The sport has, however, proven to be one of the most financially demanding in preparation, participation, and equipment.
This has limited the local bikers to challenge for continental and international honours due to the prohibitive costs of participation.
Two local bikers, Lenny Bargwatz and Kagiso Stephens are currently seeking financial support to race at the biggest endurance race in Africa, the Roof of Africa.
The event is to be held in Lesotho from November 9-12 and has been described as one of the hardest mountain racing events in the world. Stephens has since sent an SOS call to the private sector seeking sponsorship.
The biker told Mmegi Sport the budget for the trip stands at just under P60,000. “Lack of financial support is a serious setback for us. We are unable to train effectively due to the numerous breakdowns we have on our bikes.
At the moment, I rely on just one bike for training and racing and this strains the bike a lot hence a lot of breakdowns. Bike maintenance is the main issue; bikes need to be properly and effectively maintained.
There are also fuel and accommodation costs as well as racing fees,” Stephens said. But in an environment where sports struggle to secure sponsorships what do bikers offer in return? “We offer brand exposure through bike branding. Our sponsors’ logos are branded on our bikes so wherever we go race we carry the sponsors’ logos with us.
There is also camp materials that can be used for marketing. There are gazebos, flyers amongst others and these will also carry sponsors’ logos and this will expose the company brand to new and existing clients,” Stephens said. The 28-year-old is upbeat of this proposed return to the Roof of Africa.
He has failed to complete the race in his last two appearances. In 2019, the biker was forced to retire from the face due to a mechanical fault. In his latest appearance in 2021, Stephens was amongst more than half of the bikers who failed to complete the race due to a storm in Lesotho. “I have been focusing more on the pace; the weather can change like three times in a day in Lesotho.
So it becomes dark very quickly in the mountains when it rains, so I have been working on my pace, to try get through to the finishing point before it could get dark. I am feeling very confident this time. I do not want to think about what happened last time," he said.
Meanwhile, Ross Branch is in Seville, Spain for the final round of the 2022 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship. The biker is competing at the Andalucia Rally until Sunday. He started off on a good note, finishing eighth in the prologue.
