Go West Ace folk
ACE Cafe boss Mark Wilsmore & Linda crossed the Atlantic to walk about meet celebs and see amazing motorcycles
Ace Cafe London was invited to attend the inaugural Legend of the Motorcycle event at Half Moon Bay in San Francisco. Never having travelled further west than Wales, and despite my fear of flying such a long distance, it was agreed that there could be no excuse in the face of such an experience, and I must say that it was a trip to be remembered!
Our adventure started on a tip-off. Mark and I set off on foot (yeah, crazy tourists!), in the blazing sun, to find a piece of history. Almost hidden in Pico Canyon, in the Santa Clarita Valley, is the 'home' of the first commercially successful oil well in western USA.
Punched to a depth of 617 feet by a French immigrant named Charles Alexander Mentrier (Alex Mentry), oil shot to the top of the 65-foot California Oil derrick in 1876. Not only did it give birth to an industry in California; it was also the longest running oil well in the world when it ceased operation in 1990.
As the suburbs faded into the distance, and the road became narrower, we saw the first 'Beware of Rattlesnakes' sign! Dozens of small lizards scurried across our path, as birds of prey circled above us. We also became acutely aware of other hazards, potential rock falls, with plenty of evidence of the devastation caused by the Simi Valley fires in 2003. Noting these reminders of charred flora and fauna, I made sure I stamped my cigarettes out well.
The trail seemed endless, particularly as there were no signs to tell you if you were going in the right direction, but we staggered on, hoping that our water rations would be enough, and were at last rewarded, as the 130 year old historic village of Mentryville (or what is left of it after the fire), came into view.
The road turned into a cinder track, and because of the unsafe nature of the original building, sadly the gates were closed, but we were still able to wander around the rest of the site, dried up creeks, old oil wagons and drums, and sit on the steps of Felton School to imagine what it used to be like, and visualise the people who used to live and work in Mentryville.
The ride to LOTM, started from Bartels Harley-Davidson in Marina Del Ray, California, who very kindly opened up early to see us off with coffee and good cheer. Our route took us along the glorious Pacific Coast Highway, with an overnight stop at the scenic Morro Bay, continuing the following day, past Big Sur, and arriving at our destination late afternoon. With it's winding road and awesome scenery, this road took my breath away.
The Legend of the Motorcycle event was a celebration of the art of motorcycling, and the first motorcycle concours d'elegance on an international level, paying homage to a rich heritage and the enormous influence the motorcycle has had on popular culture.
With the rugged backdrop of the Pacific , the LOTM event saw nearly 200 of the world's finest motorcycles on display, many of which were so rare, that I had never even heard of them.
One of my particular favourites was racer Dick Hammer's 500cc 1967 Triumph T100/R, which, were it not for a simple mistake, might have won the 1967 Daytona 200. Whilst in the pits at the halfway point, he pulled out a rag to wipe off his face shield, placing the rag under the seat. Shortly after, the bike, which had been running well up to that point, sputtered. Hammer looked down and realised that the rag had been sucked into one of the carbs. He pulled it out, but by then it was too late and he finished 7th.
The featured marques for this year, were Brough Superior and Crocker, and were the largest gathering of Brough's ever seen in the USA and the largest gathering of Crockers ever in history.
Other exhibits included a 1915 Cyclone Board Track Racer, the fastest motorcycle in its day and one of the rarest in the world. Burt Monro's 1920 Indian Scout Special, a Bonneville speed record holder, and the focus of the recently released feature film 'The World's Fastest Indian', not to mention Hap Alzina's 1938 Indian Arrow. The streamlined capsule was created for rider Freddie Ludlow for a speed record attempt at Bonneville Salt Flats. Ludlow did set a speed record, but without the capsule, as it proved too unstable at high speeds. All of the above record-holding machines being some of the most significant examples of pre-war American racing motorcycles in existence.
Several one-of-a-kind motorcycles also captured the importance of this inaugural event, like the 1900 Orient Tricycle, the only one in existence, the 1915 Racycle and 1923 BMW R32, the oldest known to exist, and a 1968 Indian 'Clymer' Scout, the only one ever made. Additionally, there was the 'Field of Fame', consisting of bikes owned by Steve McQueen , Roy Rogers (the bike he gave up Trigger for!), and Elvis. There was input from custom builders Arlen Ness, Jesse James, Shinya Kimura of Chabott Engineering, with some amazing 'one-offs' and Bernard Li presenting his 1000cc Prototype Vincent Black Lightning.
