Old bikers ready to DJ

The Durban to Johannesburg Commemorative Run, better known as the DJ Run, takes place next weekend. The Vintage and Veteran Club hosts the 650-km run as a reliability and regularity trial for motorcycles or sidecar combinations manufactured on or before December31, 1936.
The 2014 edition of this run that dates back to 1913 starts on Friday at Hillcrest and ends at Turffontein Race Course in Johannesburg after the traditional overnight in Newcastle.
The club listed 126 entries for this year’s run, including Pietermaritzburg’s Doug Cruickshank (shown), who will be riding on the restored 1934 Truimph that was first ridden by Andy Zeeman in that same year.

The old bike, which has done 20 DJs, five under Cruickshank, still rides on the thicker spokes that were fitted for the original rally, but Cruickshank has now added unobtrusive LED lights that doesn’t draw power from the 6 Volt battery.
Asked why a man in his 70s would do a sixth DJ in as many years, Cruickshank said, ‘Because I just laugh, from the time I get on that bike to the time I get off!’

Doug Cruickshank prepares his Truimph for another
bout of road laughter