Classic Pre ‘63 racing at the Burt

Classic Pre ‘63 motorbike racing at the Burt Munro Challenge event, November 2015. This is the first in a series of posts covering the racing in 3 of the 6 events at the 2015 tenth anniversary Burt. Kicking off proceedings on Thursday 26th November with the Bluff Hill NZ National Hill Climb championships, the Teretonga Circuit Races & Practice Day spanning Friday–Saturday and culminating in the hugely successful new Honda Invercargill Street Races on Sunday 29th. Racing for the Classic Pre ‘63 class (with and without girder forks), including Phil Price’s superb collection of original 1930s Velocette racing machines, covered the aforementioned 3 events.

The VRNZ Classic Velos competed in the Pre ‘63 (with girder forks) Class along with Neville Mickleson’s KTT, Rudges, and an Indian and other famous marques, some of which are pictured in the Bluff Hill Climb galleries below. Several riders from the VRNZ camp also raced machines in the Classic Pre ‘63 class, and the Post Classic Pre ‘72 class. Thanks to the riders who put it all on the line, their support crews, the event marshalls, organisers, admin and sponsors that made the the four thunderous days of the Burt last November. Kudos to Wellington Velo man Nic Thomson for the outstanding achievement of developing, race prepping and fettling the four Classic Girder Velos that achieved so many historic Velocette class wins at the 2015 Burt.

NZ Hill Climb Champs: Megaphones on Bluff Hill

Bill Biber aboard the 1934 “Big Velo” 500 rounds corner 5 on his first timed run up Bluff Hill.

Flagstaff Road is a steep 1.4 km public road that snakes its way up Bluff Hill. With a few short straights, tortuous curves flanked by rocky cliffs, steep drops and demanding surface conditions that includes a small stream running across the exit of corner four the Bluff Hill course was a formidable challenge with which to kick off the start of a decade of the Burt.

The map of the Bluff Hill course with the four photography locations marked.

After the Marshall’s briefing, Machine Scrutineering and Riders’ Meeting the Hill Climb event started at 09:40 Thursday morning with a series of two practice runs up the tortuous course for each competitor before competition commenced. Competition consisted of a couple of official timed runs for competitors in each class entered. The race Programme was as follows:

• Classic Pre ‘63 (including Girder fork Classics)
• Classic Pre ’82
• Classic Pre ‘89
• Open Class (including a sidecar)
• Up to 600cc
• ATV Quad

For VRNZ in the Classic Pre ‘63, Girder fork class Rider 4 Bill Biber (1934 “Big Velo”) and Rider 197 Phil Price (1934 KTT) were competitors. Also in the camp was the Pre ‘63 Hill Climb class-winning Rider 85 Graham Peters (1958 BSA Goldstar) who won the Classic Pre ‘63 class in 55.41 secs, not too shabby considering the fastest time of the day was set at 46.64 secs by Tony Rees aboard his Open Class 2013 Honda CBR 1000.

10:00 – Classic Pre ‘63 motorcycles on the Start line and round Corner 1

Phil Price, Rider 197, approaches the first corner on Bluff Hill aboard his Girder Fork, 1934 Velocette KTT MKVIII 350.

In this gallery are three girder fork machines and Graham Peters’ 1958 BSA

Phil Price enters Corner 1 aboard the ‘cammy’ 350cc 1934 Velocette KTT MK VIII

11:30 – The Classic Pre ‘63 machines round Corner 5

Bill Biber, Rider 4, astride 1934 Velocette “Big Velo” 500 as he exits corner 5 and lines up for the long straight up to the final corner.

This Pre ‘63 gallery features five girder fork machines;

and two Pre ‘63 machines:

Bill Biber aboard the 1934 “Big Velo” 500 rounds corner 5 on his first timed run up Flagstaff Hill.

Bill Biber aboard the 1934 “Big Velo” 500 rounds corner 5 on his first timed run.

Phil Price rounds Corner 5, in the 2015 Burt Munro NZ Hill Climb Champs.

14:14 – Classic Pre ‘63 class round tortuous Corner 6

This gallery features four girder fork machines;

and two  Pre ‘63 machines:

Bill Biber enters the final turn at the top of Flagstaff Hill aboard the Big Velo 500.

Credits

Photographer, Desktop publishing: Shaun Waugh