1606 RF final

MOTOGP: VINALES TO YAMAHA - IANNONE TO SUZUKI 

JUNE 2016 RSA R30.00 

JUNE 2016 

EXCLUSIVE FIRST RIDE 

2016 KAWASAKI 

NINJA H2 

MAYHEM 

Two 

SPORTSBIKE 

ROAD TEST 

PART 2: YAMAHA R1 & R1M 

MONUMENTAL 

THE BEST JUST GOT BETTER! 

FIRST RIDE 

2016 YAMAHA 

MT-10 

WE TEST RIDE YAMAHA’S ALL NEW 

R1 POWERED SUPER NAKED

1002 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2016

GIVING OUR SA 

STARS THE GRIP 

THEY NEED TO 

SUCCEED! 

The grip you need to perform at your best! 

Motorsport is at the heart of Dunlop. Our invention of the pneumatic tyre in 1888 

was to achieve the goal of winning a race. We’ve never looked back since. 

Dunlop tyres have been chosen by winners in the Isle of Man TT – the most 

demanding motorcycle race in the world. Dunlop is also the Official Tyre Partner to 

the FIM Moto2 and Moto3 World Championships. 

SA Star Brad Binder currently leads the Moto3 World Championship using Dunlop 

tyres and has so far picked up 2 wins already. 

Other SA riders that trust the Dunlop brand are Sheridan Morais - MotoAmerica 

Superstock and Cam Petersen - MotoAmerica Supersport. Cam also recently picked 

up his first win over in America. 

Steven Odendaal competes in the Spanish Moto2 

championship on Dunlop tyres and recently 

won his first race and leads the standings. 

Race to road: the synergy 

is essential to Dunlop’s 

success in both areas. 

RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2016 1

W E L C O M E THE TEAM: 

EDITOR & DESIGN: 

Rob Portman 

rob@ridefast.co.za 

082 782 8240 

ADVERTISING: 

Zenon Birkby 

zenon@ridefast.co.za 

074 104 1074 

I would like to start off by thanking those of you who 

supported us at this years South African Biking Festival 

at Kyalami. We really appreciate all the support and kind 

words, and even the not so kind words. I have always said 

that I need as much input, whether it be bad or good, to 

help me improve the magazine. I was happy to hear that 

most of the comments from you guys and girls were more 

positive than negative. 

One of the biggest compliments I got from most was 

the introduction of “The Singh” to our testing team. He really 

has added some extra flavour to the magazine and does so 

again in this issue, by helping test the Ducati XDiavel, new 

Kawasaki H2 and, most importantly, he tests the Yamaha 

R1 and R1M in part 2 of our Sportsbike road test. 

Another big talking point was, of course, the man of 

the hour, and our exclusive race columnist - Brad Binder. 

The Moto3 championship leader has taken all our breathes 

away with his fast/mature rides so far this season. The 

entire country is excited at the prospect of SA finally having 

a world champion once again. Our stand at the show was 

buzzing with the introduction of the official, and exclusive, 

Brad Binder shirts and hoodies. They sold like hot cakes 

and it looks like we are going to have to do another run 

sooner rather than later. If you were not lucky enough to get 

your hands on some merch, and would like to, just drop 

me a email - rob@ridefast.co.za and I will assist you, as we 

still have limited stock left. 

I am in talks with Brad’s manager as we speak, and 

fingers crossed, RideFast will be the official supplier of 

Brad Binder merchandise going forward. In this issue, 

Brad talks about winning 3 races in a row and that EPIC 

Mugello race in his exclusive race column. What a talent 

and so lucky to have him part of our team. 

You might have seen on Facebook where we posted 

that we will be having meet and greet evenings with 

Brad himself in July. We have since had to change those 

plans, as Brad will only be returning to SA and the end 

of the season, in November, after the annual test session 

at Valencia after the final race, where I am hoping he will 

be testing a Moto2 bike. We will keep you all posted on 

Facebook and in future issues so keep a look out for those 

meet and greet dates. 

We also catch up with another SA star doing us proud 

overseas. Cam Petersen, another exclusive race columnist, 

recently won his first race over in the MotoAmerica 600cc 

championship. Cam talks about his past couple of races. 

Shez has also been a very busy man, and I am sad 

to say that we did not get a column from him this month 

as my bite-sized mate has been flat out with racing and 

getting everything sorted to leave the country. So sad to 

see my best mate leave, but great news is that he will once 

again be racing in WSBK with Team Grillini again, as well as 

MotoAmerica and World Endurance so busy times for Shez 

who I’m sure we will catch up with next month. 

I am so lucky to have such great mates, only problem 

is, they are super fast freaks, so I can’t say I am faster than 

my mates, which sucks! Oh well, still feel honoured to have 

played some part in their great careers to date. 

In this issue we feature two big exclusives - the first 

being Kawasaki’s new 2016 H2, and the second, me being 

the first journo in SA to test Yamaha’s all new R1 powered 

MT-10. Both great bikes, and was so excited to test both 

of them, especially the MT-10, which was the only one in 

SA at the time. As you can see by the pic above, I took 

the tests very seriously and did what was required to make 

them top quality. All in a days work... 

The MotoGP silly season is in full swing, and we bring 

you up to date with all the happenings. The big news of 

late was that of Vinales signing for Yamaha, to partner his 

child hood hero, Vale Rossi, and Andrea Iannone switching 

from Ducati to Suzuki. Don’t think he had much of a 

choice though, as I think he was pretty much pushed out 

the door by Ducati, who opted to go with Dovi again for 

2017 alongside Lorenzo. I wonder if him taking Dovi out in 

Argentina had anything to do with that? Either way, I am 

excited to see Ianonne on the Suzuki. Think he will raise 

some eyebrows on the ever improving blue machine. As 

for Vinales, well, it was the only move he was ever going to 

make. There was talk that Pedrosa was going to Yamaha, 

but I think that was all just big speculation and a ploy to 

put pressure on Vinales, who was delaying putting pen 

to paper with Yamaha. Rossi must be dreading having 

another hard charging young Spaniard as a team-mate, 

after having to deal with Lorenzo for the past few years. 

MotoGP 2016 has so far been exciting, but me thinks 2017 

is going to be one of the best ever! 

The same cannot be said for WSBK, which has so 

far this year failed to excite me. Something needs to be 

done, and I’m not 100% sure what that is but something 

needs to happen and fast. It was great seeing Hayden 

take his first win, but for the most part, the racing has not 

been that thrilling. 

There is talk of Sykes going to Ducati for 2017, and 

some cast away MotoGP riders joining the championship. 

Let’s hope that brings some spark to the championship, 

and I don’t know about you, but this one race on Saturday 

and one on Sunday thing has to change. Bring back the 2 

races on a Sunday! 

I was a bit disappointed with the news that Johnny 

Rea had signed a new 2-year deal with Kawasaki. I really 

thought, and hoped, that he would go to MotoGP next 

season. I would love to see him take on the “Aliens” as I 

think he could ruffle some feathers there. Looks like he will 

do a Fogarty and become a 

WSBK man for life. Oh well. 

Cheers for now! 

EDITOR 

Rob Portman 

ACCOUNTS & 

SUBSCRIPTIONS: 

Anette 

anette.acc@mweb.co.za 

011 979 1363 

CONTRIBUTORS: 

Sheridan Morais 

Brad Binder 

Darryn Binder 

Cam Petersen 

Richard Knowles 

Gerrit Erasmus 

The Singh 

TO SUBSCRIBE 

CALL 011 979 1363 OR EMAIL 

anette.acc@mweb.co.za 

Digital or print copy. 

DECALS BY 

TEL: CHRIS 082 602 1836 

TONY 083 770 2400 


THE WORLD 

AWAITS 

It’s about to 

emerge 

The completely revised 

Honda NC750X 


Contents JUNE 2016 

34: MOTOGP: SILLY SEASON 

18: FIRST RIDE: 2016 YAMAHA MT-10 

38: RACE COLUMN: BRAD BINDER 

40: EXCLUSIVE TEST: 2016 KAWASAKI H2 

52: TESTED: 2 NEW DUCATI’S 

48: ROADTEST: YAMAHA R1 & R1M 

60: SA RACING: ZX10R MASTERS CUP 


ducati.com 

Official Sponsor Developed with 

Powered by 

The new Ducati XDiavel S. 

Are you ready to change position? 

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DUCATI RIDE PLAN 

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174 Bram Fischer Drive, Randburg - 011 919 1600 - sales@ducati.co.za - www.ducati.co.za 

Ducati South Africa Official @DucatiRSA Ducati_SA

NEWS 

Find us on Facebook: 

RideFast Sportsbike Magazine 

SIMPLY GORGEOUS - 

THE PRAËM S1000RR 

ENDURANCE RACER 

We can honestly say we’ve never seen a 

motorcycle as beautiful, as utterly gorgeous 

as this one. Just, WOW!!! 

Earlier this year, in January, French motorcycle outfit Praëm had 

shown their first project, the Praëm SP3, which was based on the 

Honda RC51. While that bike was pretty cool, their second project, 

a customised BMW S1000RR, pretty much blows everything away 

- it’s just fabulous! Created by brothers (and Praëm owners) Sylvain 

and Florent, in homage to the endurance racers of the 1980s, 

the Praëm S1000RR uses a stock BMW S1000RR’s engine and 

chassis, but everything else is custom built, and looks incredible. 

The Praëm S1000RR features a modified and lengthened 

aluminum fuel tank, carbonfibre wheels, carbon-ceramic brake 

discs, endurance racing-type radiator, slick tyres, Werkes titanium 

exhaust and revised fuel-injection mapping. With extensive use of 

carbonfibre and titanium, weight has been reduced by about 20 

kilos and the Praëm S1000RR weighs in at just 184kg. The design 

aesthetic and the colours used are, by BMW’s own admission, 

taken from the 1970s-80s. 

“This new project makes me work again on a BMW and I am very 

proud. Once the outline of the motorcycle was defined, Florent and 

I were free to explore a new direction with the racing 80s, while 

using an ultra modern base. It is extraordinary what BMW has 

managed to do with a very powerful engine but perfectly tamed by 

electronics. We tried to keep all the technology, traction control, 

active suspension, Race ABS, launch control etc., while taking the 

S1000RR to another aesthetic universe,” says Sylvain. All we can 

say is, Sylvain, we love your BMW very, very much! 




NEWS 

BAVARIAN MOTORCYCLES FACELIFT 

The flagship BMW store, which is 

Bavarian motorcycles in Centurion, 

has gone through a major face-lift 

to get in line with BMW Motorrad’s 

worldwide store upgrades. To bring 

the brand more in line with its client 

bases more modern feel and look 

that they are after. This is the stores 

second move in its 23 year history 

but still carries the professional 

customer service that has made this 

dealership the success it is. They 

specialize in selling, servicing and 

repairing BMW Motorcycles. They 

also feature a wide range of BMW 

Parts, accessories and official BMW 

riding gear that you can buy online 

on their website - www.bavarianmc. 

co.za. We highly suggest that you 

make your way to their dealership, 

situated at Centurion Gate, Shop 1C, 

Cnr John Vorster Drive & Akkerboom 

Street Centurion, Pretoria, for a 

BMW motorcycle experience like no 

other. Tel 012 643 1680 to book a test 

ride on a BMW motorcycle. 


NEWS 



BIG CHANGES PLANNED FOR 

MV AGUSTA - LOOKING TO PART 

WAYS WITH MERCEDES-AMG 

In terms of sales, MV Agusta are doing better than ever before. And yet, a 

severe liquidity crunch is hitting the company’s operations really, really hard. 

The partnership with Merc-AMG seems to be over already. 

Despite selling close to 9,000 motorcycles 

in 2015 (a 30% increase over the previous 

year!), MV Agusta are again in big 

financial trouble and the Italian company’s 

President, Giovanni Castiglioni is currently 

struggling to keep things going. With a 

current debt of approximately 40-50 million 

Euro, MV Agusta are in a slightly weird 

situation right now - business has never 

been better for them, and yet they do not 

have the cash to keep things afloat. 

Back in 2014, Mercedes-AMG had 

acquired a 25% stake in MV Agusta, and 

this was then seen as a big step forward 

for MV, in terms of bringing financial 

stability and security for the small Italian 

company. Within a short span of two 

years, however, the partnership has run 

into rough weather and already, according 

to Il Giorno, MV and Mercedes-AMG are 

preparing to go their own separate ways. 

“We are negotiating a buy-back of shares,” 

said Giovanni, speaking to Il Giorno. 

Given their current lack of liquidity and 

mounting pressure from suppliers for 

repayment of outstanding amounts, 

MV Agusta are looking at reducing their 

workforce by up to 200 people, as well as 

scaling back production from last year’s 

9,000 units to just 6,000 this year. Money 

spent in R&D will, reportedly, be cut from 

15 million Euro to 7 million, while MV’s 

racing budgets will be slashed from 4 

million Euro to just 600,000 Euro. 

“Unfortunately, Mercedes-AMG has not 

turned out to be the strategic partner 

as I had thought. I am now working to 

bring new investors in the company. In 

the meantime, we are carrying out a plan 

that aims to generate cash and then 

restructure the debt,” says Giovanni. He’s 

definitely not ready to give up though. 

“There have been Asians and Americans, 

and now the Germans. But who always 

remains, and over the years has invested 

120 million euro in MV Agusta, is the 

Castiglioni family. We want to go back to 

being the Ferrari of motorcycles,” he adds. 

Well, we just hope MV Agusta can 

weather the storm one more time, 

overcome their financial troubles and 

come out on top of things yet again. 

A world without the likes of a F4R, F3 

800, Dragster or Rivale 800, would be a 

very sad world indeed... 

WE SELL PARTS FITMENT 

CENTRE OPEN SATURDAYS 

These guys have an online shop, but they 

also sell direct and fit parts at their store. 

The guys at We Sell Parts are a friendly 

bunch that specialize in, selling and fitting 

consumables like tyres, brake pads, chains 

and sprocket. They are open from Monday 

through to Saturdays for your convenience. 

A-Grade labour, they say, the owners work 

on the bikes themselves. 

They carry most of the top quality range of 

products like Renthal, Pirelli, Motul, Liqui 

Moly, Optimate, DID... for road, cruiser and 

adventure bikes. 

These guys are super passionate about 

motorcycles and say that they will give the 

attention that you and your motorcycle 

deserve. 

48 Plantation road, Eastleigh. 

www.wesellparts.co.za 

Give them a call (011) 452 1602 


NEWS 



T12 MASSIMO: REQUIEM 

FOR A DREAM 

The T12 Massimo is Massimo Tamburini’s last piece of work and is as 

gorgeous as you’d expect it to be - time to sell some body parts. 

