Motorcycle Concours at the 2012 Motorclassica

In addition to a number of bikes which have been consigned for the Collector Motorbike Auction, a handful of rare and high quality classics will be competing for the outright concours trophy, up against over 100 immaculately-prepared classic and rare cars.

Oldest of the motorcycles entered for the Concours is a 1914 E.W.B. One of a number of marques that existed in Australia prior to World War I, the E.W.B. was the creation of the E.W. Brown firm in Swanston Street, Melbourne. Reported as having only two owners from new, the E.W.B. is a multiple trophy winner, but also fully operational, being campaigned regularly in vintage bike rallies and other events.

While not the 'cleanest' bike, the Indian PowerPlus that's been entered arguably has the most interesting story behind it. 1916 marked the first year for the 1,000cc PowerPlus, and this particular machine was formerly owned by legendary Hollywood stuntman, Bud Ekins. While he was an accomplished rider and racer in his own right, Ekins is best known for his association with Steve McQueen, a friendship that led to him performing the famous 'barbed wire jump' in the 1963 movie, The Great Escape.

Another Indian, but one of an entirely different character has also been entered for the Concours. Owned and restored by longtime JUST BIKES advertiser, Jon Munn of Classic Style Australia, the 1970 'Indian Velo 500' came from the first attempt to revive the Indian marque after the company went bust in 1953. The brainchild of publisher Floyd Clymer (of Clymer Manuals fame), the new Indians were built in Italy and based on an Italjet Grifon, but fitted with Royal Enfield 750cc engines.

The last batch of 42 bikes built before Clymer's death in 1970 were fitted with Velocette 500cc engines, and this comprehensively-restored machine is one of the rare batch of Velo-engined Indians. Munn described the Velo 500 as being in extremely poor condition when he came across it, but it has since been restored to better than new, and is arguably the most immaculate of the bikes entered for the concours.

A British bike that will also be vying for Concours glory is the 1954 BSA Shooting Star of Andrew Hosemans. No stranger to thorough, high quality restorations, Andrew's 1954 BSA Road Rocket was one of the most popular project articles to ever feature in JUST BIKES. Andrew spent two years restoring the A7 Shooting Star, which knowing the quality of his past restos, should be a contender, too.

RACV Motorclassica 2012 runs from Friday, October 26 to Sunday, October 28. For further details, entry times, or to purchase tickets, go to www.motorclassica.com.au