RIDEFAST DECEMBER 2021

DECEMBER 2021

21012

DECEMBER 2021 RSA R35.00

9 772075 405004

Midweight

KAWASAKI ZX650

IN THIS ISSUE

ONE THE COUCH WITH DORREN LOURIERO - 4 TRIUMPH MODERN CLASSICS - 1954 VICTORIA

VICKY BUILD - MOTO GP ROUND UP - CLASSICS TOURING THE CAPE AND LOTS MORE...

RIDEFAST MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 1

©FIVE Advanced Gloves 2021 *FIVE : le spécialiste du gant **sous conditions

PubFIVE_

SUZUKI

FOR EVERY JOURNEY

WHATEVER YOUR RIDING STYLE, THERE IS A MODEL FOR YOU!

For more information visit www.suzukimotorcycle.co.za

or visit your nearest authorised Suzuki Dealer.

2 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

w

www

PROTECTION / FITTING / DESIGN

STUNT EVO

Black / Red

©FIVE Advanced Gloves 2021 *FIVE : le spécialiste du gant **sous conditions

THE

GLOVE

SPECIALIST*

U!

za

RACING STREET CUSTOM ADVENTURE MID SEASON WINTER HEATING

WOMAN OFF ROAD

GLOVES

When riding a motorcycle, the glove isn’t just an accessory. It is the essential link between the rider and his machine. So

better to trust a specialist. FIVE has based its development on a simple principle: you can’t design a pair of gloves like you

design an item of clothing. Every detail counts to provide both precision in the feel of handlebar controls, comfort and protection.

That’s why FIVE focuses, exclusively, on the development and production of technologically advanced gloves, resulting

from its experience of racing competition at the highest level (MotoGP, SBK, Endurance, MX, Enduro ...) To convince yourself,

just try one of our 90 models at an authorized FIVE dealer. Your hands will feel the difference.

FIVE ADVANCED GLOVES: THE glove specialist.

www.autocyclecentre.co.za

www.poweredbyautocycle.co.za

poweredbyautocycle

powered_by_autocycle


PubFIVE_OfficielDuCycle_Mars2021.indd 3 02/03/2021 10:28

Intro. Keeping the wheels turning...

DECEMBER Edition 2021

We wanna hear from you info@motomedia.co.za

Read our back issues at www.motomedia.co.za

It’s been a busy year and here we are

heading into Christmas already...

We have had to carry quite a lot of

content over to our January 2022 issue

- great because that gives us a bit of a

head start for the new year.

This is a proudly South African family

run business and our team thanks all of

you for supporting our magazines.

If you missed a back issue, please go

and have a look at www.motomedia.

co.za

Remember to get all of your Christmas

gifts from your motorcycle dealer.

A foursome of motorcyclists, all in their

40’s, discussed where they should meet

for lunch.

Finally it was agreed that they would

meet at Hooter’s Because...

The waitresses were young, good

looking, and wore short-shorts.

Ten years later, at age 50, the buddies

once again discussed where they

should meet for lunch.



The food and service was good, they

had many televisions to watch the

games on, and the beer selection was

excellent.

Ten years later, at age 60, the foursome

again discussed where they should

meet for lunch.



There was plenty of parking, they could

dine in peace, and it was good value for

the money.

Ten years later, at age 70, they

discussed where they should meet for

lunch.



The restaurant was wheelchair

accessible and had a toilet for the

disabled.

Ten years later, at age 80, the friends

discussed where they should meet for

lunch.



They had never been there before.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas

and if you are heading out on holiday -

ride safely.

If you have suggestions or comments

please get in touch.

foleyg@mweb.co.za

The RideFast Magazine Team.

PUBLISHER:

Glenn Foley

foleyg@mweb.co.za

ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL:

Sean Hendley

sean@motomedia.co.za

071 684 4546

OFFICE &

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

Anette

anette.acc@ mweb.co.za

ONLINE &

DESIGN LAYOUT:

Kyle Lawrenson

kyle.lawrenson@icloud.com

Cape Town

Lorna Darol

lorna@motomedia.co.za

074 122 4874

PHOTOGRAPHY

Stefan van der Riet

CONTRIBUTORS

Shado Alston

Donovan Fourie

Kurt Beine

Morag Campbell

Videos and more

available online...

2021

2021

NC

NC

2021 2021

NC750X/DCT

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.

NC750X/DCT

WWW.MOTOMEDIA.CO.ZA

THE THE NEW NEW NC750X: NC750X: DO DO IT ALL, IT ALL, AND AND

BETTER BETTER THAN THAN EVER. EVER.

Specialization may be fine for something like golf clubs, but we think great motorcycles should


be able to do it all. Case in point: The 2021 Honda NC750X. This is a bike is for motorcyclists who


THE

BETT

Specializatio

be

be

able

able

to

to

d

appreciat

appreciate b

21

:

YOU REALLY

SHOULD

JOIN THE

HONDA

FAMILY

2021

NC750X R128 500

NC750X DCT R138 200

NC750X/DC 2021

NC

should

ld

lists who

who

2021

2021

2021

Randburg: 011 795-4122

NC750X: R126 000

THE NEW NC750X: DO

BETTER THAN EVER.

THE N

BETTE

You NC750X/DCT

meet the nicest

people on a HONDA.

be able to do it all. Case in point: The 2021 Honda NC750

THE NEW NC750X: DO IT ALL, AND

BETTER THAN EVER.

appreciate both versatility and virtuosity in their adventu

model some big improvements. More power. Specialization

A larger int

and a lower seat height. Plus some huge be technologic able to do upi

riding modes, new instruments, a new frame, appreciate upgraded bob

heart, the twin-cylinder engine produces model a broad some torque b

And you can choose from two transmissions: and a lower conventio se

Honda’s revolutionary automatic DCT. Either riding way, modes, this lat

one-bike choice for the rider who wants heart, to do it the all. twin

And you can c



appreciate both versatility and virtuosity in their adventure machines. This year, we’ve given this

NC750X/DCT

model some big improvements. More power. A larger integrated storage area. Lighter weight,

and a lower seat height. Plus some huge technologic upgrades like throttle by wire, selectable

riding modes, new instruments, a new frame, upgraded bodywork, and standard ABS. At its

heart, the twin-cylinder engine produces a broad torque curve as well, making it a joy to ride.

And you can choose from two transmissions: a conventional manual-clutch six-speed, or

Honda’s revolutionary automatic DCT. Either way, this latest NC750X is going to be the perfect

one-bike choice for the rider who wants to do it all.

THE NEW NC750X: DO IT ALL, AND

BETTER THAN EVER.

Specialization Specialization may may be be fine fine for for something like golf clubs, but but we we think think great great motorcycles motorcycles should should

be

be

able

able

to

to

do

do

it all.

it all.

Case

Case

in

in

point:

point:

The

The

2021

2021 Honda

Honda

NC750X.

NC750X.

This

This

is

is

a bike

a bike

is for

is for

motorcyclists

motorcyclists

who

who



NC750X: R135 500 DCT


Honda’s revolu

one-bike choic

All the NEWS proudly brought to

you by HJC HELMETS

KISKA.COM Photo: R. Schedl

ANNOUNCEMENT

Bike Tyre Warehouse West Rand

changes hands…

Please note Bike Tyre Warehouse West Rand has been

closed as at 15th November 2021 and the new store in

the same premises is now independently owned and

is operating under a new name. The company is in no

form or manner or in any way connected to the Bike Tyre

Warehouse Group.

Queries: www.biketyrewarehouse.com

Bike Tyre Warehouse

Midrand

Now a Voge motorcycle

dealer

This is a partnership of two

brands that are really shaking

up the South African Motorcycle

Industry and we are well acquainted

and have a lot of respect

for both. Bike Tyre Warehouse

Midrand is now an official dealer

for Voge Motorcycles, the 300cc

range imported and distributed

by SA Motorcycles. Voge offers

three unique models, all providing

unrivalled value and performance

in their own respective categories.

Visit their website www.biketyrewarehouse.com

for more info and

specs on the Voge 300 range or

pop in at BikeTyre Warehouse

Midrand for a closer look at these

three incredible models at 997

Richards Dr, Halfway House, Midrand

or call them on 011 205 0216

And if you’re looking for a handy

little gift check out these cool ICE,

(In Case of Emergency Capsules),

made from lightweight aluminium

and water proof to carry

life-saving information or chronic

medication. You can wear it on

your riding jacket, cut or key ring

a great little Christmas stocking

filler which could save your loved

ones life. Retail ONLY R60 incl. at

any BTW Store nationwide.

Then… how about about this

awesome LitePro Multifunctional

Emergency Light which features

a 10W Rechargeable Battery 3.7v

2200mAh Lithium Ion with a running

time of +/- 3 Hours and time

to full charge of just 3 hours, has

700 Lumens with 4 light modes

– High – Low -SOS and Strobe.

It’s made from ABS material with

a 360 degree adjustable head,

magnetic base, Micro USB Cable,

USB in/out and is Waterproof. The

unit has a light block power level

indicator so you have a heads

up on your remaining power use.

With its magnetic base you can

pop it onto the frame on your bike

if you’re working at night, or under

your bakkie or under the bonnet.

Charge it while riding. It’s small

enough to fit under your bike seat

or in your top box, in your back

pack or in your cubby hole. ONLY

R399 incl. a great gift for the

Christmas stocking. Also at any

BTW store Nationwide.

www.biketyrewarehouse.com


KISKA.COM Photo: R. Schedl

how

sandstorms

begin

It’s time to adventure even harder. The new KTM 890 ADVENTURE R

is here – a true offroad travel specialist. With class-leading handling,

rally-like agility, and boosted power and torque figures, you can be sure

you’ll never eat dust, except in the sandstorm you create.

FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.KTM.COM

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.



you by HJC HELMETS

A rose between the thorns at BMW Motorrad

Fourways.

Rocheal Fortune recently joined the well-oiled sales team at

BMW Motorrad Fourways. Rocheal is a long time and passionate

biker and rides for ladies only club “The Nuns” on her ZX14.

Having spent the last 15 odd years in the advertising industry

and riding most weekends either on breakfast runs, events or

Track Daze, she decided to follow her passion and joined the

motorcycle with a top notch and pro-active team. Pop in at corner

of Cedar and Witkoppen roads, Fourways, or give them a call

on 011 705 1480

Honda Wing East Rand Mall gets a nip and

tuck

Here is a dealership that has been around and around the block

for easily over 20 years, if not more. Forming part of the Motus

group they have also taken Honda Wing Sandton under their wing

in recent months. Over the last 3 or 4 months they have been

renovated, renewed and rejuvenated. The new showroom is huge,

well-lit and very easy to navigate and well stocked with new and

used bikes and they are buying good used stock on a daily basis,

so if you are wanting to sell or trade in your superbike, tourer,

cruiser, adventure bike or dirt bike on a new bike take it down

to them for a thorough assessment and a sensible offer. Speak

to boss man Simon Edwards or his team of Daleen Webber and

Andrew Dare. They are still at corner Jan Smuts Ave and Loizides

St, Bardene, Boksburg or you can call them on 011 826 4444

Nicks Cycles – the plot motorcycle shop.

Fair pricing, excellent workmanship and a friendly atmosphere

are the foundation stones of this long standing Old School

bike shop on the East Rand. In tough economic times most

people are hesitant to spend any money, especially on

big expensive project, but not Nick Benn owner of Nicks

Cycles on the border of Kempton Park and Benoni. He has

just dropped a substantial portion of his life savings in to

extending the shop creating more workshop and showroom

space to better service their customers. What initially started

out as a converted ‘Chicken Coop’ some 25 years plus

years ago has slowly morphed into a neat, well stocked,

well run and well supported enterprise. The busy workshop

is professionally kitted out and overseen personally by Nick

himself, with Jo-Ann looking after the showroom. They have

a good range of accessories and parts in stock and whatever

they do not have they can source for you quite quickly and

for the budget conscious they also buy and sell used kit and

accessories and - there are some great deals to be had. The

long and the short of it is their passion for bikes has earned

them a great reputation. They’re bike people. That means you

care about your bike.

Visit them at 27 Van Wyk Road, Brentwood Park AH, Benoni

or give them a call on 011 979 7114 or 011 395 2553 or 082

756 1008 and you can even mail them on info@nickscycles.

co.za



you by HJC HELMETS

VLA Racing Your Yamaha dealers in

the Vaal Triangle.

We’ve told you about these guys before.. They are

just growing from strength to strength with a couple

of changes along the way. Reece Brown is the man

at the helm leading the team onto bigger and better

things. A mechanic by trade but divides his time

equally between the workshop and the showroom.

Goodwin Banda is his ever smiling right hand man

in the workshop with Pertunia Mamba keeping

the parts and accessories department running like

clockwork. Melissa Visagie will sort out all your

finance needs from finance applications, insurance

needs and the like. Having wandered around the

Vaal Triangle quite a bit of late we are yet to find a

bigger and better stocked accessories department

in the entire ‘Triangle’. All the major brands are there

from entry level all the way through to premium

products. They have an excellent selection of very

tidy pre-loved bikes and forming part of the Vic

Legacy Auto group they have they have the backing

and ability to happily trade bikes in on cars and

cars on bikes and they will even do outright buy

ins on road/adventure/dirt and superbikes, cars,

bakkies, kombi’s and etc. So, if you need a tow or

race vehicle, a new bike or want to get the latest

kit or some work done on your pride and joy then

it is definitely worth the trip out to the Vaal Triangle.

Go see them at 40 General Smuts Rd, Duncanville,

Vereeniging or give Reece a call on 072 709 4269 or

email him on reece@vla1.co.za

OXFORD RAINSEAL OVER JACKET

AND PANTS

Let’s talk about the weather, this summer has

been an interesting one so far, one day sweltering

hot with the sun trying to grill your skin to pork

crackling and then the next few days cold,

miserable and wet. And if you’re on a bike the

cold and wet get even more miserable. The guys

from DMD have just the thing for that - the Oxford

Rainseal over jacket and pants. Okay, so the wet

weather makes sense, but how do they help in the

cold you might ask. Well, from personal experience

if you pull this lot over your airflow summer gear

it will stop the cold wind getting in and your

summer gear will create a thermal break between

the Rainseal gear and your skin. It might not be

very toasty but it is a lot more comfortable than

chattering teeth and shivering. Simple yet carefully

designed and beautifully made light weight weather

protection.

Rather than guess how much bigger your overs

need to be to fit over your normal riding gear, these

are intelligently sized so that you simply buy YOUR

SIZE!

Jacket:

RRP, incl VAT R915.00

Sizes: S – 6XL

Key Features

• Fully lined with a soft collar

• Reflective detailing

• Adjustable cuffs

• Adjustable hook & loop waist

• Draw-string hem

• Water resistant seams

• Intelligent sizing

• Available in Black and Fluorescent

Pants:

RRP, incl VAT R595.00

Sizes: S – 6XL

Key Features

• Half lined for comfort

• Extra-long zip and wide leg gussets - easier to put on

• High visibility detailing

• Elasticated waist

• Hook and loop adjustable ankles

• Water-resistant taped seams

• Intelligent sizing

• Available in Black and Fluorescent

Go to www.dmd.co.za for your nearest stockist.


