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KICKSTART

Volume 35 No 2 FEBRUARY 2020

The Official Journal of

The Vintage Motorcycle Club.

Member of S.A.V.V.A.

Affiliated to

The Vintage Motorcycle Club

Of the United Kingdom

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Contents

VMC CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2020 ................................................................................................... 3

CHAIRMAN’S CHAT ......................................................................................................................... 4

TRIBUTE TO DOUG CRUISKSHANK ................................................................................................... 4

PAST EVENTS ................................................................................................................................... 5

THE PRE-DJ RALLY ........................................................................................................................ 5

UPCOMING EVENTS ........................................................................................................................ 7

Knysna Motor Show .................................................................................................................... 7

DJ RALLY ...................................................................................................................................... 9

PERSONALITY – FRANK WILLIAM HATTON ..................................................................................... 10

PREPPING YOUR DJ BIKE ............................................................................................................... 13

RALLY ROUTE SCHEDULE – TIME ADDED ....................................................................................... 14

GUIDO’s NORTON STORY .............................................................................................................. 15

CLUB MEETING DUTY ROSTER ....................................................................................................... 20

CLUB NIGHT – 27th January 2020 .................................................................................................. 20

CLASSIFIEDS .................................................................................................................................. 22

FOR SALE: .................................................................................................................................. 22

WANTED: ................................................................................................................................... 22

SERVICES: .................................................................................................................................. 23

CLUB and CONTACT DETAILS ......................................................................................................... 24

Cover Page: 1969 Norton Commando 750 (Fastback)

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VMC CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2020

February 2020

23 VVC Club Sunday VVC Oaklands

24 VMC Club Night VMC Oaklands

March 2020

1 CMC Club Sunday CMC Germiston

12 – 14 D.J. Rally 2020 VVC Heidelburg / Hillcrest

15 DJ Prize Giving Breakfast VVC Hillcrest

15 Piston Ring Swop Meet

(Big One) PR Modderfontein

21 POMC Summer Rally POMC Zwartkops Race Track

22 VVC Club Sunday VVC Oaklands

23 VMC Club Night VMC Oaklands

29?? Century Run VMC Kromdraai area

April 2020

4 Angela’s Picnic SAMCA Delta Park, Victory Park

5 CMC Club Sunday CMC Germiston

19 Piston Ring PR Modderfontein

26 VVC Club Sunday VVC Oaklands

27 VMC Club Night VMC Oaklands

May 2020

1 May Dam Busters Run Sunbea

m Club Home of the Chicken Pie

3 May Knysna Motor Show GRMC Knysna

Forthcoming Events 2020

Magnum Rally POMC Mpumalanga

??? Parkhurst Red Car Carnival VVC Parkhurst

21 June D.J. Memorial Run VMC Wemmer Pan / J. Hall Museum

Dates, events and locations may change. If anyone has information on changes or additional

events that they would like included, please contact Rob Pattison-Emms at 082 891 8399 or

avonrod@mweb.co.za

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CHAIRMAN’S CHAT

Ralph Pitchford

It was really encouraging to see so many members & visitors at our last Club Night meeting. I

would like to thank our members for their efforts in encouraging new memberships & hope to see

this continue throughout the year.

Ian Holmes has been a pillar of strength on the VMC committee as chairman & vice chairman for

many years and has now decided to step down. We will still enjoy his wealth of knowledge, great

sense of humour & friendliness and continue to engage with him at our meetings and events. A Big

thanks to you Ian for all your hard work & dedication.

You can read all about the Pre-DJ Rally which turned out to be an enjoyable one. It’s really a great

event for new commers to get into rallying as the clues were close together & if you messed up

you could quickly get back on time.

The first Saturday in April is Angela’s picnic at Delta Park. We are planning a club ride to the event

for a braai & beer so please keep the 4th

open.

Safe & fun riding

TRIBUTE TO DOUG CRUISKSHANK

Terry Chesterton

DOUGLAS CHARLES CRUICKSHANK - Born to Harry and Amy Cruickshank in Johannesburg on 7th

July 1941 - the youngest of twin sons by 15 minutes, he lived in the Southern Suburbs of

Johannesburg and went to school at Kenilworth Junior and then The Hill High School, where he

excelled at cross country running, water polo and soccer.

Doug worked in the shoe business, both as an employee and as a shoe store owner, for much of

his early life and it was whilst working at Scotts Shoes he met and later married Ann Kenyon. Their

son, Hylton, was born in 1971, followed by daughter, Hayley, in 1974.

Over the years, Doug worked in a variety of roles in different industries – he worked as a sales

rep, owned a trading store and a material shop amongst others but in 1986 after having been

retrenched from the chemical company, he took a bucket, mop, samples of chemicals he had left

over and the maid's son, and went into town to find work cleaning ablution facilities in shops,

offices, factories, hotels and schools, and thus Pietermaritzburg Ablution Cleaners was born.

Ann passed away in 2003, leaving a large hole in his life. However, Doug found a true friend and

companion in Angela, who he met at a mutual friend and later married in May of 2008.

His hobby, interest and passion were rebuilding vintage and classic motorbikes. His reputation for

clean lines, exceptional paint work and amazing bodywork with a keen eye to detail won him

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numerous exhibitions on a number of his rebuild projects, from Norton Commando, BSA Gold Star,

AJS, Triumphs, Vellocette and many more. His workmanship was superb and everything had to be

absolutely perfect and spotless.

Doug and Angela became notorious on the annual DJ Bike Rally and for the remaining years

enjoyed attending functions, club rallies and just about anything else so long as they were

together.

