Dirt and Trail May 2020

RIDE MORE, STRESS LESS! 

MAY 2020 

SA’S ADVENTURE MAGAZINE 

Moto Guzzi 

V85 TT 

A Classic Italian Travel Enduro 

Suzuki DL 

1050XT 

An in-depth look at the new bike 

Lockdown 

INTERVIEWS 

with Monster Energy Yamaha MX 

rider Jago Geerts & Red Bull KTM 

Enduro rider Manuel Lettenbichler 

Dunlop’s new 50/50 adventure tyre.

Your chain. 

Any time. 

K&N Style Filters 

Available sizes 28, 35, 39, 42, 48, 

52, 54 and 60mm R125.00 

8000Ma 

Jump Starter & Power Bank R1299.00 

18L / min 

Taddy Blazusiak 

RAC610 Inflator R449.00 RTG5 Gauge R249.00 

Photocredit: Marcin Kin 

Bike and ATV Covers 

Available sizes S - XL 

From R270.00 

Ring Globes 

H7 150% Power R330.00 

H4 150% Power R290.00 

EMGO Top Box 

R990.00 

Diverse and S innovative filters – 

S 

S 

S S S S S S 

also for motorcycles. 

The largest filter range for maximum workshop performance. 

Our filters protect not only the engines, but also the people in the vehicle. With our comprehensive filter range in uncompromising quality and 

with maximum market coverage, we ensure that the right product is available for every requirement to keep dirt, abrasion and the finest particles 

away from the powertrain and the occupants. With MAHLE, your workshop delivers 100% performance, today and tomorrow. 

www.mahle-aftermarket.com 

DESCRIPTION PART NO. SRP Inc. Vat 

SMART CHARGER 1 AMP DFC150 R599.00 

SMART CHARGER 3.5 AMP DFC530 R899.00 

SMART CHARGER 4 AMP PSA004 R999.00 

SMART CHARGER 8 AMP PSA008 R1349.00 

SMART CHARGER 4 AMP PSD004 R1199.00 

SMART CHARGER 8 AMP PSD008 R1499.00 

R110.00 R465.00 

Tubeless Puncture Kits 

License Disc Holders 

R168.00 

Bar Ends 

R100.00 

Hand Guards 

Various Colours available 

ABS Plastic R470.00 

Alloy R990.00 

Scooter V Belts 

From R110.00 

Tyre Levers 

From R95.00 

Rim Locks Front and Rear 

From R48.00 

Enduro 

Fork Boots 

from R120.00 

PBA DEALER LISTING 

PBA DEALER LISTING 

PART NO. DESCRIPTION PRICE 

50081406/L CARB CLEANER 400ML 50.00 

50201414/L TERMINAL PROTECT RED 50.00 

50201415/L TERMINAL PROTECT BLUE 50.00 

50320400/L BRK,CLTCH,CHAIN CLEANER 44.00 

50500192/L CHAIN LUBE 150ML 34.00 

50500193/L CHAIN LUBE 400ML 69.00 

50510403/L CHAIN WAX 400ML 71.00 

50510404/L CHAIN WAX 150ML 34.00 

51528262/L PETROL INJECTOR CLEANER 10.00 

53203200/L AIR FILTER SPRAY 55.00 

53203500/L AIR FILTER OIL 500ML 55.00 

53204005/L BIO FILTER CLEANER 5l 325.00 

53204400/L BIO FILTER CLEANER 400ML 47.00 

53780300/L SPARK 300ML 44.00 

55000314/L TYRE FIX 200ML 45.00 

56000001/L FORK OIL SYN 5W 125.00 

Jerry Cans 

The new ZSE chains are the result of an intense development process made 

From R450.00 

side by side with the best Enduro Racing Teams, with the aim to deliver the 

while preserving durability. The result is the best light-running chain 

available on the market today. The new narrow Z-Ring, together with high 

Enduro bike range. These features, added to light weight and narrow width, 

make ZSE the best choice in terms of performance for Enduro competitions. 

56000002/L FORK OIL SYN 10W 125.00 

56000003/L FORK OIL SYN 2.5W 135.00 

56000400/L MOUSSE LUBRICANT 100.00 

Distributed by Autocycle Centre 

GAUTENG 

ZEEMANS GAUTENG MOTORCYCLES 011 435 7177 

BIKING ZEEMANS ACCESSORIES MOTORCYCLES 012 011 435 342 7177 7474 

FAST BIKING KTM ACCESSORIES 011 012 867 342 0092 7474 

GAME FAST KTM MOTOR SERVICES 011 849 867 7000 0092 

MOTO-MATE GAME MOTOR RIVONIA SERVICES 011 234 849 5275 7000 

MOTO-MATE EDENVALE RIVONIA 011 234 027 5275 0545 

MOTO-MATE KCR MOTORCYCLE EDENVALE FANATIX 011 027 975 0545 5405 

PRIMROSE JUST BIKING MOTORCYCLES 011 016 828 421 9091 1153 

RANDBURG KCR MOTORCYCLE MOTORCYCLES FANATIX 011 792 975 6829 5405 

OFF-ROAD CYCLES 012 333 6443 

PRIMROSE MOTORCYCLES 011 828 9091 

MPUMALANGA 

RANDBURG MOTORCYCLES 

BIKE CITY 

011 792 6829 

013 244 2143 

MPUMALANGA 

BIKE CITY 013 244 2143 

NORTHWEST 

BIKERS NORTHWEST PARADISE 018 297 4700 

INSANE BIKERS PARADISE BIKERS 014 018 594 297 2111 4700 

MOTOS INSANE @ BIKERS KLERKSDORP 014 018 594 468 2111 1800 

WATER MOTOS RITE @ KLERKSDORP MOTORCYCLES 018 468 771 1800 5050 

WATER RITE MOTORCYCLES 018 771 5050 

LIMPOPO 

K.R.MOTORCYCLES LIMPOPO 

015 297 3291 

K.R.MOTORCYCLES 015 297 3291 

KZN 

ROCKET RACING PINETOWN 031 702 2606 

PERRY’S M/CYCLES BALITO 031 110 0056 

ROCKET RACING MARITZBURG 033 264 3240 

ROCKET RACING PINETOWN 031 702 2606 

RBS YAMAHA 031 701 1311 

ROCKET RACING MARITZBURG 033 264 3240 

UMPLEBY SUZUKI 031 303 8323 

RBS YAMAHA 031 701 1311 

UMPLEBY SUZUKI 031 303 8323 

RIDE HIGH WITH YAMAHA 035 789 1851 

RIDE PERRY HIGH M/CYCLES WITH YAMAHA GLEN ANIL 035 031 789 566 1851 7411 

PERRY’S M/CYCLES UMHLANGA 031 566 7411 

PERRY’S CAPE PROVINCE M/CYCLES HILLCREST 

CRAIGS M/CYCLE FITMENT 

031 765 2560 

021 939 8944 

CAPE TRAC-MAC PROVINCE BELVILLE 021 945 3724 

CRAIGS TRAC-MAC M/CYCLE PAARDEN-EILAND FITMENT 021 939 510 8944 2258 

TRAC-MAC BELVILLE WYNBURG 

021 945 761 3724 4220 

NEVES TRAC-MAC MOTORCYCLE PAARDEN-EILAND WORLD CC 021 930 510 5917 2258 

TRAC-MAC WICKED CYCLES WYNBURG 021 510 761 2968 4220 

MIKE HOPKINS MOTORCYCLES 021 461 5167 

NEVES FREESTATE MOTORCYCLE WORLD CC 

SALLEYS YAMAHA 

FREESTATE 

021 930 5917 

051 430 3326 

SALLEYS YAMAHA 051 430 3326

EDITOR: ROLEY FOLEY 

THE TEAM: 

EDITOR: 

Glenn Foley 

foleyg@mweb.co.za 

DESIGN: 

Rob Portman 

rob@ridefast.co.za 

www.gameservices.co.za 

Covid. 

Who would ever have thought.... 

A global pandemic of epic scale. 

Business very unusual in SA and - 

well everywhere. One of the reasons 

that you are looking at all of this on 

your phone, tablet or PC. 

Lots of down sides to this and 

I’m not going to go into all of that, 

there is already enough doom and 

gloom - but much good has come 

of it too. Hopefully, you got to spend 

lock down as a family. I know that 

a lot of you did not - and we really 

do feel terrible for the guys and girls 

who weathered/are weathering the 

storm alone. We are locked down 

as a family - and to be quite frank, 

in such a busy world, this has been 

pretty amazing. They say that you 

only get your kids for a little while - 

and then they find their own way on 

the world... 

Despite the fact that we cannot ride 

and it is driving the boys NUTS, it’s 

been pretty cool. Absence makes 

the heart grow fonder. We have 

missed the bikes and all of our 

riding buddies terribly. But as soon 

as this is all over - we’ll make up for 

lost time in a world that is maybe a 

little cleaner. Your job now is to help 

to get the motorcycle industry back 

to where it should be. Spread the 

gospel of motorcycles. Tell people 

why you love them so much. Get 

them onto bikes - even old used 

ones and most of all, support your 

local dealer. 

Don’t be the guy who imports direct 

to save a buck or two. Dealers and 

importers have invested in your 

pastime. Give them the support when 

you need something. And if the price 

seems too high and you can prove 

your figures, chat to your dealer. 

That’s it for now, some dealerships 

are opening slowly... with a bit of 

luck, things will be back to the new 

normal soon... 

We always include a funny so 

here goes... 

The man said to the dentist, “Doc, 

I’m in one heck of a hurry. I have 

two buddies sitting out in my bakkie 

waiting for us to go riding, so forget 

about the anesthetic, I don’t have 

time for the gums to get numb. I 

just want you to pull the tooth, and 

be done with it! We have a 10:00 

flag at the best track in town and it’s 

9:00 already... I don’t have time to 

wait for the anesthetics to work!” 

The dentist thought to himself, 

“Well, well, how about that. 

These bike oakes are really tough” 

So the dentist asks him, “Which 

tooth is it, sir?” 

The man turned to his wife and 

said, “Open your mouth, honey, and 

show the dentist.” 

Until next month, stay safe! 

Cheers, Glenn. 

ADVERTISING: 

Sinead Foley 

foleyg@mweb.co.za 

Sean Hendley 

bestbikemagazines@ 

yahoo.com 

071 684 4546 

For CPT: Lorna 

lornad48@yahoo.com 

ACCOUNTS & 

SUBSCRIPTIONS: 

Anette 

anette.acc@mweb.co.za 

Office no (011) 979-5035 

(011) 979-0053 

CONTRIBUTORS: 

Kurt Beine 

Zygmund Brodalka 

Tristan Foley 

Mike Wessels 

Jaun Delport 

Shado Alston 

NEW & BACK ISSUES 

AVAILABLE AT WWW. 

MOTOMEDIA.CO.ZA 

Piston and Gasket Sets 

Cranks, Conrods and Camshafts 

Cylinder Kits, Rebores, Main Bearings and Clutch Plates 

Email:G124@mweb.co.za 

EMAIL: 

no 4 Fifth avenue 

Northmead 

Benoni 

011 425 1081/4 

2 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE MAY 2020 

VALVES,STEM SEALS AND SPRINGS

The Motorcycle World 

Takes On A Pandemic. 

COVID Diaries. 

This is a weird time in our history. 

Locally, motorcycle dealerships and 

importers are all shut – or merely 

offering skeleton services to essential 

providers. Motorcycle racing and 

events have stopped… but, globally 

there are silver linings in the moto 

world during uncertain times. 

Shelter at home. Self-quarantine. PPE 

shortages. Social distancing… 

Even if you’re hunkered down in a panic room 

near the basement, you’re probably hearing 

those ominous buzzwords on a daily basis. 

The ever-growing list of mandated actions (or 

inactions) and recommended responses to the 

novel coronavirus is daunting, and everyone’s still 

trying to figure out how their daily lives (whether 

personal or professional) are supposed to adapt 

to the COVID-19 pandemic and stay sane—or in 

the case of businesses, solvent. 

You’ve already heard some of the bigger events 

and companies have slowed their roll or even 

shut facilities—Harley’s factory closures, and 

MotoGP season cancellation, Erzberg, WESS 

are prime examples. Locally, hundreds of 

events and race series have been affected—but 

for every depressing action, surely there’s a 

corresponding ray of light? 

We dug around to find more than a dozen 

examples of silver linings in this virus madness. 

Some of them are just feel-good videos, and 

some of them are awesome acts of generosity, 

but when taken together, they’ll all help get us 

out of this crap. Uplifting stuff, to be sure. 

Working Through It: 

Sheltering in place? Sounds like the perfect time 

to build a bike. Roland Sands, has responded 

with a pitch-perfect, kick-in-the-pants activity 

we all needed to distract us from the deepening 

anxiety, and help, you know, flatten the curve. 

His answer to COVID-19 is the CoronaVirus Bike 

Build-Off (CVBB). 

Sands told us, “The CVBB was a call to arms to 

not sit idly in your home and rot while this virus 

takes from each of us. At the end of this, if you 

are stuck in your home and you have the ability 

to at least accomplish something you’ve been 

putting off, it can turn into a positive experience. 

I know I started piecing together some long 


ignored projects and it still makes me feel good 

to see a motorcycle go together.” 

To enter, all you have to do is post your 

project on social media with the hashtag: 

#coronavirusbikebuildoff. Various companies 

are stepping in with cash and prizes for the 

competition, including Motul, Dunlop, Bell 

Helmets, Fox Suspension, and Paughco, and 

there’s a good chance more will jump in as the 

word spreads, so stay tuned. Things are still 

pretty open-ended as the contest evolves, but 

as RSD puts it: 

“We are all in this together; borders and 

oceans may separate us, but the heart of the 

two-wheeled culture is alive and well and lives 

through the CoronaVirus Bike Build-Off.” 

Details will continue to come from @ 

RolandSandsDesign on Instagram, and you can 

follow along with #coronavirusbikebuildoff or get 

more details at rolandsands.com. 

In a time of enforced social isolation, for some, 

reading is good therapy. Get your hands on a 

good novel or dig up a back issue of Dirt And Trail 

magazine and kill time while you learn something. 

READY, 

TEADY, 

AVE! 

OUR RACE WINNING 2020 MODELS NOW WITH 

A FREE FIRST SERVICE AND R 5,000 WORTH OF 

GENUINE KTM PRODUCTS OF YOUR CHOICE TO 

SOLVE YOUR MOTORCYCLE CRISIS. 

Promotion limited to 2020 Enduro and Cross Country models (XC, XC-W and EXC range) until 31 May 2020. 

T’s and C’s apply. Please contact your local KTM dealer for further information. 

Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic 

regulations! The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at 

additional cost. 

Photo: R. Schedl

Giving Back. 

Veteran NHS 

fundraiser Captain 

Tom Moore was also 

a motorcycle racer 

The veteran fundraising hero Cpt. Tom Moore 

has so far raised millions for the NHS and he 

used to be a keen motorcycle racer 

THE hero veteran who has so far raised over 

£18m for the NHS used to ride motorcycles 

during the war and was a keen motorcycle racer. 

Originally setting out to raise just £1,000, Cpt. 

Moore began walking laps of his garden, hoping 

to manage 100 laps before his 100th birthday at 

the end of this month. 

Completing the task and gaining global notoriety 

for his efforts, Cpt. Moore has since gone on to 

raise a staggering £18,031,258.02 – at the time 

of writing. 

One thing you might not be aware of though is 

that Cpt. Tom Moore was an avid motorcyclist, 

even taking part in motorcycle races wearing 

the number 23 – a number that is still used by 

the Army endurance racing team to this day. 

Bought his first bike at the age of 12, his lifelong 

passions for motorcycles came in handy while 

serving in India with his regiment. There he 

would set up a motorcycling course for the 

Brembo donate €1m to 

fight COVID-19 

Italian braking technologies giant Brembo 

has donated €1,000,000 to help fight the 

COVID-19 virus. 

Brembo’s Italian headquarters are located in the 

city of Bergamo, northern Italy, just a few miles 

north of Milan. The city is located in Lombardy 

and to date is one of the hardest hit areas in Italy. 

Covering nearly 10k square miles and containing 

around 10m people, the region includes the 

second-most populous city in Italy, Milan, just one 

reason the death toll in the area has been so high. 

The money donated by Brembo is going to be 

shared by three medical facilities, the Fondazione 

per la Ricerca Ospedale di Bergamo (FROM) 

foundation, the Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, 

and the Mario Negri Institute. The three centres 

of excellence are all situated in the region’s 


brigade he was part of. Once returning back to 

the UK after service, bikes were still a big part 

of Cpt. Moore’s life. 

Since he completed his challenge, Cpt. Moore 

has received global acclaim for his efforts, being 

featured in newspapers and even getting some 

time on morning television. 

From all of us at, you are a true hero sir, well 

done!!. 

To place a donation, please head to Cpt. 

Moore’s JustGiving page here: justgiving.com/ 

fundraising/tomswalkforthenhs 

worst hit area, and all three combine clinical and 

pharmacological research. 

Alberto Bombassei, President of Brembo, said in 

a statement: 

“After an initial donation to a nursing home at the 

Bergamo hospital, we needed to do our own 

research to find a drug for COVID-19 as soon 

as possible, Research is also the art in which we 

see ourselves as a company. We believe that it is 

the payment method to find a future solution to 

this important situation.” 

WAS R99,950 NOW 


R82,950 R75,950 

NEW 2018 YAMAHA YZ250F 

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While stocks last. E&OE. 

FREE LINEX MX JERSEY 

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YAMAHA XT1200 

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Vanson Leathers, 

Cycle Gear, Revzilla, 

Honda & Kawasaki 

America give back 

After being forced to close its doors as a 

“nonessential business,” renowned gear 

company Vanson Leathers in Massachusetts 

repurposed its facilities to produce face masks 

for local hospitals. With a staff that was still 

willing to work, Vanson spaced its machines at 

least 6 feet apart and applied for consideration 

as an essential business. Willing employees were 

brought back to work and are making masks 

built with two layers of 152-gram cotton with 

rayon straps, which exceed the International Red 

Cross requirements. The masks have started 

shipping out to local hospitals. 

This virus is so nasty, it turns out that eyewear 

is a crucial tool in the Personal Protective 

Equipment (PPE) arsenal. The 100% eyewear 

company has stepped up to help first 

responders in the battle against the virus by 

donating eyewear in early March to over 2,000 

health care and first responders. The shortage 

of PPE is severe, so the company also sent a 

shipment of “performance protective eyewear” 

(its words) to the United Fire Fighters of Los 

Angeles City, and is also preparing PPE eyewear 

for frontline personnel in New York City, Denver, 

Phoenix, and others. There’s also its partnership 

with Goggles for Docs, an effort encouraging 

brands and individuals to donate new and used 

goggles to help fulfill demands for PPE. 

When a bunch of PPE-strapped, dirt bikeriding 

nurses in Central California told Rodger 

O’Keefe, Cycle Gear’s vice president of retail 

store operations, that medical staff could actually 

use motorcycle goggles to help protect them 

from the novel coronavirus, he told his higherups. 

O’Keefe’s boss at Comoto Holdings (parent 

company of Cycle Gear and RevZilla), CEO Ken 

Murphy, decided that Comoto would donate 

$50,000 worth of inventory to hospitals and 

emergency management offices to help in the 

COVID-19 fight. Cool Huh! 

No one’s calling Honda a small business, but it 

has stepped up as well. With auto production 

halted, Honda of America Manufacturing put 

its North American 3-D-printing capabilities 

to create protective face shields for medical 

providers, and is investigating additional ways 

it can help with the critical need for medical 

equipment. Beyond redeploying work, Honda 

also is redirecting supplies. The company said it 

has inventoried its stock of personal protective 

equipment throughout North America and has 

donated much of it, including N95 face masks, 

to frontline health care workers. 

Kawasaki’s had to adapt as well—big time. 

When Kawasaki Motors Mfg. Corp. USA in 

Lincoln, Nebraska, shut down its assembly 

lines amid escalating COVID-19 concerns and 

supplier shortages, the plant found a way to 

help one of the largest hospitals in the area by 

supplying them with key ingredients for hand 

sanitizer (the hospital was granted FDA approval 

to make their own). Kawasaki donated two 

55-gallon barrels of isopropyl alcohol and two 

55-gallon barrels of hydrogen peroxide so the 

medical staff could create hundreds of gallons of 

the much-needed sanitizer. 

Kawasaki also stepped in to help the Nebraska 

Innovation Studio in its quest to 3-D print face 

shields for local hospital staff. Even though the 

plant had shut down, Kawasaki’s engineering 

group fired up its large 3-D printer and is printing 

face shields at a rate of about 12 a day, and will 

continue until other supply sources can catch up. 

