Choosing your first bike can be a daunting task, with a vast selection of motorcycle categories, engine types and sizes to choose from. If you’ve never ridden a motorcycle before, it’s very easy to head into a flat spin and overthink what your ‘perfect’ bike is. The formula is simple: instead of wasting your time watching countless YouTube videos and writeups, just pick something. Your first bike isn’t going to be your last, so you may as well speed up the process. And these days, it’s pretty rare to find a brand new bike that’s not good or reliable.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
I still remember the days when riding a 125 cc 2-stroke or a Honda CBR125 as a first bike was super cool, and how lucky you were if you had one of those at 16. But 125/150 cc bikes have started to slip under the radar lately, with manufacturers focusing on 300/400 cc starter bikes. This creates a massive gaping two-year hole where a kid could be riding, but instead gets a car at 18 and never tastes the sweetness of motorcycling.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
So why should you start on, or buy, a small capacity motorcycle?
Smaller motorcycles are money savers—easy to afford, light on fuel and cheap to insure and maintain. Let’s use SYM as an example, and their entry-level NHX. Although a budget bike at R29,995, the NHX has full LED lighting, a USB charge port, a combined braking system, fuel consumption of 31.6 km/L (that’s 340 km on a tank), phenomenal handling and stunning looks.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
That’s all the important stuff you need to know for a first bike purchase. The rest you’ll figure out as you embark on your own motorcycle journey.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Once you’ve bought your first bike, the adventure really begins. In no time at all, you’ll find yourself in a riding group with friends that ride all sorts of motorcycles in all sorts of shapes and sizes—and this is where practical research happens. As you start spending more seat time on your bike, and swapping out with your friends on longer rides, you’ll figure out what you like and what suits your style. Whether it’s the naked, sportbike or dual-sport life, all those questions will be answered as you ride and spend time debating with your buds.
Photo credit: Dwayne van der Westhuizen
Many people think smaller cc bikes are impractical because of their short legs, making them useless for long-distance commutes. Myself and a few friends recently went on a small bike excursion, where we rode over 200 km on a Saturday morning to prove those small bike stereotypes wrong. We left central Pretoria at 7 AM, headed down Olifantsfontein, joined the R25, and snaked our way down into Arts On Main for an 8 AM coffee.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
After a few cuppas and a catch-up, we headed downtown. We seriously enjoyed riding our nimble bikes through the busy Newtown traffic in search of graffiti, before heading up to Northcliff for some stunning views.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
At no point on our journey were any of us wishing we had bigger bikes, and in busy downtown Joburg we slipped through traffic with no effort at all. By the time we got home, it was barely afternoon and our tanks were only half empty—leaving us enough fuel for the week’s work-and-back slog.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what small bike you buy or why—you’ll have fun riding it and your bank account will thank you. I have personally spent nearly 2000 km on SYM’s NHX and I could easily see myself parking it in my garage next to my MT-09, taking care of the daily ride and saving kays on my big bike.
One of the perks of my job, other than riding motorcycles and calling it ‘work,’ is the travel. Towards the end of 2019 I was wrapping up a 12-month stint where I travelled to six different countries over nine separate trips. Then a global pandemic struck, and I was grounded.
With nowhere to go but within my own country’s borders, I started taking stock of all the places I’d been—and hadn’t been. I’ve done my fair share of adventure touring, but South Africa is vast, and I started itching to see places I hadn’t seen yet. Because for all the bucket list items I’d ticked travelling overseas, I had a long to-do list waiting right here, on home soil.
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
Locked into a hamster wheel of home schooling, Zoom calls, sweatpants and tactical snacking, I desperately needed to get out. So Suzuki South Africa’s invitation to tour the Karoo on the new V-Strom 1050XT couldn’t have come at a better time. I threw my gear into a duffel (plus a rain suit, thanks to less-than-favourable reports), and quietly angsted over whether I still knew how to corner a big adventure bike on dirt.
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
Suzuki are one of only a few OEMs that make both bikes and cars, and they wanted to flex on this point. So they brought four Suzuki V-Strom 1050XTs and two Suzuki Ignises (or is it Igni?) out to play, with a mixed bag of motorcycle and automotive journalists.
Suzuki’s play with the new V-Strom is an ingenious one. Under the hood, it’s mostly the same as its predecessor, with the new-Euro5-compliant motor good for 100 hp and 103 Nm. But for the first time in its life, it actually looks good. Damn good, in fact.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
Suzuki have ditched the V-Strom’s infamously awkward vibe for a neo-retro reinterpretation of the iconic DR Big—the first adventure bike to feature the now-ubiquitous front-end ‘beak.’ You can get it in black, but our choices were yellow (a homage Suzuki’s 80s Dakar racer), or red and white (a replica of the production bike).
I bet on yellow as we set off from our starting point in the farmlands surrounding Grabouw. The first part of our route was a quick squirt up the N2, over Houwhoek Pass and onwards past Caledon. Straight out the gate, the V-Strom proved itself as a mile muncher.
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
That V-twin motor is somehow very lively and slightly agricultural at the same time. But it’s also ridiculously usable and has a reputation for reliability, which is exactly why the V-Strom has the cult following it does. It’s an unpretentious and robust motorcycle that does exactly what it says on the tin—no mess, no fuss.
The rider triangle is spot-on for my 1.86 m frame, and the seat is truly all-day comfortable. The V-Strom’s adjustable screen didn’t completely eliminate buffeting (few screens do at my height), but I found a position where it brought it down to a bearable level.
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
Somewhere beyond Caledon we hung a left, found a long stretch of dirt, then made our way onto and over Tradouw Pass, as sparse raindrops began to fall. Now on the popular R62, we pulled into Diesel & Creme for burgers and shakes (obviously).
With foul weather looming, I wasn’t mad when I was asked to switch to the pint-sized Ignis for the next leg. (Narrowly avoiding bad weather would become a theme for the trip, and my rain suit never left its bag.)
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
My good buddy Brian Cheyne and I piled into the Ignis, settling into the luxury of climate control and Apple CarPlay as our motorcycle-riding peers nervously scanned the sky. As we rolled down the R62 and up onto the incomparable Seweweekspoort Pass with Jimmy Eat World blaring, I felt just a tiny bit like a sell out.
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
With the sun slowly setting, we diverted from Seweweekspoort into the Bosch Luys Kloof reserve. Here, the plucky Ignis’ generous ground clearance (20 mm more than the V-Strom) made short work of the tight and often loose tweespoor descent.
We spent the night basking in the opulence of the Bosch Luys Kloof Lodge. Yes, hardcore adventure riders carry their own gear and sleep under the stars—but look me in the eyes and tell me the idea of a warm bed and a backup vehicle doesn’t appeal to you…. thought so.
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
The next morning we retraced our steps out of the reserve and back down Seweweekspoort—but now, I was back on the bike (red this time). I had worried that the V-Strom’s road-biased tyres would break loose on me, but they held up surprisingly well. And just as the bike’s ergonomics and geometry had impressed me on the road, they were equally good off-road.
Standing up, there was enough room for the bike to bounce around between my legs, and the bike carries its 236 kilos well. The V-Strom’s motor and throttle are also smooth enough to point-and-squirt it out of trouble.
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
Towards the end of the Bosch Luys Kloof pass, I found the cap I’d lost the day before, while sticking my head out the Ignis’ window. Then we pulled over to yank a nail out of my rear tyre, picked up by one of the riders the day before. The V-Strom’s 19F/17R wheels are thankfully tubeless, so after a quick plug, we were back on track.
If you haven’t ridden a motorcycle on Seweweekspoort yet, do it now. It’s an easy-to-ride gravel road that sashays its way through towering rock faces that feel like they’re leaning in. I slowly pushed the V-Strom up to a comfortable pace, feeling it float over rises and through corners like a big boat.
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
I flicked the Suzuki’s traction control back on as we transitioned back from dirt to tar again. The V-Strom’s LCD display and electronics package lacks the sophistication of some of the competition, but works well enough. You can switch between different engine map, traction control and ABS settings, but I just put everything on ‘max’ and occasionally fiddled with the traction control.
You can’t switch the ABS off either, but on its least intrusive setting, the Suzuki’s ABS performed well enough on dirt.
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
The long sweeping turns of Huisrivier Pass made for a perfect photo stop, so we pulled over and took turns as the Suzuki crew fed us snacks and coffee with condensed milk. We’d barely rolled into Calitzdorp when we took a random left, and soon ended back on another dirt road. Today was dry and dusty—so you either needed to be on top of the guy in front of you, or miles back.
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
That stretch spat us out near Kobus se Gat—a restaurant where every second dish is served on roosterkoek. (We had had roosterkoek at breakfast too, and would have more at dinner. This is the Karoo, after all.) We met a solo traveller and her heavily-loaded Suzuki DR650, and two Jimny owners that geeked out over our little expedition.
I guess Suzuki has a bigger fanbase than I realised.
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
Next, it was time for me to tick a major item off my list: the majestic Swartberg Pass. I didn’t realise it was part of our route until the tour briefing a day before, and had been filled with giddy anticipation since. Because, remarkably, I had never done it until now—on two or four wheels.
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
There aren’t enough column inches to describe how superlative Swartberg Pass is as an adventure riding route. It’s gravel all the way, starting with a gradual meander upwards before descending via tight switchbacks into the valley. It has more than one crest, and from each one, you can trace the road as it snakes down and into the distance, surrounded by stacked mountain tops.
It’s the sort of place that resets your soul in a way that few things can.
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
We parked at the Klaarstroom Hotel just as the weather started rolling in. Sitting on the back stoep, rinsing the dust out of my mouth with an ice-cold beer, the small-town silence was punctuated only by the squaws of a very loud parrot.
Dinner was a highlight—in more ways than one. We shuttled to an old wool-washing station nearby, converted by the owner (who also owns the 4,000 ha farm that Klaarstroom is built on) converted to a workshop for his friend. Scratch-built classic cars, Karoo home-cooking, and Chris busting out his guitar kept us engaged as the rain started pelting the barn’s tin roof.
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
As the rain picked up pace, we realised that the river we’d crossed to get there had risen too much to cross back over safely. We heard reports that Meiringspoort, that we were planning to travel through the next day, was closed. We tried to figure out how comfy the barn would be for an entire night.
The farmer had told us how the river could rise up to nine metres if the rain got harder, but luckily it subsided enough that we could get out with 4x4s.
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
Meiringspoort was open by the next morning, but there was evidence of the storm everywhere. Its multiple river crossings were washed over with treacherously slippery mud, and we passed a truck that had left the road and flipped.
The rest of the morning was spent chasing the weather to George. Pancakes and coffee at the quaintly charming Die Tolhuis on the old Montagu pass, was followed by a misty chase down Outeniqua Pass. We split at George Airport—my Joburg-based friends boarded a plane, while I switched back to the Ignis again. (I had the option to fly, but chose to drive back with the team instead).
Photo credit: Rob Till / Suzuki South Africa
The final stretch home was a blur. Warm and snug in the Ignis as the rain wreaked havoc on the Garden Route, I sort of missed the Suzuki V-Strom. We’d spend a solid two days bonding and getting to know each other. We’d figured each other out. We’d shared good times.
Before I got home, I’d already planned my next trip.
69 means different things to different people, but when it comes to motorcycling in the relatively modern era, it means only one thing – Honda CB750 Four K naught. The launch of the Honda was a gut punch to Kawasaki. They had been developing a 750cc four-cylinder four-stroke motorcycle during the late ’60s too. The launch of the Honda threw Kawasaki’s design team into a real tizz. Kawasaki has never been a company to follow. From the get-go, they developed a reputation for building exciting bikes with class-leading power. They scrapped the idea of a 750 and this gave birth to a project code-named “New York steak”. Kawasaki decided to build a four-cylinder four-stroke that would make power that was hitherto unknown from a production motorcycle.
I want to digress here for just a moment. Try to get your head around the world motorcycle landscape back in the ’60s and ’70s. It was so different to today, where new models, drowning in the latest technology, are spewed out by manufacturers like there is no tomorrow. Back then the world was still used to mainstream British bikes, which, by and large, were archaic in design. The Japanese were emerging as the dominant force in motorcycling globally, however, only Honda flew the four-stroke banner. Kawasaki ruled when it came to performance two strokes. The Kawi 750 H2 Mach 4 two-stroke triple, obliterated everything in sight in a straight line. The way it delivered its power as well as the dodgy handling resulted in many a sphincter clenching moment.
Image source: www.pakwheels.com
It was this raw and rough motorcycling landscape that made the purring, silky smooth and refined Honda Four, an instant worldwide success. Kawasaki was not going to be an “also-ran”. They wanted to maul the Honda, and anyone else for that matter, with a spectacular ‘tour de force’. People would literally stop and stare in awe if a CB750 rode past, revelling in the throaty four-cylinder burble. With project New York Steak, Kawasaki set about upstaging the Honda with a crushing blow that would have Big Red firmly relegated to “also-ran”. And so the first-ever Kawasaki ‘Z’ model, the legendary four-cylinder, Double Overhead Cam, four-stroke, 903cc, Z1, was conceived and birthed. In the early stage of its development, during project New York steak, it was known as the “V1 S”.
The design brief given to Norimasa ‘Ken’ Tada (senior stylist at Kawasaki), was the three S’s. The Z1 had to be Slim, Sleek and Sexy! It had to look nothing like the Honda. Tada was given a month to come up with a mock-up of the bike to present to Kawasaki Motor Corporation of America. He called home and informed his wife that she better forget that she had a husband for the next month! Working virtually round the clock, he flew to the States a month later with the mockup in a crate. The unveiling to Kawasaki America, who had the power to veto the design, if they thought that it did not have ‘American appeal’, was a nerve-wracking affair for Ben Tada. The design met with approval, albeit with the proviso that Tada “slim it down some more”.
Photo credit: Kawasaki
Two test mules, disguised and badged as Honda’s, were ridden far and wide in the States, often at high speed, by Bryon Farnsworth and Paul Smart. Feedback was generally positive, however, the 83 HP Z1 made short work of its chain, resulting in the standard fitment of a chain oiler. Modern riders, who often don’t even lube their chains, let alone adjust them, just don’t understand the incredible advances in chain technology that has happened over the years. Back in the day, we adjusted our chains at least twice a week and even more often on a trip. We had no fancy chain lube either. It was gearbox oil that had to do the job. The Z1 was released to the public, to instant universal acclaim, in the latter part of 1972.
Kawasaki demonstrated its speed and reliability by wailing around Daytona to set a new World record, covering 2,631 miles at an average speed of 109,64 mph. French Canadian racer, Yvon Du Hamel, circulated a Yoshimura Z1 around Daytona at an incredible 160,28 mph. Interestingly, the 24 hr speed record was previously held by a modified R69S BMW. In stock trim, the Z1 punched out 83 hp and 73,5 Nm of torque at 8,500 rpm. It paralysed the 1972 version of the Honda CB750, which made less than 60 hp. The Z1 weighed a hefty 246 KG’S fully fuelled and ran a ¼ mile in 12,2 seconds, topping out at 125 mph. Tyres, chains and rear shocks tended to wear out quite swiftly, whereupon, like the other Jap bikes of the day, it wobbled like a demon at speed. Fact is, engine technology was outstripping chassis development. The decent handling bikes of the day, like Desmo Ducati’s, were suddenly not great when you upped their horsepower to Z1 levels.
Image source: www.blogs.yahoo.jp
The Z1 was an instant race track success. The popular 6-hour endurance race series for production bikes in Australia, sponsored by Pirelli, were dominated by Kawi Z1’s from 1973 to 1976. In the US, Superbike racing was hectic, being an almost ‘silhouette class’. The bikes looked vaguely stock, but were highly modified. Rob Muzzy, aided and abetted by the legendary ‘Pops’ Yoshimura, became the Kawasaki race guru, building some wickedly fast Z1’s. Eddie Lawson’s Z1 was good for 150 hp at 10250 rpm. The frame was stress relieved and heavily braced, to try and keep the power under control. Slick tyres on much wider rims, with serious suspension, made these some of the most spectacular production-based race bikes ever. Watching Lawson wrestle the fire breathing Z1 through the infield at Daytona and wail around the banking, was a spectacle never to be forgotten.
Photo credit: Kawasaki
What I haven’t touched on is how stunning a looker the Z1 was. The modern Z900 RS, which pays homage to the original Z1, gives you some idea, but doesn’t quite have the same visual impact. The motor was blacked out with alloy side-covers with ‘DOHC’ cast in logos. In case you were in any doubt, the side-covers had badges with ‘900’, underlined by ‘Double Overhead Camshaft’. You were left with no doubt that this new Z1 was Big Muti! The paint job, Oh Lordy, the paint job! You could choose between Candy Brown and Orange or Candy Yellow and Green. Sounds gungy but the brown was almost more of a deep metallic burgundy. The bikes looked incredible. Ken Tada san, take a bow! Four beautiful pipes underlined the bike to perfection.
Photo credit: Kawasaki
Yes, guys, those were heady days indeed! I was working for Club Motors, who were the importers of Kawasaki and BMW motorcycles at the time. Words fail me when I try and explain the incredible, palpable excitement, that the release of the Z1 elicited amongst the biking fraternity of the day. After three years, Honda’s CB750 Four had softened from the original ripsnorting K 0. We had got used to 750 fours. All of a sudden, here was a bike that violently upset our applecart. In truth, the two-stroke triple 750 Kawi, in its prime, was slightly faster than the Z1, but it could not match the way that the Z1 delivered its performance. Kawasaki, by 1973, had softened the performance of the H2, in an attempt to make it more palatable for general consumption and probably to not upstage its new Z1, in straight-line speed.
Photo credit: Kawasaki
So next time you see a new ‘Z’ bike out on the road, spare a thought for the Grand Daddy of them all. The Mighty Z1, the first of the real Superbikes. It was the bike that entrenched Kawasaki as the company that you could rely on to give you really strong engines with big horsepower. Well done Kawasaki and long may that magnificent heritage continue!
This weekend brought riders back to the sweeping corners of Mugello, a track many fans and riders missed out on last year. Mugello’s very fast 5.2 km layout staged its 35th Grand Prix for what was round six of the 2021 contest and delivered warm and dry late spring conditions.
Darryn Binder
Saturday, saw Darryn Binder roll onto the track for Q2 qualifying, setting a decent lap time on his first outing, securing him 8th. Unfortunately, his second and final flying lap at the end of the session was cut short when red flags were waved, due to an on-track incident. Prevented from improving his initial lap time, Darryn had to consolidate a 16th starting position for Sunday’s race.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
Sunday started off on a rather sad note, as the whole MotoGP paddock paid their respects to a fallen rider, Jason Dupasquier. Jason had made an impressive start to his second season in Moto3, consistently scoring points and within the top ten in the standings. Sadly, Jason was involved in a multi-rider incident in Q2 qualifying between turns 9 and 10. FIM did all they could, the session was immediately Red Flagged and he was transferred by a medical helicopter, in a stable state, to Careggi Hospital in Florence. We all soon got the tragic news as the riders lined up on the grid.
As riders and fans of the sport, we send our deepest condolences to Jason’s family, friends, team and loved ones.
Image source: MotoGP
Although nearing the back of the grid in 16th, Darryn was eager to make a charge towards the front of the pack…and so he did. Darryn made a great start and slowly made his way up into the top 10—faster corner speed and some slipstreaming aided his progression. Our fellow South African soon found himself momentarily leading the race after diving into the lead on turn 1.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
As the saying goes in Moto3, “what goes up must come down” and that is exactly how things went for Darryn. He went from being in the top 5 to just out of the top 10 and back into the top 5. Confusing, but remember this is Moto3, you can get demoted several positions on a single straightaway. Darryn Binder ended the race fifth and earned himself some very important championship points.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
DB: “The race was the race today; it’s not something I want to talk about in the circumstances. I want to send my deepest condolences to Jason’s family, his team and his friends. I’m really sad to hear the news. Rest in peace Jason.”
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
Brad Binder
Brad Binder had a cracker of race weekend, consistently hitting lap-times near the top of the leader board and equalling the fastest top speed recorded figure in MotoGP history—clocking a top speed of 362.4 km/h. In Q2, Binder reached as high as 3rd and was in contention for a front-row slot until he rested in 6th for his highest qualification placing this season, just half a second from pole position.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
The last race of the day, saw sunshine and 23-degree temperatures graced the return of MotoGP to the thrilling racetrack in the Tuscan hills north of Florence. Brad lined up on the third row of the starting grid and was “Read to Race” the full 23-laps of Mugello.
Binder made a lively launch off the line, but lost a couple of positions, forcing him into the lower top ten, where he worked his tyres and confidence up to an effective race pace. He also had a scary moment when Marc Marquez bumped into him, causing his airbag to go off. This slowed Brad down for the next lap as his airbag slowly decompressed.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
Binder slowly fought his way back to fifth and was less than 5 seconds from winner Fabio Quartararo at the flag. Brad did a phenomenal job this weekend showing the rest of the paddock that he still has that, ‘Sunday Rider’ in him.
BB: “I’m happy with 5th today, even if I did want more but I had a crazy race. I almost tucked the front on the Sighting Lap, so I was trying to work out the conditions and why I felt different. I didn’t have a perfect start and then I was cautious on the first three laps. Marc [Marquez] rode into me and my airbag fired which meant I couldn’t move for almost a lap! After that, I could finally get into a rhythm and chase the group in front of me although I didn’t quite have the pace to get through it. Anyway, I’m pleased with another top-five and we’ll try to keep this momentum for the next races.”
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
In less than seven days, the Binder’s will be back on track for the Grand Prix of Catalunya, scheduled for 4th-6th June at the Montmelò Circuit, near Barcelona.
In what proved to be an unforgettable weekend of racing, Red Bull KTM snatched up multiple victories at the third round of the National Motocross Championship in Welkom. It was a day of celebration for the entire orange team with MX1 star Tristan Purdon taking top honours, new-recruit Cameron Durow snatching the win in MX2, High School Class talent Jonathan Mlimi extending his points lead, and young gun Trey Cox defending the Pro Mini red plate.
