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Ride More Stress Less<br />
ALL ABOUT THE DAKAR<br />
DAKAR<br />
2017<br />
IN THIS ISSUE: DUCATI SLED FIRST RIDE / CUSTOM HONDA 144<br />
CLASSIC TY250 YAMAHA / YAMAHA VIKING / KUBOTA WORKHORSE<br />
HOW TO GET RACE FIT / WHAT’S THE BEST ADVENTURE BIKE?<br />
TWINS AT THE ROOF & LOADS MORE!<br />
FEBRUARY 2017 RSA R29.50<br />
9 771815 337001<br />
17002
Authorised dealer<br />
Become a bLU cRU member and get amazing benefits<br />
• 15% off all MX Gear<br />
• 1 hour free labour per month for 11 months when you purchase a new Off-road bike<br />
• 20% Discount on all parts when purchasing a new Off-road bike and becoming a bLU<br />
cRU Yamaha member.<br />
2017 Motocross and Enduro Range now available<br />
2017 YZ125<br />
R77 950<br />
2017 YZ250F<br />
R99 950<br />
2017 YZ450F<br />
R109 950<br />
2017 WR450F<br />
R112 950<br />
2017 YZ250FX<br />
R104 950<br />
2017 YZ250X<br />
R89 950<br />
2016 YZ and WR Stock selling out fast at<br />
extremely low prices.<br />
www.linexyamaha.co.za<br />
E&OE<br />
Prices include VAT<br />
(t) 011 251 4000<br />
(e) info@linexyamaha.co.za<br />
Cnr. Malibongwe Drive & Tungsten Road<br />
Strydom Commercial Park, Randburg
EDITOR: ROLEY FOLEY<br />
Blonde and lawyer quiz<br />
A lawyer and a blonde are sitting next to each other on<br />
a long flight from LA to NY. The lawyer leans over to her<br />
and asks if she would like to play a fun game. The blonde<br />
just wants to take a nap, so she politely declines and rolls<br />
over to the window to catch a few winks.<br />
The lawyer persists and explains that the game is really<br />
easy and a lot of fun. He explains “I ask you a question,<br />
and if you don’t know the answer, you pay me $5, and<br />
visa-versa.” Again, she politely declines and tries to get<br />
some sleep.<br />
The lawyer, now somewhat agitated, says, “Okay, if you<br />
don’t know the answer you pay me $5, and if I don’t<br />
know the answer, I will pay you $50!” figuring that since<br />
she is a blonde that he will easily win the match.<br />
This catches the blonde’s attention and, figuring that<br />
there will be no end to this torment unless she plays,<br />
agrees to the game.<br />
The lawyer asks the first question. “What’s the distance<br />
from the earth to the moon?” The blonde doesn’t say a<br />
word, reaches into her purse, pulls out a five-dollar bill<br />
and hands it to the lawyer.<br />
Now, it’s the blonde’s turn. She asks the lawyer “What<br />
goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with<br />
four?” The lawyer looks at her with a puzzled look. He<br />
takes out his laptop computer and searches all his<br />
references. He taps into the Airphone with his modem<br />
and searches the Net and the Library of Congress.<br />
Frustrated, he sends E-mails to all his co-workers and<br />
friends he knows. All to no avail.<br />
After over an hour, he wakes the blonde and hands her<br />
$50. The blonde politely takes the $50 and turns away to<br />
get back to sleep.<br />
The lawyer, who is more than a little miffed, wakes the<br />
blonde and asks, “Well, so what IS the answer!?”<br />
Without a word, the blonde reaches into her purse hands<br />
the lawyer $5 and goes back to sleep.<br />
CONTENTS: FEBRUARY 2017<br />
THE TEAM:<br />
EDITOR:<br />
Glenn Foley<br />
foleyg@mweb.co.za<br />
DESIGN:<br />
Rob Portman<br />
rob@ridefast.co.za<br />
ADVERTISING:<br />
Sinead Foley<br />
foleyg@mweb.co.za<br />
Kyle Lawrenson<br />
ACCOUNTS &<br />
SUBSCRIPTIONS:<br />
Anette<br />
anette.acc@mweb.co.za<br />
Office no (011) 979-5035<br />
CONTRIBUTORS:<br />
Clive Strugnell<br />
Kurt Beine<br />
Grant Foley<br />
Richard Sutherland<br />
Zygmund Brodalka<br />
Garth Roberts<br />
Laren vd Westhuizen<br />
Ian McClaren<br />
Craig Barendson<br />
Byron Rudman<br />
Zenon Birkby<br />
Sean Hendley<br />
Tristan Foley<br />
16: FEATURE: 2017 DAKAR RALLY<br />
28: CLASSIC: YAMAHA TY250<br />
34: FEATURE: RACE FITNESS<br />
52: READERS RIDE: TWINS AT THE ROOF<br />
62: FEATURE: BEST ADVENTURE BIKE?<br />
70: FIRST RIDE: DUCATI DESERT SLED<br />
2 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
FACEBOOK.COM/FOXHEADSOUTHAFRICA<br />
@FOXHEADSOUTHAFRICA
ONE FAMILY, ONE BRAND<br />
WELCOME TO THE FOX TEAM<br />
CHAD, ELLIE, TATE, KIAH & PACE<br />
FOXRACING.COM
ought to you by<br />
Yamaha bLU cRU<br />
competition to be extended:<br />
Following the fantastic response to the last Blu Cru<br />
competition, Yamaha has decided to do it all again –<br />
and we already have a lot of entries. Just send your<br />
pic of you and your Yamaha to foleyg@mweb.<br />
co.za – we might just publish it – and you might<br />
just win.<br />
1st Place: Yamaha Pro300 head phones –<br />
blue in colour. 2nd place: Yamaha wrist watch<br />
– black in colour.Yamaha will select the winning<br />
pictures and announce the winners in our May issue.<br />
Pictured is the last competition winner, Guy Gore<br />
with Yamaha’s Peter Wilkins taking delivery of his<br />
Spankin new Shoei VX1 helmet… how cool is that?<br />
6 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017<br />
TH<br />
TH<br />
T<br />
Renthal Ultralight Sprockets:<br />
RID RI<br />
Optimised CNC machining - allowing maximum weight<br />
reduction whilst maintaining strength, feature self-cleaning<br />
BEFO<br />
mud grooves. They tell us that Renthal sprockets are chosen<br />
BEFORE Ne<br />
by more factory motocross and supercross teams than any<br />
RIDE BU BU<br />
other brand. Available front and rear for most models in a<br />
range of vibrant colours.<br />
RRP from 760.00 Inc. Available at dealers. New Arai Tour BEFORE X 4 YOU TEST HE<br />
New Arai Tour X 4<br />
N<br />
DNA High Performance Air Filters:<br />
BUY!<br />
TEST HELMETS<br />
80% more filtration area they say, using DNA’s FCD<br />
Technology. This unique design, New and innovation Arai by DNA, Tour X 4<br />
Ad<br />
allows the pleated filtering media to follow precisely the<br />
TEST HELMETS AVAILABLE<br />
air box contour. By taking<br />
advantage of the complete<br />
footprint of the air box, Adventure the<br />
spots<br />
filter eliminates ‘dead<br />
RAM GPS & Pho<br />
spots’ that Adventure rob power. spots<br />
RAM GPS & Phone m<br />
Available for most<br />
Adventure adventure spots and<br />
road bikes.<br />
RAM GPS & Phone mounts Sena<br />
RRP from<br />
Inter<br />
780.00 Inc. At<br />
Bike t<br />
dealers.<br />
Kenny Boots arrive<br />
RIDE<br />
Sena SMH20<br />
in Intercoms SA: 1.0 All Giant Loop bags & a<br />
Sena SMH20<br />
The full range of Kenny Dirtbike, trials and MX boots<br />
Handlebar bags / Soft tank bags /<br />
Intercoms Bike to 1.0Bike - S All Giant Loop bags & access<br />
have arrived in SA. Imported and distributed<br />
Handlebar bags / Soft Drift tank cameras<br />
bags / Soft<br />
Se<br />
to<br />
Sena SMH20 Bike to Bike - S<br />
by the same lot who do the Sherco range of<br />
BEFORE YOU<br />
In<br />
Intercoms 1.0 All Giant Loop bags & accessories<br />
dirtbikes, the Kenny range will<br />
BUY!<br />
soon be Handlebar out bags / Soft tank bags / Soft top box bags Kalah<br />
Bike to Bike - S<br />
Bik<br />
and about on tracks and trails near you.<br />
Trade enquiries are welcome.<br />
www.toyscom.co.za<br />
Huge selection of USB &<br />
TEST HELMETS AVAILABLE<br />
plugs & adapters avail 08<br />
Kalahari jackets Huge selection of USB & 12v<br />
plugs & adapters available<br />
Kalahari jackets<br />
Em<br />
Huge selection of USB & 12v<br />
Off 160 O1<br />
plugs & adapters available<br />
Kalahari jackets<br />
Ra<br />
22 AGV BLESB<br />
Offroad 1602 AX8 <strong>DT</strong> Cycles Husky Offroad 1602 FD<br />
3<br />
Ka<br />
WIDE RANGE OF<br />
HELMETS<br />
THE ADVENTURE & DIRTBIKE SPECIAL<br />
New Arai Tour X 4<br />
Adventure spots<br />
WIDE RANGE OF<br />
HELMETS<br />
WIDE RANGE OF<br />
HELMETS<br />
WIDE RANGE OF<br />
HELMETS<br />
WI<br />
THE ADVENTURE & D<br />
THE ADVENTURE & DIR<br />
THE ADVENTURE & DIRTBIK<br />
22 BLESBOK<br />
22 BLESBOK STR,<br />
087 087<br />
087 808 3650 / 0<br />
808<br />
Email: 808 3650<br />
info@offroadcycles.c 3650 / 087 / 08 80<br />
RAM GPS Email: & Phone info@offroadcycles.co.z<br />
mounts SBS distributed by<br />
Email: info@offroadcycles.co.za WWW.BIKEWISE.CO.ZA / W<br />
Offroad 1602 <strong>DT</strong> Cycles Husky Feb16 300.indd FP.indd 57 1<br />
Offroad 1602 <strong>DT</strong> Cycles Husky Feb16 300.indd FP.indd 57 1<br />
W<br />
KA<br />
R0
THE ADVENTURE & DIRTBIKE SPECIA<br />
E IDE RANGE RANGE OF OF<br />
WIDE RANGE OF<br />
HELMETS WIDE RANGE OF<br />
WIDE HELMETS<br />
RANGE OF<br />
HELMETS<br />
HELMETS<br />
RIDE<br />
LARGE SELECTION<br />
OF EVS GEAR<br />
LARGE SELECTION<br />
BEFORE YOU<br />
LARGE SELECTION<br />
ADVENTURE & DIRTBIKE SPECIALISTS IN PRETORIA!<br />
LARGE WIDE SELECTION<br />
LARGE<br />
RANGE<br />
SELECTION<br />
OF<br />
OF LARGE HELMETS EVS SELECTION<br />
GEAR<br />
OF OF EVS<br />
Drift<br />
EVS GEAR<br />
cameras<br />
GEAR<br />
HELMETS<br />
OF EVS GEAR<br />
LARGE THE E ADVENTURE & DIRTBIKE & & DIRTBIKE DIRTBIKE OF SELECTION EVS<br />
SPECIALISTS GEAR<br />
SPECIALISTS IN PRETORIA! BUY!<br />
WIDE RANGE OF<br />
WIDE RANGE OF<br />
OF EVS GEAR<br />
IN LARGE THE<br />
IN PRETORIA<br />
SELECTION ADVENTU<br />
WIDE RANGE LARGE HELMETS OF<br />
WIDE RANGE OF<br />
LARGE SELECTION<br />
HELMETS<br />
LARGE SELECTION<br />
OF EVS GEAR<br />
IRTBIKE OF HELMETS SPECIALISTS IN PRETORIA!<br />
OF EVS GEAR<br />
BIKE OF EVS GEAR<br />
SPECIALISTS THE ADVENTURE<br />
IN & PRETORIA!<br />
DIRTBIKE<br />
New & DIRTBIKE<br />
Arai Tour SPECIALISTS<br />
X 4<br />
IN IN TEST HELMETS AVAILABLE<br />
THE ADVENTURE & LARGE DIRTBIKE SELECTION SPECIALISTS IN PRETORIA!<br />
PRETORIA!<br />
HE ADVENTURE & DIRTBIKE SPECIALISTS IN PRETORIA<br />
RIDE<br />
OF EVS GEAR<br />
SPECIALISTS IN<br />
RIDE<br />
PRETORIA!<br />
Drift cameras Garmin GPS in stock! 390LM<br />
AGV AX8<br />
DE<br />
BEFORE YOU<br />
RIDE<br />
Drift cameras & Garmin 590LM GPS with in brackets stock! 390LM<br />
E BUY! RIDE<br />
BEFORE YOU<br />
& 590LM with brackets<br />
Drift Drift cameras<br />
Garmin GPS GPS in in stock! 390LM<br />
BUY!<br />
YOU<br />
590LM with brackets<br />
RIDE<br />
RIDE<br />
Drift cameras<br />
Garmin GPS in SHOEI stock! HORNET 390LM ADV<br />
Drift Drift cameras Garmin Garmin GPS in GPS stock! in 390LM stock! 390LM K<br />
RE YOU<br />
BEFORE & 590LM with Drift cameras<br />
Adventure<br />
BEFORE BEFORE brackets<br />
Garmin GPS in in stock! 390LM<br />
Drift cameras<br />
spots<br />
YOU YOU<br />
& 590LM && 590LM with brackets<br />
with brackets<br />
WIDE BEFORE Garmin<br />
RANGE OF YOU GPS in stock! 390LM && 590LM RAM with brackets GPS & Phone LARGE mounts SELECTION<br />
w YOU Arai Tour X 4<br />
BUY!<br />
TEST AVAILABLE<br />
Drift<br />
Drift<br />
cameras<br />
cameras Garmin GPS in stock! 390LM<br />
WIDE RANGE OF OF<br />
WIDE RANGE OF<br />
Garmin GPS in stock! 390LM R<br />
New<br />
Y!<br />
LA<br />
Arai Tour X 4HELMETS<br />
TEST BEFORE BEFORE BUY!<br />
LARGE SELECTION OF EVS GEAR<br />
!<br />
& 590LM with brackets<br />
HELMETS<br />
AVAILABLE YOU YOU<br />
OF OF EVS EVS & GEAR 590LM with brackets<br />
& 590LM with New brackets Arai Tour 110/<br />
THE ADVENTURE<br />
THE<br />
New<br />
ADVENTURE BUY!!!<br />
Arai New Arai Tour X 4<br />
Tour & THE ADVENTURE BUY!<br />
DIRTBIKE X 4<br />
& DIRTBIKE<br />
TEST HELMETS SPECIALISTS<br />
SPECIALISTS<br />
AVAILABLE IN IN PRETORIA!<br />
IN PRETORIA!<br />
New Drift cameras Arai Tour X Garmin 4<br />
GPS in stock! 390LM<br />
2016 EVS T5 HELMETS 150<br />
TEST HELMETS AVAILABLE<br />
& 590LM with brackets<br />
SPIRIT MX HELMETS<br />
METS AVAILABLE<br />
AGV AX8& DIRTBIKE Steering Dampers SPECIALISTS IN<br />
TEST TEST HELMETS AVAILABLE<br />
TEST HELMETS AVAILABLE AGV AX8<br />
Steering Dampers<br />
AVAILABLE<br />
New New Arai Arai Tour Tour X X 44<br />
TEST HELMETS AVAILABLE<br />
AGV AX8<br />
Steering AGV Dampers AX8<br />
Steering Dampers<br />
TEST HELMETS AVAILABLE<br />
KAROO 1 COMBO<br />
venture spots AGV AX8<br />
Steering<br />
RAM GPS & Phone mounts Sena Dampers KAROO 1 COMBO<br />
RIDE RIDE<br />
SMH20<br />
Adventure spotsAGV AX8<br />
AGV AGV AX8<br />
AX8<br />
Steering RAM GPS & Phone Steering mountsDampers<br />
Intercoms 1.0KAROO All<br />
R2170 Drift Giant<br />
11 INC VAT<br />
Dampers<br />
R2170<br />
COMBO<br />
cameras<br />
Loop KAROO bags & Garmin accessories GPS 1 in<br />
INC VAT<br />
COMBO<br />
stock! 390LM<br />
Adventure spots<br />
Adventure spots<br />
LARGE SELECTION RAM Bike to BEFORE Bike Phone<br />
Drift Drift - Smounts<br />
RIDE<br />
YOU cameras Handlebar<br />
AGV bags<br />
AX8 Garmin / GPS Soft GPS in tank stock! in bags stock! &/ Soft 590LM 390LM Steering<br />
top with box bags brackets<br />
RAM GPS && Phone Dampers<br />
RAM mounts<br />
MOUNTS GPS & PHONE 110/80/19 AGV AX8 ONLY ON THE FOLLOWING Steering SIZE Dampers Adventure spots Wide Foot pegs<br />