Doing Right 

With more and more people staying at home 

and driving less, there have been fewer 

accidents and fewer insurance claims. And the 

prospect of paying claims is what insurers base 

their rates on, so some insurers are re looking 

at rates. 

Virtual Bonuses 

And then there are the virtual bonuses—web 

content that’ll get your mind off reality, entertain 

you, or even smarten you up in the form of 

photos, videos, and music. 

Indian Motorcycle has put out a series of 

Spotify playlists to keep DIY mechanics in the 

right mood while they’re wrenching away in the 

home garage. 

MotoAmerica is streaming past races on 

YouTube for free. 

While the Harley-Davidson Museum campus 

is currently closed, Harley has a virtual tour 

Scott Motors CPT 

Scott Motors or SM is a premium pre-owned 

motorcycle dealership specialising in selling 

ONLY the best pre loved motorcycles. 

Based in Paarden Eiland, Cape Town they 

have already created a formidable name within 

the industry. 

At SM they strive to keep their overheads low 

and pass on these saving to their customers 

of its museum as well as other cool bike 

videos on Facebook—for free. In an effort to 

stay connected with fans and enthusiasts, 

the Harley-Davidson Museum social media 

channels (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) are 

featuring stories and videos about the museum 

collection and Harley-Davidson history. 

https://www.facebook.com/hdmuseum/ 

videos/532974310691607/ 

And here’s some more cool stuff: 

Videos To Replace Your Rides During 

Coronavirus Lockdown - https://www. 

cycleworld.com/story/motorcycle-videos/ 

videos-to-replace-your-rides-duringcoronavirus-lockdown/ 

And if you are flat-out bored: 

Popular Science has a handy recipe for 

homemade hand sanitizer. 

popsci.com/story/diy/diy-hand-sanitizer/ 

Meanwhile, stay alert, keep your distance, and 

ride safe. And wash your hands... 

with their unbeatable deals! 

By offering a large variety, from commuters 

to top of the range Ducati’s & BMW’s their 

professional team has dedicated their efforts to 

guiding and advising customers into purchasing 

the correct motorcycle. 

Pop in for a visit or a chat at 8 Shropshire 

street, Paarden eiland. 

065 816 5902 

www.scottmotors.co.za 

8 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE MAY 2020

Retro banger: Mash 

X-Ride Classic 650 

In South Africa Mash is imported 

by V-Custom cycles under the 

name: Crosby 

Fancy classic ’70s Yamaha XT500 or even retro 

Ducati Scrambler style but at a fraction of the 

price? Say hello to the Mash X-Ride Classic 650 

- the latest from the retro bike specialists, and a 

funkily-fashioned single-cylinder trailster. 

Although best known for their simple, affordable 

air-cooled 125 and 250 singles, larger versions 

including 400cc singles and now this latest – 

Mash’s second – 650 are becoming popular. 

And after the fairly conventional Dirt Track 650, 

this new X-Ride is the firm’s most ambitious 

model yet. 

It’s based around the same 647cc, air-cooled, 

single, producing a claimed 40bhp at 6000rpm 

but this time with longer travel, monoshock rear 

suspension (Mash’s first) and conventional but 

equally long, front forks. Wheels are 17in wires, 

there’s a twin silencer exhaust, dual seat and 

neat touches like a Monza fuel cap. 

Cycle parts are improving, too: along with the 

alloy-rimmed wheels there’s a beefy front disc 

and radially-mounted four-piston brake caliper 

and the swingarm looks impressively beefy. 

But the biggest talking point, surely, is the 

X-Ride’s XT-alike styling, from its gold anodised 

rims to blacked-out engine and red/white livery. 

We can’t blame them – the ‘70s scrambler-style 

is hugely fashionable right now. Price has yet to 

be confirmed but it ure looks cool. 

Mash X-Ride Classic 650 at a glance 

• Engine: 647cc 4v single is basically a copy of 

the old Honda Dominator unit producing 40bhp 

at 6000rpm and with a five-speed gearbox. 

• Suspension: X-Ride is the first Mash with 

monoshock rear and a beefy, box-section 

swingarm. Front is conventional telescopics. 

• Styling: White/red livery with black engine and 

gold rims is a modern take on 1976 Yamaha 

XT500 – as is that of Ducati’s Desert Sled. 

• Brakes: Front stopper is a 320mm disc 

grasped by a radially-mounted four-piston 

caliper. There’s a 240mm disc at the rear. 

• Show not go? Despite style, off-road ability will 

be hampered by fairly high weight (169kg) and 

17-inch wheels – still be a laugh, though. 


The science 

of riding 

gear: All 

about Gore 

Tex Fabric: 

By Jenny Smith. 

If you have a look at your Enduro jacket, 

MX boots or riding pants, chances are 

pretty good that you’ll see a Gore Tex 

label somewhere. We took a look at the 

people that make the stuff and how it all 

happened. 

What is GoreTex? 

Gore-Tex is a waterproof, breathable 

fabric membrane and registered 

trademark of W. L. Gore and Associates. 

Invented in 1969, Gore-Tex can repel 

water while allowing water vapor to 

pass through and is designed to be a 

lightweight, waterproof fabric for allweather 

use. 

W.L. Gore & Associates is one of those 

success stories of American ingenuity 

and innovation. Founded in 1958 by 

the husband-and-wife team of Wilbert 

(Bill) Lee — who had spent 16 years 

with DuPont — and Genevieve Walton 

Gore, the company got its start making 

wire and cable insulation before the 

couple’s son, Bob, made an accidental 

and extremely fortuitous discovery. In 

1969, he was trying to stretch extruded 

polytetraflouroethylene (PTFE, otherwise 

known as Teflon) for use in plumbers’ 

tape, but no matter how gently he pulled, 

it always broke. Frustrated and down to 

his last few samples of test material, he 

grabbed one of the heated rods and gave 

it a hard yank — and to his astonishment 

it didn’t snap, it expanded. 

The company called it “expanded PTFE,” 

or ePTFE: with uses in everything from 

laptop computers to prosthetic arteries 

to astronaut suits…and, of course, 

waterproof motorcycle gear. 

Gore makes more than 300 different 

membrane types, and each finished 

product goes through more than 600 

quality control tests — that’s before it 


All Gore-Tex apparel includes a DWR (durable 

water-repellant) coating that sheds water from 

the outer fabric. 

Banks of washing machines agitate 

continuously for days, testing the durability of 

Gore-Tex apparel. 

Gore’s wet flex test machine puts Klim’s boots 

to the ultimate waterproof test. 

goes to the manufacturer, which in the case of 

riding gear means motorcycle-specific testing, 

including CE certification. 

There’s a biophysics lab that tests for comfort 

and acoustics (important for hunting and military 

gear), six rain rooms for waterproofness and an 

environmental room that goes from -50 to 50 

degrees C (-58 to 122 F), 5% to 98% humidity 

and zero to 22 mph wind speed. Upstairs is a 

huge room full of washing machines that are 

used for wet flex and abrasion testing; they are 

stopped and the material tested every eight 

hours until it fails. 

At the Elk Creek facility we got a look at the 

glove and boot test labs, where Gore-Tex 

membrane booties are tested for leaks. A big 

machine in the corner subjects finished boots 

to a submerged wet flex test; Klim boots must 

pass at least 200,000 flexes without a leak 

before hitting the market. 

Gloves are probably the toughest item to 

waterproof, and every Gore-approved factory 

(which apparel partners must use) has a whole 

glove leak test machine. Klim uses a special 

Gore-Tex membrane insert with glue on one side 

that bonds it directly to the outer shell, and a soft 

Trica liner bonded to the other side for optimum 

control feel. Still, gloves are where most riders will 

say they’ve experienced waterproofing failure… 

The folks at Gore suggested that what we 

often think is a leak is actually either a lack of 

breathability causing moisture buildup or the 

waterlogged outer shell feeling cold against 

our skin, which our brain interprets as “wet.” 

Gore-Tex is only a part of what Gore does; 

its products are used in the medical, 

automotive, consumer electronics and 

aerospace industries, among others. 

Gore’s quality control testing includes six 

different “rain rooms,” where finished 

Gore-Tex apparel like this suit from Klim 

is tested in real-world conditions. This 

room includes a nozzle simulating riding 

at speed 

Our sensory system has no “wet” register, 

only temperature, and if the water is cooler or 

warmer than our skin we perceive it as “wet.” 

This is how sensory deprivation chambers work: 

by floating in saline water that’s exactly our body 

temperature, our brain registers no contact at all. 

To be comfortable, a piece of waterproof apparel 

needs to breathe and shed water. “Breathability” 

doesn’t mean airflow, however; it means the 

removal of warm, moist air from the body. This is 

what makes Gore-Tex apparel more comfortable 

than, say, wearing a plastic bag — it “breathes” 

while keeping you dry. As our Gore guide 

put it, “it’s not magic, it’s physics.” But as we 

noted above, if the fabric outside the Gore-Tex 

membrane is waterlogged your skin thinks it’s 

wet, so a DWR (durable water-repellant) coating 

is important. 

Every Gore-Tex-branded item comes from the 

factory with a DWR coating, and the instructions 

for keeping it in good shape might surprise you: 

throw it in the dryer. Yep, you should be washing 

and tumble-drying your Gore-Tex. The heat 

reactivates the DWR, so water will bead rather 

than soaking in. You’ll still need to reapply a 

new coating every few years, just make sure it’s 

silicone-free. 

When properly cared for — and assuming they 

don’t have an unfortunate meeting with the 

pavement — Gore-Tex products should remain 

waterproof for life. 

There you go! Don’t say you don’t learn stuff 

from motorcycle magazines!

www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com 

A slimmer, 

meaner Triumph 

1200 Adventure 

on the way? 

to sample, providing plenty of additional power 

to offset any losses felt as a result of more 

stringent Euro fuel emissions standards. Great 

brand for sure! 

www.triumph-motorcycles.co.za 

Spy shots have emerged of a new 2021 Triumph 

Tiger 1200 being put through its paces in 

Europe. We’d wager this to be a Rally edition of 

the machine, owing to the beefed-up skid plate 

and wire-spoked wheels, though there are a 

number of upgrades we notice that could mean 

a more expansive model-line update. 

The first is a new suspension package, which by 

the look of the gold forks could be Öhlins. The 

monoshock isn’t as clearly visible, however, but 

on a premium package like this we’d imagine 

this to be Öhlins as well. 

Another interesting element is the apparently 

slimmed-down aspect of the bike, which looks 

to have a lower, less pronounced fuel tank, 

revised bodywork, and an updated frame and 

subframe. 

It’s also likely that the engine will get a bump in 

power too, if Triumph’s recent approach to the 

Tiger line is any indication. For 2020, the Tiger 

800 became the Tiger 900, which we have yet 

100 WORLD TITLES STRONG 

- CELEBRATE WITH US! 

Husqvarna Motorcycles reached a significant milestone this year - 

100 World championship titles! To celebrate, we’re giving you 

R 5,000 worth of geniune Husqvarna Motorcycles products of your choice as well as a 

FREE FIRST SERVICE at your local Husqvarna dealership when buying a 2020 

Enduro model. 

Promotion limited to 2020 Enduro models (TE and FE range) until 31 May 2020. 

T’s and C’s apply. Contact your neareast Husqvarna Motorcycles dealer for furhter information. 


The worlds 

most senior 

trials rider? 

How does he keep them that way? A lifetime 

of practice. If you work that practice into your 

routine, just like daily exercise or scheduled 

mealtimes, you’ll start to see little improvements 

you can build on. If you’re lucky enough to have 

both a suitable bike and a clear space like this 

where you can practice every day with ease, so 

much the better. 

It’s important to exercise your hand 

controls every day. 

We all know that the more you practice the 

likelier you are to improve. No matter how good 

you are now, you can always be a little bit better, 

right? This is eleven-time British Trials Champion 

Sammy Miller. He’s 86 years old, and has won 

over 1,400 trials throughout his career. As you 

can see in this video, his focus and skill are 

incredibly sharp. 

Gas Junky - 

Strappingly 

good local stuff 

Tie downs, Grab handles, Wheel 

locks, Alarm locks, Key rings… 

Local IS Lekker! 

moves the bike or tampers – it SCREAMS at you 

sending would be crooks scarpering for the closest 

escape route. Go and have a look, support local 

industries – local IS lekker!!! 

Trade enquiries are welcome. 

www.gasjunky.co.za 

As a part of our lockdown schedule, we 

decided to pop down to a real lockdown 

emergency and check out the Kempton Park 

based Gas Junkie operation. 

Andre Van Niekerk is the friendly guy who runs 

this lot – and he can basically do anything you 

want him to with strapping. He is most famous 

for his range of super strong tie downs, but he 

also manufactures grab handles for dirtbikes 

when you get stuck in the mud. Got nerf straps 

going vrot on your ATV? He makes them up 

and will have them sorted for you chop-chop. 

Interestingly, he also manufactures bits like 

bakkie nets, SXS netting for the doors, dog 

collars and leashes – all from his premises just 

down from JHB International Airport. AND he’ll 

brand it for you no prob, so that your buddy 

can’t get away with nicking your tie downs… 

He re-covers dirtbike and quad seats in virtually any 

design that you’d like AND He is the sole importer 

for the alarm disc lock – a device that hooks into 

your motorcycles btake disc – the moment anyone 

S997 


The new Just 1 

J39 helmet – after 

lockdown you 

deserve a new lid! 

Judging by the amount of new 

lids that they keep churning 

out, Just 1 has to be one of the 

leading helmet manufacturers on 

the planet… 

The brand new J39 has just arrived – as 

usual, the designs are fresh and funky and the 

helmets are priced really well. After lockdown, 

get to your dealer and have a looksee: 

Heres a brief description: The Just1 J39 helmet 

was developed with the primary goal of safety 

and comfort for the rider. During the design 

phase, the helmet was designed from the inside 

out in order to have the best possible and a 

radical ventilation system. 

Features: 

• High quality thermoplastic resin external shell 

• 2 shell size 

• 3 eps size 

• J.1.e.r. emergency cheek pad removal system 

• Double D retention system 

• New inner lining fitting for a better comfort 

• Removable and washable inner lining 

• 8 intake and 6 exhaust vents 

• Peak extension included 

• Weight: approx.1380 gr. (+/- 50g) 


Rings smart 

chargers… 

Keep your 

battery 

fresh during 

lockdown! 

The guys from RING manufacture a wide 

range of chargers and electrical goodies for 

your bike. This is the 1A smart maintenance 

charger, which is ideal for infrequently used 

vehicles like your bike currently, classic cars, 

second cars, motorcycles, lawn mowers and 

all that. It is suitable for 6V and 12V vehicles 

and recommended for START/STOP batteries. 

Compatible with lead acid, gel, calcium, 

EFB and AGM batteries. The smart charge 

maintenance cycle keeps batteries in good 

condition, without overcharging. The compact 

design makes it easy to store, and the simple 

interface makes it easy to use: simply connect 

and select 6V or 12V. 

It is rated IP65, making it weatherproof for 

charging outdoors. 

Compatible with the Ring RSCBM Battery 

Monitor. 

The Battery charger monitor clips onto the 

smart charger connectors, to give indication of 

the battery charge level. The traffic light system 

gives easy to read indication of charge level. 

Leave connected to the battery to monitor its 

condition. If charging is required connect your 

smart charger to RSCBM to top up. 

Aint technology grand! 

Available with three pin plug and two pin plug. 

Available from your dealer. 

ACCELERATE YOUR 

FITNESS FOR ENDURO 

“I couldn’t podium 

without BaseFit” 

– Bruce Viljoen 

Bruce Viljoen #44 

Multiple GXCC & Northern 

Regional Champion 

www.basefit.co.za 

THE AUTHORITY IN 

FITNESS 

FOR DIRT BIKERS 

Contact us NOW at: info@basefit.co.za | 082-461-1443 

Photo by: Chantelle Melzer Photography 


DNA High 

Performance 

Lifetime Airfilters. 

Next generation multilayer cotton 

gauze, oil impregnated air filter. 

The DNA Cotton: This unique cotton media is 

actually a “hairy hybrid” featuring extremely high 

air flow rates and excellent filtering efficiency that 

exceeds 98%. The basic media is a non woven 

surgical cotton gauze with an extremely high 

break strength. 

The DNA Wire Mesh: Made out of marine 

grade 5000 series Aluminium, features a 

unique “wrap & fill” and precisely calculated 

wire diameter, to have the necessary high 

tensile strength and elasticity to last a lifetime. 

Additionally it is protected against oxidation by a 

fine layer of epoxy coating. 

The DNA Filtering Media: The DNA Filtering 

Media consists of 4 layers of DNA cotton, 

sandwiched between 2 layers of DNA wire 

mesh, precisely pleated all together. Another 

important feature of their filtering media is the 

“Large pleat edge radius”. This feature allows the 

edge to be an active part of the filtering media, 

instead of a “dead” inactive area. The result is a 

unified high air flow of the filter. 

The DNA Filter Oil: This is an extremely important 

part of the DNA filter. As soon as the DNA Oil is 

added to the cotton media, the cotton is “static 

charged” making it extremely efficient in filtering 

out in the smallest dust particles. The oil formula 

is made in house to a secret recipe. Humidity will 

not attack the oil, even if the filter is submersed in 

water. The flow of the filter remains unchanged 

even under extreme rainy conditions with high 

humidity. It will uniformly spread and stay on the 

filter regardless the temperature. Additionally, it is 

UV resistant and easily soluble with the DNA filter 

cleaner to assist cleaning the filter. 

The DNA PU (elastomer polyurethane): 

The DNA PU is a thixotropic material, used 

to manufacture the high quality “frame” of the 

filter. High tensile strength with the necessary 

hardness for each application, high temperature, 

fuel and oil resistance, the DNA PU will keep the 

filtering media in place, it will absorb vibration 

and will last for a life-time. 

The DNA EVA: (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate polymer) 

closed cell seals. 

They use only high quality EVA seals. Precisely 

cut and factory installed (glued) using industrial 

grade adhesive, guaranty a perfect airtight 

sealing and trouble free filter installation for the 

user. The DNA EVA seals and the industrial 

adhesive are fuel, oil and temperature resistant. 

Additionally the DNA cleaner will not affect them 

when the filter is cleaned! 

The DNA FCd design technology: The DNA 

FCd design gives at least 20% and up to 80% 

more filtration area. The unique revolutionary 

design, an innovation by DNA, allows the pleated 

filtering media to follow precisely the air box 

contour, regardless the complexity of the shape, 

seriously increasing air flow. Taking advantage 

of the complete footprint of the air box, they 

eliminate “dead spots” that rob power. If the area 

is there why not use it? 

Check out www.bikewise.co.za or give them 

a call on 011 5660333 for more information or 

your closest stockist. 

next 

step 

LEATT.COM/NEXTSTEP 


Rider-Sports 

Western Cape: 

In January 2016, Rider-MX now known as ridersports 

started from humble beginnings from a 

single garage in Cape Town by Dominic Pestana, 

‘like Travis Pastrana’ but the Portuguese/South 

African version. 

After purchasing his first off-roader in 2015 he 

went off looking for gear, not being in the position 

to afford new gear. He decided to buy used gear 

as it was a lot more affordable for him, especially 

since it was a new hobby and he wasn’t 100% 

sure how long he would do it for. 

Having driven all over Cape Town trying to put 

kit together, Dom realized the need for a one 

stop shop stocking pre-loved riding gear that 

people of all ages can go to, pick up everything 

they need to get started - and thus rider-sports 

was born. He started up buying, selling and 

trading in all types’ of used motocross gear. 

Today rider-sports stocks everything that 

the novice/newbie rider needs to get going 

along with more premium items for the more 

advanced riders from affordable boots to 

helmets, neck braces, knee guards, chest 

guards, gloves, camel packs and much more. 

There is also the option for you to sell your gear 

to them when you need to upgrade your gear 

or if your kids have outgrown theirs. 

The best part is that you do not need to be in 

Cape Town to buy or sell to them, they buy 

and send gear to you anywhere in the country 

and even overseas with the most recent gear 

finding its way to Zimbabwean Adventure 

rider Graeme Sharp who just successfully 

completed Dakar 2020. 

Besides just selling off road gear rider-sports 

is also an agent for the very popular X-RAMP 

Bike Carriers. They offer bike Carriers for any 

vehicle that simply attaches to your car’s tow 

bar (anyone can install them) or for a heavier 

duty XRAMP the dual bracket ramps fit directly 

to your cars chassis to carry any type of bike of 

up to 200-300kg. A great product that is easy 

to fit, easy to use and when not in use just store 

away taking very little space in the garage... 

more on that soon. 