All eyes were on 18-year-old Durow on Saturday, who made it clear from the moment the gates dropped this season that he would be a force to be reckoned with. After setting the fastest qualifying time, the youngster set off to snatch the MX2 victory he has patiently been waiting for since he last won a race in this class in 2019.
Photo credit: Sage Lee Voge/www.zcmc.co.za
The rider started the day with a consistent pace and finished the first moto in second place. He came back swinging in the second moto and his blistering pace saw him get the holeshot. With an overall victory within his reach, Durow pulled an early lead and didn’t look back.
“This is the first time I’ve won in this class since 2019 – I’ve been injured four times since then! I even know the exact number of days since the last win and I’ve been working towards repeating that victory ever since. It meant a lot to me to finally achieve what I have been aiming at for so long,” said Durow.
Photo credit: Sage Lee Voge/www.zcmc.co.za
Putting on yet another eye-catching performance was Red Bull KTM teammate Tristan Purdon. The rider couldn’t have asked for a better day in MX1 when he went 1-1 to take the victory overall. While MX2 proved to be a more challenging race for the rider, Purdon managed to end the day on the podium with a third place overall.
Having defended his points lead in both classes, the motocross star will once again line-up with both red plates in the next round. With his sights set on winning both championships this season, Purdon commented:
Photo credit: Sage Lee Voge/www.zcmc.co.za
“Leading both championships isn’t easy and it comes with a lot of pressure. I’m handling it well because of the support I’ve been getting from the whole team and that makes me want to keep fighting. After MX2 this weekend I’ll be working on my starts leading up to the next round, but overall, I’m happy with the way everything played out.”
Red Bull KTM teammate Jonathan Mlimi was off to an impressive start this weekend when he took the holeshot in the first moto and lead the heat from start to finish. He had a challenging start in the second moto by his own high standards, but managed to fight his way back up to the front of the field to secure the victory overall.
Photo credit: Sage Lee Voge/www.zcmc.co.za
“My KTM 125 SX handled so well – the setup was perfect! I learnt this weekend to be more patient when I’m in a battle to get to the front – I find when I rush the process I tend to make small mistakes. I’m really happy with the way the season is playing out and just plan to stay consistent – that always pays off in the end,” said Mlimi.
A cherry on the top of what was a successful day of racing for Red Bull KTM was yet another consistent performance from young gun Trey Cox. After setting off with the holeshot, the Pro Mini rider had an unfortunate crash in the first moto. With a determination to defend the red plate, he fought his way back up to fourth place. He came back swinging with a solid start in the second heat and held a consistent pace to finish the moto in second place.
Photo credit: Sage Lee Voge/www.zcmc.co.za
“I’m so happy to have held onto the red plate. In the weeks leading up to the next round, I’m going to work on eliminating small mistakes. I’m happy with my pace and learnt this weekend that it’s not over until it’s over – that ‘never give up’ attitude always pays off in the end,” said Cox.
It was a breakthrough weekend of racing for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna. The motocross team took on the third round of the season in Welkom last Saturday and brought home a podium position in the MX1, MX2 and Pro Mini Class respectively.
Leading rider David Goosen admits to entering the round without too many expectations after being unable to train as hard as he had intended due to an illness. Having raced consistently at the front end of the MX1 field this season, Goosen had set the specific goal to narrow the gap on the leading riders in MX2.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
In one of his most impressive performances of the season, the rider set off with a blistering pace on Saturday to snatch up the win he had been waiting for in the first moto of MX2. With a third place in the final moto, Goosen was pleased to make progress and take second overall.
Adding to the celebration at the Husqvarna camp was yet another consistent performance from Goosen in MX1. In the highly competitive field, he described both motos as a “heated event that certainly didn’t make for easy racing.” Despite the stiff competition, Goosen went 2-2 to take second overall.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
“The track conditions were great! The loam soil gets some nice lines and becomes super bumpy – which suits me quite well. My Husqvarna FC 450 and FC 250 were great – I’m really starting to find the sweet spots on both of them. At this point, I’m feeling really motivated for what you could call the ‘second half of the season’. With every race, I feel more excited to work on something new. There are things I want to fine-tune as I aim to bring home some wins, but I’m also just really happy with how consistent I’ve been,” said Goosen.
For Rockstar Energy Husqvarna teammate Neil van der Vyver, the day was off to a challenging start. After a slow qualifying time by his own high standard, the youngster made some adjustments to his setup before lining up for the first Pro Mini moto.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
With a strong determination to come back swinging, Van der Vyver set off the take the holeshot in the first heat. From the moment he took the lead, the rider never looked back and stormed to his first win in the Pro Mini Class this season.
“It felt great to go from qualifying 17th in practise to taking my first ever Pro Mini win! It’s something I had been working towards all season,” said an elated Van der Vyver.
After a challenging start in the second moto, the rider had to dig deep to keep his composure and fight his way back to the front end of the field to ultimately claim second place overall.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
“We ticked a few boxes this weekend and we’re happy with the progress! My pace felt good, my bike felt good – I’m excited to watch our plan for 2021 keep unfolding,” he said.
Husqvarna South Africa’s Brand Manager Fred Fensham gives a closing comment: “This season has been all about getting our two riders comfortable on the bikes and Welkom was proof that we are on the right track. David was super impressive despite coming off some health issues and Neil finally bagged that illusive Pro Mini win – that will certainly give him the confidence he needs to keep building on the 85cc! I am super proud of our two riders bringing home three second overall finishes against really tough opposition!”
It’s only obvious, that the way you take care of your motorcycle reveals how much you love it. But, maybe you’ve been too busy to look after your bike or you just feel that taking your bike to a bike wash is easier. And then we get to the difficulty of keeping our bikes clean, either parking them under covers or being forced to give them a full wash, multiple times a week. Sheesh! So much effort, right?
Now, this is where Motul’s Shine & Go Spray (S&G) comes in handy.
Photo credit: Meredith Potgieter / ZA Bikers
If you are a rider that keeps your motorcycle relatively clean, only needing to give it a rinse and wipe down, then Shine & Go spray is going to be your best friend. ‘S&G’ is a silicone-based spray used to polish anything and everything on your motorcycle, even carbon fibre. It shines and revives with its protective dry sheen to obtain a new finish on faded colours. The winner is its long-lasting non-sticky protective film—the last thing you need is grime sticking to your shiny bike after a polish.
For application, you need a clean bike and a microfiber cloth to trap the leftover dust for that shiny end result. Don’t mistake S&G as a bike wash, you can’t wash your bike down with it. If your bike needs a wash, crack out some soapy water and your favourite sponge (Bob). Once your bike is washed and dried, this is when you whip out S&G to finish the job. The neat thing about using this polish, is afterwards, your bike does not end up getting as dirty. When you next give your bike a wash, your plastics still keep their shine and the dirt comes off so much easier.
Photo credit: Meredith Potgieter / ZA Bikers
I only wish Motul brought out a smaller travel-sized version, as this 400 ml can, would be too big to carry with you on a bike trip.
Using Motul’s S&G, will making cleaning and polishing your bike quicker and enjoyable, as you see a new sheen start to appear—Motul is here to keep your rides shiny side up.
So, with summer behind us now and with winter approaching, it is the perfect time to acquaint yourselves with Motul’s awesome line of maintenance and care products—it’s time to give your bike the deep clean it deserves!
Photo credit: Meredith Potgieter / ZA Bikers
Motul Shine & Go Spray
For more information on the product used in this article, click on the link below…
To win a motorcycle road racing championship, consistently finishing on the podium is critical. And, on Saturday at Virginia International Raceway, Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz took another important step towards achieving his first MotoAmerica Superbike title when he finished second in Superbike race one. It wasn’t a win, but he and the team will take it, especially at this early point of the season when there are so many races left.
Photo credit: Westby Racing
Starting from the front row, Mathew got a good jump off the line, and he immediately went to work and overtook Loris Baz, who started from second on the grid. Running his fastest circulation of the 14-turn, 2.25-mile natural road course on the second go-around of the 20-lap race, Mathew solidified his second-place position, which he maintained all the way to the checkered flag.
Photo credit: Westby Racing
“Obviously, after winning in the first race, we were confident that we should be at least challenging Jake (Gagne) all the way through until the final lap,” Mathew said. “I just kind of feel like we have more to gain, and Jake is definitely stronger than us now. So, we just need to try and figure a couple things out. I was able to kind of follow him for the first four or five laps and already figured out where we could recover a couple of tenths and where I was catching him slightly. So, it’s not like we were miles off. We just have to fix one or two things and we should be challenging Jake. Overall, I’m happy to finish second and carry on as the championship leader. Everyone keeps talking about being championship leader, but it’s way too early on to be thinking about that. It’s always nice to be the one that you don’t have to risk everything at every single corner, every single lap. You can settle for those seconds sometimes. I know Jake is definitely coming. I know Josh Herrin, Cameron Petersen, (Loris) Baz, all those guys are picking up their pace. So just going to go back to where we were losing time and try to focus on getting a stronger pace towards the end and not worrying about being in front every single corner. I want to say thank you to my team. They’ve been great. Like I said, we need to maybe try and challenge Jake and get in front of him the first couple laps. He’s setting a really crazy pace, so just try to get it up the inside of him.”
On the opening lap of Sunday’s final race of the weekend, Mathew got caught up in traffic going into turn one. Thankfully, he didn’t suffer a tipover in the incident, but it did shuffle him all the way back to 14th. Undaunted, he went about his business and started clicking off laps as fast as, or faster than, the leaders. On lap 13, he made it all the way back up to third place where he battled with Josh Herrin for a few laps before securing the final spot on the podium on lap 17.
Photo credit: Westby Racing
All in all, it was a hero effort from Mathew, who knows that podium finishes all season long are the key to winning his first MotoAmerica Superbike title.
“I just saw one of the M4 Suzuki bikes coming up the inside, so I gave him space,” Mathew commented. “I could have followed him, but I don’t know what happened from there. I think Cam (Petersen) ran off the track. I’m not sure if he got touched. It’s just one of those unfortunate things. I was trying to get aggressive in the first corner, trying to hang onto Jake (Gagne) because I knew if I could slot in behind him, he would pull me, and I kind of had the pace over every one else after about lap 8 or 10.”
Photo credit: Westby Racing
Next up for Westby Racing is round three of the MotoAmerica Championship, which will take place at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, on June 11 through 13.
MotoAmerica Superbike Standings: 1. Mathew Scholtz – Yamaha – 81
2. Jake Gagne – Yamaha – 75
3. Josh Herrin – Yamaha – 61
The season couldn’t have started any better for Steven Odendaal, who joined the reigning world champions (Even Bros. Racing Team) this season after his promising debut season in the World Supersport Championship last year. Odendaal claimed his first maiden victory in race 1 on Saturday after making a pass on a fellow ex-Moto2 rider Dominique Aegerter into the last corner.
Photo credit: Yamaha EU
The conditions were completely different on Sunday as the rain made an unexpected appearance on the MotorLand Aragon circuit. Odendaal was able to stay calm and managed the race in an outstanding manner aboard his Yamaha R6, despite the tricky conditions, to make a decisive move once again into the last corner of the last lap and taking a double win and a championship lead with 50 points behind his belt.
Photo credit: Yamaha EU
Steven Odendaal: “It is an amazing feeling to take my first win in World Supersport and to back it up with another one today was just incredible for my confidence and moral. I have worked so hard for this moment and I can’t thank those who made this possible enough, especially the team, my family and my manager Jorge Lis. We didn’t start the season in the best way with a big crash on the first day of the official Barcelona test in April, where I dislocated my right shoulder, which caused extensive nerve damage. I am still suffering with pain and lack of strength so taking that into account as well, this weekend was a dream come true. The team made a great decision to go with an intermediate tyre today. I never used this tyre in my life before so I did not know what to expect and I had to be a bit careful in the opening stages of the race. It was an incredible battle and I felt so comfortable on the bike. Huge thanks to the Evan Bros. Racing Team, they did an incredible job and I cannot wait to be racing again in Estoril new weekend.”
Photo credit: Yamaha EU
Round 2 of the World Supersport Championship will take place next weekend in Estoril, Portugal.
This is not the first Triumph to wear the Trident name. In 1969, Honda stunned the world with its game-changing CB 750 Four. Sporting a four-cylinder, single overhead cam engine and the first disc brake ever seen on a production motorcycle, it was destined to change the face of motorcycling forever. Birmingham Small Arms (BSA), who owned Triumph at the time, actually beat Honda to the multi-cylinder punch when they released two three-cylinder overhead valve 750 cc motorcycles at the end of 1968. The turquoise Triumph Trident and the red BSA Rocket Three. ‘Trident’, a three-pronged fork, obviously alluded to the three-cylinder engine in the new Triumph, whilst ‘Rocket Three’ was destined to get hung on Triumph’s power cruiser in years to come.
The BSA element within the Triumph/BSA coalition, insisted on their Rocket being fundamentally different to the Triumph, so slanted the cylinders 12 degrees forward, as compared to the Trident and changed the frame. This was really dumb, given the growing financial woes of the British manufacturer, where common engineering made much more sense. Let’s focus on the Trident, as it is the forefather of the bike that we are going to talk about. The three-cylinder motor produced 58 hp, propelling the bike to a 190 kph top end, a smidgen faster than the new Honda Four. The styling was different to the traditional Bonneville look that characterised Triumph’s of the day. A slab-sided tank and side covers framed the three-cylinder pushrod motor, which was underlined by the weirdest three-into-two exhaust that the world had ever seen. The flattish oval silencers terminated in three little ray-gun type outlet tubes. Weird as they looked, they worked well.
Image source: rideapart.com
Faster and better handling than the Honda four, it was no match for the Honda’s immaculate fit, finish and general build integrity. Where the Honda’s engine was wonderfully oil-tight, the Triumph had a sponge lined sump tray to catch the oil that seeped from the engine. The writing was clearly on the wall for the British manufacturer. I have a lasting memory, however, of one John Surmon, riding his Triumph Trident from Jo’burg, to the Buffalo Rally, held in Bathurst, in the early Seventies, in record time. One day, I mused, I too would undertake such epic rides. The Trident got Quasi Bonneville styling to try and break into the American market, but it was too little, too late and the last of 28,480 triples was built in 1975.
Back to the future. I was intrigued to have the opportunity, in another time and hugely successful age for Triumph motorcycles, to ride and review the modern motorcycle which carries the legendary Trident name. The new Trident sports a 660 cc motor loosely based on the iconic 675 Street Triple mill. 80 hp sounds tame considering the 125 hp of the ‘old’ 675, however, it produces the power where it matters, more in the mid-range, with gearing that gives proper go in real-world riding.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
A feather-light 189 kg’s gives it a decent power to weight ratio, propelling the Trident to a 210 kph top end. The milder tune requires less frenetic servicing, with service intervals of every 16,000 kays. A vital consideration in these cash strapped days. A huge part of the appeal of the Trident is in its funky packaging.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The styling is fresh, functional and super funky. The tank has a stubby rounded ‘British Bulldog’ look with arty styling and Union Jack graphics in some options. The seat is contoured and looks shorter than it is, as the rear mudguard, with taillight, indicators and number plate ride on a swing-arm mount.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Lights are all LED and instrumentation is a simple round TFT display, giving all the usual info (trips, speedo, rpm, gear, clock and download the Triumph app for turn by turn navigation). The frame is tubular steel and the suspension is non-adjustable USD Showa forks and a preload only adjustable rear shock. Handlebars have a mild bend, giving the rider a comfortable cockpit with pleasant, sporty ergonomics.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
We took a spin into central Jozi’s funky, arty, Maboneng district, to scope out some of the amazing graffiti. The Trident is a weapon in the traffic. Light, agile and endowed with a punchy motor which is never short of poke, it is effortless to ride. The suspension, whilst essentially being preload adjustable in the rear shock only, speaks to Triumph’s excellent setup. It is firm yet compliant over the typical urban minefield that we deal with daily in city riding. This might be the Trident’s reason for being, but it is no one-trick pony. It is so easy to ride that it appeals to all types. Newbies will revel in the safe and easy manners, yet there is plenty to keep experienced riders entertained.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
I spent a few days with the Trident, using it as typical owners would. Negotiating traffic or commuting between cities, the Triumph takes it all in its stride. The handling is accurate and stable at all speeds. This makes it a blast to ride anywhere and everywhere. Push it hard around a racetrack, or traverse some really grotty tarmac and you will find that the damping and spring rates are not perfect but then that is not what this bike is about. For the typical Trident owner, the bike is brilliant.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Triumph have endowed the bike with relatively short gearing. At 125 kph the engine is revving at 6000 rpm, which feels somewhat busy, until you recall that the redline is 10250. What the gearing has done is give it power everywhere. Acceleration is sharp and roll-on is impressive.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Nissin triple discs and callipers ensure decent braking performance. The six-speed gearbox is typically Triumph. Light and crisp. A Quickshifter is available as an option. There are actually 47 accessories in the catalogue with which to pimp your ride. Tail pack, tank bag, bar-end mirrors etcetera.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
A 14-litre tank allied to the Trident’s fuel economy allows for a decent range of over 250 kays. The seat is definitely touring friendly and at 805 mm is accessible to most riders. The bike really has few drawbacks, given its purpose and price point. The signature cammy triple whine at low speed can irritate some, however, it disappears as speeds rise. For me, it is a characteristic of the excellent triple and a non-issue.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Triumph’s new Trident is, at around R150,000, at the top end of the class in which it competes, however, it has a character and general funkiness and function which makes it worth every cent. Parked in front of some of Jozi’s street graffiti, it comes across as an art form in its own right. Toss in a heap of fun and function and I think Triumph have a worthy successor for the legendary Trident.
You can’t escape Honda’s mammoth legacy in the adventure riding genre, and you can’t deny that their dual-sport bikes are consistently versatile and reliable. The Honda CRF250L was a testament to that—a pint-sized street-legal dirt bike that, despite being a little underpowered, turned out to be massively popular.
Now Big Red have thrown just the right measure of updates at the CRF, including a capacity bump, to bring us the all-new CRF300L. But how does it stack up? Is it a big enough jump over its predecessor to warrant a look? I rode one to find out.
Photo credit: Meredith Potgieter / ZA Bikers
There’s no beating around the bush: Honda’s CRF250L/Rally weren’t perfect, mostly due to soggy suspension and a lack of power. But they had the bones for improvement, and killer looks that always drew my attention. After spending much time on the 250, I was intrigued and seriously excited to get my hands on the new 300.
Honda’s brand-new street legal CRF300L has more power, less weight, several chassis upgrades and a bunch of styling improvements compared to its predecessor. The latest L-model seems to have matured all over, but without losing its funky and peppy character.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Visually, the CRF300L was love at first sight for me. It’s drop dead gorgeous, with some styling brought over from the CFR450L, including a selection of factory racing Honda graphics. I know that white number boards are pointless on a street bike, but boy do they look awesome.
Another nice touch from Honda was finishing the aluminium rims in black, rather than leaving them polished—a detail that made the bike look cheap before. But the CRF300L still comes fitted with a standard bulb headlight, which really is a shame in these modern times.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
As far as tech goes, you’ve got two-channel ABS that can be deactivated, and a neat LCD display. The display shows the usual info, plus a gear indicator, average speed, stopwatch and rev counter. There’s also a fuel gauge, and a readout that will show you your consumption—a nifty feature that’s usually reserved for more expensive bikes.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
On the go, I immediately felt the difference in top-end pull and low-down torque from the engine’s extra 36 cc. Bumping the motor to 286 cc has pushed its power output to 27 hp (20.1kW) at 8,500 rpm, with 26.6 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm.
That’s helped the CRF300L spring to life, but the biggest and most significant change is the new gearing. The gear ratios have been shortened from first to fifth, to help squeeze the full potential from the motor. And once you rev your way past fifth, there’s a taller sixth gear to help you utilise the power band to its fullest.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Once you’re cruising on the open road and kick up into sixth gear, the motor will rev at a comfy 6,500 rpm at 120 km/h and will rev out just past 8,500 rpm with a top speed of 140 km/h. Although the 300 can do the odd highway stint, it far prefers short-shifting around town. Every time I took a spin through town, all I could think about was ordering a set of motard rims for city shenanigans. (Dear Honda: please make this happen!)
The more time I spent with the bike, the more time I spent riding off-road. Once the ABS is off, the 142-kilo curb weight and remarkably slim ergonomics make it even more manoeuvrable than before. The clutch is 20 percent lighter than before too, and that makes it awesome in the tight stuff, turning everything into an effortless one finger affair. That means it’s great for beginner riders, and less tiring on those technical rides.
Photo credit: Meredith Potgieter / ZA Bikers
Once the trail broadens and speeds get up there, that’s when the budget bike nature of the CRF300L’s suspension starts to show. Even for my fully-kitted-up 80 kg weight, the suspension uses far too much sag, and sucks up half the travel from just sitting on the bike. In the slow stuff and around town it’s a joy, but when you start pushing it around bends, the back end will break traction and then find it and then lose it again; very unpredictable and unsatisfying.
Up front are non-adjustable 43 mm Showa upside-down forks with 260 mm of travel. I actually enjoyed the feedback from them, and only felt them bottom out on slower, rockier terrain. The only flaw for faster riding is the Pro-Link rear suspension, which actually has some serious travel (260 mm), but fails to impress when pushed hard.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Honda have pushed the 300L’s seat height up by 5 mm from the 250L, but it still sits at a reasonable 880 mm. The 300L’s seat is more comfortable than the 250L’s, with softer materials and a slimmer design. For the adventurer, you’ll find a nifty toolbox at the rear of the bike and bungee mounts on the rear mudguard for those light weekend away trips.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
For braking, Honda paired a two-piston Nissin calliper with a 256 mm front disc taken directly from the CRF450R. Between the self-cleaning disc and Honda’s two-channel ABS, stopping is a breeze. Deactivating the ABS only disengages the rear, keeping the front hunkered down at all times. I did give the front brake a full squeeze for ‘research’ purposes, and to my amazement, I think this may just be the best dirt-focused ABS yet.
