STAYING
SHINY
SIDE UP
Dave Keilty (left) –
the Accident Compensation
Corporation’s senior injury
prevention specialist
for motorcycles
taying shiny side up will definitely
be the right thing to do when the
second annual Mike Pero MotoFest
motorcycling festival roars into life at
Hampton Downs in just six weeks’ time.
This year’s Mike Pero MotoFest event,
at Hampton Downs on March 2-3, will
incorporate the third round of five
in the 2019 New Zealand Superbike
Championships, along with a slew of other
motorcycling-related activities that will all
pivot around the popular and proactive
Shiny Side Up programme.
Shiny Side Up (SSU), a joint initiative
between the Accident Compensation
Corporation (ACC) and the New Zealand
Transport Agency (NZTA), is a series of
events run nationally that focuses on rider
safety.
“The goal is to encourage motorcyclists to
prioritise their safety, mainly by refreshing
their skills with Ride Forever coaching, a
training programme developed by ACC,”
said Dave Keilty, the Accident Compensation
Corporation’s senior injury prevention
specialist for motorcycles, based in
Wellington. “We think MotoFest is the
perfect place to grow awareness around
what we do and grow Shiny Side Up.”
WORDS: ANDY MCGECHAN
SSU was run around the same weekend
as the inaugural Mike Pero MotoFest
extravaganza at Hampton Downs last year
so the organisers got together and realised
a merger would benefit all involved.
“Once we looked at the synergies it
was a no brainer,” said Hampton Downs
commercial manager Mike Marsden.
“MotoFest was a great success last year, as
was Shiny Side Up so it just made sense to
come together at the same venue so riders
can enjoy the entertainment at MotoFest
and benefit from the very important safety
aspects SSU promotes.”
Ride Forever plays a key role in the
SSU programme and motorcyclists are
encouraged to sign up to a Ride Forever
course at all SSU events, said Keilty. All those
completing a course will go in the draw to
win a $10,000 Harley Davidson motorcycle
or leather jacket.
“We have world-leading experts in their
field flying in to be part of the Shiny Side Up
events – Brittany Morrow (Road Rash Queen,
USA), Chris Hurren (gear safety expert,
Australia), Dave Moss (suspension guru,
USA), and Kevin Williams (Survival Skills, UK)
– and these individuals will be on-hand at
the Mike Pero MotoFest too.