Allen’s Nek man carrying on a Vespa legacy with the Chicken Runners
Vespa club based in Roodepoort tests the limitations of two-wheeled machines by taking the classics on lengthy tours.
Open roads allow for a releasing of the throttle but taking in the surroundings requires a change of pace.
Designed for the narrow streets of Italy, a group of rowdy Roodepoort men take stylish city transporters through the barren expanses of the South African interior. Aiming for a good time and not a quick time, the Chicken Runners have made more friends than they have picked up speeding tickets.
Now 92 and living in Featherbrooke, ‘Oupa Jan’ Alberts was a car enthusiast who used to rebuild classic cars. The family was living in Melville when a client brought him a Piaggio Vespa to fix and the project grew into a lifetime obsession. The love of the old two-stroke automatics grew and as Oupa Jan taught his son the inner workings of the simple engine, the protégé became the master. Gerrie Alberts drew on this inherited passion when founding the Chicken Runners with a handful of childhood friends.
To celebrate Oupa Jan’s 80th year, the Chicken Runners decided to embark on a bucket list trip. Dubbed ‘Oupa Jan’s Vespa Run’, the small group of friends accompanied Jan Alberts down to Cape Town, doing 200 to 300km a day through the Karoo and down the west coast before arriving in Bloubergstrand. Declaring his personal mission accomplished, Oupa Jan’s legacy continues with annual runs for charity that have seen the Chicken Runners reach all corners of South Africa.
A retired mine manager, Gerrie continues to work on Vespas and has a growing collection in his garage workshop. Now working on the newer four-stroke models, the three and four-speed gearboxes can propel the little machines to over 120km but Gerrie has no desire to push them too hard.
Done with long rides, the growing Vespa-only boys club’s most recent adventure was to Ventersdorp on the weekend of August 26. Rides are generally limited to Saturdays and Sundays but at the age of 67, Gerrie has the time to go where the wind takes him.
“If you are feeling bad, just get on a Vespa,” jokes Gerrie.
With motors built to last, many kilometres lay ahead to make more memories to add to the collection.
