RIDEFAST DECEMBER 2021

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.
46 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021