Motorcycle Blogs: BAY TO BIRDWOOD

Phill Hunt sent this note from South Australia:
"Hi Paul,
Do you know of the Bay to Birdwood run held in Adelaide, South Australia every year? This year was its 30th Anniversary and it is now the largest continually run vintage vehicle event held anywhere in the world. Due to its size the B to B has now split into two runs (pre 1956 and 1956 – 1977) held on consecutive years. The run is always held on the last Sunday in September. This year’s event was a pre 1956 run.

(Gent in period gear with a 1912 Hunter, a direct-drive Veteran)
In this year’s run there were approximately 1200 pre 1956 cars, commercials and heavy vehicles and almost 250 pre 1956 motorcycles. [That's an enormous turnout for a road rally! - pd'o]

I entered for the first time on my 1947 BSA C10 (above).

I had been to watch the B to B many times but being my first year a rider I was unprepared for the absolute unfettered and boyish excitement I felt at being part of it. Seeing 1400 vintage vehicles pass by is no match for being in the middle of a pack 250 vintage motorcycles as the starter calls for us to start our engines. The roar and smell of burning oil was a huge rush.

(The two 'policemen' are two brothers who had come down from Queensland with matching ca. '28 Indian 101 Scouts that had been restored as New York Police Dept Patrol bikes. Their attention to detail was incredible. They featured well in the Concourse d’Elegance.)

('Elementary, my dear Watson; just point and shoot!')
The press and the B to B website estimate that approximately 100,000 people line the roads of the 70 kilometre journey from the start near Glenelg (The Bay) to the finish at Birdwood. To put that into perspective, 100,000 people is approximately 1/10th the population of Adelaide. In the 70km journey, I could have spent the entire time beeping my horn and waving at kids running along the side of the road, families having picnics or car and motorcycle clubs who had set up pit stops complete with barbies and drinks for anyone who cared to stop.

(BMW R75M - complete with MG machine gun and Afrika Korps livery - in front of the National Motor Museum in Birdwood)
It really was a fantastic day and I’m busily trying to buy myself a bike that will fit into the post ’56 criteria so I can participate every year from now on. Many of my mates will be in next years run with a ’66 Mustang, a ’66 MGB and an early ‘70’s BSA."