Tag Archives: Motorcycle rally

Indian riders attempt parade record

Australian Indian Motorcycle owners will next year attempt to set a world parade record for the most Indian motorbikes.

Registrations recently opened for the event on 9 May 2020 and already there are 150 riders who have signed up, says event organiser Christine Keeble.

Christine says there will be “a special offer for extra goodies for the first 300 to register”.

Parade record

“Currently the record is set at 274,” she says.

“We are eagerly watching the US as they have another attempt October 2019, so we may have a new number to chase.”

The “Most Indian Motorcycles on Parade” event will be held at Silverton in NSW where the original Mad Max movie was filmed.

“While this is such a big country, the location was chosen because of its iconic outback backdrop and a major town and infrastructure only a short 15 minutes away in Broken Hill,” Christine says.

“This will be a great opportunity to meet up with Indian riders from all parts of Australia.”

Christine says she started planning the event 12 months ago and it is “gaining interest every day”.

“This is not a bike festival as such, but a focused gathering on Indian motorbike enthusiasts who will have a go at breaking a world record.

“And if that is not achieved it will definitely be the first in the Southern Hemisphere. So records will be set.”

The event will also help raise awareness for the Gift of Life organ donation service.

Click here for more information, running times, guidelines, registration, merchandise and more

Cooly Rocks OnIndian riders celebrate the first anniversary Indian Motorcycle Parade record

Meanwhile, the Indian Motorcycle Riders Group will gather at the Cooly Rocks On event in Coolangatta from June 7-9.

Tickets are now available online at $130 for IMRG members or $260 with a pillion and $150 for non-members and $300 with a pillion.

The gathering kicks off on the Friday with a VIP Lounge party with exclusive apparel gift packs.

On Saturday, there will be a group ride around the Gold Coast Hinterland with lunch at the Iron & Resin Garage, a Show ‘N’ Shine and dinner and entertainment.

The highlight will be the riders leading the Sunday Cooly Rocks On Parade.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Tickets for Freak Show of Motorcycles

Tickets are now available for the Freak Show Festival of Motorcycles which is being run in conjunction with the return of the national Harley Owners Group (HOG) rally in Walcha, NSW, from November 15-17, 2019.

The event is being organised by Inside Line Events International who was behind the proposed TT events for either the Oxley Highway or the Sunshine Coast.

David Rollins on his Ducati Panigale - Getting an Aussie TT event over the line Walcha Freak Show motorcycles HOG rally
David Rollins

Founder David Rollins says those events have not been completely shelved, but they have given birth to this new event.

“We developed a good relationship with the people of Walcha in that time, we’ve earned their trust and now we want to repay it,” he says.

“The town is providing us with first-class facilities so that we can stage an event to remember.

“We’ve had a lot of interest in pre-launch registrations.”

Among the attractions for the weekend will be a “Hell Climb” hillclimb, custom show, flat-track exhibition racing, stalls, music, outdoor cinema, trade show, globe of death, donuts and burnouts in a closed-off arena.

HOG will have guided rides and HOG members will lead off the Thunder Rally.

Punters will be invited to have a go at the flat track like Brisbane’s Dust Hustle event on a purpose-built track on vacant land next to the town’s racecourse.

“The Freak Show of Motorcycles will be like the Summernats for motorcycles,” David says.

“We’re expecting about 5000 attendees a day for the three days of the event.”

HOGs and more

National HOG rally to return in 2019
Thunder Run at the last National HOG Rally in Tamworth

HOG members may be glad to see the final return of their national rally.

It was last held in 2015 at Tamworth and followed by open Harley Days rallies at Wollongong in 2016 and 2017.

HOG members were unhappy with the open format so there was no 2018 national rally.

Now the national HOG rally will return at Walcha to run as an open event alongside the Freak Show which is described as a festival of motorcycles of all types.

Harley-Davidson Australia customer experience manager Gaz Luxmore says the partnership between the Freak Show Festival of Motorcycles and Harley-Davidson is “a perfect way of bringing together different riding communities and incorporating the national HOG Rally”.

“The lovely, motorcycle friendly town of Walcha and the fantastic roads of central NSW will create a magnificent backdrop for a truly unique and spectacular event,” he says.

