Is motorcycling allowed?

[Andymann]

One thing I can add is that before they realized what the the Schlesinger Vase was worth, it was presented to the winner of the regularity run which started in 1970 and the winner was allowed to take it home.  This was the original trophy that the winners of the race got before it was banned in 1936 and the winning times are engraved on the trophy. My Dad won the DJ a few times, and he took the vase home and I looked at some of the winning times from the race.  When I used to travel from Pretoria to Durban for university in the 90's you were doing well if you could do it in 6hrs.  On the N1/N3

The fastet time in 1934, (which I think is the official record), on dirt roads with bikes that looked like the ones in the picture I posted from our ride on Sunday was 6hrs 42min - averaging 100kph.

I've ridden a DJ bike at 80kph and I can tell you it's scary.  Those guys were from another breed.

[Hairy]

19 minutes ago, Andymann said:

One thing I can add is that before they realized what the the Schlesinger Vase was worth, it was presented to the winner of the regularity run which started in 1970 and the winner was allowed to take it home.  This was the original trophy that the winners of the race got before it was banned in 1936 and the winning times are engraved on the trophy. My Dad won the DJ a few times, and he took the vase home and I looked at some of the winning times from the race.  When I used to travel from Pretoria to Durban for university in the 90's you were doing well if you could do it in 6hrs.  On the N1/N3

The fastet time in 1934, (which I think is the official record), on dirt roads with bikes that looked like the ones in the picture I posted from our ride on Sunday was 6hrs 42min - averaging 100kph.

I've ridden a DJ bike at 80kph and I can tell you it's scary.  Those guys were from another breed.

Did they say why the race was ever banned?

The “DJ” became a world-class event attracting riders and machines from around the world and it was a sad day indeed when the race was banned. Resurrected in 1970 it became a rally or regularity trial rather than a race

[IceCreamMan]

23 minutes ago, Andymann said:

One thing I can add is that before they realized what the the Schlesinger Vase was worth, it was presented to the winner of the regularity run which started in 1970 and the winner was allowed to take it home.  This was the original trophy that the winners of the race got before it was banned in 1936 and the winning times are engraved on the trophy. My Dad won the DJ a few times, and he took the vase home and I looked at some of the winning times from the race.  When I used to travel from Pretoria to Durban for university in the 90's you were doing well if you could do it in 6hrs.  On the N1/N3

The fastet time in 1934, (which I think is the official record), on dirt roads with bikes that looked like the ones in the picture I posted from our ride on Sunday was 6hrs 42min - averaging 100kph.

I've ridden a DJ bike at 80kph and I can tell you it's scary.  Those guys were from another breed.

Ole Simon did it in 2:59 at one point. GSXR1100. Must be more than 30 years ago now. On straight  nicely tarred highways with pre planned fuel stops ready a waiting.  
 

puts the 1934 record in perspective on just how good it was( is) . 

[Andymann]

16 minutes ago, Hairy said:

Did they say why the race was ever banned?

The “DJ” became a world-class event attracting riders and machines from around the world and it was a sad day indeed when the race was banned. Resurrected in 1970 it became a rally or regularity trial rather than a race

Was a race held on public roads and too many people were getting killed so they decided 1936 was the last year.  In 1970 they resurrected it as a regularity run but only on bikes which would have been eligible to do the original race - so up until 1936.

The traditional overnight stop was in Newcastle and in the years that we lived in Newcastle my Dad was the Works Manager at Iscor so was quite well connected to the Newcastle Town Council.  He was able to convince the Newcastle Traffic Department to turn a blind eye one year and then suggested that the DJ organizers put in an "open" section on the road between Ladysmith and Newcastle to let the guys have some fun.  One of the Excelsior Manxman 500 racers was clocked at over 150kph.....

Edited February 14, 2023 by Andymann

[Andymann]

9 minutes ago, IceCreamMan said:

Ole Simon did it in 2:59 at one point. GSXR1100. Must be more than 30 years ago now. On straight  nicely tarred highways with pre planned fuel stops ready a waiting.  
 

puts the 1934 record in perspective on just how good it was( is) . 

I remember that little run - there was a moerse outcry but no-one could do anything because they didn't have proof that he had actually done it!

With the roads and trucks as they are today, I think you would be hard pressed to even do it in under 6 hours today in a car

[Hairy]

10 minutes ago, Andymann said:

Was a race held on public roads and too many people were getting killed so they decided 1936 was the last year.  In 1970 they resurrected it as a regularity run but only on bikes which would have been eligible to do the original race - so up until 1936.

The traditional overnight stop was in Newcastle and in the years that we lived in Newcastle my Dad was the Works Manager at Iscor so was quite well connected to the Newcastle Town Council.  He was able to convince the Newcastle Traffic Department to turn a blind eye one year and then suggested that the DJ organizers put in an "open" section on the road between Ladysmith and Newcastle to let the guys have some fun.  One of the Excelsior Manxman 500 racers was clocked at over 150kph.....

1936 ... damned ... so I do not have a motivation to purchase this little 1979 model I have been eyeing out

[Andymann]

1 minute ago, Hairy said:

1936 ... damned ... so I do not have a motivation to purchase this little 1979 model I have been eyeing out

Sadly no!  Which is also why any bike in South Africa built in or before 1936 carries a hefty premium.

