The weekend saw 163 bikes on show at the Maitland Rally Ground, with riders coming from as far abroad as South Australia and Queensland to join in the celebration of the iconic machines.

It’s unlikely that any punter traveled further on their bike than Townsville’s Paul Bahr, who rode his trusty CT110 to Maitland for the nationals over four days. 

It’s the first time Paul’s been to the event, with the Queenslander saying the 4000km round-trip was “definitely worth it”. 

Organiser Warrick Penfold said he was “stoked” with the turnout and predicted that next year’s rally would be even bigger. 

He put the growing participation down to the power of social media as knowledge of the nationals grows around the country. 

“It's getting a fair bit of traction. It’s good to have some controlled growth,” he said. 

Warrick said the weekend, which also acts as a fundraiser for Hunter Valley Men’s Crisis Support, saw the biggest array yet of bikes, with some barely roadworthy and others worth thousands. 

An awards presentation on Sunday recognised this, with prizes given for the ‘biggest shitbox’ as well as the best restoration job. 

Outside of that, participants had a packed schedule to enjoy, which included a show and shine, letterbox races, wheelie and tyre changing competitions and postie bike soccer, as well as cruises through the Hunter Valley.