Despite its small 7.8 L tank, the 300L can ride pretty far. I averaged 31 km/L, which in turn set me up for a comfy 240 km-plus ride. If you go for the ‘Rally’ model, its 12.8 L tank should do just shy of 400 km. And you’ll get extra perks like wind protection, hand guards, a plastic bash plate and oodles of Dakar style. But that’s only if Honda South Africa import the Rally—there’s no word on it yet.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Sure, the CRF300L might not match the 300 cc twin-cylinder bikes like the Kawasaki Versys 300 for highway cruising, but it makes up for it when tar turns to gravel. And at R84,999, with 12,000 km service intervals and free rider training, it’s massive value too.
Back Row: Mercia Jansen Head of Motul SA, Edward Mello, Amy Murphey, Chanell Grobler, Carmen Bell, Bongi Didiza, Dumisani Mtshali, Nkasinathi Faku, Wezi Phiri, Andre Visser Captain of the Team and man behind the concept, Jacky van der Merwe Business Development Manager at Motul SA Front Row: Penny Sterley Head of BMW Motorrad SA, Altus Theart, Ayanda Masina, Werner Coetser
Motul has always been a passionate supporter of motorcycle endeavours, be it racing across deserts in the Paris Dakar, or tearing up race tracks around the world. So no surprise then to learn that Motul SA are sponsoring the Journey to the GS Trophy.
On Sat 15 May we attended the “Journey to the GS Trophy team Launch” in Rosebank, where we got to meet some of the folks who will be undergoing a stringent training programme to prepare themselves for the upcoming GS Trophy regional qualifying event later this year.
This is what it is all about…
The International GS Trophy is a biennial adventure motorcycle event that takes place in a different country each time it is held. It’s an opportunity for a team of three South African BMW GS adventure motorcycle riders to represent their country and build on a legacy that has seen Team South Africa emerge victorious in the last three events.
Photo credit: BMW Motorrad South Africa
The International GS Trophy 2022 will be held in Albania, and the build-up and selection process will be the most inclusive ever, with ordinary South Africans embarking on the Journey to the GS Trophy.
This concept – the Journey to the GS Trophy – has been launched by certified BMW motorcycle instructor Andre Visser, in partnership with BMW Fourways and Motul. Andre has over 15 years experience as an adventure motorcycle trainer including with the GS Trophy: he was the Event Director of the 2010 SA National GS Trophy Qualifier and helped prepare the team for that year’s event, when, riding on home soil, they came second overall.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
“The Journey to the GS Trophy team features 13 men and women, all with different skill levels – and none of whom have any previous experience with the GS Trophy. This unique training experience will help them prepare for the regional qualifiers, and, if they make the cut, for the final national selection event,” explained Andre. “In partnership with Motul, we’ve developed a challenging but rewarding syllabus that will give them the best possible chance of making it onto the SA team,” he added.
“Helping a group of everyday South Africans who share a passion for adventure riding and further growing the motorcycle industry is an opportunity that Motul simply couldn’t pass up!” commented Mercia Jansen, Motul Area Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa. “Even if the riders on this Journey don’t make it all the way to Albania, they’ll have gained new skills that will help them enjoy their riding even more – and that’s something we’ll always get behind here at Motul,” added Jansen.
Photo credit: ZA Bikers
The riders on the Journey to the GS Trophy team will participate in four dedicated training sessions as they prepare for the Gauteng regional qualifier on 19 June 2021. This will take place at the purpose-built BMW X-Drive facility in Midrand.
Andre outlined the content of the four training sessions that make up the Journey to the GS Trophy and explained how each session will help the riders gain in confidence. The first session will see them master the basics of off-road riding including getting to grips with the U-turn manoeuvre; the second will focus on overcoming obstacles; the third will introduce elements of strategy, planning and navigation; and the fourth training session will help the riders to combine all these elements to achieve a smooth, fluid adventure riding style.
Photo credit: BMW Motorrad South Africa
Qualifying competitors from each of the regional qualifiers will progress to the national qualifier, which is projected to take place in September or October 2021 and will see the selection of the three riders who will go to Albania next year.
There will also be an unofficial in-house competition for the Journey riders that will culminate in a final event to determine which riders have improved the most during the training.
Yamaha’s 689 cc twin-cylinder ‘CrossPlane’ motor will go down in history as one of the company’s greatest hits. It’s lively without being unruly, and offers up mounds of usable torque for a wide range of applications. But is it fit for a superbike?
We’re about to find out, with the release of the much-anticipated Yamaha R7.
Photo credit: Yamaha EU
Although this new bike bears the iconic R7 name, it has little in common with the YZF-R7 homologation special that launched in 1999. By popping the ‘CP2’ engine in a supersport package, Yamaha are pitching the R7 as a middleweight to sit between the R3 and R1, rather than an outright performer. They say they’re aiming at younger riders here, but given the popularity of the MT-07, Tracer 700 and Ténéré 700, we’d say the appeal is much wider.
Photo credit: Yamaha EU
At the heart of the R7 is the same 689 cc parallel twin as the MT-07, along with its 270-degree firing interval. Maximum output is 54 kW at 8,750 rpm and 67 Nm at 6,500 rpm. This motor’s now Euro 5 compliant too, thanks to a revised exhaust design, new air intakes and tweaks to the fuel injection. Yamaha also fettled the secondary gear reduction ratio, to give the R7 more poke off the line. Other upgrades include a new assist and slip clutch, and there’s an optional quick-shifter too.
Photo credit: Yamaha EU
Looking at the chassis and parts spec, it’s clear that Yamaha see the R7 being used on the street and track. Everything’s packaged into a backbone-style frame, with a rigid-mounted aluminium centre brace. The focus here was on handling, to make the R7 as responsive and agile as possible.
Photo credit: Yamaha EU
The suspension package includes fully-adjustable 41 mm upside-down KYB forks, and a new linkage-based rear suspension design. It uses a horizontally-mounted shock that’s both adjustable for preload and rebound damping.
Photo credit: Yamaha EU
If you want to geek out over geometry, the R7’s front end has a steering angle of 23.7 degrees, 90 mm of trail and a 1,395 mm wheelbase. The weight’s distribution is 51/49 front to back… in other words, the R7 is built to corner.
The R7’s wheels are lightweight 10-spoke alloy units, with a 120/70 R17 tyre up front, and a 180/55 R17 at the back. The front brake setup includes twin four-piston calipers, engaged via a Brembo master cylinder.
Photo credit: Yamaha EU
At a glance, there’s no denying the R7’s intended use. The overall package is compact and aggressive, with a wet weight of 188 kilos and a design that focuses on mass centralisation.
Control points include low-slung clip-ons, rear set foot controls, and a seat that tapers to the front for maximum rider movement and control. Deep indents on the sides of the Yamaha’s tank cover mean you can tuck in tight and grip the bike with your knees when you need to. There’s a slim pillion seat at the back too, but Yamaha will sell you a rear cowl to cover it if you want a sportier effect.
Photo credit: Yamaha EU
Visually, the R7 looks the business too. Borrowing a ton of aesthetic cues from the R1, the R7 sports a fairing that feels flowy in some spaces, and aggressively sculpted in others. There’s a ton of detail upfront—from the MotoGP-style ‘M’ shaped air intake that hides an LED projector, to the subtle spoiler that’s placed just underneath it. Tucked behind the fairing is a digital display, complete with a high-contrast ‘negative’ mode. Connectivity with Yamaha’s MyRide app comes bundled as standard.
Photo credit: Yamaha EU
It’s impossible to overstate just how slim the R7 is. In fact, Yamaha claim that it’s even narrower than the R3 or R125, which makes it the slimmest R-series bike they’ve ever made.
It’s a good looking bike too—especially in the signature Yamaha blue livery, which extends down to the aluminium belly pan and wheels. It’s available in black too, with extremely subtle Petronas turquoise accents.
Photo credit: Yamaha EU
Yamaha are also releasing a line-up of track-focussed parts, including a titanium Akrapovič exhaust system, a billet engine cover kit, and radiator and engine protectors. Road-focussed aftermarket bits include a shorter license plate bracket, LED indicators, tank pads, and a range of billet parts and protectors.
The R7 will be available in Europe from October 2021, but there’s no news on if and when it’ll land on South African shores. There’s also no word on pricing yet, except in the US, where the R7 is listed at $8,999. That’s a bit more than the MT-07’s $7,699, and less than the $9,999 Ténéré 700, but as we’ve seen with the Ténéré, it’s impossible to predict how those numbers will translate in South African Rands.
Getting key updates that elevate performance across the range, the updated 2022 KTM EXC model line-up is landing at authorised KTM dealers now. Perfectly mixing cutting-edge technology with enviable handling and READY TO RACE offroad performance, the new line-up is here to master all extremes.
Photo credit: KTM Austria
With the 2022 EXC line-up, KTM reconfirms its status as the provider of the most comprehensive and exciting set of offroad bikes on the market. Whether riders are searching for a peerless motorcycle to ace any terrain or equipment to find those extra race seconds, there is no reason to think anything but ‘orange’. The key to this bar-setting versatility is the high standards and the quality that is injected through the updated 2022 KTM EXC range.
Photo credit: KTM Austria
Across the new line-up, there are two key upgrades to boost performance. All new models receive updated WP suspension settings aimed at offering a firmer and even more planted feel while riding across the gnarliest terrain. The second key upgrade is the addition of new MAXXIS MaxxEnduro tyres. After extensive testing, the new tyre combo showed improved durability and puncture resistance and will provide even comfort for extended hours across a myriad of surfaces.
Photo credit: KTM Austria
Innovative Transfer Port Injection (TPI) engineering means KTM EXC 2-Strokes are perfectly meeting the increased demands of the modern offroad rider. The three motor capacities guarantee the best choice of horsepower and torque capabilities to suit the rider’s preferences. With the KTM 300 EXC TPI being the flagship model to satisfy any Hard Enduro ambition, it is the 2022 KTM 250 EXC TPI that has come under the R&D microscope featuring revised 13:52 gearing. This modification will help the quarter-litre in terms of traction and front end lift on the most technical sections.
Photo credit: KTM Austria
The 4-Strokes KTM EXC-F models talk the torque as dependable, reliable, accessible and thrilling fuel-injected machinery. For several years, the symbiosis of 250 handling and 450 power characteristics has positioned the KTM 350 EXC-F as the definitive offroader and the crown remains steadfastly in place. With the now firmer, sportier settings on their WP fork and rear shock, all-new KTM EXC-F models come with improved high-speed performance.
Photo credit: KTM Austria
KTM’s READY TO RACE mantra is a vital development pathway and the endeavours of racers like Manuel Lettenbichler and Josep Garcia help sculpt the KTM EXC models that make it into the hands of riders around the world. For 2022, KTM has visually emphasized the connection with competition even further through the incorporation of blue colours and the blue seat. The graphics and race plastics ensure that any KTM EXC will not be missed right at the front of the pack.
Photo credit: KTM Austria
Inherently involved with top-level offroad competition for decades, KTM reaffirms its support to the massively popular amongst racers FIM International Six Days Enduro with the release of the full line-up of revamped 2022 KTM EXC SIX DAYS models. For 2022, KTM designers have gone bold with the introduction of a striking new colourway that perfectly mixes elements of a modern world map with a head-turning retro style. Featuring a long list of race-inspired parts as standard, the 2022 KTM EXC SIX DAYS models are ready to take on the gruelling week-long event out of their crate.
Photo credit: KTM Austria
2022 KTM EXC – KEY RANGE UPGRADES
Revised WP suspension settings for a firmer & more responsive feel
Improved oil circulation in the suspension for more consistent feedback
New MAXXIS MaxxEnduro tires for unmatched grip in all terrains
New 13:52 gearing giving the KTM 250 EXC TPI added bottom end punch
Head-turning 2022 colours inspired by the Factory bikes
Bold design & retro colours for the revamped KTM EXC SIX DAYS line-up
Photo credit: KTM Austria
Joachim Sauer – KTM Product Manager: “It gives us great pride to know that our KTM EXC models can once again supply any offroad rider with the excitement and the performance they need. In their updated trims, these bikes are technical masterpieces and there is something to suit every rider across the globe. For 2022, with the new WP suspension settings we are offering the bikes a more firm and even more consistent feel. Matched with the new MAXXIS tyres, these are two key upgrades that elevate the overall offroad performance. Our design team have also stepped up with their work for this year and the bikes look exactly like what they are supposed to be: winners in all conditions.”
Photo credit: KTM Austria
The 2022 KTM EXC models will be available in authorised KTM dealers starting May 2021.
Round 5 of the MotoGP calendar saw riders line up at the legendary Le Mans circuit this weekend for an action-packed and unpredictable SHARK Helmets Grand Prix of France. After round 1 of the MotoGP championship in Qatar, we already knew ‘GP’ had returned with an almighty bang for the 2021 season, but gee… did this French GP shock us.
Darryn Binder
Saturday, saw Darryn Binder roll his Petronas Sprinta Racing Moto3 bike onto a wet Le Mans circuit for Q2 qualifying. Darryn opted to use wet tyres during his run, but was unable to make his set-up work for him, with the first sectors still drying and conditions improving. At the end of qualifying our fellow, South African pushed hard and crossed the line with a 1:52.511 lap, placing him in 16th.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
If getting a good start wasn’t hard enough, just imagine your airbag randomly deploying. Well, now that’s how Darryn Binder’s race started. After his airbag deployed, Darryn ran wide at turn 2 and found himself at the back of the field (24th) by the end of the first lap. After some deflation, Darryn started making his way through the pack and into sixth by lap five.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
With a large gap between him and teammate John McPhee in fifth, Darryn pushed hard to close it down but had a turn 3 crash on lap seven. He quickly rejoined the race in 21st place, but the gap to the main field proved too big to bridge and he crossed the line 20th. Binder now sits 8th in the championship with 36 points.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
Darryn Binder: “Unfortunately that result wasn’t what I had in mind today. I had a good launch off the line but my airbag went off going into the second corner, which nearly caused me to go into another rider. I ended up cutting the chicane and had to drop back. I made a really good comeback and passed a lot of riders. I felt good, had a decent rhythm and I was just keeping my pace. Unfortunately going into Turn 3 I lost the front and there was nothing I could do, although I continued riding it was pretty much the end of my race. I’m just looking forward to getting to Mugello now.”
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
Brad Binder
Brad Binder, had an unlucky qualifying session and struggled to find his feeling in the conditions. Qualifying saw Brad get stuck behind some yellow flags for two laps, forcing him to sit up and not cook the rear tyre—leaving him no time to set a fast lap. This all meant, Brad would have to start from 21st on race day.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
The last race of the day, saw more unstable weather conditions at the forefront, creating busy, tricky and bizarre scenes for the 27-lapper of Le Mans. Although confusing, the race was declared a dry race, but with some looming dark clouds in the surrounds, we all knew a flag-to-flag sprint was beckoning. With the cool conditions, the entire field had selected the soft-soft slick Michelins to begin the race on, with some forecasts suggesting there might be some rain on the way—drama was on the way.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
Off the line and as expected, the big red propelled their way to the front well Brad had some problems launching his RC16, forcing him to filter into last place. He quickly made his charge forward and managed to get past a few guys. Before you knew it, the dark clouds had rolled in and some rain spots started to appear on the camera lenses.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
The heavens opened on lap 5 as the riders headed into turn 3, making the decision an easy one—get to pitlane. For Brad and a few other riders, this non-stop flag-to-flag format would be a first. With no grip at all, number 33 guided his machine into pitlane and exited onto a very wet track.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
He rode within his limits well rider after rider met the gravel including teammate Miguel Oliveira. Brad crossed the line in 13th after surviving 27 very difficult laps around Le Mans.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
Brad Binder: “A crazy race today. I had some problems at the start and ended up last into Turn 1. I managed to get past a few guys but then a few laps into the race we saw really dark clouds and some rain spots. It then really started pouring as we went through Turn 3. It was hard to get back to the pitlane because there was no grip at all. It was pretty dangerous. Starting again on wet tyres the grip was the worst we’ve had in the wet all weekend. It was my first flag-to-flag. A difficult race, a difficult weekend. I was glad to finish but not the position we wanted.”
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
Another absolutely breathtaking MotoGP race and our first flag-to-flag in four years. An awesome afternoon in France sees the top four in the title race sit just 16 points apart (Quartararo leading the way from Bagnaia, Zarco and Miller). Riders will now enjoy a short break, before moving to Mugello for the Gran Premio d’Italia (28-30 May).
Issued by AMID (Association of Motorcycle Importers & Distributors in SA).
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Motorcycle helmets (a major piece of safety equipment for motorcycle riders) have been allocated a new import tariff code, by the passing of a recently published Government Gazette (No. 44546 of 7 May 2021). A process that was started by AMID almost exactly four years ago, has led to the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition reducing import duties for helmets to zero from its previous rate of 25%.
The essence of AMID’s application was that there is no local helmet manufacturing industry in South Africa that requires protection. Additionally, unfavourable exchange rates made the purchase of a new helmet, less affordable and riders were using their helmets for longer periods than what was deemed safe. A further concern was the noticeable use of aged, unsafe and unsuitable helmets used by the growing population of commercial riders which had seen a major upswing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although it may take some time for helmet stock presently in the country to find its way off the shelves, Importers have already indicated that the reduction in duties will positively affect the costs of helmets and the benefit of such will be passed on to consumers. AMID is confident that this will make the purchase of a new helmet more affordable and will encourage riders, whether it be for commercial or recreational purposes, to no longer use helmets that are past their useful life span.
It must however be noted that the import duty was but one component of a helmet’s costing, so the removal of duty will not result in a 25% reduction of the retail price.
Here at ZA Bikers, we follow the MotoGP race season like it’s a religion—but what about those boring weekends where no racing happens? Or the long lockdown months in the off season? To cure our lockdown blues, our good friends at Gamefinity (the guys behind KOODOO) sent us a PlayStation with the latest copy of MotoGP 21.
In the last couple of years, there’s been an increase in race simulation games being used for realistic training in sports like F1, MotoGP, WRC and even the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Athletes use them to work on track memory and race reflexes—and regular gamers benefit from games that bring a whole new level of realism.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
For 2021, Milestone continues to develop their popular MotoGP racing sim with a host of improvements and new features. MotoGP 21 brings with it an improved connection to the bike’s moving parts, quicker load times, enhanced lighting and an improved dynamic resolution. New additions include long lap penalties, brake temperature and bike retrieval features.
With 20 official tracks to choose from (including three historic tracks), and six motorcycle classes (MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3 and the legendary 800, 990 and 500 two-stroke classes)—you are spoiled for choice before the lights even go out.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The only question is: is this new chapter of MotoGP gaming for experts only, or is it enjoyable and playable for newbies and kids too?
If you, like myself, have spent hundreds of hours playing Milestone’s long-running bike sim, and have every braking zone from Silverstone’s Turn One to Jerez’s Lorenzo Corner memorised, MotoGP 21 is still going to be a challenge. But fear not—if you’ve played the last two versions of the game, it’ll only take you a few hours to get settled in. And for the newbies, it’s loaded with tutorials to bring you up to speed.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The tutorials are a great intro for first-time MotoGP players, and while experience gamers will have no need for them, it’s still nice to see Milestone catering to newcomers. Beginners can switch the ideal trajectory line on, which projects a coloured line on the track, indicating the exact line to take and when to brake. As a firm believer in not being babied, I’d suggest rather using the curve indicators—they work excellently for showing you braking, apex, and exit points, leaving you to figure out the rest.
Once you’ve mastered this, there are three main playing modes in MotoGP 21: Online Races, Career Mode and three quick modes (Grand Prix, Time Trial and Championship). I spent most of my time in the quick modes, clocking in some serious time trial laps to dial in my riding style and test all the bikes, before switching to career mode.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Once you’re riding, smoothness is the word of the day. Any harsh braking, stabs of throttle or heavy steering usually results in absolute disaster—unless you do everything smoothly and under modulation. Having all the assists turned to max helps, but where’s the fun in that? Even while riding as buttery smooth as the legendary Max Biaggi you can still ‘feel’ the bike alive underneath you, especially as you start to peel the assists off.
My main struggle at first was the increased sensitivity under braking. Too much braking would cause stoppies, too little and I’d be off the track. Finding a balance took a while, but what eventually worked for me was using 80% front brake when hitting the initial braking marker, and pulling the rider’s weight back with the L3 button. Then I’d smoothly progress into the corner with very little trail braking.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
I usually don’t use the back brake unless I want to get closer to the apex mid-corner, and I also like to have my engine braking on the max setting so that I’m less likely to lose the front. That also helps preserve tyre life which, even though this is a video game, actually matters.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
MotoGP 21’s live dashboard adjustments are hyper-realistic too. On your dash, you’ll see TCS (Traction control system), AW (Anti-wheelie), EBS (Engine Braking System) and PWR (Power Mapping). These are your safety nets as well as your means of staying on track and finishing a race. It’s all good setting the lap record and riding flat out during qualifying, but come race day and fuel/tyre management can make or break your race.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The realism is also felt in actual tactile feedback, via the vibrations coming from the remote. The left side of the remote seems to be connected to the front tyre and the right to the rear, so when it comes to putting down the power and breaking traction you can feel it all. Where I enjoyed that the most, was when the front end started to break loose—in previous games, you wouldn’t know when it was going to tuck, but, with the increased sensitivity you can get on the gas earlier and prevent low-sides.
While bike retrieval may be a cool feature, it’s quicker to just re-spawn after a crash (the AI players don’t actually use the retrieval feature either). Obviously, the AI players are faster or slower at various difficulty levels, but the interesting thing to me was where they were faster. The only difference between the easiest and most difficult setting is straight-line speed, while corner speed appears to stay exactly the same. So it becomes a cat and mouse game for beginners—catching up down the straights and getting dropped in the corners.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Annoyingly, when the AI players cut corners or bumped other riders out the way, they wouldn’t inherit any penalties. I’m nearly done with my nit-picking, but this next one is a biggie: there’s no rubber being leftover on the track when power-sliding out of a corner or when backing it in during braking. Heartbreaking stuff, especially since even MotoGP 4 had this!
