ASH EXOTICS
October 13, 2016
Catch on us live M
Witness
Dealers in Superfine, Exotic and Sports Cars 534/550 Church Street, Pietermaritzburg
WHEELS
104 F L A T I P CA ays d r u t a S 910 am
Contact Ash 083 786 3377 • Tel: 033 342 4717 / 033 345 1971 Rafik: 083 786 3311 • Email: ashgani@telkomsa.net www.ashcarsales.co.za
KZN’S BEST READ ON ALL THINGS WHEELED, FROM SUPERBIKES TO FARM TRUCKS
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It was a dark and stormy night, but BRIAN BASSETT felt no fear on very wet Midlands roads with the Subaru XV’s all wheel drive.
American Nicky Hayden (left) says the latest Fireblade boasts the best power to weight ratio yet.
PAGE 8 Nicholas Cook adds some rearwheel drive to help Hunter Whittle race their trike to the finish during the 10th annual Cordwalles gocart race.
Feast of car events in KZN Petrolheads can look forward to megaWatt soundoffs, low limbos and highspeed stunts ALWYN VILJOEN WHEELS is collaborating with KZN’s top drivers to host four events in KZN’s interior during November and December that are designed to please all of KZN’s petrolheads, whether you are into highspeed stunts or the lowest possible dropped suspen sion. Team Alky leads the fray with a Bragging Rights event on No vember 5. After Evershin Pillay, Joey Govender and Reece Willi amson headed eight of SA’s top
drivers at eTV’s So You Think You Can Drift auditions, held at Mason’s Mill on September 30, this team are best qualified to be stow bragging rights on the capi tal’s best spinners, drifters and stunt drivers in Scottsville on the first Saturday of November. Organiser Evershin Pillay told Wheels the second event promis es to be as incident free and suc cessful as the first one hosted at the Court Sports on Aberfeldy Road in August. Two weeks later, the fresh young crew at Ground ed Nation will host a Stance Fest
at the Ashburton Training Cen tre, also home of SA’s oldest stance fest, “Cars in the Park”. The date is November 19 and the coorganiser Dylan Welton said the point of this show is to bring all types of cars and even motorcycles together. The limbo will be hosted by Low Down Customs, there are four classes; static, bagged, custom and crew. “The rule is no deflat ing tyres and a custom class has been made for drop tops. Other than that you can load as many people as you want in the car
or put as many cement bags in as you can,” said Welton. At the end of November, Msinga hosts SA’s top spinners at the fifth Driftkhana in what
Thrill Seeker presenter Andre Karrim describes as the best drifting arena in the country. And on December 3 Reece Williamson presents Round 1 of
the KZN Driftkhana Series at Mason’s Mill. Wheels will be giv ing away tickets to all the events. Watch this space for details closer to each of the dates.
The new Audi Q3. Performs best when cornered.
Introducing the new Audi Q3. Greater performance, more features and a more aggressive design make it an SUV to be reckoned with, under any condition. The new Audi Q3 range, which includes the legendary quattro, is possibly the most stylish SUV to ever become one with the road. MODEL
Audi Q3 FSI 110 kW Manual Audi Q3 FSI 130 kW S tronic Audi Q3 FSI 132 kW quattro S tronic Audi Q3 TDI 135 kW quattro S tronic
VEHICLE PRICE
INTEREST MONTHLY NO. LINKED/ INST. OF INST. RATE VARIABLE
R 466 000 R 5 591
36
10.60%
R 483 500 R 5 264
36
10.60%
R 578 000 R 7 151
36
10.60%
R 597 000 R 7 279
36
10.60%
DEPOSIT
22.60% (R105 307) 21.82% (R105 484) 19.99% (R115 542) 19.64% (R117 243)
FINAL BALLOON PAYMENT
57.20% (R266 552) 62.90% (R304 122) 58.90% (R340 442) 60.10% (R358 797)
TOTAL COST INCL. FEES AND VAT
R 467 838 R 493 629 R 597 888 R 620 842
Offers calculated on the Audi Q3 models specified, in standard specification over 3 years. *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 10.75%. Instalment amounts as specified, and includes initiation and monthly administration fee of R68.40. Total Retail Price as above includes a Deposit Contributor with Guaranteed Future Value on 36 months/60 000 kms, as well as a Freeway Plan of 5 years/100 000 kms. Information subject to change without prior notification. All Finance offers are subject to credit approval from Audi Financial Services. Audi Financial Services - a division of Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Ltd. An Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and Conditions apply.
Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg 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
Wheels will be giving away tickets to four events in KZN’s interior during November and December. GRAPHICS: SUPPLIED
BP Advertising
9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg, 3201. Tel: 033 397 8800. www.audipietermaritzburg.co.za
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WitnessWheels MOTORING
October 13, 2016
Car parts costing a lot more MALCOLM KINSEY reminds it pays to shop around when sourcing replacement car parts MY 2016 Kinsey Report covers 69 vehi cles and this year and with a few excep tions, there have been increases in the cost of the 2016 basket of 34 parts — some of which are quite astounding. All prices in this study were sourced in July 2016 and almost exclusively from dealers in the Durban/Pinetown/ Umhlanga areas. Wheel rims in some cases are over R20 000 each, doors in excess of R15 000 and if your car is fitted with “in telligent lights” a replacement may be in the R30 000 to R45 000 bracket. Many manufacturers offer these in place of the relatively affordable halogen for their upmarket vehicles. These compo nents are in the crash parts category and in general this is the area where there has been the steepest price increase. Service parts have remained more af fordable — probably because the manu facturer is paying during the life of the service or maintenance plan. Repair parts also, have remained somewhat in check. Fan belts have got expensive for some brands because they are now more technical — almost like a large rubber band that will never need tensioning. Accident and crash parts are a valid concern for all vehicle owners and can impact the finances from day one, what ever insurance policies you may have. Aluminium clad vehicles are very ex pensive to repair and the doors, head lights and rims already mentioned add up to an alarming amount — affecting excess, writeoff points, etcetera. As I stress every year, if you are costing
After stripping cars for their parts for over a decade, Awembe Sili advises the cheapest car to maintain is still either a Mazda 323 or Toyota Tazz, but not a Citi Golf. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN
your own vehicle parts, it pays to shop around if you have more than one fran chise dealer available. Manufacturers only recommend a selling price — they do not enforce it — so prices can vary. If your vehicle is out of warranty, you may consider alternative parts, but this can be a minefield and buying from other than large reputable parts chains could prove a great deal more expensive than buying the real deal.
Results in categories Again we have nine categories, looking at 34 prices of common parts needed in servicing, repairs and crashes. Obviously different categories inter est buyers with different budget con straints, and I have tried to give a reason able spread within the limitations of space allowed. Crossovers are again one of the most popular vehicle choices due to their ver
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satility, and the three categories contain ing crossovers cover the greatest num ber of “similar” vehicles, from fairly ba sic to high end luxury. The prices in brackets are the equivalent prices in 2015. City cars and entrylevel vehicles This spans cars priced from just under R120 000 for the cheeky little Datsun Go to the Ford Figo Hatch at close on R174 000 and obviously the specifica
tions for these two are substantially dif ferent and not surprisingly at opposing ends of the parts basket cost. The results mirror those of last year — the Datsun is the winner with R43 193 (last year R37 631) followed by the Nissan Micra with R55 071 (R44 479) and VW Polo Vivo with R56 968. (R49 805). Service costs are lowest for the Datsun Go and next best for the Chevrolet Spark (which suffers from comparatively high crash parts prices and comes in with the highest overall basket price of all). The repair parts prices are best for the Go and Micra and the Datsun Go scores top points ahead of the VW Polo for crash parts. Super minis Prices here vary from just on R163 000 for the Renault Sandero to R243 300 for the VW Polo. The Sandero has been de moted to second place in the parts basket total this year with an overall cost of R83 783 (R65 517), pipped by the Peuge ot 208, which scored a winning basket price of R79 690 (R67 463). VW Polo 1.2 TSi is in third place with R90 161 (R82 583). The Sandero has the most competi tive service parts basket at R3 016, close ly followed by the Polo at R3 279. Repair parts leaders are the Polo and Chevrolet Sonic, pretty much on a par at R14 500 and R14 700 respectively. Peugeot 208 with R58 781 leads the Sandero with R61 631 and the rest in the crash parts section. Chevrolet again falls down on crash parts prices. • More on www.kinseyreport.co.za.
LOWEST COST DOUBLE CAB BAKKIES THE Tata Xenon still has the most economical parts basket at R67 623 (R58 527) with Toyota Hi lux in second spot with R76 274 (R85 986). GWM Steed has taken third place with a basket price of R92 355 (R89 437). In the servicing section the GWM is lowest at R2 291, substantially ahead of the Ford Ranger’s R4 405 and Tata Xenon’s R4 811. In the repair section the VW Amarok has the
best figures with R8 270 for the automatic, while the clutch, pressure plate and flywheel add some R15 000 to the manual Amarok. Second behind the Amarok is the GWM, with a repair basket of R13 214. Tata just leads the crash parts total with R46 732. The Hilux, which is locally built and so has the advantage of having many of the body pressings made here, is not far behind at R48 761.
