Outdoor activities have always been a rich part of the South African way of life. This year’s annual Association of Motorcycle Importers and Distributors (AMiD) lifestyle show in Johannesburg, South Africa, offered a feast for two- and four-wheeled enthusiasts, as well as those who prefer the water.
According to Gauteng Transport MEC, Ismail Vadi, motorcycles are helping to ease traffic congestion. He says government has instituted a 25-year integrated transport plan to address projected increases in population and the subsequent traffic congestion.
“If we do nothing about it, we are looking at a gridlock situation here. The system is going to choke over time. We are seriously looking at other possibilities from a planning point of view. Rail is of course the most important but thereafter we are looking at cycling and motorcycling. From a traffic point of view, motorcycling is clearly an important option for us,” he says.
This is borne out by a study conducted in Belgium, which found that a 20% shift from car to motorcycle commuting would result in a 40% decrease in congestion.
A first for the AMiD show was the announcement of the winner of the inaugural Pirelli South African Bike of the Year award. Sixteen motorcycles were pitted against one another for the title.
Making up the entourage of contesting two-wheelers were the Triumph Trophy SE, Triumph Daytona 675R, BMW 1200GS (liquid cooled), KTM 1190 Adventure, MV Agusta Brutale 800, Kawasaki Z800, Aprilia Caponard 1200, Moto Guzzi California 1400, Suzuki Inazuma 250, Honda Integra DCT, Honda NC700 DCT, Yamaha FJR 1300, Yamaha XJ6 Diversion, Victory Boardwalk, Hyosung 650GT and Benelli 600.
The bikes were tested over two days–day one, at the Midvaal raceway and day two on the open road, along a 100km loop from the Vaal Dam to the Magaliesburg.
Thirteen South African motorcycling journalists, along with some professional riders, put the bikes through their paces. The contenders to the throne were apparent from the beginning: the BMW GS 1200 and the KTM Adventure. The outcome was uncertain until the last vote was cast, but the winner was the Bavarian mean machine.
The 2013 GS 1200 has improved on an already class dominating formula with some innovative additions. First among these is a water-cooled Boxer engine, which results in a high level of heat absorption and dissipation. Not that it does away with air-cooling altogether; the liquid cooling, however, is specific to those parts of the engine that are exposed to thermal stress.
The GS also makes use of a wet clutch with anti-hopping functionality, as opposed to the dry clutch of the previous incarnation. A secondary drive now runs through the cardan shaft on the left-hand side of the motorbike.
For the first time ever, an electromotive throttle actuator has been introduced to a GS model. Rider inputs are picked up by a sensor in the accelerator twist grip and sent to the engine management system and the throttle valves are electronically regulated. This translates into greater control and predictable responses. Five riding modes allow both rider and bike to respond to changing road conditions for greater comfort and safety.
These modes work best when combined with the optional Automatic Stability Control, which communicates with the standard ABS braking and (optional) semi-active ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment). This Dynamic ESA monitors the vertical travel of the front and rear wheels and adapts the damping accordingly, while also taking into account riding conditions and the maneuvers being carried out.
The GS 1200 has also been fitted with a new tubular steel bridge frame with a bolt-on rear frame. Riding stability and steering precision has been markedly increased thanks to a recently designed Telelever (front) and Paralever (rear) suspension. Stopping power on the BMW comes in the form of revised Brembo Monobloc calipers and ABS.
The two-wheeled offerings weren’t the only show stoppers at AMiD. Using the expo as a launchpad was Vanderbijlpark-based Broderick Marine. Their Cobalt R5 was produced in response to the demand for a mid-sized boat, 24-foot, that nonetheless could offer smoothness, aggression and the extravagances of a swim platform and sun pad. The elegance of the Cobalt R5 speaks of the attention to detail the manufacturers have tried to embody: a console door finished in wood grain and a helm adorned with oil-rubbed ebony Makasser. Aluminium dash panels, stainless steel switchgears and a sound system courtesy of audiophiles Rockford Fosgate ensure that whiling away the hours on this vessel becomes an envious pastime.
If sport is more your game, but you don’t want to settle for the mediocre, then the Response TXi and Wakesetter 23 LSV from Malibu Boats is the perfect tool for the job. Boating International imported only two of these special-edition crafts into the country, which were created as 30th anniversary benchmarks.
“We’ve pulled out all the stops for these models, with the addition of pearl metal flake and special touches throughout that bring style to our celebration of Malibu,” says Malibu CEO Jack Springer.
The boat show at AMiD was also host to the South African Maritime Safety Association (SAMSA), which hoped to educate.
“Our organization is responsible for the issuing of skippers licenses in South Africa. Many people aren’t aware that anyone operating a boat on South African waters is required to be in possession of a skipper’s license,” says Marketing and Communications Officer Tebogo Ramatjie.

