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1st Annual Rally, Turangi, 19/20/21st November, 1999
The Buells started arriving on Friday night and by mid morning on Saturday there were 15 lined up outside Club Habitat in Turangi with about 22 riders and friends in attendance. The 1st National Buell Rally had begun with bikes from as far afield as Whangarei and Oamaru. We were really pleased with the turnout as we had no real idea of how the rally would be received. Everybody got together over coffee and decided to form a new club – tentatively called ‘Buell Riders (NZ)‘.
We all had an early lunch and then most of us headed out through Tokaanu and over the “Pungas” towards Taumarunui – a really nice piece of road, it could have been built exclusively for motorcycles. We turned left towards National Park and were treated to a spectacular two-up wheelie before we headed off to a refreshment stop at the Owhango Hotel.
Most riders turned off at National Park and took the shorter route back to Turangi but 3 hardy souls kept going to Raetihi where the threatening clouds and imminent rain turned them back.
As the bikes returned to Club Habitat, the weather was reasonable as we got together outside the cabins and spent the late afternoon talking Buells – Models & modifications, handling, break downs & problems, accessories and experiences in general…….
An extremely convivial evening in the Club Habitat bar ensued after an excellent BBQ dinner. Thanks to the extremely generous people at ‘Road & Sport Motorcycles’ in Hamilton and ‘Shaft Motorcycles’ in Auckland, every rider was presented with a free gift of a T-shirt or gift certificate. In addition Barry at Road & Sport had donated a handsome plaque for the “ best Buell of the Rally”. This was decided by popular vote and was won with a big majority by Rob Whitfield for his 1998 S1 Lightning. A bottle of locally made wine was presented to Julian Price as the only South Island participant and probably the furtherest travelled although Les Nagai and his wife Jacque came close having come down from Whangarei.
There were also people there from Taupo, Rotorua, Mt Maunganui, Auckland, Palmerston North and Taranaki – it was a real mix of personalities and styles but all bound together by the Buell motorcycle. Everybody seemed to get on with everybody else as the evening progressed.
Sunday morning and we all went our separate ways, but the groundwork had been laid and further meetings planned.
If you ride a Buell and want to be on our mailing list, then please contact Peter McIntosh of Buell Riders NZ.
