Dirt and Trail Magazine October 2020

OCTOBER 2020

YAMAHA'S

YZ250 FX AND YZ125X

20010

October 2020 RSA R35.00

9 771815 337001

YAMAHA T7

PUT THROUGH ITS PACES

TO SABIE AND BACK

IN THIS ISSUE

HONDA'S

CRF1100 TO CLARENS

KTM 390

DIRT CONVERT

Mizz B Tells us More.

GAS GAS NEWS - TRIALS MEETS ENDURO - BASEFIT - BIGBOY TX125

NATIONAL OFFROAD - ENDURO - MX AND LOTS MORE...

Your chain. Any time.

Taddy Blazusiak

Photocredit: Marcin Kin

Phote: Future7Media

Enduro

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

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.

DEALER LIST

www.go-mx.co.za

Specialists in motocross gear and accessories

173 Blaauwberg Road, Table View info@go-mx.co.za

079 270 8958

@go_mx @GO.MX.CT

CAPE PROVINCE

CRAIGS MOTORCYCLE FITMENT 021 939 8916

NEVES MOTORCYCLE WORLD 021 930 5917

TRAC MAC BELLVILLE 021 945 3725

TRAC MAC PAARDEN EILAND 021 510 2258

TRAC MAC WYNBURG 021 761 4220

WICKED CYCLES 021 510 2968

LIMPOPO

KR MOTORCYCLES 015 297 3291

MPUMALANGA

BIKE CITY 013 244 2143

GAUTENG

BIKERS WAREHOUSE 011 795 4122

BIKING ACCESSORIES 012 342 7474

FAST KTM 011 867 0092

GAME SERVICES 011 425 1081

MOTO MATE EDENVALE 011 027 0545

MOTO MATE RIVONIA 011 234 5275

PRIMROSE MOTORCYCLES 011 828 9091

RANDBURG MOTOCYCLES 011 792 6829

SILVERTON MIDAS 012 804 8888

ZEEMANS MOTORCYCLES 011 435 7177

FREE STATE

SALLEYS YAMAHA 051 430 3326

KZN

PERRY MOTORCYCLES CC 031 566 7411

RBS YAMAHA 031 701 1311

RIDE HIGH WITH YAMAHA 035 789 1581

ROCKET RACING PMB 033 264 3240

ROCKET RACING PINETOWN 031 702 2606

UMPLEBY SUZUKI 031 303 8323

NORTHWEST

BIKERS PARADISE 018 297 4700

MOTOS KLERKSDORP 018 468 1800

WATERITE MOTORCYCLES 018 771 5050

Intro. Keeping the wheels turning...

October Issue 2020

Eds col DT:

Busy month and we’ve managed to pack

the mag with some pretty good stuff.

Interesting conversation with someone

the other day on an adventure weekend.

“Hey Glen - I get the magazine and I love

it - but there is something I don’t understand.

Why are there no accessory retailers

advertising in the magazine?

A bike mag is every motorcyclists first port of

call for information - and yet...”

True story - have a look - most of our

advertisers are importers and distributors.

Bike shops - C’mon. That comment was not

from us - it was from your paying customer.

Support the local magazines, not just us,

all of them - and in turn - we will do our

damndest to promote you guys.

This is a time when we all need to work

together for the common good of the

motorcycle industry.

Customers want to know where they can get

stuff - this is your direct target audience.

Anyway...

Have a great riding month. Comments,

suggestions - foleyg@mweb.co.za

If you cannot find the magazine - please

drop the distributors a mail:

OTDAssistance@media24.com

and let us know too.

Pic of the month:

PUBLISHER:

Glenn Foley

foleyg@mweb.co.za

ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL:

Sean Hendley

bestbikemagazines

@yahoo.com

071 684 4546

OFFICE &

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

Anette

anette.acc@ mweb.co.za

011 979 5035

ONLINE &

DESIGN LAYOUT:

Kyle Lawrenson

kyle.lawrenson@icloud.com

011 979 5035

Piston Piston and and Gasket Gasket Piston Setsand SetsGasket Sets

PHOTOGRAPHY

Stefan van der Riet

CONTRIBUTORS

Shado Alston

Donovan Fourie

Michelle Leppan

Mieke Oelofse

Kurt Beine

Cranks, Cranks, Conrods Conrods Cranks, and and Camshafts Conrods and Camshafts

Mike Wessels

Mizz B

Kyle De Bruin

Videos and more

available online...

Cylinder Cylinder Kits, Kits, Rebores, Cylinder Rebores, Main Kits, Main Bearings Rebores, Bearings and Main and Clutch Bearings Clutch Plates and Plates Clutch Plates

WWW.MOTOMEDIA.CO.ZA

Email:G124@mweb.co.za

Email:G124@mweb.co.za

no 4 no Fifth 4 Fifth avenue avenue no 4 Fifth avenue

Northmead

Northmead

Benoni Benoni Benoni

011 011 425 425 1081/4 1081/4 011 425 1081/4

Copyright © RideFast Magazine: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed,

or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, articles, or other methods, without the prior

written permission of the publisher.

VALVES,STEM SEALS VALVES,STEM SEALS AND AND SPRINGS SEALS SPRINGS AND SPRINGS

Tork Craft Polishers and Sanders from Vermont Sales

So, you’re building a custom bike or restoring

a classic or just fixing up some blemishes or

damage and you have rubbed the skin off your

fingers trying to remove old paint or ‘flat’ a surface

for repaint or polish back that shine into dull and

faded paintwork. Well here is how you can save

time and the skin on your fingers.

Tork Craft offers a great range of affordable, yet

high quality, electric combination polishers and

sanders with various power outputs and backing

pad sizes. The entry level model, the POL05,

comes with a powerful 1200W brushed electric

motor, a large 180mm backing pad and polishing

bonnet. This is followed by the smaller, but

equally capable, random orbital POL04, which

has an 800W motor and 150mm backing pad.

The most powerful in the range is the POL06,

which is powered by a huge 1500W motor,

coupled with a 180mm backing pad. Last, but not

least, is the most popular POL02 model with a

180mm backing pad, a wool bonnet and a 1200W

motor.

The Tork Craft Polisher/Sander range offers the

industry a comprehensive range of power output

options and backing pad sizes. All the units offer

a no-load speed specification with the RPM

changing, depending on the model, plus, units

such as the POL02, 05 and 06 have a variable

speed selector and variable speed feature. All the

units are corded, electric, power tools intended

to be used in finishing processes. Accessories

such as sanding pads, polishing buffs, compound

sponges and polishing compounds produce

excellent finishes, yielding a dramatic difference

on all surfaces, and are all available from Tork

Craft.

They are used to achieve different results and

surface finishes on a variety of materials such as

wood, fibreglass, and painted metals, however

the possibilities do not end there.

The objective of using these units is to remove

imperfections including swirls, scratches,

water spots, etchings, oxidation, and other

contamination on a surface that may lead the

finish to look dull. The features and functionality

of the models are similar. They are professionally

manufactured to cater for the demands of the

automotive paint care and detailing industries,

with sanding being an additional feature. They

are ergonomically designed to reduce user

fatigue over long periods of use. They offer

various positions to hold the tool as well as

bolt-on handles which make it safer and more

comfortable to hold the polisher/sander at various

angles.

Tork Craft have a full comprehensive range

of polishing and sanding accessories. To

view them go to www.torkcraft.com or to view

additional products and accessories go to www.

vermontsales.co.za

Tork Craft is a leading brand of tools and

accessories provided by Vermont Sales. All their

products are available from leading specialist

stores countrywide. For more information talk

to your nearest retail outlet or contact Vermont

Sales on 011 314 7711. Alternatively visit their

web site www.vermontsales.co.za, or go direct to

www.torkcraft.co.za

Trade enquiries welcome

CONQUER THE

BIGGEST

ADVENTURES

-Torque your way out of any situation with the most powerful offroad adventure bike

on the market. The KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE R is where Dakar-winning DNA

meets the ultimate in power and technology, delivering a limit-crushing ride that

enables you to charge off further than ever before.

Phone 011 462 7796 for your nearest KTM Dealer.

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: F. Lackner

Mike Hopkins Motorcycles

moves to new premises.

Mike Hopkins Motorcycles’ new premises takes

every aspect of the art of the motorcycle to an

obsessive level of care. From the shop’s visage;

a modern almost-museum to motorcycles, to

their dedicated classic bike restoration workshop

(showcased on the shop’s floor), Mike Hopkins

Motorcycles exists as a sort of temple: a shrine

to any and everything motorcycle.

Their new shop is an accumulation of a 15-year

long dream to create the ultimate motorcycle

destination. With Mike Hopkins Motorcycles’

new look, feel, and service they hope to enhance

the experience of buying a motorcycle. From a

young person buying their first small scooter,

to the experienced mature biker splurging on a

superbike, they treat each and every customer

as a friend, and want them to feel equally at

home. Their workshop is willing and able to

work on most major brands of motorcycle, and

do treat each job with the utmost care and

precision. Additionally, Mike Hopkins Motorcycles

has a dedicated accessories floor, selling

everything from helmets, to drones, to a simple

pair of protective gloves.

And, as if this wasn’t reason enough to swing

by … Mike Hopkins Motorcycle’s new premises

also boasts the new Route Cafe Coffee Shop,

themed to celebrate all the fantastic South

African sites and motorcycle routes – and they

ask that you please do send in your own photos

of your personal favorite rides, which Routes will

proudly display on their wall.

It really is a great place to get your motorcycle

fix with all of these great new features, get down

to Baruch Park, Viro Crescent, Stikland 7530, or

give them a call on Tel: 021 910 0535

Honda Wing Tygerberg moves

The very well-known and extremely active Honda

Wing have moved to nicer premises, they are still

on Durban rd, Bellville just a little bit further along

at the junction with High street, Rosen Park with a

professional full workshop, parts department and

a well-stocked sales floor.

It is still the same friendly team with Johan at the

helm and as always the same great service !

Visit them at No.3 High st, Rosen Park or give

them a call on 021-910 8300.

Wade Young pops

into SpeedHut Sherco

You would have read in this magazine a month

or two ago that ASAP Racing is now under new

ownership and management and has been

rebranded as Speedhut, but still retain the Sherco

agency.

Recently they had a bit of a gala event to mark

the opening of the new shop. Sherco took the

opportunity to introduce the market to their new

2021 machines and brought along Wade Young,

who also got to see the new machines for the

first time. He was naturally quite curios, because

he was only days away from flying off to the

International racing scene with Sea 2 Sky his

first race back since the pandemic wobbles hit,

(see the round up of that race a bit later on in this

issue).

Sherco & Motul have teamed up for 2021 and all

the Sherco’s now run on Motul products as OE,

so the good people from Motul SA also came

along and showed us some of their new branding,

container designs and new products.

Motul Rebrands their Powersport Range

The famous Motul Brand has unveiled the

new look and feel of the containers for their

Powersport range. The redesign is intended

to communicate the benefits of each premium

product even more clearly, so that customers and

end-users can choose the right product for their

needs and have complete confidence that it will

perform as required.

It’s all part part of Motul’s ongoing commitment to

#EmpowerYourRide.

“Our customers have always known they can

have complete confidence in the formulation of

every Motul product,” commented Mercia Jansen,

Motul Area Manager for Southern and Eastern

Africa. “Now that our redesigned Powersport

range packaging has arrived, they can also enjoy

the peace of mind that comes with choosing the

very best Motul product to meet their needs,” she

added.

The new skin designs convey a great deal of

information about the application, performance

and customer benefits of each product by using

clear, streamlined graphic elements.

Each of the four classes of product (Mineral, HC-

Tech®, Technosynthese® and 100% Synthetic)

have their own assigned colour, making product

selection simpler than ever. These colours

(blue for Mineral, yellow for HC-Tech®, green

for Technosynthese® and orange for 100%

Synthetic) are shown in bars that indicate the

product performance, from Standard to Maximum.

Selecting the correct product is made even easier

by the additional information on each container.

Product use benefits are indicated by immediately

recognisable icons, with up to four displayed on

each product as part of a contrast colour strip

along the bottom of the label. The essential

information is completed by the volume of the

product. Bold, stylised photographic elements

speak to the application of each product. These

illustrate the breadth of the Motul Powersport

range and reinforce how it contributes to optimum

performance.

The revamped Motul Powersport product range

includes, among many other products:

• Motul Powersport ATV/SxS Power 4T which

offers high-temperature resistance and stability,

engine protection and low oil consumption to

users of ATV/UTV/SSV vehicles;

•Powerjet 4T which is engineered to deliver

overall efficiency at high engine speeds and

protection from corrosion for jet watercrafts;

•Powersport 7100 4T which helps off and on

road motorcyclists enjoy maximum torque output,

engine and gearbox protection with fuel economy;

•Scooter Expert 4T which enhances urban riding

thanks to improved high torque at low engine

speeds, engine protection and stop-and-go

performance; and

•Motul Powersport 710 2T Pre-Mix/Oil Injection

has been specially developed for the latest

generation of two-stroke engines and is suitable

for pre-mix or oil injector systems and catalytic

converters.

Motul has also taken this opportunity to

incorporate bold QR-codes into the new designs.

When scanned with a smartphone, these allow

customers to take a digital dive into Motul’s

online ecosystem, where a world of information,

promotions and engaging and relevant content

awaits. Ain’t technology cool!

For a full list of Motul Powersport products

go to https://www.motul.com/za/en and track

#EmpowerYourRide on social media to find out

more about the product applications and benefits.

At motorcycle dealers nationwide…

Rider Brett Swanepoel

A Quick few seconds in the solution

cleaned half of the filter as it it was new

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 optionalequipment available at additional cost.

Photo By: www. ZCMC.co.za

Red Hot Products – Air Filter Cleaner

We get to use a lot of air filter cleaners in our job

and mostly they all do what is says on the label.

