6
NEWS
Team Bikesales conquers Le Minz!
A fast-finishing 29th place on the Aprilia SR50 R, but it wasn't without its moments…I occasionally enjoy being tapped on the shoulder at 3:00am, but this wake-up call was for an entirely different reason: being asked to take the reins of the Aprilia SR50 R for the last ‘shift’ before the sun broke on the 2014 InsureMyRide Le Minz 24-Hour Scooterthon, held on the Gold Coast across December 5-6.
This year, Bikesales bit the bullet and entered a team in the popular epic – now 13 years old -- for the first time, and comprised this author, trucking magnate Rod Chapman, and car scribes Marton Pettendy and Matt Brogan, all of us colleagues under the Carsales.com umbrella.
After more than a few harrowing moments, we made it to the finish line in 29th position. Or, to put a bigger picture spin on it, we covered 728 laps of the 1.6km go-kart circuit in Pimpama. The winning team, ATA, led by world endurance campaigner Gareth Jones, was just a little bit ahead of us -- to the tune of 109 laps… Smartarses.
Jones wasn’t the only top-shelf campaigner to breeze past Team Bikesales at regular intervals, with Jason Crump, Garry McCoy, Glenn Allerton, Mike Jones, Paul Caslick and Josh Hook also adding to our sense of awe.
The narrative for Le Minz is simple: it’s hard yakka. The 50cc scooters, dominated by the SR50 R, don’t conjure up too many fears, but keeping one out of trouble for 24 hours is a massive challenge that most teams can’t deliver on.
And then this year, four or five bouts of heavy rain were also thrown into the reckoning -- one blazing storm which Chapman had to endure -- and it’s easy to see why we hit the deck three times. But other than some superficial scarring, the SR50 R held firm throughout, with Brogan taking it over the finish line at midday on Saturday. A day before, the machine had just 58km on it, and now it was 1164km. Time for a first service.
Standby for the full Le Minz wrap – and don’t worry, we’ll spare you a lap by lap analysis. There’ll be video as well, including the first Bikesales oopsie caught on helmet cam.
And if you want to check out first-hand what all the fuss is about, the next Le Minz will be held at Sydney Dragway on February 28, 2015.
Share this article
Written byMark Fattore
See all articlesStay up to dateBecome a bikesales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Subscribe today
Disclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Love every move.
Buy it. Sell it.Love it.
®Contact
Advertise with us
Local marketplaces
International marketplaces
Consent
Download the bikesales app
