 1901, Lord Kitchener had determined that the only way to defeat the Boers, who were now waging a guerrilla war against the ponderous British military with great success, was by employing the now-infamous “Scorched Earth Policy”. By herding the Boer women and children into concentration camps and burning their farms and killing their livestock, they would prevent the re-supply of the roving Boer Commandos. The unsanitary camp conditions decimated the imprisoned women and children. By the end of the war, 26251 souls, of which 80% were children, had succumbed to disease. Boer combatants who were killed or died on active service numbered less than 7000.

Reading the names on the memorial at Balmoral is really moving. The number of young and infant children buried there is heart-rending. The peaceful, serene environment was totally at odds with the tears shed at this site. In some cases, the whole family was eradicated. The menfolk who survived the war returned to devastated lives where everything that they held dear was ripped from them, both materially and emotionally. I got a glimpse into the psyche of this proud, headstrong nation that has always paid a huge price for its freedom. They have suffered unspeakable misery, yet have shown the resilience that can only be born out of a deep faith in their God. Who knows how the current chapter in the history of these people will unfold?

It was with more than a hint of melancholy that I climbed back on the Bee Emm and headed off to the quaint little historic town of Chrissiesmeer, where I was to witness evidence of an enduring story of devotion. Travel to Carolina and beyond, on the road to Swaziland and just outside of town, you will hang a right to Chrissiesmeer, some 24 k’s down a beautifully scenic road traversing undulating hills. There were many skirmishes around this area, as well as a pitched battle fought in February of 1901. This tale had its origin in a fierce skirmish in the October of 1900. A certain Lt. Arthur William Swanston, of the Inniskilling Dragoons, was killed whilst trying to save the lives of some of his men, and in particular, a Private J. Garlick. A private memorial was erected by Swanston’s parents and brother officers. The cemetery is on a gentle hillside overlooking the lake from which Chrissiesmeer gets, in part, its name.

Every year from 1901, a small box arrived in late September, containing a sprig of heather, bound in alternate years with pink and blue ribbon and addressed to The Postmaster, Chrissiesmeer. A brief note asked that the heather be placed on the grave of Lieutenant Swanston. Every year, without fail, the little box arrived, to be faithfully placed on Arthur’s grave by the current Postmaster. It was only in 1957 that a little light was shed on the matter. The then Postmistress, Tannie ‘Rensie’ Kruger, received a letter which she read with some difficulty. The sender revealed that she was Lt. Swanston’s fiance’ and that he was her one true love. She never married and in 1957 was in poor health, so was not sure how long she could keep sending the annual sprigs of heather. Two years later, 60 years after the Lieutenants death, the last box arrived. Tannie Rensie attested to the fact that, to the best of her knowledge, every box arrived undamaged and found its way onto the grave of Lt. Swanston. Quite remarkable, considering the bad feeling resulting from the Scorched Earth policy, which resulted in enduring Boer bitterness. I guess there is truth in the statement, that love does indeed, conquer all!

My mood was somewhat lighter when I rode out of town, back to the N4 and past the turn-off to Belfast, to the impressive Bergendal Memorial on the right-hand side of the road. This was the scene of the last pitched battle of the Boer war. General Redvers Buller, bringing his army up from Natal, joined forces with the main British army under Lord Roberts, or ‘Bobs’, as he was referred to by his men, advancing along the railway line between Pretoria and Portuguese East Africa. The Boer commander, Commandant General Louis Botha, holding a line along the escarpment, chose this site to impede their progress. With a combined Empire force of around 22000 and almost 100 cannon, against, at best, 5000 Boers with a couple of cannon, the outcome of the battle was pretty certain.

Some distance to the rear of the Boer force, a solitary Long Tom cannon, from which the pass gets its name, hurled a few shells at the advancing Brits. The Boer marksmen wreaked some havoc on the enemy, resulting in the Brits withdrawing and simply shelling the unfortunate Boers into submission. The Boers retreated down the hill, hopped on their horses and lived to fight another day. This did give rise to another tale.

By this stage of the war, the Boers had been in the field for so long, without any means of re-supply, that many were barefoot and literally clothed in sacks. An enterprising Boer whipped the boots off of a fallen foe and rode off appropriately ‘reshod’. Later that night, when stopping for a quick forty winks, he took off the boots. This surprised his mates, who always slept in their shoes to facilitate a quick escape if necessary. Asked why he hadn’t kept them on, he rather superstitiously said that he was just a bit concerned that the previous owner may come to claim them back while he slept!

As you enter the town of Machadodorp, just after the popular stop at Milly’s, you will find an old cemetery where most of the British fallen were interred. Taking some photos of the metal crosses, it was disturbing to see a number without names, but rather the inscription “Unknown soldier of the British Forces”. The full horror of war gets driven home. Some soldiers being marred beyond recognition by shelling, ending up in an unknown soldiers grave, their families informed that they were “Missing in action, presumed dead”. The lack of certainty allowing the flame of hope to flicker uncertainly for a while… It was then back on the bike to Dullstroom, and the end of my first day of ghost hunting. I booked into the Dullstroom Inn. After what had turned out to be a long and strangely emotional day, I shelved my camping plans in favour of an ice-cold beer and a soft bed. Getting soft, Dave, getting soft!

