Bathurst - On a Bike

[Ronin]

You know you want to..... :niceone:


kJSlro-47Ns

[cs363]

You know you want to..... :niceone:

Yep...those were the days! Nice find :niceone:

[Movistar]

Beautiful.

Pop a little wheelie here, carve up Dave Hiscock there, whip around the outside of him here, whip under him into there...meanwhile providing a composed running commentary.

Beautiful.

Back in the day when men were men and sheep were scared.

[NZsarge]

That was mint, they should definitely start doing endurance motorcycle racing there again, a 6 hour or a 9 hour say...

[cs363]

That was mint, they should definitely start doing endurance motorcycle racing there again, a 6 hour or a 9 hour say...

Take a bit of convincing the Bathurst City Council and the local Police, if I recall correctly they banned bike racing because of the unruly crowds and fighting between the spectators and Police. :(

[Spyke]

Hell yeah!

[NZsarge]

Take a bit of convincing the Bathurst City Council and the local Police, if I recall correctly they banned bike racing because of the unruly crowds and fighting between the spectators and Police. :(

Really? I wonder hows that different to this weekends "great race"? I see they have limited the amount of alcohol allow this year to try and kerb the unruly behaviour, just imagine the shit fight if they banned the "great race" due to alcohol fueled unruly behaviour... would never happen, makes too much money.

[cs363]

Really? I wonder hows that different to this weekends "great race"? I see they have limited the amount of alcohol allow this year to try and kerb the unruly behaviour, just imagine the shit fight if they banned the "great race" due to alcohol fueled unruly behaviour... would never happen, makes too much money.

Here's some light reading, courtesy of a TV documentary series 'Riot Acts' A history of Australian rioting:

