The Sound of Thunder, Ruapuna Raceway

Wow, what an amazing day. I'm a huge fan of motorcycle racing - have been since I was a kid  - but today was really something special as I got to witness  a pair of Britten V1000s on the track at Ruapuna.

The Britten is an iconic piece of motorcycle history, built in Christchurch, New Zealand, by a visionary. John Britten tore up the the rule book of motorcycle design, engineering a revolutionary machine that used exotic materials like carbon fibre and did away with conventional suspension and frame design. Not only did it impress on the drawing board as the Brittens went on to dominate at Daytona and set a host of landmarks, including top speed at the Isle of Man TT and quarter mile world records.

This year marks 20 years since John Britten passed away, just a month after his 45th birthday, from inoperable skin cancer. These amazing bikes are his legacy; the esteem in which they are held is global and they have graced museums and galleries, including Te Papa in Wellington where one stands on permanent display, testament to one man's vision to go his own way.

Only 10 Britten V1000s were ever built, so you can imagine how valuable each of these bikes are, so what a treat to see so many on display in the pits (four plus two prototypes) as well as on the track, as seen here piloted by NZ racing legend Andrew Stroud.