I sat on the veranda, sipping a bitterly cold one and watching the setting sun bathe the old sandstone church on the opposite side of the road in a beautiful, golden glow. Come to think of it, there is a story that concerns that old church too. The church fell into disrepair and the Boers caught wind of some alleged Boer traitors that were living in the partial ruin and passing information concerning the location of Boer commandos in the area to the British. A Boer officer, curiously named ‘Roksak’ Redelinghuys, dressed in a British officers uniform, infiltrated the town and visited the church posing as a ‘Colonel Bullock’, in order to expose the traitors. Redelinghuys got the nickname when his comrades learnt that he carried one of his wife’s dresses in his pack, as a reminder of home and family. He was accompanied by a fellow named Bester, who posed as a ‘Colonel Blood’. The ploy was a huge success, as the ‘Veraaiers’ gave the two ‘British Officers’ their valuables for safekeeping. Three men were subsequently arrested and sentenced to three months of hard labour by a Boer military court on 13th July 1901, which they largely dodged, by escaping from custody during an attack on the commando by the British, on the 29th July. This stage of the war saw a number of Boers changing sides as they began to realise the inevitable outcome of an unwinnable war. These ‘Veraaiers’ were despised by the ‘Bittereienders’ remaining in the field.

Early the next morning, in the deliciously fresh autumn air, I rolled out of town towards Lydenburg. Literally on the hill going out of town, on the left-hand side, there is a tiny cemetery against the hillside, just below a rebuilt stone fortification. You can open the farm gate at the bottom of the hill and then follow a jeep track right up to the gravesite. The view from the graves is spectacular. It reminded me very much of the Scottish Highlands, bedecked with a sort of vegetation which seems common to cool, misty climates. The rocky outcrop at the crest of the hill is covered with tufts of hardy grass, interspersed here and there with some magnificent Protea bushes. Like at Balmoral, in fact even more so, there was an almost eerie serenity about the graveyard. The sort of place where you find yourself talking in whispers. An ever so gentle cool breeze played over the hill, which was now saturated in the bright early morning sunshine. I set my bike on the side stand, took off my helmet and gloves and drank in the tranquillity of it all.

The little clump of graves is dominated by the marble headstone on the grave of Captain Angus Menzies, of the 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment. The inscription reads: “Who was wounded in action near this spot on the 21st January 1902, and died on the following day”. Just behind him, with an equally impressive headstone lies a Major ATP Hudson, who “Was wounded in action at Elandspruit on the night of the 19th December 1901, and died on the following morning”. Around 14 men are buried there. Some of the final words of the famous ballade, The Scottish Soldier, came to mind as I surveyed the poignant scene.

“And now this soldier, this Scottish soldier,
Who wandered far away and soldiered far away,
Sees leaves are falling and death is calling
And he will fade away in that far land.
Because these green hills are not my Land’s hills
And as far as these green foreign hills may be,
They are not the hills of home”.

Communication being sketchy back in 1901, I would imagine that when Major Hudson’s family sat down to Christmas dinner that year, they surely wondered where their valiant soldier son was, no doubt praying that he was well. Little did they know that their precious boy had bled and died on an obscure piece of African veld, less than a week before Christmas.

“And on a hillside, a Scottish hillside
You’ll see a piper play his soldier home”.

The bugles cease now, he is at peace now……….on a hillside near Dullstroom, far away from home.

With a lump in my throat, I bid the brave men goodbye and rode slowly back down the hill and on towards Lydenburg, for my last haunting visit to some long-departed brave hearts. Travel on another few k’s and you will see another clump of war graves, also on the left-hand side, beside the road. At this scene, there was a short sharp skirmish on the night of the 9th December 1901. Again it was the 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment in the thick of things. The night was very dark and misty. Three Boer commandos attacked the 1st Battalion (a mounted Infantry unit) simultaneously. In the ensuing confusion, 9 men of the Heidelberg Commando died, together with a similar number of troopers from the Manchesters. As you look diagonally across the road from the British graves, you can make out the monument to the fallen Boers. This action was recorded as The Battle of Ouhoutbossie.

Maybe it is just me, but when I spend time at these sites and immerse myself in the rich history and consider how it must have been all that time ago, it is profoundly moving. It gets you thinking of the unspeakable misery that we have visited upon ourselves with countless wars fought over the ages. An example of the collateral damage that always happens in war is the equine devastation during what became essentially a ‘mounted’ war. The Boer horseman were arguably the finest mounted infantry that the world had seen. To counter their mobility, the Imperial Forces imported hundreds of thousands of horses from all over the world. The Boers mounts were hardy and could live off the land, whereas the Imperial horses died in their hundreds of thousands. Literally over half a million horses lost to war and disease. To what end? We rabbit on about the current pandemic, yet sacrificed over 22 million young men, in the prime of their lives, in the First World War. Supposed to be “the war to end all wars”, they were at it again just over 20 years later.