However, every so often a product comes along

that really impresses us and RHP’s Air Filter

Cleaner is one such product.

At best, cleaning your sponge air filter on a dirt

bike or ATV is a lousy job and you usually end up

having to use petrol or paraffin to get all the oil,

dirt and grease off properly, but then you have to

wash that out with a decent detergent before it

destroys your sponge filter …we’re talking from

vast experience on the subject … and then you

have to rinse the detergent out with clean water

… and it all just becomes such a pain in the butt.

So, last month we were introduced to cool range

of products … straight out of Benoni … just like

Charlize. Strangely enough we didn’t really know

about them, but they have been around for many

years we are told, particularly well supported in

mountain bicycle circles.

In their range of products they have an air filter

cleaning product that really takes the hassle out

of cleaning your air filter. Simply put a little bit in

a container drop your filter in for a few seconds

take it out and rinse it under the tap and you’re

done, let it dry properly, stick on your favourite

filter oil, grease the contact edge and fit back into

the air box. What we really liked as well was the

fact that it was not overly pungent and was gentle

on our soft little hands.

We here that they are busy developing their

own foam filter oil and had some people test

it already, but even though it is very good they

are not entirely happy with the product yet and

won’t release it to the market until they are 100%

satisfied it meets their exacting standards.

To find out more or find your closest stockist click

on www.redhotproducts.co.za or give Maxine

a call on 082 731 0650 or drop them an email

on info@redhotproducts.co.za , dealer/trade

enquiries are welcomed.

Go on! Support them, these are bike mad South

Africans developing products to suit our local

riding conditions here in SA and doing it at pricing

that makes sense to us.

UNMATCHED

PERFORMANCE

Simply put, the TE 300i is the perfect machine to explore new ground and go where few have gone

before. The trusted 2-stroke is exceedingly simple to manage and features a host of developments

which enhance its class-leading performance. With electronic fuel injection, smooth power delivery

and impressive torque and power, the TE 300i retains the traits it’s become renowned for. However,

with the class leading chassis and ergonomics, it offers an even more controllable and thrilling ride.

GIVI GRT719 HYDRATION RUCKSACK

So, you thought GIVI only made top boxes and

panniers, well if you click on www.dmd.co.za

you will find a range of very interesting products

including the GRT719 Hydration Ruck Sack.

With a 3-litre capacity, this rucksack has a main

pocket to hold the 2-litre HydraPak Givi Elite

and a drinking tube on the shoulder strap, with a

locking system to keep it in place. It also has a

secondary pocket, a breathable back panel and a

quick-release shoulder strap—to make removing

the rucksack easy—in addition to a stabilised

handle, a chest strap with whistle and reflective

inserts to guarantee increased visibility.

But that’s not all! To meet the needs of every

rider, GIVI has also created the Hydrapak

Elite T523 water bag, available separately and

compatible with most hydration packs, so that

it can be used with any rucksack with a 95-cm

drinking tube.

The Hydrapak Elite T523 water bag opens and

closes with a SLIDE SEAL TOP, making it easy to

fill and creating a watertight seal. The BLASTER

valve prevents leaking and has a PLUG-N-PLAY

connection system to easily detach the tube

when the bag is full.

It withstands temperatures from -25 to 60

degrees and is completely reversible, for easy

cleaning.

When it comes to Givi, comfort and convenience

for the rider is always our top priority!

Thanks to the perfect adherence to the rider's

body and the 2-litre HydraPak Elite bag, it is

particularly suitable for off-road use.

Materials (manufactured within REACH

recommendations):

• High-tenacity 1200D W/R polyester

• Hypalon inserts

• High UV-resistant external material

As standard:

• Main pocket with HydraPak Givi Elite 2L water

bag included;

• Locking system to keep drinking tube on

shoulder strap;

• Secondary pocket;

• Stabilised handle;

• Breathable back panel;

• Chest strap with whistle;

• Quick-release shoulder straps make it easy to

remove the rucksack from the shoulders;

• Reflective inserts.

www.dmd.co.za

Not just a “Plot Shop”

Nick’s Cycles …

From humble beginnings working out of his

garage in Witfield, Boksburg 23 odd years ago

and running around in a little 360cc 2stroke

vintage Mazda bakkie to one of the mainstays

of the Motorcycle Industry. Nick’s Cycles has

based there business on good ethics, quality

workmanship, fair pricing and excellent after

sales service.

About 10 years ago or so, they moved to the

plot just off Great North road in Benoni and have

been there ever since. But don’t think this was

some big mega bucks relocation. The current

shop used to be a run-down chicken shed

with mud floors and no electricity. Nick and his

crew literally had to build and improve as they

managed to get money in, and are still improving

as the money comes in. Nick tells us there are

plans afoot to put up a fancy big roof and extend

the workshop to be able to offer their customers

even better services.

Nick is old school and his shop is old school,

no impersonal ‘Hollywood palace’ with white

tiled floors, acres of glass and the boss sitting in

an ivory tower somewhere. Here you can chat

directly to Nick who is mostly in the workshop,

but is hand on with everything in the shop or

just take a walk around and find what you are

looking for. The shop is cozy with a friendly

down to earth vibe and if you happen to be

there at ‘beer o’clock’ then you are more than

welcome to park off and shoot the breeze.

The shop is well stocked on most everything you

need and if they don’t have it in stock they will

get it for you within a couple of days or refer to

somebody close by that might have what you

are looking for. Their workshop is capable and

willing to work on just about anything motorcycle

related, from puncture repairs, basic services

and the like to major engine rebuilds, accident

repairs and even custom jobs.

Give them a call on 011 395 2553 or drop

them a mail on info@nickscycles.co.za or even

WhatsApp them if you like on 082 756 1008.

Metalize launches 2021 Summer range

Metalize has launched their all new All

Weather 404 jacket. With many features

such as zipped venting on the front and rear

as well as zipped venting on the arms. They

have removable inners as well as water proof

seems. With lots of pockets.

They have also released a new range of

gloves. Ranging from Street to Adventure

type. They have hard knuckle protection

as well as venting between the fingers and

knuckle venting. They are also smart phone

compatable (Finger Touch).The gloves have

high cuffs which alowes the glove to go over

you jacket.

visit facebook.com/hendersonracingproducts

or call them on 011 708 5905 for your nearest

stockist.

X

THE

FACTOR

YAMAHA'S

YZ125X & YZ250FX

For most of us, 2020 has kinda been a non-event.

New bikes were released and introduced at the

beginning of the year – and thanks to lockdown,

nobody could actually ride them. So when

Linex Yamaha in Lynwood offered us their 2020

YZ250FX for a day or two we were happy to oblige.

To sweeten the pot they included their version of

the YZ125X and we spent a day in the saddle…

With the Trax and trail Funduro looming, we

decided to head out and check the loop on these

two. It is a bit of everything from fast sandy trails,

to twee spoor veld tracks, some lekker rocky bits

and tight twisty forested trails.

A lekker mixup of all sorts.

What might be interesting is that the Magazine

has both of these bikes in the garage – a 2019 FX

and the junior member rides the 125 – so we know

them pretty well and were keen to see what the

updates are.

Kyle is the lighter of our two riders so he was

initially designated the 125… He has a mixed

history with this bike having smashed the first one

we rode, ending up with a buggered elbow. Glenn

was, initially on the FX.

2020 updates: FX250. It’s basically a

whole new bike so pay attention.

The Yamaha YZ250F motocross bike has

always been one of those class leaders.

In 2015, Yamaha built the cross-country

model, the YZ250FX around the MX

model, and South African Yamaha fans

rejoiced because here was a bike that

could compete in any discipline. That bike

only underwent small changes over the

next few years – until now…

For 2020, Yamaha completely updated

the YZ250FX . It may not look like it, but

there are lots of updates throughout.

The gearbox on the YZ250FX is the

same six-speed unit that came on the

2015 to 2019 model. First and second

gears are slightly lower than the YZ250F,

third gear is the same ratio, and fourth

through sixth are increasingly taller than

the YZ250F.

In the previous configuration, the

YZ250FX was a little down on power

compared to the MX bike, so Yamaha

made several changes to bring it up to a

more powerful and competitive package.

The 2020 YZ250FX shares almost all the

same engine parts as the YZ250F and

now features the same rear-mounted

electric-start engine package. The main

performance parts such as the cylinder

head, camshafts, crankshaft, piston, and

exhaust are identical to the YZ250F.

ECU mapping. And here is a brief

explanation:

The YZ250FX now features the same

adjustability as the YZ250F with its

smartphone-based Power Tuner app. In

stock form, it offers two different base

maps with a two-position map switch

mounted on the handlebar.

With the light off, which is map 1, the

engine is more responsive and quicker

revving. With the light on, map 2, the

engine has a smoother response and is

slightly slower revving.

With the Power Tuner app, you can make

adjustments to both base maps on a 4x4

grid. Fuel adjustments are made with

steps of -7 to +7 with a range of one step,

which equals a 2-percent fuel change.

Ignition adjustments are from -9 to +4

with a range of one step, which equals a

one-degree change. The guys at Linex

Lynwood showed us the functionality –

pretty simple – and you can now adjust

the bike in real time on your cell phone.

To handle the additional power, Yamaha

updated the clutch to a larger diameter. It

now has a higher heat capacity and less

fade. The clutch plates on the YZ250FX

are off-road specific to help control clutch

engagement and have a lighter lever pull

than the YZ250F.As expected, the clutch

pull is nice and light.

2020 Yamaha YZ250FX Suspension

Like the YZ250F, the YZ250FX is spec’d

with a KYB Speed-Sensitive System

(SSS) coil-spring fork and KYB shock.

However, the off-road model is granted

its own cross-country-specific suspension

settings. Its internal valve shim stacks

are designed to provide compliance and

comfort on tighter trails. Additionally, it is

designed to provide better absorption of

sudden impacts.

Setup Note: In the soft sand and in the

quarry where we did the pics, the 250

felt fine, but when we got out into the

ocks, the setup was just too hard. We

discovered that the front tyre was over

inflated (Your tyre forms an integral part

of rider comfort). We let the wheel down a

bit and simply adjusted a few clicks on the

compression. Problem solved – that is the

beauty of modern suspension, it is almost

infinitely adjustable with a screwdriver.

Literally 5 minutes and the bike was a lot

more rideable. If you buy any new bike,

spend some time with your dealer or

someone familiar with setup, you won’t

believe the impact it has on your ride.

Chassis updates:

The YZ250FX chassis also features a

plethora of changes. While many of these

updates are the same as what the YZ250F

received in 2019, we are not going to bore

you with all the details – but it is, they say

a more rigid, slightly more slender frame.

The new bodywork is designed to ease

rider movement. The radiator shrouds

have a new concave contour and are

18mm thinner across, which makes the

bike feel a bit more slender between your

legs.

Naturally, the YZ250FX needs a bigger

fuel tank than the MX model. This one is

just about 8.5 litres and is incorporated

perfectly into the bikes ovearall slender

feel.

The engine and low fuel indicators just

in front of the handlebar. We have found

that the low fuel indicator comes on really

early – so you have time to get back to the

closest jerry can.

Ride impressions:

The first and most obvious change on the

FX is the way that it now puts power down.

It is noticeably stronger than our 2019

without any shadow of doubt. It is quick off

the mark and revs to the moon. For some

reason, the stock pipe is a lot louder than

previous renditions – and to be absolutely

honest – too loud comes to mind? Maybe

we are getting older…

The new FX feels closer to the MX version

than ever before – instant power on tap

– and in map 1 it really is quite snappy.

The YZ250FX comes on really strong off

the bottom and revs much further than we

needed on this tight, twisty route.

We spent some time working with the

optional map, going from map 1 to map

2, and found that the difference in base

settings is noticeable and can be beneficial

depending on conditions. We would need

to really play with the tuner to see if we can

make the bike more tech rock friendly – in

these two settings, it was quite aggressive

and needed a lot of body English.

The bike has always been very nimble

and agile, perfectly suited to GXCC and

off-road type riding and racing. This one

was set up for faster terrain, but Yamaha

assures us that for the more technical

rock hoppers, you can spend time with

the mapping tool to find the perfect sweet

spot.

We will do that feature soon.

The 2020 YZ125 X:

So - You’ll read at the beginning of this lot,

that Kyle was designated the 125 for the

day. That changed and pretty soon as the

much larger, heavier rider was usurped

from the 250. The fact that the little 125

managed to drag his big ass up and over

the mountain without any complaining is

testimony enough, for us anyway that

Yamaha has built a great little enduro

machine.

MX Genes:

Chassis:

Just like the 250FX, the YZ125x is begat

from Yamaha’s classic YZ125 MX bike.

The YZ125X shares the same chassis as

the YZ125, including the bodywork and

fuel tank. Changes include the 18-inch

rear wheel, a D.I.D 520MXV5 O-ring

chain, kickstand, and a reserve position

on the fuel tap so you don’t get stranded

on the trail and can get back to the pits

in case you run low on fuel. If you are

concerned about fuel range, we went to

Acerbis and fitted a long range tank onto

our bike. We included some Carbontek

protective gear for the rocks – readily

available and simple to fit.

THE MX GENES ARE VERY APPARENT IN BOTH OF THESE

BIKES

Engine:

The YZ125X uses the same powerplant

and gearbox as the YZ125. It’s a Yamaha

Power Valve System (YPVS)-equipped,

125cc, liquid-cooled, two-stroke, casereed-valve-inducted

engine that is paired

to a six-speed transmission.

It shares the same crankshaft, piston,

clutch, intake, and exhaust system as

the YZ125, but the YZ125X engine has

been tuned for wide, smoother, and more

controllable power across the rev range.

