Enduro World May/ June 2016 issuu by Enduro World Magazine

THE BEST RIDE YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL EVER READ

#151 MAY/JUNE 2016

TEST

2016 KTM 450

RALLY THE REAL DEAL

PARA TO DAKAR

CAN A PARALYSED RIDER DO IT

RIDING SAND

NEW GENERATION NOW AVAILABLE New more durable ultra low-profile Accutrac™ hinges. New field serviceable D-rings. New trimmable straps. New patella cup design. All colours now available in matt. CTi still has the same rock-solid, hand-laminated, truly custom made carbon fibre frame with titanium hinges. So whether you’re just out of surgery or you’re looking to defend your knee from potential ligament injury, the CTi brace provides you with the ultimate combination of stability and protection. Go to www.cti-brace.co.za to get the information you need.

THE WAY I SEE THINGS EDITORS COMMENTS

ISSUE 151 I MAY/JUNE 2016

CHANGE Change is not always convenient or comfortable, but change is inevitable, change is necessary, change is often good, change should be embraced when it offers progress. Writing and posting letters was something people did for thousands of years. Fax machines became popular in the ‘80s and post began to die out. Then e-mail was introduced in the early ‘90s – I remember well being apprehensive about getting involved in the technology and wondering why it was necessary. Today hardly anyone still writes letters … relative to the number of emails sent. Vinyl records were replaced by compact discs (CD’s) and again many resisted the change … in fact there’s a kind of panic-resurgence of vinyl records and turntables going on at the moment. Some claim the sound from vinyl is better than from CD’s. Seriously? I have always loved my music and I took great pride in having a really good turntable with the most expensive stylus etc … what I remember is hearing every scratch that every record inevitably got. Compared with the durability of a CD, not to mention the portability and convenience – I would say that was progress worth embracing. Now CD’s are being replaced by digital music and music shops are struggling to stay afloat – remember “Look & Listen” stores? Now everyone buys their music online … except for the dishonest who download illegally. When last did you go into a bank? Compare that experience of standing in long queue’s impatiently watching Mr. Bean on their TV monitors, with the convenience of banking online via your laptop or mobile device – I would say that is progress worth embracing. All of these changes and countless others you and I may have initially resisted but ultimately we came to appreciate and maybe even rely on them. Enduro World is no stranger to change. We have introduced many new things and taken some bold steps over the last 13 years – now we have discontinued the printed magazine to focus on the digital version which we hope you will embrace because we know it is a better product and it offers you more. We hope you are seeing the benefits and ask that if you are, would you help us by encouraging others to try the digital mag? Even just a post on your Facebook page would be great and we thank you in advance. This month we have a mag that we hope you will enjoy as much as we have enjoyed putting it together for you. We feature riders young and old who will inspire you, a really special bike that was probably the most exciting bike I have ever ridden, racing news from all over the world and tips from the top pro riders.

Gary Franks Editor gary@enduroworld.co.za

MDS Design Studio Art Direction/ Design mdsdesign@iburst.co.za

Denise Forsyth Subscriptions / Admin / Event Entries, Club Membership / Back Issues info@enduroworld.co.za

Dawn Blackstock Accounts accounts@enduroworld.co.za

Lynne Franks Public Relations lynne@enduroworld.co.za

Contributors Andy Hanmer, Mandy Thomas Chris Birch, Megan Jaffray, Hilton Hayward, Kirsten Landman

Directors G. Franks, L. Adam Tel: 087 808 7192

www.enduroworld.co.za Disclaimer: Whilst the Editor and Publishers of Enduro World will endeavour to ensure that the information in this magazine is factual, accurate and technically correct, we cannot guarantee this nor accept responsibility for any mechanical or other damage or injury to persons or machinery resulting from information given in this publication,

Enjoy.

whether printed or implied. We reserve the right to decline publishing material not deemed suitable. Enduro World (Pty) Ltd.

contents ISSUE 151 I MAY/ JUNE 2016

Features

Regulars

Mountain Madalas Clarens

The Finish Line

Nomadik EWXC Heidelberg

Motul Techni-Talk

Kirsty’s Turn

Riding Thick Sand

New Products

The Skraal Chicken Moz Adventure

The Parts Bin

My Story

What’s Coming Up

Para to Dakar

Desk Jockey Athlete

Prang of the Year

36 42 46

Round 3

Riding the 2016 KTM 450 Rally

The Real R530 000.00 Deal

By Michael Pentecost

By Tristan Purdon

Gregor Bonner

Can Paralysed rider, Joey Evans, do it?

Stop Sitting yourself to Death

From Husqvarna’s Good ol’ Times Blog

ON T H E COVER DARRYL CURTIS ON THE 2016 KTM 450 RALLY Gary Franks

Log on to www.enduroworld.co.za for more images, info & videos or find us on

Racing updates from SA and the World

Sealing a KTM Exhaust

Kirsty Wins Red Bull King of the Hill

New products and reviews

News and interesting stuff

Events in the near future

www.kiska.com Photo: R. Schedl

AUTUMN MADNESS!

R 5,000 KTM VOUCHER

Buy a new 2016 KTM 250 XC-W, 250 XCF-W, 350 XCF-W, 450 XC-W or 500 XC-W and receive a KTM voucher to the retail value of R 5,000. Offer valid while stocks last. Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s apply. Phone 011 462 7796 for your nearest KTM dealer.

Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations! The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.

KTM Group Partner

MAY 2016

MOUNTAIN MADALAS S N E R A L C

2ND APRIL 2016, LESOBA GUEST FARM, FOURIESBURG/ CLARENS AREA, FREESTATE “Madalas”, for the uninformed, means “old man” in the local Zulu language. “Mountain Madalas” is a fun ride aimed at those who just want to have fun on a really fun ride in a beautiful place, with just enough challenging stuff to keep it interesting. There’s an element of “The Roof for Toppies” to the event, with bronze, silver and gold medals awarded for completing 1, 2 or 3 laps. Clarens is always a favourite stop on the Mountain Madalas tour so we always go to great lengths to find the best venue and the best route we can. For the five years or so that we have held Madalas in Clarens we have hosted it at as many venues … at last we have found the right “home” for Mountain Madalas Clarens. Lesoba Guest Farm is a stunning farm situated closer to Fouriesburg but still close enough to Clarens to keep the name. Our Clarens partners, Clarens Xtreme (Ollie) and Kamikaze Dirt (Detmar) took us out for a ride there a few weeks before the event and we were excited by the options available and the stunning views from most parts of the proposed route. The area is very close to Lesotho and parts of the route would run along the Caledon River which forms the border between SA and Lesotho. This helps to add that “Roof of Africa feel” to the event. I managed to “persuade” my good riding buddy, Andy Fulton, to head down to Clarens with me for the week leading up to the event - it took a lot of arm twisting to get him to make the sacrifice of course, but he gave in eventually. A further surprise was that Detmar and Ollie were also prepared to “sacrifice” their time to help nail down the route. Having four of us worked really well because we were able to split up and really discover the best riding. After two days we had most of the route planned and so much of it was really good riding but a section about two thirds in we just were not happy with – it seemed to spoil what came before it.

8 MOUNTAIN MADALAS

Then, while Detmar and I were moving huge rocks (read “huge for old guys”) to make two sections more manageable, Andy and Ollie found a whole new section that was maybe the highlight of the route. It’s amazing how you can work on a route for days and it just doesn’t gel until you find that missing link. We all went from being sort of happy with the route to being really excited about it. I need to know that the riders are going to leave the event thinking “what a ride” and with a renewed passion for the sport – finally this route felt like it would give them that. Even after that we spent the next day making tiny adjustments for seemingly small reasons like – • to give riders a better view of the surroundings, • to lead riders into a difficult section at the best angle, • to make it easier to navigate the route, • to avoid a dangerous section like a wash-away or sinkhole. Although all Mountain Madalas events are essentially not marked routes (riders are required to navigate the route using a GPS), we marked sections of it in as “environmentally friendly” a fashion as we could, and where the markers would hopefully not be removed as fast as we put them out there. Marking is something we are going to do

Says it all

Mountain Madalas brings out the nicest people

less and less for those two reasons, so riders need to get used to following a GPS track. Our hosts at Lesoba, LJ and Rule Mans, were amazingly helpful and enthusiastic in getting the venue prepared for the 270 riders and their families and friends. I can highly recommend Lesoba Guest Farm as a beautiful place to enjoy a weekend getaway. If you stay there they allow you to ride for free, and they also offer fishing, hiking, and all the other activities available in and around Clarens.

MOUNTAIN MADALAS 9

JUNE 2016

Following a rider’s suggestion we implemented and “earlybird start” at this event, which saw riders starting off at 7.30 am. This was by far the more popular option. We get riders to self-categorize themselves from faster riders at the front to slower riders at the back to ease the flow of traffic on the route – they may have been the faster riders at the front but they were definitely the worst navigators! Within 30 metres of the start they had all missed orange markers and ignored their GPS’s in an all-out “quest for glory”. They soon found their way to the route but deviated from the GPS track in so many places … which lead to everyone behind them following and missing out some of the cool stuff we had planned. So in future the plan will change – no GPS – start at the back. Those who can follow a GPS track – start up front. Nevertheless everyone seemed to have a great day’s riding and all the feedback was totally positive. Except for a few families who didn’t know there were proper bathrooms near the hospitality area – we apologise for that, we should have done more to let everyone know that. Enduro World thanks our sponsors and partners for the great support in this event and of course the biggest thanks go out to the riders and families for coming and joining us at Madalas. It’s quite a spectacle to see so many bikes, riders, families and friends come out to enjoy this great lifestyle. We enjoy the privilege of running these events and once again we learned where we can improve and put on even better events in future.

10 MOUNTAIN MADALAS

Luca Rugani - an underage Madala

For the gung-ho guys there was a short “extreme” option

JUNE 2016

MOUNTAIN MADALAS CLARENS

Caption

Even for Ollie from Clarens Xtreme, this was a “bring-me-back-ride”

This is how you bend your exhaust header ....

