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ASH EXOTICS

October 27, 2016

Witness

Dealers in Superfine, Exotic and Sports Cars 534/550 Church Street, Pietermaritzburg

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Contact Ash 083 786 3377 Tel: 033 342 4717 / 033 345 1971• Rafik: 083 786 3311 Email: ashgani@telkomsa.net • www.ashcarsales.co.za

KWAZULU­NATAL’S BEST READ ON ALL THINGS WHEELED

INSIDE

The latest wheelchair designs deliver the world’s fastest and cheapest chairs. — Page 5 PHOTO: SAFARISEAT The latest Bonham’s auction saw big money invested in old motorbikes, like this restored Triumph. — Page 6 PHOTO: BONHAM’S

Maritzburg’s Chris Visser and co­driver Ward Huxtable hope to continue their strong momentum from the Sun City 450 at the Atlas Copco this weekend. — Page 8

SUV buyers are spoiled for choice, as Luke Viviers­Viljoen found out after having his doubts about all that mud on a Trailblazer’s wheels, (Page 3), while eight new Kia Sportage models have arrived in Pietermaritzburg after a seven­country tour. — Page 2 PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN/QUICKPIC

SA has a new karting world champion after 12­year­old Jayden Els from Boksburg won the Rotax Mini Max Grand Final in Sarno, Italy. Proudly waving the SA flag with Jayden are his parents Yolande and Jean.

More racing on Page 8 PHOTO: MOTORPRESS

Pre-owned

You spotted a difference, but was it the car?

The range of JMC Vigus bakkies has to, ahem, ford some deep waters to compete with established bakkies in SA, but the new single cab offers Newtons and looks to spare, with a good price and a new five­year or 60 000 km service plan to boot. PHOTO: YOUTUBE

Handsome, and able to deliver SO, you want a strong work­ horse bakkie? Well, for a lot of low­down torque you need look no further than Ford’s single cab bakkie equipped with the 2,2 au­ to drivetrain.

At Wheels, we rate this bakkie for its 385 Nm, which is more than you need to pull a boat or carry a load, and its sweet 118 kW power delivery makes highway driving a pleasure.

“Alas!”, we hear you say, “you can’t afford the R321 900 rec­ ommended retail price of the au­ to Ranger.”

Well, then your obvious choice is either of the hardwork­ ing Indians — Tata’s Xenon Fleetline with its 300 Nm at R163k or Mahindra’s Bolero with its 238 Nm at R169 k.

Aah, but now you ask: “Will I look sexy in it?” This demand takes us back to the Ford, but not a Ford­Ford — the Ford­Mazda as in the BT­50 — and then not

the original BT­50 either, but the clone built by China’s Jianling Motor Corporation, (JMC).

Bear with me, it only sounds complicated.

For what Ford doesn’t really encourage us to tell you is that JMC has been building its bak­ kies and Transit vans in China since 1997 and that the Vigus bakkies we can buy here have previous generation Ford’s Du­ ratorq engines under the hood of that (we like to think) prettier BT­50­inspired nose.

As for price, Pietermaritz­ burg’s Metro Cars (which is one of SA’s biggest JMC dealers) is selling the new 2,4 single­cab Vi­ gus petrol for just under R200 k and the diesel for some R210 k, while sales manager Elvis Nai­ doo is always willing to talk trade­ins.

So how good are the Chinese­ built, previous­generation Dura­ torq engines? Back in 2014, I took the Vigus double­cab 4x4 to Diesel Works in Pietermaritz­

burg and that 2,4 Duratorq tur­ bo­diesel engine tested 83 kW at 3 363 rpm and 286 Nm at 2 003 rpm — as close to the offi­ cial 88 kW and 290 Nm as a hot day in KZN would allow. The 4x4 also went up our Slope easily.

With the 4x4 turned off on dirt roads, its stiff suspension felt planted and just begged for a bit of drifting through corners.

With the same engine but less mass, the single­cab Vigus has almost too much power and one has to be quick off the hair­trig­ ger clutch not to spin the rear wheels. But gear changes re­ quires old­style double clutch­ ing to avoid grinding the first and second cogs.

Put a load on it, and the hand­ some single­cab Vigus will per­ form as good as any other work­ horse, with the reassurance of a well­reputed workshop at Metro Car Sales to back the factory’s five­year or 60 000 km service plan, and that nice warm glow one gets from saving a tidy pile.

The Audi Pre-owned Sedan Sale.

The only difference, is the difference in price.

Get up to R60 000 assistance on a range of selected Audi Pre-owned Sedans so well-maintained, that the only difference you’ll spot is the difference in price. Visit Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg from 21–31 October 2016 and explore our exceptional offers on pre-owned Audi A3, A4, A6 and A8 Sedans. Visit Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg or www.audi.co.za/pre-ownedoffers for more.

Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg

9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg, 3201. Tel: 033 397 8800. www.audipietermaritzburg.co.za

New Vehicle Sales | Nathi Mncube • Cameron Govender • Imdaad Hoosan Pre-owned Vehicle Sales | Mandla Mkhize • Mark van Rijsbergen Anwar Charfaray • Pre-owned Manager: Riaz Mahomed

BP Advertising

ALWYN VILJOEN

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WitnessWheels MOTORING

October 27, 2016

Lynk & Co to change car sales New Swedish­Chinese brand follow in Tesla’s disruptive footsteps VOLVO owners, Geely Auto Group from China, last week launched a new global car brand that aims to challenge the conventions of the automobile in­ dustry.

Called Lynk & Co, the new brand will not rely on a dealership model, but instead sell online or — like Tesla — in owned stores in strategic retail loca­ tions, with fixed and transparent pri­ ces. Alain Visser, senior vice president of Lynk & Co, said their cars will be delivered, and picked up for service, di­ rectly at the door of the consumer.

And customers do not have to buy the cars either. “New solutions for car usage and access will be offered — from traditional ownership and leasing to subscription and sharing­member­ ship,” said Visser in a statement.

With traditional distribution costs typically in the region of 25% of the price of a car, the new brand aims to create significant savings and pass this on “in highly competitive pricing”.

All inclusive ‘but personalised’ Visser said Lynk & Co has abandoned the traditional concept of meagre base models and long option lists that cre­ ate infinite build configurations and costs in manufacturing. Instead, Lynk & Co has replaced “trim levels and op­

tion lists” with a simple selection of fully equipped, fixed­price collections themed to meet customer preferences, as retailers do in the fashion and tech­ nology sectors Lynk & Co is designed and engi­ neered in Sweden and will go on sale in China in 2017, followed by Europe and the U.S. The first car in the range is the 01, a bold and tech­laden SUV, built on the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA).

Visser said the Lynk & Co 01 will be followed by 02, 03 and so forth as a full range — reflecting the brand’s idea of simplifying and challenging in­ dustry conventions, right down to model names.

The company will work with Micro­ soft and Alibaba to explore a whole new digital customer infrastructure for the car industry and offer custom ap­ plications for user interaction.