Walcha crossroads

Walcha was chosen for the event because it sits at the crossroads of some of the best motorcycling routes in NSW taking in the Oxley Highway, New England Highway, Waterfall Way and Thunderbolts Way.

Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson says Walcha is “known for being popular with motorcycle tourists”.

The rally will be held in the Walcha racecourse and sale yards with various levels of camping right up to five-star “glamping”.

“All accommodation has been booked out in Walcha already, but there is still heaps in Armidale and Tamworth. Plus we will have on-site camping options from standard tents to Lawrence of Arabia style,” David says.

Shuttle buses to and from events, accommodation and the town centre will be provided.Walcha Freak Show motorcycles HOG rally

Harley Owners Group spokesman Andrew Kidd says Walcha is a “reasonable size town with good facilities”.

“Much like the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the surrounding towns will be more than able to handle the volume of riders coming to the event,” he says.

“The local roads are renowned as some of the best riding roads in the country so come along and enjoy a great event and some fantastic roads.”

Protestors line up at Walcha Royal Cafe business on the Oxley Highway
Riders in Walcha at the Royal Cafe

David says the one ticket will gain access to all areas and sites that Freak Show Festival of Motorcycles has to offer.

Tickets go on sale at the end of March and David says they will be “competitively priced”.

Event website, Facebook and Instagram are now online.

David says they have major sponsorship support from Harley-Davidson Australia and the NSW Government’s major events agency, Destination NSW.

Minister for Tourism and Major Events and Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall says the motorcycle event will deliver more than $1.7 million in visitor expenditure to the region.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle festival and HOG rally in Walcha

A “freak show” of motorcycling will combine with the return of the national Harley Owners Group (HOG) rally in Walcha from November 15-17, 2019.

The Freak Show Festival of Motorcycles is being organised by Inside Line Events International who was behind the proposed TT events for either the Oxley Highway or the Sunshine Coast.

David Rollins on his Ducati Panigale - Getting an Aussie TT event over the line Walcha Freak Show motorcycles HOG rally
David Rollins

Founder David Rollins says those events have not been completely shelved, but they have given birth to this new event.

“We developed a good relationship with the people of Walcha in that time, we’ve earned their trust and now we want to repay it,” he says.

“The town is providing us with first-class facilities so that we can stage an event to remember.”

Among the attractions for the weekend will be a “Hell Climb” hillclimb, custom show, flat-track exhibition racing, stalls, music, outdoor cinema, trade show, globe of death, donuts and burnouts in a closed-off arena.

HOG will have guided rides and HOG members will lead off the Thunder Rally.

Punters will be invited to have a go at the flat track like Brisbane’s Dust Hustle event on a purpose-built track on vacant land next to the town’s racecourse.

“The Freak Show of Motorcycles will be like the Summernats for motorcycles,” David says.

“We’re expecting about 5000 attendees a day for the three days of the event.”

HOGs and more

National HOG rally to return in 2019
Thunder Run at the last National HOG Rally in Tamworth

HOG members should be glad to see the return of their national rally.

It was last held in 2015 at Tamworth and followed by open Harley Days rallies at Wollongong in 2016 and 2017.

HOG members were unhappy with the open format so there was no 2018 national rally.

Now the national HOG rally will return at Walcha to run alongside the Freak Show which is described as a festival of motorcycles of all types.

Harley-Davidson Australia customer experience manager Gaz Luxmore says the partnership between the Freak Show Festival of Motorcycles and Harley-Davidson is “a perfect way of bringing together different riding communities and incorporating the national HOG Rally”.

“The lovely, motorcycle friendly town of Walcha and the fantastic roads of central NSW will create a magnificent backdrop for a truly unique and spectacular event,” he says.

Walcha crossroads

Walcha was chosen for the event because it sits at the crossroads of some of the best motorcycling routes in NSW taking in the Oxley Highway, New England Highway, Waterfall Way and Thunderbolts Way.

Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson says Walcha is “known for being popular with motorcycle tourists”.

The rally will be held in the Walcha racecourse and sale yards with various levels of camping right up to five-star “glamping”.

