A few mates and I went to Broadford on Saturday to check out the Bike Bonanza weekend. There were plenty of very nice bikes to look at and watch riding around the track. I also got the opportunity to meet a legend of bike racing Kel Carruthers.

Kel and Me

For those who don't already know, Kel won the 1969 world 250cc championship and went on to become crew chief to none other than Kenny Roberts when he was king of the flat tracks of America on a XS650 Yamaha. I would have loved to have talked to Kel at length about that time but unfortunately the opportunity never arose. I walked away wondering what stories he could have told me about that era when the XS was king of the flat tracks.

Kel was at the event to be the guest speaker at a gala dinner and to ride this Manx Norton he first raced in 1963, he is 70 years old now. My friends and I had a great day and the weather was perfect, another memory to look back on with a smile.

Sorry for being philosophical but we really should take the opportunity to attend things that are not humdrum and ordinary, days to remember are few and far between and lost opportunities become regrets, opportunities taken become fond memories. Do yourselves a favour and get out there and have some fun, you won't regret it. Ok I'm off my soapbox now. - Toota

Club member Steve Gourdon was there too.

Hello Terry,  I took my club rego bike to Broadford on Saturday for a decent ride, 300km return. I'm glad I went, it was a good day. There was at least 3 tracks operating that I saw, a proper bitumen racetrack, a motocross track with hills and jumps, and another bush-bashin' track that I didn't get a good look at, too dusty. I saw 3 other xs650s, all with club plates, but not from our club! One was parked and I didn't meet the owner, another was a gold or yellow xs1, I was talking to the owner enough to learn he was not a member and I forgot his name. The 3rd was on my way out, this guy was pushing his xs down the hill just inside the gate trying to start it. I stopped to lend a hand but it wouldn't go. He was sure it was a battery problem so I gave him a dink to the pits and we borrowed a portable jump starter box thingo. It wasn't enough for the electric starter but got it going with a kick. We had to keep it revving about 2000rpm or it would die. So he went home, didn't want it to stop again, poor bloke. His name was Bernie and was in the Norton club, he had red plates on the 650 though.?  That's ok, don't tell anyone.  It was grouse all the old bikes there though, and these blokes aren't scared to put them on the track and fang it. Next year I'm going with someone and will camp the night and have a few coldies.  Cheers, Steve.