Ericsson and Lynk & Co have also teamed up to create the latest car con­ nectivity cloud. The digital platform will feature an API open to third party developers, which Visser said would provide endless opportunities to per­ sonalise, enrich and expand the experi­ ence of driving in the new Swedish Chinese creation. — Newspress.

Mixing Swedish style with Chinese pragmatism (and more than a hint of Volvo and Land Rover) is the world’s latest car brand, the Lynk & Co 01.

PHOTO: LYNK & CO

Kia Pietermaritzburg last Friday launched eight new models of the new Sportage to great interest in town.

As part of the national launch, the new Sportage last week travelled over 10 000 km through seven countries in southern Africa (inset) and before that, it set a record with a 3 000­plus kilometre test drive across South Africa, said David Sieff, marketing director of KIA Motors South Africa. Prices for the sport ute start at just under R370 k, but speak to the staff at Kia for good trade­ins. They are (from left) sales executives Puben Kannie and Amy Hylton, general manager Shan van Lelieveld, sales manager Latasha Rajhununan and workshop manager Terrence Moodley.

PHOTO: AVIR THULSIRAM

First plastic road in place by next year DUTCH company KWS expects to have its plastic road, first reported on in Wheels in 2015, installed by end of 2017.

A subsidiary of VolkerWessels, KWS recently announced an agreement to de­ velop the PlasticRoad with plastic pipe experts Wavin and oil and gas company Total.

The PlasticRoad concept, first intro­ duced in 2015 by KWS, entails recycling plastic waste into lightweight modules with hollow interiors that can be fitted with cables and plastic pipes and allow excess water to drain.

The pre­fabricated units will be easy to transport, assemble and maintain, and the lighter weight means the ground will be less prone to subsidence.

The objective is to create a road with a smaller ecological footprint than tradi­ tional road systems.

When the elements reach their end of life expectancy they can be recycled again, contributing to a circular econo­ my and cleaner environment.

Anne Koudstaal and Simon Jorritsma, the inventors of PlasticRoad, said in a statement: “Together with Wavin and Total, we now have a vast pool of knowl­ edge, experience and resources, and can take concrete steps in the development of PlasticRoad. We expect to have a first

An artist’s impression of the plastic road which three Netherlands companies aim to put in place by the end of 2017. PHOTO: SUPPLIED prototype completed by year­end 2017.”

KWS director Rolf Mars added: “Wavin and Total believe in the Plastic­ Road concept and I have every confi­ dence in a constructive and successful collaboration.”

Jan Willem Viets, director of Wavin Nederland, said: “Being part of the de­ velopment of PlasticRoad fits in the strategy of Wavin to provide innovative plastic solutions for the building indus­ try. This is a great chance to develop a new way of road building together with other market leaders in this business.”

Xavier Bontemps, senior vice­presi­

dent for Total’s Polymers Business Unit, said Total supports initiatives that re­ duce its carbon footprint, including the use and development of renewable bio­ sourced and recycled feedstocks, in line with its commitment to better energy.

Bontemps said: “We are delighted to be working on this promising flagship project and to share our expertise in polymer solutions and recycling proc­ esses. This agreement is aligned with our commitment to using renewable and re­ cycled sources and reducing the carbon footprint for the markets we serve.”

— Wheels Reporter.

Seven safe, small cars for your student’s driving needs Tuning you straight

YOUR son or daughter is matriculating this year and the degree he or she wants to do is offered only at the University of the Free State.

If the student body allows universi­ ties to open next year, you would like your children to come home every now and then, but they don’t have a car.

You would like to buy one for them to use because your wife’s Mazda is 19 years old and only makes it to Howick if driven slowly and carefully.

Your children would love a car, pref­ erably a red BMW 220 coupe.

As a responsible father you explain that, if you bought such a car there could be no higher education and they would immediately have to find a job

delivering pizzas, or selling the new book on government in South Africa called Buy the Beloved Country.

So they agree to a cheaper car and you commence the search.

We would advise that you look at cars with a record of reliability and at least some safety features.

The AA in a recent research paper suggests that ABS, a body frame to pro­ tect passengers and air bags are the ba­ sic safety features to go for.

It should also be the kind of car that you would feel comfortable buying sec­ ond­hand at two or three years old.

We have attempted to find cars that are under R150 000, if you can afford to go to R200 000 the list expands

greatly.

Not all of the cars selected have the safety features the AA recommends, but they are good reliable vehicles with sound reputations.

Also the list is not exhaustive; there are many other good cars out there that you might look at. As to pricing, with the disappearing rand and rising costs our pricing should be regarded as ap­ proximate, but remember it’s a buyer’s market — so negotiate.

• Chev Spark. The 1,2­litre Campus is more sophisticated than its predeces­ sors and nice to drive. At R137 400 it is good value.

• Citroen C1. This is a stylish and so­ phisticated city car but a little small at

the back. The VTi51kW Feel comes in at R149 900 • Datsun Go. Very affordable and has the backing of Nissan. However, the en­ try 1,2­litre Mid has no air bags or ABS but costs only R104 900 • Honda Brio Hatch 1,2­litre Trend.

Honda comes with a huge internation­ al reputation for reliability and durabil­ ity. You could probably buy a two or three­year­old without worrying too much about breakdowns. The car comes in at R144 300 and after your daughter has finished with it, you could probably pass it on to a younger son.

• Kia Picanto one­litre LS. This car has excellent build quality, an upmarket cabin and adequate space for four

adults. Don’t let the small engine fool you; it will make it home with ease. It comes in at R130 000. However, it has no ABS. • Renault Sandero 66 kW turbo Ex­ pression is good value and has every­ thing you need for a safe drive. The en­ try model is R142 900 • Suzuki Celerio one­litre GA. Robust little car made for the Third World, very popular in India. Pleasant to drive.

It costs R129 900.

Good Luck and happy negotiating.

• Brian Bassett

MOTORING WitnessWheels

October 27, 2016

Perfectly named BRIAN BASSETT THE Chevy Trailblazer was first in­ troduced to South Africa in 2012, and General Motors have just given this seven­seater aptly named 4x4 SUV a major makeover to level the playing fields in its competition with the re­ cently introduced Toyota Fortuner, for which there is still a waiting list at many dealers.

Just push to play The latest Trailblazer comes in two specs — the top­end LTZ spec with forward collision alert, lane depar­ ture warning and rear cross traffic alert, as well as side blind zone alert.

Across the range, all models retain the usual ABS, seven air bags and Iso­ fix seat anchors, but the LTZ spec al­ so has hill­descent assist, stability as­ sist and trailer­sway control.

Pairing phones with GM’s Sync system is a breeze, especially com­ pared to the German cars out there, and the Trailblazer now sports all the buttons the modular infotainment system offers. Once linked, the apps on your smartphone can display on the seven­inch touch screen, which dominates the new dashboard.