BEFORE YOU<br />
& & 590LM with with brackets<br />
HEIDENAU K60 AVAILABLE FOR THE NEW<br />
OF EVS GEAR<br />
KAROO 1 COMBO<br />
150/70/17 110/80/19 ONLY ON THE R2170 FOLLOWING SIZEINC VAT<br />
BUY! BUY!<br />
R2170 INC VAT<br />
BMW 1200 GS LC 170/60/17 & 120/70/19<br />
AGV AX8<br />
Steering Dampers<br />
HEIDENAU K60 AVAILABLE FOR THE NEW<br />
150/70/17 110/80/19<br />
BMW 1200 Drift ONLY ON cameras<br />
THE FOLLOWING SIZEGarmin GP<br />
ne mounts<br />
BIKE CLEANER KAROO 1 GS LC 170/60/17 & 120/70/19<br />
KAROO 1 1 HEIDENAU K60 AVAILABLE COMBO<br />
FOR THE NEW<br />
SHINE AND PROTECTION<br />
Adventure Adventure spots<br />
BEFORE<br />
spots RAM RAM RAM GPS GPS GPS & Phone & Phone mounts<br />
mounts<br />
YOU150/70/17 KAROO<br />
& 590LM<br />
1 BMW 12001 GS<br />
ISTS Adventure IN spots PRETORIA!<br />
COMBO<br />
LC 170/60/17 & 120/70/19<br />
New Arai Tour X 4<br />
DEGREASER<br />
R2170<br />
COMBO110/80/19<br />
ONLY ON ON THE FOLLOWING SIZE<br />
MICHELIN<br />
HEIDENAU K60 K60 AVAILABLE FOR FOR THE THE NEW NEW<br />
150/70/17 BMW 1200 1200 GS GS LC LC 170/60/17 & & 120/70/19<br />
INC<br />
TEST HELMETS<br />
VAT<br />
ANAKEE<br />
ounts<br />
AVAILABLE<br />
Adventure New spots<br />
Arai Tour X<br />
RAM<br />
X 44<br />
BUY!<br />
WILD<br />
KIT WASH<br />
TEST GPS TEST & HELMETS Phone AVAILABLE mounts<br />
KAROO R2170 110/80/19 RAM 1 COMBO<br />
GPS ONLY & Phone<br />
INC ON THE mounts FOLLOWING VATSIZE<br />
110/80/19<br />
INC VAT<br />
HEIDENAU K60 AVAILABLE FOR THE NEW<br />
SMH20<br />
R2170<br />
Sena SMH20<br />
110/80/19 ONLY INC INC ONLY ON ON THE THE VAT VAT 150/70/17<br />
110/80/19 150/70/17 ONLY<br />
BMW<br />
ON THE<br />
1200 GS<br />
FOLLOWING<br />
LC 170/60/17 SIZE & 120/70/19<br />
AGV AX8<br />
Steering Dampers<br />
STOCK!<br />
FOLLOWING SIZE<br />
SIZE<br />
oms Sena 1.0 SMH20<br />
All Giant Loop bags & accessories<br />
110/80/19 ONLY THE FOLLOWING SIZE<br />
1.0 Handlebar bags / Soft<br />
New<br />
Sena SMH20<br />
HEIDENAU K60 AVAILABLE FOR THE NEW<br />
R2170 150/70/17 tank /<br />
Arai<br />
Soft & INC top box bags<br />
Tour VATX 4AGV AGV AX8 AX8 Huge selection<br />
TEST HELMETS AVAILABLE<br />
110/80/19<br />
Steering of Dampers USB<br />
HEIDENAU K60 AVAILABLE FOR THE NEW<br />
ONLY<br />
&<br />
Leatt ON<br />
12v<br />
THE FOLLOWING SIZEMORE<br />
BMW 1200 GS LC 170/60/17 & 120/70/19<br />
HEIDENAU K60 AVAILABLE FOR THE NEW<br />
Bike Intercoms - S 1.0 1.0 All All DIRT Giant NURSE<br />
Intercoms Loop bags 1.0& & MOTOBATT<br />
accessories<br />
All Giant Loop bags & accessories CABERG HELMETS<br />
bags / Soft top box bags Wide Foot pegs R4 plugs EVS & Neck adapters 150/70/17 Brace<br />
150/70/17 available HEIDENAU K60 AVAILABLE FOR THE NEW<br />
Ballistic BMW Leatt BMW 1200 1200 GS GS LC<br />
Handlebar / Soft tank bags GS 170/60/17 LC LC 170/60/17 & COMING<br />
Kalahari 120/70/19<br />
HEIDENAU BMW 1200 K60 GS AVAILABLE LC FOR THE NEW && 120/70/19<br />
ike to - Wide<br />
jackets / Soft Foot top box pegs bags R4 EVS 150/70/17<br />
170/60/17 & Leatt<br />
110/80/19<br />
Handlebar PRODUCTS<br />
bags / BATTRIES<br />
120/70/19<br />
Bike ONLY Soft / Soft tank tank<br />
to Bike ON bags - S THE / Soft / Soft top FOLLOWING top box box bags<br />
SIZE<br />
TOURMAX,<br />
Wide Foot Neck XTRACE Leatt<br />
Bike to to Bike - S- S<br />
Wide Foot pegs<br />
R4 R4 EVS EVS Neck Brace<br />
pegs Brace<br />
BMW R4 1200 EVS Ballistic GS Neck LC 170/60/17 Brace Range of Leatt Neck Brace<br />
KAROO<br />
Ballistic<br />
1 & 120/70/19<br />
Ballistic<br />
Sena SMH20<br />
KAROO 1 1 COMBO<br />
COMBO<br />
150/70/17 SOON.<br />
HEIDENAU K60 AVAILABLE FOR THE NEW<br />
BMW Adventure 1200 GS LC spots 170/60/17 &<br />
RAM<br />
120/70/19<br />
GPS & Phone mounts<br />
Intercoms 1.0 All Gian<br />
Adventure spots spots<br />
RAM RAM GPS GPS & Phone & Phone mounts<br />
22 BLESBOK AGV Bike STR, AX8<br />
Handlebar<br />
to Bike KOEDOESPO<br />
- S Steeb<br />
R2170<br />
R2170 INC VAT<br />
INC VAT<br />
cessories<br />
110/80/19 ONLY ON THE FOLLOWING SIZE<br />
oft top box bags<br />
Leatt<br />
110/80/19 ONLY ONLY ON THE THE FOLLOWING SIZE SIZE<br />
Sena SMH20 Sena<br />
Sena Garmin SMH20<br />
SMH20GPS in stock! 390LM<br />
Intercoms 1.0 All Giant Loop bags & accessories 087 808 3650 / 087 808 Intercoms 1.0 1.0 1.0<br />
Huge selection All Giant All All Giant of Loop USB Loop & Loop 12v bags bags && & accessories<br />
FULL RANGE OF ATG GEAR KAROO 3649<br />
HEIDENAU K60 AVAILABLE FOR THE NEW<br />
150/70/17<br />
1<br />
BMW 1200 GS LC<br />
ries<br />
Wide Foot pegs R4 EVS Neck Brace<br />
170/60/17 & 120/70/19<br />
Ballistic<br />
HEIDENAU HEIDENAU K60 K60 AVAILABLE FOR FOR THE THE NEW NEW<br />
150/70/17BMW BMW 1200 1200 GS LC GS LC<br />
box bags<br />
Leatt<br />
170/60/17 & & 120/70/19<br />
Wide Foot Huge pegs selection of of USB R4 & EVS & 12v 12v Neck<br />
& 590LM with Huge selection Handlebar brackets<br />
USB & 12v<br />
FULL RANGE OF ATG GEAR<br />
Bike to Bike plugs - SHandlebar & adapters Handlebar Adventure bags / Soft<br />
bags bags available / bags Soft / Soft / tank Soft spots tank<br />
Huge Brace<br />
bags<br />
selection<br />
/ Soft top<br />
of<br />
box<br />
USB Ballistic<br />
bags<br />
& 12v FULL RANGE OF OF ATG GEAR<br />
FULL RANGE OF ATG GEAR Leatt<br />
plugs && adapters available<br />
tank tank bags plugs / bags / Soft /& Soft adapters / top Soft top box top box bags<br />
box bags bags<br />
Leatt Leatt<br />
Leatt<br />
ari to jackets<br />
to Bike - S - S<br />
plugs & adapters available<br />
Wide • Foot STOVES<br />
Foot Foot pegs • BRAAI’S<br />
Range of Leatt Neck Braces • STOVES • BRAAI’S<br />
R4 R4 EVS R4 EVS EVS Neck Neck Brace<br />
Brace<br />
Kalahari<br />
Bike<br />
jackets<br />
to Bike - S<br />
RAM<br />
available<br />
GPS & Wide Phone Wide Foot<br />
Foot mounts pegs R4 EVS • STOVES Neck Brace • BRAAI’S<br />
Kalahari jackets<br />
Leatt Email: info@offroadcycles.co.za •• STOVES •• BRAAI’S<br />
Kalahari jackets<br />
Range of of Leatt Neck Braces<br />
Range of Leatt pegsNeck Braces R4 EVS Neck Brace/ Website: Ballistic<br />
Range of Leatt Neck Braces<br />
• STRETCHERS • STRETCHERS • BAGS R2170<br />
Ballistic<br />
Ballistic www<br />
Wide Foot pegs R4 EVS Neck Brace Ballistic<br />
•• STRETCHERS •• BAGS<br />
• STRETCHERS • BAGS<br />
Sena SMH20<br />
• BAGS<br />
Sena Sena SMH20 SMH20 Intercoms 1.0 All Giant Loop bags & accessories<br />
110/80/19 ONLY ON<br />
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ought to you by<br />
A quick flip to Nelspruit:<br />
Our lot took a quick ride out to Nelspruit in Mpumalanga – home of cool gadgets<br />
from the guys like Hyde products to check in on all of the local bike shops…<br />
Two Cousins Bike Shop:<br />
Mier Simpson is the friendly lady who runs the Two<br />
Cousins dealership in old Pretoria Road. These guys are<br />
an old school motorcycle dealership, focussed on general<br />
repairs and servicing. And the coffee is great!<br />
(013) 753-3036<br />
Nelspruit ATV:<br />
Pro-Tek is a specialised dirtbike and adventure What<br />
a cool, friendly bunch. This lot have a whole heap<br />
of franchises that include Suzuki, Seadoo, Polaris,<br />
Kawasaki, Linhai, Sym and Can-Am. They have a<br />
monster workshop and a very friendly showroom<br />
floor. They host a monthly breakfast run on the first<br />
Sunday of every month, complete with lucky draws –<br />
and usually a cool venue for lunch at the GP.<br />
(013) 752-2023. nelspruitatv@telkomsa.net<br />
STREET<br />
Pitlane Motorcycle Accessories:<br />
Impressive. These guys have a huge selection of<br />
accessories for road, dirt and adventure. And what they<br />
don’t have – they will find for you…<br />
(013) 755-2127<br />
8 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017<br />
Pro Tek Off-Road and Adventure:<br />
Pro-Tek is a specialised dirtbike and adventure<br />
workshop headed up by the very knowledgeable<br />
duo of Mark Tilburn and Ivan Morse. It’s a cool little<br />
store with a neat selection of used bikes, parts and<br />
accessories always for sale…<br />
076-051-2523. 072-505-0555 pro.tek@telkomsa.net<br />
SBS distributed by<br />
WWW.BIKEWISE.CO.ZA
ought to you by<br />
Rudamans Yamaha And Marine:<br />
These guys recently opened their new store in Riverside<br />
Park. Guys and gals – this is one mean operation – it be<br />
huge. Tractors, lawnmowers, safety gear, trailers… and<br />
they do the full Yamaha range of dirtbikes, ATV’s and<br />
marine parts and accessories.<br />
Robin Flores is the man to chat to. (013) 752-7077<br />
www.rudamans.co.za<br />
Deltec batteries opens in Nelspruit:<br />
These guys do everything related to power from Solar<br />
solutions to car, bakkie, motorcycle, ATV and UTV<br />
batteries and chargers.<br />
The new premises are at: 5 Rapid Street Unit 10<br />
Riverside Industrial park Nelspruit<br />
Phone : 071 494 0376 or 083 452 8311<br />
SCOOTER<br />
And for our non-motorised friends:<br />
Peddle Power at Bike Tyre Warehouse:<br />
Bike Tyre Warehouse in Midrand now stocks Mitas Bicycle<br />
tyres & are running a great deal for the month of February.<br />
MTB tyres are selling from R599 & Road tyres from R<br />
349. They also offer a tubeless conversion for MTB’s, this<br />
includes 1 x 29 x<br />
2.25 Mitas MTB tyre<br />
professionally fitted<br />
with Tyre Shield<br />
Sealant and a new<br />
tubeless core valve.<br />
All this for R 999.<br />
Call 011 205 0216<br />
or email sales@<br />
biketyrewarehouse.<br />
com. T & C apply<br />
10 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017<br />
Guts n Gas Adventure: Commuting<br />
on your adventure bike?<br />
Riding dirt on the weekends? The biggest question<br />
is what tyres to go for?<br />
Why not have the best of both worlds!<br />
With Guts N Gas’ new ‘Best of both worlds’<br />
promotion you can buy a “change your tyre”<br />
promo. Ride your knobblies on weekend and use<br />
your road tyres during the week for commuting.<br />
They have several options where they will change<br />
your tyres through the month for you.<br />
Contact them for more info: 061 533 9687 sales@<br />
gutsngas.co.za<br />
SBS distributed by<br />
WWW.BIKEWISE.CO.ZA
Tool Kits<br />
Adventure Corner<br />
Back 2 Front<br />
Top Boxes<br />
Tank Bags<br />
Screens<br />
GPS Mounts<br />
Bar Raisers<br />
Wide Foot Pegs<br />
Lense<br />
Protectors<br />
Crash Bars<br />
Panniers/Soft<br />
Luggage<br />
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Exhaurst Systems<br />
Skid Plates<br />
Adventure<br />
Tyres<br />
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Sena Head sets<br />
Tusk Tool Sets<br />
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ought to you by<br />
Marquez returns to his roots with<br />
enduro entry:<br />
MotoGP champion Marc Marquez and brother Alex have<br />
returned to their childhood roots by competing in an enduro race<br />
in their hometown of Lleida last month, with the duo competing<br />
off-road for the first time in years at the Enduro del Segre.<br />
Completing the six-hour race out of contention for the win<br />
after first being penalised for entering a control early and then<br />
cracking the sump of his CRF450 Honda, the world champion<br />
nonetheless says it was nice to return to his roots with the race.<br />
“I had raced enduro as a kid and that is precisely what led me<br />
to play in the Enduro del Segre. I am a big fan of off road and<br />
wanted to return to my childhood for a day, with the Moto<br />
Club Segre and surrounded by friends. It has been a very nice<br />
experience.<br />
“I have had a lot of fun, and it has been a very nice experience.<br />
If there is a new opportunity in the future and the dates after the<br />
end of the MotoGP season, why not repeat?”<br />
Brother Alex also had fun on his outing, admitting that despite the<br />
hard course it was an enjoyable experience.<br />
“It has been a beautiful experience. I have enjoyed and I have<br />
suffered; there have been moments of everything. The important<br />
thing was to finish and we got it, so I end up very happy.”<br />
Pro Dirt bike – Vereeniging:<br />
Later in the magazine, you’ll read all about<br />
the beautiful little CR144 that these guys<br />
have built. PDB is headed up by motorcycle<br />
fanatic Mark Rowntree, with La Ruscha<br />
Keeve keeping an eye on the shop front.<br />
It’s a cool little bike shop in the suburbs that<br />
undertakes everything from oil changes to<br />
fuel tank manufacturing. Once off custom<br />
jobs, Aluminium frame conversions, wheel<br />
lacing and rebuilds, re- mapping of CRF’s,<br />
service, tune ups and race prep. Aluminium<br />
and magnesium welding. Even plastic tank<br />
polishing.<br />
They have a great selection of consumables<br />
and service parts always in stock… 1 Hefer<br />
street Risiville. Phone 076-051-2523. 072-<br />
