Motorcycling Australia (MA) pleased to announce that Former Australian Motocross Champion, Pelle Granquist, will be taking part in the 2010 Honda Broadford Bike Bonanza (HBBB) over the Easter weekend (3-4 April).

While at the event, to be held at the State Motorcycle Complex, at Broadford, Granquist will perform demonstration rides on a replica 1978 390cc Husqvarna.

Granquist, born and raised in Sweden, came to the attention of Australian motorcyclists in 1978 when he was just 22 years old.

The Swede grabbed the attention of the Australian Motocross scene riding a Husqvarna 390, shaking up the locals considerably when he almost took the famous ‘Mr Motocross’ Series in 1978.

Born in the town of Huskvarna, home of the legendary Husqvarna factory, like any sport mad Swede, Granquist dreamed of riding for the factory.

He began riding Enduro onboard a KTM 125cc before trading to a Husky 125cc and riding in the local Motocross.

After finishing college and completing his stint of compulsory national service, Granquist was ready for a new challenge, with a request coming through from the Australian Husky importer John Harris for a rider to compete in Australian Motocross.

With nothing more than high school English and a sense of adventure Granquist arrived in Sydney where he was rewarded twice over – firstly with the chance to ride in the Australian Motocross scene, and secondly, meeting the woman who would one day become his wife.

Granquist then went on to win the 250cc and 500cc Australian Motocross titles in 1978 and 1979 as well as narrowly missing out on two Mr Motocross crowns.

However, the his dream was always to ride the International Grand Prix circuit, so in 1980 Granquist returned to Sweden, with his wife in tow, and rode a Husqvarna in the 500cc Grand Prix until 1982.

In 1983 Granquist received an offer from Hans Appelgren, who had taken over Husqvarna Imports from John Harris, to ride Motocross in Australian again.

However, with a knee injury plaguing his Motocross comeback, he returned to Enduro in 1984, onboard a 400cc Husqvarna, and took second overall behind John Hand at the Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE) at Mackay, QLD, and winning the trade team award.

In 1984, Granquist also won a gold medal at the Dutch International Six Day Enduro (ISDE) coming fifth in his class, in addition to assisting the Australian Motocross des Nations team at the event held in Sweden.

In 1985, he returned to KTM and opened his ‘Pro Rider’ shop, he then proceeded to dominate the A4DE, but a broken hand in the Spanish ISDE saw him lucky to finish the race.

In 1986, Granquist contested all Australian events and at the Italian ISDE, scored his second gold medal and the final moto Motocross win.

In 1994, the Granquist family returned to Sweden and since 2005 have spent half of each year in Sweden and Australia respectively.

More information about the event is available on the MA website: www.ma.org.au/hbbb.