Book Subjects Wanted - Motorbikes

Gidday folks, I've been asked to put together a new book for HarperCollins Publishing, on New Zealand motorbike enthusiasts. I'm looking for people to include in the book. The book is basically about the bike culture in NZ, and will include everything from vintage bikes, through to modern, rare bikes, daily commuters, race bikes, and bike collections etc. Also after interesting motorbike owners, ie, owners who have travelled huge distances on their bikes, or ridden them internationally, also elderly owners, elderly racers, young owners and racers, etc etc. The bikes themselves don't necessarily have to be special, but there needs to be a story to tell with each.

Am very much open to ideas. Would appreciate any leads and/or suggestions, contacts etc.

Anyway, any help would be appreciated. Flick me an email at: theroaringseason@gmail.com

Thanks folks.

One person on your list might well be John Hartle, lives Hillcrest way on the Shore. The Vintage sidecar brigade might be worth talking to. I think Waitemata VCC may know of a few interesting souls too.

Steve, You could try Colin Marsden and Bill Veitch in Dunedin. Both would have good stories to tell. Both been riding for 50 odd years.

Steve-if you want to do a section on loose cannons on bikes-I have 6 Kawasaki 500 H1s and 2 Kawasaki 750 H2s from 70-72.
Lot of short term citizens had them.

Don't Forget Ken McIntosh. And Paul Fahey started on motorcycles, and George Begg was pretty handy too.

Artist Billy Apple is another with a passion for bikes (as well as cars) and always an interesting subject to talk to.

Are you going to be at Denny Hulme at all Steve? If possible I will try to catch up for a chat about the subject, I expect to be there the first Friday and maybe the following.

Hey guys, thanks for the suggestions. Keep them coming! Murray, yep I'll be there Friday morning. Ray, do you know how I could contact Billy?

Steve, if you have no luck contacting Billy Apple, I know his brother. Could be worth a try.
Bruce.

I've got heaps of shots of classic bikes Steve
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8021817...7616842802178/

Dad has a early seventies era chopper based on a Triumph. Quite a few rodders have bikes in their collections.

Brian Meadowcroft at Cycle Pro has been the number 1 motorbike body painter-I sent you pix of some of his works.
I will send you a pm .

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Originally Posted by Steve Holmes

Hey guys, thanks for the suggestions. Keep them coming! Murray, yep I'll be there Friday morning. Ray, do you know how I could contact Billy?

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I'll try and catch up with you the first Friday of the Hulme. Billy may well be around at some stage anyway. I think I still have his address and phone number. We have a mutual interest in his Lola.

Are you going to be based anywhere specific Steve? Maybe with Dale? Or do we all meet just outside Hamptons just before/after the lunch breaks???

I do have an old Greeves down at HD awaiting building up properly...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Steve Holmes

Gidday folks, I've been asked to put together a new book for HarperCollins Publishing, on New Zealand motorbike enthusiasts. I'm looking for people to include in the book. The book is basically about the bike culture in NZ, and will include everything from vintage bikes, through to modern, rare bikes, daily commuters, race bikes, and bike collections etc. Also after interesting motorbike owners, ie, owners who have travelled huge distances on their bikes, or ridden them internationally, also elderly owners, elderly racers, young owners and racers, etc etc. The bikes themselves don't necessarily have to be special, but there needs to be a story to tell with each.

Am very much open to ideas. Would appreciate any leads and/or suggestions, contacts etc.

Anyway, any help would be appreciated. Flick me an email at: theroaringseason@gmail.com

Thanks folks.

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Mrs Berg would be a good one. Never been interested in bikes until aged 35. Got her licence, and now, 2 years on, I have to pry her off a bike. Almost 30,000km on her current one,,,,,,,,,,,,since Feb last year!

Hey everyone, thanks heaps for all the replies. This is awesome!

Dave, I'd love to include Mrs B. Can you flick me an email and let me know what part of the country you live in? I'll be up for the Denny Hulme Festival from next weekend, and plan to stay in the upper north island during the week following before the second DH weekend. So I plan to visit people for the book.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ERC

I'll try and catch up with you the first Friday of the Hulme. Billy may well be around at some stage anyway. I think I still have his address and phone number. We have a mutual interest in his Lola.

Are you going to be based anywhere specific Steve? Maybe with Dale? Or do we all meet just outside Hamptons just before/after the lunch breaks???

I do have an old Greeves down at HD awaiting building up properly...

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Thanks Ray, yep I will be around the HMC pit a lot of the time, although Dale has organised for me to do some commentating for the HMC races (thanks Dale, NOT!). So I should be pretty easy to track down.

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Originally Posted by Greg Stokes

Dad has a early seventies era chopper based on a Triumph. Quite a few rodders have bikes in their collections.

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Hey Greg, I'd love to include Mark in it. I plan to stay up in the Auck area for the week following the first DH event next weekend, so could call in and see him that week if possible?

Just wanted to bump this one back to the top. Still looking for subjects for this book. Any suggestions for people and bikes of interest in both the lower North Island and South Island? Have car and camera. Will travel!

What about the museum at Rongotea (Sp?) many of the bikes at Leadfoot came from there.

Put out a call on
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/
Plenty of bikers on there....

Thanks for that ^^ great idea!

Check out WWW.Cust GP. Followers of that site may well have stories and info to tell!
PK.

Try www.custgp.com