Doug passed away in Pietermaritzburg on 9th January 2020 after a short illness and is survived by

his wife, Angela, son Hylton (and daughter in law, Ali), daughter Hayley and 4 loving grandchildren

Brodie, Katelyn, Angus and Jude.

PAST EVENTS

THE PRE-DJ RALLY

Mark Broady

The Pre DJ Rally took place on Sunday 9th

February. This annual event is organized by the

CMC and starts and finishes at the CMC

clubhouse in Germiston. The event provides the

perfect opportunity for riders planning to take

part in the DJ to prepare their bikes early, and

test that everything is in working order. If not, at

least you have just over a month to sort those

issues out before the DJ. Of course, it is also an

opportunity to learn or even brush up on

regularity rally skills.

The day itself turned out to provide perfect

weather. The day before was drowned in torrential rain across Gauteng, but thankfully this cleared

up well for Sunday.

The route was a scenic ride starting in a Southerly direction, skirting Suikerbosrand and Henly on

Klip before the refuel point in Three Rivers. The refuel stop itself was excellent as it was a modern

station with ample pumps, clean ablutions, and a few options for food and refreshments. After

leaving the refuel point, the route headed East towards Heidelburg, and then North and

homeward back to the CMC.

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The turnout was excellent with

over 33 entrants on DJ eligible

bikes, 16 cars, and a handful of

classic motorcycles.

Overall a very well organized and

run event with no major incidents.

Hopefully some lessons were

learned, both on bike and rally skill

readiness for the DJ!

Congratulations to Gavin Walton for taking the win in the motorcycle section.

Overall Y

Pos Car Driver Speed Club Make Model Penalty

1 17 Gavin Walton A CMC AJS 9 48

2 8 Ralph Pitchford A VMC BSA Blue star 72

3 16 Kevin Walton A CMC BSA 31s 112

4 36 Mike Ward B VMC Velocette MSS 119

5 19 Mark Broady A VMC Velocette MAC 125

6 24 Keith Kendall A Velocette MAC 148

7 12 Marius Malherbe A VMC Sunbeam 500 OHV 163

8 35 Richard Hulsbos B CMC BMW R5 172

9 14 Pierre Cronje A CMC Ariel 500 186

10 21 David Pitchford A VMC BSA B2 210

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Knysna Motor Show

Dear Vintage Motorcycle Club Committee,

We are extremely excited to be moving into a new decade of motoring. One of the best things

about a new year is being able to start again. Much like pushing the starter button on your car, we

are kicking off the planning for the Knysna Motor Show.

The Knysna Motor Show (KMS), organised by the Garden Route Motor Club, is well established as

one of the premier motor shows in South Africa and will once again take place on Sunday 3 May at

the Knysna High School sports grounds on Waterfront Drive.

We are proud to announce that Sanlam Private Wealth will be the KMS’s main sponsor for the

fourth year. The motor show attracts more than 350 rare and exotic cars and motorcycles of the

highest quality, which are not often seen as one display. While the number of cars and

motorcycles to be showcased will be capped at 350, we aim to once again raise the level of quality

and uniqueness to make for an interesting display. All cars and motorcycles on display are

personally selected and invited. However, the ultimate beneficiaries of the KMS are the nominated

charities who, over the past 8 years, have received close to R600,000.

The display categories for recognition at the KMS will cover sports classics, potential modern

classics (sports and super cars), rare collectible cars, vintage and veteran cars, as well as classic

and collectable motorcycles (road, racing and off-road).

Recognising your passion for motorcycles, the organising committee would herewith like to extend

a personal invitation to register for participation the 1911 Precision motorcycle and to join us on 3

May. The motorcycles will be displayed in a tent which has been sponsored by ELF / Diesel Electric

. Suitable seating and Gazebos will be erected at one end of the tent. Martin Keyser of VVC has

offered to trailer the bike down if there is no one else to bring it.

Registration will take place online and will be processed electronically. Please click on this link –

2020 Knysna Motor Show Registration – to complete the required details and then simply click

“submit”. The confirmation of registration and approval will follow once the vetting process has

been completed.

Please register early to avoid disappointment. Registrations will close on 12 April or when a

maximum of 350 cars and motorcycles have been reached. If you are not able to make it to this

year’s KMS, please let me know.

For more information about the Garden Route Motor Club and the previous Knysna motor shows,

please visit www.grmc.co.za

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Should you require accommodation, we have partnered with the following hotels who are all

offering substantially discounted packages over the Knysna Motor Show weekend. (Please note

that it is a long weekend with Friday being a public holiday. The packages on offer are for

accommodation for either three nights or two nights, including breakfast.) These hotels are

spectacular, so why not spoil yourself? When contacting them, please refer to the “Special Knysna

Motor Show package”

Pezula Resort Hotel and Spa

http://pezulahotel.com/specials/knysnamotorshow2020/ - Click on the link for the details & rates

Contact: Melisia LaCock

E- mail - cars@villagenlife.com or 044 302 3333

Protea Knysna Quays Hotel

Contact: Ilze Stadler

ilze.stadler@proteahotels.com or 044 382 5005

The Turbine Boutique Hotel

Contact: Candice Zeelie

reservations@turbinehotel.co.za or 044 302 5746

We truly value your support and look forward to welcoming you on 3 May. Should you require

more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards

Peter Pretorius

Chairman of the Garden Route Motor Club and Organiser of the Knysna Motor Show

Contact number: 082 321 4724

Email: peterpretorius6@gmail.com or peterp@afrihost.co.za

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DJ RALLY

Roger Houghton

THIS YEAR’S DJ RUN WILL MARK 50TH

ANNIVERSARY OF THIS COMMEMORATIVE REGULARITY

TRIAL

The famous Durban to Johannesburg motorcycle race, run on public roads, may have been

stopped by the authorities in 1936 but the spirit of this arduous event continues in the form of a

commemorative regularity run for classic motorcycles between these two cities. The 2020 DJ Run

will mark the 50th

anniversary of this regularity trial which was staged for the first time in 1970.