K16

R25 350

R255 R30


you by HJC HELMETS

B

W

AirCraft affordable Spray Gun Options now

available

Complete kits, a full range of spray guns, compressors,

accessories, hoses and full range of airbrushes for the home

workshop and professional

AirCraft is a well-established brand in South Africa specialising

in pneumatic systems and air tools. Catering for pneumatic

solutions for both the DIYers, handyman and the professional

tradesman. The AirCraft brand is especially well known

among airbrush artists, Spray painters and air tool endusers.

The excellent service backup ensures peace of mind

to all retailers and customers. The range extensively covers

pneumatic solutions offering a complete solution to the market

and the workplace. The bonus with this range is the free

Air Tool Training course and Air Supply in The Workshop for

all customers, which covers all you need to know about the

products, setting up your workshop, features, pneumatic

systems and air tools.

A range of convenient industrial quality gravity feed spray gun

kits that include a touch-up spray gun as well as a fill size HVLP

spray gun. Great for home workshop and professionals alike. All

polished aluminium bodies with gravity feed plastic cups.

The Comp04 kit consisting of a Compressor & Airbrush kit is a

quality airbrush set and the high-performance, oil-free piston

compressor COMP04 offers airbrush specialists complete

flexibility in all areas. Neatly equipped with a filter/water trap

and regulator, making this setup a convenient option for

everyone. AirCraft also offer a vast range of accessories, hoses

and range of airbrushes to enhance their kits even further. A

quiet running airbrush compressor with auto stop function -

meaning it only runs while you are using the airbrush. Locally

supported by South Africa’s No. #1 Power Tool Accessory

Supplier, Vermont Sales.

To view the full range and the options on the spray guns go

www.vermontsales.co.za and click through to AirCraft


Hi Tech Mag Repairs

You got a rim you need sorted on your bike, car, bakkie… they

have you covered

If, like so many of us, have managed to mangle your expensive

mag rims on your bike, bakkie, car, trailer or caravan then you

need to keep these guys number close at hand. So! You all

know about Hitech Mag Repairs, but what we didn’t know is

that they do all sorts of wheel work from the obvious widening

of rims to actually changing the size of your rim. Especially

those weird 16” and 16.5” rims that nobody seems to make

tyres for… and all the V-Max and old ‘Blade owners now

suddenly sit up and try not to choke on their tea… Really? YES!

Really.

They do rim step ups and step downs and we would challenge

you to spot where they have worked or what they have done.

They also do polishing, custom colour matching and even hydro

dipping of rims. Many years ago at a previous employer a staff

member managed to mangle one of our superbike trade ins, the

front rim took such a hard hit that it ended up in 3 pieces. We

sent it into Hitech hoping they wouldn’t laugh at us too loudly

and lo and behold the rim arrived back in one piece, looking

brand new and perfect round and straight and it worked a treat

when we put it back on the bike. No challenge seems too big

for them… just don’t be a chop and take them a spoked rim

from a Dirt or Adventure bike… take the hint from their name –

“Hitech Mag Repairs”. We’ll be sending our poor VW’s wheels in

for some TLC soon… Watch this space.

You can find them at 208 Bosworth St S, Alrode South, Alberton

and can call them on 011 900 1341.

R

F700 R 40 N

11400

R1

50

R105 R14

R120

96 R18 50

R89 R1850

B

BMW Motorrad

West Rand

K1600 Bagger, 2020

R1200 GS , 2009

R255 3500km 000 85 R75 000km

R255 R309 000 995

R75 R104 000995

S1000R, 2019

7 R319 000km000

R169 R319 995 000

R NINE T, 2020

F700GS, R 4000km NINE 2019 T, 2020

114000km

R145

500KM

000

R105 R145 000 000

R1200 GS, 2009

R299 000 6 R165 7500km 000

R269 R299 995 000 R104 R165 995 000

R1200GS, 2007

96 R185 500KM 000

R89 R185 000

F850 GS, 2018

24

R175

000km

000

R159 R175 995 000

K1600 GTL, 2017

17

R185

000km

000

R249 R185 995 000

BMW Motorrad West Rand

Email: japretorius@cfaomotors.co.za


RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2021 43


you by HJC HELMETS

Stompgrip Tank Pads:

Stompgrip Tank Pads make gripping your ride incredibly easy,

and therefore requires less energy to hold on to the bike. This

reduces fatigue and arm pump with morelower body grip and

less upper body stress. On the track, this helps to keep the

rider stable whether they are braking from top speed or heading

into their favourite sweeping corner. Each pad is constructed

of a non-abrasive material that features an aggressive volcano

bump pattern. Does not cause unnecessary wear to your

riding pants or leathers. Each Stompgrip Tank Pad is custom

designed and engineered to fit your specific bike model.

Features:

• Available in black and clear

• Paint and graphic remain visible through clear pad

option

• Pre-molded rounded edges that resist peeling

• Super strong 3M adhesive back

• Made in USA

Keiti Speed Lock cruise control.

So! Here is a feature that we have gotten used to on most

modern bikes but really miss on older generation bikes,

especially when on long tours heading down a seemingly never

ending highway with your right hand and shoulder starting to get

tired. The Keiti Speed Lock is the simple and totally safe way to

add cruise control to any bike. It is easy to install, only 3 steps,

you can make it happen within 15 seconds and this adjustable

control fits any motorcycle. The Keiti Speed Lock is constructed

from aluminium and features an internal gear that allows you

to adjust the tension on your grip with one hand. Simple, Safe,

Affordable and you can quickly swap it from bike to bike in a

matter of seconds… You know you want one.

Keiti Tie Down straps

Tie downs are a huge source of contention in any bikers

life. If you have a good set they are sure to go missing

if you leave them unattended. The Keiti ties downs are

40mm wide and 2 mm thick, making them really heavy

duty with carbine hooks so that they cannot unhitch

themselves and soft loops so they do not damage your

pride and joy.

Keiti Universal licence plate bracket

The quickest and easiest wat to tidy up the rear of your

bike. Get rid of that ugly OEM contraption a replace it

with this compact, classy and tidy aluminium unit that

easily bolts on and even has a spot for your indicators.

TrickBits Universal integrated LED Tail

light, indicator and licence plate lights.

If you’re building a really special custom or just want to

clean up the look of your bike TrickBitz has these really

tiny, but amazingly bright integrated tail light, indicator

and number plate light jobbies. Not much bigger than a

small cigarette lighter, so you can really tuck them away

and only have them seen when they are switched on…

perfect for clean lines on any bike yet still bright enough

to be legal and safe. Couple them with the licence plate

holder and you can really tidy up the back of any bike.



you by HJC HELMETS

TrickBitz Swingarm spools

Billet aluminium and available in a variety of colours.

Great for getting the back of your bike in the air to

clean and lube your chain and for protecting your

swingarm in the event of a spill, cheaper to replace or

repair your swingarm too.

TrickBitz tubeless puncture repair kits

Get one or two or three… or more, chuck it under your

seat, your top box, the boot of your car and forget

about it. Do it now! And you will thank us one day.

They’re not hugely expensive and you will be glad you

have it with you one day for sure or sit on the side of

the road waiting for your mates to ride home 1 or 2

hours to fetch a bakkie or car with a trailer then drive

another 1 or2 hours to fetch and then drive another

2 odd hours to get home… and you told your Missus

that you are going out for a quick breakfast run for the

boys and will be back in plenty of time for that family

lunch… Ja Né! Try that again next weekend and see

what she has to say. Then you have to load your bike

to get it to the shop to fix it and then go fetch it again…

all could have been avoided with a quick 10 minute

roadside repair… tut, tut, tut.

All of these are imported by trickbitz and are available

at your dealer.

AGV’s K1 Helmet

We told you last month that AGV helmets now has a

new importer. They have just landed a batch of K-1

road helmets. The AGV K-1 is the new integral helmet

from AGV, the successor to the K-3. The helmet is ideal

for those looking for a sporty design at good value.

Features

• Outer shell made of thermoplastic resin, high

strength and very light.

• 2 outer shell sizes for a good fit.

• EPS (inner shell) in 3 sizes and 4 densities, for

optimal shock absorption.

• The shape of the helmet has been designed

to reduce the forces of impact on the

collarbone.

• The ventilation system consists of air intakes

top, in the chin rest and has a spoiler on the

back with exhaust fans.

• The new rear spoilers have been tested in the

wind tunnel, provide high aerodynamics and

stabilize the helmet at high speeds

• XQRS (X-tra Quick Release System):

replacement of the visor without tools and in a

few seconds possible.

• Lining without stitching on the most sensitive

areas.

• Lining: 2Dry (for excellent absorption of

moisture) and Microsense.

• The removable lining is removable and

washable.

• Padded side panels optimized for wearers of

glasses.

• Double D closure system.

• Weight: 1.49 g +/- 50 gr (in size MS)

Imported by Bikewise and available At your dealer.



you by HJC HELMETS

Scorpion’s Versatile Exo-Tech Flip-Up

Helmet.

The Scorpion EXO-Tech, is approved as both full-face and jet

(open-face) helmet, takes the development of the Scorpion

flipback to the next level. Whether you choose to wear your Exo-

Tech as a full-face or jet helmet, you can be sure of maximum

safety and comfort. All you have to do is push the chin bar of the

thermoplastic helmet up over the visor or pull it down into the

chin position. It couldn’t be simpler.

And it comes with all of the correct ratings…

• Visor: clear, with Pinlock anti-fog system

• Sun visor: dark smoke, with fog-retardant coating

• Material: ABS

• Outer shell sizes: 2 (XS-L, XL-XXL)

• Fastener: Ratchet fastener

• Weight: approx. 1700 g

• Lining: Kwikwick3 lining, removable and washable,

very soft and pleasant against the skin, with

integral groove for spectacles

• Ventilation: adjustable chin and top inlet vents

• Certificates: ECE 22.05 (as full-face and jet (open-face)

helmet)

• Other features: includes chin curtain.

Scorpion Exo-HX1 Taktic, fullface helmet

Calling all streetfighter fans: The Scorpion Exo-HX1 looks pretty

mean.

Pleasantly light weight achieved by Ultra TCT (Thermodynamical

Composite Technology) outer shell construction. Add to this the

comfortable Kwikwick 3 lining, refreshing ventilation, peak and

side covers - this streetfighter helmet seems to be the biz! We’ve

just bought one for Sean – he’ll be using it a lot and wqe’ll give a

full local review on this versatile lid.

• Visor: clear, with Pinlock MaxVision anti-fog visor insert

• Sun visor: integral, smoked

• Material: Fibreglass

• Outer shell sizes: 2 (XS-M, L-XL)

• Fastener: Ratchet fastener

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• Other features: helmet peak and side covers included;

suitable for spectacle wearers

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Outer shell sizes: 2 (XS-L, XL-XXL)

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Incoming

KAWASAKI Z650 RS

Some new bikes expected for 2022...

Kawasaki Z650RS here in ‘22

Kawasaki has expanded their retro naked model range to include the

Z650RS. The Z650RS is to the Z900RS as the Z650-B1 was to the Z1 back in

the 1970s glory days.

As the name suggests the Z650RS is powered by the 649cc twin from the

Z650 and Ninja 650 models, which produces 67bhp @ 8000rpm and 47lb.ft @

6700rpm.As it’s aimed at new riders as well as experienced folk.

Also carried over from the Z650 is a tubular steel trellis frame that weighs just

13.5kg.The frame has been specially designed to be skinny in the middle to

make it easier for riders to get their feet down, on top of a low seat height of

just 820mm.Perched atop the frame is a 12 litre tank (a little small if you ask us)

although that does contribute to a kerb weight of 187kg.

Also coming across from the Z650 are the suspension and brakes. A set of

conventional non-adjustable 41mm forks take care of things up front, while a

horizontally mounted monoshock (adjustable for preload only) deals with bumps

at the back.Braking duties are looked after by a pair of twin piston calipers on

300mm discs along with a single piston on a 20mm disc at the rear, both of

which are assisted by Bosch ABS.

The big changes to the RS compared to the Z650 come in the styling

department. Gone is the modern upswept tail and pointy headlight, in favour of

a ‘duck tail’ cowling and single round lamp.The wheels too are new designed to

resemble classic spoked units, while the wavy discs from the Z650 have been

chucked in favour of something more classic. There’s also a thoroughly retro pair

of analogue clocks, with a little digital centre panel for extra info.

It’s expected the bike will be a Z650RS, with Kawasaki adding a retro twist to the

budget twin, and the latest video clip gives us the biggest hint yet with a classic

Z650 making an appearance in the background of a chess match.

If the new model looks half as good as the larger capacity Z900RS first released

in 2017, it would offer a chic retro option for those looking for a little less power...

Looks great. Watch this space full local feature as soon as they arrive.

www.kawasaki.co.za



Incoming

Suzuki GSX-S 1000GT

Suzuki have unveiled a new sports touring version of their

recently updated GSX-S1000 called the GT. The new bike You also get LED lighting all round and Suzuki’s SIRS intelligent

uses the same 150bhp K5 GSX-R engine as the naked bike riding system electronic suite.

but is wrapped in a new set of touring plastics with a comfortable,

upright riding position.

The main point of difference between the GSX-S and the new

GT is the large screen and fairing to give the rider protection

from the wind and the elements for long-range comfort.

The bike will be a sportier alternative to the and will replace the

GSX-S1000F as the Japanese firm’s long range road option.

Rider comfort is the order of the day – not only does the rider

get that screen and bodywork to hide behind, the bars and

footrests have added rubber to reduce vibration.

You also get a new seat designed for comfort, a lightweight

assisted clutch and cruise control to make hours in the saddle

as carefree as possible.

Suzuki has also put a lot of emphasis on the bike’s pillion provision

with a large comfy looking seat and new rear grab rails to

hold on to.

Unlike the standard GSX-S released earlier this year, the GT

gets a 6.5-inch full colour TFT dash with full smartphone connectivity

giving GPS maps and the ability to make and receive

calls, control music and even access your calendar – should

you want to.

Suzuki says the new windscreen, fairing and mirrors have been

honed for aerodynamic efficiency to reduce rider fatigue with

hours of testing in the wind tunnel.

The KYB suspension and Brembo brakes of the standard

GSX-S remain, which means 43mm upside down manually

adjustable forks and a preload and rebound adjustable rear

shock. The radial Brembo brake calipers bite into 310mm twin

front brake discs and a 240mm single rear and have standard

(non-leaning) ABS.

Instead of the GSX-S’s three-spoke wheels, the GT gets

lightweight cast aluminium six-spoke units shod with the latest

Dunlop Roadsport 2 tyres with a bespoke internal construction

tailored to the bike.

