What started out as a celebratory dinner at a local Coffs Harbour Chinese restaurant has resulted in the acquisition of a unique motorcycle expected to be a spectacular draw to the festival.

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Show co-coordinator Christopher Pearson was sitting with a local Coffs Harbour motorcycle collector discussing the 2023 event when the alert ding went off on Christopher’s phone.

Having a quick look, he couldn’t believe his eyes as he saw a for sale listing for the very type and model of a motorcycle the dinner guest was after.

“I informed my friend that a Velocette was available, that I’d just had a notification,” Christopher told News Of The Area.

“‘Where?’, they asked me.

“In the UK.”

For the friend that wasn’t a problem as she had imported others from that part of the world.

“However, my next comment fell on resistant ears…’it’s on UK Gumtree, not a dealer’, I told my friend.”

The response was a resounding ‘No’.

However, by dessert time the motorcycle collector had warmed to the idea as long as Christopher took full responsibility.

“By 5am the next morning I had secured a tentative undertaking from the seller to at least consider my offer.

Every possible barrier was raised by the seller, “You might be a scammer?” “How will you pay in pounds?” “I’m too old to pack it in a crate”.

These issues of resistance went on for at least two weeks before an agreement was reached, payment made and a courier secured to arrange pick up and transport to a shipping agent.

Once at the shipping agent things moved at a faster rate and soon photos were received of a treated timber crate and a sailing schedule was provided.

“Once underway the 24,000kms trip wasn’t without dramas as the ship disappeared for almost a week from tracking while in pirate waters off the African Coast.

“Then the crate was offloaded at Singapore for over two weeks before connecting with an Australian bound ship and some twelve weeks later it arrived in the Port Of Brisbane and, after clearance, delivery to the Coffs Harbour based collector,” said Christopher.

This well-travelled Velocette Viceroy in navy blue will make its show debut at the Park Beach Plaza on Sunday 5 November and so joins only one or two of this model thought to be in Australia and the only one to become a regular use and show motorcycle at the same time.

By Andrea FERRARI