Massimo Tamburini, the man responsible 

for designing machines like the MV Agusta 

F4, Ducati 916 and Bimota SB2, passed 

away in April 2014. However, after he 

retired from MV Agusta in December 

2008 and moved to his home in the hills 

of San Marino, it turns out that he didn’t 

exactly sit around twiddling his thumbs. 

No, he devoted his last years to designing 

and building a beautifully designed, 

high-performance superbike that’s light, 

compact, powerful and high-tech. It’s 

called the T12 Massimo, Tamburini’s last 

piece of work, and a totally performancefocused 

track-only machine which will be 

built in limited numbers in Italy. 

Powered by the BMW S1000RR’s 999cc 

inline-four, the T12 Massimo is fitted with a 

Motec M170 engine management system 

and an Arrow exhaust. The engine has 

been fettled to produce more than 230 

horsepower and that, coupled with the 

bike’s dry weight figure of 154kg, should 

deliver eye-opening acceleration and top 

speed. The chassis, which is adjustable 

for lateral stiffness (steering axis rake, 

teleforks tri-clamps offset and trail are all 

adjustable), is a steel-tube trellis-type unit, 

with cast-magnesium side plates and 

single-sided swingarm. Race-spec, fully 

adjustable Öhlins fork and shock comprise 

the suspension, while stopping chores are 

handled by twin 320mm steel discs at the 

front, with 4-piston monobloc radial-mount 

calipers. The T12 gets a host of aluminium 

alloy billet and carbonfibre bits and rides on 

17-inch forged magnesium wheels, shod 

with 120/70 (front) and 200/60 (rear) Pirelli 

Diablo SBK racing rubber. 

Andrea Tamburini, Massimo’s son, along 

with other members of the Tamburini family, 

have set up Massimo Tamburini Srl, a 

company that will now produce the trackonly 

T12 in limited numbers. 

It looks like the all-new Tamburini T12 

Massimo is the most expensive motorcycle 

in the world. At least, this will be the case if 

the price we found for it turns out to be the 

correct one. 

Cutting to the chase, it seems that getting 

a Tamburini T12 Massimo is a €300,000 

affair, well above what the most expensive 

limited-run motorcycles go for. That is, in 

SA rands, a whopping R4.5million check 

that has to reach the makers of the T12 

before they start crafting one for you. 

Now, the price is, obviously, immense. 

Instead of a banana for scale, we’ll remind 

you that the MotoGP-derived Honda 

RC213V-S is “only” a €200,000 ($227,500) 

bike, which sounds almost doable 

compared to the T12. 

We’re no MotoGP riders, but something 

tells us that the T12 has all the odds of 

being a much better, faster, and more 

enjoyable bike than the Honda. For 

starters, the RC213V-S can produce 215 

horsepower, and only when equipped with 

the Race Kit (160 grand from the R2.5million 

plus price). In stock trim, the Honda is 

only good for some 159 hp, which don’t 

stand a chance against certain models the 

competition has on the street already. 




NEWS 

WANT TO SELL YOUR BIKE? 

THE BIKE BUYERS CAN HELP 

What is bike buyers? Bike Buyers is the first of it kind in South 

Africa. A unique service to owners and dealers wanting to sell 

their motorcycles for cash and refinancing. 

As opposed to the MotoGP spin-off, the T12 

Massimo is already at the 230 hp bar, and 

considering how vile the stock S1000RR 

engine is, having a tuned one between one’s 

legs should be a transfigurating experience. 

Also, the T12 IS like an actual premier class 

bike, thanks to the patented suspension that 

permits variations in the bike’s architecture. 

Put the T12 in the hands of a mechanic 

that knows what he or she is doing, and 

this bike will be really hard to catch up with 

on the track. Now, back to the price issue, 

the Tamburini T12 Massimo clearly is not a 

machine for everyone, but we are glad to see 

that more units can be produced and there is 

a price linked to it. 

People with money to spend are not that hard 

to find in the motorcycle world, and with the 

tag of being the most extreme and complex 

bike created by Massimo Tamburini, we’d 

rather say this machine is already a cult one. 

MOTULS NEW GARAGE RANGE 

Supersize your workshop chemicals with 

great big tins of stuff like chain lube, chain 

cleaner, carb cleaner, hand wash, bike 

polishes, EZ lube – just about anything and 

everything that you’d use in a commercial 

workshop. The savings are substantial – 

and this solution is really quite convenient. 

And Motul makes a comprehensive range 

of bike care products, so you’ll have 

everything in your cupboard. Please note 

– the garage range is for dealers only, not 

for retail to the public – so dealers – get 

on the blower to the Motul Distributor and 

they will get you sorted. 

Bike Buyers is another unique concept 

from Craig Langton, again offering and 

looking after the motorcyclist’s interests. 

“This is a service to the motorcycling 

community and to all dealers across 

the country who wish to sell their 

motorcycles in a safe and secure 

environment without the risk of being 

defrauded,” said Craig Langton founder 

and owner of the FIRE IT UP operation. 

“BikeBuyers is different to any of the 

other buying platforms in the industry, 

in that we try and match the price/value 

that the customer/dealer is trying to 

attain, within reason, taking book values 

into consideration. If we are unable to 

achieve the customers’ expectations, 

we will guide them on how to best sell 

their motorcycle and arrange the finance 

free of charge with no catch and no 

fuss.” said Langton. 

BikeBuyers are unique in that they will: 

• Pay cash while the customer waits. 

• Assist dealers who are not able to 

trade-in motor cycles offering them a 

guaranteed cover of up to 30 days. 

• All transactions are safe and secure. 

• The service is available for dealers and 

owners nationally. 

• All motorcycles are purchased 

including exotics and imports. 

The service is offered by the Craig 

Langton team, of James Ridley 

and Berto Santos who combined 

have traded, bought and appraised 

thousands of motorcycles and do not 

hold a biased opinion according to any 

brand. 

Added to this, BikeBuyers take their 

services one step further! If you already 

own your motorcycle and it’s fully paid 

for and you wish to refinance it to realise 

some funds, BikeBuyers will perform this 

function for you at no charge. 

Customers or Dealers can contact 

James on 076 827 9676 or james@ 

bikebuyer.co.za. 

FIRE IT UP!, shop 2 showrooms and 

workshop, entrance on Leslie, corner 

William Nicol and Leslie drive, between 

the Cycle Lab and the Pro Shop. For 

more information, call 011 4670737. 

ROB CHANDLER TO LIFESTYLE CENTURION 

If you want passion, enthusiasm and absolute dedication to anything regarding 

motorcycles, then Rob Chandler is a man you have to meet. 

Rob has recently joined the vibrant staff at Centurion Lifestyle - The Premium 

Kawasaki, Triumph and Sym dealer in Pretoria. Rob had previously run his own 

shop in Polokwane for the last ten years. 

Lifestyle Centurion want to bring an experience that any customer, whether 

spending R20 or R200 000, will never 

forget and keep coming back for that next 

level of service that you experience at this 

dealership. Theunis de Bruin, who is the 

owner of the store, has a special little brand 

called Re-Constructed, and can now free 

up more of his time with this customizing 

division of the store. Call 0861 460 460. 


NEWS 



THE COOLEST VFR1200F 

EVER - THE BURASCA 1200 

Aldo Drudi’s Burasca 1200 is the world’s coolest 

VFR1200F-based custom 

Aldo Drudi, the man responsible for designing Valentino Rossi’s helmets, has now 

moved up from helmets to designing a full motorcycle, and it’s just brilliant. Drudi, 

in collaboration with Air Garage and Honda Italia, has created the Burasca 1200, 

which is based on a Honda VFR1200F. The aim was to showcase Italian creativity 

and design flair, coupled with Japanese precision engineering and build quality. 

Mission accomplished! 

With the Burasca, Drudi and team have completely and radically modified a 

VFR1200, making it sportier and more aggressive. The bike gets an Öhlins NIX 

30 fork and Öhlins TTX GP 36 monoshock at the rear, both being fully adjustable 

in every which way possible. With lightweight aluminium wheels from Fast Mec, 

extensive use of carbonfibre and titanium, and an Akrapovic exhaust system, 

weight has been reduced by 30 kilos. The bike’s low-slung stance at the front, 

along with single round headlamp, give it a nice hint of subdued menace, and 

its carbon-gray / gray-gold matte paintjob, with small bits of red trim and black 

anodized wheels, is just perfect. 

The Burasca’s 1237cc Honda V4 remains stock, with 180bhp, 6-speed 

transmission and shaft-drive. Suspension has been upgraded with Öhlins units at 

both ends but the chassis remains unchanged. Brakes have also been upgraded, 

with twin 320mm discs up front, and Nissin monobloc radial-mount 4-piston 

calipers. Kerb weight is 240kg. Yes, we love this bike! 

TWO ARAI RX-7 RC 

CARBON LIDS COME TO SA! 

This is the second Arai RX-7 RC Carbon helmet sold 

by the Arai Concept store in as many months. John 

Jewiss and Lucas van der Merwe are the proud 

owners of the two latest RX-7 RC’s to hit SA. 

The Arai RX-7 RC carbon fibre helmet must be one 

of the most special helmets ever offered to the 

motorcycling community. Each outer shell consists 

of no less than eleven carefully applied layers. The 

technology of the new RX-7 RC is based on that of 

the GP-6 RC car racing helmet, which was specially 

developed for Formula 1 use. It consists of an 

extremely stiff and light carbon fibre outer shell, 

reinforced with the “Peripherally Belted” construction. 

The Arai engineers searched and found a superior 

carbon fibre quality. A mixture of aircraft quality 

premium carbon fibre with Arai’s own resin plus Zylon 

reinforcement showed to be the perfect mixture for 

the RX-7 RC Arai outer shell. It takes a skilled Arai 

craftsman a full day just to make one outer shell and 

the export availability of the RX-7 RC is limited to 300 

units yearly. 

We had to refrain from mentioning price as we did not 

want the two new owner’s wives finding out how much 

they cost... don’t worry guy’s, we’ve got your back. 

For more info on the RX-7 RC, email ryan@kmsa.co.za. 

Pauli Massyn from GPS for Africa with a happy John Jewiss. 

Pauli Massyn with Lucas van der Merwe and Ryan from KMSA . 


ADDRESS: 224 RONDEBOLT RD, LIBRADENE, BOKSBURG 

TEL: 011 913 0517 EMAIL: sales@madmacsgp.co.za 

Check out our 

Facebook page for 

upcoming events. 

Madmacs Boksburg 

FULL RANGE OF SYM 

SCOOTERS AVAILABLE! 

QUALITY USED VICTORY, INDIAN & 

HARLEY DAVIDSON CRUISERS AVAILABLE 

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R129,000 

2015 KAWASAKI H2 

Grey/Green - 3700km 

R299,000 

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BIKES ALWAYS IN STOCK! 

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PADDOCK NEWS 

Brought 

to you by 

DUCATI LAY 

DOWN THE LAW 

Ducati enforces unwritten passing rules 

for Dovizioso and Iannone 

Ducati Corse has been talking 

with both its riders, Andrea 

Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone, 

about their behavior on the 

track during the upcoming 

three Grand Prix rounds. 

Reportedly, the two Italian 

riders are to obey certain 

unwritten passing rules. 

Ducati is trying to avoid any 

further lose-lose situations 

like the Argentinian GP when 

a mistake made by Iannone 

cost the team both the second 

and the third places on the 

podium. And the pill was 

even harder to swallow as the 

crash that deprived Ducati of a 

double podium occurred one 

turn before the race finish. 

To avoid losing points, Ducati 

apparently devised a rule that 

stipulates that a rider who 

has been overtaken by his 

teammate must wait at least 

until the following lap before 

making a move. As crazy as 

this entire thing may sound, it 

was apparently confirmed by 

someone at Ducati Corse, if 

we are to believesportrider. 

The same source reports that 

one of the rider’s managers 

objected that such rules are 

not a part of the contract, 

but that Ducati remained 

firm in demanding that this 

“protocol” be respected. No 

detailed implications of this 

“gentlemen’s agreement” are 

known, and neither are the 

solutions Ducati envisages for 

different scenarios, such as the 

one that sees an overtaking 

maneuver taking place during 

the last lap. 

FARQUHAR ON THE 

NW200 CRASH 

“Whoever prepared me for the journey saved my life” 

This year’s North West 200 

race was plagued by several 

violent crashes involving highly 

experienced riders, and by the 

death of 20-year-old Malachi 

Mitchell-Thomas, who lost his 

life in the second Supertwins 

race on the Saturday. 

Ryan Farquhar and Dan 

Cooper were involved in a 

spectacularly brutal crash 

that occurred at high speed 

at the Black Hill during the 

NW200. Farquhar, 40, was 

treated at the roadside by 

Dr. Fred MacSorley and the 

medical team on site, and it 

looks like their intervention 

was crucial. 

“I remember crashing and 

the marshals telling me 

not to move until Dr. Fred 

MacSorley got there,” 

Farquhar remembers. “When 

I got to hospital they told me 

that whoever prepared me 

for the journey had saved my 

life,” adds the North Irelandbased 

racer. Farquhar recalls 

“having lost the front end and 

going down hard. I hit the 

Recticel bale and bounced 

back out into the road 

but everything happened 

so fast that I don’t really 

remember being hit by the 

other bike. I can’t thank 

the doctors enough who 

saved my life - money 

couldn’t pay them for what 

they have done for me. 

I was taken straight into 

surgery when I arrived at 

the Royal Victoria Hospital 

and I was lucky that the top 

liver surgeon in the country 

was available to operate on 

me,” as the five-time NW200 

winner told the BBC. 

A police helicopter airlifted 

Ryan Farquhar to Belfast, 

with six broken ribs and a 

lacerated liver. Dan Cooper, 

whose bike smashed into 

Farquhar suffered non-life 

threatening injuries. 

Farquhar retired from road 

racing in 2012, after his uncle 

Trevor Ferguson was killed the 

same year in a crash at the 

Manx GP in the Isle of Man. 

However, Ryan was unable to 

stay away from the bikes and 

returned to racing in 2014, 

with full family support. 

In mid-March, Farquhar 

was announced as the 

replacement rider of Guy 

Martin in team TAS Racing. 

He would ride the Tyco 

BMW S1000RR Martin was 

supposed to use in the Isle 

of Man 2016, but it looks like 

TAS will be forced to find yet 


Pic by GP-Fever.de 

DEVELOPED 

BY THE BEST. 

Official MotoGP tyre supplier 

MICHELIN Power SuperSport 

MICHELIN Power Slick Evo 

Available at your nearest dealer

APLINESTARS GEAR: Tried, tested & trusted! 