Suspension:

The YZ125X uses the same KYB Speed-

Sensitive System (SSS) coil-spring fork

and KYB shock as the YZ125. The spring

rates remain the same between the two

bikes with 4.1 N/mm fork springs and a 46

N/mm shock spring, but the components

on the YZ125X have been revalved for

off-road use.

Ride impressions:

Kyle used the bike for the fast sandy, MX

type photo’s – and as we approached the

mountain, he hopped onto the 250 and

took off leaving this slightly bigger guy to

manhandle the little YZ.

How strong is the engine?

Well strong enough to push a rider who

has no business on a 125 up and over the

mountain. And all of the changes to the

engine also means that the bike was not

screaming all the way through… But in the

faster stuff, she still loves to rev. Climbing

the rocky slopes and steep off-camber

hillside was actually quite hassle free –

you tend to ride with your ears, listening

for that sweet spot rather than just revving

away. The bike has a surprisingly good

amount of torque and ground clearance

and suspension is very good.

This engine is very smooth. The gearing is

paired just about perfectly with the power

band, making it even more fun to ride. It

runs clean, and for a 125cc two-stroke, it

builds power well from the midrange all

the way to very high rpm. It needs less

shifting than we expected. To help with

low-end torque, Yamaha increased the

rear sprocket size to a 50-tooth (up from

the 48-tooth that comes on the YZ125).

The 50-tooth rear sprocket means that first

gear is low enough for technical sections

and makes second gear very useful on

tight single-tracks. One thing we did on our

bike was weight the flywheel. It just makes

it that much easier in the techy stuff.

At 105 odd kilogrammes on a good day,

our rider is not the target audience for

the bike. Suspension going up was fine

– but coming down… the front was really

soft. Out with the trusty screwdriver and

we stiffened up a few clicks. Problem

solved…

Flicking along through the tight forest

sections on the trail is just so much fun.

Find an open section and open wide…

Man the grin factor is right where you

need it. She gathers speed and takes off

like a rocket!

This bike is light, flickable and so easy to

ride… A great bike to learn all the skills

without being intimidated.

Any young riders dream machine for sure.

These two from Linex Lynwood (Thanks

Guys.)

If you ask them nicely you might event

get to take them for a ride…

012 501 0120

www.linexyamaha.co.za

HONDA WING CENTURION

NEW & USED

BIKE SALES

TRADE INS WELCOME

STILL ON THE

CORNER OF LENCHEN

AVE SOUTH & HEUWEL

STR CENTURION.

ABOVE

MAHINDRA

LOAN BIKES

AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

SAME OR SIMILAR TO YOUR

BIKE IN FOR SERVICE

Specs

CONTACT US

012 643 1017 - 012 663 8718

SALES: JACQUES@CENTURIONHONDA.CO.ZA

SERVICE: KENNETH@CENTURIONHONDA.CO.ZA

PARTS: PARTS@CENTURIONHONDA.CO.ZA

FULLY STOCKED

PARTS DEPARTMENT

FULLY EQUIPED

PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP

ENGINE

TRANSMISSION/FINAL DRIVE

FRAME

FRONT SUSPENSION

REAR SUSPENSION

FRONT BRAKE

REAR BRAKE

WHEELBASE

SEAT HEIGHT

FUEL CAPACITY

CLAIMED WEIGHT

125cc, liquid-cooled, singlecylinder

two-stroke

6-speed/chain

Aluminum

KYB Speed-Sensitive

System (SSS) coil-spring fork

adjustable for compression

and rebound damping; 11.8-

in. travel

KYB shock adjustable for

spring preload, high-/lowspeed

compression damping,

and rebound damping

Nissin 2-piston caliper,

270mm disc


245mm disc

145.5 cm

95.5 cm

8 litres

95 KG’s fuelled

ENGINE

TRANSMISSION/FINAL DRIVE

FRAME

FRONT SUSPENSION

REAR SUSPENSION

FRONT BRAKE

REAR BRAKE

WHEELBASE

SEAT HEIGHT

FUEL CAPACITY

CLAIMED WEIGHT

250cc, liquid-cooled, singlecylinder

four-stroke

6-speed/chain

Aluminum bilateral beam

KYB Speed-Sensitive

System (SSS) coil-spring fork

adjustable for compression

and rebound damping; 12.2-

in. travel

KYB shock adjustable for

spring preload, high-/lowspeed

compression

damping, and rebound

damping


270mm disc


245mm disc

148 CM

95.5CM

8.32 litres

111 KG’s fueled

WITH EXPERIENCED AND FRIENDLY SERVICE

WITH QUALIFIED TECHNICIANS

MOBILE FLEET SERVICES CENTRE COMING SOON

Honda Wing Centurion

083 275 9261

Cnr Heuwel & Lenchen South, Centurion

Find us on Facebook. Like our page.

GAS GAS

COMING SOON

COMING Soon

In our last few issues issue you might have noticed

that the GasGas Range is on its way to SA. In fact a

few Trials bikes are already here – but a bit more on

those soon.

A national dealer network is to be announced soon –

www.ktmgroup.com

If you go and have a look on our facebook page, you

can watch a video tour of the factory…

facebook.com/dirtandtrail

Proper!

GasGas has just announced all the bikes that we can

expect. A new era for the brand – and a new bike for

SA…

This in from GasGas with bikes due to arrive towards

the end of the year…

Let’s get on the gas!

Presenting our complete line-up of performance off-road

motorcycles, GASGAS Motorcycles are pleased to announce

the global availability of all our new generation 2021 motocross,

enduro and cross country models together with updated trial

machines. From our smallest 2-stroke motocross bike, the MC

50, to our largest 4-stroke cross country model, the awesome

EX 450F, all of our bikes will be available from GASGAS dealers

worldwide.

Since GASGAS became a part of the PIERER Mobility Group,

we have worked tirelessly to reactivate the brand. Ensuring all

bikes deliver vibrant styling, the latest technology and ease-ofuse,

we’ve established a 19-bike-strong range of no-nonsense,

user-friendly, performance offroad motorcycles.

All benefiting from the group’s robust, high-performance

technical base, each one of our bikes embraces a distinct

Spanish style as we continue to celebrate the rich and proud

heritage GASGAS has in trial competition and enduro racing.

With improved levels of dealer network coverage, service and

support, our goal is to encourage all riders to join in on the

action and get on the gas!

2021 unquestionably marks the start of an exciting new chapter

for GASGAS Motorcycles. To further support the launch of our

full range of off-road motorcycles, we’re thrilled to announce our

plans to go racing in the U.S. as we join forces with a hugely

respected name in the supercross/motocross paddock. We

are super pleased to announce the Troy Lee Designs Red Bull

GASGAS Factory Racing Team, which will contest the 2021

AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross Championships in the

250cc and 450cc divisions.

Minis

We want to make sure kids have fun too! Rejuvenated and

focused on an exciting new future, our expanded model range

features four GASGAS minis, designed for kids aged four to 15

years. With three high-revving, fun-filled 2-strokes, our MC 50,

MC 65 and MC 85 allow riders to unite in the dirt, confident of

having the very best bikes. Our all-electric MC-E5 is super quiet

and super fun – a fully-fledged, quick-charging competition bike

that benefits from zero emissions and almost zero sound. The

GASGAS mini range ensures no-nonsense performance, bikes

that are built to excite and encourage youngsters to develop

new skills.

MC50 MINI BIKE

Motocross

We might be the new guys but we are bringing fresh energy

to the MX scene. With a complete range of motocross bikes,

our no-nonsense approach to performance means all of our

models deliver proven technology, vibrant styling and an overall

simplicity that invites riders to unite in the dirt. Enjoying fun-filled

muddy weekends riding and racing with friends is what our MC

125, MC 250F and MC 450F motocross bikes are all about.

MC450 MOTORCROSS BIKE

Trials

We are all about trial and always will be, even if things are

a little different now. Improving and strengthening a wellestablished

line-up of innovative, class-leading bikes, we’re

fully focused on continuing our involvement in the sport where

it all started for GASGAS. We’re offering the same great

125cc, 250cc, 280cc and 300cc bikes, but now with drastically

improved levels of access, service and support. It’s that simple.

Trusted and loved by riders all across the world, the GASGAS

TXT RACING and TXT GP line-ups remain fun, exciting and

easy-to-use.

Cross Country

Because dirt bike fun shouldn’t be about compromises or

limited to just motocross and enduro. Recognizing the need for

dedicated cross country models, our EX 300, EX 250F, EX 350F

and EX 450F line-up sits shoulder-to-shoulder with our MC

and EC models to offer playful, energetic offroad performance.

Designed to meet the needs of woods racers both young and

old, they all offer proven credentials for a whole lot of fun!

Enduro

The thrill of off-road riding has long been at the heart of

GASGAS. That’s why our Euro 5 compliant EC line-up is

focused on ensuring fun and putting serious enduro bikes into

the hands of riders who love offroad racing. Our complete range

of 2-stroke and 4-stroke bikes all feature the latest technologies

and celebrate our unique Spanish heritage and enduro knowhow.

Utilising a well-proven performance platform, our EC 250,

EC 300, EC 250F and EC 350F enduro bikes are all about nononsense

riding enjoyment.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

We will keep you posted on this brand as more details

unfold...

Motocross

We might be the new guys but we are bringing fresh energy

to the MX scene. With a complete range of motocross bikes,

our no-nonsense approach to performance means all of our

models deliver proven technology, vibrant styling and an overall

simplicity that invites riders to unite in the dirt. Enjoying fun-filled

muddy weekends riding and racing with friends is what our MC

125, MC 250F and MC 450F motocross bikes are all about.

EC300I. FLIPPEN PRETTY!

A week on the

t7

yamaha

The T7 has created quite a stir in the South African

market. We initially borrowed the bike for a day or

two where we had the opportunity to take a few

quick spins so to speak and get an idea of what the

bike is like. That was, quite simply not long enough,

so we petitioned the nice folks at Yamaha for a

longer session. Our request was granted…

After such a long wait, this bike needed to be put

through the wringer, the quick ride was cool, but it

raised more questions than answers.

Our guys had fun – but the most common

comments and questions were:

Great bike in the tech stuff – but is it a real world

adventure bike? Can you ride it from JHB to

Lesotho and then spend the weekend doing hard

adventure – or is it a bike that needs to be towed

to your destinations.Is it comfortable and powerful

enough to do the long roads and freeways?

Where is this bike placed?

What is this bikes competition in the market?

To answer the question, we signed up with Jo

Rust and a group for an adventure tour through

Mpumalanga. It was a good test for sure – a blend

of tar and dirt with distances that would answer

all of the questions asked. Our 500 plus kilometer

trail took us from the bustling metropolis of

Bapsfontein, around to Loskop Dam and on to the

Highside pub in Tonteldoos.

From there, we took routes to Dullstroom,

Lydenburg, Sabie… along some of our favorite

forest roads. And on Sunday, it was the long tar

road back home. You get the idea.

(www.jorust adventures.com)

To sweeten the pot, we invited participants of

all skill levels and who own all sorts of different

adventure bikes to ride her and give us some

feedback. You can see their comments on our

facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/

dirtandtrail/videos/1108423336226395/

So… on to the bike:

At a glance:

By now you have all done your homework

and you know exactly what makes this

bike tick. But here is a summary:

Aesthetically, in our humble opinion,

Yamaha nailed it with the 700’s styling.

Its shape is lean and mean, mimicking

the styling of their Dakar WR450F Rally

racebike.

The T7 is powered by the famous parallel

twin motor found in Yamaha’s road

going bike the MT07. That engine was

upgraded just a couple of years ago –

and given its compact fit and very user

friendly nature, it made perfect sense for

Yamaha to use it.

This proven power plant produces

roughly 73 horsepower and 50 lb.-ft. of

torque. Its long-stroke design is optimized

for low-end grunt, giving it lots of traction

in the dirt. In addition, the Yamaha’s 270°

‘Cross-Plane crank’ makes such a sweet

rumble. We need to comment that the

aftermarket Akarapovic on this one is a

marvelous, mellifluous exhaust system

for sure.

Yamaha took notes from their Rally

Racing heritage to develop a narrow, light

perimeter steel frame. Additional bracing

ensures it can handle punishment from

more-aggressive off-road riding and

removable lower frame rails make pulling

the engine an easier job.

The subframe is designed for carrying

luggage, but it’s welded on rather than

bolted.

Suspending the bike are 43mm KYB

forks with 8.3 inches (210mm) of travel

and a rear KYB shock with 7.9 inches

(200mm) of travel. Both front and

rear suspensions are adjustable for

compression and rebound damping, and

the shock has a hand crank for adjusting

preload. There is no preload adjustment

on the forks, nor does the shock have

high- and low-speed compression

settings.

The bike rides on proper, blue anodised

off-road spoke wheels, 21” up front and

18” in the rear. Standard, the bike wears

Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR adventure

tyres. Brembo Brake calipers clamp down

on twin 282mm discs up front, and a

single 245mm disc out back.

The Tenere 700 comes with a 16 litre

fuel tank. A rectangular shaped LCD

instrumentation shows everything you

need including gear position, fuel gauge

and available range. At 250 KM’s the fuel

warning light came on. We filled with 12

litres, so the range is what you need on

an adventure machine – and the warning

light is quite conservative.

Something else we noticed while riding

– the display up front tells you when you

are riding economically – pretty cool!

The bike has a decent-sized windscreen,

powerful LED headlights, a GPS

mount crossbar, a 12V outlet to charge

electronics, wide serrated footpegs

with removable (without tools) rubber

covers, a basic skid plate, wrap-around

hand guards, and an adjustable-height

front fender (for muddy rides) – all as

standard. Missing is a rear luggage rack

– (although the bike has four neat bungie

points), and maybe a center stand, which

are available as factory accessories.

Yamaha went back to basics with an

old-school LCD screen and simple on/

off ABS system. A simple button on the

display fully disables ABS. And as long

as you don’t turn the key off, the ABS

remains off even if you stall the bike.

