If you’ve been procrastinating about buying that KTM you’ve always dreamed about, then maybe now is the time to do something about it.

To help you make the decision, KTM has a red-hot deal on the 2025 300 XC-W, in the form of a not-inconsiderable R15,000 discount. That’s enough to buy yourself a full new set of protective gear or an awful lot of petrol to enable you to ride into many sunsets.

For more information, contact your nearest KTM dealer.

‘All men must die, but only some men truly live’ – William Wallace, Braveheart.

Motorcyclists and friends gathered at Grotto to Gravel in the Magaliesburg on Saturday to show their respect and celebrate the life of Gus Maartens, who went to his eternal home on the 19th of July after an incredibly brave battle following a double lung transplant more than a year ago. Like everything he did in his life, Gus fought his final battle with supernatural guts and determination. The support that he received from his beloved wife, Mariette, during his illness will forever be an inspiration to all who know them. Little did they know the significance of the marriage vows pledged to each other at their unique marriage ceremony at Tankwa padstal in their beloved Karoo, seven odd years ago.

Gus and Mariette met through a mutual love for motorcycles. Gus had suffered the passing of his wife, and Mariette had barely survived a traumatic and abusive relationship. Gus was smitten with the feisty girl and won her over with unconditional love, kindness and empathy, erasing the scars of the past and showing her what God intended marriage to be. What followed was a wonderful adventure with their mutual love of bikes at its core. Gus accepted Mariette’s girls as his own, and his love for Mariette was reflected in the love that he showed them. The love that they radiated as a family was infectious and rubbed off on all the many folks who got to know them.

‘To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part’, the vows so glibly repeated and so easily forgotten when strife strikes. But not for Gus and Mariette. When Gus was diagnosed with a terminal lung illness, they did the same as when attacking challenging terrain on their beloved GSs. They looked up, stood up, and opened up! Gus, supported every step of the way by his Mariette, continued living his life with enthusiasm, just piggybacking an oxygen cylinder that helped him breathe. The threat to their future also served to deepen their love for each other as well as their trust in God. Miraculously, a lung transplant, the only hope for Gus, became possible and was duly done.

What followed was over a year of battling to recover. Gus and Mariette were on a rollercoaster of hope and despair. Just as he seemed to be on the road to recovery, infection would beat him back down again. This was a recurring theme for over a year. Mariette clocked up more than 50,000 k’s travelling to Milpark hospital and back, being there for her man through it all. Comforting, encouraging, pampering and praying. If love alone could have healed Gus, he would have flourished. Friends they had made rallied around in support, both materially and prayerfully. Gus suffered terribly, both physically and mentally. In drug-induced psychosis, he relived battles fought in Angola during the border war. All who saw what he was going through marvelled at the strength of the man, both mentally and physically. He was running a different kind of Comrades. A marathon during which the highs and lows caused him to love more deeply and grow his faith in God immeasurably.

It was a real-world example of the truth of 2 Corinthians 12:9, which tells us that ‘His strength is made perfect in weakness’. Gus and Mariette were on a journey with their God, where it was only their faith in Him and His strength that kept them going. On the 19th of July, with her head on his chest, Mariette told Gus that it was ok to let go, that he would find healing and an end to his suffering in heaven with the Jesus that he had come to love so much. He peacefully breathed his last and went home. Scripture tells us that ‘to live is Christ and to die is gain’. This is difficult to grasp for us who think that our life on earth is what it is about. I believe that our lives on earth are preparation for eternity. At the appointed time and place, we will go home to our Creator.

There were two rides to Grotto to Gravel. A bunch of riders met at 8 am on a chilly winter’s morning to ride through from Touratech in Centurion. A second group left at 8,30 am from Raceworx in Jo’burg. After arriving at Grotto to Gravel, everyone proceeded from the parking area to the seating set out for the service conducted by Pastor Johan Van Eck. The procession was accompanied by the haunting strains of a lone piper playing Amazing Grace. Johan Lee then shared from the heart on the blessing of life given by organ donors. His account of the loss of his 19-year-old daughter and the five lives saved through the donation of her organs was both moving and thought-provoking.

A short ceremony by some of Gus’s old army veteran comrades was poignant and a reminder of the sacrifices made by brave men in the service of their country. A bugler played the Last Post as the veterans stood to attention and saluted their fallen comrade. The walls at Grotto to Gravel are adorned with many photographs of Gus’s exploits, as well as the many adventures that he shared with Mariette, bearing testimony to a rich life lived with much love and passion. Theo Scholtz, a long-term friend, shared anecdotes on the life of a remarkable man.

Pauli Massyn, who, together with his wife Retha, was a pillar of strength for Mariette throughout her ordeal, then took on what was for me the most difficult task of a hugely emotional day. He read Mariette’s letter, paying homage to the man she loved so dearly. This was followed by Mariette’s daughter, Marcelene, sharing her feelings on ‘Pa Gus’. Speaking from the heart and with huge emotion, she shared the love that they had shared. His unconditional love, encouragement and guidance literally helped shape her life into the brave and independent young woman that she is today. What an incredible account of the true measure of the man!

With the formalities completed, we enjoyed a spitbraai lunch and drinks, celebrating the life of a truly special man. Kudos to Mariette for honouring her man in such a remarkable way. The cry of her heart, which was evident in her ‘totsiens’ letter to Gus, was how she couldn’t navigate life without him. I feel that his answer to her would be the same as when she struggled to negotiate deep sand on her ‘delivery bike’ on one of their adventures. With her in tears but carrying on to the best of her ability, he reassured her with the words ‘jy sal dit maak my skat, jy het balsak!’

Gus, we are going to miss you dearly! In your quiet and humble way, you left deep footprints in all our hearts. No one I know has ever looked as cool as you in shades, that’s a fact! You now know what we all still wonder about… Does the Lord, too, ride a GS? The Word tells us that there is rejoicing in heaven when a believer comes home. Man, what a party that must have been! You sucked the marrow from life and brought joy to those who loved you, none more so than your Mariette and her girls. You are now restored and whole again. ‘Totsiens my friend, till we meet again. ’

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Classic motorcycles might not be everyone’s cup of tea, even if the story they tell is of the history of motorcycling; you can trace a direct line between the simple models of yesteryear to the technology-laden motorcycles of today.

While many motorcyclists wouldn’t entertain the idea of running a classic, there is a large and very active classic scene in South Africa, and it is with this in mind that three enterprising fellows have opened Classic Motorcycles South Africa in Fishers Hill, Germiston, to sell, service and restore classic bikes.

Many of you will be familiar with Desmond Soekoe, manufacturer of excellent motorised bicycles. He, along with Tony Visser from the Rusty Trunk and Harry Fisher, whose work you will have read at www.zabikers.co.za, have thrown everything into the venture, believing that there is a gap in the classic market that is just crying out to be filled.

The new premises sits right next door to Soekoe’s shop at 14 Main Road, Fishers Hill and it is quickly becoming a hub for anyone who appreciates classic motorcycles.

One of the problems in running classic bikes is the availability of spares, either new or used. Classic Motorcycles SA can help with this, too, either from their stocks of used parts or through sourcing new parts from the UK. CMSA are also agents for the range of Castrol Classic oils.

Another problem comes with buying a classic, especially if there is no experience of running one in the past. With their wealth of experience, the guys can assist with this as well, whether it be helping find the classic you’re looking for or checking over a bike you’re interested in.

The shop is open every day of the week and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. You can call them on 082 654 2598 or 082 771 2003, and you can follow them on Facebook: Classic Motorcycles SA.

One-make racing series are a cost-effective way of going racing, as well as offering close racing that’s popular with both entrants and spectators alike.

Suzuki’s latest sports road middleweights, the GSX-8S and GSX-8R, have made a significant impact within their respective classes, combining excellent performance and chassis dynamics with accessible pricing. The 8R, in particular, is an obvious basis for a one-make racing series, and that is exactly what Suzuki Motorcycle South Africa has just announced.

The series has been approved as a class for the 2026 regional season and will take place in Gauteng initially, with a vision of expanding to other provinces in years to come as demand dictates.

The GSX-8R models will be as close to standard as possible, allowing only for modifications with safety in mind. The racing is also as cost-effective as possible with a new bike on the grid for as little as R190 000. Furthermore, with only one set of tyres allowed for each round, the costs are under control. Individual round winners in 2026 will win a set of tyres for the next round, and the overall winner of the 2026 season will win tyres for the full 2027 season.

Two 8R Cup bikes will be in action in the “Under 500 cc” category at the upcoming race day, 16th August, at Red Star Raceway. Be sure to head over, have a look and chat with the Suzuki team representatives about the series for 2026.

For more information, contact Stuart Baker at [email protected]

Sports bike fans have had a lean time of it in recent years. Sure, the likes of the Fireblade, ZX10 and R1 are still available, but manufacturers aren’t throwing as much development resource at them simply because sales have dropped through the floor. They are still nominally flagship models, showcasing the best technology the manufacturer has to offer and forming the foundation of production-based racing series, but in the face of the popularity of adventure bikes, the sports bike is nowhere.

And then there is the immortal Suzuki GSX-R1000R. Forty years young this year, but it’s been absent from many countries’ sales lists for a while simply because it wasn’t meeting the latest Euro emissions regulations. Fans of the bike could be forgiven for thinking that that was it for their favourite superbike.

However, in a significant development, Suzuki has brought the Gixxer back to life, and it promises to be better than ever.

The engine is both old/familiar and new. The 999.8cc inline four gets a new crankshaft, crankcases, pistons and connecting rods and now runs a 13.8:1 compression ratio. The engine meets the Euro5+ regs, retains the variable valve timing and has a completely refreshed fuelling system. Suzuki claims 195 horsepower and 110Nm of torque, both figures less than the competition boasts, but in the real world, where most of us live, it’s more than enough.

What’s more, not only is Suzuki aiming to retain its reputation for bullet-proof engineering, it’s also laying a foundation for further tuning by owners and racers alike, without any loss in reliability.

The chassis remains much as it was, a twin-spar aluminium frame and swing-arm, while Suzuki had to go down the aero route by fitting winglets to the front fairing. Showa handles the suspension duties, Brembo monoblock callipers handle the braking, and Bridgestone handles the grip.

Naturally, one of the main upgrades is in the electronics. The electronics suite, headlined by a six-axis IMU, and Suzuki’s newly refined Roll Torque Control system (RTCS) is a predictive traction control system that works out the optimum power delivery before the wheel starts spinning, rather than reacting afterwards. Traction control is still active in the event of a slip, but with the RTCS in place, it should feel smoother through corners and with less oscillation as the TC engages and then disengages.

A six-axis IMU is controlling a ten-level anti-wheelie system, launch control, lean-sensitive ABS, two-way quick shifter, slope-dependent braking control and low-RPM assist and easy-start function.

There are three colour schemes available: blue and white, red and white, and yellow and matte blue. The bikes should be arriving in dealers sometime mid-2026, and the price, of course, is to be announced.

It promises to be the best Gixxer yet; sharper, more powerful, more up-to-date, but the same superbike you’ve always loved.

Following on from the news that FAST KTM in Alberton is now also a Yamaha (One. Yamaha) dealer, comes yet more encouraging news from the Blu Cru.

The fact that both KTM and Yamaha have seen the value of developing multi-franchise dealerships – a complete turn-around in working practice for both brands – can only be good news for the consumer, and it seems that having two essentially competing brands under one roof actually stimulates sales, rather than diluting them.

So, the next big news from Austria and Japan is the news that Ultimate Performance KTM in Centurion (also known simply as KTM Centurion) has given space in its showroom to form Ultimate Yamaha.

Thomas Tonkin and Vasco Barbolini need no introduction to motorcyclists in Pretoria, having been at the forefront of the industry for nearly 30 years. What they don’t know about selling, servicing, repairing and race-prepping KTMs isn’t worth knowing. With their combined areas of expertise on the showroom floor and in the workshop, customers have enormous peace of mind when buying or servicing KTM bikes. That same mentality and expertise will now work its magic for Yamaha.

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For more information, give them a call on 012 643 1110 or, even better, take a ride out there on Saturday morning (or any morning for that matter). The address is Centurion Gate Business Park, John Vorster Drive, Centurion.

The small but perfectly formed KTM 390 has been a huge success story for the Austrian manufacturer, and rightly so; it’s small, light, with punchy performance, excellent brakes and handling, funky good looks and a modest price tag. What’s not to like?

Since the 390 Duke appeared all those years ago, KTM has developed the 390 platform into a very convincing adventure bike, the 390 Adventure, an enduro model (guess what, it’s called the 390 Enduro R…!), and one of KTM’s specialities, the hooligan 390 SMC R.

What has also just been announced are the 390 Adventure X and 390 Adventure R, which, if you’re familiar with KTM naming, means different levels of equipment and ability, but still wrapped up in incredible accessibility and value-for-money.

If any of the above tickle your fancy and you’d really like to have a closer look and perhaps a demo ride, then this Saturday, 2nd August, head to your local KTM dealer and there will be examples of all five models – Duke, Enduro R, Adventure X, Adventure R and SMC R – available to look at, poke and drool over.

With prices ranging from R105,000 to R140,000, it is obvious that these are machines that are offering an awful lot of ability for very reasonable prices. You really can’t afford to ignore them.

Few people do more to get bums on seats than the folks at Turkana Gear.  Last year, I participated in the Turkana Challenge, and it got me doing things that I would not normally consider. The challenge consisted of 15 unique challenges for you to complete, and once done, you are eligible for some spectacular prizes. In this year’s Turkana, the challenges are divided into different categories with even more prizes to be won. On my last visit to Kaapschehoop, I finished the last of the 2024 challenges, so what better way to kick off the new challenge with another trip to Kaapschehoop? My regular riding buddy, Maarten, rides a BMW R 1250 R, which means we have to stick to the grey stuff. But, with him sitting this one out, it opened up a whole host of potential routes I could take, seeing that I was on my new Royal Enfield Himalayan 450.

On our last visit to Kaapschehoop, we ran into the owners of the quaint B&B called Kattekwaad, Chris and Lulu. While Maarten was chatting to Lulu about cats, I mentioned that I wanted to visit the little antique store in search of old watches. Chris pulled out an old Tissot watch and gave it to me, saying that it was broken and that I could have it. Back home, I inspected the watch and found the main winding spring to be broken. After carefully disassembling the watch, I replaced the spring and got the watch ticking again. I sent a video of the watch to Lulu, and I could hear Chris in the background asking if he could have the watch back. He was only joking, of course, but I knew that I was going to ride back to Kaapschehoop one day and return Chris’ watch to him.

On a chilly July morning, I set off in the direction of Kaapschehoop. I had my trusty Turkana Duffalo bag strapped to the bike, and Turkana Pellipouch doing duty on the handlebars. The Himalayan comes standard with a rear luggage rack and additional tie-down loops on the frame, which is ideal for tying things down. My first stop was to be the Balmoral concentration camp site just past Bronkhorstspruit. This site has a wonderful restaurant where coffee is an absolute must. As I was thawing, I strolled through the cemetery and reflected on the brutality of war. There are 427 graves here. 339 of them are children under the age of 15. Please tell me again how you are having the worst day of your life when your barista gets your chai-latte wrong.

After coffee, I saddled up and headed on the N4 to save some time. I stopped in Dullstroom for another round of coffee and scones. I am happy to report that the notoriously potholed road from Dullstroom to Lydenburg is now mostly fixed. The unhappy part of it is that the trucks are now back on this road, so who knows how long the repairs will hold up. From Lydenburg, I headed up Long Tom Pass. This is where the Himalayan really surprised me. The shocks are from Showa, and they do a fine job of keeping the Himalayan on course. At this altitude, not all of the horses pull their weight, so outright speed is not an option. But then I remembered a hidden service road up Mauchsberg. This requires a nimble bike with torque to navigate the twisty uphill climb. Seems like I was on the right bike then! The road takes you to the top of the mountain, overlooking Long Tom Pass. I spent a good couple of minutes here, enjoying the silence.

After descending the pass, a quick stop at the Long Tom canon meant I was not far from my overnight accommodation. Another pass or two, and I rolled into Kaapschehoop. I checked in with Abrie at Angel’s Mist Guest House. He had his friend Helmut over, and the coals were almost ready for a delicious chicken braai. My timing was perfect!

