Charlotte Varcoe
MOTORCYCLE enthusiasts will once again have the opportunity to look at all kinds of bikes from 1990 and beforehand with the Mount Gambier Classic and Vintage Motorcycle Show.
Now in its eighth year, the show will fill the Mount Gambier City Hall with classic motorcycles while raising funds for the Cancer Council.
Over the past years, coordinator Tyrone Mustey and his team have raised more than $27,000 for the council, supporting those experiencing cancer.
Despite a slow start to registrations, Mr Mustey said numbers had picked up.
“Registrations have been slow, but that is typical,” Mr Mustey said.
“I encouraged people to hurry up last week and made it clear that if we did not receive enough entries, then we would not be able to host the event, which got people to sign up.”
He said people wishing to have their bikes on display were not able to “show up on the day” with a lot of behind the scenes preparation going into the weekend event.
“Mount Gambier City Council take the carpet out of City Hall and we put carpet tiles down to rest the bikes on,” he said.
“There is also the rope stands and then setting up the bikes themselves before opening.”
Since its inception, the event had grown to include motorbike enthusiasts from Tasmania and Adelaide.
“This is a great family-friendly event with all ages welcome and because it is indoors at this time of the year it really gives people something to do on the weekend,” Mr Mustey said.
“All bikes are roped off so people do not need to worry about taking their kids through and we even run a PowerPoint display each year and it has kept growing.
“Now there would be around 400 photos in it and allows people to sit down and have a look at the history of places like Mac Park and motorcycle racing in Mount Gambier.”
He said children who come through the event often become excited by seeing the old style motorbikes from the 1920s and ‘30s.
“It is common for us to get older bikes as there are a lot of private collections around these days,” Mr Mustey said.
“Some people are really into the more modern bikes but as people get older they appreciate what people used for racing 50 years ago and are often amazed.”
The event will be held at Mount Gambier City Hall on July 29 and 30.
Those interested in having their bikes on show are able to register via an online form and a $10 fee, with those interested in attending on the day able to do so by paying a $5 entry fee.