Durban - An Empangeni man had a lucky escape after his rebuilt motorbike burst into flames when he took it out on the road last week.
Biker, Vaugn Renou-Rutherford, said on Wednesday he was determined to finish the repairs to the damaged bike as a Christmas present to himself.
He spent just over a week rebuilding the GS850 1979 Suzuki with three of his friends.
“I got a GS850 which was all rusted, and a second one had been in an accident and then I took a few parts from another Suzuki which I have. It took four of us from Friday to the following Sunday, working nonstop, to get the bike done.
“Then we took it on a ride to Heatonville and were on our way home when my buddy saw flames coming from the bike. We stopped in a cul-de-sac and the residents in the road came out with buckets of water and sand. One little guy even came out with his beach bucket,” said Renou-Rutherford, who also had an extinguisher.
He suffered no injuries, but had to watch helplessly as his bike was engulfed in flames.
“I was lucky and no-one was hurt in the incident. I don’t know why it caught fire.
“All my life I have been a biker and am used to fixing them up. I am stripping it now and it is going back together. Hopefully it will be finished before Christmas - it will be my present to me,” he said.
In another flaming incident this week, a car caught fire in the Musgrave Centre
parking area late on Monday afternoon.
A witness said the driver of a black Audi tried to start his car and he heard the car being revved, before the vehicle caught alight.
Musgrave Centre general manager, Mariam Omarjee, confirmed the incident, saying the mall’s guards reacted
and extinguished the flames before firefighters and police arrived.