Is motorcycling allowed?

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

12 hours ago, Spokey said:

Just spent a small fortune on a solar installation at my pad, if not for that, one of these would have joined the 1098 in the bike garage!

999 for me

[IceCreamMan]

3 hours ago, Steven Knoetze (sk27) said:

999 for me

I would have one in a heart beat. Not to expensive here but expensive to own. 

[IceCreamMan]

On another topic, my mighty RF600 giving me grief. I suspect the cam chain has jumped a tooth. Given its 30 years old and I been meaning to do the cam chain for a while it’s kinda fair I spose. Will be checking it all out today , work permitting. 

been a great bike, owned it for 6 years, taken me to Scotland, wales, Isle of Man TT etc etc. cost me all of 1000 pounds so money well spent. Now hopefullly it’s not bent valves etc if it has jumped a tooth. ( or 3) 

 

[Andymann]

We did something a little different yesterday - took the old Velo's on a pre-DJ ride just to check that all is well before the actual DJ next month.  Ended up doing part of the old Rand Water Race for Victory Route, the original Hyper to Hyper, the Fast one and the Clover Vets Tour - my old Racing roads when I was racing for Gary Beneke's team in the 90's.  Something to be said about cruising along at max 75kph, but I'm not 1930's bike fit - my arse and back is killing me today!

[IceCreamMan]

1 hour ago, Andymann said:

We did something a little different yesterday - took the old Velo's on a pre-DJ ride just to check that all is well before the actual DJ next month.  Ended up doing part of the old Rand Water Race for Victory Route, the original Hyper to Hyper, the Fast one and the Clover Vets Tour - my old Racing roads when I was racing for Gary Beneke's team in the 90's.  Something to be said about cruising along at max 75kph, but I'm not 1930's bike fit - my arse and back is killing me today!

Nice one. 
 

my mate is also doing it next month. You must also have known Pierre Cronje if a regular in/on the DJ. Pierre and I were in the same fearless hardcore biker gang back in the day. 
 

 

[Hairy]

 

 

Guess who's back

 

[Hairy]

That Buell engine sound 😍

[Hairy]

Buell designed what Harley should have when they release the new gen Sportster S

[Andymann]

14 hours ago, IceCreamMan said:

Nice one. 
 

my mate is also doing it next month. You must also have known Pierre Cronje if a regular in/on the DJ. Pierre and I were in the same fearless hardcore biker gang back in the day. 
 

 

I knew Pierre very well - I started doing the DJ back in 1990 and did six I think and then stopped.  I was the youngest rider for years and Pierre kept on trying to convince me to come back because they wanted more young riders.  Later on Pierre helped get a few bikes of ours registered.  We miss him at the VMC meetings - he was a real character! 

This year will be my Dad's 32nd DJ and we have arranged for my two brothers to ride with him this year with me in the backup van.  So quite special

[Hairy]

1 minute ago, Andymann said:

I knew Pierre very well - I started doing the DJ back in 1990 and did six I think and then stopped.  I was the youngest rider for years and Pierre kept on trying to convince me to come back because they wanted more young riders.  Later on Pierre helped get a few bikes of ours registered.  We miss him at the VMC meetings - he was a real character! 

This year will be my Dad's 32nd DJ and we have arranged for my two brothers to ride with him this year with me in the backup van.  So quite special

Hi Andy, do you have a link to the "DJ" events please ... I would like to look and learn a little more.

[Andymann]

7 minutes ago, Hairy said:

Hi Andy, do you have a link to the "DJ" events please ... I would like to look and learn a little more.

Sure thing - most of what you will find is here - https://djrally.co.za/

But if you have any other questions - shout!

[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