Five years on and Born Too Late still going strong

19 January, 2015

Five years seem to have passed by at a rapid rate when you realize that it’s been that long since the first Chopper Show event was held in a small car park in Auckland’s Eden Terrace. Back then there was really nothing like it — bikes were still allowed at Kumeu and the only other place you were going to find such a gathering of custom-built bikes was in the car park of the Hot Rod Blowout. Times had changed and the notion that if you had a Chopper or a badass Trumpy you probably also had a patch was no longer correct.

The new-wave of Chopper builders are the same guys who were (and in some cases still are) riding round at the skatepark on their BMX bikes and skateboards — and they still wear Vans. The initial conversation about putting on a gathering of like-minded munters and their Choppers, bobbers, unfinished projects, and British iron went something like (and our man Aaron Carson knows ’cause he was there) this…

“Be good if there was a cool bike show eh?”

“F*ck yea … should probably put one on.”

That first event was a shot in the arm – it was exciting, there was something in the air – other than weed and tyre smoke. There was an excitement and vibe that felt good – it had something to do with cool bikes, no fights, a shitty PA system, nasty rock n roll, a loveable lack of organization and difficulty in remembering the later parts of the days events.

So there we were on January 17, 2015, five years down the track, at Born Too Late 5. For the first time the show was held in a country setting about 5kms down the road from the Kumeu Hot Rod Festival, which banned bikes a couple of years ago. Having the event on the same day as Kumeu and close to it was a stroke of genius. If you’re like us and appreciate bikes as well as cars it means you can get to both and still have a smug smile on your face knowing it’s a big middle finger to the Kumeu organizers for kicking out bikers.

What was Born Too Late 5 like? It was awesome. From the moment you turned off Awa Road, crossed over the small wooden bridge, and entered the paddock you could feel that this was something special. The land was resonating with good vibes and was surrounded by gently sloping banks and shady trees. It opened up like Valhalla as you crossed that bridge — shimmering and mysterious from outside and obviously the promised land upon arrival. This felt new but comfortably worn in — it was superbly organized but not oppressive.

There was a stage with hand-picked bands (not some bullshit half-arsed cover band), DJs, a ‘proper’ bar, wood-fired pizza, sensible liaison with the police who made a visit, and possibly the most luxurious air-conditioned port-a-loos I’ve ever encountered. Having spent the previous 24 hours trying to avoid the Vietnam War-like ablutions at Kumeu it’s hard to explain how enjoyable this was. The event was, as you would expect due to the organizers being driven by a passion for motorcycles rather than cash, a very good time indeed. Parking for non-show bikes was easy and plentiful, it wasn’t over crowded and hardened bastards mingled comfortably with rock ‘n’ rollers, kale nibblers, and fancy ladies.

It felt like a well-curated motorcycle art exhibition held in a quality bourbon distillery managed by Keith Richard. Intriguing, inebriating, and just the right amount of shambles.

There were awards for Best Chopper, British, Project, American, Tattoos, Sexy Lady, and Sportster and other than the odd sprinkle of rain the weather was perfect. We loved this show — the only thing that could have made it better would have been if we didn’t have to leave. Hopefully next year (if it happens again) we might be able to camp out? Here’s hoping. Either way, if it’s on, we’ll be there!

1975 Suzuki RE5

Suzuki had high hopes for its RE5 Wankel-engined bike launched in 1975. It had started looking at the Wankel engine in the mid-60s and bought the licence to the concept in 1970.
Apparently all of the big four Japanese makers experimented with the design, Yamaha even showing a rotary-engined bike at a motor show in 1972. But Suzuki was the only one of the big four to go into production. Like many others at the time, Suzuki believed that the light, compact, free-revving Wankel design would consign piston engines — with their complex, multiple, whirring valves and pistons, which (can you believe it?) had to reverse direction all the time — to history.

Westside story

For the young Dave Blyth, the Sandman was always the coolest car and he finally got one when he was 50. “I have always had a rule. When you turn 50, you buy or can afford to buy the car you lusted after when you were 20. I was 20 in 1979 and the HZ Sandman came out in 1978. It was the coolest of the cool — I just wanted one,” he says. “Back then a Sandman cost $4500 new and a house was worth about $20,000. I made about $30 a week so it was an impossible dream then.”
Dave was heavily influenced by the panel van culture of the time. “I started with an Escort panel van and upgraded to a Holden HD panel van with a 186ci six cylinder. I started a van club, Avon City Vans.