Kaikōura motorbike trial celebrates 80 years
Sidecar class champions Kendall McDonald and Hamish Barnett navigate a section of the course during the opening round of the Kaikōura Three Day Motorbike Trialon 30 May. Photo: Lynette Barnett.
ALEX ROBERTON
Celebrating 80 years of motorsport history, riders tackled the Kaikōura Three Day Motorbike Trial over King’s Birthday weekend.
Trials challenge control and balance on sections where the aim is to ride without putting a foot on the ground. The competitor with the lowest score over the three days takes the overall win.
The Kaikōura trial, held Saturday through Monday, drew more than 70 riders from around the North and South Islands competing in a range of grades. The first two days were staged on a farm south of Oaro, while the final day saw competitors take on wet, technical sections of a Mt Fyffe property.
The event was first run in 1946, making it the longest running motorcycle trial in New Zealand.
Kaikōura remains the only trial in New Zealand to include a dedicated sidechair class, where two competitors share a bike. That grade was won by Christchurch pair Kendall McDonald and Hamish Barnett after a consistent three days. Nelson rider Karl Clark claimed overall honours in the highest grade.
Among the field was the event’s oldest competitor, Dick Gardiner, who at 82 continues to defy age. Dick first rode the Kaikōura trial 65 years ago, at age 17, and took the victory in the trial 6 grade this year.