Under the hood The 2,8­litre engine of the LTZ Z71 top­line derivative we drove offers 144 kWs and an impressive 500 Nm of torque. All Trailblazer models now come with a six­speed auto box, un­ derlining the general trend in the SUV market to providing car­like comfort for the driver, while the se­ dan market contracts all over the world. On a trip to the Anglo­Boer War battle sites around Ladysmith, our resident historian Simon Haw found the auto box a bit slushy for his petrolhead tastes, but as we were to find out, the auto shifter works just fine on the rough. We especially liked how the box blips to gear down auto­ matically. There is also a 2,5­litre tur­ bo diesel, and a new 2,5­litre LT with a new Duramax engine putting out 132 kWs and 440 Nm of torque.

A word on towing The towing capacity of the Trailblaz­ er is now around three tons, and once again we want to remind people who tow that they either needed to have had a code eight licence before 2000 (which was when all code eight licen­ ces were converted to EB licences), or they must convert their B licence for normal cars like the Trailblazer to an EB licencein order to legally tow a trailer that weighs more than 750 kg fully loaded. The towing tests

are hard to pass, and the high stan­ dard is very good, for towing is a tricky business best not done only by amateurs on holidays.

When it needs to stop, four chan­ nel ABS disk brakes with electronic brake force distribution will stops the Trailblazer without fuss.

On a slippery slope The SUV retains its limited slip dif­ ferential, but a new limited braking function allows drivers to maintain reasonable speeds on roadless, downhill tracks, in which this car spe­ cialises. In the 4x4 version, it is easy to switch from 4x2 to 4x4 on the fly, using a knob below the gear lever, but to go to four low, the vehicle has to stop and neutral needs to be engaged for a few seconds.

After the storms that lashed Piet­ ermaritzburg last week, Wheels edi­ tor Alwyn Viljoen just had to demon­ strate the Trailblazer’s abilities on mud. First we picked a steep but well­ trodden track made slippery with wet mud. The Trailblazer rode to the top in 4x2 mode. Viljoen was im­ pressed: “In my old Cruiser, this is where I would have to get out to lock the front­wheel hubs,” Viljoen said.

We then engaged 4x4 and inched up a grassy slope still drenched in run­off water. The car just blazed a trail through the fresh growth of Ta­ getes minuta (khakibos, don’t you know!).

“Mmh, very impressive,” said Vil­ joen, “but you know, if we don’t get stuck, we are not really trying hard enough.” (Which is where I quietly crossed myself.) But hard as he tried to get the Trailblazer stuck, the big SUV just shouldered on, even inching its way out of a deep axle bender that had a forestry truck trapped.

The final verdict? “As long as the wheels have grip, this car has enough grunt to go anywhere,” Viljoen said.

Bonus extras The car also has electronic power steering, which detects when the driver is using extra driving effort and adds torque in the same direc­ tion to ease driver fatigue.

Remote vehicle start gets the mo­ tor running from the outside, using the key fob, allowing the climate con­ trol and demister to start working be­ fore you get in.

And last but not least, at R623 200 for the Trailblazer Z71 4x4, only the SsangYong Rexton charges less per Newton metre, which arguably makes the 2,8 TDCi Trailblazer the best value proposition SUV in SA.

3

As long as there is grip, and even some places where there ain’t, the Z71 4x4 will get the family there

Among the big SUVs, the seven­seater Chevrolet Trailblazer Z71 4x4 offers the most torque for the least money in SA, and with 500 Nm, it has all the grunt needed to crawl up very slippery slopes even from parked positions, as a slightly worried Luke Viviers­Viljoen was relieved to learn after this photo was taken. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN

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Indulge your adventurous side, from just R8499 per month.

Model

Retail Price (incl VAT, Incl CO2) Principle Debt Deposit (12%) Period Monthly Instalment Rate

Discovery Sport SD4 SE

R727 044 R640 996 R87 245

72 months R8 499 6.61%

Balloon Payment (30%)

R218 113

Total Cost of Finance

R 821 637

Land Rover Pietermaritzburg 9 Armitage Road, Bird Sanctuary, Pietermaritzburg Tel: 033 897 8860

Duster dusted off Renault has added a lot of value to the four Duster models without changing the prices, which start at R239 900 for the 1,6 Expression 4x2 77 kW petrol and top out at R304 900 for the Duster 1,5 dCi Dynamique 4x4 80 kW diesel. Tweaks include auto locking drive­away doors, black alloys, new front headlamps and rear tail lights, and on Dynamique models, a rear camera.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

pietermaritzburg.landrover.co.za

*Offer available from Land Rover Financial Services. Deal parameters are flexible but will affect rate and payment. Contact dealer F&I manager for options. These payments are indications only and may change depending on date of first payment etc. Changes in the prime rate, currently 10.50%, will cause changes to this schedule unless calculated on a ‘Fixed Rate’ basis. Customer responsible for Balloon Payment when and if applicable. Subject to normal credit approval as per JLR FS credit criteria. Retail prices subject to change without notice. Advertised monthly payment includes initiation fee of R1197.00 and R68.40 monthly service fee. Terms and conditions apply and while stocks last. Land Rover Financial Services, a product of WesBank. WesBank is a division of FirstRand Bank Limited. An Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP20.

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WitnessWheels MOTORING TRENDS

Methanol from soda water can run cars Accidental discovery uses only 1,2V to ‘reverse combustion process’ THE journal Chemistry Select reports scientists from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are making cheaply and quickly ethanol usinng a catalyst made of copper nanoparticles embedded in spikes of carbon.

Ethanol is widely used to make med­ icinces, cosmetics, inks, paints, alcho­ lic drinks and even to remove ice from car windows.

The ORNL team were surprised wen the noted applying just 1,2 volts to what is basically strong soda water, was enough to convert the carbon dioxide (CO2) suspended in water into etha­ nol. Dr Adam Rondinone, of ORNL, explained said this is a complicated chemical reaction “that essentially re­ verses the combustion process”, but with relative ease and an initial conver­ sion rate of some 63%.

“This was a surprise to the research­ ers, as this type of electrochemical re­ action often produces many different chemicals, including methane, ethyl­ ene, and carbon monoxide.

“We’re taking carbon dioxide, a waste product of combustion, and we’re pushing that combustion reac­ tion backwards with very high selectiv­ ity to a useful fuel,” Rondinone said.

“Ethanol was a surprise — it’s ex­ tremely difficult to go straight from carbon dioxide to ethanol with a single

catalyst. “We discovered somewhat by accident that this material worked, we were trying to study the first step of a proposed reaction when we realised that the catalyst was doing the entire reaction on its own.”

Their accidental discovery holds promise for alternative fuel production to keep on using internal combustion engines, especially now that bio­diesel is widely considered to be too expen­ sive in terms of input costs as well as land use to produce.

