By BOB PEARCE
International twins will top the bill when the classic motorcycles roar into life at Pukekohe next month.
The New Zealand Classic Motorcycle Register is bringing three classic European-designed machines to its annual festival on February 3 and 4.
They will be joined by a big turnout of American twins as Indian, once the biggest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, celebrates its 100th birthday.
The European 500cc twins, designed originally for racing before the Second World War, represent some of the most diverse but technically interesting designs produced by leading manufacturers in Germany, Italy and Czechoslovakia.
The flat or boxer twin BMW Rennsport dominated sidecar racing in Europe from 1950 to 1970, although the original design was planned for a solo machine.
Ernst Hiller, six-times German champion in the 1950s and 1960s, twice on BMWs, will ride the Rennsport at Pukekohe.
The Italian 1951 Moto Guzzi V-twin will be ridden by Moto Guzzi technician Alfio Micheli. The 120-degree twin is the final development of a design which won the 1935 Isle of Man Senior TT. The machine coming to New Zealand had its last success in the 1951 Swiss Grand Prix.
The Czech Jawa factory is best known in New Zealand for its two-strokes and potent speedway engines. But the company also made a four-stroke, bevel drive double overhead camshaft racer with a distinctive square tube frame.
The beautifully engineered twin will be ridden at Pukekohe by the Italian collector Gianni Perrone, who brought his four-cylinder Gilera to New Zealand last year.
Each of the machines produces about 50-brake horsepower and has a top speed of around 200km/h.
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The LK500 touring car race, staged for the past two years at Pukekohe, may move to Christchurch this year.
The race, which pits two-litre tourers against V8 Fords and Holdens, has been won by the V8s so far.
Organiser Chris Abbott believes a move to the tighter Ruapuna circuit would make the two-litres more competitive.
Another consideration is the Australian V8 Supercar race scheduled for Pukekohe in early November, diverting attention from the local version.
One problem is the overwhelming North Island composition of the field for the LK500, with almost all the drivers and teams based in the north.
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Juan Pablo Montoya has made an impressive showing in his first Formula One test session for Williams at Jerez in Spain.
The Colombian, who has transferred from the American Champ Car series, was only slightly slower than team-mate Ralf Schumacher.
He was significantly quicker than Jenson Button, the English youngster who has been transferred to Benetton after a successful first season at Williams.
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The big loser from Craig Lowndes' switch from Holden to Ford in the Australian V8 Supercar championship is Kiwi Greg Murphy.
Lowndes will drive for a team run by Fred Gibson, who has bought back the Holden team in which until last year he ran Murphy and fellow-Kiwi Steve Richards.
For the moment, Gibson is planning a one-car team with substantial backing from Ford. Richards has moved on to Glenn Seton's Ford outfit, while Murphy has been left without a drive.
In his last drive for the team Murphy was third in the FAI 1000 endurance classic at Bathurst in November.
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After the latest round of the Formula Ford championship, veteran Ken Smith retains a healthy 40-point lead over fellow Aucklander James Cressey (40 years his junior). Third is Nick Ross, 47 points further back.
An interesting newcomer at Ruapuna was 16-year-old Aucklander Daniel Gaunt, who leads the South Island competition in the class.
Gaunt, a karting graduate, has been training with John Crawford's Canterbury Motoring School. He showed his progress by taking fourth, fifth and sixth placings in the weekend races.
He stands out from the crowd in another way. He is sponsored by Gateway, who have him decked out in their characteristic bovine black and white splotches.
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Despite a winning weekend at Ruapuna in his Team Kiwi Nissan, defending champion Jason Richards is only fourth in the two-litre touring car championship. BMW driver Brett Riley leads with 268 points from team-mate Kevin Bell (229), Angus Fogg in a Nissan (226) and Richards (213).
Motorsport: Classic twins live again at Pukekohe
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