Topic: CVMG Ganaraska 250, NOT in 2024.

[BenelliSEI]

My son and I are running in the Ganaraska 250, this Saturday. He’s bring along a friend, so I have prepped three bikes. I’ll be on my cb750K1, he rides my cb750K3 and my K4 is coming out for the friend. The “Moto Giro” style event starts and ends at the Port Hope Fair grounds. The route usually takes us up as far as the Haliburton Highlands. 250 kilometres in total, with 4 riding skill tests thrown in. We always have a great time, expecting 60+ entries this year, all pre’75 motorcycles (under 750cc). Fantastic weather forecast, I’ll add some photos afterwards. Here’s one of my son, last year. A local rotary club provides lunch and dinner, so we get to tell some huge lies too! Great event. Check out the website for full details. Anyone can enter.

[BenelliSEI]

Perfect weather and great company! Fantastic event that included a lunch and awards dinner. At the last minute, my son couldn’t make it, but his buddy Mark came along and rode the old K3. It’s now finished all 8 days, since the event started. He grew upon a dirt bike and just recently bought himself a 1980 DOHC c750K. Mark won the 750cc Class! Another members daughter showed up on her Dad’s 400F and forgot her glasses at home. She couldn’t read her enduro style route instructions, so she did all that with me or Mark leading our “trio”.... she won the 500cc Class! Resting up today......

[BenelliSEI]

Eventwas cancelled for 2020, but will be back in 2021.

[BenelliSEI]

Eventwas cancelled for 2020, but will be back in 2021.

Cancelled again in 2021 (another COVID Lockdown). Back in 2022!

[BenelliSEI]

The Club is making plans for 2022. Tentative date is Saturday June 4, 2022.

[BenelliSEI]

Just to confirm, the event is a GO!

[Kevin D]

Entries due May 1. Just a few days left.
I’m in.

http://ganaraska250.weebly.com/

[BenelliSEI]

We’ll done Kevin!

[Kevin D]

After I spoke with Phil Goldsmith, I emailed my entry, snail mailed the rest.
Asked for sequential number/start time.

Waiting a couple days for 3.5mm bullet connectors to tie in my voltmeter/charging port.
Roll chart holder all set.
ArriveCAN set.
Found my rain suit just in case.
I’ll break open the piggy bank and use the 407ETR.

[BenelliSEI]

Great, look forward to meeting!

[BenelliSEI]

Kevin D is coming up for the event on his K1! I’m planning to ride mine, and my son is riding our K3. Another buddy has entered my old flake orange K4 (he bought it) and friend Gary A., is entered on his beautifully restored K8. There are usually a few more, so we should have 7-8 SOHC cb750s coming out! Will post photos. Anyone else entered? John D.

[Kevin D]

That will be one terrific photo John, not to mention going down the road together. I’m looking forward to the day.

[BenelliSEI]

That will be one terrific photo John, not to mention going down the road together. I’m looking forward to the day.

Look forward to meeting you Kevin!

[BenelliSEI]

Started the K1 today and ran well. Some work to tidy it up tomorrow.

[BenelliSEI]

Kevin D. showed up today, all the way from the west side of Detroit, Mich.! +300 miles. Very impressive, on his lovely cb750K1 (that he bought new!!). Had a pleasant “shop visit”, while I tore into our farm cart that died, just as he arrived. I foolishly dug into the filthy hoses and fuel pump, instead of the fuel filter, that was plugged......
    Gary A. was here to, and pulled out his cb750K8. We rode into Millbrook for a small town lunch in the local cafe. Kevin moved on to a hotel in Port Hope, and probably made early event registration, this evening. Messing with the cart put me behind, as usual. The three of us will catch up with Kevin in the morning. My son Christopher arrives late tonight or “crack of dawn”. There’s a Rider’s Meeting at 8:00am, so the morning will be a scramble. Our farm is a good 45 minute ride to the starting point!
    Weather looks to be ideal, so we should have a great day. Full report and pictures, next time.

[Kevin D]

John, I am really enjoying my time…. Everybody has been nice, even the truckers on the 401 cut me a lot of slack.
It was a beauty of a day today and the ride from Port Perry to your awesome garage to lunch to Welcome (aptly named) to Port Hope was great. What a nice collection of CB’s you have, and your pal Gary is a steady wingman.
 I cut and fitted my route sheet and started to map it….. and found that the route sheet has roads not on my CAA map….. I’m sure the roads are where they’re supposed to be and my map doesn’t have quite enough detail.
I’m #16 off at 907am and I did see your name next to mine.
 That golf cart is maybe the most important vehicle you have……

[BenelliSEI]

Kevin..... I still can’t believe you rode so far. I’m so glad the weather was perfect and we all had such a great day. I slept like a dead dog last night! The weather today seems just as good. Have a safe ride home and over the next few days we can add some more photos and stories! John D.

