6 posts tagged “classic motorcycle”
This has been a great couple of weekends for my vehicle hobbies. I've done a little wrenching in the garage, helped a good friend get a classic BMW motorcycle, and gone to two scooter rallies. The Bay Area is so awesome for this stuff. There are so many events going on for classic vehicles that I have to really prioritize which I go to.
Last Saturday I went on a 100 mile ride with some of the East Bay scooterists. We rode up through the East Bay hills all the way down to Castro Valley. Those are some pretty awesome roads, and it is hard to believe that they are just 5 minutes from Berkeley and Oakland. Towards the southern end of Skyline road, there are people with horses stabled at their houses. And this is in Oakland! Crazy. After Castro Valley (which is a dump) we drove up to Pleasanton. Talk about a "white-bread" suburb! I guess it could be worse. In any case, we drove through some pretty amazing backroads going through the Livermore wine country, and eventually ended up back in Berkeley. Lots of fun, and it was a full day of great riding in amazing weather.
A few weeks ago I went to a really excellent scooter rally in Santa Cruz. This is my kind of rally. It is classic-scooter only, and pre-1960 scooters are highly encouraged. This rally was awesome. There were the most 1950's Vespas on that ride that I have ever seen at a rally... and this includes the big 300+ scooter rallies. People just don't ride these old scooters around much, mainly because they are slow and hard to keep running. I brought my '59 Vespa G.S.
Here are a few pictures. If you care, you should click the bottom picture which will bring you to a "collection" of a bunch of great pictures from the rally.
I should also mention that these photos were taken by Monterey Pete while riding his scooter through the rally. Pretty amazing. They are stored on scoot.net's image gallery.
I just read an article which said that Honda was going to re-make the iconic CB750 motorcycle from 1969. That is pretty awesome. I'm not sure if they are going to sell them here in the US, but my guess would be that they would. This is the motorcycle which singlehandedly built them into a major player in the market. It also with one fell swoop, killed the British motorcycle industry. It was fast, reliable, didn't leak oil, stopped, started, and looked good... while the British bikes... well... they looked good...
If they do go on sale in the U.S., I doubt that they will actually sell many of them. For example, Kawasaki produced their own retro-motorcycle, the W650, which was basically a direct copy of a mid-60's Triumph. It looked awesome, and had all the advantage of being a modern Japanese motorcycle, in that actually worked! They were on sale in the US for only two years, and didn't sell all that well. They were much more popular in Europe, where there is a good appreciation for retro-bikes, and stronger road regulations that helps keep actual vintage bikes off the road.
I have been on vacation for the past week, and am getting ready for more... but I wanted to post a few pictures of the Moto Melee while it was still fresh in my mind. The Moto Melee is a three day 1000 mile vintage motorcycle ride through the state of Northern California. It goes through the back roads, and covering some territory which the average person never sees. The roads are chosen for their twistiness and for the beauty of the landscape. This has got to be the best vintage ride in the country, and it is certainly an unbelievable experience. There is nothing like challenging yourself and your riding skills on crazy mountain roads astride a 50 year old machine. It is exhilarating, that's for sure. Add to that the bonus of seeing some seriously amazing motorcycles the way they were meant to be - on the road - and you have the ingredients of a great weekend. See more pictures by clicking the photo/folder below which will take you to my photo collection.
This was posted on the Moto Melee list today... and I think it really sums up what this ride is all about. I'll be riding my '62 BMW this weekend on a 1000 mile ride through the nether regions of the state of Northern California. I've done it before several times on the bike, and once in my Alfa Romeo for the car version of this rally. This is, by far, the best motorcycle ride I have ever done, and is something that I will continue to do as long as I can. It is both fun and grueling, and covers some of the most beautiful areas of California. Tomorrow is the day for my last minute preparations, I can't wait!
June 22-25 MotoMelee.
This weekend is the infamous MotoMelee, the 700 mile, two and a half
day ride for vintage motorcycles held in Northern California. Now in
its tenth year, quite an accomplishment for the organizers Harley
Welch and Jeff Guzaitis, and still on a shoe string budget of break-even.What started as a secret ride for vintage motorcycle enthusiasts, the
brain child of Harley and Jeff as a way to get some of their buddies
on the road and spur more business for Harley's "Secret Lab" vintage
motorcycle shop, has turned in to a famous bay area vintage motorcycle
event.This event, over the years, has had participants from around the world
and has achieved the cult status of such other legendary rides like
the Iron Butt. People from all over the world, who ride vintage, have
heard tales of this ride.
There are tall tails of hooligan type activities and speeds previous
thought to be unachievable. Of parties that last all night and
motorcycle shenanigans. Wild nights of wine women/men and song.
Motorcycle contests of skill and frivolity, attempts that would make
Evil Kenivel proud, trashed motel rooms, ala Rock Stars, burn outs and
crashes, even a motorcycle hung in effigy.
All of which, at some point during the past ten years, are most likely
true; but the genuine heart of the ride is what it brings to the
forefront. Motorcycles of antique stature, legendary makes, rare and
restored models and some just thrown to together hodgepodge just
nights before.
It also brings together a group of extraordinary people who by being
so dedicated to the true purpose of the machines are willing to put on
the line their blood, sweat and rolls of cash to see this event
through. The true purpose, which is to use these motorcycle as they
were designed to be ridden.The route is hard and long, the weather is harsh and at times
uncooperative, extreme is the word that comes to mind. From 115-degree
siring heat to snow at higher elevations to 44 degrees and wet damp
fog in a matter of hours, or mild temperatures to torrential down
pours within 100 miles. The Melee carries with it the element of
uncertainty and anticipation.Every participant knows the risks, knows the challenges and knows the
spoils.
Each participant is a kith and kin to each other, bound by the Melee
stickers on their helmets or on their bikes. It's camaraderie at its
highest point, a buddy system with no written rules or guidelines. All
the participants care about every rider and everyone does what they
can to ensure everyone finishes.The truest of tales of the Melee are those of riders working all night
on another's bike to help them make the morning call, barrowing parts
from a disabled bike in the chase truck to help another rider
continue. The towing of a participants bike the last 30 miles to make
sure he was not left alone on the side of the road. The sharing of
gas, those last 12 miles to the gas stop can be the longest miles of
the whole trip.
The MotoMelee is more than just another vintage ride, or test of man
and machine. It's human to human, it's a shared love of vintage bikes
and hard long rides.I look forward to this ride all year; it's hard on my machines and me.
I look forward to the start, to see old friends, make new ones, to see
what machines are brought out to test on this ride, but most of all,
it's the most damn fun I've had on a motorcycle in years.
I've been on the hunt for a small displacement vintage Italian motorcycle for awhile now. Of course, I love the scooters, but the Italians made some really beautiful motorcycles in the 50's and 60's as well. Who knows, I might get lucky. There are a few of those bikes floating around the Bay Area, and I'm just waiting for someone to cut one loose.
One of the reasons why there are some of them around here is that there is an annual ride organized just for those bikes, which is based on the ride in Italy called the Motogiro D'Italia. This is a new ride which is based on a race held in Italy in the 50's. That ride was ended in the late 50's because it was too dangerous. You see, it was a race which was held on public roads through the country. Much like the modern Tour De France, spectators lined the roads... and there were accidents. The ride now is much safer, and is a timed race where you have to not be the fastest rider, but the most timely. Times are established for each leg of the race, and you have to hit each time point exactly. Get there early or late, and you lose points. Pretty fun!
Here's a picture from this year's race in Sicily that I really liked...