The Anglo/Boer war touched the furthest reaches of our land and had consequences that reverberate even today. When you ride your bike far and wide across our spectacular land, you will see constant reminders, if you know what to look for, of the small band of peasant farmers who defied an Empire for three years and were never defeated in the field. It was the carnage of the concentration camps that brought them in from the battlefield.

Do yourself, and your children, a favour and get a copy of a book that was invaluable in my research, called Anecdotes of the Anglo-Boer War: Tales from the ‘Last of the Gentlemen’s Wars’ by Rob Milne. It is an incredible and insightful read into a war that echoes throughout South African history even to this day. Your life is a blank tapestry and it is up to you to embroider it with a lifetime of rich experiences. Get to it, your bike is the needle and the road is the thread. For me, Rob Milne’s book provided the roadmap and inspiration.

It was that time of the year again, where the itch to travel had to be scratched. Nothing clears the head like a long ride, and no ride does it as well as the journey from Pretoria to Sabie. With one Yamaha in the garage already and a deep love for the brand, I called our friends at Yamaha South Africa to see if they had something with long legs for the 1000 km trip.

Yamaha have enough bikes in their stable to cure any form of rider’s block. From elbow down track bikes and one-wheel-up hooligans, to dirt, adventure, commuter and touring bikes, you’ll find just about anything.

Yamaha South Africa also have some sweet deals on their MT Range right now. While stocks last, you can get your hands on the Tracer 900 for R159,950, the Tracer 700 for R124,950, and the MT-03 for the bargain price of R84,950. With lightweight nakeds usually approaching six figures and sports touring bikes fetching prices well over 250k these days, these limited specials are not to be missed.

As the owner of a tricked-out MT-09, I was interested to see how the long-legged MT-09 Tracer would be on the open road. With its characterful CP3 inline-triple motor, plush ride, comfy ergos, sexy styling and dynamic ride characteristics, it was a no-brainer. Thankfully, Yamaha South Africa were kind enough to set me up with a Tracer 900 loaner for the trip.

With the Tracer’s 18-litre tank filled, the adjustable screen on its highest setting and my preferred riding modes engaged, I was off to mountainous Mpumalanga. Carving up Mpumalanga is a joy, but you’ve got a 200-odd km highway ride to smash before you lean past 10 degrees. The highway was a breeze, with the Tracer sitting at a comfy 130 km/h at a mere 5,000 rpm, with another 6,300 rpm to spare.

By the time we passed the Belfast turnoff and parked off at Milly’s for breakfast, I was already satisfied with the Tracer’s overall comfort and lack of vibrations on the long open road. Although not equipped with cruise control like the Tracer GT, I didn’t feel the need, as the smooth throttle response, narrow bars, handlebar risers and handguards helped it cut through the wind effortlessly. The Tracer’s adjustable, soft seat (860 mm seat height, adjustable to 845 mm) took care of the rest.

With breakfast digested and the straight roads behind us, I was excited to baptize the Tracer on the holy tarred twisties around Sabie. With a longer wheelbase, KYB suspension and a 20 kg increase of weight over the MT-09, the Tracer is less twitchy and more stable through the fast sweepers. Chasing down my colleague, Dave, on his KTM 1290 Super Duke GT, made me realise there isn’t much in it when it comes to real-world performance.

The electronics package on the Tracer is super easy to use and understand on the display, but I think Yamaha could have simplified it even more. There are three throttle maps, two traction control settings and fixed ABS. The two main maps are too aggressive and too mild, so I prefer to put the bike in the third, ‘Standard’ setting, and play with the traction control levels.

We rolled into Sabie to enjoy the last few hours of sunlight, and to carve the once billiard table smooth ‘22.’ With tighter corners on the 22, I decided to leave the Tracer in fourth gear, relying on the 115 hp @ 10,000 rpm and 88 Nm @ 8,900 rpm to shoot out of turns, and using the triple’s engine braking to slow me down. Although not equipped with a quick-shifter like the GT, the light pull of the slipper clutch and smooth gearbox made it a single-finger exercise.

At the end of a less than economical ride, I was surprised to see a return of 20 km/l, giving you a sports touring range of over 360 kays between fill-ups.

There are some standout features that make this bike super appealing at its low price. For starters, I love the angular design and the ‘armour grey’ colour, adjustable low and high beams, charging port and centre stand—not commonly available on a base model.

You don’t get as much touring-worthiness as the GT, but the standard Tracer is a winner with its current R20,000 discount, which equals a R40,000 total saving compared to the GT. But the GT does come with a TFT display, panniers, a quick-shifter, upgraded suspension and cruise control.

When there’s so much to like, you really start to nitpick—but the Tracer’s only downer is a fixable one. I never seemed to gel with the screen, which caused horrible buffeting on both its high and low settings.

