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Wheels_22_Oct_2015

KwaZulu-Natal's best read on all things wheeled, from solar cars to cracked skateboards.

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The<br />

latest on<br />

boards and<br />

skaters<br />

PAGE 3<br />

<strong>Oct</strong>ober <strong>22</strong>, <strong>2015</strong><br />

Witness<br />

WHEELS<br />

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Dealers in Superfine Exotic and Sports Cars<br />

Tel: 033 345 1971, 033 342 4717<br />

Fax: 033 342 2900 - www.ashcarsales.co.za<br />

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and service plan, a/c, p/str, CD, super mint condition,<br />

ideal ladies car<br />

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Contact Ash on 083 786 3377 (PMBurg)<br />

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Chasing the sun in Oz<br />

SHOWING<br />

CARS, BIKES<br />

AND TRUCKS<br />

UKZN leads<br />

Africa’s quest<br />

for a top 10<br />

in solar race<br />

ALWYN VILJOEN<br />

WHILE KZN enjoys a brief respite<br />

from the summer heat today, in<br />

Australia, two university teams<br />

from South Africa are chasing the<br />

Australian sun for a top 10 spot<br />

in the biennial Bridgestone World<br />

Solar Challenge.<br />

The solar teams from the universities<br />

of KZN (UKZN) and the<br />

North West (NWU) are the first<br />

teams from Africa to compete<br />

against 47 teams from 25 countries<br />

in this historic race, which<br />

ends on Sunday after a 3 000 km<br />

route from Darwin in the north to<br />

Adelaide in the south of Australia.<br />

With its solar<br />

roof tilted to<br />

catch the last<br />

rays after a<br />

dust storm in<br />

Australia, the<br />

University of<br />

the North<br />

West’s Sirius<br />

X25 is<br />

currently<br />

second last in<br />

the Challenger<br />

Class of the<br />

World Solar<br />

Challenge.<br />

PHOTO:<br />

TWITTER<br />

The UKZN team named their<br />

one­seater car Hulamin, while the<br />

NWU calls their the Sirius X25.<br />

Both are racing in the Challenger<br />

class, which UKZN co­leader Kirsty<br />

Veale described as the “F1 of<br />

solar car racing.”<br />

Laying 11th among 28 teams<br />

yesterday, the tiny KZN’s team<br />

had the best shot at ending in the<br />

top 10 for Africa against some of<br />

the wealthiest universities in the<br />

world.<br />

UKZN co­leader Dr Clint Bemont<br />

said while the KZN team are<br />

the underdogs, they are aiming for<br />

medals. “We hope to beat teams<br />

from some of the best Universities<br />

in the World like Stanford, Cambridge,<br />

MIT and even Delft,” said<br />

Bemont.<br />

Stella Lux sets new record<br />

In the more sedate Cruiser class,<br />

the car that is drawing the most<br />

attention is called Stella Lux, built<br />

by the students at the Eindhoven<br />

University of Technology at a rumoured<br />

cost of close to R30 million.<br />

On Tuesday, the ecstatic<br />

“sparky” for Team Eindhoven,<br />

Qurein Biewenga — who schooled<br />

in Pretoria — tweeted Stella had<br />

raced a record distance of 1 500<br />

km on a single charge, driving at<br />

an average speed of 80 km/h.<br />

To put this record in perspective,<br />

the team’s spokesperson and<br />

one of Stella’s drivers, Liselotte<br />

Kockelkoren, said a Toyota Prius<br />

can only do 60 km on the same<br />

charge at the same speed.”<br />

Stella Lux is the second iteration<br />

of the solar car that achieved<br />

875 km in the 2013 race and in the<br />

two years since, the Dutch students<br />

made what they say is the<br />

world’s first family car that runs<br />

only on sun light.<br />

NEXT week sees Shongweni<br />

hosting the annual Car, Truck,<br />

Bike and Outdoor Expo.<br />

The show opens with the<br />

fourth annual truck safety<br />

conference at Shongweni on<br />

Friday, <strong>Oct</strong>ober 30, from 10<br />

am. Guest speakers will<br />

present 20 minute sessions on<br />

pressing issues in transport, as<br />

well as present certificates to<br />

drivers who competed in the<br />

Thuthukisa Abashayeli Driver<br />

of the Year competition. The<br />

KZN Department of Transport<br />

is a proud partner of the conference,<br />

with Transport MEC<br />

Willies Mchunu to address the<br />

assembled fleet operators as<br />

they table issues that plague<br />

their business operations.<br />

Mchunu has used past conferences<br />

to meet with road users<br />

and give his opinion on the<br />

topics raised by the attending<br />

forum.<br />

For more information,<br />

e­mail clydel@telkomsa.net.<br />

renault pre-owned<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Clio IV 900T Dynamic<br />

Delivery Mileage, Full House,<br />

Sat Nav, Balance of Service Plan<br />

&Factory Warranty<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Renault Stepway 900T<br />

Delivery MileageFull House,<br />

Bal of Service Plan &Factory<br />

Warranty<br />

McCarthy Toyota PMBurg Automark<br />

033 897 8100<br />

NEW LIST PRICE R219 000 SAVE R15 000 NEW LIST PRICE R174 900<br />

SAVE R10 000<br />

R204 990 R164 990<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Renault Capture 900T<br />

Dynamique 15 000 km,<br />

Full House Balance of<br />

Service Plan &<br />

Factory<br />

Warranty<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Renault Duster 1.6<br />

Dynamique, Deliver Mileage, Full<br />

House, Sat Nav Bal of Service<br />

Plan & Factory<br />

Warranty<br />

2014 Renault Duster 1.6<br />

Dynamique 33 000 km,<br />

Full House<br />

Sat/Nav, Towbar<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Stepway 900T 11 000 km,<br />

Full House<br />

WAS R<strong>22</strong>9 990 WAS R<strong>22</strong>9 990<br />

WAS R199 990 WAS R169 990<br />

R219 990 R214 990 R179 990 R159 990<br />

2014 Renault Fluence 1.6<br />

Expression (Demo) 25 000 km,<br />

full house, bal of Service Plan and<br />

Factory Warran nty<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Renault Megane 1.6<br />

Dynamique, 5000 km,<br />

Full House,<br />

Sat/Nav<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Renault Clio IV 900Tbalance<br />

of Service Plan &Factory<br />

Warranty, Full House,<br />

Sat/Nav<br />

2009 Clio 31.4 Extreme 5-Dr,<br />

Full House<br />

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world! Amazing specials on Pre-owned and Demo Vehicles this weekend only!<br />

We look forward to seeing you there!<br />

WAS R169 990<br />

WAS R249 990 WAS R199 990 WAS R79 990<br />

R149 990 R234 990 R179 990 R69 990<br />

2013 Suzuki Jimny 1.3 4x4, 2012 Toyota Etios 1.5 XS<br />

57 0000 Wkm, Full House Sedan, 57 000km, Full House<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Renault Stepway 900T,<br />

