If it is a classic, Roland will love it

From the beginning Roland makes it perfectly clear that he does not fix motorcycles, he restores the ole’ dames.
“I am a reborn classic cyclist,” Roland said while he lovingly stroked over the perfect lines of a 1935 MSS Velocette 500cc he is busy restoring.
Restoring a classic motorcycle seems like fun, on the face of it. It is, however, a long process requiring dedication, organization, mechanical skills, some tooling and hours of research.

“I have books and books and notes and more notes on motorcycles I restored. I take hours of preparing and researching as I do my best to fabricate and machine certain items. When an item has to be remanufactured it has to be done to the original specification,” he said.
You also need a network of fellow enthusiast to help with finding parts for a restoration. Apart from the fellowship and friendship Roland gets from belonging to, among others, the Vintage Motorcycle Club in Johannesburg, the Velocette Owner’s Club of South Africa and Witbank Classic Motor Club he also has input on where to find specific parts he needs for restorations.
He said the oldest motorcycle he had the privilege to restore was a 1928 Arial.

Until recently he was the proud owner of 1958 DKW 350cc twin cylinder, the only one in the country.
“I restored that beauty eight years ago. My daughter fell in love with it and I gave it to her. At least the motorcycle is still in the family,” he said his eyes gleaming with joy as he remembers the feeling of accomplishment he felt when he finished the restoration.
It is not only classical machines on two wheels that get Roland excited, he also loves MGs and owns a 1962 MG Midget.

The MG Midget is a small two-seater sports car produced by the MG division of the British Motor Corporation from 1961 to 1979. It revived a famous name used on earlier models such as the MG M-type, MG D-type, MG J-type and MG T-type.
According to Roland she lives up to her colour as she easily gets up to 100 miles an hour.
“She is red, she is fast and she is mine,” he proudly said.
He put his thoughts in first gear when a white MG crossed lanes in his memories.
“I ‘found’ the car in Allenby Street. But the bloke just would not budge and sell it to me. I kept hoping that one day he would come around. Six years he phoned me and said he had been transferred would I still be interested. I bought the car, restored it and sold it to a friend of mine who again sold it to another guy. I know the car is now a showpiece in a museum in Heidelburg.”
Don’t think Roland does not enjoy the fruits of his labour. He takes pleasure in classic regulated rallies.

That is why he is busy with the Velocette as he wants to take this dame for a ride in the Durban Johannesburg Commemorative Motorcycle Rally.
The event is acknowledged as the premier vintage motorcycle rally in South Africa and has international status and is run under the auspices of MSA (MotorSport South Africa) and FIM Africa (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, previously known as the AMU – African Motorcycle Union).

The event attracts huge interest among all veteran, vintage and classic motor car and motorcycle enthusiasts.
Only motorcycles manufactured before December 31, 1936 are eligible to participate.
Sharing his passion and love for the ole’ dames is his wife Marlene whom he married in 1960. They have been residents in the City of Coal for the past 40 years. Roland worked at Highveld before he retired in 1998 after 30 years of service.
“For any restoration, attention to detail is the key to success and of cause patience,” Roland said while closing up his garage.
“In here,” he pointed to the closed garage door “is my heart and soul I share with Marlene”.