We went to the Kunmadaras 24-hour Reliability Veteran Motorcycle Race by chance in 2006. We were at the Mátészalka fair, but there were so few people and goods that we quickly headed home.
Idea: Kunmadaras 24-hour Reliability Veteran Motorcycle Race
Two of our motorcyclist friends were with us in Mátészalka. None of us really wanted to go home, as we had planned a full day’s program.
Someone knew that the Kunmadaras Reliability Veteran Motorcycle Race was also being held on the same day.
Since it was on the way home anyway, we quickly made up our minds. We set off for Kunmadaras.
The weather was already rainy and cold in Mátészalka, so we weren’t surprised that it was cloudy in Kunmadaras as well. However, it wasn’t raining.
Airport: search
Finding the airport was not so easy, though.
No, that’s not quite right: the airport was not difficult to find, but it took us a long time to locate the venue of the event. (We didn’t use GPS back then, and there was no one at the airport from whom we could get information, as everyone was already at the event. We were the only ones who arrived late.)
But in the end, we found it!
It was interesting to see the huge number of tents and people. It was so small compared to the size of the place.
The competition
The competition was already in full swing, as it was well into the afternoon when we arrived. As its name suggests, this race lasts 24 hours. Motorcycles older than 30 years (veterans) compete in it.
They test which motorcycle type can withstand this tremendous strain, as neither the machines nor the people rest for 24 hours, only the riders take turns at set intervals. They work as a team, helping each other.
Repairs during the race
I often saw them trying to “revive” a vehicle to see if it could keep going. Not all of them succeeded.
Terrain
The race took place over a huge area. They created curves on it.
Sometimes the motorcycles were barely visible or even disappeared in the distance. Some people went to watch them.
A few climbed to the top of the structure and watched what was happening in the distance from there.
We stayed at the main venue. This was also where the FINISH LINE was.
However, we didn’t wait for the end and headed home as it started to get dark.
Events of other years
I looked it up on the internet. After 2006, the Kunmadaras 24-hour Reliability Veteran Motorcycle Race was held several times. Unfortunately, this year’s (2025) race was canceled due to a lack of participants. Is it possible that not only the motorcycles have aged, but the riders as well?