... way better to ride off

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THE FINISH LINE

JUNE 2016

RACING UPDATES FROM SOUTH AFRICA AND AROUND THE WORLD LIQUORLAND SA NATIONAL ENDURO ROUND 2, HEIDELBERG, 30 APRIL 2016 After things didn’t go very well from an organisational perspective at round 1, teams and riders headed to Heidelberg for round 2 hoping for a better show. The venue was the Heidelberg 4x4 Enduro Adventure Centre which at the hands of The Roost’s Ron Bailey and friends has really become a great venue for racing and just riding. Former top national competitor, Nic Pienaar, set the route and judging by the comments from riders, made a really good job of it. Despite rain during the week, dust still became a problem especially in the MX Special where it hung in the forest without wind to carry it off. Powasol Events were again the promoters/ organisers and they had things a lot better organised with good spectator view points and facilities. Unfortunately the timing of special tests was done manually, using stop watches and

Sonwabile Eddie Mdodana

16 THE FINISH LINE

Pics by Gary Franks

clipboards. We have seen this method tried before and it never fails to delay results – organisers were hoping to have results available by the Tuesday following the event. Accuracy will also be questionable. Riders who weren’t really too concerned about results expressed how much they had enjoyed the event; however the more competitive riders and teams expressed annoyance and frustration. It’s difficult to understand how we have gone from these kinds of problems years ago, to using the Racecontrol system which changed all that and has worked so well for the last few years, to kicking Racecontrol out and using stop watches. Round 3 takes place in PE on the 11th of June – let’s hope sense will prevail and Racecontrol begged to come back. Heidelberg 4x4 Enduro Adventure Park has become a great venue

Wade Young lead the Sherco charge - good to see about 10 Sherco’s racing

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MONSTER ENERGY/ TRP SA NATIONAL MOTOCROSS JUNE 2016

ROUND 2, ZONE 7 CAPE TOWN, 2 APRIL 2016 An overcast sky and the threat of rain greeted contestants in the second event at Zone 7. The rain earlier on in the week had left the track nice and tacky, and everyone was rearing to get out there and ride. That promise of rain became real as the clouds opened up on the contestants towards the end of the practice session, but it was not enough to douse any fun, and in fact just what the track needed. Racing began at 10am and the sun burst forth, but for the rest of the day it was a mix of sun and cloud-cover as the riders went through their paces. Cape Town’s Anthony Raynard, a fan favourite, did not disappoint and took the win in both the MX2 heats, giving him the first place spot in the overall placings in that division. He was in good form, and gave the contestants in MX1 a solid run for their money as well, gunning for the top spot but securing a very satisfying second place.

by Craig Jarvis

Pics by Zigi Brodalka

Despite this, he had an excellent day’s racing. “I’ve been putting in quite a bit of work,” said Raynard. “Everything seemed to work out great yesterday. The only person I was watching closely was Neville (Bradshaw). He was in top form and has been showing great consistency, and was the person I had my sights on.” A persistent Ryan Hunt shook things up a bit in MX3 and put in an excellent performance to end the talented Ian Topliss’ winning streak and take the win there. In the Ladies Class Brittany Cuthbert continued along her winning ways, taking her second victory for the year in the series and maintaining a good lead in this growing class.

In the MX1 division it was points leader Neville Bradshaw who managed to stave off Raynard and Sacha Naude to retain his number 1 spot. “Conditions were extremely rough, with soft sand and a bit of mud from the rain during the week,” said Raynard, describing the day’s conditions. “It was totally different to the usual Cape Town ride, but it was a good national track.” Anthony Raynard pleased his home-crowd with a dominant ride Dylan Donald

Keegan Hickson-Mahony

Neil van der Vyfer 50cc Pro

20 THE FINISH LINE

Cameron Durow Pro Mini

Leah Heygate (Zambia) WMX

Britney Cuthbert dominant in WMX

RESULTS MX1

1. Neville Bradshaw (Yamaha)

MX2

1. Anthony Raynard (ACE E2R Husqvarna) 2. Neville Bradshaw (Yamaha)

3. Tristan Purdon (Yamaha)

MX3

1. Ryan Hunt (Tork Craft Husqvarna)

2. Ian Topliss (Yamaha)

3. Alec Combrink (Yamaha)

HIGH SCHOOL

1. Keegan Hickson-Mahony (KTM)

2. Ricky Raaff (Yamaha)

3. Cayle Dormehl (KTM)

LADIES

1. Brittany Cuthbert (KTM)

2. Anthony Raynard (ACE E2R Husqvarna)

3. Sacha Naude (Yamaha)

2. Nanda Clowes (Yamaha)

3. Toni Jardine (Yamaha)

SENIOR SUPPORT 1. James Coetzer

2. Mason Buist

3. Bevan Christie

85CC JUNIORS

1. Chris Erasmus (KTM)

2. Ike Klaassen

3. Nate Mc Lellan

PRO MINI

1. Camden Mc Lellan (KTM)

2. Cameron Durow (KTM)

3. Justin Sangster (Kawasaki)

50CC

1. Neil van der Vyver (KTM)

2. Jordan Dewdney (KTM)

3. Jordan van Wyk (KTM)

65CC

1. Hayden Tully (KTM)

2. Blake Young (KTM)

3. Dylan Kirk (KTM)

SA NATIONAL OFF ROAD ROUND 1, VRYBURG, 2 APRIL 2016 The event was unfortunately marred by the very tragic death of young Ghislain van der Merwe who will be sorely missed â&#x20AC;&#x201C; may he rest in peace.

RESULTS OR1

1. Michael Pentecost (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha)

2. Ross Branch (Brother Leader Tread KTM)

3. Kenny Gilbert (Kargo Husqvarna)

OR2

2. Jaycee Nienaber (D&H Eng. Yamaha)

2. Alastair Drennan (Roost EC Security KTM)

3. Hein van Niekerk (Bikers Warehouse Husqvarna)

OR3

1. Brett Swanepoel (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha)

2. Jarryd Coetzee (Brother Leader Tread KTM)

3. Darren Macleod (D&H Eng. Yamaha)

High School

1. Adriano Catalano

2. Andre Basson (KTM)

3. Stefan van Deventer (D&H Eng. Yamaha)

Seniors

1. Warrick van Schalkwyk

2. Wynand Kleynhans (Yamaha)

3. Bruce May (Yamaha)

Masters

1. Wayne Farmer (Bikers Warehouse Husqvarna) 2. Pieter Holl

3. Johan Gray

Ladies

1. Taye Perry (KTM)

2. Maria Mans

3. Karen Jansen van Vuuren

Silver

1. Riaan Prinsloo

2. SJ Bester

3. Marinus Schoeman

125

1. Izak Mans

2. Michael Glockle (D&H Eng. Yamaha)

3. Leon Jardine

THE FINISH LINE 21

JUNE 2016

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OLX SA PRO SUPERENDURO 23

JUNE 2016

MONSTER ENERGY AMA SUPERCROSS AFTER 15 OF 17 ROUNDS

Pics by S. Cudby

In “The Ryan Dungey Show”, otherwise known as the 450 class, the biggest news is that the star of the show’s record 31-straight-podium-streak finally ended with his 4th place finish at round 16. But that was more than enough to secure his 3rd Monster Energy Supercross title with one round still in hand this season.

Roczen has lifted his game though – you get the idea he’s having to try almost too hard. Fortunately for him he’s uberfast, as is Tomac. Anderson has had his best year showing great consistency which looks like it will reward him with a podium in the series and he’s taken two wins so far this year.

The man, actually the “package” is absolutely incredible with 8 wins, 4 seconds and 3 thirds this season. Dungey could have wrapped up the championship with two rounds still in hand but who can blame him for taking a conservative approach whilst his nearest rivals, Ken Roczen, Eli Tomac and Jason Anderson, were all desperate to claim maximum points in the final rounds. The package I refer to is not just Dungey but his Red Bull KTM team managed by Roger De Coster, the bike, mechanics, his support crew (wife/ family), and his trainer - South African Aldon Baker. Obviously the whole package is really working together like a well-oiled machine, enabling Ryan to be at his best week after week, year after year.

In the 250 East Coast series there’s been a shake-up with Jeremy Martin not having things all his own way this year. Malcolm Stewart has played his cards just right to now be in the points lead and notching up wins like never before, while Martin’s team mate, Aaron Plessinger holds down 2nd. There’s everything to race for in the final with just 16 points separating 2nd and 4th and of course the East meets West showdown. Star Racing Yamaha seems to have taken over where Pro Circuit Kawasaki left off being the leading 250 team as in the West series Cooper Webb leads Joey Savatgy, but the big story is Christian Craig who retired from pro motocross in 2013 after being plagued by injuries. He was given the opportunity to race again and has taken a win and been on the podium 5 of the 8 rounds this year.

DINGS POINTS STAN 450

1. Ryan Dungey (Red Bull KTM) 366

2. Ken Roczen (RCH Suzuki) 330

3. Jason Anderson (Rockstar Husqvarna) 293

250 East

1. Malcolm Stewart (Geico Honda) 160

2. Aaron Plessinger (Star Racing Yamaha) 146

3. Jeremy Martin (Star Yamaha) 141

250 West

1. Cooper Webb (Star Racing Yamaha) 170 2. Joey Savatgy (Pro Circuit Kawa) 154

3. Christian Craig (Geico Honda) 147

Final rounds are 30th April and then the big showdown in Las Vegas on 7 May.

The big showdown is in Las Vegas on 7 May.

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26 THE FINISH LINE

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Travis Teasdale - this is how you handle big steps

Alastair Drennan - 6th in the very competitive E1 class

By Gary Franks Pics by Gary and Lynne Franks and Kerry Hughes

NOMADIK EWXC HEIDELB ERG ROUND 3, 9 APRIL 2016

In order to avoid racing in winter, which poses the dangers of dust and a fire hazard, the first three rounds were squeezed into the early part of the year, with the final round scheduled for the end of October. This has made for a very busy start to the year but has also given riders a great training platform for nationals and other events. As with the first two rounds, round three attracted a huge number of competitors – 297 – which, as memory serves, is a new record and confirms Nomadik EWXC as the biggest enduro series in Africa. The numbers for this particular event were further bolstered by the fact that the upcoming national

30 NOMADIK EWXC

enduro will be held in the same area so this event would give riders an opportunity to get used to the terrain. Also a number of riders participated in honour of Ghislain van der Merwe who tragically died after crashing at an off road national just a week before. Thanks to the incredible sponsors and the efficient crew behind the Enduro World Cross Country Series, documentation was quick and easy for competitors who once again each received a gift or four – this time it was a useful soft cooler bag as well as a PVM Energy bar, a HazClean enviro bag and a Monster Energy drink.

O GHISLAIN DEDICATED T

Green

Ghislain’s parents, Mel and Dean, having been through what no parents should ever have to

Juniors

I have to admit that Heidelberg has never been my most favourite place to ride – it is really in-your-face and you get the idea that it’s where rocks must be made. So it came as a very pleasant surprise that I really enjoyed pre-running the 18 km route the day before the event. Indeed “in-your-face” it still was but there were a few “breather” sections, the first of which came up about 4 km’s in, just about where you thought you were about to expire. It was still really tough – that’s what EWXC is all about – but it was the kind of route that if you could stay standing and ride it with commitment, you would find it quite manageable. On the other hand if you sat and wobbled your way through, you would be in for a long and very tough day. Fortunately the area had received a bit of rain which meant a low risk of fire but it would be a bit dusty in some sections. I had so much fun riding the route that again the thought came to me that our Route Director, Igor Baleta, must surely be the best course setter in SA.

The day was dedicated to our fallen brother, Ghislain, and a minute’s silence observed. Black “Ghislain E232” arm bands were provided which most riders wore. As we have said so many times before, the dirt biking community is like one big family and everyone wanted to donate to the family – R14 700 was handed to Ghislain’s parents, Mel and Dean, who were extremely touched and grateful – thanks riders! This was his favourite riding area and a special spirit was felt comforting broken hearts throughout the day.

