Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/674407
feature d-j rally ride P80 The other entries are a nostalgic dazzle. The 2015 list was typi- cal: 26 different makes, mainly British and mostly singles ... easier to esti- mate your speed when you can count the firing strokes. Most numerous were BSA, Velocette, Ariel and Sunbeam, in that order, and between them making up almost half the entry. Norton, Triumph and AJS were strongly represented; handfuls of Royal En- fields, Panthers, Indians and Zeniths swelled the numbers. There were a couple of Harleys, and some real rarities, including a single Motosachoche and a New Henley among the remain- ing Rudges, Zundapps, OK Supremes and Matchlesses etc. And a gorgeous 1936 DKW 500 two-stroke twin, that suffered dy- namo failure and failed to make it off the start line. The oldest bike of all was that clutchless pedal-operated sin- gle-gear belt-drive 1909 Humber of Samantha Anderson. She had taken up mountain biking to get fit enough to help it up the hills. And the competitors? A gather- ing of granddads, leavened by a smattering of youngsters, includ- ing a couple still in their 20s. The oldest rider in 2015 was one Henry Kirton who at a very chip- per 82 had yet to turn three when his 1930 Ariel left the production line. In 2016 it was 80-year-old Neville Smith ('36 Ariel Red Hunter). Both made the finish. Company in which (in my advanc- ing years, and along with Cal Crutchlow's dad Dek) I could feel comfortable, and even sprightly. Adventure before dementia. You know it makes sense. The rally starts some 20 miles inland from Dur- ban, where it becomes convenient to join the Old Main Road, and fol- low the authentic route. Back when it first started it was mainly a very rudimentary dirt track, including farm gates and stream crossings, now it is (in many stretches) a deteriorating secondary road long since replaced by freeways, while on day two in Gauteng Province (the former Transvaal) long stretches of repairs feature extensive stop-and-go sections where only one-way traffic is allowed, entailing waits of up to 20 minutes. This forced the organizers to abandon some previously timed sections, but gave overstressed old engines and riders a chance to get their breath back, in time for the next session of kick-starting. Bonhomie prevailed at the prize-giving the next day. Anyone who got one of the finishers' medals could be proud. In all sorts of conditions on ancient motorbikes ridden by people who are old enough to know better, getting to the end of this unique event was some sort of accomplishment. As unique in its way as the Isle of Man TT. CN "for All the oil you put in, the Aj AlwAys gives some bAck, visible when you pArk for Any length of time." MotoGP racer Cal Crutchlow's father Dek is a D-J regular, and one of too few overseas entrants.