Delivery Mileage, Full House,<br />

Bal of Service Plan &<br />

Factory Warranty<br />

2013 Suzuki Alto GLS15<br />

000km,Full House<br />

WAS R174 990 WAS R114 990 WAS R179 990<br />

WAS R109 990<br />

R154 990 R99 990 R169 990 R94 990<br />

2014<br />

Toyota Etios<br />

1.5 Cross<br />

R159 990<br />

2014<br />

Toyota Etios 1,5 Xs<br />

31 000 km, e/w, a/c, fog<br />

lights, CD/radio, alarm<br />

R129 990


2 Witness<strong>Wheels</strong> MOTORING<br />

<strong>Oct</strong>ober <strong>22</strong>, <strong>2015</strong><br />

Cars with the friendliest faces<br />

FANELESIBONGE NYAWO<br />

EVER looked at a car and realised that it was<br />

actually smiling at you, or giving you a very<br />

aggressive stare?<br />

You were not paranoid — cars do growl or<br />

grin at you! The shape of a vehicle’s headlights<br />

make a “facial expression” and — until<br />

someone invents the smiley or frowny LED<br />

lights — these expressions cannot change. The<br />

car the driver chooses will permanently smiles<br />

at fellow road users, or gives them that angry<br />

look. (Which, of course, raises all kinds of<br />

questions about their drivers…)<br />

A quick poll among the girlfriends list these<br />

as the three vehicles on our roads that look<br />

so friendly, you want to smile back at them.<br />

#1 Mazda BT­50 Bakkie<br />

The Mazda BT­50 is the friendliest of the bunch<br />

and it’s kind of funny because it has a very<br />

huge body like those muscular guys in the gym<br />

who never smile!<br />

#2 Toyota Corolla<br />

The Toyota Corolla Professional’s grille gives it<br />

that jagged­up smile — the one a person has a<br />

few days after a visit to the dentist!<br />

#3 Hyundai i10<br />

The Hyundai i10 has a not so broad but yet<br />

again not so tiny smile — it has the type of<br />

smile kids from Toddlers and Tiaras have after<br />

very tense face muscle work­out!<br />

Soot and shroom power<br />

Candle soot<br />

to drive<br />

next­gen<br />

electric cars?<br />

German company Bosch predicts the<br />

world will see 15% of all new vehicles having<br />

an electrical powertrain by 2025 and<br />

is investing €400 million a year in electromobility.<br />

Their quest is to create a battery that will<br />

give 50 kilowatt hours and weigh about<br />

190 kg. To put this in perspective, the average<br />

lead battery in today’s cars weighs<br />

about 20 kg and makes only 0,5 kilowatt<br />

hours.<br />

A recent study shows carbon from burning<br />

a candle could be all it takes to make<br />

an inexpensive but powerful electric car<br />

battery, according to new research published<br />

in Electrochimica Acta.<br />

The research reveals that candle soot<br />

could be used to power the kind of lithium<br />

ion battery used in plug­in electric cars.<br />

The authors of the study, from the Indian<br />

Institute of Technology (IIT) in Hyderabad,<br />

India, say their discovery opens up the<br />

possibilities to use carbon in more powerful<br />

batteries, driving down the costs of portable<br />

power.<br />

Lithium ion batteries power many devices,<br />

from smartphones and digital cameras<br />

all the way up to cars and even aircraft.<br />

The batteries work by having two electrically<br />

charged materials suspended in a liquid<br />

to produce a current. Carbon is used<br />

as one of those materials in smaller batteries,<br />

but for bigger, more powerful batteries<br />

— such as those used in electric cars — carbon<br />

is not suitable because of its structure,<br />

which cannot produce the required current<br />

density.<br />

In the new study, Dr Chandra Sharma<br />

and Dr Manohar Kakunuri found that because<br />

of the shape and configuration of the<br />

tiny carbon nanoparticles, the carbon in<br />

candle soot is suitable for use in bigger batteries.<br />

What’s more, because the soot could<br />

be produced quickly and easily, it is a scalable<br />

approach to making batteries.<br />

“If you put a water droplet on candle<br />

soot it rolls off — that’s an observation<br />

Artist Steve Spazuk uses fumage, a technique developed in the thirties to<br />

create images using soot from a candle or kerosene lamp. Now the soot can<br />

make better lithium batteries.<br />

PHOTO: DISTRICTMONTREAL.COM<br />

that’s been made in the last few years. The<br />

material candle soot is made of, carbon, also<br />

has electric potential. So why not use<br />

it as an electrode?” asked Sharma, author<br />

of the study. “We looked into it and saw<br />

it also shows some exceptional electrochemical<br />

properties, so we decided to test<br />

it further.”<br />

When a candle burns, it gives off clouds<br />

of black soot made of carbon.<br />

The researchers looked at the soot collected<br />

from the tip of a candle flame and<br />

from the middle of the flame and compared<br />

the size, shape and structure of the carbon.<br />

The results showed that the burning<br />

process forms nanoparticles of carbon that<br />

are 30 to 40 nanometres across and are<br />

joined together in an interconnected network.<br />

They also found that the soot recovered<br />

from the tip of a candle flame, which<br />

burns at 1 400° C, has fewer impurities like<br />

wax, making it perform better as an electrical<br />

conductor.<br />

Their analyses show the shape and size<br />

of the carbon nanoparticles from soot, and<br />

the way they are joined together, makes<br />

soot an effective conducting material, with<br />

a high cyclic charge­discharge (CCD).<br />

The researchers says the technology is<br />

efficient and cost­effective. It is also scalable.<br />

They now plan to develop a candle soot<br />

battery to test the technology further. They<br />

are also planning to test hybrid materials<br />

that contain candle soot to see if they can<br />

make it an even better material for batteries.<br />

— <strong>Wheels</strong> Reporter.<br />

For more information on Witness <strong>Wheels</strong> advertising<br />

Contact Avir on 084 278 3447<br />

or<br />

Avir@witness.co.za<br />

New lithium ion battery<br />

made of mushrooms<br />

NICK LAVARS<br />

CAN portabella mushrooms stop<br />

lithium ion batteries from degrading<br />

over time?<br />

Researchers at the University of<br />

California, Riverside Bourns College<br />

of Engineering, think so.<br />

They have created a new type of<br />

lithium ion battery anode using portabella<br />

mushrooms, which are inexpensive,<br />

environmentally friendly<br />

and easy to produce.<br />

The current industry standard for<br />

rechargeable lithium ion battery anodes<br />

is synthetic graphite, which<br />

comes with a high cost of manufacturing<br />

because it requires tedious purification<br />

and preparation processes<br />

that are also harmful to the environment.<br />

With the anticipated increase in<br />

batteries needed for electric vehicles<br />

and electronics, a cheaper and sustainable<br />

source to replace graphite is<br />

needed. Using biomass, a biological<br />

material from living or recently living<br />

organisms, as a replacement for<br />

graphite, has drawn recent attention<br />

because of its high carbon content,<br />

low cost and environmental friendliness.<br />

UC Riverside engineers were<br />

drawn to using mushrooms as a form<br />

of biomass because past research has<br />

established they are highly porous,<br />

meaning they have a lot of small spaces<br />

for liquid or air to pass through.<br />

That porosity is important for batteries<br />

because it creates more space<br />

for the storage and transfer of energy,<br />

a critical component to improving<br />

battery performance.<br />

In addition, the high potassium<br />

salt concentration in mushrooms allows<br />

for increased electrolyte­active<br />

material over time by activating<br />

more pores, gradually increasing its<br />

capacity.<br />

A conventional anode allows lithium<br />

to access fully most of the material<br />

during the first few cycles and capacity<br />

fades from electrode damage<br />

occurs from that point on. The<br />

mushroom carbon anode technology<br />

could, with optimisation, replace<br />

graphite anodes. It also provides a<br />

binderless and current­collector free<br />

approach to anode fabrication.<br />

“With battery materials like this,<br />

future cellphones may see an increase<br />

in run time after many uses,<br />

rather than a decrease, due to apparent<br />

activation of blind pores within<br />

the carbon architectures as the cell<br />

charges and discharges over time,”<br />

said Brennan Campbell, a graduate<br />

student in the materials science and<br />

engineering programme at UC Riverside.<br />

The research findings were outlined<br />

in a paper, “Bio­Derived, Binderless,<br />

Hierarchically Porous Carbon<br />

Anodes for Li­ion Batteries”, published<br />

in the journal Scientific Reports.<br />

It was authored by Cengiz Ozkan<br />

and Mihri Ozkan, both professors<br />

in the Bourns College of<br />

Engineering, and three of their current<br />

or former graduate students:<br />

Campbell, Robert Ionescu and Zachary<br />

Favors.<br />

Nanocarbon architectures derived<br />

from biological materials such as<br />

mushrooms can be considered a<br />

green and sustainable alternative to<br />

graphite­based anodes, said Cengiz<br />

Ozkan, a professor of mechanical engineering<br />

and materials science and<br />

engineering.<br />

The nano­ribbon­like architectures<br />

transform upon heat treatment<br />

into an interconnected porous network<br />

architecture which is important<br />

for battery electrodes because such<br />

architectures possess a very large<br />

surface area for the storage of energy,<br />

a critical component to improving<br />

battery performance.<br />

One of the problems with conventional<br />

carbons, such as graphite, is<br />

that they are typically prepared with<br />

chemicals such as acids and activated<br />

by bases that are not environmentally<br />

friendly, said Mihri Ozkan, a professor<br />

of electrical and computer engineering.<br />

Therefore, the UC Riverside<br />

team are focused on naturally<br />

derived carbons, such as the skin of<br />

the caps of portabella mushrooms,<br />

for making batteries.<br />

It is expected that nearly 900 000<br />

tons of natural raw graphite would<br />

be needed for anode fabrication for<br />

nearly six million electric vehicles<br />

forecast to be built by 2020.<br />

This requires that the graphite be<br />

treated with harsh chemicals, including<br />

hydrofluoric and sulfuric acids,<br />

a process that creates large quantities<br />

of hazardous waste. The European<br />

Union projects this process will be<br />

unsustainable in the future.<br />

The Ozkans’ research is supported<br />

by the University of California, Riverside.<br />

This paper involving mushrooms<br />

is published just over a year after the<br />

Ozkans’ labs developed a lithium­ion<br />

battery anode based on nanosilicon<br />

via beach sand as the natural raw material.<br />

The Ozkans’ team are currently<br />

working on the development of<br />

pouch prototype batteries based on<br />

nanosilicon anodes.<br />

The UCR Office of Technology<br />

Commercialisation has filed patents.<br />

— Gizmag.


<strong>Oct</strong>ober <strong>22</strong>, <strong>2015</strong> MOTORING Witness<strong>Wheels</strong> 3<br />

