Bikers’ Classics 2008

September 10th, 2008

Article By IPA Member: Guy Verstraeten
Guy594 Photography

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The Bikers’ Classics is surely the best organized and most successful motorbike event in Belgium. This year they had nearly 800 drivers participating in various events that were held on the race circuit of Spa-Francorchamps. There was a massive turn out of spectators and participants in this 3-day event, all very much enthusiastic and very pleased having witnessed and experienced such great demonstrations of classic bikes and endurance races.

Nowhere in the world were more former world champions reunited with their original works machines than during the Bikers’ Classics. Names like: Giacomo Agostini, John Surtees, Freddie Spencer, Steve Baker, Kork Ballington, Luca Cadalora, Christian Sarron, Luigi Taveri and many more made this event truly a spectacular and memorable one.

In addition to this, more than 600 classic bikes from private owners and the 4 Hours of Spa Classic endurance race with no less than 64 teams participating, contributed to the success of this event. The signing sessions with Agostini, Surtees, Ballington and many more gave the public a chance to get signatures from these classic race heroes.

On Sunday, we witnessed how John Surtees was grandiously reunited with his Lotus F1 car on track. John Surtees is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver from England. He remains the only person to have won World Championships on both two-and four wheels races.

During this weekend, we saw also a big name in the motorcycle world: Luca Cadalora. He won the 1986 125cc World Championship on a Garelli and then the 1991 and 1992 250cc World Championship aboard an Erv Kanemoto tuned Honda. Cadalora nowadays makes high end gaming PC’s for a living in his native country, Italy.

Mr. Jean-Claude Marcourt, Minister of the Economy, Employment, and Foreign Trade and of the Patrimony of the Walloon Region, had the opportunity to make two rounds at the circuit on the back of a Yamaha R1 driven by Randy Mamola. He was so honored to have this great experience riding with Mamola and very much impressed and fascinated having a ride on this classic bike. Randy Mamola is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is considered one of the most talented riders but he never won a world championship.

After 3 days of great races and spectacular shows of classic bikes and great divers, everything has to end, but surely this will not be the last. We look forward to the 2009 edition of the Bikers’ Classics. Don’t miss it!!!!!