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Story and pics by Wade Evans – Evo
Harrow is a small farming settlement in the far western Victoria 4 1/2 hours drive time from Melbourne, it sits on the banks of the Glenelg river which winds its way south through beautiful rolling pasture and bushland. A perfect setting for the start of Victoria’s biggest vinduro hosted by the Classic Scramble Club of Victoria.
With most entrants arriving on Saturday there was the opportunity to have rip around CSC’s natural terrain motorcross track on Lachy Turners (pictured with the 2 ladies)property just outside of town. I took my Bultaco out there for a play and I was surprised to see how many soft patches their were from recent rains. When I say soft I mean nearly over the handle bars soft when you hit them. Deciding not to test my luck any further I rode back to the car park where Gunnie and Drakie were giving the Puch and SWM you can see in the pics a work out. Saturday evening was relatively quite with some people spending time at the pub but most enjoying a peaceful drink by the camp fire.
Its a cold and foggy Sunday morning at 7am I’m having a cuppa and brecky watching people rushing about getting ready and hauling fuel drums around while more riders are just arriving and unloading their bikes.
8.30 the sun is out and fog lifting the riders briefing is on the 95 entrants are welcomed and everyone is excited and anxious to to get going.
9.00 the first riders are off in groups of 3 per minute, the first section was the ride out of town along the river towards the bridge. The river itself was running higher than usual so the coarse took us through some local peoples back yards to get around the high water! Reaching the bridge we had to push our bikes across (no road rego) and ride resumed along the opposite side of the river and through more private properties to the first check point.
From here on in it get serious with something for everybody on the coarse water with bog holes, sand with bog holes, swamp with bog holes, single track with bog holes, bogs holes with bog holes, open paddocks with bog holes and case smashing rocks with bog holes and swamps with bog holes, are you getting the picture. The guy with the newly restored H7 Monty I’m sure was crying in his helmet after riding through this muck.
I had the pleasure of extracting Laurie Alderton’s Maico from a bottomless bog for him. The biggest problem being the suction of mud and once it got over the rim through your spokes your going nowhere. My approach the swap sections on lap one was cautious at first which didn’t work. By lap 3 after 90 odd riders had passed through this section it was a flat out kamikaze attack with little thought of what stump or log might lie hidden in the muddy soup.
At the end of the day presentions were made, Nathans Penrite oils team No.2 taking the honor for most laps completed. Prizes were given out from generous sponsors Ballards and Discount motorcycle wreckers. Enduro legends Laurie Alderton and Chris Cater gave their view of the ride and congratulated Peter Drakeford his team and the people of Harrow on great event.
