Africa Bike Week 2010
The call was heard for thousands of miles. They came from near and far. They came in their 10’s of thousands. It was to be a gathering of the people like none had seen before. Beyond the rolling hills and valleys, the sleepy little holiday village of Margate, was about to wake up.‘
Vox Populi’ by30 Seconds to Mars, our call to an ‘Indaba’ (meeting of tribes), stirred the crowds, creating an atmosphere of excitement and expectation.
The bikes started arriving, setting the stage for things to come. The little town was abuzz with activity. Vendors from around the country arrived with their goods, setting up their stalls in preparation for the expected masses. It all seemed chaotic to those looking in from the outside but after 4 days and nights of intense work – we were ready for the crowds, the bikes, the noise and the festivities. The event, having been carefully planned in the minutest detail, months in advance, was now coming to life. Stage erection, tents going up, electricity being laid on, water points and a million other details, fell right into place, as planned by Martin Engelbrecht and his team.
The locals had experienced this now-famous gathering the previous year and were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the tribesmen. As the time grew ever nearer, preparations were made to welcome, house, clothe and feed the visitors.
Preparation
The Africa Bike Week™ team arrived in Margate a week before the event to get the wheels turning, so to speak. Huge 18 wheeler trucks delivering tents, scaffolding and all manner of electrical equipment, rolled by daily causing havoc in the narrow streets of Margate. The population of Margate, in its off-season, is about 40 000 residents - tripled, almost bursting at the seams, with 80 000 day-trippers and Rally attendees over the duration of the Rally, exceeding our wildest expectations. A total of 10 000 bikes were counted, more than double that of the previous year! Harley-Davidson® bunting and branding adorned the town, the streets, lamp-poles and shop windows as far as the eye could see. It was clear to all and sundry that something really big was going down.
The Iron Horses Ride!
From the 24th – 27th April, we enjoyed 4 days of glorious sunshine. The time had come. Dressed in their finest traditional colours, their steeds glistening in the sunshine, with the roar, rumblings and revving of their engines – the riders had come to town! In days of old, mothers would have locked up their daughters and go into hiding but this was to be a very different kind of gathering.
Margate was buzzing. No, correction – roaring, rumbling and revving! As Phil Collins said “You can feel it in the air tonight”, with thousands of bikes making their way down to the beachfront, along Harley road, (the street has been permanently renamed!) the going was made a little difficult, the riders making their way through the throngs of people. Parking space was at a premium. As far as the eye could see and as far as the road allowed, bikes of all makes, colours, shapes and sizes, lined the road, parked neatly like sardines in a can! The main stage, blasting music of all genre’s all day long and well into the night, pubs and restaurants overlooking the sceptical, were filled to capacity. Africa Bike Week™ had arrived.
Stunts, Superstars & Shopping galore!
On the main road, 168m stretch was closed off and barricaded in preparation for the 3 stunt shows. Grandstands were filled hours before the show was due to start, spectators eager to get a good spot to watch, in awe, the ‘madness’ and incredible skills of the stuntman, Dave Eager on his Buell and his Harley-Davidson® Destroyer. Not many of us get to witness such a show, so Dave gave it his all, wowing the crowds with his wheelies, burnouts and dozens of nerve-wracking stunts. The acrid smell of burning rubber filled the air, smoke and sparks trailing from behind his bike like the tale of a comet, almost outshone the firework display after the last rear tyre had burst. The crowd went wild when Dave got back to his feet, running down the strip, waving and thanking the jubilant crowd for coming.
With huge nomadic tents facing the main stage, seating and shelter from the sun was supplied, creating a festive atmosphere. An impressive line-up of local bands and international artist, Dilana, who flew in from Los Angeles, kept the crowds entertained throughout the day on the main stage and on the Jack Daniels stage, which was a short way down the drag. Dance shows and fashion parades provided entertainment for all age groups. We noticed that this year many more families and plenty more women riders came to enjoy the weekend with us. The riders also enjoyed many scenic out-rides, including the Wild Coast Sun and Casino and the many ‘kloofs’ (gorges) and passes that would thrill any rider. The H.O.G.® hospitality area welcomed many weary H.O.G.® members to relax, enjoy some refreshments, socialize and watch DVD’s supplied by the various chapters.
