After attracting a record-crowd last year, and being awarded Community Event of the Year in Mount Barker District Council’s Australia Day awards, the Lions Bike Show is returning to Macclesfield this weekend.
About 3000 people attended the Battunga Lions event in 2022, which has raised a total of about $69,000 to support charities and those in need within the local community.
“We’ll have all the old favourites – the bands playing, the burgers sizzling, and the beers and bits and bobs at the back – all the things beginning with ‘b’,” Organiser, Fred Keal, said.
“And, of course, bikes – lots and lots of bikes.
“The show is very laid back – we park all the bikes on the grass oval and they are the centre of the show, and everyone who arrives becomes part of the show.
“Last year, we nearly ran out of space to put bikes.”
Motorcyclists are encouraged to ride through the beautiful country roads to get to Macclesfield, and park their bikes on the oval to be part of the show and shine.
While touring the region, the BSA Motorcycle International Rally – a motorbike group named after Birmingham Small Arms – plans to visit the event.
“The same machinery that makes engines makes guns, and years ago, various small army manufacturers in Birmingham in England got together and formed a conglomerate making weapons for the army,” Mr Keal said.
“And then they started making motorcycles in early 1900s.”
BSA motorbikes were the inspiration behind the whole event when Mr Keal moved to Australia from England and brought some of his favourite parts with him – his 1961 BSA bike and a bike show which celebrates the vehicles.
While BSA bikes will be featured, the event is open to all kinds including this year’s featured postie bike.
“Many people out there have a little Honda postie bike… if you have one, bring it along, we’ll see how many postie bikes we can get in one place,” Mr Keal said.
“We don’t care if it doesn’t work, put it in the back of the ute and bring it.”
Standard Australian Post bikes are Japanese 125 Hondas – a distinct small red vehicle with a tray on the back that people typically buy from the post office.
“They’re very reliable, strong little bikes, and people have a lot of affection for little postie bikes, so we thought we’d have a few of them at the show,” Mr Keal said.
The entry fee for Battunga Country Lions annual signature event goes back to its local, national and international projects, but with a large focus on the region, while many community and sporting groups help with catering to fundraise for their groups.
Battunga Country Lions will also make a donation to Williams Syndrome Association, which will have representatives doing the marshalling.
“It’s well-supported,” Mr Keal said.
“We get great support from our sponsors… (and) by the community.
“The town is definitely developing and we used to be a place you passed through, but we’re now becoming a venue, which is quite good.”
Lions Bike Show will be on Macclesfield Oval this Sunday, November 5 from 9am to 3pm.
For further information, visit (www.facebook.com/lionsbikeshow).