“All accommodation has been booked out in Walcha already, but there is still heaps in Armidale and Tamworth. Plus we will have on-site camping options from standard tents to Lawrence of Arabia style,” David says.

Shuttle buses to and from events, accommodation and the town centre will be provided.Walcha Freak Show motorcycles HOG rally

Harley Owners Group spokesman Andrew Kidd says Walcha is a “reasonable size town with good facilities”.

“Much like the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the surrounding towns will be more than able to handle the volume of riders coming to the event,” he says.

“The local roads are renowned as some of the best riding roads in the country so come along and enjoy a great event and some fantastic roads.”

Protestors line up at Walcha Royal Cafe business on the Oxley Highway
Riders in Walcha at the Royal Cafe

David says the one ticket will gain access to all areas and sites that Freak Show Festival of Motorcycles has to offer.

Tickets go on sale at the end of March and David says they will be “competitively priced”.

Event website, Facebook and Instagram are now online.

David says they have major sponsorship support from Harley-Davidson Australia and the NSW Government’s major events agency, Destination NSW.

Minister for Tourism and Major Events and Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall says the motorcycle event will deliver more than $1.7 million in visitor expenditure to the region.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Indian riders head to Cooly Rocks On

Indian Riders Motorcycle Group members from around Australia will head to the nostalgic Cooly Rocks On Festival in Coolangatta from June 5-9.

Indian Motorcycle Australia spokesman Christopher Gale says the Coolangatta festival is a “national gathering at a preexisting event which complements our brand”, rather than a traditional motorcycle rally.

Chris says more details about the IRMG involvement at Cooly Rocks On will be released to members soon.

“It’s still a work in process,” he says.

Cooly Rocks On

Image from Cooly Rocks On Facebook page
Image from Cooly Rocks On Facebook page

Cooly Rocks On is an annual festival of nostalgic music, dancing, cars, motorcycles and fashion from the 1950s to ‘70s.

Indian Motorcycles is a sponsor at this year’s event which has in the past been sponsored by Harley-Davidson.

The event attracts tens of thousands every year to the Gold Coast.

IRMGIndian riders celebrate the first anniversary

IRMG was formed in 2015 and buyers of new Indian motorcycles have since been given free membership.

“A large proportion of our customers join IMRG and continue to renew their membership,” Chris says.

Members receive a gift pack including a special t-shirt, badges and patches.

When it was formed in 2015, brand manager Peter Harvey said the group would not have chapters and presidents.

“We want to keep it fairly informal, but it will depend on how the members want it to go,” he told us.

The Cooly Rocks On gathering follows other major national events to which IRMG members have been invited.

Ian Moss with Indian and Victory riders
Ian Moss

A highlight was the 2016 “Ride to Alice” for the Finke Desert Race. Among the riders was Cold Chisel guitarist Ian Moss. The ride aimed to raise awareness for the annual Black Dog Ride which Indian Motorcycles has sponsored in recent years.

Members have also been invited to other major events such as the opening of the Perth dealership.

Mostly IRMG members ride together at dealership level.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Riders invited to Ulysses Road Safety Forum

Riders will be able to get expert safe-riding tips, legal advice and guidance on safety gear from three of the top experts in these fields at the Ulysses Club The Road Safety Forum.

Ulysses road safety chairman Dave Wright says the expert presenters are Tim Conboy of Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, Kenn Beer of Safe System Solutions and Dr Liz De Rome of Deakin University and Motocap, the world’s first rating system for motorcycle clothing protection.

Testing motorcycle in the thermal chamber (from left) research assistant Liz Taylor, volunteer rider Dr Greg Peoples, Liz de Rome and Nigel Taylor. rating forum
Liz de Rome (second right) monitors motorcycle gear testing

“This will be an informative forum and, as I know these presenters personally, also a very entertaining couple of hours, “ Dave says.

The forum is open to Ulysses Club members and the general public who attend the Annual Rally Open Day on Thursday February 28, 2019, at the Mornington Racecourse, Victoria.

Forum cost is $15 for adults, children 5-16 years $5, under five years free. 

Road Safety Forum experts

“Tim will be giving us all the latest of our legal rights as motorcycle riders and what they have been fighting for on our behalf,” Dave says. 

