Motofest 2019

A big thank you to PC and Rich for this report and photos from the Motofest meeting at Hampton Downes a couple of weekends ago. The lads had a great time checking out all the rather exotic machinery on the track and on display. Paul and Alan de Lautour were also in attendance with Alan riding his XR14 RG500. Unfortunately it only made it through a couple of practice sessions before number three cylinder did a nasty.

Here is PCs report.  

Kim (TZR), Rich (On his new DL650) and myself (DL1000) headed up to Hampton Downs on the Friday very much looking forward to a couple of days of motorcycle racing that included a good share of classic stuff.

We headed up via the Parapara’s, Raetihi for morning tea/early lunch, then continuing North through National Park, Taumarunui and turning off at Otorohanga towards Ngaruawahia, taking in and advantage of all those good roads. Our final destination being the Ngaruawahia Hilton!

Fuel consumption was interesting for the 3 bikes when we topped up in Te Kuiti, some had already topped up prior! The big DL taking 13 litres, the 650 15 litres, that should improve as it runs in, and the TZR 16 litres in total for the distance travelled which is not bad for a 2-stroke!

The motel in Ngaruawahia, though an older establishment has been done up so very clean and tidy and reasonably priced at $100 each for separate rooms for us all for 3 nights! To add the R.S.A. Is right across the road so we were well looked after as far as refreshments and food went!

Hampton Downs is just 30 odd K’s up the road so an easy run up and back.

The weather was perfect, though it could be said too good as it was pretty hot watching the racing.

Paul and Allan Del Lautour we there, Alan running his RG500 that unfortunately nipped up a piston in a qualifying run.

The racing over the 2 days was awesome with some very close and exciting races in the formula 300 and Gixxer 150 classes with races within races and being able to throw a tea towel over groups. Often the lead bike coming onto the home straight was not the 1st bike over the line!

As far as the classics go, well it goes without saying, the sounds and smells alone just made it with one class being for 2-strokes only!

We decided to stay on after the racing on Saturday and attend the dinner and interviews with “The Legends” that were attending. This was well worth it at $46 and went on until 10pm.

This is a weekend that is well worth attending and recommended, a lot of fun and a good time in good company.

I grabbed a couple of photo, preferring to keep to the point and only take ones of bikes (classic 2-strokes) and not the attendees. Take note of the carbs on some of those bikes, you wouldn’t want to lose your step walking past them when they were running as you could be sucked in never to be seen again!