Mid-Ohio's Vintage Motorcycle Days

Every year, Vintage Motorcycle Days at Mid-Ohio Race Course has a different theme. This year is was Rockers and Mods. I think that's because lately the theme of everything is Rockers and Mods. They had Rockers and Mods day at our local animal shelter last week (the hamsters were the Mods). Of course, at these things, nobody really wants to be a Mod, so it's usually Rockers and Other Rockers.

But really, the theme is secondary. The real theme is Interesting, Old, Weird, Classic, Hodge-Podge Machines and People of All Kinds. The atmosphere is very cool and friendly, without a lot of the macho bullshit that can frankly be a drag at a lot of rallies. People there love to talk, and if you go more than twice, you'll start to run into people you know.

The thing you have to know is that this is not a reunion of old flapperfucks waxing nostalgic about the old days and exaggerating their feats of derring-do. And if you think that it's square because an official AMA event, I'll just tell you this: it's a hell of a lot of fun.

The other thing you have to know is that it is huge. The swap meet alone is so big it has to fold over on iself Inception-style just to fit, and you know – you just KNOW – that that one damned thing you need is in there somewhere. I failed to find a set of Whitworth wrenches, but I know somebody there must've had them.

And if you've never watched vintage racing, it's like a squadron of B-24s taking off. Not knowing which bikes are going to konk out adds a level of excitement that modern motorcycle racing simply lacks.

Not to mention the showcase bikes, demo rides, seminars, motocross racing, campground, the endless parade of all kinds of crazypants people and machines, and just shooting the shit. It's something you can't not love.