Tag Archives: Motorcycle rally

French close fest, USA rally still on

While a motorcycle festival in France has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world’s biggest motorcycle rally in the USA will go ahead next week despite almost 1000 Americans dying every day.

Wheels and Waves

Even a week ago, the Wheels & Waves event at the Biarritz Lighthouse in France, was a goer and Hedon helmets even launched a limited-edition Wheels & Waves 2020 open-face Hedonist helmet worth $A711.

Hedonist helmet
Hedon Wheels and Waves helmet

However, the festival which had already been postponed from June to 3-6 September 2020 has now been further postponed to June 2021 for their 10th event.

“The intensification of the situation has made it impossible for us to continue to prepare the ‘Hors Serie’ (out of series) edition as we imagined it at the beginning of June,” officials say.

“And even if we were to bring the project to fruition, where would the pleasure be in coming together without the spontaneity, coolness, craziness and freedom?

“What is the point in holding an event based on exchange and sharing at a time when everywhere we go, we have to keep our distance?”

In France, only a handful of deaths from coronavirus are recorded daily, with 184k confirmed cases, 81,311 recovered and 30,223 deaths so far.

Sturgis Motorcycle RallySturgis rally motorcycle rally usa

Main Street at the 2014 Sturgis rally

In the USA, about 1000 Americans die every day from the virus. There have been more than 4.4m cases in the USA and a total of more than 152,000 deaths so far.

Yet in the land of freedom and litigation, the 80th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally will go ahead from 7-16 August 2020.

This is despite 62% of the 7000 people who live in Sturgis, South Dakota, voting last month against holding the famous rally, the biggest tourist event in the state.

It seems that vote was overturned by threats of litigation from a gift wholesaler based in nearby Rapid City.

The rally has attracted about half a million people in recent years with a record of 2015 of 739,000.

Authorities still expect several hundred thousand to attend the rally.

That’s hundreds of thousands of people from all over the USA and perhaps from many other countries coming to the small rural town.

There they could spread or pick up the virus, then take it back to their home state or country.

Rally organisers and city officials say they will have various “modifications” for health reasons which you can hear about in this video from Sturgis Mayor Mark Carstensen.

The Black Hills Motorcycle Film Festival which was to be part of the rally will now be held online from 14-16 August for free! Click here for details.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle film festival goes online

If you want to look on the bright side of the current coronavirus pandemic, some motorcycle events are now being held online including the now-free Black Hills Motorcycle Film Festival.

So even though you may not be able to travel to the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota — home of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally which is surprisingly still going ahead next month — you can still attend this festival.

The film festival is being put together by the Rev Sisters, a newly created partnership of three women motorcyclists who plan and manage motorcycle events.

Earlier this year they announced a series of motorcycle film festivals to be held across the United States.

The first festival, Santa Cruz Moto Film Festival, was cancelled earlier this year due to a ban on public events.

Free film festival

Public enemy number one motorcycles sturgis bandana
The beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota

The second festival in the 2020 series, the Black Hills Motorcycle Film Festival, will be held online from 14-16 August and Rev Sisters Co-Founder Michelle Lamphere says it’s free!

“At a time when motorcyclists may need an escape and a channel to reconnect with their moto community, Rev Sisters is offering tickets to this online event at no charge,” she says.

Attendees can watch videos at their own pace from the comfort of their own homes.

The curated collection of more than nine hours of films includes a variety of riding styles from around the world — flat track racing, round-the-world adventure travel, bike building, moto culture and more.

Each film is inspired and creative and will leave viewers yearning to get back out on the road. Winners for each category – ultra short, short and feature – will be announced during the festival.

A third event, the South Jersey Moto Film Festival, is scheduled to air online later this year. Each of these festivals is intended to be a live annual event in future years.

Tickets for the Black Hills Motorcycle Film Festival are available by clicking here.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Tamworth Thunder Rally postponed by virus

Just before the pandemic was officially declared in March, Australia’s country music capital, Tamworth, announced it would host a National Thunder Motorcycle Rally in October 2020.

It has now been postponed until October 2021.

Only a few hundred tickets were sold and all will be valid for next year unless customers want a refund, organisers say.

The rally will be based on the successful 2015 National HOG Rally, but open to all “breeds” of motorcycle.

It will now be held from Friday to Monday 1-4 October 2021 at the state-of-the-art Australian Equine & Livestock Events Centre (AELEC) which also hosted the 2015 HOG Rally.

Organisers expected to attract thousands of riders descending for the long weekend of motorbikes, food and live music … and not just country music!

They are now aiming to carry over existing plans.

