A day on the green
Penrite Laverda Concours
19 July, 2015 – Cleveland Show Grounds, Qld.
The 27th running of the annual Laverda Concours has been run and won. A chilly start in the morning of the 19th July, but it was thankfully milder than the polar blast of the previous week. The forecast of a 70% chance of rain saw dark clouds looming but only a few wispy showers of rain occurred during the day. The crowds still came and the exhibits were again phenomenal. The judges had their work cut out for them in trying to pick a winner from the 160-odd motorcycles entered for the Concours.
This year a large portion of the money raised on the day will be donated to the Racesafe Medical Team and the Make A Wish Foundation. The Foundation helps young kids with lifethreatening medical conditions and they also had a stall at the Concours on the day. Dakota, a young lady who was granted a Wish by the Foundation was interviewed to explain the thrill of seeing her favourite band. She was a bit shy and both she and the Make A Wish representative thanked Club Laverda and everyone for their continued support. No alcohol, free face painting and kids activities also contributed to the family atmosphere. The dyno shootout made a comeback this year with trophies offered for the most horsepower for machines under 750cc, over 750cc, and V-Twin machines. MAD (Motorcycle and Dyno Centre from Brendale) provided the Dyno and a set of tiered seating was provided each side for the spectators. The sweet sound of motorcycle engines at full song complimented the music of The Dave Ritter band. 30-odd business stalls and as many again motorcycle clubs, had displays setup in a perimeter around the rows of bikes entered for judging. Club Laverda had a row of at least 20 Laverdas on display at the admin area. Classic Laverdas haven’t been made for around 30 years but it seems that each year there are more on display which is evidence of the healthy state of the Qld Club. Penrite was again the major sponsor for this year’s event with other significant sponsorship from Morgan & Wacker, Brisbane Motorcycles, Shannons, Team Moto, Bayside Yamaha, which contributed to the $2000 first prize. Another 25 businesses contributed to the 60-odd class trophies and an extra $2000 worth of prizes handed out on the day. This year the ‘Bike of the Show’ was appropriately won by Matt Laycock for his beautifully restored 1981 1000cc Laverda Jota. I believe that this was the first time in the 27 years that a Laverda has taken the top spot in the Concours. Congratulations to all the winners, sponsors and Club Laverda for another fantastic day for motorcyclists.