So the weekend is gone and the SA Bike Festival is over, and you are in that predicament 

of what new kit to buy? Your heart says Dainese, Arleness, Berik or Alpinestars, but your 

wife and wallet say otherwise. Well, let me justify the bigger, better brands and in the long 

run not that much more expensive than the lesser known brands out there. 

In our tests you will see we are kitted out in some of the best kit out there. And there are 

many reasons for this, mostly it looks good, for those of us that just look at the pictures. 

And then, someone like myself, who spends five days a week on all sorts of motorcycles 

for up to seven ours a day. I want/need kit that is going to last. Now, I’m lucky enough to 

have the guys at Langston Racing look after me, they safely tuck my head into a Shark 

helmet while the rest of me is protected by Alpinestars. Lucky for me, Astars has always 

been my favourite gear. 

Now, back to the reason for this story. Usually we at RideFast get kitted out once a year to 

keep things fresh. However, two years ago, Langston Racing and I decided to experiment 

with the Alpinestars gear that I wear on a daily basis. I chose the SMX6 boots to wear, as 

they are your entry-to-middle of the range boot, at a cost of R4199 at your local retailer. 

After two years of day to day riding, hundreds laps around Zwartkops and Redstar, to say 

these boots passed with flying colours is a real understatement. The only things to give way 

was the pull tag on the right boot zip and the back of the soles. From dragging my foot as I 

pull away on whatever bike I happen to be on. 

The gloves that I have are actually four years old, and have impressed me the most. They 

truly do still fit like a glove, even after all the abuse that they go through and I will probably 

use them for gardening when I retire one day. The jacket I used for the two year test was 

only recently replaced because it began to fade on the shoulders, and didn’t look cool in 

the photo shoots we do. The only thing to give way on my jacket was the main zip. But, 

that was quickly repaired by the Alpinestars appointed guys at Dubun (012 348 1030). 

The rest of the zips and straps are still good as new. So yes, at first your bigger brands 

may seem a bit more expensive, but after four to six years they will still be in really good 

condition. Where as your cheaper brand would have either faded, torn or broken in its first 

year of travels. So do yourself a favour and get yourself the better known brands. If the 

longevity of the products doesn’t impress you, then just remember the technology behind 

their protection they provide, but that’s a whole other story. 

HEALTECH: GIpro mount 

This optional accessory is the best way to 

mount your Healtech GIpro (gear indicator) 

on your handlebar. It fits all handlebar sizes. 

The housing can be fixed in any angle on 

the clamp. High quality billet aluminium 

construction, available in black and chrome 

finish. Compatible with clip-on bars too. 

FROM: ITR Motorsport 

TEL: 071 753 2728 

EMAIL: dean@itrmotorsport.co.za 

KEITI: Tyre pressure gauge 

How many times have you gone to the track, or on a breakfast run ride and 

forgot to check your tyre pressures? If you are like us then the answer is 

plenty. We have also been through our fair share of tyre pressure gauges, 

they always seem to grow legs and run away. Well, Trickbitz have just 

released a really cool new product - A Digital tyre pressure gauge that is 

small enough to fit onto your keyring. It measures in psi, kpa and bar. This 

really is ideal and we will certainly be getting ourselves one! 

PRICE: R265 FROM: Trickbitz 

TEL: 011 672 6599 EMAIL: mark@trickbitz.co.za 

GAERNE: GP1 boots 

The all-new GP1, the latest product from 

Gaerne’s research and development 

centre, is the ultimate racing boot! Close 

collaboration with Champions, technological 

innovation, attention to detail and comfort, 

Italian styling and fifty years of passion and 

experience characterize all Gaerne products. 

FROM: Redstar Raceway 

EMAIL: info@redstarraceway.co.za 


MATCH MADE IN 

HEAVEN 

YAMAHA’S NEW MT-10 

Yamaha SA flew in one of the new MT-10 models to 

put on display at the SA Biking Festival - and we got 

to test ride the new beast. Words Rob Portman Pics Zenon 


The latest and most anticipated model to Yamaha’s 

raved about naked MT lineup - the MT-10, 

featuring the latest and greatest R1 big bang 

cross-plane engine has arrived in SA... 

Well, that’s not entirely true. Yamaha SA flew in 2 of 

the new models just for the motorcycle show. The rest 

are scheduled to hit showroom floors at the end of June. 

We were told that we’d get an exclusive first test - 

which we did. We were asked not to post anything on 

social media - so we didn’t... but someone else did. 

If you are looking at this mag, chances are good that 

you’ve seen the bike at the SA motorcycle show. It’s a 

great bike. Read on… 

So what exactly is this new addition to the MT range? 

Funnily enough, Yamaha have not labelled it as a naked 

R1, even though it features the same engine, frame and 

suspension from its super bike cousin. It’s touted as the 

bike that many people have been waiting for. 

The ultimate Yamaha MT and potentially the ultimate 

super-naked. But what do we think? 

We caught up with Dave Petersen at the Midvaal 

track - he was shooting the bike for 2-Wheels TV and 

asked me to come along and test the bike - so I did. 


Yamaha has come gunning for super-nakeds like 

the ones we featured in last months issue - The BMW 

S1000R, KTM 1290 Superduke, Ducati Monster 

1200. And why not? They have a great engine in the 

cross-plane R1 so all they really needed to do was 

put it in a more user-friendly everyday use chassis and 

slap some mean looking headlights on it. And that, 

my friends, is pretty much exactly what they did. 

40% of the engine parts have been changed 

according to Yamaha (leaving us wondering when it 

stops being an R1 engine) to give the MT-10 stronger 

low-to-mid-range torque, exactly where you want the 

power on a bike like this. 

The first thing that catches your attention is the 

styling. It’s a bit divisive, you either love it straight 

away or will take a while to like it. It took me the entire 

day of looking at it from every angle before I could say 

I liked it. But then again, the others that were with me 

on the day had only praise for the styling so it really is 

down to personal opinion. 

The LCD multifunction dash is not as exciting as 

on the R1, but still has a racey look to it and features 

everything from gear indicator (our favourite) to 

outside temperature. 

After the first 50km ride on the bike it was clear 

to me that the MT-10 is so much more than just a 

naked R1. The upright riding position, business class 

leg room and surprisingly good wind protection make 

it a fantastic all round machine. It’s so easy to enjoy 

the beauty that is the cross-plane big bang motor. 

It’s a masterpiece of an engine. Of course the bike 

is unreasonably fast, with a midrange that might just 

shift tectonic plates. The cross-plane crankshaft inline 

“IT’S MOTOGP ESQUE 

SOUND PUSHING OUT 158HP 

COMBINED WITH 111NM OF 

TAR TEARING TORQUE MAKE 

FOR ONE EXCITING RIDE.” 

4, 998cc R1 engine, has been detuned from its 205 

hp peak down to somewhere around 160 to make it 

more useful in an un-faired bike. The horsepower is 

the same as BMW’s S1000R , but it seems to have 

a better spread of torque. It’s MotoGP esque sound 

pushing out 158hp combined with 111Nm of tar 

tearing torque make for one exciting ride. 

It feels, perhaps a little less racey than the 

competitors that we tested in last months issue, but 

that actually works in its favour. It feels more userfriendly 

and suited to everyday real world riding - 

where comfort and ease of use are essential. 

The bike is not quite the animal I was expecting 

low-down in the range, at about, say, 4,000rpm, but 

a moment later it goes rabid, with the front very eager 

to take off at about 7,000rpm in second gear. All 

the gears are shorter than the R1’s thanks to a rear 

sprocket which has 43 teeth instead of 41. Along with 

the lower red line, that means a top speed in first of 

about 112kph, compared to about 160kph on the R1. 

It’s definitely a more useful gearing ratio for the road. 

It might not have the full electronics package of the 

R1, but for around R60K cheaper, you still get a host 

of electronic features like ride-by-wire throttle, 3 stage 

traction control, three riding modes and ABS. 

Let’s face it, that’s all you really need isn’t it? It 

even gets cruise control as standard, something we 



personally think is not needed on 

a motorcycle like this, leave that to 

the big cruisers and adventure type 

machines. We would have rather 

had a quick-shifter fitted standard 

as opposed to cruise control, makes 

a bit more sense really. Having said 

that, the MT-10’s gearbox is effortless 

to use, with gear shifts being very 

precise and slick. 

After a relaxed 80km ride from 

Sandton to the Midvaal racetrack out 

in Meyerton, I arrived feeling relaxed 

and ready to put the bike through 

some serious work around the track. 

Yes it’s not a track bike, but this way 

I could really test the bikes handling 

capabilities. 

60% of the chassis is changed 

from the more track focussed R1, 

to help give the MT-10 a bit more 

flex, extra feel and comfort out on 

the road, which it certainly did. With 

a wheelbase of 1400mm, it’s the 

“THIS SLICK CHASSIS, 

COMBINED WITH THE 

“R1” ENGINE AND FULLY 

ADJUSTABLE KYB FORKS 

AND SHOCK, MAKES 

FOR A SERIOUSLY GOOD 

PACKAGE OUT ON THE 

ROAD AND ON THE 

TRACK.” 

shortest of all the super nakeds 

on the market today. The rider has 

been moved forward to put 51% 

of the weight on the front wheel, 

so it almost had that motard feel to 

it when throwing 

it into the turns. 

This slick chassis, 

combined with the 

“R1” engine and fully 

adjustable KYB forks 

and shock, makes 

for a seriously good 

package out on the 

road and on the track. 

For the road, we 

left the bike in standard mode, 

the softest of the three riding 

modes. For the track, we 

bypassed ‘A’ and went 

straight for ‘B’ mode, 

the most aggressive. The 

difference was dramatic, with a 

much punchier response to throttle 

roll on. Going back to ‘Standard’, it 

did feel a little too laid back for the 

track – but I’m not sure whether it 

actually made any difference to pace. 

The difference only lies in the first few 

degrees of throttle twist. After that all 

modes release full torque and power, 

so ‘Standard’ effectively just provides 

a bit more throttle play. If anything, it 

might have made the bike smoother 


ALL NEW MT-10 

R229,950 

INCLUDES 

VOUCHER INCLUDES 

R4000 

R4000 

VOUCHER INCLUDES 

VOUCHER 

R3000 

TRACER 

R139,950 

MT-09 

R119,950 

MT-07 

R109,950 

TEL: 012 661 6216 

EMAIL: paul@centurionyamaha.co.za 

www.centurionyamaha.co.za 

877 Freight rd, Louwlardia, Centurion 

PAUL: 083 522 2966 

EMILE: 074 100 6599

“IT WAS A BREATHE 

OF FRESH AIR RIDING A 

BIKE A BIT MORE OLD 

SCHOOL FOR ONCE, 

WITHOUT HAVING 

WHEELIE OR OTHER 

CONTROLLING AIDS 

TAKING OVER.” 

in corners, and faster. It’s just a matter of how 

much you want in one bite. 

We love how easy it is to adjust the electronics 

on the bike. A simple click of a button situated on 

the right handlebar allows you to change riding 

modes while on the fly, and the same goes for the 

traction control, with this button perfectly placed 

on the left handlebar (just make sure the throttle 

is completely closed when trying to change). We 

love that you can switch the traction control off all 

together, although it felt most comfortable with it 

on level 1. Even with the traction control activated 

we could get the front wheel launching out of the 

corners, which was a surprise. It was a breath 

of fresh air riding a bike a bit more old school for 

once, without having wheelie or other controlling 

aids taking over. 

The bike really does feel free and right at home 

on the track, testimony to its R1 heritage. The 

MT-10 is compact for a 1000cc machine too - it 

feels more like a naked 600. It turns effortlessly, like 

a machine that weighs much less than its claimed 

210kg with a full tank. Throw in the ultra-grip that 

the Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S20 tyres offer 

and you have a machine that you can ride hard and 

still feel 100% in control and confident on. 

The super naked market is quickly becoming 

a serious market, with manufaturers releasing top 

quality models. It’s a perfect segment, you get 

superbike performance at a fraction of the price. 

Overall the MT-10 offers excellent handling 

and a devastating engine. If you want to wheelie 

everywhere, it will do it, in almost every gear (as 

my braver than me mate Clint Brookes repeatedly 

demonstrated at Midvaal - although I did get 

some cool power wheelies in myself). 

Or, if it’s a good all-rounder you are 

looking to live with, as a practical 

motorcycle, it will do that too. 

The MT-10 is a true street fighter 

or super naked as they are being 

called these days. It’s a superbike 

with straight bars, no fairing and 

a much cheaper price tag. The 

best of both worlds as they 

say - with top performance and 

comfort. It’s a user friendly R1, 

that is able to switch mindsets 

with you, from cool, calm, relaxed 

to hooligan on the loose! 

The MT-10 is set to hit Yamaha 

dealers at the end of June with a 

price tag of R229,900, which sounds 

like a lot, and it is, but then again “cheap” 

is no longer a word we can really use in 

the sports bike 

market anymore... 


RACING BUG 

Their is a new disease out there - it’s called the racing bug and 

Zenon has been bitten badly. So, how does one go about finding 

a cure for this? Well, you go race a KTM RC390 in the Northern 

Regions championship. Words: Zenon Pics: Simon Morton, Eric Buijs & others 

So, if racing is on your bucket list but 

it’s just to expensive to do, then we 

have found the answer - The KTM RC 

390 cup is the cheapest form of road 

racing in SA at the moment. 

The bikes are pretty cheap at only 

R52,999 in road trim, the race bike 

costs R69,999 with a set of tyres 

lasting several race meetings, and 

if you do happen to chuck it down 

the road, parts are not expensive to 

replace. If this is still daunting, but I 

have your attention, you could always 

become a “rent a racer” like I did for 

the round 3 of the Super GP Nationals 

and Regionals at Zwartkops recently. 

You heard me, you can actually rent 

a KTM RC 390 race bike and go 

race in the RC 390 cup that runs 

alongside the Nationals and Regional 

championships. 

RAD Moto have 10 bikes available 

at each race meeting, that come with 

tyres, fuel and a mechanic to help out 

with setup. For a mere R2500, you get 

to be Vale for an entire weekend, that’s 

3 practice heats, a qualifying and then 

2 races. That’s a steal in my books. 

Friday came and I was a mess, the 

nerves, anxiety and excitement were all 

rolled into one, I think I got about two 

hours sleep the night before. 

Saturday and it was off to the track. 

I was lucky enough to have Rob with 

me to give me a helping hand and calm 

my nerves. We arrived at the track 

and there in the front of the KTM pits 

stood my ride for the weekend, proudly 

showing off RF on the number board. 

Next to my bike was the ZA bikers 

machine, and for a split second I was 

excited to think I would have a journo’s 

battle on my hand. Until Rob mentioned 

that Clifford Ogle was a regular in the 

Thunderbikes series. I was the only 

one in the seniors that had never raced 

before, but I was not deterred. 