Tickets already purchased for the 2020 event will be valid for National Thunder 2021. Event organisers have made contact with all ticket-holders and other relevant stakeholders; those unable to attend in 2021 will be eligible for a refund.

The event was to include plenty of live rock music as well as a show especially produced for the rally featuring real horses and “iron horses” similar to the spectacular staged for the HOG Rally.

National HOG rally to return in 2019Tamworth HOG rally

Other highlights should include motorcycle and car displays, traders, guided rides around the district, more than 24 hours of entertainment and the giant Thunder Run through the streets of Tamworth.

Thunder Run HOIG Raly

The National Thunder Motorcycle Rally registration fee remains at $149 per person which includes all entertainment over the four days, a commemorative patch and t-shirt, rides and $50 raffle ticket.

Day passes may also be available closer to the event for those who can’t make the four days.

Tamworth hostsHarley HOG Rally Tamworth

The 2015 HOG Rally was a success mainly because of Tamworth, its welcoming people, great attractions, quality facilities and tourist orientation

It’s a great central location for riders all over NSW and eastern states.

There are also some terrific roads to get there and to explore while at the rally.

2015 HOG Rally - street 500Touring the Tamworth region

Because Tamworth hosts the annual Country Music Festival they have plenty of accommodation choices including camping at ALEC for as little as $21.94 a night

There are plenty of tourist attractions too. Apart from the iconic Big Golden Guitar and associated country music museum, there is also the popular Powerhouse Motorcycle Museum.

Powerhouse Motorcycle Museum in TamworthPowerhouse Motorcycle Museum

The HOG rally was held in February which was pretty hot, but October should be more accommodating with usually dry conditions and maximums in the mid-20s.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Coronavirus hits major motorcycle shows

The biennial Intermot and annual EICMA motorcycle shows in October and November appear to be in jeopardy with BMW Motorrad the first to declare they will not attend.

The shows in Cologne and Milan are the biggest in the world and are the showcase for manufacturers around the world to debut their new models.

Despite being more than seven months away, BMW Motorrad has issued a statement saying they won’t attend.

It follows their recent decision to halt manufacturing at its Spandau factory in Berlin and their G 310 production in India for two weeks. They are expected to return to production next week.

Berlin BMW Motorrad factoryBMW Motorrad factory in Spandau, Berlin

BMW’s decision not to attend the motorcycle shows several months from now is significant as BMW uses these major shows to launch all their next-year models.

Their withdrawal could be the first of many companies to do the same.

Here is the official statement:

Due to the hardly foreseeable development of the corona pandemic and its effects, BMW Motorrad will not be participating in the two leading motorcycle shows Intermot in Cologne in October and EICMA in Milan in November in 2020.

This decision was made in order to counteract current planning uncertainty at an early stage, also for all our partners involved in BMW Motorrad motorshow appearances, in the interests of the greatest possible security, predictability and transparency.

BMW Motorrad will present the world premieres and product highlights planned for these motorcycle shows on alternative platforms in autumn 2020. In doing so, the company will increasingly rely on its own formats and digital communication channels.

The move comes just a day before BMW Motorrad was expected to do a “virtual launch” for their much-vaunted R 18 cruiser and tourer tomorrow (3 April 2020).

However, they now tell us it has been postponed and to “stay tuned”.

We have published several photos of the various models configurations as shown below and will update you with the production model when it is released.

BMW to unveil R 18

Virtual shows

It follows recent motorcycle show closures in Japan, forcing companies such as Suzuki and Honda to stage “virtual” exhibits and launches.

Yet, the organisers of the world’s biggest motorcycle rally in the world at Sturgis are still confident it will go ahead as planned in August.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Rallies cancelled, but HOG rally goes ahead

As the coronavirus pandemic closes whole countries, it is also wreaking havoc on motorcycle racing, production and events which have been cancelled or postponed.

The latest victims are the Ulysses AGM in Lismore, the Dubbo Motor Bike Rally postponed until May 2021, the Festival of Speed at Eastern Creek, the Gloucester Motorcycle ExpoBroadford Bike Bonanza at Easter and the Triumph Rat Rally in Kingscliff in May.

BMW’s GS Safari has been postponed from this month until May 240-29, but that is also unlikely to go ahead.

A decision on the Indian Rally in Silverton in May will be made on April 1, says organiser Chris Keeble.

Meanwhile, the planned national Harley Owners Group Rally on the Gold Cast in July is still going ahead at this stage.

If you know of any other rallies or motorcycle events that have been cancelled, please leave the details in the comments section at the end of this article.

The Finke Desert Race has been cancelled for the first time in 44 years, joining many other motorcycle races that have been postponed or cancelled.

