SA Bike Festival: Two wheels and a lust for the track
A watershed moment in human evolution was when man's ancestors decided that walking on four legs was only good for smelling the flatulence of the proto-human in front of them and thus stood upright on two feet. Now, we've regressed to preferring four wheels over two.This weekend's first SA Bike Festival aims to change that. Lachlan Harris, the national director of the Association of Motorcycle Importers and Distributors, discusses whether vehicular bipedalism is worth it:What Can We Expect?The festival promises to be bigger and better than anything we've seen in this country before.Licensed riders have the opportunity to purchase test rides, making them among the first people to ride on this iconic track (the redeveloped Kyalami racetrack) in its new state. Where else will you get to ride a track before Rossi or Marquez?Is motorcycling really as dangerous as our mothers made it seem?Motorcycling is an extreme sport, but if you do the right training and equip yourself with good protective equipment, like skydiving, you can make it infinitely safer.Tips for novice ridersBuy a bike you feel comfortable on and one that is not too big and intimidating.Invest in good protective gear. It's the airbag of the bike world. You may only need it once, but when you need it.Attend a good training school. Even if you've ridden before, it pays to learn again from scratchOnce you are comfortable, ride regularly. A regular rider gains valuable experience on the open road and in traffic.The SA Bike Festival runs from Friday to Sunday www.southafricabikefestival.comWINThe SA Bike Festival powered by Discovery Channel will be held at the Kyalami Circuit from Friday until Sunday. Enjoy live music and all things engine. The Times is giving away five double tickets as well as a set of Michelin Power Supersport Evo tyres. To stand a chance of winning, send your name, address and contact number with words BIKE FEST to tellus@thetimes.co.za and answer: When is the SA Bike Festival? Competition closes tomorrow and winners will be called on Friday...
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