A sense of occasion<br />

BRIAN BASSETT<br />

explores lofty<br />

living in the new<br />

BMW 218i Active<br />

Tourer Sport Line<br />

WHEN BMW launched its new Active<br />

Tourer range earlier this year, it set the<br />

motoring Internet buzzing. This was<br />

the first front­wheel drive vehicle mass<br />

produced by the brand and it is<br />

equipped with BMW’s first three­cylinder<br />

engine.<br />

There was much comment about the<br />

dilution of the brand, presumably because<br />

the 218 Active Tourer looks nothing<br />

like the M3 and you cannot now do<br />

power slides with every BMW model<br />

in existence. BMW did, however, acknowledged<br />

the fact that the owners of<br />

this people mover are far more concerned<br />

with wiping baby drool off the<br />

upholstery and getting luggage into the<br />

boot, than getting sideways into a tightening<br />

right­hand corner on a racetrack.<br />

The real questions are: does it work<br />

and will you buy it? My thanks to Anthony<br />

Ellis, new dealer principal at<br />

SMG Pietermaritzburg, for allowing<br />

me a few days with the vehicle to find<br />

out.<br />

Styling<br />

The Active Tourer cannot be described<br />

as beautiful, but it is a practical design<br />

wrapped in a pleasant aesthetic.<br />

The front is dominated by the trademark<br />

BMW kidney grill flanked by two,<br />

swept back LED headlight pods, a centrally<br />

placed BMW badge and fog lamps<br />

built into the front bumper. The car has<br />

powerful contours and dynamic lines,<br />

while the high roofline adds to its distinctive<br />

image.<br />

Deep creases along the sides break<br />

up the scale of the sheet metal and the<br />

17­inch alloys complete the design. The<br />

well­designed auto tail­gate can be operated<br />

either by a sideways foot movement<br />

or by using the car’s smart key.<br />

In all, the design projects a sense of<br />

occasion which cannot be ignored.<br />

Interior<br />

The Active Tourer’s transverse frontwheel<br />

drive pays off in the interior, as<br />

there is no transmission tunnel and this<br />

adds to the interior space.<br />

The Sport Line has contoured sports<br />

seats that are comfortable for even a<br />

The new BMW 218i Active Tourer.<br />

PHOTO: SUPPLIED<br />

bulky figure like mine and the leather<br />

upholstery and interior finishes are of<br />

the best quality with storage spaces everywhere.<br />

The rear seats will take three<br />

Springbok forwards with ease and are<br />

also adjustable to enhance boot space,<br />

which is 468 litres with all seats in place<br />

and 1 510 litres with the rear seats folded<br />

down in a 40:20:40 split.<br />

Interior finishes are outlined in red,<br />

adding a pleasant sporty touch. The<br />

controls are vintage BMW with large<br />

easy­to­read dials and supporting digital<br />

information which makes for easy<br />

driving.<br />

The dash is framed by a three­spoke,<br />

leather­covered, multifunction steering<br />

wheel which handles the radio, Bluetooth<br />

and speed­control functions.<br />

And the centrally placed, leather­covered<br />

gear stick for the tiptronic gearbox<br />

is easy to reach and operate.<br />

The dual­zone climate control is extremely<br />

effective and the radio, CD/aux<br />

multispeaker audio system, delivered<br />

beautifully the Bach that I played<br />

through it.<br />

At the centre of the dash is a 6,5­inch<br />

iPod­like screen that is operated by a<br />

controller in the central stack. It brings<br />

together all the visuals for the Idrive system<br />

and, if you have the right programs,<br />

will connect you with social media.<br />

Safety and Security<br />

The focus of this MPV is to convey fami­<br />

lies efficiently and safely to their destinations.<br />

Not surprisingly, the Active<br />

Tourer is equipped with a wide range<br />

of technologies to ensure that you and<br />

your family arrive alive.<br />

Besides the usual alphabet soup of<br />

ABS with EBD, dynamic stability control,<br />

seat belts for all and six air bags,<br />

there is a range of driver assists like park<br />

assist and hill start assist and the rather<br />

interesting approach warning, which<br />

warns if your distance to the vehicle in<br />

front of you is too small.<br />

Dynamic stability control optimises<br />

directional stability and traction traffic<br />

queue assist which, when engaged, controls<br />

the speed of the car in dense traffic.<br />

So the only unknown factor in this impressive<br />

raft of safety measures is the<br />

driver. The vehicle also has the usual<br />

central locking and on­board alarm, as<br />

well as child­safety locks and child­seat<br />

anchors at the rear.<br />

Handling<br />

The 218’s most impressive party trick<br />

is the three­cylinder turbo­charged engine.<br />

This is a revelation and a cuttingedge<br />

example of what modern technologies<br />

can achieve.<br />

The three­cylinder delivers 100 kw of<br />

power and <strong>22</strong>0 Nm of torque, with zero<br />

to 100 km/h coming up in 9,2 seconds<br />

and a top speed of 205 km/h. Combined<br />

fuel consumption for me was about six<br />

litres to 100 km.<br />

The car is responsive, immediate,<br />

willing and seemingly unburstable, and<br />

the chassis is able to express this on<br />

road via the six­speed automatic gearbox.<br />

In town, the car is enjoyable and<br />

gives a quiet ride, with responsive steering<br />

with good feedback.<br />

Parking is no problem with park assist.<br />

On the N3, as well as on the notorious<br />

Midlands D roads, the 218 is fun<br />

to drive in a segment where some participants<br />

are about as much fun as the<br />

morning medicine round in a geriatric<br />

ward.<br />

The car is balanced in all conditions<br />

and the front­wheel drive is a nonevent.<br />

Sport mode changes the nature<br />

of the car, but fully loaded it has to work<br />

hard to achieve BMW­type performance.<br />

This trendy people carrier will win<br />

new customers for BMW and have the<br />

space to welcome them.<br />

Costs and competition<br />

The entry model 218 comes in at<br />

R380 000 and the auto version will<br />

cost you around R400 000.<br />

The range­topping <strong>22</strong>5i auto comes<br />

in at about R450 000.<br />

You also get the extendable BMW<br />

five­year or 100 000 km motor plan<br />

and a manufacturer’s guarantee.<br />

The competition is fierce, so also<br />

look at the Mercedes B Class, Volkswagen<br />

Golf SV, Peugeot 308 and Citroën<br />

C4 Picasso.<br />

Great idea may<br />

be grounded<br />

NOT looking like they will<br />

make their funding goal of<br />

$100 000 (R1 323 950), a<br />

group of young engineers<br />

and designers ‘who believe<br />

