Beach racing

[Expert]

Anybody know if that beach racing where loonys on GSXR1100's, z1000's and XS1100's on knobblies hoone up and down the beach still happens and where?
Apparently it used to happen in the Auckland area, it's in an old motorcycle data mag of '95 vintage i have and it looks like a laff.

[R6_kid:Me]

lol, sounds like it would be too! Let me know if you find out, would be keen for a watch.

[Firefight]

seen it at karoitahi beach

i think it was a club based at papakura


F/F

[Motu]

Beach racing has a big history in NZ,cars and bikes.Bikes kept racing into the '80's but slowly died out.It was always a cheap sport,non competitive race bikes and modified road bikes were both used.When Classic racing started in the late '70's a lot of bikes were pulled off the beach and went on the race track again.I've had a few ex beach racing I used on the road - my Triton was built as a beach racer,then made road legal.My Rickman and Cheney were uncompetitive MX bikes and were used on the beach too.

Beach racing looks easy - just up and down the beach with a 180 turn at pegs 1/2 mile apart.But try riding on sand at 160kph.....

[xwhatsit]

lol, sounds like it would be too! Let me know if you find out, would be keen for a watch.

Lol, well looking at your avatar, you'd be well good at it

[Dai]

seen it at karoitahi beach

i think it was a club based at papakura


F/F

You are dead right,

It was at karoitahi beach and the Papakura Motorcycle Club used to run it.

When I first started on a bike my old man insisted I join a club. Dragged me down to the above mentioned little knowing that it was a racing club.

Never looked back. Started on the beach and loved it from the beginning.

1/2 mile drag, drop it round a flag and drag back, 16 laps. Real good fun when up to 20 bikes are all heading to the flag near enough at the same time.

Dave Muller was the king then. He had the Honda shop in Manurewa. Ran a 250 Honda "Elsonore" on alky. WOn every event he entered on that bike.

I ran an RD 350. There was every sort of bike you could think of there up to 1050 JAP engined specials. These were usually built by Jim Bedgegood. A brilliant mentor for a young kid.

This thread brings back memories.

[DingDong]

The Papakura Motor Cycle Club ran their last meeting in 2002 because the consent to use Kariotahi Beach got too high and there wasnt enough interest to pay the maintenance... pissed me off because Id spent thousands making mods to my bike and the resale of something like that is crap.

Motu... try 200kph+ (one guy was clocked by police at 240kph) non-competitive...not!, easy... only until you get highsided, fun... ooohhh yes...

It can be as cheap as you want... if you find more interest in Auckland, I and 2 others will be in without hesitation.

Gisborne Combined MCC still run beach racing events... bit far tho...

[DingDong]

You are dead right,

It was at karoitahi beach and the Papakura Motorcycle Club used to run it.

When I first started on a bike my old man insisted I join a club. Dragged me down to the above mentioned little knowing that it was a racing club.

Never looked back. Started on the beach and loved it from the beginning.

1/2 mile drag, drop it round a flag and drag back, 16 laps. Real good fun when up to 20 bikes are all heading to the flag near enough at the same time.

Dave Muller was the king then. He had the Honda shop in Manurewa. Ran a 250 Honda "Elsonore" on alky. WOn every event he entered on that bike.

I ran an RD 350. There was every sort of bike you could think of there up to 1050 JAP engined specials. These were usually built by Jim Bedgegood. A brilliant mentor for a young kid.

This thread brings back memories.

Thats well before my time... but Ive seen photos that Alex had in his shed (he had an RD350 back in the day too)

[Motu]

Yeah,160kph was just to get them thinking.A friend of mine crashed at 125mph on the beach,he's punch drunk and lives on pain killers.Forrest Carden used to run a JAP V twin powered featherbed,it used to dig huge trenches at the pegs....I've seen that bike run at Puke too.

[Dai]

I wonder what it would take to run an event out there again?

Obviously a lot of planning.

If anyone is interested in organising an event they could count on my support.

[Dai]

Yeah,160kph was just to get them thinking.A friend of mine crashed at 125mph on the beach,he's punch drunk and lives on pain killers.Forrest Carden used to run a JAP V twin powered featherbed,it used to dig huge trenches at the pegs....I've seen that bike run at Puke too.

I wouldnt be supprised if it wasnt one of the bikes that Jim Bedgegood built.

Those things could fly.

I remember a racer by the name of Wendell.Thought he could buy a win on the beach. He spent thousands on bikes and very rarely finished an event. I particularly remeber an Aermachi 350cc racing bike he bought. Ran it with open carbs, no filter. Engine seized from all the sand sucked into it.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Yeah,160kph was just to get them thinking.A friend of mine crashed at 125mph on the beach,he's punch drunk and lives on pain killers.Forrest Carden used to run a JAP V twin powered featherbed,it used to dig huge trenches at the pegs....I've seen that bike run at Puke too.

Yeah mate.....it's fucking cool fun!

I won my first national title beach racing on a CR480 Honda age 17 when it was in full swing......the big bikes are too heavy.....500 2 strokes used to be the answer...way faster round the pegs......Craig Wilkie and I used to do battle with Peter Crinkle.....Wilkie used to run his CR 500's on alcohol.....well fast!
The wet sand off a knobbly hitting you in the chest/face at 180kph was like being shot with a 12 gauge! I have a picture of myself on one of my KX 500's doing the business at a beach racing meeting years ago I'll scan....even if no ones interested!

[Dai]

Yeah mate.....it's fucking cool fun!

... I have a picture of myself on one of my KX 500's doing the business at a beach racing meeting years ago I'll scan....even if no ones interested!

I for one would love to see it. Post away.

[WRT]

I'd second that, I'm keen for a look too. Post it, post it, post it . . .

[scott411]

Yeah mate.....it's fucking cool fun!

I won my first national title beach racing on a CR480 Honda age 17 when it was in full swing......the big bikes are too heavy.....500 2 strokes used to be the answer...way faster round the pegs......Craig Wilkie and I used to do battle with Peter Crinkle.....Wilkie used to run his CR 500's on alcohol.....well fast!
The wet sand off a knobbly hitting you in the chest/face at 180kph was like being shot with a 12 gauge! I have a picture of myself on one of my KX 500's doing the business at a beach racing meeting years ago I'll scan....even if no ones interested!

Did you race that CR480 at Whakatane in the late 80's,

My father used to race a GS1000 on the beach in Whakatane and Gisbourne (won a national open title in gisbourne in about 1987)
i remeber a guy hitting him really hard on a CR480 one year at ohope beach in whakatane, i think he was from wellington and i am pretty sure he broke his jaw in the crash,

that GS1000 used to put up a rooster tail like nothing else i have ever seen, i remeber the guys racing Dad where trying to dodge the roost and it was powerfull enough to break roll off film.