After a late lunch, I strolled over to Chris and Lulu’s place, watch in hand, ready to surprise Chris. I came at a bad time. Poor Chris was down with the flu, and even though he tried to look excited, I was not going to ask him for a photo with his watch. I let them be, got on the Himalayan, and went in search of a place to photograph the sunrise the next day. Abrie had some ideas, and he accompanied me on his new CF Moto 450. I am happy to see more and more people converting to the sub-500 cc class of bikes!

The next morning, I headed to the sunrise spot, and I marvelled at our beautiful country. I just sat there with coffee in hand, peering over the escarpment. I think I must move here…

Heading back down Kaapschehoop pass, I revelled in the Himalayan’s handling again, all the while wondering how it would fare on dirt. Well, I was about to find out. After stopping at the five-arch bridge and the NZASM tunnel for the Turkana Safari, I turned into Waterval-Boven, through the town, and onto a dirt road. I switched the Himalayan’s ABS off on the back wheel and just went on my merry way. There were a few nervous moments as the tyres were road biased. They are not bad on gravel, but I would not want to ride through mud with them. Two rotations and you will be on slicks. The gravel ended just as I was starting to get comfortable. I headed back in the direction of Machadadorp, but instead of re-joining the N4, I headed towards Carolina to see if I could find the lesser-known ghost town called the Hamlet of Bonnefoi.

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Charles Everard and his brother Thomas had a trading store in Bonnefoi. The hamlet was on the old wagon route to Lydenburg. They also had a post office. One day, a certain Bertha King came from Bethal to collect her mail, and there she met Charles, fell in love, and got married. In 1903, she was instrumental in building a stately farmhouse. They also built a church and a school. She was an artist at heart and even taught the local kids about different art techniques. The artistic streak continued with her children and grandchildren, who became artists in their own right. To this day, the Everard Group Artists still inspire other artists. Bertha’s daughter, Ruth, was responsible for the design and the construction of the Anglican Church in the nearby Carolina. Apartheid activists Braam Fischer and Joe Slovo were also said to have used Bonnefoi as a hide-out, before fleeing to Swaziland.

I stopped my own iron horse in front of the trading post building, and even though the building is a bit worse for wear, the beautifully ornate metal pillars are still holding the structure intact. I then rode to the old farmhouse and wondered what wonderful stories had been played out here in 1903. Each room had a fireplace, so I can just imagine the crackling of fire and the sound of laughter.

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The house is being carried away piece by piece, and not long from now, there will be very little left to remind us of this glorious time. I was a bit moved when I left Bonnefoi. The church is no longer in use, but at least the old school has been repurposed as a house. Then came the boring slog back home, which gave me ample time to think about the Himalayan. This bike is ideal for the type of riding I do. I like travelling slowly and experiencing my surroundings. Just before I joined the N4, I saw a jackal surveying the next farm to terrorise. Near Dullstroom, I saw a majestic eagle on a telephone pole. Had I been on a faster bike, I might have missed them altogether. The Himalayan proved a worthy travel companion, and more and more people are starting to see that small-capacity adventure bikes can do the job. You only have to look at the motorcycle sales figures to see the trend. Adventure bike sales are up by 18% from January to June, compared to the same period last year, and 44% of those bikes were in the sub-500 cc category! So, if it is adventure you are looking for, the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is just the ticket. And if you have no idea where to go or what to do, the Turkana Safari will get you started!

With the racing in 2025 being rather predictable – or, at least, the results are predictable – we really need something to offer alternative entertainment over the course of a Grand Prix weekend. No one, however, wanted the farce that played out in the Sprint race.

The tyre pressure rule has never been anything other than controversial, and it has already derailed one rider’s achievements this season, when Maverick Viñales was denied a stunning podium in Qatar with a post-race penalty for running under pressure for too long.

But that pales into insignificance in light of the ridiculous situation we saw in the Brno Sprint race, both factory Ducatis slowing dramatically, their riders sitting up and allowing the rider behind to pass, in order to follow that rider closely and get some heat back into their front tyres to avoid a penalty. Marquez was able to recover to win, but Bagnaia’s race was completely ruined.

Cheating – perhaps it’s better to call it “creative interpretation of the rules” – has been part and parcel of motor racing since the very dawn of the sport. Some have got away with it, others haven’t. But it’s part of the fabric of motorsport and, even if you cannot condone it, you can’t deny that it adds colour and intrigue.

Running under pressure in a MotoGP race is not cheating; however, it’s a lottery surrounding getting the calculations right before a wheel has turned in the race, trying to guess what position your rider will be riding in, and therefore the temperature the front tyre will be subjected to. It’s a thankless task for both riders and engineers, none of whom have a crystal ball. Too low pressure and there’s a penalty; too high and there’s dangerously reduced grip, the rider either plummeting down the order or crashing with who-knows-what consequences, often for other, innocent, riders sharing the same piece of tarmac.

The tyre-pressure rule is the enemy of clever strategy and interesting racing; it is merely rolling the dice and seeing if the gamble pays off. Maverick Viñales’ stunning result in Qatar was exactly what the season needed; the subsequent penalty was the complete opposite.

There is another factor in the dissatisfaction. It’s disgusting that race results can be decided after a race, and after the podium has been celebrated. Not only does it deny the fans a definitive result, but it also denies the racers themselves the opportunity of standing on what could possibly be their only podium in their career; a retrospective podium is meaningless and also disrespectful to the rider himself.

It’s easy to point the finger of blame at Michelin, whose fears about the safety of its front tyre under increased downforce-induced loads were a factor in the introduction of the minimum tyre pressure. But the teams also had a say. There always was a minimum tyre pressure rule, but it was never enforced; teams were suspected of running very soft front pressures, but no one complained, and the MotoGP world was a happy place. But obviously, there was some behind-closed-doors dissatisfaction within some teams, who possibly drove the tyre pressure initiative more than other teams. That is, of course, conjecture, but not entirely implausible.

What is inexcusable is that Michelin has failed to come up with a tyre solution that would negate the need for pressure monitoring in the face of concerns about safety. Now, with the company due to bow out of MotoGP at the end of the 2026 season to make way for Pirelli, there is little or no incentive to invest time and money in creating a new front tyre that will be obsolete in 18 months’ time.

And so, we live with a sword of Damocles hanging over each race result. Through luck, not judgement, there have been no race victories taken away through low tyre pressure, although the 2024 championship title finale was marred slightly when the two protagonists – Bagnaia and Martin – went into the final championship-deciding round with a penalty apiece; one more infringement from either would have resulted in a time penalty and the title outcome being decided in a board room, not on the race track. Pathetic.

There is one possible positive outcome of the Sprint race debacle, and that is that the new majority owner of MotoGP, Liberty Media, will not at all like the negativity around the issue, in which case we’re likely to see the back of it sooner rather than later. MotoGP is shooting itself in the foot, and something is needed to put it off its aim. The 2027-on reduction in aero will go some way to doing that.

In the meantime, there were two races over the weekend, and Marc Marquez had to work harder for the double than for a long time. The main takeaways from the whole weekend, outside of Marquez’ fifth double in a row – the first time Ducati has won five GPs in a row – were the performances of the KTMs and the Aprilias, Acosta and Bastiannini taking second and third for a double KTM podium in the Sprint and then Bezzecchi (Aprilia) and Acosta second and third in the Main race.

Bagnaia took an impressive pole position after suffering the indignity of having to go through Q1, and managed to lead into turn one, but Marquez soon disposed of him, and that was that. Marquez was pulling away before we had the bizarre sight of both Bagnaia and Marquez allowing other riders to pass. If Acosta thought all his Christmases had come at once, then it was clear that Marquez was simply biding his time, a point he duly proved with an easy overtake for the lead on the penultimate lap.

While Marquez had performed the let-by task with precision, Bagnaia wasn’t so lucky and managed to be passed by Quartararo and Bastiannini as well, after which he was powerless to do anything and would finish an angry seventh.

Bagnaia repeated his quick start in the Main race and actually managed to lead lap one, despite a passing attempt by Marquez, but at the start of lap two, Bezzecchi passed Bagnaia, as did Marc Marquez and Acosta. Meanwhile, Alex Marquez wasn’t doing his championship hopes any good by crashing out, taking the unfortunate Joan Mir with him.

Bastiannini was looking good as he passed Bagnaia for fourth, but then he crashed out, while Marquez got past Bezzecchi for the lead and simply sailed off into the distance, lapping so much quicker than his rivals that it was a bit of a joke, really. Bagnaia wasn’t letting up on Acosta, but just couldn’t get close enough to make a pass. And that’s how it ran out: Marc Marquez, Bezzecchi, Acosta, Bagnaia, Fernandez, Quartararo, Martin, Aldeguer, with Binder and Pol Espargaro rounding out the top ten.

With all the hoo-ha going on at the front, Jorge Martin made a quiet but still impressive return to the grid, having seemingly patched things up with Aprilia to the point where he has committed to seeing out his contract with the team to the end of 2026. Eleventh in the Sprint and seventh in the Main race are results not to be sniffed at after such a long lay-off; lap times that were 0.6 seconds a lap slower than Marquez were also nothing to be ashamed of, given the amount of track time he’s had this year.

Of more concern was the plight of Brad Binder. Qualifying 19th, finishing behind the KTM test rider Pol Espargaro in the Sprint (10th) and then one place ahead of Espargaro in the Main race (8th) was nothing to write home about. When other KTMs are finishing in the top three, it’s just not good enough. Yes, there will be mitigating circumstances for Binder’s performance, but it can’t go on forever; he has to either make the bike work for him or alter his riding style to suit the bike’s strengths, of which there may be few, but they are there. Contracted to the end of 2026, he may be, but a future on the grid beyond that isn’t built on mediocre results, no matter if they are the bike’s fault. Of course, the paddock insiders will know the real story – the KTM’s faults and Binder’s strengths – but any professional sport is always looking for the Next Big Thing, and it is the weakest performers – for whatever reason – that will make way.

We head into the mid-season three-week break with a Marc Marquez title all but confirmed; 120 points ahead of his brother, 168 points ahead of his teammate in third. In reality, it is only Marquez himself who can lose the championship now. If he can hold his concentration and not make any mistakes, then the title is his. As he all too well knows, however, one slip and it’s all over; at this age, that means really all over, not just taking a year or two to recover. The big question that remains is, can he defend that title successfully in 2026 and overtake Valentino Rossi’s tally of seven MotoGP championships? As usual, who’s willing to bet against it?

While it might sound cliché, the saying “things get better with age”, we make an exception for ‘the saying’ every year with the Suzuki Numbi Weekend Away—it really does get better year on year. Each year, the team at Suzuki SA make it their priority to spice up the recipe, making it an exciting experience for the Numbi faithful and a blast for all newcomers. Fun, a bit of competitiveness, plenty of sightseeing, top riding in the country, bonding over motorcycles and sharing the love for the open road. This is the makings of the Suzuki Numbi Weekend Away and the framework that brings the “family” back each year.

Last year saw the biking media join forces at Hotel Numbi & Garden Suites in Hazyview, Mpumalanga, bringing a cluster of personalities together that shouldn’t share the same room slowly morph into a functioning Frankenstein of a team. We did pretty well and even bonded over the experience, which we never really get to do. This year, however, we joined forces differently, not as a team but as a group of Suzuki GSX-S1000GX riders.

A month or so ago, Suzuki very generously pulled an Oprah Winfrey on the media. Suzuki SA: “But it’s not just one, two or three. You get a GX! You get a GX!” We all got long-term GXs, and we have all seriously fallen for the bike. In Suzuki’s versatile lineup of motorcycles, the GX ticks many boxes, from comfortable two-up touring, twisty road and track days, daily commuter, open road mile muncher, and it’s a bike that you still turn around and look at before you head to the office. It’s smooth yet characterful, powerful yet poised and feature-packed yet functional—it’s the clever man’s cherry on the cake kind of motorcycle.

With time on our hands before Numbi, we got to prepping, accessorising and protecting our longer-term GX, “Big Blue”, for the open road. Big Blue is honestly near perfect right out of the box. The GX is a cross-over sports tourer equipped with Suzuki’s first ever shot at electronic suspension, it has a K5 GSX-R1000 derived motor, cruise control, adjustable windscreen, brembo calipers, decent travel for our sometimes dodgy road surfaces, it’s packed with a hoast of easy to use rider aids and I personaly find the looks very attractive.

If near perfect, why mess with the GX? Well, because Suzuki has specced the GX the way they have for our market, the GX is almost 40k cheaper than the nearest “performing” competitor, which leaves room to personalise and fit some tasty extras to make the GX even more worth the spend. Overseas, we see the GSX-S1000GX available in a “+” model, which gets you more touring-based upgrades like colour-matching panniers and a centre stand. Now, although not available on paper as the + model in SA, Suzuki genuine accessories are available for you to go wild on your GX and build your own + model, if that is what you’d like.

Without the price loaded on the standard bike, it also leaves you with an ocean of goodies and practical accessories, both OEM and aftermarket, to take a closer look at, again, if building your own GX+  is the plan. Otherwise, saving nearly 40k gives you room to plan some funtastic open road trips and a couple of track days too.

With a figurative 40k to juice up Big Blue in mind, we rang up Suzuki SA’s genuine parts and accessories division and negotiated a set of colour-coated panniers for practical storage and touring needs. Doug got cracking and before we knew it, they were installed by simply removing the rear plastic block offs and replaced with plastic brackets with pannier hooks and two sliders were mounted to the back of the rear passenger stays.

The boxes add 30L of storage per side, which is big enough to fit two medium helmets or his and hers luggage for a weekend away. Shad, Givi and many other brands were options, but Suzuki’s genuine accessory panniers both look better and fit better on the GX.

The local wizards of exhaust pipes, VYKON, came to the party with their latest slip-on system offering better looks, a lighter pipe and a very clean exhaust note. Yes, it’s not a full system, but honestly, the GX doesn’t need it; the VYKON elevates the thrill without aggravating everyone around you—no one wants to be dubbed “that guy” status on a group ride.

Instead, the VYKON elongates the look of the bike. I personally like a longer pipe on a big bike versus a small stubby exhaust, and with the new evolution of VYKON, you get a high-quality finish in the form of good build quality and a high-end look thanks to the glassy carbon exhaust tip. Best part is, the VYKON fits the GX with good clearance for the OEM panniers—this was a big bonus for me. If you want to keep your Suzuki warranty, enhance the looks and performance, VYKON, in my opinion, is a very good option for the GX.

If you love your bike, you’ve got to put on some PPF. What the flip is PPF? PPF is paint protection film, similar to a wrap but less to do with branding and more to do with protecting your paint and in Big Blue’s case, the stunning Suzuki blue paint work and the gold Showa forks had to be protected at all costs. Our good mates from Empire Graphics in Alberton took one quick look at Big Blue, drew up a stencil for a kit and printed us PPF with some subtle graphics, because why not, right?

The main man at Empire, Mark Dos Santos, also agreed that subtle works best for that OEM plus look we were going for. Shortly after, Mark sent me a design on some very sick rimtape inspired off of the early 2000s GSX-R models—finishing off the look but adding an extra bit of sportiness to Big Blue too.

In the week leading up to visiting “Empire”, I had already picked up a chip on the OEM GX sticker, loose stones and gravel on our roads are bound to at some point damage our bikes and that’s the importance of this clear film, its damn cheap, can look pretty cool if you opt for graphics, and it keeps your pride and joy good as new.

Lastly, we pulled into Liqui Moly headquarters for some Motorcycle Care products for the road, so we could keep Big Blue looking, running and apparently with Liqui Moly products, smelling pretty good too. Lisa hooked us up with Motorbike Quick Detailer, Chain Lube, Helmet Interior Clean, Visor Clean and Multi-Spray to keep our GX and anyone else’s bike up to scratch. Over a dozen Suzuki faithful got me to lubing their chain and detailing their bikes with these products, and with the Liqui Moly smell literally in the air, everyone had a good comment to make on these fantastic products.

All these extras, cleaners, PPF and tasty modes fitted to the GX still saw us left with “money” for a Suzuki Numbi Weekend Away and leftovers before creeping up to the GX’s German competitor.

With Big Blue ready, we rolled into the 14th rendition of the Iconic Suzuki Numbi Weekend Away to meet up with around 20 other teams who would be taking part this year. 200 km of twisty and very scenic roads saw us circle navigate, answer historic Suzuki and geographic questions on Mpumalanga, figure out riddles, fly and attempt to land drones, build a block tower and take funny pictures all around Hazyview, Graskop, Sabie, Mashishing and White River.

It was like “The Amazing Race”, but rather than crossing the line first, you have to focus on earning as many points as possible, putting effort into executing the required photos and being a team player. Yes, there was a cut-off time at 16:00, but 99% of the teams finished in the required time.