But, besides these little gripes, and a chassis being wrong on a bike or two, the gameplay is spot on.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Once you’re well familiar with how to ride a virtual MotoGP motorcycle, switch to career mode. You’ll have the neat option of doing the full 2021 calendar as it should have been, and if you want some nostalgia you can do last year’s tweaked calendar.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
From there, the game has a familiar feel to MotoGP 20, with the signing of personnel and the chance to start a new team and pick your colours. (You can even take part in the Red Bull Rookies Cup.) Pick your development paths, assign and budget your staff, and get racing.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
If personalising your kit or bike, is your kind of thing, then you are going to love MotoGP 21’s customisation section. I gave it a try, starting off with some sticker designs and then moving onto a multiple-layer Scorpion R1 helmet design. There’s lots of fun to be had here, if you’ve got the time and imagination that is.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Overall, MotoGP 21 is a fantastic game that might be daunting to newcomers, but can be mastered with patience and practice. If you like motorcycle racing, gaming and a good challenge, then MotoGP 21 might just be your match.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Competition time!
Fill in your name and email address in the form below to stand a chance of winning a copy of the MotoGP 21 game on any of these selected consoles: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S. The winner will be announced on 31 May 2021!
Does BMW Motorrad have a recipe crisis? If we look at their spread of motorcycles they have a mix of R, RR, RS, RT and let’s not forget GS, and more. And then there is XR. This is listed as an Adventure bike in their segmentation, but where does this fit in, and who is it for?
Having a week with an F 900 XR I decided to use the bike in as many different scenarios as possible to see what the mix is, with themes all the way from city bike to tourer. For those of you who don’t want to read further let me give you the summary: This is the sporty side of road adventure riding, and it’s very, very good.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
BMW’s move from squint eyes to the symmetrical headlight design results in an attractive, if perhaps not as unique, look. From the front, in particular, there is an almost “Multistrada” look, yet there is an aggression to the bike that is quite appealing. It definitely has a sporty appearance, yet with a more comfortable and upright riding position, and this is where the recipe discussion starts. It is not a GS with off-road ability, yet it isn’t an R or RR which are on the other side of the sporty spectrum.
Our test bike arrived in Galvanic Gold, with Racing Red & Light White also available, with Granite Grey finishes on all (how about those colour names?!). All the colours work on the bike, with a definite sporty (there’s that word again) style and even with the upright position the bike looks like it’s ready for the twisties all the time.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
An element that I always appreciate is clever design and, as is the BMW Motorrad way, there are some clever design touches, such as the wheel valve that sits in the spoke of the wheel rim rather than the outer rim itself, and there isn’t a tool bag but rather a neat and tidy storage area under the seat where the tools clip-in. Clever.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The defining, and most dominant ingredient in this recipe is the riding. And I will admit to being pleasantly surprised. If we start with the engine, this was a highlight. Previous parallel twins have had a functional but not-to-much-inspiration feel and sound to them, but this new engine with the 270-degree crankshaft has a greater personality to it, from a low rpm off-beat nature to a lovely almost v-twin-like note towards the red line. Rated at 77kW and 92 Nm, the torque delivery is smooth, but more importantly, this motor can happily live at low rpm for the conservative ride or live at high rpm for those higher-speed blasts.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
If you’re gentle this engine can sip fuel, with test numbers below 4 l/100km (according to the tell-tale onboard computer), up to a highest of around 5,3 l/100km. WMTC is rated at 4,2l/100, by the way. The Fuel tank size is 15,5l, so you’re looking at a range, depending on riding style, of around 300 km.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
I mentioned the upright seating position earlier, and it is certainly a comfortable and well-designed riding space. Controls are well placed, the digital display is superb with a great deal of information, and the screen has a two-position adjustment depending on your height and does a fair job of deflecting the wind. There are different seat heights available, standard at 825 mm, with a range from 775 mm up to 870 mm, so have a chat with the dealer.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
It must be mentioned though, on longer trips numb bum definitely sets in, with the seat itself being quite firm. The sporty design seems to be moulded around the rider who would like to move around on the bike while cornering, very much in the sports bike genre.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The bike itself weighs in at around 219 kg, depending on toys. The XR certainly didn’t feel heavy, with an eagerness to turn in (the tall type of motorcycle setup certainly aids this) and there was impressive high-speed mid-corner stability as well. Again, as befitting a sporty bike (that word again….).
Further specification to highlight include BMW’s Dynamic ESA, which has a noticeable impact on bike set up and feel, and the quick shifter. I found this to be perfect changing down the gears but sometimes not consistently smooth on the way up, so I tended to help on occasion. Full throttle changes were on the money though. A further highlight was the superb headlights, some of the best I’ve ridden with. The lighting is superb, together with adaptive cornering lighting I found it a pleasure to ride at night.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
What has certainly impressed me is BMW Motorrad’s Connected App. I don’t have the space to list all the features here, but I get a sense that BMW have designed this specifically for bikers and are using the best of their car technology (including small details like displaying speed limit info) and keeping rider-focused (trip recording with data such as lean angles and integrating pictures taken), all of this giving a certain premium experience, which is to be expected from BMW.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
My favourite ride of the test period was a Sunday afternoon impulsive ride. I just felt like a long relaxing ride to clear the mind and refocus for the week ahead, so I hopped on the bike and went for a long ride which had both fast and cruising moments, and a spectacular coffee stop halfway. In that environment, I felt that the bike had found its sweet spot: fast enough, stable, comfortable, fun at the right moments. The recipe is starting to make sense.
The official pricing starts at R 185 000, according to the BMW Motorrad website, and the motorcycle as tested it came to R 213 000, with toys such as the Comfort Package, Touring Package and Dynamic Package. Interesting though, deals seem to be below this price point so take a look at the offers.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
When it comes to Value-for-Money this motorcycle makes a good case for itself, with BMW’s 5-year warranty and a top-notch dealer network. It may not be the cheapest in the segment but these factors, together with the build quality and the features on the motorcycle, make it appealing.
The question at the beginning was one of “recipe”. Each motorcycle has a mix of ingredients that, once mixed, baked and served, create a unique taste for the consumer. In a market full of superb motorcycles, and from a brand full of segment defining products such as the GS, I can fully understand the confusion on the menu (to perhaps push this analogy to its limit).
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
This is the kind of motorcycle you need to research and then ride to fully understand. If the bike you are looking for needs to be relatively sporty, looks great, needs on-road performance and doesn’t need to go off-road, then this bike must be on your short-list.
From a BMW Motorrad model line-up point-of-view, the recipe here is the F 900 XR is all the bike you need, whereas the extra power, performance and noise of the S 1000 XR is all you want. For those riders who don’t want the extra spice of the 1000’s, the F 900 XR will taste superb.
If any of you have trolled YouTube for Adventure motorcycle riding tips, you would have almost certainly come across the fellow with the unpronounceable name, Bret Tkacs. I first made his acquaintance on a YouTube channel called Mototrek, which is dedicated to various aspects of Adventure bike riding. Bret was pretty much the ‘main man’ there for quite some time. He has travelled the globe on a variety of bikes, over many years and acquired a vast amount of experience and motorcycling skills. You only need to watch one of his training videos to understand that this guy is particularly gifted. He swears that he was an ordinary rider who upskilled himself in the school of hard knocks, but I am not so sure.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
For the last few years, Bret has done his own thing, which has involved predominantly training Adventure, road and even Police and Military motorcyclists to up their skills. The objective is to be more competent and therefore safer, saving both man and machine from coming to grief. This obviously makes riding way more enjoyable. Visit his website at brettkacs.com. I learnt of his impending visit to SA to offer some training courses, as well as explore Southern Africa for a future tour that he plans to host here. Dave Griffin, from Fast KTM in Alberton hosted Bret on Saturday 1st of May, where he had an informal chat with some local Adventure riders, keen to hear what he had to share.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
Bret is one of those uniquely gifted trainers who analyses techniques and equipment and then not only tells you what to do, but importantly why to do it that way. He encourages trainees to continually analyse and think, before tackling obstacles or riding challenges. “Why”, should be the question ever-present on your lips. Adventure riding is much more than “look up, stand up and open up”. I am often asked what Adventure bike is best in sand, or whatever. The fact is that off-road riding is a very particular and acquired skill. No big Adventure bike is “good” in sand, per se, however, by understanding the physics involved and practising the necessary technique, you can acquire the skill to allow you to master sand riding, or any other off-road obstacle within reason.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
On the subject of “what bike is best”, I love Bret’s answer to that particular question. He describes himself as a “bike whore”, who has owned numerous bikes over the years, pointing out that every bike has strengths and weaknesses. He rides what works for him, with no allegiance to any particular make. The one that is right for you is the one that ticks the most boxes for what you need from your bike and the type of riding that you prefer. As a bit of a ‘bike slut’ myself, I totally get it. 350 odd bikes later, my wife Irene, calls it an obsession.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
The long and the short is that if your ego renders you unteachable, (because you know it all) you are limiting your enjoyment of motorcycling. You are probably also exposing yourself to unnecessary danger too. Motorcycling is an acquired skill which gets better as your skill evolves. The fact that you have ridden for years may simply mean that you have become set in your ways and got away with it. Listening to Bret at Fast KTM, really reminded me that as motorcyclists, we should always be teachable and seek to raise our skill level. Huge shout out to Dave Griffin and his Fast KTM team for hosting this World Class trainer and motorcycle personality.
With 150 hp and a modern electronics package, can an American dual-sport machine threaten established adventure bikes from BMW, KTM, Honda and co.? Our man in Europe spent two days aboard the new Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special, in the French region of Luberon, to find out.
Is the Pan America pretty? Ugly? Interesting? Just plain weird? I can’t really answer that question. But on the other hand, I’ve never considered the BMW GS to be a remarkable piece of design, and KTM’s Kiska-designed machines aren’t really to my taste.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
In fact, I’ve never considered big adventure bikes to be chefs d’oeuvre of motorcycle aesthetics. They have to deal with function over design, and that’s fine with me.
I had the chance to chat with Harley-Davidson’s lead designer, Brad Richards, at the 2019 EICMA motor show in Milan, Italy. Brad designed the Pan America, and is perfectly happy if you don’t like, but he did explain the thinking behind its design. Take the fuel tank and draw a line just underneath it—under that line is the mechanical section; above it is function and design.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Richards wanted the Pan America’s visual identity to be very American: the front end, for instance, is a mix of a Road Glide ‘shark nose’ front end, with the visual impact of a Jeep’s radiator grill, enhanced by modern LED lights. At least the Pan America isn’t wrapped in weird plastic panels all over, nor does it have the same ‘duck bill’ that’s been part of dual-sport design since the 1988 Suzuki DR 750.
Love it or hate it, at least the Pan America has its own personality.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
1.6 million kilometres of testing
The Motor Co. has developed a brand new engine, and no, it doesn’t make the archetypical ‘potato-potato’ sound. The 1,252 cc V-twin has been through more than 1,6 million kilometres of testing, half of them on off-road sections.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
The technology is interesting, and so are the figures: with 150 hp, the liquid-cooled ‘Revolution Max’ engine is more powerful than BMW’s big boxer, but torque is a bit lower at 128 Nm. (The BMW GS makes 143 Nm, the Ducati Multistrada V4 makes 125 Nm.)
The tech department has been busy. The short stroke (105 x 72 mm) is unusual for a Harley, opened at 60° with a 90° firing order, and running with a twin spark system, 8 valves with hydraulic valve clearance, variable valve timing, and two countershafts for reducing vibrations. That sounds very good, but big miles-eaters might think twice, since the service intervals (8,000 km) seem comparatively short against the competition.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
The Pan America’s engine is smooth and, at standstill, makes the sort of sound that you’d expect from Aprilia Mille or the Rotax 1125. It sounds better when you hear it passing by than when you’re on board, but the optional Screamin’ Eagle improves the soundtrack without being too loud. It also appears to be very smooth at low revs, with a fair amount of oomph from mid-range, depending on which engine map you’ve selected.
Full electronics package
As a modern machine, the Pan America 1250 comes with a full electronics package. Available engine modes include Rain (where the power delivery is limited to 110 hp), Road, Sport, Off-Road and Off-Road Plus. Throttle response and traction Control settings are different from one mode to the next, and the Pan America has different personalities depending on what you pick.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
There are also two ‘user’ modes, where you can mix your own recipe. I quickly chose Sport mode, with the semi-electronic suspensions set to ‘comfort’ mode. And if you’re wondering about long off-road stretches, the ‘Off Road Plus’ mode allows the traction control and the ABS on the rear wheel to be deactivated.
The 6.8” colour and tilt-able TFT screen is easy to read and is more than stacked with info—although some bits of info were a bit too small for my old eyes. Besides that, the ergonomics are great, as the touchscreen and logical switchgear make for a great combo.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Another great function is Harley’s new ‘Adaptative Ride Height’ (ARH) system, which comes as an option on the Special model. When selected, the semi-electronic suspension works on the preload to reduce the seat height by 20 mm, making the Pan America’s seat height as low as 830 mm (instead of the normal 850 / 875 mm). A handy option for shorter riders.
Easy, fun, comfortable
When I saw the first pictures of the Pan America, it looked as big as half a Hummer to me. In reality, I’d say its dimensions are more or less in the vein of the Yamaha XTZ 1200… which means it’s more compact than a GS Adventure or a Multistrada Enduro. That’s good for city riding and parking the bike, while still offering a great level of comfort.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
The riding position is perfectly natural and on par with what you expect from a dual-sport bike, and the fuel tank is not too wide. The windscreen is adjustable by hand with a 45 mm range; at 1,88 m tall I had some wind on the upper half of my helmet, but my shoulders were correctly protected on the open road. Hand guards and heated grips are also welcomed additions, as well as cruise control.
On the road, the Pan America has a very reliable front end—this is the kind of bike that makes you smile when comes to the twisties. The brand new Michelin Scorcher Adventure tyres are excellent and provide great grip and feedback. And the Brembo radial brakes deliver power and progressive feel, and don’t affect the bike’s handling when you drag them into a corner.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
The chassis is exceptionally neutral and forgiving too. With a 42° lean angle right and left, you can ride hard without scratching the pegs all over the place. With a bit of riding skill, the Pan America will be a top mountain pass contender, with the 150 hp peaking tangibly in the zone between 6,500 and 9,000 rpm.
At a more sedate pace, the V2 engine relaxes at 4,000 rpm at 110 km/h in sixth gear, with a low level of vibration. The seat and suspension are on the plush side, so there’s no doubt that the Pan America will make a great tourer.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Off the beaten track
As we get around Mont Ventoux, of which the 1910 meters-above-sea-level peak can be seen from kilometres away, our guide decides to take us off-road through pine tree forest and lavender fields. This is one more Pan American magic trick—getting us close to this great scenery.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
We had to make a small stop to put the bike into ‘Off-road’ mode, and even ‘Off-road Plus’ for some dirt riders, where the ABS is disengaged on the rear wheel and the traction control is off. Since my South African nickname is ‘Fearless Flippie,’ I went all in!
I found the standing riding position very comfortable, and didn’t feel the need for handlebar risers. And the rather narrow fuel tank helps a lot for control. I had one close call when my Forma off-road boot slipped away from foot peg—but it was my fault for not removing the rubber insert that makes it more comfortable on the open road.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
A couple of seconds later I was trashing the throttle, to discover the perfect stability of the Pan America, and the great composure of the suspension. The rather linear personality of the V-twin engine also helps for subtle traction and acceleration control. While I was missing a quick-shifter on the road (I wasn’t actually missing it, but since the competition offers it, it feels like it’s missing), it was possible to gear up without using the clutch on the gravel.
My only concern is seeing the voltage regulator grill quite exposed in the middle of the aluminium bash plate… will the Pan America’s 210 mm ground clearance be enough in rocky sections?
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
And what about the ‘standard’ version?
I also had the chance to ride the standard version of the Pan America 1250, which appears to be a bargain at R310,900 when compared to the R352,800 of the Special. Of course, you’ll then have to deal with a lower level of equipment.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
The standard Pan America does not feature the adaptive suspension system, cornering lights, hand guards, heated grips, crash bars, aluminium skid plate, centre stand and a few more small items. You also can’t spec it with factory options, like spoked wheels or the ARH system. There are less colour choices too, and the tank logo is an actual badge rather than the painted logo on the Special.
There is one up side: if you go for the standard version, you’ll save R40,000 and 15 kilos. Want another? The standard version doesn’t have a steering damper, and that makes the front end feel much lighter at small and average speeds. It’s the kind of feeling that makes us love trail bikes in the first place, because they feel more nimble and intuitive to ride. So ultimately, the standard version has a lighter and more fun front end.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Will you miss the steering damper? It’s hard to say, because, during two days of riding, which included some road sessions at a rather fast pace (since one of our marshals was an FIM Endurance world champion), as well as a fair time of off-road, we never experienced any sort of head shake from the Special. So it clearly has some effect.
The Special’s semi-electronic suspension is versatile, delivering sporty road-holding in ‘Sport’ mode and softer characteristics off-road, and can handle a pillion and luggage equally well—all by pressing a button. But on the other hand, if your riding is more or less the same most of the time, the Showa equipment on the standard Pan America 1250 is more than adequate.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
For my money, I’d choose the standard issue Pan Am with two extras: hand guards and heated grips.
Overall, I reckon the American machine offers one of the best fun-for-Rands and touring packages in its class. One thing’s for sure: it’s worth a test ride.
I have owned over 340 motorcycles over the years, most of which utilised chains to transfer the engine power to the back wheel. Put like that, it makes you realise that without a chain, your 200 and plenty horsepower crotch rocket is pretty damn useless. It also suggests that if you can keep that chain in optimum condition, it will transfer the maximum amount of power possible, to your back wheel. Chain design has advanced tremendously over the years. Introducing ‘X’ and ‘O’ ring chains have helped extend chain life and reduce friction, with resultant power loss, to a minimum. The seals on the individual link pivots use the seals to keep grease in the chain roller internals, allowing them to rotate freely. So why do we need chain lube then? For two primary reasons. Stop the chain rusting and lubricate the metal on metal surface between the rollers and the sprockets.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Sprockets? Forgot those didn’t you? Chain Spray should actually be called Chain and Sprocket Spray, because that is what it preserves and protects. By regularly applying a decent lube to your chain you will significantly extend the service life and enhance the power delivery properties of your running gear. Enter Liqui Moly’s fully synthetic Chain Spray.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
I recently rode down to the Champagne Sports Resort in the Berg. This was a perfect opportunity to put Liqui Moly Chain Spray to the test. From a rider’s perspective, I want a chain spray or lube to do a few things. Owners manuals suggest the use, by and large, of “gear oil” to lube your chain. A typical thick, probably 90 weight, oil. Back in the day, before the serious advance of technology, this is what we used. It works damn well too! On the chain, back wheel, spokes, tyre, frame and last but not least, your pants.
‘Adhering quality’ is thus a biggie for me. The lube I use must stick to the chain and not fling off. By staying on the chain, it also lasts longer, requiring less frequent re-application. By reducing friction, also keeps temperatures down, again extending the life of the chain. I also rate the ease of application. A spray is easy and quick to apply and goes on evenly. So, before I left for the Berg, I applied an even, uniform coat of Liqui Moly to the chain on my MT-07 Tracer. Just have to pack my stuff bag and hit the road.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Here is where Liqui Moly have pulled an absolute Coup. We obviously need to pack the chain lube for our trip. Thing is, I don’t need to lug a 250 ml can along to apply a single squirt to my chain for the return journey. Liqui Moly have come up with a simple solution, possibly prompted by a cross-pollination from their excellent range of bicycle products. Cyclists have no way of carrying huge cans along, so Liqui Moly makes a tiny 50ml can that can be stuffed in the pocket of your cycling shirt, or for us motorised bicyclists, in a jacket or pants pocket. “Is that chain lube in your pocket, or………” tee hee.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
This also means that you don’t have to open your luggage to get to your lube. You got more than enough for a return trip to Cape Town, literally in your pocket. Wait!, the cleverness doesn’t stop there. Pop the nozzle off your big can and little can, invert the small can and in the same way, you fill a lighter with fluid, you fill your tiny can from the Big Momma! The male/female nature of the two nozzles make it a fuss-free, mess-free doddle. Damn, that is so clever.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
To check how well your lube is working you spy your chain from behind your bike, where it runs around your rear sprocket. You want to see dull, lube coated, rather than shiny rollers. After 400 kays the lube was still perfect. A sure sign of a spray that is not flinging off, breaking down but rather doing its job. I didn’t ride in the rain, so I can’t report on the water resistance, however, it is part of Liqui Moly’s recipe. This is what makes the small pocket can such a boon. If you need to apply regularly, you can. The lube is designed to penetrate, lubricate, resist flinging off, specifically at high speed and is at its best when the propellant has dried completely. Ester technology, which involves stable molecules, good solvency and superior extreme-temperature performance, at its best. I lube my chain when I can let it ‘rest’ a while, like when you lash a quick Wimpy burger and coffee.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
For me, the quality of the lube and the convenience of the re-fillable pocket-sized can, is a game-changer. It almost goes without saying that Liqui Moly Chain Spray is suitable for all conventional high performance, as well as O and X ring chains. Another cutting edge product from Liqui Moly.