Since KTM SA and Rad Moto 

launched this very successful series, 

which is also run all over the world 

alongside many other national 

championships like Moto America and 


STANDARD 

RC MADNESS 

YOURS FOR 

R 38,999 

YOURS FOR 

R 52,999 

KTM RC 125 

KTM RC 39O 

With race-inspired Moto3 genes, all RC bikes share the same pure philosophy – 

clean lines, fully faired, aerodynamic, aggressive design with standard ABS for 

safety. Don’t miss out! Offer on current 2015 models valid while stocks last. Includes 

free two year KTM Roadside Assistance. T’s and C’s apply. 

Phone 011 462 7796 for our nearest KTM dealer and test ride an RC today! 

KTM Group Partner

British SuperBikes to name a few. I 

have had this on my bucket list for 

a long, long time and it was now 

about to be ticked off. 

The KTM RC 390 cup is split 

into two categories - The Juniors, 

who are a National championship 

and serious racers and then the 

seniors, for the guys just wanting to 

go out and have fun. But don’t be 

fooled, there were some hardcore 

battles out on track when it came 

to race day. 

For the 20 minute practice 

sessions, the seniors, juniors 

and 250 cup riders all went out 

together. For my first few laps, 

I just got used to the bike, then 

it was time to find the correct 

lines around the track. I’ve ridden 

Zwartkops before but never at race 

pace so I had a lot to learn. 

After another two practice 

sessions, it was time to qualify and 

Rob gave me some more advice, 

something along the lines of “open 

the throttle and don’t brake”, and 

it worked as I cut my times down 

by almost 6 seconds after the 

qualifying was done and dusted. I 

was happy and it was time to go 

home and catch up on some sleep. 

Sunday morning was race 

day, and what a way to wake 

the senses as I made my way 

to Zwartkops on the new 2016 

Kawasaki H2 (more on this bike in 

the mag). If that didn’t wake me up 

and get the nerves all fired up then 

nothing would. 

Saturdays practice and 

qualifying was in the baking hot 

summer sun, raceday was another 

story, it was overcast and freezing, 

panic now set in as I did not have 

any tyre warmers and hadn’t 

bothered the day before as it was 

so hot. Luckily, uncle Gil from 

Emtek Racing borrowed me a set 

and my bike was looking rather 

factory all wrapped up. 

Warm-up came and I opted not 

to go out, there was no way I was 

taking my KTM beanie off of my 

freezing bald head. 

11am and it was time for 

heat one for the senior RC390 

competitors. Despite the horrible 

weather, it was great to see so many 

spectators on the grand stands 

and embankments, I think Brad’s 

superb win the weekend before had 

something to do with that. 

I was last on the grid and not 

fazed at all as I was about to go 

racing, and that’s all that mattered. 

The flag dropped and I chased 

after the pack in front of me, by 

end of lap one, the field had pulled 

a gap on me but I didn’t have 

a care in the world, I was doing 

something I had always dreamed 

of doing and having the time of 

my life. I have no idea how many 

laps we did, but I did get passed 

by the front runners and it was 

awesome to see KTM marketing 

manager Riaan Neveling, and RAD 

Moto man Dave Griffin, fly passed 

me while they were elbowing each 

other into turn one, all a show of 

course, “so they told me”. 

Riaan took heat one with Dave a 

split second behind him. 

After our race was over, I was 

able to go and watch how the real 

boys race, and now that I have 

experienced racing from the track 

side of the fence, I truly have a new 

found respect for the likes of Seller, 

Scholtz, Odendaal and the rest of 

the National guys and girls, fast, 

really fast! 

When I was going through 

turn 4, I was flat out on the KTM, 

compared to the bigger boys 

I looked like I was looking for 

parking. And later in the day Seller 

and a few others crashed in that 

same corner and they were flat 

out.... scary stuff! 

After what seemed to be an 

eternity, heat two was up and again 

I was back of the pack when the 

race got underway. One thing I 

have to comment on is the almost 

gentleman like manner that the 

guys actually overtook me. Unlike 

some guys in B group at your 

regular track days. No bombing 

or cutting my front wheel off, just 

clean overtaking, which made the 

experience that more enjoyable. 

So, if by now you haven’t rung 

up a few mates to come and rent 

a RC 390 with you, what the hell 

are you waiting for? This is the 

cheapest form of racing out there 

so come and give it a go. 

You can also buy a fully setup 

race bike from KTM SA or RAD 

Moto 011 608 3006. The bikes 

come equipped with ACC Billet 

aftermarket rear sets, handlebars 

and loads of other race goodies. 

The race bike new fully kitted out from RAD Moto ready to race will 

cost you R69 999, this includes all the below extra’s: 

Full Fairing Kit • Rear sets • Clip On’s • Top Yoke • Fuel Cap 

Race Matt • Paddock Stand • Fully assembled 

Race Tyre are R4730 for the set, front and rear Pirelli SC1’s, and they 

should last at least 3 race meeting, depending on how hard you ride. 

Riaan from KTM telling Zen to go flat out... 


in association with 

WHEELIES BY THE 

MOUNTAIN 

The newly formed XDL South Africa National stunt championship headed to Cape Town for round 2 action. 

Words: Gordon Stewart 

The second round of the XDL series 

was held in Cape Town at the 

Killarney Raceway, with cold, wet and 

windy weather greeting the riders 

on the Friday for free practice. Things got 

off to a slow start, but by the end of the 

afternoon the riders had adapted and there 

was some serious stunting happening. 

It was clear to see that there had been a 

few hours put into practicing from the last 

round, and that there were definitely some 

new tricks to see. 

Saturday started early, with some 

concerns about the surface of the track. 

It was decided that there would be no 

Burnout or All-star challenge at this round, 

but that the riders could do there burnouts 

in there XDL cup runs. Been made aware 

again of NO static Burnouts. 

In the morning at official practice 

session, the riders started to get used 

to the conditions. It was clear that it was 

going to be a perfect day for stunt riding. 

A large crowed had started to form and 

they were enjoying all the shenanigans that 

goes with free practice. 

The first event of the day was the 

Chemrotech Last man standing Circle 

wheelie challenge. In the event it was 

amazing to see all 7 entries on their back 

wheel at the same time in such a small 

space. The winner was our new entry 

from Cape Town Louis Rossouw on his 

Kawasaki ZX 6, with Deren McDuling 

second and Gareth Larson in third. 

The MJW Electrical Longest Endo was 

run next and this had all the riders pushing 

it to the limits. It was clear that there had 

been some serious practice put in, as was 

evident with some of the practice photos 

that were seen on Facebook, the nerves 

were once again a factor in the event, 

but not for the winner of the event Gareth 

Larson who showed that the win in the 

first round was no fluke. Gareth’s winning 

distance with a 30 meter run up was 28.5 

meters on the front wheel, second place 

belonged to Adolf Pretorius and third place 

was taken by Deren McDuling 

The XDL Cup Qualifier was next. This 

saw the riders getting themselves ready 

and making sure that all the settings on 

the bike were right. The Vaal boys were 

struggling to get the rev settings on their 

bikes set due to the air pressure and so 

the Cape Town riders were enjoying the 

fact that they had found their power that 

was lost when they were up in Gauteng. 

The riders put up a good showing for 

what was to come, the grid for the XDL 

Cup was eventually In First place Deren, 

Second place Yukon, Third Place Ulrich, 

Fourth place Gareth, Fifth place Adolf and 

in Sixth place Addie. 

The XDL Cup did not disappoint, we 

were treated to the best sportsbike stunt 

riding in SA, the riders had definitely gone 

home from the last event and upped their 

game. The runs were far more aggressive 

and there were a whole lot of new tricks 

on show. The Final winner on the day was 

Yukon Stewart. Yukon had realized that 

the competition was close so he needed 

to bring something new and fast. Yukon’s 

circle wheelie combos were smooth and 

controlled, and his control of the clutch, 

brake and throttle is getting better at every 

event. We saw Yukon doing some Frogger 

circle wheelies that amazed the big 

crowed, and he really showed confidence 

with his no hander wheelies. His burnout 

section of his run was exciting and his 

drifts in both direction were low and fast, 

in all a very exciting and aggressive run 

that earned him the victory. In second 

place we saw Deren McDuling take full 

advantage of being in his home town. 

With a large following in the crowd, Deren 

once again put on an amazing run, proving 

that his smaller bike is not so much of 

a disadvantage. Deren’s combos were 

well controlled and smooth, his transition 

between trick was easy and it was clear 

that Deren has full control over his bike. 

Deren’s high chair wheelies were good to 

see and his endos were long and high. 

In the end the smaller bike was just too 


much of a disadvantage. Deren needs to 

get himself on a 600cc. In Third place we 

saw Ulrich Klingenberg, proving that he is 

very consistent. Once again it was clear 

that nerves and the bike settings were 

unsettling Ulrich, as he just could not find 

his smooth rhythm, that been said it was 

obvious that Ulrich had put the time in, 

In practice, as he showed probably one 

of the longest no hander wheelies of the 

day. Ulrich’s spreader wheelies gave us a 

glimpse of how smooth and slow Ulrich 

can get, with some of his wheelies almost 

coming to a stop. Ulrich seemed to bring 

the front end who’s he had at Red Star 

with him, as his endo’s were just not up to 

his high standard. His burnouts were very 

nice and low and fast. 

The final event of the day was the 

Dunlop Sickest trick. This event was done 

as the final event, as the riders indicated 

that they were going to push the envelope 

and falls were expected. In First place we 

saw Ulrich do an Acid Drop, this had the 

big crowd on their feet cheering. The trick 

is when a rider stands up straight on his 

tank while the bike is going forward, then 

without bending down he just drops down 

onto his tank in a high chair position and 

continues to ride on. A REALLY scary 

trick… and it was well enjoyed by his 

fellow riders. In second place 

we saw Yukon pull off his 

Frogger Circle wheelie, but only 

after he had a big crash on the 

first attempt . The skill level of 

this trick was well appreciated 

by the crowed and his fellow 

riders. In Third place we saw 

Louis pull off a nice sit down 

no hander wheelie, we had 

been watching him try this trick 

during the free practice and he 

nailed it when it counted. 

The riders have definitely accepted the 

challenge of the Competition series and 

the standard of the stunting has definitely 

improved, with new sponsor Henderson 

Racing Products acknowledging the 

commitment of the riders and awarding 

Gareth Larson with an EVS Sponsor 

contract, thank you Mark, and well done 

Gareth, you deserve it. 

Trick explanation of the month: Endo:- 

This is when the rider accelerates and then 

applies enough force on the front brakes to 

cause the back wheel to lift in the air and 

keep the bike rolling in that position for as 

long as possible. There are a lot of variations 

on this trick, High, chair, 50/50, stripper 

and there are even some riders doing 

switchback endos, at this moment the 360 

endo bunyhop wheelie is the hot trick. 

Thank you to Jochem and his son for 

taking photo’s for the day. Also to Chantel, 

our XDL photographer. 

Thank you to our Sponsors once again, 

for helping make our event the huge 

success it is: Red Bull, Dunlop, MJW 

Electrical, Chemrotech, Amtec Service 

Centre, AMP, Full Throttle, HRP(EVS), 

Nexo Sport, Extreme Grafix and of course 

Ridefast Magazine. 


SPORTBIKE MAGAZINE 

RF magazine play.indd 1006 

2014/12/27 8:44 AM

Valentino Rossi 

MUGELLO 2016 

Pic by GP-Fever.de

SILLY 

M O T O G P 

SEASON 

There has been so much speculation around 

who is going where in next years MotoGP 

championship. The puzzle is starting to take 

shape but there are still some missing pieces. 

Words David Emmett Pics GP-Fever.de 


Vinales is going to be 

a big threat for the 

title on the Yamaha 

After the drama and speculation at Le 

Mans, it will be Maverick Viñales who 

will join Valentino Rossi in the Movistar 

Yamaha team in 2017. 

The reports pegging Dani Pedrosa 

for the seat alongside Rossi turn out 

to have been wrong, despite coming 

from highly credible sources. 

In the middle of May, Spanish 

magazine website Solomoto 

reported that Viñales flew to Milan to 

sign the contract at Yamaha Motor 

Racing headquarters in Gerno di 

Lesmo, a stone’s throw from the 

Monza circuit. 

Solomoto’s report was followed by 

a deluge of other Spanish news sites 

reporting the same facts, though citing 

different sources. This made it more 

likely that the news really was true 

this time, and that Viñales had indeed 

signed with Yamaha and the very next 

day the news broke and it was official. 

The deal will see Viñales sign for 

two years alongside Rossi, with the 

announcement made on the Thursday 

before the Mugello GP. 

The fact that Viñales was to 

be in Thursday’s pre-event press 

conference at Mugello could have 

tipped us off to the news, but the 

Suzuki rider’s podium at Le Mans – 

his first in MotoGP, and the first for a 

Suzuki since 2009 – was a legitimate 

reason to have Viñales in the room. 

Yamaha and Vinales inked a deal 

for 2017 and 2018 and it looks like 

Valentino Rossi will be, in a way, 

teaching Vinales what he can do to 

make sure Iwata’s future is secured 

after his retirement. Looking back at 

how rarely Yamaha changes its riders, 

we dare say that Vinales will spend 

many seasons in that seat, especially 

if he becomes a rider as good as 

everybody expects. 

Being 21 and part of a team as 

strong as Yamaha, riding the best bike 

on the grid and with a bright future 

ahead, we guess that great things will 

come from this collaboration. 

RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2016 3 5

Who is Deep Throat? 

So what happened to all the talk of Dani 

Pedrosa to Yamaha? That is an intriguing 

tale, but one which we have yet to get to 

the bottom of. Both MCN and El Pais are 

reputable publications, not given to baseless 

speculation, and so they must have had 

their sources. 

Who those sources were would reveal a 

lot about the forces involved in the deal. 

The most logical explanation is that 

sources inside Yamaha leaked the link up 

with Pedrosa, as a way to force Viñales into 

making a decision. 

When the prettiest girl in the room asks 

you to dance, it is unwise to dillydally, and 

a public flirtation with Pedrosa may have 

been Yamaha’s way of forcing Viñales to 

make up his mind. 

But it could also have been a ploy by 

Suzuki, to try to persuade Viñales to stay 

with them for next year, by giving the 

Spaniard the impression that he was not 

necessarily Yamaha’s first choice. 

It could have been a bargaining chip by 

people close to Dani Pedrosa, to make HRC 

more aware of the Spanish veteran’s value 

to the Repsol Honda team. 

It could even have been Dorna getting 

involved, wanting either Viñales to stay at 

Suzuki to fulfill the fairytale, or Suzuki to go 

to Yamaha to add a fifth potential winner to 

the line up of MotoGP victors. 