Thankfully there are some aftermarket ways around this: buy a larger touring screen, or a small fly screen. I’ve even seen some owners hack their standard screens down, allowing the air to flow evenly onto your helmet and chest.

For someone looking for a do-it-all bike, that rides on the road 90% of the time and maybe does the odd mellow dirt road, the Tracer 900 is a great option. I’ll go one further and say that anything with this motor would be loads of fun. But is it more fun than my Yamaha MT-09? Yes, and then some.

Yamaha MT range promotion

Getting back to Yamaha’s current MT range deals, here’s a little more info on the bikes on offer…

Yamaha MT-09 Tracer

The Yamaha MT-09 Tracer is a fantastic all-rounder, blessed with one of the greatest engines in all of motorcycledom. The gruff triple never fails to deliver and excite—it’s as comfortable being short shifted or using its torquey midrange, as it is bouncing off the rev limiter. This makes the bike appeal to all riders, especially given its capable chassis and suspension. Tour with a passenger in comfort, or hang with sport bikes in the twisties… the choice is yours.

At R159,950 while stocks last (R20,000 off the usual price), you’ll struggle to find more bike for the money.

For more information on the Yamaha MT-09 Tracer visit – www.yamaha.co.za

Yamaha MT-07 Tracer

Our colleague Dave Cilliers was so enamoured with the MT-07 Tracer, he actually bought one. Here are his thoughts:

“I went into Linex Yamaha Lynnwood to ride the spanking new Ténéré 700, having long been a fan of Yamaha’s brilliant parallel twin motor, that powers the MT-07, Tracer and T7. On the showroom floor stood a MT-07 Tracer, on a promotion that priced it at a very attractive offering compared to its adventure sibling, the T7.

“If like me, you ride your bike daily, you probably ride your adventure bike on the tar 90% of the time. Here was an opportunity to buy the Tracer, with superior tar road ability to the T7, for an absolute steal!

“Admittedly I do still own an adventure bike as well, but the MT-07 Tracer has become my daily ride. It is fast, comfortable, and with its 17-litre tank, allied to sub 4l/100 kilometre consumption, a brilliant middleweight tourer too.

“I must be honest though, the more I ride and enjoy my Tracer, the more the T7 is on my radar as my adventure go-to bike. I may just end up with two MT-07 engined bikes in my garage. Yamaha deserves to have these bikes flying off dealership floors!”

The Tracer 700 will inject a little character into your daily commute for a mere R124,950 )(R20,000 off the usual price), so get it while it’s hot!

For more information on the Yamaha MT-07 Tracer visit – www.yamaha.co.za

Yamaha MT-03

If you’ve read our review of the Yamaha MT-03, you’ll know that it deserves a seat at the ‘MT’ table. It lives up to the family name by bringing the torquey yet high-revving ‘Masters of Torque’ personality to the lightweight naked segment. Overall, the little MT is a well-rounded package that hits the spot, with great build quality, exceptional riding dynamics and a peachy motor to round it all off.

The MT-03 used to set you back R94,950, but while stocks last you can enter the MT family for the bargain price of R84,950.

For more information on the Yamaha MT-03 visit – www.yamaha.co.za

Yamaha Tracer 900

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

We recently had an occasion to re-acquaint ourselves with the all-road ability of Suzuki’s trusty Adventure bike option, the V-Strom. Interestingly we had both the current model, in its nostalgic, yet new and handsome DR Big livery, as well as the old model with its Captain Quirky styling. In my original review of this bike, I commented that I was a little “yellowed out” by the bike with its yellow and black seat over complimenting the general yellow and black colour scheme. I felt that it would look way more fetching and classy with an all-black saddle. Lo and behold, the bike we picked up from Suzuki had an all-black saddle! Cool.

It is always interesting riding an outgoing model with the latest offering, and so it was with the ‘Stroms. Suzuki has effectively, with Dr Big, brought the V-Strom into the modern digital era. A fly by wire throttle allows the fitment of cruise control, a huge plus on a big kilometre killing bike.

Traction control gains another level over Captain Quirky, as does the addition of engine modes, which make the bike easier to ride for a wider range of riders and uses. Hill start assist, an easy start function and automatic idle (stall resistance) are all made possible on the latest model thanks to its Bosch 6 Axis IMU. The new bike also has standard fitment engine protection bars. The digital dash is also upgraded to accommodate the additional features.

It was fascinating to feel how differently the two bikes ride. The suspension on the new bike is decidedly more plush than on the old, despite having lost 30 mm of travel. The new Strom is a super comfy way to smash huge distances. The motor is smooth and flexible and the ergos are good.

The adjustable screen can be set to suit without too much hassle, though not recommended on the fly. Our loan bike was fitted with the optional touring package comprising panniers and a top box. This became the mothership, swallowing three peoples overnight luggage and Bjorn’s camera equipment.

My closing comments in my review of this bike were emphasised on this trip. I said, “As a long-distance, comfortable, all-round mile-muncher, or Round the World trip option, it makes a compelling statement”. Suzuki is running a couple of post lockdown specials, with those of us in mind who have been almost consumed by cabin fever and feel the irresistible pull of the open road. The new ‘Strom, complete with panniers and top box for a reasonable R254,950. Without the luggage, you are in for R221,950. Certainly a hell of a lot of bike for that money. Legendary Suzuki reliability comes as standard.

