Bathurst Easter Tour
Vintage Motorcycle Club of Australia (NSW) Inc. 2018 Bathurst Easter Tour
March 25-April 1, 2018 – Bathurst, NSW
The makeup of the entry list may change, but the Bathurst Rally, which ran for the 44th time over Easter and in the preceding week, attracted a healthy line up of motorcycles of all eras. Six veterans entered, the oldest being Jim Clarke’s 1910 Humber, and Ross McDermott’s Triumph and Kent Hillier’s Bradbury, both 1912 models.
The incessant dry spell in the central west of NSW was evident in the surrounding countryside, but the great roads were still there and the far off sound of around 190 classic motorcycles enjoying these wonderful roads is music to the ears. The rally consisted of eight separate runs, radiating from Bathurst HQ, beginning with Trunkey Creek on the opening day and concluding with Forest Reefs on Easter Sunday. In between there were rides to Carcoar Dam, Burraga, Chifley Dam, Sofala and an optional leg to Hill End, Tarana and Neville.
There is no judging, no prizes, with the emphasis on riding and camaraderie. And this is just the way we like it. Time spent riding with good mates is always the draw card. And this year Jim and I were the source of great consternation when both our Hondas needed attention! It was like “bees to a honey pot” with so many chaps weighing in on the likely causes of the problems and on both occasions, our bikes made speedy recoveries thanks to the “brains trust” of our fellow rallyists. Continuously one of the most popular fixtures on the calendar, the rally has always been based at the Bathurst Caravan Park, but in coming months this venue is being substantially rebuilt, and the owners cannot guarantee it will be ready for Easter 2019, forcing the organisers to possibly consider other options. We will have to wait and see!