Student-built motorcycle lauded at major show in Minnesota

Student-built motorcycle lauded at major show in Minnesota

Members of the MacNaughton High School Bike Klub returned home exhausted but elated after winning the equivalent of a world championship motorcycle-building competition in the U.S. over the weekend.

"We're validated now," an exhausted Marc 'Mazz' Mazerolle said yesterday. "We built a motorcycle that has been evaluated by professional judges and we won.

"We're legitimate now and that could lead to more donations and more sponsors."

The club won the Donnie Smith Chopper Class Challenge, a competition between high school builders at the Donnie Smith Motorcycle Show in St. Paul, Minnesota. The group also won the IronWorks Magazine award for best motorcycle and the technical merit award for best constructed motorcycle. And above that, 'Betty' was entered in the open class (rigid frame evolution) with at least eight other bikes built by professional builders and placed third, which Mazerolle said was a major accomplishment.

The high school competition was just one part of the larger motorcycle show in St. Paul organized by legendary U.S. chopper builder Donnie Smith.

There was no cash prize for the win, just a trophy and bragging rights after Betty was thoroughly inspected by professional judges in a major show.

"Because there are no other competitions that put high school students against each other, I consider our group and our motorcycle to be the best high school-built motorcycle in the world," Mazerolle said.

Not bad for a bunch of kids from Moncton working in a shop after hours on a very limited budget.

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