Andrew to showcase his classic bikes

FOR Durban North resident, Andrew Mather, nothing compares to classic motorbikes. The quality craftsmanship and ingenuity of the classic bikes is something he is hoping to display at this year’s South Coast Bike Fest at Margate Beachfront Boulevard from 27 to 30 April.
Mather has selected two beauties from his 35-strong motorbike collection – the 1908 Triumph and the 1955 Sunbeam – to feature at the festival.

“I’ve got the oldest Triumph in the country and the idea to display the 1908 model (oldest) next to the newest one, the 2018 model. It’s a beautiful bike but it has a limited suspension, no gear box and can only go one speed – maxing out at 30km/h,” explained Mather. “It’s not very practical to ride because you have to switch off the engine whenever you stop, and to start it again, you have to run alongside it until it fires.”

Another bike that will be on display will be his father’s Sunbeam.

“This was seen as the ‘Rolls Royce’ of motorbikes back in the day but it was a bit of a disaster because it was built with incompatible materials so most of them were scrapped.”

The bike was one of three motorbikes Mather brought with him from Malawi in 1981 when his family emigrated to South Africa, the other two – a 1955 AJS and 1952 BSA – are still in his possession.

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Mather who is part of the Classic Motorcycle Club said this would be his first time at the festival.

“I’m really excited to see what other bikes will be on display. This gives bike enthusiasts and the public a chance to appreciate the beauty of these incredible machines.

This will be my first time at the festival, they tried to get me there last year but I couldn’t make it so it’s an exciting prospect,” he said.
Mather, who has around 35 bikes, all in various stages of rebuilding, said his love for bikes began in Malawi at the age of 17.

“My father was a motor mechanic and I remember he bought two bikes from a friend from the UK to help restore them. One of them was a A J Stevens & Co (AJS) bike and I was determined to get one of the bike that I could restore. That’s where my passion really started,” said the civil engineer, who also holds a PhD in cosmetic science.

The local resident said the hardest part of restoring the bikes was sourcing parts for them.

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“I’ve set up an alert system on eBay which lets me know when parts are available. The Rand/Pound exchange isn’t great so it makes it an expensive trade but the pay-off is all worth it.”

• Pre-registration for the biking community and limited pedestrian ticket sales are available at www.southcoastbikefest.co.za. You can also follow the updates on the festival’s Instagram account @scbikefest.

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