QUEST IS BEST AMONG FAMILY FAVOURITIES THE least expensive in this class is the Toyota Quest, selling for R199 400, with the VW Golf 7 the most expensive family favourite at R329 900. This class is the exception to the rule, where two similar cars, the Toyota Corolla Quest and Prestige, are both included. This is based on their respective sales figures — the Quest sells about 600 a month, the Prestige 800 — and this, I think, warrants individual status for each. The market is slightly different, borne out by the fact that the more expensive model, the Pres tige, — R276 150 — is more popular. The Toyota pair head this highly competitive class, the Quest this year has just come in with the cheaper parts basket at R72 659 (R69 446) to
the R76 267 (R67 078) for the Prestige. In a surprise third position is the Mazda 3 at R97 343 (R133 327 for last year !) — moving it from last in the class in 2015 to third this year. Golf 7 is the cheapest to service at R3 968, fol lowed by Chevrolet Cruze at R4 361. To repair these family favourites you are better off if you drive a Mazda 3 with a repair basket at R13 272 or a Honda Jazz at R13 520. To crash or not to crash — the Toyotas are the least costly for crash parts, the Quest at R50 168 and the Prestige at R54 744. Some brands are very expensive in this section — pushing close to or over R100 000 for the 17 crash parts.
CITROËN CACTUS LOWEST PRICED WHEN FIXING AMONG the modern moms’ taxis — or compact crossovers the Citroën Cactus has the cheapest parts basket price of R87 422 (R86 706) displacing the Toyota Avanza at R90 060 (R67 786) with the Renault Duster retaining its third position with a basket of R91 609 (R79 693). Citroën did manage to lower their prices a bit on last year.
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The Duster has substantially lower servicing costs than the rest at R2 748 with the Avanza in second with R4 072. Repair costs are most economical for the Avanza at R13 146 followed by the Cactus at R15 977 and the Cactus and the Ford EcoSport will be the least damaging to your basket in the event of a crash at R66 422 and R68 802 respectively
FORTUNER PARTS LESS THAN TRAILBLAZER’S Valid Offer up tO Ober 31 Oct 2016
* All prices exclude VAT. License and registration and on the road costs. Terms and conditions apply
164 Ohrtmann Road, Willowton, Pietermaritzburg 3201
Contact Numbers: Office: 033 387 6420 • Jevon: 060 630 1225 • Nishaad : 079 334 2408
THE sales volumes from last month’s Naamsa fig ures well illustrate the popularity of the SUV. Toyota Fortuner again takes top spot with a total parts basket price of R91 250 (R77 413) ahead of the Chevrolet Trailblazer at R98 574 — one of the few with a reduced price from the previous year (R109 801). Third spot is claimed by the recently relaunched Hyundai Tucson with a basket of R114 721. Mitsubishi ASX has the least expensive service
basket at R3 152 followed by the Nissan X Trail at R3 996. Chevrolet and Hyundai are ahead for servicing parts, with the Trailblazer at R8 729 and the Tuc son at R9 288. The Toyota Fortuner has the most modest crash basket — R74 410, followed by the Trailblazer’s R84 403 and the only other vehicle with a crash parts basket of under R100 000 is the Ford Kuga at R91 752.