5050-555 pro.tek@telkomsa.net<br />
12 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017<br />
SBS distributed by<br />
WWW.BIKEWISE.CO.ZA
new&<br />
THE FUN FACTORY<br />
TRADE INS WELCOME<br />
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2008 CAN AM<br />
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2014 KTM EXC 300<br />
XCW R69 000<br />
2014 KTM 350 SX-F<br />
R75 000<br />
2014 KTM<br />
ADVENTURE 1190R<br />
R185 000<br />
2015 HUSQVARNA FE<br />
501 R90 000<br />
2008 KAWASAKI<br />
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FROM R126 950<br />
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ought to you by<br />
How do you... Set a world<br />
record jump?<br />
Answered by Robbie Maddison - Robbie is one<br />
of the world’s biggest nutcases, with a mile-long<br />
list of stunts and first feats to his name, from<br />
jumping Tower Bridge to the world jump record of<br />
392-feet..<br />
How do you jump 392 feet? You need to soup-up your<br />
engine, stiffen the suspension and get the right ramp.<br />
Then you need to let go of the will to live and focus on<br />
the dream of flying!<br />
I probably don’t do the kind of research that many<br />
would consider to be enough when it comes to my<br />
jumps. I grew up on bikes and I have a sense for if I’m<br />
going at the right speed and what the ramp’s angle<br />
should be. Reaching 392-feet is the result of a lot of trial,<br />
error and commitment.<br />
I hit the ramp at 115mph and that’s when you really<br />
need to start concentrating. There is an art to flying a<br />
bike and it rests around the clutch, throttle and rear<br />
brake. If you rev the engine the bike will raise its nose;<br />
brake and it drops its nose. While this sounds easy, get<br />
these inputs incorrect and it can all go horribly wrong.<br />
The biggest mistake is slowing the rear wheel down<br />
too much to alter the front end as you really only get<br />
one shot at adjusting it. On a perfect jump you should<br />
get over the midway point with the bike horizontal<br />
having not made any adjustments. But then you have<br />
to land…<br />
Landing is a huge impact, so much so I have had to<br />
have a lot of back surgery. I let the rear wheel hit the<br />
ground on full acceleration a second before the front<br />
lands. This allows the back to take off and moves some<br />
energy forwards, softening the hit.<br />
Another requirement of long-distance jumping is having<br />
big balls! You need to take some of your brain out and<br />
pack it into your testicles!<br />
STREET<br />
14 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017<br />
SBS distributed by<br />
WWW.BIKEWISE.CO.ZA
HONDA CRF450R Demo<br />
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HONDA NC750X<br />
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Brutal. Punishing. Exhausting. Back-breaking. Insane. All of these and more apply to the gruelling Dakar rally<br />
raid. Dakar 2017 was difficult, even by Dakar’s standards, you might have some idea of what we’re on about.<br />
Words: Elza Thiart-Botes<br />
16 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
The 39th Dakar Rally that took place<br />
in South America from January 2nd to<br />
14th, was not an easy one. This year’s<br />
race route took in more than 5,500 miles<br />
of South American terrain, including<br />
sand dunes, mountain passes, powderdry<br />
scrublands and flooded plains. In<br />
fact, flooding was a bit of a theme for<br />
Dakar 2017, with sections of the race<br />
cut short or cancelled entirely due to<br />
torrential rain, flooding and landslides.<br />
It was a particularly miserable time for<br />
competitors, spending hours on end<br />
trapped in the mud, with only a washedout<br />
camp to return to at the end of their<br />
runs. That said, it was exceptionally bad<br />
for the Argentineans who call the town<br />
of Volcan (the worst-hit area) home, with<br />
a decent chunk of their town washed<br />
away or buried under mud. It was the fifth<br />
time that the Dakar Rally raced through<br />
South America and this year the race took<br />
competitors from the start in Asunción in<br />
Paraguy through Bolivia to the finish in<br />
Buenos Aires in Argentinia.<br />
Dakar 2017 claimed the egos (and luckily<br />
not the lives) of some pretty big names.<br />
Carlos Sainz, Sr – no stranger to off-road<br />
driving – flipped spectacularly after running<br />
wide on a mountain road. Last year’s<br />
winner in the bike category, Australian Toby<br />
Price, broke his leg in four separate places<br />
and had to undergo immediate surgery,<br />
rather than finish the race.<br />
Southern Africa was well represented<br />
with three local riders – David Thomas<br />
was part of the HT Husqvarna Rally Raid<br />
Team on his FR450 Rally; Joey Evans and<br />
Walter Terblanche were both part of the<br />
BAS Dakar Team on their KTM 450 Rally<br />
bikes and Botswana’s Vincent Crosbie<br />
raced in the Nomade Racing Assistance<br />
team with his KTM 450.<br />
Although they have all competed in<br />
international rally raid events before, the<br />
Dakar Rally was a first experience for all<br />
of them.<br />
Vinny had a dream Dakar. He’s an<br />
awesome competitor who flew the<br />
Botswana flag so high. The story about<br />
Joey is a good one, and we’ve featured<br />
him in Dirt And trail Magazine previously:<br />
Joey was paralysed from his torso in<br />
2007 after a motorcycle accident and<br />
had to learn how to walk and ride his bike<br />
again. His “Para to Dakar” dream has<br />
come true. We reckon that the whole of<br />
SA was pushing his bike along…<br />
What was supposed to be a 9 000<br />
kilometre race, turned into an event<br />
where about 25% of the racing stages<br />
was cancelled, including the long 786km<br />
Stage 6 as well as the 977km Stage 9, of<br />
which 406 kilometres would’ve been the<br />
racing stage. Stage 8 was shortened.<br />
Extreme weather conditions included<br />
rain, flooding and even a landslide, which<br />
was why these stages had to be altered<br />
or cancelled with the organisers having to<br />
render assistance to the village of Volcan.<br />
Families lost their homes and lives were<br />
lost due to the landslide that caused<br />
the roads to be washed away - and<br />
alternative routes and overnight bivouacs<br />
had to be set up.<br />
Many competitors spent longer than<br />
usual on their bikes while assistance<br />
teams struggled to get to bivvy points.<br />
As usual, navigation played a major<br />
role in the outcome of the race. Many<br />
riders lost time from the start by ‘getting<br />
lost’ in search of invisible waypoints. It<br />
seems that the former multiple motorcycle<br />
winner and now the Route Director of the<br />
Dakar, Marc Coma, wanted to bring back<br />
elements of the ‘traditional’ Dakar and not<br />
have a waypoint-to-waypoint race.<br />
DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017 17
Almost everyone had their turn and the<br />
standings at the front changed constantly.<br />
A major factor was the high altitudes.<br />
Competitors started the race in Paraguay<br />
and almost as soon as they got into<br />
the ‘Dakar rhythm’, they hit the high<br />
altitudes that took them between 3 000<br />
and 4 200m above sea level. These high<br />
altitudes took huge toll on competitors,<br />
their crews as well as the bikes that<br />
struggled with a loss of power.<br />
Stage 1<br />
The race started with a win for Xavier de<br />
Soultrait (Yamaha), but he was ‘fined’ for<br />
speeding on a link stage which meant<br />
that Juan Pedrero (Sherco) took the lead<br />
after the first day’s 39 kilometre stage<br />
while Sam Sunderland was sixth; his KTM<br />
team-mate and the 2016 winner, Toby<br />
Price was 17th. Joan Barreda (Honda)<br />
finished seventh despite almost drowning<br />
his bike.<br />
The South Africans all made a safe<br />
start to the race with Thomas finishing<br />
44th, Crosbie 67th, Evans 103rd and<br />
Terblanche 117th.<br />
Stage 2:<br />
The front changed during a very hot<br />
second stage (275km stage and a total<br />
of 802 kilometres in the saddle) when<br />
Price took the victory – and the lead –<br />
dodging many animals on the road. His<br />
team-mate, Matthias Walkner was second<br />
with Paulo Goncalves (Honda) third. De<br />
Soultrait showed again how fast he was<br />
and finished fourth. For Crosbie it was<br />
like racing in Botswana and he finished<br />
67th - 65th overall – while both Walter and<br />
Joey experienced problems with the fork<br />
seals on their shocks. David lost time at<br />
a de-control when he had to look for the<br />
official who took his time-card and did not<br />
return it.<br />
Stage 3:<br />
There was a new winner – AND leader –<br />
after another long day in the saddle (780<br />
kilometres of which a total of 365kms<br />
formed the timed section with racing taking<br />
place at levels as high as 5 000 metres)<br />
with Barreda winning for the first time.<br />
Price struggled after getting lost-he lost 20<br />
minutes to Barreda. Sunderland finished<br />
second and moved to second place overall<br />
while a ninth place for Price meant a drop<br />
to fifth place on the overall standings, 16<br />
minutes behind the new leader.<br />
Disaster struck the SA camp. Riders<br />
had to divide their bulky roadbooks<br />
into two for each of the two parts of<br />
the special stage and Thomas left the<br />
second part behind in the service truck.<br />
This meant that he had to race blind. He<br />
crashed and had to hide under his bike in<br />
a hail storm as the weather changed.<br />
David finished 30th, 31st overall while<br />
Vince’s 52nd place resulted in him moving<br />
into 52nd place overall; Walter was 114th<br />
(he dropped to 109th place) while Joey<br />
dropped from 102nd to 118th place.<br />
All were, however another day closer to<br />
realizing their dreams.<br />
Stage 4:<br />
Another ‘biggie’ with a special stage of<br />
416 kilometres. this was the stage that<br />
last year’s winner Toby Price would like<br />
to forget - he had a high speed accident<br />
and broke his leg. It was also the stage<br />
that saw Walter being forced to give up<br />
Livio Metelli from Italia.<br />
David Thomas<br />
Joan-Barreda<br />
18 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
16<br />
16DAKARS<br />
UNDEFEATED<br />
Winning once might be down to luck, but with 16 consecutive victories, KTM’s<br />
Dakar domination is anything but circumstantial. With the READY TO RACE<br />
attitude and a massive team effort, British KTM Factory rider Sam Sunderland<br />
won the 2017 Dakar Rally, extending KTM’s undefeated record.<br />
Congratulations to Sam and the team for this outstanding performance!<br />
Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations!<br />
The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.<br />
Photo: S. Romero
his dream due to dirty petrol that damaged his bike. “The<br />
feeling to wake up and realize that I will not be racing today<br />
is indescribable. Must be the single biggest disappointment<br />
of my life. I have worked so hard to reach my dream. I did<br />
not come here to give up and quit. So to be DNF because<br />
of fuel and injector problems is devastating and so, so<br />
unfair. I want to puke just thinking about it,” Terblanche said<br />
afterwards.<br />
“We rode at 4995m where the bike struggled. This I knew<br />
would happen. The bike had almost no power the day before<br />
at 3500m. I could hardly ride out of small dunes in 1st gear.<br />
The bike would stop when I pulled away and tried to go<br />
into second gear. This was heartbreaking to see other guys<br />
pass me. So much for a brand new engine. I think with the<br />
injector/dirty fuel that the mapping sensor must have failed<br />
and caused the engine to blow. Something was clearly not<br />
right,” he said.<br />
The fourth stage winner of the 2017 Dakar, was Walkner<br />
who moved into second place with Pablo Quintanilla<br />
(Husqvarna) taking the lead from Barreda who was penalised<br />
for fuelling at the wrong place , dropping him back to seventh<br />
place overall. A 30th place for Crosbie meant a jump to 44th<br />
place while Joey jumped 12 places to the 106th place overall.<br />
Thomas fell back somewhat and was now 67th.<br />
Laia-Sanz<br />
Stage 5:<br />
Another long special stage (447 kilometres) with Sunderland<br />
winning for the first time this year and moving into the top<br />
spot on the overall standings. It was also the stage where SA<br />
rider David Thomas crashed at a high speed and broke his<br />
leg quite badly. Joey Evans got to him and assisted him until<br />
he was airlifted to hospital. Joey continued the race with<br />
Davids tribute sticker to his deceased brother Justin on his<br />