It also explains why South Africa is the only country in the world where there are more bikes dated as 1936 than were actually built in 1936 by all the factories combined, and that strangely no bikes from 1937 were ever imported into South Africa 😉

 

[RoddieJ]

12 minutes ago, Andymann said:

I remember that little run - there was a moerse outcry but no-one could do anything because they didn't have proof that he had actually done it!

With the roads and trucks as they are today, I think you would be hard pressed to even do it in under 6 hours today in a car

Not many people knew that it was done on a Xmas Day morning. And Simon’s wife allowed him to do it on condition he increased his life insurance, lol

He also carried R20k in cash in his pocket in case he had to negotiate with the blue light brigade.

Actually, he didn’t reach the Jhb City Hall, which was the finish line. He ran out of fuel on the M2, and was assisted with fuel by passers by who were on the way to an off-road bike event with their bikes in the panel van.

I know this because Simon was very good mates with my boss at the time, and he came into our office 2 weeks before he did the run….

What a man!

 

[Hairy]

23 minutes ago, Andymann said:

Sadly no!  Which is also why any bike in South Africa built in or before 1936 carries a hefty premium.

It also explains why South Africa is the only country in the world where there are more bikes dated as 1936 than were actually built in 1936 by all the factories combined, and that strangely no bikes from 1937 were ever imported into South Africa 😉

 

clearly I read the add incorrectly then, and it is actually a 1936 model?

[Andymann]

1 minute ago, Hairy said:

clearly I read the add incorrectly then, and it is actually a 1936 model?

You need one of these......only R300k

[Hairy]

8 minutes ago, Andymann said:

You need one of these......only R300k

Nice, really nice ... but for 75K more I may be tempted to swing this way

[i24]

3 hours ago, Hairy said:

1936 ... damned ... so I do not have a motivation to purchase this little 1979 model I have been eyeing out

That just like mine, 1979 V50!

Not sure if that one is a MkI or MkII. Also it is "dressed up" like a "NATO" model. There were a whole bunch of them sold to the military in Europe - which had slightly different specs. Lower compression and I think they had kick starters. Civilian models had electric start only.

Did you buy it? Is it still available?

Maybe not good for the DJ, but you can ride it around London without paying congestion tax.

[Hairy]

14 minutes ago, i24 said:

That just like mine, 1979 V50!

Not sure if that one is a MkI or MkII. Also it is "dressed up" like a "NATO" model. There were a whole bunch of them sold to the military in Europe - which had slightly different specs. Lower compression and I think they had kick starters. Civilian models had electric start only.

Did you buy it? Is it still available?

Maybe not good for the DJ, but you can ride it around London without paying congestion tax.

Still looks to be for sale, this is ex. Dutch Army stock

https://www.gumtree.co.za/a-motorcycles-scooters/other/1979-moto-guzzi-other/10011668989021010020916509

[i24]

1 hour ago, Hairy said:

Still looks to be for sale, this is ex. Dutch Army stock

https://www.gumtree.co.za/a-motorcycles-scooters/other/1979-moto-guzzi-other/10011668989021010020916509

The Dutch military ordered about a 1000 of these and I think the Italians used them too. Google "V50 NATO". There is a facebook group and website. A bike shop in Netherlands specialises in service and spares for them.

https://www.motoguzziv50nato.nl/

You can also get parts from Stein Diense

https://www.stein-dinse.biz/

Not sure what it is worth - a lot depends on condition.

[IceCreamMan]

6 hours ago, Hairy said:

1936 ... damned ... so I do not have a motivation to purchase this little 1979 model I have been eyeing out

A mate of mine years ago bought a 1000 cc guzzi. Now we laughed at him as he paid 12 grand for it. In our fearless bike gang the ous who have had guzzis all came to grief with em due to break downs and the like. ( allegedly only the pistons are of any good according to the gospel of saint Charley anyway). 
 

now my mate been tinkering on his guzzi who he has affectionately named Benito and it stood in a shop for most of Covid. Anyway , we ragged him silly the whole time. He has had it sprayed in colours very close to this. 
 

end result is, similar ones go for 45 grand or more now. He is laughing now and he has a bona fide classic. 
 

is Miguel still around?   If anyone ever needs guzzi spares ping me, a guy i know is master restorer/mechanic on guzzis these days. 
 

he is doing the DJ, Andy. You must know him too. 

[i24]

14 hours ago, IceCreamMan said:

is Miguel still around?   If anyone ever needs guzzi spares ping me, a guy i know is master restorer/mechanic on guzzis these days. 

he is doing the DJ, Andy. You must know him too. 

Is this in ZA or UK? Lots of Guzzi spares are available if you look around. Also new parts can fit on older bikes. But some parts, like pistons for my V50 Mk II, are very difficult to find. (Big blocks pistons and Mk III pistons are no problem, just Mk II).

Also do your homework before you buy an old 4 valve model, some of them have lots of issues and there are very parts left to fix them. I don't think any of these made it to ZA.