Three old motorcycle shows in May, 2023

 May is an exciting month in Northern California if you like old motorcycles. There is The Quail in Carmel Valley (a few miles inland from Carmel), Hanford (in the central valley), and Chico (between Redding and Sacramento). 

The Quail Motorcycle Gathering - May 6, 2023: My friend, John, and I left around 11 on Friday morning, May 5, and rode down Highway 1 (the PCH) to Santa Cruz where we stopped for lunch at Coffeetopia, which was, unfortunately, permanently closed - a victim of COVID. However, there were three motorcycles parked in front of the Mexican restaurant next door, so we went in there and ordered. While waiting for our food, I began talking with the riders, two older guys and a younger woman, who were also headed for The Quail. I mentioned that my wife (and John's wife) had joined us for last year's event, but had opted out this year. I said that Carol had asked what was this year's show going to be like, and I'd told her, "Just like last year; same old bikes, same old people." The woman replied, "See, you didn't sell it very well. No wonder she didn't want to go." 

Back on Highway 1 we hit the usual heavy traffic where 1 becomes a freeway south of Highway 17 in Santa Cruz, and we split lanes for several miles until it cleared, and then it was mostly cruising along at the limit until we arrived in Seaside where we checked in at the Sand Dollar Inn, where I've stayed a couple of times over the years. The weather had been cool and gray all day but I was in my Klim riding suit, which was warm enough even with just a middleweight layer under the jacket. 

The Sand Dollar has been upgraded over the years, but it is still a budget motel (with a non-budget price) but convenient and clean with good parking. After settling in we wandered around the area looking for a restaurant and checked out a couple before settling on Gusto's, a pizza and pasta place that was nearby and quite good. They also have a full bar, so John was able to have a margarita on Cinco de Mayo. 

The next morning we were up early an walked to The Butter House, a breakfast place that has several Filipino items on the menu - we'd noticed the day before that there was a Filipino market close by, and also a Filipino restaurant. Breakfast was very good, and we returned to the motel, packed the bikes and went south on Highway 1 for 10 miles to the Carmel Valley Road turnoff where we headed inland for a few miles to the Quail Lodge and Country Club, parked the bikes, unloaded, and waited for about 10 minutes until the entrance to the show opened. 

This year the area for the show expanded a bit so there was more room around each bike in the show. The first thing you saw as you entered the grounds was this...well, I'm not quite sure what it is. Sort of a steampunk rat bike chopper and the hit of the show judging from the number of people who were gathered around it. The owner was obviously proud of his creation and delighted in raising and lowering the bike on its suspension (air? hydraulic?) and even let people sit on it for pictures.

That is the owner on the bike.

It wasn't all big motorcycles, as evidence these 1950s Hummel and Salisbury scooter.

I like the four-cylinder Cleveland because it was made in the city of the same name where I lived before I moved to California.

This 1913 NSU V-Twin was the oldest bike in the show, and it is interesting to see the details and controls because at that time the manufacturers hadn't settled on the best way to do things, so everything was unknown territory.

The Scott Flying Squirrel was a two-cylinder, water cooled two-stroke that was made with few changes from the 1930s to the late 1950s.

I'd never seen an Ascot-Pullin before. I like the enclosed bodywork and the Art Deco styling.

At the show I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Paul d'Orleans, a well-known motorcycle rider and writer, who was at a booth for the Taschen publishing company that featured his latest work, a two volume set about 100 significant motorcycles. Paul is a very interesting character. The first time I encountered him was at The Legend of the Motorcycle show at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay (2006) where he was a judge. He dresses in a style that channels David Bowie, so I didn't take him very seriously at the time, though I later learned that he has very serious motorcycle chops - he's owned over two hundred bikes over the years, and keeps a stable of a dozen. He's been on three Cannonball Rallies (3200 miles across the country on a bike that was made either before 1920 or 1930 or 1940, depending on the particular rally), and for many years when he was living in San Francisco his only transportation was a Velocette Thruxton. His grandmother was an editor of Vogue magazine, and his mom was a fashion designer, and he himself was an interior designer for many years, so that is probably where he comes by his fashion sense. You can read more about him in an interview at the website below:

https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/bikes/living-vintage-motorcycle-dream-paul-dorleans