The Suzuki GSX-S1000GT will be here in the first quarter of ‘22

www.suzuki.co.za



GREEN

ENVY

Words: Sean Hendley

2nd Opinion: Stefan vd Riet

Pics: Black Rock Creative Studio

“Ninja”… That word inspires awe, respect, mystique and possibly even

a little bit of nervousness, especially when it comes to motorcycles. The

Kawasaki Ninja is a name given to several series of Kawasaki sport bikes

that started with the 1984 GPZ900R. In 1984, it looked like something

out of a Jules Verne novel and in 1986 really achieved cult status when

Tom Cruise rode one in the Top Gun movie. Through the years the Ninja

has evolved into a yard stick by which most sport bikes are measured,

particularly in World Superbike Racing where Jonathan Rea and KRT have

made it the bike to beat. A year or two ago Ana Carrasco became the first

lady to beat the guys at their own game aboard a 400cc Ninja, (which you

will remember, we have reviewed once or twice and flippin’ love it).



So - when we laid our eyes on the newly arrived 650cc

variant lurking in the basement of KMSA’s head office we

were quick to beg the first ride. Sadly it was that new that

it hadn’t even been started yet and still needed to be run

in by their technical staff and given its first oil change. As

soon as it was ready they gave us a call to fetch it and we

wandered around on it for about a week, having to fight

our millennial photographer for saddle time. Kawasaki

does build gorgeous bikes and the 650 Ninja, with its

green and black livery with red and white high lights

here and there is no exception. The modern day industry

standard or fashion is to have a very strong family

resemblance from the smallest, most entry level offering

all the way through to the flagship in the range and with

both the 400cc and 650cc that is very evident.

Top of the pops are the twin LED headlights, each

featuring low and high beam as well as a position lamp,

offer increased brightness, really emphasising the 650

Ninja’s lineage to its bigger sibling the ZX10 range and

even a little bit to the H2 range. The Ninja 650’s sharper

new styling gives it a sportier appearance and even

stronger Ninja family looks. Its sleek and sporty design

inspires a sense of pride, heritage and even confidence

in riders. And, the pillions haven’t been forgotten either

with improved rider as well as passenger comfort. The

rear seat with 4 thicker urethane pads, (approximately 5

mm thicker at the centre, 10 mm thicker at the sides) and

sides that extend more widely offers increased passenger

comfort. And the bike is exceptionally comfortable from

the shortest rider to 2m lumps like me. The 650 is a very

narrow bike, but also quite long for its class. The foot

pegs are set far enough below and backwards of the

seat to create an easy, comfortable angle on the riders

knees and hips for long days in the saddle. The reach

over the tank to the handle bars is equally as comfortable,

encouraging a sporty riding style without putting undue

pressure on your wrists, shoulders or lower back. After

kicking Stefan out of the saddle I managed to get in about

300kays worth of riding, from back road touring, to urban

commuting and around a 100 kays of booming down the

freeway, in decent comfort all the way, yeah… after that

amount of saddle time my jocks started cutting into my

arse cheeks, but that is the case with absolutely any seat,

chair and etc if you spend extended periods of time in it.

What I did appreciate was the lower back support offered

by the bump stop against the front of the pillion seat.

The all new digital TFT colour instrumentation, a

Kawasaki first in the 650cc class, gives the cockpit

a high-tech, high grade appearance. The new

meter also offers additional features unavailable

on the previous models. A Bluetooth chip built into

the instrument panel enables riders to connect to

their motorcycle wirelessly. Using the smartphone

application “RIDEOLOGY THE APP,” a number of

instrument functions can be accessed, contributing

to an enhanced motorcycling experience. Vehicle

information such as the odometer, fuel gauge,

maintenance schedule, etc can be viewed on the

smartphone. Riding logs which varies by model, but

may include GPS route, gear position, rpm, and other

information can be viewed on the smartphone. When

connected, telephone notices are displayed on the

instrument panel. Riders can also make changes to

their motorcycle’s instrument display settings such

as preferred units, clock and date setting and etc

via their phone. And on certain models, it is even

possible to check and adjust vehicle settings such

as Rider Mode, electronic rider support features, and

payload settings all using the smartphone.



S

E

F

M

//

//

//

//

//

//

//

Kawasaki has also employed a new

rear shock absorber set up. Compared

to Kawasaki’s traditional Uni-Trak rear

suspension, which mounts the shock

unit vertically, with the new Horizontal

Back-link rear suspension, the shock unit

is almost horizontal. Kawasaki’s original

suspension arrangement locates the

shock unit very close to the bike’s centre

of gravity, greatly contributing to mass

centralisation. And because there is no

linkage or shock unit protruding beneath

the swingarm, this frees up space

for a larger exhaust pre-chamber, (an

exhaust expansion chamber situated just

upstream of the silencer). With a larger

pre-chamber, silencer volume can be

reduced, and heavy exhaust components

can be concentrated closer to the centre

of the bike, further contributing to mass

centralisation. The result is greatly

improved handling. Another benefit is

that the shock unit is placed far away

from exhaust heat. Because it is more

difficult for heat from the exhaust system

to adversely affect suspension oil and

gas pressure, suspension performance

is more stable. The Horizontal Backlink

rear suspension offers numerous

secondary benefits like this that really

just make the 650 Ninja so rideable. It

encourages you to push the limits of the

bike as well as your skill levels.

Another great feature is the slipper

clutch. Based on feedback from racing,

the Assist & Slipper Clutch uses two

types of cams, (an assist cam and a

slipper cam), to either drive the clutch

hub and operating plate together or

apart. Under normal operation, the

assist cam functions as a self-servo

mechanism, pulling the clutch hub and

operating plate together to compress the

clutch plates. This allows the total clutch

spring load to be reduced, resulting in a

lighter clutch lever feel when operating

the clutch. And that lighter clutch feel is

really noticeable when doing the daily

grind through rush hour traffic, your left

hand doesn’t get as tired or sore. Then,

when excessive engine braking occurs

as a result of quick downshifts or an

accidental downshift, the slipper cam

comes into play, forcing the clutch hub

and operating plate apart. This relieves

pressure on the clutch plates to reduce

back-torque and helps prevent the rear

tyre from hopping and skidding and

creating the need for a clean set of rods.

This race-style function is particularly

useful when sport or track riding.

The Dual Throttle Valves offer increased

power and greater ease of use care of

a second set of ECU-controlled throttle

valves.

Late-model sport bikes often use largebore

throttle bodies to generate high

levels of power. However, with large

diameter throttles, when a rider suddenly

opens the throttle, the unrestricted

torque response can be strong. Dual

throttle valve technology was designed

to tame engine response while

contributing to performance.

On models with dual throttle valves,

there are two throttle valves per cylinder:

in addition to the main valves, which

are physically linked to the throttle grip

and controlled by the rider, a second

set of valves, opened and closed by the

ECU, precisely regulates intake airflow

to ensure a natural, linear response.

With the air passing through the throttle

bodies becoming smoother, combustion

efficiency in improved and power is

increased.

The Economical Riding Indicator is a

mark appearing on the instrument panel

to indicate favourable fuel consumption,

encouraging fuel efficient riding…

needless to say, we studiously ignored

this feature and just gave the 650 some

space to fill her lungs and shout at the

world and stretch her legs.


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I had to meet our photographer Stefan for an early morning

photo shoot on the 650 in a picturesque little village that did

require a rush hour commute of about 30 kays.

With SA being in the state it is we all have to stand in a queue

for our ration of electricity coz the traffic lights were out. The

narrowness of the 650 came into play dodging ‘dumb f@%k’s’

lane surfing while busy social-media surfing.

The rear view mirrors mounted way out front are marginally wider

than the riders elbows allowing for good rear view but are also

great for measuring space between vehicles as you lane split.

That lighter clutch was received with much gratitude by my left

hand and the riding position had me looking over most vehicles

with ease. That slipper clutch and ABS were tested on more than

one occasion along with my lung capacity and my command

of expletives in more than one of our official languages. All

performed admirably.

Once I was out of traffic and playing in the twistys and could

really use all of the rev counter the mid weight Ninja really came

into its own, and I am quite sad I didn’t get a chance to take it

onto a track. The dual throttle valve technology, really does keep

it all smooth and predictable without stealing any of the power

or torque. The rear suspension set up along with the trellis frame

kept it all neat and tidy through the corners to the point that I

had to remind myself I was in a semi urban area and not wearing

leathers as I started pushing harder through the bends. Once

the photoshoot was done it was time for a quick cup of coffee

to freshen up the vocal cords for the next bit of rush hour traffic

out of town and onto some nice sweeping back roads for about

150 kays to really stretch the 650 Ninjas legs. Whipping along

the sweeping back roads through the countryside all resplendent

in green and sunshine after the spring rains easily at around

180kmh really got my heart singing. SA roads being what they

are these days makes really good suspension vital, not just for

cornering speed or braking and acceleration weigh transference

but also for nasty bump absorption, which can really catch you

off guard and get everything quite out of shape and if you’re

unlucky… throw you into the beautiful scenery. The 650 Ninja

quietly soaked up all the bumps and lumps so much that I turned

around and went at a really bad section of road two or three

times flat out to see if it would get all squirley, which it didn’t.

Whipping down the freeway and tucking my 115kg, 2m lump into

the fuel tank recesses and behind the windshield I managed an

admirable 192km ph on a flat section with a bit of a head wind.

I suspect that once the engine has loosened up a bit I might be

able to get a bit more out of it, but the torque and the power are

more than enough to have a lot of fun in the mountain passes

and hit the long road to your favourite part of the country.

I didn’t check exact mileage but it was somewhere around 500

kays or so and we used about a tank and a half of juice, giving

us somewhere in the vicinity of 20 to 22 kays to a litre give or

take, not bad considering the engine was still tight, about a

thousand clicks on it when we collected it and we weren’t riding

for economy.










































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































I suspect that once the engine has loosened up a bit I might be

Stefan says:

Right off the bat this bike looks and feels like a little superbike.

When I first sat on it, it reminded me a lot of the Ninja 400 size

wise. The seat is all too comfortable and quite low allowing

me to bend my knees with my feet flat on the ground. The

riding position is extremely comfortable with the raised bars

not too far ahead, and the low mid/back pegs. After a long

day of riding my knees were the only joints to start aching,

my back and wrists were still ready for more riding. What’s

nice about the engine is that you can cruise around at low

speeds and low revs and it feels like a very relaxed bike,

almost unassuming, but once you get above 6000 rpm you

realise, this is a Ninja. Every back road and highway turns into

a race track if you wring the throttle, and it has ample power

to put a smile on your face. It’s a lightweight little superbike

that you can easily throw around corners, and getting into the

full tuck race position feels very welcoming on this bike. The

brakes and ABS also work fantastically, saving me from a few

swerving taxis whilst racing down the highway. With me riding

and my girlfriend (combined weight of around 120KG) on the

back we could easily cruise at 170-180 kph with more power

to give. I never got the opportunity and enough space to push

for top speed but I can see this bike reaching 210kph with me

alone on it no problem. From a photographer’s point of view,

this bike is stunning. You could take pictures of it all day. The

aggressive styling and Kawasaki green make for very Iconic

Ninja Photos. Sean says he had to chase me off the saddle,

but it’s mostly because I wanted to take it out to more photo

spots, enjoying the ride all the way.

In the final analysis:

This is a lot of motorcycle for around R125,000.00 with looks

that will turn every other road user green with envy. It is more

than quick enough, handles like a sport bike, tours just as

easily and is great for commuting and at almost twenty rand

to the litre for fuel it is light on your pocket at the pump. Go

check out www.kmsa.co.za for more info, your closest dealer

or to arrange a test ride.

Engine type

Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke Parallel

Twin

Valve system

DOHC, 8 valves

Displacement

649 cm³

Fuel system

Fuel injection: Ø 36 mm x 2 with

dual throttle valves

Starting System Electric

Lubrication

Forced lubrication, semi-dry sump

Brakes front

Dual semi-floating 300 mm petal

discs.

Caliper

Dual piston

Brakes rear

Single 220 mm petal disc.

Caliper

Single-piston

Suspension front 41 mm telescopic fork

Suspension rear Horizontal Back-link with adjustable

preload

Frame type

Trellis, high-tensile steel

Wheel travel

front 125 mm

Wheel travel

rear 130 mm

Tyre, front

120/70ZR17M/C (58W)

Tyre, rear

160/60ZR17M/C (69W)

L x W x H

2,055 x 740 x 1,145 mm

Wheelbase

1,410 mm

Ground clearance 130 mm

Fuel capacity

15 litres

Seat height

790 mm

Curb mass

193 kg

Maximum torque 64 Nm / 6,700 rpm

Maximum power 50.2 kW / 8,000 rpm

Fuel consumption 4.5 l/100 km

Transmission

6-speed, return

Clutch

Wet multi-disc, manual

Final drive

Sealed chain


WHO IS

DORREN LOUREIRO?

Well we have all heard of brothers Brad

and Darren Binder, Sheridan ‘Shez Show’

Morais and more recently of Steven

Odendaal, Cam Petersen, Matthew

Scholtz and many more. South Africa

has an extremely rich history of motorcycle

racing success internationally with

a surprising amount riders competing

and have competed in the international

arena over the years. Think of names like

Paddy Driver, Kork Ballington, brothers

Jon and Peter Ekerold, the Petersen

brothers, Les van Breda and the list goes

and sadly we here very little about them

on our radio and TV stations because

they are not playing with balls. And the

same is true for young, up and coming

new talent and being out of the public

eye they battle to get sponsorships and

go race overseas and are basically reliant

on the goodwill of family and friends. We

have to ask how much talent are we losing

in this arena because of these guys

and girls going unnoticed and not being

able to afford to go race where they will

get noticed.

Well, luckily for us Dorren Loureiro has

parents that are completely supportive

and passionate about his racing career

and fortunately do have the means

to send him overseas to go race and

get noticed. Dorren has raced in the

same team with 6 time World superbike

champion, Jonathan Rea. As her team

mate, he was instrumental in helping Ana

Carrasco take her first championship win

in WSBK Supersport 300 in 2018 and

become the first lady to beat all the guys

in the male dominated sport of motorcycle

racing . He is mates with Tom Sykes

and is managed by Spanish Supersport

Champion and old WSBK racer, now

retired mostly, David Salom, (Fuentes

to be technically correct), and regularly

rubs shoulders with WSBK elite and is

becoming a well-known and well liked

personality in the paddock.

We got to spend an hour or to chatting

with him and just finding out a bit more

about this unassuming, humble lad from

Kempton Park…

Our hometown and base for our offices,

which already makes him a Good Guy in

our eyes.

Doz, what was it like being in a team with

WSBK champions of the likes of Johnny

Rea and Tom Sykes, did you get to

spend much time with them?

So, I got to spend every breakfast,

lunch and dinner with them in the same

hospitality suite, the same everything…

so I got to speak to him, (Johnny Rea), a

little bit. The difference between Rea and

Sykes is that Rea is all business, he is

there to race only, he doesn’t speak to a

lot of people, and is completely focused

on his job.

