This past Saturday I was invited to an old motorcycle tradition here in my home town. It was the 77th annual Windsor Motorcycle Club Stag Dinner. I was quite honoured to be invited to something that only real riders go to.
Every year about 200 motorcyclists from Southwestern Ontario, Michigan and Ohio who are members in this club get together to catch up on old times and eat a great meal.
First thing I noticed when I walked in is that everyone is in their Sunday best, no jeans or t-shirts are allowed. My ticket had been picked up by a friend earlier so he met me at the door. Each person who arrives gets an enamel pin commemorating that years dinner. After getting a beer I walk over to a bike display which has been set up. There are about 20 motorcycles in place, several dealerships have brought new bikes to display and then there are the older bikes which members can bring in to show off. One went back to the 1920's.
When the banquet is ready to start one member of the executive gets up and introduces everyone in the executive and then goes into the nights theme. This year's theme was long distance riding. Six members this year got Iron Butt awards, four of them for the first time. The club likes to give out gifts to these people so each one got something special and of coarse each one gets a ribbing for the type of bike he rides. No marquee is sacred here!!
A friend of mine was one of five that got up one morning and did the 1000 mile ride in 24 hours from where we live, rode to Quebec, gassed up and rode home.
The sixth guy decided to celebrate his 50th birthday and did a four corners run this past summer. He rode 20,000 kilometres in 19 days.
Next they acknowledged the oldest person in the room, the father of a friend of mine again. This man is over 80 and rode dispatch for the Royal Highlanders in WWII. When asked how many motorcycles he went through in the war he answered 47.
Next came the awards to the people in the room who have crashed at over 200 miles per hour. There were two. Amazingly enough they both got up and walked to the head table to retrieve their awards. Amazing to me anyway but not apparently to the rest of the room.
Next came the acknowledgement of six guys that used to ride together as a group when they were kids. Several had been professional road racers and one had held the world land speed record on a motorcycle for 1 month.
Lastly a gentlemen was recongnized who passed away last October at the age of 78. Two years before he had gotten onto his Suzuki 650 and rode across the country to Vancouver to visit his sister.
The night ended off with everyone watching old and new footage from the Bonneville Salt Flats speed tests and Isle of Man races.
I hope I get invited again next year, it was a nice pin.
