Burt Munro Challenge 2021 kicks off

11th February 2021

It’s that time again! The Burt Munro Challenge 2021 has officially begun: and even some squally Southland weather isn’t enough to dampen the spirits of the hordes of bike enthusiasts who have arrived in Invercargill.

The team at Meccaspresso started the day off right, with their epic all-you-can-eat Biker’s Breakfast buffet a hit with those looking to be fed and watered.

If you missed out today, make sure you head into the café tomorrow for round two of the Biker’s Breakfast, set to run again rom 7.30 – 9.30am.

Meanwhile, the Classic Motorcycle Mecca collection was open bright and early at 8am.

(For more information on everything you need to know about the Burt Munro Challenge 2021, click here)

North Canterbury man Andrew Marshall was one of the first through the doors at Classic Motorcycle Mecca today.

This year’s Burt Munro Challenge was his fourth time attending the event as a spectator, and his second visit to Classic Motorcycle Mecca – he not only visited the museum on its opening day, but had seen the collection when the bikes that formed the basis for the Invercargill bike museum was housed in Nelson.

Classic Motorcycle Mecca had changed quite a bit since his first visit – and he was impressed.

For anybody who was thinking about visiting the Invercargill bike museum, he had some straight-forward advice.

“You’ve got to come in here and do it. Where else can you see this sort of thing in the country? It’s definitely impressive.”

Meanwhile, self-described ‘petrolheads’ – they’re into the complete trifecta of classic cars, trucks, and bikes – Dennis Roderick and Jane Black, from the Kapiti Coast, said visiting both Classic Motorcycle Mecca and Bill Richardson Transport World were top of their to-do list during their time in Invercargill.

In fact, visiting the two museum collections was what had drawn them south – and each had lived up to the hype.

“It’s been beyond our wildest imagination – the sheer size, the restorations, the attention to detail. Things like the paint finishes … it’s world-class, it really is,” Roderick said.

Black said the collections were “just fantastic”.

“We’ll be telling everybody, ‘come down here’,” she said. “It’s blown us away.”

Don't forget - you can skip the queue during this year's Burt Munro Challenge. Book your tickets online and head straight in to check out the leading classic motorcycle museum in the Southern Hemisphere. Find out more here.