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NEW ZEALAND BSA MOTORCYCLE OWNERS' Club History
Club History
The New Zealand BSA Owners' Club Incorporated has
its origins in 1976 when Ken Hume of the Auckland Vintage Car Club
Motorcycle section started a BSA Owners' Register. In November 1977
Robert & John Cochrane met with Ken after getting approval from the UK
Club and we set out to establish the NZ Club. John & Lyn Pugh came on
board and with Johns knowledge of setting up Incorporated Societies a
first AGM was held in March 1978 with over 25 owners attending from as
far afield as, Dunedin, Manawatu and Wellington.
The AGM and monthly meetings in the early days were held in Paekakariki
at St Stephens Hall. The club staged an impressive Static Display of 13
BSAs in Coastlands Shopping Mall on Sat 7 July 1978. The event received
coverage in the Motorcycle News in UK and Two Wheels in Australia. In
Feb 1979 the club staged one of the first major Classic Motorcycle Shows
in the World with 108 motorcycles from veteran, vintage, classic and a
few post classic machines.
The Club had established a regular magazine The Southern Star, that was
well received and by 1981-82 the NZ Club had 256 members, including 6 in
Australia. The NZ Club was in those years the 2nd largest club in the
world, after the UK with Germany 3rd on 250 members.
In 1996 the New Zealand BSA Owners' Club hosted the Worldwide
International BSA Owners' Rally. The event attracted 100 overseas guests
from Canada, California, Ohio, New York State, Australia, Germany,
Sweden, Norway, Denmark, United Kingdom and Belgium. Theo Geilin of
Belgium rode his 1952 B33 500cc plunger model across Europe, Middle
East, India, Asia, China and Australia to attend the New Zealand event
and featured on National Television News. This was the first
International in the Southern Hemisphere.
Each year the New Zealand BSA movement holds a National Rally for owners
throughout the country. The New Zealand Club has its Headquarters in
Wellington, an active branch in Auckland and over 200 members
throughout the country. There are also affiliated clubs in the South
Island, The Canterbury BSA Owners' Club and the Otago BSA Owners' Club.
Each of the four groups has turn about to host the annual Rally
Life Members:
Ken Hume
Hugh Anderson
Graham Stott
Brett Frontin-Rollet
Joe Cochrane QSM
Shirley Cochrane
Robert Cochrane
John Cochrane
Barry Palmer (Polly)
Birmingham Small Arms Articles
BSA on the 2010 Motorcycle Cannonball
BSA sells for
$NZ53,402
The First Gold Star
The Other Battle
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