HARROW will be ringing with the sounds of old trailbikes this weekend as the Vinduro (Vintage Enduro) event finally returns to the region after disappointing postponements and cancellations over the last two years.

Vintage Enduro Riders Inc. (VERi) secretary, Peter Drakeford, said he was thrilled with the enthusiasm he’s received so far and everything was set for a great weekend.

“We’ve got 183 entries (and) there’s going to be more on the day,” he said.

The non-competitive event has been run by VERi since 2009 and is open to riders owning a pre-1988 off-road trailbike.

While most of the entrants are unsurprisingly from Victoria - the largest cohort from Mansfield – there’s a large contingent from Mount Gambier and even two from Queensland willing to ride through Glenelg River mud and sheep country.

Mr Drakeford said VERi has a course mapped out that goes through “riverside frontage, sandbars – zigzag(ing) through” before “getting out on the high plains” as they head out south to terrain that “is a bit more manicured”.

Racing through private properties and tracks around the Harrow area on a 38-kilometre course would be fun at any time, but the opportunity to do it on a vintage bike has always made the event something special.

Mr Drakeford said the riders would have a low-key scramble track to ride around on the Saturday afternoon to “loosen up the bodies” and then it will be all-out on the Sunday morning for the full course, although getting the motors started was often a challenge if the weather was especially cold.

“These are old, old bikes,” he said.

“(They’re) very cantankerous, we’re always hoping there’s not going to be a dew around there. It tends to ice up carburettors and fuel flows and so on.

“They’re really difficult to get going sometimes.”

Riders have the additional pressure of only having a minute to get the bikes started to head out, “otherwise they have to push it off to the side and work on it”.

Spectators are welcome to watch the riders take off on the Sunday morning, or they can contact the event office before the start to place themselves on one of the few vantage points along the off-road course.

Interesting stats provided before the event include - the most popular cubic capacity is 250, the most popular brand is Yamaha, but the most popular model is the Honda XR.

Also worth regarding is the average age of the entrants being just shy of 54-years-old, with the oldest rider a youthful 73, and the junior of the company scaring the rest by actually being born in this millennium.

The oldest motorbike is 58 years old.

The world-famous Harrow Vinduro will return this weekend (June 18-19) and motorbikes will be starting the main course on the Sunday morning at 9am from the Johnny Mullagh Oval.

Although online applications have now closed, entries will be accepted at the event but will incur a late fee – more information is available at bit.ly/3xO54Ym