The ORNL researchers say their technique could easily be up­scaled to commercial levels to produce ethanol, even in alternative energy­storage sys­ tems where excess electricity generat­ ed by wind and solar could readily be turned into liquid fuel.

“A process like this would allow you to consume extra electricity when it’s available to make and store as ethanol,” said Dr Rondinone.

“This could help to balance a grid supplied by intermittent renewable sources.”

The researchers next plan to im­ prove their methods to increase etha­ nol production rates and to better de­ termine the full mechanism of select­ ive chemical production of the copper/carbon catalyst.

— Wheels Reporter.

(From left) Postdoctoral research associate Yang Song and senior staff scientist, Dr Adam Rondinone show the process of turning soda water into ethanol.

PHOTO: ORNL

October 27, 2016

FROM LEFT: Regional after sales manager for Volkswagen, Robert Wright; general manager of sales and marketing for Volkswagen, Carla Wentzel; manager of national key accounts for Volkswagen, Loshini Pillay; and manager of national special markets for Volkswagen, Stanley Netshituka with the awards bestowed by SA’s top car rental companies. PHOTO: MOTORPRESS

Car rental groups rate VW for seventh year THE South African Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (Savrala) has an­ nounced Volkswagen as the Manufac­ turer of the Year (Moty) in the car rental sector for the seventh consecutive year.

Volkswagen was presented with the award at the 21st edition of the annual Savrala gala dinner which was held in Jo­ hannesburg recently. Volkswagen was the biggest winner on the night as it also walked away with other key awards which included the Value Award, Best Account Executive for Loshini Pillay and Best Manufacturer’s Technical Repre­ sentative for Robert Wright.

Audi won the Tutuka award for the second year in a row. The award is pre­ sented to a premium brand that has

demonstrated commitment to satisfy­ ing the needs of customers in the niche and lower volume segment.

The recipients of the Savrala awards are decided through a stringent process by rental companies such as Avis Budget, Bidvest, Hertz, Europcar, Tempest, Thrifty and First Car. These companies are required to rate 26 motor manufac­ turers that they interact with using a sur­ vey containing different and targeted questions ranging from aspects such as communication, contact with the man­ ufacturer, technical assistance, parts availability and pricing structures.

The president of Savrala, Marc Corco­ ran lauded Volkswagen for its remarka­ ble achievement. Corcoran said: “It is a

remarkable achievement and testimony to the Volkswagen team that they have continued to defend its Moty leadership for a seventh time.

“They are true brand custodians and should take great pride at the fact that the car rental industry has recognised and duly rewarded their efforts.”

Thomas Schaefer, chair and MD of Volkswagen Group South Africa said Volkswagen was honoured and humbled to be recognised by the car rental compa­ nies for the seventh consecutive year.

“Members of Savrala are one of our key customers and we are very grateful for their recognition with the Moty award as well as their continued support of our products.” — WR.

Self driving farmers’ robot zaps weeds SCIENTISTS at the University of Lin­ coln, UK, have taken delivery of an ad­ vanced new mobile robot to support ag­ ri­tech experiments at the university’s agricultural field station.

The Thorvald agricultural robot, de­ veloped with scientists from the Norwe­ gian University of Life Sciences, is the latest piece of technology added to the facilities of the Lincoln Institute for Ag­ ri­food Technology (Liat).

It will support field trials delivered by scientists from the University of Lincoln at the university’s Riseholme Campus in Lincolnshire.

The Thorvald robotic platform has been built to perform a wide variety of agricultural tasks, including deployment as a multi­purpose light weight robotic carrying platform, as a sensor platform to monitor crops and soils and, poten­ tially, as a platform to manage crops and for precision weed control. It is capable of operating on uneven terrain and agile enough to navigate between rows of crops without touching plants.

Professor Simon Pearson, director of Liat, said the Thorvald robot will be like

The Thorvald agricultural robotic platform carries sensors to monitor crops and soils and even control weeds. PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN a roaming, robotic lab assistant able to support a wide variety of research activi­ ties. “The robot will support research on autonomous outdoor navigation and mapping, soil quality assessment, crop yield prediction, in­field logistics and

transportation,” Pearson said.

While students in South Africa pro­ test for fees to fall, the university received grants of over £2,6 million (R43,6 mil­ lion) from Liat to deliver three out of the 24 projects. — WR.

Abundant silicon at heart of new system to make ‘sun power’ batteries LYNDA DELACEY A TEAM of researchers from Madrid is developing a thermal energy storage sys­ tem that uses molten silicon to store up to 10 times more energy than existing thermal storage options.

Their system could replace wall­ mounted batteries several car makers, from Tesla Motors to Mercedes­Benz and Nissan, are rolling out to power homes and recharge eletric cars. Storage is the current major challenge faced by renewable energy sources like wind and solar, with batteries not able to copy yet.

Researchers have been exploring a range of new ideas to improve energy storage, including a commercialized so­

lar thermal energy system that stores concentrated heat from the sun in the form of molten salts and converts the heat back to electricity via a thermal gen­ erator. The salt­based systems work quite well, but they require complex pumps, pipelines and heat transfer fluids to generate electricity, making them ex­ pensive and vulnerable to safety issues.

They’re also not based on particularly abundant materials — if we scale up the use of these plants, we could find our­ selves running low on the elements needed to make these salts within a few decades. That’s why researchers world­ wide are looking for safer alternatives that use cheaper and more abundant materials.

Scientists can now use silicon to store and re­use the sun’s energy PHOTO: UPM The silicon­based solution proposed by the team from the Universidad Poly­ technic de Madrid (UPM) could be a winner because silicon is one of the

world’s cheapest and most abundant el­ ements — second only to oxygen.

The proposed new thermal energy storage system involves heating the sili­ con in a container using either concen­ trated sunlight on surplus electricity generated by renewable power. The mol­ ten silicon — which can reach tempera­ tures of around 1 400° C — can be isolat­ ed from its environment until energy is needed, at which point the heat is con­ verted to electricity. Silicon’s unique properties allow it to store more than 1 MWh of energy in a cubic meter — ten times more energy than salts.

The key to making the new system work, according to research leader Ale­ jandro Datas, is the use of thermophoto­

voltaic cells, a fairly new technology that sees solar panels generating electricity from heat as well as light.

“At such high temperatures, silicon intensely shines in the same way that the Sun does,” says Datas. “Thus thermo­ photovoltaics can be used to convert this incandescent radiation into electricity.”

The researchers believe their inven­ tion could dramatically reduce the cost of storing and producing energy in the thermal energy sector.

The UPM team is now looking to commercialize the system. Towards that end, they have founded a business project called Silstore and have started building a laboratory­scale prototype.

— New Atlas.

October 27, 2016

MOTORING WitnessWheels WHEELCHAIRS

Made for Kenya Low­cost wheelchair made rugged to last in east Africa STU ROBARTS A NEW wheelchair has been designed to make life easier for individuals living with disabilities in developing regions.