I also spoke with Stacey Mayfield, museum director of the Haas Moto Museum (Dallas, TX), which was founded by Bobby Haas, a successful financier originally from Cleveland. When Bobby retired he became interested in aerial photography, and published several popular books through National Geographic. Then, at the age of 64, he became interested in motorcycles, and began collecting. He was never confident riding a two-wheel bike, and so only rode bikes with sidecars. I wrote about the museum after visiting it in 2016 on my way to Orlando to have lunch at the Ace Café. Bobby (who was Stacey's partner) passed away a few years ago but the museum is still open and, hopefully, will be for years to come. I'd like to return. I told Stacey that I was very impressed with the layout of the museum, the thoughtful way the bikes are displayed, and how there was space around each machine so they could be viewed comfortably. When I asked her who designed the museum, she said that she and Bobby did all the work. 

This custom dual-engine, supercharged Royal Enfield begs the question, "Why?" The answer is probably, "Why not?"

This Ducati Elite has the "jelly mold" tank.

A menacing BMW café racer.

 The Janus Halcyon is a retro style bike made by a small company in Indiana and uses a Chinese sourced 450cc twin engine.

The 1939 Miller-Balsamo (Milan) has Art Deco styling and was selected best of show (I later learned). 

There were a couple of sidecars in the show, including this custom Moto Guzzi.

Not all the bikes were vintage, exotic, or custom. This is a very nice, preserved, Moto Guzzi from the 1970s.

Every old bike show must have at least one Vincent.

And, finally, this 1950s Chevy pickup with custom patina is hauling a late 60s or early 70s BSA Victor.

In previous years one could, when pre-ordering tickets to the show, sign-up for a catered lunch for a modest additional fee. Apparently, it was too good of a deal and most everyone who attended took advantage of it, making for logistical problems. This year the lunch was a little fancier but cost about three times as much as in previous years. Both John and I had opted out of the lunch, so after two or three hours we suited up and headed east on Carmel Valley Road, then up and over Laurels Grade to Salinas where we rode back to the Bay Area, stopping in Gilroy for gas and lunch at a nearby Carl's Junior before getting back on 101 to 85, and I-280 and home for me, John continuing on to the Golden Gate bridge and then to Tiburon.  

The Hanford Cycle Show and Swap Meet - May 20, 2023. My friend, John, and I left on Friday morning at about 11 and rode down the peninsula on I-280 to Spirit Motorcycles in San Jose. John was again on his BMW R1250GS, and I was riding my 2021 Harley Low Rider S. John also has a Moto Guzzi Stelvio, a 1200cc Adventure bike that is very similar to his R1250GS in function and accommodations, and therefore somewhat redundant in his stable. I hadn't realized it but John was serious about a new Moto Guzzi, specifically the V85 TT Guardia d'Onore, a special one year only edition named for the honor guard of the Italian President. The Italian Republic was formed in 1946, and the honor guards began their association with Moto Guzzi at that time. Only 1946 of the special bikes were made and each has a number plate that shows the sequence of the bike. John spent about an hour talking with the young salesman, who didn't know any more about the bike that John did. To be fair, Spirit Motorcycles sells Royal Enfield, Indian, Moto Guzzi, Ducati, and Aprilia brands, so it would be difficult to be on top of all the models in the lineup of each manufacturer. 