The 2020 event, which will be take place on March 14 and 15, is open to riders on any motorcycle

or sidecar combination made on or before December 1936 in line with the timing of the

discontinuation of this amazing race, due to road safety concerns. A total of 20 races for solo

motorcycles were staged between 1913 and 1936 with no races taking place between 1915 and

1918 due to World War I. Motorcycles with sidecars were permitted to enter in 1921 and 1922.

This year’s commemorative event will reverse the usual direction of the rally by starting in

Johannesburg and finishing in Durban, as was the case with the first race in 1913. The 2013 DJ

Rally, which marked a centenary since the first race was held, also went from Johannesburg to

Durban.

This international event is organised on behalf of the Vintage and Veteran Club of South Africa by

a team from a number of other clubs in Gauteng with Larina MacGregor as the clerk of the course

for the third consecutive year.

The 2020 event will start at the historic Heidelberg Motor Museum on the morning of March 13,

with documentation and scrutineering taking place the previous day. Larina, who is hoping for a

number of overseas riders to take part in this special DJ Rally, says that the Heidelberg Museum is

an ideal venue for the start in terms of its location and the security it offers.

The first rider will depart from Heidelberg at 09:00 and then follow a pre-determined route -

following the original race route were possible - to an overnight stop in Newcastle. The second day

start for the first rider will be at 05:30 and the route will take riders to the finish at Shongweni

Equestrian Estate, just outside Hillcrest in Kwa-Zulu Natal, arriving in eh afternoon. Prizegiving will

take place at a breakfast on the Sunday.

Further information can be obtained from Clerk of the Course, Larina MacGregor at

larina.macgregor@gmail.com or 084-949-0937

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PERSONALITY – FRANK WILLIAM HATTON

Submitted by Roger Houghton

Frank looks back at the 1913 DJ

In last months Kickstart, we published an article “MOTORCYCLE RACER’S SON REMEMBERS

FATHER’S TALE OF EPIC 1913 DJ”, whereby Neil Hatton (89) recalled the exploits of his father Frank.

Here is an article reprinted from the free introductory copy of Bike Southern Africa, May 1975.

IT WAS 62 YEARS AGO ...........

Last month (April 1975) the commemorative Durban to Johannesburg motorcycle regularity trial

was run, with riders on machines which are collectors’ pieces – grandpa’s old machines, we could

say. But standing quietly on the driveway of the Mobil service station in Ladysmith was a man,

Frank William Hatton, showing particular interest as he watched the old machines pass by.

The reason for his interest was that it brought back a flood of memories of the first Johannesburg

to Durban road race, in May 1913, in which he raced as a youngster of 18 years.

He knew just what was like to compete in one of the toughest, fastest motorcycle races in the

world and thereby made a small part of early motor sport history.

The (unknown) author writes: “As a little boy I can remember going to the top of Tigers Kloof near

Newcastle to watch the riders, streaming miles of dust behind them, come racing across the

Ingagane flats and up over the Kloof to Newcastle. This was an event which called for a half day

holiday at school. But what was it like riding in such an event?”

Young Frank started off from Durban the week before the race to get acquainted with the route.

He had never been further north than Pietermaritzburg before, so he needed the trip up to

Johannesburg to familiarise himself with the road, but at the bottom of the famous Tigers Kloof he

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came down hard on a rut across the road and folded up his motorcycle’s front fork. He and his

damaged motorcycle took the train up to Johannesburg and ordered another fork from Cape Town

which arrived the day before the race.

Frank was a limit starter and was riding 2 ¼ hp, two-speed, shaft-driven, Belgian FN motorcycle.

The field consisted of 66 bikes of which 39 were Rudges. There were five FN’s racing, one being a

4-cylinder shaft drive machine. With pride Mr. Hatton recalls that all five FN’s finished the race.

This was the advantage of the shaft drive, because the majority of the spruits (small streams) were

unbridged and caused quite a lot of trouble, particularly when it is realised that most bikes were

belt driven and did not take well to water. “The FN’s passed even the fastest machines at every

sign of water,” said Mr. Hatton.

The roads, or, in parts, tracks, proved difficult to ride on. You had a choice of the outer tyre tracks

which were deep or the trap-horse’s hoof path down the middle which was rough and then there

was the dust and the normal traffic on the road with which to contend – “I had to do 20 miles per

hour for 20 miles near Elandslaagte because the car in front of me was kicking up so much dust

that I could not see the road to pass him. This slowed me up from my speed of 25 to 30 miles per

hour. The roads were of virgin soil, unhardened” remarked Mr Hatton.

A big problem for the racing motorcyclists was gates across the road in many places. The roads

were not fenced off so the riders had to get off their machines, open the gate, ride through and

then close it behind them umpteen times on the route. There was a penalty for leaving a gate

open. It also meant livestock could roam onto the road!

The race started at City Deep mine with the first day’s run to Standerton. As one of the first

starters, Frank Hatton on his FN, leapt into the lead and was making good time towards

Heidelberg. But, alas, not knowing the route and with pranksters turning the arrows around at

some crossroads – he came to realise that he was a lone racer going along the wrong road. If one

came to a road not marked however, the general rule was “take the worst one”.