Talking about team players, Meredith, my better half, filled that role very well as she loves these quiz-type games, is extremely competitive and always has her head in the game, unlike my easily distracted self. ‘Meri’ kept us on track, directing us on the “GO TEAM” app from checkpoint to checkpoint; she even managed to save Shuan and Donovan a few km of riding in the wrong direction. Thanks Kyle!

Meredith: Suzuki Weekend Away 2025 is only my second year of attendance, but it sure raised the bar for the next one. Having won three separate prizes, including a First Aid course, a 3rd place medal, and best of all, a Caberg helmet, I’m not sure how we can top that! I guess a gold medal would be the ultimate prize, we’ll see… Apart from doing so well this year, I can honestly say that regardless of whether you win, the fun remains the same. This event is the perfect opportunity to step away from the busy life that we live and step into what feels like being a child again—from pulling the ugliest faces to finger painting, you get to enjoy every moment.

This year, our partner in crime was the GX, and I must say, I have grown a little fond of it in the past month. I can honestly vouch that it is a great bike to have for trips like these. The paniers surprised me, I was able to fit everything I needed for the weekend into just ONE! Yes, I packed light, but I was still able to fit all the goodies Suzuki gave us as well, so that says something. I can proudly say that my butt survived the 1000ks we did, and the suspension spared me a lot of bumps in the road. Overall, the GX is remarkably comfortable, and if we had to add a top box, I might be tempted to take a nap on those long straights…

I’ve come to realise that there is a “family” type atmosphere that revolves around the Suzuki Weekend Away, and people from all over come together to participate in the fun and games. This year, however, two couples chose to share their very special milestones with the Suzuki family—one couple celebrated their wedding anniversary while another stepped into a new phase of life by getting engaged. This only proves that the event is more than just a bunch of people attending; instead, it’s an occasion in their “life calendar”, and I’m so excited to have experienced it as well. I’m hoping to be privileged enough to attend the Numbi 2026; I’m sure the Dream Team and Suzuki SA will once again bring us an immense amount of fun.

Some medals, a prize or two, amazing chow and good company saw us wind down the weekend with smiles all round. The GX got us there and helped us enjoy every second of it, so much so that we planned a long trip back home through Sabie and into Kaapschehoop before munching down the highway kilometres back to Pretoria. Shaun was enjoying his GX so much that he decided to join us and extend the ride back home on Sunday. We dialled in our Showa suspension and instantly became Maverick and Goose to our brunch stop at the Bohemian Groove Cafe.

The trip saw Meri and me put just over 1000 km on Big Blue, and we could have happily set our cruise control on to the next destination. We averaged 18 km/L with Big Blue minus the 15 km/L mountain passes, which saw a reasonable 300-plus km from the 19-litre tank. The GX can easily do 20 km/L plus, but when you’ve got Thor’s hammer in the form of a K5-derived GSX-R1000 motor underneath you, you are going to want to have the full experience, and that’s what we love most about Big Blue—if you ask him to party, he parties hard.

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So, if you are reading this, and you either own a Suzuki, want to be part of next year’s Suzuki Weekend Away or are eager to ride a GSX-S1000GX, then visit your nearest Suzuki dealer now.

Suzuki GSX-S1000GX

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

2026

Suzuki GSX-S1000GX

Pricing From R304,880 (RRP)

Brand: Suzuki

The modern motorcycle hasn’t always been designed with customisation in mind, and many are beautiful enough not to warrant it. There are some bikes, however, that might be seen as perfect from the moment they roll off the production line, but the manufacturer has still given owners the opportunity to stamp their own personality on the bikes.

There can be few motorcycle fanatics who find the current crop of Triumph “modern classics” – Bonneville, Scrambler, Bobber, Speed Twin and Thruxton – anything other than properly beautiful machines. What’s even better is that the beauty is so much more than skin deep, and the models can truthfully be seen as thoroughly modern motorcycles rather than simple pastiches of past glories.

From time to time, Triumph releases Factory-Custom versions of some of its modern classic models, as well as the outrageous Rocket 3, in strictly limited numbers worldwide. These may feature special paint jobs, alternative parts made from carbon fibre, billet aluminium, brushed nickel and leather, uprated components such as suspension and exhaust systems, performance parts and so on.

As good as these are, the customer might have his or her own ideas about how they want their Triumph to look in customised form. That’s where Triumph South Africa comes in with Tailor Made Triumph.

Tailor Made Triumph has the ability and the parts catalogues, both OEM and after-market, to turn your dreams into reality. There is literally nothing they can’t do to your Triumph, be it a modern classic or any of the up-to-date sports and adventure models.

Many owners simply want to personalise the appearance of their bikes, and to this end, Triumph can carry out cosmetic surgery involving any and every part of the motorcycle, from paint and upholstery, to powder coating, nickel plating and polishing, either using parts from the Triumph OEM catalogue or from a number of after-market suppliers, for whom Triumph SA is the official agent in the country. These include Motone, British Customs, Free Spirit and New Rage Cycles.

But Tailor Made Triumph can also enhance the performance of your bike through the use of carefully selected and specified performance parts, again from both the OEM catalogue and after-market suppliers.

The good thing about having Triumph do the customisation work for you is that your warranty will not be affected in any way, so you will still enjoy peace of mind as to the health of your bike, which is not something you can say with certainty when you use an outside supplier or builder. What Triumph SA is enabling you to do is have your dream brought to life by fully trained and certified Triumph technicians, so you know the work will have been done properly, using parts that have been specifically designed for use on Triumphs.

There are two ways you can go about creating your dream Triumph. The first is to head to your nearest Triumph dealer and talk to them about your ideas, and let them show you the best way of achieving them.

The other way you can do it is from the comfort of your own home. If you go to the US or UK Triumph websites, you will find a configurator tool, which will allow you to “build” your bike digitally, using all the many parts available officially through Triumph. You can then save your concept, send it to Triumph SA, and they will then cost it in Rands and get your project on the road.

Of course, one of the easiest and most distinctive ways of altering the appearance of your Triumph is through a unique paint job, and Tailor Made Triumph is exceptionally well-qualified to carry this out, from concept to completion, working with you every step of the way to ensure you get exactly what you want.

If you’ve visited a Triumph dealer recently, you can’t have failed to notice some of the spectacular custom models that frequently grace the showroom floors; all of these will have come directly from the Triumph workshops. Look closely, and they are absolutely flawless, with perfect workmanship and paint.

For more information on turning your Triumph dreams into reality, contact Triumph South Africa on 011 444 4444.

It was Mick Doohan who famously commented on his dominance during the mid-1990s, “What do they want me to do, ride slower?” or words to that effect. This was in response to the accusation that his dominance, which saw him leading often by over half a minute or more, to the point where he was literally cruising at the end of a race, was becoming boring.

Which, of course, it was. But who was to blame? Doohan and Honda for being so dominant, or the rest of the field for being unable to catch up? Any race team comprising hundreds of personnel is responsible for the success or otherwise of a team, but it is the rider who bears the brunt of the criticism for dominance, as he does for the failure to perform. Life isn’t always fair.

Racing has always thrown up era of domination, be it on two wheels or four; MV Agusta, Hailwood and Agostini in the 1960s, McLaren/Williams/Senna Prost in the late 1980s, Rossi/Honda/Yamaha in the 2000s, Marquez/Honda in the 2010s; Vettel/Hamilton/Verstappen, Mercedes and Red Bull also in the 2010s. It’s inevitable – the natural order of things.

In MotoGP, Ducati has been dominant in the first half of the 2020s, but who’s to say how long this will continue into the future? And, if it does, who’s to say that it will be boring? Come the rule changes in 2027, it’s likely that one team will get it more right than the others, but it’s also likely that more than one team will get their sums right and produce a winner. We can but hope.

I have always tried not to tie an allegiance to a particular rider or team. Naturally, I have my favourites, but I try not to let them interfere with my passion for good racing. Unfortunately, as much as I respect what Marc Marquez is doing at the moment, it’s not making for particularly exciting racing. However, that has as much to do with the rules as one rider’s talent. But still, we’re back to the blame being heaped on one particular rider, not the other riders or the teams.

Marc Marquez has his fair share of critics, but sometimes it feels as if he is hated for not only beating Valentino Rossi – the fans’ darling – but for not being Rossi. Marquez’s dominance through the 2010s was no different to Rossi’s in the 2000s, but he’s frequently reviled for it, whereas Rossi was loved. Yes, Rossi worked his charm with the fans, but Marquez hasn’t exactly been a recluse.

Now, in 2025, the Marquez dominance is back, with devastating effect; a remarkable achievement after a near career-ending injury. 10 Sprint wins and seven GP victories out of eleven, giving him an 83-point lead over Alex Marquez and a frankly ridiculous 147-point lead over his teammate. Bagnaia proved that it is possible to overturn a large deficit when he beat Quartararo to the title in 2022, but Alex Marquez simply hasn’t got the pace to deal with big brother and close the points gap, not while Marc stays on the bike and finishes each race, at any rate.

The Sachsenring has been a happy hunting ground for Marquez over the past 15 years. Put simply, when he has raced there, he has won, by and large. That’s 12 victories – one in the 125cc class, two in the Moto2 class and the rest in MotoGP. Did anyone really think it was going to be any different this year? And that is Marquez’ secret weapon; he has the competition beaten before they even get to the circuit on a Thursday. Even the tracks he wasn’t expecting to do well at this year, he’s won at. That’s a huge psychological advantage.

Germany 2025 was the first race since 2011 to have only ten finishers. The starting grid for the Main race was already looking depleted, Maverick Vinales and Franco Morbidelli withdrawing through injuries sustained during practice and the Sprint race, Enea Bastianini being signed off work due to illness, and Somkiat Chantra recovering from surgery.

Then the race saw an unprecedented number of fallers; Joan Mir, Ai Ogura, Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio DiGiannantonio, who both crashed out of podium positions, Lorenzo Savadori, Johann Zarco, Pedro Acosta and Miguel Oliveira. Many of the crashes were at turn one, which has a downhill braking area, following a small crest, so the rear tyre goes completely light and throws all the weight onto the front tyre.

Normally, that’s not a problem, as that is exactly what happens under braking. The problem on Sunday was the fact that A) the track had been washed clean by the rain the previous day so there was already reduced grip and B) the temperature was too cool for the hard tyres that all runners were using in order to go the full 30 lap distance, so they could hardly get up to the correct temperature.

For two riders, the number of crashes was a positive bonus. Alex Marquez was riding with injuries sustained at Assen, and he doubted he could have challenged for the podium, but the crashes made him more cautious, which suited his physical condition, and he was in the right place to benefit. Similarly, Pecco Bagnaia, who started tenth and wasn’t likely to trouble the podium had it not been for the crashes, was promoted to third. A fat lot of good it will do him in the championship race, and he can’t claim any significant improvement in his feel on the bike, so it was a hollow third, even if it was still a podium.

There was something else that occurred to me as I watched the race: what has happened to Alex Rins? It doesn’t seem that long ago that he was challenging for race victories, but he’s all but dropped completely off the radar in 2025.

Yamaha has been in the news for all the wrong reasons for the past two or three years. This year, the team is in the news for more positive reasons – the development of its new V4 engine. The team has also been in the news thanks to the efforts of Fabio Quartararo, taking pole positions and the very occasional podium, as well as leading the British GP convincingly before dropping out with mechanical issues. He finished third in the Sprint race and fourth in the Main race in Germany.

But Rins has been completely invisible this season; can you remember when he was last mentioned in the commentary for any race? In Germany, he was 39 seconds behind Marquez at the flag, 18 seconds behind the next rider up the road. That’s not slow, that’s glacial in MotoGP terms.

I don’t think it will be the end of his career, performing like that, as it might well be for some other riders, but what can it be doing to his confidence? Likewise, MotoGP teams will be looking to Moto3 and Moto2 for the next star rider, and when they spot them, they’ll be looking for ways to make room for them in MotoGP. The underperformance of the Yamahas might have nothing to do with Rins, but that will have little weight when it comes time to finalise the line-up for the following season.

There’s only a week to wait for the next round, Brno in the Czech Republic. Anyone brave enough to bet against Marc Marquez?

It was the best of times. On a beautiful Wednesday morning, I cruised through the suburbs of Joburg on my BMW R 1250 GS Adventure. I was on my way to collect a BMW R 1300 GS demo from Motorrad, Sandton. It was the worst of times. I overtook a Toyota Cross just as the driver turned right into her driveway. The collision hurled me across the road, and I landed hard on the pavement. It’s been decades since I crashed on tar. I lay winded on the pavement, taking stock of my limbs and, mercifully, I seemed to be OK despite being badly shaken. Kind passersby picked up my GSA, which appeared to have suffered minimal damage and started easily. It could have been an aggravated encounter with the driver, but once we confirmed we were both comprehensively insured, the tension evaporated. The driver and I travelled together to Linden SAPS in her newly battered Toyota to report the accident for insurance claim purposes. After being buggered around at the cop shop for a mere two and a half hours we returned to the scene of the accident, parted ways and I continued my interrupted journey to Sandton.

I collected the sparkling Triple Black 1300 from the friendly Motorrad folk and was loose on the land at noon, having lost three hours of prime riding time. My destination for the day was Bloemfontein, and the path of least resistance would have been to tool down the deathly boring N1, but I had planned a backroads route and there was plenty of time to stick to Plan A. I rode the dreaded M1S and M2E, then followed the R59 south.

In the March 2010 issue of Bike SA Magazine, I wrote an article about two Suzuki Boulevards developed by Trajan TG Grobler, the legendary bike builder. Earlier this year, TG called and asked if I had a copy of the article, so I fished it out and had it in my backpack to give to him. TG operates from his premises in Alrode just off the R59, so it was a minor detour to pop in for a café and a catch-up. TG is the first choice for men who are serious about releasing the hounds of hell that lurk inside every Suzuki motor. All those years ago, when I collected the Boulevards, I recall watching TG complete the assembly of a GSX-R1000 motor. As he torqued the last cylinder head bolt and the torque wrench clicked, he spoke, “That’s perfect, but it will have to do.” As pleasant as the conversation and the coffee were, tempus fugit, and I still had more than 500km to ride to Bloem.

I continued south on the R59, crossed the Vaal and followed the R57 to Heilbron and Lindley. The roads were in good condition, and there was very little traffic. I set cruise control at a leisurely 150km/h and the Beemer and I got into serious distance demolition mode. Just past Petrus Steyn, I turned southwest on the R707 to Lindley, Arlington, Senekal and Marquard. It was a golden afternoon. The GS was running effortlessly like a long pedigreed dog with the engine temp readout constant at 82°C. I sat in a cocoon of still air behind the windscreen, comfortable despite the pain in my left shoulder. Until Marquard, the ride had been easy and stress-free, but that couldn’t last forever.

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It’s 30km from Marquard to Clocolan, 30km of diabolical potholed tar where the signs have been annotated to read “Huge Potholes”. I think it would have been appropriate to have signs stating “You Might Die Today”. Eventually, I stopped in Clocolan for fuel. My plan was to ride the deserted platteland road to Excelsior and thence to Tweespruit and the N8. When I told the petrol jockey I was going to ride to Excelsior, he gave an exaggerated eye roll and said, “If you think the Marquard road is bad, the road to Excelsior is ten times worse. Rather ride to Ladybrand and then the N8 to Bloem.” Sage advice. Had I not lost so much time that morning, I would have ridden the backroads, but the shadows were lengthening and my host for the evening was expecting me at 17:00.

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I cruised due west past Westminster and Thaba Nchu straight into the malevolent eye of the setting sun. There were cops everywhere, so I rode at the speed limit and reflected on the sights I had seen that day. My enduring memory of that ride through the platteland was the proliferation of shacks on the outskirts of every town. Three metres by three metres zinc dwellings spread like a shiny rash across the bare veld. There’s no shade, no water, no electricity, no sewage system, no roads, no employment, and, I imagine, no hope. It’s just bleak and depressing. I don’t know what the answer is, but exponential population growth is not going to end well.

When planning this trip, I decided to sleep in Bloem on the first night. I’m not a fan of sterile hotel rooms, so I used my network and within an hour I had an invitation from Frans Henning from the Harley-Davidson Club to sleep at his home. I arrived at Frans’s home in Fichardt Park just after 17:00 and, as bikers do, we hit it off like old mates, drank a few beers, and then he drove us to a local bikers’ boozer for a steak dinner. It was a very pleasant evening, but after a tough day, I was keen to rest my aching carcass. I ate a handful of Schedule 5 painkillers and sank into the arms of Morpheus.

