Kristene Smuts wrote her name into motorcycle competition history in Mpumalanga on Saturday when she became the first woman rider to win the National Motorcycle Economy Run in its 27-year history.
Despite starting the 2009 RFS Bike Econorun eight minutes late because of a flat battery on her BMW 650 CS at the beginning of the two-day event at Loskop Dam Forever Resort near Groblersdal on Friday the Auto Alpina team rider finished the 950km event at the Hotel Numbi in Hazyview first overall and in Class A (for motorcycles up to 700cc).
She recorded a fuel consumption figure of 3.20 litres/100 km.
Her success in an event that attracted an entry of 50 riders, including several previous winners, more than made up for her misfortune in last year's event when she fell off her bike on the first corner and was forced to withdraw.
Second overall and also in Class A was last year's winner Reg Gurnell on a KTM 690 SMC (3.34 litres/100 km) with another previous winner Peter de la Rey on a BMW F800 ST (3.38 litres/100 km) third overall and first in Class B (for motorcycles from 701-1010cc).
Gurnell, who competed with a broken shoulder suffered in a racing accident at Phakisa Freeway in the Free State the previous weekend, has now finished in the top three in each of the last five bike economy runs. He won in 2004 and 2008, was second in 2007 and 2009 and third in 2006.
The top 10 was made up of Belinda Barnard on a Class A Kawasaki ER-6F (second woman home and fourth overall); last year's Rookie of the Year Roelof ter Stege, son of top off-road racing co-driver Hennie (fifth overall on another Class A Kawasaki ER-6F); 2009 Rookie of the Year and third woman home Ursula Reimer (sixth overall on a Class B BMW F800 ST); Mike Kuit on a BMW F650 GS (seventh overall and first in Class G for dual-purpose motorcycles from 701-1000cc); former overall winner Graham Mephius (eighth overall on a Class A Suzuki GSX 650 F); Gerhard Schutte on a Triumph ST 1050 (ninth overall and first in Class C for motorcycles from 1011-1200cc) and Hennie ter Stege (10th overall on a Class G BMW F800 GS).
Other class winners
Class D (over 1200cc):
Mike Peel, Harley-Davidson Sportster, 15th overall, 4.40 litres/100 km;
Class E (touring motorcycles with panniers attached):
Roger Faulker-Smith, BMW RT, 19th overall, 4.57 litres/100 km;
Class F (dual purpose motorcycles up to 700cc):
Denver Biggs, BMW 650 X Country, 11th overall 4.04 litres/100 km;
Class H (dual purpose motorcycles over 1000cc):
Brian Stobbart, Buell Ulysses, 18th overall, 4.52 litres/100 km;
Class I (cruisers):
Doug Moss, Triumph Speedmaster, 20th overall, 4.62 litres/100 km;
Class J (pillion passenger up to 1200cc):
Andre Schoeman and Angelique Schoeman, BMW 1200 RT, 22nd overall, 4.70 litres/100 km;
Class M (modified):
Tinus Janse van Rensburg, Suzuki GSX 1300 R, 12h overall, 4.14 litres/100 km.
Clive Strugnell, who has competed in all 27 motorcycle economy runs, finished 30th overall and fourth in Class D on a Suzuki B-King.
The Bertus Luus memorial trophy for good sportsmanship went to Chris de Wit, a former manager of Nissan Motorsport, who fell on Robber's Pass but still made the finish of the leg in time.
Other special awards went to Auto Alpina (team prize), BMW (manufacturer' prize), Kristene Smuts (first woman rider) and Ursula Reimer (first rookie).
Chris du Plooy, CEO of sponsor Retirement Fund Solutions and a competitor in the Super Production class of the National Off-Road championship, announced that RFS would extend its sponsorship of the bike economy run to 2015.