bike. David and Justin were going to race Dakar together.<br />
“My dream of completing Dakar is still the first thing that<br />
comes to mind every morning as I wake up and look down<br />
at my broken leg,” says David. About his crash he said: “It<br />
was a tricky fast road with blind summits. The weather had<br />
suddenly turned really bad and I think ice was forming on the<br />
road. It was a high altitude stage and it happened so quickly.<br />
I did absolutely everything I could to keep it upright, but<br />
once I left the road into the rocks, there was nothing more I<br />
could do.” “I am determined now more than ever to recover<br />
well and get myself to the start of Dakar 2018. My Dakar was<br />
short, but full of unforgettable memories and experiences<br />
you only gain by getting to the start line of Dakar,” he said.<br />
Stage 6:<br />
Stage Six was cancelled, but it was still a long ride – and<br />
drive – to the overnight bivouac and the rest day… time<br />
to catch up and rest while the mechanics gave the bike a<br />
proper overhaul. The conditions were terrible due to the rain,<br />
the camp was a quagmire and the mechanics had to find a<br />
dry spot to work on the machines.<br />
Joey tackled the second half of his Dakar from the 102nd<br />
place overall while Vince was now in 42nd place overall.<br />
Botswana’s Vincent Crosbie<br />
The mighty Joey Evans...<br />
C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
CM<br />
MY<br />
CY<br />
CMY<br />
K<br />
Stage 7:<br />
Stage seven was also shortened and this time Ricky Brabec<br />
(Honda) took his first victory, but a third place for Sunderland<br />
resulted in him moving back into the lead with Quintanilla<br />
now second. Vince finished in an excellent 25th place (he<br />
stayed 42nd overall) while Joey was 104th (and remained in<br />
the 102nd place).<br />
20 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
Husky’s Ondrej Klymciw<br />
Stage 8:<br />
Stage eight was modified and shortened<br />
with Honda’s Barreda Bort, whose team<br />
was fighting his penalty, becoming<br />
the first rider to take a second victory.<br />
Sunderland finished third and remained<br />
the leader while both Joey and Vince<br />
moved up a few places.<br />
Stage 9:<br />
Then Stage Nine was cancelled.<br />
With only three days to go, Barreda took<br />
Stage 10 (a long 750 kilometres with 450<br />
racing kilo’s). By now Sunderland must<br />
have realised that a first Dakar victory<br />
was on the cards and he played it safe<br />
to finish 12th. Crosbie was flying and a<br />
33rd place resulted in him moving into the<br />
thirties (38th place).<br />
It was a tough day for Joey who injured<br />
his knee ligaments during the first half<br />
of the Dakar and had to strap it every<br />
day. He fell twice and damaged his front<br />
wheel, but still finished 98th.<br />
What a stage the penultimate stage<br />
was! Barreda took the victory of this<br />
760km stage (300km special stage).<br />
But there was bad news for Evans who<br />
found himself stuck in fesh-fesh (the thick,<br />
powdery dust) and ended up having his<br />
bike run over by a car! He managed to roll<br />
out of the way and was unscathed. His<br />
bike was badly damaged with the exhaust<br />
flattened and pressed into the rear tyre;<br />
the front fuel tank was broken off and the<br />
fuel spilt out and his navigation tower was<br />
damaged. He lost an hour fixing it as best<br />
as he could and slowly got going again<br />
Later he came across an abandoned<br />
bike – the rider had been airlifted after he<br />
crashed and broke his arm – and Joey<br />
‘borrowed’ parts to fix his bike. He got to<br />
the finish at 2:15am. You can’t take these<br />
South Africans anywhere! What a story he<br />
has for his grandkids one day!<br />
Barreda took yet another victory with<br />
Sunderland finishing fifth – and keeping<br />
his overall lead. Vince was 28th and<br />
moved to the 35th place on the overall<br />
standings.<br />
With a long 722 kilometres to go – and<br />
only 64 to race – it was time for the last<br />
day of the 2017 Dakar Rally and the riders<br />
started in the reverse order.<br />
Joey was late for the start but finished<br />
his Dakar Dream in 93rd place overall<br />
while Vince was 36th overall and 16th in<br />
the Rookie Class.<br />
Sam Sunderland became the first Britt<br />
to win the Dakar Rally – it was also the<br />
first time that he has completed the Dakar<br />
Rally. Sunderland’s been in the fray for<br />
a while now, and has shown flashes of<br />
brilliance in the past, but hasn’t actually<br />
finished a Dakar until this year. You have<br />
to hand it to him – that’s finishing in style.<br />
Taking his KTM 450 to task for a total time<br />
of 32 hours, six minutes and 22 seconds,<br />
Sunderland beat teammate Matthias<br />
Walkner by more than half an hour overall<br />
to claim victory.<br />
Walkner finished second, his first finish<br />
after three tries.<br />
The privateer KTM rider, Gerard Farres,<br />
was third and rounded off an all KTM<br />
podium. Adrien van Beveren (Yamaha) was<br />
fourth with Barreda Bort (Honda) rounding<br />
off the top five.<br />
This is KTM’s 16th successive Dakar win.<br />
Of the 144 motorcycles who started the<br />
race, 110 reached the Rest Day and 97<br />
made it to the finish line.<br />
Three Ladies finished in the motorcycle<br />
category with the Spaniard, Laia Sanz<br />
(KTM) finishing 16th. Her seventh meadal.<br />
Nani Roma’s wife, Rosa Font, completed<br />
the Dakar for the third time in 80th<br />
and the Russian Anastasiya Nifontova<br />
(Husqvarna) was 75th in her first Dakar.<br />
The Estonian, Toomas Triisa (who came<br />
here to race the Roof two years ago), won<br />
the Malles-Moto category and finished<br />
30th overall.<br />
Husky’s Ondrej Klymciw<br />
Sherco has made big inroads<br />
at events like Dakar.<br />
22 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
Sam Sunderland 2017 Dakar winner<br />
Matthias Walkner
Lyndon Poskitt’s malles moto entry into this unassisted<br />
class is quite interesting…<br />
Poskitt started riding when he was 10 years old and<br />
competed in seven different types of bike disciplines before<br />
2012 when he got involved with rallies. In 2013 he entered<br />
Dakar (his dad was his mechanic) and finished 46th. Then<br />
it became a bigger adventure. He went home and sold all<br />
his possessions, converted an old 690 rally bike into an<br />
adventure bike and set off around the world on his ‘Races to<br />
Places’ mission. He has now raced at least one major rally<br />
on all non-polar continents of the world and has competed<br />
in five major international rallies on four different continents,<br />
all except one of them on the very same, converted KTM 690<br />
Factory Rally.<br />
He says: ““It is amazing how much you can raise just by<br />
selling all the junk you’ve amassed over the years. The only<br />
things I couldn’t bring myself to part with was the KTM 450<br />
on which I finished the Dakar in 2013, a 950 KTM Adventure<br />
that I’ve done about 160,000 kilometres on and, of course the<br />
690 which I’ve used on Races to Places. So far that particular<br />
bike has raced the Dakar Rally and covered over 150,000<br />
kilometres in 45 different countries. My original idea was to<br />
rebuild my old Dakar 2013 bike and use it for the race but my<br />
internet activity over recent years has drawn a bit of attention<br />
to what I’ve been up to and attracted an opportunity that<br />
allowed me to acquire a new 2017 KTM 450 RR. I’ve only<br />
ridden it 200 kilometres so far but it is a fabulous machine.”<br />
Visit his website (www.adventure-spec.com/blog/blog/<br />
category/lyndon-poskitt) to read about his adventures.<br />
A very happy Anasta<br />
Anastasiya Nifontova<br />
Quads:<br />
This year, for the first time in a while, there were no SA riders<br />
in the quad category. 37 quads started the race this year.<br />
There were a few favourites, like Brazil’s Marcelo Medeiros,<br />
the Argentine Pablo Copetti, Chile’s Ignacio Casale and the<br />
Russian Sergey Karyakin as well as experienced riders like<br />
Rafal Sonik and and Joseph Macachek – all on Yamaha<br />
Raptors. 22 made it to the finish with the Karyakin taking<br />
his first victory (he was fourth last year). He was followed<br />
by Casale and Copetti for an all Yamaha podium and Sonik<br />
finishing fourth.<br />
The French lady, Camelia Liparotti finished her ninth Dakar<br />
and was 13th for the third time.<br />
Side By Sides:<br />
Leandro Torres and co-driver Lourival Roldan have become<br />
the very first Dakar SSV class winners, taking the 2017 title in<br />
their factory Xtreme Plus Polaris RZR1000XT machine, by an<br />
impressive 4h 42m.<br />
One of five Polaris crews to enter the world’s toughest<br />
race, Torres and Roldan dominated the second half of Dakar<br />
2017, gradually extending their lead over fellow Polaris<br />
crews, after all other rival manufacturer teams retired before<br />
the mid-point rest day.<br />
Brazilian winner Torres commented, “It is only my second<br />
Dakar and I only started in cross country rallying just last<br />
year. Now I take the victory of the first edition of the SSV<br />
category in the Dakar and this is incredible. My dream has<br />
come true.” “It was hard, but very different compared to last<br />
year. I was more aggressive and I adored the special stages<br />
with the many surface changes. The road connections were<br />
tough too, as they were long and temperatures ranged from<br />
five to 50 degrees. It was tough, but to win the Dakar is just<br />
incredible.”<br />
Mao Ruijin in his Dakar RZR<br />
24 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
PivotWorks End Wld April ’11 3/14/11 9:54 AM Pag
Giniel de Villiers Gazoo Racing<br />
Cars:<br />
In the vehicle category, the South Africanbuilt<br />
Toyota Hilux bakkies did quite well<br />
despite their normally aspirated petrol<br />
engines struggling with a loss of power<br />
at high altitudes where the turbodiesel<br />
Peugeots had a blast.<br />
Three Hilux bakkies finished in the top<br />
nine – the Spaniard, Nani Roma, was<br />
fourth, Giniel de Villiers and his German<br />
navigator, Dirk von Zitzewitz was fifth<br />
(they had navigation issues and a few<br />
flat tyres) while the Zimbabwian, Conrad<br />
Rautenbach and his Jo’burg navigator,<br />
Rob Howie, was ninth. Rautenbach won<br />
the best rookie as he competed in his first<br />
ever Dakar.<br />
The race was won by six time<br />
motorcycle winner, Stephane Peterhansel<br />
(Peugeot) who took his seventh victory<br />
in the car category at his 28th Dakar!<br />
His team-mate and multiple World Rally<br />
Champion, Sebastian Loeb came in<br />
second and former multiple motorcycle<br />
winner, Cyril Depres took third.<br />
The Neil Woolridge built Ford Ranger<br />
was 20th.<br />
In the truck category, the Pretoria<br />
technician, Sean Berriman, was in the<br />
MAN assistance truck that completed the<br />
race in 36th place.<br />
What a race! Great entertainment for<br />
the start of the year! Seldom has there<br />
been so much hype around this event.<br />
Roll on 2018!!<br />
SA Cars arriving at the Dakar<br />
Hanse Stacey<br />
26 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
28 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
Classic<br />
TRIALS BIKE<br />
THE TY250 TWINSHOCK<br />
The other day on one of the rides we went along on, we noticed this rare old bike in immaculate<br />
condition playing around on the trails. We discovered that it belongs to friends of ours, so we got in<br />
touch with George and asked for the story behind it… Words: Roley Foley Pics: Zenon<br />
This particular motorcycle is a 1975 Yamaha TY250B model 493.<br />
George and his boys felt a little guilty about always having fun on<br />
the rides and his wife, Maria, only being a back-up driver. So they<br />
decided to look for an easy to ride bike that is low enough for her<br />
and also for the boys to learn how to ride a 2 wheeler.<br />
He then remembered his old TY250. It was left abandoned on his<br />
father’s plot about 22 years ago after getting damaged in a fall.<br />
After moving out, getting married and having kids, the bike was<br />
almost forgotten.That’s when the idea came to restore it. The family<br />
finished it just in time for Maria’s birthday in March 2015.<br />
Both the boys have learned to ride 2 wheelers on it as well as<br />
some of their cousins and friends. And the boss, Maria rides it too. It<br />
has matching frame and engine numbers<br />
It is painted in the similar colours and pattern as the original<br />
factory colours of the TY250B model 493.<br />
The motorcycle is almost 100% original excepting for some hard<br />
to find components.
