Fifteen newcomers enter DJ Rally for classic motorcycles

By: Roger Houghton

The entry of 15 newcomers is an encouraging sign for the organisers of the 2017 edition of the classic DJ Motorcycle Regularity Rally between Durban and Johannesburg.

This popular annual event commemorates the road race between these two cities which took place between 1913 and 1936.

This year’s DJ Rally is the 46th of these annual commemorative events.

The DJ Rally will start at the Oxford Village Centre, in Hillcrest, at 6am, on Friday, March 10, and finishes from about 2.15pm on Saturday, March 11, at the Classic Motorcycle Club’s premises, situated on the corner of Power and Refinery roads in Germiston, with an overnight stop in Newcastle.

This year’s rally has attracted an entry of 94 riders on motorcycles made before 1937.

Among the first-time entrants are Harry Fisher, one of the presenters of The Bike Show on Ignition TV, and Wayne Harley, the curator of the Franschoek Motor Museum in the Western Cape.

Fisher will ride a 1936 500cc Triumph Twin on loan from classic motorcycle enthusiast Les Sim, while Harley has entered a 1935 350cc Triumph.

Another newcomer is Stuart Thompson, a successful builder of racing, rally and off-road racing cars who also runs several motorsport teams.

He will ride a 1932 500cc Sunbeam Model 9.

“We are very pleased that there are so many first-time entrants in this year’s DJ,” said clerk of the course Claude Stander.

“We need renewal in the classic motorcycle and car environment in South Africa and the fact that 15 new riders are prepared to tackle South Africa’s premier classic motorcycle event is a positive sign.”

The fathers of two famous international racing motorcyclists are again on the entry list for this year’s DJ Rally.

They are Trevor Binder, father of world Moto3 champion Brad, and Derek Crutchlow, father of Cal Crutchlow, who competes on a Honda in MotoGP.

Binder will ride a 600cc 1926 Indian Scout and Crutchlow a 1936 500cc Ariel Red Hunter.

Last year’s winner, Ralph Pitchford, a Dakar Rally veteran, has changed his motorcycle for this year’s DJ Rally, entering a 1933 500cc BSA A5 instead of his usual 1926 Triumph P-Type flat-tanker.

He has been rebuilding the BSA for several months, including a big push over the past two months.

Pitchford’s first competitive outing on the more powerful BSA was on the recent pre-DJ Rally where he finished fourth after losing time at the refuel point due to refilling the oil tank.

There are many previous winners in this year’s field, including seven-time winner Kevin Robertson on one of his beloved Velocettes, three-time winner Martin Davis (1930 Sunbeam Lion) as well as Gavin Walton (1936 AJS 9), Mike Ward (1936 Velocette MSS) and Allan Cunninghame (1936 Velocette MSS).

The Walton brothers, Kevin, and Gavin, were in fine form on the pre-DJ Rally, taking first and second places, ahead of Mike Ward and Pitchford, with Martin Davis in sixth place.

The good news is that Samantha Anderson has been able to rebuild her 1909 500cc Humber Pedal Cycle after it was badly damaged by a fire during last year’s DJ Rally.

This is the oldest motorcycle entered for this year’s event and will be the first to start each day.

Anderson, a regular DJ competitor, is one of three women riders this year, with the others being Beverly Jacobs (1935 250cc Triumph Model 2/1) and Dorian Radue (1935 250cc Rudge Tourist), who comes from Australia regularly to compete in the DJ Rally.

The DJ Rally is organised by a committee consisting of members of local motorcycle clubs such as the Pretoria Old Motor Club, Classic Motorcycle Club, and Vintage Motorcycle Club on behalf of the Vintage and Veteran Club of South Africa.

Sponsors of this year’s event include, African Electroplating, Bike SA, Classic Motorcycle Club, Daikin, Eskort, Gawie Nienaber, Maizeys, Ola, Shield, Ultra Recon and Vintage Motorcycle Club.

For more information about the event contact Stander on 082 570 2498.

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