Enter Captain Quirky. It may be the outgoing model, but it makes a compelling statement. For those of us ‘old school’ dudes, it may be just the ticket. It is a simple, effective, good bike, without any bells or whistles.

Performance is pretty much on par with the new model, as the new model caters for Euro 5, and therefore, not really boosting what was, and still is, solid performance from the 1037cc mill.

I actually think that for the R172,900 for which you can still pick up one of the few remaining ‘old’ models, you cannot get a more ‘value-for-money’ proposition Adventure bike anywhere. Especially since they have gone with an all-black seat! We thoroughly enjoyed our time with the ‘Stroms, revelling in their all-round competence and ability. It remains the thinking man’s choice of Adventure bike.

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

I have been keen on joining Bonafide Moto Co on one of their Sunrise Scramble events for some time now. Problem is, I dislocated my left shoulder in a run-in with some armed robbers in October last year and the re-hab has been slow. I have not felt confident to go off-road with a full-size Adventure bike, as I would not be able to pick it up in the event of capsizing. The planets aligned for me just prior to the most recent event.

Miguel Lage, boss man at RAD KTM, invited us to ride one of their awesome new creations, a featherlight, Rally inspired, KTM 500 EXC-F. This dual-sport, big-engined KTM, sports a 510.9cc twin-cam single mill, with a six-speed wide-ratio gearbox. It pumps out around 40 rear-wheel horsepower at 8,100 rpm and 35,5 Nm of torque at 5,200.

But, get this, in Rally Lite guise, it weighs only 125 odd kg’s, fully fueled! It is tall, with 300 mm of suspension travel in its USD WP XPLOR forks, with 310 mm travel in its matching XPLORE shock. This gives you a full 355 mm of ground clearance. The seat height is a towering 960 mm, but is easily overcome by using the left peg as a stepping stone to sling a leg over the beast. Once seated, the suspension sag allows you to get your feet down. At 6’3”, I was flat-footed at standstill.

The basic Rally kit consists of a Roadbook tower and screen, with side cowlings integrating into the body panels around a 15 litre Acerbis fuel tank and a comfort seat.

A custom-built stainless steel rack and pannier brackets are fitted with made to measure bags, allowing you to carry essentials with you, but also give you a place to secure a compact travel bag for multi-day trips.

This bike has had the KTM Powerparts catalogue thrown at it as well. Anodized triple clamps and other bits abound, including a steering damper. An FMF Powerbomb full system exhaust completes the picture, adding even more bark and bite to the already manic power. The engine sports upgraded cams and fuel injection as compared to the previous generation 525 (Same 510 cc motor, just different model name).

I asked Miguel what his motivation was for building this bike. His answer was quite thought-provoking: “Dave, the Baby Boomer generation that ride big, expensive Adventure motorcycles, are, in my experience, looking for a more economical, lighter option than that available from your typical Adventure bike. As their skill levels and strength diminish, they start to struggle with huge, heavy bikes offroad. When they fall off, as will happen at some point when you ride more technical offroad, they struggle to pick their bikes up”. This got him thinking. Why not build a bike that is super competent, working with you in the dirt, light and agile, yet able to cruise at 120 without effort. Enter the RAD Advenduro Rally Lite. It is not meant to replace the awesome all-round abilities of a big Adventure bike, but give you a hardcore second option in your garage. So you are no doubt wondering how it works? Read on…

I left home in the dark, to meet up with the Sunrise Scramble crew at a service station in Cyrildene. The headlight low beam is an orange LED and works well as a highly visible day time running light. Hit the high-beam, and it throws a swathe of white light. The lights are mounted in a typical KTM Adventure shaped light, which is integrated into a tower-mounted, KTM factory Rally Screen.

The Acerbis tank is brilliant, carrying the bulk of the 15 litres low, and allowing you to move far forward on the seat, for aggressive cornering. The bike is ridiculously economical. I never did a precise consumption test, but judging by the amount of fuel left in the transparent tank after 250 k’s of riding, it is good for way over 350 kilometres.

I cruised on the R21 at a relaxed 110\120 with huge reserves of power on tap. Pulling in to the gathering point, the bike caused quite a stir. With its Rally look and barking FMF pipe, it is about as subtle as the gonads on a mastiff!

Our route took us on to the Bronkhorstspruit road and then dirt railway service roads almost all the way to Bronkhorstspruit itself. The group comprised some really diverse bikes. Joe Fleming from Bonafide was aboard his beloved Bonneville 1200 Scrambler, leading a contingent of retro bikes. Triumph was particularly well represented with Tiger Rally Pro’s, 800s, Explorer 1200s and modern classic 900 and 1200 Scramblers, as was BMW, with R Nine T’s and GS’s, in both 850, 1200 and 1250 guise. There were three KTM’s. A 950, a 690 and ‘my’ (If only) wicked beast. The route was challenging in places, mainly due to the excessive amounts of water and the resultant mud. There were a few mud induced mishaps, but nothing serious.

