Back in 2020, I was one of 75 motorcycle enthusiasts who set out to visit Verneukpan in the Northern Cape. When I mentioned my fondness for motorcycle travel to Jos Matthysen, head of Ducati in South Africa, it must have struck a chord. He promptly invited me to take part in the first Ducati Mystery Ride. The idea is simple: you pay an entrance fee, and then you follow Jos on an amazing journey though South Africa. The only known variable is the distances you will travel each day. Since then, two more Mystery Rides have taken place and the number of participants have grown.
The forth iteration of the Mystery Ride took place at the end of April and this one was really special. The trip was to start in George, and wind its way back to Ducati’s shop in Centurion. At our rider briefing the night before we left, we had a fundraiser for the JJ Watson home for the elderly in George. It was quite emotional to hear about their basic needs. They identified and prioritized a few critical projects that needed doing. Simple things like a broken gate motor or a few half-painted rooms. Jos arranged a professional auctioneer to sell off a few items and some of the riders were also “fined” for transgressions. For each Rand we raised, Ducati SA matched that value. A total of well over R305 000 was raised.
The next morning, 53 Ducatis snaked their way through some of the most spectacular roads in the Western Cape. As we had no idea where we were going, we just followed Jos and his merry band of marshals. We ended up at Goudini Spa on the first day and in Hermanus on the second. This part of the country has some amazing roads and on a Ducati it is just a delight! From Hermanus, we rode the twisty way back to Plettenberg Bay. As we said our goodbyes to the Cape, we made our way inland to the flatlands of the Free State. That evening we slept over in Ladybrand. We had the traditional Fines Committee who fined riders for minor offences during the four days of riding. Prizes were also awarded to those riders that managed to correctly guess our destination for each day.
I asked one of the riders, Gerrit van Dyk, why he chose to come on a Mystery Ride. “First of all, I have to say, it is the people. This is my second Mystery Ride and it feels like family. Then there is the scenery and the riding. What awesome places we see, and all that on the best bike you can ask for. The enjoyment of riding with likeminded people and the sharing of this experience with family.”
To me, giving back to the community was the highlight of this trip. Garden Route Motorcycles in George is now a Ducati service centre, so if you own a Ducati, you know where to have it cared for. If you would like to be part of this, keep an eye out on Ducati’s Facebook pages. The next one will be around October.
Article: Brian Cheyne