Here’s a bit of info on the bike.<br />
The TY stands for “Trials Yamaha”. It was specifically designed<br />
and built to take part in the European Trials championship. At<br />
the time it was marketed as Yamaha’s first slow bike.<br />
It was produced from 1972 to 1981<br />
1968: A standard Yamaha <strong>DT</strong>250 is entered into the<br />
European Trial Championship in Montbeliard France, ridden by<br />
Swiss Hasler.<br />
1970: Christian Rayer, six times French trials champion<br />
suggests to Jean-Claude Olivier from Yamaha France the idea<br />
of a Trials Yamaha.<br />
1971: Christian Rayer, is contracted by the Japanese to help<br />
develop a prototype Trials Yamaha. This photo shows Christian<br />
in 1971 on a prototype trials he developed using a Yamaha 350<br />
engine.<br />
1972: Christian Rayer receives the first factory built TY 250.<br />
1973: TY250 launched globally as a production Trials<br />
Motorcycle.<br />
1973: Yamaha recruits Mick Andrews, nicknamed ‘Magical<br />
Mike’, 5 times winner of the Scottish Six Days Trial and twice<br />
European champion. Mick Andrews continues the development<br />
of the TY with Japanese engineers for the next 6 years. This<br />
photo shows Mick Andrews riding a TY250 in Japan.<br />
1981: Yamaha TY250 Twin Shock is discontinued and<br />
replaced by the TY250 Monoshock. This photo shows the 1983<br />
TY250 Monoshock.<br />
The basic TY250 Specs<br />
· 246cc Single cylinder 2 stroke, 17hp<br />
· Weight 85kg in Trials version. 93kg in street version.<br />
· 5 speed gearbox with ratios specially selected for trails<br />
competition by ‘Magical Mike’<br />
· Max speed 110km/h with street reduction of 53/17 on the<br />
sprockets. Trials reduction was 53/12.<br />
· Left rear swing arm houses an oil reservoir with automatic<br />
chain oiler.<br />
· Many parts such as the hubs, brakes, engine covers and fuel<br />
tank are manufactured out of magnesium to reduce weight.<br />
30 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
COMPETITION EXTENDED!!!<br />
Yamaha Launches bLU cRU<br />
The Yamaha lifestyle package.<br />
So, what is bLU cRU YAMAHA?<br />
bLU cRU Yamaha is a massive, nationwide, Dealer and Yamaha SA driven, membership<br />
programme for all Yamaha YZ, WR, and FX customers. Membership is free for all that<br />
purchase a new YZ, WR or FX model via accredited Yamaha dealerships, but is deemed<br />
as highly aspirational to the customer, and has a true sense of “belonging” to the Yamaha<br />
family. Great initiative!<br />
bLU cRU Yamaha membership provides the customer with all sorts of cool stuff:<br />
* Free custom designed bLU cRU Yamaha T-Shirt (additional stock available for purchase).<br />
* Free custom designed bLU cRU Yamaha Hoodie (additional stock available for purchase).<br />
* Free bLU cRU Yamaha decals (additional stock available for purchase).<br />
* Free Yamalube care pack.<br />
* Free membership to bLU cRU Yamaha, with a virtual membership card.<br />
* Enquire at your favourite Yamaha dealership about instore discounts and special deals.<br />
* Dealer showroom and workshop based support, with great service.<br />
* And the racing guys and gals will smile - trackside based support at club and regional<br />
racing (very dealer driven) as well as National racing (both YDSA and dealer driven).<br />
* Two national major events, one of them being the Roof of Africa, will be selected, and<br />
Yamaha SA will provide full race support to any bLU cRU Yamaha rider racing these<br />
events. Here the member will feel factory. bLU cRU Yamaha technicians take care of all<br />
the bike preparation requirements during the multi day race, while the rider catches up<br />
on some shuteye. The customer only pays for the parts he uses. All labour, lubes, bike<br />
washes, tyre changes etc. are provided free of charge. Cool huh!<br />
* An invitation to an annual bLU cRU Yamaha weekend, exclusively for bLU cRU Yamaha<br />
members only, where lots of riding, fun, partying, prizes are the order of the weekend.<br />
For more information, please contact your local Yamaha Dealer.<br />
WIN WITH bLU cRU<br />
Following the fantastic response to the last Blu Cru competition, Yamaha has decided to do it all again<br />
– and we already have a lot of entries. Just send your pic of you and your Yamaha to foleyg@mweb.<br />
co.za – we might just publish it – and you might just win.<br />
All you have to do is send us a pic of yourself on your Yamaha - wheelie, stoppie or even a crash.<br />
1st Place:<br />
Yamaha Pro300<br />
head phones<br />
1st Place: Yamaha Pro300 head phones – blue in colour. 2nd place: Yamaha wrist watch – black in<br />
colour.Yamaha will select the winning pictures and announce the winners in our May issue.<br />
2nd place:<br />
Yamaha<br />
wrist watch
Ride Impressions:<br />
We popped through to their place to<br />
check the bike out and take a quick ride…<br />
the first issue was to get it started – 15<br />
dozen odd kicks and the owner arrived<br />
home and started it first try. Gosh…<br />
Guys and Gals – did you ever own one<br />
of those chopper bicycles back in the day.<br />
The whole seating position is kinda like<br />
that – laid back with ape hangar like bars<br />
and chilled posture. It’s like stepping back<br />
a bit to a time when neighbourhoods were<br />
terrorised by the bike brigades.<br />
The two stroke mill is easy to start and<br />
burbles along quietly. Remember – old<br />
school – air cooled and large in size. The<br />
seat is made for - well short rests – the<br />
bike is undoubtedly a stand up machine.<br />
The whole bike is very narrow. The pegs<br />
are kinda skinny… were we to buy one<br />
to live with wider pegs would be the first<br />
addition. Other than that, the bike is pretty<br />
straightforward and we love the classic<br />
old school styling.<br />
First gear is strong and very low – this is<br />
where we spent most of our time messing<br />
about at a rocky little place we know.<br />
Very soft power delivery. The bike is well<br />
balanced, you point at a ledge, open the<br />
throttle and the trials tyres propel you up<br />
in a hurry. You can put along in first doing<br />
tight turns and hoiking up the front wheel,<br />
enormous fun. Hit the open trails and we<br />
saw a top speed close to the 90kph mark<br />
so she’s no slouch and even though this<br />
bike is almost as old as the guy riding it,<br />
it feels fresh and is tremendous fun. Don’t<br />
push your luck though – drum brakes do<br />
not give the positive feedback that you’ve<br />
come to appreciate with modern discs –<br />
and the suspension… well it is nearly forty<br />
years young.<br />
It’s fantastic to see old bikes like these<br />
still running about. If you thought that<br />
KTM was on to something with their<br />
Freeride –Yamaha already did it years<br />
ago. This one is still ridden regularly –<br />
and although it is already in fairly pristine<br />
condition, plans are afoot to get it back to<br />
brand new condition…<br />
George Abehlo and his bike...<br />
Christian Rayer<br />
Mick Andrews<br />
The whole family climbed in...<br />
32 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
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For more information visit<br />
www.dmd.co.za or call<br />
011 792 7691 for your<br />
nearest Octane Dealer.<br />
Prices include vat. E&OE
FITNESS GOALS<br />
G e t t h e m o s t o u t o f y o u r R i d i n g f o r 2 0 1 7<br />
In the pursuit of improved riding performance, it’s important to utilize every training method at your<br />
disposal. Too many riders get stuck on a single technique such as weight training or dig themselves into a<br />
rut by thinking to ride for hours on end is enough – unfortunately it’s not. Words & Pics: Mandy Thomas<br />
To get the most out of your riding<br />
you need to step outside of your fitness<br />
comfort zone and seek fresh, dynamic<br />
programs. The answer is cross-training,<br />
as it draws from a variety of disciplines<br />
and incorporates them into vigorous<br />
and productive workouts. This training<br />
method combines several different<br />
workout strategies (i.e. body building,<br />
track and field, and boxing) in a single,<br />
comprehensive training session.<br />
The benefits of cross-training:<br />
• Conditioning: By performing a variety<br />
of exercises from different disciplines,<br />
you are asking more of your body than<br />
with a traditional, straight-forward<br />
approach. The increased workload and<br />
variety of movements cause your fitness<br />
levels to grow. Cross-training workouts<br />
aren’t tailored to a single goal, such as<br />
gaining strength or getting faster, but<br />
cater to all these needs simultaneously.<br />
With cross-training, it’s possible to gain<br />
muscle, lose fat, increase stamina all in a<br />
single workout.<br />
• Injury Prevention: Often when guys<br />
get injured through exercise, it’s because<br />
they are excessively doing a single<br />
activity. Joints, ligaments, muscles and<br />
tendons are under a tremendous amount<br />
of stress though repeated movement, and<br />
it’s important to give them the occasional<br />
break. By mixing up your training you<br />
give the over-used parts of your body<br />
a chance to rest and the under-used a<br />
chance to strengthen and catch-up.<br />
• Active Recovery: Active recovery<br />
is when you do an alternative type of<br />
training to recover from your primary<br />
training method. For instance, I might<br />
give my riders swimming mixed with<br />
isometric exercises to actively recover<br />
from their high intensity sessions building<br />
up to a race. Doing this actually speeds<br />
up recovery by increasing blood flow and<br />
the delivery of nutrients to stressed or<br />
damaged muscle tissue.<br />
• Mental Stimulation: The variety of<br />
exercises and training methods used in<br />
cross-training keeps the body guessing<br />
and the mind interested. No two<br />
workouts are the same with the variety<br />
stemming not only from the different<br />
disciplines but also the format of how the<br />
sessions are brought together.<br />
Try this sample Base Fit cross-training<br />
program to kick-start your new routine<br />
for 2017.<br />
1 High Knees 50 (total reps)<br />
2 Narrow Push Ups 20<br />
3 Hip Flexor Pikes 10 (per leg)<br />
4 Lateral Lunge Single Press 10 (per side)<br />
Do exercise 1 only. Then repeat exercise<br />
1 but add exercise 2. Then do exercise 1,<br />
2 and 3. Finish with exercise 1, 2, 3 and 4.<br />
Then move on to the next 4 exercises.<br />
5 RDL’s 10 (per leg)<br />
6 Bicycles 10 (per side)<br />
7 Side Bridge Hold with Front raises 10<br />
(per side)<br />
8 Reverse Lunge Bicep Curl 10 (per leg)<br />
Do exercise 5 only. Then repeat exercise<br />
5 but add exercise 6. Then do exercise 5,<br />
6 and 7. Finish with exercise 5, 6, 7 and 8.<br />
Elisa Gianchino<br />
(MTB and Olympic<br />
Gold Medallist)<br />
Lodewyk Jansen<br />
van Vuuren (Enduro)<br />
HIGH KNEES: (Hip Flexors, Cardio)<br />
This is a high knee action jog on the spot.<br />
Hold your hands out in front of you hip<br />
height and try to get your knees to touch<br />
your hands with each step action.<br />
NARROW PUSH UPS (Core, Triceps)<br />
Go into the push-up position on your hands and your feet, but place your hands directly<br />
underneath your shoulders. Drop your body towards the floor by bending your arms (as<br />
you would a normal push-up), but make sure your elbows are tucked in and brush up<br />
against your sides as you lower your body (do not let them flare out to the side)<br />
34 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
Kirsten Landman<br />
(Enduro)<br />
BICYCLES (Core)<br />
Lying on your back in the crunch position, bring your left elbow<br />
to meet your right knee across your body. Your right elbow is<br />
back towards the floor and your left leg is outstretch just over<br />
floor; Now switch to bring your right elbow to your left knee,<br />
while stretching out your right leg and left elbow.<br />
HIP FLEXOR PIKES (Core, Hip Flexors)<br />
Hold your hips up off the floor with your hands on a step. Keeping your legs straight lift<br />
one leg as high as you can and hold that position for 1 second. Repeat on the other side.<br />
SIDE BRIDGE HOLD WITH FRONT RAISES<br />
Hold the side bridge position. Keeping your free arm straight<br />
while holding a weight, touch the ground in front of your<br />
chest, then lift the weight back up again (keep your arm<br />
straight the entire time).<br />
LATERAL LUNGE WITH SINGLE PRESS (Shoulders, core, quads, hamstrings, balance)<br />
Hold a dumbbell at shoulder height in your right hand. Lunge laterally to the right<br />
keeping the dumbbell shoulder height. As you return, bringing your feet together, do a<br />
single shoulder press. Repeat all reps on one side before working the other side.<br />
REVERSE LUNGES WITH BICEP CURLS (Legs and Biceps)<br />
Holding a dumbbell in each hand, take a large step backward<br />
into the lunge position. As you step backwards do a bicep curl.<br />
Ensure each lunge and bicep curl are performed simultaneously.<br />
Dwayne Kleinhans<br />
(Enduro)<br />
ROMANIAN DEADLIFTS (RDL) (Lower back, glutes, hamstrings)<br />
Reach for the floor with both hands while lifting your right leg up behind, keeping both<br />
legs straight. When your torso and right leg are parallel to the floor, stand back up straight.<br />
If you have any questions regarding your fitness<br />
training or need assistance putting a plan together for<br />
the year please e-mail me on mandy@basefit.co.za.<br />
Mandy Thomas – BASE FIT<br />
www.basefit.co.za<br />
DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017 3 5
BLAKE<br />
GUTZEIT
Off-road worktools<br />
Clive strugnell Pics Kyle “digger” Lawrenson<br />
STOUTA KUBOTA<br />
THE UNDERGROUND KUBOTA RTV 900 XT SIDE BY SIDE.<br />
South Africans are renowned for being<br />
able to “maak n plan” and pioneering<br />
many solutions to complex problems.<br />
This is especially true in the mining<br />
industry, where we are world leaders<br />
in deep underground mining expertise.<br />
Of course we have to thank the gold<br />
and diamond mining industries for<br />
this. One of the aspects of mining<br />
where we also lead the World is<br />
in mining safety. Considering the<br />
thousands of underground workers<br />
and the number of hours they toil<br />
at the rock face our safety record is<br />
second to none.<br />
Deep down in the bowels of the<br />
earth one of the most important tasks<br />
is getting equipment, technicians<br />
and all sorts of other supplies like<br />
explosives from the shafts to the<br />
rock face. This is a very complex<br />
issue because of the layout of a deep<br />
level mine. Hundreds of kilometers<br />
of tunnel fan out from the shafts<br />
leading to the surface. Everything<br />
in these tunnels has to be brought<br />
from the surface..personnel, air,<br />
water, equipment, supplies and<br />
much more. Originally all of this was<br />
carried down in the “Cage” and then<br />
either physically carried or loaded<br />
onto wheeled trolleys. Nowadays<br />
everything is mechanised, and a<br />
surprising number of vehicles are<br />
used underground.<br />
Side-by-sides have proved ideally<br />
suited for these tasks. In particular the<br />
new Kubota RTV 900XT diesel is one<br />
of the best, with several hundred now<br />
in operation around the country. This<br />
Kubota has several features which<br />
make it ideal for many underground<br />
38 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
SA’S LARGEST<br />
BATTERY<br />
SUPPLIER<br />
BATTERIES<br />
CTEK CHARGERS<br />
ADVENTURE BIKE TECH 011 609 3904<br />
BIKING ACCESSORIES 012 342 7474<br />
BIKING BRAKPAN 011 744 4660<br />
CAYANNE 011 462 4390<br />
CENTURION YAMAHA 012 661 6212<br />
CYTECH 011 433 8850<br />
EMD 012 667 1041<br />
EASTCOAST MOTORCYCLES 031 566 3024<br />
FACTORY RACING 011 867 0092<br />
FULL THROTTLE 011 452 2397<br />
FAST BIKES 015 297 8601<br />
DEALERS NATIONWIDE<br />
FOURWAYS MOTORCYCLES 011 465 1540<br />
GAME SERVICES 011 425 1084<br />
GPS 4 AFRICA 082 412 9359<br />
HOLESHOT 011 826 5163<br />
JUST BIKE TYRE 012 661 3582<br />
KATAY RACING 011 475 9274<br />
KCR 011 795 5545<br />
LINEX YAMAHA 011 251 4000<br />
MOTOMATE 011 234 5274<br />
MOTOS KTM 018 468 8108<br />
MOTONETIX 011 805 5200<br />
NICK CYCLES 011 395 2553<br />
NS 2 STROKE 011 849 8495<br />
OFF ROAD CYCLES 012 333 6443<br />
POWERSPORT 011 894 2111<br />
PUZEY 011 795 4122<br />
RANDBURG MOTORCYCLES 011 792 6829<br />
RAD KTM 011 608 3006<br />
RACEWORX KTM 011 027 8762<br />
RUSSEL CAMPBELL 011 452 0504<br />
SHIMWELLS YAMAHA 011 362 2182
tasks. As delivered from the Kubota Tractor<br />
company in Japan it is an excellent base vehicle.<br />
It has a powerful diesel engine of just under<br />
900 cc, it has a unique fluid drive transmission<br />
system which can drive either the rear wheels<br />
