Been meaning to make it over to the Bikers' Blast at Henstridge Airfield for a while but last night was the first chance I've had.
The big draw is the chance to run your bike down the airstrip. For this in itself the event is wonderful. In a highly regulated world it was truly refreshing that you can queue up, sign a disclaimer and pay two quid to be let loose on the airstrip in head to head drag race demo runs.
I rode my '55 Velocette Venom along and gave it a speed run. On the night I think it was the only British classic on the strip. Most of the bikes taking part are sports bikes, there's the odd cruiser, a few adv bikes, chops, modern classics and monkey bikes too.
My run with the Velo was pitted head to head with against a chick on a monkey bike, losing out on a few ccs to the Velo but with a more petite rider probably not too bad on power to weight. And so it was, she made a cracking take off but (and I take no glory!) the cubes won out. Yes, mighty speed king that I am I whupped a chick on a monkey bike. Revving the Venom up to 6000 got me up to around 90 by the end of the run. Not too bad but it wouldn't be very clever repeating that too many times with an old warrior that has seen little but oil changes in the last twenty years.
Asides from the drag strip there's the usual biker gathering hog roast and music and a host of machinery to ogle in the bike park. All that plus the local rozzers keeping us safe with speed traps on the way home...
The big draw is the chance to run your bike down the airstrip. For this in itself the event is wonderful. In a highly regulated world it was truly refreshing that you can queue up, sign a disclaimer and pay two quid to be let loose on the airstrip in head to head drag race demo runs.
I rode my '55 Velocette Venom along and gave it a speed run. On the night I think it was the only British classic on the strip. Most of the bikes taking part are sports bikes, there's the odd cruiser, a few adv bikes, chops, modern classics and monkey bikes too.
My run with the Velo was pitted head to head with against a chick on a monkey bike, losing out on a few ccs to the Velo but with a more petite rider probably not too bad on power to weight. And so it was, she made a cracking take off but (and I take no glory!) the cubes won out. Yes, mighty speed king that I am I whupped a chick on a monkey bike. Revving the Venom up to 6000 got me up to around 90 by the end of the run. Not too bad but it wouldn't be very clever repeating that too many times with an old warrior that has seen little but oil changes in the last twenty years.
Asides from the drag strip there's the usual biker gathering hog roast and music and a host of machinery to ogle in the bike park. All that plus the local rozzers keeping us safe with speed traps on the way home...
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| Beginning to see a few new Nortons around. They are cracking looking bikes and always draw a crowd. |
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| Triumph Tiger 90. |
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| Straightliner Gixxer. |
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| And the arse view of the Gixxer. |
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| Sweet vintage French Gnome et Rhone. |
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| Love this cable operated klaxon driven from the front wheel of the Gnome et Rhone. |
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| And just one more view of the Gnome Rhone. |
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| Folks queuing up for a go down the strip. |
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| Modified Zed. |
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| A literal 'run what you brung'. |
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| Sign a disclaimer and off you go. |
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| Even two up. |
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| Pre-war 350 BSA ohv in just the right condition. |
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