All that is speculation, however, which 

we fill in to suit our own beliefs and logic. In 

reality, only a few people will ever know the 

truth. Journalists do not reveal their sources, 

even when those sources have not proven 

to be reliable. 

Forever Repsol 

Viñales’ move to Yamaha leaves Dani 

Pedrosa stuck at Honda. In May, the Repsol 

Honda team announced that Pedrosa 

will stay with the Repsol Honda team 

for another two years, almost certainly 

alongside Marc Márquez. 

Pedrosa has been with Honda since he 

entered Grand Prix racing in 2001. He is a 

proven winner, and capable of challenging 

for a title, though so far, he has been unable 

to win one, coming closest in 2012, when he 

finished just 18 points short of Jorge Lorenzo. 

He is, quite simply, the best option 

Repsol Honda have, though given the 

intensely physical nature of riding the 

RC213V, you have to question whether the 

reverse is also true. 

Viñales’ departure left a vacancy at the 

ECSTAR Suzuki team. Ideally, Suzuki would 

have liked to keep Viñales, and contractually, 

they could have done so, as they had an 

option on him for a third season. 

However, team boss Davide Brivio 

realizes that keeping a rider against his will 

is pointless. It only breeds resentment in the 

team, and leaves the rider looking for a way 

out at the earliest opportunity. That detracts 

from his focus on the racing, and that is bad 

for everyone. 

Viñales’ role in Suzuki was to be the 

up-and-coming young rider capable of 

taking the storied marque to race wins, and 

perhaps even to championships. 

He was to be the new Kevin Schwantz 

(a role he has now forfeited). Ideally, Suzuki 

would want to replace him with a similar 

rider, but the list of candidates capable of 

doing just that is alarmingly short. 

Experience beats youth as Iannone 

signs for Suzuki 

The two most obvious candidates to take 

the empty Suzuki seat were Alex Rins 

and Andrea Iannone, this made more ripe 

after Dovi was confirmed as Lorenzo’s 

team-mate at Ducati for 2017. Iannone’s 

manager, Carlo Pernat, had already hinted 

at an offer from the Japanese factory, 

before it was officially announced on 

thurday the 19th May. 

A few days after Vinales was announced 

to be leaving Suzuki for Yamaha, Suzuki 

and Iannone’s future together became 

official, with the Italian replacing Vinales 

aboard one of the two Ecstar GSX-RR 

machines. Again, the deal eyes having 

Iannone as a factory rider for 2017 and 

2018, and this is a significant detail. 

It reveals that all the factory teams have 

a strong belief in their new riders, as each 

of the new deals is a classic two-year 

contract. While this is entirely expectable for 

the top dogs, seeing even the non-aliens 

getting the same treatment tells a bit about 

how much the respective manufacturers 

trust their moves. 

Of course, there may be some clause for 

a contract foreclosure after a season, like Cal 

Crutchlow had when he moved at Ducati, 

but looking at how good the new machines 

are, we’d rather say that it will not be the 

case to see one of these riders leaving their 

new teams because of the bikes. 

Herve Poncharal’s, team Tech 3 

manager, indicated that Iannone would be 

better off in the position of the top rider 

at Suzuki than play the second fiddle in 

another team, and this is exactly what 

happened. 


Suzuki have snatched 

up a really talented 

rider for 2017. Excited 

to see Iannone on the 

Suzuki machine... 

2016 may be one of the most frantic 

years we had in MotoGP in quite a 

long time, but it looks like what’s next 

is going to be even more thrilling, 

especially as both Suzuki and Ducati are 

growing stronger and more competitive. 

Yamaha are now trying to tie Rins 

down to a contract, but the Spaniard 

does not want to spend time in the 

Tech 3 Yamaha satellite team, preferring 

to wait for a factory ride. That would 

leave him to choose between Suzuki, 

KTM, and Aprilia – with Suzuki clearly 

the most competitive of the three. 

Suzuki could contemplate signing 

both Rins and Iannone, but that would 

leave Aleix Espargaro out in the cold. 

Espargaro has a wealth of experience 

on MotoGP machinery, and has been 

the driving force behind developing the 

Suzuki GSX-RR. 

Replacing Espargaro would leave 

Suzuki with two – or possibly three – 

new riders on their bike. 

Open Questions 

That also raises the question of Johann 

Zarco. The Frenchman already has a 

contract with Suzuki, but the details of 

it are still vague. Zarco is to race in the 

Suzuka 8-Hours race for the Japanese 

factory, and he is to test the MotoGP 

bike. Whether that means he will be 

racing a Suzuki in MotoGP in 2017 is still 

unclear. 

The one place where Zarco could 

end up is on a satellite Suzuki. There are 

credible reports that Lucio Cecchinello is 

talking to Suzuki about dropping Honda 

and becoming a satellite Suzuki team. 

The crippling fees Honda are still 

asking for the RC213V remains an 

issue for LCR, and Suzuki could be 

a better deal. That would be a tough 

decision for Cecchinello, however, as the 

LCR Honda team boss has remained 

loyal to HRC since he first entered 

MotoGP with Casey Stoner back 

in 2006. 

There is a good chance that 

LCR Honda will remain just that. 

Cal Crutchlow is said to be 

close to extending his deal 

with LCR, which would 

mean remaining with 

Honda. 

For the moment, 

much of this is 

speculation, as the 

more serious part 

of Silly Season 

is starting to 

get underway. 

Negotiations had 

already begun at 

Mugello, with several more 

contracts likely to be tied up 

not long after. 

Then, the focus will 

switch to the satellite 

teams. The silliest of 

Silly Seasons is set to 

run for a while, which 

makes things exciting. 

Where will Zarco 

go in 2017? 


EXCLUSIVE RACE COLUMN 

BRAD BINDER: MOTO3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 

The last couple of months have been a 

huge roller coaster for me. I have been 

training harder than ever trying to keep both 

my mind and body fit and fresh. Heading 

into the Mugello race, my confidence was 

at full tilt after winning the last 2 races at 

Jerez and LeMans. I was so happy to finally 

get my first win in Moto3 at Jerez. Never 

thought my first win would come from the 

back of the gird like that but it did make it 

that much more special. To then back it up 

with another win at LeMans was such a 

great feeling. 

I knew that going into Mugello it would 

be so much harder, as the long straight 

really does make things interesting, but my 

KTM is so fast so I was confident. 

The Friday practise started in mixed 

conditions thanks to overnight rainfall. I 

managed to post the 4th fastest time at 

the end of the day, and both myself and 

the team had worked hard on getting a 

good setup for the race distance, and 

especially a good gearing ratio to help with 

the speed down the long front straight. 

I felt very strong from the beginning and 

was able to ride fast with tyres that were a 

little worn. I was battling a bit with turning 

the bike, so we still had some work to do 

heading into qualifying on Saturday. 

In the final free practise session before 

qualifying, I had a huge highside crash 

coming out of turn 14, badly damaging my 

KTM in the process. I was a bit battered 

and bruised but nothing too serious. I had 

to miss the remainder of the session, so 

was a bit down heading into qualifying. 

I did suffer with a bit of pain in my neck 

after the crash but was still happy with the 

setup of the bike, not only for a fast lap but 

also for race distance. I managed to put my 

KTM 4th on the grid despite heavy traffic in 

qualifying, which did hamper me a bit. 

Sunday morning and after some pain 

killers and a good nights rest I was feeling 

a bit better than the previous day, and 

confident in myself and the setup of my bike. 

I got a good launch off the start and 

forced my way up to 3rd going into turn 

one. My strategy for the race was to try and 

keep and close to the front as possible. 

I knew that if I was pushed back to far it 

would be hard to fight back. My KTM was 

fast and we got the gearing perfect so I 

could gain big momentum in the final parts 

of the front straight, and could brake really 

late going into turn one. 

My plans soon had to change 

though. The race was absolutely 

crazy, because we were exchanging 

positions all the time and it was very 

difficult to carry out my strategy. It did 

feel a bit dangerous at times, with 10 of 

us all fighting for the same piece of tarmac 

going into turn one. I was hit on a couple of 

occasion but just focused on keeping my 

emotions in check and my concentration 

up but it was really hard. 

Going into the final couple of laps I knew 

I had a good pace, and that if I could get 

to the front on the final lap I could go on 

and win. It’s always hard to try and ride 

fast while trying to defend, but I just gave 

it my all and managed to pull off my 3rd 

win in a row. It was a fantastic feeling and 

I can’t thank my team enough for all the 

hard work. It was a tough weekend but we 

managed to come out with another win and 

extend my lead in the championship. I know 

that there is still plenty work to do and will 

continue to work hard on and off the track 

to bring home more wins and points. 

Big thanks to all for the messages and 

support! Really does mean so much to me. 

Thanks to uncle Rob and RideFast 

magazine for always supporting me and 

giving me such great coverage, and now 

for also doing some really cool shirts and 

hoodies. So cool! 

Cheers for now, Brad #41 

Pic by GP-Fever.de 


Brad Binder 

(Proudly wears 

TCX Boots) 

Currently 

1st Place 

2016 Moto3 

Race Division 

FEATURING 

P.F.A.S. 

Precise Fit Air System: 

The system comprises an air 

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TEL: 011 244 1900 

127 River Road, Riverside Business Park, Kyalami (next to Kyalami Racetrack) 

Dealer Enquiries Welcome 

Visit our website:


The new 2016 Kawasaki Ninja H2 Supercharged beast has just arrived in SA, and we 

got to test it first. The best just got better! Words & pics: Rob Portman 

To the delight of all sportsbike 

nutters, Kawasaki announced 

towards the end of 2015 that its 

flagship Ninja H2R and Ninja H2 models 

will return for 2016. Both bikes are 

now available in a new Mirror Coated 

Spark Black finish, and the road-going 

H2 benefits from the addition of a new 

assist/slipper clutch for reduced lever 

effort and better fuelling. 

The world first got a taste of the 

marvel that is the Supercharged H2 at 

the end of 2014, and we got to test the 

bike for the first time at the beginning 

of 2015. 

To say we were blown away is a 

complete understatement. The bike 

delivered what we expected and so 

much more. Really did take the market 

by storm and left others scratching 

their heads wondering why they did not 

release something similar. 

Since then however, other 

manufacturers are now rushing to 

get their own supercharged versions 

out, with the likes of Suzuki and BMW 

rumoured to be releasing models soon. 

But, Kawasaki will always be in the 

record books as the first to release a 

road going mass produced model. 


42 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2016 

There was hardly anything that Kawasaki 

could improve when it comes to the H2, 

simply because the machine is the result 

of a painstaking engineering effort 

that involved multiple branches of 

Kawasaki Heavy Industries. 

Aeronautics, industrial 

engineering, and more departments 

have put their best men at the 

disposal of the Ninja H2/H2R project, 

and each branch delivered its peak 

expertise and solutions to deliver a 

motorcycle engineered, if possible, to 

perfection. 

We are almost a year into the life of the new H2 

family and no recalls or major problems have been 

signalled. Some of the motorcycles launched at the 

same time have already been recalled to fix problems 

that are, truth be told, almost inherent in any firstgeneration 

new bikes. 

Some say that the low Ninja H2 and H2R volumes 

that made it to the street and track, respectively mean 

that these bikes will take longer to prove their reliability 

and durability. This point makes sense, so we are glad 

that Kawasaki decided to heed the customers and 

manufacture more units from both series in 2016.

As mentioned earlier, the Ninja H2 will 

be available with a slightly different livery 

for 2016. Mirror Coated Spark Black 

replaces the darkened silver mirror of the 

initial model. Still flamboyant and definitely 

a strong head-tuning factor for the Ninja 

H2. This new finish doesn’t quite scream 

“Bling” as loud as the previous model, 

which really did look like a customised job 

with that oh so striking sparkly green frame 

and highlights. To be perfectly honest, 

looking at the new 2016 colours up close it 

is gorgeous, but I think replacing the green 

with grey does somewhat take away the 

“custom/limited” factor. The green really 

did give it that exclusive look and the grey 

just doesn’t have the same appeal for me. 

Having said that, the H2 is still a real looker 

and gets all eyes on it wherever you go. 

To test this monumental motorcycle, 

there was only one place to test it - The 

Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria. 

The iconic setting was the ideal testing 

grounds for this iconic motorcycle. 

The tight and twisty narrow roads 

surrounding the monument were a treat 

on this superb handling machine. To the 

naked eye, the H2 looks heavy and bulky, 

and a mission to get around corners but 

it’s actually the complete opposite. It 

flicks from right to left with ease and the 

Brembo stoppers, as always, work like a 

charm. Having so much power available 

at a split seconds notice makes the ride 

even more intoxicating. 

The new assist/slipper clutch added to 

the bike for 2016 really is a gem. I didn’t 

feel anything wrong with the previous 

model until I rode the new one. The 

clutch is so much smoother and easier 

to operate. The same can be said for 

the throttle response and acceleration. 

Kawasaki have played a bit with the 

fuelling of the bike and it certainly does 

feel smoother through the rev range. The 

previous model did have a slight flat spot 

at low rpm and the throttle did sometimes 

feel a bit choppy. 

I hesitate to say that the 2016 H2 

is the “Perfect Motorcycle”, as I don’t 

know if such a thing exists but the bike 

is that good. But you don’t have to take 

my word for it, read what “The Singh”, 

rider with a lot of experience on the 2015 

model has to say... 


Some say that he can ride a GS in his sleep because 

it is too slow for the road, while others say that 

he once befriended an Angry Bird and now it lives 

with him, all we know is that he reached 299 on the 

H2 and he still had a gear to go... 

THE SINGH SAYS: 

I sometimes ponder whether there 

are people at 

the final product 

testing station that 

actually purposefully 

want to annoy possible 

customers. The 2015 

H2 is a beautiful 

scintillating monster, the 

rich mirror like paint with its 

smatterings of silver turned 

heads everywhere you went. 

The trellis frame with its sparkling 

green colour added just enough 

to let you know that it was a 

Kawasaki product. 

The 2016 bike is a probably 

a testament to EL James as 

it really has many shades of 

grey in its glittering paintwork, 

from a grey frame to grey 

rims and other grey black 

bits. This has made the bike 

rather dull. As their flagship 

road bike, one would really 

think that there would be some sort 

of dynamic individualism added to 

make it stand out. In direct sunlight it 

looks like a glitter ball from Saturday 

Night Fever days but in the shade, 

well, it’s the movie adaptation of the 

novel, it has very little visual appeal. 

That is the only negative 

comment I have about the H2 for 

this review. 