The SafariSeat, from London­based Uji, is aimed at being affordable, easy to re­ pair with inexpensive parts, and able to be manufactured and repaired locally.

Like the Freedom Chair and Moun­ tain Trike, the SafariSeat was conceived for use on rough terrain. Where it differs from those examples, though, is in hav­ ing four wheels instead of three and a focus on affordability.

The project came about in 2014 after an accident left Uji founder Janna Deeble in a wheelchair temporarily.

Deeble, who grew up in Kenya, felt the experience helped him to understand better the difficulties that are faced by wheelchair­using people in developing countries, who may have to deal with rough terrain without adequate equip­ ment.

“SafariSeat is designed so that it can be made in basic workshops, using bicy­ cle components. We did this to enable easy and affordable repair.

“Charity donations of unsuitable wheelchairs are well­intentioned, but of­ ten their repair requires specialist tech­ niques and imported parts, so they quickly become redundant. Local manu­ facture keeps all costs low, and means the user can communicate directly with the manufacturer, enabling custom modifications where needed,” Deeble states on Kickstarter.

Letu, a Kenyan disabled by polio, helped to design the low­cost SafariSeat wheelchair using bicycle parts to give freedom of movement to the one in 200 disabled people who need a wheelchair in eastern Africa.

PHOTO: SAFARISEAT The chair is designed in such a way that it can be assembled without the need for tools. Levers on each side are pumped with the arms to propel the chair via a leveraged mechanism. Grip­ ping the levers at the bottom gives the sense of a high gear for use at speed over flat ground, while gripping them at the top provides more leverage for increased torque over rough ground.

A suspension system allows the chair to keep all four wheels in contact with the ground for stability while moving over rough terrain. The seat, meanwhile, adjusts its shape as the chair moves, helping to reduce the potential for pres­ sure sores and stimulating blood flow.

Uji plans to make the blueprints for the SafariSeat freely available, meaning that anyone will be able to build one.

It also plans to include workarounds so that the chair can still be constructed even if not all of the required compo­ nents are available.

Uji is working with APDK Bombolulu who have contributed a wealth of expert­ ise in local manufacturing techniques and provide a distribution network that will be used to deliver the SafariSeats.

A Kickstarter crowd­funding cam­ paign for the SafariSeat is under way.

Pledges from £200 (about R3 420) will see a SafariSeat gifted to an individual whom it could benefit. — New Atlas.

5

Rowing motion for ‘fastest’ wheelchair WISCONSIN­BASED company Row­ heels has released what it claims to be the fastest wheelchair with the rider pulling up instead of pushing down on the wheels.

The company was co­founded in 2012 by Salim Nasser, a Nasa engineer, inventor and quadriplegic who Popu­ lar Mechanics wrote has “reinvented the wheel”.

“Using Rowheels’s patented hub, REV­HX wheels turn 30% faster than the hand rim.

“This resulted in an extremely re­ sponsive and quick set of wheels.

“From popping a wheelie to turning, HX wheels do it quickly,” the website states.

The patented plantary gear reverse propulsion system enables the rider to pull the arms up in a rowing motion instead of pushing forwards in a down­ wards motion.

Conventional wheelchairs require users to push the rims forwards, requir­ ing the use of smaller shoulders and arm muscles and causing repetitive stress injuries.

The company states on its website the Rowheels chair overcomes many of the shortcomings and inefficiencies as­ sociated with standard push propul­ sion and does it without the need for bulky levers or heavy batteries and mo­ tors.

A model displays the pulling­up instead of pushing­down motion in the latest wheelchair from the U.S. PHOTO: ROWHEELS The pull propulsion or rowheeling is proven to eliminate forces that lead to shoulder­related injury and pain common to over 50% of wheelchair users and uses up to four times as many muscles as pushing — most of them the larger and more capable muscles in the upper back and shoulders — re­ sulting in a more stable and healthy shoulder joint, the website explains.

The system fits onto most wheel­ chairs, and is available in 22”, 24”, 25” and 26” wheel sizes and users will be able to chose between a variety of tyres, hand rims and hub cap colours.

Users will also be able to choose be­ tween a variety of tri­hub colours and graphics.

• Rowheels is in the process of building its provider/dealer network for its product line. If you are inter­ ested in becoming an authorised provider, contact Rowheels at sales@rowheels.com

6

WitnessWheels MOTORING BIKING

October 27, 2016

Demand for classic bikes A rare old Croft­Cameron, the highlight of Bonham’s Autumn Stafford Motorcycle auction MIKE HANLON THE spring and autumn Stafford sales traditionally throw up the finest of British collectible mo­ torcycles and break the records.

Our top 250 motorcycles sold at auction listing includes dozens of bikes sold at the Staffordshire Country Showground in these bi­annual sales and the results of the recent Stafford sale (a 94% sale rate and a total value of £1 572 712 or R26,8 million) re­ flect a strong market.

The undoubted highlight of Bonham’s Autumn Stafford Mo­ torcycle auction on October 16 was the sale of a 1924 Croft­ Cameron 996cc Super Eight for £203 100 (R3,4 million).

The company only produced motorcycles from 1923 to 1926, and no one knows how many were produced, but the quality of the 996cc overhead­valve V­twin motorcycle and its twin loop

(Left) A Croft­Cameron 996cc Super Eight sold for R3,4 million while the restored 1908 Triumph 3½hp sidecar combination sold for over R255 000.

PHOTOS: BONHAMS frame put it right alongside its competitors at the top end of the market of the era, being Brough Superior and Coventry Eagle.

Bonham’s official auction de­ scription of the bike is interesting because it contains great detail.

Croft Cameron Super Eight used the British Anzani V­twin and was available in eight­valve form (four valves per cylinder) for £140 at the time, or four­valve (two valves per cylinder) at £125, and with a slightly larger capacity

there was also the option of a slightly larger “Plus Power” en­ gine which cost £145 and £130 for the four­valve and two­valve ver­ sions, respectively.

The bike set a new world record for the rare Coventry

From scarf to effective head protector SWEDISH company Hövding is selling a scarf that uses sen­ sors to deploy an air­bag hel­ met when you’re about to crash.

The air­bag­packing scarf uses sensors to detect possible impact and inflate itself in mil­ liseconds.

The air bag is designed like a hood and made in an ultra­ strong nylon fabric that won’t rip when scraped against the ground. Hövding protects nearly all of the head, while leaving the field of vision open.

The inflated air bag covers a much larger area than a tradi­ tional cycle helmet and is de­ signed according to current accident statistics. The pro­ tection is greatest where it is needed most and the air bag provides extremely soft and gentle shock absorption. The pressure remains constant for several seconds, making it able to withstand multiple head impacts during the same acci­ dent. After that the air bag

A scarf that inflates in milliseconds to prevent head injury in a fall has been proven effective in recent tests.

PHOTO: HÖVDING

slowly starts to deflate.