On Thursday morning, the bruises on my torso had bloomed into a garden of rainbow shades. Despite the painkillers, I was taking strain. I found a pharmacy, got a Voltaren injection and then rode to the National Women’s Memorial to meet my connecko Johan Colyn, a local historian. The Women’s Memorial is a shrine to the 26000 Boer women and children who died in British concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer War. It is one of Afrikanerdom’s most holy places. The monument was unveiled on 13 December 1913. It comprises a 120-foot-tall obelisk and a statue by Anton van Wouw inspired by Emily Hobhouse.

When Emily Hobhouse was visiting the concentration camp at Springfontein, she encountered a group of dishevelled and neglected women near the station. There was no accommodation available for them in the camp itself because there was a shortage of tents. With sticks and pieces of old canvas which they scrounged from the British soldiers, they had erected rough shelters. Hobhouse was called to attend to a sick child, and she described the following scene: “The mother sat on her little trunk with the child across her knee. She had nothing to give it, and the child was sinking fast. There was nothing to be done and we watched the child draw its last breath in reverent silence. The mother neither moved nor wept. It was her only child. Dry-eyed but deadly white, she sat there motionless, looking not at the child, but far, far away into the depths of grief beyond all tears. A friend stood behind her who called upon Heaven to witness this tragedy, and others crouching on the ground around her wept freely.” The Women’s Memorial is a spiritual place and well worth a visit.

Once Johan and I said our farewells, I rode southwest out of Bloem, stopped for a Big Mac in Fleurdal and then followed the R706, destination Jagersfontein. The R706 is a road you need to ride. It runs dead straight for 110km across seemingly infinite savannahs bereft of any signs of habitation. I set cruise control and relaxed in the saddle, alone and content with my thoughts. In the hour-long ride to Jagersfontein, I saw less than a dozen vehicles. I was an insignificant speck in a vast landscape, a lone voyager navigating an ocean of grass.

Jagersfontein is the site of the largest hand-excavated hole in the world, with a depth of 200 metres and an area of 20 hectares, slightly larger than the Kimberley Big Hole, which is 17 hectares. In 1870, a farmer found a 50-carat diamond in the veld, and a diamond rush ensued. The most famous diamonds found at Jagersfontein were the Excelsior, 972 carats, and the Jubilee, 650 carats, named in honour of the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s coronation. Fifteen years ago, I visited the mine, which was a tourist attraction open to the public, and I wanted to see the hole again. That morning, when I asked Johan about the mine, he said it had been closed for years, even before the calamity which struck the town in 2022. In the early hours of 11 September 2022, the catastrophic failure of the mine tailings dam released 6,000,000m3 of liquid sludge, which smothered 200 houses and 1600 hectares of farmland. De Beers closed the mine in 1972, and since then, the town has been dying by inches. In the aftermath of the collapse of the dam, it’s almost a ghost town with a few tatterdemalion businesses barely surviving on the main street.

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The grounds of the mine were enclosed by a two-metre palisade fence. At my age, I had no illusions about being able to scale the fence. However, there was a spot at ground level where it appeared as if someone had forced the fence away from the upright pole. I tugged on the palisades until the gap was big enough to squirm through. I walked across the grounds and squeezed through a narrow steel cage, which was once used to control access to the hole. Instantly, I was in a world of pain. There was a wasp nest about 10cm in diameter in the top corner of the cage from which squadrons of wasps launched themselves and attacked my hands, neck, ears and head. Squealing like a piglet, I beat an undignified retreat. I was stung at least twenty times, but I hadn’t come this far not to reach my goal. I put on my helmet and gloves and zipped my jacket collar up to my chin. Second time around, the wasps were just as agitated, but I made it through unscathed. The fifty-metre boardwalk leading to the hole was completely rotten with two-metre-tall rank weeds growing through the cracks and holes. I trudged through the growth to the cantilever platform, which extends for twenty metres beyond the lip of the hole. The platform seemed to be sound, so I walked to the end and gazed into the abyss and thought deep thoughts for five minutes before returning to the bike. Mission accomplished. A trip to Jagersfontein might not be everyone’s idea of fun, but for me it was a splendid adventure, one which I highly recommend.

Just 12km west of Jagersfontein, I stopped for photos in the main street of Fauresmith. What makes Fauresmith special is that it’s one of only three towns in the world where the railway line runs down the middle of the main street. The other two are Tullahoma, Tennessee, USA and Wycheproof, Victoria, Australia. Unfortunately, the last locomotive chuffed through Fauresmith in 1999. I stopped at the Phoenix Restaurant for a Coke and then rode 50km to Koffiefontein. That town is a disgrace. The main road has more potholes than tar, there’s litter everywhere, and raw sewage runs in the gutters. During WWII, Koffiefontein was an internment camp for Italian POWs. One of the prisoners, an artist named Fascio, painted murals of King Victor Emmanuel III and Benito Mussolini. The murals have been preserved and are still in remarkably good condition. It was a short blitz to Luckhoff, where I stopped for fuel and immediately wished I had not. Before I could remove my helmet, a couple of scaly bliksems were in my face, telling me their tragic life stories and asking for money. A security fellow chased them away. They epitomised a town infested with ragged unemployed people and hordes of scruffy urchins lounging around with nothing to do and all day to do it.

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The steel girder Havenga Bridge crosses the Orange River downstream from the Vanderkloof Dam. The Orange is the border between the Free State and the Northern Cape, and it was a short ride to my destination for the day, Orania, the jewel of the Northern Cape. I checked into Die Oewer Hotel, changed out of my riding kit and went exploring. You can read all about Orania on the internet, so this is a list of my observations: I did not see any burglar bars, electric fences or razor wire. There is no litter. The people are polite, helpful, friendly and proud of their town. The thriving industrial area features many specialist engineering workshops. There are thirteen different churches!! The droëwors I bought was the best I’ve ever eaten. There’s only one liquor store in the town. Orchards of mature pecan nut trees are a feature of Orania. The majestic Orange River, wide and deep, was a few metres from my hotel room and is the font of Orania’s thriving agricultural sector. Rain began to fall, and I retired to my room with a couple of cans of beer and my packet of droëwors. After my picnic dinner, I slept a sleep of contentment.

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On Friday morning at 09:00, I met Hennie Pelser, one of the very first people to settle in Orania when it was founded in 1991. Hennie is the foremost pecan nut grower in Orania and enjoys taking tourists around town in his three-wheel ELEKTRA. He was a fount of knowledge. There is zero unemployment and no homelessness in Orania. There are more than one hundred houses under construction, with many more planned. This is a haven where Afrikaners celebrate their culture, their community and their language. Good for them. Long may they prosper. I walked up Monument Hill to see the six busts that gaze with steely eyes over the town. To this day, Paul Kruger, JBM Hertzog, DF Malan, JG Strijdom, HF Verwoerd and BJ Vorster are revered as leaders who fought for the rights of Afrikaans people in South Africa. Standing in front of them is a statue of a young boy rolling up his sleeve. He is called “Kleinreus” – Little Giant – and is the can-do symbol of Orania.

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From Orania, I rode south, made a detour to Vanderkloof for a photo of the dam wall and then continued south to Petrusville. Looking at the map the previous evening, I saw what looked like a dirt highway running from Petrusville to Colesberg. Just south of town, I found the R369 and rode into the magnificent solitude of the Karoo. The road was in immaculate condition, and I bombed along at 160km/h for the first 10km with great vortices of dust billowing from the rear wheel. But then I backed off. I relaxed at 100km/h and imbibed the immensity of the landscape, the freshness of the morning, the scent of the vegetation and the infinity of the cerulean sky bowl.

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Once a year, about forty dodgy old bikers gather for a weekend of gentle debauchery in a platteland dorp. The Poetry Rally was first held in 2000, and every year since then the jol has been a keenly anticipated event. This year, our venue was the Philippolis Hotel, 56km north of Colesberg. On Friday afternoon, the manne rode in from across the country, and that evening there was a riotous party in the hotel bar. Our host for the weekend was Mike, who runs the hotel and who did a splendid job of accommodating the rowdy, hungry and thirsty bikers. After breakfast on Saturday, we had the whole day to explore the hamlet and its environs. Philippolis has developed a deserved reputation as a funky town, home to artists and bohemian refugees from the cities. We strolled the dusty streets, peered into the art galleries, and stopped for golden throat-charming lagers in bars that played excellent music. We rode a few clicks out of town to Route 717 Pub on the banks of the Waterkloof. The microbrewery concocts delicious Karoo Ale made with the crystalline waters from the river on its doorstep. It was a wonderful, serene day, just what I needed, and the bonus was a refreshing afternoon siesta to prepare for the evening ahead. Saturday night cabaret was a trio of local geriatrics called “Die Wilde Toppies”. They were great entertainers and a fitting finale to a memorable weekend.

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When I woke on Sunday morning, my shoulder was beyond painful, and I wasn’t looking forward to the 600km ride from Philippolis to Joburg. 600km is not that far, but it’s not trivial either. But I had Willie Nelson to cheer me up as I sang into my helmet on the road north to Trompsburg and Bloemfontein… I stopped in disbelief at the ruins of the Trompsburg railway station. The weed-infested railway tracks are still there, but every building has been smashed to smithereens. What a difference thirty years makes.

On the road again
Goin’ places that I’ve never been
Seein’ things that I may never see again
And I can’t wait to get on the road again

I set cruise control at 140km/h and let the GS do all the work while I tried to find a position that didn’t aggravate my shoulder. In Winburg, I turned off and rode to the Voortrekker monument on the outskirts of town. The razor wire gate was closed but not locked, so I pushed it open and rode to the monument for photos. The grounds are unkempt, the roads are cracking up, and the weeds are taking over. It’s incomprehensible that there’s no sense of heritage or history in SA unless, of course, it’s to do with changing the names of towns. By Kroonstad, I was sick of the N1 and decided to ride the R721 to Vredefort and Parys, a road I had not ridden in many years. It was a warm afternoon, the road was in perfect condition, the GS was effortless, and after a 2000km weekend in the saddle, I was in a happy place. After Parys, I rejoined the N1 and as the shadows lengthened, the Joburg skyline appeared on the horizon.

At my daughter’s home, I asked her to help me take off my riding jacket. As she tugged on the left sleeve, I winced as the jacket dragged my shirt over my shoulder. Catherine exclaimed, “Crikey, Dad. You’ve got a bone sticking out of your shoulder.” She was right. I had a displaced fracture of the clavicle, which needed surgery. I suppose the intelligent decision would have been to have the surgery performed in Joburg, but what the hell. I’d already ridden 2000km with a broken bone, and a further 350km home to Nelspruit wasn’t going to make a difference. On Monday morning, I returned the GS to Motorrad, collected my bike, rode home and checked myself into casualty.

In 2024, I rode the 1300 GS on the BMW press launch in Mpumalanga. I loved the GS then, and I loved it even more on the long road. The GS is the benchmark for dual-purpose motorcycles. Small wonder that my R 1300 GS Adventure will be the eighth GS I have owned.

You know that the motorcycling world has gone retro crazy when manufacturers are taking completely modern models and giving them a retro makeover.

Suzuki’s GSX-8S has been a brilliant success for the manufacturer, not only replacing but completely updating the venerable SV650 that had so many fans around the world since 1999. The SV650 was the best of bikes; small, light, easy to handle, with punchy performance from the V-Twin engine, plenty of entertainment value and completely bullet-proof. The GSX-8S might have ditched the V-Twin engine in favour of a parallel twin and housed it in a completely new chassis, but the recipe remains the same, as does the entertainment value.

What the GSX-8S wasn’t, however, was retro in any manner of speaking. That hasn’t stopped Suzuki from delving into its past for inspiration for two new models based on the 8S, the GSX-8T and the GSX-8TT.

Taking the GSX-8TT first, Suzuki has drawn inspiration from the much-missed T500 Titan model, produced between 1968 and 1975. That bike was a two-stroke parallel twin-engined roadster, the over-engineering of which went a long way to cementing Suzuki’s reputation for bullet-proof reliability.

The GSX-8TT doesn’t simply recreate the past, it reinterprets it using modern design language combined with a ‘retro’ aesthetic appeal, while utilising contemporary technology to enhance the riding experience. True, this might be dismissed as a styling exercise, but when the basis is one of the finest naked sports bikes in its class, then surely adding surface glitter can only be a positive.

The main features of the re-styling are the distinctive headlight cowl surrounding the round headlight and the prominent under cowl, or chin spoiler, and a pair of unique paint jobs; Pearl Matte Shadow Green and Glass Sparkle Black, both enjoying dynamic striping on the tank and headlight cowl, matching the wheel colour – red on the black model and sand green on the Pearl Matte.

Other details are handlebar-end mirrors and a tuck-and-roll style seat, stainless steel silencer cover and black-finished side covers.

The GSX-8T is sort of the same, deleting the headlamp cowl and chin spoiler, while still retaining a pleasing retro style, largely thanks to the Candy Burnt Gold paint option on the tank. It is also available in Metallic Matte Black.

Under the skin, it’s GSX-8S business as usual, the 776cc parallel twin engine pushing out 83 horsepower and 57.5 lb-ft of torque. On the electronics side, there is a bi-directional quick-shifter, ABS and traction control.

Both the 8T and 8TT are slated as 2026 models, but speak to your local Suzuki dealer for more information on when we can expect to see these beauties in South Africa.

It’s called the Cathedral of Speed, and it’s a good description, for Assen is one of the most beautifully fast and sweeping circuits on the calendar. There are plenty of stop-and-go tracks, with sharp corners linked by long straights, but Assen is completely different; ultra-fast corner after ultra-fast corner with very few straights worth the name, the start-finish straight being the longest.

It’s also rather narrow, and the clever rider can utilise corner speed to prevent the rider behind from making a lunge on the brakes into the next corner. This is exactly what Marc Marquez did on both Saturday and Sunday, particularly the section at the end of the lap leading up to the chicane – one of the traditional overtaking spots – where his blistering speed in left-handers gave him enough of a margin at the chicane to prevent anyone getting by.

The 2025 Assen TT was Marc’s third consecutive Grand Prix weekend clean sweep – no other rider has managed that since the Sprint format was introduced in 2021. The Sunday victory also puts him equal with legend Giacomo Agostini on all-time premier class wins and only 11 behind his old rival Valentino Rossi; I, for one, will not be betting that the Italian’s record will still be standing in a year or so’s time.

There is even more for Marc’s rivals to be despondent about; the last two Grands Prix – Mugello and Assen – have been at tracks where he hasn’t previously shone, and yet he won them both. Assen was even more depressing for his rivals as he was battered and bruised after two very high-speed crashes in practice.

Then consider the next race on the calendar – the Sachsenring in Germany. Marquez has won there eleven times in 15 years: 2010, 2011, 2012 in Moto3 and Moto2; 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 in MotoGP. Nope, not laying odds on this year’s race there, either!

Then consider the fact that Marc’s closest championship rival, his brother Alex, crashed out of the Main race in Assen, breaking a finger. Will he be fit for Germany? Even if he is, he’s now 68 points behind Marc, and no number of second places will close the gap if Marc is ahead of him at the finish line. Nor does it look as if Bagnaia can do anything to find a solution for his desperate inability to get the GP25 to work for him.

Nor, if it comes to that, does it look as if Yamaha, KTM, Aprilia or Honda are getting their acts together consistently. Aprilia, on the evidence of Assen, does at least have some cause for cautious optimism; Marco Bezzecchi taking a Sprint race third and Main race second, both of which could be construed as a two-finger salute to Jorge Martin, whose contract machinations continue to make headlines.

It would be fair to say that Martin has lost a lot of support and respect over his treatment of Aprilia. Being injured and unable or unwilling to return to the fray too soon is one thing, but to then kick sand in the face of Aprilia and attempt to activate a clause in his contract to get out of it a year early is quite another.

What that does is make us question if he really is fit enough to return, which might be unfair, or even downright inaccurate, but it’s an inevitable consequence of his actions. Certainly, the medical reports coming from Aprilia seem straightforward enough; things are healing nicely, but it’s taking a long time.

Then, put into the mix Bezzecchi’s victory at Silverstone and the pair of podiums in Assen, demonstrating that the Aprilia is the best of the rest among the MotoGP manufacturers, and it’s difficult to understand Martin’s “I want to leave” position.

