Motorbike evolution Hastings bound

Old and new motorcycles, and lots of them, like Jim Lord's 1918 Indian (left) and Dr Don Thomson's 2011 Honda VFR1200, will make up a remarkable bike show displaying all eras of bikes. Photo / Duncan Brown

A line-up of motorcycles from all eras being brought together for a unique show in Hastings early next month is set to be "the best show in the country" one of the enthusiasts driving it says.

"It will be as good as it could get - we will have all sorts and everything," Eric McDougall from the Hawke's Bay Classic Motorcycle Club said as he completed planning to get the 168 bikes on display.

The show was the result of two things, he said.

One was the realisation that the club's last gathering of bikes for a show (which featured Burt Munro's 1920 Indian Scout world speed recordholder) was six years ago.

"We were talking about that while we were at a meeting up at Taupo and figured we should do another one."

But the theme of what it would take eluded them at that time - which is where the second part of how it came together comes in.

With a laugh, Mr McDougall said he was reading an old magazine from the 1930s that featured a story called "The Evolution of the Motorcycle".

"I was reading it on the toilet at the time."

He took the idea to the rest of the club committee and the members had given it the thumbs up, so calls went out seeking everything they could from every era of motorcycles began. "Facebook was a big help - we didn't have that when we did the last show."

The network of motorcyclists throughout the Bay merged with the network throughout the rest of the country and the remarkable line-up began to take shape.

They tracked down a replica of the oldest bike in the country - a steam-powered job from 1896 that uses coal as fuel.

"It goes well," Mr McDougall said.

They also sourced the only Britten V1000 bike still running in the country, as well as the very latest Norton 961 - not to mention several rare Vincents, very early and very modern Ducatis, a rare 350 MV Agusta (signed by multi-world champion Giacomo Agostini) and, as Mr McDougall stressed "pretty well everything".

Race bikes like Manx Nortons and speedway racers belonging to Napier man Fred Timmo will also join the line-up which will see the various brands all lined up in their own groups showing the very earliest to the most modern.

"There are so many rare bikes - there hasn't been a show this good before."

Mr McDougall said the club had already received notice that people from the Far North to the far south were intending to head for the Bay to check it out.

It will be staged at the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds on Saturday July 5 and Sunday July 6, with proceeds going to the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter and the Rissington Girl Guides camp Omatua.