or all four, and it has also has a unique braking<br />
system linked to the fluid drive transmission. In<br />
addition to driver controlled braking through the<br />
brake pedal, this side by side can only move if<br />
the transmission is engaged and the throttle is<br />
pressed. In any other mode there the wheels<br />
cannot turn. If the engine is off the vehicle cannot<br />
freewheel, so there is no chance of it running<br />
away down an incline. If the throttle is not<br />
pressed and the engine is idling the transmission<br />
will not deliver enough fluid to turn the wheels,<br />
so it cannot run away in that mode either.<br />
Although the standard RTV900XT is an<br />
excellent base vehicle the stringent requirements<br />
underground mean that it must be specially<br />
prepared for each of the specific tasks it must<br />
undertake.<br />
Maubra, one of the Kubota dealers in South<br />
Africa, specialises in designing and preparing<br />
them for underground use. Safety is of the<br />
utmost performance, and the base vehicle is<br />
fitted with a strengthened roll cage, special<br />
purpose front and rear steel bumpers, steel<br />
lattice driver and passenger doors, a full array<br />
of Led auxillary lights, including nautical style<br />
red and green side lights so that its’ direction of<br />
travel can be seen at a glance in the dark, and<br />
the entire floor surface in the cab and the load<br />
bed is coated with a rubberised non slip material.<br />
The minning unit that<br />
spends most of its life<br />
under ground...<br />
40 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
In addition to all of this every mine<br />
has a strictly enforced speed limit<br />
underground, with the fastest being<br />
15km/h, so Maubra govern them to<br />
the required limit. Thanks to the diesel<br />
engine there is no HT electricity powering<br />
the engine , and every other electrical<br />
component is insulated to prevent<br />
any chance of a spark igniting any<br />
combustible vapour underground.<br />
In this form the Kubota RTV900 XT is<br />
used as an underground utility vehicle.<br />
Maubra then modify them further for<br />
other specific tasks. For instance more<br />
safety precautions and extra equipment<br />
is fitted to one carrying explosives.<br />
There is a first aid version equipped to<br />
reach accident victims quickly, provide<br />
first response treatment and extract<br />
them from the area. In some mines the<br />
requirement is for all these vehicles, but<br />
the low roof of certain tunnels requires<br />
that the height of the vehicle must be less<br />
than 1.4m. In these cases Maubra modify<br />
the RTV 900 by lowering the floor-pan,<br />
the seats and the height of the roll cage.<br />
On comparing the price of a standard<br />
900 Kubota diesel side by side one is<br />
struck by the fact that they are close,<br />
if not more, than a small utility pick up<br />
truck in SA. So why would a farmer, a<br />
mine or even a factory buy a side by<br />
side instead of a bakkie? There are a<br />
couple of reasons. Firstly they tell us<br />
that long term maintenance and ease<br />
of maintenance of the Kubota side by<br />
side is far less than a bakkie. There is no<br />
clutch, no brakes pads or shoes and a<br />
very simple and rugged 3 cylinder diesel<br />
engine. Furthermore the Kubota is much<br />
simpler to operate, even a relatively<br />
inexperienced person can learn to drive it<br />
in minutes.<br />
So although out of sight is often out of<br />
mind, the Maubra Kubota side by sides<br />
are playing an important part in keeping<br />
one of the main contributors to our<br />
economy churning over every day…<br />
More info on the Kubota range: www.<br />
kubotasa.co.za<br />
The dash is clean and neat...<br />
Jaco and Kevin from Maubra.<br />
42 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
SPORTY. RELIABLE. EFFICENT.<br />
More Enjoyable<br />
MOTORCYCLES<br />
32 Hulbert Str<br />
New Centre<br />
Johannesburg<br />
011 493 6001<br />
www.senke.co.za
Y O S H I M U R A<br />
The Legend & the Brand<br />
It’s one of the biggest name brands in the motorcycling industry, and has a racing pedigree of the highest<br />
standards and it was all started by one man. Words: Clive Strugnell<br />
Once in a while, quite unintentionally,<br />
a man will have such an influence in his<br />
chosen world that he becomes a real<br />
legend….through his actions and his<br />
character. In motorcycling one name<br />
comes into mind instantly. Soichiro<br />
Honda. He didn’t set out to become<br />
famous, he just wanted to build a good<br />
motorcycle. Not far from where Honda<br />
lived (Japan is a small place) a man called<br />
Hideo Yoshimura plied his trade as an<br />
aircraft mechanic, which he had been<br />
trained to do in the Japanese air force<br />
towards the end of WW 2. After the war<br />
the American armed forced occupied<br />
Japan, and at the local air force base<br />
“Pops” Yoshimura started repairing<br />
motorcycles for American airmen based<br />
there. Being young, probably quite bored<br />
and living on a wide open airfield it’s just<br />
natural that they tore around the perimeter<br />
on their favourite BSA’s and Triumphs. In<br />
no time at all they found out that not only<br />
was Pops good at repairing their bikes, he<br />
knew how to make them go faster!<br />
It wasn’t long before Pops left the air<br />
force and in 1954 he opened his own<br />
motorcycle shop. His attempts at selling<br />
four BMW’s he imported failed miserably,<br />
but it wasn’t long before his tuning skills<br />
became well known. Probably because<br />
of the restraints of war he was incredibly<br />
clever at modifying standard parts to<br />
make motorcycles go faster. His wife and<br />
children were drafted into the business<br />
as it grew. Honda had started producing<br />
small motorcycles in 1948, and by<br />
the time the Yoshimura shop became<br />
a thriving business Honda models<br />
were becoming a familiar sight in his<br />
neighbourhood.<br />
Pops liked his American servicemen<br />
customers, and from them learned<br />
English, and heard about the famous<br />
Daytona 200 motorcycle race. In 1969<br />
Honda made history with their industry<br />
changing four cylinder superbike, the CB<br />
750, followed soon after by Kawasaki’s<br />
eye-opening 900 four. Right from the<br />
beginning Pops worked his magic on<br />
these bikes and when he arrived to<br />
open shop in Los Angeles in 1971 he<br />
was ahead of the game when it came to<br />
making them go faster. He was probably<br />
the first to fit tuned 4:1 exhaust systems<br />
in place of the standard four pipes on<br />
these early superbikes, and his favourite<br />
saying to customers as they wheeled their<br />
bikes out of his workshop with their new<br />
pipe in place was “Feel the Power”!<br />
In the early days in the USA Pops let his<br />
growing reputation do his marketing for<br />
him. It wasn’t long before he expanded<br />
his business and became the best known<br />
tuner and supplier of performance parts<br />
for Superbikes. By 1978 Yoshimura<br />
was regularly winning important races,<br />
including the iconic Daytona 200, and<br />
his expertise was sought after by the<br />
Japanese factories themselves. He<br />
became very much part of the Suzuki<br />
factory developed race bikes. One of the<br />
main reasons Yoshimura developed such<br />
a huge reputation was that Pops had an<br />
incredible work ethic…he either worked,<br />
worked some more at the racetrack, or<br />
slept. Like his compatriot Soichiro Honda<br />
he was old school Japanese…it had to be<br />
done properly or not at all. His reputation<br />
around the World grew, and in fact he has<br />
left a legacy in the company he founded<br />
which has never changed. Anyone who<br />
uses Yoshimura products will always<br />
“Feel the power”.<br />
Pops died of cancer in 1995.<br />
Fortunately his family, headed by his<br />
44 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com<br />
BUILT TO GO<br />
AS FAR AS YOU<br />
DARE TO TAKE<br />
Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations!<br />
The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.<br />
THE 2016 2-STROKE ENDURO MODEL RANGE.<br />
The joy of the ride is often in finding routes that nobody else has used – reaching<br />
destinations that few others would dare to aim for. The 2016 Husqvarna Motorcycles<br />
2-stroke enduro bikes rely on exceptional agility, a broad powerband and light<br />
weight – letting you easily explore wherever you choose to go.<br />
Photo: H. Mitterbauer<br />
FREESTATE - Husqvarna Central, Bloemfontein – (051) 430 1237<br />
MPUMALANGA - Vans Husqvarna, Middleburg – (013) 282 0766
son Fujio Yoshimura, has grown<br />
the business worldwide, with<br />
manufacturing plants of their own in<br />
the USA, Japan and Taiwan. They<br />
have close associations with<br />
several motorcycle manufacturers,<br />
and Yoshimura has developed race<br />
bikes win on race tracks around the<br />
World, including Motocross, Endurance<br />
racing, National Championships and<br />
more recently in Classic bike racing.<br />
Yoshimura is still recognised as the<br />
leading innovators in performance<br />
motorcycle exhaust technology.<br />
Here in South Africa Yoshimura<br />
enjoys the same reputation. Originally<br />
imported here in the late 1970’s, the<br />
brand really took off when Dirk du Plooy<br />
became the National distributor in 1991,<br />
with Yoshimura products becoming one<br />
of the mainstay brands of his company,<br />
TD Agencies. Dirk, once one<br />
of the fastest<br />
men in South<br />
African road<br />
racing,<br />
Apart from Yoshimura,<br />
TD Agencies also stock a<br />
full wide range of SHAD<br />
luggage systems.<br />
having won the SA National<br />
Championship on the most<br />
fearsome race bike on the planet<br />
at the time, a Yamaha TZ 750,<br />
has many of the same qualities<br />
that Pops himself infused into his<br />
products. He has a great work<br />
ethic, an unmatched knowledge of<br />
all things motorcycling and an impeccable<br />
reputation for his personal integrity.<br />
TD Agencies is now the oldest<br />
importers and distributors of motorcycle<br />
clothing and accessories in the country<br />
still being run by the original founder.<br />
That is some going in a notoriously fragile<br />
market where dealers, importers and<br />
distributors rely on the sales of new<br />
bikes. In fact TD Agencies is also<br />
the longest standing distributor of<br />
Yoshimura products in the world.<br />
Along with Yoshimura<br />
products, TD Agencies imports<br />
a number of other brands. like<br />
the IXS brand, Shad luggage<br />
products from Spain and the<br />
BMC airfilter range. These<br />
products are used Worldwide<br />
by championship winning<br />
race teams, so what better<br />
endorsement could anyone wish for?<br />
Visit their website for more detailed<br />
information on these and other<br />
products at www.tdagencies.co.za<br />
46 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
Classic<br />
Masterpiece<br />
On our visit to pro Dirt bike in Vereeniging, we noticed a very pretty Honda Lurking in the corner. We<br />
dragged it out into the sunshine and got the whole story…. Words: Roley Foley<br />
A CR144? Yup that’s what it’s labelled<br />
as. It started life as a very ratty, incomplete<br />
1989 CR125 that was lying in some old<br />
garage minus an engine. Honda Classic<br />
enthusiast Mark Rowntree scragged the<br />
chassis and started the rebuild… Around a<br />
year later, here’s the bike.<br />
Rebuild?<br />
It’s more like a remanufacture much like<br />
the big 500 that we featured a few months<br />
ago. Mark runs a very neat workshop that<br />
specialises in once off jobs. The entire<br />
chassis was stripped, the frame repaired<br />
and powder coated. All the bearings were<br />
bashed out and replaced. New wheels<br />
were sourced, anodised in the standard<br />
gold finish and re-laced.<br />
The suspension was stripped right<br />
down, new Racetech inners and seals<br />
fitted and reassembled.<br />
A new oversized disc was fitted and<br />
the standard calipers were completely<br />
overhauled and reconditioned. Every<br />
nut, bolt and screw on the bike was<br />
reconditioned, polished up or replaced<br />
with genuine Honda parts.<br />
Renthal bars found their way to the<br />
front with all standard levers and cables<br />
– and yup – you can still source parts for<br />
these old smokers. Mark had an old 125<br />
motor in the shop – this was stripped to<br />
the bones, completely rebuilt, new crank,<br />
new seals, new bearing and gearbox<br />
components and the top end was bored<br />
out with a 144cc Wiseco piston. He<br />
imported a 36ml Air Stryker carburettor –<br />
pre jetted for our altitude and the bore.<br />
Sprockets are by Talon and the fumes<br />
are delivered by a full FMF fatty pipe.<br />
48 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
Now for the clever stuff…<br />
Mark is a specialist builder – he has manufactured all sorts of<br />
bits and bobs for this bike. Aluminium air filter, aluminium 8 litre<br />
tank 9A –La VRP), all manufactured in the workshop. He also<br />
made the flywheel cover and chain guard, complete with the<br />
HRC logo and powder coated to look standard. He maintains<br />
that the metal covers are stronger, more durable and just as<br />
light as the standard Honda Fare. The overall finish is factory.<br />
So what’s it like to ride?<br />
Well – there’s the rub. This bike is not for riding. It’s got spark<br />
and all that, but it’s been sold to a collector. Now how cool<br />
would that bike be hanging up in the pub?<br />
082-333-5253<br />
Custom pressed covers<br />
Aluminium gas tank<br />
Custom made aluminium airbox<br />
50 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
NEW SHIPMENT HAS ARRIVED!<br />
NEW-LOOK PUMA 110 R10,199.00<br />
TSR250 R23,499.00<br />
TSR125 R21,499.00<br />
WHETHER YOU’RE IN THE DIRT<br />
OR IN THE TRAFFIC THIS YEAR,<br />
MAKE TRACKS<br />
WITH BIG BOY.<br />
• The “Best Ride For Your Rand” available<br />
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available to suit all tastes and skill levels<br />
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• Wide range of scooters, commuters, ATVs,<br />
pit bikes, commercial and utility models available<br />
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• Visit our website for more info on the full range: www.bigboy.co.za<br />
GraphicWerx Advertising cc<br />
TTR125S R13,499.00<br />
JNR90 R9,999.00<br />
REVIVAL 125 & 150<br />
R16,499.00<br />
RCT170 R14,499.00<br />
ADVENTURE 125/150<br />
R15,999.00<br />
GPR250RS R27,999.00<br />
HOTLINE: 011 794 6399 • www.bigboyscooters.co.za<br />
Prices include VAT and pre-delivery inspection only. Prices exclude licence, registration and any service costs unless specified.<br />
Prices are correct at the time of going to print and may change without notice due to currency fluctuations or at dealers who<br />
are located in outer-lying areas. All advertised models are available at the time of going to print unless specified.<br />
Train to win<br />
Join Big Boy on<br />
BBS D&T FEB '17 1<br />
Do you know what it<br />
really takes?<br />
2017/01/19 12:58 PM<br />
Bite the Bullet<br />
Train to ride - Train to win!<br />
FOURWAYS & HILLCREST: mandy@basefit.co.za<br />
Mandy Thomas: 082 461 1443<br />
CENTURION: centurion@basefit.co.za<br />
Lodewyk JV Vuuren: 072 343 2465<br />
Twitter: @base_fit<br />
Train to Win<br />
www.basefit.co.za
READERS RIDE<br />
52 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
The Roof on Honda<br />
Africa Twins<br />
Every year, we follow the Roof on big trailies. Cobus Raubenheimer and friends did the same this year.<br />
They tell us all about it. Words: Cobus Raubenheimer<br />
A lot has been said about the past 2016<br />
Motul Roof of Africa. Let’s be honest, over<br />
the years the race has had its fair share of<br />
controversy. Bearing in mind the history of<br />
the event, committing yourself to enter the<br />
Roof will have some risks. Nevertheless,<br />
as enduro enthusiast we want to go<br />
back for more. More adventure, more<br />
adrenaline. If you are not entering the<br />
Roof yourself or have to support a fellow<br />
rider, what’s the next best option? Take an<br />
adventure bike to Lesotho to experience<br />
the Roof of Africa in completely different<br />
way – and probably just as much fun…<br />
On Friday 2 December, myself, Cobus<br />
from Honda Wing Riverside based in the<br />
Vaal, Gert (farmer with a BMW 1200GS<br />
and KTM 990), Niekie (KTM 950 Super<br />
Enduro rider), and Heine from ADA (the<br />
guys in Magaliesburg giving adventure<br />
riding training), set off to experience<br />
Lesotho and parts of the Motul Roof of<br />
Africa from the comfort of 4 x Honda<br />