Sykes is very… like… friendly, talks to

anyone and everyone. I mean like, if you

get an autograph from Sykes he will have

a conversation with you, maybe a 10

minute conversation. With Sykes I could

even do a track walk with him and get

pointers from if I needed to. He was more

of a mentor to myself and the rest of the


junior riders in the team and we are even friends on

Facebook, not only on his racing page but also on his

personal page and I can chat to him whenever.

With Ana and I racing in the same class, I was under

team orders. Kawasaki and WSBK really needed a

lady champion and I was told to assist her as much

as I could by running interference for her and making

sure I finished behind her, which wasn’t always easy

because some races my set and feel just worked

better than hers and I would up in the top five and

she would be running around the bottom of the field,

it would have been career suicide for me to drop

back so far. When it was within reason I would always

let her finish ahead of me. Towards the end of the

season when she was a definite title contender those

orders were reiterated in the sternest manner possible.

But it was great to be in the team with both Ana

and Johnny celebrating championship wins that year.

Do you think it is maybe time for Rea to take a step

back, maybe leave while he is still at the top of his

game, not like Rossi who has possibly left it a bit

too late, especially in light of the of the really strong

challenge from Toprack this year?

This is the first year that I have actually seen someone

actually get under Rea’s skin, Toprack has really

unsettled him this year and I think it is because

Toprack is still very young and has everything to gain.

You know Rea has achieved much more than anyone

else in WSBK and is trying to keep at that level.

But Kawasaki needs Rea to keep doing what he

is doing, but you don’t want to end when you are

running at the back of the field and fighting for last

position, you don’t want that to be your legacy. I think

like Rossi should have thrown in the towel long ago,

two or three years ago he should have called it and I

am a big Valentino fan, MotoGP is really not going to

be the same without him.

Do you think Rossi will come across to WSBK for a

year or two before going into final retirement?

Never!... Rossi?... Not a chance! The problem is

Superbikes is a much higher level racing than what

people think, but it doesn’t have the glam, the glamorous

side that MotoGP has. Everybody for the most

part is approachable and are always willing to help

where they can, almost like one big family, MotoGP is

very, very different with much more politics and much

more money.

In Superbikes… there’s like no rules when it comes to

rubbing fairings, rubbing is racing, the only rule they

are really sticky about is exceeding track limits… Yes,

there are rules but for the most part they just let the

racers get on with racing. When the guys get stupidly

dangerous then it is definitely time for them to step in.

Lets talk about your career for bit, right in the beginning.

You’re this little laaitie from Kempton Park, how

old were you when you got onto the bike first time?

It was 2010, so I was ten turning eleven. I grew up

in Kempton Park, literally the same street and house

almost my whole life so far, I moved once when I was

three years old to the house where we live now. When

I was younger my dad used to race BOTS and a club

races for fun, he was quite fast. I was always at the

track from three years old and I have always wanted

to race since then. We went to World Superbikes at

Kyalami in 2009 and they had those little Honda NSF

Dorren with team mate Ana Carasco, first women champion WSSP


GET YO

KIDS KIDS OO

THE THE RR

“PLAYST

“PLAYST

100’s, we watched that race and the next

season I was racing them… in 2010.

2011 I did my season there also, but with

the 150cc class as well. I raced both

classes that season, just for experience.

In 2021 I stopped racing until 2014. I was

too young, too stressed, getting hurt. We

knew I would start racing again, but I just

needed a break to readjust my expectations

and my attitude. Then in 2014 I

started on 250’s. I only started halfway

through the season… with four race to

go I finished second in the championship.

In 2015, I put in a full season and

won the championship. After that I went

to WSBK’s equivalent of Red Bull Rookies

cup, it was the European junior Cup.

That was my first season internationally, I

didn’t finish a lot of races. I was still very

young and inexperienced and wanted to

win so badly that I pushed to hard and

crashed a lot… just how it is. We were

racing Honda 650cc in line 4’s, 100HP

bikes, that’s what I started my international

career on at 15 years old, turning

16 somewhere during the season.

My Dad and Mom went across, one of

them, every race with me. My parents

have been my biggest supporters, I

would not have been able to achieve

what I have so far without them, they

have funded all my racing from the start

and have done everything for me.

In 2017 I went to 300’s for the first time

and rode for David Saloms team. That

was the first year of the 300 Supersport

class in WSBK. They replaced the Junior

cup with the 300 class.

How did you manage to get into David

Saloms team?

I was ballsy hey! So in the year before

300 started had a team in 600’s with Ilya

Mikhalchik, there season was coming

to an end, it was the last race and I had

just been told that Junior Cup was done

and dusted and if I wanted to race in the

300 championship the following season

I needed to find a team, my back was

against a wall and I needed to make a

plan quickly. Because 300’s were new,

no teams had been announced yet.

I raced Junior cup that day and then

walked straight into David Saloms box

with his 600 rider and asked, ‘ Where’s

David Salom?’, Ilya introduced me to

David and I said, ‘I want to race 300’s

for you next year’. He said, ‘Deal, sign

here’… right there, deal done. He liked

the fact that a relatively unknown sixteen

year old had the balls to walk into a big

team with back up and basically demand

a ride. To this day David and I are great

friends, he is my mentor and manager,

and the whole of last year I stayed with

him at his house. In fact I’ve just got off

the phone with him now, he is coming

to stay with us now in December. He is

coming to do some training with some

kids here. And… Yoh! He is still fast,

embarrassingly fast.

I got the ride which was very nice, that

season I got four or five top fives, leading

a lot of the laps, I had a lap record. In

2018 I also rode for David, but then we

moved to Kawasaki, Factory Kawasaki

which was with Ana Carrasco, Johnny

and Tom and etc. Ana had 2 race wins

that year which set her championship

up. The championship was shorter back

then with only 8 races per season, now

we have sixteen races per season, which

meant that if you got one or two race

wins back then, then you were almost

guaranteed of the championship.

And don’t think that Ana and Maria get

any special treatment, they are super-fast

and at the level they ride at you can’t

afford to give them any special leeway.

When we are on track racing they are just

another competitor to beat. If anything,


as guys we are more aggressive against

them, because nobody wants a girl to beat

them. That year that Ana won she was very

strong, the races she won, she did it by a big

gap. In Donnington joined her on the podium,

finishing second, four seconds behind Ana.

Back then were wasn’t a ‘weight’ rule and

there was a 25kg weight difference between

the 2 of us, so not only is she very fast rider,

she can also get more out of the bike because

of her weight advantage. Even this year, with

the new weight rule of 5kgs I am still 20kg’s

heavier than most of the front group.

45 riders lining up on the grid and all diving

into turn one to try and get hole shot makes

for great spectator value but must be a scary

as all heck for you guys.

So, in Barcelona I qualified in 21st position

and made it all the way up to 12th by the

first corner where I was pushed wide and

re-joined in 28th position, and I was still in the

lead group. It is not scary, but you are always

hyper focused, you can’t worry about where

the other guys are, you have to decide on a

line and stick to the plan and trust the rest of

the field to do the same.

Late 2018 I joined Nutec racing RT Motorsports

for the 2019 season and that wasn’t

a good season for me. We just had so many

mechanical issues that some days I would

only be able to get in 3 laps of practice before

the race. The one weekend we went through

12 clutches. In 2020 I didn’t race because

of Covid, and this season I went and raced

again, but I did struggle a lot with my weight,

still managed to get some decent results with

a 4th and a 5th as well as a 7th and a 9th,

mostly in the top 10 for most of the season

but never able to fight for the podium this

year… just a little bit too heavy for a little

50hp bike.

So for the last 2 rounds of this season I am on

a 600cc for the Spanish championship. I leave

in a day or two go my debut in the 600 class

at Valencia and Jerez a week after each other

with Jarryd Schultz. We will both be on Yamaha

R6’s for the iDENT team, not a full factory

ride but they do have Yamaha support, basically

the satellite team for the factory which is

really hard to get into for wild card riders, so

I am really happy about that and if the races

go well I should have a full season seat with

them for next year.

This was all arranged by David Salom. He

doesn’t have a team anymore but has taken

me under his wing as my personal manager.

He had heard that this team was looking for

a rider and approached them. They came to

watch me race and after the race I was called

into their box for a meeting and signed me up

for the last two races of the season. Generally

getting a ride is very subtle, the teams watch

you in every aspect of your life on and off the

track, how you conduct yourself, how you

dress, how you interact with other people of

all walks of life and they will also just shoot

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the breeze with you casually, but actually they are interviewing

you. Then they also look at your size and

determine what size bike would better suit you, and

then they decide who they want months in advance

before approaching you with an offer. Essentially

your entire racing career is one long interview in the

hope of getting a championship or two under your

belt.

Tell us a little bit about the life of a young SA racer

trying to make it on the international scene, is it all

glamour, rock stars, super models and the party life?

No! No not at all, I generally have to drive myself to

the races. Sometimes it 10 hours like from Valencia

to Jerez and sometimes it is 3,000km’s and 3 days

on the road, sleeping in petrol stations in the back of

my van and etc. I am usually over there for around

five months at a time, this year I have only been

home for less than a month the whole year. A lot of

the time it is very lonely, I have basic Spanish, but

the language barrier is a big problem. I can’t just go

next door and chill with the neighbour or go down

to a local coffee shop and find somebody to chat.

And living alone in a remote little town up in the

mountains in a foreign country with lousy network

single does become quite stressful, especially when

you have had a bad day or race and need to talk to

somebody about it. The hardest thing to adjust to

over there was the Siesta, for five hours every day,

Monday to Sunday the shops are closed from 12pm

to 5pm, no exceptions, Sundays nothing is opened

the whole day and some days I wouldn’t have

anything to eat and all the shops would be closed.

Five months I was alone, really alone except for race

meetings, which was really hard for me but also an

amazing experience because I got to learn so much

about myself and learn how to take care of myself.

But it was worth it for the training time I got. I got to

train at all the best tracks and even spent time with a

lot of the Moto GP riders and follow them around the

track and learn lines from them, braking points and

so on.

Besides your training on the track, what fitness

regimes did you try follow off track?

So, in the 300 class I would try anything to lose

weight. When I was racing 300’s I would eat one

egg a day and just run or skip as much as possible.

I would try do an hour of skipping and a 5 kay or an

hour of skipping and a 3 hour cycle… on one egg for

the day. It really is not healthy but I was desperate

to lose as much of my 20kg weight disadvantage by

trying to get my body to start eating at my muscles

because I only have 7% body fat so I needed to drop

muscle mass and I managed to drop down from

70kg’s to 65kg’s, but it was absolute torture. Now

that I am on 600’s I eat a bit healthier and just spend

as much time as I can in the saddle, riding fitness is

80% of your stamina. Like Rossi, he doesn’t do any

fitness training with his riders, they just ride, ride,

ride every day because once you build up that riding

stamina you don’t need to be able to run across

town. We actually practice controlling or slowing

our heart rate down, because we spend 30 to 40

minutes per race at between 150 and 180bpm, we

need to be able to control our heart rate so that we

don’t pass out or have a heart attack, being calm

and staying calm also helps with your race focus and

concentration.

What do you do to deal with the pressure of racing

and seeing other competitors crash?


I think it is just a mind-set, you have to basically not care and just see their crash

as another obstacle between you and your goal out of the way. I know it sounds

pretty callous, but if it isn’t one of my friends or the rider wasn’t badly injured or

passed away I don’t really think about it. Like when Dean Vinales crashed and

died, that happened right in front of me and I really did struggle to race the next,

that really was not lekker.

I went to see a sport psychologist in 2018, because I was still so young and

had a hard time dealing with the pressure, especially from SA, you feel a lot of

pressure from South Africa. Because there are so few of us and we know that

the whole of SA is pinning their hopes on you to make them proud and throwing

their cup of tea at the TV when you don’t, it does take its toll on you. But generally

I don’t think therapists help, talking to my Dad and Mom keeps mee grounded

and my head in the right place, my Dad gets me sorted, if I am stressing and

I phone him he gets my head straight. Like I mentioned earlier, without my family

I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this and I am eternally grateful to them for

everything that they have done for me in my life.

So, as I understand it your ride for iDENT in the last two rounds of Spains CEV

championship is really a feeder system to the world championships and if you

do well in these two races you will get a permanent full ride with iDENT for next

year which will also include 3 wild card rides in premier class events which could

nett you a solid career in one of the premier classes…

Well Dozzy, this has been a very interesting chat and it has been really great

meeting you and we really do wish you well with your new team and we do hope

to see you back in one of the premier classes in the very near future.

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BMW Motorrad

Fourways

R18, First Edition 2020

4,000km E X Demo

R280 000

S1000 RR, 2010

45,000km

R119 000

R1250 RS, 2021

2 300km Top Box

R199 000

R 1250 RS, 2019

K1600 100km BAGGER 2018

33 R215 000km

R289 000

R1250RT, 2019

18 F700 000km GS 2013

R230 48 000km

R79 000

C400 X 2020

1,300km S1000 RR 2014

R109 49 000km

R155 000

Vespa 300 GTS, 2018

13,500km

R99 000

R1200 GS 2008

64 000km

R85 000

Vespa 250 GTS, 2011

13, 000km

R89 000

K1600 GTL EXCLUSIVE 2016

30 000km

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R1250 GS Adventure 2013

34,000km

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G310 R 2020

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Fourways, Gauteng.

Tel: (011) 367-1600

Email: rodney.serfontein@cedarisle.co.za

R1250 GSA 2018

7 000km

R320 000

R18, First Edition 2020

4,000km E X Demo

R280 000

R1200 GSA 2011

86 000km TO MANY EXTRAS TO

MENTION

R110 000

S1000 RR, 2010

45,000km

R119 000

KTM 1190 ADVENTURE S 2015

55 000km AKRAPOVIC PIPE

R119 000

R1250 RS, 2021

2 300km Top Box

R199 000

TRIUMPH TIGER 1050 SPORT 2013

39 000km

R89

R 1250

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RS, 2019

100km

R215 000

KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE 2015

8 500km

R1250RT,

R105 R175 0002019

18 000km

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G 310 R 2020

800km

C400 R69 R105 000 X 2020

1,300km

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F800 GT 2016

36 000km Top Box, Panniers

R99 Vespa 000300 GTS, 2018

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K 1300 B 2018

12 500km Remi Exhaust,Floor Boards

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R265 R1250 000 GS Adventure 2013

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Tel: (011) 367-1600

Email: RIDEFAST rodney.serfontein@cedarisle.co.za

MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 33


TOPRAK

Razgatlioglu

2021 WSBK CHAMPION



TRIUMPH

AND FRIENDS

Modern Classics

The phone rings. It’s the guys from Triumph South

Africa. “Guys! The new modern classics are with

us, how would you like to come and ride them?”

For sure! We don’t really need an excuse for a day

out. But we needed to do something a bit different.

People get tired of hearing stuff from the same ol

people, so we roped in some friends to tell you

what the bikes are like.


