Private passions and public pleasure

An eclectic range of two-wheeled machines, spanning more than a century of motorcycling, were put through their paces over the 1200 metre street circuit that plays host to the Chinon Classic each June. While many are modern machines, from Japan, there were enough older machines, of European provenance, to make the event of interest to classic motorcyclists.

The event’s increasing popularity is evident from the fact that whereas only four years ago it attracted barely 40 entries, this year that number had more than tripled. And what’s more, it now attracts marque club stands and vintage motorcycle dealers beneath the plane trees – a coveted location on a day when temperatures were in the 30s – in the moto village stretching along the banks of the Vienne. All that and no admission charge too makes the Chinon Classic a