Even though we split the 10 classes into three separate races, there would still be 130 plus riders in each of the main races, so we spent an entire day carefully seeding the riders as best as possible to improve the flow and minimize bottlenecks. This is an extremely difficult task as you have to try and draw on history to see how fast each rider is and many are unknown to us or perhaps didn’t finish or had a bad day at the last event – all things need to be considered.

The Junior/ Green route was also a fun 2 km track with lots of turns, a few dips and rocky sections, a forest section and even a short gully. We have youngsters from 7 years old developing great skills in this race – they are going to take our sport to new levels one day, mark my words. The Heidelberg 4x4/ Enduro Adventure Park owners have put a lot of work into improving the venue and it really is a great place to go riding. The pits were easily extensive enough and they even watered down the access road and provided a water tanker to ensure the Motul start/ finish area stayed watered and dust free throughout the day.

Calvin Garvie nails the steps as Shaun Kirk gets stuck

> NOMADIK EWXC 31

JUNE 2016

Tyron Warne styling over the rocks in the Green class

E2 Podium

At the sharp end of the sword Proudly Bidvest Yamaha’s Brett Swanepoel would not have things all his own way this time out as Brother Leader Tread KTM’s Travis Teasdale and team mate Dwayne Kleynhans, as well as ABE Midas Husqvarna’s Richie van der Westhuizen and Mauritz Meiring and Barend Erasmus (Rudamans Yamaha) would be on the chase. By the end of lap one Teasdale had got to the front but Swanepoel and Kleynhans were snapping at his heels and we had a race on our hands. Richie and Barend were also having their own tussle, never more than a minute

32 NOMADIK EWXC

Iwan Roux storms a big step - the step was never the same again

Highschool

Masters

apart, whilst not far behind them Jarryd Coetzee (Brother Leader Tread KTM) and Mauritz Meiring were locked in a similar race-long duel. In the Seniors class Steven Carr (Roost EC KTM) was determined to clinch his 3rd consecutive victory but he was not given the chance to relax as Tom Saether and Franz Czepek were never more than a few minutes behind, and they in turn were fending off Matthew Barker (FDBR KTM) and Iwan Roux (Rekopane KTM).

Mauritz Meiring

Richard Aust - 5th in Green

Otto Horlacher and Shaun Kirk (Cayenne Liqui Moly Beta) were engaged in their regular Masters class tussle and Shaun had the added challenge of his chain derailing, which almost saw a great ride from Armand Claassens clinch 2nd place. Wayne Everton and Garth Prost were also in the mix however they entered on the day which meant their results would unfortunately not count in the class.

up an eventual five minute lead over Swanepoel who in turn had 5 minutes on Kleynhans. Richie van der Westhuizen put in a great ride in his first EWXC of the year to take 4th overall/ 2nd in E2 just ahead of Barend Erasmus. Watching these guys out on the track is something to see – they are so fast and just glide over stuff that everyone else gets hung up on – amazing talent and ability.

In the Highschool class Wihan Le Hanie (Rudamans Yamaha) had some issues and in this competitive class that will never go unpunished. It was to be Adriano Catalano’s (D&H Eng. Yamaha) day – he took a convincing win ahead of Luke Walker (Leader Tread KTM), with Wihan coming in 3rd ahead of a good ride from Matthew Green (Kargo Husqvarna).

Race two saw the recovering TD Munro (Roost EC KTM) lead the Silver class out on a slightly easier route, but Barry Brown and Chris Engel (Brother KTM) were on a mission and the trio each had a turn to lead, always within three minutes of each other. In the end it would be Brown taking the honours ahead of Engel and Munro. Clinton Whitehead showed Kyle Schoeman and Marius Basson a clean pair of heals in the Club class, as did Kyle purchase in the Pro Mini’s where he checked out to win by 16 minutes – this

From lap two Teasdale put the hammer down and opened

NOMADIK EWXC 33

JUNE 2016

Dwayne Kleynhans chasing another podium

youngster from KZN is definitely going places because 2nd and 3rd placed Joshua Henderson and Michael Abrahamse are no slouches. Our own “Champ Factory” is the Green and Junior Race and it was great to see really good support in each class. Some of these little guys are just trying their hand at racing whilst many of them are quite serious and chasing championships. We often wonder if it’s the kids or the parents who have the most fun, but one thing we do know is we are very grateful for the parents involvement as they get out on the course and assist where needed and they are as interested in the other kids well being as their own. Thankfully the event ran smoothly and we got only positive feedback from riders and spectators, to whom we are very grateful for their support. We are also incredibly grateful to our amazing sponsors – Nomadik Tents, Motul Lubricants, Monster Energy, Mayfair Gearbox, Michelin Tyres, The Woodworker, HazClean, Raptor Print, PVM Energy Bars and Gazebo World.

Justin Flemmer you look a little far back ... yup, you were

Huge thanks also to our great marshals, Heidelberg 4x4 Enduro Adventure Park and the Enduro World crew.

34 NOMADIK EWXC

Pro Mini

Stef Lordan - 3rd in Green

Silver

Graham Joyce determined to get that Superman seat grab right

RESULTS E1/200cc

Silver

POS

PARTICIPANT

SPONSOR

POS

PARTICIPANT

Brett Swanepoel

Proudly Bidvest Yamaha Racing

Barry Brown

Dwayne Kleinhans

Brother Leader Tread KTM

Christian Engel

Jarryd Coetzee

Brother Leader Tread KTM

TD Munro

Mauritz Meiring

ABE Midas Husqvarna

Quintin van der Bank

Eduan Bester

KTM Centurion Liqui Moly

Byron Mc Neil

Alastair Drennan

Roost KTM Security

Janneman Erasmus

POS

PARTICIPANT

SPONSOR

Travis Teasdale

Brother Leader Tread KTM

Richie van der Westhuizen

ABE Midas Husqvarna

Barend Erasmus

Rudamans Yamaha

Warren Barwell

Robert Garvie

E2/Open

Seniors POS

PARTICIPANT

SPONSOR

Steven Carr

Roost KTM EC Security

Thomas Saether

Franz Czepak

Matthew Barker

FDBR KTM

Iwan Roux

Rekopane KTM

Johnny Viviers

Masters POS

PARTICIPANT

Otto Horlacher

Shaun Kirk

Armand Claassens

Peter Abrahamse

John Blignaut

Steven Prost

SPONSOR Beta Liqui Moly Racing South Africa The Roost

HighSchool POS

PARTICIPANT

SPONSOR

Adriano Catalano

D&H Engineering Yamaha

Luke Walker

Leader Tread KTM

Wihan Le Hanie

Rudamans Yamaha

Matthew Green

Kargo Husqvarna

Ralph Schutte

Stephen Marinov

SPONSOR

Brother KTM

Pro Mini POS

PARTICIPANT

Kyle Purchase

Joshua Henderson

Michael Abrahamse

Matthew Henderson

Kieryn Roebuck

Heinrich Aust

SPONSOR

The Roost

Club POS

PARTICIPANT

Clinton Whitehead

Kyle Schoeman

Marius Basson

Shannon Hurly

Tshepo Masilo

Brett Geary

SPONSOR

Team Ikageng

Juniors POS

PARTICIPANT

SPONSOR

Johan Le Hanie

Keagan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara

Caydian van der Spuy

KTM Centurion Liqui Moly Racing

Tristan Munro

KTM Roost Racing

Joshua Munro

KTM Roost Racing

Lachlan Harriss

Green POS

PARTICIPANT

Jordan Cowley

Donovin Labuschagne

Stef Lordan

Luca Rugani

Richardt Aust

Hannes Buys

NOMADIK EWXC 35

JUNE 2016

Riding a Real By Gary Franks and Darryl Curtis Pics by Gary Franks

E K I B Y L L A R KTM 450

The bike most synonymous with the Dakar Rally is most definitely KTM’s Rally bike. No other brand has dominated the world’s most famous rally like KTM, winning the last 15 years consecutively. Despite the rules being changed several years back, reducing engine capacity to 450cc to help other brands be more competitive and make it less of a “one-horse-race”, KTM has remained dominant. For sure some of this success is owed to the brilliance of riders like Marc Coma, Cyril Despres, Toby Price and others, but even after Despres and Coma are no longer racing for them, KTM still secured five of the top ten positions this year. So they definitely have got the recipe right and the most important part of that recipe besides the rider, must be the bike. We were afforded the privilege of testing Joey Evans’ new 2016 450 Rally – certainly not something that comes by every day. To really be able to test this machine, we asked Darryl Curtis, a multiple national off road and enduro champion with several Dakar’s under his belt, to join us.

36 KTM 450 RALLY BIKE

When the decision to limit capacity to 450cc was announced (effective from 2011), KTM didn’t have time to redesign a complete new bike. They had been using a bike based on the 690 which was ideally suited to the more open terrain of the old Dakar in Africa. So they used the same chassis but with a 450 motocross engine. Obviously the bike still worked well but it was not perfectly suited to the modern day South American Dakar which has more technical and tighter terrain. So in 2013 KTM released a completely new 450 Rally bike which would race from the 2014 event onwards. The factory hand builds these bikes in very limited quantities and only for rally racing. Obviously then they are extremely expensive – about R530 000.00 depending on the exchange rate – and you have to have your order in way before you will actually get the bike … which would generally be when you arrive in South America for the Dakar. The older KTM 450 Rally used the previous generation 450 motocross engine, which was a heavier, carburetted, double overhead cam motor. It could carry 36 litres of fuel

This is a bike you can study for hours - attention to detail is in a different league

and weighed in at 145 kg’s without fuel, about 175 kg’s fully fuelled. The bike was big and bulky and made with a bias towards high speed stability rather than manoeuvrability. So let’s look at some of the features of this new generation rally bike: • Re-designed single cylinder SOHC 4-stroke engine; displacement 449.3cc, bore 95mm, stroke 63.4mm • Keihin EMS with electronic fuel injection (44mm throttle body) • Multiple disc wet clutch, hydraulically operated, 6 gears, electric start • New especially narrow and rigid chrome-molybdenum steel trellis frame • New 48mm closed cartridge WP USD front forks & WP rear monoshock with new linkage system • Disc brakes; front 300mm, rear 240mm • New narrower front tanks, additional rear tank • Seat height 960mm (down from 980mm), tank capacity 33 litres • Dry weight 140kg • New narrower road book tower • Cockpit cluster now made of Carbon Fibre Since this new engine is much more efficient than the old one, the new bike can carry less fuel further reducing the overall weight. Darryl points out that the most noticeable thing when you get close to the newer bike is how narrow it is compared with the older one. This impression carries through when you mount the bike and notice immediately how much better your vision is up front – far less obscured by the new nav tower and clear screen. Typically us petrol heads can ogle just about any new bike for considerable time. This is a bike that will keep anyone drooling as they ogle it until their eyes hurt. The more you look at it the more you ooh and ahh over the beautiful workmanship of parts like the new carbon fibre tower, the cable connectors around that tower, the buttons and switches and carbon fibre guards and plates tucked neatly here and there. As you study it you realise how no expense has been spared in its construction, and how that construction follows one objective – building a lightweight racing machine. This is definitely no adventure bike or 690 with a rally kit; it’s a thoroughbred race bike. As you study the bike’s sweet lines, Dzus quick release bodywork fasteners and lightweight carbon front fender, the “why would anyone pay so much money for a dirt bike”

The new KTM 450 Rally is literally as slender as a plastic bike

question you had in the back of your mind gets closer to being answered. It looks much lighter than a big fully faired bike should be, and the moment you lift it off its side stand and move it around, you know that it is. It seems to move around as easily as a normal enduro bike. Then you thumb the start button and the 70 something horsepower motor bursts instantly to life with a sound through the unrestricted Akrapovic pipe that would bring a dead petrol-head to life. The sound is electrifying even at standstill.