Liqui Moly Chain Spray
For more information on the product used in this article, click on the link below…
Combine Bullets from Bologna, a bunch of passionate people, perfect weather and some of the most scenic roads in the country, for a sure-fire recipe for a really good time.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
And so it was. The previous Mystery tour, at the end of 2020, was plagued by some really grotty weather. Cold, rain, mist and all. It was still so epic that even more Ducati owners signed up for this tour. Personally, I was really looking forward to the tour, given that I would be riding and not in a backup vehicle as a “sick, lame and lazy”, this time around. We arrived at World of Motorcycles to be greeted by the spectacular sight of 40 odd Ducati’s lined up and ready to roll.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
The Ducati truck had already departed with our main luggage, dropped off the previous day, so it was just odds and sods in the top box of the red (it’s a Ducati, hello?) Multistrada 1200 S, that was going to be Irene and my ride for the tour. Croissants and coffee were quaffed whilst meeting and greeting all the old cronies and a few new ones to boot, followed by a quick briefing with a prayer, asking the Lord’s protection over the group, then the familiar Mystery Tour cry from Ducati bossman, Jos Matthysen, of “vyf minute”. Kit up, hop on the bikes and away we went, to only Jos knew where.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
That is why it is called a “Mystery Tour”. Participants need to guess each days destination, thereby qualifying for a cool prize for being the closest. Jos posted the distance of each days ride on the group, letting us pore over our maps and check for possible destinations linking a sweet route together. Suffice to say, that by the time we departed, we had the compass covered with guesses in every possible direction and then some. So, different to last year, we rode out in perfect, cool and comfortable riding weather, under a big blue sky. My guess was Lephalale. I was pretty sure we wouldn’t follow last years route and 367 k’s would take us right there. Also to consider was where you can accommodate a large group of people. Riders, pillions and support crew. It is huge fun plotting and scheming as you go. We rode towards Sun City, then hooked a right, re-fuelled and just out of a settlement, pulled off the road to where the Ducati truck was parked with braai fires going and ice-cold drinks aplenty. We assembled and downed some awesome burgers, enjoying a great brunch.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
Back on the road, we followed signs to Lephalale and just as I was doing a mental fist pump and savouring my anticipated prize, horror of horrors, Jos turned off towards Brits! It was then left to Bela-Bela and our stop for the night, the beautiful Klein-Kariba resort. Traditionally, this facility has never allowed motorcycles, but we know Jos to be a particularly persuasive fellow. After a chill and clean-up, we gathered together for dinner at a private facility where we could do our own thing, enjoying some cold ones and a tasty braai. With hunger and thirst sorted and after some really good ‘kuiering’, it was some weary bikers that made their way off to their chalets and beds. Where to tomorrow, we all wondered?
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
Breakfast done and rolling by 8 am, we headed north on ‘B’ roads. Did I mention that Jos detests highways? The bushveld is beautiful after the good seasonal rains, making for some great riding on generally good roads. It was an interesting assortment of Ducati’s that rolled across the countryside. Mostly super versatile, all road-friendly Multistrada’s, 1260 Enduros, S’s and a few new magnificent V4’s.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
Then we had a few Diavel’s, characterised by their distinctive brutal staccato exhaust note and visually dominant, massive gumball back tyres. I took a mental hat off to their riders, who tackled a ride that was always going to be challenging on a power cruiser. These Ducati pilots are a resilient lot, driven by an enduring passion for their magnificent machines. We even had a Panigale, showing that it can tour as well as tear.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
Refuelling in Potgietersrus, my mate Joop asked if I would like to sample his new Multistrada V4 S. Needless to say, I didn’t need much time to ponder that one! Faster than you can say ‘you betcha’, I had swopped key fobs and planted my butt in the plush seat of the V4 S. Now I accept that the 1200 S Multi I was on is a few years old and perhaps even old tech when compared to the latest 1260s, but it remains an impressive motorcycle. Until you ride the new V4, that is. All of a sudden the 1200 S feels rather agricultural. I rode the V4 S on a sweeping and undulating road towards Burgersfort. What a revelation this bike is! It is super plush, with the electronic suspension set to ‘Auto’. It makes a mockery of road imperfections, cosseting the rider and pillion on a stable and comfortable platform, all the more able to make the most of the magnificent motor.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
I have always loved V4 motors, having owned Honda V4’s of both 800 and 1200 cc’s. The Ducati, typical of the brand, manages to inject an air of exotica into the experience. The motor is powerful, smooth and flexible. Accelerate from low speed in 6th gear and there is no chuntering, but rather just smooth progressive shove, which builds in intensity as the revs rise. The gearbox is the best I have experienced on a Ducati. Light and precise and endowed with a superb up and down Quickshifter. The bike runs particularly cool, too. Even when trolling through the end of the month Burgersfort traffic, the bike remained balanced and unruffled.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
The way the bodywork vents any heat away from the rider is particularly impressive. It was a real test of our friendship when I had to hand the magnificent V4 back to Joop. I was tempted to do a runner, until I realised that whilst I could run and would probably get away, considering the Multistrada V4 S’s prowess, I could not hide…. so I grudgingly gave Joop his bike back. Thank you, my friend, sincerely, for trusting me with your magnificent bike!
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
We stopped at a cool pub in a backstreet of Burgersfort, for a very welcome cold one, before proceeding down the mountain to Ohrigstad, then down Robber’s Pass to Pilgrims Rest. After a long hot day, we trundled into a superb game Lodge between White River and Nelspruit, for an evening of splendid pampering, in truly World Class surroundings. Jos never fails to amaze and surprise on these Mystery Tours. Surrounded by mountainous roads, we just knew that the next days riding would be spectacular. And so it proved to be.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
With daytime temperatures in the mid-’20s, it was wonderful riding weather. We descended the tight twisties to Barberton before turning to Badplaas and up the mountain towards Swaziland. Ermelo, Paulpietersburg and beyond. Crossing into Kwa-Zulu Natal, we made our way through Ladysmith, then turned towards Winterton and the magnificent Drakensburg. Just outside town, we turned right and literally followed a road that became progressively tighter and narrower, with increasingly spectacular mountain vistas, before culminating at the wonderful Cathedral Peak hotel. We got settled in and cleaned up, before gathering for pre-dinner drinks and the legendary Cathedral Peak buffet dinner. Being the last night on tour, there was some business to attend to. Jos introduced the Judge Presiding, one Joop Groeneveld, resplendent in his regalia, which, to be honest, was more reminiscent of an Arab Sheik than a judge. Not that I was going to chirp, knowing the powers of liquid retribution which he wielded.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
First lambs to the slaughter, were those foolish enough to not wear their cool Ducati shirts. The sentence was a single shot. Rob Portman was lashed with three, for re-naming Robber’s Pass, “Rob’s Pass”. Still feeling aggrieved, I asked the Judge what sentence he would pass on someone who allowed his mate to ride his V4 S and then callously, without due regard for the irreparable damage that it could cause, demand it back. To his eternal credit, he uttered an unrepeatable expletive before sentencing himself to a shot. SA needs more Judges of his ilk, that’s for sure! Prosecutors did their job and Judge Joop meted out justice with unwavering resolve. It was thus a well-fed, well ‘watered’ and suitably chastised bunch of Ducatisti, that wobbled off to bed at the end of a special day’s riding and festivities.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
Sunrise at Cathedral Peak is really something special to behold. You know that something is particularly unique, when people, up early to see the sunrise over the mountains, pass each other on the pathways and speak in hushed tones, aware that they are witnessing something amazing. The rising sun streaks the wisps of cloud a wonderful orange and the mountainsides are bathed in a fresh morning glow. You find yourself emotional from the sheer glory of it all. What a splendid way to ease into the last day of our tour.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
The end of tour day is always bittersweet. Thoughts do turn to home, whilst also being upset that good times are coming to an end. Jos led us over Oliviershoek Pass, past the Dam and then through Golden Gate, including the beautiful Oribi loop and then on to Clarens for some final refreshments, before heading to Bethlehem, Warden and a final squirt down the only piece of highway of the whole trip, to home. In total, 2,237 kays flew by, under the predominantly red bunch of Bologna Bullets. Reflecting on another Ducati Mystery Tour and soaking up the comments posted by the participants on the group, it is evident that Jos, assisted wholeheartedly by his special wife Lida, is doing something incredibly special with Ducati.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
He seems absolutely intent and spares no expense, on ensuring that his customers and friends really enjoy themselves. He is fostering a camaraderie and brand loyalty that is unique and enduring. Huge thanks go out to Jos and the team for a really epic event. When is the next one? Just asking and……Joop, all will be forgiven, if you can’t make it, I would be prepared to keep your V4’s battery charged and oil circulated…..
This weekend marked the 15th annual International Female Ride Day (IFRD)—a day that has been shining a light on women motorcyclists, and inspiring up and coming riders, for the last 14 years. Since its inception, the IFRD has sparked a significant increase in female ridership, and we truly believe that this event’s positive momentum is necessary to keep advancing the future of motorcycling.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Thousands of female riders in over 120 countries united for a mass ride, to create awareness for women in the motorcycling industry. Biker’s Warehouse, along with many other dealers and importers, joined this initiative by hosting the Johannesburg leg of the event.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Our good friends Motul SA always seems to be at the forefront of such events that encourage a new generation of lady bikers. They have a planned 2021 Learn to Ride Day coming up soon, which is an event specifically for ladies. We will keep you posted on this, as and when the dates are announced.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
In the initial planning, Biker’s Warehouse expected to host just over 150 women riders—but on the day they were looking at close to double that. This just indicates how many female riders there are out there, and how valuable events like these are.
From these locations they would ride as a band of sisters, visiting each dealer taking part, before returning from the various rides for a High Tea at Biker’s Warehouse. With great live entertainment, and support from nearly the whole motorcycle industry, it was an event not to be missed.
Photo credit: Meredith Potgieter / ZA Bikers
As many riders took to the roads most travelled, a select group of 53 dirt enthusiasts and adventurers decided to get their rides dirty. Morag Campbell from OpenRider, had two awesome routes planned for her crusty adventure ladies, the easier Jalapeno ride and the more technical Habanero ride.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
From what Morag explained to me, certain section of the ride turned into a gnarly mudfest. From my experience of riding offroad, the most memorable days usually end with the most dirtiest gear. The riders were divided into five groups with plenty of support at hand, with a lead rider and sweep riders per group, an overall co-ordinating medic and supportive Think Bike Marshalls. At the end of the day, all 53 riders had a blast on these two routes, returning with muddy smiles, muddy bikes (the Powasol free wash-and-go had their work cut out for them) and life long memories.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
It’s no secret that our industry has a way to go when it comes to being a safe and inclusive space for women on motorcycles. But visiting different motorcycle dealers on our group rides gave me hope. I found shops that are dedicated to changing for the better, and leaving outdated stereotypes of where women fit in the motorcycling industry behind.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Accessories and gear sections are starting to look more balanced for both sexes, and male sales staff are engaging more with like-minded women that share the same passion: bikes!
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
After our group rides, we pulled into an action-packed Biker’s Warehouse, where good chow, great music, stunning bikes and a High Tea was prepared for the women.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
IFRD is all about having fun, empowerment, and getting more women outside to ride. As a male, consider bringing your daughter along next time, or a female friend that hasn’t been introduced to motorcycling yet… and get their wheels turning.
Milestone and Dorna Sports S.L. are proud to announce the release of MotoGP™21, the next chapter of the famous two-wheeled racing simulation games that are ready to arrive on next-generation consoles. The game is now available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch.
Featuring the 2021 Official Season and enriched by the power of next-generation consoles, MotoGP™21 will deliver a more real than ever experience, boosted by several new features, like Long Lap Penalty, Bike Retrieval, and Brake Temperature. Real-life gameplay improvements will enhance simulation vibes, along with the Managerial Career, this year featuring the Junior Team path.
Photo credit: MotoGP™21
The gameplay’s iconic new features have the goal to create an unbelievable racing simulation that players have never experienced before. Bike Retrieval will delete respawn from your mind. If you fall you’ll have to get back to the bike as soon as possible, like in the real races; Brake Temperature means monitoring the temperature of brakes to always have the situation under control; with Long Lap Penalty you won’t be forgiven anymore, if you break the rules you’ll have to ride on a longer part of the race as a penalty.
Players who play the game on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will enjoy Dynamic Resolution up to 4K, along with 60FPS. The quality has improved and the enhanced lighting creates an atmosphere that transmits the feeling of a true race. Loading times are faster and for the competition addicts, multiplayer is now up to 22 riders. PlayStation™ Players will also enjoy the amazing PS5 DualSense™, including Haptic Feedback and Adaptive triggers.
Photo credit: MotoGP™21
Finally, Managerial Career is the fifth essence of the managing experience, featuring in-depth strategic tools, Junior Team path, and the treasured editor. Thanks to this, personalization will remain a key pillar of the global gameplay experience, and for the first time, MotoGP™ 21 will have a selection of Creators Sticker to make your livery* unique and personalized like your preferred web icon!
With the 2021 Extreme XL Lagares finally kicking off from the 7th – 9th of May, Red Bull Athlete & Hard Enduro Phenom Wade Young will be flying off to Portugal again to take part in the XL Lagares which saw him cement a strong runner up finish in 2019. The KwaZulu born enduro racer first burst onto the scene in November 2012, when he became the youngest ever winner of the Roof of Africa in Lesotho.
We caught up with Wade ahead of his race in Portugal, here’s what he had to say…
Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
How did the cancellation of the 2020 competition affect you?
“2020 was a strange year, strange for everyone, it was nice in the beginning to have a bit of a break but then if affected the whole season, it’s just getting a bit long now, it would be nice to get back racing.”
Did you have any injuries?
“I did have one or two injuries, my shoulder kept popping out, I had some time to heal that up”
What is a typical day of training?
“Sometimes I do an 80 km cycle, when I go riding in the bush, I’ll go for 3 hours and just play around. I’ll find one step or one splat and I’ll do it like 10 times and think about how I can do it better. I mix it up, I also do a bit of running, I just try to keep it fresh and not just the same repetitive things.”
Do you do any mental training?
“There are so many things that can wrong go wrong, just planning on how to adapt to all these things. Being at a race also helps because you learn the ropes, some of the races have the same hard sections”
What are your goals for the year?
“Every race I go in, I go in with the vision to win. Some of them suit me a bit better than others but the goals are always the same.”
Does nutrition play a role?
“I try to eat healthy, my biggest downfall is sweets! I have a very big sweet tooth! Before a race and during a race I eat beetroot, potatoes and a little bit of tuna, I’ll have a Red Bull 10 minutes before a high-intensity prologue race.”
Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
We’re so happy to see this iconic Hard Enduro take place, especially after having to see it be postponed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. We can’t wait to see Wade take to the mountainous hills of Penafiel and make South Africa proud, in what’s to be a true test for all competitors, with numerous new twists and trails added in for good measure.
Following up his season-opening MotoAmerica Superbike race win on Saturday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, West Racing’s Mathew Scholtz finished as runner-up in Sunday’s round-one-concluding race. On the strength of his first- and second-place finishes, Mathew is currently leading the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Starting from the pole based on his number-one finishing position in race one, Mathew got off the line well, but he had to slot into second place going into turn one. He held the position for the first four laps and then moved into the lead on lap five, which he maintained until he was passed on lap seven. The race leader had to pit in order to serve a penalty for jumping the start, and then, fellow Yamaha Superbike rider Jake Gagne overtook Mathew, which kept him in second place where he stayed all the way to the checkered flag. Josh Herrin ultimately finished third behind Mathew, which completed the all-Yamaha Superbike podium.
Photo credit: Westby Racing
“When Gagne passed me, I tried to hang onto him for about three or four laps afterwards and I was pushing super-hard,” Mathew said. “I nearly tucked the front in a couple of corners. He was stronger in some of the corners, I was stronger in some of the other sections. But, we were just going backwards and forwards, and it seemed to just wear my tires out pretty quickly. It helped me to see where his bike is better than ours. We need to just work on getting off the corner, but otherwise, I’m just happy to be back up here. Well done to Jake. Well done to Josh. It’s really awesome to have a Yamaha sweep. VIR is the next round for us, and it’s one of my strongest tracks, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Next up for Westby Racing is round two of the MotoAmerica Championship, which will take place at VIRginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia on May 21 through 23.
This weekend riders made their way up from Portugal and into Spain for the Red Bull Grand Prix. For the last 40 years, the circuit of Jerez has staged some spectacular MotoGP races, it also draws the ‘GP’ fans with its iconic VIP box (known as ‘the UFO’), its amazing rear-wheel slow-motion slides, through the carpet of yellow flowers at Sito Pons (turn 5) and lastly its final corner dives at Lorenzo (turn 13). With a mix of short, fast and tight corners Jerez was definitely going to make round 4 an intense challenge for the MotoGP grid.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
Darryn Binder
Darryn started off his qualifying already in Q2, after an impressive performance on Friday’s free practice, claiming fifth in the combined times. Q2 saw the Petronas Sprinta rider cross the line with a 1’45.662, which put him into fourth. Unfortunately, at the halfway mark, a turn 7 high-side brought his session to an early end, but Darryn’s time was still good enough for seventh.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
Race day saw a very focused and determined Darryn Binder line up on the third row of the grid. Our fellow South African let go of his clutch faster than anyone could off the line, gaining three places and claim fourth before braking into the opening corner. With some good pace, he overtook rider for rider before momentarily taking the lead on lap nine.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
Throughout the entirety of the race, Darryn fought for podium positions and even started to look like a prime contender for the overall win. The second last lap saw Pedro Acosta nearly high-side in front of Darryn, forcing him to get off the gas and lose three positions, placing him in seventh. The last lap saw Darryn close down the gap and take his final lunge into the last corner. He dived down the outside and unfortunately, through no fault of his own, was caught up in another rider’s crash at the final corner. Darryn Binder was able to get his bike across the line in 22nd and now sits 6th in the world standings with 36 points.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
DB: “This morning I still wasn’t feeling the best after my crash yesterday, but I had good speed and rhythm so I was feeling positive for the race. It got off to a good start and I was sitting in the lead group, but then I was struggling in the middle part. Physically I was feeling a little uncomfortable, but I was able to regroup towards the end and move towards the front again. As always with Moto3, there were some close calls around me, which interfered a bit with my plan and meant I was further back on the last lap than I would have liked to have been. In the final corner, I just had nowhere to go and was cleaned out by another rider who crashed. I’m so disappointed and there was nothing that I could have done, but at least we have shown that even on rough days we can be strong. Roll on Le Mans”.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
Brad Binder
Like his brother, Brad Binder suffered a gnarly crash this weekend in the entry to Turn 5 during FP3 on Saturday morning. This all meant Brad couldn’t improve his time, leaving him with a short 15-min Q1 qualifying session to try and jump into the top 12 of Q2. Warm and wildly windy conditions didn’t stop Brad from setting a 1’37.3 on his third attempt, clinching him a Q2 qualifying. Binder ended Saturday’s action with 11th, meaning the fourth row and five positions ahead of Oliveira in 16th.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
If you guys and girls remember anything about last years race, you’d remember Marc Marquez’s nasty fall and some seriously hot conditions. Sunday’s GP began with some sunny and warm conditions but in significantly lower temperatures compared to the 40 degrees ‘burner’ of 2020. With the heat rays rising, Brad rolled onto the fourth row of the grid on his stunning, Factory Red Bull KTM.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
Brad made a good start and held his position well on the first lap around, slowly making his way into the leading group. Brad shocked us all, with a low-side crash into turn 2 on the second lap. He was able to remount and tried to catch the pack in the effort to salvage some points but another slow speed tumble at turn 13 ended his race weekend.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
BB: “I felt great in warm-up this morning and then made a good start in the race but unfortunately going into Turn 2 on the second lap it looks like I was a bit too relaxed, got on the brakes at the wrong moment and when I tipped into the corner the front just washed out. It’s a good lesson for the future to ignore where you are in the pack and keep your marks. It’s also disappointing because I had good pace all weekend and I felt good. We could have done a decent job today. Sorry to the team because they worked well all through the GP and they deserved a result.”
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
A rather strange and frustrating weekend for the Binders in Jerez, with a weekend full of ‘could-have-beens’, rather than what should have been. On the upside, we saw Marc finish the race that nearly ended his career a year ago and we saw Fabio’s winning streak come to an end, due to some arm pump. Miller took his first dry race win and Rossi starting to realise GP just isn’t fun anymore, after rolling across the line in 17th.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
After this eventful weekend, we just want to fast forward to the 16th of May, for the French GP in Le Mans.
Since its birth, the International Female Ride Day has shone a light on all women riders and has inspired the up and coming. Over the last few years, female ridership have increased significantly, and the momentum generated by this one day, is needed to continue advancing the future of motorcycling.
Biker’s Warehouse will be joining this initiative, where thousands of female riders in over 120 countries unit for a mass ride to create awareness for women in the motorcycling industry. ‘BW’ will be hosting a High Tea for the ladies on their return from the various rides. With great live entertainment, it will be an event not to miss.
Thanks to their generous sponsors, there will be great prizes up for grabs on the day and various motorcycle manufacturers have come together to display the latest and greatest on offer in S.A.
Ride Information
Adventure Outride – Open Rider (Morag) departures Biker’s Warehouse:
Jalapeno ride (Easy) Departure 8h00
Habanero ride (Intermediate) Departure 8h00
For more information contact Morag – 082 633 8641
Timing for arrivals and departures Triumph:
The Litas will arrive at Triumph at 8h00 and depart 9h00
Harley will arrive +- 9h30 and depart 10h15
Fire It Up – Kim will arrive +- 10h45 and depart 11h30
Timing for arrivals and departures Fire It Up:
Kim will arrive at Fire It Up at 8h00 and depart 9h00
The Litas will arrive +- 9h30 and depart 10h15
Harley will arrive +- 10h45 and depart 11h30
Timing for arrivals and departures ROC HARLEY DAVIDSON / FAST KTM:
Harley will arrive at ROC / FAST at 8h00 and depart 9h00
Kim will arrive +- 9h30 and depart 10h15
The Litas will arrive +- 10h45 and depart 11h30
Routes are as follows and attached for ease of reference
Cape Town is one of the best motorcycling destinations in the world. It’s true: any Capetonian will confirm it, and even visitors from up north will lament having to leave after a ride on the Cape’s best routes.
