A “gathering” In Monterey
A “Gathering” in Monterey
ROUNDUP
AGEARHEAD’S DREAM IT WAS. SPREAD out before us at the first-ever Quail Motorcycle Gathering this past May in Carmel, California, were some of the coolest bikes ever made. From 1900s-era pioneer machines to a more-recent-issue Ducati Desmosedici, the gently rolling, finely manicured lawn of the Quail Lodge’s driving range had something for every motorcycle lover.
Some 115 bikes were on display, plus the 70 or so that rolled through the Bonhams & Butterfields auction on Saturday afternoon, held in the ballroom of the clubhouse overlooking the show field. Although the two-day event helped fill the void left by the postponement of the 2009 Legend of the Motorcycle Concours, the Gathering (www.quaillodgeevents.com) was not a judged concours, although some notable awards were given, such as the Competition Sport Award delivered by racing great and On Any Sunday star Mert Lawwill. There also was the Innovation Award chosen by Craig Vetter, not to mention the “Elegance in Action” Cycle World Trophy for our favorite bike that completed Friday’s Quail Motorcycle Tour, a group run down the coast to Big Sur on scenic and twisty Highway 1. The latter honor went to Tim Stafford, noted San Diego-area BMW restorer, who brought a stunning, just-finished black 1961 R60/2 to ride, show and then sell in the auction, all of which he completed successfully.
If you weren’t interested in the riding tour, there also was golfing -available on Friday. Kenny Roberts was seen wandering around with a set of clubs in a bag sporting the KR logo, of course. Bubba Shobert was whacking away in the King’s foursome, as well. On Saturday, Wayne Rainey and family spent an afternoon cruising the show lawn.
There were about 1500 attendees, on par with the first year of the similar Motorsports Gathering the Quail does in conjunction with the Laguna Seca Monterey Histories vintage-car weekend every August. “The Motorcycle Gathering was truly a labor of passion for us, and for a first-time effort, we did very well,” said Axel Binneboese, the Quail’s director of operations and a motorcycle rider himself. “A lot of people were really pleased with how the event came out, and now we have a full year to promote and plan. We’d like in the future potentially to do something with Laguna Seca, maybe a vintage motorcycle race, and increase industry participation. Like with the Motorsports Gathering, we will grow this event.”
The recession apparently hasn’t hit the buyers of collectible motorcycles, as the auction had some pretty big action. Bonhams CEO Malcolm Barber manned the gavel and ran the show with entertaining style, grace and humor. End result was nearly $ 1 million in sales, highlighted by a pair of Steve McQueen items that seriously dropped jaws. First was McQueen’s 1964 FIM international racing license
issued for the Six Days Trial, which went for $42,700, including buyer’s premium! Also, nearly doubling its estimate was McQueen’s 1963 Triumph Bonneville desert sled, built by Bud Ekins and painted by Von Dutch, a triumvirate of caché that boosted the price to an incredible $84,240 with fees. Other notable items run through were a 1950 Vincent Series C White Shadow (one of 15 made with baremetal engine cases) that brought $111,150; and the Kenny Dreer-built Ducati 904SS custom featured as an “American Flyer” in the April, 2000, issue of CW, the blue-and-yellow Due a bargain at $23,400. -Mark Hoyer