Bikes, Boats And Congestion

Our roads are peppered with potholes; hijackings are a way of life; wildlife sometimes seems to have a vendetta against moving vehicles; traffic jams can rival the migration in the Serengeti, and all this is when we have roads to begin with! And let’s not forget the plight of the minibus drivers; having to furiously shuttle their sardine tins full of people, who are sometimes laden like hermit crabs with their personal belongings.
What is to be done about the seemingly Sisyphean mountain of obstacles that befall us as regular road users, you ask? Extreme all-terrain vehicles are, in my humble opinion, the obvious answer to Africa’s daunting road conditions. Take for example the Russian-built Viking-2992 from Aton Impulse (brought to you by the people who built some frighteningly effective submarines, so why not surface-dwelling amphibious vehicles too?). This road-legal behemoth is capable of conquering not only the worst tarmac, but it’s just as comfortable in more aquatic climes.
Looking, for all the world, like a bullfrog on steroids, the Viking’s high-flotation boat frame allows it to traverse the water at speeds of up to 15km/h. Equally suited to that leisurely weekend trip across the Vaal dam in South Africa (imagine the stares from those overpriced boats packed with scantily clad women and cigar-chomping businessmen), or those unscheduled flash floods, the car boasts pneumatic front and rear suspension and balloon tyres—equipped to “minimize environmental impact and soil damage”. Exactly what we were concerned about. And, should the humanitarian bug ever bite, the Viking makes a superb search-and-rescue vehicle; coming in a 6&#215;6 wheel configuration that can transport 12 people. Enough to make any taxi driver flush with envy; especially considering the car’s got climate control and a rear-view camera for ease of parking.
Another contender, in our bid to conquer Africa’s unforgiving terrain, is the Mercedes-Benz Zetros. The towering Teuton comes in either a four-liter six-ton payload or seven-liter, ten-ton variety. This truck is perfectly suited to hosting those pesky, end-of-month shopping expeditions with parking posing no problem—that Hummer’s roof will do nicely, thank you. Hijackers will stare agog, contemplating how on earth to scale the sides so they can point their quivering gun at the safely ensconced driver. Twin axles mean the cabin and payload move independently (like a belly dancer working her way through college)—helpful when encountering potholes the size of Australia, as we do after a brief cloud burst. Water reaching up to a height of 1,100mm (with the additional modifications) holds little fear for this übertruck. Let’s see someone try to push in front of one of these at the next intersection.
When it comes to sure-footedness though, nothing beats the insanity of the Chainlink extreme 4&#215;4. Powered by a fuel-injected five-liter V8 engine sourced from a Ford Mustang, the unique feature of this vehicle is that its one-meter-high tires dangle off the end of hydraulically controlled swing arms that can work independently or as a team. This unsurpassed articulation (two meters in total travel) means the Chainlink virtually bounds over boulders, seemingly negating the need for roads at all. While disturbing to look at, and its gait is reminiscent of a drunkard at a twisting competition, the Chainlink gets the job done.
Ever wary of expenditure, we’ve managed to uncover a more cost-effective manner of taming the African wilderness. It comes in the form of the Desert Fox conversion. Designed to fit your existing Toyota Land Cruiser or Nissan Patrol (chosen specifically for their impervious nature and easy access of parts), the kit comprises of a fully galvanized platform that simply bolts on (housing eight molded seats protected by three rollover bars) and transforms the ‘bakkie’ into a light infantry patrol vehicle. In addition, the suspension undergoes some radical reworking thanks to new leaf and coil springs, gas-powered shock absorbers, a heavy-duty steering damper and anti-sway bar.
Criminals stand no chance against the Desert Fox’s optional armor plating, and it even comes with its own water supply (100 liters) and dual battery with charging system. Making this kit a must-have for those expeditions to war-torn territories is the optional gun turret. A handy feature, to keep the masses at bay; especially if you’ve opted to purchase another product from the same company—the mobile field kitchen. Simply throw this contraption onto the tow hitch, and you can almost literally make food for Africa; 300 people at a go, and up to 1,000 in total. The kitchen uses diesel to power its hot plates (switching over to solar when hot) and can pump out 24 loaves of bread in 20 minutes. That’ll satisfy the biggest appetite! No wonder military brass, from numerous countries, are showing interest—and it’s exactly what a hungry, take-no-crap, sick-to-death-of-traffic road user really needs.
If the Desert Fox has piqued your interest in military grade vehicles, take a gander at www.milweb.net—apparently they are “the world’s largest and busiest military marketplace for military vehicles”. Nothing says “get the hell out of my way” quite like a tank, which is why we’d simply have to opt for one if we inadvertently won the Lotto. While owning and driving a tank on public roads might be completely illegal, such technicalities haven’t stopped a host of drivers in our laissez faire continent, thanks to the pliability of our cash-strapped authorities. Ah, Africa—the cradle of mankind. We might not have invented corruption, but we’ve certainly come close to perfecting it. And yet, this is our land—diverse, unique, challenging and exciting. If you don’t like it—well, you know the rest&#8230;

Tag: Vaal dam

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