Jörg Vogel knows it too. He’s originally from Germany, but has lived in Cape Town for 20 years. For the last 16 of those, he’s been running his own motorcycle and rental tour company, Cape Bike Travel. And Since August last year, he’s been the dealer principal of the relatively fresh Triumph Cape Town dealership.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
When the Triumph brand in South Africa changed hands in 2018, new CEO Bruce Allen had a mammoth task ahead of him in re-establishing the British marque’s local presence. His focus was on Triumph’s Johannesburg operation, but opening a new dealership in Cape Town was always on the cards.
So last year, when the time finally came to scratch that itch, Jörg’s industry experience and the prime location of his shop were the perfect fit.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
Triumph Cape Town officially opened its doors on the first of August 2020, smack bang in the middle of South Africa’s pandemic-related lockdown. Fans of the brand in Cape Town were clearly hungry, because over a hundred people showed up on the first day alone. (Jörg’s workshop team ended up having to do crowd control, just to limit the numbers inside the shop at any given time.)
The shop’s easy to find: it’s at 125c Buitengracht Street, a few blocks from Wale Street and a stone’s throw from where you begin the gradual ascent towards Signal Hill. Despite being a modestly-sized location it feels spacious inside—and it’s beautifully fitted too, with wall-to-wall Triumph branding, motorcycles, clothing and accessories.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
Staffed by a friendly and passionate crew, it operates as a fully functioning dealership; sales, apparel, rider gear, parts, accessories and a workshop, all under one roof.
Jörg’s made the most of the space by loading the floor with demo units of Triumph’s latest models. (More stock is held upcountry, and shipped down upon purchase within days.) He and Bruce believe that the best way to convince a prospective customer to buy a Triumph, is for them to ride one.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
It’s a philosophy we can get behind. So, to get to know Triumph Cape Town and their bikes a little better, we twisted Jörg’s arm to open the shop on a Sunday so that we could go riding.
Our crew for the day included myself, my friends Devin Paisley and Jonathan Tee, Jörg, and Triumph Cape Town’s sales manager, Michael Romeo.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
Jörg and Michael had laid out a smorgasbord of two-wheeled treats for us. We’d be taking turns on the Triumph Speed Triple RS, Tiger 900 Rally Pro, Bonneville T120, Scrambler 1200 XE and Street Scrambler.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
Heading out from Triumph Cape Town after a coffee, and a surprisingly brief debate over who would ride which bike first, we started our ride with a massive slog down the N1. We tackled Du Toitskloof Pass first, gingerly making our way through a heavy mist before emerging into clear air and fast corners. After winding our way down the other side, it was a short blast towards Rawsonville, for breakfast at Ou Meul Bakkery.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
From there, it was miles of backcountry riding to and through Villiersdorp, before hanging a right and sashaying our way over Franschhoek Pass. One last coffee stop at Ou Meul Bakkery in Simondium (they didn’t pay for this report, I swear) punctuated our ride, before we made our way back into the city.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
Just like any breakfast run with friends, each stop was an opportunity to compare notes—mainly about the motorcycles we were swapping all day. Our individual thoughts on each bike were pretty aligned: the Speed Triple RS is a surprisingly comfortable beast that corners on rails; the Tiger 900 Rally Pro is an adventure riding tour-de-force; the Scrambler 1200’s retro looks belie just how capable it is.
The Bonneville T120 and Street Scrambler don’t quite have the flagship status of their stablemates, but we found each one charming in its own way. Both combine easy-going ride characteristics with looks that are impossible to turn away from.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
Getting to sample a cross-section of Triumph motorcycles across multiple categories confirmed something that the entire ZA Bikers team has been thinking about for a while: the British marque is on one heck of a roll. From their naked roadsters, to their modern classics and adventure bikes—every model’s been carefully considered, and does what it does well.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
As we parked the bikes back at the shop, our thoughts inevitably turned to the next ride. Jörg is raring to go, too—the pandemic’s made it hard for Triumph Cape Town to host big events, but monthly outrides are back on the calendar, as well as off-road training days. And there’s a lot more percolating for when restrictions lift.
In the meantime, if you’re in Cape Town, pop down the shop for a test ride and tell ’em we sent you.
As bikers, we never really need to convince ourselves to get on our bikes and head for a ride—we just do it. But, with our daily lives slowly getting back into full swing and time needing to be prioritised between work and our families, that leaves us very little time to ride. This is where ROC Harley-Davidson and Fast KTM make life so much easier, with their early-bird group meet and ride, called ‘The Coffee Club’.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The Coffee Club is an event created by ‘ROC’, where a group of riders meet every Saturday morning, for a social and a ride. For those that want to ride in a group, you can meet at ROC at 6:30 and have a steady cruise as a band of brothers and sisters, riding through the urban jungle and on the open road before pulling in, for the good stuff. You are also welcome to ride in your own group or solo to the venue itself from wherever you’re situated.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
On Saturday 24th April, we pulled into Motherland Coffee Co, in the urban surrounds of Bedfordview. I tell you what, listening to a group of V-twins at full rumble, after having been riding solo for nearly a year now, is quite an awesome experience. With a warm cappuccino in hand and a line of mechanical beauty to stare at, a Saturday morning just doesn’t get any better.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
What I like about the coffee club, is that it doesn’t matter what you ride, who you are, or what age group you’re in. The ride is for all riders, from all walks of life. It’s almost like, once you’re a biker you become one massive family, where everyone shares the same family tree and the same love. Bikes!
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
We were ever so lucky to catch ROC Harley-Davidson’s ambassador DJ Fresh at the Coffee Club and boy was he fresh, rolling in on his Harley-Davidson Fat Bob. I’m pretty sure, ‘Fresh’ has lost track of how many thumbs up, approving nods and selfies he’s had to take with his Fat Bob. Muscle bike aesthetics, fat tyres, comfort and a 1 868 cc V-twin motor, the Fat Bob chews up kay’s like a muscle bike should.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Time passes surprisingly quickly when talking to like-minded petrolheads, hearing stories from the good old days and having a debate or two on the up and coming bikes. But, that’s what gives you the excuse, to do it all over again the following weekend. The Coffee Club is all about building friendships based on two wheels, riding your bike and still having an entire day open to spending time with the family. So, diarise this weekly event and keep those wheels turning with ROC Harley-Davidson and FAST KTM.
After being forced to retire from the first round due to an illness, Brett Swanepoel was out for redemption as he lined-up for the second round of the National Enduro Championship this weekend. The event was hosted at Roodeberg Enduro Farm, Western Cape, and had everything from rocky riverbeds to unforgiving mountain climbs in store.
Undaunted by his less-than-ideal starting position, a determined Swanepoel set off to start clawing his way back up the leader board. On a route that demanded technical skills, immense fitness and a strong sense of grit, the rider wasted no time as he moved into the lead in the early stages of the race. Ahead of Bradley Cox and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna teammate Heinrich Aust, Swanepoel looked untouchable as he widened his gap on the rest of the field to snatch a comfortable victory.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
“I know that my chances of winning the championship are very slim after I pulled out of the first round, but that doesn’t make me any less determined to win. I felt so confident out there on my TE 300i – I really needed a race like this this after the way the season started,” said an elated Swanepoel.
Teammate Aust put on an eye-catching performance this weekend as he secured yet another podium position for the season. The rider set off with a blistering pace and entered an intense bar-to-bar battle with E1 Championship rival Bradley Cox. Aust painstakingly pushed the pace up front for most of the event and was overtaken by Cox in the final race to the finish line. Pleased with a second position in his class and third place overall, the rider commented:
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
“I’m really happy with the way this season is unfolding. I knew it would be tight between Brad and I before the race even began. It’s always fun to have such a close championship – it makes things interesting! I really enjoyed how technical the terrain was today and I’m really looking forward to racing the Extreme event too,” said Aust.
After his team’s successful day in the saddle, Husqvarna South Africa’s Fred Fensham commented: “It was an awesome event – thanks and compliments go to the Roodeberg Farm owners and Graham and his team for a great track! On the team side, I am so proud of both our riders. Brett was outstanding as was Heinrich. Thanks to Anthony, our mechanic, for the bike prep as they did not miss a beat! Now we look forward to the first round of the Extreme series.”
Brother Leader Tread KTM walked away with top honours at the second round of the National Enduro Championship. In an epic battle for Enduro glory, Bradley Cox stormed to his second National E1 Enduro victory of the season and second overall.
The event was hosted by Roodeberg Enduro Farm – a venue in the heart of the Western Cape renowned for its unforgiving terrain and scenic mountain trails. After his blistering start the season, Cox lined-up with a fresh sense of confidence and strong determination to defend his championship lead.
It was once again Cox and championship rival Heinrich Aust that went head-to-head in a battle for the top step in the E1 Class. After a game of cat and mouse for most of the route, Cox describes “digging deep” to overtake his competitor in the final push to the finish line.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
“The last time I tried to defend the red plate in an Enduro race I was recovering from a broken ankle, so I was a lot fitter this time around. I had to dig really deep to push for the victory and I couldn’t be happier with how everything came together,” said Cox.
Brother Leader Tread KTM teammate Kirsten Landman also experienced a race of redemption this weekend. The rider made her comeback at the start of the season after a lengthy time off due to injury. She described the first round as a “wake-up call” and spent the last few weeks conditioning her body for the second round.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
In what was an eye-catching performance, Landman managed to finish 8th in the highly competitive E2 Class and 15thoverall. She commented: “It was a tough day in the saddle, but I couldn’t be happier with the way I finished. I worked hard to condition myself for the physical demands that come with racing at this level, and I could feel that it really paid off today.”
A cherry on top of what was a successful day of racing for the team was a solid finish from new Enduro recruit Charan Moore. The multi-disciplined rider suffered an unfortunate crash at the last round of the National Cross Country Championship and was determined to put consistent laps together at this event. With a respectable fifth place in the E2 Class and eighth place overall, the rider said: “My preparation and setup were a bit off for the conditions, but I’m happy with the improvements and direction we’re moving in. It was an awesome weekend with the entire time!”
2021 marks Suzuki’s 10th Annual Weekend Away, in what’s usually a sunny and action-packed weekend in mountainous Mpumalanga. The whole idea behind this event is to bring Suzuki’s “Way of Life” quote into full effect, inviting Suzuki owners, family members, clients and even people that aren’t part of the Suzuki family yet.
This year’s Suzuki Weekend Away will be taking place between the 2nd to the 4th of July at Hotel Numbi & Garden Suites in Mpumalanga. Don’t feel left out, all bikes are welcome and if you’ve got a four wheelied vehicle in your garage, you are most welcome to join too. Riding on sweeping roads, playing games, bonding as a Suzuki family and becoming united as one—this is the Suzuki Way of Life!
Photo credit: Chris Kuun / Suzuki SA
Cost:
Early Bird Rate: R795 per person sharing per night (special ends at the end of May, thereafter R895 per person sharing).
R995 per single occupancy room per night.
Rate includes:
Dinner, bed & breakfast, activities.
Bookings:
For bookings contact Hotel Numbi & Garden Suites at (013) 737 7301 or e-mail [email protected] quote reservation number – 254820.
Photo credit: Chris Kuun / Suzuki SA
Once you have made your booking please e-mail: [email protected] with your name, t-shirt size and reservation number.
We were privileged to crack an invite to the launch of KTM’s new Adventures at the beautiful Champagne Sports Resort, near Winterton, in the ‘Berg’, looking particularly splendid, bedecked as it was in KTM’s signature orange detailing. Check-in was slick and smooth, what with the Covid protocols that needed to be followed. After getting settled in and drooling over our launch gifts, we gathered for a slide presentation on the spanking new 890 Adventures.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
After an intro done by Louwrens Mahoney, Franziska Brandl, KTM’s sassy boss lady, brought us up to speed on KTM’s excellent performance, both locally and internationally. What is also becoming increasingly apparent is how the World is moving towards electric motors to power vehicles, both 2 wheeled and four. We may just be living in the ‘end times’ for fossil fuel-driven vehicles. Louwrens and tech fundi Stefan then briefed us on the new 890s.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
The obvious feature is the engine, which gains 7 kW over the 790, to peak at a healthy 77 kW @8000 rpm. Torque is bumped a full 12 Nm over the 790, to 100 Nm @ 6500 rpm. Without going into detail, the whole engine has been evaluated and upgraded, growing in both bore and stroke in its transition to an 890. It features improved cornering ABS and Traction control too. Long-distance riding has been enhanced with the addition of cruise control.
Photo credit: KTM
The switchgear has all the necessary buttons, however, the software needs to be enabled by the purchase of an Options Package. There was consensus amongst the journos that these features should be part of the overall price of the bike, rather than charging an additional (substantial) premium on top of the purchase price. The additional price hike would be easily justified given the almost ‘must have’ nature of the package features (Motor slip regulation, cruise control and rally pack offroad settings). The TFT display also has the now-familiar KTM MYRIDE, for calls, music and turn by turn navigation.
Photo credit: KTM
Chassis tweaks include reworked brakes, lightweight steering head, lighter subframe and anodized, rather than powder coated hubs. The looks have been sharpened and freshened into a good looking package. WP suspension is also upgraded with rebound damping on the preload-adjustable rear shock, whilst the front forks have nifty hand preload and damping adjustment. Both models sport 21” front wheels.
Photo credit: KTM
Once equipped with the optional package the bikes can be fine-tuned for rider preference with several ride modes and traction control settings. As your confidence grows you can gradually ‘uncork’ the restrictions to match your improved skill levels. The crank has 20% more rotating mass which results in better low speed lugging ability and general civility. It was then early to bed in anticipation of a morning ride on the 890 R.
We rode out on a blue-eyed day hinting at some proper heat around midday. From the get-go, the bike feels more mature and ‘civilised’, as compared to the 790. The engine power and flexibility is also immediately apparent. This motor is an absolute peach. Smooth, powerful and tractable. Given the beans, it is seriously fast. Every other medium-sized Adventure bike out there is rendered a trifle pedestrian by the potent 890 KTM. The roads around the ‘Berg are much the worse for wear as a result of the good rains this season. Tar is potholed and strewn with gravel and the dirt is eroded, washed away and big fist-sized rock ‘lurkers’, exposed and waiting to destroy an unwary rim.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
Despite these very real challenges, the Karoo 3 equipped R soaked it all up (literally) and kind of chirped, “Is that the best you’ve got?”. There is simply no debate. The R KTM’s are at the pinnacle of Adventure bike offroad ability. The more ability you have, the better they get, however, courtesy of the brilliant electronics, you can tone them down to docile compliant tools that work with you in any situation.
Let it also be known that they lead the way in setup simplicity. The display is clear and the features are simple and properly intuitive to carry out. This coming from someone who is hugely ‘BC’ (before computers), is particularly noteworthy! The 890 has a level of maturity and polish which was absent, by comparison, in the 790. It has, for me, brought KTM’s mantra of “Ready to Race”, under the spotlight. As always, the bikes are R to R, however, they are smoothing the rough edges and areas of no compromise into pretty complete packages, which go toe to toe with their opposition in all areas. They are coming in from the Dark side and are likely to appeal to an ever-widening audience.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
The R is a very stable platform, even in really rough going, always working with you and flattering your ability. The engine is a massive part of this ride-ability. Putt up a technical hillside in first, with tractor-like ability, or wind it out on fast and flowing terrain. No sweat. The power is stellar. Whether in top gear roll-on or blitzing through the gears, there is consistent shove everywhere. No big-engined Adventure bike will have any hope in shaking off the 890, given its all-round potency and balanced ability. The lightweight and tidy dimensions are ace’s up its sleeve which, when allied to the motor, gives this middleweight a Mike Tyson punch. Special mention must be made of the superb brakes with brilliant offroad ABS. Top of the class!
Photo credit: KTM
We lunched, then hopped on the straight Adventure model, to complete the 890 picture. The Adventure always lives slightly in the shadow of its R sibling. This is due to the offroad kudos that get heaped on the R, which, to some, suggests that the Adventure is less bike. The reality is that it allows riders to buy the right horse for the course. If you want an all road tourer with decent weather protection (larger touring screen), impeccable road manners and a high spec, without needing absolute all-conquering offroad ability, then this is a compelling option. It still has offroad ability up there with the best of them. It comes standard with more road focussed Avon tyres which I felt worked well and contribute to its fine road manners.
Seats on both models are somewhat firm and may have some long-distance riders looking in the Power Parts catalogue for ‘comfort’ options. All the other touring accoutrements, like panniers and tank bags, are catered for in the said catalogue. My lasting impression of the impressive brace of 890s, is that they are now at a level that KTM’s biggest competition to their 1290 Adventures, may well come from within.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
That evening it was time to be brought up to speed on the new 1290s. Well, somehow these really good bikes have been made even better. Let’s fast forward to the next days riding and flesh out on what has been tweaked and fettled. We again took to the trails with the R model first up. The new colour scheme, and sharpened panels, make for a striking looking bike. Resplendent in metallic blue and white with orange detailing, they look fantastic. The ‘transformer’ headlight, for which KTM has become synonymous, may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I have got used to it, and quite like the distinctive ‘face’.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
The orange frame and engine protection bars on the R look rad too. Again, as with the 890, we have an optional Tech Pack with Adaptive brake lights, Rally Pack, Hill Hold Control, Motor slip regulation and Quickshifter, that should not be optional, as they are the standout features of the bike. Accessing all these options is done via a superb TFT display that is again, class-leading.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
Ride away on the R and there is immediately the reminder that there is no substitute for cubes. When compared to the 890, It is not that the R feels much faster, but how effortlessly the 160 hp and 138 Nm motor delivers the goods. You are also aware of the larger size and bulk, with the corresponding inertia, of the 1290. Riders who regularly ride two-up, may gravitate towards the 1290 for the extra space afforded the rider and passenger.
On the standard settings, we experienced the front forks bottoming out on the rutted road and also how easily it was remedied by the manual fork compression and preload adjustment. A few clicks and twirls and all was sweet. The 1290 requires a little more thought about your chosen path as the extra bulk (over the 890) makes quick direction changes a tad more work.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
The roads twisted and turned and undulated, with varying degrees of treachery, all depending on the surface. I followed South African Offroad Racing legend and KTM Dealer, Alfie Cox, who had Franziska (brave girl) riding pillion. What an education! Whilst his skill on the bike is obvious, his anticipation of treacherous potential hazards spoke of his years of experience riding these roads in the Berg. Thanks for the Masterclass Alf. The bike responds to smooth riding superbly, becoming an able and capable ally across any kind of terrain. It is almost otherworldly that something this big and powerful should work so well in the dirt. Testimony to the massive amount of effort that KTM have put into developing the 1290 into the weapon that it is.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
This is attributable to tweaks that include a new frame, that positions the steering head 15 mm further back, moving engine weight slightly forward. The 23-litre tank incorporates side pods dropping a lot of weight lower. Suspension is WP XPLOR hardware front and rear. 48 mm forks have split damping, meaning that compression damping is catered for in one leg and rebound in the other. 220 mm of travel both front and rear. Although some opposition bikes sport up to 250 mm of travel, in reality, they spring them so soft that 30 mm is lost when you climb aboard. Not so the big Katoom. This does elevate the seat height to 880 mm on the R. Wheels are aluminium, tubeless and spoked.
Photo credit: KTM
Pay attention to properly setting up the suspension before venturing onto the dirt, lest you ding a rim hitting a lurker and bottoming out too soft suspension. Probably wise for our pothole infested tar roads too. A six axis IMU feeds info back to the brain on the bike regarding traction control, motor slip regulation and your off-road ABS to assist in keeping things tidy and the way you prefer them. Oh yes, it keeps the settings (890 too) when you switch the bike off and on again. Hallelujah!!! Traction control can be tweaked on the fly by means of a handlebar-mounted switch, adjacent to the left grip. A little too easily, in fact, as I found myself inadvertently adjusting it across rough terrain where my hand bumped the switch. Subtle engine work has kept the power, despite regulatory constraints and slightly lowered the weight (around 221 kg’s dry).
Photo credit: KTM
So, in short, the most competent offroad big Adventure bike just got even better. This is rare praise considering the quality and ability of the other bikes out there. It remains top of the pile for offroad ability and becomes that much ‘nicer’ in the process.
Last up was the Adventure S, sporting some fiendishly clever electronics. With similar engine tweaks, the bike sheds almost 2 kg of engine weight over the previous model. Both bikes have reworked gearbox internals to make shifts, especially with the optional Quickshifter, even smoother. The reworked frame lowers the seat height marginally in its two settings (849 mm and 869 mm). The screen has 55 mm of manual, tool-free adjustment, enabling smooth airflow for the rider.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
The S has WP APEX SAT electronic suspension which has various settings including an ‘Auto’ setting which I found very impressive. The options package allows adjustable anti-dive in the front forks which also works well. And then the technological ‘Tour de Force’, Radar assisted speed control. A sensor just below the headlight, monitors the distance and speed from the vehicle ahead of you and keeps you at a safe distance, by adjusting the bikes speed.
Photo credit: KTM
Apply the indicator and move out to overtake (you need to do your usual safety check), and the bike accelerates up to your selected speed. Spooky! You can use the system conventionally too. Options allow you to adjust the following distance to suit, if utilising the radar guidance.
Photo credit: KTM
The S becomes the competent all-rounder for the rider that does not put a premium on the best possible offroad ability and wants an all-road Sports Tourer with creature comforts. At around R20k below the price of the around R320,000 R, it may just be the thinking man’s choice.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
So there you have it guys and gals, four extremely competent new Adventure motorcycles from KTM, that really need to be ridden before choosing your next Adventure motorcycle. Every year these bikes improve from what are already highly competent levels.
It is certainly a great time to be an Adventure bike rider! Big shout out to Franziska and the passionate crew at KTM SA for a great launch and some privileged pampering. It is sincerely appreciated!
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme / BEAM Productions
There’s a 25 year age gap in King Price Xtreme’s 2021 motorcycle race team. At one end is 39-year-old Sfiso Themba—at the other, 12-year-old Cayden Robert and 16-year-old Leungo Gaorekwe. And somewhere in the middle is team leader and seven-time national champion, Clint Seller, with more race experience than the rest of his team combined.