076 130 8375 www.ridersports.co.za, email: 

info@ridersports.co.za 


TYRE TECH TALK 

by Bruce de Kock, owner of Bike Tyre Warehouse Midrand 

ALL THE PREMIUM BRANDS 

THAT COUNT UNDER ONE ROOF 

DUNLOP TRAILMAX MISSION 

Dunlops new 50/50 Adventure 

Tyre, the Trailmax Mission… 

Dunlop hosted the world launch of 

these new adventure tyres in the US 

at the end of last year. Dirt And Trail 

Mag did not crack the nod, but a few of 

our international colleagues were very 

impressed with what they say and felt. 

The tyres have taken a while to get 

here, so no local riders have tried them 

out just yet. 

The Tyres are in SA – currently loafing 

at customs until normal business 

resumes. Knowing Dunlop, the prices 

will be sharp. This is a great addition to 

an already impressive Dunlop lineup. 

We have ordered a pair and we’ll fit 

them on one of our bikes and get you 

our opinion in a local feature soon! But 

here is some info on the new rubber. 

By Bruce de Kock – Bike Tyre 

Warehouse. 

TRAILMAX MISSION TYRES ARE 

SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR 

ADVENTURE MOTORCYCLES. 

Dunlop spent time with adventure 

people, at adventure rallies and all 

over the place getting feedback and 

information. 

These tyres are a result of direct 

feedback from adventure enthusiasts. 

In collaboration with Falken Tyre, 

Dunlop has developed what they claim 

to be a 50/50 tyre that’s capable of 

tackling a variety of terrain and offering 

the best tread life in its class. 

The positive side of this lockdown crisis 

is that I get to write this article, for the 

first time ever, during office hours on a 

Monday instead of late (too late!) on a 

Thursday evening, just hours before print 

deadline, with Rob on my case because 

he still needs to do the layout while 

dealing with late advert submissions! 

I have never been jealous of full-time 

journos and the constant pressure they 

work under – except for when they get 

to test bikes and new rubber, of course. 

Now onto some 

exciting news… 

I am aware there have been riders 

waiting for feedback on the new Dunlop 

Trailmax Mission 50/50 Adventure Tyre 

- the latest offering from the Dunlop 

stable. I must be honest and point 

out that this is the first time I’ve ever 

written about a tyre product that I have 

not personally put through its paces. 

Instead, lockdown means that I’m going 

on the media presentation sent to me 

from Dunlop, which includes feedback 

from contracted test riders who test for 

a living for multiple brands around the 

globe, so I’m confident we have been 

given fair and honest test results from 

these independent sources. 

Let me kick off with a media statement 

by Mike Buckley, Senior VP, Sales and 

Marketing: 

“This is a very difficult segment to 

tackle because of the wide variety 

of uses and fitments, but I believe 

customers will be surprised that 

the Mission delivers such a high 

level of grip no matter the surface 

and will also exceed their mileage 

expectations.” 

RE-INVENTING THE 50/50 TYRE 

It is safe to say the Mission was one of 

the most comprehensive tyre projects 

Dunlop has ever undertaken. Customer 

input was key. Engineers and researchers 

attended consumer shows, rallies and 

other events for years gathering data, 

while rider surveys were conducted 

among a vast audience. 

The challenge to the Mission team 

was to create a tyre that did not 

force customers to compromise 

between street performance, dirt 

performance, ruggedness, or longevity. 

This presented one of the biggest 

challenges that the design team in 

Buffalo, USA has ever faced. 

THE FALKEN CONNECTION 

For the first time in its history, 

Dunlop tapped into newly available 

resources. Dunlop Motorcycle Tyres’ 

re-acquisition by Sumitomo in 2015 

gave the design team access to the 

engineers at Falken tyres. Falken, a 

Sumitomo brand, has had tremendous 

success with the Wildpeak A/T3W, 

an off-road oriented light truck tyre 

that puts a premium on ruggedness 

without sacrificing street performance. 

The Dunlop team was able to learn 

from the successes of the Wildpeak’s 

unique design and ultimately 

incorporated several elements into 

the all-new Trailmax Mission. Utilizing 

elements from a light truck tyre design 

to create a motorcycle tyre—possibly 

an industry first—was certainly a first 

for Dunlop. 

DEVELOPMENT 

Two years in development, more 

than 30 prototypes, and 12 months 

spent developing the unique tread 

pattern alone, the Mission delivers 

knobby-like performance off-road, 

has impressive grip on the street, 

plus great ride quality and stability 

everywhere it goes. One of the 

primary goals was durability. 

Several months were spent 

piling on the miles—on the 

street, at the Huntsville 

Proving Grounds in wet and 

dry conditions, on gravel 

roads, trails, tyre-shredding 

rocky terrain, and every 

condition Dunlop test riders 

could find. Dunlop also 

utilized a high-speed testing 

oval in Texas to put the 

Mission through durability 

torture. The result: 

Consumers can expect to 

get double the miles of 

some of the competitive 

rear tyres, and more than 

that from the front. The 

production version of the 

Mission rear tyre delivered 

8 000 miles in testing. 

TREAD PATTERN 

One of the things that 

make the Mission unique is 

that Dunlop did not create 

a one-design-fits-all tyre. 

Different bikes impose different 

demands on tyres, so Dunlop 

engineers tuned popular fitments 

of front and rear tyres for a diverse 

application of ADV bikes so that the 

tyres consistently achieved Dunlop’s 

Tel: 011 205 0216 • Cell: 073 777 9269 / 083 467 1349 

Unit 9 Sable Park, 997 Richards Drive, Midrand 

Facebook @BikeTyreWarehouse • Twitter @biketyrewhse 

www.biketyrewarehouse.com

TYRE TECH TALK 

by Bruce de Kock, owner of Bike Tyre Warehouse Midrand 

ALL THE PREMIUM BRANDS 

THAT COUNT UNDER ONE ROOF 

objective of performance and longevity. 

These differences apply to both 

the tread pattern and construction. 

The front Mission tyre features a 

symmetrical tread pattern that helps 

reduce uneven wear. If you look closely, 

you will see that the 17- and 19-inch 

sizes feature hollowed out knobs to 

create additional biting edges and knob 

flex for greater off-road traction. In 

21-inch front sizes, the tyre achieved 

Dunlop’s performance objectives 

without this additional detail, as the 

larger size of the tread blocks provided 

the desired level of traction without 

the need for hollowed out knobs. Some 

rear sizes utilize tie bars between 

knobs to achieve performance targets, 

while other sizes and fitments achieve 

the performance goals without the tie 

bars. Dunlop incorporated Staggered 

Step technology in both the front and 

rear tyres. These steps give the side 

knobs more rigidity and lug stability 

to prevent flex and create more biting 

edges so, as the tread wears, the next 

biting edge “steps up” to grab hold 

of the substrate. In the rear, there 

are three different sizes and shapes 

of lateral blocks depending on tyre 

fitment, a direct result of testing, 

testing and more testing on a wide 

variety of machines. 

COMMON TREAD ELEMENTS 

Front and rear tyre patterns have more 

in common than differences. One visual 

distinction for both front and rear is 

the prominent wraparound side lug 

inspired by Falken’s Wildpeak truck tyre. 

These lugs have several advantages: 

they add rigidity and durability in rocky 

terrain; allow lower pressures to be run 

off-road with less risk of pinch-flatting; 

they help provide steering stability in 

sand, mud and gravel surfaces; and 

they have an uncanny ability to allow 

riders to steer out of ruts off-road, 

even on the really big and heavy ADV 

bikes. Additionally, the sidewall rubber 

is thicker to add higher durability and 

puncture resistance. Both front and 

rear tyres feature a distinctly higher 

land/sea ratio with about 60% land for 

greater street performance compared 

to the dirt oriented D606 at 30% land 

ratio. Increased tread depth over the 

Trailsmart adds to Mission’s superior offroad 

performance. These comparisons 

serve to illustrate just how different the 

Mission is compared to other Dunlop 

adventure and off-road tyres. 

CONSTRUCTION 

To meet the performance and mileage 

goals, bias construction was used, with 

the line featuring a mix of bias and bias 

belted tyres as needs dictated. Bias 

construction is generally better for offroad 

since tread and sidewall elements 

are designed as one component. Bias 

tyre construction also allowed designers 

to use heavy-duty ply material such as 

nylon, polyester and/or fiberglass belts 

that are like those used in tough touring 

tyres such as the American Elite® 

and Elite® 4. The result is a tyre with 

excellent off-road performance that 

delivers the desired stability at higher 

speeds. Just like the tread pattern, 

construction varies based on fitment 

application—different sizes of the 

Mission have their own unique touches 

to maximize performance on different 

bikes. For example, belts were removed 

on some designs during development 

to help improve compliance of the 

tyre in off-road terrain. This is tailored 

to bikes more likely to be the “most” 

adventurous when it comes to off-road. 

The Mission tyres are tubeless but can 

also be run on tube-type rims. 

DESIGNED AND 

MANUFACTURED IN 

BUFFALO, USA 

The Dunlop tyre factory in Buffalo, 

New York enjoys a long track record 

of building everything from highperformance 

racing tyres to premium 

touring tyres. The Mission is the first 

off-road capable tyre designed and 

manufactured in Buffalo, so having 

the proper equipment on hand was 

vital. While no new equipment was 

required for the Mission line, some 

tyre machines had to be modified 

to build them—the same machines 

used to build the bias-ply E4, 

American Elite and D408F/D407 

Harley-Davidson® touring tyres. 

However, Mission tyres incorporate 

a tread depth twice as deep as 

any other motorcycle tyre made in 

Buffalo before. A huge change and 

manufacturing challenge. 

This is a big statement for any 

brand putting out a new product 

on the market and as far as 

Dunlop is concerned, they have 

ACCOMPLISHED THEIR MISSION. 

They tested many competitor tyres, 

and while there are a lot of good 

products on the market, no one tyre 

can do all the things Mission does, as 

well as it does, on such a variety of 

machines. With the Mission, Dunlop 

has stayed focused on delivering a 

higher level of performance, mileage 

and durability over a wider range of 

conditions and terrain than any other 

tyre. Today’s ADV bikes, Scramblers 

and Crossovers make enormous 

demands on tyres, and deserve 

nothing less than the best technology. 

The Mission delivers. Now it is your 

Mission to see for yourself and 

personally I cannot wait to fit a set to 

my 1190 and hang it flat. 

Current Available Sizes: Front 

90/90-21 54T 110/80-19 59T 

120/70B19 60T Rear 150/70B17 

69T 170/60B17 72T 140/80B18 70T 

150/70B18 70T 

Contact Bike Tyre Warehouse 073 

777 9269 | 083 467 1349 or sales@ 

biketyrewarehouse.com for 

PRICING or more info. 

TRAILMAX MISSION FEATURES 

• An aggressive tread pattern yields traction in 

hard terrain. 

• Built-in rugged tread blocks feature Staggered 

Step design, a step-down feature to provide rigidity 

in the contact patch to enhance stability and 

handling. 

• Wrap-around lugs on the tire’s edge help protect 

the tire from sharp rocks and provide additional 

off-road traction. 

• New compounds deliver the perfect balance 

between road and off-road performance, and 

deliver class-leading mileage performance. 

• Deep grooves excel in wet weather conditions 

and offer additional biting edges for off-road 

performance. 

• The Trailmax Mission tires are tubeless, however 

if mounting on rims that require a tube (i.e., spokes) 

the appropriate tube may be fitted. 

• Fits popular large and small displacement 

machines including the Honda Africa Twin, Suzuki 

V-Strom, BMW GS models, KTM 790/1090/1190/1290 

Adventure, Yamaha Super Tenere, Triumph Tiger 

800/1200 models and many more. 

Tel: 011 205 0216 • Cell: 073 777 9269 / 083 467 1349 

Unit 9 Sable Park, 997 Richards Drive, Midrand 

Facebook @BikeTyreWarehouse • Twitter @biketyrewhse 

www.biketyrewarehouse.com

GOING THE 

DISTANCE 

A QUICK CHAT WITH RICKY BRABEC AFTER HIS DAKAR WIN

Is winning Dakar like you 

dreamed Or is there anything 

that caught you off guard? 

Ricky Brabec: The aftermath of 

winning the Dakar is a dream 

come true. There’s a lot of work, a 

lot of PR, media stuff, but nothing 

caught me off-guard. We have to 

accept the fact that there’s a lot of 

media in the next few weeks, but 

for sure it’s a dream come true. 

Do you think your life will 

change, or will it be back to the 

routine? 

RB: It’s going to be back to the 

routine. We gotta prepare for 

2021. We want to back this up 

with another championship. 

We’re going to take a couple of 

weeks off, maybe a month. Then 

we’re going to take it slowly at 

first and then work the hardest 

between August and Christmas. 

As a team Honda did well this 

year. That hasn’t been the 

case in the past. What was the 

difference? 

RB: The difference this year 

versus other years was we spent 

a lot of time out here in the 

Mojave, testing and developing 

the bike. I think that’s a real big 

part of it. The Japanese have 

done a great job building this 

motorcycle. I think the whole 

team is real confident now with 

the new specs. 

In the past you said that you 

and Johnny Campbell were like 

a separate team within Honda. 

Is it different now? 

RB: In the past, we Americans 

felt a little left out at the Bivouac, 

but now we have a new team 

manager. Rubin Faria and Helder 

Rodriguez are former racers and 

rally experts. Now, since the 

Americans have picked up the 

training program and started to 

make a push toward the front, 

they really respect us. It feels 

really nice. It feels like family. 

When fellow American Andrew 

Short gave a wheel to Toby 

Price, your primary competitor 

at KTM, what was your initial 

thought? 

RB: When I heard about that, my 

initial thought was ‘naw, Andrew 

isn’t going to do that. They’re on 

two different teams!’ That wasn’t 

how it worked out, though. Toby 

got the wheel and I thought, ‘oh 

man, we’re still here racing. Toby’s 

a real strong guy.’ He lost a little 

time that day, but you never want 

to count him out, whether he has a 

couple of down times or not. 

What was Saudi Arabia like? 

How did they respond to your 

tattoos and clothing? 

RB: With my shorts and tattoos, 

I was a little scared at first, but I 

think they understood that our 

culture isn’t like theirs. Still, we 

didn’t go out in public that often. 

Some guys had shorts in the 

bivouac, and that wasn’t a really 

big deal, but when we went out in 

public, we tried to take care, wear 

long pants and long sleeves–obey 

the law and respect the culture. 

On the days when you got the 

map book just before the start, 

was that difficult? 

RB: When we got the map book 

in the morning, no one had any 

more time to study it than anyone 

else. We had 25 minutes to load 

it and look at it, and that’s really 

a fair game. When people get the 

map book the day before, there’s 

a possibility that map guys can 

make an overlay of the course. 

Hopefully in the future we can 

get it like that every morning. 

That gives us more time to rest 

in the evenings and it’s equal for 

everybody and I really like that. 

It’s the way I train. 

You seemed like you always 

had speed in reserve this year. 

Is that new? 

RB: Yes and no. We didn’t have 

the best set up in the past and we 

didn’t feel that confident. Now, 

training with Jimmy Lewis and 

having all the confidence in the 

world that we can keep up with

the other guys, it’s really nice. 

For sure, there’s a little more 

speed in reserve now, but you 

have to make sure you’re not 

going to get lost. Just having 

speed isn’t the most important 

thing. You have to be smart, as 

well. You can only ride as fast as 

you can read. It’s really difficult 

Did you crash or have any 

major issues? 

RB: I tipped the bike over two 

times in the dunes, but other 

than that, for me, it was the 

perfect rally. 

How close were Paulo 

Goncalves and you? 

RB: Paulo was really close to 

all of us. He was a part of the 

team when I got there. Paulo 

and his family are great people. 

What happened, happened. We 

can’t bring him back. We have 

to accept the fact that racing is 

dangerous. Every time we put 

the helmet on we know there are 

consequences. 

Was the day off after Paulo’s 

accident good or bad? 

RB: The day off was good. The 

brain gets fatigued, the body get 

fatigued, so having a day off is 

nice. It makes the Dakar a little 

longer. We’re trying to get our 

laundry done, we’re trying to get 

through town and get food for 

the motorhomes. We have media 

stuff, so a day off doesn’t seem 

like a day off. The only thing is 

that you get to sleep an extra 

hour. Now, we’re excited. We got 

the win–first American; stoked 

on that. 

See you at the races.

CUSTOMIZED 

PANIGALE 

RAPTOR 

What would have happened had 

Ducati entered the world of Quads? 

Here is one very cool build by a Polish 

custom crowd called ATV Swap Garage. 

Even if you don’t like quads, we bet 

that you looked twice… 

What they have done with much ingenuity is 

convert a Yamaha 660 Raptor to a fire breathing 

1299cc monster Ducati Panigale. 

We’ve seen some pretty radical builds in our 

time – but this is quite possibly the most exotic 

to date. 

But – with great power comes the need for 

control - so the folks from Swap garage packed 

this little number with some pretty high end 

stuff to keep things in shape. 

The frame has been cut in half, gusseted and 

reinforced. The swingarm is extended for added 

traction… and above all of that, you’ll find a 

custom built long range fuel tank. 

Lone star A-arms, Fox piggyback suspension, 

even the A-arms received carbon fibre detailing. 

Very cool! Jet Black Custom Nerf Bars meld 

perfectly with this machine. 


DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE MAY 2020 37

Full Termignoni exhaust system with a Larger volume 

radiator to keep things cool. 

Lots of custom paintwork – in Ducati red of course, 

Black and silver SS mag wheels – low profile fitted with 

custom road tyres complete with white wall detail… 

The quad boasts an extended axle with gearing by JT 

heavy duty sprockets and a DID 520 MX chain. 

On the extended steering column they mounted topof-the-line 

Pro Taper EVO bars. 

Then there are the special parts from Ducati, like the 

translucent clutch cover, always a talking point. Ducati 

Brembo Hydraulic brake and clutch setup is found up 

front. Bar end mirrors and the Panigale digital display 

keeps the rider informed. 

A Precision steering damper keeps thing going more 

or less in a straight line. 

Standard plastics, custom decal kit. Very cool custom 

seat. Custom laser cut covers litter the bike, along 

with much bling in the way of anidised bolts and 

engine covers. 

205 HP top speed around 215KPH. 

These Polish guys are crazy! Would love to try and 

hold on to that! 

www.atv-swap-garage.pl 

38 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE MAY 2020 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE MAY 2020 3 9

SO GOOD IT FEELS LIKE YOU’RE CHEATING 

DUNLOP TYRES – PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY HENDERSON RACING PRODUCTS 

MANUEL LETTENBICHLER INTERVIEW 

WINNING WESS AND 

WHY BEING HAPPY 

MAKES YOU FASTER 

Ending 2019 as the new WESS Enduro World 

Champion marked an incredible season for Manuel 

Lettenbichler, but signing with Red Bull KTM Factory 

Racing for 2020 and beyond ensures an even 

brighter future for the young German… 

by Robert Lynn/Future7Media (KTM Blog) 

40 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE MAY 2020 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE MAY 2020 41



Most riders dream of winning 

world championships, and 

Manuel Lettenbichler is no 

different. Through hard work, 

determination and skill he 

realised his dream last year when 

he became the 2019 WESS Enduro 

World Champion. Ensuring it 

was an extra special moment, 

the German did so on home soil, 

claiming victory at the final round 

of the season at GetzenRodeo in 

front of thousands of spectators 

and fans. 

It was a remarkable moment for 

the 21-year-old, but even more so 

when you consider his success 

came while still a privateer rider. 

From eight WESS starts, Mani 

secured seven top-five finishes, of 

which five were podium results. 

He also became the youngest-ever 

winner of the demanding Red Bull 

Romaniacs. 

Factoring in his AMA 

Extreme Off-Road Grand 

National Championship 

at Tennessee Knockout, 

the likeable German 

is now one of the most 

exciting prospects in 

enduro and the rider 

to beat once the 2020 

season gets underway… 

Mani, with time to reflect, what 

did it feel like to become the 

WESS Enduro World Champion 

by winning your home race at 

GetzenRodeo last year? 

Manuel Lettenbichler: “Ah, for 

sure it was a special moment 

to become world champion at 

GetzenRodeo. It’s a home race for 

me and last year with it being a 

WESS race over 30 people from 

my hometown came to watch me 

race, too. Having won the race 

in 2018 I really wanted to win it 

again and try to take the title in 

style. GetzenRodeo is so tough – 

by the time you reach the finish 

line you are exhausted, so when 

I took the chequered flag I think 

the emotion of the occasion really 

hit me then. It was a cool moment 

and for sure one I will carry with 

me for a very long time.” 

When did you begin to believe 

that you could win the 2019 

championship? 

“Going to Hawkstone Park for 

round six (of eight) I was so 

nervous about things because 

it was cross-country. But after 

finishing second in the race I felt 

different. I did a good job and 

showed that I could be strong 

on the KTM 350 EXC-F in a race 

that was out of my comfort zone. 

I wasn’t as worried about those 

fast races as I previously was. 

