Bega was one of the stops for the Indian Motorcycle Club of Australia’s Gypsy Tour 2013, which celebrated the 85th anniversary of the Victorian Indian Club’s 1927-28 Gypsy Tour by recreating the journey.

Indian motorcycles are a classic American-made bike manufactured from 1901 to 1953.

Garth Popple of Sydney participated this year’s ride in his beautifully restored 1953 Indian, one of the last to be made before the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company folded. 

Mr Popple was on the ride with his son Garth Jr, who was riding a 1944 Indian.

They were part of a group of 35 bikes and riders, some with sidecars, that had started out from Centennial Park in Sydney on Sunday and will all - engines willing – arrive in Melbourne on Monday.

The ride was organised by the Indian Motorcycle Club of Australia’s president, Peter Birthisel, and his wife Toni.

Five years ago, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the 1927-28 ride, the club had a Melbourne to Sydney run, but this time they were headed on the other direction.

On Thursday, the group the spent the 147km Batemans Bay-to-Bega journey travelling around the scenic Far South Coast, some stopping in Tilba Tilba and others in Tathra.

All the riders were due to stay in Bega overnight, although Mr Popple joked he was worried some of the Indian bikes may not make it up the hill at Tathra’s Andy Poole Drive and riders would have to sleep on the beach.

However, by 5pm all the riders had met at the Bega Downs Motor Inn, including Daryl and Bronwyn Jenkins.

Mr Jenkins was riding an Indian motorcycle with a sidecar that had been purchased by his father’s uncle in 1922 and was ridden by his great-uncle in the original 1927 Gypsy tour.

The oldest bike on this year’s tour was a 1919 Indian.

Mr Popple said he enjoyed being part of the rally for a variety of reasons.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to spend some time with my son, who has been riding in the side car of my Indian bike since he was a child and now has his own.

“It’s also just a fantastic group of people.

“We come from all different walks of life and really the only thing we have in common is our love of the Indian motorcycles, but we all get along so well and it’s wonderful to make that connection,” he said.