MOTORING WitnessWheels
October 13, 2016
Versatile VX
Subaru Southern Africa welcomed Driving In Heels’ Vuyi Mpofu as its Brand Safety Ambassa dor, using the same Subaru XV 2.0i Lineartronic CVT that we tested this week in the Midlands. PHOTO: QUICKPIC
In the Subaru XV BRIAN BASSETT feels no fear driving in Midlands fog RECENTLY we have driven several Sub arus and have been reminded that being part of this stable in South Africa carries with it a fierce brand loyalty based on the onroad competence and reliability of the cars Subaru manufactures, as well as their legendary offroad capacity, which extends to the Subaru Legacy Se dan. This has the comfort and sophistica tion of a German saloon combined with the rock climbing ability of a Tyrolean mountain goat. Subaru has been manu facturing crossovers since long before they were fashionable and in 2011 it in troduced the XV to South Africa and phased out the fivedoor Impreza hatch back on which the new model was based. Recently the XV was given a facelift, which largely involved a revised touch screen interface and it is the updated model which we drove recently courtesy of Howard Christie, dealer principal of Subaru Pietermaritzburg. Styling The Subaru XV is for people who do not want a car that looks like a large SUV, but need the traction and ground clear ance to tackle mud, soft sand and rutted surfaces without the slightest worry. The front end of the car is typically Subaru, with a black, meshed grille with chrome outline and centrallyplaced badge. This is flanked by headlight clus ters, while lower down a black air scoop is flanked by two fog lights. Like most small SUVs the XV is high, with wide doors to allow easy access both front and
rear. The taillight clusters at the rear are large and practical and the tailgate allows easy access to the luggage compartment. Possibly one of the most distinguish ing features of the car is the 17inch al loys, which look like something out of a Judge Dredd film, but are quite fun and add considerably to the interest of the side view. The roofline, which slopes to wards the rear, is accentuated by roof rails, which will hold a container for fam ily holiday luggage. Interior The cabin has a feeling of quality and spaciousness. The vehicle we drove had a leather in terior and was finished in excellent quali ty plastics well put together, which brought an air of quality to the driving experience. The tall stance of the XV gives occu pants a commanding view of the road and the supportive seats are made for long journeys. Legroom at both front and rear is ex cellent and shoulder room for bulkier in dividuals is also very good. The slide and tilt sunroof does reduce front headroom, but this is hardly noticeable. The driver’s seat is fully adjustable, as is the leather covered, multifunction steering wheel, which handles the radio, CD, AUX, Bluetooth, and cruise control systems. The dashboard is dominated by the centrallyplaced, seveninch touch screen, which is easily operated and in cludes voice control, keyword prompts, while a smaller LED screen at the top
of the central stack provides a range of useful information. Behind the rear seats is 310 litres of luggage space, which is not that much for a family of four on holiday. However, you swap luggage space for a full steel spare wheel, which is much more useful. Should you not need the rear seats they fold flat to increase stor age to 710 litres. Safety and security The XV has a 5star Euro NCAP rating, as well as similar top ratings from Aus tralia and Japan. The list of safety features is too long to mention here. However, it includes ABS with EBD, Hill Start Assist, seven airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchors, rear reversing camera, Electronic Stability Control and a reinforced safety cell. The car also has the usual central lock ing and onboard alarm. It is however Subaru’s Symmetrical AllWheel Drive System, which makes this car truly safe and easily driveable on all terrains.
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Performance and handling We were fortunate to have the car for a few days and this allowed us to drive it on a number of road surfaces and driv ing conditions. From the nonroads in the hills above the Edendale Valley, through several rough Droads and forest tracks in the Karkloof area, to the N3, packed with GP number plates returning to the Big Ap ple. On a wet, misty Sunday afternoon I visited friends, who like me have a li brary, to chat about antiquarian books in front of a large fire with a little red wine for company. Driving home in the dark, with swirl ing mist and nothing visible beyond my headlights, the XV never put a foot wrong. I felt safe, secure and unafraid, thanks to the car’s AWD technology. The car is immensely stable, with re sponsive, wellweighted power steering and a firm suspension, which results in great handling and cornering, as well as a very comfortable ride. The continuouslyvariable transmis
sion (CVT), which operates by working through an infinite number of gear ratios between minimum and maximum points without stops, provides seamless, smooth changes and operates well on and offroad. However, it can also become a six speed manual box, should you feel so in clined. The flat, twolitre, fourcylinder, Box er engine offers 110 kW/196 Nm and will take you from 0100 km/h in about 11 seconds. Fuel consumption in the combined cycle is around 9,4 l/100 km. At times the engine can be somewhat lethargic, but that should not be allowed to overshad ow the overall competence of the car. Costs and the competition The Subaru 2.0iS Auto comes in at around R420 000. This includes a threeyear manufac turers guarantee and a threeyear or 75 000 km maintenance plan. Also look at the Volvo V40 Cross Country and the Mercedes Benz GLA.