CRF1000 Africa Twins.<br />
The journey started from the rondevu<br />
point in Clarens, through Golden Gate<br />
National Park taking a jeep track turn-off<br />
just before Phudaditjaba and heading<br />
to the Monontsha border post. Just as<br />
everyone entered through the South<br />
African side of the gate, stopping in front<br />
of the Lesotho side border control, Heine<br />
said he had a flat tyre. Immediately, the<br />
BMW and KTM guys started talking<br />
about the disadvantages/advantages of<br />
tubeless vs tube tyres. Assistance was<br />
given to Heine to change the tube on<br />
his front wheel, and everyone started<br />
checking tyre pressures and what not….<br />
In the rush to get on the bikes in Clarens<br />
one or two important checks might have<br />
been overlooked. Sure enough, my front<br />
tyre was also only 1.3 bar and I hoped it<br />
wasn’t a slow puncture.<br />
After going through the Monontsha<br />
border post, the 4 adventure riders<br />
proceeded on a lovely winding dirt road<br />
following the Caledon river to Butha Buthe.<br />
Sure enough, my bike had a front flat. We<br />
pulled over underneath a rare Basotho<br />
willow tree and quickly repaired that.<br />
We set off again on the winding dirt<br />
road with everyone getting more used to<br />
the bike with the various traction control<br />
settings which a can be changed “on the<br />
fly”. As we descended from a small hill to<br />
a water crossing, my front tyre was flat<br />
again. Amazing how quickly one learns to<br />
change tyres with some repetition and we<br />
were off again in 10 minutes.<br />
DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017 5 3
The rest of the road to Butha Buthe was luckily uneventful<br />
and only pure adventure biking bliss dirt road riding. From<br />
Butha Butha we took the tar road through the Caledonspoort<br />
border gate and made our way to Ladybrand to the guest<br />
house where we stayed. I was concerned about finding a<br />
supermarket open after 17h00 in a small country town and<br />
pushed a little harder on the tar than normal.<br />
Just as we entered Ladybrand, I had another front flat, and<br />
we knew something was wrong. It must be an obstruction<br />
stuck on the inside of the tyre or another tyre problem. I limped<br />
the bike to the guest house where took time to investigate the<br />
front tyre condition more carefully. It turned out the standard<br />
Dunlop tyre had a pinch action from a blister and was grinding<br />
away the tube on the exact same spot each time. At the<br />
guesthouse where Niekie and Gert proceeded in getting a<br />
braai going and having some cold beers, myself and Heine had<br />
enough time to fix the tyre and tube permanently. Around the<br />
braai, there was obviously a lot of discussions around Africa<br />
Twin vs 1190 vs GS. At that stage, the general feeling from<br />
the KTM and BMW owner was still very much in favour of the<br />
German and Austrian manufacturer.<br />
54 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
PURE COMPETITION.<br />
HONDA CRF450R<br />
016 065-0322
The next day, Saturday 3 December,<br />
we set off early to see and experience<br />
some of the Roof adventure. Luckily<br />
Niekie knows the general area, towns and<br />
routes quite well, especially the location<br />
where he finished the Roof next to a<br />
toilet in 2012, so we were able to take<br />
some nice dirt roads to refuelling points.<br />
Exactly where we were, was somewhat<br />
debateable, but we ended up spending<br />
most of the day at a water crossing refuel<br />
point. Seeing Jarvis and Gomez coming<br />
through first with all the locals hot on their<br />
heels was awesome. How do you explain<br />
to someone the likes of Graham Jarvis<br />
riding his bike right in front of your eyes?<br />
It’s like watching Rossi live in action – the<br />
best in the world right on your doorstep.<br />
After having some leisure time in<br />
the river, a braai, and sharing some<br />
stories with fellow spectators, we set<br />
off to Bushmans to the start/finish. After<br />
two days of solid riding, everyone has<br />
become a lot more used to the Africa<br />
Twin and its handling – especially farmer<br />
Gert who lost it on one short rocky<br />
section and put the bike “gently” down<br />
on its side.<br />
At Bushmans, we made two more<br />
stops, the first stop just after the famous<br />
2012 “Finishing Toilet”, and second at<br />
one of the last climbs before the finish.<br />
Watching some of the weekend warriors<br />
sweating it out and reaching the finish<br />
gives one goose bumps and makes you<br />
seriously consider entering the Roof<br />
again. However, experiencing the beauty<br />
of Lesotho and some of the camaraderie<br />
from an Adventure bike perspective is<br />
very appealing as well.<br />
Saturday night at the dinner table at a<br />
restaurant across the road from the guest<br />
house, the Africa Twin, KTM and BMW<br />
debate were still going strong. However,<br />
there was a definite shift towards the Africa<br />
Twin as a very capable all round, value for<br />
money, adventure bike. Is it better than a<br />
KTM or BMW? In the end it depends on<br />
a couple of personal preferences, but it<br />
would be hard to beat as a true Adventure<br />
bike in African conditions.<br />
Unfortunately, all good things have to<br />
come to an end, and after a last gravel<br />
road detour from Ladybrand to Ficksburg,<br />
we reached Clarens where everyone<br />
headed home after a short, but fantastic<br />
Lesotho weekend.<br />
For more info on the Honda African<br />
Twin, please contact Honda Wing<br />
Riverside 016 065 0322<br />
56 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
READERS RIDE<br />
58 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
Yamaha 700<br />
Viking<br />
One of our readers tells us all about his SXS. Words: Brandon Leppan<br />
I’ve toyed with the idea of a UTV or side by side for quite<br />
some time now. I’ve done my time on the race track on my<br />
BMW S1000RR and I’ve spent quite a few years on the saddle<br />
of my LTZ. I wanted something that we could enjoy as a<br />
family - and that could also work for us as a work tool. I trolled<br />
the websites, read the magazine, looked at reviews from all<br />
over but could not quite find what I was after. Some of the<br />
performance machines are truly appealing, but the cost of the<br />
big guns with our Rand being what it is are kind of scary.<br />
I did not want to buy used - simply because I’m quite fussy<br />
about looking after my own stuff - and buying new, you are<br />
guaranteed that - bar a manufacturing default, you should<br />
have many hassle free kilometers.<br />
A friend of mine mentioned the 700 Viking, weird because<br />
it is a 3 seater, great because it is a known, reputable name<br />
brand. I remember reading something on this one in one of<br />
your issues, but I could not find it. We are a family of 3 so<br />
Either Michelle or I can drive with the little one safely strapped<br />
between us. The convincing factor was when we heard that<br />
Yamaha had dropped the price... from R299000 odd to 239.<br />
That’s huge. We headed straight for Linex (saw their ad in the<br />
mag) to place our order.<br />
DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017 5 9
Don’t get me wrong, that’s not chump change - but relatively<br />
speaking, this has to be the best value in SA at the moment.<br />
Naturally, waiting for the finance and all that to be approved<br />
kept the family on tenterhooks - the service from Linex was<br />
great, I was very impressed with Wesbank - all electronic and<br />
hassle free. Excellent.<br />
Our little one Abigail convinced us that we had to stop on the<br />
way home to take it for a spin on one of our friends farms.<br />
No Buyers remorse. Looking at the smile on her face is<br />
worth a million bucks. Safely strapped in between mom and<br />
dad and urging us to go faster... The Viking is pretty amazing.<br />
I am so impressed at the off-road ability - it was quite muddy<br />
out, and we aimed her at everything that we could find - she<br />
sailed through with absolute ease - and I have to say that the<br />
suspension and handling feels right up to the task.<br />
To be fair, because it is still brand new, I have not yet given<br />
her a proper burn, but the torque and smoothness through<br />
the rev range is very impressive. We have tried the 4wd and<br />
diff lock - and - it sure feels more capable than any bakkie I’ve<br />
owned... We spent the afternoon clambering in and out of a<br />
little quarry that we found.<br />
In terms of comfort, the seats are really soft and plush and<br />
the safety belts give that nice sense of security. the passengers<br />
have a grab handle in front for when the going gets rough - and<br />
the little doors do a great job at keeping arms and legs inside<br />
the vehicle.The roof is a bonus - we were caught out in the rain<br />
- and although you do get wet through the window - it helps. I<br />
wonder if we can get a screen somewhere.<br />
The “bak” out back is huge - I can see lots of family picnics<br />
and braais coming right up. Were I a farmer, I’d have one as a<br />
runabout - so much more convenient than clambering in and<br />
out of a bakkie - and there is a sense of freedom.<br />
Anyway - we thought you’d like to hear about it seeing that<br />
you guys are the only ones who cover this market. I’ll keep you<br />
posted from time to time on how it goes and we have a few<br />
plans for some bolt- on goodies.<br />
Thanks for a great Mag<br />
Brandon Leppan<br />
This one from Linex Yamaha - (011) 251-4000<br />
60 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
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ADVENTURE<br />
What’s the best<br />
ADVENTURE BIKE?<br />
The adventure bike market has exploded since Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman rode around the<br />
world on 1150cc juggernauts across rivers, down highways and through sand, mud and gravel. This set the<br />
scene for BMW to dominate the Adventure bike market. Words: <strong>DT</strong> Adventure team<br />
62 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
We often get the question – as the socalled<br />
experts – what’s the best adventure<br />
bike to buy? It’s not easy to answer<br />
so we went for a ride to look for some<br />
inspiration – which in turn led to a hearty<br />
debate recently on our trip out to Jericho<br />
Rock. 3 of us were on nimble little 650’s<br />
(a Husky Terra, an oldish GS650 Dakar<br />
and a Yammie XT660R). The other two<br />
riders were on a big BMW 1150GS and a<br />
Triumph 1200 Explorer.<br />
Guess who had the most fun in the<br />
thick sand? And we won’t even discuss<br />
who did not ride to the top of the rock…<br />
Why do you think Dakar bikes are limited<br />
to 450cc’s? but then - who enjoyed the<br />
open freeways more?<br />
Today there are adventure bikes from<br />
500cc with nothing more advanced than<br />
electric start through to 1290cc with<br />
more electronic gadgets than James<br />
Bond and Inspector gadget combined.<br />
Disregarding enduro bikes, we have<br />
counted 55 adventure models available<br />
globally, from Aprilia to Zero. If you<br />
include the Ural Ranger outfit, it’s 56, and<br />
if you just want some light dirt road riding,<br />
you should probably also include some<br />
of the scramblers. Soon there will be a<br />
couple of new adventure niches when<br />
Honda introduces its adventure scooter,<br />
Kawasaki the little Versys, Zuk has made<br />
the 250 V-strom and the BMW G 310 GS<br />
is on its way...<br />
IF the prices are right, these bikes<br />
should make the adventure market grow<br />
even more because they will appeal to<br />
less-skilled off-road riders, women and<br />
shorter people who are currently nervous<br />
about the tall, heavy and powerful<br />
adventure bikes. And they make great<br />
commuters to work and back.<br />
So what’s the best adventure bike?<br />
The bad news is the answer is not easy,<br />
but the good news is there is a bike<br />
available that will fit your exact needs,<br />
however, you should first seriously<br />
examine your off-road skills and your<br />
needs before walking into a dealer and<br />
thumping down your hard-earned shekels<br />
DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017 6 3
simply because Charley rode one, your buddy rides one, the<br />
sales person says it’s the one or simply because you’ve always<br />
wanted that brand.<br />
Interestingly, BMW openly admits that globally, about 90%<br />
of R 1200 GS owners never put knobby tyres on the bike and<br />
never even venture on to a dirt road, except for roadworks.<br />
Many of the bigger-capacity adventure bikes that come from<br />
Europe are really designed for riders to tackle cobblestone<br />
streets, rather than our brilliant South African off-road<br />
conditions.<br />
Here’s an interesting snippet - when London recently<br />
established a quick-response anti-terrorism group, they<br />
mounted them on BMW F 800 GS bikes to plough through the<br />
gridlock, over kerbs and down cobbled streets, rather than on a<br />
bigger cc adventurer.<br />
The essence of adventure riding is that you can tour to<br />
interesting places on the road less travelled. Roads that we are<br />
really blessed to enjoy in SA. Adventure bikes are a mixture<br />
of road and off-road with varying degrees of ability in each<br />
situation. If you want to go hard-core dirt riding, you’ll need a<br />
bakkie and an enduro bike.<br />
Adventure bike riding was created for riders who don’t<br />
want the hassle of servicing their bike every few hours and<br />
transporting it on a bakkie. Adventurers want to be able to<br />
walk out to their garage, hop on a bike and ride hundreds<br />
of kilometres on a highway in comfort and style, then hit the<br />
forestry roads and outback tracks before turning around<br />
and riding back down the highway, or maybe camping out<br />
overnight thanks to the generous luggage capacity of the bike.<br />
To determine the best bike for you, make a true confession to<br />
yourself about your off-road riding skills. The less experienced<br />
you are, the lighter the bike should be. In fact, to start off with,<br />
we suggest that you buy the lightest bike you can that will do<br />
all what you need.<br />
A bigger bike can be a handfull<br />
64 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
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Our Motley Crew debate in full swing...<br />
Do NOT be peer-pressured into buying<br />
a massive machine! Sadly, in South Africa<br />
we have lost some great new models<br />
like the Kawasaki KLR650, the Honda<br />
XR and the Suzuki DR. This is thanks<br />
to some clever oakes who decided that<br />
they did not meet South Africa’s stringent<br />
Emission control laws. Yup we are being<br />
sarcastic… but there are some very wellpriced<br />
used units lurking all over.<br />
If you are just getting into the game, we<br />
suggest perhaps looking at a more cost<br />
effective used machine to start with, see<br />
if the bug bites and then go and look at<br />
what you decide will work.<br />
There are lots of riders who bought<br />
big and are now down-sizing because<br />
they can’t handle the weight. That’s why<br />
BMW has nine GS models from 650cc<br />
to 1200cc – and the aforementioned<br />
310 is on the way. That’s why KTM is<br />
developing smaller cc bikes. Triumph<br />
introduced the 800, Yamaha has the 660,<br />
Suzuki the 650 V-Strom, Husky the 701…<br />
You get the gist?<br />
However – and people forget this it<br />
also works the other way round– they buy<br />
small and then need bigger because the<br />
nearest and dearest wants to come along.<br />
Will you be riding solo – or with your<br />
buddy out back.<br />
It’s difficult to get former road riders<br />
to go down in capacity (In SA, bigger<br />
is better?) because they think a smaller<br />
bike will be uncomfortable on the tar<br />
transport stages to the dirty weekend<br />
fun. Many of the modern smallercapacity,<br />
single-cylinder bikes have<br />
comfortable seats, wind protection and<br />
balancers in the engine.<br />
More than proving their off-road ability,<br />
bikes like the XT660 have proved that<br />
they are comfortable on the highway. The<br />
only down side is that sustained high<br />
speeds are not always practical. That’s<br />
where you want that big ass 1190R or<br />
maybe the delectable Multistrada…<br />
Work out what percentage of the<br />
time you will be on the tar and what<br />
percentage you will be on the dirt and<br />
then go find the bike that is best suited<br />
to that mix. Also work out what KIND of<br />
dirt you are going to be riding… Will you<br />
be riding solo – or with your other half out<br />
back – in which case – a 650 might just<br />
