California has been swimming an atmospheric river so long its residents are traumatized, tired of getting wet, and pulling U-turns at the first sight of an orange cone. That might be an explanation for the dozen empty spots on the grass at this year’s Quail Motorcycle Gathering, or it could simply be lucky year #13 parsing the solidly committed from the those who let a 20% chance of rain convince them to miss a pretty amazing weekend.
Despite those missing Concours entries, the actual numbers of bikes at/around the Quail was well up, partly due to the presence of Bring-A-Trailer (BaT), who put out a call for an alumni gathering, and were heard. The BaT zone just outside the Quail’s entry gates was packed with motorcycles that had been purchased on their site, balancing out the overall Quail numbers, and prompting suggestions they should bring the party inside the gates next year? They do reach a vast audience of car/moto enthusiasts who collect classics with two and four wheels. Stay tuned for an interview with BaT founder Randy Nonnenberg and Auction Team Manager Tyler Greenblatt.Can we all admit that motorcyclists are sorta cheapskates, except when it comes to buying motorcycles? Every year our local vintage bike forums resound with gripers who think $150 or so for a spectacular event dedicated to their lifelong passion is expensive. Yes, you’re underpaid, got bills ‘n kids, but a whole lot of folks – nearly 50, including the volunteer judges – spend a whole lot of time making the Quail the finest motorcycle-only show in the country, if not the world. And they succeed, every year, so act like you really like motorcycles, and show up. Live a little.Full disclosure: I’ve emceed the Quail since 2011, so have my attachments to the place and the amazing staff that make it happen. But the big draw for me is the magic of the event, which has little to do with which motorcycles are entered, and much to do with the people who attend. Want to talk to Bubba Shobert, Wayne Rainey, or Eddie Lawson? No bodyguards, handlers, or velvet ropes here – just say hi, and start a conversation. Or builders: Max Hazan is a regular (and a regular winner), who brings his lovely family; and talented folks like Dustin Kott, Hugo Eccles (Untitled MC) and Taras Kravtchouk (Tarform), among many other heavyweights in the design, custom, and electric scenes. It’s a great place to talk with folks in the industry, if you have questions or just want to know who’s responsible for good design.We’ve had a Vintagent X Motor/Cycle Arts Foundation booth at the Quail for many years now, and this year we were book-heavy. We gave half our booth over to the new Taschen ‘Ultimate Collector Motorcycles’ book, and invited a publisher’s rep (thanks, Creed Poulsen) to be on hand and explain why the book is so special. Thanks to the many who ponied up on the day, especially for the Fine Art Edition ($850), which is the most lavish book ever printed about motorcycles. We also had deeply discounted books by your truly, all of which are available in our Shop, plus some rarities like Legend of the Motorcycle Concours brochures and tees. We’re the only place on the planet to find those, and the only place to buy signed copies of my books: if you want a personalized inscription, let me know.So, what bikes won? Best of Show was an ultra-rare 1939 Miller-Balsamo 200 Carenata, with fully enclosed monocoque bodywork and a two-stroke engine beneath, owned by SF architect/arch collector John Goldman, who’s been supporting motorcycle shows for decades with his amazing Italian and now Art Deco masterpieces. This was the first year I kept my nose out of the judge’s chambers, but apparently the futuristic Italian lightweight was a firm favorite across the board. For the other 25 winners in the 18 judged categories, check out the Quail PR page. You’ll also get a free eyeful of the metallic leopard Tom Ford blazer I found in Milan, as emcee means giving out the prizes, and being entertaining is my job, ma’am.Do yourself a favor next year, and attend the Quail. Better yet, shine up your bike and park it on the grass: Tyler Greenblatt from Bring-A-Trailer mentioned that bikes shown at the Quail tend to sell for a premium, and even if you’re not planning on selling your machine, it adds a little provenance. My personal faves? They’re mostly in these photos, but I did miss taking photos of a few great bikes; lustrous Italian lightweights, gnarly dirt track champs, fierce 1980s two-stroke GP racers, and customized bikes that looked very tasty indeed. If you can swing it, I’d also recommend joining the Quail Ride on the Friday, a 100-mile tour through the gorgeous Carmel and Salinas Valleys escorted by hotshoe CHP bikes (six this year!), and a few hot laps (and I mean it, I was flat out on my ’65 T120SR Bonneville and couldn’t catch the pace car!) of legendary Laguna Seca raceway. Top memories of the weekend definitely include the feeling in my nether parts cresting the hill into the Corkscrew hard on the throttle – a thrill that never ages. You can too: must be present to win.
Hey hey … good ta see yer fuzzy mug on the AW coverage PdO ! 😎 … maybe next year fer me … we’ll see .
And ahhh .. so now the Quality is going ‘ custom ‘ ? Hmmmmmm
Also .. as a reminder
Q; How do you tell the event yer attending is or has become the very essence of gentrification ?
A; The the cost of the watches on attendees wrists equals or exceeds the cost of the items on display . .. not to mention the overall ‘ whiteness ‘ of the vent …
One correction .. ‘ Quality ‘ should of been Quail ( damn over rambunctious spellcheck )
And .. err … I’s afeared my mug aint quite as fuzzy … what with the snow on the roof falling off … and a hard core goatee rather than full beard on the mug .. So if I makes it … well … if ya sees what appears to be a walking , talking , living embodiment of a goateed Giacometti statue walking ’round … well PdO … that’l be me 😎
Hmmm … love the JEEP Truckster / bike in the back combination .
Love what Max brought as well … though in light of the overall tone of the event .. I’d of chosen his incredible KN1200 … classy doesn’t even come close to what that gem is
And the custom that absolutely should be there ?
Von Dutch’s XAVW …
I wish I could be as enthusiastic about the last Quail… This was the 4th Quail I attended and had to be the one with least amount of displays. It felt like the organizers used all their “arrangement ” skills to make the grounds appear somewhat busy. I displayed at the first 2 shows I attended and visited the 3rd one as part of “why we ride” group. The first indicator this year will have a weak turnout was “why we ride” sign up reminders I was receiving practically all the way to the day the group left for the show. The second was an ability to snag a parking spot right by the entrance an hour and a half after the show began. The only thing that didn’t change was sell out of VIP tix but it seems like the offering on the tables reflected the amount of visitors – sparse.
I really like the Quail, considering I rode the 1098 SFS from Los Angeles to Carmel. Might even consider displaying a bike or two but the organizers must do a better job of promoting. It appears that no one is breaking down the door any longer to get their bike into the show, and I’d hate to see the show just vanish.