The RAD Advenduro Rally Lite was a revelation. The underpinnings are pure dirt bike, with huge suspension travel, so there were no anxious moments, despite my decidedly average ability. The bike is insanely capable and, despite its huge power, easy to manage through any challenge that comes its way. It has an uncanny ability to find traction. The two-stage traction control obviously plays its part too.

I was enthusiastically rear-wheel steering out of some smooth dirt bends where the bike would not slide on the loamy surface, but find grip and start to loft the front wheel. So there you are, laying the bike down and getting on the gas in the corner and the front wheel lazily lofts out of the bend. So damn cool! You short-shift through the sweetest gearbox and let the wall of torque just launch you down the road.

It is obviously insanely fast, but thanks to top-quality Brembo discs, you can keep things tidy. On the open road sections, it runs to crazy speeds for a dirt bike, with the screen doing a fantastic job of keeping you out of the windblast, with no discernible buffeting. That said, as mentioned earlier, I found myself contentedly cruising along at 110, in relative comfort. Deeper padding on the comfort seat definitely made a huge difference too. Being a big single, there is obviously some vibration, but nothing that is a deal-breaker, but rather serves as a reminder that you are on a purpose-built performance machine.

Pondering on what this bike is about I came to the conclusion that it takes Adventure biking to a completely different level. I would call it an ‘Expedition Bike’. A bike that can take you places that you may get to on a big Adventure bike if you have serious skill, but never with the fun that you will have doing it on this bike. Granted, it does have more stringent service requirements, but for the discerning dirt donk, that is a small price to pay for unparalleled off-road ability.

Stick it on a trailer and cruise to Nieu Bethesda. Leave your car there and explore every inch of the Karoo on this bike. Or the Wild Coast. Or Namibia. Oh crap, go just anywhere the fancy takes you, secure in the knowledge that nothing is off-limits for you on this bike. You will have to have your smile surgically removed! For a functional replica of this bike, you will shell out somewhere in the region of R170,000. Speak to Miguel, or the team at RAD KTM, they would love to build you a bike to your specific specifications. I am just wondering whether Irene would notice a radical new Katoom amongst the other bikes in my garage………

A huge thanks to Rad KTM for entrusting me with their special bike. It is hugely appreciated. To Joe and the guys on the Sunrise Scramble, a big shout out. You are all true to Bonafide’s mantra of ‘don’t be a dick’. For me, it was not easy, given the weapon I was riding, but when you read my account, I am sure you will understand.

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

Origins of the Sunset Scramble

Four odd years ago, the two guys behind Bonafide Moto Co, Joe Fleming and Alan Shenton, had this idea of riding to the top of a dirt road to witness the sun rising. The road in mind was Breedt’s Nek, a firm favourite for the Adventure bike fraternity. They bounced the idea off some of their Modern Classic riding buds and it was game on. As Joe remembers it, it was winter, and they left Jozi at around 4 am, together with 8 buds, to ride to, and up Breedt’s Nek, before sunrise. All went according to plan and after witnessing a sunrise together, Joe served up some rolled oats, which he had prepared, and Alan did a bacon and eggs fry up. Such a good time was enjoyed by all that they pledged to do it again.

Life happened, and then along came Covid. Like all of us social animals, they were starved of opportunities to hang with like-minded buddies, so in August last year, the Sunrise Scramble concept was resurrected and fine-tuned. On the last Sunday of every month, with the exception of December, the Bonafide boys host a Sunrise Scramble. The brief is simple. Leave your ego at home. Ride at a pace you are cool with and don’t be a dick, no one gets left behind and numbers are kept down to preserve a degree of comradery and intimacy. Routes are revealed on the day, to preserve a treasure hunt kind of appeal. The route culminates at a brunch venue, where everyone socialises and tells the inevitable war stories, and, at their leisure, mosey off home. This was my first, but definitely not my last, Sunrise Scramble. Good riding and good times, with good company, is a sure-fire recipe for good times. Just a heads up. If you would like to join up for a ride, book early. These events are epic and fill up quickly after info is posted on Facebook. Get on the Bonafide mailing list to get early notifications of upcoming events.

For more information visit – www.bonafidemotoco.com

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It was with great interest I read through the vehicle sales figures for 2020. I think we can all agree the less said about 2020 the better, putting that chapter behind us, as we move headfirst into 2021…….

But a thought has been playing around in my brain. Although all past economic crises have given us great pain and suffering, I have seen the following in my past 20 years researching and consulting to this industry:

The strong and adaptable thrive.
The average just barely survive.
The weak….well, don’t survive.

The retail sector has taken a massive amount of pain over this past year, yet retail has not stopped, but slowed. So, there are still customers out there, and they gravitate to the excellent retailers, don’t they?

