According to some anonymous statistic there are over 20,000 bikes registered to San Francisco addresses. That’s more than one bike for every 50 people. Motorcycles in San Francisco run the entire length of motorcycle production since the end of WW II. From rat Indians out of the ‘40s thru the entire gamut of Brit, German, Japanese, Spanish, and Italian bikes to today’s choice of marques in all states of repair or disrepair.
Riders run the entire ethnic, economic, gender choice, and social standing of the population of this city that’s waiting to be destroyed by the next big one. It’s not as if it’s coming, but when. One guy who’s raced 14 times at the TT races at the Isle of Man, rides in the Sunday morning ride that was started by his father in the late ’50s. Rain, fog, sunshine — it don’t matter. The ride has taken place 52 Sundays a year for over a half-century leaving from Tam Junction, just over the Golden Gate Bridge, onto CA 1 to breakfast at Point Reyes Station over one of the world’s best roads. SFPD has riders on Harleys and Suzuki dual-sports. Each cop group makes fun of the other cops’ ride.
The shops and hangouts of San Francisco run from first class to dive. Classy Cafe Tosca in North Beach, is managed by Peter Ridet, who’s had a couple of his builds featured on this website. Then we had the Ace Cafe named in honor of its Brit brethren but unfortunately closed due to the economy. Plus the coffee cafes that support motorcycles like the Cafe Trieste, whose founder’s kids raced motorcycles.