When he finally got to Heidelberg, he was lagging a bit. Because of the strict rule about speed

limits in towns he slowed down, but the bobby (policeman) on duty encouraged him to give it a

burn down the main street. “I opened her up and was doing a brilliant 30 mph by the bottom

bridge”.

LPA (Little Pedal Assistance) bikes had an advantage over others on the numerous steep hills – hills

much steeper than are experienced today. Hatton said that often riders had to dismount and push

their bikes up a hill. On a hill like Griffin’s Hill near Estcourt some riders were forced to take a

break for a smoke to let their engines cool down.

On the other end of the scale, the early starters in the morning at Standerton were allowed

pushers to help start the bikes in the frosty conditions. The oil was so thick it was like treacle but

on Griffin’s Hill it got as thin as petrol from engine heat.

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Every race seems to have its character who is conspicuous by his presence. Tick (C.S.) Brown was

the J.D. race’s character. Every morning Tick would appear immaculately attired in a clean white

suit. By the fourth day the contrast between him and the other riders was in the extreme.

Hotels and buildings on the route were festooned with banners for the occasion. Signs offered

“Stop for whatever you like”. Farmers had braais going on their properties for the “racers”.

This first race of all races was won by A.W. McKeag, of Johannesburg, on a 544 cc Bradbury in a

time of 14 hours 46 minutes (average of 29 mph). He was 24 minutes ahead of C. Fenwick, of the

East Rand, on a 500 cc Rudge, who was, in turn, 26 minutes ahead of J.J. Thompson, of Boksburg,

on a 500 cc Rudge. Reg Witherspoon, on a Premier the first Natal rider to finish, in fifth place, had

a brilliant ride from Pietermaritzburg to the finish in Durban in 1 hour 45 minutes, which was 15

minutes inside the record.

Our personality, Frank William Hatton, was placed 21st

in the field. Now (in April 1975) at 80 plus it

was with a twinkle in the eye and excitement in his speech that FW looked back to 1913 – and

enjoyed his experience of the first DJ, reliving an era now passed and never to be repeated.

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PREPPING YOUR DJ BIKE

Ralph Pitchford

The 2020 DJ Rally is a 2-day event and one of the most important things is to make sure your

motorcycle is in good working order for the entire distance. The last thing you want to see are

fellow competitors broken down by the side of the road during this great event.

Routine maintenance is key to a great finish. Below is a check list of some important things to

check now before you get to the start:

• Change engine & gearbox oil & make sure you do not overfill

• Check points gap as well as the centre bolt which holds the points in place. Also lube the

cam plate or ring in the magneto

• Check the ignition timing & replace the spark plug if old or carboned up

• Check valve clearances & place some high temp grease on the valve stems using a syringe

& flexible tube packed with grease

• Check for wear, lubricate & adjust correctly the magneto chain, primary chain & final drive

chain as well as the masterlinks

• Examine the clutch plates for wear & make sure they are oil free to prevent slipping. Also

check push rod for wear on the ends

• Remove the plug from the bottom of the carb & make sure there is no dirt or water in

there

• Check the fuel taps for any leaks & replace the in-line fuel filter if you have one

• Grease all linkages on the front forks & check for play

• Check wheel bearings for play or roughness when spinning the wheel as well as the spokes

• Check condition of tyres & adjust tyre pressures

• If your tubes have been in the bike for many years, then its best to replace them now

• Check adjustment on front & rear brakes

• Lubricate all cables & adjust where necessary

• Lubricate gear linkages if you have a hand shift

• Check condition of battery & working order of head, tail, brake light & horn

• Fit new batteries to the rear facing red light

• Fit new batteries to your stopwatches

• Check rally box brackets & stopwatch mounting

• Pack your bag or box with the correct tools, tiedowns, tyreweld, fire extinguisher, cable

ties, tape, rags, some nuts & bolts & spare masterlinks for the chains. A spare tube can also

be handy

• Finally check all nuts & bolts for tightness but making sure not to overtighten them

Someone always arrives without some item of essential gear (helmut, jacket, reflective vest).

Make sure you pack all your gear. Weather is unpredictable. Make sure you have rain gear and

something warm. Last but not least, pack something to drink to avoid de-hydration.

GOOD LUCK FOR A SAFE & TROUBLE FREE RIDE

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RALLY ROUTE SCHEDULE – TIME ADDED

Mark Broady

Clearing up confusion around the concept of “time added” in regularity rally schedules.

It was apparent during casual route map conversation at the Pre DJ Rally that there is some

confusion around how to manage the instruction which states [Time added: x time]. The confusion

is regarding whether the time added has already been included in the schedule, or needs to be

added by the competitor.

The below example is typical of a scheduled stop, where typically the time added is included and

displayed on the route schedule. The time added is clearly accounted for in the following

instruction. The distance is the same, the speed to get there is zero, and in this example, the time

is exactly 20 minutes after the arrival.

However, you may also find situations where the time added is not included on the route

schedule. The time added is not clearly evident in the next instruction, there is a distance between

the two instructions, and there is a stipulated speed. In the below example, you are expected to

arrive at the T junction stop at 2:52:00. Although not clearly shown in the schedule, the rider must

leave this same T junction stop 60 seconds later, at 2:53:00. Once you have safely made your right

turn across the intersection, find a safe spot to stop immediately, and wait until 2:53:00 before

proceeding further.

