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| Interview with Thunder Press Magazine (Photo Courtesy of Linda Filla) |
A few weeks back, I had mentioned in a post that we had been invited to attend the 28th Annual Houston-area BMOA (British Motorcycle Owner's Association) Rally in New Ulm, Texas. A lot of attention had been focused on our Cannonball team, trailer, and bike. Well, first off, I want to heartily recommend this rally to anyone who has an interest in seeing REAL vintage enthusiasts--what do I mean by that? Many of the shows that are out there and open to the public are composed of mostly "trailer queen" bikes, which are perfectly restored 98-100 point bikes that are pulled out of the trailer, excessively cleaned, and placed right back in.
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| Loading up..notice the abundance of straps! |
The beauty of this rally is that 90 percent of the bikes in attendance were actually ridden to the show, some from several hundred miles away. Some of the machines were beautiful restorations, while some were original pieces lovingly tended to, while still some were "rat bikes" that hinted of a deep love affair with the owner. I'm of the opinion that all of these machines were made to be ridden, and seem to be happier when plugging away down the road. Our machines were trailered, only because we packed 7 classics into the new race trailer. However, plenty of time was spent riding around the event and up and down the local country roads.
All that being said, we certainly had an adventure throughout the weekend. This trip marked the first "outing" for the race trailer, so certain bugs were bound to come out- and come out, they did. Before leaving the driveway, one tire valve stem went bad. Several more stops were made to pick up groceries and supplies for the weekend, which went uneventful. Luckily none of the bikes had moved, which is always a concern. At the last stop, I noticed that one of the trailer tires seemed to be low on air- when we started to add more, the whole valve came loose. Normally this makes for a problem, however this happened a mere 500 feet away from a tire center. All was well and right with the world. That is, until we opened the trailer door at the rally. Our 1952 Ariel Square Four Mark I decided that it wasn't comfortable being strapped down, and wanted to smack the Concours-restoration 1935 Norton 16H sitting next to it. So, now a lovely little crease in the tank of the 16H is on the list for repair. Ah well....
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| Carson Classic Motors vintage display set up |
While getting set up, I was amazed at the crowd of people that showed up to watch, lend a hand, and offer a cold drink and condolences about the Norton. Previously I had talked about how great friendships are often started around a vintage motorcycle or machine, and this weekend was no exception. Within 5 minutes of arriving, it felt like we had an extended family.
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Answering questions from some interested fans!
(Photo Courtesy of Jamie Farquhar) |
It seemed that my 1927 BSA was a huge hit at the show- a lot of questions were asked about the operation, history, and its upcoming adventure. A bunch of people wanted to get some pictures of the bike, and smiles were abundant. We even received several hundred dollars of generous donations from people who wanted to follow along with us. So if you're now reading this after meeting at the rally, a huge thank you for your kind donations, words of encouragement and friendship on behalf of the Carson Classic Motors Race Team.
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Getting some quality miles in: Stopped at the local store
to pick up some small odds and ends |
I had a great opportunity to put some more miles on the bike, as New Ulm is centered in a "no-man's land." Luckily, the country roads were well kept and very smooth. Smooth enough, in fact, that I was even able to squeeze 50+ mph out of the motor (I try not to push the motor too much in the break-in stage).
Another great part of the weekend was having the pleasure of being interviewed by Robert Filla and his wife Linda. Robert is the Southern Editor for Thunder Press magazine- a very popular motorcycle magazine. I had a great time with them, and I'm looking forward to seeing the article in an upcoming issue. I was also approached by Mike Brown, a writer for Walneck's Classic Cycle Magazine (If you're reading this, I apologize if I get your name wrong- I accidentally lost your card. Sorry about that!!) who set up an interview for a later date (which was on Wednesday of this week.) Overall, it was great weekend for publicity.
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Member Jamie Farquhar participating in the
barrel racing on her slicked out BSA!
(Photo Courtesy of Steve Myers) |
On Sunday of the rally, the annual bike show was held. This year was "The Year of the Royal Enfield," so there were many Enfields in the respective categories. I enjoyed the way that the BMOA organized the bike show- basically, you could enter your machine into whatever category you felt it had the best chance to win. Our bikes came away with four trophies in their respective categories- my 1927 BSA S27 brought a First Place in the "Miscellaneous British" section, the 1952 Ariel Square Four Mark I brought First Place in the "Concours" category, our 1951 Vincent Comet Custom scored a First Place plaque in the "Customs, Cafes, and Choppers" section, and our 1973 Triumph Bonneville Custom brought Second Place in the 1971-83 Triumph category.
All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. A good outing for the trailer, plenty of great food and drink, and countless new friendships. Thanks again to our new friends with the Houston-area BMOA for the hospitality and kindness. You'll definitely be seeing us again. Finally, a special thank you to everyone for supporting our Cannonball team with your generous donations and kind words of encouragement.
All the best,
Buck Carson
Confirmed Cannonballer #3
Carson Classic Motors Race Team
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