Three living legends of New Zealand motorcycling were honoured in a special ceremony in Wellington on Saturday night.

The governing body for motorcycle sport in this part of the world, Motorcycling New Zealand, celebrated its 100th birthday at Wellington’s Te Papa Museum on Saturday night, the organisation using the occasion to announce its major award recipients for 2016, to recognise and honour special achievements by individuals and also to name the latest inductees into the Hall of Fame.

The centenary function heralded five new additions into the MNZ Hall of Fame and among them were revolutionary inventor of the iconic Britten motorcycle, John Britten, and the man behind “The World’s Fastest Indian”, Burt Munro.

While both of these men were honoured posthumously, three “living legends” of the sport were on hand to personally accept their honours and speak before a large crowd that represented a “Who’s Who” of New Zealand’s motorcycling community.

Palmerston North’s Tim Gibbes, Lower Hutt’s Paul Treacy and Tokoroa’s Sean Clarke heard their names read out as they were inducted into the Hall of Fame and they each modestly declared themselves “humbled” by the occasion.

Named as an Ambassador to NZ Motorcycle Sport or Industry, the 82-year-old Gibbes (pictured above) has been heavily involved in motorcycling most of his life and he still plays a vital part in the sport today.

He was a Grand Prix motocross racer in the 1960s and, between 1955 and 1963, he won six gold medals and one bronze medal at the International Six Days Trial (later renamed the International Six Days Enduro, ISDE), an event often referred to as the “Olympic Games of motorcycling”.

It was during this period that Gibbes also worked as a motorcycle stuntman in the Hollywood blockbuster The Great Escape (released in 1963, starring Steve McQueen).

He was a factory bike tester and works rider on English-made Matchless, AJS, Greeves, DOT and Ariel bikes and, later in his career, Gibbes was the manager on several occasions for international race teams. Once the owner of a motorcycle shop and also a regular official, organiser and promoter at events, Gibbes has done it all.

It was Gibbes who founded the New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville in 1961, this event now New Zealand’s longest-running and largest motocross event, held each January.

In 1999 he became the first person to introduce electronic timing into motorcycling events in New Zealand and can still often be seen in the timing booth at superbike races, meticulously collating results.

Paul Treacy was recognised on Saturday night for his contributions to motorcycle design and engineering.

His work behind the scenes in the sport has been remarkable.

A former racer himself, he built and developed bike frames, suspension and engines that rivalled even the work done by the factory teams, assisting several riders to become world champions.

Treacy’s career took him to the United States and then the United Kingdom where he helped Kiwi riders Richard Scoular, Des Barry and Richard Scott to considerable success when racing at the Isle of Man, North West 200 and F1 and F2 World Championship events.

He later joined the famous Kenny Roberts Factory Yamaha Team.

Treacy also assisted Bill Buckley in 1999 and 2000 with his BSL 500 GP project.

The youngest of this trio of inductees, the 48-year-old Sean Clarke was also named as an Ambassador to NZ Motorcycle Sport or Industry.

A multi-time New Zealand enduro champion and Tarawera 100 cross-country champion in 2000, Clarke has also competed internationally, winning gold medals at the ISDE, both times when the international event was held in Australia, at Cessnock in 1992 and at Traralgon in 1998.

He won ISDE silver medals on a further two occasions, in Slovakia in 2005 and in Greece in 2008, as well as tackling the iconic Romaniacs extreme enduro in Romania, placing ninth in 2011, winning his class in 2013, finishing third in 2014 and fourth in 2015.

Many times an event official, organiser and promoter, Clarke was the man behind New Zealand hosting the ISDE at Taupo in 2006. As a result, New Zealand won the FIM’s prestigious Watling Trophy, the first time in its history that it was awarded to organisers rather than a team and Clarke was that year also named Administrator of the Year in the South Waikato Sports Awards.

“I was so blown away to be Inducted into the MNZ Hall of Fame on Saturday night,” said Clarke. “I can’t take all the glory on my own though. My wife and kids have been a major part of this journey.

“The support from all the team who come along and help me at events … before, during and after … are all part of the backbone to the sport. I couldn’t have done it without all their support.”

Individuals who had already previously been inducted into the MNZ Hall of Fame are Ivan Mauger, Ronnie Moore, Shayne King, Graeme Crosby, Ginger Molloy, Len Perry, Hugh Anderson and Rod Coleman.

The awards and centenary weekend was supported by principal sponsor Mike Pero Real Estate, with a number of category sponsors also backing the event. The categories and sponsors are: Female rider of the year (Bike Rider Magazine, Dirtrider Downunder); Service to motorcycling (Crombie Lockwood); Best up-and-coming off-road rider (Precise Print & Design); Best up-and-coming road rider (Suzuki); Male rider of the year (Mike Pero Real Estate). Supporting sponsors: BikesportNZ.com, Gibson Sheat Lawyers, Spark New Zealand.

© Words and photos by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

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