Minden pre16 Tour

Last week was the annual Minden, Nevada tour, held on the Eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains just down the hill from Lake Tahoe. It was yet another wonderful time, with 3 days spent riding old bikes on the backroads. About 30 riders pre registered and a few more showed up to partake in the fun.

 

Day One was the ride south to The Wolf Creek Restaurant and Bar in Markleeville CA for a cold beverage. Only a few of us made a wrong turn or two on the way there, and there were some bonus miles on the return route following friends out through Diamond Valley and back to the little main road to the hotel. Before we walked across the parking lot to the Chinese restaurant there was a short session of stories and bike repairs.

For Day Two we went to Genoa to see Nevada’s Oldest Thirst Parlor. It is a typical hole in the wall Victorian roadhouse, complete with an antiques shop next door.

The second stop was at Paughco to see their fabrication shop. Eighty employees turn miles of tubing into motorcycle frames, springer forks, exhaust pipes, etc. The stamping dies are used to make oil tanks, fuel tanks, headlight buckets and more. I’ve forgotten the numbers, but something like 75,000 part numbers are made in house, and they sell hundreds of frames a month. Another highlight of the tour was seeing the custom bikes that the employees build and the collection of old HD race bikes and motors on display.

 

Third stop was Virginia City, to dodge the tourists who came to watch the Ostrich races (small people riding large birds in a circle). Camel races were scheduled later in the day, but we left after lunch in order to make it to the fourth stop at the Genoa tavern again.

 

Dinner at the local Basque place was excellent, with a variety of meats to choose from. Day three was a trip out to Smith Valley and Yerington before we all packed up and headed home.

 

Big thanks are due for the Wildharbers who hosted the event again this year! Without them, we’d all be sitting at home and watching teevee instead of riding and breaking old bikes on the quiet backroads, and then laughing at our broken bikes and telling parking lot lies about how fast we used to be. If you’d like to come along next year, the rules are not as strict as in the old days. Pre1916 bikes are preferred, but later machines are welcome too. See you next time.

 

 

Here is a pile of photos from my phone. Not great, but hopefully they give you an idea of the fun at the Minden Tour.

 

Four heroes of our hobby: Rick McMaken, Daniel Statnekov, Mike Madden and Wes Allen.

In Genoa

 

Wes brought his Reading Standard. It was used by the Canadian military, and still has their insignia stamped into the toolbox.

Buster left his Yales at home and rode his 1915 Indian three speeder instead.

 

Steve Huntzinger and Plumber Dave

 

OHV Indian conversion.

 

This Indian looks like Buster’s but it isn’t. I think this is a 1914 two speeder. Can anybody confirm?

This blue scout looked really nice.

 

At Paughco:

Spring front end, turned around.

 

CAC race motor

 

8 valves, 2 cams, oval ports

Racing carby

A special two cylinder Indian 4

 

No horses allowed.

Dave, Madden, Rick, and Dave Bettencort