PETE ’ S PEOPLE
purchased in 1966 , and 56 years later she is still in my care . The third was known as the ‘ Coke Mini ’. It was very fast , and it was developed and built at home from a base vehicle of an insurance write off , and , with sponsors Coca Cola on board , we raced at every circuit in NZ - for 20 races each season . We led the championship often , but ended runner up twice , and third once , in three completed seasons . In 1970 we built and raced a fuel injected Viva GT to great success over four seasons , but I have always retained my passion for motorcycles . Of course , the inevitable pressures of work , home life , marriage and kids , meant that the racing eventually had to pass . I had to hang up my hat completely and go ‘ cold turkey ’, because it was so painful to give up , and it was years before I ventured to a race meeting of any sort after that . Of course I rode a fair bit , with offroad bikes on the bombing range , and forest areas north of Auckland , and in those days we had the place pretty much to ourselves . If you can roar through a bit of virgin forest on a racing dirt bike , I can tell you it ’ s pretty neat !
To me , riding is the next best thing to flying – the banking turns , the accuracy required for picking a line , the judgement of speed , gear selection and throttle control , with the added bonus of fresh air , the aromas of the countryside or the smell of bitumen , and it all serves to quicken the heart . I absolutely love it – fantastic .
EVERY SUNDAY So , I ’ ve been a motorbike enthusiast for over 70 years , and after some personal losses and the inevitable tragedies of life , I returned to motorcycling as a way to keep myself active and alert . It turned my life around , really .
KIWI RIDER 81