In a country where rugby, cricket and soccer reign supreme, motorcycle racing is an extremely niche endeavour. But King Price Xtreme are passionate about the sport, which is exactly why they signed Cayden and Leungo to the team—because for them, developing young riders is an absolute must.
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme / BEAM Productions
“For us backing passionate riders that we know will make an impact to the next set of riders is why we are in this sport specifically,” says King Price brand development manager, Siyamthanda Williams.
Clint echoes that sentiment, recalling how previous King Price Xtreme rider, Dino Iozzo, developed his skills within the team. Dino’s now racing overseas, but rode for King Price Xtreme for two years, ending his 2020 season on a high.
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme / BEAM Productions
“Before he left, he was the best rider on a Supersport bike, winning every race that he entered,” says Clint. “But in his first race in 2019, our goal for him was sixth place. That was a realistic goal at the time for him.”
“Then two years down the line, at his last race, Dino was the most dominant rider in his class by a long way. I mean, I’ve even seen him riding superbikes the last few months before he went overseas… it sort of worries me how fast he’s going.”
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme / BEAM Productions
With Dino moving on, Clint was hungry to find fresh young talent for his 2021 team. Then he found it while training on his 150 at the Formula K short circuit: “About 2 seconds down this road was this kid. I didn’t know what he looked like or anything, but he was on a bike with no fairings (I’m assuming he crashed a helluva lot) and I thought ‘let me quickly just chase down this youngster and show him how good I am’.”
“I couldn’t catch him. And 20 laps later I was so tired I pulled in, and he did about another 20 laps after that. I walked down the pit, and there was Craig Roberts [Cayden’s father], and he had Leungo and Cayden sitting at his trailer, with no fairings on the bikes, because as I said I’m pretty sure they crashed them all the time.”
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme / BEAM Productions
“But I could see how much passion there was, and that there was talent. And to me that was something special that I could see—that these youngsters were fast, they’re talented, and they’ve got good family structure and support behind them.”
“Clint discovered the two guys,” adds Siya, “and when he spoke to me about their characters, I immediately knew they would be a great fit for KPX. I’ve worked with and seen many riders but it’s rare to find riders that are passionate and driven. Couple that with their ages and how I completely understood what the sponsorship would mean for their futures as well as futures of aspiring riders, I was sold on them.”
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme / BEAM Productions
King Price Xtreme sponsor, Liqui Moly South Africa, is on board with the team’s rider development too. “There is no sustainability in anything, unless you are willing to invest in new life and talent,” says managing director, Melicia Labuschagne.
“I love the investment of King Price into the young guns. The more this happens, the bigger the inspiration to other youngsters to see it is possible, to learn, to look up to and to inspire more and more to follow their dreams and always know—with hard work, good habits and dedication, anything is possible!”
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme / BEAM Productions
Sitting on a call with the King Price Xtreme team, it’s clear that Cayden and Leungo have their heads screwed on straight. Cayden comes from a motorcycle racing family, and grew up accompanying his brother to the track. “I always wanted to get on the bike,” he says. “Sometimes you’d be looking for me, and I’d be at the track sitting on the bike, pretending to go around.”
“It’s awesome to be part of such a successful team. Growing up in a racing family really feels like I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime to be a rider in the KPX team. I have watched Uncle Clint ever since I can remember, and to be his teammate is special for me.”
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme / BEAM Productions
Leungo’s love affair with wheels started when his dad put him on the back of a quad as a toddler. Soon he had his own quad, then an off-road bike before eventually switching to road racing. Watching local hero Brad Binder set the global stage on fire is a huge motivation for him. “Brad is such an amazing character,” he says. “If I had to pick a person that I’d like to be like in terms of riding, I’d want to be like Brad.”
“I am thrilled to be part of the King Price Xtreme Race team. I have been with the team for only a few months and I am super excited about the future as I embark on this journey. To be very honest, I still feel the same as before because my coach and other dad (Uncle Craig) works very hard to be as professional as we possibly can.”
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme / BEAM Productions
For 2021 Cayden will be racing two different classes in the Superbike Magazine Short Circuit series. He’s piloting the Honda NSF100 and the Honda CBR150, thanks to King Price Xtreme’s new motorcycle sponsor, Honda South Africa. (Clint and Sfiso are on board the all-new Honda CBR 1000RR.)
Leungo’s racing in the Short Circuit series on a Honda too, but also in the RSR series on a KTM RC390. And he’s planning to race in the upcoming Africa Cup on a Yamaha R3, but is already itching to get onto bigger bikes.
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme / BEAM Productions
With two rookies to mentor, and an older, yet still developing (and very much hungry) rider in Sfiso, Clint has his hands full. But he has help, in the form of Cayden’s dad, Craig, who runs the junior team in its entirety, from managing the machines to coaching the riders.
Together, they’re expecting big things for the future—not just for their riders, but for the sport. “A lot of people, at least when we started, didn’t know much about racing and motorsports,” says Siya. “With the likes of Leungo and Cayden, I’m hoping that they will come into a platform and sphere where that spotlight is shone on the local riders from a very early age, so that they can be able to reach further heights than Brad Binder or anybody has thus far.”
Huge thanks go out to all the sponsors:
King Price Xtreme, Honda SA, Dragon Energy, Liqui Moly, Fire It Up, RACE SA, Rapid Bike SA, Super Signs, ImageBuild and PS Branded. You make all of this possible.
Riders made their way to Portugal this weekend for the first daylight race of 2021 and the opening fixture in Europe. Sunny and warm conditions in southern Portugal, invited the riders to dive straight into some hot laps around the 4.6 km layout of climbs, drops and diverse corners at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve circuit. With the track itself being a relatively new circuit on the GP calendar, and a host of newcomers on new machinery, this race weekend was surely going to be an exciting one.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
Darryn Binder
Saturday’s qualifying started out great for Darryn Binder, with a fast time in Q1 securing him a spot in Q2. Darryn waited until the final moments of Q2 to make his final qualifying time attack run. Now, here is where it gets rather confusing. Darryn clinched eighth in qualifying, but with the two riders ahead of him starting from the pit lane, Darryn moved up into sixth. Soon after qualifying, Darryn gets handed a pitlane start for irresponsible riding during qualifying.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
With a swarm of roaring Moto3 bikes all lined up, the lights went out, but for Darryn, his ten-second wait had just begun. Around the first corner they went and off the line Darryn leapt on his Petronas Sprinta Racing Honda, beginning his chase. Despite this curveball of a start, our fellow South African battled hard to try and close the gap to the main pack.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
Although he made good progress at the beginning and was able to join the tail end of the pack, Darryn was unable to maintain the speed and suffered from grip issues. With the camera’s focusing upfront, a steady eye was constantly seeing Darryn floating in the top 20. With the chequered flag out, Binder crossed the line in 20th and now sits third in the championship with 36 pts.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
DB: “I had an alright weekend and felt strong in all the practice sessions and qualifying wasn’t too bad, I would have started from the second row. I feel like I’ve been handed a really hard penalty from qualifying yesterday, which meant I had to start from the pitlane. It is what it is, but unfortunately in the race, I didn’t have the pace. We need to look over everything and see what we can do to improve. I’m really sorry to the team for picking up the penalty and for the result today. Hopefully, in Jerez, we can be back to how we were in the first two races of the year.”
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
Brad Binder
Saturday’s qualifying session saw, Brad Binder ride really well in Q2 and nearly push through into Q1 but unfortunately, a small mistake ruined his best flying lap effort. Our ‘Sunday Rider’ also bagged the quickest time through the first sector. Brad would eye the start lights from 15th and have Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s Danilo Petrucci (18th) and Iker Lecuona (19th) behind him. Although Brad struggled to make a quick lap in qualifying, he was positive for Sunday due to his KTM RC16 set-up and pace in Free Practice 4.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
Brad made an excellent start, leaping from 15th on the grid to 8th on the first lap and then started to hunt down the front-runners. Binder, kept his composure in the leading group, battling with the likes of Marc Marquez, Pecco Bagnaia and Aleix Espargaro for 7th. With the leading group starting to pull away, Brad slid into the lead of the following group and started to make inroads on the front runners.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
Brad would eventually take profit of both Alex Rins and Johann Zarco’s low side crashes, bumping him up into 5th. Binder laid it all out on the final two laps and was beginning to close in on the battle for the podium. A little too late, as the chequered flag came out and Binder crossed the line in 5th.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
BB: “Happy to get our first top-five of the season. I really wanted to be on the podium today and thought we had the potential to be there with about five laps to go. I pushed as hard as I could but I couldn’t put the key clean laps together at the end as much as I wanted. Overall, I gave my absolute best today and didn’t leave anything on the table. A massive thanks to the team because we did a great job getting the bike ready for the race and we’ll go again in Jerez.”
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
A crazy weekend of racing is followed by a well-deserved weekend off. A close look at the GP calendar says, the next race will be a Spanish GP at the end of April/start of May, and already the title race is twisting and turning. After all, this is MotoGP.
Our good friends at Henderson Racing Products, home to the METALIZE range of riding gear, tasked us with testing their ‘shorty’ glove range. If you are not familiar with the brand, METALIZE is a South African-designed brand that is dedicated to the development of a range of rider gear to suit local conditions. The brand oozes a passion for riding, forever fine-tuning and tweaking their line with the feedback received from test riders.
Like a helmet, good motorcycle gloves aren’t a nice-to-have, but a must-have. The most common mistakes made when buying a pair of gloves are going for the cheapest set you can find, or deciding on a pair purely because they look cool, instead of being functional. What you should rather do is match the gloves to your riding style, the weather you ride in, and ultimately the safety they will provide your hands in the case of an accident.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Here’s a look at five new short-cuff METALIZE gloves, all incorporating goatskin leather, SuperFabric, stretch fabric, durable mesh and touchscreen compatible fingertips.
METALIZE 359 Shorty Glove
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The 359 is for the type of rider that’s looking for an urban summer riding glove, that provides more than just good ventilation. What sets the 359 up for more than just the city commute is its added palm protection, making ventures in and out of the city as safe as possible. Although a summer glove, the 359 has an elegant and almost retro look, with white highlights on the fingers to break the otherwise blacked-out look.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
It’s a given that the 359 is going to be good on a hot day, but as the sun goes down and the winds pick up, the leather that wraps itself around your knuckles and palm will keep your hands somewhat warm. The stretch fabric around the neck of the glove makes it easy to put on, and also allows for wider wrists.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Besides being a very versatile glove, the 359’s unique styling means it’ll suit almost any type of bike. Ride a café racer to your local meet or ride your adventure bike to your secret bush pub, either way, the 359 will fit in just fine.
METALIZE 368 Shorty Glove
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The 368 is an extremely lightweight road riding glove, designed for city and urban use. The look is a little louder than the 359, with a graffiti-inspired logo treatment. The 368 is the kind of glove that you just grab and put on—super-light and very aero, almost like a motocross glove.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
When it comes to cooling, you’ll find three mesh finger sleeves (two in the middle and one on the thumb) and another mesh patch behind the knuckle protector. Touchscreen-compatible fingertips are usually a gimmick on most gloves and sometimes don’t work the greatest, but on the 368 they work perfectly every time.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
The 368 is the perfect companion for urban riding with great throttle grip, and at times it feels like a second skin. However, if you’re looking to do some outer city rides where speeds start to increase, I would opt for the 359, as it offers added palm protection.
METALIZE 377 Shorty Glove
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
At first glance, the 377 looks rather sporty, with flashy stitching, vast leather coverage and extra palm grips. But it offers way more than just sportiness. Clad in goatskin leather and SuperFabric, the 377 makes riding lighter, cooler and less cramped. The ventilation is what makes the 377 different from a standard sports glove; you’ve got vents on your fingers, and breathable mesh on your wrist and thumb.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
A feature that I find really cool is the scoop behind the knuckle protector. When riding with my jacket sleeves over the neck of the glove, I could feel the air passing into the scoop and into my jacket, cooling me down in the process. With a tight-fitting neck, palm protection, and added SuperFabric, I felt most comfortable in these gloves—and comfort plus protection equals confidence.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
With safety, great ventilation, and stretchable fabric, the 377 gloves can accommodate sports touring, adventure riding, and even your daily commute. If versatility doesn’t make you buy this glove, looks will.
METALIZE 386 Shorty Glove
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
With the 386 glove, METALIZE may just have the perfect companion for all summer timetables, and then some. When it comes to looks, METALIZE have somehow made it possible for an adventure/touring glove to be both functional and good-looking.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
When you’re on the road for extended time periods, you want comfort and breathability. The 386 comes with breathable mesh fingertips wrapped in leather, with a roomy neck and a soft inner padding.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
With winter just around the corner and the weather already starting to change, having a wide neck on the 386 helped keep the cold at bay, letting me tuck my sleeves in on cooler rides. All in all, if hitting the wide-open road is your thing, then having a pair of these might do you some good.
METALIZE 395 Shorty Glove
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
Although nearly 90% made of goatskin leather, the 395 still offers a sufficient amount of airflow through the perforated leather fingertips, and ease of fitment with stretch fabric around the wrist. The 395 glove gives off a sporty yet stealthy look, with a faux carbon knuckle protector, a simple graphic on the index finger, and an all-black finish.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
I’ve personally owned a pair of these for 20,000 km now, and they have outlasted my previous set of dailies, which cost R600 more and had to be binned after a similar time period. The leather is very durable, but its durability doesn’t restrict movement inside of the glove. On the palm is a SuperFabric palm protector and soft material stitched around the leather, which makes moving your bike around in the garage a scratch-free affair.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
If you’re a daily commuter and just fancy leather gloves over the rest, then these will last you all four seasons. For the sport bike rider on the road, these will suit you just as well, and even save you a few bucks down the road.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
So there you have it—gloves that offer protection, comfort, practicality, reliability, and great styling. Apart from the excellent and affordable product, the METALIZE team are both enthusiastic and committed to bringing the best to their clients. All featured gloves are currently retailing for R850, so get down to your nearest dealer and get a grip.
Scooters are slowly shaking off the bad rap they’ve had for so long. But they’re still largely pigeonholed as commuters and city runabouts, and that’s fair—they’re easy to ride, light on fuel and big on storage. But while they might be perfect for urban use, most of them run out of legs as soon as speed and distances climb.
Stick a bigger motor in a scoot and add some creature comforts though, and the lines begin to blur. The BMW C 400 GT isn’t quite big enough to call it a maxi-scooter, but it is big enough to be useful for more than just getting groceries. In fact, it can do a lot of things that you’d normally only ask of bigger bikes.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
I’ve worked from home since long before lockdown, so commuting hasn’t been part of my riding regimen for years. Most of my riding is centred around longer weekend rides—like my favourite 200+ km test route, which covers some of the Cape’s best roads. It includes Franschhoek Pass, the Elgin Valley and Clarence Drive, and strings together highway, twisties and backcountry roads.
Grabbing the C 400 GT for a couple of days, I wondered: how would it fare on a ride like this? As it turns out, pretty well.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
I’ve ridden the C 400 GT’s sibling, the C 400 X, before. The two scoots share a motor and chassis, differing only in bodywork and trim—so I sort of knew what to expect. The 350 cc single-cylinder motor’s 34 hp and 35 Nm output won’t blow your mind, but it’s nippy enough to have fun, and manages highway speeds (plus change) without much protest.
The most noticeable change from the X to the GT is in their ergonomics. At 1.86 m tall and weighing north of 120 kilos, I’m hardly a candidate for a scooter—but both variants fit me surprisingly well. The GT is marginally more comfortable though, thanks to a rider’s seat backrest, a bigger screen, and what feel like roomier floorboards. The GT’s bodywork is chunkier too, with a broader headlight upfront that cheekily hints at BMW’s bigger touring models.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
Both scoots also feature extra little ‘steps’ forward of the regular floorboards, so that you can stretch your legs. That, the cushier seating position and the extended wind protection meant that I could spend a large chunk of the day riding the C 400 GT all over the Cape, without it tuckering me out. In fact, it ranks among one of the most comfortable bikes I’ve tested.
Switching from highway to twisties is where the C 400 GT really surprises… as long as you have reasonable expectations. It’ll start to falter if you come into a corner too hot, but if your entry speed is moderate, its chassis and 15F/14R wheels feel more planted than you’d expect. And while it won’t launch out of turns with as much enthusiasm as a superbike, power rolls on smooth enough through the CVT gearbox to string corners together with a pleasant rhythm.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
The C 400 GT carries most of its hefty 204 kilo curb weight low down too, with its 12.8 l fuel tank sitting underneath you. And that fuel capacity, combined with the scooter’s frugality, means you can go hella far on a tank.
Its short-travel suspension and ABS-equipped ByBre brakes (with twin discs up front) perform well, although aggressive riding on really bumpy roads will unsettle them. There’s not enough power to notice the BMW’s built-in traction control working either—until you venture into loose dirt, and have to walk the bike out because the rear won’t grab (don’t ask how I know).
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
In short: change your perception and adapt your riding style just a little, and the C 400 GT is as fun as anything else.
It helps that BMW have packed in a bunch of scooter-specific amenities, like plenty of storage. There are two cubbies up front, and an under-seat space that’s designed to accommodate up to two helmets. The front part of the storage space will take a small-ish open face helmet, while the rear ‘Flexcase’ part expands when parked, to make space for a large-ish full face lid. (Anything XL or up will struggle to fit though).
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
This particular C 400 GT also came with a host of optional extras: a TFT display with BMW’s full Bluetooth connectivity suite, an LED daytime running light, and a heated seat and grips. I’ve tested BMW’s connectivity features on a number of their bikes already, and I’m a fan of their turn-by-turn navigation system, and how their ‘Connected’ app can track your rides.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
One notable feature missing from the C 400 GT is cruise control. It’s a feature that doesn’t make sense in the city—but given the GT’s range, it’d be handy to have on longer rides. It’s also sorely missing a USB charge port, but BMW know this, because they’ve just added this to the 2021 model.
Like any larger European scooter with premium features, the C 400 GT doesn’t come cheap. In basic form (without the extras on the bike I rode) it comes in at R149,600—R11,400 more than the C 400 X. But then again, maxi-scooter’s aren’t cheap either, with the new Yamaha T-Max 560 coming in at R214,950.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
I asked my Instagram friends what they thought of scooters, and this was the best response I received: “Scooters are misunderstood by people that haven’t ridden them.” The C 400 GT makes a strong case for convincing the naysayers, and shattering the precious beliefs that many motorcyclists still have about scooters.
Photo credit: Wes Reyneke / ZA Bikers
Of course, there’s a plethora of larger-capacity motorcycles that will outgun it in a multitude of scenarios. But at the end of the day, I threw some proper riding at the BMW C 400 GT—and it responded with confidence.
Maybe next time I’ll try some light touring on it. GT does stand for ‘Grand Tourer,’ after all.
It wouldn’t be an overstatement to call the CRF250L one of Honda’s biggest success stories. The pint-sized dual-sport is approachable, capable and wildly popular… and now Honda have made it bigger in a bid to make it better, with the release of the 2021 CRF300L.
The CRF300L is now available in South Africa, so we’re taking a closer look at what’s changed. For 2021, Big Red has bumped the CRF’s capacity by 36 cc, by increasing the single-cylinder motor’s stroke. It now makes 10% more peak power and 18% more peak torque, landing at 20.1 kW (26.9 hp) at 8,500 rpm and 26.6 Nm at 6,500 rpm.
Photo credit: Honda SA
Honda have thrown a host of other upgrades at the engine too. The inlet cam timing’s been revised, and the intake and exhaust systems have been fettled for more mid-range power and torque. The ignition timing’s been fettled too, and the CRF uses a new iridium spark plug too. And the motor is now EURO5 compliant. That all means that the CRF300L should have a little more poke than its predecessor, without losing any of its friendly nature.
The gear ratios have been tightened up from one through five for better response, with a taller sixth gear for open road stuff, and a new slip/assist clutch lifts 20% off the load on the lever. Honda list an increase in top speed from 129 km/h to 132 km/h. Combined with the taller sixth gear, the new CRF should feel less strained on the highway.
Photo credit: Honda SA
Moving to the CRF’s chassis, Honda have shaved a total of four kilos off the bike’s weight, with a new frame and swingarm. It now clocks in at 142 kg wet, with a semi-double cradle steel frame and a cast aluminium swingarm.
The frame and swingarm are not only lighter, but have been redesigned to offer more compliance, with reductions in lateral rigidity. Honda say this should improve handling, feel and the balance between front and rear traction. Weight savings are everywhere, right down to the bottom triple clamp that’s now aluminium instead of steel.
Photo credit: Honda SA
The stroke of the 43 mm inverted Showa forks has been bumped by 10 mm to 260 mm, with updates to the spring weight and damping settings. The rear Pro-Link suspension systems been bumped from 240 mm to 260 mm, and uses a Showa shock.
All these changes translate to an increase in ground clearance (255 to 285 mm), an 880 mm seat height (5 mm higher) and a 10 mm longer wheelbase at 1455 mm.
Photo credit: Honda SA
Just like Honda’s pure off-road machines, the CRF rolls on 21F/18R wheels, with lightweight aluminium rims for 2021, polished to a gloss black finish. There’s more weight saving here, by way of hollowed out axles, a lighter rear sprocket and lighter fasteners.
Braking’s provided by a single 256 mm front disc and two-piston caliper, and a 220 mm rear disc and single-piston caliper. Honda have borrowed a couple of features from their competition machines here; a lightweight integrated rear master cylinder design, and wave discs. ABS is standard issue.
Photo credit: Honda SA
The CRF’s slim bodywork and graphics take inspiration from the competition bikes too. But the changes are more than just skin deep—Honda have revised the ergonomics slightly too, by slimming the 7.8 l fuel tank and the front of the seat. Smaller bits like the front mudguard and rear license plate bracket are new (and lighter) too.
Up top, the handlebars have been pulled back a little, and further down, the foot pegs have been lowered and moved back. There’s a redesigned LCD display in the cockpit, with extra info like a gear position indicator, fuel mileage and consumption, average speed, a stopwatch and a rev counter.