Present for duty:

The bikes included:

• The new Euro 5 T120 Bonnie and a very limited

2019 Euro 4 T120 Ace – one of only two in the

country and number 1400 of 1400 globally.

• The Bonneville Bobber (The Brutal Beauty) was

present for duty.

• The Thruxton based Speed Twin they gave

us was also a Euro 4 model – their Euro 5 was

with a customer for the day. But it’s cool to have

the Euro 4 models to compare with the Euro 5

units.

All have the new Hi performance Torque parallel twin fuel

injected engine. And yes, we drag raced all of them…

fastest of the Batch is the 2019 Speed Twin, followed by

the Bobber, then the latest Bonnie with that gorgeous Ace

just a smidgeon behind it. But most of these bikes are not

top-end get your knee and elbow down bikes, these ones

are all about Uber Cool urban cruising…

The fox in the henhouse was the new 1200 Scrambler

that was loaned to us for the day. It doesn’t really fit into

this feature, but it does have the same Euro 5 engine and

we can confirm that the upgraded performance is pretty

flippen spectacular… The old one is brilliant and this one

is even better!

A lot more on this one in future issues…

Our guests:

All of our riders are experienced riders from very different

backgrounds.

• The big chief of Motul Oil in Southern Africa,

Mercia Jansen came along to give us a ladies

perspective. Mix FM DJ and muso “Al Your Pal”

Smythe who has a superbike background came

along for the day. Sadly he had to rush

off to entertain us on the radio, so he only got to

ride the Bobber.

• Zona Enduro’s Peter Schleuter was out for the

Motul Roof Of Africa, so we chucked him into the

saddle. Back home in Germany, he rides a Honda

CBR 1000F. Jason Foley is out

from the UK. His weapons of choice have always

been of the German manufactured tourer

variety – so this was the very first time that he

has ridden anything like this lot.

• Regular contributor singer/songwriter Garth

Taylor hung up his guitar for the day and

exchanged it for a few sets of handlebars.

We all assembled at the Triumph head office really early to

work out the routes and sample some British coffee and

then we headed out for the hills. Our routes took us onto

the freeway for a catch up stop at the beautiful Casalinga

venue near Muldersdrift. Then it was out along the back

roads to the base of Krugersdorp hill. Down towards

Hekpoort, with a turn off onto the satellite road where we

were moaned at for taking photos. Apparently it’s a private

road. We didn’t know that!

We took off further down the road past the ADA training

venue in Broederstroom for a quick bite to eat at the

market shop down the road. And then we took some back

roads out past Lanseria airport with an urban grind back

to Triumph South Africa. It’s a great route and to quote our

German Visitor “I cannot believe that you have so many

cool places to ride just outside the city!”. And he is quite

correct. Everything is lush and green. The roads are in

excellent condition and… the middle of the week meant

that the roads were not too manic. It’s a great ride for

sure, made even better by some good friends and…

of course some interesting machinery.

Bobber

Bonnie Ace

Speed Twin

T120

The new Scrambler 1200 Is quite special.

Full Feature to follow


l.

We told our guests that they had to write

the story, so without further nattering here

is the rundown:

T120 Bonneville: R188,000.00

The Bonnie is one of those iconic bike

in Triumphs lineup. Retro cool, the new

one certainly looks the part, but would

Euro restrictions choke it up? The British

designers have managed to chop almost 7

Kg’s in total off the previous model, which

includes a 2 kilogramme weight saving on

new 32-spoke wheels.

It’s easy to get all nostalgic about a bike

like this, but don’t be fooled, Triumph has

packed it with their very latest parallel twin

power plant. Peak power and torque are

claimed to be the same as the previous

T120 model 58.8kw/78.9bhp @ 6500rpm

and 102Nm/75.2lbft @ 3500rpm. Triumph

has reduced the weight of the crankshaft

and tell us that with improvements to the

balance shaft and clutch, produced an

engine that is more responsive and revs

more freely.

Up front it boasts new sliding-caliper

Brembo stoppers. Conventional (non-lean

sensitive) ABS comes as standard and

there is still a Nissin rear caliper out back.

Cruise control is a standard feature.

Garth says:

The T120 is by far one of most comfortable

bikes I have ridden. It’s a great urban

commuter, someone who enjoys lazy

Sunday afternoon outrides. BUT! Don’t be

mistaken because when you open up, the

power on this bike is quite extraordinary.

It’s strange to think that all the bikes in this

pack have the same or very similar motors,

but somehow Triumph makes them all feel

a bit individual. If I wanted to pop a bike in

the garage for my partner or just for lazy

Sundays this is ideal. Not scary, just easy

to ride. I felt that the throttle response

is a bit more lethargic than the others,

particularly the Ace… I love the comfort,

suspension and seating position. What a

cool, chilled bike to ride.

Mercia Says:

Very smooth and sophisticated. Almost

too smooth for me. I like older bikes with

personality. BUT… what I can say is they

did not sacrifice on power or torque in

order to achieve Euro 5 standards. This

motorcycle still has all the power and more

when you need it. The riding position is

very comfortable and natural.

Jason Says:

This bike just feels so refined. Everything

is smooth, it’s the most comfortable of the

bunch and I love the looks. Don’t be fooled

by the Euro 5 Smoothness though, in a

drag race, it actually beat the Ace by a few

bike lengths…

Peter Says:

A classic bike. No big surprises, it did

exactly what I expected. I love the colour

and quality finish. The engine is smooth

and refined and the suspension and

handling is just fine for a relaxed bike like

this.


•

•

•

•

T

2019 T120 Ace. Used R169,000.00

The T120 Ace is based on the Bonneville

T120 Black, with the 1200cc High Torque

twin Bonneville engine, a dedicated

chassis and suspension set-up for

“Relaxed riding every day, all day, alone

or with a pillion.” To quote Triumph.

This one is something of a rarity… as we

said earlier, one of only two in SA and

one of just over a thousand in the whole

world. And it is special, most of our riders

kept gravitating towards it throughout the

day.

The bike is a homage to the first

generation of cafe racers, as well as the

iconic Ace Cafe in London. This special

edition features a host of special features,

such as the blacked out urban ‘traffic

light racer’ theme, including a matt Storm

Grey/Ace Cafe stripe paint scheme and

graphics. Also featured is the ‘Head down

– Hold on’ tank graphic design, as well as

black four bar Triumph tank badges, black

intake covers and engine badges and a

black bench seat.

The minimal fender set-up is thanks

to the removal kit fitted as standard in

most markets, with bullet LED indicators

as standard fitment. Limited to a run of

1400 worldwide, each bike came with

a numbered certificate, signed by both

Triumphs Nick Bloor and modern Ace

Cafe founder Mark Wilsmore.

Garth says:

The Ace sounds fantastic! And has

loads of personality, but I do feel that

the new, standard T120 seems to handle

a bit better. This one tends to want to

stay upright. It delivers lots of grunt just

like the rest of the bikes. It revs quickly

compared to the new T120 – probably

thanks to the less restrictive pipe. My

pick between the two – The Ace – it just

feels more fun – while the new model is

perhaps too smooth.

Mercia Says:

I rode this straight after the Euro 5 T120

and it immediately put a smile on my

face. I prefer “old school” if you can even

call a 2019 that. You know you are on

a motorcycle and it’s not just the Vance

& Hines pipes. This bike talks to you

and moves your soul, it’s full of attitude.

That throttle is very responsive. It is also

beautiful, unique and stylish. From the

matt storm grey café racer design to

all the small little details. I went to the

legendary Ace café in London and loved

the vibe. So I thoroughly enjoyed the

whole experience of riding this motorcycle

and that is what modern classics are all

about. It’s all head down, hang on…

Jason Says:

This was my first bike for the day.

This bike is just so clinically smooth,

gearbox, engine, everything… nothing

like the bikes that I am used to. Despite

the fact that the bike is a naked It is so

comfortable and I’d be happy to ride this

one literally for miles… Of all the bikes

I rode, this was my favorite, from the

styling to the delivery of the ride, it’s just

so much fun and in my opinion it’s the

prettiest of the lot…

Peter says:

Absolute eye catcher, sounds amazing!

So much fun to blast around on. A cool

city cruiser and head turner. Feels more

powerful than the blue one. Love the

matte black finish and special touches.

YO

YAM

M

RE

Mercia Jansen from Motul


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The T120 Bonnieville Bobber…

R202 000

Triumph updated its Bonneville Bobber

platform ahead of MY2021 with a

number of improvements. Brake and

suspension components were spruced

up, along with a larger fuel tank and the

extra range it brings. The suspension

and brake components come off a

higher shelf to finish the practical

changes. New paint packages and

expanded blackout treatment gives

this bike a unique look, in spite of

Triumph’s efforts to channel the soul

of a decades-old design. Wire wheels

set the stage with blackout rims and

hubs all bound together with polished

spokes. The blackout treatment

continues into the fork sliders,

headlight can, and triple clamp, plus

the swept area of the inner fork tube is

covered by old-school, bellows-style

gaiters. Too cool!

Like the bobbers of old, this modern

version carries the characteristic

chopped-down fenders front and back

that gives it its name. The single round

headlight housing is also a historical

throwback, though like the rest of the

lighting, it relies on LED brightness

for effective two-way visibility and

sports a DRL feature to help you be

seen during daylight hours. Around

the back of the light is a single round

gauge with an analog speedo, idiot

lights, and LCD screen to handle all of

the instrumentation in one location. Its

minimalistic and very cool!

This is the only bike that Al Your Pal of

Mix FM got to ride before he took off

for the studio. His thoughts:

It’s not every day that you get invited

to enjoy a ride on a new bike. It’s not

every day that you get to ride more

than one bike! The other day just

happened to be that day all thanks to

the guys at RideFast! Not only did I get

to experience the Triumph Bobber and

the Triumph Scrambler, but I also got

to spend time rubbing shoulders with a

good bunch of people!

I was a little apprehensive when it

came to getting on the Bobber and

that only because I am 6 ft plenty. The

Bobber is a low ride and with my long

legs I was expecting an uncomfortable

ride. Quite the contrary, my legs were

well tucked in to the contours of the

bike and the ride was comfortable for

my abnormal size! So my expectations

continued to shatter - the name

Bobber had me expecting a ride where

I would be Bobbing up and down or

even side by side like one of those dog

ornaments in the back of a car window!

The ride was totally the opposite. It

was a smooth ride.

Then it came to throttle action and

seeing what this classic looking

machine would deliver! What a

machine. You open the throttle and

you feel the power and torque between

your legs. Listen it isn’t a super bike ...

but it doesn’t have to be. It’s a classic

that has style and just says classy.

It’s fast enough to enjoy the open

road. It has the power to do exactly

what you want it to do and it is such

a well-balanced motor bike! Do I want

one? Damn right I do!! Boys and their

toys they say! They are so right! Thank

you to the guys and girls at Triumph

Sandton for trusting me with one of

your amazing toys!

Mercia Says:

I tried this after that monster Scrambler.

Quite a change going down that low

again. You go into cruise mode and

start hearing “Get your motor runnin’

head out on the highway” in your head.

It’s very responsive and quick of the

mark. I rode it on mostly straight roads

and gentle turns, so cannot comment

on the handling in corners.

Garth says:

The best thing about the Bobber is

the sound! It’s got a real throaty growl

to it. In the saddle you know that you

are on a big bore bike. Although it’s a

custom, it’s actually quite plain. It’s a

really comfortable despite the small

seat. Suspension under your butt is

quite limited thanks to the shock under

the seat. Because the bike is so long,

handling is different to the others so

you have to ride around that. Cornering

is interesting, it wants to stay upright

and I scraped the pegs a few times. A

real head turner, but not for everyone!

Go and get one and customize away…

King of cool!

Jason says:

I fully expected this one to be like a

famous American brand. But it isn’t.

It has a chilled seating position, but

so refined and smooth. The pegs and

bars are well laid out with a very natural

riding stance. It doesn’t ride like it

looks. I fully expected the ape hanger

effect, but it’s nothing like that. I did a

lot of straightish roads, the bike feels

very planted. The few corners need a

bit of body English thanks to the length

of the bike. Power delivery is really

sublime and that engine is great! It’s a

great looking bike, but a bit selfish with

only a single seat.

Pete Says:

A Proper head turner. At every traffic

light I was given thumbs up – even by

your Taxi drivers. In my opinion – long

distances would be a challenge – this

bike is more for posing. For me, the

seat position was not perfect – but I’m

shorter than the other guys. Quality, fit

and finish is perfect.

Al Your Pal Muso and DJ from Mix FM

Singer song writer Garth Taylor

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KAWASAKI KLE650 07-18 R1795.00

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The Triumph Speed Twin: R202,000.00

Triumph’s Speed Twin is more than just a comfier Thruxton. Don’t be

fooled by its classic appearance, this is a different animal, laden with

plenty of technology and certainly not just a Thruxton with flat bars.

It’s sad that the Thruxton is no longer brought in, but this is a great

option if you are keen on bikes like this. Three engine maps, Rain,

Road and Sport. It features the same tuning profile as the Thruxton

series, with some changes unique to this model, including a lowinertia

crankshaft and high-compression head.

Triumph took the best bits from the raciest of their retros and laidback

roadsters to build this one. The more you look over the Speed

Twin, the more you appreciate the build quality. Brushed-aluminium

everywhere, smoked reservoirs, hand-painted coach lining on the tank

and the offset “Monza” fuel cap. The Brembo master cylinder joined

to an adjustable brake lever to match the Brembo 4-pot, 4-pad front

brakes and additional old school accents bring this iconic Speed Twin

its heritage due.

Just look at it! King of cool Café’s for sure!

Garth says:

Amazing motorcycle. Really comfortable and it handles so well! Of all

the bikes, this one is best through the corners and twistys. It also feels

sturdy and well planted at higher speeds, although, being a naked,

sustained high speed can be fun. Smooth shifting quick shifter and

loads of torque. Really, really comfortable to ride too. I liked this one…

A lot!!

Peter Schlüter from Hard enduro World in Germany.

Mercia Says:

This was the biggest surprise for me to try. This bike is feisty and

fast! A very different feel to the Bonnies. It still has all the rumble and

easy torque but more snappy and powerful. Riding position is quite

aggressive and not for long distances.

I had a lot of fun on this and just wanted to race…

Jason Says:

The sportiest of the bunch with the most aggressive seating position.