not be the right tool for the job.<br />
Don’t worry, there is one out there to<br />
suit your needs.<br />
That’s the best adventure bike for you!<br />
Big or small... Your choice<br />
66 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
save the<br />
dates<br />
We are going to keep you busy in 2017!!!<br />
Here is the Plan for the first half of the new year...<br />
Save the dates... Social off road rides all over!! All welcome.<br />
Weekend of the 27th of January : Waterberg Mountain Ride.<br />
A firm favourite with fantastic loops through the bushveld and farmlands<br />
in Mookgepong which used to be Naboomspruit. Full package<br />
or self-catering... Bookings are open, drop us a mail, we’ll send it<br />
along.<br />
Day Ride Feb 25th (Saturday) :<br />
On the farms out near Parys. Brilliant mountain loops, fast flowing<br />
stuff an awesome day out...<br />
Weekend of the March 31st : Volksrust.<br />
It is spectacularly beautiful, great accommodation, awesome<br />
chows... come join the fun.<br />
April 27th - 30th : Swazi Mangala.<br />
A new trip on the calendar Two and a bit days of riding through<br />
the kingdom of Swaziland. School holidays. travel down on the<br />
27th freedom day. Full days riding Friday the 28th, Sat the 29th.<br />
Travel home on the 30’th and take the 1st to chill at home. You need<br />
passports. An amazing ride, come and join the fun.<br />
Day Ride May 13th (Saturday) :<br />
Mothers day ride - a day in the saddle on the East Rand - going to be<br />
great, then on Sunday you can take the goose out for lunch.<br />
June the 30th : TRI NATIONS.<br />
SA, Swaziland, all the way to the beach in Mozambique... an awesome<br />
trip. Save the date.<br />
October 5th : Durban to JHB in the Dirt.<br />
Raising funds for QASA kicks off on the 5th of October... we’ll send out<br />
details as soon as we are sorted... ONE WAY...<br />
Have a great Christmas break!!!<br />
The Adventure Company (011) 979-1363 / (011) 979-5035 Cell 072-177-0621 / 082-870-6134 / foleyg@mweb.co.za<br />
www.familyadventures.co.za<br />
www.facebook.com/familyadventuressa
2nd opinion by Kallie Kaalvoet:<br />
So the debate as to which is the best Adventure<br />
Bike can be simplified down to what sort of rider<br />
you are. In my opinion – and experience: Most<br />
riders can be summarised into 3 easy groups:<br />
Group 1 : Commuters<br />
These guys (and gals) are primarily concerned<br />
with costs, fuel efficiency, tyre life and etc.....<br />
basically they’re after value for money and will buy<br />
accordingly, secondary would be bike size, looks,<br />
abilities and so on, these riders normally gravitate<br />
towards the Honda NC 750, Kawasaki Versys,<br />
Yamaha MT 07 and the like. Occasionally their<br />
egos might insist on something bigger, that’s where<br />
the used big cc Adventure bike comes into their<br />
equation.<br />
Group 2: Tourers<br />
These riders are primarily looking a decent touring<br />
bike that is not restricted tarmac, but equally<br />
comfortable on dirt and tar over any distance. So<br />
here rider comfort, engine performance, handling,<br />
luggage space and etc become more important.<br />
This rider wants to be able to cover huge distance<br />
on tar comfortably, but then wants to be able to<br />
cruise dirt roads, beaches, foot paths and the like<br />
enjoying the wild life and beautiful scenery, once<br />
in a while he (or she) might want to get their knee<br />
down a bit on Long Tom Pass or some equally<br />
exciting road. These are the guys that want to be<br />
able to hit the road and go anywhere and not be<br />
fatigued by an under performing machine due<br />
to small engine capacity or diminutive sizing or<br />
bad ergonomics. Secondary would be looks and<br />
running costs. Generally these rider tend to be more<br />
interested in the Honda Africa Twin, KTM 1190<br />
Adventure, BMW GS Range, Yamaha Tenêrê range.<br />
They also tend to be a lot more gadget conscious.<br />
Group 3: My dong is bigger than your dong…<br />
This rider values loud pipes, weight, performance<br />
and handling above all else, this is the rider who<br />
wants to out front kicking up dust, scaring the wild<br />
life away and covering the scenery (and co-riders)<br />
in a thick layer of dust. This rider wants to show his<br />
mates how big and strong his dong is by going flat<br />
out over any terrain, climb the highest and most<br />
treacherous passes and koppies, jumping in and<br />
out of ludicrous dongas but this rider also tends<br />
to suffer unbearably on long tar sections because<br />
their bike is generally a light weight purpose built<br />
off road missile with equally dedicated tyres,<br />
suspension and engine performance. These bikes<br />
in a lot of instances tend to cover big tar mileage<br />
on a trailer to their next riding venue. Favourites<br />
amongst this crowd will be KTM 690’s, Husky<br />
701’s, stripped down and modified XT’s, generally<br />
all lightweight bike good for a maximum of about<br />
300km’s per day.<br />
So first work out what sort of rider you are and<br />
then look at your budget and .... buy what makes<br />
your heart happy anyway ..... because your heart<br />
will always win eventually.<br />
Although the KLR is<br />
discontinued in SA -<br />
there are still lots of used<br />
units knocking about.<br />
Big Bikes are more<br />
difficult to pick up...<br />
Smaller bikes are<br />
easier in thick sand...<br />
68 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
DUNLOP DOMINATES 2016<br />
WE RIDE<br />
TO WIN<br />
KAILUB RUSSELL<br />
2016 GNCC XC1 CHAMPION<br />
GEOMAX MX11 GEOMAX AT81 GEOMAX MX3S GEOMAX MX52<br />
To find your nearest Dunlop dealer contact:<br />
· Henderson Racing Products - 011 708 5905<br />
www.facebook.com/Hendersonracingproducts
70 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
FIRST RIDE<br />
DIRTY SLED<br />
The more dirt-oriented Scrambler Desert Sled.<br />
“When you say this is the only bike you<br />
have, does that mean the only bike you<br />
have here or the only bike you have…<br />
period?” I ask.<br />
“The only bike, as in it’s the only one<br />
like it that exists in the world right now,<br />
and it’s got to be in one piece for all the<br />
marketing assets we need to shoot,”<br />
confirms Ducati North America Public<br />
Relations Manager Nathon Verdugo.<br />
My question is perhaps rhetorical; I<br />
can already see the sweat pooling up<br />
in his palms. But I ask anyway because<br />
Ducati’s video team is proposing that<br />
Words: Bradley Adams (Cycle World)<br />
its video model, Drake McElroy, jump<br />
the bike off of a berm, toward a down<br />
slope 5-plus feet away, and straight into<br />
a rather menacing sand wash. As far as<br />
I’m concerned, that’s not something you<br />
do with a bike that needs to stay in one<br />
piece. And up until now, it’s definitely not<br />
something you do with a bike wearing<br />
Scrambler badges on its tank.<br />
…We have a bigger fork. We changed<br />
the swingarm. The spring. And it’s<br />
good for real off-road.”<br />
Either I was about to watch grown men<br />
break out in tears or see the evolution<br />
of the Scrambler unfold in front of my<br />
very own eyes. Three, two… Wait, first a<br />
closer look at Ducati’s all-new Scrambler<br />
Desert Sled.<br />
“We like to call this kind of bike<br />
the second new Scrambler,” Ducati<br />
Scrambler Brand Director Claudio de<br />
Angeli says as we stand on the barren<br />
El Mirage lake bed for a private shoot of<br />
the Desert Sled, two months ahead of<br />
its official unveil. “It’s the second new<br />
bike because this kind of bike has almost<br />
nothing to do with the other one. We have<br />
a bigger fork. We changed the swingarm.<br />
DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017 7 1
The spring. And it’s good for real off-road.”<br />
I try to not come off as a fanboy but admit that, for me,<br />
he’s saying all the right things. For years, I’ve dreamed of a<br />
scrambler that was an honest-to-god homage to the bikes<br />
that ruled the Southern California desert in the ’60s and ’70s.<br />
It didn’t have to be capable of winning Hare & Hound races,<br />
but it needed at least to be willing to dip its toes in the dirt on<br />
something other than graded fire roads, and do so without<br />
rattling itself (or my insides) to pieces. Most of the Scrambler<br />
line and its competition are not really meant for this, and Ducati<br />
has known it.<br />
“Even when we were in Palm Springs for the launch of the<br />
original Scrambler in 2014, we had a few meters in off road,<br />
and we immediately understood that we had to improve the<br />
bike for this,” de Angeli admits. “So the Desert Sled was clear<br />
in our mind since then.”<br />
In the interim, many a Scrambler have been beaten, battered,<br />
and bruised by riders asking them to be something they’re not.<br />
Like, say, dirt bikes. Problem there was that the Scrambler’s<br />
swingarm and frame weren’t designed for the abuse, and<br />
plunging back to terra firma generally led to cracks in places<br />
where, well, you don’t want cracks. On the Desert Sled, a pair<br />
of plates hug the engine and support the swingarm—which<br />
itself is reinforced and longer—so jumps won’t lead it to the<br />
same fate. The frame is reinforced, the spoked front wheel is<br />
now 19 inches, and the footpegs are bigger, too, for fancier<br />
footwork as you work your way down a trail.<br />
The 803cc engine goes untouched, but the fully adjustable<br />
46mm Kayaba fork (versus 41mm) and longer shock add muchneeded<br />
travel—a total of 7.9 inches at each end. A motocrossstyle<br />
handlebar feels more tailored to standing up in the dirt,<br />
and a small skid plate offers up at least a little protection.<br />
72 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
I had a chance to throw a leg over the bike before its<br />
fateful jump and can say these changes do push the<br />
bike further toward something I’d willingly tear through<br />
the desert on. Power from that air-cooled mill still feels<br />
relatively soft, but the user-friendly delivery means<br />
you can break the rear loose with better control and<br />
confidence. The bike doesn’t clatter, clank, or bottom out<br />
over washouts and feels more than willing to tear down<br />
moder ately technical single-track.<br />
You’ll have to be careful you don’t confuse it for a fullon<br />
dirt bike, as the weight (207 kilos) and wide front tyre<br />
still catch you out in tricky, loose sections. It doesn’t feel<br />
like you’re doing something you’re not supposed to be<br />
though. And that’s the point.<br />
I hint that this is an interesting evolution, but de Angeli<br />
says, “I think if you look back at the first desert bikes,<br />
it’s the same.” They got better in the dirt because riders<br />
demanded more, he hints, and this is how those bikes<br />
migrated away from a real “street” pretense.<br />
I don’t know how far riders will be willing to push the<br />
Desert Sled. But as I stand back and watch McElroy<br />
launch off this berm-turned-impromptu-jump and square<br />
into a sand wash, then circle back for “one more shot,” I<br />
realize that they’ll have a lot more fun finding these new<br />
limits. The Scrambler has evolved, and we can’t wait to<br />
get our hands on one.<br />
DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017 73
A GENUINE SUPERHERO<br />
South African Joey Evans finishes the Dakar Rally<br />
All you need is inspiration, help from your physiotherapists – and litres of perspiration, to do the<br />
hard yards of rehabilitation. Words: Wendy Hardy on behalf of The South African Society of Physiotherapy<br />
Superhero: that’s the only title you<br />
could give a man who completes the<br />
2017 Dakar Rally on a motorbike – ten<br />
years after a bike accident which left<br />
him a paraplegic. And escapes death en<br />
route on the second last day, jumping<br />
off just in time as a competitor in the car<br />
class races through, crushing his bike<br />
(and not stopping to help). And hauls<br />
his crumpled steed through the South<br />
American bush, until he happens upon<br />
another bike, abandoned by a biker who<br />
was airlifted out. And settles down to<br />
cannibalise that bike, fix his own and<br />
go on to finish the Dakar Rally, making<br />
it from Asunción, Paraguay to Buenos<br />
Aires in Argentina in decent time –<br />
something he has dreamed of for many<br />
years.<br />
But that is not the truly heroic part of<br />
Joey Evans’ story, says physiotherapist<br />
Sharné Bailey, who has worked with<br />
Evans since about two years after<br />
the bike accident which broke his<br />
T8 and T9 vertebrae, crushing his<br />
spinal cord and leaving him paralysed<br />
from just below the chest. The true<br />
heroism was the guts and grit and<br />
persistence that saw him working daily<br />
on the difficult job of rehabilitation with<br />
physiotherapists like Bailey and Melanie<br />
Harding, both dedicated and committed<br />
physiotherapists.<br />
A talented neurosurgeon fused the<br />
two vertebrae to give him a 10% chance<br />
of walking again. Harding worked with<br />
Joey as an in-patient immediately after<br />
the accident and spinal fusion. A 10%<br />
chance was all a guy like Joey needed.<br />
And once he was up on his feet, it was<br />
inevitable that he would want to get back<br />
on a bike. And that he’d start dreaming<br />
Dakar dreams again.<br />
“About five years ago, we started<br />
talking about doing the Dakar,” says<br />
Bailey. “Biking was his life: he had that<br />
fire in him.”<br />
Hard work, clever physiotherapy and<br />
the persistence to overcome obstacles<br />
(including riding into a cow at 120 kph<br />
two years ago, and sustaining more<br />
serious damage)… <strong>final</strong>ly, Joey Evans<br />
was at the starting line of the Dakar Rally.<br />
Harding says, “He told me that any<br />
competitor only has a 30% chance of<br />
finishing the Dakar, so he reckoned he<br />
had maybe a 10% chance – and that<br />
was enough for him, since the doctors<br />
had given him only a 10% chance of<br />
ever walking again ten years ago. I am so<br />
proud of him – it’s an amazing, amazing<br />
achievement.”<br />
Bailey says, “I’m so privileged to<br />
have been part of his journey. He’s<br />
an inspiration; just to know that it is<br />
possible, if you are given a chance…<br />
and that’s what I try to do with all my<br />
patients, just give them a chance.”<br />
The South African Society of<br />
Physiotherapy welcomes Joey Evans<br />
home from his achievement in South<br />
America, and wishes him well!<br />
Joey and the family upon his arrival home...<br />
74 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2017
SWAZI MANGALA<br />
RIDE<br />
3 nights, 2 days fantastic riding through Swaziland.<br />
Dirtbikes, Quads and side by sides all welcome.<br />
An awesome 300 km circular ride, Fantastic Mountains,<br />
Forests, Rivers and Valleys<br />
Mlilwane, Forbes reef, Mhlambanyattsi, Maguga, Malolotja.<br />
When?<br />
Long weekend, 27th - 30th April. Arrive on Thursday the 27th, just<br />
3.5 hours from JHB - back home the 30th.<br />
Where?<br />
We start just outside Badplaas in Mpumalanga and ride a circular<br />
route with two overnights in Swaziland. So yes – you need a valid<br />
passport. Bike Papers? Nope very casual, we supply a record of<br />
your bikes details to the borders before hands and we are issued<br />
with permit numbers to cross through. If a trailer and car are coming<br />
along, please bring the licence renewal.<br />
Is it technical?<br />
We’ll throw in a quite few gnarly bits and some single track bike only<br />
trails but on the whole it is just fun trail riding. Not a single boring<br />
section. And all marked so you can ride at your own pace.<br />
Meals?<br />
You bring n braai on Friday evening and breakfast on Saturday –<br />
we’ll sort the rest.<br />
Accommodation?<br />
You can camp or we will arrange accommodation for you the whole<br />
way in comfy chalets.<br />
Fuel?<br />
The first leg is 100 km. The second leg is 100. The third, 50 and the<br />
fourth just over 50 – so you can solo- or bring a backup to meet you<br />
all along. If you choose solo, we’ll get your fuel to the stops, but if<br />
you break down, that could be a challenge… rather convince a mate<br />
to bring your bakkie along, really cool holiday for him or her too.<br />
(011) 979-0053 / (011) 979-5035 Cell 072-177-0621 / 082-870-6134 / foleyg@mweb.co.za<br />
www.familyadventures.co.za
CONGRATULATIONS<br />
JOEY EVANS<br />
HENDERSON RACING PRODUCTS<br />
SIX OF THE BEST CONQUERING THE<br />
TOUGHEST RACE IN THE WORLD<br />
PROUD SPONSOR OF JOEY EVANS<br />
Trade Enquiries Welcome<br />
Contact us for your nearest stockist<br />
www.facebook.comHendersonracingproducts<br />
Tel: 011 708 5905/06
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