Events

 Registrations Closed

MELBOURNE CLASSIC SCOOTER RIDE - Blue Smoke over Panton Hill, Sunday 4 December 2022

Register through the link below

What
The annual Melbourne Classic Scooter Ride is on once again. This year we’ve pushed the event into December in the hope of avoiding the worst of the La Nina rains that have been a constant recently.

This special “blue smoke” ride celebrates older classic geared two-stroke motor scooters. The event is hosted by the Vespa Club of Melbourne to acknowledge and support those with a passion for classic scooters. The slow-paced ride allows owners to revel in the joy of riding old scooters. All marques are welcome - Lambretta, Heinkel, Maicoletta, Puch, Rabbit and of course Vespa including the entire PX Vespa range. Sorry, definitely no autos (except Rabbits). The older your scooter, the better. Vehicles from the 1940s - 50s are particularly welcome. Pillions are welcome too. 

You don’t have to be a member of a club to participate but you will need to register for the event. Due to the logistics of a big ride, places are capped at 45 so we ask you to register to reserve a place. Its free! The ride will be badged as a Vespa Day event and so we will use the Vespa World Club cog patch to acknowledge our club’s connection to a larger sister and brotherhood of Vespa owners across the globe. Participants will receive a sticker as a memento of the ride.

If you are contemplating riding your classic scooter to the Wangaratta Rally in March 2023 (and why wouldn’t you?) then this event might be the perfect shake-down ride for your scooter.

Where
Once again we are venturing just outside Melbourne into the rural fringes far away from annoying traffic lights. Our destination is Hurstbridge. 

The Route
Much of our route will be on quiet sealed semi-rural roads with little traffic. The scenery is very pretty and you’ll enjoy the meandering ride at a leisurely ‘classic’ pace. The route from Heidelberg to Hurstbridge is around 55-kms and will take us about 1.5 hours. Much of it is along one of Melbourne’s famed “Green Wedges” - the Nillumbik Shire Green Wedge.

After lunch you can make your own way home from Hurstbridge or join us for an organised 30-km scenic return route to Ivanhoe. The ride will use designated corner markers who will point you in the right direction at each turn so you can relax and enjoy the unfolding scenery. 

Ride Support
The ride is covered by the VCM's Public Liability Insurance. Once again we have organised a van capable of carrying two scooters in case of breakdowns. The van will sweep the route at the rear of the ride.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided courtesy of the Vespa Club of Melbourne and served in Fergusons Paddock, Hurstbridge.

Prizes will be awarded shortly after lunch:

• Best Restored Classic Vespa
• Best Restored Other Marque Scooter
• Best Unrestored Scooter - lots of scratches, original paint and patina please
• Most Unusual, Rare or Oldest Participating Scooter
• Best Dressed Rider for the Era - whether it be a pudding-basin helmet, Biggles goggles, oilskins or an old leather coat, or a sharp tailored Mod outfit with pointy shoes, come dressed to suit the era of your particular scooter. Ride safe and put your costume in the van and change at lunch time if doesn’t provide the required protection.

Departure Point and Time
We will gather and depart from the car park at Heidelberg Cricket Ground <see map here>. 

If coming from the city, go along Burgundy Street through the Heidelberg shopping strip and turn left just after Rosanna Road down into the parklands. If coming from the east, use Jika Street. The car park is sign posted just across a small creek at the Burgundy Street and Beverley Road intersection. Should the park park be full, there is plenty of grassy land in the area to park your scooter. 

This location puts us closer to those quiet back roads that are so pleasurable to ride on two wheels. It will also provide an ideal spot to display our scooters prior to departure. Please note that you’ll have to have breakfast beforehand. However we aim to provide tea, coffee and biscuits before we head off. You’ll need to arrive before 8:30 am. Departure is at 9:30 am sharp.

There will be no fuel stops on the 90-km return ride so please arrive with a full tank.

A full ride brief will be sent out to all registered participants in the weeks prior to this event.

Volunteers Required
We are calling for several experienced volunteers to act as corner markers for this ride. These people will ride at the front of the pack and drop off at various corners as required. The ride will be halted briefly at a number of safe locations to allow the corner markers to ride up to the front of the group once more behind the leader.