I guess it was then that I began 

to realise that I was a contender 

for the title and that I was good 

enough to become champion. 

Moving on to BR2 Enduro Solsona 

I tried my best and it showed with 

a fourth place. It put me in a good 

place heading to GetzenRodeo.” 

Do you feel those results showed 

that you’re more than a hard 

enduro rider, that you’re now a 

complete all-rounder instead? 

“I hope so. I’m naturally better at 

the hard enduro races, but now 

I’m beginning to bridge that gap 

in the faster conditions. I’ve a 

long way to go to match guys like 

Josep Garcia or Nathan Watson, 

but I’m feel better out of my 

comfort zone than I did before.” 

You enjoyed a lot of success as 

a child riding trials, do those 

skills still help you in enduro? 

“Having a trials background 

is one of my best assets. The 

skills I learned as a child never 

go away. I use them every time 

I ride, and they get me out of 

every bad situation I might get 

into too! Trials teaches you so 

much – balance, throttle control 

and clutch use. You learn how 

to find traction where normally 

there shouldn’t be. I think if you 

ride motocross or enduro, they’re 

skills that will always stay with 

you as a rider.” 




What was it like competing as 

a privateer at the highest level 

of enduro? It brings difficulties 

but also rewards, right? 

“My support from KTM was 

really good and I never felt like 

I was at a disadvantage with my 

bike. Enduro is unique because 

it always rewards the skill of the 

rider and once I was out on track 

I felt equal. But it’s the other 

things that come with racing – the 

behind-the-scenes stuff that make 

it tougher for a privateer. There 

is a lot more to organise and you 

spend a lot of hours driving to 

and from the race that people 

forget about. But at the end of the 

day what our small Flatschingfast 

team of Jeff, my father and myself 

achieved was incredible. I hope we 

showed to other privateer riders 

that in enduro it’s possible to win.” 

“Enduro is unique because it always rewards 

the skill of the rider and once I was out on 

track I felt equal. But it’s the other things that 

come with racing – the behind-the-scenes 

stuff that make it tougher for a privateer.” 

What differences and help can 

joining a team like Red Bull 

KTM Factory Racing bring? 

“I’m sure there will be differences 

even if it’s only the beginning of 

this new chapter for me. For sure 

I will have less organising to do 

to go racing. We can prepare the 

bikes better and also prepare 

specifically for certain races, which 

is an important thing for a rider. I 

feel like it will be the little things 

they do, the things you don’t 

easily see, that will make the job 

of focusing about what happens 

on the racetrack easier. I’m excited 

to work closely with the team this 

season when it begins and become 

better as a rider.” 

Spend five minutes in the 

race paddock and it’s easy to 

feel your positive vibes and 

enjoyment of racing carry 

through. Is being happy the 

secret to being fast? 

“It definitely helps a lot! Of course, 

you need skills and to be happy 

with your bike to be the complete 

rider, but being happy makes me 

faster, I’m sure of it. I always want to 

be a positive person because when 

you enjoy what you do it makes 

your job easier. I started riding bikes 

to have fun and I always try to keep 

it that way. So many people would 

love to race motorcycles as a job, so 

I’m humbled that I can. Even when 

it’s raining, muddy and cold it’s still 

better than working 9-5 in an office. 

Keeping a smile on my face reminds 

me of that every time I ride!” 

This year you will also do some 

races in the USA. As the current 

AMA Extreme Off-Road Grand 

National Champion, what’s 

the scene like and how is hard 

enduro growing there? 

“In the USA hard enduro is growing 

massively. Everyone you speak to is 

excited to go ride and try something 

new. It’s cool to see because before 

it wasn’t that well understood. 

When I raced the Tennessee 

Knockout last year I could see that 

there is a big push to make it bigger, 

so I’ve been excited to be back in 




the US to do some more races. Also, 

with WESS going to the USA more 

people will tune in and it will make 

the sport even bigger.” 

You’ve won Red Bull Romaniacs 

and GetzenRodeo, so is winning 

Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare 

Scramble the next big race on 

your bucket list? 

“I’m so happy with my wins at Red 

Bull Romaniacs and GetzenRodeo, 

but of course winning Erzbergrodeo 

is on the list. It’s the Holy Grail for 

every hard enduro rider. If you win 

this race then the world knows about 

it – it’s that important to the sport. 

I’ve been trying my hardest for the 

last two years to win it, but it hasn’t 

yet worked out for me even though I 

have been on the podium twice. I’m 

really motivated to go there again 

and try my best. That’s all I can keep 

doing. It’s a special race because 

it’s so unique. With 500 riders on 

the start line, you need a good race 

from the beginning, and it has to 

go perfectly right. It’s become so 

competitive now that if one thing 

goes wrong then you can’t win.” 

Looking at the 2020 WESS Enduro 

World Championship calendar 

and what are your thoughts 

on defending your world title? 

**Editor’s note: this interview was 

given before the Covid-19 outbreak. 

“The calendar for this year looks 

exciting. There are some great races 

in there – all of the big ones. It’s cool 

to have Red Bull Megawatt back. We 

start again at Extreme XL Lagares 

and though I haven’t won it I’ve been 

on the podium twice, so it’s a strong 

one for me. It’s cool to go to America 

with the series too. It’s going to 

make our sport more worldwide and 

professional. I think with Hixpania 

as the final, the atmosphere will be 

similar to GetzenRodeo, too. I haven’t 

really thought about defending my 

title yet but for sure it’s what I want 

to do. But I’m going to take it one 

race at a time and just get out there 

and have fun racing my bike.” 

Editor’s note: The eight-round 2020 

WESS Enduro World Championship 

was due to begin in May – however, 

due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, 

at the time of writing this article, the 

racing schedule has been delayed and 

will be announced later this year. 

DUNLOP MOTORCYCLE TYRES PROUDLY DISTRIBUTED BY 

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Available at selected dealers nationwide 


FEATURE 

2020 

GS TROPHY 

TEAM SA DOES IT AGAIN, THIS TIME IN NEW ZEALAND 

Last month, we told you all about team South Africa winning 

the international GS Trophy AGAIN. This month, Byron 

Coetsee, who went along as the official media body gives a 

more in depth view of what went down, deep down under… 

South Africa first won the 

International GS Trophy in 

2016 in Thailand. In 2018, 

we won it again in Mongolia. 

This year in New Zealand, 

South Africa placed 1st again, 

making us the most successful 

team in the event’s history 

and to top it off, doing it on a 

hat-trick. 

Words and pics Byron Coetsee 

There have been many questions 

around why South Africa produces 

such strong riders and in my opinion, 

it’s because of a number of key things 

which are unique to South Africa. One 

of the biggest contributing factors is 

the fact that we have nearly unbeatable 

riding terrain – from the soft sands in 

the Western Cape to the rocky, hard and 

loose tracks up country. If you really feel 

like challenging yourself you can head 

into Lesotho. There, even the hardest 

riders are tested, regardless of their 

machine of choice. It has become a little 

bit of a tradition now for each new SA 

team to head into Lesotho for a few days 

to “bond”. As for what that bonding is, 

well, I’ll leave it to the imagination but 

what I can say is if the team makes it 

through there without losing their minds 

(or bikes!), they’ve conquered something 

far more physically demanding than the 

Trophy can provide and we prove to one 

another that in the toughest of times, we 

are a team and we’ll stay that way. 

48 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE MARCH 2020 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE MARCH 2020 4 9

The team had a few official 

training sessions before they 

headed off to New Zealand 

to face the rest of the world. 

With Brandon Grimstead 

being in the Freestate and BJ 

Vosloo, Cobus Theron and 

myself (Byron Coetsee) being 

in the Cape, it made training 

as a full team quite tricky. 

Doing so is vital however – 

knowing where each rider’s 

strengths and weaknesses are, 

how they ride, being able to 

read them – that’s what gives 

you an edge. 

Apart from the Lesotho 

weekend, the team got 

together on Cobus’ farm in 

Tulbagh for a weekend to 

focus on the more technical 

side of things where 

communication, timing, 

team-work and strategy were 

worked on. Having competed 

in 2016 myself and been 

through the event and what it 

has to offer, I had some past 

experiences to share with 

the guys and spent that time 

giving them as much of a taste 

of the real event as possible. 

A final training session 

was held in Moolmanshoek 

with veteran BMW man Stefan 

Boshoff, offering up his take 

on the training and refining 

the team even further. 

New Zealand boasts some 

of the longest single flights 

in the world, with an almost 

18 hour flight time from 

Doha and a 17 hour flight 

from Dubai. Coming from 

South Africa, you can add 

another 8 or 9 hours on top 

of that just to get to those 

hubs. Then, to make matters 

even more exciting, there’s 

a +11 hour time difference 

between New Zealand and 

back home. Getting the body 

into the habit of sleeping 

when its used to being awake, 

within a day or two so not to 

affect performance, is quite 

difficult. Fatigue is the number 

1 challenge on the trophy. 8 

days of early morning wake 

up, 10 hours in the saddle and 

sometimes a little late to bed 

– it gets to you. By the end 

you could see the effects of it. 

People were falling ill, making 

silly mistakes, struggling to lift 

and actually stay on the bike 

at times. The worst crash of 

the trophy happened on the 

final day (rider OK). 

The format of this years 

Trophy was the same as 

previous years but with a 

change in the special stages. 

BMW put massive emphasis 

on safety this year, both 

towards the media and the 

participants. It also made 

an effort to “even out the 

playing field” for teams which 

weren’t always very strong 

riders. To do this, there were 

more team-based, non-riding 

related challenges. There was 

a lot of debate whether this 

affected the overall feeling 

towards the event being 

known as a motorcycle related 

competition. There is some 

merit in that however BMW 

make it very clear that it is 

not in fact a competition but 

rather a “fun ride”. 

The media personnel were 

under close scrutiny too after 

previous years problem with 

riders carrying cameras and 

trying to operate them while 

on the move. This made it 

tough for us to capture the 

moment when there was one; 

and in New Zealand there’s a 

moment pretty often. 

Our team rode well 

throughout the event. When 

one person fell and cost us 

time, another would step up 

and pull the rabbit out the hat 

to make it all back up. We got 

lucky a few times but overall, 

a win over 8 days can’t come 

down to luck alone. Being 

such a mentally strong team 

means almost more than 

pure riding ability. After 8 

days of cold, wet mornings 

and evenings, fatigue so bad 

that every 5 minute smoke 

50 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE MARCH 2020 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE MARCH 2020 51

eak is spent trying to catch 

a few minutes of sleep and 

constant pressure from all 

sides, keeping your cool 

becomes difficult. When a 

teammate slips up and drops 

the bike, costing the team a 

few places, being able to stay 

calm and not berate them for 

their sudden lack of talent is 

the difference between a team 

that wins or loses. Remaining 

a team is what it’s all about. 

Arriving back home for 

the guys was something they 

aren’t used to. The small 

crowds waiting at the airport, 

suddenly everyone knows 

your name and everyone 

wanting a picture – its special. 

The other side of the new 

experience was the little taste 

of the sponsored life. Being 

flown across the globe to 

ride in remote places, being 

given custom branded kit, all 

while paying for none of it. 

BMW Motorrad SA had custom 

helmets designed and painted 

with one of a kind decals 

to match the New Zealand 

landscape. It’s this kind of 

support that makes it that much 

easier to go over and compete 

at our best and ultimately take 

home the 3rd consecutive 

International GS Trophy title… 

After eight days and about 

2,500km, GS Trophy Oceania 

2020 reached its conclusion at 

the ski resort of Coronet Peak 

near Queenstown on Sunday, 

with team SA narrowly beating 

France and Italy. 

The SA team was represented 

by BJ Vosloo from Cape Town, 

Brandon Grimsted from 

Fouriesburg and Cobus Theron 

from Tulbagh. 

The event had 22 teams from 

around the world competing 

on identical BMW F 850 GS 

motorcycles over eight days. 

Teams are scored for their 

riding skills over a series of 

challenging off-road trails and 

obstacles. 

It was the seventh edition of 

the event, which has previously 

been staged in Tunisia, SA, 

Patagonia, Canada, Thailand 

and Mongolia. 

“We’re super happy to take 

the win and we know for the 

GS community at home this 

is cause for celebration. Our 

third win, it’s wonderful,” said 

Grimsted. 

“Equally, we had a fun week. 

We thoroughly enjoyed it and 

it was some of the best off-road 

riding I’ve done. As a team, 

we were already close, but the 

week of being in each other’s 

company all the hours of every 

day has bonded us. And the 

friends we’ve made along the 

way, from all these different 

nations — well, it makes the 

experience complete.” 

BMW Motorrad International 

GS Trophy 2020 Oceania 

Final standings: 

1 South Africa 394 

2 France 382 

3 Italy 380 

4 Netherlands 375 

5 South Korea 361 


CLOSER LOOK 

S u z u k i V - S t r o m 1 0 5 0 X T 

Champion 

Yellow Arrives 

It’s been a long time coming – and with COVID on a 

global rampage, everything has been delayed. Four bikes 

are here for now, with two shipments due to arrive at the 

end of the month – so the bikes should be at dealers by 

the time we all get out. It’s so good to see a new bike from 

Suzuki. We cannot wait to ride it!! 

With design heavily influenced by the Suzuki 

iconic off-road machines like the DR-Z and DR 

Big, Suzuki returns with the new Suzuki DL1050 

XT V-Strom, with new updates to comfort, 

performance and usability. 

Housed in a lightweight twin spar aluminium 

chassis, the new DL1050 XT utilises the tried 

and tested 1037cc 4-stroke, liquid cooled V-twin 

engine found in the Suzuki DL1000, with internal 

changes to make the new 1050 V-Strom the best 

V-Strom ever. The engine setup is now Euro 5 

compliant and it boosts the power output over 

the previous generation V-Strom. 

Before lockdown we did have a look at the 

bike and a listen to thatV-twin rumble. The 

engine sounds amazing at lower rpm. They 

tell us that it has strong, linear torque in the 

mid-range and increased horsepower higher 

in the rev range. The Strom engine has always 

offered brilliant versatility so, the V-Strom 1050 

XT should be fun for all kinds of riding, from 

the urban jungle to the technical twisties and 

hairpin bends. 


Beneath the familiar beak of 

the Suzuki V-Strom 1050 lies the 

radiator, which has increased in size 

by 15% over the previous incarnation. 

New toys also include a liquid-cooled 

oil cooler; located where the oil 

filter is attached, it takes up less 

space and is both lightweight 

and compact. The liquid-cooled 

oil cooler provides flawless 

lubrication for a more powerful 

engine. Dual spark plug technology 

utilises two iridium spark plugs per cylinder 

head; the primary plug is used for all rpm ranges, 

resulting in greater power at the top end while the 

secondary plug improves combustion at lower rpm 

for a smoother output, combustion efficiency and 

improved fuel economy. Couple this with the largevolume 

catalyser and the Suzuki V-Strom 1050 XT 

easily meets the necessary criteria to meet Euro 5 

regulations. 

They tell us that the twin-spar aluminium chassis 

that houses this engine makes for a lightweight 

frame that offers stability and great handling 

performance. Equipped with aluminium tapered 

handlebars, the DL1050XT further enhances the 

comfort of the rider as well as furthering the offroad 

aesthetic of the bike. Offering plenty of leg 

room thanks to improved ergonomics and a new, 

slimmer fuel tank, the Suzuki V-Strom 1050 is 

optimised for longer touring rides with less 

fatigue while remaining equally capable on 

shorter off-road rides too. Greater stability is 

achieved through the 1,555mm wheelbase of the 

bike while greater control is gifted to you with the 

wider footrests, offering greater stability when 

standing on the pegs. 

Longer distance riding is made 

easier thanks to the inclusion of 

the Suzuki Clutch Assist System; 

this system works as an assist 

clutch to make the clutch lever 

easier to pull while transmitting 

power, reducing the fatigue felt 

by the rider when travelling over 

longer distances. The SCAS also 

works as a slipper clutch when 

downshifting, offering a certain 

degree of clutch slip and making it 

easier to downshift when riding. 

Electronic stuff: 

The new DL1050 XT features 

a host of electronic aids designed 

to make life even easier, whether 

on the road or off it. Low 

RPM Assist technology 

monitors the idle speed 

of the machine and 

automatically raises 

this when pulling away 

from a stop or riding slowly. The inclusion 

of this system makes it much easier on you 

as a rider when travelling at slower speeds, 

whether you’re filtering through traffic, 

pulling away from a roundabout or tackling 

uneven terrain when travelling off road. 

Thanks to the inclusion of a new ride by 

wire throttle system, throttle response 

and control is now vastly improved and 

with greater accuracy. Simpler, smaller and 

lighter, this new ride by wire throttle body 

is completely electronically controlled and 

contributes to accurate throttle response, 

more stable idle speed and greater control 

when using the throttle. 

Other electronics include the Suzuki Easy Start 

system; no mess, no fuss, no holding in 

levers. A single press of the button 

starts the engine in the DL1050. 

An aesthetic change with 

increased brightness, the LED 

headlight features a stacked 

headlight for a distinctive styling 

with enlarged visibility. The LED setup 

is carried on to the rear of the bike 

with LED rear combination lights; the 

housing of these LED combinations is 

clear on the XT model for a cleaner, 

sharper look. LED indicators are 

fitted to the V-Strom XT as standard, for 

brighter and clearer signalling when riding, 

helpful in conditions where visibility is poor. 

The DL1050 XT features many exclusive 

extras that are not featured on the standard 

V-Strom 1050 as part of the Suzuki Intelligent Ride 

System. One of these features is Cruise Control. 

The inclusion of a ride-by-wire throttle system 

and a newly programmed ECM result in a 

very easy to use cruise control system, 

and can be set from 60KPH, in fourth 

gear or above. A switch on the right 

handlebar can be pressed to put cruise 


In addition to the Hill Hold 

system, the DL1050 XT features 

a Slope Dependent Control 

System; further utilising the 

Inertial Measurement Unit, the 

bike is constantly monitoring 

the posture of the vehicle, even 

when travelling downhill. If you’re 

travelling downhill and apply the 

brake, the Slope Descent Control 

System kicks in, controlling your 

braking pressure to prevent the 

rear wheel of the bike from lifting. 

Furthering the intelligence 

of the new DL1050 XT, a Load 

Dependent Control System offers 

optimal braking when riding 

with luggage, a pillion passenger 

or both by remembering the 

optimal relationship between 

the deceleration conditions and 

brake hydraulic pressure for a 

stable and controlled braking 

performance when riding 

with additional weight and/or 

accessories. 

Suzuki’s Drive Mode Selector, 

or SDMS for short, offers the 

rider the choice of three output 

modes, allowing you to tailor your 

new Suzuki DL1050 V-Strom XT 

to the riding that you’re about to 

undertake. Helpfully labelled as A, 

B and C (It really is pretty simple), 

the rider can choose between the 

modes to help regulate power 

output when riding in various 

conditions. 

A mode offers the most direct 

throttle response, B offers a 

reduction in response and C 

provides the softest response 

of the three modes. The SDMS 

system works in conjunction 

with the traction control system, 

which has three modes and an 

‘Off’ feature. The traction control 

system on the new V-Strom 

continuously monitors the front 

and rear wheel speed sensors, 

throttle position, crank position 

and gear position, feeding data to 

the ECM (Engine Control Module) 

and interacting with the throttle 

body and ignition coil when 

wheelspin is detected. Mode 1 

is designed for sport riding and 

presents the least interruption 

while Mode 3 provides the most 

control and is recommended for 

wet weather and cold climate 

riding. Mode 2 sits evenly 

between the three and is ideal for 

regular road riding. 

As standard on the new 

DL1050 XT, 43mm diameter KYB 

inverted forks along with a link 

type KYB mono-shock. The forks 

offer smooth operation and are 

control system into standby and 

the selector switch on the lefthand 

switchgear allow the rider 

to adjust the speed. The cruise 

control system is cancelled under 

certain conditions to maintain the 

safety of the rider but can easily 

be restored by pressing the ‘RES’ 

button on the left switchgear. 

New to the Suzuki DL1050 XT 

is a Motion Track ABS Braking 

System with a Combined Braking 

System. The inclusion of an 

Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) 

from Bosch monitors the pitch, 

roll and yaw based on angle rate 

and acceleration, the same system 

found in the Suzuki GSX-R1000R. 

With the addition of Controller 

Area Network (CAN) technology, 

information is transferred much 

faster than conventional wiring 

for even faster responses from 

your electronics. CAN technology 

is also lighter, simpler and easier 

to diagnose too. The Motion 

Track Braking System combines 

information from the IMU with 

the front and rear wheel speed 

sensors, which makes it possible 

for the ABS system to activate 

both in a straight line and while 

leaning, controlling braking 

pressure according to the available 

traction. The ABS system has two 

different modes on the DL1050 

XT, allowing the rider to tailor 

the ABS experience to suit their 

riding style and road conditions. 

