Adrian Ikin, a keen motorcyclist almost missed the announcement of his huge win when it was announced in the sunshine at Thredbo, but he was sure not to miss the pick-up of his new Honda Sports Tourer last week.
“It was my first Snowy Ride and my friends and I had a great time even before the announcement of the win!” Adrian said. “The best thing about the ride was the sense of community, everyone was there for a common goal and everyone was open, friendly and chatty.”
Adrian said he and his friends were sitting towards the back of the crowd when the announcement was made and didn’t hear his name called, “I was so excited that someone had won the Honda VFR1200 and was having such a good time relaxing that when my friend came running towards me screaming that I’d won I really didn’t believe him.”
After going up to the stage only to appease his excited friend Adrian said he gained instant celebrity status when people realised he was actually the winner. “I was wearing a bright t-shirt and for the whole evening people recognised me as the winner, the celebrations were pretty huge!”
Adrian’s initial impression of the VFR1200 upon picking it up from New World Honda in Narre Warren was the styling; “the shape and design really stand out with this bike, it is amazing to believe that such a powerful engine is housed in such a sleek exterior” Adrian said. “I also love the colour and paintwork, this bike is definitely going to stand out on the road!”
Adrian, who rides a Honda Goldwing, said the VFR1200 will be perfect for commutes to work and he anticipates it will handle the roads in his area of Gippsland incredibly well. “I’ll save the Goldwing for really long trips; my wife says she enjoys riding pillion on the Goldwing so much she’s able to fall asleep.”
The Goldwing is in fact the reason Adrian and his wife went to the Snowy Ride in the first place, “I had wanted a Goldwing for a long time and after purchasing one in the middle of 2011 I knew I absolutely had to attend the Snowy Ride.”
“Thanks to the organisers, volunteers and sponsors involved, including Honda and the Steven Walter Foundation, it is truly a wonderful weekend for a worthy cause.”
Honda Australia has shown unwavering support for the Snowy Ride since its inception eleven years ago. The ride is run by the Steven Walter Foundation and raises money for children’s cancer research.