passionately in sustainable<br />

transportation’, may have to<br />

shelve their Steam board,<br />

the ‘smallest and longestrunning<br />

electric skateboard<br />

with an in­wheel motor’.<br />

Described as ‘extremely<br />

portable, the board can do<br />

18 km on a charge, with a<br />

top speed of 35 km/h —<br />

faster than riding a bicycle.<br />

When you do need to<br />

recharge the battery, it<br />

takes only 90 minutes. A<br />

hand­held remote controls<br />

the throttle and braking of<br />

the board with thumb<br />

slider. The farther you push<br />

the slider forwards, the<br />

faster the board will go.<br />

Pulling the slider back sets<br />

the motor in braking mode.<br />

The slider can move the<br />

board forwards or<br />

backwards.<br />

THE NUMBERS:<br />

Size: 78,5×21×12 cm<br />

Weight: 4,8 kg<br />

Top speed: around 35,5 km<br />

Max rider capacity: Tested<br />

to 99 kilogrammes<br />

Drive system: in­wheel<br />

Direct drive technology<br />

range: up to 18 km<br />

(depending on the load and<br />

stability)<br />

Brake type: electronic<br />

Regenerative braking<br />

Charge time: 90 minutes<br />

Connectivity Bluetooth lowenergy<br />

Deck material: Canadian<br />

maple<br />

Wheel: 89 mm 80a<br />

Battery cycle life: over<br />

1 000 full­charge cycles<br />

One­year warranty (drive<br />

system and remote).<br />

PHOTO: SUPPLIED<br />

VW PULLS OUT OF<br />

RALLY CHAMPS<br />

Top skaters chill after KDC<br />

Moses Adams shows what happens when a 360 goes<br />

wrong in mid air. Adams and skaters Allan Dams, Siphiwe<br />

Kwesha and Mikey Mendoza ended up in Cape Town last<br />

Sunday, following a road trip after the <strong>2015</strong> Street<br />

Skateboarding World Championships, which was held in<br />

front of capacity crowds at the Kumba Skate Park in<br />

Kimberley, from <strong>Oct</strong>ober 7 to <strong>Oct</strong>ober 10. The world’s top<br />

skaters competed for a purse of $100 000 (R1 3<strong>22</strong> 165) in<br />

nine events ranging from the TopGrom African Champs to<br />

the Women’s Street Champs. The finals were broadcast<br />

live on Eversport, with street skaters Nyjah Huston and<br />

Luan Oliveira battling it out for top honours. More on<br />

kimberleydiamondcup.com<br />

PHOTO: TYRONE BRADLEY/RED BULL CONTENT POOL<br />

Baby strollers go robotic<br />

CHARLES Bombardier’s latest idea is<br />

to update the old baby stroller.<br />

His Mujïn concept requires no parent<br />

to push it; instead, the Mujïn will follow<br />

parents as they walk or jog. Each Mujïn<br />

will be paired with its baby and parents,<br />

to follow orders given only by the parents.<br />

Bombardier said he asked Xavier<br />

Gordillo to create images for the idea,<br />

and Gordillo took inspiration from the<br />

robotic wheelchair invented by Dean<br />

Kamen, which can also climb stairs.<br />

Futurustic<br />

strollers<br />

that follow<br />

the<br />

parents.<br />

PHOTO:<br />

SUPPLIED<br />

In his column in Canada’s Globe and<br />

Mail, Bombardier said: “The stairclimbing<br />

system would need to be developed<br />

further. We thought about using<br />

a system similar to the Ibot wheelchair<br />

and having the wheels rotate<br />

going upstairs or downstairs ... Parents<br />

would probably want to keep their<br />

hands on the Mujïn while it’s climbing<br />

or descending stairs but the Mujïn<br />

could accomplish this on it’s own too.<br />

It would also be possible to use the Mujïn<br />

like a conventional stroller.” — WR.<br />

VOLKSWAGEN has finally confirmed<br />

the rumours that it will pull its works<br />

team from the national rally championship.<br />

In a statement released after the<br />

Polokwane Rally on Sunday, Volkswagen’s<br />

Motorsport head Mike Rowe said:<br />

“Volkswagen Motorsport will, in future,<br />

focus on supporting privateer teams<br />

and the National Rally Commission as<br />

a technical partner.<br />

“Volkswagen will also sponsor the<br />

2016 Volkswagen Rally and support for<br />

circuit racing will continue, including<br />

an entry in the new GTC formula<br />

mooted for 2016.<br />

“The Volkswagen Motorsport team,<br />

the drivers, navigators and all our<br />

sponsors, especially Esteq, have<br />

earned our thanks for their support,<br />

dedication and hard work over the<br />

years.”<br />

He added that VW hopes to enjoy<br />

future partnerships with Sasol.<br />

There is no news yet if any of the<br />

VW driving pairs, Henk Lategan and<br />

Barry White, Gugu Zulu and Hilton<br />

Auffray, and Hergen Fekken and Pierre<br />

Arries, will race as privateers. — WR.


PIETERMARITZBURG<br />

PRE-OWNED<br />

<strong>2015</strong> KIA CERATO KOUP A/T DEMO<br />

100 km<br />

<strong>2015</strong> KIA SORENTO 2,4 PETROL DEMO<br />

M/T, 5seater<br />

2013 KIA SPORTAGE 2,0 AUTO AWD<br />

44 000 km<br />

<strong>2015</strong> KIA K2700 TIPPER DEMO<br />

R334 995<br />

R384 995<br />

R284 995<br />

R249 995<br />

2009 TOYOTAFORTUNER 3,0 D4D MANUAL<br />

162 700 km<br />

2013 TOYOTA FORTUNER 2,5 D4D MANUAL<br />

59 000 km<br />

2012 SUBARU LINEARTRONIC XV 2,0<br />

70 300 km<br />

2009 VW TIQUAN 2,0 TDi SPORT AND<br />

STYLE-TRIPTRONIC<br />

R199 995<br />

R289 995<br />

R<strong>22</strong>9 995<br />

R189 995<br />

2012 AUDI A5 2,0 FSi STRONIC<br />

QUATTRO<br />

74 531 km<br />

2011 AUDI 1,4 TFSi<br />

AMBITION 3-DR<br />

60 000 km<br />

2011 AUDI A5 COUPÉ 2-DOOR 3,0 TDi<br />

TIPTRONIC QUATTRO<br />

105 000 km<br />

2009 AUDI A5 COUPÉ 2,0 TFSi<br />

TIPTRONIC<br />

80 200 km<br />

R284 995<br />

R179 995<br />

R289 995<br />

R239 995<br />

2008 MERCEDES C180 CLASSIC A/T<br />

ELEGANCE<br />

118 270 km<br />

2011 TOYOTAHILUX RAIDER 3,0 D4D<br />

99 400 km<br />

2011 BMW 118I 1SERIES MANUAL<br />

125Kw<br />

63 000 km<br />

2012 BMW X1 SDRIVE 2,0i A/T<br />

73 609 km<br />

R159 995<br />

R264 995<br />

R<strong>22</strong>4 995<br />

R249 995<br />

2011 KIA SPORTAGE 2,0 -MANUAL<br />

2013 VW POLO CROSS 1,6 -MANUAL PETROL<br />

79 800 km, silver 43 000 km<br />

2014 MAZDA 31,6 SPORT DYNAMIC<br />

2012 CITROEN DS3 THP 1,6 SPORT<br />

27 082 km 97 635 km<br />

R199 995<br />

R189 995<br />

R179 995<br />

R139 995<br />

2013 KIA RIO 1,2 HATCH<br />

49 541 km<br />

2013 CORSA UTILITY 1,4 SPORT<br />

53 410 km, blue<br />

2012 PEUGEOT 308 1,6 COMFORT<br />

45 560 km<br />

2013 DUSTER 1,5 DCi 4x4 DYNAMIQUE<br />

<strong>22</strong> 100km<br />

R139 995<br />

R149 995<br />

R134 995<br />

R199 995<br />

324 Hoosen Haffejee (Berg) Street. Tel: 033 345 3692 •Shan: 082 457 4253 •www.kiapmb.co.za<br />

T’s&C’sApply


By Pieter from Maritzburg<br />

Ah, the good old days!<br />

Remember the good old days? The grass was greener, the days were longer and full of magic. The shows<br />