Now if you are unsure, mathematics will help you to determine what is the right thing to do. A

quick approximate calculation would be to say: At 26km/h I would cover a bit less than 500m

every minute (using the simple 60km/h = 1km/min, and 26km/h is close to 30km/h which is

500m/min). As per the instruction, I only have to travel 200m to the 100 speed board (125.99 –

125.79 = 200m), and if I’m doing almost 500m/ min, the 200m is going to take me less than half a

minute. It is clear that you will only take 28 seconds to cover the required 200m, and not 1min and

28 seconds. Ie leave the T junction at 02:53:00, not 02:52:00

Distance Speed Time Instruction

106.74 0 2:09:24 Fuel stop on right. [Time added: 20 minutes]

106.74 25 2:29:24 Exit the fuel stop the way you came in. Turn right.

Distance Speed Time Instruction

125.79 26 2:52:00

Stop. T junction. Turn right R34 Frankfort. [Time

added: 60 seconds]

125.99 60 2:53:28 100 speed board

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GUIDO’s NORTON STORY (Or the true story why shopping should be left to women!)

Guido Kaiser

It all really started many years ago, when I decided to move to South Africa from Denmark. It had

been a dream for me since I was about 10 years old. Why? I haven't got an idea, but I knew that

English was important, so I studied that with extra care and effort all from day one at school.

It could be my dad, who was in fishing, canning herring, many many coming from Sweden,

incidentally. Among his customers were people from Canada and South Africa, USA and Germany,

and my dad used to travel to see them and many of his customers came to see us, from time to

time. I remember Canadians coming visiting telling of bears in their gardens, and I also remember

my dad coming back from a trip to South Africa. Totally smitten by the beauty of the country and

the fantastic climate.

Maybe that's where it started, or maybe a bit earlier, I don't know. I just know that when I finished

my studies in 1981, I had booked a working holiday in South Africa as an engineer, after writing to

4 or 5 news papers in the country looking for employment. Once in South Africa, in 1982 for a 4

month stint, I arranged for my girl friend (later to be my wife) to come for a two month stay with a

local bank. She said "I can't" but the next day she got three months unpaid leave from the bank

she worked for in Denmark, and came down and joined me, in my small hotel room in the middle

of Johannesburg. Well, that is after a bit of a delay, as some state official found out that we were

not married, and yet were to live in the same room! Old habits die hard! We could hardly believe

it, but it was sorted.

After working for two months, we bought an old Datsun for 950 Rand. It was a SSS 1600

Automatic, which we then used to travel through the country for another month, sleeping in the

car at night and visiting all the kind people that had written to me from the whole country, all as

one stating, that although they would not have any work for me, I would be more than welcome

to come and stay with them. The friendliness and hospitality of South Africans need to be

experienced to be believed. It was/is truly amazing!

After traveling and using our last 5 Rands on petrol just before returning to Johannesburg, my wife

went back on her flight, and I managed to sell the Datsun for 975 Rands, the day before I had to

leave, back to Denmark. Our intention was to buy a small farm and settling for our lives ahead.

We arrived back in Denmark around New year 1983, but already after a couple of days we decided

that South Africa was a great deal more enticing than Denmark, where it was cold, snowy and

dark, - everything South Africa is not, especially around Christmas, and we decided to leave for

sunnier climes. This is a decision we have had many chances to question, but one we have never

regretted!

Then we emigrated in January 1984, and arrived on the 5th of January. I had organized a job with a

company in Pretoria, and they put us up in a Hotel 224 in Pretoria, and my wife started work in

Johannesburg. We were both treated with friendliness, respect and care. And what a change! The

sounds, the smells and the heartbeat of this nation is totally different to Denmark.

The first couple of years, we were busy settling in, buying a house and starting a family, so in 1985

our first child, a daughter, was born. Things were working out, and I started to look for a

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motorbike. While still in Denmark, I had had a Honda 450, but I really liked the Norton Commando.

It was a rare bike in Denmark, but I had seen one in Aarhus, while studying there. It was a late 850

Commando, in brown with gold stripes and an Interstate tank. I went down and had a look at that

often through the shop window. I wonder if the marks of my nose against that window are

perhaps still there!

In my hometown in Denmark, there was also a Norton drifting around, the chap had an English

flag painted on that bike and also an English flag on an MGA I think belonged to him too. One

evening I met the Norton on my Honda, and we stood side by side waiting for green at the traffic

light. My Honda was fast, but it was no match for the Norton, he moved off in no hurry but fast, I

remember he slowly lifted his one leg unto the foot peg, as if lazy and not even trying!! I could

only dream, as I saw and heard the Norton effortlessly out gunning my Honda, as if I was a

bicycle!.

As I looked at bikes in South Africa, I came across a Laverda 1200 Mirage. It was almost new, with

2000 km on the clock, and I bought it, that is a bike you could only dream of in Denmark!. It was

however a love hate relationship right from the start. And it became more acrimonious as time

passed. It was a handsome bike, but a brute of an engine, and fuel consumption like a car! It was

not particularly fast for a 1200, and it developed weird handling problems on the wrong side of

160km/h. I never got to grips with the bike and I sold it in anger. It vibrated so much that after a

300km trip, my hands were useless for the next couple of hours. Totally numb for an hour, and

they started to itch for several hours after that. You could not pick a piece of paper up, as you had

no feelings left in the fingers! I decided there must be a better way to enjoy motor biking and it

was sold. For a couple of years I had no bike, we moved to a new house on a big piece of land, and

I got myself a Moto Guzzi V1000 G5, which is a Convert with a 5 speed box. It was in pieces and

the universal joint was missing from the shaft drive. That had caused the bike to it to be put aside

and almost forgotten, as the owner had lost the part!