Looking at the motor vehicle sales figures, those numbers are down 30,6% versus 2019 (an on-going downward trend for the past decade, hit even harder by Covid in 2020). When it comes to the motorcycle industry, that number is down 1% (20644 units versus 20862 units in 2019).

1 %.
One.
Percent.

My first thought is what a performance: survival of the fittest! But then by digging a bit further the story adds more intrigue. Commercial sales were up, the leisure market down. Down by 15%, mind you, with those monthly figures, as up and down as Pacific Ocean waves in storm season.

But the story continues, with supply chain issues meaning a shortage of some stock, and the caution of the customer mindset also means a drop in demand. Having said that, by all accounts, used leisure bike sales did see a positive spike, possibly as a result of the stock shortages and the price point the majority of these motorcycles retail at, so all is not lost. Supply and Demand, economics 101.

But 1%.

Commercial vehicles have a part to play here, we’ve seen a definite ramp up in at-home deliveries, which has resulted in small capacity motorcycles such as SYM’s XS 125 being in massive demand.

Going forward in this decade, I feel that the 2020 sales figures showed just how resilient our industry is, how our industry has put its head down and been amazing. For us, as customers, this is good news. We are still out there (as evidenced by the sales last year) and we are looking for all of the key factors: value for money, great deals, longer warranties, better support and so on.

If you are in the fortunate position in this Covid world to have the means to be a motorcycle customer, now is the time. It is a definite buyer’s market. And I can think of nothing better than to thrive in this environment with a great (socially distanced) ride with my great friends.

The strong will survive and thrive.

180 hp, 140 Nm and 189 kilos: even in stock form, the KTM 1290 Super Duke R is pure madness. But it’s still not mad enough for the crew at the newly-opened KTM Paarl—so they took a 2020-spec Super Duke R, and threw a handful of tasty upgrades at it. Then they invited us to ride it.

Launched by the owners of RAD KTM in Rivonia, KTM Paarl’s located in the heart of the Winelands just outside of Paarl, in the Zandwyk Park complex. That puts them in a prime spot to service Cape Town’s Northern Suburbs, the Overberg region, and areas like the Northern Cape and Garden Route.

This current location is a temporary setup, while the team waits for construction of the new Paarl Junction complex to finish, just 500 m away. But it doesn’t feel like a pop-up shop—it’s as kitted a dealership as you’ll find, with a full complement of sales and service staff, and a wide range of accessories.

The team’s led by our good friend Clinton Pienaar, who, until recently, was the editor of Superbike Magazine South Africa. As a seasoned rider and ex-magazine editor, Clint has a one-track mind when it comes to selling motorcycles: “get bums on bikes.” He’s already hosted a women-focused demo day at the shop, and believes that the best way to convert riders to the brand, is to let them experience it first hand.

And that’s precisely why Clint invited us to ride arguably the scariest motorcycle to pass through our hands. Starting with a stock 1290 Super Duke R, KTM Paarl mechanic Mike Grove (who Clint describes as “arguably the best Orange Technician in SA”) dug into the KTM Powerparts catalogue to build the most drool-worthy Super Duke on the street.

The big mod here is KTM’s ‘Tech Pack,’ which is a major software upgrade that ‘unlocks’ the KTM’s onboard quick-shifter, and adds a ton of go-fast electronic functionality. The upgrade also includes the ‘Track Pack,’ which adds new ‘track’ and ‘performance’ riding modes, with the ability to fine tune traction control, throttle response and launch control, and to disable anti-wheelie control.

As its name implies, the ‘track’ riding mode is designed for pure track use, and so switching to it automatically disables the Super Duke’s indicators. So Mike got clever, and installed an indicator module to make sure they’re always usable.

Another performance boost comes by way of a BMC air filter, and a full titanium Akrapovič Evo exhaust system—which is a feast for the eyes and ears. Mike also added triple clamps, levers and foot controls from KTM’s own catalogue, a tail tidy, and Rizoma indicators.

With so much love (and money) sunk into an already desirable machine, I was more than a little trepidatious to put KTM Paarl’s pride and joy through its paces. So I took a friend along for moral support, and we spent the ride swapping between the 1290 and the equally wild 890 Duke R.

The 890’s a cracking motorcycle in its own right, but at my height and weight (lockdown has not been kind), the 1290 was heaps more comfortable. KTM’s big masterstroke here is the Super Duke’s ergonomics—it’s more comfortable than it looks, but more importantly, the rider triangle creates massive amounts of control. Add to that a lively chassis, and KTM’s brilliant in-house WP Apex suspension, and it’s a remarkably agile ride.

The Super Duke R does require a measure of respect and restraint to ride sensibly. The throttle’s super responsive and power rolls on quick, but rider modes help you dial in just how aggressive a ride you’re after. And the Brembo Stylema brakes are beyond adequate for reeling the monster back in.

Mild riding doesn’t suit the brutish KTM, and as the day wore on I soon realised that the more aggressively I rode it, the better it responded. It loves to be thrown hard into corners, and will hold its line like it’s on rails. Before long, it was clear to me that the Super Duke R’s true capability far outweighed my own skill… or courage.

