Classics Fork and Girder run 2019

A couple of weekends ago saw the annual Fork and Girder and  ride run by the Manawatu Classic Motor Cycle Club. After the monthly club meeting we had a leisurely ride to Colyton, down Valley road and then left to our final destination of The Ashhurst Tavern. It certainly was a leisurely run and gave one plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, but neat seeing these older and smaller bikes on the road doing the business.
It is an interesting sign of the times that this run has now been extended to also encouraging bikes under 250ccs and over forty years old. Technology moves on at a pace and this definition will soon be encompassing some motorcycles that can do 100mph plus. Think LC Yamahas, RG Suzukis etc. For those of us who have a keen interest in 60s,70s and 80s it is certainly an area of interest. After all for most of us we usually started out our motorcycling on such bikes so there is always some interest in rekindling some of those wonderful feeling of speed and adventure when we first hopped on our AC50s and Yamaha RD50s let alone those who began on some of the British Empires finest such as Bantams and Tiger Cubs. The girder forks is also harking back to former times when life seemed a lot simpler and straight forward when motorcycles were widely used as essential transport by so many. It has been interesting to see how other vintage Japanese groups have put at least one run aside each year for smaller bikes. Here is one from some fellowVJMC brethren in Ireland last year

The runs are called Tiddler Rides with preferred bike sizes being under 250cc for most but some in the States insist on 200cc's or less and over forty years old. Some even insist any bikes that don't meet the specs don't go on the run! Next pub night we could have a chat about it.