There is no traction control, touch screen,

rider modes, IMU or any of that advanced

tech. Some eyebrows will be raised at

this – fact – we live in a tech crazy world,

but if you read this scribes scribblings,

you’ll know that he loves simple. The

system works and is not distracting – and

quite frankly, this bike does not require

anything more.

Keeping things simple also helped reduce

the weight with the Tenere 700 coming in

at just over 200 kilogrammes fully fueled.

The one we had was fitted with a few bits

– crash bars, brush guards, a GYTR chain

guard and an Akarapovic exhaust system.

So already, aftermarket components are

available to dress the bike.

This one was shod in very aggressive

big block tyres – not ideal for tar, but

excellent in the dirt.

Ride impressions:

This bike is quite tall and it feels narrow

and pretty dirtbikey. We like.

The big block tyres limited this bikes

performance on the tar. She sat

beautifully up to around the 140KPH

mark, but above that things got a bit out

of shape. This is NOT anything to do with

the bike. If you choose to fit aggressive

rubber, that is the down side for day to

day travel. We know that the stock Pirelli

units are great tyres for day to day use.

We easily got the T7 up to 170KPH and

she was still accelerating willingly. We

chatted to the guy who ran the bike in.

He took her up to the 195KPH mark no

worries. For some of the pics, we popped

Stefan our photographer on the back –

and you don’t even feel the passenger.

In the peak hour traffic, slow cruising and

jimmying between cars, she felt a bit top

heavy, but we only felt this at very low

speeds,

and we suspect that the tyres and

passenger might also have a role in

that… we only noticed it on that run in

heavy traffic.

We headed up into the koppies where

the passenger was chucked off and we

proceeded to trickle along the tricky,

rocky tracks. The T7 engine feels narrow

and pumps out a wide, flexible spread of

power. This permits early upshifts running

a gear high and lugging the engine up

and over steep hills and obstacles. Read

dirtbike. The bike shines in technical,

tight terrain – and here, the big block

tyres really came into their own. The

cable-actuated clutch is light and very

responsive.

We filled the tank to capacity on the

morning of departure and headed out

in the column for the ride. If you are

concerned about rider comfort – don’t

be. Long roads were an absolute breeze,

in addition to making the bike very

capable, Yamaha paid some attention to

rider comfort. We easily cruised along

at speeds around the 130 plus mark in

absolute comfort keeping up with the

bigger bikes quite easily.

Some of the gravel that we rode was

quite rough – so you are hammering

along at speed when suddenly there

are nasty rocks poking out, thick

sandy sections or bomb craters. The

suspension soaked it all up – really

forgiving. We were confused.

On our first test, one of our fast riders

rode the bike quite hard in some thick,

sandy sections and he really criticized the

suspension.

We found it to be excellent – perhaps we

would have set the front up a bit firmer –

and perhaps we are not as fast as some of

the riders out there – but for any average

rider, and a ride like this, we found it to be

comfortable, planted and very forgiving.

Who is the target audience for this bike?

In an age where adventure bikes are

getting bigger and bigger, more powerful

and heavier, some manufacturers have

taken a step back and thought – “what

about riders who do not want to take

battleships off-road?”

Thus, bikes like this T7 and KTM’s 790

range were born. Do they compete in the

traditional 850 plus market? Well no, not

really. If we were to pigeonhole bikes like

these, we’d need to say – that they are

aimed squarely at people looking for an

alternative to the big singles, a bike that

is more comfy on the road - and of course

comfortably faster. A bike that can also do

gnarlier stuff off the beaten track. A bike for

the more experienced dirt rider who wants

more than just a commuter or gravel road

machine.

Another target audience would be a

rider getting into the game who wants a

smaller, more compact machine. Read our

comments above – anyone can ride them.

We had proper fun. This is a great

addition to the SA marketplace.

Here's a second opinion by our mate

Pete McBride from the Highside Pub

in Tonteldoos:

The T7, in my humble opinion.

In the early 2000’s, Dwayne “The Rock

“Johnson was on the top of his game in

the world of professional wrestling. Now

if you were a fan (come on, we want the

truth now ) you will remember he had a

catch phrase that would go something

like “ FINALLY……THE ROCK HAS

COME TO ALABAMA” or whatever town

he happened to be performing in that day.

Well a few days ago, Dirt And Trail was in

my neck of the woods with a crispy clean

Yamaha T7. Exciting stuff when you live

in rural Limpopo.

Jo Rust adventures was in town and I

had the pleasure of guiding the group on

a lekker little loop around the Lowveld. At

the beginning of a particularly fun 50 kay

dirt road. Glenn asked me if I would like

to take the T7 for a ride. This is when the

rocks catch phrase popped into my head.

But modified a little bit it went something

like “FINALLY, The T7 has come to rural

Limpopo!”

I wasn’t exactly surrounded by thousands

of adoring fans. But this was a moment

I had really been looking forward too

since I first saw “spy photos” of the T7 in

development.

Yes, I know we have had to wait a while,

but in my humble opinion, I think the

wait was totally worth it. This bike is an

absolute belter. ABS is the only electronic

assistance available, and it is super easy

to turn off. One button on the dash. Press

it for a few seconds and “hey presto” it’s

time to get sendy.

If you have read more than one or two

motocross bike shootouts, you will notice

that the blue bikes, more often than

not, get the thumbs up for suspension

and handling on their bikes. It’s one of

those things. They just get it right. True

to form. This bike was excellent on the

poorly maintained dirt roads of Lowveld

Mpumalanga. The dirt roads here are full

of surprises. Lurkers, rain damage, fesh

fesh, speedbumps/ drainage ditches. The

T7 soaked them all up with very little fuss,

it felt planted and comfortable all the time.

The Motor is a gem. I spend most of

my time riding sweep or keeping a slow

steady pace so the groups we ride with

do not spread out too much. So my riding

style on adventure bikes has turned into a

very “old man” style, running a high gear

like 4th and just plodding along with the

motor ticking over at about 60 or so.

It’s a great way to chill and watch the

scenery change. But you can normally

only get away with it on a large capacity

bike. The T7 has an excellent low to midrange

that lets you chill out like that.

Then you can just roll on the power and

the speed climbs nice and predictably

until 8000 RPM. Then things get exciting.

It pulls really well at the top and will keep

many advanced riders honest.

The ergonomics are standard adventure

bike stuff. The seat height is about the

same as most of the ADV bikes on the

market. Obviously the bars will be fiddled

with to suit the set up needs of each

owner and suspension tweaked a bit.

But with far fewer electronic gadgets.

This bike puts its hand up as a serious

contender when thinking of journeying far

north of the SA border. You can fix this

bike with spanners. Not a laptop. That will

appeal to some and not to others. There

is no right and wrong here. It’s all down to

personal taste.

So in conclusion. If you are in the market

for a mid-capacity adventure bike. It’s a

good time to be alive because you have

a range of excellent options to choose

from. The T7 absolutely has to be on

your list of bikes you need to test ride.

WHAT IS BETTER THAN A BIKING WEEKEND

WITH A BUNCH OF MATES?

From the first time buyer to the guy who

has done ten Roofs and even more 1000

desert races. It will be a good idea to have

the tuning forks on your radar. We might be

witnessing the birth of another legend bike.

I certainly hope so.

My sincerest thanks to The Dirt And Trail

crew, and by extension Yamaha South

Africa for letting me take the bike for a ride.

It took me about three days to wipe the

smile off my face.

I sure hope that it is a mighty sales

success.

Peter McBride.

Conclusions:

So – there you have it. Two very similar

opinions from two very different people.

The bike surprised everyone who rode it.

Yamaha has done their homework and

produced a great all round machine. You

cannot compare this bike with a big cc adv

machine so don’t do that. Don’t expect top

speeds in the 210 kph plus range – this is

only a 700.

But it’s a 700 with street and dirt cred that

left our lot smiling.

Get hold of your Yamaha dealer

and book yourself a test ride.

Specs

Engine

Transmission

Front Suspension

Rear Suspension

Front Tyres

Rear Tyres

Seat Height

Wheelbase

Ground Clearance

Fuel Capacity

Wet Weight

689Cc Liquid-Cooled Dohc 4-Stroke; 8 Valves

6-Speed; Wet Multiplate Clutch

43Mm Inverted Fork, Fully-Adjustable; 8.3-In Travel

Single Shock, Adjustable Preload (W/Remote Adjuster)

And Rebound Damping; 7.9-In Travel

90/90R21 Pirelli® Scorpion® Rally Str

150/70R18 Pirelli® Scorpion® Rally Str

87.3 Cm

159Cm

24Cm

16 Litres

205 KG

www.yamaha.co.za

TRAX

KTM 390 Adventure

Small Bike =

Big Adventure

Our Mizz B gets her first taste of KTM’s 390 Adventure and shares her opinion…

KTM’s “mini” adventure reached our shores

Just days before the national lockdown

was implimented. This is the bike from the

KTM Adventure range that I have been the

most excited about trying after seeing it

announced at the EICMA in 2019 and reading

about the national launch in Dirt And Trail

Magazine.

They do say good things come in small

packages…

When I arrived at Trax KTM to pick up the 390

Adventure, it was waiting right at the front of

the shop and I walked right past it. No, not

because it was so tiny I missed it, I actually

had to double back because I mistook it for

a 790!

Make no mistake, this might be a “small”

bike, but it has a huge presence.

This specific KTM 390 Adventure also

came equipped with a number of extras

to make it more offroad focused, including

knobbly tyres, a headlight protector, hand

guards, bash plate, radiator braces and

even the cutest little crashbars.

Ok ok… This bike is probably anything

but cute as it shares the aggressive

ready to race, rally inspired styling and

features of its bigger brother the KTM

790. I couldn’t help but think how this bike

will have serious appeal to fellow lady

adventure riders, with the low seat height

and manageable weight. At only 158kg

(dry) the KTM 390 Adventure is one of

the lighter bikes in the small adventure

biking segment, unless of course you

start looking into dirt bike territory. So

while the KTM 390 Adventure sure looks

the part, I was keen to see how it handles

in different terrain and we put together a

good 250km route so we could really get

a feel for it.

We scooted out early on Sunday morning

taking the diamond route towards the

touristy town of Cullinan. My partner

Johan was riding his trusty KTM 690

and Trax Chief Riaan accompanied us

on the KTM 790R. The mini adventure

out accelerated most of the morning

traffic and kept up well enough with the

big boys, cruising along comfortably at a

speed of 130km/ph. The engine, which

has been tried and tested in its Duke

counterpart (read our feature on that

bike in this months RideFast Magazine),

for a number of years now, pushes

out a whopping 43.5hp (32kW), truly

impressive for a bike of this capacity.

Most notably the engine is incredibly

smooth and does not feel rough or clunky

as some single cylinder motors do.

In terms of seating and riding position, at

just over 1.75m I did not feel cramped,

neither did the bike make me feel tired

considering the distance we did for the

day. The windscreen (also adjustable),

though small, did make a difference and I

didn’t experience any annoying buffeting.

After topping up with fuel we head further

up north past the settlement of Moloto and

onto our first dirt road, which just happens

to be in a pretty nasty and corrugated

condition. I quickly change the settings on

the 390 to “Offroad Mode” and switched the

MTC (traction control) off.

This little monster features on- and off

road riding modes, MTC as well as

ABS (cornering & offroad) which are all

accessed and adjusted on the same tablet

type interface found on the 790 models.

Seeing this is KTM’s entry level adventure

bike, you get a lot of bang for buck when it

comes to technology.

While the WP Apex suspension (43mm

inverted fork with 170mm travel front,

177mm travel rear) worked beautifully on

tar, on the badly corrugated dirt road, it

didn’t quite soak up the ruts as well as its

sibling the 790S, and I had to slow down

a fair amount to feel in control. The 390

Adventure also doesn’t feature a steering

stabilizer like the 790 models do, something

riders must take into consideration when

doing higher speeds on dirt.

After the poor condition dirt road, we hit

the tar again and passed the Loodswaai

farmstead. Here the road took us over

a hill and the most beautiful bushveld

vista met us on the other side. We

stopped briefly near the newly built

Nokeng Mine and Riaan helped me

to tweak the suspension, which is

fully adjustable on the front, with the

dampening being adjustable on the rear

shock.

From here on things got more interesting

as we followed a narrow, sandy

tweespoor trail which runs between the

farm boundaries. The suspension tweak

made an immediate improvement to the

handling which highlights how important

correct bike setup is. I really started to

enjoy myself trying to chase the 690 and

790R down the trail, this bike comes into

its element on the twisty roads. I now

understand why fellow journalists raved

about how much fun this bike was at the

Sun City launch. Further up the road we

crossed over the Enkeldoringspruit River

and took a break under the shade trees

at Apie se Drift. Another short hop and

we were in Allemansdrift where children

ran alongside us, excitedly waving at the

orange army traversing their town.

We finally reached Rhenosterkop Dam,

which is located near where the borders

of Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga

meet. We rode down a rocky slope where

we get a good look at the dam wall, which

was built on the Elandsrivier back in 1984

to serve the area.

The 390 Adventure handled the rocky

ups and downs quite well, I did have to

plan my path a bit more carefully though,

keeping in mind that this bike has a lower

ground clearance to that of the 690 and

790R which were riding ahead. The area

around the dam forms part of the lesser

known Mkhombo Nature Reserve.

As the water level of the dam was quite low,

we were able to navigate our way all around

the dam. The track we followed took us

between the acacia trees over the rocky hills

and right down through the grassy plains to

the shores of the dam. The only other visitors

we encountered were the local fisherman

and a few cattle herders. Eventually we got

to the thick tweespoor sandy roads which

zig-zagged between the thorns. The 390

Adventure sports the smaller 19” front and

17” rear cast aluminium wheels which,

surprisingly didn’t seem to hamper us too

much in the thick sand. This is really where

the bikes light weight made it easy to manage

and it felt nimble and easy to control through

the sandy turns.