Virus threat

R-PUR anti-pollution and anti-pollen motorcyclist face mask

Apart from a ban on non-essential organised events of more than 500 people, the public has been urged to avoid all non-essential travel.

But does that mean riders should stay home?

Of course, if you have any of the symptoms (fever, sore throat, etc), stay home in isolation.

However, the World Heath Organisation’s advice seems to suggest it may be ok for riders to still go for a ride.

If you decide you are safe to go for a ride, here are some safety tips:

  • Wash hands thoroughly and frequently;
  • Ride in low-populated country areas and avoid contact with people;
  • Take a small container of hand sanitiser with you and use it frequently;
  • Avoid touching your own eyes, nose and mouth (easy with a helmet and gloves on!);
  • Avoid physical touching of others, including shaking hands unless you have your gloves on;
  • Cover your nose and mouth if coughing or sneezing, and wash your hands immediately after;
  • Avoid others who are coughing and sneezing;
  • Wear breathing protection such as your helmet or face mask;
  • Avoid large groups;
  • Use your credit card instead of cash when buying fuel and food, and wear your gloves if you have to enter a pin code;
  • Only patronise cafes and restaurants where they wear gloves;
  • Take your own reusable coffee cup with you and make sure you – not the barista – put the lid on;
  • If they refuse to take your cup, ask for a disposable with a lid but you should put on the lid; and
  • Pack your own toilet paper!

Since this situation is rapidly changing, we urge all riders to exercise caution and use their sensible discretion. If you’re over 60 and have a pre-existing health condition you should consider staying home.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Tamworth hosts National Thunder Rally

Australia’s country music capital, Tamworth, will host a National Thunder Motorcycle Rally in October 2020 based on the successful 2015 National HOG Rally, but open to all “breeds” of motorcycle.

The event will be held from Friday to Monday 2-5 October 2020 at the state-of-the-art Australian Equine & Livestock Events Centre (AELEC) which also hosted the 2015 HOG Rally.

Organisers expect to attract thousands of riders descending for the long weekend of motorbikes, food and music.

And not just country music … there are several tribute shows to rock legends including AC/DC, Jimmy Barnes, Creedence and more.

Another highlight will be a show especially produced for the rally featuring real horses and “iron horses” similar to the spectacular staged for the HOG Rally.

National HOG rally to return in 2019Tamworth HOG rally

Other highlights include motorcycle and car displays, traders, guided rides around the district, more than 24 hours of entertainment and the giant Thunder Run through the streets of Tamworth.

Thunder Run HOIG Raly

Tickets are now available online.

The National Thunder Motorcycle Rally registration fee is $149 per person which includes all entertainment over the four days, a commemorative patch and t-shirt, rides and $50 raffle ticket.

Day passes may also be available closer to the event for those who can’t make the four days.

Tamworth hostsHarley HOG Rally Tamworth

The 2015 HOG Rally was a success mainly because of Tamworth, its welcoming people, great attractions, quality facilities and tourist orientation

It’s a great central location for riders all over NSW and eastern states.

There are also some terrific roads to get there and to explore while at the rally.

2015 HOG Rally - street 500Touring the Tamworth region

Because Tamworth hosts the annual Country Music Festival they have plenty of accommodation choices including camping at ALEC for as little as $21.94 a night

There are plenty of tourist attractions too. Apart from the iconic Big Golden Guitar and associated country music museum, there is also the popular Powerhouse Motorcycle Museum.

Powerhouse Motorcycle Museum in TamworthPowerhouse Motorcycle Museum

The HOG rally was held in February which was pretty hot, but October should be more accommodating with usually dry conditions and maximums in the mid-20s.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Head-on crash leads to Careflight rally

Without CareFlight, Tracy Jackson might not be here, so now she and husband Todd are paying back with the inaugural Roll On In Rally at Jindabyne, NSW, next month.

The Snowy Mountains rally on 13-15 March 2020 will be two years since Tracy was involved in a head-on crash with a distracted driver on the NSW Central Coast.

“She was on the roadside for an hour while the paramedics tried to stabilise her; I think she took seven units of blood,” says Todd.

CareFlight to rescue

Todd and Tracy Jackson raise funds for Careflight with Roll On In Rally in JindabyneTracy’s wrecked Harley

“Careflight were called and flew her to Royal North Shore. After eight long hours of surgery the surgeon came out and told me they had saved her life. We would know about the leg in the next week or so. The list of injuries Tracy suffered is long.”

After 10 surgeries, Tracy is still in rehab and yet to return to work but that hasn’t stopped her desire to give back to CareFlight through the rally.