BIKE RACE RIOTS
Bathurst 1980-85
The Bathurst motorcycle race riots stand alone in the history of Australian rioting. They had
nothing to do with gold, economics, industrial relations, greed or ethnic rivalry. Perhaps the best
way to understand what happened at Bathurst is to look at the riots as a team sport; a highly
ritualised, violent and illegal game.
Easter motorcycle races were first held at Bathurst in 1931. Crowds quickly grew, until by 1936
there were 10,000 people attending events there. Races were initially held on the Vale Road
circuit, just outside Bathurst, but when the council realised how much money could be made
from the event a new circuit was built at Mount Panorama. Soon Bathurst was regarded as a
mecca for bike enthusiasts. Easter 1949 saw 50,000 visitors pouring into town for motorcycle
Grand Prix and car-racing events.
‘Hooliganism’ began to be associated with the races after 1955, when ‘throttle-happy lads’,
‘promenade percys’ and ‘milk bar cowboys’ became a focus of police attention. By the late
fifties the outlaw face of motorcycling was represented by bodgies and widgies. In 1959 one
Sydney newspaper reported that packs of these motorcycle hooligans were engaged in an orgy
of destruction. This was later proved to be false. Meanwhile complaints of police persecution of
motorcyclists grew more common.
Gradually, low-key, low-budget ‘clubman’ racing was replaced by corporate sponsorship. As
club membership declined, vandalism and violence became more common. In Easter 1960 a
near-riot occurred when firecracker-throwing youths clashed with 20 police in a park in the
centre of Bathurst. 10 arrests were made. More high jinks followed. Next year police ordered
that a human effigy hanging from a tree and bearing the sign ‘This is what we think of cops’ be
taken down.
In 1964 youths lit a bonfire in the main street, ran a Japanese flag up the flagpole, threw
firecrackers at police and held lightpole-climbing competitions. Charges of drunkenness and
indecent language resulted.
By now there were certain police who went to Bathurst every Easter. Baiting was carried out by
both sides: the rules of the game were becoming more defined. In spite of increasing allegations
of police harassment, media coverage was now almost universally anti-biker in its stance.
During the late ‘70s some bikers attempted to set fire to the Bathurst courthouse. A police truck
loaded with prisoners had its windscreen smashed. In 1977 alone, 138 were arrested. Those
arrested were almost always blue collar workers.
In 1979 it was decided to build a police station in the camping area on Mount Panorama. The
brick compound was surrounded with barbed-wire-topped cyclone fencing. In the eyes of the
motorcycle fraternity, this was an intolerable provocation. Not only was the police station in the
middle of the camping ground, but it was built directly on top of the largest ‘bullring’ at Mount
Panorama, a site of ‘historical significance’ for the bikies.
(One bullring game, called the doughnut, involved a circle of spectators judging a bike- rider’s
skill while he put one foot down and spun round and round at high revs).
The first demonstration against the presence of the compound came in Easter 1980, when a
large group shouted insults at police and threw beer cans and rocks; challenging police to arrest
them. One mechanic drove his motorcycle into the police line. After police retreated inside their
compound, more than a thousand people laid siege to the building. A telephone pole carrying
the line from the station was set on fire, but those inside managed to call in 60 reinforcements.
After four hours 109 people had been arrested.
During Easter 1981 there were major, unrelated riots in Mildura and again in Bathurst, where 62
police were injured when their compound was attacked by a crowd of thousands. The
confrontation began when police moved in to break up a fight between members of the crowd.
When the mob turned on them instead, the police took shelter in their brick compound. A
convoy of police reinforcements and ambulances was called after the crowd began destroying
patrol cars parked inside the compound.
Police later blamed a ‘hard core’ group for inciting the riot, which took twenty minutes to get
under control. 130 were arrested. Not for the first time, it was suggested that the Grand Prix at
Bathurst be banned, but commercial interests prevailed.
Bathurst was quiet in 1982. This time the Tactical Response Group (TRG) riot police were
present to act as a deterrent against violence. However some have argued that the lack of rioting
that Easter had more to do with heavy falls of rain.
The weather was fine at Bathurst for the Easter 1983 weekend. Despite the presence of the
TRG, on the Saturday night there was a six hour riot. 181 were injured when a crowd of 3,000
attacked the police station at the Mount Panorama camping ground.
The officer in charge of the TRG said his men had been the target of a ‘screaming mob’ of
drunken people, and regretted that he hadn’t had tear gas. The police, wielding night sticks and
protected with shields, helmets and flak jackets, had to contend with bricks, rocks, beer cans
filled with gravel, flaming petrol-soaked toilet rolls, and several sticks of gelignite.
Again the riot took the form of a kind of game; riot police charged, bikies ran away, and then reformed
in front of the station as the police retreated to safety from the barrage of missiles. After
a handful of arrests were processed, another charge would take place. At one stage a
Volkswagen Beetle was set on fire and then rolled end over end towards the police compound,
prompting another charge from the TRG.
Motorcycle organisations distanced themselves from the violence, blaming what they called
‘two-percenters’ (minorities in the crowd) for what had taken place. Easter 1984 was wet and
quiet in Bathurst, like two years before.
1985 was a different story. Anticipating a major riot, a team of academics infiltrated the crowd
and joined police in the compound with the intention of studying the riot first-hand. They were
not disappointed. This time 75 armoured TRG police faced the mob. One journalist described the ‘battlefront’
as being like a ‘coconut shy’, as riot police were pelted with rocks, half bricks
and fire bombs. The height of the violence came between 9pm and 1am on the Saturday night.
A Channel 7 news car and equipment valued at $40,000 was fire-bombed and destroyed.
Numerous police vehicles, ambulances and media vehicles were seriously damaged. A kiosk
was destroyed and became a source of brick ammunition. Despite their bullet-proof vests,
visored crash helmets and shields, many police were seriously hurt.
At one point a crowd-member yelled out, ‘half time, change sides’. Someone else said: ‘This is
great value... You pay 16 bucks to fuckin’ knock some copper on the head’. Abusive chants
rang out from the mob. The police replied by ‘whooping’ and beating their shields with
nightsticks. While the riot raged around them, some campers remained sitting by their
campfires; drinking, cuddling and playing cards.
Altogether 100 people were wounded. 164 were arrested and charged. Offences included riotous
assembly, throwing explosive substances and singing ‘offensive songs’.
Despite the disastrous violence of 1985, the Mayor of Bathurst refused to consider stopping the
Easter race meetings (which were now bringing in $7 million a year). Instead, alcohol was
banned on Mount Panorama. There have been no further large scale riots.

Then after that I think there was still some troubles, but eventually (if I recall correctly) bike racing was banned on safety grounds, and the prohibitive cost of making the track safe for bikes. That was in 1994(?) and then there was a revival race in 2000. Since then I don't believe there have been any other bike races (or open wheel car races) because of the safety Nazis.

Interesting factoid - Forrest's Elbow is named after a bike racer (Jack Forrest)that binned on that corner and ground his elbow away. Not after the trees as I had always thought when I was younger.... :D

[Kendog]

That was a great read cs363, cheers.


Despite the disastrous violence of 1985, the Mayor of Bathurst refused to consider stopping the Easter race meetings (which were now bringing in $7 million a year). Instead, alcohol was banned on Mount Panorama. There have been no further large scale riots.

The entire story was leading to this conclusion :apint:

[Whitebait]

That story was epic! Sounds like good times had by all!

Would be awesome to race there!

[Ronin]

At one point a crowd-member yelled out, ‘half time, change sides’. Someone else said: ‘This is
great value... You pay 16 bucks to fuckin’ knock some copper on the head’.

