Classic and Vintage Motorcycle Events in Europe 2016

The time has come around again for a listing of excuses to pack up and head across the Channel on two wheels. Once again I haven't managed to find any decent calendar of continental events online so here is my humble offering. By no means comprehensive the listing has greatly expanded this year though it still simply represents a list of events that I have either been to in person, friends have been to, or I have heard good things about. If you have feedback or events you know of that should be included in the list then how about getting in touch. There's a noticeable shortage of events in the listing out in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia and I'd love to put this right.

There's the usual caveat that only a rash fool would use this page as the sole information source before heading off into the sunset. Check details for yourself, dates change, events get cancelled.  

Get out there and enjoy, don't be scared to take something old on a long trip, they were made for it, breakdown cover is a cheap and wonderful thing and there's a great joy to be had riding with friends on machines you've put together yourselves. Even roadside tinkering and repairs aren't so bad. Many of my personal greatest motorcycling memories come from long weekend jaunts across the Channel on old bikes... free camping in a French woodland and listening to a nightingale serenade us the whole night long, horizontal rain at the side of the road in northern France whilst trying to clean out a dirty carb, racing an Enfield through a Dutch tunnel listening to the music from the exhaust until a valve seized up and it had to be pushed out to the other side in darkness.. ah, happy times! Step on your bike and create your own adventures and memories.

13 and 14 February 2016: Moto Retro Wieze, Wieze, Belgium.
- Billed as Belgium's biggest old bike autojumble.

12 and 13 March 2016: Salon de Reims, Reims, France.
- Mixed car and bike show.

1 to 3 April 2016: Veterama, Hockenheim, Germany.
- Very big autojumble.

17 April 2016: Circuito di S.Pietro in Trento, S Pietro in Trento, Italy.
- Pre 1930 motorcycle event.

23 and 24 April: Iron Bikers, Circuit Carole, France.
- Circuit based event near Paris for 50s to 80s bikes.

29 April to 1 May 2016: John Bull Rally, Belgium.
- Organised by the BSA Owners Club Belgium but open to all old British bikes. Gets great reviews.

6 to 8 May 2016: ASI motoshow, Parma, Italy.
- Popular track based Italian show.

12 to 15 May 2016: 20th IVVMCC Slievenamon pre-31 Rally. Co. Kilkenny, Ireland. email: seanivvmcc@gmail.com.
- Gets very good reports.

13 to 15 May 2016: Paris Dunkerque Rally, France.
- An event for adventure bike types rather than classics but no reason not to take your old nail along. Non-competitive and looks like fun.

18 to 25 May 2016: Motogiro D'Italia, San Marino.
- Hooning around Italy on small bikes! Touring event for big cc lovers too. Route this year drops in to Croatia and Slovenia too.

20 to 22 May 2016: Tour de Bretagne, Bains Sur Oust, France.
- Large gathering of old vehicles in Brittany. Several days of routes through the local countryside. Dates tbc.

21 and 22 May 2016: Coupes Moto Legende, Dijon, France.
- All old bike enthusiasts should visit at least once.

30 May 2016: Boulogne Bicycle Rally, Boulogne, France.
A leisurely and tipple fuelled trundle around the former Boulogne Grand Prix Circuit. There's no official website, the whole event is informal. There's a good account of it and some tips here though.

5 June 2016: Rando Cyclo, Sars Poteries, France.
- Event for those who favour fewer horsepower. Double check the date if planning to go, I always find it difficult to get info on this event. The best info I can find at the moment is here on this Mobylette forum. Good if you speak Dutch, if not get the google translate out. There's an account of last year's event here.

2 to 5 June 2016: MC Piston Cantabria Tour, Cantabria, Spain.
- I rode a MC Piston event a couple of years ago and it was great. Expect wonderful scenery, great hospitality and laid back but efficient organisation.

10 and 11 June 2016: Ton Up, Lurcy Levy, France.
- Track based British bike only event.

11 and 12 June 2016: Reivocazione Storica Circuito Tre Monti, Imola, Italy.
- Pre-1945 motorcycle event.

25 and 26 June 2016: Grand Prix de Tours, Tours, France.
- Glamorous vintage car parade held around the scenic city of Tours.

8 to 12 June 2016: Wheels and Waves, Biarritz, France.
- New wave custom and classic event. Now massive can they maintain the momentum?.

11 and 12 June 2016: Autodrome Heritage Festival, Montlhery, France.
- Car and bike, no idea what it is like but any event at Montlhery is worth a visit.

