Bike show, the start of riding season, eventually

This weekend was the bike show, sponsored by the Anchorage Motorcycle Dealer's Association.  It's currently held at Ben Boeke Ice Arena, next door to the Sullivan. I've been going to these shows since what may have been the first one over at the Northway Mall in 1992 or so. Uncle Glen was instrumental in getting that one going. It's since grown to a huge event with thousands of riders and non-riders both showing up to see fancy bikes, new offerings from the motorcycle dealers, motorclothes and accessories.

The poster says it all.

Each year many enthusiasts try to ride to the show, including me, at least at some point during the weekend.

Friday morning, bike show move-in day I woke up to snow. What was I to think? Hope we get the 2-3 more inches needed to break the all-time snowfall record? Or curse Mother Nature for dropping more of this disgusting white stuff on us, thereby seemingly eliminating the merging of hundreds of two-wheel traffic back onto the roadways?

I don't have to explain this one either.

So I just decided to go to zumba and wear off some of that frustration. By the way, the snow melted.

On Saturday morning, opening day of the show, I awoke to more snow coming down. Good grief, Mother Nature, get a life. Get this 2 point whatever inches of snow we need done, break the snowfall record, and then begone. Let us ride.

Drove down to the bike show in a blizzard and spent the day. Some hardy fools (whoops), sorry, rode, and I'm not talking about the folks on trikes. But it was a great day with what appeared to be a lot of folks coming to the show.

Look at all that snow. 

Friends appeared that I hadn't seen in a long time, others were there that I see often, but it's always wonderful to see them, and there were some bikes this year that were pretty spectacular.

Friendly faces staffed the HOG booth, from left, Elizabeth, Maria, Tricia and Julie. 

Dave and Alvin, what a couple of guys.  And great friends, too. 

I wandered around the show, visiting, and taking photos. My main target this year was bike parts, because it's easier to get a piece of a bike in a decent photo over trying to get the whole thing without other bikes or pieces of people in them. I don't particularly like arms, legs or feet in my photos.

Bike wheels can be so pretty.

Eagle eye.  Awesome bike.

Congratulations to Lee of Dreamcatcher Cycles with the Woodstock bike.  The trophies were nearly bigger than the bike.

Really nice wheel.

Another winner.

It was hard to miss this bright, cheerful Can-Am.  It was all decked out in pink, pink jewels, spider webs, lighted wheels; it was over the top and quite unique.  Owner Deb has breast cancer and this was a gift to her. 

I loved this paint.

There were some of the bike groups there so I took a few photos of patches, some of which are really nice looking and colorful. Being that Biker Bill is a Combat Vet, of course, I took a photo of their patch. It's a clean-looking patch and good-looking as well.

HOG folks do the security, and I made sure to get a couple of photos of them. Some were guarding their chairs like dogs in a manger, but they were doing an excellent job of it.

Brad, Steve and Tricia.  Security at its finest.

Frank and Troy guarded those chairs with their lives.

Donovan and Jim did chair guarding security on Sunday.  Look at those smiles.

Others were taking money for entry tickets, and a couple of them were working the “Crack the Safe” box. You could win up to $50,000. Me? Loser, with a Capital L, as usual. Gambling doesn't seem to be my game.

Jim and Neil were the safe-cracker guardians.

Loser, loser, loser.

Torque, Sherri and Roz were ticket-sellers extraordinaire!!!  They were selling tickets so fast you could hardly see their hands moving.  Tickets were flying off the counter as people poured in after about 11 a.m.

Easter Sunday morning dawned clear but cold, less than 30 degrees. Would it warm up enough to get the ice off the roads?

It did. I was a little apprehensive but by the time we left, most of the ice on the street that I was concerned about was gone. There wasn't too much water on most of our route, Jewel Lake to Dimond to C Street and down to Ben Boeke. Oh boy, it felt so good to ride.



Harvey was out and about, using a walker, but fraternizing, and selling tickets.  The green ribbons were given to us by our own Miss Harley-Davidson, Robin, in memory of Samantha Koenig.  RIP, Sam.



Our Miss Harley-Davidson, Robin.   She makes a perfect Miss H.D. 

Pam and her bike.  New paint this year.

We attended a patching ceremony by his group of Combat Vets. Good folks, all. Took a few photos, then we headed on home.

Combat Vets, Chapter 43-1, Alaska

As we headed to the barn, we stopped to take a photo of the bikes and snow. Good day for a first ridealthough a short 15-mile one, and the snow was seemingly not nearly as deep as before. Come on, springtime.

Snow, stop sign and bikes.  What a wonderful day.