Wondering what ultimate present to get your biker friend for Christmas? How about a big boy's (or girl's) toy - a track day motorbike?

Then again, you could always treat yourself!

And no spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend can really complain as the money you splash out is all going to a good cause.

A Honda CBR 600 will go to the top bidder and the cash will go to the Oxfordshire Ambulance Service so it can buy and fully equip its first-ever fast response paramedic motorcycle, a Suzuki Haybusa. Two ambulance riders will also be kitted out and put through tough high-speed training by top police instructors.

The former racing machine, donated by a reader to help boost the Oxford Mail Medibike appeal, is going under the hammer tomorrow night at a charity auction.

Along with our partners in the appeal, TW Motorcycles, we will stage the 6pm-to-8pm event at the dealers' showrooms in Oxford Road, Kidlington. The Honda is still on display there, so prospective buyers can go along and have a look before bidding.

David Williams, of Brize Norton Road, Minster Lovell, originally bought the race bike with the aim of putting it back on the road.

He had some of the race-tuned equipment replaced with more reliable and road-legal parts and managed to get a day-time-only MoT, as the bike had no lights, indicators or mirrors.

But then his wife banned him from riding the high-performance machine. Generously, they decided to offer the gleaming red bike to the Medibike appeal.

The superbike had formerly been ridden for two seasons in the New Era 600cc formula by 57-year-old Mervyn Gibson, of Banbury Road, Woodstock, before he quit his racing career.

He took it to Brands Hatch, Snetterton, Oulton Park and Pembry to name a just a few of Britain's best tracks before deciding to quit his racing career. The machine can quite legally be ridden on public roads - in-between official lighting up times - but would be ideal as a "track day" fun bike.

As standard production motorcycles get faster and faster, the chance to enjoy the thrill of riding them flat-out has become impossible on today's roads. Many race tracks are now holding special "track days" where riders can pay a fee and are allowed - under supervision - out on to the circuit.

Should the bike be too expensive for your pocket, there is a host of other goodies up for grabs - all generously donated by well-wishers to the appeal.

Should you not be able to make it the auction, but you would still like to contribute to the appeal, please make your cheques payable to The Oxfordshire Ambulance Service Charitable Fund and send them to the Promotions Department, Oxford Mail, Osney Mead, Oxford, OX2 0EJ.

The Medibike appeal has so far raised £5,203.

Story date: Thursday 18 November

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.