The whole article reads to me as the 2 percenters on both sides winding each other up lol

Watching the footage I posted, I have trouble seeing just how they could make it any 'safer' but then hey, it's not a safe sport anyway. Give me half a chance and I would ride it...

[Wingnut]

[QUOTE=Ronin;1129448630]You know you want to..... :niceone:

QUOTE]

Yes, yes I sure do.:rolleyes:

[Warr]

You know you want to..... :niceone:



Yes, yes I sure do.:rolleyes:

Sure thing ..count me in !!

[ynot slow]

Really? I wonder hows that different to this weekends "great race"? I see they have limited the amount of alcohol allow this year to try and kerb the unruly behaviour, just imagine the shit fight if they banned the "great race" due to alcohol fueled unruly behaviour... would never happen, makes too much money.

Amazing footage from way back as well.
This weekend(Bathurst1000)has highest rape complaints of any weekend in the area statisticly speaking,and watching the antics Saturday night before is fun.

A friend went to Canberra and decided to head to Bathurst as well,did a cruise over the course in his rental car,said amazing to think how fast they go,he was offered a ride on a bike as pillion but didn't(wife said no he told me).

[Toast]

Awesome video! Imagine the speeds the modern Superbikes would hit down the main straight! (especially if they took that new kink out!) If Bugden was hitting 315 at Puke then 330+ there easy!

Damn dodgy though! How many air fences available in Australia?!!

[discodan]

Troy Bayliss Qualifies last and 3 secs slower than second to last place! wtf?

[KiwiGs]

What an awesome video, they must have been knackered after muscling those old dinosaurs around Bathurst.
Thanks mate!
Cheers

[Rcktfsh]

Was it that year or the next Dennis Neil had the front wheel fall out of the CBR 1100, from memory they had axle clamps under the fork legs which came loose and the front wheel basically fell out going over the old hump down conrod.

[cs363]

Was it that year or the next Dennis Neil had the front wheel fall out of the CBR 1100, from memory they had axle clamps under the fork legs which came loose and the front wheel basically fell out going over the old hump down conrod.

Yeah it was 1981, not a bad memory for a drunken old apprentice lawyer, oops sorry, entrepreneur I mean.... :lol:
Only bit you got wrong was that it was on Mountain Straight, not Conrod:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qfPQMIIvKgE&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qfPQMIIvKgE&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[Ronin]

Jesus wept!!!!

Missed that one.

[Rcktfsh]

Yeah it was 1981, not a bad memory for a drunken old apprentice lawyer, oops sorry, entrepreneur I mean.... :lol:
Only bit you got wrong was that it was on Mountain Straight, not Conrod:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qfPQMIIvKgE&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qfPQMIIvKgE&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

True but the story sounds much better when you use conrod, never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

[cs363]

True but the story sounds much better when you use conrod, never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

That's the lawyer coming out............ :whistle:

[scrivy]

Damn dodgy though! How many air fences available in Australia?!!

Lots of kangaroo fences though........ :niceone:

[Drew]

I'd be there in a heart beat if bikes raced there.

Jimmy was saying they still do sidecar racing there at easter.

[cs363]

I'd be there in a heart beat if bikes raced there.

Jimmy was saying they still do sidecar racing there at easter.

I don't think that's a regular happening but there were sidecars at the 2000 revival meeting and I think there may have been an appearance by sidecars at the Shannons Celebration of Motor Sport meeting which is actually a vintage sports car meeting held at Easter, though they do have invitation classes of interest.

[NZsarge]

Troy Bayliss Qualifies last and 3 secs slower than second to last place! wtf?

Yes I think his career in V8 Supercars is gonna be much ado about nothing...

[quickbuck]

Yes I think his career in V8 Supercars is gonna be much ado about nothing...

Bit of a shame really.... He is most likely having a hard time getting his head around the high mid corner speed of a V8 Supercar....

Another much ado... Look out for how well Nathan Pretty's team mate does...
A clue: He appears on a Brit Motoring TV show weekly :yes:

[Kickaha]

I'd be there in a heart beat if bikes raced there.

Jimmy was saying they still do sidecar racing there at easter.

They haven't for a long time, watched a video of some a while back, showed Scrivys current outfit getting crashed off the start

[Drew]

They haven't for a long time, watched a video of some a while back, showed Scrivys current outfit getting crashed off the startYou know of a half decent cheap rig for sale man? I'm thinkin it could be time Jimmy and I followed through on our threats of getting into it.

[scrivy]

You know of a half decent cheap rig for sale man? I'm thinkin it could be time Jimmy and I followed through on our threats of getting into it.

About time we had some more nutters out there with balls........:devil2:

er.... I mean balls to go hard racing, not what Kick assumed - balls to look at....
You're a sick f@cker Kick......