The Quail 2013

This weekend was the 5th annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering in the Carmel Valley, California.  It was great fun to see old friends and old bikes in the sunshine.  This was the first time that I’ve made it to the event, as it has previously been scheduled on the same days as the Bud Ekins Tour in Atascadero.

 

This 1915 Harley was about my favorite bike of the whole show.  Tom Holthaus restored it more than a decade ago and has ridden it extensively since.  Yet it still looks good.  And when he started it for us, a large crowd gathered around to hear it run and to watch the valves bump up and down.  I was lucky enough to be asked to judge the early machines, and was able to spend several hours going over each of them with the owners to hear their stories and to see the features up close.  The only downside was that so many of the bikes were very high quality, and there can only be one winner.  The differences amounted to very little, and scores were just a half point here or there.

 

Another great old HD was this outfit that Bud Ekins built up for a movie in 1971.  The bike has sat for three decades since, and was awarded the FIVA award for preservation. 

  

Tim and his blue BMW

 

A tasty Indian

 

I brought the Veloce with the new paint  on the tank and the new barrel too.

 

The pannier carriers on this bluebird are distinctive, even if they aren’t as elegant as some designs.

 

I loved this 1920’s BSA.  It was filled with lots of little details, including the de saxe motor, dummy rim brakes, chain drive and foot clutch.  And quite a bit of pin striping too!

 

The sprockets on the BSA have an interesting spiral pattern. 

 The Petersen Museum brought two bikes, including this 1904 FN four.

 

The Petersen group also brought this Jordan.  It is a one-off, made by an inventor who wanted to get sales via the CHP or the military.  The sheetmetal body is also the frame, and the motor features twin cranks in a side by side configuration.  Velocette fans will recognize that layout as used on the Roarer and the Model O.  With four cylinders, electric start, and disc wheels, it was an advanced specification for a bike at that time.  The styling is even more unconventional than the mechanicals.  More info here.

 

A nice 1910 Indian, from the Baja Cantina right across the street from the hotel.

  

 

That’s Fass Mikey Vils with his Excelsior from the first Cannonball. 

 

The nitrous oxide tank is on the frame downtube, feeding through a coiled pipe to the solenoid on the seat tube, which then allows the gas into the custom made airbox on the carb.

 

A cute little Guilietta

 

The FN has a finish on the tank that is a type of gun bluing.

 

 

 

It is a narrow bike.

 

 

  

This Enfield has four valves in the head, twin high pipes, a foot shifter and it sounded really nice.

 

An old racer; The Harley Eater.

  

 

Stacie B London’s race bike.

 

This one is from Fred Mork’s pile of race machines. 

Paul riding a space age cycle.