Yes, he was hugely put out by Ducati’s decision to go for Marquez over him for the second factory seat, but signing for the factory Aprilia wasn’t exactly a hardship. So why has the relationship soured so quickly? It’s not as if he has been able to take part in the first ten rounds of the season and found the ’25 Aprilia RS-GP significantly lacking; he’s barely turned a wheel in anger and, when he has, he’s been far from fit. So why the desperation to jump ship? And, let’s face it, jump ship to the Honda, which is the only factory seat available in 2026; the RC213V hasn’t exactly covered itself in glory in the past four and a half seasons.

Yes, everything is reset in 2027, meaning that theoretically, all teams will start on an even footing, and the resources of Honda can’t be underestimated, so that to get your feet under the table a year early and learn how the team works can never be a bad thing but surely any team would be wary of taking on a rider who so clearly feels that a contract is not worth the paper it is written on.

Now, Carmelo Espeleta, CEO of Dorna, has waded into the argument, stating that Martin will not be allowed to race for any other team until the contract situation with Aprilia is sorted out by the courts. Martin’s manager, Albert Valera, insists that Martin is a free agent for 2026, but it seems that Aprilia disagrees.

It’s a messy situation, the more so because it follows on from a stunning 2024 title-winning season, the first for a satellite team since the change to four-stroke engines back in 2002.

It was hoped that Assen would be a happy hunting ground for Yamaha, with its concentration of corners and no long straights, which should have theoretically played directly into Yamaha’s strengths; a stunning pole position lap seemed to confirm this, Quartararo living up to his 2025 qualifying promise. But the race was another matter, as the Frenchman struggled with grip, crashed out of the Sprint race and then, in the Main race on Sunday, got caught up in Fermin Aldeguer’s accident, which Quartararo managed to avoid but only by taking to the grass, dropping him well back. A recovery to tenth was good, but it could have been so much better.

KTM had its best weekend for some time, Viñales finishing sixth in the Sprint and following that up with a fifth in the Main race, with, surprisingly, Acosta ahead of him in fourth. Ironically, it seems that the legendary KTM engine power was a bit of an embarrassment for Viñales, who complained that he was getting rear wheelspin in fifth towards the end of the race!

“Regarding the tyre life, it’s the first track where I’ve faced it.” “In other tracks, normally on Sunday, it’s quite OK – I don’t have a drop. But here, there are many long corners, and this bike is so powerful!” said Viñales. “When you shift 4-5-6, the engine is massive.” I said, “Come on, you are spinning in fifth gear?” “I never had that in my life!” He continued: “Maybe I need to ride a little bit more carefully, because it wasn’t on the edge of the tyre, it was on the traction side.”

Too much power….? Aren’t these guys ever happy?

The cold and wet Cape Town weather delivered one of the toughest Motocross Nationals of the season at Zone 7 this past weekend, but it didn’t stop the Red Bull KTM squad from lighting up the podium. Thanks to track owner Johann Spies and his crew for prepping a rideable and safe track despite the heavy rainfall leading up to race day. The conditions were gnarly, but the orange machines charged through.

In the MX1 and MX2 classes, Cameron Durow was in top form, topping qualifying and claiming a controlled Moto 1 victory. A heavy crash in Moto 2 dropped him to the back of the field, but he fought back to an impressive P3, securing the overall win in MX1 (1-3). Durow claimed second in MX2 as his two mistakes cost him the top step, finishing 2nd overall.

“Moto 1 went perfectly, I felt good and controlled the race,” said Durow. “Moto 2 was tough after the crash, but I’m happy to salvage P3 and the overall. A bit frustrated with my mistake in MX2, but looking forward to making up for it in the next round”

MX2 delivered some of the most intense racing of the day. Luke Grundy grabbed the holeshot in Moto 1, with Durow reeling him in for the win. In a chaotic Moto 2 with multiple lead changes, Grundy kept it tidy and crossed the line first, claiming the overall win (2-1) and extending his points lead.

“2-1 with intense battles and wet, tricky conditions for the overall — I’ll take it!” Grundy commented. “Keen for Bloemfontein next. A big thanks to the team for the support this weekend.”

Trey Cox had a standout day, delivering solid results across both the High School and MX2 classes. In the High School class, Cox was fastest in qualifying and rode to P3 in Moto 1 after a tough start. He bounced back with a dominant Moto 2 win to secure 2nd overall (3-1).

In his rookie season in the MX2 class, Cox impressed once again, putting in an awesome ride to claim 3rd overall (4-2) against the country’s best.

“It was an up-and-down day,” said Cox. “First, motos just weren’t good enough, but Moto 2, I managed to turn it around. Good experience and hungry for more.”

Red Bull KTM Team Manager Kerim Fitz-Gerald was upbeat about the team’s performance: “All in all, it was a positive day for the team. The conditions tested everyone, but the boys showed grit and speed. There are a couple of mistakes we need to iron out, but if we keep believing and stay patient, the big results will follow.”

Red Bull KTM leaves Cape Town with silverware in hand and a clear focus on keeping the momentum rolling into Bloemfontein.

Winning just one race in MotoGP is hard enough, but to match your race number in race wins is something else again. At Mugello, Marc Marquez notched up another milestone in his incredible career to win his 93rd Grand Prix across all classes. Oh, and he scored his 100th pole position as well, the first rider ever to reach that milestone in the history of motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship racing.

Given his domination of the 2025 season, it’s easy to forget that in 2020, 2021 and 2022, it looked likely that his career was over as he struggled to recover from a badly broken arm. To not only come back but lead the championship, giving every impression that the 2025 title is his for the taking, is a measure of his skill and determination and must rank among the most impressive of sporting comebacks.

That the Mugello round would fall to a Ducati was, of course, never really in doubt, but the likelihood of Pecco Bagnaia standing on the top step in 2025 as he had done the previous three years was remote. The first nine laps told a different story, however.

This was the battle we’ve been looking forward to for a long time: Bagnaia vs. Marquez, head-to-head, and it was fantastic. Throw Alex Marquez into the mix, and there was a humdinger of a fight, with no holds barred and no punches pulled. It was great stuff, with all three riders leading at some point, but you couldn’t escape the fact that Bagnaia looked as if he was skating on thin ice.

Indeed, while he looked like his old self during the first five laps, as soon as the front tyre dropped off around lap five, he knew his chances of maintaining the fight at the sharp end were done, confirmed by a near-crash at the end of lap five when the front threatened to wash out from underneath him. To make matters worse, he was then passed on the final lap by DiGiannantonio, losing out on a second podium of the weekend.

Bagnaia was understandably despondent after the race: “I just gave my maximum, trying to at least fight for this win, but after six or seven laps I needed to slow down because with the first drop of the front I was understeering everywhere and I just tried to control. Every time I was 0.3s/0.4s behind Alex Marquez, I was understeering again a lot, the front was not helping me like all the rest of the season, and it’s the same situation as always. Till this moment, we are not able to understand what to do.”

Conversely, Marc Marquez understands that he has to wait for the rear tyre to wear a little and reduce its grip before he can make the most of his devastating speed, so while he was fighting with Bagnaia and his brother in the early stages, it really was a matter of being patient and waiting for the bike to come to him. Mugello isn’t necessarily his best circuit; the fast, flowing corners not entirely suiting his super-hard braking skills that work so well on tighter track layouts, so he knew that to take victory at a track where he expected to struggle would not only increase his points lead – he is now 40 points clear of his brother – but also sow seeds of demoralisation in his championship rivals.

If the remainder of the race was business as usual, then it did nothing to dull the memory of that initial fight, but don’t you wish it had continued throughout the whole race? When was the last time we had a fight to the line?

Despite the relative boredom of the last thirteen or so laps, the producers saw fit to ignore what was happening further down the running order and concentrate on the top three. Maybe the thought of yet another Ducati victory on home soil was too good to miss, but it really didn’t make for scintillating viewing. Having said that, there really wasn’t a lot going on further down the order.

Yet again, it was Maverick Viñales who was the best KTM on track, running in fourth for a while and enjoying a tussle with Morbidelli, only for the latter to barge into Viñales and send him skidding into the gravel, his race run. Acosta and Binder might have at least finished in eighth and ninth, but they were 19 seconds away from the winner. At least Binder got to the chequered flag; his Sprint race was over before it had really begun, being nudged off by one of the VR46 Ducatis and taking Zarco with him at the first turn on the first lap.

But, aside from that, there really wasn’t much to recommend the Mugello race as one for the history books, apart from the aforementioned pole position and race-win numbers for Marquez.

Up next is the Cathedral of Speed, Assen, another super-fast and flowing circuit, but, as ever, who would bet against Marc Marquez coming out on top? Nothing is ever certain, of course, and weather can always play a part in that part of the world, but Marc is proving himself proficient at any circuit, while Bagnaia is incapable of getting his GP25 to work for him, and Alex is becoming known as Mr Second Place.

While the Yamahas are hampered by top speed, they are supremely nimble, so that could bring Quartararo into the mix, while Viñales on the KTM and the Aprilias could spring a surprise. Of course, I’d love to say that Binder and Acosta will be up there, but they’ve really got to sort out their qualifying to stand any chance. Still, never say never!

In the main, motorcycle dealerships in South Africa are one-brand affairs; the multi-franchise dealer is a rarity. However, in the current market climate, perhaps we are seeing a swing towards the latter concept.

The latest evidence is to be found in Alberton. Many people will be familiar with FAST. KTM, sitting right next to the N12 highway in the north of the town. For many years, the site was also the home of ROC Harley-Davidson, but a change of ownership of Harley-Davidson Johannesburg meant that that arrangement came to an end.

More recently, MV Agusta also gained a presence on the site, which made sense as, at the time, that fabled brand was part of the Pierer Mobility group, which, of course, also owns KTM. Even though MV Agusta has returned to the full ownership of the Sardarov Family, after KTM’s financial woes, the brand still has a home at FAST. KTM.

Now, in a significant move, the space once occupied by Harley-Davidson has been filled with Yamaha’s latest dealership, One. Yamaha, to be run by the FAST. KTM team, which means that it is sure to be a huge success, particularly as it fills a geographical gap in Yamaha’s dealer structure in Gauteng.

When looked at closely, combining KTM and Yamaha under one roof, so to speak, makes a lot of sense, as Yamaha plays in several areas that KTM doesn’t, namely scooters, quads and 4×4 four-wheelers. In the areas where both brands compete head-to-head – road and off-road bikes – it can only benefit the customer to have more choice in one location.

We see the many accessory brands from Yamaha South Africa‘s umbrella stocked at One.Yamaha, joining the collection of the Fast. umbrella, making the picking easy and the options vast, bringing clients a truly premium experience.

At a very relaxed and well-attended opening night, both Adrian Bac of Yamaha South Africa and Nathaniel do Amaral of FAST. KTM showed every sign of being very happy with the collaboration, Adrian praising Nathaniel and his team for being incredibly easy to work with during the intense set-up period, and Nathaniel emphasising the importance of Yamaha as a brand. Certainly, everything Nathaniel has done in the motorcycle world has been driven by a passion for motorcycles, and FAST. KTM has always been well-run and very successful; bringing their expertise to the Yamaha brand could just be a masterstroke for all parties involved.

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So, if you live in the South of Johannesburg and have felt out of touch with Yamaha simply because there was no dealer nearby, then One. Yamaha has to be your new favourite weekday and weekend destination.

The full address is Corner Voortrekker Road & Louis Trichardt St, Alberante, Alberton, Johannesburg 1448, and the telephone number is 011 867 0092.

With the annual Suzuki Weekend Away approaching, and with time allowing us the opportunity to bond with our long-term Suzuki GSX-S1000GX, that’s exactly what we’ve been doing. Since swinging a leg over Big Blue, we’ve bonded with the onboard electronics and semi-active Showa suspension and have since made small tweaks to the rider triangle for open road riding. For example, the manually adjustable screen has been moved up into its mid-position and in turn, it provides a more comfortable space out of the wind blast for touring.

I spend a lot of my time behind screens, camera lenses, and behind the handlebars of all the latest motorcycles in the SA market, whilst sounding like the dream job, it does come with its challenges. Having to stay online is one of them, but luckily, these days, wireless networks are pretty strong, motorcycle intercoms have become more affordable and dependable, and most new motorcycles offer cell phone connectivity, which allows mirroring of GPS, caller IDs, and so much more. For me, having the opportunity to stay connected on a bike from Monday to Friday is crucial to having my job done right.

The final bit of electronics to wrap my head around to make my Monday to Friday commutes more connected was connecting my phone to Big Blue and downloading the Suzuki mySPIN App. You can find the mySPIN app on the App Store and Google Play to get things started, and once downloaded, turn on your Bluetooth and your WiFi and walk up to your Suzuki.

The App works on both the GX and the GT models, so if you are reading and own a GT, the process is the same. Turn on your Suzuki, hold the ok button in for a few seconds to open up the main menu and scroll up to “Bluetooth Connection”. Once in, you’ll see a bunch of devices you can connect to the bike, like your intercom, your pillion’s intercom and of course exactly what we’re looking for, a mobile device.

So, why should you connect, and what features does it unlock? The Suzuki mySPIN app allows you to connect your smartphone to the motorcycle’s display, enabling access to compatible apps like maps, music, and contacts directly on the bike’s screen. The app also has a neat feature that I quite like called Vehicle Finder. This clever system allows you to view your bike’s real-time location, which for me helps when visiting clients or when in meetings, giving me peace of mind knowing my bike is still there. Even if security isn’t an issue, you can set up the ‘finder’ to share location with loved ones whilst on your commute or bike trip.

There are a few tedious things to remember when connecting, but you will quickly get used to them. The connectivity via the app to the bike is through Bluetooth and Wifi, so you’ll need to use your phone’s data for the whole system to work seamlessly. Whilst Bluetooth devices are remembered, you need to manually connect your WiFi to the bike each time by accessing the mySPIN app each time. You also need to make sure that your phone is unlocked for it all to work; if your phone locks, then everything stops working. Tediousness aside, mySPIN is a basic app that, in my opinion, works just fine.

I will say, having an intercom will enhance the experience, especially when wanting to search GPS coordinates or songs, as you need to type keyboard-esque commands through the switch gear, which could much easily been done through voice command through your intercom. I answer calls, Google and even do searches through voice command, and it works well and kills two birds with one stone.

At the end of the day, Suzuki’s mySPIN app is a simple and safe way of connecting to reality in an almost hands-free setup. The Suzuki mySPIN isn’t groundbreaking and has a few tedious traits, but it supports enough third-party applications to get the job done, and it doesn’t cost you a cent.

Everest Wealth Ridgeway Racing Yamaha came back satisfied with a great result from the second round of the South African Cross Country Motorcycle Championship at Dalton near Greytown in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday. A class win, three bikes in the top ten and podiums all round left the team with a spring in its championship step.

“The Blu Cru enjoyed another splendid National Cross Country outing at Dalton this weekend,” Everest Wealth Ridgeway Racing team boss Harry Grobler smiled after the race. “Another 65 cc Junior victory, third, fourth and fifth in the Open class with all three of those bikes in the top ten, second in High School, second and third in Seniors and third in Masters is a job very well done. Congratulations to our entire team!”

The Blu Cru’s youngest team member, Ryan Wichman, extended his 65 cc Junior class national championship advantage with another win aboard his YZ 65 at Dalton, while Ruald Potgieter enjoyed a good run to sixth in 85 cc Seniors. Everest Wealth Ridgeway Racing Yamaha High School ace Murray Smith was another rider to consolidate his 125 cc lead with a strong second in class behind a local wildcard.

The team’s three-bike Open class team saw Slade Smith on the class podium in third, ahead of Maddy Malan and Hayden Louw. All three Everest Wealth Ridgeway Racing Yamaha YZ 450 FX entries finished inside the overall top ten, too. Wian Wentzel was sixth in OR3 after he only climbed aboard his Blu Cru YZ 250 FX for the first time in race week.

On the top side of the Everest Wealth Ridgeway Racing Yamaha age spectrum, Blu Cru man Gerhard Vorster ended second in Seniors ahead of Shimwells Yamaha rider Marco Cocci. Old man Warrick van Schalkwyk, meantime, rode home a creditable third in the Masters to conclude another Yamaha podium rout in KwaZulu Natal.

Everest Wealth Ridgeway Racing Yamaha’s next South African Cross Country outing is at a venue to be confirmed on the first weekend of August 2025.

The Brother Leader Tread KTM Team came out firing at the second round of the National Cross Country Championship in Dalton, KwaZulu-Natal, this past weekend. The riders tackled fast and dusty conditions to secure solid results and valuable championship points.