“We are raising funds for CareFlight, by using silent auctions, show ’n’ shine entry fees and we have CareFlight attending selling merch and taking donations,” Todd says.

Tracy says the first person who stopped and helped save her life on that day had completed a MediSim course with CareFlight.

“It was this training that put me in a position to be here today to talk about and help raise awareness of the amazing work CareFlight do and the effectiveness the MediSim training program has in situ when needed,” Tracy says.

Rally for all riders

Todd and Tracy Jackson raise funds for Careflight with Roll On In Rally in JindabyneMagnificent riding in the Snowy Mts

The rally is designed for riders on all types of motorcycles to explore the picturesque region and also give back to local communities hit by recent and ongoing bushfires.

Todd confirms the Snowy Mountains event will go ahead, despite bushfires. Click here to read our bushfire survival guide for riders.

“If the fires are still around there may be a few roads that are not accessible, but there are great roads down there, so we will still be spoilt for choice,” Todd says.

“At this stage, road conditions and closures change week to week.

“Last weekend was pretty nasty, but things seem to be mildly better.”

Tickets and accom

The event is being held 4km out of Jindabyne, at the Station Resort with more than 1000 beds, bar, restaurant, etc.

Tickets to the event which includes live music are $49 and do not include accommodation.

Riders who book accommodation from $109 a night at the Station Resort can get a special rally deal that also includes a welcome barbecue and house drink on Friday night, breakfast and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday.    

There is no camping at the resort, but there are plenty of accommodation alternatives in Jindabyne.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Indian Motorcycle rally eyes world record

A planned rally in the NSW outback this May hopes to break the world record for the most Indian motorcycle riders at one event, set in the USA with 651 bikes.

Organiser Chris Keeble says they already have more than 280 registrations for the rally on Saturday, 9 May 2020, at Silverton, the site of Australia’s only museum dedicated to Mad Max 2.

Click here to register.

Indian Motorcycle company support

Chris says the rally will not be affected by Indian Motorcyle Australia’s shock decision this month to close its company owned stores in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth and seek independent dealers.

“I understand why they are doing it and there are some positives to this new model of independents,” says Chris who rides a 2017 Vintage Chief called Calamity Jane.

Chris Keeble and her Indian Chief Vintage Calamity JaneChris and Calamity Jane

“Many independent dealerships are working really well such as in Tamworth and Wollongong, so it can work.

“But I’ll miss the signature dealerships — they were great to visit — and now I need to find someone to service my bike.”

She says Indian has been supportive of the rally and supplied access to their customer data base to alert owners to the event.

“They are also shouting all registered riders to a free barbecue breaky on Saturday morning put on by the Lions club,” she says.

“The company have been great to deal with. The previous management team were all supportive and from what I gather so is the new team. I’m yet to meet the new head guys.”

Breaky will be followed by a parade through the town. There are no other formal festivities organised.

Record attempt

Chris Keeble and her Indian Chief Vintage Calamity JaneChris

Chris says the parade and rally will be the first Indian-only event in the Southern Hemisphere.

“The world record would be icing on the cake,” she says.

“We have riders from all over Australia gathering in one iconic Aussie location to meet fellow enthusiasts who share a passion for the Indian Motorcycle brand.

“This is about camaraderie and community, just as much as making and breaking records.”

Indian Motorcycle Chris Keeble SilvertonChris is welcomed by a local Silverton dog

She says Silverton, which is only 15 minutes west of Broken Hill, was chosen as an “historical Aussie backdrop” with a “good infrastructure of hotels and eateries”.

“If it isn’t on your bucket list to visit, it should be, and this event will tick a few boxes for many folk.

“Plus, it is taking traffic out to the country regions that need support for both morale and the economy. Short of doing a rain dance, country Australia and locals are very appreciative of these events.”

The event now has the sultry catch phrase of “C U N Silvo”.

Chris hopes the event will become annual.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Walcha Motorcycle Festival becomes annual

Despite last-minute financial difficulties, bushfires and road closures, the recent Walcha Motorcycle Festival was deemed such a success, it will become an annual event.

Walcha Tourism manager Susie Crawford says they have already set a date for next year’s event on 20/21 November 2020. 

“An estimated 700-plus attended the weekend (15/17 November 2019), with possibly everything thrown at us in the lead-up – fires, road closures etc, so we were over the moon with the attendance considering the circumstances,” she says.

“Thank you to the local businesses, community and to all the wonderful riders who made the weekend such a great success.

“It definitely will become an annual event.”

Festival background

The Walcha Motorcycle Festival was hastily organised to replace the Freak Show Festival of Motorcycles and national Harley Owners Group (HOG) rally which were axed at the last minute after the organisers went into administration.