A number of people have raised their

concern about the suitability of the

aluminium cast wheels for off road riding as

spoked wheels are normally preferred.

All I can say is we didn’t manage to break

them with our shenanigans – and there

was not a single failure at the launch

earlier this year. And there was some

hard riding involved.

During the last bit of our

circumnavigation we sped through

even more rural sandy roads, narrowly

dodging a very out of place Camry in

our wake. Often during our travels I

marvel at where these family cars can

go and I believe they’ll leave many an

“adventure” rider behind in their dust!

We get onto the main road again and

start heading in the direction of Rust

de Winter. Here we stop at the general

dealer where the mama running the

shop quickly sells us some ice cold soft

drinks before heading off to church.

Again I was truly impressed with the

relevant ease the 390 Adventure got

through the same terrain as the more

dirt orientated 690 and its big brother the

790R. On the last leg of the route Riaan

and I did a sneaky switcheroo

and I quickly caught up with Johan who

was riding up front. When I pulled up

alongside, the same blonde moment

I experienced earlier at Trax, when

I mistook the 390 with the 790, was

experienced by Johan... He did not

notice that I had swapped the mini

adventure for the bigger 790R…

We have a good laugh as Riaan shows

up on the 390. He decides to really

push when we get to a smooth dirt road

nearing Moloto. The 390 and 690 take

off, racing each other down the road

and over the hill, Riaan looking like a

slightly cuter version of a Dakar racer,

reaching a top speed of 145km/h on the

well compacted gravel road. On the tar,

tucked under the screen pretending to

be Brad Binder, Riaan managed to get

our 390 to nearly 160km/ph.

Now, I feel that it is a bit unfair to

compare the 390 adventure directly

to the 790”S” and “R” as they are in a

different league all together. It is fair

to say though that the 390 should be

able to get you to most of the places

the bigger bikes will, albeit at a more

reserved pace.

Getting back into the rustic town

of Cullinan I start to miss the mini

adventure and I couldn’t wait to swap

back with Riaan. The fact that the

390 has a smaller frame as well as a

narrower fuel tank (14.5L), makes it nice

and agile to ride through the tight stuff

and through the traffic, not forgetting

to mention it’s also very economical

making it a favourite amongst commuters.

Being able to get both feet firmly on the

ground makes it easier to do simple things

like getting in and out of parking spots

and just generally just manoeuvring and

handling the bike.

Over lunch Riaan and I both babbled

on over how much care free fun we had

riding the mini adventure. We really did

push the bike today, probably a bit more

than recommended, but the fact that

it could actually do everything that the

bigger adventure bikes did was what really

impressed us. The KTM 390 Adventure

has all the technology of a big adventure

bike, but neatly wrapped up in a smaller

package. I believe that this is a bike that will

really open up the Adventure segment to

new riders and novices.

Specs

Lady riders should also find it

unintimidating and easy to manage.

While the 390 Adventure may not so

much interest the hard-core okes, it will

appeal to riders who just want a lighter

and easier to handle bike.

The KTM 390 Adventure makes for a

great go - anywhere run around and

commuter, with just enough versatility

to take it off the beaten track for that

unexpected big adventure!

Another big thank you to Trax KTM

for entrusting me with their KTM 390

Adventure to bring you this write up –

Barbara Muszynski.

www.traxktm.co.za

Capacity

373cc

Engine layout

Single Cylinder

Engine details

4 V DOHC Engine

Power

44bhp @ 9000rpm

Torque

37 lb.ft @ 7000rpm

Top speed

170kmh (estimated)

Average fuel consumption 27.9km/litre (estimated)

Tank size

14.5 litres

Max range to empty

400km (estimated)

Rider aids

5 colour TFT SCREEN MTC ( Motorcycle Traction Control), OffRoad ABS,Cornering ABS,

KTM My Ride (Smartphone connectivity + Navigation)

Frame

Steel Trellis Frame, Powder Coated

Front tyre 100/90 - 19

Rear tyre 130/80 - 17

Seat height

855mm

Dry weight

159kg

BEFORE

@ SILVER LAKES

AFTER

SMALL

BIKEBIG ADVENTURE

TRAX KTM 390 ADVENTURE

DIRT CONVERT

Willow Rock Shopping Centre, Solomon

Mahlangu drive, Willow Acres. Pretoria East

012 111 0190

from R93 999

Extras not included

SIZE DOESN'T

KTM HEADLIGHT GUARD

MATTER

KTM RADIATOR GUARD

KTM BASH PLATE

KTM CRASH BARS

KTM ALUMINUM FRAME HAND GUARDS

KENDA BIG BLOCK

TRAX KTM STICKER KIT

All Parts excluding Tyres are KTM Power Parts

PHOTO: RUBEN LOUW

MaddY Malan

HUSQVARNA

The 1100 Africa twin base model revisited.

We decided that a sundowner was a

good idea so we headed back to Clarens

before it got too dark. A few beers in and

a promise to the wife that she could go

shopping on Sunday with the credit card

got us brownie points to ride on Sunday

too…

Sunday was a chilled ride to Fouriesburg.

We went to kuier at the historic Union

House and Destiny Castle and had a chat

with the owner, racing legend Mike Fogg.

He gave us permission to head up to the

castle. We took a wrong turn and ended

up at the Caledon river.

All we wanted to do was jump across

the river and head to Katse Dam, but we

didn’t.

We made our way up to the castle and

took a tour.

You feel like you are on top of the world -

unbelievable. This really is a place to go

and visit.

www.destinycastle.co.za

Kyle Lawrenson takes his first ride in

Honda’s CRF1100L

Rider Modes, Cruise Control, TFT

screen, ABS, Traction control, Wheelie

Control, IMU, Manual transmission….

A few years ago when the Africa twin

1000 was released, our office was in

lust. Our Clive Strugnell in particular

did not actually want to ride anything

else.

The lady running the place was very

chilled and there was no issue with us

taking over the car park with the bikes

and cars and she wasn’t concerned about

the noise either.

We will most definitely go back.

www.lolasluxury.co.za

Saturday saw a breakfast in town with the

ladies before hopping on the bikes and

making our way to Golden Gate.

Before we could do any riding we had to

figure out how to use NASA’s control system.

I stand to be corrected but there were less

buttons on the space ship than there is on

the Africa Twins handle bars. It is all, however

quite intuitive and easy to figure out. And the

bike is packed with heaps of electronic aids.

We took a ride through Golden Gate,

one of the most scenic roads in Southern

Africa but we also took the two loops off

the main road into the mountains. Now

we were not sure if we were actually

allowed to ride there or not but we did

anyway.

The narrow roads Loop through the

reserve, a series of tight, twisty corners.

These roads would be amazing if there

was no speed limit but you get so lost in

the views that there is no need to go fast.

After our little expedition, we made our

way to the town of Phuthaditjhaba.

When I was growing up, this was a

fairly small town- and now it is almost

the size of Kempton Park. We did not

head towards the border, instead we

passed the border road and headed out

Witsieshoek way. What a cool ride.

We will be back soon to explore again

soon.

Having said that, he did show us little

road behind the hotel where we could go

and get some cool pics.

We followed the path to the top of the

mountain where we were greeted by a

spectacular view of the Amphitheater and

the unknown Dam that we couldn’t get to.

After a few more pics we carried on down

the twee-spoor which soon became a

single path.

After a few minutes there was silence.

This was a small problem because there

were 2 other bikes along.

I rode back to comments like “We are not

of Effing Dirtbikes!!!”

That says a lot about this Africa Twin it

proved to be very capable in the tight

techy terrain.

We made our way back down and

headed for home. The rest of the day

was spent taking the ladies for a ride, one

by one on the Africa Twin. We ended up

at the Ash River – this is an incredible

project. The water comes from Katse

Dam into the Ash River where it then

heads into SA’s network of rivers.

We also stopped off at the Van Reenen

family Grave site. It’s very interesting to

read the dates on the stones.

There is so much to do and see in this

area if you own a motorcycle. We are

very lucky for sure.

As a sidebar, Kyles goose Tazz said.

“Right, its time for an Adventure Bike!”

SH!T this was an expensive weekend…

The only one who was not convinced

was the youngest of all, our Kyle. So

as a second welcome back gift, we

told him to take the all new CRF1100

Africa Twin away for the weekend and

let us know what his thoughts on the

new bike was.

Where did we go?

We headed off to Clarens on Friday

morning and arrived at a cool little called

Lola’s Guest House just 200m away from

the Square. This made the boss happy.

Accommodation can vary in Clarens,

from quite budget to very larney. Our little

place was R500 pp/pn – this was for a 6

Sleeper and it felt like we were in a 5 star

hotel.

On the road to Witsieshoek, we took

a right up to one of the highest dams

in South Africa, tucked away in the

Drakensburg mountains. We attempted

to get to the top of the Dam wall but

we came unstuck, the security was not

having it…

A blue note and a coke didn’t even

convince him.

Good on you chap. However he did send

us on a big loop to nowhere, I think we

offended him.

Eventually we returned to a shut hotel on

the top of the dam where we asked again

to go to the view point. This security

guard was even more stubborn – the

hotel is closed, sadly, it did not survive

the Covid Pandemic.

Very modern, happy wife, happy life.

The Bike:

Where to start? The computer system from NASA?

Once we figured it out we loved it. Yes you want

to get away from your phone when riding but the

apple play makes things so easy. Navigation,

music and also calls are displayed on the screen.

That’s where you decide to answer when the boss

is calling or not. You need to have a head set

otherwise the Apple Play will not work.

The power delivery is very smooth and there is no

kick in the arse factor - but when you look down

you are doing 200kph. You can feel the difference

between the power modes and they can be

changed on the fly.

The bike did not get hot at all even in the

30-degree heat on top of the mountains. It is just

so easy and comfortable to ride that it gives you

so much confidence in the fast corners where Kyle

found that the predecessor gave the slightest bit

of flex.

This bike was fitted with Karoo Street tyres a great

choice for a trip like this.

The Bump up to 1100cc’s is an absolute winner.

The bike is not small – but it feels a lot more

compact than the previous model- and it is

significantly more powerful – while still staying

smooth and easy. In Off-road conditions, the new

suspension is also far better for more aggressive

riding. It seems that Honda listened to all of the

criticisms on their previous bike and paid attention.

All in all Kyle came back gushing.

We were all blown away by his response. He was

not convinced about this bikes predecessor, but he

wants one of these…

“The new Africa Twin is a fantastic bike. Fast,

powerful, balanced and oh so comfortable. I need

to ride it some more”

Get down to your Honda dealer and take a spin.

It’s is a fantastic way to turn fuel into fun.

From R220.000.

Specs

Engine Type:

SOHC liquid-cooled 4-stroke 8-valve

parallel twin with 270° crank and

Uni-cam.

Displacement:

1084cc

Max. Power Output 100.6 hp (75kW) @ 7500rpm

Max. Torque:

77.4 ft.-lbs. (105 Nm) @ 6250rpm

Fuel Tank Capacity: 18.8L

Transmission Type: 6 speed manual (6 speed DCT)

Seat Height:

850/870mm; low seat option 825mm

high seat option 895mm.

Ground Clearance 25 CM’s

Wet Weight (EU)

Front Suspension

Rear Suspension

ABS System Type

226kg

Showa 45mm cartridge-type

inverted telescopic fork with

dial-style preload

adjuster and DF

adjustments, 230mm) stroke

Monoblock aluminium swing arm

with Pro-Link with Showa

gas-charged damper, hydraulic

dial-style

preload adjuster

and rebound damping adjustments,

220mmrear wheel travel

2 channel with IMU

VIEW FROM DESTINY CASTLE

VAN REENENS GRAVE SITE

Standard Africa Twin

CRF1000 manual

R185 000

NOW ONLY

R179 999

Get moving with our

special offer of a R5000 discount

on our CRF1000 range! While stocks last.

In a world where everything is becoming mobile, you should be too!

CRF1000 manual

R205 000

NOW ONLY

R199 999

Energy Hack

for Long Rides.

CLICK IT READ IT LOVE IT

WWW.MOTOMEDIA.CO.ZA

OCTOBER 2020

ITALIAN

AFFAIR

MV AGUSTA

Riding dirt bikes usually means active

mornings out riding for quite a number

of hours. Riding usually starts well with

loads of energy and high spirits. However

if you are not properly prepared your

energy levels will wane as the morning

gets longer and hotter. As exhaustion

grips you, your ride can become

unpleasant not to mention dangerous.

The good news is that it does not have

to be that way if you simply implement

this one Base Fit energy hack. Doing just

this one thing will help give you sustained

energy over many hours of riding even on

those super-hot days.

Did you know your body will first cool

itself before it gives you energy? In

other words, your body temperature

will first be lowered by sweating before

you receive energy to keep going. So

what happens on a hot day is that you

sweat profusely, losing water rapidly

and subsequently become exhausted as

dehydration sets in.

Even the slightest bit of dehydration you

will leave you feeling lethargic.

So here is the hack:

Before riding, make sure you start your

engine with more water in your system

on a cellular level, than you would on an

average day. This will ensure you have

ample H20 to keep your sweat glands busy

for hours without robbing you of energy.

Taking in hydration through your tripper

as you get thirsty while riding is not

enough to prevent mild dehydration. You

need to plan ahead so you don’t fall into

that rookie trap.

But of course, there is a catch! Carrying

so much water in your system will make

you feel heavier than normal. This in

turn can make you feel slower, but only

initially. Bear in mind that being a bit

slower in the beginning of a long ride is

far better than running out of energy later.

This is especially true for racing and is

the difference between slow finishers and

those that finish strong and fast.

So how do you increase your body’s

hydration? Simple, just follow these 5

simple steps 24 hours before your big

ride.

