SOUTHERN CAPE MOTORING NEWS - The exhibitors' list for the Knysna Motor Show sponsored by Sanlam Private Wealth is filling up and the organisers say that this year's event will attract some of the rarest and most exciting cars and motorcycles in the country. The show takes place on Sunday 30 April.
"The Knysna Motor Show is a family affair in a country atmosphere that's become known as one of the top gatherings of its kind in South Africa as we're very selective about the vehicles chosen for exhibition," said Peter Pretorius, show organiser and the chairman of the Garden Route Motor Club.
"One of the most astonishing bikes on display will be a Honda Rune - of which only a handful were imported to South Africa," says Pretorius. "This 6-cylinder, 1800cc machine is more than 2,4m long and was produced during 2004 mainly for the American market. Each one is said to have cost Honda about $100 000 to build at the time - although the selling price was just $27 000 back then."
Many of the bikes on show have been rebuilt. Neville Fisher from East London will show three immaculately prepared, historic racing motorcycles: a 1983 Ducati TT1 750, a 1998 Ducati 748 SPS and a 1969 Triumph Bonneville .
"We'll also have a 1974 Ducati 750 SS that was rebuilt by Lofty Pretorius as an exact re-plica of the legendary American race bike that became known as Old Blue," says Pretorius. "Old Blue was a highly-modified machine that won the 1977 Daytona Superbike race and fi-nished second in that year's American Superbike championship. It is acknowledged as having helped to establish Ducati motorcycles in the American market."
1928 CHATER LEA
"Perhaps the most unusual display at the show will be Steven Helm's 1928 Chater Lea - a very scarce face-cam racer, and quite possibly the only one of its kind still running anywhere in the world.We believe due to the evidence of use that this motor was used in the original DJ Race - the Classic Motorcycle Rally between Durban and Johannesburg, in which a face-cam placed se-cond," Pretorius adds.
This will be the first year that Knysna's private motorbike museum, The Motorcycle Room, will take part in the Knysna Motor Show. with some of the rarest items from its collection of over 80 machines on display.
These will include a 1984 Yamaha RZ500 of which less than 500 are thought still to exist. They were manufactured in limited quantities and were inspired by the motorcycle on which Kenny Roberts won the '83 World Championship as well as a KTM RC8, the Austrian manufacturer's first ever superbike. The unit to be displayed, a 2015 RC8 R model, was the last RC8 sold in SA, following KTM's decision to discontinue the production of superbikes for road use.
The Motorcycle Room will also show two exceptional custom motorcycles - both hand-built in Knysna. One is the Silver Bullet, a salt-flats-style racer that started life as a Yamaha IT490 off-roader and the Copper Bike café racer which originally was a Suzuki GN250 commuter bike.
TICKETS
The Knysna Motor Show attracted over 5 000 people in 2016 and the organisers are hoping for an even larger crowd this year. "With a great food court, a beer tent, and undercover seating, the show precinct is always a comfortable, festive place to be. Since proceeds from the event will go to our favourite charities (Hospice, Knysna Animal Welfare, E-pap, and FAMSA), it's very definitely a show with heart, too," Pretorius concludes.
The Knysna Motor Show will take place on Sunday 30 April 2017 on the Knysna High School sport fields on Waterfont Drive. Gates will be open from 09:30 to 16:00, with ticket prices ranging from R40 for adults to R10 for children of 12 to 18 years. There is no charge for children under 12, but they must be accompanied by an adult.
'We bring you the latest Garden Route, Karoo, Hessequa news'