Then, in the week leading up to the reorganised event, much of NSW was declared a disaster area with bushfires all around the town.

The main access to the town, the Oxley Highway, had also been cut off and still remains closed.

Walcha Motorcycle Festival
All videos and images courtesy of Walcha Tourism

Harley-Davidson Australia (HDA) had planned to have a presence but also pulled out because they couldn’t get their truck to the town.

However, they did sponsor shuttle buses from neighbouring towns and have reimbursed HOG members for tickets to the original event.

HDA have not yet committed to the 2020 event.

2020 Walcha Motorcycle Festival

Susie says next year’s event will have “a similar feel”, although hopefully without the thick blanket of smoke.

“We haven’t set out a program as yet but the skeleton program will feature similar events”

They include:

  • Farmers Markets
  • Billy Cart Derby
  • Rodeo
  • Show & Shine
  • Poker Runs
  • General entertainment at venues (live music)

    Walcha Motorcycle Festival
    Billy Cart Derby

2019 Walcha Motorcycle Festival gallery

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Harley pulls out of Walcha Motorcycle Festival

Harley-Davidson has pulled out of the Walcha Motorcycle Festival due to the current bushfire threat, but the event will still go on from Friday (15-17 November 2019).

Walcha Royal Cafe owner Toni Keable says HOG members from Perth have already arrived and many more have said they are still coming.

“There’s no change at Walcha. We’re still going ahead with the festival,” she says.

The festival was put together by the town after the last-minute cancellation of the Freak Show Festival of Motorcycles and national Harley Owners Group (HOG) rally when the organisers went into liquidation.

Earlier this week Walcha Tourism said the event would go ahead despite the current bushfire situation.

Harley pulls out of festival

However, late this afternoon Harley-Davidson Australia issued this statement:

The bushfire situation across New South Wales and the progressive dangers across the state has meant that Harley-Davidson Australia has made the difficult decision not to attend the Walcha Motorcycle Weekend this coming weekend, 15-17th November.

Harley-Davison Australia have been monitoring the bushfire situation and have been in ongoing contact with the Walcha Council and NSW Rural Fire Service to understand if it is safe for Harley-Davidson and our H.O.G. members to attend.  

Since Tuesday 12th November 2019, the NSW Premier has declared a State of Emergency with dangerous conditions across New South Wales, advising motorists to delay all non-essential travel with many highways and motorways closed.

All H.O.G. members planning to attend the event have been contacted.

From everyone at Harley-Davidson Australia, we ask all riders to remain safe and alert.

Toni believes the statement is a “safety precaution”.

“It is probably for insurance purposes not to leave themselves in a position of danger if something happens,” she says.

“We’ve had people arriving all week. We’ve also had people ring and say ‘we’re coming, we’ll get there, we will find a way’.

“Some of the roads are closed but some are still open. Everywhere there is a closed road, there is an alternative route.”

Riders should check www.livetraffic.com.au and www.google.com/maps for road closures before attempting to ride to Walcha.

Bushfires Harley Softail

“We met some Harley riders who said they had to ride 400km further than they expected.

“If they had rung us we could have told them about a safe shortcut.”

The Royal Cafe number is (02) 6777 1117.

Oxley closed

Just abit of the Oxley this morning, don’t see it being open this week.

Publiée par Gingers Creek sur Lundi 11 novembre 2019

Meanwhile, the main attraction in getting to Walcha is the Oxley Highway which remains closed, not by fires but the high risk from falling burnt limbs after fires earlier this week.

Official advice is that motorists should avoid unnecessary travel and be prepared for conditions to change quickly and roads to close suddenly.

Riders should make sure they have water, food, supplies and a full tank of fuel. Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged before you set out.

If you’re already travelling when a bush fire starts, follow the directions of emergency services personnel.

You can check online here for bushfires in Queensland.

In NSW, check the RFS website, SES website, Fire Update Site, or download the ‘Fires Near Me’ app.

Walcha Motorcycle Weekend highlights

Harley was planning to bring its truck of merchandise and demo bikes including a LiveWire electric motorcycle for “demo rides” on their Jumpstart Experience.

demo ride online walcha
Harley offers non-licensed people a demo ride with their JumpStart

However, there is still a host of other entertainment across the three days, including stunt shows, a rodeo, guided rides, Harley demo rides, a Steampunk motorcycle gallery, markets, music, food stalls, a billy cart derby show and shine and more.

Click here for a full schedule of events.

All accommodation in town is fully booked so Council has organised for camping at the Oxley Sportsground.

Local not-for-profit groups will provide basic catering onsite and clean-up services.

To read all about the Freak Show debacle check the articles listed below.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com