For the last few years I have headed down to the spring rally in Myrtle Beach and it’s been the same old, same old. Hanging out with the same crowd, staying at the same dumpy motel, and going to the same places. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not putting it down. I have thoroughly enjoyed those times, but I needed a change, and this year the opportunity for a different...

  One new group of builders from Canada entered the first custom bike built at their shop. They were painters mainly, and came from the hot rod car business. “We were overwhelmed at the show,” said Alain Michaud of Radical Customs in Quebec. “We definitely got noticed and got several extra jobs right after the show.” Dave Welch of Chopper City USA explained that standing all day...

The other case in point is the Horse Smoke Out East, which is held in late June in Salisbury, North Carolina. Can you say 90-degree heat, blazing sun, and the typical thunderstorms that are common this time of year in North Carolina? Why not a little earlier in the year instead of peak summer? Apparently, I was not the only wimp at the Smoke Out, as this was the opinion of many of...

Surprise! The weather during the River Run’s 25th anniversary was hot this year. The mercury was almost boiling at 104-degrees, rivaling only Palm Springs for the highest temperature in the entire nation. Even though the temperature is high, it didn’t prevent Laughlin from offering a variety of daily outdoor activities. My favorite daytime endeavor is the Street Legal drags at the...

Set up on Thursday is a smooth, madhouse of activity. All the custom guys set out their bikes for the attendees to enjoy and maybe purchase. Spike, Seth’s number one guy, is on the ball spotting vendors, putting out fires, and generally taking care of business. One of the biggest surprises I had, though, was finding a metric manufacturer taking up the “prime spot.” Like I’ve said...

  It was reported that 6,000 enthusiasts braved the perfect weather to attend. Among the many personalities in attendance were Billy Lane, Eric Buell, Peter Coyote, Chad McQueen, Peter Fonda, Charlie Boorman, Timothy White, Bud Ekins, Mert Lawill, and Willie G., Nancy, and Karen Davidson. Willie G. was there not only to enjoy the motorcycles, but to receive a Lifetime Achievement...

  One of the events was taking place at WestWorld in Scottsdale under the Cyclefest banner, and the other was Nitro Syndicate’s Westside Motorcycle Expo at the University of Phoenix’s domed stadium in Glendale, home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Both venues had the usual assortment of vendors peddling everything from leather goods to inventive custom parts for you and your ride...

  One of the events was taking place at WestWorld in Scottsdale under the Cyclefest banner, and the other was Nitro Syndicate’s Westside Motorcycle Expo at the University of Phoenix’s domed stadium in Glendale, home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Both venues had the usual assortment of vendors peddling everything from leather goods to inventive custom parts for you and your ride...

  Well, I guess I thought loud enough, because this year the organizers of Love Ride chose to ditch the bucolic but logistically limiting Castaic Lake riding destination, and expanded the single-day ride into a three-day Pomona Fairplex-based shindig heretofore known as California Bike Week. Watchout flatlanders!  Here comes Cali! The Petersen Automotive Museum in Hollywood hosted...

  Having the Bikefest in downtown Las Vegas makes it that much sweeter for me. The old no frills casinos, cheap prices, fried Oreo’s and fried Twinkies. I’ll betcha Elvis probably had a few of those. Let’s not forget the great light show on the ceiling of Fremont Street. Far out man! This year Fremont Street was loaded with custom bikes throughout the weekend....