2014 Volkswagen golf 7 gti Dsg Roof Xenons white
2012 VolVo C30 2.0 essential PoweRshift New Shape white
2015 Renault Clio iV 900 t gt-line gt sport edition, Burgundy
2012 Volkswagen sCiRoCCo 1.4 tsi 47 000kms roof, white
2010 Bmw 125i CouPe 60 000kms, roof leather,Black
2013 auDi a5 2.0 tDi s line 19 inch wheels, Red
2014 auDi a4 1.8t multitRoniC sPeCial eDition 48 000kms Blue
2012 auDi a4 2.0 tDi 76000kms black interior diesel Silver
2013 meRCeDes B180 CDi Be a/t Diesel 24000kms, towbar, silver
2012 auDi Q5 3.2 fsi QuattRo sPoRts PaCk Roof, Black
2011 Bmw X1 sDRiVe 2.0i auto m sPoRt Roof, Burgundy
2013 nissan Juke 1.6 aCCentia Silver
R279 995
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2015 nissan QashQai 1.6 DCi Diesel new shaPe Silver
2016 toyota RaV 4 2.0 gX automatiC new shaPe grey
R349 995
R399 995
2013 Volkswagen tiguan 1.4 tsi B/ton tRenD-fun (90kw) aircon, uSB/auX silver
2015 hyunDai iX35 20 PRemium ChRome kit new spec, grey
2014 Volkswagen t5 komBi 2.0 tDi ComfoRtline 26 000kms, white
2012 lanD RoVeR eVoQue 2.0 si4 DynamiC White top, Burgundy
2012 lanD RoVeR DisCoVeRy 4 30 se 7 seateR Motorplan, grey
2012 meRCeDes ml 250 BlueteCh Roof xenons, Silver
R369 995
R219 995
R289 995
R369 995
R199 995
R319 995
R269 995
R449 995
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CHATTERTON ROAD: 033 342 4600 • Kevin: 083 278 2708 • Handsome:083 885 6741 • Sydney: 073 439 3205 • Jennifer :076 941 1741 • Suhale :082 688 8021 •
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2015 Chevrolet Utility 1.4i mags, mp3, silver
2012 hyUndai i20 1.4 high sPeC fogs, obc, silver
2015 toyota Corolla QUest 1.6 PlUs alloys, factory r/cd, plus spec white
2014 Chevrolet CaPtiva 2.4 lt a/t 7 seater, 15 000kms grey
2014 toyota hilUX 2.0 vvti s canopy, aircon, white
2015 Ford Fiesta 1.4i ambiente 17000 kms, Grey
2015 Ford FoCUs 1.0 eCoboost ambiente Sedan new shape, Silver
2012 bmW X3 20ia m sPort Sunroof, 88000kms, motorplan, white
2013 Ford ranger 2.2 tdCi Xls 4X4 p/u S/c, raised canopy, bin liner, white
2015 kia rio 1.2 h/baCk FUll hoUse new mags and tyres, silver
2015 volksWagen Polo vivo gP 1.4 tren 63 kW Silver, aircon, b/tooth, silver
2013 kia kia sPortage 2.0 aWd aUto diesel Black leather, white
2015 Chevrolet Utility 1.4i airCon canopy, white
2014 toyota etios 1.5 Xs hatCh fogs usb aircon silver
2011 bmW 320i aUto start sunroof, exclusive, black
2012 volksWagen tigUan 1.4 tsi b/ton trend-FUn (118kW), mfS, smash and grab, silver
2012 isUzU kb 200 Fleetside Aircon, raised body lwB, white
2013 volksWagen golF 7 1.2 tsi blUe motion New shape, touch screen, Grey
2012 bmW 328i aUto F30 Roof, luxury spec, min white
2014 Ford eCosPort 1.0 t b/tooth aUX uSB, mfS, silver
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WitnessWheels MOTORING BIKING
October 13, 2016
New ebikes for hipster commuters as 45 km/h speed limit comes in ALWYN VILJOEN
With a predicted price of about R129 000, the Greyp G12H will be sold as a moped. PHOTO: GREYP BIKES
TWO new electric bicycles made the hipsters who watch this field sit up and take note. In North America, BMW add ed the Cruise eBike to its electric bike collection, while in Germa ny, Greyp unveiled the G12H, al so a cruiser. BMW said its latest electric bike is designed for commuters. Like most electric bikes these days, the BMW is powered by a Bosch Performance Line electric motor. A hydroformed alumini um frame was developed in house by BMW. The removable battery is good for some 40 km/h and can be charged directly on the bike or separately in about 3,5 hours for a 100% charge, or 1,5 hours for a 50% charge.
The BMW Cruise eBike sells for $3 430 (some R47 580) in the U.S. Greyp’s latest electric bike sells for a lot more, but then it does go a bit further. Greyp de scribed its G12H as a streetlegal version of its faster H bike, with a range of up to 240 km at 45 km/ h from its 3 kWh battery. Yes, Europe now has 45 km/h speed restriction laws on ebikes, which will came into effect on January 1, 2017. Anything faster
Selling for ‘only’ about R47 580, the BMW electric bicycle is relatively cheap. PHOTO: BMW
is a motorbike. The G12H has a 45 km/h top speed limit and 4 kW motor that will allow it to be sold in Europe as a moped.
