demo team
Demo Team Potch 1980 - 1981
Various intakes from 1979 to 1981, they came and went during the year
Robert Larney — Former SA 125cc Junior MX champ, switched to road racing superbikes for Laverda
Peter Hills — Top five 125cc MX racer, many years later was SA Formula V champion a few times. His family owned a successful business in Pretoria, they built the V6 VW Combis............JT Conversions?
Shane Thomas — Rhodesian, younger brother of Blaize who raced 500cc MX for Suzuki. Shane raced MX in the 500cc Enduro class and off-road like the Roof etc. for Montessa
Kenny van der Merwe — Former SA 125cc Junior MX champ, also successful off-road like Bapsfontein GP, Roof etc.
P J Hattingh — From Durban
Norman Davies — Cousin of the MX/off-road/speedway racing Davies brothers, he broke his leg in a Figure 8 demo team crash in Nelspruit and became a mechanic/spaar piel. See also 1981-82 Demo Team name list. I remember him as always smiling and joking. Later became a SAAF helicopter pilot.
Peter Claxton — MX racer from Cape Town
William Gillit — Enduro racer from Natal. Was he in bike squad/demo team? I don’t remember him at all
2/Lt. Neil Johnson — Jan. 1980 intake, top 125cc MX racer from Cape Town, he may have been put in charge of the demo team by Stroebel, I don’t remember. Neil wanted to stay in Potch because he raced the MX Nationals. On 14 March 1981 he crashed over the start straight jump at Brickor and several bikes ran over him. He died in hospital four days later. Peter Hills was very upset because he was one of the riders who hit Neil when he crashed
Cpl. Kevin Murray — From Mowbray in Cape Town. Appointed as (Co?) Workshop Manager upon arrival at Berede from Infantry School in Jan. 1981.
Cpl. Francois Botha — Frm Somerset west, appointed as Workshop Manager/ technical type with Cpl. Murray after arrival in Jan. 1981
Gary Keyser — From Sandton, national level MX and off-road racer
David van der Merwe — Raced KTNs in the 250cc and 500cc MX Narionals
John Amiradaki — replacement rider for two others who were injured in a Figure 8 mishap at a Nelspruit show, was also Captain Stroebel’s. Now in Australia.
Norman Davies, also see 1980/81 demo team. Injured in Figure 8 mishap at Nelspruit display.
Hugh Stroud — originally Platoon 10
Deon Roux — top 125cc rider, no. 3 in the Nationals
Ivan Knezovich — From Florida. “The Russian”
Mark Tessendorf — Also from Florida, they lived about two blocks apart. Injured in a Figure 8 mishap at a Nelspruit display in 1982.
A (Anton?) Greeff — came from one of the platoons too, Pl 10?
Peter Doveton — “Piston Pete” from Sandton? Platoon 10. He’s in Cape Town now. Not sure if he was demo team
Darren Sykes — Durban KDX 200 mafia, ref. Gary Johnson
DEMO TEAM 1981 - 1982
demo team 1983 - 1984
They were at Berede when I got back there in January 1983, so they were either Jan. or July 1982 intakes
Yuri Maree was bike workshop manager and thus ‘responsible’ for them in base, Patrick Devy took them on demo trips. Also 2/Lt Craig Lindeque, a 1981 intake short-service loot of indeterminate function.
Bruce McKellar — Durban, RIP
Patrick O'Keefe — Durban, former 125cc junior MX champion
Albrecht Albers — Natal south coast, national level enduro rider
Mike Deglon — From Florida, SA Trials champion
Ockert Pretorius — Potchefstroom biker gang boykie, pro mechanic
Rory W--- ?? — Durban
Marc Smith — Top 125cc MX racer in Joburg
Guy Ladera — Ditto, he raced for Cagiva
There were several others -- mechanics, LSDs, spaar piele etc -- assigned to demo team to keep them out of Stroebel's hair:
Andre Potgieter — Pottie, the chief mechanic
Wilfred Muller — From Florida, RIP
Weideman — Stroebel had a funny nickname for him but I can't remember what it was, something to do with a pet robot from some TV show
Anton Rohm — Pro mechanic
Demo Team in action, 1980 or 81
One of Demo Team's signature stunts, the figure 8 jump. It caused a number of broken legs and assorted bones.
Practising '7 men on a bike' on the Equestrian Centre parade ground. The bike is a Honda XL 350 with square metal tubing in place of shocks.
Same stunt, same place, different day
Different stunt, same place, same day.
Photos taken by a press photographer, believed to be a demo in Windhoek by Platoon 4. The rider with the glasses may be Murray Hoffman, a MX racer from Johannesburg who was in Platoon 4. Please contact us with definite information, and to claim ownership/copyright of these photos.
Just to remind the spectators of the actual purpose of bike squad.
In bike squad, a dust cloud means things are not going as planned. Two riders hit each other, resulting in one broken arm.
Before the platoon 4 (?) demo in Windhoek, the snorre inspected everything. The rider is believed to be Murray Hoffman from Joburg, and General Jannie Geldenhuys is at centre. The oke ahead of him who looks like Bricktop (Snatch) in a tuxedo was some or other Minister. Note smoke grenade tied to swingarm.
Demo Team 1983/4. Mike Deglon playing on a XR 200 at the Lowveld Show in Nelspruit in 1983.
SA Trials Champion Mike Deglon playing on a trials bike at the Nelspruit show, 1983.
Bruce McKellar, 'Mackie' playing on the parade ground at Potch in 1984. No, he was just tapping the rear fender. 'Mackie don't flip'
Another bike squad signature stunt, 'Watch yer bollocks' on the Potch parade ground. The rider is believed to be Bruce McKellar, and standing at left is Patrick Devy.
Demo Team practising on the Berede parade ground. Judging by the new appearance of the XR 200s, this was in winter 1983.
Demo Team 1981-82. (Thanks John Amiradaki, standing 2nd from left)
Magazine photo of Johannesburg area high school MX racers receiving trophies, 1979 or 1980.. Future bike squad demo team rider Gary Keyser at centre, with a few other familiar names of the late 70s SA MX scene