We left Spirit and continued on I-280 south to US 101 through Morgan Hill to Gilroy, where we went east on 152 and after 10 miles stopped at Casa de Fruta for lunch. Continuing on 152 past Los Banos we went south on 33 through Firebaugh to Mendota where we went east on 180 then south in Kerman on 145 to Five Points and 269 to 198 and east to Hanford. In previous years we've always ridden south on 25 from Hollister (south of Gilroy) to 198 and then east, but due to road damage from the severe winter storms 198 is closed from the 25 junction all the way to Coalinga. A shame because both 25 and 198 are great roads. Our route through the valley was pleasant enough, but definitely not a riding experience worth repeating. 

In Hanford we checked into the Roadway Inn (where I've stayed many times over the years) and then had an excellent dinner at Fugazzi's restaurant nearby. I wandered around downtown Hanford for a bit before returning to our room, and it hasn't changed since last year, or from 10 years ago for that matter. The Rodeway Inn (now part of Choice Hotels group) has been upgraded over the years, and in the morning we walked to IHOP for breakfast, packed the bikes, and rode the mile or so to the Kings County Fairgrounds. 

The day was pleasantly warm in the low 70s, and the show part of the event attracted a few interesting bikes, but every year there are fewer and fewer. The swap meet portion seemed almost as large as ever, but the quality of the offerings tended towards the "cleaning out the barn of junk" rather than useful rare items. 

The first bike we saw in the show area was this traditional Harley chopper.

This very nice Vincent Comet was a quality entry in the show.

I'm not sure whether this Harley is a rat bike, or just an old semi-chopper.

This Nimbus has been beautifully restored. The Nimbus was made in Denmark beginning in 1919 with slow evolutionary changes until they stopped making them in 1959. They were all four-cylinder models of 750cc and had exposed valve springs.

A nice Indian bobber.

This BMW R69S was the company's sport model in the 1960s and this bike was my favorite of the show.

The R90S was the BMW's sport model from 1974-1976.

Many people got started on two wheels with a Cushman scooter in the 1950s. You might say it was a gateway drug...

Finally, a bike that I haven't seen since the Art of the Motorcycle Exhibit at the Las Vegas Guggenheim back in 2002. The Aprilia Moto 6.5 was designed by the French designer Philippe Starck, and the styling proved to be controversial. In the background is a more traditional Norton Commando. 

We left a little after noon, having seen everything twice, and rode west on 198 to I-5, which we took north to 152 and then west over Pacheco Pass to Casa de Fruta, where we again had lunch. John had decided that he was seriously interested in the Moto Guzzi, so we stopped at Spirit Motorcycles for a couple of hours and John negotiated a trade in of his Stelvio and the terms of the purchase of the V85 TT Guardia d'Onore - number 174 of 1946, I believe. I stayed out of the way and wandered around the shop and the parking lot where the used bikes were kept. Eventually, we were back on the road, I-280 to Skyline for me and John continued on across the Golden Gate Bridge to Tiburon. 

Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet, Chico, CA - May 28: The last time I went to this event was in 2021 and I was on my 2017 Harley Roadster. Unfortunately, about 10 miles before I got to Chico I was rear-ended by a distracted mom in an SUV. I was fine, but the insurance company totaled the bike (the bike was rideable but the frame was bent) and my current Harley 2021 Low Rider S is its replacement. 

The May weather continued to be unseasonably cool and it was a bit damp and chilly when I left at 11, so I was in my Klim jacket and mid-layer. I rode across the Golden Gate Bridge to Highway 37 east to I-80. Traffic was a bit heavy on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, and I split lanes for a few miles in Fairfield where traffic always jams up. I stopped at Iron Steed Harley in Vacaville just to look around the shop (I purchased my Roadster there), shed my liner and switch to lighter gloves, and use their washroom. From there I went on I-505 to I-5 in Dunnigan and stopped in Williams to have lunch at Granzella's. From Williams I went east on 20 for 10 miles and just before Colusa turned north on 45 to Ordbend. This is nut orchard country, there was little traffic, and although the road wasn't exciting it was pleasant to cruise along at 65 mph and enjoy the day. Harleys are made for this kind of riding. In Ordbend I went east on Ord Ferry Road (where the Roadster met its demise as I was making a left turn) to Dayton and then north on Dayton Road to Highway 32 and east into Chico. I managed to find the Quality Inn, which is right downtown, but has a large sign in front left over from its previous life as the Thunderbird Lodge. I checked in, unloaded the bike, and wandered around town a bit before settling on the Parkside Taphouse, partly because there was an older Harley Super Glide parked in the patio. The waiter, AD (Adey?), and I got to talking and it turns out he was the owner of the Harley, so I told him about the show the next day. 

