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VINTAGE: Rites Of Spring
Written by: John Cerilli
vintagemotorcyclesonline.com   http://www.vintagemotorcyclesonline.com
06/15/2009
Charlotte, NC
 
Photo by vintagemotorcyclesonline.com. I heard from one of the participants that this year drew over 80 vintage Brit-bikes of all shapes and sizes! ยป More Photos

Northern California arguably has some of the best motorcycle riding weather in the country. However, they do get most of their annual rain from January through March.

About the end of March, one starts to see the tell-tale signs of spring, including the blossoming of the white, ornamental pear and cherry trees.

Another sign is the annual CLUBMAN ALL BRITISH motorcycle extravaganza event at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose. I have not missed this event since moving to California in 2006, and this year was no exception. This year marked the 22nd annual weekend sponsored and hosted by the BSA Owners Club of Northern California: http://www.bsaocnc.org/ . The famous ARIEL motorcycle brand was this year’s featured marque.

The main event was on Saturday and Sunday, and there is always a British only “Morning After Ride” in the local area run by one of the clubs. This year, the ARIEL Owners Club hosted the ride. I heard from one of the participants that this year drew over 80 vintage Brit-bikes of all shapes and sizes! In addition, there are AMA professional indoor short-track races, a swap meet, a raffle for a
restored 1973 Norton Commando. This year’s special Guest of Honor was legendary BSA motocross racer and 1964-65 world MX champion Jeff Smith.

Over the last few years, a EUROPEAN segment was added and this year, a Japanese segment was also included. Vintage motorcycles from all three segments are housed in separate buildings, so this keeps everything organized and consistent. The entry fee is $5 for fairground parking and $5 each for the British and European displays. The Japanese building was free this year.

I am always amazed at the diversity and the quality of the motorcycles at this show. Triumph Bonneville’s, BSA Lightning’s, and Norton Commando’s are always popular and present, but I am always looking for that non-mainstream vintage bike.

This year, a nice ’54 Matchless and a 500cc Velocette Thruxton caught my eye. There was also a very tasty mid-70’s BSA Rocket 3 cafe’ racer that would have looked nice in my garage. It’s great that these bikes are preserved for future generations.

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