The Combined Braking System 

automatically applies pressure 

to the rear brake to help stabilise 

the vehicle when the front brake 

pressure rises to a certain degree, 

helping to stabilise the bike when 

cornering. 

New and exclusive 

to the XT model of the 

DL1050 is a Hill Hold 

Control System; when 

stopped on an upward 

slope and the brake is 

applied, the Inertial 

Measurement Unit 

operates the rear brake 

for a period of 30 seconds, 

preventing the bike from 

backing down the hill and 

allowing the rider to pull 

off smoothly. When the 

rider releases the front 

brake, the ECU within the 

bike detects the rider’s 

decision and will slowly 

decrease rear brake 

pressure for a smooth, 

controlled movement 

away from your stop. 


suitable for a wide variety of 

situations and terrains. These 

forks can be adjusted. The KYB 

mono-shock has adjustable fluid 

pressure and spring preload, 

which can be adjusted by 

hand to offer more comfort 

for your pillion passenger or 

to accommodate your luggage 

cases and their contents. The 

new Suzuki V-Strom packs some 

efficient stopping power with 

two Tokico monobloc front brake 

calipers. Radially mounted, these 

Tokico calipers grip the 5mm 

thick, 310mm floating discs, 

which when coupled with the 

260mm rear disc with single 

piston pin-slide caliper creates 

efficient stopping power when 

you need it most. Mounted to the 

DID aluminium spoked wheels are 

Bridgestone A41 tyres 

Comfort; 

The screen of the V-Strom 1050 

XT can be quickly adjusted by 

hand using a quick release handle 

toward the front, lower section of 

the screen, with no tools required. 

The screen can be adjusted to 

one of 11 levels. 

The seat of the V-Strom XT 

can be adjusted too, allowing 

the rider change the seat height 

from 850mm to 870mm with ease 

while remaining cushioned and 

supportive for longer touring 

riding, Beneath the seat of the 

DL1050 XT lies a 12V DC outlet, 

offering power for your hairdryer 

if the USB socket is occupied. 

The DL1050 XT models feature 

a host of additional accessories 

as standard. The lower engine 

cowling is manufactured from 

aluminium with a satin finish, 

offering cover and protection 

to the lower of the engine when 

travelling off road. Furthering the 

protection and enhancing the 

adventure potential are engine 

bars and brush guards, protecting 

the engine and the control levers 

in the event of dropping the bike. 

Beneath the bike, you’ll also find 

a robust centre stand as standard, 

perfect for maintenance, loading 

and parking on uneven surfaces. 

Nice touch. 

We cannot wait to ride it. 

We asked if we could make an 

emergency COVID run – but we 

were told to bugger off. 

Local feature – maybe on the 

Suzuki weekend away, hopefully 

soon. Go and watch the SUZUKI 

SA walkabout of this bike at: 

https://www.facebook. 

com/228190397556972/ 

posts/1080155192360484/ 


FEATURE 

OF THE 

KTM 300 EXC TPI vs 

Husqvarna TE 300i 

Globally, KTM and Husqvarna have had a great run dominating the enduro scene. This is 

apparent by the sea of Austrian machines in each enduro parking lot and pits. Their bikes 

are light, advanced and they occupy plenty of podium spots all around the world. 

Quite frankly, given their 2019 model success, the R&D departments at both brands could 

have sat back and rested upon their laurels. And yet, cheekily, they released completely 

revised 2020 models with yet more improvements, gapping their dominant position yet 

further and leaving jaws heavily floored. Donovan and Dylan take a look at them both… 

Story: Donovan Fourie | Pics: Meghan McCabe 

Given that the choice 

for many people seems 

to be strictly Austrian, 

the big question then is 

which Austrian? Since 

Husqvarna joined the 

KTM Group stables, there remains a 

stigma that they are the same darn thing 

and it doesn’t matter what you choose. 

However, I remain dubious about such 

presumptions, and this is down to pure 

office politics. 

While they share a building, there is 

a distinct Orange office and a separate 

Yellow and Blue one. As is the way 

with all offices, especially those with a 

passion for their product like motorcycle 

producers, there is office rivalry with 

each quarter wanting to oust the other. 

And so, while given the parameters set by 

upper management, each office is going 

to be damn sure they outdo the other. 

And so, we arrive in the West Rand 

with the fruits of both their labours. For 

this, we chose the 300 models because 

– despite considerable improvements in 

weight and usability by their four-strokes, 

and a drastic widening of the usable 

power of the smaller 250s – the 300s are 

still the favourite among endurorers. 

In many ways, the accusation of 

sameness among the two brands is 

justified because each machine is, in fact, 

mostly the same. They both use the same 

300 single-cylindered, liquid-cooled motor 

with an updated fuel injection (TPI) 


system, now with ambient air 

pressure sensors that tell it 

whether the bike is riding on 

the beach or at the top of a 

mountain. Both frames have 

the same adjusted rigidity 

for better handling, and 

both bikes are lighter, have 

with longer seats, narrower 

bodywork, new graphics, 

stronger improved exhausts 

and new settings on their WP 

front forks. 

Really, under the covers, 

both are the same, and yet 

the devil is in the detail. 

Outwardly, the KTM looks 

like the techy new kid, with 

sharper, more minimalistic 

plastics, a shaped headlight 

and an orange and black 

graphics kit that makes it look 

mean and formidable. The 

Husqvarna adopts a more oldschool 

appeal, looking almost 

retro, with bigger, rounder 

plastics, a square headlight 

and a colour-scheme that 

harks back to this famous 

brands roots. 

Looking inwards, the two 

seem to swap roles with the 

KTM keeping its traditional 

aluminium sub-frame while 

Husqvarna embraces its 

carbon unit, saving 250g 

of weight. Then there’s the 

matter of rear suspension, a 

set of components that make 

up a meagre percentage of 

the intricacies of the overall 

motorcycle and yet their 

effect can make or break the 

entire system. 

The first bike with the no-link 

PDS rera suspension was the 

1997 KTM Jackpiner. 

THE BACK STORY 

Back in 1996, KTM’s offroad 

bikes had linkage 

connecting the rear shock 

to the swingarm, just like 

everyone else’s. Then came 

the 1997 Jackpiner. This was 

a limited-release bike that 

commemorated the 30th 

anniversary of the first KTM/ 

Penton motorcycle sold 

in America. It was named 

after Penton’s most famous 

model, coloured blue and 

had John Penton’s signature 

on the front fender. There 

were only 133 of them sold. 

The importance of that bike, 

however, extended far beyond 

its numbers. It was the first 

KTM to use the Progressive 

Damping System (PDS) and 

had no linkage, only a solid 

mount between the swingarm 

and the Ohlins shock. Within 

the shock there was a needle 

that would engage a twinpiston 

design, progressively 

increasing damping through 

the stroke of the shock. 

Within a year most 

of KTM’s production 

motorcycles had PDS, using 

a WP shock rather than an 

Ohlins. It became a KTM 

trademark. Many riders 

loved it; some didn’t. Mike 

Fisher had some success 

in Supercross during the 

subsequent years, but for 

the most part, KTM became 

known as an off-road brand. 

Perhaps the most negative 

publicity came when 

Jeremy McGrath signed 

to ride for KTM at the end 

of his Supercross career. 

He reportedly hated the 

mannerisms of the PDS rear 

suspension and retired in 2002 

after a short time with KTM. 

In late 2010 Roger DeCoster 

signed to manage KTM’s pro 

motocross team. It might or 

might not be a coincidence 

that the 2011 KTM 450SX- 

F had linkage-style rear 

suspension. Over the next 

few years KTM divided up the 

tasks; the motocross models 

got linkage while the off-road 

bikes—namely the XC-W and 

EXC models—stuck with PDS. 

While Husqvarna has 

adopted the linkage system. 

The importance is down 

to the progression of the 

shock stroke – don’t panic 

if you don’t know what 

that is, we shall explain: 

When the bike is travelling 

on relatively flat surfaces, 

absorbing little bumps and 

ripples, the suspension 

needs to be soft, plush and 

easily able to jig in small 

movements, and so the first 

few inches of the stroke has 

little damping. However, when 

the bike hits a big rock or a 

jump, the shock has to start 

toughening up, offering more 

damping; otherwise, it will 

merely bottom out leaving the 

rider scarred both physically 

and emotionally. This is not 

good for business so, as 

the shock compresses, the 

damping needs to increase. 

The two brands approach 

this quandary from two 

different angles. KTM uses their 

Progressive Damping System, 

the one they have stuck with 

since they were still wearing 

shorts, whereby the internal 

damping mechanism of the 

shock is designed in such a way 

that it will increase damping 

as the shock compresses. 

Husqvarna fitted a linkage 

system to their shock that 

changes the way it receives the 

forces applied to it. 

From an engineering 

point of view, the differences 

are very straight forward. 

PDS is very simple and low 

maintenance. There are no 

pivot or bearings to grease. 

Without linkage, a motorcycle 

has a little more ground 

clearance, which can be 

an advantage on logs and 

obstacles. A bike with PDS is 

also a bit lighter. 

The advantage to linkage 

is that it can have more of a 

rising rate. Back in the early 

’80s, several manufacturers 

came up with this concept. 

Linkage allows a configuration 

where less shock-shaft travel 

is used in the initial inches of 

rear-wheel travel than in the 

final inches. Theoretically, this 

allows for plush movement 

on small bumps with good 

bottoming resistance. In 

truth, the same thing can be 

accomplished with multistage 

compression damping. 

Fixed shock mounts can also 

be situated to provide for a 

limited rising rate. Linkage 

simply gives a suspension 

tuner more tools to work with. 

In the motocross world, 

the question is moot. KTM no 

longer offers PDS on any of its 

motocross bikes, and virtually 

all other manufacturers use 

linkage. In off-road, however, 

the debate is alive. 

The linkage system. 

The PDS system 

where the shock 

mounts directly 

onto the swingarm. 


These are two opposing 

systems attempting to achieve 

the same world-dominating goal, 

but which did it best? 

To answer this, we let loose 

our favourite madman, Dylan 

Smith. 

He set forth on both, first 

laying the groundwork on his 

familiar Dirt Bronco motocross 

track before reaching into the 

nearby mine dump labyrinth for 

more traditional enduro riding. 

The 300cc motor on both is, as 

we have come to expect – eyeball 

popping when the throttle is wide 

open, friendly when the throttle is 

open only a little and effortlessly 

able to switch between the two. 

The new TPI better sets up the 

fuel mixture for the environment 

for better performance at all 

throttle levels and an easier time 

for the rider. 

The front end of the KTM feels 

so solid that turning becomes 

effortless and it soaks up ripples 

and ruts so well that the rider 

feels, literally, on cloud nine. The 

Husqvarna, on the other hand, 

feels a little slower, not quite 

giving that feeling of confidence 

and comfort of the KTM. This is 

a problem, especially for newer 

enduro riders hoping to find their 

feet without getting them swiped 

from beneath them. 

However, this is not a newbie 

– it’s Dylan Smith, who cut his 

teeth in the world of motocross 

and thrives in hitting things 

high and hard. Here is where the 

Husqvarna comes into its own. 

Where it falls short on the light 

riding, it begs for bigger jumps, 

harder rocks and hitting stuff 

flat out. It is also 20mm lower 

than the KTM, thanks to the new 

linkage, bringing the rider closer 

to earth – literally – and more in 

control. 

It can remain stable even when 

the suspension is completely 

compressed, at a stage where the 

KTM doesn’t have quite the same 

suspension muscle. 

And so, the difference between 

these two machines winds down 

to the terrain and the style of 

rider. With that in mind, it makes 

sense that the more aggressive, 

serious racer might find happy 

grounds on the Husqvarna, 

whereas the more subdued, silky 

riders will find the grace of the 

KTM more endearing. 

We could leave it there; but… 

In standard trim, the two bikes 

show these two preferences, 

but both give the rider lengthy 

options to change just about 

anything on the suspension. More 

so, there are so many experts on 

dirt suspension running around 

these days that there should be 

a queue waiting to click your 

clickers. 

The base setup might give 

you an indication, but not a 

conclusion. The proof is in the 

pudding, and both bikes in the 

right hands with the proper 

setup seem to be able to handle 

anything. And this has been 

proved time and again at endure 

events all around the world. 

Therefore, your choice of a 

motorcycle is more down to your 

choice of colour and dealer rather 

than the motorcycle itself…. 

2nd Opinion: We were 

sent a second feature on 

the same bikes from a 

friend in the US. 

It makes for a good read. 

Thanks to my riding buddies 

Dave and Scott who just 

bought new bikes I got a 

chance to ride a 2020 Husky 

TE300i and a 2020 KTM 

300XCW back to back and 

get a feel for them. These 

comments are from a couple 

of hours of riding. 

I am a 50+ rider that enjoys 

riding off road, MX, and lots of 

different bikes. I am 6’2” tall and 

weigh 88KG’s. I currently own a 

2019 TX300 and 2020 FX350. 

Compared to my 2019 

Husky TX300 (with Keihin 

carburetor) these TPI engine 

bikes have a softer initial 

throttle response which 

helps find traction then come 

on strong in the mid. The 

TPI engine is very smooth 

especially at low RPM’s and 

can run a gear high lugging 

the engine and this helps 

control that quick revving feel 

of the TPI engine at higher 

RPM’s on the trail. These 

TPI engines pull so smoothly 

from low rpm’s. Power wise 

both are fast and feel like they 

have the same peak power. 

Though not recommended by 

the dealer on TPI engines we 

found a little quicker throttle 

response and more torque 

feeling low to mid going 1/2~1 

turn out from the factory 

setting on the power valve 

screw on both bikes. 

I preferred both bikes with 

the PV turned out a little: 

It livened up the low to mid 

response and made them 

more fun to ride. There is a 

quickness to the power once 

in the midrange on these TPI 

bikes. Both bikes started and 

ran cleanly - as expected! The 

2-stroke engines with fuel and 

oil injection run clean and 

never need jetting. 

Gas and Go! 

From a chassis point 

of view there are bigger 

differences in feel between 

the bikes. The latest XPLOR 

suspension settings on 

both the 2020 KTM and 

2020 Husqvarna work great 

off road: Plush, absorbing, 

and compliant right off the 

showroom floor. Both offer a 

little more hold up and control 

in the suspension overall in 

this 2020 XPLOR setting and 

both still use lots of stroke to 

absorb the bumps. 

Jumping between the bikes 

the first thing I noticed is the 

KTM feels a little taller while 

riding it (mostly in the rear) 

compared to the Husky. 

The 300 KTM chassis has 

a more active feel overall 

compared to the linkage 

TE300i chassis. I noticed 

more chassis pitching as 

weight transfers front or 

rear during acceleration 

and braking on the 300XCW 

compared to the TE300i. 

We did make a few clicker 

changes on the KTM and it 

responded well - reducing 

some of the chassis 

movement. The Husqvarna 

is also very plush yet feels 

less active and lower overall. 

This is also noticeable in the 

corners - the TE300i feels a 

little more “hunkered down”. 

The TE300i comes with 

external preload adjusters 

on the XPLOR forks but the 

300XCW does not. Both bikes 

were agile and quick handling 

and felt surprisingly planted 

and connected to the ground 

for 2-strokes. 

There is a weight difference 

between a 2020 TE (114kg) 

and the KTM (110KG) fully 

fueled. Not a huge deal either 

way but when you’re spending 

this much money it’s always 

nice to get something that’s a 

little bit lighter. 

The 300 Katoom had a 

slightly lighter steering feel at 

the handlebars compared to 

the Husky. The last PDS bike I 

owned was a 2011 250XC so it 

was fun to ride the latest version 

of PDS. I like the simplicity and 

light weight of PDS. 

Other things I noticed: 

While sitting on the bikes 

and blipping the throttle the 

300XCW has a little more 

intake noise compared to 

the TE300i. The seat on the 

KTM feels a little flatter and 

is slightly more comfortable 

than the seat on the TE300i. 

The TE300i comes stock 

with a plastic skid plate 

(the 300XCW has weld nuts 

ready to accept a skid plate). 

The Brembo brakes on the 

300XCW have a little more 

aggressive initial bite feel 

compared to the Magura 

brakes on the TE300i. 

Both bikes are really good. 

Plush and compliant woods 

focused suspension. Both 

have quick handling, agile, and 

responsive chassis and offer 

the choice of linkage or PDS. 

Footnote: 

The sag on the Husky TE300i 

was set for owner who is same 

weight at me. The 300XCW 

rear spring has 2 turns out 

on spring preload (owner is 

about 70Kg’s) so that was 

running low with me riding it 

but still felt higher in the rear 

than the TE300i. The new 

chassis is slightly stiffer in 

torsion up near the headset 

(according to KTM). I think 

the lower radiator position 

along with thinner and lower 

radiator shrouds is easily 

noticeable on the new chassis 

(these changes were already 

on the 300XC in 2019). 

For me the PDS is a more 

active feeling chassis while the 

linkage rides lower in the rear 

is generally feels more level 

with less movement overall. 

The thought of not messing 

with jetting, gas and go 

simplicity, and crisp clean 

running 2-strokes really makes 

the new TPI bikes appealing. 

Go and ride both – and 

make up your mind… 

DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE MARCH 2020 67

LOCKDOWN INTERVIEW 

LOCKDOWN BELGIUM WITH 

Jago Geerts 

Rene Baeten of Herlentals, Belgium won the second-ever Federation 

Internationale de Motocyclsime 500cc Motocross World Championship in 1957. 

Since then, in 63 years, 48 titles have been claimed by Belgian riders across a 

multitude of classes. Based on that alone it could be argued that the nation of 11 

million people is one of the greatest in the history of professional motocross. 

Editorial: Monster Energy / Eric Johnson / Photography: Monster Energy / Ray Archer 


“I rode my bike two 

times the week after 

Valkenswaard but then 

it became worse with 

the Covid-19 virus so we 

decided with the team 

that it was best to stop 

riding for a while.” 

Imaging the roar from the 

paddock and the grandstands 

then when 19 year-old Jago 

Geerts - from Balen, Belgium - won 

the MXGP of Great Britain, at 

Matterley Basin – Winchester. A 

week later over in sandy Holland, 

it was again Geerts racing to the 

podium - with third at the MXGP 

of The Netherlands. A dream start 

to the season. Almost. 

Now, like the rest of us, Geerts 

is at home, in lockdown, and 

wondering what to do with 

himself. With a little help from 

Jago’s manager Stefan Geukens, 

we rang up the 19 year-old Belgian 

to see what he has going on. 

Jago, how are you and what 

are you up to during your 

lockdown in Belgium? 

Jago: “I’m also pretty bored at 

the moment. I can’t do much 

physical training because I 

have two weeks of rest on my 

schedule. We have been working 

in the garden of my grandpa for 

a couple of days now. Now I can 

feel that we have a good life as 

professional Motocross riders. 

Every day we go out and walk 

the dog and most of the days I 

am the one cooking the food. As 

far as being on the motorcycle, I 

rode my bike two times the week 

after Valkenswaard but then it 

became worse with the Covid-19 

virus so we decided with the team 

that it was best to stop riding 

for a while. I have been doing 

some cycling and running to keep 

myself busy. I don’t like to stop 

completely with training when I 

have rest so I keep training a little 

bit. It is more about having fun 

than really training.” 

Have you been close 

communication with the 

Monster Energy Yamaha 

Factory MX 2 team and have 

you guys been able to plan 

anything at all in advance? 

Jago: “Yes, my team is also 

following the situation with the 

Covid-19 virus closely. So we 

already made a plan together for 

the next weeks.” 

You came out totally swinging 

in 2020 winning the season 

opening MXGP of Great Britain 

at Matterley Basin. You backed 

that up with an opening 

moto win at the MXGP of The 

Netherlands in Holland. You 

guys really came in prepared… 

Jago: “Yes, I was feeling very good 

on the bike at the start of the 

season. We made a big step with 

the bike during the winter break. 

I also made a small step both 

physically and riding wise. So the 

whole package is better than last 

season. Yes, Matterley Basin was 

a weird race for everyone, I think. 

We had only one practice session 

on Saturday because of the bad 

weather so it was difficult to 

adapt to the track. But I felt good 

on Sunday. The first race I didn’t 

have the best start but I passed 

a lot of riders in the first laps 

and after fifteen minutes I was in 

second place. The leader crashed 

and suddenly I was in the lead 

and I won the first moto of the 

year. The second heat I got the 

holeshot and the second lap I was 

battling for the lead and crashed 

pretty hard. I rejoined the race 

in tenth place I think and came 

back to fourth which was enough 


for the overall win. I was happy 

with a win in the first round, I 

didn’t expect that. Valkenswaard 

is only thirty minutes from home 

so a lot of fans and friends came 

to support me . I won the first 

heat after a late pass for the lead 

with four laps to go. The second 

heat my start was very good but 

I crashed hard in the second 

corner. I restarted in last place 

and the leader almost lapped me. 