All about total control New Fireblade boasts the best power to weight ratio yet in the legend’s lineup
PHOTO: QUICKPIC HONDA has launched the CBR1000RR Fireblade SP, call ing the superbike “the next stage of total control”. A 15 kg weight reduction and eight kilowatt power boost gives the new Fireblade its best yet power to weight ratio. It’s also equipped with semiactive Öhl ins Electronic Control suspen sion, plus Honda Selectable Torque Control, Selectable En gine Brake, new ABS, Quickshift er, Downshift Assist, Riding Mode Select System and Power
Selector. RC213VS MotoGP de rived technology elevates the rid ing experience even further. Under the tank, the 2017 Fire blade boasts the first inline four cylinder engine from Honda to use Throttle by Wire (TBW) con trol. Peak power is 141 kW at 13 000 rpm, with peak torque of 116 Nm delivered at 11 000 rpm/ 10 500 rpm. Bore and stroke re main 76x55,1. Bottomend torque and power are improved, and three modes of engine output character can be chosen from.
The Fireblade also employs an enhanced version of the Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) used on the RC213VS. The system controls engine torque via two sensing methods. The first uses wheel speed sen sors to measure and compare front and rearwheel speeds. When the FIECU detects rear wheel acceleration (and front wheel deceleration) it reduces the TBW throttle position and thus output, keeping the front wheel on the ground.
Maximum application of the throttle is thus possible without fear of wheelies, with the support of Wheelie Control. A Quickshifter is fitted as stan dard, as is Downshift Assist (with auto blipper) and new assist slip per clutch. To slow down into a corner, ABS delivers smooth, ef fective braking. With information from the IMU, plus front and rearwheel speed sensors, the ABS Modula tor controls braking force ac cording to lean angle, even when
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panic braking. But it also allows for hard trail braking by using two parameters (deceleration de rived from wheel speed and front/ rear slip rates) plus lean angle to vary the threshold for ABS de compression. ABS delivers an ex tra sense of security when brak ing hard on the road, and offers a performance edge in certain conditions on the racetrack. All lighting is crisp LED, with the twin front headlights offering high/low beam on both sides. Crowned with a sharply angled new logo, the Fireblade SP will be available in a tricolour paint option that uses red as its base (rather than white) and pays homage to Honda’s racing tradi tion and history. Wingmotif patterns under pin the machine’s exclusivity. A onekilogram lithiumion battery saves weight and pro vides reliable and consistent electrical charge. Honda Motor Southern Africa will introduce the CBR1000RR Fireblade SP to its lineup next year.
Greyp hasn’t announced any pricing for the G12H, but New Atlas predicts a price of about €8 300 (some R129 000).
KTM recall for specific models for year 2017 \KTM is recalling specific frame numbers of SXF, XCF, XC W, EXC, EXCF and EXC Six Days models of current model year 2017, to the work shops of authorised KTM dealers for a complete re placement of the handbrake cylinder. Following market investi gations by KTM, it has been determined that anomalies in the manufacturing process have resulted, with certain batches, in handbrake cylin ders with defective machin ing. This can lead to early wear of the sealing cup in the handbrake cylinder, thus leading to impaired braking performance. As the anomalies are re stricted to specific batches, the handbrake cylinder must be checked and the affected batches replaced. Customers to whom the af fected motorcycles have al ready been delivered are be ing informed by a personal letter and are asked to contact immediately an authorised KTM dealer to arrange an ap pointment for replacement. In addition, customers can check online in the “service” area of the KTM website to determine if their motorcycle is affected by this recall. The check and replace ment of the handbrake cylin der will be carried out at no cost to motorcycle owners, but must be performed by au thorised KTM dealers only. — WR. The following models are affected by the recall: • KTM 250 SXF EU • KTM 350 SXF EU/US KTM 450 XCF US • KTM 150 XCW EU/US KTM 250 XCW US • KTM 300 XCW US • KTM 250 EXC EU • KTM 300 EXC Six Days EU KTM 300 EXC EU/AU • KTM 250 EXCF Six Days EU KTM 250 EXCF EU/AU • KTM 350 EXCF Six Days EU KTM 350 EXCF EU/AU • KTM 450 EXCF Six Days EU • KTM 450 EXCF EU/AU KTM 500 EXCF AU.
