GREAT START FOR VINDURO NZ!
Perfect weather and a good turnout made NZ's inaugural vintage enduro ride a great success. Held at Riverhead Forest near Auckland, the Virgin Swamps Vinduro was hosted by the innovative and hard-working Waitemata MCC.
The VSE, one of NZ’s earliest enduro events, was first run in 1974, in the same forest where the WMCC still run a variety of trail rides, cross country and enduro events. Remarkable also was that the event’s original organisers proved to be as enduring: Tjebbe Bruin and I again combined to organise the 2014 ride just like we did forty years ago.
The 48 km course threw all the usual Riverhead ingredients at the riders - clay tracks, hills, gravel roads and some of the rutty and root-infested jungle single-track the VSE was famous for. For the 40th reunion the gnarly stuff was however limited in recognition of the age of most of the riders and machines. With just the right balance of challenging and open trails, ear-to-ear grins were seen all round.
The machinery proved to be as varied as the track, the most popular bikes being Yamaha IT, Suzuki PE and Honda XR models from the 1980s. The Classic 1970s era was represented by Honda XL models, several Suzuki TS trail bikes, and a rare (in NZ) MR 175 Honda, snapped up on Trade Me two weeks before the ride. The sole Vintage 4-speed class entrant was Peter Groves who rode a ‘just in time’ prepared Triumph TR5T. The Triumph purred around the course and was rated easily the best-sounding bike on the day.
Entries were taken in five classes. These classes are slightly different to the more familiar vintage motocross classes and based on the technology leaps over the decades, rather than absolute model years as is usually the case. Under this system the real old-timers are divided into the mostly pre-1970 Vintage 4-speed class and the short travel Classic class of the early 1970s. Following these are three Evolution classes: Evo 1 for long travel twin shock, and non-rising rate single shock machines of the later 1970s and early 1980s, Evo 2 for those bikes with linkage-equipped single shocks, and finally Evo 3 for bikes with a liquid cooling and/or a disc front brake.
The field included many interesting bikes, some obviously freshly dragged out from sheds and dusted off for the ride, but many more well restored, some to showroom condition, or even better. In addition a number of bikes were on display, including a pristine Maico, a NZ home-built special and a 1960s ISDE replica Triumph Trophy. Also well received were the display boards featuring enlargements of images taken over the decades.
Another innovation was the implementation of an overall handicap system to take into account the age of the bike and rider. The system is still a work in progress, but it did throw up enough of a variety of bikes and riders in the results to show great promise.
Fastest rider on the course was KR tester Dene Humphrey on a Yamaha IT250, but the very popular overall handicap win went to enduro stalwart Kevin Sargent riding a Suzuki TS250 trail bike in the Classic class. The win was especially significant to Kevin who was the only rider entered who also completed NZ’s first enduro at Raglan in 1974.
True to tradition the entire event was as informal as any enduro 40 years ago, with many old friends reunited. There was also a surprise D-list celebrity appearance by the VSE’s legendary trophy girl Virginia who presided over the after-ride festivities.
The VSE, one of NZ’s earliest enduro events, was first run in 1974, in the same forest where the WMCC still run a variety of trail rides, cross country and enduro events. Remarkable also was that the event’s original organisers proved to be as enduring: Tjebbe Bruin and I again combined to organise the 2014 ride just like we did forty years ago.
The 48 km course threw all the usual Riverhead ingredients at the riders - clay tracks, hills, gravel roads and some of the rutty and root-infested jungle single-track the VSE was famous for. For the 40th reunion the gnarly stuff was however limited in recognition of the age of most of the riders and machines. With just the right balance of challenging and open trails, ear-to-ear grins were seen all round.
The machinery proved to be as varied as the track, the most popular bikes being Yamaha IT, Suzuki PE and Honda XR models from the 1980s. The Classic 1970s era was represented by Honda XL models, several Suzuki TS trail bikes, and a rare (in NZ) MR 175 Honda, snapped up on Trade Me two weeks before the ride. The sole Vintage 4-speed class entrant was Peter Groves who rode a ‘just in time’ prepared Triumph TR5T. The Triumph purred around the course and was rated easily the best-sounding bike on the day.
Entries were taken in five classes. These classes are slightly different to the more familiar vintage motocross classes and based on the technology leaps over the decades, rather than absolute model years as is usually the case. Under this system the real old-timers are divided into the mostly pre-1970 Vintage 4-speed class and the short travel Classic class of the early 1970s. Following these are three Evolution classes: Evo 1 for long travel twin shock, and non-rising rate single shock machines of the later 1970s and early 1980s, Evo 2 for those bikes with linkage-equipped single shocks, and finally Evo 3 for bikes with a liquid cooling and/or a disc front brake.
The field included many interesting bikes, some obviously freshly dragged out from sheds and dusted off for the ride, but many more well restored, some to showroom condition, or even better. In addition a number of bikes were on display, including a pristine Maico, a NZ home-built special and a 1960s ISDE replica Triumph Trophy. Also well received were the display boards featuring enlargements of images taken over the decades.
Another innovation was the implementation of an overall handicap system to take into account the age of the bike and rider. The system is still a work in progress, but it did throw up enough of a variety of bikes and riders in the results to show great promise.
Fastest rider on the course was KR tester Dene Humphrey on a Yamaha IT250, but the very popular overall handicap win went to enduro stalwart Kevin Sargent riding a Suzuki TS250 trail bike in the Classic class. The win was especially significant to Kevin who was the only rider entered who also completed NZ’s first enduro at Raglan in 1974.
True to tradition the entire event was as informal as any enduro 40 years ago, with many old friends reunited. There was also a surprise D-list celebrity appearance by the VSE’s legendary trophy girl Virginia who presided over the after-ride festivities.
 The 2014 VSE logo, its on the T shirt too, e mail [email protected] to get yours.
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VSE, the full video, just click the image to view.
Geoff Osborne's pro photos. (please note Geoff's photos are copyright for commercial purposes)
Hump's photos
2014 WAITEMATA MCC VSE VINDURO RESULTS
RIVERHEAD FOREST DECEMBER 6TH 1974 - 2014
VINTAGE
Peter Groves – 500cc Triumph TR5T
CLASSIC
Wayne Sargent – Suzuki TS185
Brenton May – Honda MR 175
Stephen Groves – Honda XL350
Kevin Sargent – Suzuki TS250
Andrew Robertson = Honda XL175
EVO 1
Dene Humphrey – Yamaha IT250
Neville Coombe - Suzuki PE175
Craig Brown – Yamaha IT175
Carl Steadman – Yamaha IT250
Andrew Brown – Suzuki PE175
Alaistair Nisbet – Can Am Qualifier
EVO 2
Mike Bennett – Honda XR200
Mark Bon – Yamaha IT490
= Sean Clarke – Honda XR250/John Buxton Honda XR 200
Lee Forsyth - Yamaha IT250
Neil Cooper – Kawasaki KDX200
Thomas Cooper – Kawasaki KDX200
EVO 3
Mark MacDonald – Yamaha IT200
Adam Pogson – Yamaha YZ125
Peter Galpin – Husky 430 CR
Terry Seymour – Kawasaki KDX200
OVERALL VINDURO HANDICAP (1-10)
Kevin Sargent
Peter Groves
Brenton May
Neville Coombe
Craig Brown
Andrew Brown
Wayne Sargent
Dene Humphrey
Andrew Robertson
Carl Steadman
GENTLEMAN’S (completed VSE course)
Brett Savage – Yamaha IT175
Cameron Holmes – Suzuki PE175
Bevan Holmes – Suzuki PE175