I chatted to Fred Johansen, standing resplendent in uniform next to his 1953 1400cc Indian Chief, which started life in the Mexico City Police Department. I was miles from home and the Ace Cafe, and yet we had friends in common! Fred explained that the Indian Club meets in different countries, and that he had been to one such meeting in the UK, mentioning the name of someone who belongs to the Indian Club and who visits the cafe regularly!
Despite an entrance charge of $50, the event was well received and attended, and I for one think that it was worth every dollar, as various charities also benefited, to include Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Roots Initiative and Special Olympics.
Triumph Motorcycles, donated one of the two 2006 custom modified Hinckley built Scrambler 900's used in the filming of Tom Cruise's upcoming movie, 'Mission Impossible III'. Compared to the standard Scrambler, it featured custom paint, custom exhaust and knobbier tyres, bidding was hot and it went under the hammer for $12.500.
Having had our senses fuelled, tracking down more motorcycle meets and places of interest was a foregone conclusion.
During the trip, we also attended a Brit bike gathering at Hansen Dam, and met America's top chat show presenter, Jay Leno, who turned up on a 1931 Henderson. He instantly recognised the Ace Cafe London Logo, and after a chat, he kindly invited us back to his 'shop' (think 2 Hangars!) in San Fernando to view his incredible collection of bikes and cars. Coupled with his wealth of knowledge, he was a cool guy, who obviously cares a great deal about preservation & restoration.
The piece de resistance for me however, was his Jet Bike. With it's helicopter engine. With an exhaust output of 12,000 degrees, it had apparently been responsible for melting a car bumper, so we stood well back when he fired it up and set off up the yard!
We also visited the Rock Store in Cornell, a very popular biker's pit stop, set in idyllic rustic surroundings and well off the beaten track. The Rock Store, made entirely of volcanic rock dates back to 1910. You can sit outside, have a beer, listen to the music, and see who turns up, as it's quite a hang out for the 'who's who' of the motorcycling world.
There is also a small motorcycle museum in Solvang that is well worth a visit. Set up by Virgil Elings, it houses some rare machines, to include a 1949 Supercharged Vincent Black Lightning, one of only 30 ever made and the first in the USA. This particular bike held the 1-mile speed record (unsupercharged) in 1953, then held the American record of 182mph supercharged. It's probably the meanest pre-1950 bike you'll ever see!
Another little known gem we came upon, was the California Oil Museum in Santa Paula, which houses memorabilia, and tells the story of the oil bonanza that created wealth, work and prosperity for generations of Californians. Visitors can exercise their wits and luck as wildcatters, see how Indians used natural oil seeps, and watch miniature drilling-rig bores (great for kids and grown-ups too!). The Museum presents new exhibits and exhibitions throughout the year, and on the occasion of our visit, was showing a motorcycle display of Daniel Schoenwald's collection, featuring two Von Dutch restored bikes, and Steve McQueen's 1942 Indian Scout, to name but a few.
One of the winners at LOTM, was Yoshi Kosaka's Yamaha. Yoshi, owner of the Garage Company in Los Angeles, very kindly showed us around his premises, which is full to bursting with motorcycling artefacts, clothing, books, and a similar 'scrapyard' out the back, where the 'winning' bikes are built.
Whilst I was 'window shopping' inside, Mark was out the back, up to his straw Stetson in rust and decay! It would appear that at the Garage Company, nothing gets in the way of building bikes, not even injury. One of the mechanics was sat with his broken leg blalanced on the bench, as he intricately carried our repairs!
And what trip would be complete, without a visit to Alice's Restaurant on Sklyline Boulevard , and Johnny's Bar in Hollister, the place where it supposedly all kicked off, and was captured in the film 'The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando and Lee Marvin! We hit Hollister on a quiet and sultry Sunday afternoon, and found the place buzzing with well-oiled locals, who on seeing Mark in a studded black leather jacket, thought that the ghost of Johnny had returned!
Steve McQueen once said "Life is racing...everything else is just waiting..."...I'm not so sure.
Story & photos: Linda Wilsmore (Ace Cafe London)
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