18 and 19 June 2016: Cafe Racer Festival: Montlhery, France.
- Popular does what it says on the tin bike event at the fantastic Montlhery circuit near Paris.

23 to 26 June 2016: Fiva World Motorcycle Rally, Prague, Czech Republic.
- Annual FIVA rally, held in a different country each year.

1 to 3 July 2016: Biker's Classics, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.
- Racing for more recent classics.

3 to 9 July 2016: Milano-Taranto, Italy
- Like the Moto G but lower key and possibly more hardcore. Already fully subscribed to compete.

10 July 2016: Stella Alpina Rally, Bardonecchia, Italy.
- Ride up a mountain with fellow enthusiasts.

14 to 17 July 2016: Round Kurland Rally, Latvia.
- Latvia isn't so far if you take a couple of different ferries. Dates tbc.

15 to 17 July 2016: Classic Bikes Chimay, Chimay, Belgium.
- Belgian vintage street racing. I went along a couple of years ago. Great fun, proper street racing, Belgian beer. Close to the town. Camp at the circuit for the full experience.

17 to 21 July 2016: International Schleswig-Holstein ADAC Country Tours, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
5 day touring event for pre-1950 machines.

22 to 24 July 2016: International Windmill Rally, Gieten, Holland.
Bi-annual vintage motorcycle regularity team trial.

5 to 7 August 2016: Schloss Dyck Classic Days, Jüchen, Germany.
- The German equivalent of the Goodwood Revival.

6 and 7 August 2016: Journées Coyote: Nogaro Circuit, France.
- Weekend track event. Looks like mostly more recent classics.

20 August 2016: Oldtimerdag Ruinerwold, Ruinerwold, Netherlands.
- Old vehicles take over Dutch town.

21 August 2016: Oude Klepper Parade, De Haan, Holland.
- Pre-21 motorcycle parade.

19 to 21 August 2016: Belgian Classic TT, Gedinne, Belgium.
- Belgian road racing.

23 to 28 August 2016: Irish National Rally, Munster, Ireland.
- Perenially popular jaunt through Irish countryside. Dates tbc.

27 and 28 August 2016: International Hengelo Rally, Hengelo, Holland.
- Large pre-41 bike rally.

3 and 4 September 2016: Red Bull Alpenbrevet, Lugano, Switzerland.
- For me Red Bull is the Devil's own piss but don't let big corporate sponsorship put you off: a 1000 moped endurance run over Swiss Alpine passes must by its very nature be an awesome event.

2 to 4 September 2016: Glemseck 101, Glemseck, nr Stuttgart, Germany.

- New wave customs and cafe-racers, corporate sponsorship and hipster drag racing.

9 to 13 September 2016: Imola Mostra Scambio, Imola, Italy.
- Huge Italian autojumble.

16 to 18 September 2016: Trophees Gerard Jumeaux, Circuit Carole, North of Paris, France.
- Classic racing French style.

17 and 18 September 2016: Bol D'Or Classic, Magny Cours, France.
- Good if classic endurance racing is your bag.

16 to 18 September 2016: Circuit des Ramparts d'Angouleme, Angouleme, France.
- Glamorous vintage cars racing around medieval town.

18 September 2016: International Pionierfahrt im Rheinland, Rheinland, Germany.
- Event for pre-1914 machines.

24 to 26 September 2016: Grossglockner Grand Prix, Zell am See, Austria
- Mighty historic alpine hill climb. Mainly four wheelers but with some motos too. Dates tbc.

25 September 2016: Montée historique Maurice Violland, Coligny, France.
- Promising looking historic hill climb.

26 September to 2 October 2016: MC Piston Rally Meeting, Santander, Spain.
- Rode this event a couple of years back. Excellent. Great atmosphere, hospitality and stunning roads. Opt in to the event as much as you like, the three day tour at the beginning was great. Very good value. Possibly the largest old bike road riding event in Europe.

2 to 9 October 2016: Rally de Colombres, Colombres, Spain.
- This is what the MC Piston event started out as. MC Piston moved the rally to Santander and some guys formed a club called Moto Club Indianos and carried on running it as it was.

7 to 9 October 2016: Veterama, Mannheim, Germany.

- Huge autojumble.

16 October 2016: Moto Retro Leuven, Leuven, Holland.
- One day bike jumble. Date is provisional and not confirmed at time of writing.

18 to 20 November 2016: Salon Moto Legende, Paris, France.
- French show. The dates are provisional. No exact dates available at time of writing.