Spring is springing and it’s the beginning of riding here on the great tundra of Minnesota. We had the snowiest February on record… ever… since records have been kept! Ridiculous! Usually I can get a ride in two or three times over the course of winter (when there’s a day above 40 degrees and the roads are clear). It didn’t happen at all this year. The temps dropped into the basement in October and stayed there, giving us another winter of polar vortexes, wind chills that freeze skin in ten minutes, and snow out the wazoo. This was not a good winter for the mental health of bikers.
The fabulous Anita is my riding buddy. Neither one of us thought we’d ever see grass again. My bikes froze into my garage floor due to a quick thaw of all the snow and temperatures cold enough to refreeze the melt at night. I went out to check on them the other day and the water has finally drained off and they’re high and dry now.
Anita and I started off the season the way we have for the past three years, by tripping over to the Donnie Smith Custom Bike and Car Show in St. Paul on March 23. It helps a bit with the PMS (Parked Motorcycle Syndrome) and gives us hope that Spring really is just around the corner. The show is a pretty big deal here. By the time it rolls around every biker in the tri-state area is tired of looking at parts catalogs, doing winter fixes, ordering parts, and waiting for the warmth to show up. So we’re ready for the diversion. We know there’s hope when the Show rolls around.
This year the Show was set up pretty much like any other. Most of the focus is on American bikes, but there is a lot of variety. Don’t go expecting a load of international bikes though. There are a few scattered around, but as I said, it’s mostly Harleys and Indians. There was a good number of custom bikes to walk around and gaze at which had some really great work; Everything from alternative metals and extreme angles to crazy good paint jobs. We got there for the 9 a.m. opening so we could get on the floor fast before too many people showed up. It’s easier to take photos and just generally see the bikes without so many people milling about.
There are always some bikes that are there year after year. Saw a few we’d seen before, but many that we hadn’t. I’m really into vintage Harleys… shovels, pans, knucks, and flatties are where it’s at for me. There were a ton at the show. Also love the old Indians, Nortons, and most anything else made before the mid eighties. I took a lot of pictures. As you’ll see from the shots, I take a lot of photos of parts that I find interesting. And that day-glo rainbow paint job… Wowza!
The usual vendors had their booths as well. Several clubs, Dennis Kirk, St. Paul Harley, Bison Thunder Indian, plus quite a few gear vendors had their wares on display. Easy to pick up a nice riding jacket for under $150 or a pair of chaps for a reasonable price. I never did find a rain suit or a cup holder though, the two things I was actively shopping for. Anita got her yearly Faw-Kinn-Ae™ T-shirt though and we suggested the vendor add headbands to their product line for next year. They were pretty jazzed about the idea. Sitting here writing this, I just realized we skipped over an entire corridor of vendors. Oh well, next year. My cup holder and rain suit were probably waiting for me in the corridor we missed.
We also walked around the Car show on the upper level. Yep, there’s a car show too. We appreciate the cars, but are pretty much there to look at the bikes. There were a lot of great rides to see and I’ll share some of the pictures I took.
The back half of the building is a swap meet. If you need parts, especially for an older bike, this is the place to be. There is a decently wide selection of parts to dig through, including tanks, bars, windshields, and anything else you might need, mostly pertaining to Harleys. My best advice about it is to go knowing exactly what you’re looking for. Know what’s going to fit your bike. When in doubt, ask the vendor but be warned that they may not know exactly what may fit your bike in particular.
It sure felt great to get out and check out the bikes. Feels like riding season is finally close and we’ll no longer be just dreaming about putting the miles on. Can’t wait to share all of our riding adventures with you! Varoooom!
Heidi
