Vintage motorbike rally revving up

A WIDE range of character-packed old motorcycles are about to roll into Ballarat and surrounds as the Antique Motorcycle Club of Australia hosts a national rally.

The club is hosting its 15th National Veteran Motorcycle Rally from Monday 20 to Friday 24 October, with pre-1919 motorbikes rolling in from all over the country for the biennial event.

Rally director and club president, Ballarat’s Murray Wright is among those looking forward to the rally which was last held out of Bundaberg, Queensland in 2023.

Mr Wright said he’ll be riding his 1913 Royal Enfield for some of the rally runs, and switching to his rare 1904 Griffin motorcycle for the shorter run to Lake Wendouree on Wednesday.

“I like the old veterans. At 50 kilometres you get to see a lot of the countryside. It’s also a great social group,” he said.

About 120 riders and machines from all over Australia, and as far afield as the United Kingdom, have registered to attend with rides scheduled to leave from Cardigan’s Windmill Caravan Park each day, heading out to various local towns in the area.

Club members said everyone will be welcome to view the bikes and chat to riders at Cardigan before departure each morning and also at the various rally destination venues.

These include Creswick’s Doug Lindsey Recreation Reserve from 12pm to 1.30pm on Monday, Clunes’ main street from 12pm to 1.30pm on Tuesday, Lake Wendouree near the Ballarat Tramway Museum from 10am to 11.30am on Wednesday, Beaufort’s Memorial Rose Garden from 10.30am to 11.30am on Thursday, and the Woady Yaloak Football Netball Club at Smythesdale from 12pm to 1.30pm on Friday.

“It’s a pretty big deal,” said the club’s Jennifer McDonald who is the Otways-based editor of the club’s newsletter.

“This rally has been designed specifically for those lower speed pre-1919 bikes and it’s an entertainment just being at a rally. “