At the Phillip Island Classic Event
Classic Racers on Manx Norton
- Manx Norton
One of the racers walked with a cane
but on his Manx Norton he thundered around the Grand Prix Track
unrestricted by age
by injury
by fear
the old bike roaring thunder down the main straight
Old Friends
Old leathers
Old bikes
each with their own yarn to tell
Sitting talking across the pits shed
Stripping off the leathers at the end of a hot day of the track.
The Philip Island Classic is an annual race event for historic motorcycles were teams from Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand and Ireland compete for the overall trophy.
The event attracts fantastic historic bikes both on the race track and in the car park.
Of course there were the amazing Vincents
- Vincent Black Lightning
The bikes that inspired Richard Thompsons Vincent Black Lightning a song about a bike and the tragic (not quite Shakespearian) death of lovers. In original street guise (above) and in full racing guise (below).
- Full Race Vincent Black Lightning
But for me it was the beautiful brace of race Moto Guzzi that caught my eye.
- Moto Guzzi in race mode
Then there was the racing with the UK Team taking the trophy till next years historic battle.
- UK Team shed preparing for the last race of the event