The annual IMOC originated TOY RUN is one of the highlights of the year for me. It’s a day when everyone is happy and smiling and anticipating some similar smiles on the faces of young, underprivileged children who will get an unexpected toy for Christmas. This said, it is nevertheless a pity that, despite yearly requests to swop the touchy feely soft toys for educational ones, the vast majority of contributions are still teddy bears.
For only the second time in 25 years, I hopped on a two-wheeler that didn’t belong to me. The first was a few years ago, when I used a Honda CX1300 test bike and this year I enjoyed the laid-back ride of our long-term BMW C650 GT maxi-scooter. With ample under-seat storage, the toys could be stashed away and, at the end destination, Maynardville, I did not have to lug my helmet around. The BMW has a very neat screen that is electrically adjustable on-the-move and I used the uppermost setting to effectively deflect wind away from my open-face helmet. On a gorgeously warm Cape Town day, there was definitely no need for the heated grips and seat! The trip computer includes a fuel consumption read-out (average and instantaneous) that was dancing around the 3 to 4 L/100 km range. Another feature is a side stand that cuts the engine on fold-out.
As usual the crowds were out to wave and cheer us on and the procession of a 1000-odd bikes proceeded without a hitch. One guy even took his dog along on the ride. Lying down on the fuel tank, he barked approval at the well-wishers.
We do not have a total figure of toys collected this years yet but is usually around 100 000 toys nationwide.