on TV were better. Back in the good old days, we made our own fun. Young people didn’t wear such<br />

outlandish outfits. We didn’t have all these new-fangled inventions. Times were simpler, healthier,<br />

cheaper.<br />

On the other hand, I wouldn’t want to live without the benefits of the modern world. I need my<br />

smartphone, my DSTV (especially in the rugby season), my high-speed internet. I like modern music; I<br />

like the latest movies. The present is a good place to be.<br />

It’s a quandary, isn’t it?<br />

The folks at Baron’s Pietermaritzburg have managed to bring the past and the present together. What<br />

do I mean? Well now you can get a brand New Polo Sedan, with all the latest accoutrements and luxuries,<br />

at lower-than-2014 prices!<br />

It turns out you really can have the best of both worlds!<br />

Barons VW Pietermaritzburg can be found at 9 Armitage Road. They are committed to bringing you<br />

quality cars and excellent service at the best possible prices ALL year round! To start hunting for your<br />

dream vehicle, visit www.baronsvwpmb.co.za. And to book a test drive or service call (033) 845 3100.<br />

Open Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm, and Saturdays 8am – 1pm.<br />

Anything New Polo is possible GTI. in SA’s #1 selling vehicle. 2014 prices in <strong>2015</strong>.<br />

Ultimate Performance = Ultimate Confidence.<br />

Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptline<br />

from R1,698* per month.<br />

The Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptline standard features include:<br />

- Power steering<br />

- Multi-Point-Injection (MPI)<br />

- Anti-lock brake system (ABS)<br />

- Driver and passenger airbags<br />

- Air-conditioning<br />

- 14” Steel wheels<br />

Model<br />

Polo Vivo 1.4<br />

55kW Conceptline<br />

Vehicle Price<br />

Visit us on www.baronsvw.co.za<br />

Monthly<br />

Instalments<br />

No. of Interest Rate<br />

Instalments Linked / Variable<br />

R147,900 R1,698* 72 6.99%*<br />

Deposit<br />

11%<br />

(R16,269)<br />

Balloon<br />

Payment<br />

37.5%<br />

(R55,463)<br />

An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime<br />

rate, currently 9.5%. Note: Offers calculated on the Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptline model in standard<br />

specification. Instalment excludes optional extras, but includes monthly administration fee of R57 and<br />

initiation fee of R1,140. Offers may not be used in conjunction with any other special service or offering.<br />

Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are<br />

subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Offers only available through Volkswagen<br />

Financial Services South Africa Proprietary Limited trading as Volkswagen Financial Services an Authorised<br />

Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and Conditions apply. All the above is subject to<br />

price increase and valid until 29 <strong>Oct</strong>ober <strong>2015</strong>.<br />

Total Cost Incl<br />

fees & VAT<br />

R177,694<br />

e&oe<br />

Purchase any New Polo Sedan<br />

at lower-than-2014 prices.<br />

The New Polo Sedan prices including VAT. 2014 <strong>2015</strong><br />

1.4 Trendline from R190,400 from R182,809<br />

1.6 Trendline from R213,000 from R196,459<br />

1.4 Comfortline from R205,500 from R199,189<br />

1.6 Comfortline from R<strong>22</strong>6,100 from R210,109<br />

1.6 Comfortline Tiptronic from R240,200 from R<strong>22</strong>3,759<br />

Exclusive to Barons Pietermaritzburg: Includes 3 year / 45 000km service plan.<br />

Visit us on www.baronsvw.co.za<br />

An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate,<br />

currently 9.5%. Note: Offers calculated on the New Polo Sedan range in standard specification. Price<br />

excludes optional extras, service delivery, licensing and registration. Offers may not be used in conjunction<br />

with any other special service or offering. Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without<br />

prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services.<br />

Offers only available through Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa Proprietary Limited trading as<br />

Volkswagen Financial Services an Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms<br />

and Conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 29 <strong>Oct</strong>ober <strong>2015</strong>.<br />

e&oe<br />

• Mileage certified • 80-point mechanical check<br />

• Full Service history • 2-year / unlimited km warranty*<br />

• 7-day exchange plan • Vehicle History Integrity Check<br />

• Vehicle Customization • Balance of VW Automation Plan<br />

• 24 Hr roadside assistance • Professional Vehicle Reconditioning<br />

Not just tough, smart.<br />

Polo Vivo<br />

2010 Polo Vivo 1.4 3 Door White R85 900 97 000 km<br />

2012 Polo Vivo 1.6 Trendline Silver R119 900 84 000 km<br />

2014 Polo Vivo Sedan 1.4 White R109 900 71 000 km<br />

2014 Polo Vivo 1.4 Trendline 5 Door White R129 900 26 000 km<br />

2014 Polo Vivo Sedan 1.4 Trendline Tiptronic Silver R139 900 20 000 km<br />

2014 Polo Vivo Sedan 1.4 Trendline Silver R132 900 23 000 km<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Polo Vivo Sedan GP 1.4 Trendline Beige R159 900 17 700 km<br />

Polo<br />

2012 Polo 1.6 Comfortline 5 Door Red R165 900 31 000 km<br />

2012 Polo 1.2 TDI BlueMotion Blue R129 900 120 000 km<br />

2014 Polo GP 1.2 TSI Trendline White R169 900 34 000 km<br />

2014 Polo Sedan 1.4 Trendline White R154 900 32 000 km<br />

2014 Polo Sedan 1.4 Trendline Silver R159 900 16 000 km<br />

2014 Polo GP 1.2 TSI Trendline Blue R169 900 <strong>22</strong> 000 km<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Polo GP 1.2 Comfortline Red R<strong>22</strong>6 900 9 000 km<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Polo GP 1.2 TSI Comfortline White R234 900 1 000 km<br />

Golf<br />

2013 Golf 7 1.4 TSI Comfortline DSG White R219 900 73 000 km<br />

2014 Golf 7 1.4 TSI Comfortline White R254 900 19 800 km<br />

2014 Golf 7 1.4 TSI Comfortline DSG Silver R274 900 19 000 km<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Golf R 2.0 TSI DSG Grey R545 000 5 000 km<br />

Jetta<br />

2012 Jetta 1.2 TSI Trendline White R159 900 79 000 km<br />

2012 Jetta 1.2 TSI Trendline White R155 900 88 000 km<br />

Up!<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Take Up! 1.0 55kW White R121 000 6 000 km<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Take Up! 1.0 55kW Silver R125 000 4 500 km<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Move Up! 1.0 55kW Blue R125 000 5 000 km<br />

Other VW<br />

2011 Touareg 3.6 FSI Brown R349 900 39 000 km<br />

2011 Tiguan 1.4 TSI Trend Silver R189 900 90 000 km<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Tiguan 1.4 TSI Trend Silver R314 900 6 000 km<br />

Other<br />

2010 BMW 118i Grey R129 900 105 000 km<br />

2011 Honda Jazz 1.3 Comfort Auto White R119 900 34 000 km<br />

2012 Hyundai i20 1.4 White R109 900 85 000 km<br />

<strong>2015</strong> Isuzu Double Cab KB300 T-Teq Serengeti Auto White R419 900 17 500 km<br />

*The advised price exclude the 2 year Mastercars Warranty. The Mastercars Warranty<br />

is available as an option and is a contract between the customer, an insurer and<br />

administrator. This extended Warranty is not available for all Amarok and Light<br />

