Laurie Zeeman was crowned national champion in the 1950’s and awarded Springbok colours.
In South African motorcycle racing it’s doubtful if any single family anywhere in the world can show the pedigree of fast bike racing that the Zeeman clan can lay claim to.
Way back in 1931 great grandad Jack Zeeman was posting impressive finishes in the DJ races on a 350cc Levis, and that gave way for Keith’s father, Laurie Zeeman to rack up a string of national wins in the South African championships.
He was awarded Springbok Colours in 1954 while winning championships of the day on an AJS 7R.
The third leg of this unique and successful story belongs to perhaps Johannesburg’s oldest bike retailer, Keith Zeeman’s, who also had an amazing racing career with a national championship win with the 350cc in 1971 and gaining his colours following some epic dices with other great riders of the day in the Formula One 1000cc championship.
Kieth at eight years old seen with his mom Jean on the AJS 7 R machine
Keith has a serious case of racing in the blood and still works every day at the Zeeman Motorcycle Store at The Glen. Part of Keith’s early day chores was to be able to remove the outside cam cover box for his dad in just minutes at the tender age of eight!
Alongside, you see Keith standing with an AJS 7R from 1962. It’s a replica machine – as Paddy Driver owns the original Zeeman’s race bike. The bike has been built up to the latest classic TT racing Isle of Man specifications. These machines can post close to 240 km/h, running a magnesium, six-speed gearbox. The AJS brand came into boy racer production in 1948 but the first TT Isle of Man overhead camshaft engines were first seen back in 1928 – and winning.
Being destined as a 350cc world championship contender for use by privateer riders on the continental circuit where the likes of John Surtees, Les Graham, Bob Macintyre, Jim Redman and Paddy Driver gave the machines many GP wins, along with numerous podium finishes. The bike was redesigned and perfected in its extraordinary life until production ceased in 1962 when the two-stroke ‘invasion’ simply obliterated most four-stroke engine efforts.
“It’s taken close to three years to finish this machine for Team Incomplete,” says Keith, “but we’re hopeful to have it out on the track for the SA TT races early in 2016, listening to that unique exhaust note and bringing memories flooding back of what these production racers sounded like some 60 years ago.”
New, these machines could be bought for be bought for the equivalent of R632.00 today – obviously they are huge money – but specialist manufacturers are still able to keep these particular machines alive with a limited amount of spare parts made available for historic racing the world over, including South Africa.
7R AJS 1959 Specifications
Wheels: 18-inch Akront rims
Front Brake: AP Disk, Conical Magnesium rear
Power: 50 Horsepower @ 7500 rpm
Gearbox: six speed Quaife-Hemmings
Motor: magnesium 500cc Molnar precision
Top speed: 240 km/h
Kieth Zeeman multiple South African champion is destined to ride the reborn AJS 7R boy racer at the SA TT Revival early next year at Zwartkops.
