Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge What I did Saturday night (long)

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.

Wojo, it sounds like you had a really interesting evening at this classy event.
77 years eh? Excellent!

Gentlemen, I believe Wojo here has just described the very definition of what REAL "Bikers" are.(the debate has ended)

I'll bet the collective knowledge and appreciation for every marque of two-wheeled motorized conveyance known to man that filled that room was enormous.

I would have loved to have been there myself, Wojo.

Cheers,
Dwight

Reading of the WW2 rider brought to mind my grandfather who passed away several years ago. He spoke very little about the war. He told me about being a dispatch rider for the Black Watch being missing in action presumed killed. He told me some other stuff but this is neither the time nor the place to go into them.

I visited him not long before he died and he wanted on the bike being a good grandson I tried to talk him out of it...how stupid was I. He climbed aboard stuck it in gear and shot off into the distance by god could he handle a bike. I thought he was going to just sit on the bike. After about 45 minutes he appeared back with the biggest smile I had ever seen on him. He also seemd to have come back 10 years younger.

My grandfather was tall man age shrunk him but it never shrunk his heart. He was a quiet man with a wealth of experience on all sorts of things I wish I had the wisdom at the time to talk to him more, and to listen, what he knew abouts bikes even at his old age was incredible. A wise man was my grandfather. The world is colder place for the passing of men such as him and his peers. They gave so much of their young lives and never asked nor wanted anything in return except peace. To be allowed to enjoy the lives that they returned too. Rest in Peace granda. Sergeant Robert Miller 2nd Battalion Black Watch Highland Division.

John,

That sounds like a great eve!

I would tend to agree with Dwight

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Gentlemen, I believe Wojo here has just described the very definition of what REAL "Bikers" are.(the debate has ended)

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John,
That sounds like a great evening. I hope you're invited every year.

sounds like a great Saturday night


BIKER

Wow, and we think we are bikers. Great story, thanks for sharing.

very cool indeed...

That sounds like a fine evening John. I hope you remembered to get gas on the way home too.
Take care buddy, eh?

That sounds really nice to be invited to John, and sounds as though you really enjoyed the evening.

What a great story!

sounds neat. I know you had to win the loose chain award!

It was something to see all those old racers sitting there and talking about the old days. It was nice to see the kids sitting there as well listening to them and you could tell they were just hungry to learn from them.

Plus I got to throw a couple of cheap shots (friendly though) at the president and vice-president of the local HOG chapter that were sitting at my table.

Sounds like a good time - so how did you get invited to hang out with a bunch of real bikers?

Same way I got into the Easy Riders tent last year at Bike Week for free.

The guy at the door saw my two buddies and me walking along and said, "hey, hey you guys look like real bikers."

"Well, you don't" pointing to me.

"Nope", I says. I'm their lawyer.

"Oh! You guys want to come in for free?"

He then turned to the guy at the door and said, "these three are with me, let them in." And he did.

True story.

thanks for sharing this, Wojo. sounds like a wonderful experience.

yea but were there any girls dancin half neked with each other hahahahahaha and was there a guy there, per chance, name of Bart Markel???? one of the ole time greats from the 60's dont cha just love it when you find yourself at the right place and at the right time????

Nope no nekkid gurls, that's why it's called a stag. Only guys.

Hey Woj,
What a wonderful experience. Bet you were smiling inside.
Can you get us in next year? I'd love to have been there.
As far as the nekid ladies, I've seen enough. I still want to be there next year. If I ride my motorcicle up there in January, can I get in?

I'll make sure that you do.