KTM 450 RALLY BIKE 37

JUNE 2016

The Rally new it had been ridden after Darryl tested it - he’s still got it that’s for sure

Finally you click it into gear and ease off for a ride. Writing about this I just know there is no way I can do the experience justice. It needs to be expressed in ways that would require the article to be censored and this is a family magazine. I’ll do my best but you really need to ride it to understand. It’s like sailing a Hobie Cat on a pond… By the time you have shifted to 3rd gear all the feelings of awe and intimidation you had have been replaced by a realisation of how light the handling feels and you know this bike is not interested in being molly coddled. Cruising around is not in the KTM 450 Rally’s genes and, much as you understand the need to be careful on this beast, you just can’t ride it slowly. So as you open the throttle and feel that immediate and urgent response, the fiery bark from the massive pipe sets your senses alive as you shift through the gears, running out of open space all too quickly. It’s like sailing a Hobie Cat on a pond when what you really want is an ocean. The amazing thing is that the faster you go the more settled and in its element the 450 RR feels. The suspension is superb and you literally can’t seem to get this bike out of shape. You soon learn that those big ruts and wallows only seen 10 metres in front of you when you’re going about 120 km/h, that would normally cause you to have a small heart-attack, need not even be given a second thought. You hardly notice you’ve gone over them and your confidence soars.

38 KTM 450 RALLY BIKE

The clear screen and new tower allows much better visibility

The agility and handling is incredible too and you sense it will cope with any technical terrain you can throw at it. Of course you would have to get your head around taking a bike this valuable into the rocks of De Wildt or Lesotho, but you’re left with no doubt it has the ground clearance and ability to do it. Now the 450’s of today are all really fast and powerful but this bike is in another league altogether. Despite it carrying considerably more weight than an enduro or motocross 450, it feels much faster than any I’ve ridden. Faster than a 690 too. The first gear is really long and you’re already hauling by the time you hit 2nd. From there things become quite blurred as you keep trying to shift before it hits the rev limiter. I ran out of space before ever getting to 6th but was left with absolutely no doubt of its 180 km/h plus top end. As you head back to the pit thinking your turn is probably up, you find reasons to not pit but instead go for another loop … and another … Eventually forcing my adrenalin-charged body off the Rally before I got too carried away, I remember a Moto GP rider’s answer to the question “how does riding the fastest production superbike compare to riding your race bike?” “It’s like comparing driving a bus to driving a fast sports car”. That’s how it feels to ride this bike compared to a 690 with a Rally conversion.

The handling is so light and easy you can ride it like a platic bike

This is a bike made to go fast - you need to hold on and know what you’re doing

KTM 450 RALLY BIKE 39

JUNE 2016

The only thing that compares in excitement to riding the bike yourself, is watching the legendary Darryl Curtis ride it. He may not have been racing for the last few years but boy, has he still got it. I know the 450 was wondering when I was going to get serious while I was riding it, but it was certainly properly ridden by Darryl. It’s amazing to see what the bike can really do – have a look at the short video clip on our website. “The new model is much narrower and considerably lighter than the previous version which I raced at Dakar. This helps a lot everywhere, for example when you’re turning with your leg out. It feels much more like a plastic bike”, says Curtis. “It is also much less intimidating and easier to control because you can see the front wheel and more of what’s ahead of you, and the handling is much better. They have got the balance perfect now and the bike works so well with the brilliant suspension and this new motor. There is so much technology in this engine – it costs about R100 000.00 for a new motor, a piston is something like R25k! Apparently the KTM Factory Supercross team have even borrowed some of the technology from the Rally bike’s engine”, he says. Three words come to mind - What a machine. Thanks to Joey for the opportunity to ride it.

40 OLX SA PRO SUPERENDURO

OLX SA PRO SUPERENDURO 41

JUNE 2016

By Michael Pentecost

RIDING CORNER Riding in thick sand is a lot like a speed boat in water – below a certain speed the boat wallows deep in the water and is difficult to control. Pick up the speed and the boat lifts and starts planing higher out of the water where it’s easier to control. So when riding sand a good general rule of thumb is you always need to be on the gas. This way it keeps you in control of the bike, gets the bike up out of the sand and keeps the front wheel light. Even when you get sideways often the best solution is to give it even more gas in order to straighten up. Your body position will generally be neutral (central) to further back with extra emphasis on using your legs and staying loose on the bike. Each lap the track changes especially during a race so you have to be prepared at all times in these conditions.

THICK SAND OLX SA PRO SUPERENDURO 42 RIDING

1 Entering the turn I have already chosen my line, done all my braking and am setting myself up for the turn.

2 As I reach the berm I try my best to stay light on the sand and not dig in. I don’t want my turn to be a pivot in the corner but instead arch around it in one smooth motion to keep up momentum which is easily lost in sand.

JUMP 3 In the corner I have one finger on the clutch in case I need some power in a hurry. Now that I am in the centre of the turn I am looking at the exit and keeping my body central on the bike. At this stage you don’t want to do any braking. All of your braking should have been done before the entry to the turn.

4 My left foot is out to help with my turning and it also gives me that confidence in the corner just in case I need to plant my foot down in order to stay up.

1 Approach the jump straight, ready to get some air and focusing on the jump, the correct speed and trajectory, not on the ruts. If you pay too much attention to the rut you are hitting something always seems to go wrong, but if you pay no attention to it and focus on where you are heading rather, it works out. That’s actually goes for any obstacle really.

2 On the face of the jump my Yamaha’s suspension is compressed as it soaks up the take off and I am looking at the landing more than anything else. My body position is further back to anticipate the bike doing something I am not expecting. On the sand track conditions are never consistent hence my body position.

5 I am now out of the deep stuff and ready to get back on the power with both feet back on the pegs as soon as possible to find traction. My body weight has shifted back so as to weight the rear wheel and get maximum traction.

3 In the air I stay loose and am already looking from the landing to the next turn. At this point I start to shift the bike down by using my arms so as to complete a good landing trajectory. Often the case with sand tracks is that you are going to land on a soft landing so keep on the gas when the wheels touch back down to earth. Also to avoid your front end from tucking into the soft stuff you want to land very hard on the gas with bias set more towards your rear wheel. On a hard pack track I would aim to land with both wheels at the same time since landings are always more consistent/ predictable and on firmer ground.

THICK SAND 43 OLX SARIDING PRO SUPERENDURO

JUNE 2016

STRAIGHT 1 Entering the straights I want to keep my front wheel light and the rear wheel driving as much as possible. I will always look far ahead which helps with arm pump and allows me to prepare for the next section of track after the straight. I also squeeze the bike with my knees to avoid the bike getting too loose underneath me. 2 Here I am using some body-English to correct as I am on the gas, but always looking forward and not panicking. I keep my body central in order to keep flowing with the track and always look ahead. 3 You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be riding your bike down into each hole so as you can see I keep the front wheel high and push the rear wheel down, ensuring thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always good traction driving me forward. Down the straight I make sure to be in a higher gear so as to not load up my suspension and slow me down. This helps the bike track properly and not break traction too much.

Riding well in sand takes practise which builds confidence so you can ride the bike rather than it taking you for a ride. I hope these tips will help you with that process.

2 44 RIDING THICK SAND

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JUNE 2016

Kevin crossing the Limpopo River

Skraa l CH I C K E N E U Q I B M A Z O RUN M By David Hancock Our adventure began in Hoedspruit on the border of Kruger National Park. Since one is not allowed to ride through the Park we trailered the bikes from Phalaborwa Gate to Pafuri border post where we offloaded and parked the vehicles. Upon entering Mozambique we headed roughly East until reaching Inhassoro, Inhambane. We had a proposed route with different stopovers, but as is the nature of adventure … not much went according to plan. It was a stifling hot day with the August wind giving little respite. We arrived at the Pafuri border with an hour to spare before the gate closed at 16:00. We quickly kitted up, bungee chorded our bundles on the bikes, and headed off. There were six of us: Kevin on a GS 800, Glen on a GS 650 Dakar, Howard on a Ténéré 660, Wayde on a KTM 990 Adventure, and Ryan and myself on KLR 650’s. With big smiles we thundered into a dusty Mozambique - six mates on an epic road trip. Glorious.

46 SKRAAL CHICKEN RUN

Within a kilometre of crossing the border Howard came to a halt, his chain being too tight from all the weight. We realized that we all had similar issues. Though we had tested the bikes with loaded kit before the trip, all of us had crammed in a bit of extra weight on departure. It must have been the last minute purchase of 5 litre wine papsaks! I was responsible for the tool kit, and failed to pack a 22mm socket for the Ténéré’s back axle nut. After a few unsuccessful attempts with a shifting spanner Howard managed to haggle an ancient rusted 22mm box end spanner from a passing local with a tractor. Chains re-tensioned we were off again, well most of us. Somehow Wayde’s KTM had developed a short that drained the battery. After what felt like running a marathon in full kit we managed to push start him. We had been on the road for an hour and had only managed 3km. With over 1,500km left this was going to be a fun trip! We found a lekka campsite a bit further on and set up. Sitting around the dancing flames late into the evening we told tales of past adventures as a Scop’s Owl called nearby.

Kevin on his GS 800 Buying our skraal chicken

A not-so-uncommon scene. Here we took my KLR’s battery out to get Wayde’s KTM started

My KLR 650

Getting an early morning start it was not long before we hit our first patch of thick sand. We had all ridden in a bit of sand before this, but none of us had realized just how thick this sand would be. When I say thick, imagine the beach, only worse. One lapse of concentration and you get thrown off course, inevitably ending up with a ‘sleeping boney.’ To add to the fun was the fact that all our bikes were big enduros loaded with kit. Not ideal in thick sand!

are OK before having a chuckle. Another trick we learnt is to pack your luggage so that you are able to sit on top of it when needed. This gets your weight as far back as possible.

