Ducati feast at Laverda Concours

Ducati fans will find plenty to feast their eyes on at the annual Laverda Concours at Cleveland on Sunday, November 12, 2017.

The event was rained out on its original scheduled date of October 15 which is ironic given the event was moved this year from July to avoid similar rain postponements. 

The Ducati display will be the highlight as Ducati Owners Club of Queensland celebrates 40 years in Australia with a model from just about every year since the 1950s.

Organiser Franko Von says they will even have the Cucciolo (puppy) Ducati engine which was fitted to bicycles and was the precursor to their motorcycles.

The feast of Ducatis will include the usual array of 1960s singles and 1970s bevel V-twins plus several race bikes.

They include Murray Kahler’s NCR raced by Jim Scaysbrook in the Isle of Man, Leon Haslam’s Airwaves Ducati, an ultra-rare Supermono and a genuine factory 600 TT2.

You can also check out Motorbike Writer’s Ducati GT1000 in the parking area.

29th Concours

The 29th Laverda Concours is now held in spring instead of winter after being postponed several times in recent years bay bad weather.

(If the Laverda Concours is again postponed by bad weather, you will get an update Saturday on the MotorbikeWriter Facebook page.)

Event manager Bryan Horn says the committee finally bit the bullet and shifted the event to the third Sunday in October from now on.

Unfortunately it was again rained out. It will now be held on Sunday, November 12, from 8am to 4pm. Check out their Facebook page for updates.

Concours feast

There won’t only be a feast of Ducatis at the concours, but many other bikes, both in the show and in the car park.

Among the highlight bikes this year will be a Scorch Laverda custom race bike featured on their poster and a Martini Yamaha XS1100.

There will also be a dyno, food vendors, motorcycle club stalls and trade stalls.

Bryan says there is plenty of interest from cafe racer motorcycle builders/modifiers for trade displays this year.

How to enter

Entry is $10 for visitors over 15 and includes motorcycle parking.

If you wish to display your bike, it will cost an extra $10. 

Entries are open from 7am and trophy presentation will be about 2.30pm.

If you want to enter your bike(s) you can complete your entry form before the day by downloading it from the Club Laverda website.

All bikes must be in running order to be judged.

Classes are: Continental up to 750cc, Continental over 750cc, British Pre-1985, British Post 1985, American Pre 1984, American Post 1984, Japanese, Pre 1985, Japanese Post 1985, Pre 1964, Street Performance, Competition, 3 Wheeler or trailer, Custom and Cafe Racer.

Concours history

The Laverda Concours is one of the largest motorcycle shows in Australia and was interestingly started in 1982 by the Ducati Owners Club which handed over the duties to the Laverda Club. They have been doing it ever since.

Despite its name, the Laverda Concours is open to all makes of bikes, trikes and scooters. There are some 60 trophies on offer and $2000 prize money for best in show.

The alcohol-free family event raises funds for the Make a Wish Foundation and has raised more than $70,000 in the past 10 years.

The show used to be held under the Storey Bridge, but has been held at the larger Cleveland Showgrounds in Long Street for the past five years.