Back in the early 1980s owners of British, European and American motorcycles from the late 1960s and 70s were at the crossroads. Vintage racing was only interested in catering for machinery built before 1963. Meanwhile, modern racing classes were flooded with powerful Japanese two- and four-strokes.
So in 1983 a bunch of racers in Christchurch used a bit of classic Kiwi ingenuity to create a breakaway branch of racing the called BEARS (British, European and American Racing Series). Within five years it had become an international meeting attracting the biggest spectator crowds in New Zealand motorcycle racing, a strong competitor entry and eventually a prize pool of $20K. Its success would help inspire the inaugural 1995 FIM World BEARS Championship, with New Zealand-built Brittens coming first and second.
This February the BEARS Sound of Thunder meeting celebrates 40 years. It is intended to get as many of the founding and early members together for a reunion, and other special tributes are being
