Bluff Hillclimb – Up to 600 cc

“Without my right arm or my right leg, a right-hand turn is pretty tough to execute.”

Kempster, 51, is competed in four events during the 2015 four-day Burt Munro Challenge, which began on November 29.

“I only have to worry about doing five things with my left hand,” he joked. “I have to throttle, clutch, brake, steer and hang on.”
(H/t Neil Ratley, Southland Times)

These shots showcase most of the riders & machines in the Up to 600cc Class who turned on the roaring spectacle on the streets of small town Bluff, at the southernmost tip of New Zealand in November 2015. Riders like the courageous “Rider 1/2”, acclaimed Aussie battler, double amputee and motorbike racer Alan Kempster. The 36 riders and machines that made their way to the 2015 Bluff Promotions NZ Hill Climb Champs to compete included three from Australia and from as far afield as Rotorua in New Zealand. The Up to 600cc bikes ranged in age from a 2000 Yamaha to 2016 Hondas and KTMs. The Bluff Hillclimb is the event kicked that off the four day 2015 tenth Anniversary Burt on Thursday 26 November, 2015.

Bluff Hillclimb – Velos – Pre ‘63
Bluff Hillclimb – Pre ‘82
Bluff Hillclimb – Pre ‘89
Bluff Hillclimb – Open Class
Bluff Hillclimb – Up to 600cc
The Burt Munro 2015 – Pre ‘63 – Three events
Teretonga Practice Day – The Velocettes
Teretonga Races – Velocettes
Teretonga Races – Pre ‘63 & Pre ‘72
Invercargill Street Races – Velocettes 1, 2, 3
Invercargill Street Races – Pre ‘63 & Pre ‘72

Up to 600cc Class Bluff Hill Challenge

Shooting Classic Motorcycle action Photography at the Burt is about capturing the speed, and when possible the adrenalin fuelled expression on the rider’s faces. As mentioned in the Classic Pre ‘82 gallery post, on the Flagstaff Road course there is also the opportunity to select viewpoints that allow capturing the Burt’s signature backdrop of dramatic Southland vistas.

Good sports images are most often taken with the subject in motion, with racing motorcycles great shots are often shot from the lowest point of view. Looking up from about axle height increases the likelihood of capturing a high-speed sequence of hero shots as bike and rider approach and sweep by.

This gallery contains start-to-finish sets of most riders in the Class from four vantage points ascending Bluff Hill, beginning with Rider 1/2, Alan Kempster from Australia.

Rider 1/2 – Alan Kempster – 2015 Honda CBR 500
Rider M – Mark Robertson – 2003 Kawasaki GPX 250
Rider 4 – Lewis Waho – 2010 KTM SMR 450
Rider 5 – Mark Oliver – 2009 Honda CRF 450
Rider 7 – Andrew Rudd – 2014 Honda CRF 450
Rider 12 – Jason Feaver – 2012 Honda CR 600
Rider 19 – Graeme Morgan – 2008 Honda CBR 600 RR
Rider 21 – Mike Talbot – 2011 Yamaha YZ 450
Rider 27 – Steven Winteringham – 2001 Honda NSR 150
Rider 28 – Haydon South – 2014 Honda CRF 450
Rider 54 – Jared Cox – 2012 Honda CRF 450
Rider 55 – Dave Klaver – 2005 Honda CRF 450
Rider D – Darcy Klaver – Honda CRF 450
Rider 64 – Unknown – Unknown
Rider 74 – Duncan Hart – 2013 Yamaha YZF 450
Rider 82 – Rory Antony – 2010 Yamaha YZF 450
Rider 99 – Craig Ellis – 2009 Kawasaki KXF 450
Rider 107 – Mark Leonard – 2005 Honda CR 500
Rider 118 – Paul Bota – 2015 Kawasaki KXAF 500
Rider 129 – Robert Goodman – 2008 Yamaha YZF 450
Rider 139 – Jon Pagan – 2005 Honda CR500AF 500
Rider 151 – Unknown – Honda
Rider 167 – Heath Botica – 2013 KTM SMR 450
Rider 214 – Chris Andrews – 2008 KTM SMR 450
Rider 214 – Quinn Fowler – 2008 Honda CRF 450
Rider 311 – Greg Baynes – 2016 KTM SX-F 450
Rider 427 – Casey Bullock – 2006 KTM SMR 450
Rider 565 – Royden West – 2016 KTM EXC 500
Rider 570 – Michael Blomfield – 2011 Husaburg FS 570
Rider 655 – Carter Strang – 2009 KTM SMR 450
Rider 717 – Steve Bristow – 2015 Kawasaki KXF 450
Rider 717 – Donald McConochie – 2014 Honda CRF 450
Rider 979 – Lee Harrison – 2013 Yamaha YZF 450

Returning to the four-day Burt Munro Challenge in 2015 was Rider 1/2, the acclaimed Aussie battler, world disabled waterskiing champion and motorbike racer Alan Kempster. Alan is a double amputee who lost his right arm and right leg in a motorcycle crash, he made a memorable impression on the public and competitors alike when he first took part in the 2013 Burt Munro Challenge.