MOTORING WitnessWheels TRANSPORT
October 13, 2016
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New fleet for Dairy Day Key Group Pietermaritzburg helps dairy farmers prosper DAVE SCOTT THE delivery fleet and marketing efforts of Dairy Day achieved a major boost in their KZN home with the branded new Isuzu trucks. Key Group in Pietermaritzburg will deliver a total of 50 trucks before month end to take advantage of the seasonal demand for dairy products. Inside the insulated bodies, the latest technology in transport and refrigera tion preserves the cold chain for Dairy Day’s products. The first trucks were handed over at the Karkloof Country Club, where Dairy Day CEO Paul Marshal said: “The dairy industry is a very competitive business with seasonal fluctuations, tight health standards and products bound to expiry dates — not to mention the threat of drought. “Dairy Day’s investment in this new Isuzu truck fleet will not only reduce and ringfence our distribution costs but al so create huge brand awareness for our branded products such as Honey Dew.” Providing 50 new Isuzu trucks to Dairy Day appears to be a simple pur chase contract on the surface but chair
Specially designed split and sealing rear doors are fitted with plastic curtaining preserve the cold chain when Dairy Day delivers cheese, yoghurt and milk to consumers in KZN in their fleet of new Isuzu trucks. PHOTO: SUPPLIED person of the Key Group in KZN, Paul Emanuel, stated: “This was an extremely complex transaction where negotia tions only commenced in February 2016
with delivery now taking place.” A major support factor in the deal came from Wesbank including Key Group under writing the residual values.
Isuzu adds value to facelifted KB series GENERAL Motors South Africa (GMSA) has started delivering a face lifted version of the sixth generation Is uzu KB to approved dealers in southern Africa. A new front fascia design includes changes to bonnet, radiator grille and headlamps with projector and integrat ed LED daytime running lights on LX models. At the back, the new tailgate styling on extended and double cab models al so sees a rearview camera integrated in to the tailgate handle on LX double cab models. Inside, a new instrument cluster de sign has improved functionality and a gear shift indicator for manual models. A key feature of LX models is a touch screen infotainment system with satel lite navigation, Internet, WiFi, and smartphone integration. The screen – a 1 080p highdefinition TFT unit with a generous 6,5inch dimension — also acts as the display when browsing, or using the DVD player. HiRider 4x2 models received new front and rear dampers while 4x4 mod els received revised rear dampers only. Rebound control was refined to have more compliant characteristics at both low and high piston damper speeds. The end result is a smoother ride across a greater variety of terrain i.e. improved isolation from highway road vibration and reduced harshness from high im pact. Brian Olson, vicepresident of vehi cle sales, service, and marketing for General Motors in SubSaharan Africa said the 3litre 4x4 LX Double Cab cus tomers will benefit from additional val ue as these models now come standard with a towbar, sportsbar, roofrails and power adjustable leather seats. The 2016 range continues with the proven 2,5 and 3,0 litre diesel engines, All 18 derivatives are sold with a five year or 120 000 km warranty and road side assistance as well as a fiveyear or unlimited mileage anticorrosion war ranty and, a fiveyear or 90 000 km ser vice plan. Service intervals are 15 000 km or 12 months for all deriva
The new Isuzu truck fleet incorpo rates the latest technology, extending to the refrigerated cargo bodies equipped with new Thermo King cooling units.
Over 90% of the fleet also utilise Isuzu automated manual transmission (AMT) which is well suited to stopn drop deliveries into the consumer mar ket. Three body builders were contract ed to supply the refrigerated cargo bod ies in order to achieve the deadline. All of this had to match a detailed spec laid down by Dairy Day’s general trans port manager, Craig Warr. These cargo bodies have been de signed to last two economic lives of four years each with the original cargo body being transferred to a new Isuzu truck chassis after four years. Specially de signed split and sealing rear doors are fitted with plastic curtaining to preserve the cold chain for consumers. Dairy farmers are shareholders in Dairy Day — they have a serious vote in the running of this very unique busi ness. As they state: “Dairy Day is differ ent: the farm workers and dairy farmers share in all the profits of the brands we produce”. Dairy Day’s new 15 000m² facility on the N3 highway near Howick is one of the country’s most sophisticated dairy plants and can process up to 600 000 litres of fresh milk every day. The 30 Dairy Day shareholders can be very proud of the logistical operation run ning out of the KZN Howick processing plant. Key Group’s Emanuel said Dairy Day embodies the spirit of entrepre neurship which is a value that Key Group fosters. The new Dairy Day fleet brand ing will certainly cause a stir on the high ways and byways of KwaZuluNatal.