The next few days were a test of stamina. The temperature was soaring and water was limited. We all had our share of falls, and even more “nearly’s”! At one point Glen went down right in front of me. I first had to find a flat rock to support my kickstand, as it just sank into the sand, which caused the bike to fall over. Only then could I run over to lift the bike off him! Thankfully he understood my predicament and accepted being pinned under his bike. Proper boots and riding pants saved many an ankle and knee on this journey! As the days progressed we learnt the do’s and don’ts of thick sand. Keep your weight back, look where you want to go and open that throttle! This is often counter-intuitive and takes practice. As soon as you hit a rough patch the natural reaction is to tap off. This causes the front wheel to plough in and your weight to be thrown forward, often ending with you on your back as your mate runs over to ensure you

As I said, riding in sand takes practice and serious concentration on the riding line you choose. At one of our stops I commented on how beautiful the landscape was. Glen looked at me incredulously; “what landscape? I haven’t been able to take my eyes off the road for fear of drifting off track and seeing my ass!” And that was the truth. One slip of concentration and you go down. Even checking your mirrors is often fatal. We eventually reached the mighty Limpopo River. It was very dry and we had a tough time crossing it. Right in the middle of it the GS 800 came to a halt. For the past couple hours it had been cutting out and surging. Picture six guys in full kit standing around this bike under the midday sun trying to figure out the problem. We ruled out dirty filters and reset the ECU. We tried everything we could think. After four hours of trouble-shooting we finally realized it was the kickstand safety that was faulty due to sand getting in the switch. Every hard bump would activate the safety, causing the motor to cut. Simply shorting the two wires did the trick.

SKRAAL CHICKEN RUN 47

JUNE 2016

Beach ride at Inhasorro

We pushed on through the riverbed and kept ploughing through the sand. I must make special mention of a friend that we met en route. Koos (not his real name as he wishes to remain anonymous) is a mountain of a man with a good heart. He works on the lines that run from Cohorra Bassa, and is the kind of guy you want next to you in a bar brawl. Koos accompanied us for most of that day in his Hilux, and was a very pleasant addition to the group.

“Buddy, this is still the tar road!” At especially bad patches we would all stand along the track, ready to help the rider in case he succumbed to the sand. At one point Howard went down hard. Koos ran over and lifted the Ténéré off him, virtually with one hand! With a worried expression he shook his head and exclaimed; “my maat, hierdie is nog teer pad!”(“Buddy, this is still the tar road!”) And he was right…the road ahead got even sandier, and for three days we pushed on through extremely taxing conditions. We would ride until the sun got low on the horizon, then pull off to camp. A simple meal cooked on the fire and washed down with warm wine would get us ready for a night sleeping on the ground. Rising with the sun, we would have a quick coffee while stretching the stiff muscles from yesterday’s crashes. As the Francolin started calling we would thunder off to another day of unknown adventures and perils.

48 SKRAAL CHICKEN RUN

A strange problem developed on the KTM. Out of the blue it would spike to 5,500 rpm. A 990 Adventure is a powerful bike, and that spike in rpm is quite unnerving in the thick sand! It kept Wayde on his toes (and often his ass) for the entire journey. The only way to control it was to keep a finger on the clutch in the hope that you could disengage the motor before the big orange beast taught you an Austrian lesson in the art of flight! Hassles like these, although unnerving, made the trip memorable, and we remained in high spirits no matter how challenging the situation. Our first stop with cold beer was Chicualacuala. We were happy to get out of the sand and have a lunch of peri-peri chicken at the train station. From there we headed West and reached the outskirts of the Banhine National Park by sundown. We set up camp a couple hundred meters off the road in lovely Mopani veldt. The only unsettling bit was that Kevin’s GPS kept beeping a landmine warning. As a result we took extra care when moving around in the bush!! The next day proved to be another tough haul through thick sand. To add to the challenge was the fact that the KTM’s battery was now completely cooked. In a village Wayde managed to haggle jumpers and a piece of welding cable for a makeshift jumpstart connection. We fitted the welding cable onto the positive terminals of both the KTM and GS800 and let it stick out the side for easy access. This saved us from having to remove the luggage and seats every time we needed a jumpstart. One would simply connect the positives to the cables and the negatives to the foot pegs.

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JUNE 2016

First cold beer at Chicualacuala

We continued on to Machaile, now very low on fuel. We managed to procure a few 5 litre containers of petrol – none the same colour. The bikes drank it without hassles. We did, however, put the dodgiest looking fuel into the carburetted KLR’s. It is much easier to drain dirty fuel from a carburettor than to fix the problems that will arise on fuel-injected engines. Six grown men, one skraal chicken That night we set up camp close to a small village. Glen and I noticed a very plump chicken pecking about. We asked a lady nearby if we could buy it for dinner and she happily agreed to 100 Metecais. Soon ten children were after this poor chicken. When they returned it was obvious that the plump chicken had given them the slip as we were presented with a far skinnier specimen. Never have I seen six grown men so thoroughly enjoy one starving hoender! Rejuvenated from a night’s rest we set out early on the final stretch to the coast. The road improved, and we made good time. Unfortunately traffic also increased, and we had a few close calls with overloaded trucks and speeding taxis. The coast was lovely. After days in the saddle without a wash we thoroughly enjoyed a dip in the ocean. Near Inhassoro there is a 30km strip of beach on which you are permitted to ride. My favourite part of the journey was when I borrowed Wayde’s KTM for a spin. I have ridden my KLR 650 for many years, travelling throughout Southern and Eastern Africa. I have put her through the ultimate tests, including having written her off twice from crashes and then rebuilding her again. I will always be a die-hard fan of the KLR 650’s durability. However, there is something to be said for the power of the bigger bikes. When I opened the KTM’s throttle on the beach it blew me away. My GoPro recorded just shy of 190kph on the clock before I felt the bike start to float on the sand. I reluctantly slowed down. That ride left me exhilarated, and wanting a KTM!

50 SKRAAL CHICKEN RUN

Thick sand through Mopane veld

After resting up and sampling Mozambique’s finest selection of beer and rum, we commenced on the long journey home. Being back on the KLR was a bit of a letdown after my taste of real horsepower, but I was thankful for her reliability when we hit the thick sand again. It took us three days to get home from Inhassoro. We headed along the coast a ways before cutting inland and travelling North along the KNP. Our final night was spent in a beautiful Mopane forest near Mapai. Ryan cooked us a feast by combining all the leftover food that had been rationed throughout the journey. A steaming dixie filled with bully beef, baked beans and tuna tastes so much better in the bush! We limped our battered bikes and bodies back to the Pafuri border post and homeward where a severe case of re-entry trauma came upon us. I’m sure that more than one man had a sleepless first night home; missing the small things that we had come to appreciate. The feeling of lying on the hard ground while sipping a luke-warm mug of Tassenberg. The sound of a Nightjar calling while the smouldering campfire masked the smell of petrol from a leaky KLR carburettor. I think Kevin was still camping in his garden a month later! A trip like this is life changing. We learnt a lot about sand

Howard on Tenereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 660

Mapai campsite

riding as well as about each other, and shared memories we will cherish forever. The planning has already begun for the next trip, and I hope to see some of you on the road, even if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just for a quick beer and a bite of skraal chicken!

We are always looking for new routes and riders to join up with. Get in touch. 071-22-00-466. Cheers!

SKRAAL CHICKEN RUN 51

JUNE 2016

FROM PARA By Joey Evans

Editor’s Intro Joey Evans is probably the most inspirational man I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Down-to-earth, always smiling, always cheerful and always passionate about racing dirt bikes despite horrific injuries and permanent disabilities you would never know he had if you met him. Joey is a very committed and clean-living Christian who spends much of his life serving others. He inspired and helped me to recover from a helicopter accident I was injured in, and has helped many others too. This is an incredible story of how a humble but determined and courageous man’s dream of one day completing the Dakar, has driven him to miraculous achievements considering his disability. That goal, once just an extremely unlikely dream, is now perhaps achievable. Wouldn’t it be special if he achieved the dream? I hope we can help Joey get to Dakar because if anyone can finish it, Joey Evans can.

58 FROM PARA TO DAKAR

R A K A D O T

I have always loved bikes. It started for me with my first second-hand bicycle I got for Christmas one year as a kid. My brothers and I would make ramps in the garden from bricks and pieces of wood and a track that would go through most of the flower beds, much to my Mom’s despair. Later I saved up money from my newspaper rounds and birthday money from grandparents and bought my first BMX - a gold and black Raleigh Racing. Now the tracks started to move into the veldt over the road from where we lived and onto building sites with big mounds of dirt. We would ride down the road and meet up with buddies at the back of the old tennis courts and ride tracks and jumps we made in the dirt. Along the way there were scrapes and bruises as well as skinless shins from the pedals. I always wanted a motorbike but growing up second eldest in a family of six children, it was never going to happen. My buddy in high school, Sheldon, raced motocross and let me ride his KX125 a couple of times in the veldt and it was incredible.

Two legends - Darryl Curtis and Joey Evans

Caption

Only at 26 years old could I eventually afford my first motorbike, a second-hand Honda CR250 two stroke motocross bike. I started learning to ride in the veldt and then moved to motocross tracks in the beginning, followed in the coming years by a bit of freestyle and then onto enduro and hare scrambles where I found my passion. I dreamed of racing in the Dakar Rally after watching it on TV and made it my goal to compete one day. I went on to race a number of races both regional and national in 2006 and 2007. I finished the Roof of Africa and Mafikeng Desert race (500km) in 2006 also finishing the year in 2nd place in open pro in the northern region harescramble series.

realisation of what a massive financial and time consuming commitment it would be. With a young family and the financial commitments that come with it, the rally was simply out of reach financially. I continued to ride often and raced local and some national races, with the dream of Dakar on the back shelf for the time being.

My dream of racing the Dakar across North Africa lead me to start finding out more information … which brought the

“I Can’t Feel my Legs” Then at 32 years old on the 13th of October 2007 I lined up at the start of the Heidelberg Harescramble with about 20 other riders. I had got a bad start there the year before which saw me sitting in the dust for ages, unable to pass. This time I was determined to get a good start. And that’s all I can remember until I woke up facing the sky with paramedics and spectators standing round me.

JUNE 2016

Later I was told that going into the first corner just 100 metres after the start, another rider had crashed into my swing arm and I was catapulted off the bike, landed on my head and was ridden over by other riders. The next thing I remember is lying in the dirt looking up at all the faces and realising clearly I had crashed and been unconscious. I joked “did I win?” They all laughed and were clearly relieved … but then my buddy Tristam’s wife, Tiffany, who had been standing next to me with my bent knees resting on her, moved back. My legs just dropped to the floor like two big pieces of dead meat. I whispered to the paramedic, not wanting Meredith (my wife) who was near me to hear, that I could not feel my legs. She

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heard and suddenly we all realised that this was serious. To top it off I thought my mouth had been full of dirt and stones which I was spitting out; it turned out to be my teeth. I had broken 12 teeth, some completely shattered. There were many complications with the treatment I got that day. First they tried to get a helicopter evacuation, which is normally standard practise for spinal injuries, but there was a problem and the helicopter couldn’t come. Next the ambulance on site was not equipped to transport a spinal injury. Eventually they called in another ambulance and after lying in the dirt for more than 3 hours, I was transported by ambulance to the nearest hospital … more than 60km away, partly via dirt roads.