The ergonomics of the bike have 

remained unchanged, the finish, 

apart from the colour is still that of 

an executive motorbike. From the 

classy key to the texture of the seat, 

this bike reminds you that it is not 

just another superbike. It exudes an 

aura of exclusivity and finesse that is 

hard to ignore. 

There has been much talk 

about the subtle changes that have 

been added to this bike and after 

spending a long time on it, this was 

the bike that Kawasaki should have 

released last year. For those of you 

that remember the first generation 


“The acceleration still feels like you have the space 

shuttle’s booster rockets strapped to your ass and 

is relentless. It pushes you so hard that when you 

brake you have to wait for your soul to catch up.” 

RR’s, my analogy will make sense. 

The 2010 S1000RR’s were a savage 

blend of frightening power, precise 

handling and no traction control. 

Yes, the first few had no traction 

aids, just a quick shifter and the 

rider’s skills, The bike offered 

devastating power that blew 

away all competition but it also 

pushed your survival skills to the 

limits. The first generation H2 was 

like that BMW. The throttle was 

snatch and brutal, you were either, 

accelerating, stopping or turning, 

there was no option for cruising 

and admiring the scenery. 

The fuelling was imprecise and 

although nothing caught you it was 

not an easy bike to ride through 

corners or just civilly. All of these 

challenges can easily be fixed with 

aftermarket fuelling modules, just 

make sure the person fitting it knows 

what they are doing. 

The 2016 H2 feels faster, 

smoother and easier to ride slowly. 

This was put to the test today when 

the N1 was closed and they diverted 

traffic through Old Joburg Road and 

I spent an hour and a half in bumper 

to bumper immovable traffic trying 

desperately to get past. On a side 

note, in traffic, fold the wing mirrors 

back, they tend to scratch things. 

Like other motorists cars. 

The acceleration still feels like you 

have the space shuttle’s booster 

rockets strapped to your ass and is 

relentless. It pushes you so hard that 

when you brake you have to wait for 

your soul to catch up. If none of you 

have ridden one, there is nothing on 

earth that feels like this bike at full 

thrust. It truly is breathtaking and 

makes everything seem a tad sedate 

after riding it. 

One thing that stood out for me 

was the smoothness of the quick 

shifter, effortless and precise. Low 

speed or full throttle it just flowed 

through the gears without any 

jerkiness or issues. On the other hand 

the 2016 ZX10R unit felt like some 

Jonway designer had been let loose 

on the gear-box. Very strange how 

one quick-shifter can be perfect and 

the other one needs a an overhaul. 


The brakes bite hard enough to 

push your eyeballs out their sockets 

and the 2016 definitely has a more 

controlled and less spongy feel to it. 

This issue can be easily resolved on 

the older models with an upgrade to 

5.1 fluid. The bike also runs cooler, I 

was in 1st gear traffic for almost 30 

min and the engine was constantly 

being calmed without the family 

jewels being incinerated. 

Amazingly they have also 

improved the fuel consumption, the 

older bike drank more than most 

bikers at a rally and each long trip 

meant almost double the number 

of stops if you rode the bike hard. 

And, realistically how can you ride 

this bike slowly? Perhaps if you 

conserving tyres you have to. 

The standard tyres grip like 

prestik but will be destroyed in a 

matter of a few hundred kilometres. 

My rather large friend managed to 

toast his back tyre in 800km, but he 

weighs almost as much as the H2, 

so it’s understandable. 

The 2016 Kawasaki H2 is a 

brilliant, masterfully updated bike. 

It is still savage in its appeal and 

faster then the exchange rate. It 

will make you smile every time you 

turn the ignition and will still draw 

the most crowds at any location. 

The colour unfortunately is not 

for me and detracts from the 

futuristic lines of the beast. 

The price tag of the bike has 

sadly made it a true rich man’s 

toy, and unless there is a 

drastic rebate or the 

rand improves, it will not 

be affordable for most 

bikers out there. 

RATINGS: 

Heat 9 

Steering 8 

Fuel 8 (considering 

its supercharged) 

Acceleration 10 

Throttle 10 

Traffic 9 (after today respect) 

Servicing 9 

(compared to other brands) 

Lights 9 (with brights on please) 

Wind 9 (cant even see Rob when 

he tucks behind this screen) 

New Rider (are you kidding) plus 

10 points cause I can 

Total: 91/100 


Some say that if you look carefully, 

he is always trying to overtake 

you, even if you are just out for a 

walk, others say that all lottery 

tickets have his initials on them, 

we don’t know how true that is but 

the Singh took two R1’s for a spin 

and here are his comments. 


YAMAHA 

ROAD TEST 

R1 & R1M 

Part 2 of our Sportsbike road test sees 

“The Singh” put the Yamaha R1 and 

R1M through their paces out on our 

tough everyday SA roads. 

Firstly, I would like to thank all my family 

members for their invaluable support, 

my children and work colleagues for all 

their patience and that helpful car guard named 

Frik, oh wait, what am I saying? I have not 

won anything but after riding the R1M it feels 

as if I need to thank somebody for having the 

opportunity to ride it. 

As this is a dual bike test, it is important 

to note the differences between the two 

bikes, before going into the subtleties of their 

functionality. 

The Yamaha R1M, at a price tag of R330K, 

has tons of authentic carbon, an expensively 

advanced electronic Ohlin’s suspension and a 

pricey data logger for mapping those hard to 

master tracks. This price is subject to stock 

levels because once this shipment is sold out, 

the new 2016 R1Ms will cost like R400k. 

The carbon bits are all beautifully 

constructed and although there are local carbon 

suppliers, the imported stuff is just in a different 

class and aesthetically you can see it. 

The colour is listed on the website as 

carbon, to me the M looks silver, but maybe 

the palette in the East is slightly slanted, 

but at least the R1 has the word blue in its 

description, so I am not completely off track. 

“From the moment you depress the red 

starter button, the cross plane engine 

splutters, gurgles and ignites into life. It 

promises a new adventure from the house 

of the tuning forks and with 40hp more 

than its predecessor does not disappoint.” 


Both bikes have four power 

modes and all the usual electronic 

aids, the R1 excels against its 

opposition by having not only 

traction control, wheelie control and 

launch control but also including 

slide control into this stunning 

package. The R1 electronics 

intervene with a silky smoothness 

that makes you feel that it’s actually your skill 

that’s doing all these miraculous manoeuvres 

and not the ECU that is processing 125 

different bits of information per second. 

Hence my series of accolades from above. 

I chose to ride both bikes in power 

mode 1 for a while, and power 2 for a few 

hundred kms. One thing that is immediately 

apparent on the bikes is the excellent 

fueling that is present in this engine. 

From slow traffic to rapid overtaking, the 

smoothness of combustion is evident in 

every gearshift. Which asks the question, 

is this the beginning of the end for aftermarket 

fueling systems? 

The quick shifter is engaging, deliberate 

and firm, there is no jerk or hesitation 

through the box, whether at 3000rpm or 11. 

Yamaha have done their research on this 

mechanism and you can feel it consistently, 

unlike other manufacturers, where you end 

up using a normal shifting procedure. 

The bikes are higher than the others 

in this class, and what is apparent is the 

R1M feels rather hard when you sit on it 

but softens on ignition, similar to a new GS, 

it’s a cool feature that had one person who 

sat on the bike remark how stiff it was, until 

the key was turned. Either way the riding 

position is aggressive but with the wider 

seat gives the rider plenty of room to rapidly 

switch direction. 

As the closest corners are Kromdraai, 

that was where I quickly took the M for 

a burst, having ridden the normal R1 in 

the serene mountains of Nelspruit, we 

did not have the bike long enough to try 

that option. Well let’s see, there is still that 

tantalizing Bike of the Year test coming up. 

In power mode 1 the bike is brutal and 

roars thru the rev range with wreck-less 

abandon, the R1 twitches and in moments 

the front end feels light and the electronics 

reel it in and bring it under control. The R1M 

is similar except there is no headshake 

and the suspension just soaks up the 

spurt of acceleration with infinite patience. 

Although close, the superiority of the R1M 

suspension is felt through hard acceleration 

and nut crushing braking. Remember 

though, that both these bikes are at the 

pinnacle of technology so this sublime 

but detectable stability is indistinguishable 

against other bikes in this class. 

In Power mode 2, its way easier to ride 

with less rapacious power and a generally 

smoother power band. Make no mistake, 

the venom in the tail end of the rev range is 

tangible the moment you twist that throttle. 

It’s far less destructive then mode 1, but it 

never lets you forget whose boss. 

Both bikes need to be ridden, although a 

passive approach is easily controlled when 

dodging taxis, dogs and the occasional 

freeway hazard, the bikes come alive past 

8000rpm. From the minuscule width of the 

Yamaha’s, to their well placed rear view 

mirrors, they are both extremely easy and 

manageable in traffic. It was demonstrated 

when I stayed behind a Symco scooter for 

a few kms in peak traffic then watched his 

eyes bulge as I waved to him while blitzing 

him with the tornado like roar of the R1M. 

Both bikes had Akrapovic cans on (not the 

prettiest mind you on M but it still sounds 

like an audiophile’s orgasm). 

The bikes handle well at higher speeds 

requiring only a light touch at low speeds 

and a more controlled input past mach 1 ( 

>160). They are two of the quickest turning 

bikes I have ridden in many years and in 

any situation feel lighter than some 600’s I 

have ridden. 

The brakes are superfluous and stop 

the bike with the kind of force that makes 

you endo, although involuntarily, but it looks 

cool and the electronics prevent it from 

tipping over. Unlike a mate of mine who 

grabbed a handful of brakes in the hospital 

parking lot while visiting another buddy who 

had just crashed and dropped it to shock 

of old people in wheel chairs scurrying for 

cover to avoid being run over. To add insult 

to injury, it was another mate’s bike. 

When the 2015 R1 was first released 

at R245K there were many people who 

complained about the price and had lots 

to say. For its time it was almost 13k more 

expensive then the forged rim BMW and 

almost 80K more than the aging ZX10R, 

there was a Honda and Suzuki at some 

point but I cannot seem to remember 

what they looked like or the amazing 

electronics they offered. Anyway, the R1M 

was a staggering R330K but it offered a 

level of exclusivity similar to a Sports car 

like the C63 or M4, with the performance 

of a McLaren P1 at a fraction of the price. 

Considering the Ohlin’s front suspension on 

its own will cost you about 80K. It is well 

worth the investment nlot to mention the 

bragging rights of owning one. 

From the moment you depress the 

red starter button, the cross plane engine 

splutters, gurgles and ignites into life. It 

promises a new adventure from the house 

of the tuning forks and with 40hp more 

than its predecessor does not disappoint. 

It’s a riotous romp of detonation, thrills and 

ominous rumbling from start to finish. 

In the last few months, there have been 

new prices on certain bikes that have 

made grown men cry and rich men flinch, 

how this will affect the second hand sales 

market only the exchange rate will tell. For 

me, the R1M is an exclusive ballistic beauty 

queen packaged with just enough punch 

to exude power without compromising 

performance. The standard R1 is no slouch 

and in my books is by far the best value for 

money coupled with state of the art rider 

aids and devilish good looks that turns 

heads wherever you go and still manages 

to make any average Joe feel like #46. 

RATINGS: R1 

Heat 7 

Steering 9 

Fuel 7 

Acceleration 9 

Throttle 10 

Traffic 10 

Servicing 8 

Lights 9 

Wind 8 

New Rider 6 

Total: 83/100 

RATINGS: R1M 

Heat 7 (way cooler than the 09 variant) 

Steering 9 (nothing much to say it turns on a tieki) 

Fuel 7 (driven economically, very light) 

Acceleration 9 (twist it, I dare you) 

Throttle 10 (hellfire mode 1) 

Traffic 10 (It can engage stealth and follow scooters) 

Servicing 8 (not expensive versus other brands) 

Lights 9 (visually stunning and rather bright) 

Wind 8 

New Rider 6 (don’t leave mode 4!!!) 

Sex Appeal +5 

Total: 88/100 


Hyper 

Adrenaline 

Designed to thrill, styled to drool - Ducati have released two more beauties that have just 

landed in SA and are ready to cause all kinds of mischief out on the roads. Words & pics: Rob Portman 

Ducati have come along way 

over the past 20 years - from 

literally only offering a super bike 

machine and a naked Monster, 

to now having a stable full of models - from 

the all conquering 1299 Panigale super 

bike, to a 400c scrambler and now even 

an adventure bike in the Multistarda Enduro 

- a bike that has already won top spot in 

MCN’s recent adventure bike test. 

Over the next couple of pages we will test 

two new models that have been added 

to the already impressive line up - The 

Hypermotard 939 and XDiavel. 

THE HYPERMOTARD 

A popular model that was added to the 

line-up back in 2005 was the Hypermotard, 

a bike designed by our very own Pierre 

Terblanche. There has been a few 

variations of the Hypermotard over the 

years, from a 1100cc to a 796, and now 

for 2016 it becomes a 939. Ducati saw the 

need for a supermotard styled bike, which 

back in 2005, was a growing sector of the 

market mostly catered-for by the likes of 

KTM and Husqvarna. 

Fast forward 11 years and Ducati have 

now released a couple of variations of their 

Hypermotard - The base 939, the tricked 

out 939SP and the Hyperstrada - a more 

touring styled version. 

Apart from the latest iteration of the 

company’s Testastretta 11-degree twincylinder 

motor, with a maximum of 113 

horsepower (slightly up from the previous 

model’s 110 hp), and a 10 percent increase 

in torque (97.9 Nm @ 7,500 rpm.), the 

Hypermotrad also receives increased 

compression ratio (from 12.8:1 to 13.1:1), 

and a redesigned 2-into-1 exhaust system. 

Elsewhere there are subtler 

changes, namely new LED 

indicators mounted into the 

supermoto-style hand guards, 

plus, in response to feedback 

from owners, the addition of a 

gear indicator in the LCD digital 

console. (a quick-shifter would 

have been nice.) 



The Hypermotard’s chassis is 

unchanged from the previous model, and 

other features such as the Ducati Safety 

Pack, 3-level ABS, traction control and 

riding modes all carry over. The base 

Hypermotard 939 is available in red or 

white, while the SP features Ducati’s 

MotoGP-inspired colour scheme and the 

Hyperstrada is offered in red. 

We have on test here the base model 

939, and as always Ducati know how to 

produce good looking bikes that offer top 

quality parts such as Brembo brakes and 

Sachs suspension. Throw in a always 

reliable Ducati Safety Pack, which includes 

three-level Bosch ABS, eight-level Ducati 

traction control and three riding modes 

(sport, touring and urban), and you have 

a bike that earns it’s place in the market. 

Although not sure if potential buyers of this 

bike will have it in any other mode than 

sport, as it is a bit of a hooligan bike that 

can be used everyday. 