It took me a couple of hours to pluck up the courage to switch off all of the 1290’s many electronic interventions—and a couple of minutes to figure out how. KTM’s TFT display works well enough, but their switchgear, and the way you use it to navigate the bike’s many menus, is unnecessarily complex.

With everything switched off, the 1290 transforms from beastly to outright berserk. The bike fires out of corners with terrifying enthusiasm, the front wheel wants to lift in third gear, and the unrestrained motor’s howl through the Akrapovič system is pure visceral bliss. My hands were still shaking when I handed the keys back to Clint.

Unsurprisingly, KTM Paarl have already sold that particular bike, but they’ll probably build you one just like it—as long as you open your wallet wide enough and ask nicely. But a hopped-up super-naked that takes track-bred performance to the street isn’t for everyone. So I already have plans to take Clint up on his offer, and sample some of the other bikes in KTM’s stable.

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

No, I don’t mean that in a hillbilly sense, hehe. When you have had an intimate love affair with bikes, as I have had since I was 14 years old, then you tend to think about most things from a biking perspective. Well, I do anyway. This train of thought can start off in some really weird ways. Take my recent car wash for example. Irene dragged me off to a local shopping mall to ‘help’ with the shopping. A really cheerful Zimbabwean chap has a concession with the centre management to wash cars, for which he pays the centre for the pleasure. Flip, nothing for nothing. My car was reasonably clean, so, I was a bit hesitant when he approached me. “Please Sir, it will help me take care of my family,” he said with a cheerful grin. Done deal!

Later in the day, I got to reflect on the exchange around the carwash. I see the often inane stuff that hugely privileged people complain about on social media. Take a simple example, we can’t buy booze at the moment, due to level 3 lockdown regs. Facebook is full of woeful chirps from people who’s ‘cups are overflowing’.

My Zimbabwean mate, on the other hand, is focussed on the very survival of his family through these hard times. He has already had to flee his country of birth, due to typical African economical issues, to live in a squatter settlement without lights or running water and eke out an existence in a foreign land. He cannot afford the luxury of hopes and dreams. His life is about surviving ‘day to day’. Do we really appreciate how incredibly fortunate and blessed we are? So how, you may wonder, does this relate to bikes, Dave?

Well, here’s the thing. I grew up on a diet of tiny bikes which, as time and finance allowed, grew bigger. As a schoolboy, I would infest the local Honda dealership, Capital Bike and Boat Centre and perv over the merchandise on display. My pocket money would invariably get spent on motorcycle magazines. At that time, in the late sixties, it was a superb American publication, called ‘Cycle’. I inhaled those magazines, literally cover to cover, including all the adverts. It was from the information gleaned from these pages that I developed a dream of perhaps, if the stars aligned in my life, one day owning a Honda Four, which I would ride wearing a Bell Star full-face helmet. A brochure, snaffled from the Honda shop on Honda’s game-changing CB750 K0, was studied and reflected-on ‘ad nauseam’. Perhaps it is those humble biking beginnings that allow me to appreciate ALL bikes the way I do.

As most of you know, life does not start with a CB750. It starts with a second hand Honda S50. Eventually, after sacrifice sweat and toil, that childhood dream may just become a reality. So, my friends, in the light of this, I get a little irritated when over indulged modern generation bikers refer to modern-day 700s or 750s and even some 1000s, as ‘commuters’. Let’s put a performance perspective on all of this. The most wicked bike that money could buy in the early 1970s was often referred to as ‘the widowmaker’, due to its ungodly potent performance. It was Kawasaki’s 750 H2, a two-stroke triple, described by Cycle as performing like “a rooster with a fire in its tail-feathers”. Now is when the ‘it’s all relative’ starts to apply – how fast, exactly, was the H2?

Well, it ran a 12.72 second quarter mile, breaking the magical ‘ton’, with a terminal speed of 103.8 miles per hour (168,15 kph). To this day, bikers still get animated when they talk about this legendary performance icon. Consider now, a typical bike labelled as a ‘commuter’, by those same fellows. Yamaha’s 688cc, parallel twin-engined, MT-07. How does the performance of this friendly little ‘commuter’ compare to the hallowed ‘rooster with a fire in its tail-feathers’?

The MT-07 turns a quarter in 11.97 @ 115.8 mph (187.59 kph), – performance capability that paralyzes the H2, both much quicker AND faster. What car would you have to buy to see off the little Yamaha in a drag race? How about a R4.2 million Porsche GT3RS? I don’t hear anyone calling that slow! The mighty Porsche ekes out a top speed advantage and turns an 11.1 second quarter, less than two blinks faster than the Yammie. Makes you think, doesn’t it?

We are blessed to live in an era of spectacularly fast bikes (and cars). Perhaps, in a few years time, due to the over-regulated sterile world that is emerging around us, we will look back at the present time and only then appreciate what we had.

Let’s not take what we are able to ride for granted and be just a little more circumspect about labelling truly excellent motorcycles as mere commuters.