Big Bike Sunday get even better!

RowenaH

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22nd July 2023

Back in 1996, a club was formed to encourage the use of classic motorcycles in the North Yorkshire area. As you can see from the photos, the Aire Valley Classic Motorcycle Club has more than succeeded with its annual headline event, Big Bike Sunday.

This charity fund-raiser started in 2002 as a bike night. It became so popular that it outgrew its original venue at Steeton Hall and moved to Skipton Auction Mart in 2013, expanding to fill a full day with vintage and classic bikes.

This year’s event took place in June and showcased an impressive array of ancient roadgoing and racing motorcycles. These included a rarely-seen Silk 700, Tony Jeffries’ ex Triumph Bonneville racer which has been handsomely restored by John Barker and Ian Bottomley’s Norton-Velo featherbed hybrid: beautifully engineered with not a drip of oil in sight!

Sidecar pilots weren’t to be outdone and brought along their three-wheelers, as did Italian enthusiasts such as Simon Howers with his Guzzi Airone.

More than 80 machines entered the concours competition with awards going to the 1927 Vickers Enfield 1000 V-twin (which is still using its original pistons!) owned by David Brown; the Triton of S Robinson; the Honda CB750 of Mark Platt; the Triumph Rocket 3 of Antony Winchester and the Honda Monkey bike owned by Julian. The best in show award went to Frank Melling’s TT winning Crooks Suzuki T500.

More than a thousand visitors enjoyed the event which raised a total of £4127 to be shared between the club’s chosen charities. ‘This was an excellent result for a club of just over 100 members,’ said chairman Mick Steele, ‘particularly in this financial climate.’