The gas inflator that in­ flates the air bag is placed in a holder in the collar on the cyclist’s back. Hövding’s gas inflator is a so­called cold gas inflator that uses helium. Höv­ ding started out in 2005 as a master’s thesis by the two founders, Anna Haupt and Te­ rese Alstin, who, at the time, were studying industrial de­ sign at the University of Lund.

The idea of developing a new type of cycle helmet was a response to the introduction

of a law on mandatory helmet use for children up to the age of 15 in Sweden, which trig­ gered a debate on whether cy­ cle helmets should be manda­ tory for adults too. Haupt and Alstin saw their master’s the­ sis as an opportunity to find out whether it would be possi­ ble to develop a cycle helmet that people would be happy to wear — whether they had to or not. The project resulted in the concept of an air­bag hel­ met, which won Innovations­ bron’s Ideas Grant. This kick­

started the process of develop­ ing Hövding into a real product. In 2006, Hövding won the Venture Cup, after which Hövding Sweden AB was founded.

David Camarillow, assist­ ant professor at Bio­engineer­ ing at Stanford University, have since crash tested the scarf in standard 2,1­metre falls compared to convention­ al foam­rubber helmets, and said it reduces impact by a fac­ tor of five, because the air bag is larger and softer. — WR.

Euro bikers don’t trust autopilot systems THE Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations (Fema), in co­ordination with the Koninklijke Neder­ landse Motorrijders Vereni­ ging (KNMV) and the Mo­ torrijders Actie Groep Ned­ erland (MAG NL) motorcycle clubs, has issued a formal letter to the Dutch vehicle authority RDW inquiring whether testing procedures of autonomous vehicles

take into account two­ wheelers.

Similar action had been undertaken earlier by the Norwegian riders’ organisa­ tion NMCU, directing ques­ tions towards the transport minister, Ketil Solvik­Olsen, and Tesla co­founder and CEO Elon Musk.

This was sparked after collisions when a Tesla Model S with Autopilot en­

gaged that rear­ended and seriously injured two bikers to date.

The Dutch bikers say it seems Tesla’s self­driving hardware and software were developed in tests that did not include any motorcycles.

Fema supports its argu­ ments with American re­ search conducted by John F. Lenkeit of Dynamic Re­ search, which concludes

that forward collision warn­ ing systems for automobiles fail dramatically to detect motorcycles, providing inad­ equate results in 41% of tested cases, against only 3,6% for passenger cars.

Tesla has meanwhile an­ nounced a slew of upgrades to its new models, which will, however only be acti­ vated after “robust” road tests. — WR.

For more information on Witness Wheels advertising Contact Avir on 033 355 1152 or 084 278 3447 Avir@witness.co.za

based Croft­Cameron marque.

One of the great buys of the sale, and a perfect example of the lengths an enthusiast will go to in order to bring a bike back to life was a 1908 Triumph 3½hp sidecar combination, which sold

for £14 950.

It was first registered in 1908 in South Australia, dismantled for reconditioning prior to World War 1 and rediscovered in 1975 in a dismantled state with the parts spread around a large workshop.

The vendor at this sale pur­ chased the workshop’s entire contents to ensure he got all needed parts for restoration.

The bike was found to be com­ plete, except for the wicker side­ car body, so a replica of the latter was made to attach to the archeo­ logically manifested restoration.

At 108 years of age and quite beautiful, it’s a time warp and a magnificent restoration for the rather meagre price.

Finally, one of the more inter­ esting results for a more recent machine was the sale of a limited­ edition 1997 Ducati 996cc 916 SPS, which fetched £22 770.

— New Atlas.

The Babel bike, made by Crispen Sinclair Technologies, can lay claim to being the safest bike on the road, thanks to seat belts, a roll cage and toe guards. Yet it has only garnered 35% of its goal on Indiego since its launch on the platform last year.

PHOTO: BABEL

Bicycles have same legal rights as cars on roads SAMANTHA GREATHEAD SOUTH Africa has more on­road crashes involving cyclists than coun­ tries with a higher car­to­cyclist ra­ tio.

Irrespective of what the reasons behind the crashes are, drivers share at least 50% responsibility in pre­ venting collisions with a cyclist.

The managing director of Master­ Drive, Eugene Herbert, said cyclists are more vulnerable, which often re­ sults in drivers paying them less re­ gard.

“Speed is a major factor in creating this vulnerability. Collisions which exceed 45 km per hour give cyclists a less than 50% chance of survival.

Even if cyclists are hit at slower speeds, they face severe injuries. Al­ ways look out for cyclists as well as cars. You are setting yourself up for a dangerous situation if you only pay attention to other cars on the road.”

He said the ThinkBike movement in South Africa arose partly due to the lack of regard paid to cyclists by drivers.

“There is a belief that cyclists have less right to the road and should keep out of a motorist’s way. Part of keep­ ing cyclists safe is to change attitudes towards two­wheel drivers. They are just as entitled to be on the road as you,” said Herbert.

He advised drivers to take heed of the laws that govern cyclists. “In South Africa, bicycles are considered as legal vehicles and are bound to the same laws as motor vehicles. If you know what rules of the road govern cyclists, you will better understand how to interact with them in tricky situations like roundabouts,” he said.

He said drivers have to show extra

care when making a right turn, when A and B pillars in a vehicle typically block the driver’s view of oncoming motorbikes or bicycles.

“There could also be a cyclist next to you who needs to go straight.

Make an extra effort to double check that there are no cyclists before you make a right turn. This also applies to cyclists who might be in the oppo­ site lane coming towards you. Do not underestimate how fast a cyclist may be moving. A cyclist can ride at up to 30 km/h,” he said.

While on the road, Herbert said drivers must allow about a metre of space when passing and even more during wet weather.

Also look for cyclists before open­ ing your door and exiting your car.

V EUGENE HERBERT MD of MasterDrive

“In South Africa bicycles are considered as legal vehicles and are bound to the same laws as motor vehicles.”

MOTORING WitnessWheels TRANSPORT

October 27, 2016

7

Take two for taxi cards Gauteng backs roll­out of smart cards for minibus taxis that was rejected in Pietermaritzburg ALWYN VILJOEN DESPITE Pietermaritzburg taxi drivers and conductors burning the first pilot of smart cards for minibus taxis in the city last year, the Gauteng province is now hoping to drag the cash­based taxi industry into the 20th centu­ ry with a swipe card system.

KYLE VENKTESS reports for Fin24 that the card­based project — which is backed by the Gaut­ eng provincial government and headed up by the TaxiChoice As­ sociation — was introduced last Tuesday at taxi ranks on the Jo­ hannesburg, Pretoria and Mabo­ pane (JPM) route.

The system issues commuters with what looks like a regular bank card or quick­response (QR) code to pay for their taxi fare.

Jotham Msibi, TaxiChoice As­ sociation’s executive chair, said that the project is planned to al­ low for better control of cash in the taxi industry.

“The initiative is compliant with payment regulations and is a level­four banking standard, operating on the same platform that banks are using,” he said.