It stood in boxes for a couple of years while I started my own business. One day I decided to re-

build the bike and did so in a rather short time, much to my amazement! The bike is an absolute

pleasure, and a complete different kettle of fish, compared to the Laverda. I still have it, it has

done about 100000km, and is a real pleasure to drive. My love for Moto Guzzis had originally been

ignited as I walked along a road in Basel in Switzerland as a small boy with my dad. We came

across a white big motorcycle parked leaning over on a side stand, and my dad stopped and

admired it. I remember the name M o t o G u z z i, it sounded strange to me. The bike was a police

unit, and the cop came while we looked at the bike, and spoke a bit with my dad, smiled, started

and accelerated away in a thunder. Very impressive for a small boy! That experience I have never

forgotten, and I have been in love with Moto Guzzi ever since!

So all was well in our family, which grew by our second daughter in 1989 and then a son in 1991.

So nursery, school and sports for the kids became a ritual we could not escape. And the kids grew

up in good order!

On a fateful Saturday afternoon in about June of 1992, I went down to our local Spar to do some

shopping. I can't remember what I bought, but I saw a notice on the board which is used for local

notices and also to buy and sell anything from lawnmowers to carrots. It was a small notice and it

said:

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Give your child the experience of a pony ride. Special half price. Contact Marion! and a phone

number, repeated on small cut labels at the bottom of the notice. I grabbed one of the numbers,

and my wife did the rest. Next weekend we stood with three kids at the yard of Marion. My oldest

child with wide open eyes. She had never experienced anything more exiting!. Strangely, I didn't

realize the true earth shattering consequences of that deed at the time. That only slowly dawned

on us as time went by. For both my daughters were absolutely besotted with horse riding, and my

son followed suit, although not maybe quite as die hard! It has now been many many years with

horses, shows, laughter, sadness and horses, horses, and did I mention horses??

So for the next many years, my wife went to horse riding, with three kids. She knew nothing about

horses, believe me she does now! I knew nothing about horses, I still don't know much, but boy oh

boy, can I reverse with a horse trailer! We toured the country thin with trailer, horses and kids,

Cape Town, Durban, all over the place. My daughters proved to be natural talents and were on the

Transvaal team, which meant hardly an Easter or any holiday without a competition or a show.

During that process, we went to a horse event in Natal in 2002. We booked into a Bed and

Breakfast in Hill Crest, where our host was an almost blind Dutchman. Jack. He was a car

enthusiast, and had a Jaguar MKII and a Maserati both of which his wife would drive for him. I had

started to collect a couple of cars, and he told me of a Rover 3.5 liter Coupe, which was for sale. I

wanted to know where, but he would not let me know. So the next day, my son and I toured Hill

Crest, to find the car, While the rest of the family were at a horse show in Shongweni.

Hill Crest is not bigger than I thought that it would be feasible to locate all dealers of classic cars.

And true enough, we found the car dealer, but he had sold the car a couple of weeks earlier, we

were too late. While we were there, I looked around, and I saw two motorbikes. One was an Ariel

Red hunter, complete with wicker basket and double exhaust from the single cylinder 500CC

motor, and the other was a - - - - Norton.!

To me it looked a bit suspect, the condition was fair, but it had a strange saddle and a funny lump

behind the rear seat. The front mudguard was clearly not original, but I thought at least it was

complete, and a good start! (I am the eternal optimist with old things mechanical!). I did not

realize then what it was. That only became slowly clearer with time.

A deal was struck, and the bike belonged to me. It turned out it was an early Fastback, 1969. Still

with the cigar shaped silencers like on the Atlas, and a rev counter drive off the side of the engine.

The front mudguard was an aftermarket issue by Dunstall, I believe, but the bike turned out to be

largely original apart from the instruments and the mudguard.

However, the bike would have to wait as we had no means of transporting it back home, but

because we had another show in the area about one month later, we then returned a month later

with horse and horsebox trailer, and we ferried the bike back to Johannesburg, together with the

horse in the horsebox!.

The bike was left essentially as it was as it drove nicely enough, and went well although the timing

would very easily get out of adjustment. I used it on some classic tours, and it was comfortable

although the brakes were far from the standards of my more modern Moto Guzzi . Apart from the

tank lugs vibrating off, and the Zener diode giving up the ghost as well as the wayward timing

issue, loose exhaust flanges and lost screws and bolts, adjustment of the isolastic shims and a few

minor repairs, the bike was good.

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I quickly joined the Norton owners club in the UK, and found the Swedish Norton owner club,

which I also joined and have been a member of since. The reason why Sweden, of all places, have

got such an enthusiastic following of Norton has never become clear to me, but clearly there is a

lot of enthusiasm for Nortons and our magazine is perhaps the best magazine I have ever come

across from any car or bike club!.

My son and I featured on the front page of the magazine no 1 in 2003, where we both stand with

the bike in question in front of our house in Midrand.

Things moved on, the Norton stood still most of the time, some other bikes came to the family, A

Le Mans 850 MK II and a III, two V11s, a California, a Breva, a Katana GSX1100 and my oldest

daughter bought a Monza. The younger daughter a commuter bike, a Honda clone and my son

went to boarding school in Natal.