A shower had been predicted overnight, and the tank on my bike showed evidence of a sprinkle. I had a quick breakfast at the motel and, after a bit of wandering around and finally resorting to my phone GPS, managed to find the Elks Club where the show was being held. Chico is a very pleasant town with a State college, and a large park in the middle of town. The show itself is rather small, maybe a couple of dozen bikes, but there were a few very good machines.

This 1971 Yamaha XS-650 is very similar to my first big bike - a 1969 Yamaha XS-650 (mine was green).

This unrestored Imme was an interesting post-WWII design. Note the egg-like engine.

The Ariel Square Four was an elegant design but costly to make and buy. The last one was made in 1959 and it was designed by Edward Turner in 1931.

The Harley Knucklehead first appeared in 1936 and this beautifully restored example was my pick for star of the show.

A very clean Indian Chief.

If anyone picked this Triton as star of the show, I wouldn't argue. The Triton was so-named because it featured a reliable and tuneable Triumph engine in the good-handling Norton frame, in this case a featherbed slimline from a 1960 Norton Dominator. 

A little something for everyone - a Harley Panhead chopper.

I see more and more people riding with their dogs. Those are called "doggles" and they protect the dogs' sensitive eyes from the wind when riding with their human companions. 

I've never understood sidecars, but this example is very nice.

When I was in college it seemed that everyone (except me) had a Honda 90.

The swap tables at the show didn't hold much of interest to me except for a small book All the World's 1954 Cars, which I purchased for $1. There is a page for each of 122 different models from 13 countries and it's an enjoyable read. At a booth for the Ishi chapter of thhe AMCA I was given a back issue of The Antique Motorcycle, a publication of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America (AMCA), which I have since joined.

After an hour or so of wandering around and taking pictures I retraced my route out of town - Highway 32 to Dayton Rd. to Ord Ferry Rd. to 45 to Colusa and west to I-5. I joined I-5 a little south of Williams, and so didn't stop for lunch at Granzella's, but I saw a billboard for a Denny's in Dunnigan and since my breakfast had been rather light I decided to have a late breakfast there. Unfortunately, when I got off at the Dunnigan exit all that was there was a Jack In the Box, which proved to be one of the sorriest fast food restaurants I've been in. I didn't think it was open at first because the parking lot was empty, but then I saw someone from the Super 8 motel nearby go in the door. The food was barely OK, the place wasn't kept up very well, and, worst of all, the coffee was lukewarm. Back on the road and after a mile or so the second Dunnigan exit appeared and that is where the Denny's is located. Also there is Bill and Kathy's restaurant, where I ate a couple of times about 30 or 40 years ago. The restaurant building, which is quite big with a large parking lot, is still there, long abandoned. 

The weather had been pleasantly cool and by the time I got to the top of the hill outside Vallejo it was chilly, although fortunately I had changed into my warm gear when I stopped for gas at Red Top Road. Traffic on Highway 37 jammed up at the base of the bridge west of Wilson Ave. where it goes from two lanes to one, but it moved along OK once things got sorted. In Novato I ran into a little sprinkle, but it didn't last and I was home by 3. Walter and Carol were happy to see me, and I walked Walter around the reservoir.

The Harley is becoming my go-to bike for shorter trips when the roads aren't going to be challenging. It is a good bike for cruising along, and if there are a few turns it is fun to throw the big hog around a little.