You tuck in more than on any of the others. Not uncomfortable like

a conventional superbike, but you do feel it after a long stretch. The

engine tells a story, it seems to rev a lot more than on the Bonnies or

even the Ace and its racier and a whole heap of fun to ride. You know

where they are aiming, the suspension is quite firm too… I would love

to take it around the track…

Pete Says:

Love it! Powerful, cool styling, very nice colour, racier suspension,

absolute eye catcher! For me is a toss-up between this one and the

Ace as to which one parks in my garage…

There you have it. Some very different opinions from a variety of

motorcycle people. Although the bikes share that 1200 parallel engine,

they are all quite different. More on that terrific new Scrambler in

future issues, but for now… get to your Triumph dealer for a test ride.

www.triumph-motorcycles.co.za

UK’s Jason Foley



A RARE BIT OF MOTORCYCLING HISTORY

FOUND IN A HEDGE

In the September 2021 edition of

Ridefast magazine we told you

about Big Eazy’s Custom Bikes

in Little Falls, Roodepoort and

mentioned that he had dragged

an old classic Victoria “Vicky”

out of a hedge in Honeydew

and that he had big plans for

it. Well, he has basically gotten

as far as he can get with the

part availability on this very

rare brand and even rarer bike

without having to spend an

arm and a leg to have parts

remanufactured.

Johann is an avid historian and loves

to hang out at antique shops, pawn

shops and wandering around the back

roads of our beautiful country looking

for those rare and interesting bits and

bobs time has forgotten about and then

returning them to their former glory as

best as parts availability and cash will

allow before selling them on. Bumbling

around an antiques dealer in Honeydew

he noticed what looked like an old school

headlight and front rim sticking out of an

ivy hedge in the garden and on closer

inspection found it to be a complete

‘help my trap’ moped. He approached

the owner of the shop who advised him

that it was actually on the neighbours

property and they would have to chat to

him about buying. Half an hour later, with

a lighter wallet Johann had the ‘Vicky’

safely loaded on his bakkie and a head

full of ideas about how he was going to

restore it.

Some 4 months later and plenty of

workshop hours he has the old girl

looking as bright and shiny as a new pin.

Spending a lot of time on the minutest

detail and adding one or two custom

touches. Unfortunately, the internal

working of the engine had suffered

muchly being stuck and exposed in a

Highveld hedge for untold amount of

years and much to Johann’s annoyance

parts are basically extinct on this little

beauty, particularly engine parts.


So he has now built it as a display piece for

a shop window, man cave, restaurant décor

or the like and is open to all reasonable

offers. It has been painted in period correct

colours of Cardinal red and Bombay ivory,

with a custom hand tooled leather seat

and everything that can be polished to a

lustrous shine has been.

Now for a bit of a Wikipedia history lesson

on the brand; a surprisingly prolific brand

with a couple of championships and world

records to its name and recovered from a

thumping from Allied bombing in WW2.

Victoria was a bicycle manufacturer in

Nürnberg, Germany that made motorcycles

from about 1901 until 1966. It should not

be confused with a lesser-known, unrelated

Victoria Motorcycle Company in Glasgow,

Scotland that made motorcycles between

1902 and 1928. In its early decades Victoria

in Nürnberg fitted proprietary engines

purchased from various manufacturers

including Fafnir, FN, Minerva and Zédel.

In 1920 Victoria launched the model KR

1, which has a 494 cc BMW twin-cylinder

side-valve flat twin (boxer engine) mounted

longitudinally in the motorcycle frame. The

engine produced 6.5 bhp and transmission

was via a two-speed gearbox.

When BMW started making its own

motorcycles, Victoria turned to making its

own engines. In 1923 Victoria launched its

KR 2, an overhead valve flat twin producing

9 horsepower. In 1924 Victoria followed

this with the KR 3, which produces 12

horsepower and has a 3-speed gearbox.

In 1925 Victoria built Germany’s first

forced induction engine, and in 1926 a

496 cc Victoria achieved a motorcycle

land speed record of 165 km/h. In 1927

Victoria launched the 596 cc KR VI or KR

6. Based on this model the factory offered

a high-speed sports model with twin

carburettors that produced 24 bhp, later

named the KR 7. At the same time Victoria

also offered the 200 cc side-valve KR 20

and 350 cc overhead valve KR 35 models.

In 1930/31 it added to its range the KR 50

(side-valve) and KR 50 S (overhead valve)

models, which have engines imported from

Sturmey-Archer in England.

In 1932 Victoria won the sidecar class of

the European Hill Climb Championship with

a 600 cc machine and thereafter offered

a model with 20 bhp and a four-speed

gearbox as the KR 6 Bergmeister, Mountain

Master). At the same time it offered the KR

15 and KR 20 Z models with 150 cc and

200 cc two-stroke engines supplied by ILO.

In 1933 Victoria introduced a 500 cc parallel

twin, the KR 8. This had a side-valve engine

with its cylinder block inclined forwards

almost horizontally. This placed the valves

under the cylinder head, where the exhaust

valves suffered from overheating. In 1934

the National Socialist government forbade

the import of foreign components,


X-R

which ended Victoria’s use of Sturmey-Archer engines.

In 1935 Victoria revised the KR 8 engine to the unusual

exhaust over inlet valve, (EOI), layout, and called the

resulting model the KR 9 Fahrmeister, (Driving Master).

Using EOI on a nearly horizontal engine placed the exhaust

valves in cooler air at the front and solved the overheating.

Unfortunately it also increased the complexity and cost of

manufacture and maintenance. Victoria discontinued the

KR 9 after 1935. Also in 1935 Victoria introduced the 350

cc KR 35 B and KR 35 G models with Lackler-patented

cylinder heads. In 1937 the first KR 35 Sport was built with

a Columbus engine. In the same year Victoria introduced

new KR 20 LN Lux and KR 25 S Aero two-stroke models,

whose engines with flat-topped pistons were developed

by Richard and Xaver Küchen. In 1938 Victoria offered the

Columbus-engined KR 35 SN and KR 35 SS models. At

the same time Victoria expanded its range of two-strokes

with the lightweight V 99 Fix, V 109 Fix (which was a ladies’

version of the V 99 Fix, KR 12-N and KR 15-N.

In 1939 the Second World War almost completely halted

production of the KR 35 Pionier, although limited production

continued until at least 1942. In 1945 the Victoria factory’s

production hall was severely damaged by Allied bombing.

In 1946 Victoria resumed production with the 38 cc FM 38

bicycle engine. In 1949 the company resumed production

of the pre-war KR 25 Aero model. In 1950 Victoria

introduced the 99 cc V 99 BL-Fix and modernised the KR

25 Aero with a telescopic front fork. At the same time the

company built the models Vicky I and Vicky II using the

FM 38 bicycle engine. By the end of the year KR 25 Aero

production was 14,000 per year, and from 1951 the model

was equipped with Jurisch plunger rear suspension.

In 1953 Victoria developed its popular model further as the

KR 26 Aero, and expanded its range with the new Küchendesigned

V 35 Bergmeister. The V 35 is a 350 cc OHV

four-stroke V-twin producing 21 bhp. The V 35’s powertrain

combines chain primary drive to the gearbox with shaft

drive to the rear wheel. The Bergmeister was highly over

engineered and very expensive to buy. Only around 1000

motorcycles could be produced before the model was

scrapped due to poor sales. The Bergmeister is one of the

rarest motorcycles in the world today with only a few known

survivors

In 1955 Victoria introduced the Peggy motor scooter, which

has a 200 cc fan-cooled two-stroke engine and an electric

starter. In the same year the company also offered the

technologically advanced - but consequently expensive -

KR 21 Swing motorcycle. In 1957 Victoria launched a new

model with a 175 cc OHV four-stroke engine imported from

Parilla in Italy: the KR 17 Parilla. In 1958 Victoria merged

with DKW and Express Werke AG, forming Zweirad Union,

which continued the Victoria name for mopeds such as

the Vicky and motor scooters. In 1966 Hercules took over

Zweirad Union and terminated Victoria production.

In 1954 Victoria introduced the Vicky moped. It was

designated model III. Vicky had a 2-stroke 48cc engine.

The Vicky III was exported around the world from January

1956 and the Saund Zweirad Union India Ltd. manufactured

Vicky mopeds in the city of Gwalior, India in the early 1970s.

Stop in at Big Eazy’s Custom Bikes to view this very rare

little machine and try not to go “Goo-Goo-Ga-GA” over

all the lust worthy stock in the shop – a proper Man Cave

shop on the corner of Hendrik Potgieter and Zandvliet Rd,

Wilgespruit, Roodepoort or give them a call on

083 339 6966

Master Builder Johann from Big Eazy

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2021 MOTO GP ROUNDUP.

The last race of the year was pretty damn phenomenal, with a

historic 3 Ducati’s on the podium and massive farewell celebrations

for Valentino Rossi. It’s been a very exciting season - but

what the hell do we do until it all kicks off again for the ‘22

season?

One helluva year for Yamaha

The racing bosses at Yamaha head office in Japan must

high-fiving themselves right now (or whatever it is that Yamaha

racing bosses do to celebrate success). With Toprak winning

the World Superbike Championship, the first in WSBK since

Ben Spies won it for them in 2009, Yamaha has taken this

year’s MotoGP, WSBK, British Superbike, MotoAmerica and

Japanese Superbike Championship, giving them a collection of

golden cutlery from all the major racing categories.

If we trek through the racing history books, we will probably

find that this has happened before, but we would be damned if

anyone remembers it. Yamaha has much to rejoice about.

The machine in question was a 2021 Yamaha M1, the same as

that ridden this year by Valentino Rossi and championship winner

Fabio Quartararo, as part of his new signing with the WithU

RNF Yamaha MotoGP Team that replaces the Petronas Sprinta

Team from this year.

While the other Yamaha riders toiled with the 2022 prototype,

Binder Younger was tasked with doing nothing but riding the

bike and getting used to it – “tyres, petrol and go”.

Indeed, he needs time to get used to it when considering the

mountain he is attempting to climb. It’s an uphill most rookies

find formidable, even when moving from a 160kg (roughly),

138hp Moto2 bike, as is the traditional way.

Except Binder is moving straight from Moto3, where the bikes

weigh just 82kg and push a relatively meagre 60hp. To put

things into perspective, a MotoGP bike has to weigh no less

than 157kg, and the strong ones can make as much as 300hp.

Darryn Binder’s first glorious outing

MotoGP held its last official test of the year at Jerez in Spain,

marking the first glorious exiting of a pitlane for Darryn

Binder aboard a MotoGP machine.

That means that Binder Junior has to adjust to double the

weight and nearly five times the horsepower.

He did rather well, all things considered. At the end of the

first day, his times had dropped to four seconds off the leader,

and at the end of the second day, this gap was down to

three seconds, 0.6 seconds behind the closest rookie from

Moto2.

Perhaps the second day could have seen an even bigger

improvement were it not for a midday crash that left him in

some discomfort (he spent an hour lying on the floor of the

race truck afterwards waiting for the throbbing to go down).

However, the crash taught him a valuable lesson – those

Michelins need to be kept warm, something he was warned

about but now understands fully. It happened on the out-lap

when the weather was still chilly, and the tyres were not yet

up to full temperature. He then spent a chunk of the first half

of the lap letting riders through, giving the tyres yet more

time to cool down.

Then he went down the back straight and turned into the

following hairpin. He didn’t even turn very quickly or push

very hard, but cold tyres are a cruel mistress – as he tipped

in, while still on the brakes with the throttle closed, the rear

tyre stepped out and high-sided him massively. He may

have befriended the truck floor for an hour, but he also learnt

a valuable lesson in keeping tyres warm.

The first test showed promise, but it is too early to tell how

well he will fare when the season begins next year. For now,

in pre-season, the gap will close rapidly, but as Binder gets

closer to the leaders so every tenth of a second will become

more crucial and more difficult to achieve.

Only then will we see his true potential.

Pecco 2nd Overall

Miller 4th Overall

Brad Binder 6th Overall in MotoGP 2021

Espargaro 4th Overall

As we have said before, testing times mean

very little, as the below headline reiterates.

Testing times mean very little

People love poring over testing times as

though they are deciphering the hidden secret

of eternal life, and much of this is down

to boredom. The season is over, the desert

of the off-season is upon us and we search

desperately for any MotoGP fix we can find.

Truthfully, most MotoGP riders really couldn’t

be bothered finishing anywhere in the

post-season Jerez tests. They’ve had a long

season, and they want to go home. They will

do the test, give the input required, and if they

do not top the timesheets, then who cares?

The beach house in Ibiza awaits them.

For example, Nakagami finished the test in

second, but this grand achievement does not

cement his spot as a 2022 title contender.

It just means he did a fast lap time at a test

where no one is bothered. The same can be

said about Maverick Vinales, famously the

most successful winter test champion ever.

It’s the summer championships – the ones

that actually count – that seem to bother him.

Vinales finished the test in eighth on the Aprilia,

a fair bit down on where he usually finishes

testing.

That bit could be potentially worrying but

probably isn’t.

A historic 3 Ducati’s on the podium

Mir 3rd Overall

Cheers Rossi!

What is interesting is that championship

runner-up, Pecco Bagnaia, continued his

excellent form to finish on top and praised the

2022 bike after believing that Ducati would

find it difficult to top the 2021 machine, which

he also praised. This is bad news for everyone

else.

Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo finished the test

third and found the 2022 Yamaha is not much

different to the 2021 model. The Frenchman

was hoping Yamaha would bring more top

speed for 2022 but didn’t seem too overjoyed

so far. There’s still a long way to go until

Qatar 2022.

Brad Binder finished the test as top KTM but

down in 13th place. This shouldn’t worry anyone

because Binder, like much of the rest of

the field, spends testing doing laps and giving

feedback. Sunday at Qatar is what counts.

What to do for the rest of the year?

We have some waiting to do until the next

test in February next year.

May we suggest passing the time visiting

your dealer and riding motorcycles?

Thanks

Donovan Fourie

donovan@thebikeshow.co.za

www.thebikeshow.co.za

We look forward to seeing Darryn on the start grid

The

Britten

V1000

Ahead of its time…

Never heard of it? Well we have

– and we even tried to see the

bike at its home in the Auckland

Museum of natural history. Sadly,

when we were there, the museum

decided to swap the Britten

display for a flippen Aeroplane…

Silly people! This bike is the stuff

that legends are made of.

Read on…

HISTORIC BIKES

handles because he couldn’t find exactly

what he wanted. It was almost inevitable

that he would build his own bike, the

Britten V1000.

Usually when someone decides to

build their own machine, they tend to

build parts like the chassis and the

bodywork themselves, and pinch the big

components like the engine, suspension

and wheels from mainline manufacturers.

Not John Britten.

He fabricated almost every component

from scratch. Then, it was hand built by

a group of friends in a shed, thousands

of kilometres away from any racetrack,

and went on to beat the major motorcycle

manufacturers.

Innovative design.

The liquid-cooled, 1000cc, V-Twin engine

was developed in-house. He heat treated

the engine by placing it in his wife’s

pottery oven and cooled it with water

from his swimming pool. The home-built

160bhp motor was far more advanced

than the rest of the competition and even

featured a fully programmable ECU…

This was 1991. If our memory serves

correctly, Ducati were the only mainline

brand with programmable ECU’s.

But the engine was just the start of this

machines innovation. Unconvinced with

conventional front fork design, Britten

decided that it could be done better.