“This system is making use of a very high technology system and the same system can be used for buses and trains, to make pub­ lic transport efficient, reliable and safe,” Msibi added.

Commuters who use taxis in Johannesburg and Tshwane will be able to load pre­ paid Fairpay cards for taxis at taxi ranks from February next year, if Gauteng’s drivers do not burn the system as did Maritzburg’s drivers.

PHOTO: KYLE VENKTESS (FIN24) Gauteng Transport MEC Is­ mail Vadi said that the initiative is a smaller part in the greater goal of public transport commut­ ers being able to use one card for all forms of transport.

“The standard that must be strived for is ‘One Province — One Ticket’ in line with the na­ tional electronic fare­collection regulations,” he added.

“We want there to be one elec­

tronic card with no problems.

This is a disruptive technology that needs to be used to our ad­ vantage but we must take our time,” Vadi said.

Vadi added that the initiative also intends to make taxi trans­ portation safer for commuters.

“Now that the driver does not need to collect and count taxi fares, he can be focused on driv­ ing,” he said.

But progress will take place, and in Gauteng, the taxi digital fare­collection system is owned and being implemented by Fair­ Pay. TaxiChoice — the commercial arm of the South African Nation­ al Taxi Council (Santaco) — is currently the sole shareholder in FairPay, with Curve Group Hold­ ings as the technology partner.

“We believe in connecting

people to opportunity and this project represents a leap ahead for the South African taxi indus­ try.

“Through the use of digital technology, we can assist mil­ lions of hard­working people to be more connected, more in­ formed and lead better lives,” said Fred Baumhardt, CEO of Curve Group.

When the Santaco piloted the

same type of system in the city, Nhlanhla Nkomo, chair of the as­ sociation, told EDWARD WEST of The Witness that the card sys­ tem would “formalise the indus­ try, result in taxi industry em­ ployees being treated as normal workers with benefits, and result in safer minibus transport”.

The system was piloted in 113 taxis belonging to the Grand Westgate Taxi Association in November last year. Witness re­ porter CHELSEA PIETERSE re­ ported drivers and conductors hurled rocks and bricks at the Langalibalele Street taxi rank to protest against the “no cash in taxis” campaign, while members of the uMgungundlovu Taxi As­ sociation also protested against the new system. uMgungundlovu Taxi Associ­ ation chair Bheki Sokhela then said the passengers had turned from welcoming a card system that could be pre­loaded with fares on weekly or monthly basis, to protesting with drivers and conductors in the informal set­ tlement of France.

Commuter Thembi Dumaku­ de said they are against the card system because it would eventu­ ally phase out the role of taxi con­ ductors and lots of people would lose their jobs.

“This is a poor area … and we do not want that,” Dumakude told The Witness.

Toyota announces fuel cell buses ALWYN VILJOEN SOLAR­POWER pundit Elon Musk rather robustly described Toyota Motor Corporation’s plans to use a lot of electricity to make and trap hydrogen to make a little electricity “bull­ shit”.

Toyota, of course, went and used a bull’s excretions to make hydrogen to show the process can (admittedly with a lot of technology) be energy neutral, and told Musk he is right. The world’s car makers just smirked at all this wit, and went on in­ vesting heavily in preparing to sell an electric fleet by 2020.

Toyota is sticking to its hydro­ gen guns, however, and for its next instalment in the hydrogen saga announced it will sell fuel cell buses (FC buses) under the Toyota brand from early next year. Having already undergone repeated field tests for practical use, the Bureau of Transporta­ tion of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to use two of these FC buses (model name: Toyota FC Bus) as fixed­route buses. Toyota plans to introduce over 100 FC buses mainly in the Tokyo area, ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic

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11 YEARS AT THE FORE FRONT

Toyota has announced an electric bus powered by hydrogen as part of its commitment to use a lot of electricity to make hydrogen to make a little electricity. PHOTO: TOYOTA Games. In view of this, the FC buses will be sold for the first time in Japan in early 2017, so as to help increase the level of un­ derstanding by the general pub­ lic of the utilisation of FC buses as a form of public transporta­ tion.

The number of FC buses will increase over the next four years to meet the transport demands of the Tokyo Olympic and Para­ lympic Games in 2020.

The Toyota FC Bus was devel­ oped by Toyota, based on the company’s experience in devel­ oping FC buses together with

Hino Motors Ltd (Hino).

The Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS), which was developed for the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, has been adopted to provide better energy efficiency in comparison with internal combustion en­ gines, as well as to deliver superi­ or environmental performance with no CO2 emissions or sub­ stances of concern (SOCs) when driving.

The company said in a state­ ment the nine kW battery sys­ tems in the FC bus can also be used as a power source in the event of disaster.

Durban port oil plant awarded CHEVRON SA’s Lubricants Manufacturing Plant (LMP), a key player in the Port of Dur­ ban, has been awarded as the TNPA’s Best Performing Opera­ tor, as well as the Supplier of the Year Award by Aftermar­ kets Solutions.

The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) in Durban al­ so nominated the LMP as one

of the top three terminals in terms of safety, health and environmental compliance.

In addition, the plant, which was established in 1916, re­ ceived the Supplier of the Year Award 2016 from Aftermarkets Solutions for its commitment to its distribution partners.

The plant recently started making Chevron’s latest premi­

um diesel engine oil — Caltex Delo 400 MGX SAE 15W­40, which statements said “will benefit both new and older diesel engines burning 500 ppm or 50 ppm diesels”.

In its 100 years of operation, the plant recently marked eight years of spill­free opera­ tions while making about 11% of SA’s lubricants. — WR.

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8

WitnessWheels MOTORING RACING

NWM set for one final push

October 27, 2016

Kristen Landman shows a six pack that is the envy of all the bros in the Brother Leader Tread KTM team as she walked the track at Heidelberg.

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM

SA’s 2016 Enduro champ and Maritzburg’s fastest mud rider Travis Teasdale will be hosting a training camp at the Pecanwood Oktoberfest.

PHOTO: FACEBOOK

Alfie Cox KTM racer Stefan Vandeventer in action.

PHOTO: MOTORPRESS

Durban KTM racer Calvin Hume makes light of a log.

PHOTO: MOTORPRESS

Visser/Huxtable will be going all out for Donaldson Cross Country Class T title COLIN MILEMAN THE 2016 Donaldson Cross Country Championship is set for a thrilling show­ down at the final race of the season, with the Class T title to be settled at the Atlas Copco Gold 450 in Gauteng tomorrow and on Saturday.

The Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) Ford Performance team of Chris Visser and co­driver Ward Huxta­ ble are tied for the championship lead along with rivals Jason Venter and Vince van Alleman (Toyota), so it’s all to play for when the crews set off tomorrow for the qualifying loop.

“It’s been a crazy year with lots of ups and downs, but we’re thrilled to be going into the final race equal on points and fighting for the championship,” said team principal Neil Woolridge. “Our victory at the Sun City 450 was just what we needed, and is really good for the championship. It has given the team a huge boost going into the last race of the year.