I rode consistent lap times and 

felt good on the track. I finished 

in seventh place and I was happy 

about that because I was so far 

behind on the first lap and this 

result was enough for my second 

podium of the year. The start of 

the season was good and I hope 

to do the same when the season 

restarts again.” 

Although you guys only got 

two rounds of the World 

Championship in, how did you 

size up your competition? 

Jago: “That’s a difficult question 

for me. I just want to focus on 

myself. So I don’t look too much 

at my competitors. I ride the 

best when I focus on myself and I 

“Yes, of course. Belgium has had so many 

good riders and World Champions in 

the past. But at the moment there are 

not so many good riders anymore. The 

government closed a lot of tracks.” 

Geukens is doing a good job with 

that. He knows a lot of journalists 

and media companies so it is 

going in the right direction. It is 

important to get Motocross in the 

news as much as possible to get it 

more popular again. 

don’t know how my competitors 

deal with that. According to the 

updated calendar the season 

will start again on seven June in 

Russia. Nobody knows how the 

situation will evolve with the 

Covid-19 virus. So we will need to 

wait and see. I hope we can start 

again in Russia because otherwise 

the season will be so long that 

it will be difficult to stay in good 

shape the whole time.” 

You’re the first Belgian racer to 

score a World Championship 

win since 2012. A lot of people 

love motocross in that nation. 

Have you sensed Belgian fans 

and media getting behind You? 

Jago: “Yes, of course. Belgium 

has had so many good riders and 

World Champions in the past. 

But at the moment there are not 

so many good riders anymore. 

The government closed a lot of 

tracks. We only have around six 

tracks in whole Belgium. I hope 

that I can achieve good results 

the next years so that Motocross 

gets more popular again over 

here. There are some good talents 

coming up the next years. For 

example Liam Everts is riding 

very good so I hope we can 

make Motocross more popular 

again. Also, now I start to get 

some media attention from the 

Belgian media. My manager Stefan 

I have you ask you this: Do you 

know Stefan Everts? That guy 

was a pretty good racer in his 

day, eh? 

Jago: “Yes, he still is the most 

successful Belgian Motocross 

rider ever and arguably the best 

Motocross rider ever. I don’t know 

him really well personally but I 

was a fan during his Motocross 

career. He had such a nice riding 

style and was always so smooth. I 

think a lot of riders are jealous of 

his style.” 


READERS RIDE 

Riding in the footsteps of 

Genghis Khan 

R i d i n g M o n g o l i a 

You might have seen the feature we ran 

on the GS Trophy when the event visited 

Mongolia. We figured that it was worth 

another look. Our international motorcycle 

roamer Julian Challis headed for a week of 

epic riding in the wide-open spaces under 

the massive skies of Mongolia… 

We’re stopped at the top of a hill on the outskirts of 

Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia. Ahead of us is a 

vast valley framed by impossibly large mountains that stretch 

into the distance, and from our vantage point we can see 

the criss-cross pattern of the trails that will take us into this 

achingly beautiful wilderness. For an incredible two hundred 

miles we will have the entire landscape to ourselves, free to ride 

anywhere we want for hour upon glorious hour without a single 

square inch of tarmac anywhere to be seen. If you like off-road 

riding, this place is heaven on earth and we were ready to drop 

the clutch and get riding. 


A trip into the wetlands. 

I’d arrived in Mongolia a few 

days before, touching down 

at Genghis Khan International 

Airport in the unnecessarily 

vowel-rich city of Ulaanbaatar 

in the early morning sunshine. 

Having already got my visa, 

I breeze through customs with 

surprising ease and once my kit 

bag rattles off the carousel, I’m 

relieved to see a driver waiting 

for me, name card in hand. 

The city is a strange mix 

of faceless Soviet-style shops 

and blocks of flats for mile 

after mile before we reach the 

jarringly modern glass-clad 

skyscrapers that surround 

the central square in front of 

City hall, suitably bedecked 

with more heroic statues 

of Genghis Khan, the only 

Mongolian the rest of the 

world has ever heard of! The 

hotel is alongside the square 

and seeing my tired-looking 

face, the receptionist sends 

me off for breakfast while she 

organises a room. 

Hours later I’m refreshed 

and rested, and I catch 

up with Toby from Ride 

Expeditions who’s just arrived 

from South Africa via Dubai. 

I’m here to join him and 

another British rider. Paul,for 

a recce trip prior to running 

full tours in the country next 

year. Ride Expeditions’ video 

guy and drone operator Ian 

is due to join us too, but as 

possibly the unluckiest man 

in the universe, the chances 

of him arriving on time are 

remote. When he eventually 

staggers into the hotel looking 

like a hobo who’s found some 

cameras, he’s ready for dinner, 

so we jump in a cab and spend 

an hour travelling about a mile 

in Ulaanbaatar’s gridlocked 

streets to reach a ‘hot bowl’ 

restaurant. We spend a good 

couple of hours cooking 

our own soup of delicately 

diced vegetables and finely 

sliced horse accompanied 

by arguably too much of the 

predictably named Genghis 

Khan Vodka. 

The next morning it’s time 

to get riding so we take a 

frustratingly slow trip out to 

the dealership where we’ve 

organised to pick up the bikes. 

We were originally going to 

use Royal Enfield Himalayan’s, 

but not being sure we could 

rely on the weather or the 

trails away from the tarmac, 

we went with a safe and 

lightweight option in a trio 

of Yamaha XT250s with their 

torquey but reliable air-cooled 

engines. We also meet up with 

our guide, the impossibly 

smiley Tolga and, as we need 

to cart about luggage, camera 

equipment, fuel and our 

cameraman Ian, our support 

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76 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE MARCH 2020 

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truck with its driver Dorje. 

His truck is a Russian built 

UAZ 452, which looks like a 

VW Camper on steroids with 

massive ground clearance, 

four-wheel drive and 

legendary off-road capability. 

Sadly, the truck lacks 

either power steering or a 

synchromesh gearbox and it’s 

a wonder that the diminutive 

Dorje hasn’t got shoulders like 

“The Rock” Dwayne Johnson. 

All loaded up, we set 

off out of the city, the UAZ 

making slightly slower 

progress than the XTs as we 

weave through the morning 

traffic. It’s more organised 

and orderly than many places 

I’ve driven in Asia, but still 

requires a high degree of 

concentration to survive 

unscathed. As the buildings 

begin to thin out, we pass 

through what is clearly the 

slaughterhouse district of 

Ulaanbaatar, with packed 

lorries loaded with uncertain 

looking livestock waiting 

outside menacing looking 

warehouses, the air thick 

with the coppery tang of 

spilled blood. 

Riding along the river 

Yak ride... 

In an instant the buildings 

and cars have gone, and we 

are into the massive open 

plains that form the backdrop 

to the pencil straight roads 

that slice across the country. 

We’ve got a lot of distance 

to travel today, so we keep 

the 250s pinned to eat up the 

miles. As we travel, the wide 

green plains are populated by 

assorted livestock, from the 

solidly built horses favoured 

by the Mongol warriors over 

millennia to the well-fed cattle 

gently mowing the grass as 

they roam across the flat 

landscape. Occasionally, vast 

herds of goats flow across the 

road ahead of us in a stream 

of black, white and brown, 

Tolga revving his bike to make 

a path through the sea of 

animals, as overhead eagles 

swoop away towards the 

distant hills. 

The road continues west 

with the occasional climb 

over a ridge breaking up the 

long straights, as between us 

we take turns to lead. With 

no turnings to make there’s 

no navigating to be done, 

so we can just enjoy the 

bright sunshine and perfect 

riding conditions, even if the 

occasional deep pothole or 

oversized roadkill keep us on 

our toes. By midday we’ve 

travelled some 85 miles, so 

it’s time for a stop, and it’s 

clear that in such a sparsely 

populated land, everyone 

else on the road has headed 

the same way. The roadside 

restaurant is packed and 

deservedly so as we are 

served an unexpectedly tasty 

home-cooked meal chosen 

from their extensive menu. 

Suitably refreshed we’re 

back on the road for another 

80-mile schlep to reach our 

evening destination. After 

about an hour, Toby decides 

we need to break away from 

the road and ride down to the 

river half a mile or so away from 

the tarmac. Paul wisely stays 

put, but I bravely go along with 

the plan and in fairness the 

first hundred metres are fun, 

but then we enter into a huge 

flood plain covered with tufts of 

grass surrounded by water. The 

Yamahas bounce up and down 

and we’re getting progressively 

damper and muddier. I stop and a 

few minutes later Toby is forced 

to concede defeat. 

At five o’clock, the profile of 

the enormous Elsen Tasarkhai 

Sand Dunes appears on the 

distance horizon and in such 

a green landscape it looks like 

it’s been CGI’d into the scenery. 

The area is known as the ‘mini 

Gobi’ and for good reason, the 

mountains of soft sand cutting 

across plains like a deep slash. 

It’s a popular place to visit, 

with tourists catered for by a 

community of locals and their 

camels and horses that plod 

across the dunes. Not keen on 

the four-legged options, Toby 

disappears into the dunes and 

does his best to turn his little XT 

into a Dakar winner. After half an 

hour or so, both he and the bike 

are exhausted, so we press on 

alongside the dunes to our first 

overnight stop at a yurt camp 

The support truck arrivived not 

long after with a smiling Dorje 

and, more importantly, cool 

beers. After bouncing around in 

the truck for seven hours, Ian is 

smiling less, and his mood isn’t 

improved when his vegetarian 

option looks suspiciously like our 

lamb stew with the meat carefully 

removed. But the beers flow and 

with the arrival of an unexpected 

bottle of Jägermeister, Ian’s spirit 

lifts and the night slips away 

under the star-filled sky. 

After a chilly night, we’re up 

and loaded by half eight, excited 

by knowing that we reach the 

start of the off-road riding today. 

The morning passes quickly, 

our progress only paused by 

a decision to do a bit of camel 

herding when we spot a small 

group of them to the right of the 

road. As the three bikes head 

towards them the camels trot 

off, their twin humps flopping 

from side to side and they move 

together away from the bikes. It’s 

a wonderful sight and Ian has sent 

the drone up to record the action, 

a film that would have been so 

much better if he’d pressed the 

record button! 

You had one job mate … 

After the camels, we head 

down to a rare border post, 

although what quite they are 

checking for is uncertain. It’s 

handy we’ve stopped as Paul 

has picked up a rear puncture, 

so,we wait while Tolga and Dorje 

whip out the tyre and replace 

the tube in double quick time. 

Fifteen minutes later we head into 

Karakorum, the former capital 

city of Mongolia. We visit the 

museum, although faced with 

cases of ancient artefacts, we 

default to schoolboy mode and 

bugger about, get told off for 

taking photos and trying on the 

silly hats in the gift shop. 

The temples in the remains of 

the walled city are slightly more 

captivating, as is the huge golden 

Riding round the crater 

Julian by the gorge 


By the lake 

eagle that Toby pays to be 

perched on his arm, its young 

minder encouraging Toby to 

wave his arm about frantically 

to get the massive bird to flap 

its wings. 

We grab a leisurely lunch 

at a very luxurious western 

hotel with super-fast internet, 

and knowing it may be our 

last chance for days, send off 

a flurry of essential emails and 

social media gloating. With 

the world now aware of our 

location and liberally supplied 

with fresh images we’re back 

on the Yams, riding between 

the loose grid of wooden 

houses and up behind the 

town. And then it’s there – a 

massively wide valley with a 

web of sinuous trails wending 

their way down the side to the 

valley floor and disappearing 

into the distance. 

It’s picture book beautiful 

and waiting to be ridden. 

The afternoon passes 

in a blur of great trails and 

wonderful riding. We swoop 

along the trails drifting the 

back ends into corners and 

popping wheelies like we’re 

ten and on our BMX bikes. 

With nothing to stop us riding 

anywhere we want we’re 

constantly criss-crossing over 

the main trail, one-minute 

heading high up to the side of 

the hill, the next going all the 

way to the side of the river 

where wild horses are cooling 

off in the afternoon sun. The 

freedom is intoxicating. 

As we climb onto a small 

plateau, there’s a small group 

of yurts and when Tolga stops 

to chat to the people it turns 

out that we’ve arrived during 

wedding celebrations. As we 

are apparently considered 

good luck to have, we’re 

invited in to sit with the family 

for some of the feast. It might 

be a great honour, but I can 

categorically tell you that 

horse cheese isn’t great but 

it’s vastly better than the 

bowls of fermented horse milk 

we’re then offered. To recreate 

the effect, mix gone-off milk 

with vinegar and a dash of 

battery acid … 

The vodka and snuff that 

finish the festivities are more 

welcome than I could have 

ever imagined. 

With wedding photos taken 

of the happy couple in their 

matching trilby hats, we head 

off again, climbing away from 

the valley floor and into a 

huge boulder field overlooking 

the valley. 

As the truck catches up 

with us, we weave between 

the monolithic rocks and 

pretend we’re Tony Bou. As 

we continue along the high 

ground, we pass a polo camp, 

the yurts clustered together 

on the side of the pitch, before 

the trail begins to drop down 

again to the banks of the river 

and leads us eventually to 

our second overnight stop 

at the Talibun Orkhon River 

resort. The yurts are cosy, the 

showers hot and the spaghetti 

Bolognese is delicious. 

When Toby whips out a 

bottle of Johnny Walker Red it’s 

hard to imagine a better way to 

finish such a fantastic day. 

After breakfast we’re out 

to the bikes again and keen to 

see if we can ride on the other 

side of the deep river gorge 

that borders the camp as the 

drone shots will be epic. The 

plan hits the skids soon after 

we watch some horses cross 

the river, the water reaching 

to the tops of their legs. 

Sending the drone to capture 

the scenery, it’s on westward 

along the valley where we 

meet a cheery if slightly manic 

French rider and his longsuffering 

pillion on a Chinese 

bike. He’s carrying around 

thirty kilos of ancient cameras 

and accessories, while his 

wife appears to have been 

Julian and abandoned buildings 

allocated about a sandwichbox 

full of luggage space. 

After around twenty-five 

miles, we stop to visit an 

incredibly beautiful waterfall 

that drops down into the 

rocks below. It’s a popular 

tourist spot, so in Mongolian 

terms that means there are 

about seven people there. 

The trusty UAZ has caught 

up with us and Dorje and 

Ian have bought a selection 

of odd biscuits and snacks 

for an early lunch but after 

bouncing round in the truck 

as it speeds through the trails 

to reach us, Ian is looking 

decidedly green, so, goes for 

a lie down in the shade. 

Camp at lake last day 

Back on the bikes and 

we retrace our steps for our 

about twenty miles to pick 

up a trail that follows a wide 

lazy river along the valley 

floor. Toby finds what looks 

like a suitable river crossing 

and decides that we should 

all cross over with the truck 

following as it will make a 

cracking drone shot. I’m 

unconvinced and suggest he 

tries on his own rather than 

risking drowning three bikes 

and more importantly getting 

my feet wet for the entire day. 

When he plunges into 

the water and it comes up 

to just below the tank as 

he bravely powers the little 

motor through the torrent, 

I’m pretty sure I made the 

right call. The truck follows 

through successfully although 

the depth of the water means 

that Ian has to jump up onto 

the seat to keep his feet as dry 

as mine. 

A few miles later we cross 

a much more sensible bridge 

and start a long climb from 

the valley floor that will 

take us towards a distant 

ridge. The trails are simply 

wonderful, and we swoop 

right and left either side of 

the main track as we head 

higher and higher. When we 

eventually arrive at the top of 

the ridge the view is beyond 

incredible, with mile after mile 

of massive hills and valleys in 

every direction, dotted with 

the occasional larch forest. 

This place is just beautiful 

We slowly drop down from 

the ridge, carving through 

the landscape, one moment 

ripping along wide trails, the 

next cutting through cool 

forests over root strewn 

tracks. Dropping out of a tree, 

a large insect finds its way 

into Pauls helmet and stings 

him on the neck. He manages 

to shrug this off, but when 

the beast then tries to crawl 

across his face behind his 

visor, he loses the plot and the 

front wheel simultaneously, 

ditching the bike and rolling of 

into the long grass beside the 

trail. With the antihistamine 

tablets and cream quickly 

administered, order is 

restored, and the afternoon 

delivers hour after hour of 

stunning trails in truly vast 

landscapes. Even when Paul’s 

exhaust can falls off, probably 

loosened in the fall, it doesn’t 

spoil the day one jot. If you 

can’t enjoy trails like this then 

you have no business on a 

motorcycle! 

At just after six we arrive 

at the Duut Hot Springs and 

Hot Spa resort at Tsenkher. 

The woman who checks 

us in and escorts us to our 

yurt, bears an uncanny 

resemblance to Roy Orbison, 

but I’m not convinced she’ll 

appreciate me pointing it out. 


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Not wanting to miss out on 

the opportunity, it’s off with 

the riding kit, on with the 

board shorts and straight into 

the deliciously hot bubbling 

spring water armed with a big 

glass of Mongolian beer. What 

a way to end a day! 

We’re up again bright and 

early and after a breakfast 

of pancakes and coffee it’s 

back onto our trusty XTs 

and off out of the village. For 

such a modest little bike, 

the Yamahas have been 

wonderfully fun to ride, their 

compact dimensions but 

punchy little motor taking on 

the vast landscapes without 

complaint and best of all for 

adventure travel, the seat is 

comfortable all day long – 

maybe I’ll send one to KTM to 

them show how it’s done! 

The trail climbs swiftly for 

a mile or so, and then we’re 

up on the high plains again 

with nothing but wide-open 

space in every direction. Our 

guide Tolga leads us for mile 

after mile across wide valleys, 

up sweeping hill trails and 

through forests with nothing 

more than an incredible 

knowledge of his country – 

there’s not a Sat nav or a map 

to be seen. 

After thirty miles we 

drop down from the high 

country and head to the 

first town we’ve seen in two 

82 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE MARCH 2020 

hundred miles to refuel and 

get supplies. Leaving the 

town, we have a mile or so 

of tarmac before we hit a 

long climb that is reverts to 

rutted and uneven gravel and 

is thoroughly unpleasant to 

ride. Apparently, they don’t 

surface the hills because 

once the winter comes and 

the roads get covered in ice 

and snow, the vehicles stand 

more chance of getting up if 

it’s rough underneath rather 

than smooth tar. Once down 

the other side, we regain the 

tarmac and ride for about 

a couple of hours of long 

straight roads. We’re heading 

to Ih-Tamir for lunch, and 

as we drop a winding hill 

it’s clear why. In the middle 

of a large field there’s an 

enormous monolithic rock 

called Taihar Chulluu, without 

a single other rock for miles 

in any direction. No one is 

quite sure how it got here, 

but local legend implicates a 

benevolent giant who placed 

it there to trap a vast serpent 

beneath the ground. It’s a bit 

of a tourist destination so we 

grab a quick lunch of fresh 

meat pasties and I even get 

to ride a highly decorated, if 

slightly bad-tempered Yak. 

The afternoon brings 

more road work to take us up 

towards Terkhilin Tsagaan 

Lake. After a small village, 

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our route leaves the road and 

turns into a rock trail leading 

west towards our overnight 

destination. Before we reach 

there, we stop off to climb 

up the crater of the extinct 

Khorgo volcano, and the view 

from the top is jaw dropping, 

allowing us to see hundreds 

of miles in every direction and 

of course down into the vast 

crater below. 

Back on the bikes we 

continue on the trail, which 

according to the signs is 

frequented by wild bears so 

we up the pace a bit and in 

an hour, we finally reach the 

enormous lake, the perfectly 

still surface mirroring the 

azure skies above. 

Our camp is a little further 

up the lake, and as we follow 

the shore, we pass a flock of 

jet-black cormorants diving 

for fish and then a small 

herd of Yak standing in the 

shallows cooling off from the 

late afternoon sun. When we 

reach camp, our yurt is right 

on the shores of the lake and 

there’s a cold beer waiting. It 

doesn’t get better than this. 

The following day we have 

to retrace our steps back 

to the town and on the trail 

leading past the volcano we 

catch up with a pair of bikers 

on a heavily loaded Suzuki 

DR650 and a BMW 1200 GS 

Adventure. In terrain like 

this we’re happy to be on the 

lightweight Yamahas, but then 

again, we’ve got a support 

truck following us, Ewan and 

Charley style! 

The day passes quickly on 

the roads, interrupted briefly 

by lunch in a strangely Russian 

looking hotel in the town 

where the menu is vast, but 

the service lamentably slow. 

30 miles later we leave the 

tarmac to catch a 60-mile long 

sandy trail that will lead to our 

last overnight stop of the trip. 

A huge storm is brewing to 

our left and for two hours we 

are chased by massive black 

clouds, blasting as fast as we 

can to avoid getting drenched. 

