Footdown
The bike community seems to be getting its show on the road. Organiser Ian Foster says his idea for a motorcycle show on Chater Road, Central, on November 5, has 'received a huge response after Foot Down's article'.
The key to this event's success is the participation of individual bikers and clubs, however, and we hear that the Harley owners, Mad Dogs, Classic Bike Club, MX- Club, Trials Club, Cruisers' Club, Triumph Owners, V-Twin Club, Chopper Union, Superbike Club, and BMW Owners' Club have all expressed support and will mobilise their packs to fill Chater Road with their machines. We don't blame them. The Hong Kong Automobile Association's memorable Round-the-Island drive for the tsunami victims (below) showed the camaraderie of Hong Kong riders.
'Hong Kong is certainly defining itself as the Biking capital of Asia,' Foster says. The police, the Hong Kong Automobile Association, the Fire Services Department and driving instructors 'will also have booths to display to bikers the invaluable services they provide our community'. Bravo.
And wouldn't it be fantastic to see some of the Hong Kong police force's VIP protection unit demonstrate the precision of their riding. These officers have to be the finest riders in town, because they have to be able to keep an eye on their VIP, the road and their bikes and still be ready for any bad guys.
We'd also like to see custom-design firms showing their chrome, a bikers' ink tattoo contest and maybe a fashion show for suits needing the latest, meanest-looking zips, leathers and bandanas at weekends.
We nod knowingly when readers such as Alexandre Cerveira say they have to sell their wheels because Madame says so.
'I have a 1939, R35 civilian model BMW for sale, for HK$89,000,' the wine merchant says. 'Do you know anyone who would be interested?'
Who wouldn't? We hear the classic Beamer (above) is in 'perfect running condition' and has been a heritage centrepiece of BMW Concessionaires (HK)'s motorbike floor in BMW House, To Kwa Wan. 'The dealers were very pleased to have the bike for display,' Cerveira says. 'And for the bike, it's for the best too, as these weather and humidity levels are not good for classic vehicles at all.'
The old BMW's history is virtually unknown, he says. 'It was a friend of mine, a retired Jaguar mechanic in Belgium, who found it in a farm,' Cerveira says. 'The original owner had passed away a few years earlier and the old widow was willing to sell, but didn't know much about the bike's history.
'I had it in Europe for close to four years, but shipped it to Hong Kong six months ago. It needs a new pair of tyres and a few minor repairs.'
But here's the crunch. 'I got married last year,' says Cerveira, who also has a Gilera, a new BMW and a Smart car. 'And my lovely wife's been reminding me that I have too many high-maintenance toys.' We know the feeling, Alexandre.
And Land Rover Hong Kong spokeswoman Maggie Cheung sends us a shot of the launch of the Discovery 3 Diesel (below, HK$486,000) at its recent launch at the Aviation Club.
