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FEBRUARY 12, 2007: Motorcycling New Zealand threw a party and everyone was invited.
The inaugural Celebration of Motorcycling Show at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau, South Auckland, last week featured stalls, displays and demonstrations from all spheres of motorcycling in New Zealand.
All the “Big Four” Japanese brands – Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki – were joined by European marques Aprilia and Ducati and by after-market, performance, apparel and accessory groups, along with artists, collectors and some of the nation’s most high-profile national and international riding stars.
More than 3000 enthusiasts filed through the exhibition hall and enjoyed the displays by the Jim Beam freestyle motocross stunt crew and a team of three of New Zealand’s leading trials riding exponents.
Freestyle motocrossers and trials riding exponents performed side by side – it was a curious mix of high-flying adrenaline rush from the FMX boys and spell-binding, mouths-agape action from perhaps the most well-balanced individuals on the planet as the trials men rode their motorcycles where most people would struggle to climb.
The “celebration” was a teaser ahead of the fourth annual Motorcycling New Zealand Awards Night, held at the same venue on the Saturday night.
Motorcycling New Zealand chief executive Paul Pavletich said motorcycling is on a huge high nationwide and the Celebration of Motorcycling show was to salute to bikes of all eras, of all codes, of all shapes and sizes.
The visiting public were invited to vote a “People’s Choice” for one of the many exotic, rare, unusual bikes on display and to make their choice for the best trade display.
Blue Wing Honda won the “People’s Choice” trade display section and the bike owned by Auckland’s Kevin Grant won the “People’s Choice” for the best bike.
The Honda stand featured Honda bikes both old and new and dominated their corner of the display hall. It became a particularly busy place when Honda road-race stars Aaron Slight and Hayden Fitzgerald and motocross experts Shayne King and Peter Broxholme stopped by to sign autographs for their adoring fans.
Slight was a former world No.2 in the superbike championships and King was the 500cc motocross world champion in 1986.
In contrast, there was no noise or fanfare surrounding the winning bike. Kevin Grant’s immaculate black 1950 Vincent Rapide Series C motorcycle just sat there and glistened. But that was enough for it to tick all the boxes with the bike fans.
A 1000cc V-twin, it was carefully restored by Grant soon after he shipped it back “as a box of bits and pieces” from England while doing his “overseas experience” as a young man in 1974.
Grant and close friend Allan Powell set about restoring the bike and, when it was finally completed in 1995, the pair took it on the International Vincent Rally in New Zealand.
“I’m thrilled that my bike has won the People Choice award. Allan did a marvellous job on it and deserves the recognition,” said Grant (56).
He said there were probably only about 50 of these bikes in New Zealand and it would be worth about $40,000.
“It’s still in great working order. It’s capable of 200 kmph. I don’t restore these bikes just to look at them … I restore them to ride.”
It was given a second spruce-up restoration job in 2003.
