Fifty motorcycles will compete in the 27th national motorcycle economy run, organised by the Pretoria Motor Club, which will start from the Loskop Dam Forever Resort in Mpumalanga on July 2.
Among the entries are previous bike econorun winners Reg Gurnell (2008),
The event will finish at the Hotel Numbi in Hazyview on Saturday afternoon and cover a total distance of 950km.
"We have some very interesting competitors," said clerk-of-the-course Francois Jordaan, a former National off-road racing champion co-driver in the Production Vehicle category.
Gurnell, runner-up in 2006, will be looking for a second successive victory and will again be mounted on KTM 690 Duke. Mephius, second in 2008 on a Kawasaki, will be riding a Suzuki GSX 650 F this time.
Among the "interesting" competitors are Clive Strugnell, who's been on every bike econorun since the first. He will be aboard a Suzuki VZ 800. Among the female competitors are Belinda Barnard (Kawasaki ER-6F), the highest-placed female rider in 2007, and Ezanne Marais on a 1.4-litre Harley-Davidson Deuce.
Stunt pilot Lawrence Meintjies is a regular with his wife Emmery riding pillion on his BMW K1200S and Brian Stobbard (1.2-litre Buell Ulysses) is an original Hell's Angel. Heine van der Walt (1.4-litre Harley-Davidson Fatboy) is a world-renowned surgeon.
Motor racing personalities who will saddle-up include former off road co-drivers' National champion Hennie ter Stege (BMW F800 GS), multiple rally and off-road Drivers' National champion Hannes Grobler (assisting the organisers) and Motorsport SA steward Piet Swanepoel (a former rally and off-road champion).
Chris du Plooy, CEO of main sponsor RFS who competes in the National off-road championship in a Super Production class Toyota Hilux, will flag the first bike off at 7.30am on Friday morning from the start at Loskop Dam Forever Resort.