He provided the following details on Kenn and Liz. 

Kenn is a specialist road safety engineer and accredited trainer with 18 years of experience in road safety in Australia, the USA, Asia and New Zealand.

During his time at VicRoads, Kenn held a variety of positions including Senior Road Safety Engineer, Motorcycle Safety Coordinator, Team Leader Road Safety Projects and Manager Program Development.

Kenn is recognised as a world leader in motorcycle safety infrastructure and has had roles advising the Australian, New Zealand, Philippines and Colorado Governments on the subject.

While at VicRoads Kenn spent years managing the Motorcycle Safety Infrastructure Program. In this time, over $25 million were invested in Victoria on infrastructure improvements to specifically reduce road trauma for motorcycle riders. 

Kenn is a licensed rider, accredited trainer, assessor and Senior Road Safety Auditor. In 2017, Kenn led a team that won a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for the Making Roads Motorcycle Friendly training package.

Dr Liz de Rome has worked in motorcycle safety research and strategic planning for almost 20 years. Liz developed the first Australian motorcycle safety strategic plan for the Motorcycle Council of NSW including their unique website to provide riders with evidence-based information about motorcycle safety.

Her Gear Study was a world-first cohort study of motorcycle crashes to investigate the effectiveness of motorcycle protective clothing. Her results established strong benefits in injury protection but also exposed high levels of failure with many garments found to be not fit for purpose.

Liz has been a long-time advocate for a star rating scheme for motorcycle protective clothing and has led and now manages the Australian and New Zealand Motorcycle Clothing Assessment Program – MotoCAP. Her other work includes the Good Gear Guide and the development of Victoria’s new motorcyclists’ graduated education and licensing scheme (M-GLS).

Liz is Senior Research Fellow, Motorcycle Safety at Deakin University in the Institute for Frontier Materials. She is a member of the National and State Executives of the Australasian College of Road Safety and the US Transportation Research Board sub-committee on Motorcycles and Mopeds.

forum

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Dubbo declares Bike Street for motorcycles

Dubbo in central NSW will declare a CBD street as Bike Street for motorcycles during the inaugural Dubbo Motorcycle Rally from May 10-12, 2019.

Dubbo Motor Bike Rally Committee spokesman Wayne Amor says the region is the perfect place for a large motorcycle rally and hopes it will turn into Australia’s version of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Such Dakota, the world’s largest.

“We feel that Dubbo and surrounds have a great deal to offer riders along with the local venues that have already come on board to support our event,” Wayne says.

“It is a great excuse to get the bike out for a couple of days and gather with other like-minded people.

“We have the added initiative of covering off on some road and motorcycle safety aspects, especially considering the recent spate of motorcycle accidents and fatalities in NSW.”

Dubbo Bike Street

Dubbo Bike Rally
“Bike Street” for the 2018 Toy Run

The rally will be held in Church Street, between Macquarie and Brisbane streets.

It will one known as “Bike Street” from 8am to 6pm on the Saturday of the rally with the street closed to all but motorcycles. Access will be via Brisbane St.

A detailed list of entertainment will be posted on the rally’s website and Facebook page as the event gets closer.

“The aim of the rally is to promote safe riding and foster all the great things that riding a bike provides – fun, freedom and camaraderie,” Wayne says.

Simon, Steve and Wayne at the Black Dog Ride 1 dayer in Dubbo
Wayne Amor (right) at the Black Dog Ride 1 Dayer in Dubbo

The committee has invited the Motorcycle Council of NSW and are in negotiations with the RMS Motorcycle Safety Unit and the NSW Police Force.

Wayne says they also have many motorcycle related industries and outlet stalls plus major motorcycle companies interested in attending.

The city has many pubs, clubs and restaurants for riders to experience and more than 4500 hotel beds.

Biggest rally

“We aspire to be the largest bike rally in Australia,” Wayne says.

“From Harleys to Hondas, Buells to Beemers and Piaggios to Posties, all bikes and riders are welcome.

“We haven’t set a minimum, but we have pressed 1000 pins and patches for the inaugural event.

“Dubbo Regional Council is also very much behind the event and hope, like us, that it is hugely successful.”

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com