Thursday, January 23, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Siege's Vintage Motorcycle Show - Renton, Washington
Yesterday, I cruised down 405 towards Renton to check out Siege's annual vintage motorcycle show. This being the 5th edition, though I've attended two previously - click here for pics of first visit - and here for second trip down moto memory lane, if interested that is. I had to skip last year, mountain bike coaching conference higher up on the agenda.
With that history out of the way, sunny northwest January day greeted this year's show. Solo trip for me, which is a kind of good thing, a break in the usual family busy guy routine. No rush gawking at old school bikes, snapping photos, and chatting with folks.
Once again, Downtown Harley-Davidson of Renton playing host for the event. Here's the proof...
Spotted in parking lot. Maico lives forever.
Very orange, very nice KTM enjoys the fresh air outside the shop. Appears to be the AHRMA racer - a much better fate for old school iron, then collecting dust in a barn somewhere.
Exhaust work of art, directing spent gases and wowing spectators alike. Well, something like that anyway. Trick two-stroke ATK looking very ready for action.
How often do you see a vintage Monark? Not often is the correct answer. Especially looking this race ready. The two hat wearing dudes agree...
It seems Mr. Ed knows his way around vintage CZs. Exceptionally well done restoration, I spent quite a bit of time eyeing up the details. Cool indeed.
Like visiting Czechoslovakia on a sunny afternoon. Well, sorta...
Harley dudes ignore the vintage iron. They don't know what they're missing, including this perfect specimen '82 Husqvarna 250 CR, sun glare glistening off the fork tubes. I'll weep silently. Air cooled, drum brakes, yet long travel suspension - all look correct to me - the best era of motocross. But I'm just sappy and old...
Show was mostly dirt bike based, though sprinkled with some road bikes - including this vintage Yamaha - which reminds of the first motorcycle I ever owned. If interested and/or extremely bored, I babbled about it here previously.
Late '70s era Hodaka Wombat 125 dual purpose bike. "Dual purpose" as per called back then for street legal dirt bikes. "Wombat" as per the quirky, fun names Hodaka seemed to name most of their models. I've never owned a Hodaka, but was always a bit of a fan - their image and marketing geared towards general dirt riding fun. Even though they've been gone for many years now, folks keep 'em alive via restorations - thanks to places like Strictly Hodaka suppling Parts 'N' Knowledge.
Old school Bultaco looking minty fresh and ready to ride.
Hodaka 125 racer leans coyly to the right. This being the Combat Wombat or Super Combat model, I'm not sure. Further proof however of Hodaka's cool model names. Go ahead, say Combat Wombat without smiling. I dare you...
Impeccably turned out 1974 Suzuki TM100. I've seen this bike before and certainly worth a revisit. I'm also biased, since I owned a '74 TM125 back in high school. I'm a sucker for that yellow paint and green stripe, visions of DeCoster in my head. One of my favorite bikes of the show.
Bench racing and/or memory lane yakking in progress. It's not just about bikes - the camaraderie, shared experience and memories - all part of the scene.
Maico 490 looking vintage, yet deadly serious and competent at the same time. Break out the big boy pants for this one.
Many a kid dreamed of finding this under the Christmas tree during the '70s. Modern kids don't know what they missed, a lot more fun then staring at screens.
The Honda QA 50 launched many dirt bike careers.
Another Maico 490 - looking yellow - tans under fluorescent lights.
Hipster cafe racer alert. I actually dig the whole cafe scene, many newer riders latching onto this vintage trend. A cool way to breathe life into old Honda CBs and the like.
Another example of the cafe racer project bikes on display.
Very trick '76 to '78 era Honda CR125, complete with tasty mods. I owned a '76 Honda CR125 in '78, during my high school years - so I'm pretty familiar with this model. The modified Honda XR75 keeping this CR125 company, also up there on the trick scale.
Can-Am 125 TNT dual purpose bike looking ready to cruise the neighborhood or local trails. Expect there are no more local trails. That sob story for another time and place.
Unidentified dude stares down a pair of cafe bikes. Meanwhile in the background - folks head towards the light in Hog Heaven...
Mega modified Yamaha TT500. Appears to be YZ swing arm and fork grafted to TT frame. Much work involved in this little project, with fantastic results to show for it.
Moto Guzzi LeMans 850 gazes out the window. I'd dig one of these in my garage.
CZ 125 looking splendid with coffin tank, red frame, and white fenders. I've never owned a CZ, hoping one day to pilot one in vintage events. A boy can dream, can't he?...
Blinding orange Hodaka keeps the fire extinguisher company.
1956 BSA cafe bike dreams of escaping the show and breaking the ton.
Glowing '70s era memories emanate from Can-Am 250 motor...
Visions of Marty Moates. R.I.P...
Secret spy shot. Who knew the NSA attended vintage motorcycle events...
Maico AW 400 looking ready to roost. AW stands for Adolf Weil, but of course you already knew that, huh?...
No nonsense Husqvarna looking race ready, despite resting on cuddly blanket...
Heikki Mikkola was here...
Circa 1979 Maico 250 looking very capable. My dirt bike daze ran from the mid '70s through '80 - so this era of bikes push all my current vintage buttons.
Fuzzy Hodaka memories...
Name 33 reasons why owning this Penton 175 would rock…
Insanely perfect Bultaco Alpina. The Aplina being the more trail oriented version of the Sherpa observed trials bike. Would to fun to own and ride one of these even today.
Thumbs up from me also…
Yet another super sano Yamaha to gawk at...
Being thin is in...
Really sweet Honda CB550 rests on carpet with no fear of dripping oil...
Cave man era flat tracker. Rear suspension being for whips...
This might get loud...
Later model CZ, though by this era, completely outdated by the competition. Even so, despite cobble assembly - or maybe because of it - looks great.
Many examples of detailed, well crafted, vintage racers on display - including this Yamaha.
Interesting Honda project bike. That appears to be the '60s era Super Hawk engine powering it. Lots of home brew engineering on this one.
Seventies era motocross bike were narrow indeed. Honda CR125 here as proof.
Dude in tuxedo is the man with the plan - promoter of this event. Christopher Siege James is well known in the northwest, I've met him a few times. Interesting talented guy - promotes this show, has promoted vintage motocross events, races himself, t-shirt designer, photographer, painter, and musician. Also runs a vintage motocross website, which is how I discovered the vintage scene in the Seattle area.
Show winding down, circa '77 Bultaco Sherpa T catches my eye. I really wanted one of 'em back in the day, dabbling with observed trails during that era.
My, what big fins you have. DKW wishes me farewell and concludes the day.
Being firmly in the demographics of this event, a fun afternoon for me. This era of dirt motorcycles firmly entrenched into my memory banks - due to my obsession with all things dirt motorcycle oriented - during the teenage formative years. I can barely remember people's names at work, yet can spout off technical tidbits and spew out memories from this golden age of motorcycling 35 years later.
And since I haven't ridden a dirt motorcycle since 1981 or so, bit of a bizarre time warp. Sort of like unfreezing cro-magnon man and meeting for lunch. In the end, why analyze it?
Connection to carefree youth, interest in older machinery, chance to crank up the memory banks. Pick one. Probably a combination of all that and more. In the end, revisiting these bikes and other folks interested in 'em, is super cool to me. Photographing and documenting 'em an extra layer on the fun cake.
Eventually, I'd like to score a vintage bike to do some riding, and even get my ass kicked in a vintage motocross event. The wheels are still turning on how to afford and/or justify that kind of project. I think it will happen sooner or later. Probably later then sooner.
Thanks for reading and checking out the photos…
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