1.Eat more carbohydrates such as

potatoes and rice. The reason for this

is to increase the glycogen levels in

your muscles. Glycogen is not only

responsible for immediate available

energy, but it also holds three times

its volume in water. Bonus! This is the

same reason why you sometimes feel

puffy the morning after eating a heavy

carbohydrate meal the night before.

Note: Do not increase your overall food

count the day before, but rather eat less

protein to make up for the increase in

carbohydrates.

2.Do light exercise the day before your

big ride. Nothing intense, just 20 minutes

of light training just to get your heart rate

up and your muscles working. Doing this

encourages more glycogen to get stored

in your muscles which in turn will give you

increased cellular hydration when you

drink water.

3.Increase your water intake to about

50% more than what you would on a

normal day. Please note this is plain

water you need to drink, not in the form of

energy drinks or coffee.

4.Don’t have alcohol the night before.

Alcohol will dehydrate you and possibly

cause cramping towards the end of your

ride.

5.Make sure you have a solid

carbohydrate-based breakfast, such as

oats, about 2 hours before riding.

6.Keep taking in water right up until you

ride.

If you would like to know more about

our Base Fit way of eating and training

please mail me on mandy@basefit.co.za.

Mandy Thomas – Base Fit

YouTube: Mandy Thomas Base Fit Five

Thirty Club / Facebook: Base Fit Trian to

Win / Instagram: BaseFitCustomFitness

E-Mail: mandy@basefit.co.za //

Contact: 082-461-1443

SUPERVELOCE

3 Year Warranty and Service Plan Included

IN THIS ISSUE

BMW R1250RS - SUB 500CC MULTI TEST - TL1000 - APRILIA TUONO V4

MOTOGP NEWS - LOCAL RACING - ELECTRIC YAMAHA FZR AND MORE...

BMW M1000rr

WORLD LAUNCH

IN STORES AND AVAILABLE ONLINE WWW.MOTOMEDIA.CO.ZA

20010

October 2020 RSA R35.00

9 772075 405004

Where the

madness

starts...

The fact is, that motorcycles have become more than

just a toy these days - and often trying to justify the cost

of a big, mainline brand can be an issue. The Big Boy

brand is a cost effective way to get into the game. Without

spending a lot, you get to see if you enjoy it and want to

take the sport a bit further.

They dropped this cool little Pit bike off at our place and

told us to go and play...

What is it?

A mini bike. But a mini bike that anyone

can ride. So it can double as a dirt bike

for junior and a cool little runabout for

pops when he is at the track.

A bike that guarantees lots of grins

without being intimidating. A perfect

learners bike with all of the normal bike

functions like gear and clutch selection.

The TTX125 is Big Boy's top-selling

pit bike. The 125 motor combines with

the larger wheels and clutch-operated

4-speed manual gearbox. Upside down

forks and rear gas shock provide the

travel with front and rear disc brakes

providing the stopping power. Add to this

a cool 4-stroke exhaust bark and you've

got an off road ready machine that's lotsa

fun.

This Big Boy feels pretty solid, it started

and ran faultlessly for the duration that it

was with us with decent acceleration and

enough top speed to almost keep up with

our CRF230 Hondas.

Our boys literally rode the wheels of this

bike, visiting our little lockdown Enduro

track as soon as mom wasn't looking to

practice their tricks, scaring the hell out of

the dogs and hitting the ramps on the plot

as hard as they could.

They passed the bike over to some of

their mates who came to visit and pretty

soon, some of the kids who had never

ridden a bike before were tearing around

the plot like seasoned pro's.

As this point we would like to apologize

to all of the parents for the incessant

nagging that has accompanied the

experience - you see, our job is to get as

many peeps onto bikes as we possibly

can - and hey! It sure beats playstation.

The Big Boy TTX 125... Nippy, easy to

ride and great fun for sure!

There used to be hundreds running

around everywhere.

Get a new one, get a used one - and go

play.

R14699.00

At your Big Boy dealer.

www.samotorcycles.co.za

When Trials

Meets Enduro...

As punishment for leaving motorcycles for the corporate world – and

coming back again, we decided to treat our Kyle Lawrenson to a day

with a certain Mr Brent Le Riche...

Kyle is a pretty good rider when it comes to pretty much anything

off-road or Enduro. Having been parked in his car and behind a desk

for a year or so during his stint with corporate, we noticed that he had

developed quite a midriff – and we felt that it would be fitting to relieve

him of some of that discomfort.

Brent had mentioned to us that the very latest Beta Trials bike had

landed – and that he'd love for us to come and do a feature... So we

sent Kyle along and asked him not to die.

To be fair – initially he was quite Blasé about the whole thing. A Trials

bike is just a mini dirtbike right? Right?

He tells the story.

It's about forty degrees. The air does

not move in the rocks and it feels as if

my heart is about to bounce out of my

chest. I have just spent little over half an

hour trying to come to terms with this silly

looking little contraption. No seat, no feet

and engine that delivers more torque than

a Harley and brakes that are smaller than

the ones on my bicycle...

No airflow. There is nothing fast about

anything that we have tried to do...

And this was just the start of the day.

I'm pretty sure that Brent was laughing

at this supposedly fast, skilled enduro

boy making a fool of himself, but he is

a consummate professional and only a

small twinkle in his eye gave it away...

He watched me thrash around thinking

that I was doing great until he could not

take it any more.

"JUST STOP!" "Come here and listen!"

"Let's start at the very beginning. Forget

what you think you know and pay

attention."

Well that's what it felt like – but he's

actually a pretty polite guy...

Then he proceeded to school me on the

art of Trials and more specifically, body

language, body position, planning your

lines and skills.

Body language. Hop on the bike and do

some left hand turns. Bars completely

locked, legs twisted like koeksuster and

balance. No dabbing or putting feet down.

It goes opposite to everything I've done to

date. A bit like Ballet on a bike.

Once he was satisfied with the left

trurns, it was repeated to the right – and

then some figure of eights. The smooth

torquey engine of a trials machine allows

you to do all these low speed maneuvers

– it feels weird, but once you get it right

it's pretty cool.

Why would you do this?

All for practical purposes. He took us

down into a gulley with some steepish

sides where the trials guys train – and

made me do the same exercise in some

really tight, twisty terrain... nothing too

technical, but... tight. It was a lesson on

hard lock turning without ending up at the

bottom of the Grand Canyon. Very foreign

to me because my usual style is to attack

at speed, foot down, pivot turn and open

wide... But you can't do that in trials. It's

all about control and not dabbing your

foot...

From there he made the loops

progressively more tricky and challenging

- and he spent time showing clutch

control – and THAT'S the game

changer...

How to ride the clutch in order to make the

tyre find maximum traction without actually

dumping it. And then, of course - finding

the sweet spot where you don't burn the

clutch out.

Have you ever wondered how Jarvis

and Bou find traction on seemingly

unclimbable surfaces?

Well this is what it is chaps. All in the

clutch.

There is no such thing as dumping the

clutch and attacking the slopes. Dump

the clutch here and you'll pull spectacular

wheelies and probably whoop out.

No exaggeration here.

It took a while, but when he was

eventually happy that I was reasonably

capable, drenched in sweat and panting

like a penquin in the Kalahari ol – we

went off to find "Just a a few" gnarly

rocks.

Once again – amazing to see how skilled

these trials guys are – I have always

been pretty good on a BMX – but guys

like Brent are class acts. He would show

the line and nonchalantly hop up... and

I would try (Read TRY) to follow without

crashing my brains out.

20 minutes in I was absolutely stuffed.

If you think that you are fit, you really

should go and give this a shot some time.

It looks effortless but you are literally

using every muscle in your body to try

and stay in control.

Here is Brents take on the new machines:

Straight from the Le Riche Bro's mouth:

Let's get straight to it. The looks! Oh my soul, a big 10 for me! It

looks trick and it looks expensive...exactly what it is.

Well done Beta! Even though the Evo Trials model is nearing

the end of its lifespan, the Italian designers have still managed

to give it such flair! Beta took the standard bike and infused an

'M Sports Pack' type of colour kit, to give it a rich, sporty look

that really works. Throw in those gorgeous gold rims, triple

clamps and red air box to name a few, and it looks Hollywood!

Now for the slightly less important stuff after the looks - the

Factory fitted components for power and control.

Motor Parts – To enhance the horses, Beta has fitted a

specialized racing cylinder with optimized porting, a specially

designed cylinder head, and a couple of tweaks to the ignition

programming. Over the already powerful Standard version,

power is not going to be your problem, and it definitely comes in

IT WASN'T A SMILE IT WAS A GRIMACE

strong straight from the bottom.

The Italian bike manufacturer have wrapped up these engine

mods and set them free via a feather light titanium header pipe,

and the suspension is taught with great feedback.

Unfortunately this being a loan bike from someone I actually

like, I couldn't launch myself at every rock ledge I thought it may

fly up. I will say though that it was very respectable around the

tight stuff and simple zaps, but screams like a fishwife when

pushed... that you don't actually want to find out where it ends.

If it could just be launched with a set of decent of Dunlop tyres,

there would be that one "X" on my list, but it is more bike than I

could ever squeeze out of it!

Quality, precision and beauty!

If you have the cash, it is gorgeous to look at and enthralling to

ride! A big thanks to Alan from Insurance Zone to lend us his

blue bottle for the test!

LIKE FATHER

LIKE SON

He took pity on me and allowed me to

quietly die under a tree while he put on a

bit of a show so that Stefan (Who stared

open mouthed throughout) could get

some great pics.

If you want to hone your skills and get

fit... this is one sure fire way to get it

done.

A used trials bike is a great way to start

and they are reasonably inexpensive.

The ones in this story are the latest and

greatest from Beta.

For more info on trials www.nrtc.co.za

for club news etc.

National Enduro:

It feels like September has been a month of second

places for me, but I still made some valuable points for

the title,”

It was a tough day in the saddle for his Brother Leader

Tread KTM teammate Scott Bouverie. In the highly

competitive E2 Class, the rider only just missed securing

a spot on the podium and finished in fourth overall.

BRETT SWANEPOEL AND MATTHEW GREEN

STORM TO VICTORY

As riders returned to the National Enduro Championship

under Covid-19 regulations, this weekend Pepson Plastics

Husqvarna Racing stole the show. Brett Swanepoel and

Matthew Green stormed to victory in the E2 and E1 Class

respectively.

Swanepoel entered the event in third overall in the E2 Class

and relished the opportunity to fight his way back up the

leaderboard. Over the past year, Swanepoel has worked

relentlessly to reinstate himself as a force to be reckoned

with in the fight for national glory. With a line-up of riders that

included names like Scott Bouverie and Blake Guzeit, and an

extremely unforgiving route; Swanepoel’s impressive victory

was hard-earned.

“I am so stoked to have taken the top step. It was such a

demanding day on the bike and the track was so testing and

tough on the body. Thank you to my team for all the support,”

said Swanepoel.

Swanepoel now holds the red plate in both the National

Enduro and Cross Country Championship. With a rider that is

spearheading the hunt for national titles, a proud Husqvarna

South Africa’s Brand Manager Fred Fensham commented: Brett

once again showed that hard work, commitment and dedication

pays off. After his win in the E2 class, he now holds the red

plate in both National Enduro and National Cross Country –

wow!"

Having accomplished his goal of winning the High School

Championship, teammate Green stepped up to the E1 Class in

2018 to find his place amongst South Africa’s enduro elite. The

victory this weekend was a massive milestone for the

prestigious young rider, who not only proved that he has the

pace to keep up with the frontrunners in this sport, but the

talent to beat them.

“It feels so good to take my first win in the E1 Class! There

were so many things that contributed to this victory – the

track was amazing, my TE 150i was on point, and my team

never skipped a beat. All the months of training for this during

lockdown has finally paid off!” said Green.

“What an incredible weekend - the second in a row for the

PEPSON PLASTICS HUSQVARNA RACING team. Not sure

my nerves can take much more! To win both E1 and E2 for

our team is simply amaizing. Matt Green was on the gas from

the start and brings home his maiden victory in the class. Very

happy and proud of him and the team! Again I must thank

Anthony for his meticulous prep of the Husqvarna racing

machines and giving the boys the equipment to win on. My best

wishes go to Heindrich Aust, the young gun that we are helping

out this season and wish him a speedy recovery after taking a

nasty fall and injuring his lower back – I’m sure he will be back

soon” said Fensham.

It was also an exciting weekend of racing for Brother Leader

Tread KTM who took on the first National Enduro event under

Covid-19 regulations.

Bringing home some silverware was the team’s rising enduro

talent Bradley Cox, who finished in second overall in the E1

Class. While Cox was chuffed to secure a spot on the podium,

he is unrelenting in his determination to take the top step this

year.

Fresh off a second place in the National Cross Championship

two weeks ago, he commented: “It was a good day in the office!

Like we expected, it was an extremely tough track.

“I didn’t have much in the tank today, but it was so

good to be out racing again. Thank you to my team and

sponsors for the ongoing support,” said Bouverie.

Rounding out the orange team on Saturday was Jarryd

Coetzee and Charan Moore, who are more well-known

in the Cross Country circle.

With the hope of gaining new skills, Coetzee signed

up for the National Enduro Championship at the start of

the season. It didn’t take long for him to showcase his

potential in this discipline, and after a solid start to the

season lined-up on Saturday with a fifth place on the E2

leaderboard overall.

Coetzee withdrew from the event, however, after an

unfortunate crash in the sighting lap.

While teammate Moore is committed to the Cross

Country Championship, he used the event this weekend

as an opportunity to test himself and gain valuable

time in the saddle. As the director of the Roof of Africa,

Moore felt right at home as he chipped away at Natal’s

technical terrain. He not only conquered the demanding

route but finished in an impressive fourth place in the E1

Class.