Commercial Vehicle models. Terms & conditions apply. While stocks last.<br />

Mastercars Sales Consultants: Laurie• Rajen • Sanjay • Barry • Phumlani<br />

Sales Enquiries: 033 940 1445<br />

Visit us on www.baronsvwpmb.co.za and fi nd us on facebook.com/BaronsPietermaritzburg<br />

3 Year / 120 000km warranty<br />

5 year / 60 000km maintenance plan<br />

Purchase any Amarok Double<br />

Cab from R437,400* incl. VAT<br />

Visit us on www.baronsvw.co.za<br />

at Barons Pietermaritzburg and receive<br />

towards settlement on your existing vehicle, buy<br />

accessories for your new vehicle or both.<br />

An optional cost of R1600 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate,<br />

currently 9.5%. Note: Offers calculated on the Amarok Double Cab range in standard specification. Price<br />

excludes optional extras, service delivery, licensing and registration. Offers may not be used in conjunction<br />

with any other special service or offering. Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without<br />

prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services.<br />

Offers only available through Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa Proprietary Limited trading as<br />

Volkswagen Financial Services an Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms<br />

and Conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 29 <strong>Oct</strong>ober <strong>2015</strong>.<br />

e&oe<br />

BP Advertising<br />

Barons Pietermaritzburg<br />

9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg, 3201 • Tel: 033 845 3100<br />

New Sales Consultants<br />

Alison Wiltshire – Sales Manager • John Brown • Merglin Rama • Menzi Ngubane<br />

Bahle Bhengu • Erica Neff • Thando Gumede • Keshnee Pillay<br />

Sales Enquiries: 033 940 1445


6 Witness<strong>Wheels</strong> MOTORING BIKING<br />

<strong>Oct</strong>ober <strong>22</strong>, <strong>2015</strong><br />

For hard­riding thrills<br />

Honda’s <strong>2015</strong> VFR800X Crossrunner focuses on performance and technology<br />