Harley-Davidson® dealerships in South Africa went to enormous trouble and cost to showcase their goods and services. Harley-Davidson® Morocco was also present and in speaking to them, they said “now that they see how big this event is, we are going to pull out all the stops for Africa Bike Week™ in 2011”. One of the dealerships even brought in huge air-conditioning units for the comfort of their clientele. Strobe lighting, music and dancers (not to mention the magnificent new Harley-Davison® motorcycles), attracted many visitors to the Dealership tents! Bookings for test rides proved very popular with dozens of sales being made right there and then.
A variety of food stalls catered for all tastes and budgets. Clothing and accessory vendors, selling a huge variety of biker goodies, from accessories with plenty of ‘bling’, communication systems, trailers, protective gear, fun stuff, to the more mundane but necessary spares and parts.
Although Africa Bike Week™ is a Harley-Davidson® arranged event, it was not restricted to Harley-Davidson® Motorcycles. No entrance fee was charged, anyone on two wheels was welcome. The majority of the motorcycles were Harley-Davidson® Motorcycles but there were a few other brands, vintage bikes and even scooters aplenty! Each magnificent machine, as individual as its owner/builder – ranging from the absolutely standard H-D® to the deserved winner of the Ride-In Bike show and his spectacular machine, in the Harley Custom/Modified category. I’m sure all the participants of this competition are making plans already for next year’s Rally – the winner and his bike will be shipped off to Sturgis, USA, showcasing South African Motorcycle builders to the world.
The Mass Ride - 2 600 bikes
The highlight of the weekend was, undoubtedly, the Mass Ride through the streets of Margate, Shelly Beach, St Michaels-on-sea, Port Shepstone and a few other small villages, a pack of almost 2 600 bikes taking part in the mass ride, stretching for 13km’s. The bikers gathered on the roof of the Shelly Shopping Centre, giving the engineers a few grey hairs and perhaps anxious moments – would the structure stand up to the mass of 2 600 bikes and 1½ times as many people! But they had done their homework, assuring a safe gathering on their roof. Mayor Shusha cut the ribbon after an enthusiastic speech about how much Margate loves having Harley-Davidson® in town, telling us all to “REEEEEV those engines”; in contrast to the organisers’ request to “be considerate, please, it’s Sunday morning”! With helicopters and light aircraft overhead, we were given the “let’s get going” signal.
Locals and visitors came out of their houses and shops, hearing the rumblings of thousands of bikes, although we were still kilometres away. Lining the streets, waving, cheering and dancing, as we rode past at a leisurely pace, many of us riding a large part of the route with the right hand on the throttle and the left almost constantly raised, acknowledging their cheers!
Arriving back in Margate some 1½ hours later, elated, proud and on a high, we parked our bikes and headed for the some much needed refreshments. One would have thought that the event was over after that enthralling spectacle but no! The camaraderie, the smiles and laughter, the chats between strangers, all raving about the huge success of Africa Bike Week™, far beyond anyone’s expectations, Margate and Africa Bike Week™ has become THE place to be if you are in any way curious/enthusiastic about Harley-Davidson® or maybe just dreaming of one day owning your own Harley-Davidson®.
“It is an honour for us to, once again host this premier event on the world calendar, and we hope that you will feel at home in the hospitality of our lovely coastal town,” Mayor N.F. Shusha of the Hibiscus Coast Municipality said. Furthermore, the Mayor of the Ugu District Municipality, Sithembiso Cele addressed us at the opening ceremony. “We are delighted to host this prestigious event, which is undoubtedly one of the biggest and most popular to hit our shores”. In his welcoming message, CEO of South Coast Tourism, Michael Bertram said “The arrival of Africa Bike Week™ visitors will undoubtedly see the fresh energy coursing its way through the streets of Margate”.
About Margate
Margate, celebrating its’ centenary this year, has had a total make-over. Millions of Rands were thrown at sprucing up the “old girl” by the Ugu Council. What was once a slightly run-down but ever popular holiday destination now has a new lease on life – many thanks to the Mayor and her Council.
Margate is a popular seaside resort town on the KwaZulu-Natal coast, on the Indian Ocean, some 140km south of Durban. It was laid out by an English surveyor in 1908, and named after another seaside resort on the northern coast of the county of Kent, in the United Kingdom. Many apartment buildings offer accommodation for residents and visitors, complemented by a wide range of shops, restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs. It features attractive Blue Flag beaches for swimming, snorkeling, fishing and surfing. A variety of other attraction such as hiking, 4x4 trails, wind surfing are on offer all year round. It falls under the Ugu (Zulu for ‘beach’) Municipal District, and has a permanent population of some 40 000 people.