New Zealander John Britten was a

mechanical engineer, motorcycle nut

and amateur racer. He didn’t see himself

as anything special. This was probably

down to the fact that he lived on an

isolated Island, so if he needed a part,

he built it himself. He built his own

house from recycled materials,

casting things like door

He created a fully adjustable girder

(Hossack) style double front wishbone

suspension system which was linked to

an Ohlins racing shock. This was then

connected straight onto the engine,

which in turn formed a stressed member

of the chassis. Due to the lack of a

conventional frame, the bike was lighter

than the competition, weighing in at just

145kg.

The rear suspension was also an

example of out of the box thinking.

Instead of taking the easy route, the

rear shock was mounted in front of the

engine. Interesting – but the thought was

that with greater airflow, the shock would

run cooler.

At the time Carbon Fibre was still new

and really only used on formula 1 race

cars. John designed the interesting

faring, using wire stuck together with a

glue gun to form a basic outline. This

was then clay molded and formed in

home-made carbon fibre. He even made

the wheels and forks from the stuff -

unheard of at the time.

Track success:

What makes the Britten V1000 legend is

its on-track successes.

On its first outing at the 1992 Daytona

Supertwins race, the Britten led in

spectacular style. The class-leading

factory Ducatis just didn’t have the

power to keep up with the machine from

New Zealand. Racer Andrew Stroud

demonstrated this brilliantly by wheelying

away from his rivals at every opportunity.

Unfortunately, on the penultimate lap,

one of the few parts that Britten hadn’t

manufactured failed, denying the team its

first victory.

But even without the win, Britten had

proved that his concept worked.

In the following years the Britten

dominated at home and abroad. It won

the New Zealand National championship

in 1993 and 1994 and won multiple

British, European and American Race

Series (BEARS) races during the same

period.

Sadly, the Britten’s racing career wasn’t

all positive. When the team returned to

the Isle of Man TT after a successful test

year in 1993, they experienced a major

disaster. Their rider, Mark Farmer, a top

British road racer at the time crashed

in practice at the fearsomely fast bend,

Black Dub and was killed instantly.

After an inquest it was found that the

accident wasn’t due to bike failure, but

the tragedy certainly put a damper the

team’s 1994 efforts.

In 1995, after a few years of key

development, the bike won the BEARS

championship outright and embarrassed

the competition at Daytona, finishing an

unbelievable 43 seconds ahead of the

closest rival…

Record Breaker:

In 1994, The Britten V1000 smashed four

FIM World Speed Records in the 1000cc

class, the most impressive being the

Britten’s astounding 188mph (302kph)

flying mile.

In 2008, Motorcycle journalist Alan Cathcart wrote:

“It’s an easy bike to ride, in the sense it’s got a very wide power

delivery, but to really get top performance, you have to ride

it like a grand prix bike... And having ridden all the superbike

contenders in the world today, I can say that the Britten is the

closest to a grand prix bike.”

“It’s incredibly ironic that instead of Europe or Japan, the most

sophisticated and technically advanced motorcycle in the world

comes from New Zealand”.

But it wasn’t only fast – the artsy folk loved it too.

Guggenheim curator Ultan Guilfoyle named John Britten as the

man “who stood the world of racing-motorcycle design on its

head”, and as a result the bike was featured in the New York

Museum’s exhibition Art and the Motorcycle.

Unfortunately, just after the end of the 1995 season, John

Britten was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. He

passed away aged just 45.

A total of 10 Britten V1000s were produced by the Britten

Motorcycle Company and now exist in collections and

museums around the world.

Like so many amazing people who died so young, who knows

what else this man could have achieved.

HISTORIC BIKES

Some fast Facts:

Specifications

• Wheelbase 1420 mm

• Weight 138 kg

• Fuel Tank Capacity 24 litres

• 166 HP @ 11,800 rpm

• Maximum safe engine speed 12,500 rpm

• Maximum speed 303 km/h

Engine

• Water-cooled 999 cc 60 deg V-Twin quad-cam 4-stroke

• 4 valves per cylinder, belt driven

• Compression ratio 11.3 : 1

• Bore x stroke 98.9 mm x 65 mm

• Piston, flat-top slipper

• Titanium conrods with oil feed to little end

• Titanium valves Inlet Ø40 mm Exhaust Ø33 mm

• Wet cast-iron cylinder sleeves / opt silicon carbide–coated

alloy sleeves

• Composite head gaskets

• Back torque dry clutch

• Wet sump. Oil feeds to big ends, gudgeon pins, camshaft

lobes & gearbox shafts

• Programmable engine management computer with history

facility

• Fuel injection - sequential, 2 injectors per cylinder

Transmission

• Gearbox, 5-speed constant-mesh, sequential manual

transmission, chain-drive / opt. 6-speed

Chassis

• Fully stressed engine with ducted under-seat radiator.

Top chassis, girder & swing arm all constructed in carbon/

kevlar composites

• Front Suspension: double wishbones, Hossack suspension.

• Rear Suspension: swing arm with adjustable three-bar linkage

• Shock Absorbers: Öhlins

• Rake: adjustable

• Trail: adjustable

• Front Wheel: 3.5” x 17” in-house carbon composite

• Rear Wheel: 6.0” x 17” in-house carbon composite

• Front Brakes: Twin 320 mm cast-iron rotors with opposed

4-piston Brembo callipers

• Rear Brakes: 210 mm rotor with opposed-piston Brembo

caliper.

Racing Achievements

1991

• 2nd and 3rd Battle of the Twins, Daytona, USA

1992

• 1st Battle of the Twins, Assen, Netherlands

• 2nd Pro Twins, Laguna Seca Raceway, USA

• DNF Battle of the Twins, Daytona, USA

1993

• Fastest Top Speed at the Isle of Man TT

• 1st (BEARS) 2nd (Formula 1) Australian TT Bathurst

• 3rd Battle of the Twins, Assen, Netherlands

• NZ Grand Prix title

• World flying mile record (1000 cc and under)

• 188.092 mph (Rider Jon White).

• World standing start 1⁄4-mile (400 m) record (1000 cc and

under)

• 134.617 mph.

• World standing start mile record (1000 cc and under)

• 213.512 mph

• World standing start kilometre record (1000 cc and under)

• 186.245 mph

1994

• 1st Battle of the Twins, Daytona, USA.

• 1st and 2nd New Zealand National Superbike Championship.

Pics by: Neil Phillipson & Jeff Latham

WORLD OF

MOTORCYCLING

R A C E S E R I E S

Series: Final Round -

Phakisa Freeway 13 Nov ‘21

Classic Superbike Racing

Association rounds up.

Pics by Neil Phillipson and Jeff

Latham

CSRA Background:

The CSRA was formed by

like-minded, older generation,

competitors and enthusiasts

who enjoyed a “heyday” of

South African production

bike racing in the 1980’s as

spectators, road riders and

competitors.

CSRA allows these enthusiasts

to relive their youth and

compete, in modern times, on

bikes that were Kings of the

Track back in the day!

The highlight of each race


season, Covid allowing, has traditionally been the

two race meeting International Classic TT when

riders from the UK, Scotland, Ireland and France

travel to SA for bragging rights and fierce racing on

SA soil!

International superstars, Ian Simpson, James Hillier,

Michael Dunlop, Alan Duffus, Howard Selby, Gordon

Grigor, Iain “Fearless” Macpherson and Steve Parrish

have graced our circuits on machines flown in from

abroad

There are 3 categories for the CSRA:

Formula 1 – Bikes from 1984 – 1989

Formula 2 – Bikes from 1975 – 1983

Formula 750 – Bikes up to 1975 and any 750 up to

1989, 2 strokes up to and including 1993.

Riders must be 35yrs or older to compete in this

series, tires, suspension and engine mods are open.

Given the age of the competitors and machinery, one

would be forgiven for thinking that the riders merely

parade around the track for each race. In reality

though, once the flag drops, the racing is as intense

and fierce as any MotoGP race – well nearly anyway!

For any information relating to the CSRA or

information on how to become involved, please

contact - Mike McSkimming on 083 632 9165

Roll on 2022!

The old gals have still got it!

Wind, dust and heat greeted the competitors for

the final round of the Classic Superbike Racing

Association race meeting held at the legendary

Phakisa Freeway in Welkom on the 13th November.

Three new class champions were crowned on the

day!

As has been the norm for 2021, the CSRA class

again made up the biggest field on the day with 23

Classic race prepared motorcycles lining up on the

grid to do battle.

The racing up front was close with 4 riders swopping

the lead on numerous occasions for most of the race

until invitational rider AJ Venter on an IVID sponsored

GSX-R1100 and Paul Jacobs managed to break

away for top honors in the F1 class, followed home

by class newcomer Matthew Herbert and reigning

Champ

Jaco Gous.

Reigning F2 champion Mike McSkimming’s Katana

cried “No more!” with only 3 laps to go leaving Fergal

McAdam to take the win from father and son Dylan

and Iain Pinkerton, both on GSX1100’s. Mike’s DNF

meant that Fergal closed to within 1 point of the

championship lead!

Ewoud Pienaar continued his good run of form this

year winning out the F750 class from Lionel Black,

riding a borrowed GSX-R750 and F750 class stalwart

Gary Edwards.

With this event being the final round of the 2021

WOM Race Series and other track events taking

place on the same day, the race meeting was in

danger of being cancelled due to a lack of entries

across the other classes.

A massive thanks must go out to the CSRA and

HMG who stepped in and covered the financial

shortfall, thus making sure that this event took place!

2021 CRSA Championship Results:

F1: F2: F750:

Jaco Gous Mike McSkimming Ewoud Pienaar

Paul Jacobs Fergal McAdam Lionel Black

Jared Millar Iain Pinkerton Gary Edwards


ARE EMISSION CONTROLS

T

SPOILING THE FUN?

By: Sean Hendley

Credit: Stephan Marais – KTM SA – for

his knowledge, input and assistance

with this article.

Like it or not – change is a-comin to

our industry. Sean popped down to

kuier with KTM Groups technical man

Stephan Marais for a chat about emission

control laws and the effect it is

having in the motorcycle industry…

He says:

We are told that we are killing our planet

with the emissions from our internal

combustion engines - and in an effort to

save us all from extinction a whole lot

of rules, regulations and policies have

been passed into law regarding said foul

gasses.

And! We all know the effect that has had

on our industry. Way back in 2014… or

thereabouts, new homologation laws

were gazetted in this country and…

POOF! Just like that all sorts of bikes

were outlawed, and everything had to

have a catalytic converter fitted into the

exhaust and that was the end of loud

pipes and the general perception was

that was also the end of all our fun…

OR is it?

We wanted to know what this whole lot

was all about. This emission thing has

brought about a new era of motor engineering

that government school educated

old timers like us do not understand

and cannot fix ourselves.

Cat vs Decat, Fuel injection and electronics

packages vs carbs, points and

condensers, (basically IT Tech mechanics

vs busted knuckles and spanner grease

monkeys).

2 stroke vs 4 stroke, (Thank the Good

Lord above they haven’t forced diesel

tech on the motorcycle market yet – oh…

wait, Diesel is also a swear word these

days). But electric tech is lurking in the

sidelines. Silent running bikes. WTF?

This is quite a wide, involved and pretty

complicated topic as it turns out and

varies from manufacturer to manufacturer

and from model to model from the

same brand. Here, we just scratch the

surface and have left out quite a bit of

some possibly interesting bits and bobs

which we might explore at another time

in other articles. The fact is. Laws are

forcing changes to the traditional way of

motorcycle thinking.

2 Stroke vs 4 Stroke

Now! Make no mistake – we are huge

fans of 2 strokes and were particularly

traumatised by their demise when the

new homologations laws were introduced

way back when.


This led to the death of so many cool

2-stroke models, particularly from

Japanese manufacturers.

Supposedly their smoke – our favourite

cologne – was way too polluting and

damaging to the environment and the

ozone.

Really?

Uhm, weren’t diesel vehicles considered to

be the preferred ‘Green’ mode of transport?

Have you seen how they smoke?

Have you breathed in that crap? Jet

planes?

Somethings stinks here… and it isn’t 2

stoke smoke.

It has taken a few dedicated years of

hard work by a heroic few to design a

fuel injection system for 2 strokes that is

becoming acceptable to the tree huggers

and politicians. We are pretty sure we’ll see

this tech seeping through to other brands

as controls tighten up.

A quick side note. We know for sure that all

EU spec bikes come into the country with

full emissions packages onboard on both

2T and 4T, (dirt bikes in particular), and

that they are removed and the mapping

gets changed by the importers. Yup, dirt

bikes also come with catalytic converters,

charcoal filters, lambda sensors, solenoids

and actuators that all get removed before

they hit the showroom floors.

The

wait is over

“2T or not 2T?” that is the question…

Supposedly 4T bikes burn cleaner, have

a better longevity and are more rideable.

But they also have more working parts,

valves, valve seats, valve guides, valve

springs, shims, shim buckets, rocker

arms, cams, timing chains, timing chain

guides, timing chain tensioners and a

bunch more stuff that 2T motors don’t

have and don’t need.

4T motors are more fuel efficient and are

generally kinder to the environment.

However, the advent of the fuel injected

2T motors and advances in cleaner burning

2-stroke oil is making 2- Sroke tech

more acceptable.

Some, like the KTM groups TPI system

with its sensors, ECU’s and fancy

technology does all the thinking for you,

negating the human factor out of the oil

fuel mixture, and ultimately making a

cleaner ride.

Also, for endurance and extreme race

and riding like The Roof of Africa for

instance, every time the rider stalls and

restarts, the sensors kick in, check conditions

and sends that info back to the

ECU which adjusts air fuel accordingly to

achieve optimum performance – and the

cleanest possible burn.

Is the fun, character and charm being

engineered out of our bikes by all the

emission control systems and all the new

electronics and technology - or, is it just

making it different, better and we need to

move with the times?

Modern bikes in most instances are mind

blowing, ridiculously fast, amazingly

stable and easy to ride in any conditions.

They might not shake, rattle and roll like

the old bikes, but they do snap, crackle

and pop when you twist hard on the

throttle in full sport mode and bang even

harder on the quick shifter.

FUEL INJECTION vs CARBS.

Fact: Fuel injection burns cleaner than

Carburettor.

The only real advantage carburettors

have over fuel injection is that they can

be fixed almost anywhere. The trick

comes in fine tuning them or setting

them up for different altitudes, air pressure,

humidity and etcetera.

Fuel injection seldom gives trouble – in

our experience the fuel pumps tend to

give in after lots of mileage, but you cant

just fix them on the side of the road.

Fuel injection barely ever clogs up with

old fuel, basically because there is no

float bowl or jets to speak of. Fuel injection

is also self-correcting every time

it starts. That’s where all your sensors

come into play, communication with your

bikes ECU (Brain).

norden901

CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY

come for a

test ride

taking

deposits

first shipment expected

end jan 2022

DEALERSpoiled AUTHORIZED KTM, HUSQVARNA AND GAS GAS Willow Rock Shopping Centre

Solomon Mahlangu Drive, Willow Acres,

Pretoria East

Tel: 012 111 0190

www.traxmoto.co.za

Spoiled

for Choice


Scan to Find us

What does that mean?