Photo credit: Honda SA
Even the side stand hasn’t been left alone—it has a folding footplate with a 10% bigger surface area, which should make parking it in sketchy terrain marginally less tricky. Honda’s aftermarket list for the CRF300L is small though, limited to a top box and a sump guard.
The other thing that’s bigger on the 2021 CRF300L is the price: it now costs R84,999. Given the rising prices of motorcycles these days, that’s still palatable—especially when you consider just how much Honda have upgraded this beloved little street legal enduro. And given the CRF-L’s near-cult status, expect it to be a top seller.
Motul has extended their popular online Know Your Oil campaign to Mix FM. The twice-weekly feature is a key part of Motul’s mission to increase awareness of the vital role that oil plays in every driving and riding experience and to help vehicle owners choose the right oil for their vehicle.
Hippocrates (Taki) Bogiages, Technical Manager for Motul SA and Mercia Jansen, Motul Area Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa, join popular Mix FM DJ Al Your Pal during his Power Mix shows every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at 14h20, where they get to share their extensive knowledge about the best oils to use in every kind of vehicle. From two to four wheels, and for every activity from everyday driving or riding to racing and even heavy-duty vehicles, marine and gardening applications.
“Following the success of our Know Your Oil Facebook segments, we’re delighted to have the opportunity to work with Mix FM and Al Your Pal to bring the latest oil knowledge to more South African vehicle owners,” commented Mercia. “Choosing the right oil can make a real difference in terms of the performance of your vehicle, the longevity of your engine and parts and what it costs you in services and spares,” she added.
“We’ll be covering a range of oil-related topics and themes,” explained Taki, “including the basics of oils and why they’re important and going on to look at how to choose the right oil, and other vital consumables including transmission and brake fluids. The show on Thursday 8 April will be with amazing Women in Racing where we get to chat about our 300V legacy products and the awesome MC Care range,” he added.
Mix FM listeners can now look forward to gaining a wealth of knowledge about oils and lubricants. By tuning in to Al Your Pal’s Power Mix during April, they’ll discover that – with expert guidance – it’s easier than ever to Know Your Oil, save money, and enjoy optimum vehicle performance.
“I’m delighted to have Mercia and Taki on the show, giving them the chance to share this information with our Mix FM listeners,” commented Al Your Pal. “As a DJ, I know that music is vital to keeping our country moving, which means that quality radio and quality oils have a lot in common. I’ve enjoyed the engagement from our listeners and of course, getting their feedback to our weekly competition to win Motul products and limited-edition merchandise. I’m a big motorbike fan myself, and I’ve been picking up some great tips from the Motul team,” added the veteran DJ.
With 168 years of oil heritage, Motul has built up a vast library of knowledge on oil performance and specifications. Allied to this history is Motul’s spirit of innovation, which has kept them at the forefront of the motor oil business, providing the lifeblood that flows through millions of vehicles worldwide.
Photo source: Motul South Africa
For more information on the specs of individual Motul products, visit www.motul.com or download the Motul App from the App Store or Google Play.
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.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Motul
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!
Photo credit: GXCC / www.motorsportmedia.co.za
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.
Photo credit: Julien Delfosse / DPPI
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.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
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.
Since the reveal of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R prototype (back in 2012), KTM and many hooligans just knew the Super Duke R was going to tick all the right boxes. A bonkers naked bike, a bike that KTM themselves nicknamed ‘The Beast’, it was a no-rules super naked that was mad, badass and very, very wild. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better than the latest Super Duke R, KTM drops an extra R behind The Beast.
Photo credit: KTM Austria
The ultra-hooligan is the first bike in KTM’s line-up to bear the ‘RR’ badge, it sits proudly at the top of KTM’s street ranges throne, as a limited-edition flagship motorcycle, developed solely around pure performance. Limited-edition? Jip, only 500 of these ultra-rare Austrian naked’s will be built.
Photo credit: KTM Austria
So, what’s so RR about the new Super Duke? The RR is lighter, stiffer, it comes with a new electronics package, Carbon fibre parts, a new quick-turn throttle twist grip, super cool brake calliper cooling ducts and an improved power-to-weight ratio of 1:1. The RR is what happens when KTM’s R&D department is allowed free reign, creating a true ‘Ready to Race’ motorcycle, with added exclusivity, exotic componentry, and premium workmanship.
Photo credit: KTM Austria
The heart and soul of the beast still pumps out 180 hp and 140 Nm, but with a 9 kg weight loss, this translates into a power-to-weight ratio of 1:1—enough power to tear the roof off your house. Unlike the R, the RR is all about track-ripping performance, with its new quick-turn throttle twist grip, further improving throttle response and reducing the rider’s wrist angle and elbow drop. You could probably do some light shopping, but it will all be a smoothie by the time you get home.
Photo credit: KTM Austria
Where most of the extra R comes in, is in the form of WP’s finest components. Upfront, you’ve got fully adjustable WP APEX PRO forks, together with an adjustable WP APEX PRO steering damper. At the rear, an APEX PRO shock takes charge, which has been custom-made to the specification of the RR. Working with the great suspension you’ll find lighter wheels (1.5 kg less) and sticky Michelin Power Cup2 tyres—dramatically upping the track readiness.
Photo credit: KTM Austria
To round it all off, KTM have clothed the RR in Carbon fibre, with the subframe also receiving the lightweight carbon treatment. A redesigned tail unit creates a unique single-seat setup, with redesigned LED taillights incorporated into new LED turn signals. The BEAST wouldn’t be complete without Akrapovic’s lightweight Slip-On exhaust system—no need to browse the power parts catalogue.
Photo credit: KTM Austria
For those who want to personalise or increase the already nutty performance of the RR, KTM have a full range of never before seen components and bodywork, a full range of KTM PowerParts has also been developed.
Photo credit: KTM Austria
In the right hands, the KTM 1290 Super Duke RR may just be the ultimate backstreet weapon or track day superbike slayer. So, get your electronic devices out and contact your nearest KTM dealer.
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.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
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?
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
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!
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
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!
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
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!
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
“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.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA Bikers
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.
Red Bull KTM dominated the second round of the National Motocross Championship that took place in Gqeberha this weekend. Claiming his second consecutive double victory of the season, star rider Tristan Purdon snatched the win in both the MX1 and MX2 Class respectively.
The highly anticipated event was hosted by Rover, a track infamous for its unforgiving sand and deep ruts. Fully aware of the physical challenge in store, Purdon mentioned paying extra attention to his fitness levels in the weeks leading up to the race.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
He commented: “It was such an awesome feeling to win both classes again. The track got super rough and demanding on the body, but that’s what I’d expected. I felt like the fitness training I’d been doing leading up to this made a really big difference. Our mechanic, Kevin, also setup my KTM 250 SX-F and KTM 450 SX-F perfectly – they couldn’t have felt better.”
With a strong determination to hold onto the red plates throughout the season, Purdon executed a perfect 1-1 in MX1 to take the victory overall. After finishing in a close second in the first moto of MX2, Purdon described feeling particularly fired up to win the second moto. He explained; “When I came that close to winning the first moto, I was even more determined to get out there and win the second moto. I was a little stressed for MX2 – it’s stacked with talent and I usually perform better in MX1. I’m really proud of the results and happy to have extended my points lead in both classes.”
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
Red Bull KTM teammate Cameron Durow added to the celebrations at the orange camp. As the fastest qualifier, the youngster managed to get up front for a large portion of the first heat in MX2. Durow described making a few small mistakes that cost him the lead, but he managed to finish the moto in a solid third place.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
The rider made the decision to switch back to his practise suspension for the second heat and set off with a blistering place to take the holeshot. After a bar-to-bar battle up front with Purdon and Camden Mc Lellan, Durow finished both third in the heat and ultimately third overall.
“This race taught me a lot about the kind of suspension setup I need to perform at my best and gave me good experience racing upfront with Tristan and Camden. I learnt a lot from this weekend and have a good idea of the things I need to work on going forward, but I’m also really happy with the end result,” said Durow.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
The event proved to be a challenging one for Red Bull KTM’s Jonathan Mlimi. The High School Class hero had an unfortunate crash that kept him from earning any points in the first moto. With a track record of making epic comebacks, however, Mlimi drew on his past experiences to enter the second moto swinging. Undaunted by the challenging start to the day, the rider tapped into new gears as he raced to the secure victory and a top ten finish overall.
Photo credit: www.zcmc.co.za
A cherry on the top of what was a highly successful day of racing for the team was yet another podium finish from rising Pro Mini star Trey Cox. Despite a slow start in the first moto, Cox remained consistent and finished 3-2 to take third overall. The rider has now secured the points lead in the 85cc Class. He commented, “What I’m happy about most is that for the first time I managed to get the red plate! I’m going to hold onto it for as long as I can.”
It’s safe to say MotoGP has returned with an almighty bang this season, and long may we continue to witness some of the closest motorcycle racing, if not the closest racing in general on the planet. With the opening race already being just as unpredictable as many were last season and with the Tissot GP being a doubleheader, this race weekend was set to excite.
Darryn Binder
Last weekend’s pole setter Darryn Binder, had a challenging qualifying session as track conditions took a turn for the worst. With a sandy track and high winds, Darryn pushed hard on his final laps to clinch 7th at the chequered flag. Due to Pedro Acosta’s (Red Bull KTM Ajo) irresponsible riding during Friday’s FP2 session, Darryn got bumped up into 6th for Sunday’s race and Pedro was looking at a pitlane start.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
A second sunset for the second time in seven days at Losail, saw the lining up of 21 riders on the grid, as 7 riders start from the pitlane. It was déjà vu off the line, as Darryn blitzed the start and took the lead on the opening lap. With dogfights between the riders and positions changing lap for lap, due to the slipstream effect, Darryn stayed upfront with the leading pack, constantly challenging for the lead.
After leading across the line, our fellow South African was squeezed out at turn 1 as he and teammate John McPhee got a bit close for comfort. Darryn suddenly found himself down in 13th, with Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) now the new race leader. More drama unfolded after Alcoba tagged the back of Darryn and left McPhee with nowhere to go, the latter got a face full of Honda and both were out of the race.
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
A dramatic last few laps ended with a battle for first, between Darryn Binder and pitlane starter Pedro Acosta. Pitch-perfect last laps from both riders meant it was all down to the final run to the line. Darryn was in touch and had a chance of snatching the 25 points at the death, but Acosta held on by just 0.039s. Darryn took his second consecutive podium, which also puts him second in the championship standings.
DB: “It was a really crazy race with some seriously close calls! At the beginning, I was quite comfortable at the front and later on, I thought that the leading group was smaller, but I soon realised it wasn’t. On the last lap, I tried to get the hammer down to launch an attack on Pedro Acosta, but I just couldn’t quite do it. I’m so stoked to make it two podiums in a row though! My bike was insanely good and I just can’t thank the team enough. I’ve never felt this good in this class before. I feel strong in every session and feel like I can just go out and do what I need to do. I can’t wait to get to Portugal and get the next race underway.”
Photo credit: Petronas SRT
Brad Binder
Brad Binder rode his way around Qatar’s many elements during free practise and qualifying, getting his RC16 set up for the high wind situations come Sunday. Q2 was just out of reach for Brad during Saturday’s qualifying, consolidating an 18th starting position on the grid. Saturday’s qualifying wasn’t going to get Brad down, he was going to push as hard as he could for a good result to leave Qatar on a good note.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
The ‘Sunday Rider’ flipped his HJC’s tinted visor down, warmed up his medium compound tyres, engaged launch control and was ready to climb up the chart. Last weekend Ducati filled their bikes with some sort of rocket fuel, but this weekend it was KTM who rocketed off the line. Miguel Oliveira launched from 12th into the top five and Brad Binder sprung away from 18th into a comfortable 10th after the first lap.
Brad planted himself into the leading group and battled it out with the likes of Pol Espargaró and Maverick Viñales for 9th. Just after the half race distance, two groups started to form, Brad leading the following group in 10th, just under 2 seconds behind Viñales in the leading group.
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
With under eight laps to go, Brad’s medium compound tyre choice started to make more sense. Brad closed down the gap to the leading group and started eyeing in Joan Mir (2020 MotoGP World Champion) and Aleix Espargaro. With some fantastic overtaking moves on the final lap, Brad crossed the line in 8th position; beating KTM’s previously set record in 2019.
BB: “Much happier, especially to have finished in the top ten today at least. Things were really difficult for us here in Qatar. When I arrived at the track this morning I said to myself ‘whatever the situation, I don’t care, I am just going to give my best every single lap’ and instead of trying to chase something that was a little bit out of reach I just tried to do what I could each lap and in the race it seemed to pay off. I’m really happy to have made up ten spots today.”
Photo credit: Red Bull KTM
The Losail International Circuit has always delivered close finishes and exciting racing, but this time around was on a different scale. 8.928 seconds, is all it took for the top 15 riders to cross the line. How wild is that! To make it even more unbelievable, every manufacturer was inside the top 15. It just shows you how competitive and how closely matched the machinery has become.
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.
Photo credit: Meredith Potgieter / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Simon Morton / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
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.
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
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
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
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
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
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!
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
“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
Photo credit: Bjorn Moreira / ZA Bikers
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…
After nearly 4 months of race-less weekends, the wait was finally over. The 2021 MotoGP season kicked off this weekend in windy and dusty Qatar, with some new track records and three killer races. So, on with the GP supporter apparel, a quick stretch of the vocal cords and here the race weekend begins.
Darryn Binder
Saturday saw Darryn Binder set Losail alight during qualifying, with new Moto3 Petronas Sprinta Racing leathers and a newly mastered Honda NSF250RW. Darryn made mincemeat of Q1 and soon carried the same pace into Q2, where he broke the track record twice, and claimed pole, with a 2’04.075 lap.
Image source: sepangracingteam.com
Sundays Sunset in Losail, saw the lining up of 28 roaring Moto3 bikes and the first of three races. With every four-stroke single-cylinder hitting 14,000 rpm, the lights went out. Darryn launched off the line and led into turn one, where he maintained his lead throughout the opening lap.
Image source: sepangracingteam.com
The first couple of laps saw some dogfights out front, where bumping and having to ride on a bit of grass became the norm—Darryn blindly nudging Sergio Garcia onto the grass at 200 km/h. Lap by lap, the slipstream effect on the start-finish, caused the lead to change hands almost every lap. Darryn battled hard to be upfront throughout the race, and began plotting his final laps.
Darryn found himself a few bike lengths apart from the leading pair leaning into turn 16, but gave it his all on the final drag to the line. At the chequered flag young Binder claimed his first podium in Petronas Sprinta Racing colours after crossing the line in third. What a banger! Super awesome to see Darryn performing so well, right off the bat and already making a name for himself within the Moto3 class.
Image source: Red Bull KTM
DB: “It was a difficult race with the wind, which was a lot stronger than I expected. Every time I got to the front I just felt like I was waiting for someone to come past, because if you were leading when you got to the main straight it was crazy. If you were second or third you could get a really good draft into the last corner. I rolled on a bit too much in the final corner and got caught by the wind, it was insane how much slower I was when the wind got me. To be on the podium in the first race of the season was exactly what I needed though. What a great first weekend with the team and the Honda, I’m super happy and can’t thank the team enough!”
Image source: sepangracingteam.com
Brad Binder
Brad Binder had a different build-up to race day, with cold track temperatures and gusts of wind causing stability issues on the KTM during qualifying. Brad wasn’t the only KTM rider battling, Danilo Petrucci, Iker Lecuona and Miguel Oliveira all found themselves in Q1, with the same battle on their hands. At the end of Q1, Brad had to consolidate a 19th starting position for Sunday’s race.
Image source: Red Bull KTM
With the sun gone and with all 3600 floodlights turn on at the Losail circuit, it was MotoGP time. It was four Bologna bullets that took launching into a whole new level and into turn one. However, behind the scenes, Brad was charging from 19th and quickly making inroads towards the mid-pack battles.
Image source: Red Bull KTM
Brad soon got into a group battle with Pol Espargaro, Stefan Bradl, Miguel Oliveira and Valentino Rossi. Binder was beginning to making his way up towards the top ten, until he started having front tyre grip problems, making him slow his pace down drastically. After having a few scraps with Rossi, Brad soon settled behind his teammate Miguel and crossed the line in 14th.
Image source: Red Bull KTM
Overall, I think Brad rode well, considering everything he had to ride around, and I think we are seeing a more mature rider this year. Brad stuck it out and brought the bike home in one piece, while scoring his first and much needed MotoGP points for the 2021 season.
Image source: Red Bull KTM
BB: “It’s good to have the first race of the season under our belts but we didn’t finish close to where we wanted. For sure the whole team and I expected much more. We have to accept reality and there is work to be done at this circuit. In the first part of the race I thought we could be competitive but at half race distance, I completely finished my front tyre. It was a case of either bring the bike home safely at the pace I was doing or lose the front. It was difficult but now we have data from the first race and we can move on from here.”
Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
Drama, scintillating racing, and ridiculously tight finishes. The best thing? We get to do it all over again next weekend at the Losail International Circuit.
All eyes were on the team as they rolled out their brand-new Honda CBR-RR bikes for the first session. Other riders lined the pit wall to see and hear the new bikes fly past the pitlane, screaming at 15,800rpm.
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme
Despite the raw straight-line speed, both Sfiso Themba and reigning champion Clint Seller knew they had their work cut out for them over the bumpy Killarney track. With limited testing time, the bikes still seem to be in the development stage for both riders.
Clint managed to put the new Honda on P2 in qualifying on Friday, but made significant progress in each session. The King Price xtreme team fell more and more in love with their new bikes as each session went by.
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme
Unfortunately, Sfiso made a slip-up in the first qualifying session and crashed in turn 1. While Sfiso was okay, the same couldn’t be said of his bike. Sadly, this left him on the sidelines for the remainder of the weekend.
Race 1 saw Clint jump straight into P1, leading the first 2 laps. However, with a few set-up items still to be ironed out, Clint had to settle for P2 with ideas on how to make the set-up better for race 2 (which is exactly what the King Price xtreme Honda team did).
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme
After that, Clint had to take it easy on the 2 warm-up laps. He spent a lap or 2 behind race leader David McFadden, easing into the new set-up on his Honda. This made a huge difference to the race and Clint was able to go 0.8 of a second faster than he had all weekend.
Although this still led to a P2 race result, the team was all smiles in the post-race pit. The new Honda is starting to show its teeth and the team can’t wait to get it back on the track for the second round of the championship.
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme
Short Circuit Series
Leungo Gaorekwe / 93: “This weekend was another fantastic 1 for me on my King Price xtreme KTM. I qualified on pole and won all 3 heats, taking full points in the championship. A huge thank you to my team for preparing the perfect bike for me.
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme
“All the hard work we put in at our tests and training is really paying off, especially with my suspension. We continue to work hard in preparation for the next event and hope to continue the winning streak.”
NSF100 Class
Cayden Robert / 22: “The weekend didn’t go as expected for me… After putting in some very fast lap times during my practice session on Friday, I was confident that I would be able to fight for a win on my Honda NSF100 even though I was still nursing a broken thumb.
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme
The timing system unfortunately wasn’t functioning when I went out in qualifying, so the organisers decided to use the championship standings to set grid positions for race 1. This put me in second place as I was second in the championship.
After a great start, I slotted into second place but unfortunately crashed during race 1 as I tried to attack for the lead. This unfortunately put me at the back of the grid for race 2. I had a brilliant start and managed to fight my way into fourth place after 2 laps.
Photo credit: King Price Xtreme
I was too eager to get to the front and slipped up going into turn 4 and lost the front. I then got the bike going and rejoined the race 1 lap down. I pushed as hard as I could, making many passes and managed ninth place for race 2.
“Starting from ninth in race 3, I gave it my all and managed to finish second after a huge battle to get there. Even though my results weren’t great this weekend, the team and I learned a lot and we’ll work hard to come back stronger the next round.”
Huge thanks go out to all the sponsors:
King Price xtreme, Honda SA, Dragon Energy, Liqui Moly, Fire It Up, RACE SA, Rapid Bike SA, Super Signs, ImageBuild and PS Branded. You make all of this possible.
With a few days to go before the season-opening Grand Prix in Qatar, we caught up with Red Bull KTM rider, Brad Binder to discuss the 2021 MotoGP and this is what he had to say:
Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
Question: How was the offseason considering the impact of covid-19 in your rookie season?
Brad: “The offseason was cool, it was so nice to come home and catch up with my family and friends, as I didn’t get to spend time in South Africa at all last year. But COVID-19 did put a bit of pressure on my Moto GP as it’s a lot more difficult, especially just to live a normal life and try to get to another country and so far this year is looking the same.”
Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
Question: The pre-season surely must have been very different to what you are used to, can you talk us through that?
Brad: “Pre-season has been great as far as the training and preparations go, though we were meant to start our first test in Japan at the beginning of February, but that got cancelled and moved to a date that was only a couple of weeks ago in Qatar, so we missed out on a few days of testing there, unfortunately, but yes it has been tough for us, the start has not been ideal or as we expected. We just need to stay focused and it is now the time where we could either work for 1st place or 15th place, but I am confident that we will get it right just in time.”
Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
Question: Are you happy to have Miguel as part of the team?
Brad: “Definitely! It is really cool to have Miguel as my teammate, he is a really cool guy, we have always got on really well. I think we can really push Red Bull KTM on, I am sure between us we can do a really great job.”
Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
Question: The rookie of the year season is done and dusted. What are the goals for this year for you and the team?
Brad: “The goal for me at the moment is that I really want to fight for a podium, every weekend would be fantastic. If we could be racing for that front battle and keep on pushing, it will give us the opportunity to learn much more and push on a little bit from there. I think we have everything we need to really be there. It’s just we need to try to put all the small things together and go from there.”
Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
Last year KTM did more than just proved themselves, they showed everyone that they have the pace to be seriously competitive. Both Binder and Oliveira are sensational to watch. The Red Bull KTM due have our support and we hope to see wins, podiums, and perhaps even a championship. Go, Brad go!
