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Oh Clarens, you beauty! If you’ve ever wondered why a dog sticks his head out of a car window, hop on a motorbike. You’ll soon find out, says Richard Webb If craft beer and motorcycles in a dusty town in the middle of nowhere don’t sound like your cup of Darjeeling, hang on a minute. In 1916 - the same year that BMW was formed - the world’s first ever motorcycle festival took place in Laconia, New Hampshire in America. The Laconia rally started when a few hundred motorcyclists gathered at the beach and bikers continue to return to this weeklong event. It’s pleasing then, to see another healthy, vibrant, family-friendly motorcycle focused event with a thriving cultural scene emerge in South Africa. The inaugural BMW Motorrad Days took place in Clarens Valley in the Eastern Free State Highlands. Known as the ‘Jewel of the Free State’, Clarens is renowned for its spectacular sandstone mountains and wonderful climate and is one of the most picturesque spots in South Africa.
Clarens greeted me with clear skies and stunning scenery. The streets, shops, restaurants and town square echoed to the sounds of music, good-natured revelry and that distinctive sound of BMW twins (known as Boxers because of their engine configuration) and other two-wheeled exotica for three days. Almost 2000 people from all corners of South Africa gathered for the festivities that kicked off with a diverse programme of events and activities for everyone, from the seasoned motorcyclist to the novice enthusiast, making it a hot attraction for the rider scene. Amongst them were lucky lottery winners, who took home a BMW F 800 R and a BMW R nineT respectively, after their names were drawn in the BMW Motorcycle Lottery, open to all.
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I caught up with Alexander Baraka, General Manager of BMW Motorrad South Africa, over a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and asked him about the objective of the festival. ‘We want to create a festival to celebrate the BMW Motorrad brand and all its facets, as well as the motorcycle lifestyle,’ he shouted, trying to make himself heard over the music. ‘Okay, this is a BMW Motorrad event, but it’s open to all motorcycle enthusiasts no matter what brand they ride,’ said Baraka. A glance at the bikes parked up neatly around the perimeter of the event confirmed his assertion, with a healthy number of Hondas, KTMs and Harley Davidsons gleaming among the BMWs. Inside the event, there was a fair amount of action, from live motorcycle stunt shows to a variety of riding activities. But would the public be able to experience the bikes for themselves, I wondered? ‘People who want to experience our motorcycles can sign up for a day-trip test ride or check out any model from the BMW Motorrad retail store’, Baraka confirmed. ‘The South African edition of Motorrad Days is based on the internationally successful version held in Germany for the last 14 years – it attracts over 40,000 people annually,’ says Baraka, over the rocking sounds of local rock band Rooibaardt.
I also bumped into world-ranked street bike freestyle rider Mattie Griffin at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and again, here in Clarens. The 36-year-old from Galway works harder than most to entertain his fans, training for 16 hours a week to perfect his routine and develop his signature tricks on his BMW F 800 R, which was on display for all to see in Clarens. In between all the motorbike fun, craft beer gardens and gourmet food stalls there was some of the best live music from Mean Mr. Mustard, Ard Matthews (Just Jinjer), CrashCarBurn and DJ’s that kept the party going until the wee hours. Die Heuwels Fantasties also played Clarens, a somewhat smaller gig than their opening for Kings of Leon in 2012. Clarens turned out to be the perfect location for an event like this because it offers scenic mountain passes that made for extraordinary riding and a thriving social life that complemented BMW Motorrad Days South Africa’s spirit of freedom. For me, it was a chance to get away from the maddening crowd and sit down to enjoy a menu that blended German and South African cuisine and to chat with fellow motorcycle celebrities and legends. It was that kind of event where it is perfectly normal for a ‘mixologist’ to hand you a bourbon cocktail as you make your way to a professional barber to attend to your moustache. Just before I left the event, I caught up with Baraka again and asked him what he thought of the first BMW Motorrad Days South Africa event. ‘It exceeded our expectations, and the feedback we have received from participants, festivalgoers and the local community has has been The BMW F 800 R is a great motorbike that ticks most boxes. Used it around town or for commuting. Add luggage boxes and it’s a tourer. And as a weekend fun machine, it has the aggressive looks that disguises its ‘all-rounder’ abilities
overwhelmingly positive. We are committed to growing this into South Africa’s biggest premium music and motorcycle festival.’ BMW Motorrad has a long tradition of pointing to new ideas around two-wheeled mobility, but this at first seemed to be an odd mix; an old Free State Town, a mixture of English and Afrikaans acts, craft beer and barbershops, BMWs and Harley-Davidsons converging on this charming, meandering sleepy place. But it works. After all, inspiration needs contrasts. Without those differences, without these contrasts, there wouldn’t be any inspiration. Given the Motorrad Days’ success in Germany and other countries, I had a sense that I was watching history being made. It was quite incredible to see people riding together, celebrating together, and I’ll be able to say, ‘I was there at the beginning of something great.’ In many parts of the world, motorised two-wheel vehicles are the most important method of transport for individual mobility. In industrialised countries, on the other hand, the motorcycle has become more of a leisure and lifestyle vehicle since the 1970s. The total market for motorised two-wheel vehicles is estimated at 114 million units worldwide. Although the smallest market in terms of volume, the segment above 500cc, which accounts for around 860,000 units, is highly attractive. BMW Motorrad is one of the market leaders in the premium segment above 500cc. In South Africa, BMW Motorrad accounts for an astonishing 36 per cent of the motorcycle market share.