“Never Walk Again” I saw several specialists and was transferred to two different hospitals before ending up in Meulmed Spinal Unit in Pretoria. It turned out I had broken my T8 and T9 vertebrae, breaking them off the ribs and crushing my spinal cord, leaving me completely paralyzed from just below the chest, down. I also had head trauma and had been unconscious, and had broken

12 teeth amongst various other smaller injuries. At that point we had absolutely no idea what challenges the future would hold for us. I was told by the two previous hospital specialists that I would never walk again in light of my spinal cord injury that appeared to be “complete”. A few days later after many X-rays and CT scans the doctor recommended that we fuse my T8 and T9 vertebrae to stabilise my back and attempt to relieve pressure off my spinal cord. This was a big decision to make as other doctors had recommended that we leave the area to ensure no further damage. I had a small “flicker” in my right big toe which gave us some sort of hope, but the doctor said that would more than likely be lost after the fusion. He said if the operation was successful I had at best a 10% chance of ever walking again and if I did I would walk badly and with serious difficulty. After some serious thought going back and forth, although Meredith was still unsure, I decided to go for it in the hope that the fusion would offer the best possible long term possibilities, and she backed my decision. I didn’t have too much to lose but it was still incredibly scary being wheeled into theatre wondering if we had made the right decision. The next thing I knew I woke up after surgery in the most pain I could ever have imagined. I had a morphine button that I was pressing like a Nintendo game but it seemed to make no difference.

The Fight of My Life In the days that followed the flicker in my toe had gone and my legs were really wasting away. I would look down at a body I couldn’t feel or even recognise. My legs were so skinny and the little flesh that was on them just hung on the bones almost like saggy bags of water. Things were really tough and every day was a fight to stay positive and “keep it together”. Lying in that hospital bed I decided that this was not going to beat me; that I would work as hard as I possibly could to walk again. I had so much support from Meredith, my family and friends. Everyone kept pushing me to keep going and were always full of encouragement. I had visitors for most of the day, every day, week after week. Family, friends, fellow riders and guys from the biking community rallied around me. I was in for the fight of my life but I was not alone.

something or move my legs was beyond almost all hope. Then over the next few days the flicker in my toe came back, followed by some slight weak movement in my left ankle in the following weeks. Later I also started to feel something slight in my quads. After six weeks in hospital I came home in my own wheelchair to find ramps put up in my house to help me get around. There was a strong realisation that life was going to be very different from now on. And it was. The next year, 2008, was by far the most difficult year of my life. My body from below my chest downwards was completely wasted away and my skin would just hang from the bones. I could now feel some touch, but not any hot and cold or pain sensation on the skin below the injury. My feet and legs constantly felt like pins and needles. My back was very painful and I had lost all proper bowel and bladder function making daily life very difficult for me and my family. I would get spasms in my legs and struggled to digest which meant a constant struggle to balance laxatives and diet. Not a fun game with limited bowel control. There were also lots of trips to the dentist to fix my teeth as best they could.

The Miracle There was constant physiotherapy and I took these sessions very seriously. Whatever they told me to do, I did double of. I refused to accept that my legs would not work and I spent hours daily digging to the depths of my soul, urging my body and begging Heavenly Father to get some response. So when I eventually started to get some tiny movement in my legs, it was like I had won the biggest lottery ever. There was hope and my determination was supercharged. This was the beginning of a long process of painstakingly learning to stand and then slowly and very painfully I went on to start to try and walk again. I went from walking in parallel bars with back-slabs on my legs, to crutches, then to one crutch and finally walking without aids. There were more setbacks along the way than I care to remember and very

Looking back I had no idea of the real challenges that lay ahead for me, Meredith and my four daughters. It was probably for the best as it would have been too much to bear at the time. I thought about my dream to race in the Dakar and how awesome it would be to come back from this to achieve it, but it seemed at the time that that was now too far and too impossible to even contemplate. Just to be able to feel

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JUNE 2016

often I ended up in a heap on the ground. It was a constant struggle and often embarrassing as I’m sure most people just thought I was drunk most of the time. It was like fighting a fight I was never supposed to win – half a step forward and ten backwards. However I was determined this would not be my fate forever, so when my unseen opponent threw me down, I clawed my way back up and pushed back harder. I banished the picture of me in a wheelchair with atrophied legs that kept trying to lodge itself in my mind. I would walk through the mall with my wife and kids, dragging my feet and losing balance but insisting on not being in the wheelchair despite the fact that it would have been much easier at the time. There were countless unforeseen physical complications, stuff that you always took for granted but now couldn’t do. Simple things like picking up your kids, kicking a ball or driving your car. But with the huge support from my amazing wife Meredith, family, friends and the riding community, I persisted with my recovery. The Enduro World Magazine lead by Gary and Lynne Franks and supported by many bikers and friends raised money to help with additional therapy not covered by my medical aid. Many people called round and helped to encourage me. But while there were times I was bullet proof and would work so hard on recovery, optimistic and pumped to succeed and beat this, there were also many times I would lie in bed at night and just cry. It all seemed just too much to bear. One thing I do know for sure is that there is no way I would have got through it without Meredith. She would encourage me and help me get through those times. Less frequently she would struggle with the enormous added strain on her and I would be the one comforting her and telling her it was all going to be OK. Other times we would lie holding each other and just cry together. All the stupid things we had thought to be important before the accident, now seemed so trivial.

Getting Back on a Bike About two years after the accident I was determined to try get back on a bike. The first time I tried to throw my leg over I could not support my weight and the bike on one leg and ended up falling over with the bike on top of me. My buddy Neal helped me up with the usual friendly mocking and banter. My legs were shaking with the spasms and I felt physically sick but with help I got on and rode about 100 metres, coming to a stop next to my mates who would help me off again. Then my mate Tristam Davies and some friends of mine organised a day where we would head out on a small ride together. Many of my friends and fellow riders came out to support me. Words could never describe the feeling of being back on the bike again. Alone in my helmet I felt my eyes well up knowing that this was truly a miracle to have come what seemed full circle and be back on a bike again. This was never supposed to happen. Not being able to run or jump or play other sports, being on the bike and having the ability to ride flowing paths and move with ease was incredible. It

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Making a plan to keep going

was such a feeling of freedom. I was filled with gratitude, excitement and emotion. I was still going to physiotherapy every week and I told my physiotherapist, Sharne, that I wanted to learn to swing my leg over a bike without falling over. She would build a “fake” bike out of gym equipment and I would train to lift my leg and pivot on the other, slowly learning and training the muscles needed. We would work a lot on core strength and balance, constantly trying to become more and more functional. Everything just takes so much longer and requires so much more concentration when you can’t feel and have such limited control of your muscles and movement. It was (and still is) a constant battle against the overpowering urge to just throw the towel in. Next I bought a second-hand bike and had the suspension lowered and the seat cut down to help with my weak legs. I began to ride more and more but always needed a friend to be there to lift the bike off me and help me up when I fell over … which I invariably did do.

Racing Again After a long time I entered my first enduro race at Arrows

This patched up tyre got me through the day at Amageza

Malle moto pit at night

Rest organised by Enduro World. I managed one lap of about 8km’s shadowed by two good mates, Tristam and Johan. That one lap took me several hours to complete. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I had wanted to quit so many times and my legs would constantly spasm. At the finish I had to fight back the tears as my mate Neal helped me take my boots off. I was completely worn out physically and emotionally. It felt like my own personal Dakar even though it was nothing special to the average rider. I realised that day I was racing against my injury from now on and no one else. It took more time and a few more races before I managed to finish my first race.

date. Riding in wide open places without a soul in sight for mile upon mile was truly special. I raced it without any support “Malle Moto” style, living out of my steel trunk, servicing my own bike and sleeping in my pop up tent. I knew after this race that rally racing was my passion and was what I wanted to do.

Then in June 2012 I entered the silver class (500km) in the Botswana Desert Race and managed to finish 3rd in the open class and 1st in seniors. The next year, 2013, I entered the full 1000km - unfortunately I was time barred on the last lap after having to start at the back on both days since I didn’t have a national ranking. It was frustrating as I had trained hard but having to start in row 28 both days when no one after row 8 made the time bar, it was simply impossible. However I had managed to ride 750km’s which encouraged me to continue knowing that I was able to ride long distances on back-to-back days.

Reaching Goals I continued with weekly physiotherapy even though it had been more than five years since the accident. I constantly worked towards being as able-bodied as possible. I would like to say I was always positive and worked like a machine, but the truth is that while there were times like that, there were also times I gave up hope and let things slide. It was tough to always be positive and to give 100% every day. So having goals to work for was crucial. In September 2013 I entered the Amageza Rally, my first “Dakar style” road book rally. Nearly 2000km from Cape Town touching over into Namibia and finishing in Kakamas in the Northern Cape over 3 days of racing. This was a race that would leave a lasting impression on me, a challenge to say the least. There were 46 starters and only 17 finishers. I managed to finish in 5th overall in what was the best riding experience of my life to

Amageza re-awakened my dream to race in the Dakar and there seemed to be a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, this might just be possible. So I decided that if my dream was ever going to be reached, I needed to get serious about it. I spent a lot of time researching what was needed and what it was going to cost. This was going to be a huge sacrifice in every way for not only me but my wife and family too. Dare I even think of asking that of them, after they had gone through so much already? A lot of people would comment how foolish and selfish I was to be riding again after such a serious injury. However Meredith understands me better than anyone and she could see how riding and setting goals gave me the freedom and motivation that I needed to continue to fight my injury. She supported me all the way - make no mistake she would worry and be concerned especially after being there and witnessing the accident herself - it was never going to be easy. But the goal was set and there was a lot that had to happen so I started to set specific goals. I decided that 2016 would be enough time to prepare yet not too far away that I would lose focus. Firstly I needed to get stronger and fitter so I put together a training program and focused on riding longer distances and more technical terrain. Secondly I needed to have more racing and specifically rally racing experience not only to ensure my best chances of finishing but also to ensure that my application to the Dakar would be accepted. Not living in Europe, Australia or South America made it incredibly expensive to race any of the big rallies and this was a challenge. Then the Namaqua African Rally was announced to be ridden over 7 days in the Cape and promised to be an international standard rally, so I entered that.

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Unfortunately it cost a lot of money and I felt very let down as the organisers shortened it because of logistical problems to 5 days and the distances were nowhere near those promised. I had some challenges on top of that with my bike losing oil and had to carry oil and constantly stop to top up. Nevertheless I still managed to finish the rally in 16th overall in bikes and 2nd in my class - M2.2. I again rode the rally Malle Moto style servicing my own bike each night and living out of my tent.

