Club celebrates 100 years in style

WILD HOGS: Wanganui club president Brett London leads off some of the riders from Victoria Ave for Saturday's centennial ride to Palmerston North. PHOTOS/LEWIS GARDNER 160814WCLGMOTORCYCLERIDE15

It was on for young and old at the weekend as the Wanganui Motorcycle Club celebrated its centenary with both fun rides and dead serious races.

Nostalgia was Act I of the festivities with Saturday's commemorative ride to Palmerston North on the anniversary of the inaugural trip to the Manawatu on August 15, 1914.

Over 75 enthusiasts took part, with 30 of the 'classic' generation of British Triumphs and American Harley-Davidsons heading off first from Victoria Ave, past the Watt Fountain.

"The old bikes can't go very fast, so they're going to give them 10 minutes [head start]," said club spokeswoman Barbara Lett.

A couple of the classic original Indian motorcycles were also on display.

Club president Brett London led off the more modern Suzukis, Yamahas, and Harleys including one 'trike' at 10am, with marshalls in hi-viz jackets patrolling with each group.

Support crews went with the procession should any of the older models break down, but only one had to go back on the trailer after a clutch failure.

The rendezvous point was the Speight's Ale House in Palmerston North, although all riders had to be responsible.

"Pies are on the menu, the bar's closed," said Lett.

Motorcycle aficionados are known to be rather boisterous when they get a few under their belt, but both Barbara Lett and husband Joe, another club committee member, were delighted with how respectful the 130 revellers were for the ceremony and guest speakers during the club's centennial function on Saturday evening at the Eulogy Lounge of the Wanganui Racecourse.

"Everyone there, they shut up when people talked. It went particularly well," said Joe Lett.

"The best one we've ever been to like that."

"It was absolutely amazing. A really, really, good night," added Barbara.

Matters turned more serious for Act II of the weekend on Sunday, as the club held the fifth and final round of its Winter Series for the 2014 Moto-X Club Championships.

With 17 classes to race on the final day of accumulating points, a number of the championships were not decided until the end of the afternoon at the Wanganui Motorsport Domain beside Oceanview Speedway.

Three generations of the Scott family were down in the junior area as Wanganui club life member Peter Scott watched his son and fellow life member Craig 'Cudge' Scott get grandson Alex ready for another race.

"Craig got him going. He's winning the series too, he should get his trophy today.

"Craig raced the sidecars for the last five seasons, but now he's going back to racing motards."

As the second-oldest living life member, Peter Scott had watched his first motorcycle club event from the Durie Hill lookout in 1951.

"Lot of the guys who went on the ride yesterday were those young fellas - good to see them again."

Since then, he has attended every club meeting bar one - in 1953 when he was involved in recovery operations following the Tangiwai disaster.

The championship prizegiving was held at the Greg Coleman Memorial Pavilion clubrooms afterwards.