Briefly safe from the rain, we 

break off for a few minutes to 

do a bit more camel herding 

and thankfully, Ian manages 

to hit the record button as we 

circumnavigate the herd. 

As the sun sets, we reach 

the camp at Ugii Lake just 

as the storm catches up, 

and we dive into the central 

restaurant building as the 

heavens open. After the 

deluge abates, we ditch our 

riding kit and return for 

dinner, joined by a party of 

Italians who are touring the 

country in 4 x 4s. The evening 

takes a bizarre turn when two 

of the Italian men disappear 

and return dressed as a 

traditional Mongolian couple. 

When the women break 

out the samba music and 

we discover Tolga is also a 

dance teacher, the evening 

is so far into the twilight 

zone I begin to wonder if I’m 

still hallucinating from the 

fermented horse milk! 

Our final day beckons and 

while the full Mongolian tour 

won’t return this way, we head 

back to Ulaanbaatar on the 

highway, a long if enjoyable 

blast east flanked by the 

vast open plains either side 

of the road. There are more 

flocks of goats, more eagles, 

more horses and more sights 

than we can ever hope to 

see in one trip - we don’t say 

anything to each other, but 

you can see that we’ve all 

been overwhelmed by the 

experience. 

This will be our final day 

on the bikes, and although 

are due to visit the enormous 

Genghis Khan statue in the 

morning, even a 60m high 

metal sculpture can’t compete 

with the beauty and scale of 

this incredible country. It’s 

been a fantastic trip and if you 

ever have the chance to visit 

this vast and friendly place, 

seize it with both hands. 

Mongolia is epic. 

Want to ride this? 

So if you fancy a slice of 

Mongolian trail riding heaven, 

Ride Expeditions will be 

running full tours from 2020. 

Pretty much everything 

except flights is included, 

from bike hire and airport 

transfers to a great range 

of accommodation that will 

include everything from cosy 

yurts to top notch hotels. In 

terms of riding you need to 

be a reasonably confident 

trail rider as there will be 

long days in the saddle and 

some testing terrain, but don’t 

worry it’s not the Dakar! Go 

on your own and make friends 

for life or get a group of mates 

together and you’ve got one 

hell of an adventure. Go to 

www.rideexpeditions.com for 

more details… 


ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW 

M O T O G U Z Z I V 8 5 T T 

Something quite 

unique 

The V85 TT entices a load of perplexity-induced 

questions, especially from our ardent GS/Orange/rallykeen/conquer 

the world South African adventure diehards, 

who have never seen such a strange thing in their 

lives. It invokes a vivid image of these people circling it 

inquisitively, like Vikings discovering French cuisine for 

the first time after weeks of meat gobbling. 

Why does it look like that? Why isn’t it 

faster? Where’s the off-road? 

The question of looks extends beyond the 

realm of pure aesthetics. This is an all-Italian 

motorcycle, and yet you would be forgiven 

for mistaking it for not being thusly. Italians 

traditionally approach everything with 

oodles of poise, grace and uncompromising 

sexuality, whereas this looks about sexual 

as a pair of Crocs. And yet, there is a real 

functional, nostalgic charm to it. 

For some, it is love at first sight. For 

others, it begins to grow on you the more 

time you spend with it, and as its unwavering 

charm begins to seep through the cracks. 

Some tech stuff: 

The motor, turned 90º in traditional Moto 

Guzzi fashion, is 853cc of V-twin bliss. It’s 

also air-cooled and chugs out 90hp and 

90Nm of torque. 

Words: Donovan Fourie / Photography: Meghan McCabe 


The TFT dash on the V85 looks 

like something out of a 90s sci-fi 

movie, yet without the complexity 

that requires a technician to run it. 

The seating is beautifully neutral 

and the seat itself, in opposition 

to its contemporaries on other 

makes that seem to covet design 

over comfort, is something you 

wouldn’t mind sitting on the whole 

day – a novel change. 

The motor idles with 

archetypical Guzzi finesse, 

balancing delicately on that fine 

line between character and teeth 

chattering. Blasting down the 

road results in, well, not that 

much blasting, but more of a 

sort of relentless series of surges 

forward. That is the nature of a 

V-twin, the character of a longstroke 

air-cooled-motors and part 

of the charm of a Guzzi. 

It is just so cool - and relaxed to 

ride. 

The top speed we saw on a 

steep downhill was 186km/h. This 

is a geological speed in a world 

of 160hp adventure titans, but 

the journey to 186 on the Guzzi 

is more rewarding than maxing 

300 on most superbikes. Where 

many people misunderstand 

motorcycling is that getting to 

places quickly runs a distant 

second to how a motorcycle 

makes you feel. 

What the V85 does is make you 

feel like a trooper from the 1960s. 

A hardcore adventure rider living 

off your wits and boldly exploring 

the unknown. A galloping cowboy 

in a mechanical era. 

The issue here is that this is 

all quite make-believe because, 

technically, it’s an era that never 

existed. Adventure motorcycling 

only really began in 1980 when 

the first BMW GS, aimed at both 

touring and off-roading, was 

released. Still, this is Moto Guzzi, 

a company that has never let 

trivial matters such as reality 

stand in their way. 

The fact that ‘60s adventure 

biking didn’t exist is no reason to 

not hark back to it. 

We spent most of the day 

cruising the meandering tar 

ribbons of the Cradle. The twin 

rear shocks made light work of 

the road’s little ripples, and the 

notorious speed bumps are a 

doddle. The handling isn’t light 

but extremely solid, and that 

motor is happiest at low revs 

chugging out happy torque. 

The V85 is graced with every 

bit of electrickery available, 

except a quick shifter, however, 

the gear shifts work happily 

without it. These electronics 

are inherited from Guzzi’s sister 

company, Aprilia, who are famous 

for their digital mastery. 

The wet weight is 229kg which isn’t bad, the 

wheels are spoked but they have not fitted a 21-inch 

front option and the suspension travel is 170mm. 

Where we went: 

We headed into the realm of comprehensive 

motorcycle Investigation with a ride through the 

Cradle area, a trip that ended with some unexpected 

exploration and discovery. 

Bidon Bistro is the usual meeting point, both 

for the TV film crew and our intrepid camera lady, 

Meghan McCabe. We meet there because it is in 

the heart of some of the grandest scenery and 

roads that Jo’Burg has to offer (Cape Town people, 

don’t laugh). Also, the site itself has some unique 

photographic opportunities, it is a brilliant location 

to work out our strategy and, above all, the coffee is 

excellent. 

Turn right out of their driveway, and you are 

ensconced in riding country – towering peaks, green 

meadows, babbling brooks, nearly no traffic and 

roads shaped like an unraveled string. 

“What the V85 

does is make you 

feel like a trooper 

from the 1960s. 

A hardcore 

adventure 

rider living off 

your wits and 

boldly exploring 

the unknown. 

A galloping 

cowboy in a 

mechanical era.” 


With our tar photographic 

obligations met, we set forth to 

find some dirt, a trivial task on the 

surface because dirt roads dart 

off in every direction out here. 

Sadly, most of them soon ended 

in a gate, some guarded by big, 

mean-looking men with guns. 

Eventually, we made our way 

back towards Bidon, thinking 

we would have to make the 

journey towards Magaliesberg 

and hope we didn’t run out of 

daylight. However, before the 

bistro, there was one more 

quite interesting looking road, 

surfaced with martian-red sand 

and not showing any promise of 

adventure glory. 

The first kilometre or two 

didn’t help as it seemed to drop 

into a farmyard, and would 

undoubtedly conclude in a gate 

and probably a shotgun. 

Yet it didn’t. The road made 

a sharp right and descended 

into a Tolkien Shire of rolling 

greens, a willow-lined river and 

the looming peaks of the Cradle 

Moon Reserve. As it progresses, 

it narrowed, got rougher and got 

windier. We are not suggesting 

that the V85 is a prime candidate 

for an MXGP title, but it handled it 

all really well. 

The progressive damping on the 

suspension is obviously dialled in 

extremely well because even with 

only 170mm of travel there was 

very little clunking and juddering. 

The stable tar handling translated 

to a confident off-road ride as the 

road made its way further into the 

valley, ending at the river next to 

Bergsig Trout Farm. 

Truthfully, the road was over in 

a few kilometres, and this is not 

a day trip for adventure riders. 

Still, we had been exploring 

trails in search of photographic 

opportunities and reached a 

series of disappointments. After 

that, to find a gem like this is an 

adventure success. Seeing new 

places, experiencing new things 

and discovering new routes is the 

epicentre of the adventure ethos, 

even if they are not that far away. 

The V85 isn’t terribly quick 

nor overly kitted for hardcore 

“We are not suggesting that the V85 

is a prime candidate for an MXGP title, 

but it handled it all really well.” 


off-road; however, it really offers a unique 

sense of character and theatre that 

transcends mere speed and power. More 

so, and bear with us here, it might even be 

the responsible choice. 

Simplicity of design: 

This Guzzi is the only middleweight 

adventure machine to be equipped with 

a shaft drive. Many may lament such a 

thing and dismiss its power-sapping, 

handling-stunting ways, but there is a 

far greater chance of a chain ruining 

your trip than a shaft. The 

motor is air-cooled, a feature 

that immediately portrays 

an image of reduced 

performance and dinosaur 

technology, however, low-stress 

air-cooled machines have a 

tendency to keep steaming 

forward when the radiator kids 

have since had heart failure. 

The frame – in Pennywise colouring 

– is steel tubing and, in the unlikely 

event that it might be necessary, can 

be bent straight using a brick. 

With this simplicity, is the very 

unique V85 hardier machine than its 

peers? Guzzi seems to think so. 

Our experience – a bike to be used 

every day. 

Very nostalgic and unique. Fun 

to ride with excellent handling and 

suspension. 

And she handled the gravel bits that 

we rode just beautifully. 

I’m pretty sure that this bike will 

soon be included in a mid-range 

adventure comparative ride in this here 

magazine as soon as lockdown ends… 

Conclusion: 

Ladies and gentlemen, I can’t believe 

I’m saying this, do the responsible 

thing – go and check out this Guzzi. 

The price for all this, with some 

extras, is R225,700. 

Included in that price is a threeyear/60,000km 

maintenance plan 

covering everything except tyres. 

Think carefully about that – most 

people buying this class of motorcycle 

generally replace them within two to 

three years. That means that during 

the ownership of this motorcycle, 

you will spend nothing on mechanical 

maintenance – apart from tyres. 

Pop down to IMI in Bryanston and 

take it for a ride. You’ll see exactly what 

we mean. www.italianmi.co.za 


Riding 

the CDBA 

Andrew Katay calls. 

C’mon G! it’s time you come 

and do one of Rika’s events. 

Mumble mumble ya… but 

it’s busy and kids and dogs 

and… No bud! You said 

ride more – stress less. 

And now? 

Ya but, SWAMBO (She 

Who Always Must Be 

Obeyed) and – errrmmm… 

ah what the heck let’s go! 

Man was I glad that I went along. What 

is actually better than a bunch of mates on 

cool bikes in the fairest Cape? Fairest? No 

doubt. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it 

again – the guys and girls down there are 

so lucky to have the terrain that they do – 

and for this one, we were treated to some 

new spots that are generally restricted to 

the general riding public. AND we visited 

a couple of very cool spots on the garden 

route. More on those elsewhere in this 

here fine magazine. 

60 odd enthusiasts were hosted at the 

beautiful Louvain Guest farm just up the 

road from George. We have been there 

RIDING SA 

before – years ago for some bike thing or 

another, so it was cool to see how much 

the property has been developed since 

then. It’s an amazing place – self catering 

cottages right up in the mountains, 

literally in the middle of nowhere. With 

a bit of luck, it will be one of our holiday 

stops over the December break – but it is 

such a cool venue for adventurers. Just 

four hours odd from CT, down the road 

from Knysna and all the mountain passes 

in between. 

louvain.co.za 

94 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE APRIL 2020 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE APRIL 2020 9 5

Rather than dragging a bike 

down, we rented a fantastic 

XR650R from Nico Besters 

Ride Out Africa Crew. They are 

based near George and you 

can book them to take you 

for a ride. They started years 

ago, and then popped the 

business on the back burner. 

They have started again and 

they have a whole bunch of 

well-maintained bikes for you 

to rent. They have XR650’s 

and a few Africa Twins… so 

it’s your call. 

rideoutafrica.com 

About the event: 

Rika started the famous Dual 

Bike Adventure series, LDBA 

and NDBA 14 events ago with 

her partner in crime Mark 

Taylor. Dual Bike Adventures. 

Rika recently moved to Walvis 

bay… so it was natural that a 

CDBA would follow and this 

was the first one in this area. 

They worked out 3 different 

levels of routes and being 

the tuff oakes that we are, 

we decided to opt for the 

“Black” or manne route. It 

was spectacular. Day 1 was 

the more technical of the two 

days with a loop on the farm 

to start off with. The route is 

all GPS’ed, so that took some 

getting used to and there were 

a few times in the tighter stuff 

around Louvain where the 

guys went pear shaped. But 

man was it fun. After that, 

it was up and off into the 

surrounding mountains. There 

were quite a few occasions 

that I laughed in my helmet at 

the guys huffing and puffing 

on their big cc adventures as I 

trundled past on the little 650. 

Man I think it’s time to get one 

into the garage! 

Our partner in crime, 

Veron who was on his 500 

KTM ADV was putting on a 

good show for the crowd on 

his back wheel – when things 

went a bit pear shaped and he 

literally saw his ass. The bike 

was not really suitable for any 

form of straight riding after 

that, so he skulked back to 

camp. He then rented a bike 

from RideOut and took off 

for the day exploring all the 

nearby mountain passes. The 

more genteel (read civilized) 

riders were treated to some 

incredible terrain and riding… 

if you don’t ride a bike, you’ll 

never know. 

DeRustica Estates, Lidikwe 

Game Farm, Ou Wapad, 

Voortrekker pass / Bergplaas 

and numerous private farm 

lands. We saw massive red 

kloofs where CJ Langenhoven 

was inspired to write “Die 

Stem” and so many cool 

places. 

Lunch was in the middle 

of the Klein Karoo at the 

Doornkraal Padstaal where 

the tall tales and bench racing 

got larger and larger… and 

then we did it all over again – 

across the tops of mountains 

all the way back to Louvain 

for some R&R and more 

mandatory bench racing. 

Bikes, Friends under starry 

skies… what is actually better 

than this? 

Day 2 was more of the 

same. 

After an early morning 

microlight flip over the farm – 

just to wake up properly – we 

were back on the bike and 

way up into the clouds. It is 

difficult to describe just how 

beautiful the routes from the 

farm were – amazing vista’s, 

some tricky terrain and big 

smiles all round. Then we 

were into familiar terrain on 

all the back passes down to 

Sedgefield, the 7 passes road, 

Phantom pass, all stuff we’ve 

ridden before, with a few 

unknown extras and one of 

the big reasons to live in this 

part of the world. We were 

reminded about caution when 

we came around a corner and 

found that Charles Vining had 

overestimated the handling 

skills of his sidecar and ended 

up plunging over the side of 

one of the roads. Amazingly, 

the rig was held up by some 

skinny trees and vines – and 

the rider was completely 

unscathed. Even more 

amazing was the fact that the 

bike was absolutely unscathed 

when we managed to drag it 

back up onto the road. So full 

marks for entertainment! 

Lunch was at the famous 

Angies “G” Spot. They need 

every adventure riders 

support when you are in 

the area… angiesgspot@ 

worldonline.co.za 

96 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE APRIL 2020 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE APRIL 2020 97

Excerpt from the George Herald: 

Harold and Angie Beaumont who ran Angie’s G 

Spot in De Vlugt, are in the process of rebuilding 

their disrupted lives. The couple lost a court battle 

against the George Municipality last year when the 

court ruled that structures on the property were 

illegal and that they were not allowed to run Angie’s 

G Spot as a business anymore. 

In May this year the sheriff personally carried 

out a demolition order and all structures except 

the Beaumonts’ house and an ablution facility 

were torn down. The house was also on the list 

of buildings to be demolished, but the George 

Municipality agreed to let it remain until such time 

as plans for a new dwelling were submitted and 

approved. 

At the time that the structures on the property 

were being removed, the Beaumonts were also 

involved in a different court case involving a 

neighbour. They approached the court last year 

to file a case of victimisation and harassment 

against the neighbour, who they maintain has been 

harassing them for years. They also maintain that 

the neighbour is the main cause of the action taken 

against them by George Municipality… 

Anyway. It’s a cool stop, go and buy a burger say 

hello to the sheep and tell them we sent you! Rika 

chose this as our 2nd lunch stop. 

From there it was up into the mountains, via 

the old wagon road on a private farm with bokkies 

and buffalo looking on in amusement. Guys, it was 

amazing! Back to Uniondale where a couple of us 

took the unscheduled hard road up to the old boer 

fort on top of the mountain. Well worth the effort! 

It was getting late so two options – one was to 

hit the tar back to Louvain, the other was to take 

the mountain road on the Kamanassie pass. Man. 

If you’ve ridden that you’ll know what we mean. 

What a cool way to end the ride. And the riders 

blessed the farm with rain – as we arrived home, 

the heavens opened… 

Cool ride, cool event with lots of support from 

sponsors like the guys from Mitsubishi and some of 

the local dealers like KTM Cape Town. 

Informative too, CDBA gave local businesses 

the opportunity to chat about the area with talks 

by Morne Jonker about the area and history of 

Louvain, Andre Britz about the amazing Spekboom 

and Van Wyksdorp community projects and then 

Dean came aslong and chatted about the 10 Oxes 

Gin distillery. Thanks to the drought, they needed 

to diversify and it is a great success. 

Mitsubishi George and KTM Capetown were at 

the event in force, the car guys with some really 

lekker Mitsubishi vehicles on display and KTM 

Cape Town with a horde of KTM mounted riders. 

At the auction held for one of the kids charities, we 

did notice that KTM Cape Town was one of only 

two bidders for the Leatt Neck Brace that was up 

for grabs. It’s great to see dealers giving back. 

Chaps and chops – this side of The Cape is truly 

amazing, if you own an adventure bike, make sure 

you get down there – there is just so much to see 

and explore. And an event like this is a perfect 

staging point. Two more events are planned for this 

year – the LDBA and the NDBA. If you are keen, visit 

their website: www.dualbikeadventures.co.za 

Great organization and backup – and the beauty 

of a ride like this is that you get to meet like-minded 

friends and ride routes that nobody else does. 

The elephant calling trumpets 

somewhere in the Knysna forests 

One of the sidecars overestimated a 

corner and took a tumble. Rider and 

bike were recovered unscathed. 

98 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE APRIL 2020 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE APRIL 2020 9 9

FEATURE 

Your guides are Gary 

Hodgkinson and 

Norman Tinkler... 

Nostalgia 

The Motorcycle Room. Thesen Island. Knysna. 

There are road and dirtbikes from 

the 1950s all the way to more modern 

offerings. Almost every brand is 

represented, some well-known and 

others that are a bit more rare. 

The Motorcycle Room has its own onsite 

workshop, and this is where bikes 

are stripped down and restored, or 

simply cleaned up and maintained after 

a ride. And that’s another thing that 

makes this collection so cool; it’s a 

living museum where most of the bikes 

do get ridden from time to time. 

Dirtbikes and streetbikes are equally 

represented, but it seems that Colin has 

lots of love for the orange brand - there 

is a great selection on the museum floor. 

Included is the bike that won the Roof of 

Africa in 2014. 

Odd stuff is always cool, and they 

have a ’90s NHRA Pro Stock drag racer, 

some weird three-wheelers, and even a 

1978 Suzuki Wetbike. 

Go and look at the detail that went 

into building the café racers with brass 

and leather finishes. Really, really cool 

and well worth a visit. 

@themotorcycleroom info@ 

themotorcycleroom.co.za 

Wade Youngs 

Roof bike 2014 

Cool custom CR250 

The R1150 GS 

If you happen to visit the Knysna area, 

please do make sure that you go and visit 

the Motorcycle Room on Thesen Island. 

This is just a small selection of the more 

dirt oriented bikes on display – in RideFast 

Magazine you can check out some of the 

road collection. 

Guys – even if you are not even remotely interested in 

classic motorcycles, this place is worth every second. For 

a Paltry R50.00 you can easily spend an hour or 3 perusing 

this collection of motorcycles, each of which are lovingly 

looked after. Some are original, some are restored, most of 

them start and run. 

If you are looking at rarities that are worth zillions – 

then this is the wrong place. This is a collection of real 

world bikes, bikes that we all kind of grew up with – and 

wish that we’d never sold – or modified – or worse… 

The museum is the pride and joy of Colin Stunden, a 

lover of all things two-wheeled. Over the years he’s owned 

some pretty special bikes and some equally average ones. 

