I paid 10.00 more and got a priority spot about 100 bikes from the front.. so I was out of there in about 10 minutes rather than sitting there for up to 3 hours waiting to leave. Blocks and blocks of bikes.. 10 or so across.
Edgar Winter played a full set in front of Glendale Harley at 7:00 AM.. then Jay Leno came out and did his thing and then the gun went off at exactly 9:30. 20 thousand bikes (95% Harleys) firing up at once is quite a sound and feel.
So 40 miles up the 5 fwy with crowds on every overpass cheering us on. We arrived at the lake to another ever growing sea of chrome. The ticket included BBQ lunch, 2 free beers (or whatever) trade show, exhibitions and a concert by the Black Crowes with the stage backed up against the lake.
It was incerdibly well organized from start to finish.. no hassles as far as I saw. I did read about some paint-trading and a couple of bikes going down on the way out, but nothing bad. All in all it was a great day. I left around 3:00 and bikes were still arriving.. so it paid to get the priority spot and getting there early. For some pics go to
http://picasaweb.google.com/csloman/LoveRide2006 Chris