Ever just wanted to strap your lunch tin and a couple cold bevvies to your bikes rack, hook up with a bunch of mates and go for a ride, just for riding’s sake? Stop, park off on your favourite rock in the bush somewhere and just shoot the breeze with like minded guys? No worries about saying something inappropriate, whether the Missus is happy or if the kids are okay? Just you, your bike, a few mates and the road… Just a decompress before you kick off the new year in earnest.
Back in December 1994, that was exactly how Colin Blackburn, (Swartbrand), was feeling after a tough year at graft and seemingly endless Christmas lunches and holidays. It is tough on a bloke you know, you love your family and want to see them happy, but you also need just the littlest bit of me time. Well Colin figured that time was the last weekend of the Christmas holidays, just before heading back to the daily grind of life for another year.
He told his wife he was going for a ride with his mates and he would be back the next day, phoned around, got a small posse together and aimed their bikes west early on Saturday the 7th of January 1995. That was thirty years ago, and that ride has established the trend as well as the rules.
Because they were all on classic and vintage bikes, that became rule number one, “Only Classic and Vintage Bikes, 25 years and older.” Rule number two was no ladies, not wives, not daughters, nor sisters, not girlfriends – not even rented ones – NADA! Rule three: The riders age limit was set to no under 16’s, but you can be as old as you like. Rule four, no club affiliation patches, not your tennis club, not your knitting club, not your yacht club, not your bike club. This is a private event. A bunch of mates going for a ride.
30 years later, 110 bikes gathered at the Wadeville Spur at sparrow’s on Saturday the 4th of January 2025. This was the first year that Colin finally took a back seat and only undertook ceremonial duties, while Desmond Söeköe and his team of marshalls bore the brunt of the logistics like getting everyone on the road and keeping them all safe. 99% of the bikes were as per the rules, 25 to 30 year old classic or vintage bikes, but there always has to be ‘THAT OKE’ on his modern adventure or superbike and/or flouting the no patch rule. Colin, the consummate nice guy, consented to them riding along as long as they respected the theme and the spirit of The Swartbrand Run, and… HOWEVER, there will be no concessions going forward for all future Swartbrand Runs.
After a light breakfast and a quick riders briefing at the Copper Canyon Spur with fuel tanks brimmed, the ride set off for “Frank’s Museum” in Daggafontien close to Springs. The Museum is a cave of wonders when it comes to anything with an engine, whether it has two wheels, four wheels or static, a true “Petrolheads” amusement park. Waiting at Franks, were another 20 or so classic and vintage bikes ready to join the ride. Frank in the spirit of the event always has something interesting to show everybody and inevitably fires up a static engine to satiate everybody’s need for earth rumbling, smoke billowing, adrenaline inducing mechanical bliss. Des and the Marshalls, had a tough time dragging everybody back onto their bikes to head off to the next venue, The Heidelberg Club for a mid morning tea break and do any running repairs if any of the old riders or even older bikes needed them.
From there it was off to The Ranch, (yeah, not that one…. remember the no ‘fairer sex’ rule, not even rented ones, it is set in stone), for an early lunch if so desired and continuing maintenance to riders and bikes alike. Then it was Gecko’s in Meyerton for a fantastic lunch special of two double burgers for a hundred bucks with some live music and well priced refreshments – way too much food for one person, especially for the (un)Official Parade of Classic and Vintage bikes at Barneys Bridge, on the R51 near the Balfour turn off.
This parade is always a spectacle supported by locals, pedestrians and passing motorists alike as it is guaranteed to turn into and did become an impromptu old school street drag race. The organisers know this and always make sure there are plenty of marshalls to keep everything tidy and everyone safe and as close as possible to bounds of the National Traffic Act as possible. Once ‘The Parade’ had been settled and all excess testosterone had been spent, the ride continued on through the countryside on the way to the Vaal dam to the end Point at Deneysville and the Deneysville Aquatic Club. Here, bikes were parked, camp was set up for the night and the trail dust and burnt oil was washed away with a well deserved beer or two as the braai fires were lit and the setting sun toasted.
Söeköe Moto-Bicycles sponsored a rocking band that kicked off festivities and set the tone for the rest of the evening. Part of those festivities was a prize giving with a lot of the prizes sponsored by Barry Steyn of Gauteng Pumps, Pierre from V-Dubtech, Carlos and Vicky from The Heidelberg Club and The Ranch as well as Willie Struckmeyer
The top honours at the Swartbrand Run went to the following people:
- Dereck Lockwood, attended the most Swartbrand Runs, (after Colin of course!)
- Ryan Duncan took the “Oldest Rider on the Oldest Bike” riding his 1935 Triumph on the run.
- Ryan Harvey took the “Youngest Rider on the oldest Bike” on his 1946 AJS.
All prizes were determined by a group of independent judges headed up by the chief event judge, Martin Kaizer who rode a 1942 Harley Davidson on this event.
All in all, the 2025 Swartbrand Run, 30th Anniversary edition was a roaring success and according to the two Main Cats, Colin Blackburn and Desmond Söeköe, there were a lot more younger guys on the run this year, all super enthusiastic to keep the event alive way into the future. One youngster in his twenties has already put up his hand to, (as Des took over from Colin this year), take over from Des in twenty or so years, which did bring a lump to both Colin and Des’s throat, knowing that the future of the Swartbrand Run is in good hands.
Imagine those bragging rights for him, 70 years after the inception, being able to say I rode the Swartbrand with the original Old Guys, Uncle Colin and Uncle Des back in the day.
We like that! And if you have a classic or vintage bike, need to get away from life for 24 hours, then you definitely need to make sure you get to the next Swartbrand Run scheduled for the weekend of the 3rd of January 2026.
See you there.
