THE CLASSES…
EASY RIDER CUP
– We kid you not, this happened. Think Bobbers, Sportsters, Cruisers, American-style V-Twins, British Twins in custom trim, Japanese Bobbers and Choppers, all scraping their way around Lydden, with the radios blaring. Bants.
DEVITT STREET BIKE CUP
– Everyone loves a new wave of retro bike, which is where the Street Bike Cup aimed. Think BMW RnineT, Yamaha XSR700, or Ducati Monster – hell, even SV650s and such like were welcome. Not for any insanely quick machines, though.
RETRO-RACER CUP
– Now this one was cool – calling all carbed sportsbikes to come and play. ZXR750s, 900SS, TZR250, Slabside GSX-R… you get the idea. Essentially for first-time racers rather than seasoned veterans, the Retro-Racer Cup was incredibly popular, for two and four strokers alike…
HERALD 125CC CUP
– How funny is this? Having a race limited to 125cc machines, and ideally for novices new to riding. Of course, there were a few quickens, with machines both new and old, but it was hilarious.
JOURNO CUP
– Oh yes, this was what called us! Journos and ex-champs, on whatever they fancied – as long as it’s fairly retro or wacky. I had a Katana, and Boothy had a Triumph Scrambler!
REV’IT! CAFE RACER CUP
–Thisonewasall about bikes with clip-ons, rearsets, a single seat and then either a bikini fairing, or no fairing whatsoever. Think along the lines of a Moto Guzzi Le Mans, and Triumph Thruxton R – proper café racer stylin’.
VINTAGE CUP
– Open to more or less anything without an OHC engine, ideally from the 1960s and earlier. The Vintage Cup was absolutely bonkers. Pre-war board track racers were the order of the day, and there was a whole heap of stuff on display – and thankfully, they got away with having no bikes that had total loss lubrication systems. Result.
DIRT BIKE CUP
– Boothy took up the mantel for the Dirt Bike Cup, which took place on half of the normal circuit, along with the Rallycross section as well. There were no crazy jumps or anything like that so it was open to everything from Scramblers, to Flat Trackers and even Supermotos. Nice.
COMMUTER CUP
– Ever seen a race full of panniers, top-boxes and hi-viz? No? Well you’re missing out. There was even a rule that stated you had to indicate when overtaking, or you’d lose the pass! Think anything from old beaten Hondas to new GS Beemers, but absolutely no proper sporty cheaters. Ride there, race, and ride home – with the shopping intact.
MALLE TRIALS ‘THE DASH’
– Open to anyone, on absolutely anything, A head-to-head 1/8th-mile slalom drag race between two riders. The more inappropriate, the better.
THE MALLE-CROSS
– This was a 1-mile off-road grass track race. Think a load of hairpin bends, five riders in each heat and a full-on Le Mans style running start, and you get an idea of the carnage!