As the team prepares for the next round in October,

KTM South Africa’s Marketing Manager Louwrens

Mahoney commented:

“Really proud of the Brother Leader Tread KTM team

and their performance. It was a tough and demanding

route, and we did not get the results we were aiming for

- but we are walking away with valuable championship

points. We now know what to work on and are really

excited for the next round of the National Enduro.”

This from Yamaha SA:

Congratulations to all the Yamaha riders for outstanding

results:

Bruce May, P1 National Masters.

Lloyd kirk P3 National E1.

Luke Walker McLarens Attorneys P3 National E2.

Kayde mante from RBS Yamaha P4 National E1.

Dylan Cox from RBS Yamaha P4 National High School.

Kevin de Kock from Droomers Yamaha P6 National

High School.

“WFO and Enduro SA - MSA National Enduro

Championships would like to give a big Thanks to our

National event sponsor Yamaha bLU cRU and Regional

Sponsors Yamaha Motor Southern Africa, Alfie Cox

Racing and Cleanrite for sponsoring this event.

Thank you to Mickey Hayter and Pete Woodburn for

putting together an unbelievable track.

Thank you to the riders and their supporters for coming

and supporting the event, we know it’s a tough one but

thank you for sticking to Covid-19 rules!

This was an outstanding event and was one of the best

national events that has taken place in the last couple

of years. Good racing, good sportsmanship, great

comments and a shows that Enduro Racing in South

Africa under Enduro SA is in very good hands and is

positioned to grow from strength to strength.”

National Racing is back!

Coetzee served notice of his intentions in

the series’ lockdown delayed second round,

when he blitzed Saturday morning's time

trial over Gilbert, Brother Leader Tread

KTM OR2 man Charan Moore, Cocker and

Taki Bogiages’ OR2 Pepson Plastics Motul

Husqvarna. Coetzee and Gilbert kept up the

pace in the main race to come home ahead

of Swanepoel. The main interest was the

battle between Cocker and Cox, who was

on a charge after a slow time trial. Do as he

may Bradley would not overcome that deficit.

In the classes, overall winner Coetzee took

middleweight OR2 from Brett Swanepoel,

Taki Bogiages, Ian Rall and Gert Davis.

Kenny Gilbert took open class OR2 honours

from Charan Moore and Husqvarna trio

Jaycee Nienaber, Wynand Delport and Kyle

Holton. Davin Cocker took the small capacity

class from Bradley Cox and KTM quartet,

Ryan Pelser, Peter Karam, Quintin Venter

and Erik Ernst Merry.

Wade Blaauw powered his Roost KTM

to a dominant over-36 Seniors win over

Husqvarna man Deon du Toit and Zack da

Silva, Hannes Saaijman’s KTM and Yamaha

rider Marco Cocci. Bert Smith Racing KTM

rider Pieter Höll overcame Wayne Farmer’s

Biker's Warehouse Husqvarna to take

over-36 Masters honours. Johan van Wyk

ended third on another Husqvarna from

Yamaha man Martin Poole and Iain Pepper

and Hannes Rootman on another two

Husqvarnas.

We popped down to take a walkabout at the Off-road

National held out Legends the other day. Record entries

proved that people are so tired of being locked down…

Social distancing and masks were the order of the day and

the smell of sanitizer replaced the usual two stroke fumes.

Everyone was smiling and seemed very happy with life. The

guys were very complimentary of the routes – and all in all

– it was great to see the fast boys having some incredible

dices…

Pics by Glenn and Kyle Foley, Action In Motion and ZCMC

PRETORIA CROSS COUNTRY SURPRISES by Motorsport

Media…

What SA National Cross Country Moto Round 2

Where

Legends, Pretoria

When Saturday 12 September 2020

Community South Africa National

In the schoolboy action, Matthew Wilson’s

MCA Holeshot Husqvarna took the High

School win from KTM duo Dumél du Plessis

and Derek Karam, Dylan Cox on a Yamaha

and Branden Swanepoel (KTM). The primary

school Interprovincial classes saw Cobus

Bester’s MCA Holeshot Husqvarna take the

85cc win from Stefan Zybrands’ Droomers

Yamaha and Lucian Meyer. Brandon Clarke

took another MCA Holeshot Husqvarna

to the 65cc win from GJ Coetzee’s similar

machine and Jake Pretorius on a KTM.

It’s great to see the national race wheels

slowly starting to spin!!!

The 2020 South African National Cross

Country Championship wraps up with a

double header for rounds 3 and 4 on 17 and

18 October at Virginia Trails, Mid Illovo KZN.

The Pepson Plastics National Cross Country motorcycle race

delivered a few surprise results at Rhino Park in Pretoria.

Jarryd Coetzee took overall honours aboard his Brother Leader

Tread KTM ahead of Pepson Plastics Husqvarna trio, OR1

winner Kenneth Gilbert, OR2 man Brett Swanepoel Pepson

Plastics Husqvarna. OR3 winner Davin Cocker delivered another

turn-up for the books in fourth overall, just three seconds ahead

of class rival Bradley Cox’s Brother Leader Tread KTM.

NATIONAL MX Words by Motorsport Media. Pics by Ruben Louw

DOUBLE HEADER

What SA National Motocross Rounds 2 & 3 Report It was a different story on Sunday however, as Goosen

Where Thunder Valley, Pietermaritzburg KZN

took his chance to do the double as Purdon and

When 26-27 September 2020

South Africa National

Malan shared out the lower podium steps.

Kerim Fitz-Gerald took a gate-to-flag opening Saturday MX2

SA motocross bounces back in style

The Cannabis Energy South African National Motocross

Championship exploded back into action

with a double header round 2 and 3 at Thunder

Valley in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday and Sunday.

It proved a great weekend of spectacular, muddy

racing with multiple winners and a few surprises

in the open classes. There was a fair bit of domination

too, across the ladies and junior motocross

moto for KTM after Yamaha challenger Slade Smith crashed

in pursuit. David Goosen was second on another Yamaha

from KTM man Tristan Purdon. Goosen took race 2 from

Smith, Fitz-Gerald and Purdon.

Slade Smith then made it three winners in three 250cc MX2

races over the double-header weekend in a Yamaha 1-2 over

David Goosen and Fitz-Gerald. Goosen then went five wins

up for the weekend across Moto 1 and Moto 2 when he beat

Smith and Tristan Purdon’s KTM in Moto 2 race 2, too.

classes.

SA champ Maddy Malan started the weekend perfectly

with a double open class Moto 1 victory for Husqvarna

on Saturday. He beat Yamaha man David Goosen and

Cameron Durow on a KTM in the first race. Malan then

took heat 2 over Goosen and Tristan Purdon’s KTM.

Over-30 rider Wyatt Avis beat over-40 men Ian Topliss and

Brett Bircher in Saturday’s opening MX3 masters class race.

Topliss’ Yamaha took race 2 from KTM men Avis and Bircher

on a pair of KTMs. Avis took both Sunday’s races as Bircher

and Topliss shared out the second places.

While there were multiple winners in

the open classes, it was however a

different scenario in the Ladies and

schoolboy classes over the weekend.

Kayla Raaff once again proved unstoppable

in Ladies MX as she powered

her Kawasaki to four wins out

of four races. Natasha Rugani on her

KTM and Husqvarna sisters Jadene

and Chayenne de Lima fought over

the crumbs.

Jonathan Mlimi’ was another rider

to take a clean sweep of 125cc High

School wins aboard his KTM. On

Saturday he beat Miguel de Waal and

Mark-Anthony Filip each time in a

double KTM clean sweep. And on Sunday

he beat Yamaha rider Christian

Celliers and de Waal’s KTM in race 1,

and Dylan Lloyd-Kirk and Celliers in

race 2.

Kayde van Deventer’s KTM took the

opening 85cc Pro Mini heat from

Bryce Petersen on a Yamaha and

Lucas Venter’s Husqvarna. Petersen

then beat du Plooy and Venter in race

2. Nobody could stop Petersen on

Sunday however, as he powered to

the double. He beat Venter and Seth

Young’s KTM in the first race and

Wian du Plooy on a Husqvarna and

Venter in the second moto.

Husqvarna kid Liam Botha was unbeaten

in the 85 Junior races. Ryan

Adler on another Husqvarna and Yamaha

lad Tyler Petersen swapped out

the seconds and thirds on Saturday.

Botha continued his winning form with

two more Sunday wins over Petersen,

while Ryan Adler and Timo Maximo

Toepfler on a KTM shared the thirds.

START OF MX2

Neil van der Vyver dominated the

65cc class for Husqvarna. Jordan van

Wyk on another Husqvarna and KTM

kid Trey Cox shared out the seconds

and thirds in pursuit on Saturday. On

Sunday, Van der Vyver beat KTM pair

Cox and Blade Tilley in moto 1, before

Jordan van Wyk bounced back to second

over Cox in the final moto.

And last but not least in the baby 50s.

Trenton Kretzman won both Saturday

races on a Husqvarna. Brody Bircher

and Evan Frost shared out the seconds

and thirds on their KTMs. Kretzman

took Sunday’s first race from

Bircher and Frost. Frost then took the

final from Kretzman and Bircher.

The 2020 SA Motocross championship

will wrap up with another double-header

in Bloemfontein over the weekend

of 24 and 25 October….

For further information please contact

info@mxsa.co.za

Brough to you by:

NATIONAL MX Words by Motorsport Media. Pics by Ruben Louw

JOSHUA MLIMI

David Goosen

Pitbikes

The perfect intro to dirtbiking:

Some time ago, we ended up on a Whatsapp group for Pitbikes. We

didn’t leave it because, we reckon that Pitty’s are great value – and

a great way to get into the sport. Some of the guys on that group

hosted a pitch and race day a couple of weeks ago. They took some

snaps and sent us this feature…

Founders of ShadeyFilms, Cade Mein and Shane Baynham have

been in the local motocross scene for years. For them it’s all about

enjoying Off road riding and enjoying the extreme sports lifestyle in

South Africa.

On the 29th of August 2020, Shadey_Films hosted the 1st

#PitbikePitchAndRide which was a great success.

Friends and family gathered for a day out at Dirt Bronco MX

Track for some pit bike shenanigans. An amazing day of riding

was enjoyed – and they managed to get two races in for added

adventure. Each moto winner got prizes from Dragon Energy.

Their goal with this event is to bring back the love of Motocross and

to show that you don’t need to spend a fortune to ride and have fun.

Even Scotty Billet the LW Mag King Of The Whip Champion joined

for the day to have a fun day riding and to support the event.

The guys are planning to host a Pitbike Pitch And Ride once a

month.

It’s a fantastic initiative and a great day out… so if you have one –

dust off that ol Pitty and give it a new lease on life.

If you are looking for a Pit Bike, the guys from Big Boy have quite a

lekker range.

www.samotorcycles.co.za for your closest dealer.

For more details on these events:

Instagram: @shadey_films @cadelevi @Baynham501

@Bttmedia Facebook: Shadey_films

Stopping Power

Galfer Brake Components

Galfer brake discs, pads and brake lines are a feature

of many off road motorcycles, race teams and world

championships as OEM.

Here’s an interesting story about the firm and their

products,

Fitted as original equipment to more enduro and off road

bikes than you might know, Galfer is a braking component

manufacturer that most of us using any form of two bike

are familiar with – whether we know it or not.

Galfer has been making brake materials and components for

everything from Enduro to MTB, TrialGP, WSBK and MotoGP

for more than fifty years, since the company was founded in

1952.

The discs, pads and brake lines are all designed and

manufactured in a 6000 sq. metre factory at Granollers next

to the Circuit de Catalunya, north of Barcelona. The history of

Galfer stretches back decades to a time when bikes needed

brake shoes… ask anyone who rides a CRF230.

Galfer currently supplies original equipment for many brands:

• KTM (Road and Off-Road): 100% of

production

• Husqvarna (Road and Off-Road): 100% of

production

• Beta (Enduro and Trial): 85% of production

• Sherco (Enduro and Trial): 50% of production

• TM Racing (Enduro): 90% of production

• Rieju (Road and Off-Road): 100% of

production

• Montesa (Trial): 100% of production

• TRS (Trial): 100% of production

• Vertigo (Trial): 100% of production.

World Championship racing leading development

Off road sport is a tough environment and Galfer knows that to

keep improving its products and performance it needs to work

with the best riders and teams in the world.

A close collaboration with factory race teams helps development

and the result is championship titles in MotoGP, WSBK, MXGP,

AMA SX, EnduroGP, TrialGP, Supermotard and globally many

national level championships.

Galfer riders have won more than 45 world titles in different

disciplines including Marc Márquez, Alex Márquez, Jorge

Lorenzo, Maverick Viñales, Joan Mir, Jorge Martin, Steve

Holcombe, Jason Anderson, Kiara Fontanesi, Toni Bou, Laia

Sanz and Emma Bristow.

At EnduroGP, riders using Galfer components include the Beta

Factory Racing team and World Champion Steve Holcombe.

In Extreme and Hard Enduro Mario Roman leads the way.

Galfer Moto products overview:

Brake Pads

As we all know, brake pads are a fundamental element in any

brake system. They're directly responsible for transmitting

the power of the caliper to the brake disc. Galfer has developed

specifics compounds for each type and model of motorcycle,

looking to offer top performances in all conditions.

Features:

• Powerful, progressive & smooth brake

• Low wear rate and minimum noise

• Maximum resistance to the fade effect

• Efficiency in wet conditions

• No wear on brake disc

• 12 different compounds to choose in semimetal

and/or sintered metal

Brake Discs

The “Wave Disc” represents the best example of research and

development by Galfer. Laser cut, stainless steel with a high

carbon content, they are a direct replacement component and

bolts on just like a stock disc.