My sons interest in horses waned, and as he came back from finishing his stint at boarding school,

he fortunately became very good friends with one of our local club members, an older biker, who

took him under his wings and started to teach him motor bike repair and rallying skills and life

skills in general. My son started to develop a keen interest in bikes and started to compete in

rallies for older bikes, especially a yearly event, the DJ rally (Durban to Johannesburg) which

originally was an all out speed contest held annually from 1913 until 1936. It was then stopped as

it was considered to be too dangerous, and for many years nothing happened, until 1971, when it

was re-launched, this time as a rally over two days and a distance of about 650km, open to any

motorbike produced before 1937. My son was soon heavily involved in this event, and in 2014 he

participated in the rally for the first time, and did surprisingly well. His interest has only grown

over time, and he and another friend from our club restored an old Sunbeam 9 from 1934 as his

entry bike for the rally. That bike turned out really nice. I still remember my son frequenting all the

bars in the area to gather discarded cork tops from wine bottles, in order to cut his own cork

inserts for the clutch friction plates for the bike. I was seriously surprised by this showing of

aptitude, tenacity and enthusiasm, and my admiration only grew as he spent nights getting the

bike ready, and successfully so. His best placing so far in the rally is a 5th place, and that against a

bunch of about 100 older experienced bikers with many years of practice. Obviously his mentor

and good friend was highly skilled and his skills were successfully transferred.

After the rebuilding of the Sunbeam, my Norton suddenly disappeared! It took me a while to

realize what was going on, but by then the bike was already in pieces and being restored by my

son and his friend in crime. And what a lot of work it turned out to be!

The bike was completely dismantled and built up with new engine parts. The gearbox was

refurbished with a couple of new gears and some new bushes. New chrome on all bright parts,

new modern ignition, new wiring loom, new spokes, chains, bearings and electrics. The tank was

coated with an epoxy on the inside, as the methanol fuel tends to leak through the seam at the

bottom of the fiber glass tank. The new paint was a candy apple silver flake red, and funny

enough, if you look at the same magazine "Medlemsbladet" from 2003 on the back, there is a bike

featured in exactly that colour, a 750 S from 1970, belonging to a Christer Carlsson from

Harplinge!. Both as a brand new bike with 15km on the clock, and a later picture from crossing a

mountain pass in Austria from July 1970!

The original paint on my bike, by the way, strangely enough seems to have been a flake silver,

which is all we found under the later black paint!. The bottom layer was a sickly pink colour, which

19

can only have been a primer. As for the silver paint, I have not been able to find that for anything

else but the original show bikes from Earls Court in 1967!?

With the completion of my bike late last year, we have come full circle, and we thought we would

take a picture in the same spot as the original picture, but approximately 18 years later, the only

thing looking younger is of course the bike!

And what can I say? Well , be careful with your shopping, you might end up with something

completely unplanned, even if it only shows up many many years later! I can truly say, that in

hindsight, that small ad has changed all our lives in ways we could not have dreamed of, and who

would have thought that a Norton Fastback would have been baked into the cake? Amazing to

think of the convoluted ways life sometimes evolves.!

After this, my son and I have converted his old bedroom into a motorcycle man cave! Next on the

operating table is a Norton Atlas from 1965! and waiting in the wings are another couple of

Nortons, an ES2, another fastback, another Atlas and an interstate 750 as well as a Rudge 350TT,

the latest addition to the flock. The Atlas is coming on, and we can't wait for a chance to see how a

Featherbed framed 750 compares to the Commando 750.

Time will tell!

20

CLUB MEETING DUTY ROSTER

Month Bar Duty Show & Tell

Feb 24th Gavin Walton 0834084296

Mark Broady 0826192432 Kevin Walton 0828912869

Mar 23rd Peter Vlietstra 0826509880

Marius Malherbe 0836028888 Steve Helm 0824276990

Apr 27th Ian Holmes 0836463089

David Pitchford 0824137586 Tim Hammerich 0833089966

May 25th Brandon Jarvis 0824108828

Ian Otridge 0825729749 Mark Broady 0826192432

Jun 22nd Mike Ward 0824433946

Kevin Robertson 0833213234 Kevin Robertson 0833213234

CLUB NIGHT – 27th January 2020

Dave Pitchford

The chairman welcomed the 45 x members present with 9 x apologies received.

Gavin Walton gave a valuable presentation on how to rally to assist all and especially first time

riders for the upcoming DJ Commemorative Run.

Ian Holmes provided feedback on the DJ event and confirmed that 106 entries had been received.

He informed the meeting that due to health reasons he has resigned with immediate effect as Vice

Chairman of the VMC club. Ralph wished Ian everything of the best and thanked him for his

invaluable contribution to the club over the past years. The club wishes Ian everything of the very

best during this time.

The “Motorcyclist of the Month” trophy was awarded to Richard Hulsbos for all his efforts in

preparing and posting the 2020 VMC calendar.

Steve Helm gave his bike talk on his 1926 Douglas 350cc flat tank motorcycle. He also brought

along two flat-twin engines, one was a 1913 350cc motorcycle engine and the other was a 1927

600cc aeroplane engine which was found at the military museum in Pretoria.

Douglas was a British motorcycle manufacturer from 1907 to 1957 based in Kingswood, Bristol and

owned by the Douglas family. It is especially known for its horizontal opposed twin cylinder engine

bikes and as manufacturers of speedway machines. During World War 1 Douglas was a major

motorcycle supplier making around 70,000 motorcycles for military use. The two models of

Douglas engines is the 2,75hp – 350cc with a 60,5mm bore and 60mm stroke with the valves

21

placed side-by-side on the side of the engine and the other engine is a 4hp (544cc) flat twin of

72mm bore and 68mm stroke. The oil was carried in the sump and supplied by the pump to the

bearings and cylinders. The sump had a glass window to inspect the oil level. The valves were

placed side by side above the cylinders.

