2012 All British Rally

After a huge event last year, big numbers turned out again for the 2012 Rally, which was held over the weekend of April 28-29. In near perfect weather conditions, approximately 1000 bikes filled the Old Newstead Racecourse, which was the hub for the event. Amongst the diverse range of classic and vintage British machinery on show and in action, there was a particularly noteworthy mix of pre-War and modern Triumphs.

The weekend offered participants the facilities to camp on the racecourse site, with plenty of room for tents and ample firewood. There were food facilities and a live band.

On Saturday, the activities included a ride from the racecourse to the nearby town of Maldon, around 20 minutes away, for lunch at the bakery. It was good to see the hordes of classic bikes being fired up and ridden how they were intended, although some seemed to be a bit more temperamental than others!

If you are in to British bikes, whether it's Ariel, BSA, Triumph, or some of the rarer marques like Scott, Douglas and the like, the All British Rally is well worth attending. Newstead is about an hour and a half from Melbourne and is easily accessible via the freeways and highways. The event is put on annually by the BSA Motorcycle Owners Association, so look out for details of next year's event early in 2013.