Features:

• Lower weight of the unsprung masses

• More braking power

• Better heat dissipation

• Excellent resistance to corrosion

• Less tendency to warp

• Maintains cleaner the contact surface paddisc

• Improve and personalize the motorcycle

aesthetic

• Anodized or chromed high resistance

aluminium (7075 T6 - 6082 T6) or stainless

steel (AISI 420) carrier

• 14 different types of Disc Wave

• All “Disc Wave” models with the same original

disc size of the motorcycle are certified by TÜV.

Brake Lines

Galfer braided brake hoses claim an improved performance

of more than 30% over stock parts as they have a much lower

expansion coefficient. They are made of materials of the highest

quality: braided stainless steel coated with PVC on the outside.

Features:

• Improves direct touch: strong, consistent and

more accurate.

• Direct connection to the brake pump caliper.

• Increased speed of response.

• Do not corrode and resist the highest

temperatures.

• Complete kits brake and clutch with 1, 2 or 3

tubes for each specific motorcycle model.

@trickbitzz

LOGO PARA USO ENRECAMBIO Y COMPETICIÓN

LOGO FOR USE IN AFTERMARKET & COMPETITION

Trickbitz_cc

• (tubes for off-road motorcycles include a

protective sheath).

• Fittings and reusable supplied exploded.

• Tubes available in three colours (transparent,

black and carbon) and fittings available in

silver brass quality.

More information about Galfer brake hose product range here:

Galfer.eu

Imported and distributed locally by

Trickbitz – www.trickbitz.co.za

Chat to your dealer.

LOGO ORIGINAL

ORIGINAL LOGO

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The choice of champions.

INVERSE LOGO

G1396

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Motocross.

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Adventure bikes.

Semi metal &

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Quads. Sinter Quads compound

Trade Enquiries: (011) 672-6599

Email: mark@trickbitz.co.za

COLORES Enquire CORPORATIVOS

at your local dealer

CORPORATE Office Hours COLOURS Mon-Fri 8am-5pm

www.trickbitz.co.za

Sea to Sky

Sea to Sky

There are few races that capture your

imagination like the annual Sea 2 Sky

in Kemer, Turkey. A hard Enduro race

that encompasses pristine sandy

beaches, thick pine forests and then

soaring up to 2,365 metres above

the glistening Mediterranean in the

Olympos mountains touching the sky.

Cycle Technology ccT/A

Started in 2010 by the local Kemer Enduro

Club who managed to get the lads behind

Romaniacs involved the following year. With

their experience and know how the Sea 2 Sky

soon became an annual bucket list challenge

for any self-respecting hard enduro rider.

You don’t have to be a pro rider or be part of

an international team, several guys based

around Europe rent out bikes, back vehicles

and service teams. You just need to have the

money to get yourself and pay your way, once

you have rented a bike and a team you are off

to the races. And what a way to race it is, go

out in the morning and ride with your mates in

possibly some of the most photogenic scenery

around, get back around lunchtime then go

and chill on a Mediterranean beach with a

cold one while the team earns their rental fee

prepping your bike for the next days racing,

that sounds like a bargain to us.

Last year, S.A.’s Wade Young gave it stick,

winning a couple of stages, but his team mate

Mario Roman managed to pip him at the

line for overall honours giving Wade a solid

second overall ahead of the tough old dog

Graham Jarvis. In 2020 Jarvis managed a win

over the young guns with a final day’s time of

2:28:15 and had this to say:

“It was a great race today and I was lucky if I

am honest, especially after damaging the bike

earlier in the event. I went into the Mountain

Race about 4 minutes behind Billy and as

all the top guys ended up riding together, I

thought there was no chance for me today.

Billy took a wrong turn and I managed to get

out in front of him and that for the last 20

minutes.”

Wade Young had a great ride on day 4 to

‘kiss the sky’ on the top of Mt. Olympos for a

close second spot behind Jarvis sealing P2

for the second year in row … Third times a

charm Wade, we are all rooting for you. Wade

was happy to be back in business saying, “it

felt good to be back racing this weekend.”

Also saying, “It was good to be battling with

the boys this weekend, happy with P2 for the

weekend.” Sending out his gratitude to his

team and sponsors.

Billy bolt was in top form the entire 4 days,

with a win on the beach and dominating the

subsequent forest and sky races and led

most of Saturdays race before being waylaid

by some route marking tape left over from a

previous race. The wasted time essentailly

cost Billy overall honours. Billy had the

following to say, “ Overall, it’s been a really

good week here in Turkey, I am really happy

with my riding and know I had the pace to

win every day. I had led 80 or 90% of the

Mountain Race and was first to reach this

tricky hill, it seems they had left some route

marking tape up from last year and I followed

it. By the time I had realised and turned back

I had lost too much time.” Mario Roman also

followed Billy down that particular rabbit hole,

but still managed a tight fourth overall at the

end of the weekend’s racing.

Mah Bru! ... you have just got to come do this.

You don't have to have the latest and greatest machine,

you just have to have fun.

This is how tight the race up the mountain was, all 3

podium finishers giving it horns up the mountain.

Final results were as follows:

1. GRAHAM Jarvıs 02:28:15,57;

2. WADE Young 02:31:39,33;

3. MARİO Roman 02:35:22,18;

4. BİLLY Bolt 02:35:39,25;

5. TEODOR Kabakchiev 02:51:05,39;

6. LEE Sampson 03:26:34,38;

7. PETER Weiss 03:37:05,80;

8. JONATHAN Richardson 03:37:14,07;

9. ALBERTO Alamuro 03:40:59,42;

10. BAYRAM Uysal 03:44:53,31;

It is not all plain sailing ... sometimes you get it wrong.

Billy Bolt-ing ahead of the crowd.

Jarvis reaching the finish.

Accessorising of all

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Customisation Consultancy

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Puncture Repair Kits

PUNCTURE REPAIR KITS

EST. 1978

Adventure, Classic and

Custom Motorcycle and

Accessory Specialists

Battling to find BMW

Motorcycle Parts?

Exclusive stockists of a

comprehensive range

of New, Aftermarket,

Reconditioned and

Used Parts from 1950

to current Models.

Professional Restoration, Custom

Building, Servicing and Repairs

of all BMW Motorcycles

Officially Appointed

Distributors for

Motorcycle Equipment,

Accessories and more

(011) 433 8850 info@cytechmotorcycles.co.za

61 Port Road, Robertsham, Johannesburg

www.cytechmotorcycles.co.za

THE ADVENTURE

& DIRTBIKE

SPECIALISTS

IN PRETORIA!

22 BLESBOK AVENUE , KOEDOESPOORT INDUSTRIAL

087 808 3650 / 087 808 3649

Email: info@offroadcycles.co.za / Website: www.offroadcycles.co.za

TYRE TECH TALK

by Bruce de Kock, owner of Bike Tyre Warehouse Group

ALL THE PREMIUM BRANDS

THAT COUNT UNDER ONE ROOF

Motorcycle Tyre Basics

Diagram – Liner to seal the air inside & the bead to make sure the tyre stays firmly secured to the rim.

TYRE FUNCTIONS

Hello Peeps, September smashed in a second at least for me

it has been the fastest month of the year, the riding community

is back in full force with sales of new bikes; accessories and in

our case rubber on the increase with record sales since march

being reported across most segments of our industry which is

great for the traders and the public as the competition between

the traders ensures the most competitive prices in stores

country wide.

As promised in the September issue I would focus on tyre

basics moving onto the more advanced aspects of tyre

technology so let’s start at the very beginning with the definition

of a motorcycle tyre;

A pneumatic motorcycle tyre is a flexible component of the

wheel assembly made of rubber and reinforcing materials.

TYRE FUNCTIONS

Inflated with compressed air or nitrogen it enables the wheel to

carry the load and to transmit longitudinal and transversal forces

to the rim and thus to the motorcycle.

Tyre functions – the tyre performs 6 main functions that need

to be assured in all circumstances of weather, temperature and

road conditions long term as well as being as puncture resistant

a possible.

So if we want to put them into a numbered order then

Supporting the Load of the motorcycle, the rider, the pillion

and luggage would be number 1; vehicle suspension like a

spring, with shock absorbing qualities and the ability to damp

unnecessary motions, moving onto 3 would be road holding

and braking, the tyre transmits braking forces to the road

surface through the footprint’s ability to match to road surface

irregularities and to provide a high level of friction.

1 Support the load

of the motorcycle, the rider, the

passenger and luggage.

Liner:

To seal the air inside

Bead

Makes sure the tyre is firmly secured to the rim

7

The tyre performs 6 main functions that need to be assured in all

circumstances of wheather, temperature and road conditions, over a

long term and puncture-resitant

Vehicle Suspension like a spring, with a shock absorbing quality with the ability to reduce unnecessary motion.

TYRE FUNCTIONS

1

Support the load

of the motorcycle, the rider, the

passenger and luggage.

4

Lean and steer

Change and maintain trajectory through the footprint to

provide stability and steering response.

2

Vehicle suspension

Like a spring, with a shock absorbing quality and the

ability to reduce unnecessary motion.

2

Vehicle suspension


ability to damp unnecessary motions.

5

Traction

It ensures the transmission of the engine

torque to the ground.

3

Road holding and braking

It transmits braking forces to the road surface

through the footprint’s ability to match to road

surface irregularities and to provide a high level of

friction.

6

Handling

It enables lean and trajectory transitions


ability to reduce unnecessary motion

5

Moving onto 4 would be lean & steer i.e. change and maintain

trajectory through the footprint to provide stability and steering

response, 5 is one most understand traction it ensures the

transmission of engine torque to the ground, lastly handling

which enables lean and trajectory transitions.

1.Support the Load of the motorcycle, the rider, the

pillion and luggage is achieved by containing compressed air

in a sealed volume, higher air pressure supports higher loads

(within the prescribed inflation limits) bearing in mind the higher

the air volume the higher the bearable load.

11

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 Group

ALL THE PREMIUM BRANDS

THAT COUNT UNDER ONE ROOF

Road Holding & Braking the tyre transmits braking forces to the road surface through the footprint’s ability to match to road surface

irregularities and to provide a high level of friction.

Diagram – Motorbike with rider on showing braking force

3

Road holding and braking

Transmit braking forces to the road surface through

the footprint’s ability to conform to road surface

irregularities and provide a high level of friction.

TYRE FUNCTIONS

Traction ensure the transmission of engine power to the ground.

5

Traction

Ensure the transmission of the engine

power to the ground.

TYRE FUNCTIONS

Transmit Braking Forces to the Road Surface

Ensure the transmission

of the engine power to the ground

Through the footprint’s ability to conforms to road surface

irregularities and provided high friction

Lean & Steer change and maintain trajectory through the footprint to provide stability and steering response.

12

TYRE FUNCTIONS

Handling enables quick changes of lean angles and trajectory.

6

Handling

Enables quick changes of lean angles and trajectory.

14

TYRE FUNCTIONS

4

Lean and steer

Change and maintain trajectory through the footprint to

provide stability and steering response.

Change and Maintain trajectory

Through the footprint to provide stability

and steering response

«the corchscrew»; Laguna Seca,

USA.

13

So that’s a brief wrap on the 6 main functions of a motorcycle

tyre, obviously each one of these points is a story on its own

which we can look at in the future as promised for now its just

the basics.

I am off the computer and back to work as we are busy setting

up the work shop in our Cape Town store which opens on the

1st October, but I am sure Sean & the chaps here at Ride Fast

/ Dirt & Trail mag will be giving a heads up on all that in the

15 November issues.

Take care out there, roll on the sunshine and open roads.

Bruce de Kock – Bike Tyre Warehouse Group Holdings

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

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 R217,900

Multistrada 950 S R243,900

Multistrada 1260 R242,000

Multistrada 1260 S R298,700

Multistrada 1260 Enduro R297,900

Multistrada Pikes Peak R362,900

Multistrada Grand Tour R328,900

Sixty 2 Scrambler R128,900

Icon Scrambler R155,900

Full Throttle Scrambler R184,900

Classic Scrambler R164,900

Desert Sled Scrambler R200,900

1100 Scrambler R199,900

1100 Scrambler Special R219,900

1100 Scrambler Sport R251,900

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 R84,995

Mule SX 2×4 R145,995

Mule SX 4×4 R179,995

Mule PRO-MX 4×4 R225,995

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 Evocative E5 R234,850

V85 TT Travel Pack R249,850

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 125 Factory 2T R109,900



SC Cross Country 125 2T R112,300



SE-F 250 Racing 4T R132,300




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.


SELLING YOUR BIKE? FIRE IT UP IS THE MOST

TRUSTED PURCHASER IN SA!

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

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 R34,950

TTR50E R34,950

TTR110E R46,950

XT1200Z R224,950

XT1200ZE R249,950

YFM350 Grizzly 2x4 R119,950

YFM350 Grizzly 4x4 R159,950

YFM450 Kodiak 4x4 R179,950

YFM450 Kodiak 4x4 EPS R184,950

YFM700 Grizzly R214,950

YFM700 Grizzly SE R259,950

YFM90R R44,950

YFZ450R R199,950

YFM700 Raptor R199,950

YFM700 Raptor SE R229,950

YZ65 R66,950

YZ85 R75,950

YZ125 R84,950

YZ250 2 Stroke R99,950

YZ250F R129,950

YZ450F R149,950

YZ125X R95,950

YZ250X 2 Stroke R104,950

YZ250FX R129,950

YZ450FX R144,950

www.go-mx.co.za

WR450F R149,950

ZONTES

ZT310-T R77,900

Specialists in motocross gear and accessories

GET IT.

READ IT.

LOVE IT!

SA’S MOST LOVED

ROAD & TRACK MOTOR-

CYCLE MAGAZINE.

READ IT AT

www.motomedia.co.za


173 Blaauwberg Road, Table View info@go-mx.co.za

079 270 8958

@go_mx @GO.MX.CT

S997

Dirt and Trail Magazine October 2020

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