In the highly competitive OR3 class, Matthew Wilson claimed a hard-earned victory, fending off a determined chase from his competitors. Wilson showed his grit and composure throughout the day to secure the top step of the podium. “I’m stoked with today,” Wilson commented. “I knew I had a few seconds on Luke, and I could do something with that. The bike felt great, and I’m happy to take this one.”

In the Open class, Scott Heygate added valuable points to his championship tally with a second-place finish. Heygate endured a challenging day in the saddle after a crash cost him crucial seconds, but remained focused to bring home a podium result. “ I had too many mistakes today, I’ll try to clean up and go forward from here. We’ll regroup and see how we can improve for the next round,” he shared.

In the Seniors category, Kerim Fitz-Gerald had a standout ride, taking top honours and flying the orange flag high. “I’m really happy with how my riding has improved; it’s getting better each and every time,” said an upbeat Fitz-Gerald.

Brother Leader Tread KTM Team Manager, Megan Prinsloo, praised the riders for their commitment and results: “It was a tough, high-speed track, and the guys put in a great effort. Proud of the way they handled themselves out there, solid points for the championship and some good momentum heading into the next round.” The team now shifts focus to Round 3, determined to build on this weekend’s successes.

It was a strong weekend for the Husqvarna Racing team as they tackled the second round of the National Cross Country Championship in Dalton, KZN. Despite the very dry, fast, and dusty conditions, the team delivered impressive results, as Davin Cocker dominated the field with a flawless performance.

In the Open class, Cocker put in a clinical ride to claim both the overall and class win, further extending his championship lead. He set the pace early and maintained his advantage through the demanding conditions. “Not much dust for me luckily, but it was a very dusty day out,” Cocker commented. “Managed to bring it home and I’m very happy about that.”

In the OR3 class, Luke Walker had a solid outing, continuing his fight in the championship standings. Walker closed the gap on class leader Matthew Wilson and secured a well-earned second place for the day. “I managed to close the gap between myself and Matthew, but it wasn’t enough, unfortunately,” Walker shared. “Still had a great day out and happy to make up some points.”

Husqvarna Racing Team Manager, Megan Prinsloo, was proud of the team’s performance: “Both riders showed great control and pace in very dusty conditions. Davin’s ride was flawless, and it’s good to see Luke continuing to close the gap and stay in the title hunt.”

With strong results in hand, the Husqvarna Racing team now looks ahead to Round 3 of the championship, aiming to build on this weekend’s success.

We live in an age of influencers. Product providers see merit in their products receiving exposure when used by people who are in the public eye. A case in point is Honda Wing Brits. A hometown celebrity is the popular Afrikaans musician and songwriter Christoph Kotze’, who goes by the stage name Appel. Honda Wing Brits has given him an Africa Twin 1100 to use in the medium term. Part of the deal involved rider training at the spectacular ADA Training facility located on the ‘Satellite road’ near Hartebeespoort Dam. We took a ride out to take a peek at proceedings.

We watched Appel following his instructor through a series of drills, after which we got an opportunity to chat with him during a coffee break. I think that Appel’s songs resonate with a lot of South Africans. He typifies guys who engage in outdoor pursuits like hunting, fishing, 4x4s, rugby, motorcycles and weekend braais with buddies, where the odd beer or ‘vuil coke’, courtesy of ‘Rickie Louw’, would be consumed.

For Appel, adventure motorcycles are a firm favourite on that list. Kudos to Honda Wing Brits who saw an opportunity to get exposure for their Africa Twin 1100. Appel has written songs for Theuns Jordaan as well as producing five albums, one of which, ‘Patriot’, topped the iTunes chart. He has quite a stage personality, belting out lifestyle-oriented songs in his pleasant gravelly voice. Country and western SA style!

Appel’s wife and daughter were also enjoying getting to grips with a little Honda CRF under the watchful eye of an instructor. Appel’s rationale is that his little girl isn’t ever going to play rugby, but she can get into bikes like her dad. Referring to his own experience at ADA, Appel shared that despite owning an Adventure bike of his own, he was benefiting hugely from professional instruction. The finer nuances of motorcycle riding skill are often lost without exposure to decent instruction.

I would earnestly recommend doing an ADA course, irrespective of your level of skill. The old saying, ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ does not only apply to relationships, but to skills too. Sometimes we get sloppy over time and neglect some of the foundational skills that enhance our safety and enjoyment of riding bikes. Professional athletes use coaches to stay sharp and excel in their sport. Why are we, as riders, any different?

Thanks to ADA Bossman Heine Engelbrecht for the invite to hang out with Appel and enjoy some typical ADA hospitality. We had a ball!

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

2025

HONDA CRF1100 ADVENTURE SPORT...

Pricing From R364,699 (RRP)

Brand: Honda

Maseru, Lesotho – Cementing its position as one of the world’s toughest off-road motorcycle events, the ‘Mother of Hard Enduro’ has been added to the Hard Enduro World Championship (HEWC) calendar for the first time. Not only that, but the Roof will potentially be the decisive final round of the season and will take place from 20 to 22 November 2025, with Registration and Documentation taking place on 19 November. This will see Lesotho placed firmly on the world Hard Enduro map, in a welcome boost to tourism in the country and across southern Africa.

In keeping with the Roof of Africa’s new status and the fact that this legendary event will now be in the spotlight like never before, this year’s event will be planned and delivered by an elite team of event organisers. They plan to channel all their route planning and racing experience to deliver an event that’s worthy of the HEWC, and the heritage and legacy of the Roof itself.

Event Director Ross Whitehead shared that the new management team has built on last year’s experience to develop a strengthened operational plan. He expressed full confidence that, with months of work already done, the 2025 edition of the Roof will be a standout experience for all its stakeholders. “Our focus is on creating an elevated experience for every Roof competitor, support crew, partner, and spectator alike,” he stated.

Key members of the 2025 Roof team include Route Director (and veteran of 30 previous Roof of Africa events) Graham MacLachlan, as well as Tausten Gibbs and Mitchell Gallagher (experienced Romaniacs route managers), LORA member and Chief Mashal Likotsi Koo Lemeke, and HEWC Track manager Mike Skinner.

With dedicated route managers for the Roof classes (Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Iron), an increased level of focus and attention to detail will elevate the Roof experience for everyone involved. In particular, Whitehead is keen to highlight the appointment of motorsports industry figure Sakkie Maartens as Start and Finish Manager, thereby ensuring professionalism in every aspect of the event.

A strong line-up is anticipated for this year’s Roof, with title contenders Billy Bolt, multi-Roof winner Wade Young, four-times FIM HEWC world champion Manuel Lettenbichler, Mario Roman, Mitch Brightmore, Teodor Kabakchiev, and Alfredo Gomez all scheduled to compete in the Gold class, with more international and local riders to be confirmed nearer the time. The chance to see the 2025 champion crowned against the backdrop of Lesotho’s iconic Maluti Mountains is sure to attract the attention of motorsport fans worldwide.

Phakisa Mokhesi, Secretary of the Lesotho Off Road Association (LORA) and Race Secretary for this year’s Roof of Africa, has expressed excitement about the event’s growing international profile and its local impact.

“We always look forward to hosting the Roof of Africa here in Lesotho,” Mokhesi said. “The fact that this event will now have a global stage will help us to uplift local communities and create a positive showcase for Lesotho’s landscapes, people, and unique Basotho culture.”

Southern Africa’s international profile will be further raised by the support of confirmed 2025 Roof sponsors, including leading brands such as Red Bull, FNB, Avani Hotel and Casino, The Reporter, Plews Tyres, Econet, LNDC, Maluti, Naledi Outdoor Advertising, XCO, and SOX Footwear.

Entries for the 2025 ‘Mother of Hard Enduro’ will open on 16 June 2025. For updates on this year’s event, visit The Roof of Africa website and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

In closing, the Chairman of LORA, Mopeli Ntabe adds, “With renewed focus, professional execution, and a deep respect for the heritage of the Roof, we are confident that the upcoming edition will not only meet expectations, but exceed them. We look forward to welcoming you back to an experience worthy of this great tradition.”

If ever there was an emphatic answer to the travails of the past couple of races, both of which he lost, then it would be Marc Marquez’ complete domination of the Spanish GP at Aragon; fastest in every practice session, pole position, Sprint and Main race wins and fastest lap. It doesn’t happen often; the last time that happened was back in 2015 in Germany, and the rider to accomplish that was none other than Marc Marquez. If ever there was an indication that Marquez, the elder, was back on top after too many years in the injury wilderness, then that was surely it?

Even though the Aragon victories were not unexpected, given that the track has previously been a happy hunting ground for Marc, the level of dominance, coupled with the attendant increase in his championship lead, will certainly have provoked a sense of resignation among his rivals up and down the pit lane. After a few races without a victory and including some unforced errors, Marquez needed a race in which to stamp his authority on the championship once again, and you’d have to say it was job done.

Or maybe not. After yet another disastrous Sprint race, Pecco Bagnaia suddenly came alive in the Main race, finishing on the podium in third place. A greater contrast between Saturday and Sunday there could not have been, and, apparently, it was all down to a change in front brake discs. A change to a larger disc size seems to have made all the difference.

“Until yesterday (Saturday), I was using all my force to decelerate the bike, but the bike wouldn’t decelerate and I was locking everywhere,” said Bagnaia after the race. “Today we just changed something on the disc and from the start of the day (Warm Up) I was able to brake harder when I needed, brake less when I felt that the front was locking, so it was a huge step for me and it was a little detail that has given to me a bit more confidence that has helped me to be competitive lap-by-lap.”

“Before the change, I was losing the front, understeering everywhere, and it was quite difficult for me to be competitive yesterday in the Sprint race – I tried, but the front was locking in every corner, so it was tough. “Today, from this morning, I was feeling much better, maybe the disc has helped, but maybe not just the disc. I was able to force the entry of the corners, and the feeling was that the tyre was there, not that I was losing it, so it was a huge relief for me.”

“We just changed the disc of the bike, and it’s something that we never did in the past, and it’s something that we were not thinking about because normally it’s always the same. It was a huge step and it helped me to be able to brake less and reduce the speed more. Until yesterday, I was the one with more pressure on the brake and less deceleration, so it was a bit strange, and this morning it was better already with changing just this.”

He added, “We decided to upgrade the disc, to move to a bigger one, and I feel a bit better. It’s important to find some solution or to try another step, just to believe in a victory at home because Mugello is a track where I was always super-competitive and I want to arrive there and at least fight for it, not like this weekend that I finished on the podium but I never had the chance to win.

“So, I would like to have a chance at least. I don’t think it’s the solution to my feeling, but it’s something that has helped.”

Mugello and Assen – the next two tracks on the calendar – have been successful races for Bagnaia in the past, so he will be hoping for the good feeling to continue through today’s test at Aragon and into the next month of racing. He may be 93 points off championship leader Marquez, but, as 2022 proved, that is not necessarily insurmountable, although it is hard to see anyone but Marc Marquez taking the title in 2025 if he can maintain his current form. Of course, Alex Marquez is also still in with a shot, so Bagnaia has twice the trouble he had in 2022, but you don’t win two consecutive championships without knowing a thing or two about how to race. A competitive Bagnaia will almost certainly give the Marquez brothers something to think about.

What was also encouraging was to see both Acosta and Binder fighting in the top five, with Binder even setting fastest lap at one point, after too many races where they have been languishing far down the order. If Acosta wasn’t able to successfully challenge Bagnaia and Binder ultimately crashed out, it was still a step in the right direction, but, as always with KTM, it remains to be seen if this is the start of a consistent patch or if it will be business as usual at Mugello. Binder, at least, is confident that he is moving in the right direction in setting up his bike, with more weight on the front to prevent it washing out underneath him.

One thing is certain, however; after the last two rounds at Le Mans and Silverstone, with both factory riders being very vocal about the RC16’s shortcomings, something desperately needs to be done if KTM firstly is to not lose Acosta, secondly if Binder is not going to have his reputation damaged too much and, not least of all, if KTM is to continue in MotoGP, see here.

Aragon signalled progress of a sort for the Austrian manufacturer, but was it a flash in the pan? We’ll have to wait two weeks to find out.

In Aragon, if the top four remained relatively static, then at least we had a bit of entertainment from Morbidelli and Aldeguer, who were squabbling over fifth, the verdict going in favour of Morbidelli at the flag. But the fact remains that overtaking is still a rarity in modern MotoGP.

Hopefully, the rule changes in 2027 will make a difference – smaller engines and no ride-height devices and, more pertinently, a reduction in aero dimensions. Do the rules go far enough? Personally, I can’t see why aero cannot be banned altogether, perhaps by introducing maximum bodywork dimension rules. The fact is, however, that having tasted the benefits of aerodynamic downforce, teams will be loath to lose it altogether and would no doubt come up with more interesting fairing designs to compensate for the loss of downforce should their “wings” be clipped.

There is an argument that technical innovation should not be stifled in a prototype racing series. The problem is that every innovation makes the bikes faster until we get to a point where they are too dangerously fast for even the modern racing circuit, complete with its huge run-off areas.

Some will argue that the rule book is already too restrictive to imaginative engineering thinking, and it is true that today’s rule book is vastly longer than it was, say, twenty years ago. But perhaps this is the point of racing: to put up roadblocks and let the engineers navigate a way around them, thus stimulating development. As long as that development is not at the expense of good, close and, essentially, exciting racing.

Every time we watch the riders set off at breakneck speed down the dizzying plunge of Bray Hill at the start of a TT race, it is nigh-on impossible to quell the feeling in the pit of the stomach that there is a good chance that one or more of them might not be coming back.

It has been rare for one of the top riders to fall victim to the vicissitudes of the course, which somehow makes it all the worse when one of the lower-order riders has an accident. After all, it happens while they are not necessarily challenging for outright glory, but merely taking part for the love of the sport.

But, every now and again, one of the top riders does come short and, this year, it was the turn of Peter Hickman who, in previous years has been one of the men to beat, with 14 victories to his name and also the outright lap record, at 136.358mph; a record that no one looked close to equalling, never mind beating, this year.

Happily, Hickman escaped the 140mph crash with nothing worse than extensive bruising, but it was the end of his TT for 2025. Similarly, Michael Rutter, seven-time TT winner, also came short in the Supertwin race and suffered a fractured spine and other injuries, thankfully none of them life-threatening.

But these were mere side-stories to the main action of practice and race week, with anticipation high up and down the paddock. Sadly, however, this wasn’t a TT to remember, the weather proving particularly inclement, adversely affecting both practice week and race week, the main victim being the cancellation of the closing Senior TT on the last Saturday of the meeting. For once, it wasn’t the rain that stopped play but the high and unpredictable winds, which caused so much havoc over the mountain section of the circuit.

As in previous years, there were several riders who were the focus of attention, being the most likely to take wins from the various classes. In 2025, the riders most likely were Davey Todd, Michael Dunlop and Dean Harrison, who pretty much made the podium celebrations their own in the solo classes, while the Crowe brothers took both sidecar race wins.

The week started with the Superbike race, the victory in which is, along with the Senior TT, one of the races every rider wants on their CV. Davey Todd beat Michael Dunlop and Dean Harrison. Dunlop then prevailed in the first Supersport race, with Harrison second and James Hiller making his only trip to the podium for the week.

Harrison then took the first Superstock race, ahead of Davey Todd and Dunlop, while Dunlop was unstoppable in the pair of SuperTwin races. The second Supersport race saw Dunlop increase his win tally to an incredible 33 wins, only a year after breaking his Uncle Joey’s record of 26 wins.

Harrison took victory in the second Superstock race, with Todd and Dunlop joining him on the podium. The Senior TT was shaping up to be a real humdinger, but the weather put paid to that, bringing an end to a difficult week, weather-wise.

Of course, this is all very interesting, but the real news for the fans in South Africa was that, again, we had our very own rider taking part. Allann (AJ) Venter was back at the TT, this time with significant backing from Johannesburg-based FuturExotics owner, Zunaid Moti. The huge injection of cash to Venter’s TT aspirations will see him at the TT for at least the next two years, and he has to be hoping for better fortune next year.

For any privateer, saddle time in road racing conditions is difficult if they don’t live in the country where it takes place. AJ had some valuable saddle time at the North West 200 races in Ireland, which are the traditional warm-up races for the TT, but his running at the TT itself would have been seriously hampered by the dreadful weather on the Isle of Man, which curtailed the normal practice schedule. Of all the circuits in the world, the Mountain Course is the one for which you need the maximum preparation, no matter how many times you have ridden in anger there.

