This year’s Durban-Johannesburg Rally for classic motorcycles takes place this weekend, starting at the Hillcrest shopping centre at 6am on Friday.
The two-day regularity rally finishes in Ekurhuleni, Benoni, at the Northerns Sports Club on March 14.
This year’s rally has attracted an entry of 71 competitors, including visitors from Australia and India, riding 67 solo motorcycles and four sidecar combinations. The competition is for motorcycles that are at least 90 years old.
Indian film producer Adhip Iyer enters the competition with a 1934 500cc Sunbeam loaned to him by Martin Kaiser, last year’s third overall finisher. Iyer says he always wanted to visit South Africa and is delighted that he can ride a scenic DJ Rally route on a vintage motorcycle to make his visit even more special.
Australian rider Antony Gullick enters with a 1913 500cc Rudge loaned to him by Brandon Jarvis
There are also three women riders in the field: Jacquie Paster, Benita Palmer and Helen Nicolau, while a new milestone for this event will be set when three generations of the Otto family set off from Hillcrest. Father Andre Snr will ride a 1930 700cc BSA with a sidecar with his grandchildren, Jaundre and Xander, while son Andre Jnr will ride a 1934 500cc BSA.
Gavin Walton will aim for his eighth DJ Rally win after victories in 2009, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024 and 2025 on his trusty 1936 500cc AJS. Other former winners in the 2026 DJ Rally are Mike Ward, who will ride a 1935 500cc Velocette, and Alan Cunninghame, who is on a 1936 Velocette.
The DJ Rally commemorates the road race between Durban and Johannesburg, held each year from 1913 to 1936, except for the period between 1915 and 1918 when World War 1 raged. The 2026 DJ Rally is the 54th of these commemorative regularity rallies, which began in 1970 and have been held annually except for 1974 (fuel restrictions) and 2021 (Covid-19).
In keeping with the historic nature of the event, the competing motorcycles must have been made before 1937.
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