Martin Davis, riding a 1930 Sunbeam, scored a convincing win in the annual two-day DJ Rally for classic motorcycles between Durban and Johannesburg at the weekend, with an overall error of 192 seconds (that's just over three minutes!) over nearly 600km of riding.
He finished 53 seconds ahead of 2010 winner, Kevin Robertson (1936 Velocette). Third was the 1934 Sunbeam Lion and sidecar combination of Adrian Hollis and his son Gerald, who were only six seconds behind Robertson, with Mike Ward (1935 Velocette) a further three seconds in arrears.
All the competing motorcycles in the DJ Rally, which is the major event of the year for classic motorcyclists in South Africa, have to be 1936 or earlier models so they would have been eligible for the last road race between Durban and Johannesburg, held in 1936. The first of these popular races between the two cities was staged in 1913 and in 1936 the authorities decreed that racing on public roads was too dangerous, so the 2011 rally marked the 98th year since the first race was staged.
In 1969 the late Dick Osborne, himself an avid motorcyclist, persuaded a group of fellow-enthusiasts to organise a commemorative DJ Rally using the roads that made up the route of the original race. The first DJ commemorative rally took place in 1970 and it has been staged every year since then except for 1974 when the authorities refused permission due to the fuel shortage.
The format of the event has changed from a “first past the winning post'[ road race to a competitive regularity rally where riders have to try and ride as close as possible to set average speeds. Their performances are monitored by hidden marshals placed along the route who record the time as each competitor passes a check point
The 2011 finishing record of 92 motorcycles from 119 starters, out of an initial entry of 134, was surprisingly high considering the hot weather, the age of the machines and the arduous route, which is particularly hilly on the first day from Hillcrest Corner, near Durban, to the overnight stop in Newcastle.
By contrast, when the event was held as a road race at the height of its popularity it was contested by as many as 500 riders!
The only major incident during the 2011 rally was a burned out 1931 Rudge Whitworth motorcycle that caught fire when the engine backfired near Heidelberg on the second day. Rider John Allison was unharmed.
Edwin White was more fortunate as he was able to extinguish a blaze that started when the overfull tank of his BSA “Round Tank” dripped onto the spark plug.
The oldest rider in the 2011 DJ, Stewart Cunninghame (89), put up an excellent performance on his 1930 Norton to finish 10th. Motorsportsman of the Year Ralph Pitchford (better known for his off-road exploits on four wheels) finished a creditable 11th overall on a 1926 Triumph after a tough first day when his low-powered bike battled in the hilly terrain.
Three women qualified as finishers, with Bev Jacobs (1935 Triumph) the highest placed in 15th overall.
The top 10 finishers were:
1 Martin Davis (1930 Sunbeam) 192 seconds
2 Kevin Robertson (1936 Velocette) 245
3 Adrian/Gerald Hollis (1935 Sunbeam S/C) 251
4 Mike Ward (1935 Velocette) 254
Hans Klein (1929 Ariel) 263
Ric Lewis (1929 Sunbeam) 300
Wayne Bagley (1933 BSA) 367
Gavin Walton (1936 AJS) 375
Kevin Walton (1931 BSA) 385
Stewart Cunninghame (1930 Norton) 435