Back to Hospital I also continued to race several other off road races in 2014. My plan was to race my third rally, the Amageza 2014, which was about 3000km over 5 days. My training was going great; I was riding every week and had done some good road book training organised by Mark Campbell. My navigation had improved massively from the previous year and my bike fitness was better. In preparation I entered Dallie Terblanche’s Pongola 500, staged near the Swaziland, SA and Mozambique border to be ridden over 500 km as one of my final big training rides. It started out well and the bike felt great but fate was to hand me another challenge. Not far into the ride I was following behind some other riders when I hit a cow while riding at somewhere near 100km/h. I didn’t see it or have time to brake as it suddenly ran out in front of me from behind a bush. I was a mess, suffering concussion and torn ligaments separating my collar bone from my shoulder. I had fractured a rib and broken another one off, torn my tricep tendon, had an avulsion fracture on my elbow, lacerations down to the bone on my forearm and was bruised up pretty badly all over. Several other riders stopped and took great care of me as well as the organisers who were brilliant in organising the ambulance and getting me to the nearest hospital, over 150km away. It took two operations to sort out my arm and six months of healing without being able to ride, which ended

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my Amageza Rally plans for the year and once again put the Dakar dream out of reach. Missing out on the Amageza Rally was particularly frustrating. The second half of 2014 and the first few months of 2015 were really difficult working through the injuries and not being able to ride. At the end of February I decided to do a solo off road trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town, about 2700km over about 5 days. A sort of “get-my-head-right” trip. My wife and I love spending time together but after the last few months since the cow deal, she was basically begging me to go ride. The ride was fantastic, I got my head right and I was pumped to keep loving life and chasing my Dakar dream. My next goal for 2015 was the Amageza Rallye - this year a 5000km race over 7 days. Training was difficult as my elbow was still healing and very painful after each ride. As a last training ride I decided to do the Pongola 500 just 14 days before the Amageza Rallye. Perhaps tempting fate a bit after the cow incident last year, but it went really well. I rode it smoothly and at a safer speed. I really found a good pace and flow, a bit slower than I would usually race but I made a lot less mistakes and never hit any cows. Make no mistake though, it was tough. There were lots of riverbeds and thick sand which turned out to be great mental and physical training for the Amageza. I had also tried a new bash plate with the water required for Amageza in it. I realised that with my limited ankle movement I would sometimes use the back brake with my right heal. Using the bash plate made this difficult so I made another plan for the Amageza. Eventually the Amageza arrived, two years of waiting and I was ready and relatively speaking, injury free. I was like a kid counting sleeps before Christmas. I had chosen to enter it Malle Moto again for a few reasons. Firstly it was cheaper which suited my budget. Secondly it would be more about survival and less about speed which I figured would help me stay injury free, something that I had clearly struggled to

do up until this point. I didn’t want to be risking it all with the guys up front. And lastly there is something really cool about finishing a rallye “Malle Moto” style. I love the whole “suck-itup-and-tough-it-out” style of it. So in September 2015 nearly 8 years after breaking my back, I headed off to Kimberley to race in the Amageza Rally, seven days and 5000km through Botswana and the Northern Cape. I was pumped! The race was a challenge, it included going through a fence and later fixing a destroyed tyre with elbow guards and a Liqui Fruit carton, but I finished and to top it off, I won the Malle Moto class and received the “Yamadoda Amadoda” award. An unexpected and great result for me and best of all … no major injuries! Things got really hectic at work after Amageza and I rode very little over the next few months, but now the Dakar was eating at me. “I can do this”, I thought! Next I raced and finished the Amageza Baja up in Port Nolloth. A two day rally race with a super special prologue the day before. About 800 km in total of thick Kalahari sand combined with incredible mountain sections through the Richtersveld. It was a challenge and I had numerous problems with the ICO and road book which was frustrating at the time but made for good training as I learnt some important lessons. I managed to get the finish and some more rally training under my belt which is what I was there for, so another step towards Dakar was completed.

The Road Ahead – Could Dakar be Possible? So here I am in 2016. Physically I can now walk quite well and often people don’t even notice I have a problem. My legs still don’t work properly, they are a lot weaker and slower than “normal legs” and spasm a lot when I’m tired or when my adrenalin is going. I can’t run properly or jump but I can do a bit of a dodgy looking jog. I can feel touch but still can’t feel any hot, cold or pain sensation from below my chest. I still take medication to help digestion and need to self-catheter several times daily. This is a real challenge in race conditions. BUT … I can walk and I’m extremely grateful to have been blessed with such a recovery, for the amazing wife and daughters I have, the great friends and countless other blessings in my life. What’s more is I can ride a bike ok, and know that great “DREAM OF DAKAR” that has helped me get here, could possibly be within my reach. So this year I have entered the Merzouga Rally in Morocco to be held in May. This rally is now owned by ASO, the company that owns the Dakar, and is an official qualifier for Dakar. If I finish the pro class at this six day rally I automatically qualify for Dakar 2017. I have also rented a Rally Replica and joined the France-based Nomade Racing Team for assistance in Merzouga. My goal is to finish this rally and, if I do, then I intend to register, hopefully raise enough money, and race the Dakar in South America in January 2017 ..... and finish. But that’s another whole adventure still to come.

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MAY 2016

KIRSTY’S by Kirsten Landman

KING OF THE HILL HARD ENDURO 2016

hilst in Germany and Prague for the Super Enduro world championship I was fortunate to meet a few people within the hard enduro series and racing King of the Hill Hard Enduro in Romania was mentioned. This lead to the organizers of the event contacting me and, with the help of my sponsors and Holger Dettman, I was gearing up and on my way to race another hard Enduro.

FORCE FUEL

Not knowing what to expect from the race, I at least realised it was Romania and if it’s anything like Romaniacs, it wasn’t going to be easy. However the race format and terrain is way different to that of Romaniacs. KotH race was 3 days of racing, with day 1 being the prologue set out in the city centre of Arad, Romania. The course was set up in an extreme endurocross format, with 1 lap sighting/ practice, then timed qualification which would then put you either straight into the final with the top 20 in each class, or to the LCQ. I finished 26th in expert class, making it into LCQ and then got put into the final with a wild card entry. The final for expert class was 3 laps with 21 guys on the start gate. I managed to finish in 9th place, very happy with my results after a fun day of racing. Day 1 - Offroad day - I started in 32nd position according to my qualification time in the prologue. The day’s route was 80 km’s with everything from extreme technical to flowing riding, but the majority of the day’s race was spent in wet, muddy, slippery river beds, with step ups, big tree roots and deep water holes. With of course the infamous Romanian steep up and down hills. From the first river I was covered in mud from head to toe, and the mud was like clay so it stuck to everything,

which meant I battled to hold onto the bike as my hands were covered in mud and kept slipping off the grips. Then to add to my frustration I spent most of the day pulling myself back onto the bike as I kept sliding off my seat from the mud on my pants and seat. With muddy goggles as well and no pit stops throughout the day, it was one of those situations where I had to grin and bear it. Otherwise it was a great day of racing that lived up to the classification of Hard Enduro. All the Romanian spectators out in the mountains really made it even better; they were all so supportive and always willing to help. I was happy to finish within 4h30 mins and move up to 28th place in expert class. The start of day 2, the final day, was a lot more chilled than expected and expert class only started at 11:30am. The race format was very different; the expert class riders had 2 hours to complete as many laps as possible of a technical 25km loop. My first loop I battled to get into a rhythm as the night before it rained most of the evening, which meant that the riding was completely different. Everything was wet and the hills became almost impossibly slippery with no traction. I found myself permanently jumping on the foot pegs and dropping on the seat to get traction on the uphills. I made it in 40 mins before cut off so I was allowed out for my second lap which I was really happy about. This lap was much smoother and I made less mistakes. Finishing King of the Hill in expert class and being the First Lady finisher was another

incredible achievement and goal ticked off my Hard Enduro list. Again as I always say it was a huge team effort and I had great support from the beginning. Thank you to Franziska from KTM SA who organized me the best bike, and thanks so much to everyone who made it possible Terence Hyde and the team at Hyde Developments for always giving me the best protection for my bike. To Holger Dettman for getting the entry and getting me over to the race and thank you for believing in me. To Brett Sproson and the Leader Tread racing team for always going the extra mile to make sure I am always covered and sorted out wherever I go. Then to the KotH organizers - thank you sorting me out with an entry, accommodation and allowing

me to race in your beautiful country. Then to everyone I met along the way that helped out, for all the support from my family, friends and all the South Africans back home you are always the reason why I get so inspired and make sure I finish the races. I have had great luck and I’ve been fortunate to race overseas twice already this year, it’s been such an experience in terms of learning and exposure and I really look forward to the rest of the year with Romaniacs, Sea to Sky and then of course the Roof of Africa within the international Hard Enduro series.

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KIRSTY’S TURN 67

G r a p h i c We r x A d v e r t i s i n g & D e s i g n c c

JUNE 2016 2016 FEBRUARY

NEW

S T C U D O R P TCX’s New Comp EVO Michelin Boots

by Gary Franks The highly anticipated new TCX Comp EVO boots have finally arrived - clearly to be eagerly received which we noticed by the big dent in the first shipment into SA. At the EICMA show in Milan TCX put on a very impressive demonstration when they cut these and other big brand’s

STUFF YOU NEED & WANT premium boots in half to show exactly what makes the new Comp EVO so good. A lot of development has gone into this model which is aimed at the professional rider who requires ultimate protection and a slim, high performance boot. TCX has worked with Michelin to develop the replaceable moulded sole to be highly durable whilst also providing good grip and allowing water dispersion. As with most modern boots the construction is largely from moulded PU (polyurethane) with some synthetic leather and breathable cushioned materials on the inside. Steel reinforcing is used in the heel area for added protection and the slim profile toe box area is nice and stiff for good protection too. TCX’s “Double Flex Control” system is a hinged ankle support which allows a controlled 18 degrees of forward/ 15 degrees of rearward flex but prevents over extension. We like the ventilation in the upper outside area and the grippy heat resistant panels on the inner calf area. Also impressive is the way the hinged upper is shielded from being able to catch on parts of the bike. The lower two buckles are also shielded to prevent them snagging and pulling open. A close look at the Comp Evo reveals the careful thought that has gone into this boot, like the gear shifter panels to help you shift gear more effectively and the adjustable shin shield for guys with huge calves. Another nice touch is you get a spare strap/ buckle set thrown into the box. You can see how they have studied and used good ideas from other great boots like Gaerne, Alpinestars and Fox Instinct.

Top - Gear shift panel assists sure shifting. Lower - Michelin sole is grippy and replaceable.

68 NEW PRODUCTS

Note protection against bits getting stuck on bike.

Nice slim profile.

Lower buckles shielded from catching and being opened.

