AERIAL DISPLAYS INCLUDED
THE SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE
40TH
CLASSIC
FEST
WORDS & PHOTOS:
TODD SUTHERLAND
he New Zealand Classic Register (NZCRR)
celebrated its 40th year this February
and put on a great mix of attractions
to celebrate at its 40th Classic Fest held at
Pukekohe.
Together with a fantastic array of machines,
examples of which displayed near on a century
of motorcycling, there was a bunch of former
champions and guests as well as a few weird
and wonderful sights.
What makes a classic a ‘classic’ is in the eye
of the beholder. If a bike was unobtainable
in your early formative years and it was the
machine ‘doing the damage’ at the time then
to you it’s most likely going to earn itself classic
status. Early in the cNZCRR’s history, a classic
was perhaps personified by the British single
cylinder machines of the 1960s. A Manx Norton
certainly has presence, but... time waits for no
man. The reality is the number of people who
the ManxNorton is a classic to are dwindling,
and so newer and newer machines are joining
the classic fray, and with them newer, but still
ageing, fans.
There were no McIntosh Suzuki GSX1100s
in 1979 when the Classic Festival started.
However, an example of the bike, as well as Mr
McIntosh and Dennis Charlet, were competing,
and winning at this year’s event. It was great
too, to see some of the men who campaigned
those machines.
Racers Hiscock, Goodfellow and Deans all
competed on Suzuki lineage machines during
their race careers. Dave Hiscock was the
man back in the 1980s, taking multiple New
Zealand Castrol Six Hour wins on Wellington
Motorcycle GSX1100 machines. The Wellington
legend dominated here, raced in Australia,
South Africa and opened eyes in the UK. Dave
was seen in the paddock at the event, and is
remembered for introducing the brilliant Steve
Roberts built chassis’d machines to the world.
A later version of the bike which Robert Holden
campaigned was on display, along with various
Dallas Rankine supported Ducati’s run by
Robert Holden and Paul Pavletich in the 1980s.
KIWI RIDER 105