Ural Wins 1st Prize

Ural Wins 1st Prize

Our green 2007 Patrol won first prize in the sidecar category at the 5^th Annual Cumberland Motorcycle Roundup.

On Saturday, August 10, we travelled south from Campbell River 55 kilometres to Cumberland. The village was celebrating bikes, the people who ride them and admire them. The evening before, Frank had buffed up the Ural with a light wiping of its most dominant parts. We paid ten dollars to register for the Show & Shine and were surprised to be awarded the 1^st place ribbon.

“I’ve never won anything,” Frank said.

“Let’s take this ticket over to the raffle table and see if it’s a winner,” I said.

We won a helmet.

Bike with matte finish

That morning we arrived at 9:30 a.m. and enjoyed a fresh cup of coffee and conversation at The Wandering Moose Café. Frank stayed with the bike as I explored up and down the main street set up as the exclusive domain of motorbikes and vendors. The most prominent bike was the Harley-Davidson while the least well known was our Ural. There were bikes covered in spectacular air-brushed paint, matte finish, leather and duct tape. There were people of all shapes, sizes and ages covered with tattoos. The atmosphere was electric with fun-loving energy. The bright sun set up every bike as a showpiece.

Friendly, chatty chap

As I meandered through the bikes, I stopped at one of the Hells Angels booths. The young man behind the table explained he was working toward getting his first patch and so he was doing community service.

“I’m looking after this booth all weekend and then I hand in my hours,” he said.

“Is the Hells Angels like a gang, where you have to kill somebody to get in?” I asked.

“No! It’s not like that. We’re an organization like any other. There are rules like any other club. Like, you have to have a valid driver’s license and own a motorcycle,” he said.

I looked over the merchandise he was offering but couldn’t see myself wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a Hells Angels cartoon graphic.

Sweet pink ride

I had many conversations that day, all about bikes. I told as many ladies as I met that another way to enjoy the road was as a monkey in a sidecar. The ladies who owned their own solo bikes nodded their head politely. Bikers like the thrill of controlling the speed, destination and conditions of the ride.

Bikers will spend thousands of dollars on decorating their ride. There were several custom air-brushed bikes, one was covered in leather, lots decorated with skulls and women’s body parts and some just plain and simple.

Please enjoy the video and let me know if it was worth the wait.