HONDA’S premium adventure sports<br />

tourer has evolved substantially for <strong>2015</strong>,<br />

with a host of upgrades designed to deliver<br />

more hard­riding excitement.<br />

It features more mid­range torque and<br />

top­end power from its upgraded V4­<br />

VTEC engine, sharper adventure styling<br />

plus refined ergonomics and longer travel<br />

suspension, new wheels and brakes.<br />

Honda Selectable Torque Control<br />

(HSTC) system, ABS, full LED lighting,<br />

five­stage heated grips, self­cancelling<br />

indicators and a height­adjustable seat<br />

are all fitted as standard.<br />

1. INTRODUCTION<br />

The VFR800X Crossrunner, which went<br />

on sale in 2011, was the first model in<br />

Honda’s Crossover ‘X’ range. It combined<br />

the VFR800F sports touring platform<br />

and an upright, adventure­oriented<br />

riding position to create a multi­purpose<br />

motorcycle with a soulful V4 motor<br />

providing power and feel.<br />

The <strong>2015</strong> VFR800X Crossrunner, incorporating<br />

many elements from the<br />

new 2014 VFR800F, pushes the Crossrunner<br />

concept forward, with a clear focus<br />

on performance and technology. Its<br />

revised engine and chassis, HSTC, LED<br />

lights, refined, more upright riding position<br />

and sharper styling improve both<br />

function and form to create a practical<br />

all­purpose motorcycle.<br />

Yoichi Inayama, large project leader<br />

(LPL) VFR800X Crossrunner, said:<br />

“For this development of the VFR800X<br />

Crossrunner, we wanted to create a premium<br />

motorcycle with a ready­for­action<br />

feeling, for customers to use with<br />

maximum enjoyment every day. The<br />

styling demanded beautifully functional<br />

parts, and light proportions with minimal<br />

fairings.<br />

“Our new VFR800X Crossrunner has<br />

fulfilled these goals and follows the VFR<br />

tradition: it has an array of advanced<br />

technologies.<br />

“For us, it gives a craving to ride everyday<br />

and we hope it brings the same fun<br />

and good spirit to our customers.”<br />

2. MODEL OVERVIEW<br />

Core of the VFR800X Crossrunner is its<br />

90° V4­VTEC DOHC 16­valve engine.<br />

It packs boosted low and mid­range<br />

The <strong>2015</strong> Honda VFR800X Crossrunner.<br />

PHOTO: SUPPLIED<br />

torque for fluid drive, plus improved topend<br />

power compared to the previous<br />

model, and features a new 4­2­1­1 exhaust<br />

similar to the new VFR800F.<br />

In addition, the VFR800X Crossrunner<br />

rider now benefits from the Honda<br />

Selectable Torque Control system<br />

(HSTC), similar to that fitted to its bigbrother<br />

VFR1200X Crosstourer. If the<br />

system senses an imminent loss of rearwheel<br />

traction it reduces torque to allow<br />

the tyre to grip.<br />

Two levels of HSTC are available (plus<br />

off) and mode selection appears on the<br />

LCD instrumentation.<br />

The evocative aluminium twin­beam<br />

frame features a revised subframe while<br />

the single sided aluminium swingarm —<br />

The curious case of the<br />

all­terrain electric scooter<br />

C.C. WEISS<br />

IF you wanted an automobile to drive<br />

over sand, dirt and rock, as well as pavement,<br />

you’d probably start and end your<br />

search at models with 4WD. So why<br />

shouldn’t the same apply to your scooter<br />

selection?<br />

The eGroov scooter uses an all­wheel<br />

electric drive to keep you rolling forward<br />

and a modular hardware set to keep you<br />

comfortable.<br />

If we were writing a list of “top vehicles<br />

we’d like to take off road”, we think<br />

we’d run out of ink long before making<br />

it to “modestly powered electric scooter”.<br />

But the minds behind Paris­based<br />

startup eGroov Mobility Systems think<br />

there’s a place for a scooter that can go<br />

anywhere, over any type of terrain, with<br />

the quiet, peaceful operation that only<br />

an electric drive brings.<br />

The eGroov reminds us a bit of the<br />

Daymak Beast without the suspension<br />

and solar power and with an extra electric<br />

motor over the standard model<br />

(Daymak does have a dual­motor model<br />

in the Beast D).<br />

The eGroov has a 250­watt motor in<br />

each wheel, providing all­wheel drive<br />

that helps it tackle pavement, dirt and<br />

even sand and mud. Those massive tyres<br />

are sure to help in those mixed environments.<br />

The eGroov can be equipped with one<br />

or two 12 Ah, 36 V lithium­ion batteries<br />

for about 15 to 20 km of range with a<br />

single battery and about double that<br />

with two.<br />

Its top speed is 25 km/h in either case.<br />

With a payload capacity of more than<br />

120 kg, it can carry an average­sized person<br />

and all the cargo that rider could<br />

possibly expect to take on a scooter ride.<br />

The single­ or dual­battery pack is integrated<br />

under the floorboard, helping<br />

to keep a low centre of gravity. The batteries<br />

can be removed for charging by<br />

lifting the floorboard or charged directly<br />

on the scooter. Charging takes five hours<br />

per battery.<br />

The basic eGroov comes as a 55­kg<br />

stand­up scooter with the aforementioned<br />

power and performance specs,<br />

adjustable handlebars and dual disc<br />

brakes. The modular eGroov+ is more<br />

of a versatile workhorse, packaging the<br />

same mechanicals with a seat and cargo<br />

box. That box can be swapped out for<br />

other sold­separately accessories, including<br />

a child seat and a surfboard car­<br />

another VFR signature piece — is stiffer<br />

and lighter. Visually identical to the<br />

VFR800F, the VFR800X Crossrunner’s<br />

suspension has longer travel, 25 mm in<br />

the two­piece telescopic forks and<br />

28 mm in the rear shock. ABS is fitted<br />

as standard and the front 17­inch hollowcast<br />

aluminium wheel is fitted with dual<br />

310 mm discs, worked by radial­mount<br />

four­piston calipers.<br />

The VFR800X Crossrunner is a true<br />

VFR, a motorcycle designed for hardriding<br />

fun, but with style, comfort and<br />

practicality.<br />

3. KEY FEATURES<br />

3.1 STYLING AND EQUIPMENT<br />

Purely a street­focused machine, and<br />

with a strong hint of VFR800F around<br />

the ‘X’’ signature white light LED headlight,<br />

the VFR800X Crossrunner’s overall<br />

design follows a theme of tough sophistication.<br />

Seat height can be adjusted to either<br />

815 mm or 835 mm to help suit a wider<br />

range of riders. Combined with the comfortable<br />

seat and foot­peg positioning,<br />

the wide new 683 mm handlebars put<br />

the rider firmly in control. The<br />

VFR800X Crossrunner is easy to handle<br />

in all situations and quick to respond to<br />

more aggressive rider input, thanks to<br />

the extra leverage and low yaw inertia.<br />

The VFR800X Crossrunner features<br />

Honda’s self­cancelling indicator system.<br />

Designed to work unnoticed by the<br />

The eGroov scooter uses an all­wheel electric drive to keep you rolling<br />

forward.<br />

PHOTO: SUPPLIED<br />

standard eGroov at pledge levels starting<br />

at €1 690 (R25 048) and the<br />

eGroov+ (with seat and cargo box)<br />

starting at €2 190. The start­up estirier.<br />

The eGroov+ has a listed weight of<br />

65 kg.<br />

EGroov Mobility Systems is trying to<br />

raise money on Kickstarter, offering the<br />

rider, it compares front and rear wheel<br />

speed differential when turning (via the<br />

ABS wheel sensors) and calculates when<br />

to cancel indication.<br />

A redesigned LCD dash uses a reverse<br />

display against white LED backlight. The<br />

speedometer/tachometer are located together.<br />

There’s also a gear position indicator,<br />

fuel consumption and cruising<br />

range indicator, clock, ambient temperature<br />

gauge and twin trip meters. An indicator<br />

is included for the five­stage heated<br />

grips. The VFR800X Crossrunner will<br />

be available in three colour options:<br />

Candy Arcadian Red, Matt Gunpowder<br />

Black Metallic and Pearl Glare White.<br />

3.2 CHASSIS<br />

Agile handling is key to the VFR800X<br />

Crossrunner’s philosophy as it has to<br />

clip Alpine apexes as well as ride through<br />

city streets. The Crossrunner’s suspension<br />

is similar to the 2014 VFR800F but<br />

the 43 mm Honda Multi­Action System<br />

(HMAS) telescopic fork features an extra<br />

25 mm travel and offers stepless<br />

spring preload adjustment plus rebound<br />

damping adjustment.<br />

The HMAS gas­charged rear shock<br />

operates through Pro­Link and offers hydraulically<br />

adjusted spring preload,<br />

28 mm more travel and raised ground<br />

clearance to 165 mm.<br />

3.3 ENGINE<br />

The VFR800X Crossrunner’s 782 cc,<br />

liquid­cooled 16­valve DOHC 90° V4­<br />

VTEC engine serves up improved performance<br />

and generates more low­to<br />

mid­range power and torque. Boosted<br />

peak power of 78 kW (106 PS) is delivered<br />

at 10 250 rpm and the increased<br />

torque output through the bottom and<br />

mid­rpm ranges is immediately noticeable.<br />

Peak torque of 75 Nm is delivered<br />

at 8 500 rpm.<br />

4. SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE<br />

(VAT INCLUSIVE)<br />

The new VFR800X is available at all authorised<br />

Honda wing dealerships countrywide.<br />

The pricing includes a two­year<br />

unlimited mileage warranty and oneyear<br />

roadside assistance.<br />

Price: VFR800X R141 990.<br />

— Supplied.<br />

“The single­ or<br />

dual­battery<br />

pack is<br />

integrated<br />

under the<br />

floorboard,<br />

helping to<br />

keep a low<br />

centre of<br />

gravity.”<br />

mates retail pricing at €2 190 and<br />

€2 590, respectively. Both Kickstarter<br />

pledge levels include a single battery,<br />

while a second battery can be added for<br />

€290. If all goes according to plan,<br />

eGroov will begin deliveries next year.<br />

The eGroov looks handy for very specific<br />

uses, like carrying a surfboard over<br />

a few kilometres of beach to your favourite<br />

break, but it looks too huge and heavy<br />

to be a versatile urban commuter and<br />

way too underpowered, rigid and slow<br />

to be a fun off­roader.<br />

Does this 2WD electric scooter make<br />

your list of useful off­road/on­road mobility<br />

solutions, or does it leave you<br />

scratching your head?


RENAULTCLIO 55kW<br />

AUTHENIQUE 5DR<br />

OPTION 1: 0% Deposit<br />

Installment(incl.fees)<br />

R2 520 pm<br />

(inc.VAT)<br />

*Special Price: WASR182 900<br />

R159 900 (incl.VAT) SAVER23 000<br />

Rate: Deposit: Period:<br />

10,5% 0% R0 72 Months<br />

Balloon Payment: Balloon %<br />

R55 965 35%<br />

Total Cost of Finance:<br />

R237 405<br />

OPTION2: 10% Deposit<br />

Installment(incl.fees)<br />

R2 <strong>22</strong>0 pm<br />

(inc.VAT)<br />

BOKTOBER DEALS<br />

*Special Price: WASR182 900<br />

R159 900 (incl.VAT) SAVER23 000<br />

Rate: Deposit: Period:<br />

10,5% 10% R15 990 72 Months<br />

Balloon Payment: Balloon %<br />

R55 965 35%<br />

Total Cost of Finance:<br />

R251 805<br />

RENAULTSANDEROEXPRESSION<br />

WITH AIRCON<br />

OPTION 1: 0% Deposit<br />

R1 995 pm<br />

(inc.VAT)<br />

*Special Price: WASR139 900<br />

R125 500 (incl.VAT) SAVER14 400<br />

Rate: Deposit: Period:<br />

10,5% 0% R0 72 Months<br />

Balloon Payment: Balloon %<br />

R43 925 35%<br />

Total Cost of Finance:<br />

R187 565<br />

OPTION2: 10% Deposit<br />

R1 760 pm<br />

(inc.VAT)<br />

*Special Price: WASR139 900<br />

R125 500 (incl.VAT) SAVER14 400<br />

Rate: Deposit: Period:<br />

10,5% 10% R12 550 72 Months<br />

Balloon Payment: Balloon %<br />

R43 925 35%<br />

Total Cost of Finance:<br />

R170 645<br />

*Excludes deliverycosts and metallic paint. Terms and conditions apply.Pictures forillustrativepurposes.Subjecttofinanceapproval through our financepartners<br />

Andries (Sbu) Hadebe<br />

033 9401434<br />

Darryl Smith<br />

033 9401435<br />

Hector Mkhwanazi<br />

033 940 1436<br />

Gerard Chetty<br />

033 940 1437<br />

Yagan Padayachee<br />

084 555 7456<br />

*Terms and conditions apply. Repayments calculated on balloon of 35%, over 72 months, at 10,25% linked interest rate with )% deposit. Subject to bank approval. Excludes mandatoryon-road charges<br />

and metallic paint. Vehicles depicted may differ to actual models. While stocks last. Above offers available for the month of June <strong>2015</strong>. E&OE.<br />