Having said that, AJ’s TT was by no means unsuccessful. He took 15th place in the opening Superbike TT, 25th in the first Supersport race, 21st in the first Superstock race, 12th in the first SuperTwins race and 24th in the second Superstock race. In the other races, he was forced to retire through mechanical maladies.

Perhaps not the TT he was hoping for, but he can come home with the satisfaction of posting his fastest ever lap of the TT, at 126.649mph. What is even better is that, given the sponsorship lifeline provided by Moti, AJ can really concentrate on preparations for the next two years without the stress of wondering how to finance it all.

When he returns, we’ll be sure to catch up with him and get the full story, which promises to be as fascinating as ever.

So, that was TT 2025, seemingly here and gone in a flash, and, despite the best efforts of the weather, the racing, when it happened, was as mesmerising as ever, the memorable moments veering between heart-in-the-mouth incidents and the sheer insane speed. Throughout it all, the heroes are the riders, the heroines the bikes and the evil menace waiting to catch them all out being the Mountain Course, 37 ¾ miles of the purest racing experience you’ll ever witness.

When a racing team from Japan arrived at the Isle of Man in 1959, to take part in the 125cc TT race, very few people knew who the company was, let alone realise that they were witnessing the first stirrings of what would become the most successful motorcycle racing team and the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world.

Fast forward 66 years, and Honda Motor Co. has reached the unbelievable milestone of cumulative global motorcycle production of 500 million units!

The Honda company was formed in the late 1940s, although the story begins earlier than that. Soichiro Honda founded his first company in 1936, manufacturing piston rings. In 1946, the Honda Technical Research Institute was formed, initially producing motorised bicycles using war surplus 50cc engines. When these ran out, Honda designed and built its own engines, and it was a short step from that point to the arrival of the first fully Honda-built motorcycle, the Dream D-Type, in 1949, 76 years ago.

The rise of the Japanese motorcycle industry can be traced from that moment, with Honda playing a leading role. The arrival of the Super Cub in 1958 signalled the creation of the most successful motorcycle design in history, with well over 100 million sold, and still selling! By 1961, a mere two years after their appearance at the TT, Honda was winning races and championships and hasn’t stopped since.

By 1968, Honda had built 10 million motorcycles, with 50 million coming up in 1984. The 100 million motorcycle milestone was reached in 1997, 48 years after the Dream D-Type was launched, which is respectable, but nothing compared to the growth since then.

It then took 11 years to reach 200 million motorcycles produced and only six years to reach 300 million. By 2018, annual global production reached 20 million units, while a cumulative total of 400 million was reached in 2019. Now, in 2025, the magic 500 million total has been achieved.

From those humble beginnings in Japan, Honda now has 37 factories in 23 countries, selling motorcycles through 30,000 Honda dealers.

That is quite the success story and, at this rate, we’ll be reporting on the 600 million mark in around 2030 and, possibly, 1 billion motorcycles by 2050 or so!

Not bad for a company that started in a small garage in Hamamatsu by one of the engineering greats of all time, Soichiro Honda.

It’s almost a year since a bunch of virtual strangers gathered for a bike tour to Botswana. Those strangers came back as firm friends. Perhaps the life that was most changed after the Botswana adventure was Rochelle’s. The experience so enthralled her and she enjoyed riding the Honda NC750 X so much that she found a mint, as-new example at Honda East Rand and bought it. Her husband Pieter is suffering from a serious case of “fomo” and is drooling over various options. I felt that we needed another ride together to renew our friendship, so I came up with “The Kaapsehoop Canter and Magoebas meander”.

Having limited time, we stole away from our crazy schedules on a Friday, met mid-morning at Pallet Farm Stall in Rietvalleirand in Pretoria East, smashed a cup of their excellent coffee and a pancake (or two), then headed out east. We rode out on the Welbekend road with the idea of joining the N4 at Bronkhorstspruit, thereby doing less highway and avoiding the Donkerhoek toll gate. The one missing boogie was Brian, who was in the Cape on a family tour. Leon was on his brand-new red BMW R 1300 GS Adventure, Pieter was on the NC that Rochelle had ridden to Botswana, which I now own, and Steven was on his trusty and potent KTM Super Adventure 1290 S. I rode my BMW R 1200 R, unfortunately without Irene as she was in bed with bronchitis. Rochelle was raring to go on her new NC.

The weather was playing ball with the most perfect blue-eyed day, which, like Goldilocks’s porridge, was neither too hot nor too cold, but just right. The forecast for the weekend was for the good weather to continue for the duration. Bring it on! We cruised out towards Witbank, turning off at the Balmoral offramp to have a brunch at Sergeant Pepper, a cool Boer War-themed restaurant adjacent to the poignant Balmoral Concentration Camp Cemetery. Over breakfast, I shared a bit of the history relating to what was a really sad event in our nation’s history. We only had a total distance of under 300 k’s to travel, so we got back on the bikes and meandered east.

Sticking with the Boer War history, we turned into the Bergendal Memorial just past Belfast. The scene of the last pitched battle of the Boer War before the guerrilla warfare that was to drag on thereafter, with an elusive bunch of ragtag farmers leading the might of the British Empire a merry dance. It was eventually Lord Kitchener’s heinous scorched earth policy that brought the war to an end. Taking in the serene and peaceful site, it is hard to imagine that this is the place where cannons once roared and men bled and died.

Back on our bikes, we continued down the N4, passing Milly’s, Machadodorp and down the Elands River Valley past Waterval Boven. I love showing people who have travelled this road many times the old NZASM tunnel, which was hewn through solid rock way back in 1892. The tunnel replaced a rack-railway system, which was the only place in the world outside of Switzerland where such a system was used. This system used a toothed rail between the normal tracks, which the engine, suitably adapted, could hook into. In this way, the train could traverse excessively steep gradients without slipping and sliding. The tunnel is very dark and best ridden on a bike to light it up. Not a good idea in this day and age to walk through on your own. The view of the Elands River cascading down a waterfall into the valley below is something to behold.

Once again, we mounted up and continued down the valley with surprisingly little traffic. It seems that most traffic takes the alternate route since that road has been pimped. At Ngodwana, adjacent to the Sappi sawmill, the road to Kaapsehoop goes off to the right, up the mountain. This road has some nice sweeps, albeit a little bumpy. Adventure bikes, with their long-travel suspension, are the weapons of choice if red mist descends. On a previous occasion, Brian and I did a day trip to Kaapsehoop on our Ducati Desert Xs and smoked them up the mountain. The Italian thoroughbreds revelled in that sort of abuse, as did we. This time it was Leon and I who set a brisk pace up the mountain. The R 1300 GS has decent mumbo, and with the R 1200 R for company, made short work of the 14 k’s to the little village of Kaapsehoop perched on the top of the mountain. Rochelle was being exposed to very different riding from what she had experienced in the wide-open spaces and straight roads of Botswana. A perfect opportunity to further develop her riding skills. In no time, we got settled into Angel’s Mist, our B&B of choice in Kaapsehoop.

It was late afternoon by now, and a visit to Kaapsehoop is not complete without popping into ‘the office’. Being a trifle thirsty after our ride, we got into comfy kit and then strolled up through the village to a little local watering hole called ‘Nagkantoor’. Owned and run by acclaimed journalist DeWet Potgieter, it is the perfect spot if you “have to work late”. We toasted the gathering of the Boogie clan with a couple of ice-cold chaps of various persuasions. My son Dave, who had left late due to work commitments, arrived soon after, enjoying his ride immensely on his recently acquired Honda CB500 X. Whilst Dave is new to the clan, his bike is not, having been Brian’s ride on the Botswana jaunt. Subsequently acquired by Dave. Brian is now the very proud owner of a spanking new Royal Enfield Himalayan, for which he has great travel plans.

After chewing the fat with DeWet, we strolled to a local eatery next door to Angel’s Mist for dinner. As per usual, the typical bike banter ensued around the table as we satiated our now considerable hunger. Not having been on most of the roads that we planned to ride the next day, we wondered about their state, given the poor record of road maintenance generally prevalent in Mpumalanga in recent years. It was then off to bed. What’s to be will be, with typical Boogie spirit, we would have a good time no matter what.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny. Early mornings in Kaapsehoop are often shrouded in mist, but not this day. We enjoyed a great brekkie, packed the bikes and rolled down the mountain, keeping an eye out for the feral horses that roam the forests and often stroll through the village. Unfortunately, they were lying low, so we filled up at Ngodwana and continued our journey. Our route would take us towards Sudwala Caves and then right to Rosehaugh and on to Sabie. From Sabie, we would ride to Graskop, with the obligatory stop at Harrie’s for a coffee and possibly a pancake, before heading out past God’s Window.

The ride up the mountain from Sudwala is exhilarating with great, constant-radius bends which encourage much red mist tomfoolery. Leon and I tipped the BMs on their ears and hauled up the mountain with Dave in hot pursuit. Despite his horsepower deficit, he gave a good account of himself thanks to the Honda’s great handling. The road to Sabi is bumpy in places but pothole-free, again allowing enjoyable and spirited riding. We rolled in and out of Sabi and on to Graskop, where we enjoyed Harrie’s hospitality. It was now pleasantly warm, making for brilliant riding weather. Watered and fed, we rode out of town past God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck potholes and the Three Rondawels. This ride, adjacent to the Blyde River Canyon, is stunning. Again, the road surface is pretty good, and the views are magnificent.

The road then T-Junctions with the Lydenburg, Ohrigstad, Hoedspruit road. Turning right at the T takes you over the Abel Erasmus Pass and onto the JG Strydom tunnel. The road surface is a bit patchy in places but not potholed, with some spectacular mountain views. After the good summer rains, the countryside is beautiful, still lush and green, with a lot of water in the river snaking through the valley to your left. We stopped at the tunnel for some pics. It was getting properly warm with the temperature approaching 30 degrees C, so it was good to get on the bikes and get the “fans” going again. 33 k’s before Hoedspruit, we turned left to Tzaneen. With the wisdom of hindsight, we should have ridden into Hoedspruit, then turned left on the Mica, Letsitele road. Although slightly further, it is an open road ride, whereas the road we took travels through a lot of congested urban sprawl before Tzaneen. Nevertheless, we made it through Tzaneen and out of town to the left turn onto the Magoebaskloof road. We were booked into the Magoebaskloof Hotel at the top of the pass, so we had the immense pleasure of riding up the pass. The road surface is excellent, but there is no room for error. If you run out of talent, you are either going into the mountain or off the mountain. It still makes for superb riding, and it was a happy bunch of bikers that pulled into the Hotel in time to watch the French MotoGP.

The facilities are good at the Magoebaskloof Hotel, and the location is amazing, with panoramic views across the valley. The food is also proper. Where it does fall short is in creating an ambience. It gets nippy in the evenings, yet they do not get a fire going in the main bar, which is lovely, and sports a huge fireplace. Similarly, the fireplace in the dining room lies dormant. Some nice background music, a fire for atmosphere, and good food make for a great recipe for repeat business. We had a pleasant evening, slept well, and after a hearty breakfast, packed up and rode to Haenertsburg to fill up. Sunday was Mother’s Day, so we planned on getting home reasonably early. It was interesting to see the fuel consumption achieved by the various bikes. Dave’s CB500 X was most economical, returning around 31 k’s/l, with the two NC’s nipping at his heels with just under 30 k’s/l. My R 1200 R surprised me with 22 k’s/l and Leon’s big Adventure doing closer to 18 k’s/l. I didn’t check Steve’s big Katoom, but would guess that its consumption was similar to the BM’s.

The ride to Polokwane is pleasant enough, starting with some magnificent twisties. We chose to ride the alternate route from Polokwane, which is very pleasant, taking you through Potties and Nylstroom. The N1 tends to be busy and costly with its toll gates. We pulled into the Wimpy in Lephalale for a drink before saying our goodbyes and jumping on the highway for the final dash home. Another wonderful one for the books! I would highly recommend this route for a two-nighter. The roads are generally good, with suitable sections for the odd “special stage”. At no point when you are off the highways do you not get to enjoy beautiful scenery, which varies from mountains and valleys to forests and bushveld. The distances are also very comfortable, with the longest day being around 340 km, with plenty of stops along the way for refreshments if necessary.

And so, another highly enjoyable Boogie came to an end. Friendships rekindled, good roads ridden, new experiences shared. Once again, the common denominator is motorcycles. How bland and boring is a life without a bike? Get out there and ride!

Every week, there are dozens of stories emanating from the MotoGP circus, involving every rider and every team. There is one story, however, that has particular relevance for South Africa as it concerns the team our local hero rides for: KTM.

The Austrian manufacturer’s financial troubles have been extensive and well-documented over the past year or so, but it appears that financial stability has returned to the company following a significant investment from several investors, most notably the Indian manufacturer Bajaj. The company already owned 49% of KTM but now, thanks to an initial 170 million pounds Sterling injection and, most recently, a further 500 million pounds Sterling boost, Bajaj is the majority shareholder.

So, all is now rosy in Austria? Well, not exactly. While three of India’s motorcycle companies, Hero Motocorp, Royal Enfield and TVS, are active in motorcycle sport in one way or another, Bajaj has no motorsport ambitions. Furthermore, Bajaj’s chairman, managing director and CEO, Rajiv Bajaj, is apparently completely anti-racing, believing that it is a waste of money and resources.

It’s not a new stance; Triumph Motorcycles’ boss from the 1930s through to his retirement in the 1960s, Edward Turner, steadfastly refused to commit to a factory racing programme believing the same thing as Bajaj; that it used up time and money that could be better used to develop motorcycles that would sell to the public. Given Triumph’s financial stature in this period, while rivals Norton enjoyed huge success on the race track but struggled with solvency throughout the same period, you’d have to say Turner’s opinion ultimately was the right one.

Given the level of its investment, Bajaj might well baulk at the 50 million pounds needed every year for the MotoGP project, especially when it is singularly failing to deliver the goods race weekend after race weekend. Throw in an anti-racing boss, and things are looking bleak for KTM’s MotoGP project.

The problem with this is that it erodes confidence throughout the team so that not only do riders start to leave for greener pastures, but so do essential team personnel, thus exacerbating the downward spiral. However, there are also reports that Bajaj sees value in MotoGP participation in the medium term, so maybe things aren’t as bleak as they seem.

That brings us to the travails of the four KTM MotoGP riders in 2025. Brad Binder was particularly vocal about the RC16 after the British GP at Silverstone; finishing 15th, he admitted that “that’s literally my level at present”, complaining of so much instability in the windy conditions that he was having to roll off the throttle on the straights, while the cooler temperatures left him feeling he was going to crash at every corner, as the front medium tyre offered no grip whatsoever.

“That was horrendous. Horrendous,” he said after the race at Silverstone. “I got off to a good start in the first one. Then the second one, I didn’t get a great launch at all. Anyway, I got past a few guys, but it was just so rough. I had so much shaking down the straight and from corner to corner that I kept rolling the gas on the straight, which is never a good thing. So, that was really not ideal. Just missing a lot of confidence, especially from the front.

“I felt fine when I was behind somebody and took a bit of temperature, but as soon as I was alone, I felt like I couldn’t crank the bike over because I felt like the front would wash the whole time. So, not very good for sure, really, really struggled that race. Even going slowly, I had moments where I was lucky not to have crashed. I need to find some confidence, just try and find a little bit of good feeling and try and use it.”

The big question now is, how long can this carry on?

“It’s not ideal for sure,” Binder added. “Don’t get me wrong, I mean f*** me, I know I’m not supposed to be riding in 15th position. But it is what it is, that’s literally my level. I feel like I could go with the boys a bit at the beginning, but then I have these funny moments. The last thing I want is not to finish four races in a row. Then at the end, riding around to my limit, I was having moments as well, and I said, “What the hell am I doing?” So, a little bit tricky. I need to find some confidence again, and I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

Binder’s teammate, Pedro Acosta, was similarly downbeat.

“It was a race of hopelessness,” he said. “It’s quite sad to see that you try to be perfect in acceleration and pick up the bike and lean angles and try to be close to the others, and then lose everything in acceleration. It’s clear that we don’t have the same amount of grip that the other bikes have.”

Perhaps Acosta has to be patient with the development of the RC16?

“I don’t accept, and I’m not patient. That’s it. Opportunity passes one time in life. I will not take all of my life to be a champion in this championship. I need help from the factory. That’s it.”