Well, you don’t have to re-jet every time you change altitude or if the day is

particularly humid or even drier than usual, something the racer boys can

appreciate especially when racing up here in Gauteng and then going off

to the coast to race the following weekend.

Think about it on road going bikes too.

We love to go riding in the mountains, along the coast, next to a dam/

lake or a river or in valleys or all of that in just one ride if you are really

lucky. Conditions are changing all the time and you bike is recalibrating

accordingly all the way to make sure you have maximum power, torque

and performance with the best fuel economy and emissions.

Basically, you get more saddle time and less time trying to figure all that

stuff out for yourself.

And the bikes burn clean – not rich or lean.

It works for us – We like it!

Catalytic convertors:

A catalytic convertor is a device that is built into the exhaust system of a

motor vehicle, containing a catalyst for converting pollutant gases into less

harmful ones.

Don’t just grind the catalytic convertor out…

We’ve all heard told that catalytic convertors can rob your bike of power, mess

with the top end and all sorts of other accusations including that it takes away

the “Braaappp”, so I went along and chatted to some very knowledgeable

people on the subject and got some definitive answers.

And the definitive answer is that Decatting your bike really can stuff it up… and

your wbikes warranty becomes null and void. Unless you get your brands IT

Tech wizard to remap your ECU and a bunch of other bits of computer floating

around your bikes engine.

Here’s why:

Removing the catalytic converter messes with the flow of gasses from the

engine out the exhaust, reducing the back pressure, (much like gutting a pipe

back in the day), and it makes the engine run too lean.

And we all know that when an engine runs too lean it also runs too hot and

in prolonged use will cause detonations on the piston, (the particles in the

material get so hot that they start exploding), and inevitably it can eventually

lead to the piston melting and a complete mechanical failure.

This is basically the equivalent of taking a blow torch to your pistons…

unless you get it done by the authorised pro’s and they remap the

electronics into believing the cat is still there, which will include the installation

of a performance kit or evo kit from the factory and require the

fitment of a performance full system exhaust pipe eliminating the catalytic

converter, the removal of the charcoal filter and various sensors associated

with the Cat and charcoal filter and one or two solenoids/actuators

here and there and

then changing the

fuel mapping.

A lot of

equipment,

a lot of


labour and plenty know how that all cost a pretty penny, but

if you are addicted to power and speed or just wanna be the

‘Groot Meneer’ at the braai then you just have to do it…

We asked the question: Modern Fuel injection eliminates the

need for fiddling with jetting – no matter the altitude. Surely it

will pick up that the Cats are removed and compensate with a

richer fuel mixture?

Well it turns out that, particularly on the latest models it does

not.

There are a bunch of sensors all over the exhaust system,

airbox and etc, as well as charcoal filters with sensors and so

much more that measure atmospheric conditions like unburnt

fuel, (which gets reburned by the way), altitude/air pressure,

humidity, hot and cold, O2 vs CO2 and a bunch of other

conditions and variables that all affect the air fuel ratio every

millisecond the engine is running. These sensors then send all

this information along to the relevant ECU, yes there is more

than one and up to nine in some cases, which process the

information and then adjust the air fuel mixture to be optimum

for performance, fuel economy and power with acceptable

emissions.

Removing the Cat messes with the bikes brains and gets it

adjusting, recalculating, recalibrating and changing stuff up like

the cat is still there and when the info comes back less than

favourable from all the sensors its does it all over again and

again and again and… until it eventually has a nervous

breakdown and just blows everything up.

On modern bikes, each bike has its own unique code, pretty

much like DNA, registered with its company of manufacture the

day it rolled off the production line - and you have to have some

very top secret and complicated equipment to connect the bike

to the cloud before you can access any of its ‘Control Units’ and

start changing the settings.

The codes of which appear as lights on a board and you have to

have a ‘monkey puzzle’ card for each different model of bike to

know what code the light is referring to, then you have to look

that code up in a thesaurus of codes before you know which

sensor or part to closer investigate and or replace.

Which is a great little Segway to the next part of this

investigation, the electronics packages.

But before we do, it has been noted by more than one rider that

the re-installation of the catalytic converter noticeably increased

the low torque of the engine and that is what you need to get

the hole shot and accelerating out of corners or coming off

the brakes or getting the front wheel in the air for that perfect

wheelie pic.

Food for thought.

Happy biking…

Remapping basically switches this function

off and runs the engine on a pre-setting

determined by the technician. And don’t think

you can get your nefarious hacker computer

nerd nephew or niece to hack in and do all of

that for you on the cheap.


Mike Hopkins

Classic Tours


Rent yourself a classic bike to tour the Cape!

Classic Tours grew from a problem Bob Hall

of Mike Hopkins Motorcycles was having with

his personal collection of classic Japanese

motorcycles. They were never ready to ride

when he wanted, and this was simply because

they did not get ridden enough to keep them

in working condition. All suffered from flat

batteries and gummed up carburettors.

Before Covid, MHM was successfully hiring out modern

bikes to overseas visitors. Why not then also hire out classic

Japanese bikes, as these have become increasingly popular

with the slightly older motorcyclists from Europe and the US,

wanting to relive their motorcycling youth.

However, there are certain inherent difficulties in hiring out

40-year-old motorcycles on an individual basis. So, the

concept of supplying a complete tour package with guide rider,

back-up support vehicle and spare bike was developed. This

would ensure that the participants get to ride on the best Cape

roads, be able to swop bikes and increase the classic riding

experience and, if a breakdown should occur, it could quickly

be resolved.

Fast forward to today and MHM now has a fleet of running,

classic motorcycles from the period 1978 to 1985: Honda

GL1100, GL1200, CBX1000s, CB1100s, CB900s, CB750s,

Suzuki GS1000S, Yamaha V-Max, and - coming soon – a

Honda CX500 Turbo, CX500, VF750F {yes, the one with

defective camshafts}, and a Triumph T140 Bonneville.

In time it is planned to increase this fleet with motorcycles of

this period from other manufacturers.


An initial 2-day tour to Cape Agulhas was successfully run on

the 18th and 19th of October, with 4 riders and 1 pillion - riding

a CBX1000, a CB1100F, a CB900F, a CB750KZ, with Bob as

guide on a GL1200, and a swap out CB750F bike with Gino on

the back-up trailer. All the participants had to worry about was

enjoying the scenery, the ride, and camaraderie generated by

riding these older machines.

After a breakfast briefing at MHM, they took a leisurely ride

through the Stellenbosch wine lands to Gordons Bay. Then onto

one of the most scenic rides in the world - Clarence drive to

Rooi-Els - stopping for coffee and photos along the way. The old

CB900 gave trouble - not starting after the break, so Gino gave it

a good talking to, which got it behaving again.

The route then went via Betty’s Bay and Kleinmond to Hermanus

where they stopped to admire the interesting sculptures at

Gearing’s Point and took pictures of the Traffic wardens posing

on the bikes.

There are still roadworks with stop-go’s, between Hermanus and

Stanford but, fortunately, this did not delay them long and the

group were in good time for lunch at the Ou Meul in Stanford.

Suitably refreshed, the bikes were refuelled (turns out these old

machines are quite thirsty!) and the group rode on to Gansbaai

. The road led them onwards to Elim. The R43 that goes from

Pearly Beach to Elim can be considered one of the best biking

roads in the Cape - good surfaces, sweeping bends and hardly

any traffic – brilliant! So after having had a very enjoyable time

whooshing along and stretching the legs of the old bikes, the

group arrived in Elim just in time for tea.

Elim is very interesting. The whole village, of about 4000 people,

belongs to the Moravian Church which was established in 1824.

The main street has thatched houses dating back to that period

and all the village inhabitants are members of the congregation.

A lovely little coffee house called Maakit Mooi Coffee provided

refreshments for the thirsty riders.

Onwards then to Cape Agulhas along straight roads. The wind

picked up by which made this last a leg a bit tiring - no cushy

fairings on these old bikes! The sight of the Agulhas Country

Guest House, the overnight stopover, was a welcome sight. A

quick freshen up, then down to the beach for sundowners while

watching the sun set over the two oceans divide. A relaxing end

to a great day’s riding.

BE


The next morning, after breakfast, the lighthouse was climbed

and explored for a few hours. A word of caution, the last ladder

up inside the lighthouse and the small outside walkways are not

for people nervous of heights! After a last coffee in Agulhas the

participants geared up and set off to Dassiesfontein farm stall for

lunch, driving back via Bredasdorp, Napier and Caledon.

The CB900F was eventually switched out with the backup

CB750F - partly to give the CB750F some exercise but… the

CB900F broke both its speedo and tacho needles – 40 years of

sun made them very brittle.

Dassiesfontein farm stall on the N2 is a fascinating stop. Not

only do they serve generous portions of tasty food but they also

have a fantastic stock of old world merchandise - hundreds

of lamps hanging from the rafters, wood burning stoves, tin

pots, old furniture, and bric-a-brac everywhere. Unfortunately,

or perhaps fortunately, the lack of luggage space on the bikes

prevented some people from indulging.

Lunch done, the route then took them across country around

the end of the Theewaterskloof Dam which is now full and

overflowing - quite a change from 2 years ago - to the village of

Villiersdorp.

From there back to the middle of the dam and then up

Franschhoek pass with a photo stop at the top with classic late

afternoon views across the valley.

It was a quick stopover at the Franschhoek Station Bar for a final

drink - and to refuel the bikes! Then on over the Helshoogte pass

to Stellenbosch and down the Bottelary Road back to MHM -

just as the sun was starting to go down.

Overall, a great mini tour and a promising start. The bikes largely

behaved themselves and so did the tour participants.

To book – get in touch with Bob Hall at Mike Hopkins

Motorcycles.

Sounds too cool!

(021) 910-0535

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17D_Q3+_SalesBull_2pg_r2_Layout 1 4/13/17 3:08 PM Page 1

DURABILITY THAT MATCHES PERFORMANCE

TRACK DAY

REMY GARDNER

MOTO 2

Pic by: Rob Gray (Polarity Photo)

THDO THE MATH

GPR-300

310

320

330

NCE

SPORTMAX

MORE PERFORMANCE

SPORTMAX

r,

Great Handling at an

IFE

62°

+ =

LEAN

GRIP20% ANGLE. STREET

MORE

LEGAL. .

TIRE LIFE =

affordable price.

340

Offers a balance of

350

62°

17D_Q3+_SalesBull_2pg_r2_Layout 1 4/13/17 3:08 PM Page 1

EFITS

LESS

FEATURES & B ENEFITS

GRIP

achieves lean angles up to 62 degrees*.

• This purpose-built track-day tire achieves lean angles up to 62 degrees*.

ed for street-legal use.

• The Sportmax Q4 is DOT-approved for street-legal use.

in the wet

quire tire warmers, and 62

DURABILITY

runs at street LEAN

THAT MATCHES PERFORMANCE in the wet

or chassis or electronic adjustments.

dry

WEAR

• The user-friendly Q4 does not require tire warmers, and runs at street

MORE

dry

ANGLE

pressures, eliminating the need for chassis or electronic adjustments.

bon black like Dunlop’s racing slicks for TRACK DAY

conditions with

PERFORMANCE

uses a continuously wound strip compound

LONGER

MORE

• Rear tire compound contains carbon black like Dunlop’s racing slicks for

maximum grip.

conditions with

20% MORE

• Jointless Tread (JLT) technology uses a continuously wound strip compound

STREET

LONGER

across the rear tread profile.

WEAR LIFE

to optimize stability, flex, and grip across the rear tread profile.

LEGAL

WHERE WEAR

ses carbon fiber reinforcement in the

• Carbon Fiber Technology (CFT) uses carbon fiber reinforcement in the

DO

0

ng performance, braking stability and feel. SPORTMAX

THE

Q4

MATH

sidewalls for exceptional cornering performance, braking stability and feel.

TRACK DAY

a.

• Dunlop branding on the tread area.

• Made in the U.S.A.

nlop retailers, as well as race distributors.

• The Q4 is available through all Dunlop retailers, as well as race distributors.

ze Load/Speed Part Number

Size Load/Speed Part Number

0/70ZR17 (58W) 45233176

Sportmax Q4 Front 120/70ZR17 (58W) 45233176

0/55ZR17 (73W) 45233177

Sportmax Q4 Rear 180/55ZR17 (73W) 45233177

0/60ZR17 (75W) 45233131

180/60ZR17 (75W) 45233131

0/50ZR17 (73W)

MORE

45233060

190/50ZR17 (73W) 45233060

0/55ZR17 (75W) 45233074 62°

PERFORMANCE

SPORTMAX190/55ZR17 SPORTMAX

(75W) 45233074

0/55ZR17 (78W) 45233092

200/55ZR17 (78W) 45233092

GPR-300

RADIAL PERFORMANCE

TOURING

SPORT TIRES RACEMore than 80% TRACK of the Q3+ Performance STREET touring SPORTtyre

Great Handling

PERFORMANCE

TOURING at an

Sportmax Q4

has been redesigned

that not only lasts longer,

affordable price.

+

Sportmax Q3+

compared to the Q3

but performs at higher

62° Sportmax LEAN

20%

GPR-300 ANGLE. STREET

MORE

LEGAL. . levels

Sportmax Roadsmart III

LESS TIRE LIFE =

Offers a balance of

FEATURES & B ENEFITS

GRIP

DunlopMotorcycleTires.com

©2018 *As tested Dunlop by Motorcycle Dunlop on a Tires. 2017 Suzuki GSX-R 1000 RR on a closed track at Barber Motorsports Park. • This purpose-built track-day tire achieves lean angles up to 62 degrees*.

@RideDunlop DUNLOPTYRESSA

DunlopMotorcycleTires.com. ©2017 DUNLOPTYRESSA

Dunlop Motorcycle Tires.

DUNLOPTYRESSA

• The Sportmax Q4 is DOT-approved for street-legal use.

62 LEAN

in the wet

WEAR

• The user-friendly Q4 does not require tire RIDEFAST warmers, MAGAZINE and runs DECEMBER at street 2021 68

pressures, eliminating the need for chassis or electronic adjustments.

dry

ANGLE

• Rear tire compound contains carbon black like Dunlop’s racing slicks for

maximum grip.

conditions with

310

320

330

340

350

S594/A

0

10

10

20

30

40

50

More than 80% of the Q3+

has been redesigned

compared to the Q3

20

30

40

50

60

120

60

120

70

80

110

110

MORE

PERFORMANCE

70

90

100

80

90

100

Performance touring tyre

that not only lasts longer,

but performs at higher

levels

SPORTMAX

S594/A

GPR-300

Great Handling at an

affordable price.

Offers a balance of

PEDRO ACOSTA

MOTO3

DUNLOP DOMINATION

2021 MOTO 2 & MOTO 3 CHAMPIONS

©2018 Dunlop Motorcycle Tires.

S594/A

RIDEFAST DECEMBER 2021

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