The El Camino Conundrum

El Camino can be a hard show to completely take in. The show opens at 8 a.m. and is basically over by noon. Yes trophies are announced around 2 p.m., but pretty much everybody else has split. Not a lot of time to fit it all in, especially when you get there around 9:00.

You don't really see things if your busy looking through a camera, so sometimes it 's best to put the camera down and just take in the experience.

Here's the drill. If I'm taking pictures, I'm really not checking out the show bikes. If I'm really checking out the bikes, I'm not taking pictures, or looking for parts. If I'm looking at parts, I don't have time for the first two activities. Then throw into the mix, running into friends every 10-15 minutes or talking with someone who is admiring the same bike you happen to be standing by. The day will race by, and later I'll think, what happened?

So here's my (limited) highlights of what happened.

A well restored early Sportster will always dazzle me. This '61 belongs to Glenn Bator. It started with 3 kicks and sounded real sweet. The overcast skies don't bring out the color quite as good as it really looked.


I didn't get a chance to read the board behind this bike.


The owner of this Super-Glide really wanted to sell it. It has a few incorrect items but is still very nice.


This black VL is refreshing.


Lowrider anyone?


It's nice to see old grubby bikes are still surfacing.


This was the first time I saw Keith Ball's Peashooter.


That tank art looks familiar? The fire extinguisher is actually an oil tank.


Original paint Sprint.


Police bikes shouldn't have whitewalls and look so much better without them.


Some probably hate the green. I like it much more than the typical red Injuns.


Can't go wrong with black.


These might be the best tank emblems HD ever offered.


Didn't see many vintage chops this year.

This sums up how this year went. I didn't take many photos, didn't really see all or check the bikes out that well, bought only one part, talked with several friends and a few other enthusiast.

Still a good time overall.

La Mirada, La Habra, El Camino?

The 35th Annual El Camino Antique Motorcycle Show is this coming Saturday. In some ways that statement isn't true. I don't know how many regular attendees know it, but it wasn't always at El Camino College in Torrance.

I first heard about the show in the Feb. '83 issue of Supercycle magazine (first one I bought), when they did a feature on the '82 show. It seems they usually had the show in La Mirada in those days. The first one I went to was in '84, but was held close by in La Habra. The following year it was again in La Mirada. La Habra, La Mirada... whats the difference?

They used to make some pretty cool posters each year. This one from 82 was printed in the Feb. '83 Supercycle. Check the credits for technical assistance. I have a couple of nice posters from some later years.

Any way, it moved to El Camino in 1986 and has pretty much been there ever since. One year it didn't happen as there wasn't a promoter to pick it up (I don't know the politics or how or if the So. Ca. Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America works with the promoters these days). It also, sort of got rained out one year (2007).

I do know that Glen Bator kept it going for quite awhile. At one time he was putting on the Del Mar show too, which was some years, only a week apart.


I forgot that '84 was my first year until I dug out this old shirt. Notice it was a two day event. The show bikes were invited to a ride. I only have a few other year's shirts. Most year's designs weren't to my liking.

In those days, it was like Antique M/C Season here in So Cal. Sometimes El Camino was on Saturday, and Sunday was the Long Beach Swap Meet. Other times they were a week apart. Some years all three events were in a week's span.

Two years ago Glen announced at the show, he's moving on and not doing it anymore and the show was going to die if someone didn't step in. It was strange as it had the largest attendance ever. It didn't seem right, everyone was in disbelief and disappointed.

When the current promoter (Classic Cycle Events), took over last year, he stated he's keeping the traditional date in Sept. but up until a few years back it was always on the first Saturday in Oct. Then it crept up to the last Saturday in Sept. Now it's in the middle of the month. So much for tradition.



The old shows were quite different for better or worse. The better, it was a free event held in a shopping center's parking lot and more like a field event with riding games/contests. The worse, the bikes were roped off from spectators. It was still that style of show the first few years at El Camino where they also first began charging admission ($3.00), in '86.

