People with long(ish) memories
may just recall that, in the UK, Kawasaki once sold a range of mountain bikes.
These were not £99 specials with questionable brakes and clunky gears. These were
high quality bikes for the enthusiast who knew their Shimano from their Campagnolo.
The link between
Kawasaki and mountain bikes has been reinvigorated in the past few years as
KMUK sponsors the Gorrick 100 mountain bike endure each Spring. And with the General Manager of Kawasaki in the UK entered among the hopefuls, the chance to take to
two wheels powered by muscle alone was embraced by a full field of entrants.
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| The Kawasaki display at the Gorrick 100 |
With riders having a
choice of 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 or just1 lap of a classic 10 mile enduro course, the
terrain was fun, but challenging as it wound its way through Windmill Hill and
the surrounding land, with single track sections aplenty.
Every rider who completed
their challenge could look forward to a finisher’s medal and, for the more
driven, a range of trophies and prizes including some special items donated by
Kawasaki.
Whatever distance entrants chose to ride the Kawasaki Enduro is always a
challenge. It can be just as tough for the one lap newcomers as for the crazy
seven lappers completing 70 miles off road.
Either way, to finish is very rewarding after one or many 10 mile laps
of glorious fun trails into the Windmill and Porridgepot Hills near Deepcut in
Surrey.
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| Howard Dale completed his two laps |
For the spectators there was more to see and do besides watching the competitors
with a display of Kawasaki motorcycles and representation from off-roader supreme,
Mick Extance along with bikes from his Kawasaki supported off-road motorcycle experience.
For some very lucky riders, Kawasaki was proud to present British Super
Bike Tickets and a day at the Mick Extance Experience.
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| Amanda Brooks - a seven lap hero |
Two such winners were Tim Dunford riding for Team Mountain Trax Vauxhall
Motors who blitzed the seven laps in just 5hrs 17m, and Amanda Brooks (Freeborn
Cycles / Hansgrohe) completing in 6hrs 31m.
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| Tim Dunford rode 70 miles off road |
As for Kawasaki’s Howard Dale, he opted for the two lapper completing 20
miles off-road in 2hrs 20m. Speaking afterwards he praised the organisers and
hoped that the profile of the Gorrick club had been further enhanced.
"So many people who ride motorcycles either competitively or for leisure also ride mountain bikes as a hobby. With so much state of the art technology now in bicycles the attraction is clear. We hope everyone enjoyed the Gorrick event and seeing our road and off-road motorcycles on display. We hope that Tim and Amanda enjoy their prizes”.