Thank you Steve for an informative and technical presentation.

For all the VMC members riding in the DJ – GOOD LUCK and bring the trophy home!

The next club night meeting will be held on Monday 24th February 2020 at 19:30

Richard proudly receiving the trophy from Ralph

Steve with his 1926 Douglas 350cc flat tank motorcycle

22

CLASSIFIEDS

For Sale and Wanted advertisements will be placed in Kickstart for ONE edition only. These may be

renewed on request each month. Services advertisements will be placed for a maximum of SIX

editions and must be renewed every January and July. Email your advertisements to

editor@vintagemotorcycleclub.co.za. The cut-off for any month is the close of business, third

Monday of the month.

FOR SALE:

Yello Motorcycle Trailer (Single)

Excellent condition as hardly used

Supplied with nearly new protective cover

Registered and licensed. Price R10,000

Contact Roger Houghton 082-371-9097

Or houghton@mweb.co.za

2014 GO MOTO XT RODE (BASHAN). Immaculate condition - 1000km’s on the clock . Currently

licenced. R 10 000. Durban based. Contact Sue on 082 485 5485

OK SUPREME project bike

The project is in pieces comprising

Engine 1936, gearbox, frame 1931, forks, tanks, 2 new 19" mudguards

BTH magneto, 19" wheel rims, hubs, odd rear wheels, handle bars

along with another magneto, an ML.

There have been stories that this was a works racer but not confirmed.

I would like R50 000 for the lot.

Tony Lyons-Lewis, Knysna, 083 419 6566, lionsden@netactive.co.za

WANTED:

Nsu Max or Super Max spare parts wanted. Call Craig 072 7175559

23

SERVICES:

British Bike Spares, Restorations and other Services

Specialising in classic British bike spares supplying parts from Wassell, the biggest new classic bike

part wholesalers in the UK. Contact Gavin Walton

Home 011 818 4055, or Mobile 083 408 4296, Email britishbikespares@gmail.com

Full restorations. Wheel Lacing and Building.

Contact Pierre Cronje. On Mobile 072 513 9432.

Petrol taps Enots flat-slide type, made in brass to your order. Sizes 1/8”, 1/4” and 3/8” BSP

Rally boxes made to your order with handlebar mounting brackets plus mountings for the rally

plate and three watches. Trevor Fraser on 013 656 3063 or 076 591 5560.

Restoration and other services. Gravel Man Services offers full service of all BMW boxer twins (old

and new). Accident damage repairs and restorations. Contact Markus Watson on 083 602 3503.

Vapour Blasting Services.

We clean aluminium, brass, and copper parts using VAPOUR BLASTING method. It’s a gentle, water

based, non-destructive process for smooth satin finish. Suitable for aluminium cylinder heads,

engine blocks, gearbox casings, carburetors, etc. Call Janus Gruska from Classic Restorer on 081

065 8275 (Benoni) or email classic.restorer1@gmail.com

Magneto Rewinding. Also coils for stationery motors and BMW m/cycles on exchange basis.

Contact Rod Thomas for further info and courier details. 031-762-1509, 073-365-6494 or

email rodthomas@telkomsa.net

Cable Makers : One off repairs & production runs of all Motion Control & Mechanical cables.

Manufacturer and stockist of galvanized & stainless steel wire ropes, cable fittings & accessories

Martin Peach, 9 Hilma Road, Bordeaux, 0824927794, email : cablemaker@icon.co.za

Specialist Welding

Le Roux Welding - Edenvale. Contact Syd on 083-390-8761

Performance Welding – Benoni – Contact Rob on 083-256-2257.

Petrol Tank Lining and Repair

Colin Aitken 083-728-3822 email colin.p.m.aitken@gmail.com

24

CLUB and CONTACT DETAILS

www.vintagemotorcycleclub.co.za

THE VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE CLUB

P O Box 782835 SANDTON 2146

South Africa

Committee Members

Chairman Ralph Pitchford ralph@connix.co.za 082 872 9363

Vice Chairman Frank Barnes frank@tycom.co.za 082 465 8950

Treasurer /Editor Peter Vlietstra pvlietstra@gmail.com 082 650 9880

Secretary Dave Pitchford david@sftsafety.co.za 082 413 7586

Club Dating Officer Kevin Walton kevin.walton@norcrossa.com 082 891 2869

Events Rob Pattison Emms avonrod@mweb.co.za 082 891 8399

Librarian John Hassall Jh29@mweb.co.za 082 886 7133

Committee Member Brandon Jarvis brandon@ascotmews.co.za 082 410 8828

Committee Member Mark Broady mark.broady@gmail.com 082 619 2432

CLUB ACCOUNT DETAILS

Account Number Nedbank 1970259841

Sandton Branch 197-005

Please use your name and surname as your reference when making a payment

CLUB MEETINGS

Meetings are held every 4th

Monday of the month (except December) at The Vintage and Veteran

Club (VVC), 3 Athol Oaklands Road, Oaklands Johannesburg, at 19:30.

MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS

Membership subscriptions for the club year 2019/20 are due on 1st

July 2019. Invoices and

statements will only be sent out on request. Subscriptions are as follows:

Full membership : R300

Country membership: R220

Family membership: R20 (includes a competition license - spouse and minor children.

Discounts : Over 70 years old- 50% and over 80 years old - 100%

The opinions expressed in KICKSTART are not necessarily those of the Committee or the Editor.