Cheapest bakkies to fix THE 2016 Kinsey Report covers 10 sin gle cab bakkies, all of which have seen sharp increases in the cost of the 2016 basket of 34 parts. The prices for all parts in this study were sourced in July 2016 and almost ex clusively from dealers in the Durban/ Pinetown/Umhlanga areas. From two small workhorses — the Nissan NP 200 selling for R157 900 and the Chev Utility, prices range up to R298 800 for the Amarok 2litre. The NP200, Chev Ute and the Nissan NP300 slot into the first three places, with basket costs of R43 967 for the
NP200 (R47 026 in 2015), R54 347 for the Chev (R59 096) and R58 134 for the NP300 (R49,314). Both the NP200 and Ute had lower basket prices than last year. The two Nis sans have the lowest servicing costs — NP200 R1 992 and the NP 300 R2 189. Chev and Isuzu are most costeffi cient for repair parts — the Chev Ute with a repair basket of R6 606 and the Isuzu KB250 with R7 738. The NP 200 has the lowest repair costs at R31 756 followed by R35 497 for the Isuzu. • More on www.kinseyreport.co.za.
A facelifted version of the sixth generation Isuzu KB has hit South Africa. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
“HiRider 4x2 models received new front and rear dampers while 4x4 models received revised rear dampers only. Rebound control was refined to have more compliant characteristics at both low and high piston damper speeds.” tives. The KB 250 Base single cab starts at R235 000 and a 4x4 drivetrain comes to R386 800. The Extended Cab KB 250 HiRider costs R337 400 and the double cabs
KB250 starts at R351 300, with the KB 300 double cab LX automatic costing R501 200 and the range topper KB 300 4x4 double cab LX automatic retailing for R563 500. — WR.
Chinese truck builder growing in Coega Employees at the FAW plant in Coega last month celebrated assembling their 2 000th truck as well as the fact that sales figures of its ‘farmers’ truck’, the FAW 15180, are bucking the national downward trend in truck sales. The very popular 8tonner breached the 25% growth threshold, with +25,3% yearonyear growth after 233 units were sold last month, compared with 186 units last year. Jianyu Hao, CEO of FAW SA, gave credit for the achievements of the company to the employees: ‘With such a large workforce, our aim has been to keep the manufacturing logistics simple, yet thoroughly in line with strict build standards as well as safety, health and environmental regulations. Thanks to a disciplined and dedicated workforce, we have maintained our standards and have even received an international FAW award in recognition for our outstanding quality.’ PHOTO: SUPPLIED
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WitnessWheels MOTORING RACING
CORDWALLES GRADE 7 BOYS MARK A DECADE OF GOCARTING FUN
Africa hosts next ‘eerily quiet’ Formula E
October 13, 2016
The oddsocked team of Joshua Matambo and his ‘engine men’ Jayden Moodley, Nzuzo Mdlalose and Adam Mahomed had the heaviest cart at the 10th annual Cordwalles GoCart race held last weekend, but despite coming in last, they can boast also having the sturdiest cart in the procession. PHOTOS: ALWYN VILJOEN Brakes? What brakes!? Travis Holdsworth steers the Rasta Rocket on two wheels as Chase Leisegang, Phiko Tyeso and Wihan Joubert race to catch up.
Reigning FIA Formula E champion Sebastien Buemi got his title defence off to the perfect start with victory for Renault e.dams in the HKT Hong Kong ePrix last weekend in front of 30 000 fans. Lucas di Grassi for Abt Schaeffler Audi Sport placed second, racing from 19th on the grid after his team replaced a damaged nose in double quick time. A stunning first lap, which took him from 10th to sixth, played a major part in Nick Heidfeld taking third place for Mahindra Racing. Like his fellow podium finishers, he had to work hard to make his energy last. He did it perfectly, crossing the line as he hit zero percent. The championship now moves to North Africa for the first time, with the Marrakesh ePrix on November 12. PHOTO: ELECTRIC CARS REPORT
D I S C O V E RY G R A P H I T E
OUR MOST VERSATILE SUV IS NOW EVEN MORE DESIRABLE
Despite a wheel coming off, the Gladiators — Okuhle Nkosi, Ryan Jenkins, Kai Lott and Sphe Zondi — still managed to arrive second at the bottom sports field of Cordwalles primary school.
Team Forest Ferrari’s Thomas Conolly, Matthew Wilson, Craig James and driver Drew Reynolds pop a wheelie past the chequered flag. Callum Lee had his hands full to steer his tiny wheels as Brett Jarvie, James Lalor and Ayanda Cele took turns sending him downhill.
N OW W I T H R 5 0 0 0 0 T R A D E AS S I STA N C E
PHOTOS: DANIEL GIBSON
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