Classic European and vintage Japanese motorcycles line the curbs of North Lincoln Avenue in downtown Chicago along with a sprinkling of streetfighters, choppers, bobbers and modern bikes. There’s also a strong contingent of old and new scooters mixed into the Mods vs Rockers event hosted by Ton Up Club of Chicago. While it’s a wonderful bike show, it’s great for people-watching as well.
Driving down into Louisville, we’re quickly enamored with the old buildings lining the Ohio River. Headed West on Main Street, just passed the hoppin’ downtown scene, we find Restoration Werks with the front door open to all. It’s an overhead door, up and revealing hand-picked antiques, a vintage Gilera, and a steel table displaying a selection of new moto tees. Look farther into the space, passed the custom shop lights made from salvaged glass and metal, and you’ll see a Vincent, a Brough Superior and an assortment of engines that have a special place in motorcycle lore.
In the Spring of 2008, we attended Nicky Hayden’s inaugural lap of the new MotoGP circuit at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Here’s a behind-the-scenes vid of that special day.
Thanks to Mel Harder, Senior VP of Operations at IMS, we were able to show up with the Media to film this little memento and take a lap on our motorcycles. It was a goosebump-inducing trip down the straightaway and over the yard of bricks. The first lap on a motorcycle was reserved for the Kentucky Kid, which helped set the stage for the following years of MotoGP racing in Indy.
Vintage motorcycles and scooters are sometimes best experienced with the phone number of an honest mechanic handy. Some motorcyclists don’t mind twisting off bolt-heads and chasing finicky carbs for weeks and there are always those guys who say, “I work on my own stuff.” For us, we can understand trying to save a few bucks on some fixes, but a mechanic whose life’s work is decoding the varying innards of aging European motorbikes? That’s a priceless contact.
Walking through the pits and discovering Dave Roper‘s garage was fascinating. At first glance, Dave’s physical appearance is that of a front-porch whittler, yet he’s leathered-up like a motorcycle road racing hero. While we’re unsure of his mountain-man skills, his past and present involvement in motorcycle racing indeed proves his status as a legend.
We like to find motorcycle shops that hearken back to the good ol’ days where there’s a familial vibe in the air…and maybe a dusty jukebox in the corner. Shops that don’t have to adhere to corporate requirements are usually charming, in a concrete-floor and exposed-rafters kinda way. Even more unique is a shop whose owner is also the head mechanic. Chicago’s ACE Motorcycle & Scooter Co. is such a place.
