Top woman bike racer for big Bay bike show

New Zealand 2019 Supersport 600 champion Avalon Biddle will be a guest at the Bay's big Easter bike show. Photo/Andy McGechan

New Zealand's first woman road-racing champion, 2019 Supersport 600 ace Avalon Biddle, will be a special guest at next month's big Total Evolution of the Motorcycle Show set to be staged at the Showgrounds Hawke's Bay Tomoana.

The three-yearly show, being staged on April 11 and 12, is being put together by the Hawke's Bay Classic Motorcycle Club and will be the sixth they have sparked up, and like previous shows all the funds raised will be going to the Hawke's Bay Helicopter Trust and the Cranford Hospice.

The diversity and uniqueness of the two-wheelers which go on display has made it a "must see" event on the motorcycling, and family outing, calendar.

Club member Bernie Southworth said they were thrilled to have Biddle agree to mingle at the show and be their guest and speaker at the evening dinner, where she will dish out prizes to members for their displays.

They approached her at a racing event and she said "leave me the details" and a short while later they got the news that she will be there.

As will her racing bike.

"Thrilled to have her here," Southworth said.

At this stage about 170 bikes will be on show, including four which are 100 years old as well as an 1898 steam-powered motorcycle.

"We will also have some great barn finds — old bikes that run but have never been restored."

Among them a 1926 Harley-Davidson and a couple of old 1920s Douglas motorcycles.

There will be road machines of all eras as well as racing machines and dragsters, and the two Indians (although one used a Ducati engine for the action sequences) from the film The World's Fastest Indian will be on show.

"We've got a great cross-section — something for the whole family to have a look at."

As well as the motorcycles the event will feature a swap meet and will also host the V12 Allison engine display as well as a great rolling steam engine — outside of course.

* Hawke's Bay Today has five family passes to the Evolution Motorcycle Show on April 11 and 12 to give away. To be in with a chance to win email competitions@hbtoday.co.nz with Evolution in the subject line. Entries close on March 20. Please include a day time phone number