Classic motorcyclists brave flooding for rally
Only motorcycles built before 1936 are permitted to participate, following the original race routes — back roads between Durban, the starting point, and Johannesburg, the finish line.
AFTER a horrendous storm that caused chaos in the Kloof and Hillcrest areas on Thursday night, some 70 motorcyclists still set off on their pre-1936 motorcycles, from 06:00 at the start in Hillcrest, for this year’s DJ Rally.
Armed merely with a few tools, spare tubes and lots of tenacity, they will make the gruelling trip to their overnight stop in Newcastle, and continue from 07:00 on Saturday to finish the some 700km regulatory rally at the Benoni Northern Sports Club.
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The DJ started in 1913 to 1936 as a race before racing was banned on public roads. It was revived in 1970 as a regulatory trial and attracts motorcyclists from all over South Africa as well as international participants.
The route includes riding from Hillcrest to Newcastle, Volksrust, Standerton, Balfour and Heidelberg before finishing in Benoni.
Yesterday afternoon, the enthusiasts set about tweaking, spitting, and polishing their motorcycles. Some 15 motorcycle riders from the Classc Motorcycle Club of Natal (CMCN) are taking part in South Africa’s premier vintage motorcycle rally.
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