Suzuki Australia press release:

The countdown is on until bidding gets underway on a range of rare motorcycle memorabilia and exclusive experiences in the Suzuki Victorian Bushfire Charity Auction, which starts at 8pm on Thursday, 23 April.

Over 25 items will go under the hammer in the 10-day auction, with net proceeds donated to the Australian Red Cross.

Support for the auction continues to grow, including a late addition to the exciting range of auction items.

Suzuki Germany has donated a Suzuki fairing panel from a GSX-R1000 MotoGP replica, signed by Suzuki’s MotoGP stars Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi.

Enthusiasts can also bid on three exclusive MotoGP experiences with Team Rizla Suzuki MotoGP – in which they’ll spend time behind the scenes and meet Vermeulen and Capirossi.

Aussie Chris Vermeulen has also donated a pair of signed leathers he used in pre-season testing to the auction.

“It was such an awful event that the least I can do is to put my support behind Suzuki Australia’s auction to raise money for the Bushfire Appeal,” Vermeulen said.

“There were many terrible stories that we heard about the fires and if we can help in any way then we will.

“I think this is a great idea by the people at Suzuki Australia and they have put a lot of work into making this happen.

“I have donated some items to the auction and Team Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has also put its weight behind the auction by supplying some amazing items for anyone to bid on.

“I hope it raises a lot of money to help those affected by the fires – I will certainly be keeping an eye on how much everything goes for!”

The Moto GP items feature alongside items signed by international Aussie stars Chad Reed and Mat Mladin, and past Suzuki World Champions including Kevin Schwantz, Roger DeCoster and Joel Robert.

Memorabilia from Team Suzuki Alstare Brux, Suzuki’s World Superbike Championship team, and local factory squads Team Joe Rocket Suzuki and Team Shift Motul Suzuki are also up for grabs.

The Suzuki Victorian Bushfire Charity Auction will be one of the last chances to make a contribution to the Australian Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal, which has to date raised over $315 million for those affected by the Victorian bushfire tragedy.

Bidding opens at 8pm (EST) this Thursday, 23 April, with five-minute intervals scheduled between each listing to make it easy for enthusiasts who want to bid on more than one item.

The first item will close 10 days later, at 8pm on Sunday 3 May, the day of the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, with the final item and auction scheduled to end at 10:15pm.

When the auction starts, items can be accessed by searching for the Seller ID ‘SuzukiAustralia’ or by going directly to http://myworld.ebay.com.au/SuzukiAustralia/.

Further details and full list of items in the Suzuki Victorian Bushfire Charity Auction, proudly supporting the Australian Red Cross, can be found at www.suzukimotorcycles.com.au.