Versatility and personality are the biggest 

selling points of the 939 Hypermotrad. Add 

in the owe so bad attitude styling and you 

have a bike that most sports bike lovers 

would want parked in their garage next to 

their 1000cc super bike. 

It’s a bike that can be used and enjoyed 

in everyday commuting. While it can be 

used on the highway, that’s not what its 

all about. This bike urges you get a bit 

creative with your choice of commute, find 

back roads with the most turns and let 

yourself get a bit reckless. 

The 40km I spent on the highway from 

Sandton to Boksburg was a bit of a pain, 

especially in my neck with the lack of wind 

protection, but once I hit the town things 

got really exciting. 

There is just enough power available on 

the 939, could maybe use a bit more but 

any less would be a disaster. As mentioned 

earlier, three riding modes are available, 

all easily selected via the indicator cancel 

button which interfaces with the LCD 

display. Sport gives the full 113bhp and 

sharpest throttle response with ABS and 

traction control settings to suit. Touring 

is still 114.5hp but with a softer throttle 

response (and softer traction/ABS settings) 

and Urban knocks peak power down to 

76hp with the delivery, throttle response 

etc all softened off further to suit, too. In 

truth, Touring is the best compromise for 

most occasions. Sport is so sharp yet so 

fluffy low down that it only makes sense if 

you’re on a hardcore thrash while Urban 

is so emasculated (albeit with a sweetly 

responsive delivery right across the rev 

range), that it only makes sense in the rain, 

winter or traffic. 

The impressive amount of torque on 

hand means that there is power low down 

whenever you want it, but, as on most 

v-twins, that power does run out a bit at 

high rpm. Kind of reminds me of a heavy 

weight boxer, built to offer loads of power 

but not for very long. 

As always with a motard styled bike like 

this it’s all about the handling, the attitude, 

the aggression. The supermoto stance 

and wide bars makes the steering light, 

easy to handle and very responsive. It can 

get a bit twitchy, especially over 140km 

on the highway. Nothing that can’t be 

handled though. 

As mentioned there are 3 variations 

of the 939 available. This base red one 

is priced well at R143,900 (white colour 

R145,900) in a industry that has been 

hit hard lately. The SP version, equipped 

with Ohlins suspension and other racy 

bits, comes in at R172,900 while the 

Hyperstarda, with windshield and panniers, 

comes in at R155,900. 


For trade enquiries contact 

Autocycle Centre on 011 879 6470

BREAKING ALL 

THE RULES! 

D U C A T I X D i a v e l 

Ducati are taking the market by storm with the release of their all new “Cruiser” 

- The XDiavel, and breaking all the rules in the process. Words & pics: Rob Portman 

The Ducati brand is on the 

up and up, with great 

representation in just about 

all categories of motorcycling, 

including the very popular cruiser 

segment. Ducati entered the crusier 

market when it launched the Diavel 

back in 2010. I was lucky enough 

to go to the world launch of the 

Diavel held in Monaco. This was 

Ducati’s first attempt at a cruiser, 

and I thought it was a great first 

attempt - but it just didn’t have 

what people wanted from a cruiser. 

While it had, and still does sell 

fairly well, Ducati felt like there 

was more of that XL-sized cruiser 

segment to be had. The problem 

with the original Diavel wasn’t that 

it was a bad bike. It was that it 

was still too Ducati and too Italian, 

and not crusier enough. Ducati 

are now looking to change all that 

with the new XDiavel - an attempt 

to embrace the cruiser spirit 

while keeping some of the Ducati 

ideology. The XDiavel is still not 

exactly a typical cruiser. It’s nothing 

like a typical cruiser. It breaks 

all the rules when it comes to a 

cruiser - it features fully adjustable 

Sachs suspension, which means 

it handles, best in the business 

Brembo brakes, which means the 

brakes actually work and stop 

you, and thank goodness for that 

because the 1262cc motor pushes 

out 156hp and a massive 128Nm 

of torque, so yes, it’s fast! It’s even 

got a full electronics package 

including launch control, cornering 

ABS, traction control, riding modes 

and cruise control. Sounds more 

like a sports bike to me. That’s until 

you ride it. The cruiser styled riding 

position quickly lets you know you 

are not on a normal Ducati, with the 

foot pegs, gear and brake levers 

right up at the front close to the 

front wheel. I’ve never been a big 

fan of this and found myself looking 

for where to put my feet every time 

I pulled away from a light. I felt 

and looked very stretched on the 

bike, as did Zenon. We are both of 

average height and as I’m sure you 

can see by the pics were not 100% 

comfortable. But, that can be fixed 

as the rear sets offer a couple of 

different settings so you can adjust 

them a bit closer. 

Despite the awkward riding 

position, the XDiavel does 

everything way better than any 

other crusier I have ever ridden 

before. Like I said, it breaks all the 

rules. It’s easy to manoeuvre, even 

though it weights 247kg’s, which 

is still around 4000kilos lighter than 

your average cruiser. 

The throttle is very responsive 

and entertaining. There’s even an 

easily activated launch control, for 

when you’re feeling a bit racy, and 

let me tell you, it works and there 



“Pulling away from traffic 

lights gets real exciting on 

this bike. You don’t just pull 

away, you detonate the tar 

beneath you with ill-tempered 

amounts of acceleration 

between gear changes.” 

are not a lot of bikes out there that will 

launch better than this bike. 

The XDiavel’s engine is Ducati’s 

Testastretta V-twin, as used in the 

Multistrada, but with capacity increased from 

1198 to 1262cc thanks to a longer stroke. 

Power is abundant above 2,500 RPM, 

but it really kicks you in the nuts at 5,000 

when it hits that first peak in torque. For 

those brave enough to keep giving her 

more, power levels off a bit until around 

7,000 when it once again asks you if you’re 

sure you know what you’re doing. Pulling 

away from traffic lights gets real exciting 

on this bike. You don’t just pull away, you 

detonate the tar beneath you with illtempered 

amounts of acceleration between 

gear changes. 

As if the power wasn’t addicting 

enough, the sound the XDiavel gets you 

exhilarated. Below 2,500 RPM, the XDiavel 

actually sounds like your average cruiser as 

it chugs along. 

But the engine isn’t happy here. It 

wants more. And, when you give it more, 

it rewards you with a distinctly Italian roar, 

similar to that of the Monster 1200 R. 

Yes it really is a fast machine, but you do 

get reminded that you are on a cruiser the 

minute you head flat out into a tight corner. 

While it does handle better than any other 

cruiser out there, it’s still no sportsbike, and 

you have to tame it down a bit for the turns. 

You do however soon forget about 

its lack of knee scrapping cornering 

capabilities the moment you head out on 

the open road. The XDiavel oozes cool and 

you can’t help but feel like a bad ass when 

cursing along. I can easily see James Bond 

swopping one of his fancy cars for an 

XDiavel in his next movie. 

You will be more than happy to park the 

bike right up close wherever you go, just 

so that everyone can see the beauty that 

is the XDiavel. That oh so sexy massive 

240-section rear Pirelli tyre wrapped 

around that mean looking alloy wheel gets 

your heart racing every time. Even a die 

hard sportsbike fan like myself drools over 

the styling of the XDiavel. It bridges the gap 

from sportsbike to cruiser perfectly and I 

never thought I would ever say this, but I 

could actually see myself owing a crusier 

like this later on in my life. 

Ducati is a cool brand, and it just got a 

whole lot cooler! 

There are two versions of the XDiavel, 

which are both priced really well – the base 

model at R243,900 (the one we tested 

here) and the XDiavel S at R279,900. There 

is also a host of really cool Ducati original 

accessories and apparel, which we would 

need 4 pages alone to mention, so we 

won’t. We rather suggest you call Ducati 

SA on 011 918 1600 to find out all you 

need to know about the XDiavel - as if we 

haven’t just told you enough! 


Some say that he once did a million kilometres on 

a Suzuki riding on the Sun and then the Sun broke 

down, others say that he can put his knee down on 

a straight road, all we know is that he even rode a 

cruiser for RideFast and here is the review... 

The Singh forgot to 

wear his piss pot 

helmet for this test... 

THE SINGH SAYS: 

It’s not often that I am slightly befuddled 

when riding a new bike, but the 2016 

Ducati XDiavel leaves one pondering what 

the “X” stands for in its designation. If one 

merged a sexy, nimble street fighter with 

an intimidating, reliable cruiser, the love 

child would probably be the XDiavel. 

When you swing your leg over the bike 

and straighten it, your mind prepares for 

the physical anguish of lifting a behemoth; 

instead the Ducati flicks over like a 

superbike. Even manoeuvring it out of the 

garage is simple and effortless. 

The handlebars extend your arms 

pretty far forward and keyless go takes 

some getting used to. It’s pretty fancy 

and feeds the taste of the bourgeois 

buyers that normally haunt Ducati 

dealerships. 

The dash is simple, colourful and 

could have been placed higher. The LCD 

display keeps information streaming 

towards you as you negotiate the urban 

highways with helpful statistics about 

consumption, range etc. 

The seat, although comfortable, 

can jar you quite hard with our road 

conditions, so be watchful of those tar 

bubbles and depressions. 

A nice additional feature which always 

makes me smile is the speedo-cruise 

feature that the bike comes standard 

with; select a speed, switch it on and 

well, you can almost relax. The challenge 

with speedo cruise on this bike is, 

steering sensitivity. Not the Speedocruise, 

the bike. 

The XDiavel feels like a streetfigher 

when you steer it, the pegs are placed 

nice and high and because you can turn 

this bike so quickly, you actually forget 

it’s a pseudo-cruiser and not meant to be 

ridden to red-line every chance you get. 

With 128Nm of torque and launch 

control, the XDiavel catapults you off 

the line. It will dislodge your tassels and 

land many bugs into your mouth on the 

freeway. Oh wait, it’s not a Harley. 

It is an impressive bike, coupled 

with Brembo stoppers and a 

featherlike ride-by-wire throttle; 

It accelerates smoothly, turns 

rapidly and stops timeously all 

in effortless synchronicity. 

I was fortunate to pick up a 

dice with a 2015 GS LC on the 

way to Centurion Mall, and we all 

know how quick GS’s turn. So I trumped 

him off the line and had to just slow down 

slightly on the on ramp. (Perhaps when 

the foot peg scraped!). He then stayed 

in my wing mirrors, trying desperately 

to overtake and alas, could not. He was 

bobbing and weaving like Ali preparing to 

box but the boxer motor did not have the 

torque to keep up. To add insult to injury 

the XDiavel got all the way up to 244. 

When I noticed the enormous chasm 

between both the bikes, I slowed down 

gracefully, turned around and waved 

back at the rider acknowledging the race. 

The truth was, reaching that speed on 

the Ducati, my arms had almost hyperextended 

to such an extent that I was 

ready to replace Reed Richards in the 

Fantastic Four. 

Do not underestimate the agility and 

power of these bikes as, like any modern 

bike, they are a force to be reckoned with 

in skilled hands. Thankfully I am brilliant in 

straight line speed so skill is not needed. 

The bike is driven by a 1.3liter DVT 

(Desmodromic Variable Timing) engine 

and pulls with no effort all the way up to 

its flashing 10000rpm redline. What’s truly 

interesting is that the bike power wheelies 

in first if pushed hard and maintains that 

momentum right through the gear box. 

The bike comes standard with 

traction control and even cornering ABS, 

which I still do not have the guts to try. 

I know Rob uses it all the time, but he 

is the professional rider here. The lights 

on the bike however could be much 

better, as they are not very visible during 

daylight hours and at night they are 

merely average. 

For me the XDiavel combines a simple 

devilish street fighter appearance with 

the bragging rights of a cruiser without 

the excess weight. I, myself, would add 

a decent set of pipes and have a truly 

versatile bike with serious street cred. 

RATINGS: 

Heat 9 Steering 8 

Fuel 6 Acceleration 7 

Throttle 8 Traffic 4 

Servicing 4 Lights 7 

Wind 4 New Rider 8 

Total: 65/100 


Words & Pics: Adriaan Venter—www.rainmakerbell.com 

Red Square Kawasaki ZX10R Masters: 

THE BLUE SKY 

CHAPTER FOUR: The Red Square 

garage is a bustle. There is almost 

not enough space for everyone. The 

thunder of superbikes and the smell 

of 95 octane sits heavy in the morning 

air. It doesn’t bother me. In my quiet 

world, I appreciate every moment. 

There are still so many people out 

there, that are not quite familiar with 

this energetic realm. In my highways 

and byways, I still discover those who 

are eager to listen, or read, to what I 

have to say. Fast cars and superbikes 

have always been the golden thread 

that connects us all (even though we 

are not aware of it). Even life itself, 

started with a “Big Bang”. Rugby, 

soccer, cricket, connects us to a 

point, but the thunder of superbikes, 

or the aggressive deep voice of a 

Porsche 911 GT3, are something 

spectacular, it creates an invisible 

bond to the roots, we sometimes 

forget we have. The sound, the livery, 

the pilots, the racers … it touches 

something in your sole, it sends an 

electrifying pulse through yours veins. 

Dissipating the worries of a congested 

world; connecting us all, regardless of 

race, colour or creed. 

There are still a few Masters 

absent, that haven’t arrived for the 

allotted Friday practice sessions. 

One of them is Henk Schuiling (#69). 

Have I ever seen him arrive early? 

No! There are three sessions booked 

for the day. Track side I don’t see to 

many Friday slackers. In my younger 

days, this is what I, we lived for: Friday 

practices. Slackers are normally easy 

to spot, even though they are a rare 

find these days. (Well, it also depends 

on the racetrack.) They’re normally 

the ones that hastily hop from garage 

to garage, taking selfies, feeding 

the insatiable Facebook monster. I 

normally encourage people to come 

Fridays, this is of course the best time 

to meet the competitors and their 

superbikes (or supercars) in a less 

tense environment. 

The good news however, the Red 

Square Kawasaki Masters are here in 

full force, taking up 23 spots on the 

north side of the Phakisa pit complex: 

Sven Grüne, Brian Bontekoning, Pieter 

de Vos, Gerald Van Heerden, Johan 

Le Roux, Kyle Robinson, Sanjiv Singh, 

Teddy Brooke, Jaco Gous, Raymond 

Keel, Sid Farinha, Russ Page, Stewie 

Christie, Jason Joshua, Abrie Marais, 

Henk Schuiling, Ian Harwood, Mike 

McSkimming, Etienne Louw, Peter 

Clark, Appanna Ganapathy, Rodney 

McLachlan, Andre Van Vollenstee. 

Of the 23 riders in the house, 

six made it to the track on 2016 

Kawasaki Ninja ZX10R superbikes: 

Brian, Teddy, Peter, Appanna, 

Raymond, Rodney, Kyle. At 

approximately R325, 000 (that 

includes livery and modifications), you 

can have one too. 

