Les ‘Petrol-head’ van Breda

The 65-year-old motorcycle racer has competed nationally and internationally.

Les has lived in Springs for the past 60 years, but was born in Hermanus to a family of yacht racers.

“I did it to please my father, but it was far too slow for me,” Les says in regard to yacht racing.

“I was a petrol head from a very early age,” he says.

He started racing 150cc cars (micro midgets) in the early 1960s and never looked back.

After competing with micro midgets, Les moved on to motorcycle racing at the age of 15.

Les says that the first time he rode a motorcycle he knew that was where his heart was.

“It was my passion since I was a child, you’re either passionate about it or you aren’t,

“There is no faking it,” he says.

He reminisces about racing on the Charlie Randall circuit in Springs.

“It was very convenient for racing, in those days, Springs was the town to be in.”

Les was awarded his SA colours in 1973, which was a huge achievement for him.

Then, in 1967 he decided to travel overseas and compete internationally.

“It was so competitive,” Les says, “all of the best riders in the world were there.”

Due to the anti-Apartheid movement, Les sometimes had to compete under Dutch citizenship as he would not have been allowed to compete otherwise.

“I couldn’t get a visa for some countries,” he says.

When asked what his favourite event was, Les laughs and says, “Obviously the one’s I did well in.”

His favourite bike is, without a doubt, his Suzuki RG500.

“It’s a proper Grand Prix machine, definitely not a road bike.”

Les’s son, Graham, is also an SA Champion and the pair continue to race to this day.

Les says that he will continue to race as long as the good Lord blesses him with good health.

“I don’t think I’ll ever retire,” he says.

He advises young petrol-heads to follow their dreams.

“Don’t wait for your ship to come in, and believe in yourself. You need the ability to get up and try again after you fail.”