After a brilliant rookie year – on a KTM RC16, of course, albeit a satellite team bike – Acosta was obviously hoping for better things with the factory team; “I signed that contract – to come fight for a championship,” he said. “That is clear. To fight and even lose, but to fight for it. But I was talking about this problem from the first day of testing I did on this bike. But it’s still there. The problems are not something new.”

“Maybe this year the lap times are even closer and even faster, and it’s worse for us. Maybe having more brands being competitive is even harder for us. It looks like we are not as good as we thought. And it looks like we need to change things. I read that Yamaha brought a new chassis here. They made it to pole position. And he (Quartararo) was going to win the race…”

One of the KTM riders, however, seems to be coping much better with the wayward KTM. Maverick Viñales took a spectacular second place in Qatar before the position was stripped from him due to a tyre pressure infringement penalty. Then he had the top five races in Spain and France.

It seems he is fast becoming the reference point for the development of the RC16, which suffers in low grip conditions and rear chatter and vibration at the rear. This has become apparent since the introduction of Michelin’s new rear tyre at the beginning of last year. The tyre offers so much grip and this causes vibration, while at the same time overpowering the front tyre, affecting ultimate front-end grip, which brings issues with turning the bike.

These issues are clearly exacerbated by the riders feeling they have to push hard to maintain the pace of their rivals; Binder admitted he’s pushing too much, while Acosta can’t use the hard-braking style that worked so well for him last year because the bike simply doesn’t want to be ridden that way.

As Viñales said, “I had this idea that the KTM should be ridden aggressively. Because I saw Pol (Espargaro, KTM test rider) and Brad be so aggressive on the bike. But when I arrived, I started to ride aggressively, which I like, and I said, “This is not working, it’s not working at all, and I’m slow.” So, I decided to switch and ride smoothly, and it seems to work. But now I need to understand how I can ride smoothly while pushing a lot.”

Do all the KTM riders follow the lead set by Viñales, in terms of adapting their riding style to the bike rather than trying to bend the bike to their will? It seems they might have to if they can turn the RC16 into a competitive package. If that happens, then the chances of Acosta and Binder wanting to remain at KTM beyond the end of 2026, when both their contracts will be up for renewal, will be improved immeasurably.

Pietermaritzburg played host to an unforgettable weekend of racing as the Red Bull KTM motocross team delivered a standout performance at their home round of the 2025 National Motocross Championship. With a sea of orange lining the Thunder Valley track, the team treated fans to an action-packed day of podium finishes and championship-defining moments.

Trey Cox was unstoppable in the 125 High School class, storming to both moto wins and extending his lead in the championship standings. Not settling for just one class, Cox backed up his flawless High School performance with a strong showing in MX2, finishing 3rd overall with 4-2 moto scores. Reflecting on his home race, Cox said, “I did everything to win at home, and there’s no better feeling than that. I’m so happy to have a perfect day in the 125 class and another solid podium in MX2.”

The MX2 class delivered one of the most memorable moments of the season so far, as Red Bull KTM locked out the podium with an emphatic 1-2-3 overall sweep. Luke Grundy took top honours with 2-1 finishes, bouncing back brilliantly in the second moto to secure the overall and strengthen his championship lead.

“2-1 moto scores for 1st overall in MX2. It was a bit of a tough day, but I’m stoked on the outcome and can’t wait to see what Cape Town has in store,” commented Grundy.

Cameron Durow, the reigning MX2 champion, started the day with a solid victory in the first moto, edging out Grundy to claw back valuable points. A crash in the opening lap of moto two saw Durow drop to 19th, but the Red Bull KTM rider put on a spectacular charge through the field to finish 5th, enough for 2nd overall on the day.

In the premier MX1 class, it was business as usual for Durow. Trailing by 10 points heading into round four, Durow knew what needed to be done — and he delivered in style. A commanding 1-1 performance saw him not only claim the overall win but also reclaim the MX1 championship lead. Sharing his thoughts after a pivotal day, Durow said, “What a weekend! Racing at home, in front of our supporters, and being able to go 1-1 in MX1 and get the points lead back, it doesn’t get much better than that. I had a tough second moto in MX2, but I’m proud of the way I fought back. Big thanks to the entire Red Bull KTM team for an epic day.”

The team now turns their focus to the next round in Cape Town, carrying serious momentum and a solid championship position across the board.

Beta must be in a unique position: an independent manufacturer of off-road motorcycles. In existence since 1905, the Italian company has built an enviable reputation amongst both amateur and professional riders alike.

Liqui Moly might be younger – only 60 years! – but it too is renowned for innovation and technical excellence in the field of lubrication, additives and care and service products, developed in Germany.

What better, therefore, than these two venerable companies joining forces for the benefit, again, of both amateur and professional off-road riders?

In South Africa, the driving force behind Beta Motorcycles is Rock Steady Distributors, and, recently, the Beta SA Race Team was officially launched, bringing together the team’s athletes, Beta SA dealers and key partners.

The launch event also marked the debut of a strategic partnership between Beta SA and Liqui Moly, building on the long-standing global alliance between the premium German oil specialist and the iconic motorcycle brand. Both parties bring cutting-edge technology and performance to the table and will be a formidable force against which rival manufacturers will have to bring their A-games to beat.

The venue for the launch was the Wild West Enduro track, which is significant as the event coincided with the launch of the new Beta Enduro Cross Track, which was opened by the Beta SA Race Team’s riders, showcasing their and the bikes’ skills.

The line-up for the team is as follows:

• Will Slater
• Tom Scales
• Kyle Flanagan
• Alistair Fayrod
• Davo Clark
• Will Gillitt
• Ross Ramseyer

You can catch the Beta SA Race Team competing at: HESA, The IMPI Enduro, the Enduro SA – MSA National Enduro Championships and The Roof of Africa this year.

Beta SA would like to give special thanks to the current Beta SA dealers for their continued support, including Ride Motorsports in KZN, Droomers Powersport in the Cape, Russell Campbell Dirt Bikes and SpeedHut in Johannesburg and 187 Auto in Pretoria.

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You can follow all the action of the Beta SA Race Team on Facebook and Instagram.

It was perhaps appropriate that, on the weekend of the most boring (if not the most picturesque) F1 Grand Prix of the year, Monaco, we also had a MotoGP race full of drama and fantastic racing at the circuit that hosted the very first post-war F1 Grand Prix in 1950, Silverstone.

Anyone who was at Silverstone for that first Grand Prix would struggle to recognise the place today; certain parts remain the same, but it has undergone significant changes over the years. Thankfully, the basic ingredients that made it one of the better racing circuits in the world have been retained – a fast, wide, sweeping layout, rewarding both power and agility that invariably produces great racing.

After Ducati’s winning streak was, at last, brought to an end in Le Mans thanks to a brilliant ride by Johann Zarco on his Honda RC213V, we could have been forgiven for assuming that normal service would be resumed at Silverstone; a circuit where you could reasonably expect the Bologna Bullets to thrive given their power advantage. But no one could have predicted the outcome of a fantastic race, one in which Ducati played a very subdued part.

The first shock was yet another unbelievable pole lap by Fabio Quartararo and his Yamaha, his third in a row. The Yamaha might be down on power but if its riders can run the lines they like – long, sweeping lines as opposed to the Ducatis that can dive into the corner, stop and turn and punch out of them, a movement that upsets the following Yamahas – then, as Quartararo showed in qualifying and the Main race, they can be untouchable.

The other factor was that the Yamahas were running the soft front tyre, giving them an early race advantage (although no one knew if they would last the race distance at that pace), while the Ducatis didn’t look happy on any front tyre, especially not the medium front they chose to run on.

If the Sprint race conformed to expected practice, with a fine win for Alex Marquez, followed by Marc Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio to complete yet another all-Ducati podium, the top ten looked distinctly varied, with Aprilia, Honda, Yamaha and KTM all represented.

This was but a taste of what was to come the next day in the Main race. At the start, Marc Marquez showed his intent and led into the first corner, while brother Alex sensationally slid ignominiously out of the race before he had even negotiated that corner. This was huge for the Championship, especially as Bagnaia was sitting in third behind Quartararo, but such is the lack of confidence Bagnaia has in his GP25 that it seemed almost impossible that he would feature in the race. What a change from last season.

Then it happened! Marc Marquez lost the front at the Becketts complex and, all of a sudden, perhaps Bagnaia could gain valuable points on his title rivals. But out came the red flags to stop the race, the reason given that there was oil on the track, not where Marc Marquez had crashed, but where Franco Morbidelli and Aleix Espargaro had crashed at the last chicane at the end of the first lap. As less than three laps had been completed, the race would be restarted with all riders eligible to form up on the grid, including both Marquez brothers! Talk about luck being on their side.

At the restart, Bagnaia got the hole shot but Quartararo was past into the lead by turn three, while Marc got past his brother at turn four, as did Jack Miller; the Yamahas have definitely improved, a point proven by Quartararo as he simply disappeared at the front, while Miller got by Marc for third place and then Bagnaia for second, the latter then overtaken first by Johann Zarco and then by Marc Marquez.

It was definitely not Ducati’s day as both the factory bikes then ran wide at Copse, and re-joined in ninth and tenth, Marquez still ahead of his team mate. But Bagnaia was looking in real trouble as he was clearly struggling with grip and, inevitably, he slid out and his miserable season continued.

By this time, Quartararo was 4.5 seconds up the road, and it was looking unlikely that anyone would be able to do anything about him. For Yamaha to find its form again in 2025 would be hugely appropriate as this year marks the 50th anniversary of the manufacturer’s first premier class world title (then for 500 cc-engined bikes, all of which were two strokes) back in 1975, courtesy of Giacomo Agostini.

Almost unnoticed in all the excitement was the fact that Marco Bezzecchi on the Aprilia was lying third behind Quartararo and Miller, with Zarco fourth, Alex Marquez fifth, Morbidelli sixth, Mir seventh and Marc Marquez eighth. Bezzecchi and Zarco got past Miller, and now we had a race on as, even with a five-second deficit to make up, Bezzecchi looked as if he had the speed to catch up to Quartararo, while Marc Marquez was making progress up to fourth.

Then Yamaha managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, as the rear ride-height device on Quartararo’s bike stuck in the lowered position and he had no choice but to retire the bike, leaving the Frenchman distraught; he really didn’t deserve that. When the emotion subsides, he will realise that there is nothing but positives to take from Silverstone, but the pain will never fully disappear.

And that, to all intents and purposes, was that. Bezzecchi was out front by 4.5 seconds, and Zarco led Marc Marquez by just over a second, and he in turn was having to defend from Morbidelli behind. Indeed, into the last lap, Morbidelli was right on Marquez’ tail and, coming into the final chicane on the last lap at Vale, Morbidelli got past Marquez, only to run slightly wide and allow Marquez back through and cross the line half a bike’s length ahead. But neither of them could do anything about Zarco, who took a well-deserved second place just two weeks after his Le Mans victory.

Honda, Yamaha and Aprilia back in the mix for victories? That’s going to spice things up nicely. It’s hard not to think of 2025 as another Ducati walkover, but perhaps they won’t have it all their own way?

The day belonged to Bezzecchi and Aprilia, however, and what perfect timing it was, with the news leading up to the British Grand Prix being dominated by the continuing Jorge Martin/Aprilia, will-he-leave/will-he-stay saga. You knew the team realised this was a pivotal moment as they not-so-subtly pointed out that the RS-GP was a winning machine, a message clearly directed at Martin; “This is a message to Jorge. Our bike can win,” team boss Massimo Rivola said.

“I think the best way we can do it is to show that we have a fast bike.” Mind you, if the reports about Martin’s desire to activate the get-out clause so early in the season are true, without having had the chance to see for himself what the Aprilia can do, would it be once bitten, twice shy for Aprilia to put their faith in the reigning world champion heading into 2026? Also, surely any other team would be wary?

So, a victory for Aprilia at a circuit that has been good for them in the 2020s, which might mean that it is a flash in the pan, but it’s encouraging nonetheless. But what about KTM? Pedro Acosta finished an anonymous sixth, with Maverick Viñales four seconds behind in eleventh, Brad Binder five seconds behind Miller in 14th and Enea Bastiannini a ridiculous 48 seconds behind Acosta in 17th. In a week when news came through of a huge bailout of KTM by Bajaj, all but securing the future of the Austrian company, these dire performances will not help the race team’s prospects.

It’s back to Spain in two weeks’ time for the Aragon MotoGP round, the eighth of the season, and the championship is really coming alive. Surely Quartararo’s forward progress will net him a win soon, while both Zarco and Bezzecchi have proved that we can’t afford to count them out when things fall into place for them and their teams. Will it be enough to deny Ducati title glory? Maybe not this year, but then again, stranger things have happened.

Yes, folks, Royal Enfield is alive and well in Gauteng! I told you about my visit to Cape Town for the SA launch, at Moto-Royale, of the iconic British brand Royal Enfield, which, despite significant ties to the Old Country, is now Indian owned, with its headquarters in Chennai. I was invited to attend the local launch at the stunning World of Motorcycles multi-franchise operation in Centurion. The whole third floor has been transformed into a Royal Enfield mancave of note, so Irene and I went to check it out.

The evening kicked off with the unveiling of the Enfield presence by Jos Matthysen, owner of World of Motorcycles. Moto-Royale’s Adam McCallum, accompanied by Adish, gave the background to acquiring the rights to Royal Enfield in SA. Braam Smit gave us some history on Royal Enfield’s origins, and Jos introduced his staff and expanded on their commitment to growing the brand in Gauteng. That commitment is very clear when you see the comprehensive stock of Enfield’s on display. Not only are the various models represented, but colour options are too. Royal Enfield is not just a brand; it is a family. Strolling around the bikes on display is like being in the family lounge. Overstuffed leather sofas and tasteful furnishings give a distinct Old English look and feel, the sort of ambience you would get in an upmarket Old English tobacconist, but thankfully, we’re talking motorcycles rather than cigars.

The real thrill was ogling the full range of Royal Enfield models on display. These bikes are soulful in the extreme! We live in a world where change is happening at an exponential rate. Royal Enfield has managed to capture the essence of motorcycling and embody it in bikes with timeless styling. Bikes which have a new heart in an old soul. Modern and reliable mechanics are clothed in old school styling, which harks back to a time when motorcycles were essentially economical transport, which over time morphed into a hugely pleasurable lifestyle activity. A way in which you could pull on your helmet, gloves and leather ‘lummie’ and take off on your bike, letting the worries and woes of everyday life melt into obscurity. Literally therapy on wheels.

Over time, manufacturers saw the economic attraction of building various genres of bikes which would appeal to as wide an audience as possible. Complexity snuck into an activity which was simple and intoxicating. That wonderful simplicity was slowly drowned in a sea of complexity and marketing one-upmanship. In many instances, bikes became more appliance-like as manufacturers attempted to answer questions that weren’t even being asked. Royal Enfield never sold their soul. They remained true to their recipe of simplicity and function. Rather than trying to compete in this rat race of mechanical and electronic complexity, they set about modernising their offerings into superbly functional and satisfying motorcycles. They simplified their manufacturing processes with state-of-the-art facilities with component suppliers in close proximity, thereby maximising manufacturing efficiencies, which in turn significantly lowers their production costs. The end result is a range of superb and soulful motorcycles offering unparalleled value for money.

This is why I refer to the influx of Royal Enfield as a REvolution. I encourage you to pop into World of Motorcycles and see for yourself. The aura of calm simplicity is all-pervasive. Whatever bike you currently ride, you need an Enfield in your garage. A bike that is a reminder of the fundamentals that birthed an industry. You may just find that the “supermodel” that you are currently dating is becoming seriously demanding and heavy on the body and wallet, pulling you more and more into life’s ‘fast lane’. Choose a “girl next door” type of motorcycle who demands little, is incredibly rewarding, and a soulful friend with whom you want to make epic memories. Royal Enfield, still built like a bullet – motorcycling salve for the soul.

Did you know? – The Royal Enfield name evolved from The Royal Small Arms Factory, founded in 1816 and located in Enfield, which was a UK government-owned enterprise that at one time manufactured small arms. Hence the “built like a gun” catchphrase. Two rifles manufactured at this factory have a rich history in South Africa. The Martini-Henry was a firm favourite amongst Boer marksmen and accounted for many unfortunate ‘Khakis’ during the Anglo-Boer War, whilst the British in turn were armed with Lee-Enfield rifles. Other motorcycles that evolved from small arms manufacturers are Benelli, BSA, CZ and Husqvarna.