The Red Square Masters are on 

at: 09h00, 12h00 and 14h35, for their 

allotted practice sessions. The first 

two sessions are normally occupied, 

it’s the last one that are the most 

difficult. Then they are more eager 

to opening a Carlsberg, than turning 

the ear of a Kawasaki ZX10R. With 

the sun hitting the last quarter of the 

day, energy levels are normally low. 

Even I feel it. Mark Weitz with the Red 

Square drinks truck hasn’t arrived 

yet. We are all looking forward to 

something cold and refreshing. 

The first session recorded Kyle, 

Appanna and Brian, in the top three. 

Session two: Appanna, Gerald and 

Jaco. Session three: Appanna, 

Gerald, and Kyle. 

As one thing wanes, another 

waxes. The sun drags its heavy 

orange rays over the horizon, it 

magically manifests itself in the camp 

fires. The long orange flames lick 

the evening air, it is time to braai. In 

a cacophony of high spirits, Braai 

Master, Hannes De Vos, is doing his 

best. Today is a good day to die. I 

believe most will agree. As the flames 

recede, it gradually gives birth to the 

moon. In its luminance Abrie (Marais) 

is trying to find the superbike-genie at 

the bottom of a Savannah bottle. He 

needs to be fearless tomorrow, and 

Johan Le Roux is not helping at all. 

And then it’s over. The Red Square 

garage is quiet. Static superbikes 

close their eyes, patiently waiting, 

dreaming, the return of their Masters. 

Brian Bontekoning. 

Rodney McLachlan (back), Brian Bontekoning, 2016 Kawasaki ZX10R. 

LTR: Peter Clark, André Van Vollenstee, Appanna Ganapathy, Sanjiv 

Singh, Ian Harwood, Kyle Robinson. 

Appanna Ganapathy. 


Graeme Van Breda’s crashed IVID Kawasaki Raymond Keel. Gerald Van Heerden. 

Podium (LTR): Pieter De Vos (3), Brian (2), Sven (1). Keagan Govender. Riccardo Pultrone. 

Saturday: I make a hasty effort to get 

in time to the racetrack. It is almost time 

for the Masters to engage in their first 

morning practice session. On my way, I’m 

greeted by a big white board that reads: 

“WELCOME RACE FANS TO THE CAPITAL 

OF SOUTH AFRICAN MOTORSPORT.” This 

is absolutely not true. Maybe in the days of 

Valentino Rossi. If you see the dilapidated 

state that Phakisa Freeway are currently in, 

it will only break your heart. This track, this 

place, is in dire need of saving. 

I take a short cut through the Ivid racing 

team’s demarcated area. A severely crashed 

Kawasaki ZX10R halts me in my tracks. 

Clearly in front of me stands Graeme Van 

Breda’s superbike. I don’t want to recognise 

it. I look for his number, as if I want it to be 

another number, other than #1. In some 

sense, I’m trying to convince myself, that 

this is not his. I later met with him. He had 

prominent bruises on his arms, took a hard 

knock against the back of his head. Even 

his helmet bears damage … 

With 50 points up for grabs, who will 

throttle hard for this golden opportunity? 

(Appanna Ganapathy, also had a serious 

accident, and we would like to wish him, 

Graeme, all the best.) /Blue skies come 

and go/ 

It is a beautiful day for motorsport. 

Winter hasn’t arrived yet. There is a slight 

chill in the air, not quite enough to make 

me put on something warmer. The sky 

is a deep blue, a distinguished azure. I 

lay on my back on an abandoned flag 

point, watching the sky. Big white clouds, 

cumulus clouds, as they are called, hang 

static in the sky. A myriad of white score 

marks criss-cross the blue ceiling. 

The Red Square Kawasaki ZX10R 

Masters are not up yet. In the meantime, 

Extreme Supercars break the silence with 

their powerful engines. 

The red lights are on. With bated breath, 

we wait impatiently for the first set to drop… 

Brian capitalized, throttling out a 

magnificent first place. Sven took second, 

followed closely by Gerald in third. Pity that 

Pieter, did not make full use of this break. / 

Blue skies come and go/ 

Heat two was even more exiting: Gerald 

moved from third to first. Almost surreal. But 

he had a perfect ride. Pieter moved up two 

places, with Brian settling in third. 

On the podium they struggle to open 

the Bridgestone Champagne. Eventually 

they sprayed their joy over all the eager 

onlookers. I take a picture. Third place 

belong to Pieter, second to Brian, and top 

spot to Sven. On the opposite end of this 

joyous moment, Gerald celebrated—rider 

of the day. For those who follow this Red 

Square event closely, here are the latest 

points (combined): Sven Grüne, 94; Kyle 

Robinson, 80; Graeme Van Breda, 75; 

Johan Le Roux, 71; Gerald Van Heerden, 

Pieter De Vos, 60. 

ZX6R CUP 

On the Red Square Kawasaki ZX6R front, 

14 year old Aidan Liebenberg took both 

chequered flags. Heat one: Cydney Farinha, 

Riccardo Pultrone, Tayla Farinha, and in fifth, 

Keagan Govender. 

Heat two: Cydney, Tayla, fourth place 

belonged to Riccardo. 

The weekend is over. The thunder is 

gone. The Masters diligently pack away their 

stuff. Before you know it the Red Square 

garage is empty. Outside, many stand 

around, reminiscing, swigging a few cold 

Carlsberg beers. Some are driving back on 

Sunday, the rest in a hour or so. I look up at 

the late afternoon sky, it has lost its azure. / 

Blue skies come and go/ —Godspeed! 

(For those who missed out on 

CHAPTER THREE, please visit my 

website. Next race meeting: 4 June, Aldo 

Scribante, Port Elizabeth.) 

Superbike Sponsors: Eastern Veterinary 

Hospital, Dent Doctor Witbank, ART Racing, Van 

Breda Motorcycles, Page Property Developers, TRP 

Distributors, BTS Electrical, Frontier Diamonds, 

Avidan Trading, Vyfster Carriers, Fantech, Fuel 

Gas Catering Equipment Mnf, Air Systems, Ivid, 

Jaguar Power Products, Brooke Refrigeration, 

iSolve Business Solutions, Jonginozi, Supersport 

Gearbox Centre, Count Air, Air Systems, Greensky, 

AST Africa. 

I would like to add THIS message 

just after it: (ALCOHOL IS ADDICTIVE— 

Not for sale to anyone under the age of 

18. SMOKING KILLS.) 


S U P P O R T I N G 

TOMORROW’S CHAMPS 

150 SHORT CIRCUIT RACING - TOP CLASS RACING, AT A TOP CLASS VENUES. 

The breeding ground for some of SA’s top racers such as Brad, Darryn 

Binder and Cam Petersen - The 150 Cup - headed to Zwartkops and 

Redstar Raceway for more short circuit racing. 

Words: Chris Wright Pics: Werner Viet & Beam Productions 

Wow, what a fantastic round 2 

of the MotoSA championship 

we had at the Zwartkops short 

circuit on the 30th of April. 

The 150 class fielded a bigger entry than 

round 1, with some new guys on the grid, 

and listening to the talk in the pits there are 

more riders who would like to enter this 

exciting class, which caters for riders from 

11 years to our oldest rider on the grid at 

54. If you need more info please visit our 

Facebook page - 150 cup and MotoSA 

series. For more details on the MotoSA 

series please visit the MotoSA website, 

www.motosa.co.za 

The day’s racing consisted of three 8 lap 

heats and as usual, once the flag dropped, 

it was top racing on display as you would 

expect from our young guns. 

In all three heats the battle up front was 

fearlessly contested by Eddie Strydom #72 

and Chris Wright #17, with the lead changing 

every second lap. Chris Wright eventually 

taking two wins and Eddie Strydom one with 

the overall win going to Chris Wright, Eddie 

Strydom second and Deegan Claasens 

taking third for the day on bike #99 after 

great racing with Andy Robertson #61 and 

Johnathan Tiley #19. Tarric vd Mewe #32 

unfortunately took a huge tumble in the 

last heat of the day, but with quick medical 

treatment and some TLC we will see him 

back on the grid for round 3. A big welcome 

to Darren Mortimer on the 150 grid. 

Overall a very successful day, with a good 

time had by all and with racing the winner 

once again. 

A huge shout out to all competitors 

who came to support racing in all the other 

classes. 

The NSF100 series, which introduces 

youngsters to real racing run by SAMRA, 

once again had a full grid and it was great to 

see all the new riders. 

Round 2 of the Club Championship was 

held at Redstar Raceway on 7th May. 

As day broke, and the sun started 

warming the surroundings on a very chilly 

morning just outside Delmas in Mpumalanga, 

excited young riders were warming engines 

and tyres in anticipation of just getting on 

track and doing what they love….racing their 

beautifully prepared Honda CBR150 race 

machines. 

After what must have seemed like an 

eternity for the youngsters, qualifying got 

underway, bike #99 Deegan Claassens 

showing a great turn of pace, putting his 

bike on pole followed by Luca Coccioni #67 

and Chris Wright #17. Missing from the grid 

was Luca Balona, round 1 double winner, 

who unfortunately had to withdraw due to 

mechanical problems. 

A total of 9 riders lined up on Honda 

CBR150’s, most of which have graduated 

from the SAMRA NSF100 Academy and a 

few of the younger riders would on the day 

also participate in the NSF100 club races. We 

had two new riders, Ryno Pretoruis #76 and 

our first girl rider for 2016, Edine Marais #90. 

Claassens #99 rode brilliantly in race 1, 

getting a flag to flag win chased very hard by 

Coccioni #67, who very early put some day 

light between themselves and the chasing 

pack. Ryno Pretoruis #76 eventually edging 

out Chris Wright #17 for third with Chase 

Hulcher #58 snapping at the heels of Wright 

to take a brilliantly ridden 5th place. 

Race two was a carbon copy of race 1, 

with Claassens taking another brilliant flag 

to flag win with Coccioni left to fight for top 

spot. The battle for third was once again a 

great display of racing, with Pretoruis taking 

the final podium spot followed home by 

Hulcher in 4th and Wright in 5th. 

Overall honours for the day going to 

Deegan Claassens. 

Once again a huge thank you to all who 

came to support the 150 racing series, 

especially the riders who had their own 

battles down the field, Tarric vd Merwe #32, 

Dante Liebenberg #88 and Johnathan Tiley 

#19 who soon will be fighting for top spots. 

See you all at round 3 on the 11 June at 

Redstar Raceway. 

62 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE MAY 2016

RACE COLUMN: CAM PETERSEN - MOTOAMERICA SUPERSPORT 

THAT WINNING FEELING! 

After the first two events of the MotoAmerica 

season, I was a bit disappointed with the results. 

I had lost confidence in the front end of the 

GSXR, crashing way too much, by losing the 

front. I spent the week in California after Atlanta, 

riding some MX with Jake Gagne and just 

putting a lot of thought into how to improve my 

performance. Jake has been a big influence and 

keeps my motivation going. 

We went into New Jersey with a plan to 

change the set-up of the bike and slowly 

through practice I began to feel more 

comfortable and had spots on the track where I 

was a bit quicker than anyone. 

The first race of the weekend was run in 

really good conditions. I tagged onto the leaders 

and despite a bit of clutch-slip coming onto the 

front straight could match the pace comfortably. 

I had just set the quickest lap of the race 

around lap seven, when I ran a bit wide on 

corner entry into turn 3, hit a small bump, 

and lost the front end again. Not too 

happy to put it mildly, but at least I 

had shown good pace. 

The rain came down on 

Sunday morning and we 

were set for a wet race. 

The grip at new Jersey is 

horrible in the wet, so I spent 

the first few laps running with 

the leaders, but not taking any 

chances. Six laps or so into 

the race, a crashed bike had put 

some oil down. Garret Gerloff, 

JD Beach and myself had a 

synchronized crash as we hit 

the slick spot (sure you have 

seen the video on RideFast’s 

Facebook page). The race was 

red flagged and we were set for 

a six lap sprint at the re-start. 

Joe Roberts and myself put our 

heads down to pull a big gap on 

Valentin Debisse and JD Beach. I followed Joe, 

making plans for a last lap move, trying to put 

pressure on him where possible. To be honest, 

half way round the last lap, I had decided to 

settle for second and couldn’t believe it when I 

saw Joe fling the yellow R6 up the road just in 

front of me. The feeling of winning my first race 

on American soil is something I will remember 

forever. Really enjoyed the moment of being on 

top of the podium. 

We didn’t have much time between events, 

but got in some more MX training in Texas and 

could feel my fitness is probably the best it has 

ever been. We arrived at Virginia International 

Raceway feeling fairly confident. The track is 

very different in nature to New Jersey, so it was 

back to the drawing board, looking for a good 

feel on set-up. I got held up on my qualifying 

lap, slotting into 5th on the grid, but knew I had 

good pace. 

Rain has been a big factor in MotoAmerica 

lately and once again it came down as we lined 

up on the grid for race 1. They declared a wet 

race and gave teams a bit of time to clean 

up the mess from the wind storm that came 

through. The rain didn’t last long, but the track 

was still wet as we started the sighting lap. My 

crew-chief had calmly opted for slicks while 

everyone else was on a combination of wets and 

DOT’s. A few of the riders followed our lead and 

switched to slicks before the warm up lap. JD 

Beach and some of the other guys took off into 

the distance on the wet track, I had to be patient 

and on the drying track picked up the pace to 

finish second behind Garret Gerloff, closing the 

gap from seven seconds to around four by the 

end of the race. Another podium and starting to 

feel I can run with anyone over here. 

The second race was run in perfect 

conditions. I blew the start and lost a place 

into the first turn. After a few more changes to 

the bike, for the first time all season, I felt like I 

could ride to my strengths. I picked off Benny 

Solis, Joe Roberts, JD Beach and my teammate 

Valentin Debisse to run second behind 

Garett Gerloff for most of the race. Debisse got 

back past me with two laps to go, but I passed 

him on the brakes into turn one on the last lap, 

lining up a move on Gerloff. The Frenchman 

passed me back into turn 3, blowing my plan. 

JD Beach then drafted past me to the line, for 

a disappointing fourth place finish. It hurts to 

miss out on a podium after finishing 0.2 behind 

the winner! 

Really looking forward to building on the 

momentum. Road America may be tough for 

us with the long straights. The factory Yamaha’s 

are quick, but confident we can give them a big 

headache for the rest of the season. 

Heading back to California to do some 

surfing with Jake and pounding laps on those 

awesome MX tracks. Thanks for all the support 

from home. Makes it all worthwhile. 

CAM PETERSEN #45 


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