[BenelliSEI]

I figure, including the cb750A and the K2 from North Bay, there were 7 cb750s in the event!

[Kevin D]

Heres 5 CB750s in a row
Gary Chris John Kevin Rick

[seanbarney41]

Cool stuff guys!  Get out there and ride these wonderful bikes.

[BenelliSEI]

Ganaraska 250 is happening again this weekend, Saturday. “10th Annual”. Unfortunately two of the usual suspects can’t attend, but Kevin D. is coming from a LONG way away (again, on his lovely K1) and I have the K3 ready, for my son. My K1 rode well a few days ago, so fingers crossed. Weather here is spectacular and no changes expected. Reports to follow……

[BenelliSEI]

Kevin D. made it here today. Off to the event in the morning. Weather looks great!

[BenelliSEI]

We had a blast!

[BenelliSEI]

The Ganaraska Section held their monthly section meeting last night. As planned, the future of the Ganaraska 250 Event was a main topic of discussion. For your information, I’ve attached an excerpt from the meeting minutes.

COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS ARE MOST WELCOME.

 This general shortage of volunteers for most positions and chores led nicely into our next topic: the future of the Ganaraska 250. At our November meeting Phil covered all the organizational support required for the event. We identified NINE separate positions. A note was sent to all the Ganaraska membership, asking for input and volunteers. Many thanks to the three members that stepped forward. A very special thanks to those that have performed these tasks for +10 years! Unfortunately, we don't have a new Chairman for the event and these numbers don’t support the task at hand. Added complexity includes the constantly shrinking entry list and increasing costs. A similar posting on the CVMG Website General Forum netted one note with suggestions for improving the event but, no extra manpower or support. In conclusion, the Section has decided to “Take a Break”. There is NO Ganaraska 250 planned for 2024. For now, the event is not dead, but resting. A hearty round of applause for Organizer Phil Goldsmith and his small band of dedicated volunteers!!

[Kevin D]

Thanks for the heads up John.

 I’m grateful for the opportunity to participate in your club activities. I can’t imagine how much time Phil puts into the G250, but I’m certain it’s more than a little bit, and all of the details were absolutely correct. There is no such club activity like the G250 around here that I know of. Your countryside is lovely, and the G250 is well suited to the hills and valleys. I think I rode all day and never saw a R/Y/G traffic signal.
 When you initially made your invitation, I thought there would be an army of sohc4 participants to fill out the entries, and I was quite surprised to be the only outsider. I was more surprised, and again grateful, this time for the hospitality that you and your crew showed to me. I felt like a brother, not an outsider.
 For me, the entire undertaking was a giant step forward. 1000 mile weekends are not in my playbook anymore, or I should say, 1000 mile weekends weren’t in my playbook until you and the G250 put it back in.
 
All of this is not to mention a bit of a homecoming for me. Most of the Wilson’s and Harvey’s emigrated from Scotland to the GTA and St. Catherines. I am the outlier as my grandparents came to Detroit. For the first time ever, I made it to my cousins place in Port Perry, in conjunction with the G250.

[BenelliSEI]

Kevin….. I’m so glad that you made the effort and did it more than once! It is a special event. Increased costs and dwindling entries really have added to the issues but mostly the club is aging and getting tired…..

[Stev-o]

It is a special event. Increased costs and dwindling entries really have added to the issues but mostly the club is aging and getting tired…..

Sorry to hear that.  Our local Vintage bike Rally stopped after 20 years, we were all so disappointed

[BenelliSEI]

It is a special event. Increased costs and dwindling entries really have added to the issues but mostly the club is aging and getting tired…..

Sorry to hear that.  Our local Vintage bike Rally stopped after 20 years, we were all so disappointed

Steve…. it’s really all about “horse power”. Although our section has over 80 members, only about 18-20 of us show up for meetings (or anything else) every month. We have a spring motorcycle show in about three months where we usually display at least a dozen motorcycles (see photo). COVID slowed things down a bit (2-3 shows cancelled), but the reality is that we’ll probably be lucky to get to the next one. Our membership is aging and running out of steam! I drag my 45 year old son along some times but the younger enthusiast don’t seem to be so much into motorcycles or the club thing……