Over the weekend of the October 14-16, Cooma and Monaro residents will be able to see and hear the unmistakable sounds of around 50 classic motor bikes as Cooma Car Club conducts its long running annual Girder Fork Rally.
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The rally is exclusive to pre-1950 girder fork motor cycles and their riders, and the organisers are expecting around 50 of these classic machines and their riders to roll into Cooma on Friday, October 14.
Among the interesting machines entered are a 1918 Wolesley entered by George Keats, Ian Richardson will be riding his 1915 Rudge Multigear and Barry Graham is riding a 1929 Brough Superior. Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVTs) are now being fitted to a number of modern cars in order to achieve better fuel economy, and are thought to be a modern development. However, in 1912 Rudge released the first Rudge Multigear CVT and a Rudge Multigear won the 1914 Isle of Man TT. This year there are 3 lady riders proving that Classic motor bikes are not just toys for boys.
The prime attraction for the entrants is riding the uncrowded scenic sealed roads of the Cooma-Monaro region. The event is also renowned for its social aspect including an excellent morning tea, lunch and dinner at the Cooma Car Club Clubhouse on Saturday night; all providing great opportunities for the historic bike enthusiasts to get together to discuss their machines and the day’s adventures.
Best places to see the bikes and riders:
There will be a short “tune-up” 30 km run on Friday afternoon, October 16. The bikes and riders will depart the Cooma Car Club Clubhouse in Bolaro Street at 2pm.
There will be two runs on Saturday. The riders and bikes will be at the Car Club Clubhouse from 8 to 9am when they will depart for Ando for morning tea, arriving at around 10am. The bikes will leave Ando around 11am, returning to Cooma via the Snowy River Way and the Maffra-Bobundra Rd, arriving at the Cooma Car Clubhouse around 12noon for judging, total 147 km.
In the afternoon, the participants will ride out along Kosciuszko Road, Eucumbene Rd, Middlingbank Rd and return to Cooma via Slack’s Creek Road. The total ride for the day will be 226 km.
On Sunday, the riders and bikes are at the Clubhouse from around 8.30 am, departing at 9.30am to ride out along Shannons Flat Rd to the end of the bitumen and return for a total of 60 kms.
The 2017 Girder Fork Rally, will be first of Cooma’s festival of spring motoring events.
Other events this spring:
A junior driver development/motorkhana day at the ‘Longhouse’, Polo Flat Road, Cooma on Sunday, October 23.
The Southern Cross Anniversary Car Rally is passing through Cooma on Friday, November 11. The drivers and cars will be at the Cooma Car Club Clubhouse from 7.30am to 9am for breakfast.
Cooma Car Club’s bi-annual Surf to Summit Rally will be held over the weekend November 12-13.
