In 1906, Victoria’s motorcycle riders banded together with local automobile enthusiasts to form an association to promote their own interests and events. That early beginning lasted until 1912 when the Victoria Motorcycle Club (VMC) was formed with a membership of 21. A news report of the day in Canadian Motor Cycle magazine contained a photo of 19 riders posed in front of the British Columbia legislature. It announced that there were 75 bikes already in use on city roads and that club membership was growing rapidly. However, it was not until 1947 that the VMC became registered under the B.C. Societies Act as a non-profit organization, as it continues today.

Since 1967 the club has owned its own 172-acre property in Metchosin, using it for observed trials, field meets and short cross-country events. For decades the VMC’s event calendar, which included an annual two-day Terra Nova Enduro on Thanksgiving weekend and several other enduros, challenged riders from the island, the B.C. mainland and western states. Over the years the club’s high level of professionalism and focus on off-road events has produced a large cohort of expert riders such as Vern Amor, Canadian Scrambles champions Tom and Don Richardson, ISDE silver medallist Harold Perepalkin, Scottish Six Days Trial competitor Martin Spriggs and former three-time Canadian Trials champions Mark Cahill and Steve Fracy.

The club has a collection of more than 40 permanent trophies, the earliest of which dates from 1913 and was donated by the old Brentwood Hotel. Another is the Kirk Trophy, donated by the defunct Kirk Coal Company, which has been awarded since 1930 to the winner of an experts-only enduro. Some of the old silver trophies are now fragile with age, but club members still compete for them in a full season of events. One of the most unusual is a chrome-plated army helmet that was worn in the First World War by VMC member Cecil Frampton and which he later donated for the winner of an all-night enduro that began in 1935 and which continues now as a daytime event.

The club’s mission has always been to promote safe, enjoyable, challenging motorcycling for beginners, families, novices and experts alike. It has maintained a tradition of community service with participation in events such as the Good Samaritan Fund and Timmy’s Telethon and, for many years, it has been a consistent crowd favourite at the Victoria Day parade. It has sponsored many events and activities, such as a drill team, stunt riding and rodeos to entertain the public, as well as trials, scrambles, hill climbs, enduros, field meets and road rides.

With close to 400 members, a century-long history and a well-managed organization, the Victoria Motorcycle Club was recognized for its commitment and integrity with induction into the Canadian Motorcycling Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2018,former VMC members the Shanks family – Richard “Pop”, Reg and Bob (all deceased) - were also inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame for their contributions to motorcycling.

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