NEW

PRODUCTS

But the best part is wearing these new TCX’s – they really are comfortable from the moment you put them on. There’s no break-in period required – I actually put them on at work to “wear them in” … four and a half hours later I realized I still had them on. Comfort is not a good thing if they don’t provide the support and protection your feet, ankles and lower legs need. My feet feel nicely cocooned inside these boots with good support in the ankle area and solid protection all the way

STUFF YOU NEED & WANT around. The toe box area seems very rigid too. My first ride with them was on a brand new and unfamiliar bike, the KTM 450 Rallye, and it was as if I was wearing my old boots - total control and feel of the pegs, brake and gears from the get-go. Weight is typical of a premium level boot – 2.15 kg each for a size 10 (44), which is exactly the same as a Gaerne SG12. This is a far superior product to TCX’s previous offerings – well done to them.

Retail price is R7 899.00 - available from Cayenne World and other good dealers. For dealer enquiries call Cayenne World on 011 244-1900. Check the video out here

Motul Air Filter Clean Many of us use petrol to wash our air filters – big mistake! Not only is petrol hugely harmful to your skin and very dangerous, it will destroy your air filter’s effectiveness and it is environmentally unfriendly. Motul Air Filter Clean cleans foam air filters properly by effectively removing dust, mud, sand, oil and crud for better carburetion. Unlike petrol, this product does not warp and does not harden the filter and is safe for your skin. Watch the video for more info here

It is quite costly but it comes in a 5 litre container and, if you buy a few spare air filters and wash them all at the same time, a bottle will last you a long time. Plus you won’t have to replace your air filters like you will if you use fuel. Retails for around R850 – available from Full Throttle and other good dealers.

Motul’s “Workshop Range” Motul has released its Workshop Range, a line of maintenance and care products specially developed for use in the workshop and reserved exclusively for professional mechanics. Benefiting from Motul’s long-held expertise and high quality requirements, the ten Workshop Range products are grouped into the following five categories: • Mechanical parts maintenance • Lubricants • Protection and storage • Body care • External care Devised for and by professional mechanics, those dedicated formulations have been created to meet their specific needs, starting with the packaging which, for

example, increases from 400ml to 750ml for aerosol cans. Brake Clean is, meanwhile, now available in 20L jerry cans, as is Bio Wash (universal biodegradable cleaner and degreaser). The labelling is also designed to save costs whilst also being easier to distinguish between the different products at a quick glance, enabling users to work quickly and efficiently. The new Workshop Range is also competitively priced and offers professional mechanics the opportunity of having Motul as the sole supplier capable of meeting both their workshop and retail needs. For enquiries workshops can contact AMP on 011 259-7750.

NEW PRODUCTS 69

JUNE 2016 2016 FEBRUARY

NEW

S T C U D O R P Metzeler Xtreme Enduro Tyre 6-Days Extreme Soft

by Gary Franks One of the most popular enduro tyres today is Metzeler’s 6-Days Extreme, an FIM legal tyre that performs really well in most riding terrains. With the increased popularity of more extreme and technical enduros, a few of the big tyre brands released “gummy” tyres, biased towards providing extreme traction rather than longevity. Metzeler’s offering is the “Soft” version of their 6-Days Extreme. This tyre is not as bubble-gum-soft as the Mitas Double Green stripe or Goldentyre’s Gummy, but it is noticeably softer than the standard 6-Days Extreme. I was expecting it to last maybe 150 to 200 km’s, but have been surprised to find it still going strong after 300 km’s. There is noticeably more traction than with a standard tyre – it just seems that bit easier to get drive on pullaways from difficult positions or surfaces like steep rocky climbs or even shale. You also don’t lose grip as quickly so I find I ride with more confidence with this tyre, and I can choose lines I wouldn’t with a standard tyre. Of course it’s a tyre intended just for racing so it comes at a price and it isn’t going to last as long as the standard 6-Days Extreme or an MC4, so I will definitely be using the “Soft” only when I do race and one of the others for everything else.

STUFF YOU NEED & WANT

Pricing Metzeler 140/ 80-18 6-Days Extreme R1 160 Metzeler 140/ 80-18 6-Days Extreme (S) R1 230 Note – when asking a dealer for a tyre, beware of them talking you into what they have or want you to buy because they make better margins. Do your own research by asking lots of trustworthy and experienced riders who ride in the area you want to ride in, then specify the exact tyre you want rather than relying on what the salesman tells you.

PVM - The World’s Original Energy Bar No doubt you have had a PVM energy bar at least once before – they are widely available and pretty well known. Many people mistake PVM bars as just a sweet but you may be surprised to learn that one 45g PVM Energy Bar represents the nutrients of a small meal with a Carbohydrate/ Protein/ Fat ratio in accordance with the worldwide recognised Prudent Dietary Guidelines. Surprised? Looking into the product, we found a few more interesting facts about it. PVM’s focus is on health and nutrition and they believe supplements should always be consumed complimentary to a daily balanced food intake. The company adheres to a Code of Ethics to ensure that they research, develop, produce and market quality nutritional products in a responsible and ethical manner.

70 NEW PRODUCTS

The original PVM Energy Bar was formulated, designed and launched in the early 1970’s – apparently the first product of its kind in the world. PVM Energy bars are the ideal convenient high protein snack to carry in bumbag to assist glycogen recovery and muscle synthesis. With vitamin B–Complex, essential for energy release and no sweeteners or preservatives and they are wheat and gluten free. PVM bars are available at just about any convenience store.

DESKJOCKEYATHLETE STOP SITTING YOURSELF TO DEATH

Chair Dips - be sure the chair can’t roll back

Advanced push-ups

Beginner push-ups - be sure the chair can’t roll away or use a desk

You know you need to be fit and conditioned to ride safely and well, right? The problem is you have a job that keeps you chained to a desk for 10 hours a day. For most of human history people performed more physical work than we typically do now. Nowadays many of us tend to sit slouched at a desk pushing buttons or in meetings for much of the day. Then we get home and the sitting continues as we flop down in front of the TV. This is a lifestyle guaranteed to make us weak, fat, lazy, unhealthy slobs whilst also depleting testosterone. In recent years, researchers have formed a strong consensus with regards to the health effects of sitting. We could really scare you with statistics and research data but in short, the more time you spend sitting, the shorter and less healthy your life will tend to be. Even if you do find time to workout at gym regularly, which for many of us is becoming harder and harder to do, you need more activity to offset the deterioration of all-day sitting. One study showed that just six hours of uninterrupted sitting counteracted the positive health benefits of a whole hour of exercise! “Chronic sitting” actually puts you at risk of poor health and early death, so the answer is to simply limit sitting as much as possible. The secret is intermittent movement which is critical for health and longevity - perhaps even more so than a regular workout routine. So it’s time to get creative and find ways to exercise while at work. The secret is to break up your sitting with about 10 minutes of physical activity per hour. If you’re worried about losing that time, don’t be – the exercise will almost definitely make you more productive than you would otherwise be. There are countless exercises you can with just the equipment in a typical office. A great resource where you can see video instructions on lots of exercises is fitness.mercola.com.

Chair Squats

Calf Stretches

Here are some simple exercises you could do, some without even leaving your office/ cubicle/ desk: (Warning – if you are not used to exercise please consult a healthcare professional before engaging in new exercises) 1. Walking on the spot – this you can even do while still taking calls – left your knees high and swing your arms too. 2. Take the stairs instead of the lift/ elevator. 3. Stretching. 4. Push ups – start off pushing against your desk, progress to feet on your chair. 5. Squat to chair – progress to Bulgarian split squats (one foot behind you on chair). 6. Lunges – can be done walking to the bathroom or to meetings/ the water cooler etc. 7. Mountain climbers. 8. Incline plank (feet on floor, arms on chair). 9. Chair dips.

TIPS 1. Set an hourly chime on your phone or watch to remind you to get up and do it. 2. Get colleagues to join you or to challenge you. 3. Set a goal to do some exercise hourly for a week and see the difference it makes to your performance. 4. Get hooked – then it’s easy.

JUNE 2016

2016

COMING

Here is a list of popular event dates we have available:

IN SOUTH AFRICA SA National Enduro Championship

Nomadik EWXC Series

Hyde Lowveld Enduro/ SuperEnduro Series

30 Apr (Heidelberg) - Note venue change

29 Oct (TBA)

7 May (SuperEnduro 1, Barberton)

11 Jun (PE)

18 Jun (Hazyview Enduro)

14 Aug (KZN)

Mountain Madalas Series

23 Jul (Lydenburg)

10 Sep (Nelspruit area)

2 July (Lesotho) – Note Date Changed

20 Aug (SuperEnduro 2, Barberton)

14 Oct (Harrismith)

24 Sep (KMIA) 22 Oct (SuperEnduro 3, Barberton)

GXCC Series (previously GOC/ Regionals)

SA National Motocross (MSA)

SA National Off Road Championship

28 May

28 May (Bloem)

6-7 May

9 July

2 July (Dirt Bronco)

24-26 June (Botswana)

13 Aug

6 Aug (PMB)

30 July (may not be for bikes)

17 Sep

17 Sep (Harrismith)

3-4 Sep

15 Oct

8 Oct (Syringa)

29 Oct

WOMZA Motocross

Powasol Events

Inner City Enduro (ICE)

Premier Cup

Enduro-X 2, PMB Royal Show 27-29 May

12 June (PE)

30 Apr – 1 May (PE)

Xtreme Enduro 3, Ixopo 3 July

1 Oct (Jhb)

13 – 14 Aug (Jhb)

Extreme Enduro 4, Underberg 14 Aug

12 Nov (Dbn)

North vs South 1 – 2 Oct (Bloem)

Extreme Enduro 5, Harrismith 14 Oct Enduro-X 3, Harrismith 16 Oct

2016 FIM Enduro World Championship

16 Oct (Enduro-X 3, Harrismith)

Round 3 - 21/22 May, GP of Greece, Grevena Round 4 - 11/12 June, GP of Finland, Heinola Round 5 - 18/19 June, GP of Sweden, Enkoping Round 6 - 02/03 July, GP of Spain, Gordexola Round 7 - 16/17 July, GP of Italy, Fabriano Round 8 - 10/11 September, GP of France, Cahors

OTHER NOTABLE EVENTS 7 Summitz

28 Apr – 2 May

Romaniacs

12 - 16 July

Inner City Enduro (ICE)

12 Nov (Dbn)

De Wildt Funduro

14 May

Valley to Valley

16 - 17 July

Roof of Africa

30 Nov - 3 Dec

Roof Bronze Qualifier

21 May

Man & Machine

6 – 7 Aug

Erzberg

26 – 29 May

Inner City Enduro (ICE)

1 Oct (Jhb)

SA Bike Festival

27 – 29 May (The new Kyalami)

ISDE (Spain)

11 – 16 Oct

Inner City Enduro (ICE)

12 June (PE)

IMPI

13 – 15 Oct

74 OLX SA PRO SUPERENDURO