“We’ve done our homework and preparation on the cars, and we hope to continue our strong momentum through to the end,” Woolridge said.

Despite its rough and rocky route, the Atlas Copco Gold 450, located in the gold mining belt of Gauteng’s West Rand, has traditionally been a good hunting ground for the NWM Ford Per­ formance team. They won the event in 2014, with Visser finishing second over­ all last year.

Team­mates Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer will be keen to repeat their impressive performance during the 2015 event, which saw them running as high as second overall at one stage, and even­ tually ending fourth due to a puncture late in the race.

Despite missing round four of the 2016 season due to the devastating fire at the NWM workshop in July, the young

pair are currently fourth in the Class T championship, 15 points adrift of Johan van Staden/Mike Lawrenson (Nissan).

Buoyed by their second­place finish at Sun City, they have their sights set on wrapping up the season with another podium and, hopefully, securing a top­ three finish in the championship stand­ ings.

With the 2016 season dictating a switch to standard 4x4 tyres in Class T, punctures will once again play a critical role in determining the outcome of this race and, indeed, the championship — as they have done throughout the year.

“The weather could be a factor too,” Woolridge said.

“At the moment, it’s very hot and dry as a result of the drought, which will make the route extremely dusty and very difficult to pass slower cars. But if it rains, the mud could cause a bit of havoc for everyone.”

The Atlas Copco Gold 450 is based at the Kloof Country Club in Glenhar­ vie, less than 60 km from the Johannes­ burg city centre, thus making it easily accessible for spectators and fans.

Qualifying commences at 11.30 am tomorrow, with the main race starting at 8.30 am on Saturday. Competitors set off with a dust gap of two minutes be­ tween each vehicle, and complete the first loop before returning for the man­ datory 20­minute service interval.

The entire field is regrouped before commencing the second loop, which is a great opportunity to see the cars close­ up, and to meet the drivers and co­driv­ ers.

Fans who aren’t able to attend the race can follow the action live on the Rally­ Safe app for Apple and Android devices.

The app can be downloaded free of charge from the relevant app store, and enables enthusiasts to track the cars on a detailed map, download split times and access results.

Teasdale masterclass at Pecanwood fest AFTER winning the SA enduro E2 title in the last round of the Liquorland South African National Enduro cham­ pionships, Maritzburg’s fastest mud rider Travis Teasdale will host a train­ ing camp at the Pecanwood Oktober­ fest this weekend.

The mere R200 per person charged for the four­hour session of expert tui­ tion in hard enduro techniques includes a festival ticket and camping, making this the best value for a wheeled event in KZN this Saturday.

After the good rains, the area has seen, things may get muddy, but Teas­ dale, who has been riding since he was four, has sound advice for any trainee mud riders: “When approaching a mud hole, it is all about line choice. Do not take the line that has been ridden the most. This is where most people make the mistake — the most used line is like a big magnet drawing you into it. Rath­ er make a new line either on the left or right of the main rut. Doing this may save you minutes in a race, lots of energy and can save you from burying your bike knee deep, which is a really terrible predicament to be in — I know from firsthand experience — it is so frustrat­

ing to know that time is ticking away when you are stuck knee deep in a mud hole, especially in a special stage. Be­ lieve me you don’t want to have this happen!

“So, on the right line, approach the mud hole with confidence, keeping as much momentum as possible and keep the front end as light as you possibly can. If the hole is jumpable and you are comfortable to jump it, then that would be the best thing to do.”

After winning his national title at Heidelberg, Teasdale posted on Face­ book that it’s been a year with more ups and downs than a typical enduro track.

“What a year it’s been. I’ve had my good and bad days but tried to keep my riding consistent and it’s really paid off … Super happy with my result but really couldn’t have done it without my amaz­ ing team, sponsors and of course the support I get from my friends and fami­ ly,” the champ said.

In the E1 class, Dwayne Kleynhans and Scott Bouverie were both in the running for the championship on board their KTM 250 XC­F machines, but a second and third place in class, respec­

tively, were not enough to win the title.

Kirsten Landman was determined to finish the Silver class on the podium, which is what the talented woman rider achieved on board her Brother Leader Tread KTM 200 XC­W. She raced a consistent season with some class wins and just missed out on the win by a few points. With her enjoy­ ing the more technical riding and with another Red Bull Sea to Sky Gold finish under her belt, she is now starting to prepare for the Roof of Africa event, know as the “Mother of Hard Enduro” where she will conquer the Maluti Mountains together with her team­ mates from December 1 to December 3 with race headquarters in Maseru, Les­ otho.

The 2016 season some talented youngsters showcasing their talent with Calvin Hume (KTM Durban) tak­ ing victory in the National High School class ahead of PE’s Max Jordaan (Auto Motorcycles KTM) and Stefan van Dev­ enter (Alfie Cox Racing KTM).

• Limited space remains for the Teasdale training day at Pecanwood Oktoberfest.

To book, call Travis Teasdale Racing at 072 453 0177.

Sheldon ends TT Cup season on a high

Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) Ford Performance team of Chris Visser and co­driver Ward Huxtable hope to continue their strong momentum from the Sun City 450 at the Atlas Copco this weekend.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

SHELDON van der Linde ended his Audi Sport TT Cup rookie season on a positive note when he turned a diffi­ cult weekend around to come back fighting and score third and fourth pla­ ces in the two races of the Hockenheim­ ring finale as he ended up second in the Rookie championship and fourth over­ all for the year.

“Overall, I enjoyed a great debut year,” Van der Linde said. “We started very strong, but we were unlucky and I made a few mistakes through the sea­ son. We won four races, had a few pole positions and fastest laps, and I think we can be pretty proud of that.

“Congratulations to overall champi­ on Joonas Lapalainen . He drove a con­ sistent season and finished every race in the points, also well done to my main sparring partner Dennis Marschall who ended second in the championship and to Rookie champion Nicklas Nielsen — I never had an answer to him …”

The Hockenheim weekend proved challenging for Van der Linde from the outset, with qualifying running in cloudy and cold conditions.

Sheldon van der Linde had a good run at the Hocken­ heimring finale.

PHOTO: MOTOR­ PRESS “Qualifying was disappointing,” Van der Linde said. “We decided to change the differential setting and camber an­ gles of the wheels for the first race, which was awesome. I set the fastest lap on the way from ninth to third, and got on the podium.

“That was not enough however — Nicklas finished second and moved in­ to the Rookie lead. I also progressed well early on in the second race but I ended up fourth behind Dennis, Nicklas and Joonas, and could not get close enough to pass. As they say, what does not kill you makes you stronger and I learnt so much this year,” Van der Linde

said. “I truly appreciate everything that everyone has done for me and especially all the support from back home. Now I’m looking forward to coming back stronger then ever next year — bring it on!” — WR.

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