For him, it’s always been more about the passion, and it’s 

this passion that created this very cool facility. 

The Suzuki 

dirtbike corner 

Lots of Orange 

bikes... 

The Honda 

dirtbike corner 

100 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE APRIL 2020 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE APRIL 2020 101

READERS RIDE 

In 2017 an amazing opportunity 

presented itself in the form 

of the Honda Quest and I was 

lucky enough to be picked 

as a contestant. It was an 

incredible experience and a 

privilege to visit this magical 

place; it was better than I 

could have ever imagined! Surely this was 

a dream come true? Yet, something was 

missing... I needed to show this amazing 

part of the world to my other half. 

I stayed up at night studying maps, 

putting together GPS routes, saving critical 

numbers on the satellite phone, which was 

our only lifeline. Meticulous planning is 

essential when traveling to such a remote 

area. The option of going with a tour 

came to mind due to safety and logistical 

reasons, but we decided to rather go 

by ourselves, unsupported. What can 

possibly be more romantic than traversing 

the vast wilderness of the Damara- and 

Kaokoland with your partner? 

As this challenging trip would entail 

nearly 2000km of sand, riverbeds, 

treacherous passes and even dunes, it 

was decided to travel as light as possible, 

our bikes of choice being 2x KTM 500s, 

with only the utmost essential clothing, 

food, camping equipment and additional 

fuel. The day we finally loaded our bikes 

onto the trailer and left for Namibia it felt 

almost surreal. This is going to be the 

adventure of a life time. 

Northern Namibia and especially the Kaokoland has always intrigued me. 

I’ve sat up reading numerous ride reports about the brave riders who have 

ventured there. Is it the last frontier or the pinnacle of adventure riding? I 

honestly didn’t see myself going to this part of the world any time soon as it all 

seemed too remote, too dangerous and too difficult to access, but then...... 

Words: Barbara Muszynski | Pics: Barbara Muszynski 


A rare, precious and privileged sighting of the 

Desert Elephants in the Twyfelfontein Conservancy 

KTM 500’s 

Johan on the Twyfelfontein 

Conservancy sandy roads 

Barbara riding through 

Khowarib Schlucht 

We spent our first night in 

Windhoek and left early for 

a small town called Uis the 

following day. This is where 

we would leave the comfort 

and safety of our bakkie and 

trailer behind. 

Day 1 – Brandberg 

Rest camp (Uis) to 

Khowarib Campsite 

The full moon rises over the 

Brandberg as we departed 

in the dark. As it was winter 

the sun only came up late. 

We got off the beaten track 

within several kilometres of 

our departure and traversed 

the sandy tracks skirting 

this majestic red mountain 

towards the Ugab River. This 

would be the first of many 

riverbeds we traversed and 

we followed it deep into the 

heart of the Damaraland. 

The sand and dunes turned 

to jagged rocks as we rode 

through Twyfelfontein 

Conservancy, a formidable 

landscape. It had been a long 

day and as we neared the 

main road to Palmwag a herd 

of desert elephants appeared 

almost like a mirage near an 

oasis. We were in awe of all 

the special things we have 

seen and it was only our first 

day. We had a late lunch at 

Palmwag and head for the 

Khowarib Campsite, where 

we spent the first night in our 

little tent. 

Day 2 – Khowarib 

Campsite to Opuwo 

This was the only day we’d be 

riding all day on a “normal” 

dirt road, making our way up 

the C43 past fields of baobab 

trees to Opuwo, the last 

bastion of civilization and 

place to get supplies before 

entering the Kaokoland. While 

here we admired the diverse 

and different cultures. There 

are the Himba, a nomadic 

people, bare chested and 

dressed in animal skins, then 

there are the Herero, more 

modern, the women wearing 

colourful traditional gowns. 

Day 3 – Opuwo to 

Marble Camp, via Van 

Zyls Pass 

Again we left at the break 

of dawn, stopping only to 

refuel from containers in 

the village of Okangwati. 

From there on we rode the 

notorious D3703, now this is 

no “normal” dirt road with 

names like Heartbreak Hill 

Barbara at Twyfelfontein 

Conservancy 

given to obstacles found 

along its path. We finally 

reached the treacherous 

Van Zyls Pass, a bucket 

list item for many a 

seasoned adventure rider. 

We traversed the pass 

with caution, reaching the 

top early that afternoon 

where we gazed over the 

Marienfluss. During the 

Honda Quest, I decided 

to walk my bike down the 

most difficult part, The 

Step. I knew this time I 

would conquer it. We both 

successfully rode down 

the last stretch of the pass, 

which met with cheers 

from local Himba, who 

were curiously watching 

us. There was no time to 

celebrate though, as from 

here on we rode the red 

sands of the Marienfluss 

to Rooidrom, a famous 

landmark in the area. 

Our last challenge for the 

day was Joubert’s Pass 

with a steep rocky ascent 

before we reached Marble 

Community Camp where 

we spent the night. 

Pictured above: 

Top left: Baobab Trees on the road to 

Opuwo, gives you an idea of the size of 

these giants of the desert. 

Top right: The sand dunes are 

mysteriuosly beautiful and seem to go on 

forever. 

Middle right: Barbara with some of the 

friendly Himba people. 

Bottom: Klein Serengeti 


Day 4 – Marble Camp to Puros 

We didn’t rush this morning, taking time 

to enjoy the beauty of the area as this 

day would be a fairly short day, with only 

about 112km to ride for the day. The catch 

is that most of it was in the sands of the 

riverbeds. 

Shortly after leaving Marble Camp, 

we rode through the vast Otjiha Plains, a 

highlight of the day was also seeing one 

of the Stone Men of the Kaokoland, placed 

in the middle of nowhere by a mysterious 

artist. In the Khumib River we were met 

with an abundance of wildlife and giraffe 

galloping across the banks of the riverbed 

when hearing us approach. We also 

stopped on the top of a hill, with the most 

spectacular views of the Hoarusib River 

which meets with the sandy plains and the 

dunes surrounding Puros, a small village 

in an exotic desert oasis of palm trees. 

Here we refuelled again from a container 

provided by the local people and retired 

for the night after watching the sun set 

behind the dunes. 

Barbara at D3703 

to Van Zyls Pass 

Barbara at The 

Step, Van Zyls Pass 

Marble Mine 

Day 5 – Puros via the Canyon 

and Hoanib River back to 

Khowarib Lodge. 

Old cars in the 

Damaraland 

We rode further down the Hoarusib River 

through the Puros Canyon, a lush green 

paradise, a veritable Garden of Eden in 

the middle of the desert. We crossed the 

river numerous times, taking care not to 

drown our bikes. Just a few days ago even 

seeing water was unthinkable, but this 

day we crossed it numerous times. What a 

place of amazing contrasts this is. Further 

south we were met by the cold Atlantic 

winds coming from the Skeleton Coast as 

we embraced the solitude of the Ganias 

Plains. From there we travelled back inland 

Marble Campsite 

Barbara at the Top 

of Van Zyls Pass 

via the Hoanib River, stopping to rest 

under the ancient trees rooted there. As 

we made our way to the main road, the 

wind drastically picked up and we saw a 

giraffe running away in the distance, the 

sand blasted at us so badly that we could 

not see in front of us. We stopped and tried 

to cover ourselves as best we could until 

the sandstorm was over. Eventually we 

reached the main road again taking us to 

the historical Fort Sesfontein, which was 

built by Imperial Germany as an outpost in 

1896. We stopped here to refuel our bodies 

and our bikes. The last stretch of road to 

Khowarib Campsite was straightforward 

and I reflected on the epic times we had. 

After all the riding as well as the sand 

storm we also changed the air filters, the 

only maintenance we needed to do on our 

500s for the entire journey. 

Day 6 – Khowarib Campsite to Uis via 

Khowarib Schlucht and Klein Serengeti 

This would be our last day on the bikes, 

but by no means our easiest. Leaving the 

campsite we headed through the Schlucht, 

another surprise as we are met with more 

beautiful landscapes and greenery. So 

far we had found that the most beautiful 

parts of Namibia, are all kept secret, 

off the beaten track. We rode through 

powder dust, the infamous fesh-fesh, 

through rugged mountains, and down the 

menacing Ombonde riverbed, which had 

many deep ruts, holes and unrelenting 

churned up thick sand waiting to catch the 

unsuspecting rider. We also traversed the 

Klein Serengeti and another rocky descent 

through the mountains which eventually 

lead us back to the main dirt road, the C43. 

Stone man of the 

Kaokoland 


Johan at Rooidrom 

Puros Community Campsite 

Johan in a sandstorm 

near Sesfontein 

Barbara at Puros Canyon 

Sesfontein Fort 

And, that was it, it was over. Johan 

and I stop and embraced each other. We 

had done it. We had conquered the wilds 

of Namibia and we did so with only each 

other, without any mishaps, accidents 

or incidents, without any mechanical 

problems or hassles. It truly was the 

perfect trip, the ultimate adventure? 

We still had a long way back to Uis and 

I rode all the way with a big grin on my 

face. We spent our last night at Brandberg 

Rest Camp in Namibia. It all seemed so 

surreal all of a sudden. The last canyon 

trail, the last sandy riverbed, the last rocky 

pass were all behind us. There was no 

time to rest, we loaded our bikes and left 

the following day for Botswana, where we 

spent the night before getting back to busy 

Gauteng. 

Puros Canyon 

Johan Khowarib Schlucht 

Johan at Khowarib 

Schlucht Fesh Fesh 

Barbara at the Road to Uis 

A final thought: 

To my partner Johan: 

There is something special about 

sharing the same spirit of adventure 

and passion for travel as the one you 

love. Together we make an incredible 

team and I am sure we will still ride 

to the ends of the earth together. This 

has been our most epic trip so far, and 

has proved that together we can do 

anything! Next up … Angola? 


BASEFIT 

3 STEPS TO BOUNCE BACK 

FROM LONG TERM STRESS 

By Mandy Thomas, BASE FIT: Specialised in Fitness for Dirt Bike Riding 

With lockdown, chances 

are good that your world 

as you know it has been 

turned upside down. A 

side effect is that your 

health and fitness has 

probably taken a knock! 

Although not your fault, 

this lack of wellness is now 

contributing to your stress 

and leaving you feeling 

drained, frustrated, run 

down and possibly a bit 

depressed. 

When you are in a state of longterm 

stress, as you have been 

with this lock-down, you have 

been operating in survival mode, 

which means none of your energy 

resources have been going towards 

repair and vitality. This leaves 

you open to getting sick or feeling 

depleted, as your system has 

no longer been dealing with the 

short-term stress such as healing, 

warding off bugs and keeping your 

immune system strong as it usually 

does on autopilot. 

Being aware of this is the start 

of positive change. Below are my 3 

steps to help you begin the process 

of bouncing back after this lockdown 

experience. 

Step 1: Challenges that you 

experience are actually ‘neutral 

props’! It is your choice whether 

you infuse them with positive or 

negative. So the first thing you 

need to is ask the question “How 

can this work for me?” 

No matter if it is a weight 

problem, fitness, health or mindset 

issue… there is always a lesson 

which is there to move you in the 

direction you actually want to go. 

Allow your mind to get creative 

for a while of how you would 

prefer things and then let the 

outcome go for now. Carry on with 

your day maintaining your vision 

of how you would like things to 

turn out. This is the first step to 

creating a positive shift as it all 

starts with the mind. 

Step 2: Understand there is a 

timeline for things to play out. 

Maintaining the vision you created 

in step 1 is important as that is the 

direction you are going, despite 

the time it may take. Think of it a 

steering a ship. You may not see 

the shift initially but if you stay 

on course, you will eventually get 

there. The problem comes in when 

you get thrown off by the seemly 

endless sea of water so keep looking 

back. Looking back will keep you 

in a holding pattern of ‘sameness’. 

Always hold your focus forward, as 

that is where you are going. 

Step 3: Be selfish in this process. 

Now to be clear I do to mean this 

in a greedy or spiteful manner, I 

mean that it is important that you 

look after YOU first. If your cup is 

not full you are no good to others 

anyway. Unfortunately, you have 

been brought up in a world where 

you were taught that being selfish 

is bad and that you should always 

put others needs before your 

own. I’m saying it is 100% perfect 

to look after others but NOT to 

the detriment or sacrifice of your 

own needs. Understanding the 

difference will have a huge impact 

on your progress and headspace. 

In closing, think of your world as 

a University, which means you are 

here to learn. So use every situation 

as ‘feedback’ and work with it in 

gratitude, not resistance. As long as 

you are making progress daily, no 

matter how small, you are winning. 

If you are feeling overwhelmed, 

I suggest you follow my YouTube 

Channel Mandy Thomas Base Fit 

– Five Thirty Club, where you will 

find lots of free videos addressing 

various situations with will help 

you move forward and accelerate 

your progress. Alternatively, you 

can reach me on mandy@basefit. 

co.za or visit www.basefit.co.za 

If you need assistance in taking 

your fitness or nutrition to the next 

level for your riding, or have any 

questions, please send an e-mail to 

mandy@basefit.co.za or call me on 

082-461-1442 


BUYER’S GUIDE 

SELLING 

YOUR BIKE? 

FIRE IT UP IS THE MOST TRUSTED PURCHASER IN SA! 

WE PAY INSTANTLY, WE COLLECT, WE COME TO YOU! 

www.fireitup.co.za 

BMW 

R nineT Scrambler R204,400 

G 310 GS R81,400 

F 750 GS R179,400 

F 850 GS R188,900 

F 850 GS Adventure R223,300 

R 1250 GS R263,000 

R 1250 GS Adventure R288,900 

DUCATI 

Multistrada 950 R207,900 

Multistrada 950 S R253,200 

Multistrada 1260 R232,000 

Multistrada 1260 S R284,700 

Multistrada 1260 Enduro R283,400 

Multistrada Pikes Peak R345,300 

Multistrada Grand Tour R312,900 

Sixty 2 Scrambler R119,500 

Icon Scrambler R144,900 

Full Throttle Scrambler R172,900 

Classic Scrambler R164,900 

Desert Sled Scrambler R187,900 

1100 Scrambler R199,900 

1100 Scrambler Special R216,900 

1100 Scrambler Sport R230,900 

HONDA 

Africa Twin 1100 Manual R210,000 

Africa Twin 1100 DCT R229,499 

Africa Twin 1100 AS Man R236,000 

Africa Twin 1100 AS ES R269,000 

XR190 R49,620 

XR150L R32,960 

XR125L R30,000 

CRF250L R74,999 

CRF250 Rally R77,999 

CRF110F R34,400 

CRF125F R42,900 

CRF250RX 19 R105,999 

CRF250RX 20 R116,600 

CRF250R 19 R98,900 

CRF450RX 19 R110,999 

CRF450RX 20 R122,100 

CRF450R 19 R109,999 

CRF450R 20 R121,000 

TRX250TM R98,000 

TRX420FA R154,999 

HUSQVARNA 

TC50 mini R44,699 

TC50 R44,699 

TC65 R53,699 

TC85 R66,699 

TC125 R87,699 

TC250 R99,699 

FC450 R109,699 

FC350 R113,699 

FC450 R115,699 

FC Rockstar 2019 POD 

TE150i R107,699 

TE250i R127,699 

TE300i R133,699 

FE250 R127,699 

FE350 R129,699 

FE450 R132,699 

FE501 R134,699 

701 Enduro R141,699 

TX125 R94,699 

TX300i R123,699 

FX350 R126,699 

FX450 R128,699 

FS450 R122,699 

701 Supermoto R141,699 

KAWASAKI 

Versys-X 300 19 R79,995 

Versys-X 300 20 R85,995 

KX65 R41,995 

KX85 BW R54,995 

KX250 R115,995 

KX450 R119,995 

Brute Force 300 R74,995 

Mule SX 2×4 R145,995 

Mule SX 4×4 R179,995 

Mule PRO-MX 4×4 R209,995 

Teryx 800 ESP LE R299,995 

KTM 

50 SX R43,999 

50 SX Mini R43,999 

65 SX R52,999 

85 SX R65,999 

SX-E 5 R58,999 

125 SX R85,999 

150 SX R89,999 

250 SX R97,999 

250 SX-F R106,999 

350 SX-F R110,999 

450 SX-F R112,999 

450 SX-F FE R126,999 

150 XC-W TPI R104,999 

250 XC TPI R121,999 

250 XC-W TPI R122,999 

250 EXC Six Days TPI R130,999 

300 XC TPI R126,999 

300 XC-W TPI R127,999 

300 XC-W Six Days TPI R136,999 

300 EXC TPI ERZBERG R141,999 

250 XC-F R122,999 

250 EXC-F R122,999 

250 EXC-F Six Days R129,999 

350 XC-F R124,999 

350 EXC-F R124,999 


50 XC-F R127,999 

450 EXC-F R127,999 


500 EXC-F R129,999 


FREERIDE 250 F R101,999 

390 Adventure R85,999 

790 Adventure R181,999 

790 Adventure R R194,999 

790 Adventure R Rally R273,999 

1290 Super Adventure S R241.999 

1290 Super Adventure R R249,999 

690 Enduro R R159,999 

690 SMC R R159,999 

MOTO GUZZI 

V85 TT R209,000 

PUZEY 

EGL Madix 250cc R38,990 

EGL Madix ATV 125cc R15,999 

MXR 180 - MX R24,990 

STX200-Enduro R26,999 

STX200-Motard R26,999 

STX250 - Enduro R32,999 

Thumpa 70cc R9,499 

Whiz Kid 70cc R9,499 

XP 125cc R11,999 

XP Stomper 125cc R12,999 

SUZUKI 

TF125K5 R33,550 

DR200SEL5 R52,500 

DL650XAMO R128,500 

DL1000XAL9 R172,900 

DL1050RCM0 R221,950 

RM-Z250M0 R99,982 

LT-F250L8 R76,950 

LT-A400FM0 R131,750 

LT-A750XL9 R160,700 

LT-F400FM0 R131,855 

SHERCO 

SE 125 Racing 2T R99,000 

SE 250 Racing 2T R129,400 

SE 300 Racing 2T R132,700 

SE 125 Factory 2T R109,900 



SC Cross Country 125 2T R112,300 



SE-F 250 Racing 4T R132,300 

SE-F 300 Racing 4T R134,200 

SE-F 450 Racing 4T R138,600 

SE-F 500 Racing 4T R139,800 

SE-F 250 Factory 4T R142,700 




SE-F 455 Factory BAJA 4T R198,900 

ST125 Racing R93,900 



ST300 Factory R115,900 

X-Ride 290 R90,700 

All pricing correct as at time of publishing, but may vary due to exchange rates etc. 

All pricing correct as at time of publishing, but may vary due to exchange rates etc.

SELLING YOUR BIKE? FIRE IT UP IS THE MOST TRUSTED PURCHASER IN SA! 

WE PAY INSTANTLY, WE COLLECT, WE COME TO YOU! 

www.fireitup.co.za 

DEALER LOCATOR: CAPE TOWN 

SWM 

SD 650T R132,572 

SD 650 X R132,572 

RS 300 R R111,198 

RS 500 R R121,950 

TRIUMPH 

Tiger 800XCX R186,000 

Tiger 800XCA R205,000 

Tiger 900 Rally CN7 R192,000 

Tiger 900 Rally Pro CS7 R215,000 

Tiger 1200 XCX VN3 R226,000 

Tiger 1200 XCA VS3 R260,000 

YAMAHA 

PW50 R27,950 

TTR50E R27,950 

TTR110E R46,950 

XT1200Z R209,950 

XT1200ZE R239,950 

YFM350 Grizzly 2x4 R114,950 

YFM350 Grizzly 4x4 R124,950 

YFM450 Kodiak 4x4 R149,950 

YFM450 Kodiak 4x4 EPS R164,950 

YFM700 Grizzly R214,950 

YFM700 Grizzly SE R229,950 

YFM90R R44,950 

YFZ450R R179,950 

YFM700 Raptor R199,950 

YFM700 Raptor SE R209,950 

YZ65 R66,950 

YZ85 R72,950 

YZ125 R84,950 

YZ250 2 Stroke R99,950 

YZ250F R119,950 

YZ450F R134,950 

YZ125X R84,950 

YZ250X 2 Stroke R99,950 

YZ250FX R119,950 

YZ450FX R134,950 

WR450F R139,950 

ZONTES 

ZT310-T R74,900 

All pricing correct as at time of publishing, but may vary due to exchange rates etc. 

READ SA’S BEST MOTORCYCLE 

MAGAZINES FOR FREE AT 

WWW.MOTOMEDIA.CO.ZA 

CURRENT ISSUE PLUS BACK ISSUE AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO ENJOY FREE OF CHARGE.

Michelin wins 

Roof Of 

Africa 

2019. 

The new Michelin Enduro xtreme. 

Traction when you need it most.

Dirt and Trail May 2020

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