By: Dave Abrahams
Midrand – The overwhelming impression of the South Africa Bike Festival, powered by Discovery Channel, at the newly refurbished Kyalami racetrack from 27-29 May, was of the sheer scope of the event, and how much effort had gone into making it a success.
Sure, the venue still had some rough edges, and we were told some of the tar in the paddock was rolled the day before the show opened, but that didn’t detract from the glittering displays put up by the exhibitors and the sheer number of stalls lining both sides of the paddock - among them the Independent stall displaying the two scooters we were giving away in our Star Motoring competition.
It couldn’t damp the vibe at the less formal end of the long pit building, where it overlooked the pub, the food stalls of Eat Street, the Tiger Wheel & Tyre sound stage and the kids’ action zone.
No fewer than 13 major manufacturers had put up world-class displays in the pits, with hundreds of brand-new machines on display, glittering under carefully arranged lighting plans, huge screens showing videos of new models or racing (depending on the brand!) while dozens of brightly-clad young ladies posed for pictures with bikers wearing leather jackets and self-conscious grins.
Showing every machine to its best advantage
Walking from one display to the next, I was struck by how work had obviously gone into each display, showing every machine to its best advantage, while allowing sufficient space for show visitors to get a proper look at bikes they’d only seen before in overseas publications.
Upstairs, the convention area was crowded with dozens of smaller stands, displaying everything from jewellery to helmets, leatherwear, backpacks specially designed for bikers and stunning custom machines, with a number of beautifully detailed bobbers and café racers standing out among the more traditional low riders.
But the real buzz was on pit lane, with demo bikes lined up outside the manufacturers’ stands, and punters clutching their booking slips, awaiting their turn to ride the bike of their dreams on the longer, faster, smoother new Kyalami circuit.
With live music, stunt shows, off-roading riding, outrides, the kids action zone and even the chance to ride your own bike on the new Kyalami, the SA Bike Festival was much more that that – but what makes it so special is that it is one of the few motorcycle shows in the world where visitors actually get the opportunity to ride the latest machines.