McCARTHY RENAULTPIETERMARITZBURG<br />

9Armitage Road •Tel: 033 940 1433 •www.renaultpmb.co.za


8 Witness<strong>Wheels</strong> MOTORING RACING<br />

<strong>Oct</strong>ober <strong>22</strong>, <strong>2015</strong><br />

Perel gets double win<br />

David Perel, the talented racer and website builder from Cape<br />

Town who is living the dream as a Lamborghini race driver in<br />

the Italian GT Championship, recorded a double win over the<br />

weekend after starting from pole position on the second day<br />

with a 15­second handicap from his first day’s win. ‘Totally<br />

dominated at Mugello. We just managed second in the champs<br />

by victory count­back. Overall very proud. Thank you to<br />

everyone who supported me during the season, no words for my<br />

gratitude,’ Perel tweeted.<br />

PHOTO: TWITTER<br />

Fearless<br />

racing<br />

by Binder<br />

Vicious day of racing sees Binder<br />

recover from being clipped by a rider<br />

THE weekend’s Moto3 during the Australian<br />

Motorcycle Grand Prix was more<br />

vicious than normal, with South Africa’s<br />

Brad Binder competing alongside almost<br />

20 riders.<br />

Several crashes, including one from log<br />

leader Danny Kent for Leopard Racing,<br />

soon reduced the field to a leading group<br />

of six riders, with Binder still looking<br />

comfortable. But with nine laps to go, the<br />

boytjie from Kempton’s Australian GP almost<br />

ended in the kitty litter after a rider<br />

clipped Binder’s front brake, sending him<br />

wide at turn one. But South Africa’s Red<br />

Bull KTM Ajo rider did what he does best<br />

— racing fearlessly to come back from behind<br />

and grab third place on the podium<br />

from Jorge Navarro for Estrella Galicia by<br />

0.009 of a second. This is his third podium<br />

place this year and places Binder in<br />

seventh for the Moto3 at Sepang in Malaysia.<br />

Binder said it was not an easy race. “I<br />

was riding in the leading group when,<br />

with nine laps remaining, someone<br />

touched my front brake going into the<br />

first corner and I had to run wide.<br />

“Luckily, I was able to continue riding<br />

and push hard to latch back onto the front<br />

group. Other than that, the race went well<br />

overall, but I’m a little disappointed because<br />

I thought I could definitely finish<br />

first or second. I pushed very hard on every<br />

lap, even after going off­track, but<br />

eventually I was slipstreamed almost at<br />

the finish line for second.<br />

“I have to thank the team because the<br />

bike was fantastic, with amazing handling.<br />

I’m sure I could have done better<br />

South Africa’s Brad Binder worked<br />

hard for his third podium place this<br />

year.<br />

PHOTO: RED BULL KTM AJO<br />

and I’m a little sour about the result, but<br />

that’s racing. I’m glad to be back on the<br />

podium and eager for more at Sepang.”<br />

— WR.<br />

Kirsten Landman is the first woman in the world to receive a gold finisher’s medal at the Sea to Sky.<br />

PHOTO: IRINA GORODNIAKOVA<br />

A good year for SA’s Kirsten Landman<br />

THE Red Bull Sea to Sky is unique:<br />

three days of racing in beautiful terrain<br />

on the shores of the Turkish Riviera.<br />

Each day has a different format and terrain,<br />

making this one of the toughest<br />

and most enjoyable races for hard enduro<br />

riders the world over.<br />

This year saw the first opportunity<br />

for Brother Leader Tread KTM rider<br />

Kirsten Landman to make it to the<br />

Turkish event so we caught up with<br />

her upon her return to SA.<br />

Q: “Sea to Sky is quite a new event in<br />

the grand scheme of things and the<br />

<strong>2015</strong> race was the sixth edition. You<br />

are the first woman in the world to receive<br />

a gold finisher’s medal. How does<br />

that make you feel?”<br />

Kirst: “Wow, after all the trials and<br />

tribulations over the past few years and<br />

the bad luck I had at Romanics this<br />

year, it was good to have a strong result,<br />

especially on an international scale.<br />

“It’s a good feeling to know the hard<br />

work and dedication is paying off in<br />

the form of such a result. I still can’t<br />

explain exactly how I feel in words.<br />

“The support from South African<br />

fans has been amazing and I would like<br />

to thank everyone for the messages of<br />

support.”<br />

Q: “We can safely say that this is your<br />

career high point so far. What has led<br />

you to this? What made you want to<br />

ride dirt bikes? Did you realise as a little<br />

girl you wanted to be a dirt biker or<br />

did a family member steer you to it?”<br />

Kirst: “My dad grew up with dirt bikes<br />

and my uncle and cousin rode. My<br />

cousin and I are close in age so obviously<br />

I wanted a go too. At the time,<br />

I was very into my swimming and was<br />

trying out for the provincial team so<br />

my dad said if I made the team, he<br />

would buy me a dirt bike. I was eight.<br />

I got into the team and I was given a<br />

peewee 80 and ever since then I have<br />

been motorbike gaga! The progression<br />

went from there to ATVs and then finally<br />

I got and RM85, then an RM125,<br />

my first real dirt bikes and I started entering<br />

the local club hare­scrambles.<br />

“I will never forget how good it felt<br />

to place fourth, then third, then I actually<br />

started to beat them.<br />

“I never looked at it as a career path,<br />

it was mostly a passion that I shared<br />

with my dad.<br />

“Once my schooling was complete,<br />

in fact the next year, I took a gap year.<br />

I got picked up by a team and started<br />

competing on a national level doing<br />

Enduros. Then in 2012, what a terrible<br />

year, that was the year I DNF­ed at the<br />

Roof at my first attempt and I had<br />

loads of stupid injuries that slowed my<br />

development down, I really thought,<br />

‘well this is as far as I go with racing’<br />

because I hadn’t shaped at all. That<br />

was when the legend of SA Off Road<br />

and Enduro racing, Daryl Curtis, introduced<br />

me to my now team manager,<br />

Franziska Brandl of KTM SA. Having<br />

lost my ride, KTM were looking for a<br />

woman rider. It was like a fairy tale,<br />

I met the boss and within days was<br />

signing a contract.”<br />

Q: “Tell us about that year.<br />

Kirst: “I was having a good year until<br />

halfway through the season when I had<br />

a high­speed crash at the Desert Race<br />

and well let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.<br />

I had to be medevac’d and had some<br />

bad injuries. I don’t regret the crash<br />

as it made me hungrier to succeed and<br />

I feel I grew as a person and as a racer.<br />

I learnt to live in the now as you never<br />

know when it will all be taken away<br />

from you. The bulk of the remainder<br />

of that year was spent mending.”<br />

Q: “And last year was good wasn’t it?<br />

Kirst: “Yes, it so was! I got my first<br />

taste of Hard Enduro when I went to<br />

Romanics. What a challenge and what<br />

an honour it was. Then after that was<br />

the Roof at the end of the year which<br />

I finished, the whole year felt like every<br />

time I raced I improved.<br />

Q: “So tell us, what’s next?”<br />

Kirst: “It’s Roof of Africa time! We<br />

will take the race step by step, I don’t<br />

want to create too much expectation<br />

and pressure as Roof is after all the<br />

mother of all hard enduros.”<br />

Q: “Would you make a switch in the<br />

national enduros to possibly E2 or E1<br />

going forward?”<br />

Kirst:” Well the standard in SA Enduro<br />

is really high, my team­mates Bouverie,<br />

Teasdale and Young are testament<br />

to this.<br />

“I am have no delusions that I’m as<br />

quick as those guys. Speed is not my<br />

strong side, I prefer technical stuff and<br />

the endurance side of hard enduro. So<br />

for now, I haven’t really decided. Silver<br />

would be my immediate choice but<br />

maybe a stint on the 250F is on the<br />

cards. But I have tasted success on the<br />

250 Freeride and that’s going to be my<br />

first choice for hard enduro.”<br />

Q: “There are some rumours that there<br />

will be a hard endure championship in<br />

SA in 2016. Would you be interested?”<br />

Kirst: “Definitely. I want to do as<br />

much hard enduro as I can and my goal<br />

would be to finish all the rounds and<br />

again pave the way for woman in our<br />

sport as the first woman finisher.”<br />

Q: “What message would you give to<br />

young riders and young girls specifically<br />

who are starting out?”<br />

Kirst: “It sounds like a cliché, but live<br />

your dreams, don’t let go of them, they<br />

can be achieved. Doubt is part of life,<br />

but when you fall down and things are<br />

tough, never give up. Always push for<br />

what you want. Don’t let anything hold<br />

you back. You’re on this planet once,<br />

make it count.” — WR.<br />

MECHANICAL REPAIRS TO<br />

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V BRAD BINDER<br />

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