The 8th Annual Bikes on the Bay Vintage Motorcycle Show came off without a hitch. The chamber has lots of workers to move, setup, and direct so confusion was kept to a minimum. The event is officially open from 9am to 4pm, but in reality, it’s better to get there by 8am to be able to look around before the gawkers with strollers arrive.

It’s a great little event in spite of being in the parking lot of the Capitola Mall with no ambiance whatsoever unless you really like mall parking lots. But it is what it is, and the high quality of the event makes up for the location. One redeeming feature for showgoers is the real food you can get in the mall like Carl’s Jr. and Chili’s. On top of that, it was a refreshing 80+ degrees outside instead of the triple-digit numbers over the hill.

A area motor cop and a couple of his retired buddies gave a riding demo on a tight course set up with cones. The cop rode his police-issue Beemer copsicle and the other two rode a KTM and Harley bagger. Of course the best handling bike was the KTM with the Beemer second and the Harley third. After the demo, the trio pitched their riding school where they teach these skills. They stressed that these classes would not get you a motorcycle endorsement, but teach you some handy handling tricks.

Walking around and checking everything out, I saw a few Indians, lots of Triumphs, some BSAs, a few Flathead Harleys, and mucho vintage Japanese motorcycles. The star of the show for me was an unrestored barn-find Vincent Black Shadow and here’s why, I was asked to assist the Vincent owner with a quick fix to which I gladly complied. Another first for me, hands-on on a barn-find Vincent.

For information on about the Bikes on the Bay Vintage Motorcycle Show, visit http://www.bikesonthebay.com/ and tell ‘em Rodent sent ya.