I've never missed a year yet, and don't intend to miss this one.

El Camino 09 Part 2

It took me so long just to do the swap meet, that by the time I made it back to the show area, many of the bikes were loaded and gone. Most of the bikes left belonged to guys waiting to hear if they had won anything.

If your into Antique MC's , you probably know this fella. Mike's done bikes for big shots such as Jay Leno.


This '66 returned but this time with a side hack.


Too flashy for me and likely for the judges as well.


Craig Taylors exceptionally clean '61.


I heard he took it all the way to Davenport.


You had to see this BMW's color in person to really appreciate it.


Nice '51. I love black wheels but not with whites. If your into flash and want to run whites wouldn't it make more sense to have chrome wheels?


Interesting but too much flash (and red), for my taste. All that work, so why the funky and torn '80's Sportster seat?


A simple Chief. It may have been the only Indian in this groups line up.


Pepper Red and Ivory White. Yes, the factory really did this simple form of two tone for '54.


This funny little Powell was the last (scooter class), bike standing when I came back. It appears the seat and rack are sprung by those 3 springs in the back.

EL CO 2009 Part 1

If you live in So Cal and are into vintage iron, then you probably look forward each year to the El Camino Classic MC show and swap meet. Now that both the Ventura and Del Mar shows are no more, it's our only truly vintage venue. But, if we are to only have one, it's the one to have... and we almost lost it too!


Projects looking for the right caretaker.


This knuck featured a poorly done Faux patina paint job that just ain't working. It looks like black paint was rubbed way too evenly over it's entire surface. It needs to be a bit more random with some rubbed thru areas, chips, etc. to sell it.


A tidy Pan in the "Noise" space. I chatted with the owner and T-Bone (who assisted with the build), and complemented their work. It has some very clean mid controls set up. You really need to see the shifter side. It also featured a glide handlebar clamp nicely integrated into the top tree.


Mike (Born Loser), Davis had a space and was promoting the upcoming Born Free show.


Interesting take on stuffing a Knuck in a VL. Nicely done, but the seat, tank, and whole stock looking fork, fender, horn, light and bars aren't working for me. I'd like to see a more aggressive bobbed look.


Looks better from this side, but who has 35k for a toy these days?


I'd guess '20-'23. Wheel rims don't appear to be originals.


This Sport Twin is looking for a new home. Harley was literally going in a quite different direction with this "Opposed Boxer Twin" design. Looks like half a VW turned sideways. It also may have the longest intake manifold in all of motorcycling, and yes, that casting includes the exhaust manifold too. It's heat makes up for the loss of atomization the long path creates. I suppose VW's have those pre-heater tubes for the same reason. I believe they had a run from 1918 to 1922.


I hope this Knucklehead gets some paint and isn't left rusty and bare.


Nice to see old cases are still available, but I shudder to think their cost.


When I was a kid, Hodaka was a magic word.


This well built 45 from Biltwell was being offered for 7k.


You'd be hard pressed to build one for that.


This chopped one has a nice stance. I didn't ask the price.


Since the clutch lever needs to be modified and a sharp bend is required, you don't see too many up sweeps of this type on 45's.


A decked out UL.


I prefer riders like this to pristine show bikes.


KR top on a WL bottom stuffed with WR goodies.


Any color you want, as long as it's Black!


H-D singles are pretty rare. Unless it's an overhead racer, you really shouldn't call them Pea Shooters. The twin lights probably makes it a '28.


I hadn't seen Grace McKean at El Camino for some time. She told me it had been 15 years! Sneaky Paparazzi stalks behind the Indian.


Stay Young... Ride a Bike. Grace stands proud with her 45. She purchased it new in '51 at the tender age of of 17. You do the math.


The old gal is holding up real good... You decide.

So far, these shots are just from the swap meet area. I'll post more later.